ã€ŠSooo... I&#x27;m a familiar now?ã€‹


 Prologue

    James was outside, sitting in solitude, as his summer scout camp have just ended.

    It has been a nice 3 weeks in the clearing of the forest deep in the mountains. Tomorrow, he would get back to his job of an accountant, but right now, he was a scout instructor.

    All the kids have already left and the rest of instructors followed soon after. He alone stayed behind, as he did every year, and listened to the nature around himself.With a cup of steaming tea in his hands, and a backpack of his belongings next to him, James enjoyed the quiiet of the forest, wich have been still bristling with human activity just days prior.

    After finishing his tea, he leaned agains the rough bark of an nearby pine, and listened to the distant sound of thunder.

    "Well thats weird." He said, sitting up. The habit of voicing his own thoughts still rooted deep. "I don¡ät think it was supposed to rain today... Oh well. You can¡ät trust the forecast anyway"

    Shrugging, James leaned back against the smooth bark of said tre...

    Jerking up, he wildly looked aroun himself. "This ain¡ät no pine. What in the name of all seven hells happened?!"

    Around him was a lush green forest, full of broadleaved trees and their saplings. In places there were thick and tall bushes, that formed another layer of forest, just about waist height tall. This layer was so thick, one would have to put a great deal of strength to get through them. Fortunately for him, these bushes formed something akin to natural paths, that stretched all around the forest as far as he could see. On the ground, there were mushrooms almost everywhere. Some of them looked familiar, some of them James haven¡ät seen or heard of even once in his lifetime.

    "Just look at that! Some of them are even glowing in the shade of all those bushes..." Trying to regain his composure, James began to breathe methodically

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    "Inhale... And exhale... Inhale... Aaaand exhale... Okay. Now what? Assess the situation... Could this be a hallucination? Doubt it. This feels way too real.Where is my backpack?"

    Looking around, he found it just a couple of meters away from the tree he was leaning against. After a quick check of his belongings, James sighed in relief. Nothing seemed to be missing.

    His field spade still tightly tied to the outside of his backpack, right next to his axe. His water pouch seemed undamaged and full of water, just like he hung it there. The tarp on the other side of the backpack seemed undamaged as well and was ready to be used. A quick look inside assured him, that nothing was missing. Everything was where it should have been.

    Hanging on his belt was his hunting knife, first aid kit and a simple monocular. With his buzola and phone safely stored in the pockets of his army trousers and with a machete strapped to his tigh, he finished checking for missing equipment.

    "Okay. Everything¡äs here. I should probably arm myself. It might not be safe in here. Now to the real question. Machete or spade? If I take the machete, I could protect myself fairly well, but I can also harm someone or even myself really really bad in case this is just a hallucination... But if I¡äll take the spade, i can control myself better, appear less threatening and in case of emergency, i can always reach for the machette... Alright! Spade it is, then!"

    After untiyng the spade from his backpack and holding it in his hands, James began to walk on the path of mushrooms towards the northeast. Why to the northeast? Well... He still had doubts about the situation he found himself in. The doubts in his mind still suggested that this was all just a hallucination, so if he went northeast he would eventually reach a road where he could get medical help.

    The fact, that he kept ascending up the hill, In combination with the air which was cleaner and fresher than usual (as if the Great Pollution didn¡ät happen), just kept on hardening his conclusion. But still, he continued on. He''s looking for a single little cue to tell him the truth. And this stimulus was not long in coming.

    "The glow of mushrooms and other vegetation is pretty strong... One could walk here at night, no problem... Plus. I don¡ät think I¡äve ever seen a bird like that... DAFUQ?"

    Looking up the branches of a nearby tree, James saw a weird, feathered, bird-like creature, with two pairs of wings and as far as he could tell, just one leg to stand on. This creature looked bizzare.With a wide but flat beak and even wider head, on which sat not one, not two, but three, pearly white eyes, that looked everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Those eyes were the things that sold it out. Because its body was shaped and even coloured in a way one could mistake it for a part of a branch it sat on.

    The creature suddenly took off in a soundless flight and headed behind the bushes to his left. And sooner than James could say anything, something started to make its way towards him from the other side of the bush, where the creature flew off to.

    Not knowing what to expect, James readied himself with the spade high above his head. "...I should have choose the machet..." Those were the last thoughts that went through his mind before the thing broke the last branch and stumbled out into the light...

 Chapter one: The Imprisoned

    Today was a terrible day for Virria. If it wasn''t enough to oversleep, she wasn''t even able to correctly put on her uniform.

    To Virria, life itself was suffering. She was a Raaketig. A species commonly infamous for their spying capabilities and a weird taste in animal companions. For example, the Idowu bird. Also a great spy, because of its soundless movement in the air and mimicry, which allowed it to fade from the eyes easily. Further despised by other species for its weird features, like its 4 fingers on 1 leg, or its 4 wings, which were flapping uncoordinated catching all the airflow it could to save energy.

    This kind of bird was systematically exterminated in almost all parts of the known world. Except a few kingdoms in the southwest and maybe some of the more mountainous regions, you won''t find this bird outside a tamers hand. This castle was no exception. If even one member of staff saw the Idowu bird, they would not ask if it was a tamed bird, or not. It would be terminated. Wich is why, Virria hid her pet Idowu named Ognyana in the Forest of Mushrooms. A cheery place for her to be in with not a lot of predators. Due to a local fairytale people did not go in there, which further decreased the chances of Ognyana being spotted.

    She knew that this fairy tale was being spread out by the royal family, as they had vast storages of gold and rare materials hidden somewhere in there. It was also their hunting grounds, which they frequently visited and hunted in.

    In the past, Curmin have been the apex predators of the entire eastern continent, which is why they developed their superiority complex. And of all the kinds on the eastern continent, they hold most of their contempt against her kind, The Raaketig, which were almost a perfect counter to the Curmin. You see, unlike the Curmin, which evolved as an ambush predator, the Raaketig developed as an omnivorous prey species with a very wide spectre of colour vision. Which allows them to see the differences between different colours, that in essence as long as you had any Raaketig you were as good as safe against ambush predators.

    Getting out of the officer''s quarters, she was getting dressed along the way, most parts of the uniform still held in her second set of arms. Together with her eyes, this was another part of her body, that earned her a lot of hatred from almost everyone else on this damned castle. In a land of quadrupeds, she was one of very few bipeds, further more with four manipulating arms, although two of them were very small and were used to carrying children close to their chests while moving and running. Her four eyes did not help either. With one pair being positioned on the sides of her scaled head and the other one staring to the front for depth perception, she was often a target of pranks and other ''unfortunate accidents''.

    Call it a once in a month event would be a lie, as this kept happening almost every other day. Thankfully, the personnel was already used to this, so they paid little to no attention to a half naked officer of insignificant species running past them in a hurry.

    Virria''s position was a guard and an assistant of her royal princess from the Mighty Kingdom of Snale, a land ruled by the race of Curmin. This was probably her biggest bane. Being a guard was bad enough, but an assistant to a person who hates you and your entire kind? A torture on its own.

    Standing two floors higher, Virria looked herself over one more time in an attempt of appearing as a proper guard of the royal princess should. Although she could not see any imperfections, she knew princess will find them and throw them in her face.

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    Knocking at the door, she heard a sullen voice of the night shift. Then, after the door partially opened, she could see a feathered head and a single unmovable eye through the gap. Thumping her chest in salute, she showed respect to her senior officer. ''This is bound to bring trouble,'' she thought, while mentally preparing for being yelled at.

    "Officer Varria. Here to exchange with the night shift."

    "Ohhhh. Finally. You took your time, let me tell you. I almost thought you forgot about our sweet little princess and your duty of guarding her... Furthermore, I almost don''t have time to prepare for... You did not hear that"

    Such was the answer for her formal greeting. Thinking overtime on the implications of such words, Varria didn''t show enough regret, which earned her another shift right after this one. But all she could do was to sigh in defeat and prepare herself for a double shift. Which meant about 11 to 13 hours of guarding princess during her walks and tea parties. During her shift, she could not show any sign of being tired because that would earn her another shift. That one she physically could not endure, as she needed to sleep at least every 14 hours. Not very convenient in a place where day is split into 9 hour activity portions.

    Breathing in and steeling her resolve, she entered the chambers of the adult princess, where she was instantly bombarded by demands and curses.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    6 hours later

    It was the first time Virria could slow down and take a break from entering the chamber. The previous 6 hours were filled with activities like tightening the corset or finding out which set of clothes was cuter (after which the princess chose the set Virria didn''t). Anyway, both the princess and Virria would gladly welcome a change of personnel. Loxoran attendant could do her job as good as her. Lupions or Naari just slightly worse. But it was her duty as a representative of the Raaketig to serve the royal family as a sign of friendship between their countries. An unfortunate necessity, but necessity nonetheless.

    Now she stood in front of one of the many doors to the bathhouse, in which the princess and her other, more aesthetically pleasing attendants were bathing. Upon arriving to the bathhouse, Virria was told to: "Stand guard at this door, you pathetic furless biped, whose tail could not even grab anything." So she stood her guard.

    She stood her guard at this door, the doors she was told to guard. She didn''t even think of guarding another door, because THIS was the door she was told to guard. She guarded it even when the entire castle erupted in chaos and soldiers, various members of staff and other attendants walked past her, telling her, that crown prince Knutter was thrown out of the window of his private chambers, and that all staff and attendants currently not on duty were to gather at the main plaza for investigation.

    Every time someone told her to come along, she politely declined, saying she was on duty of the royal princess Narmalia. She knew what spell the royal family used for investigation, and she was glad, she didn''t have to go there. Unlike the Other kingdoms, which almost all used the modern and safe spell of ''See Truth'', the Curmin used ''View Memory'', Which allowed them to also alter the memory they saw. Being ordered by her superiors to come for investigations was one thing, but a royal order was a royal order. She was safe to decline.

    But Virria was wrong. So very wrong. Who would have thought that a princess would "accidentally" forget that she had a double shift or that she would be ordered to guard the door to the bathhouse? Who would have thought that the numerous guards and nurses had forgotten that she was talking about a royal order when she refused to join the investigation. Who would have thought that Officer Mairro was replaced by Officer Nihal this morning? And finally, who would have thought that someone saw her on the same floor as the prince''s chambers were, just about 10 minutes prior to the accident?

    The fact she did not take part in the investigations spoke in the eyes of the royal family for itself. Now she was being escorted by guard to the deep underground, where she''ll probably spend the last years of her life... Or not. Instead of the cold, wet and stone dungeon she was expecting, she was guided into a normal looking room, although with metal doors and barred window high in the wall. This terrified her. Now she knew what to expect. The royal family would have a hunt in the Forest of Mushrooms. And she will be the hunted prey.

    Slumping in the corner, Virria began to mentally prepare for the upcoming horror that would soon befall her. Singing her race''s funeral song, she took off her uniform and ditched it to the corner. It was inconveniently coloured and uncomfortable to wear and move in. Now, all she could do was to wait for the hunt to begin.

 Chapter two: New friend?

    Virria P.O.V.

    Virria woke up to her fifth day of her imprisonment. Her conditions were nice. Much nicer than what she expected would be offered to an assassin. The royal family obviously planned to have a proper hunt. She was getting healthy food and plenty of movement, but that only served as assurance of her fate closing onto her. Day by day, she had too much time to spend thinking of what will happen and when.

    That was obviously the main point of her imprisonment. She knew for sure that any Curmin would spend at most 30 minutes preparing for a hunting trip. So, there were 2 possibilities. Either they are letting her succumb to her own thoughts and imagination, or are waiting for their guests to arrive to the party... Or both. ''Fuck. I''m starting to think as they want me to think. I must stay strong to have a chance of escaping and getting back home to my family again. Mother needs me and the income my duty brings her.''

    As she sat there, trying not to break down, Virria heard voices in front of her room. She could not understand them, as the door to her room was purposefully thick and muffled most outside noise. What she could tell was that one of the voices belonged to a female. Someone then inserted a key into the lock and latched her door. Virria did not even try to stand up, as she knew what was behind the wood and metal of the door: 8 fully armed guards with weapons aimed at the door just in case a prisoner would want to escape the inevitable. She knew because she was assigned this duty on occasions of important Curmin guests visiting the royal family. This place was nicely out of sight if you didn''t look for it specifically, and she did not offend those guests by her presence anywhere else in the castle.

    She also knew what it meant that the armour smith''s servant had come to see her. Today was her last day in the castle. The last day she would sleep quietly on something distantly comfortable. Today they would take her measurements for a set of leather armor she would be given tomorrow before being taken to the Forest of Mushrooms. And then would her nightmares begin. Being hunted was probably the biggest fear of any sentient being, and even more so when you wouldn''t have any weapons to defend yourself! Given the tiny amount of time the Curmin would give, all one could do is run or hide.

    ¡°Oh, well. At least I¡¯ll be better fed tonight. Tomorrow I¡¯ll have to find my Ognyana. She might provide me with something to improve my odds of escaping.¡± With her soured mood and hopeless circumstances, she went to sleep for what might be the last time.

    The morning came sooner than one would like. Normally the soldiers would let her sleep as much as she wanted. Not today. She was awakened at dawn by one of the guards mercilessly punching at her door. She had only moments for her hygiene, after which she was handcuffed and led to an armour smith, where she received her "armour". Rather than an armour, you could call it decorative leathers with her tamer''s bag attached to one of the belts holding her furred shoulder protectors in place. The placing of her bag was unfortunate and (probably purposefully) unhandy to use. She had to reach across her chest to search inside the bag for her familiars and their food. With her hands tied behind her back, this was practically an impossible task to do.

    This "armour" aside from giving her little to no protection had 2 more features only the royal family, armour smith and guards knew of. One of them being a magic enhancement of the whole suit, including the buckle, which made it impossible to take off the armour for a full day after putting it on. This was important because of the second hidden feature. Before giving her the armour, the armour Smith would let it soak in a mix of chemicals that exuded a weak smell for a period of a full day. So weak in fact, that only Curmin and few other races could even locate it. This made for a perfect tracking tool for the royals to find their prey more easily. They didn''t have to look for tracks or broken twigs, all they had to do was to follow the smell of their target.

    It was a perfect trick. Most prisoners would be glad for any protection they would get, so they would happily take a set of armour so graciously offered to them, not even trying to take it off. This is what would spell doom for most of them, as most of them would try to hide themselves in the forest.

    After being forced to wear her armour, her arms were tied again, this time in front of her. She was thrown into a transport wagon and taken to the edge of the forest, where Curmin royalty partied with their guests. Her arrival meant that the main event was coming near, and all the guests came close and looked at (and secretly smelled) their target for today''s hunt.

    In the distance, Virria could see some thunderclouds passing by, but those would not be coming this way to help her hide the path of her escape. This did not stop them from creating loud booms of thunder, reverberating across the land. A shame to be sure, but one she expected. Curmin would not choose a rainy day to make their hunt.

    All the guests and the royal family had gone to change into their hunting gear. Mostly, they used enchanted leather armour with metal tail coverings, some of which had been tipped with sharp blades or simple pike heads. A very significant difference from her misenchanted, crippled and heavier-than-normal leather armour. Virria watched as various heads of families sat in a circle, discussing how much time she would get to flee. This however did not stop their little pups from throwing rocks and food at her. They could not take part in The Hunt yet, but they could annoy the prize.

    Seeing the discussion amongst the leaders had ended, Virria prepared herself to run. She had to escape them for a full day, before she could ditch her armour and find some place to wash off the leftover chemicals, hopefully to hide from the hunters. She wouldn''t know how much time she''d have, before the hunters will start hunting her. But she had to do everything in her power to survive. Survive and get back home.

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    Her guards came to the wagon and moved to the door, obviously not caring about her tied hands. This was a good sign, as she''d have more time this way. Obviously, she''d have to untie herself before she would take off the armour, but that comes later. She would have to survive up to that point to even think about it. As the door opened, Virria darted out and into the forest beyond, not wasting any time to look around. Plunging herself into the bushes, she ran down the slope of the hill, calling for Ognyana. She might be able to free her hands, but there wasn¡¯t much chance of that. She would definitely have to find some sharp rocks and cut the rope tying her wrists. After 10 minutes of running wildly through the forest, Virria could sense Ognyana nearby and called out to her familiar. After a while Ognyana landed on her shoulder and Virria used her tamer skill ''thought share'' to tell her to try and cut the rope, which unfortunately didn''t bring her the outcome she desired. Not being surprised with the failure in her plan, Virria used ''thought share'' to give Ognyana a new request. ¡°Try to find some strong foes for the Curmin pursuing me!¡± Ognyana trilled approvingly and flew ahead of her, maintaining their psychic link and informing Virria of strong beings in front of her. Thanks to this, Virria knew when to change her course because of a pack of Black Wolves blocked her path in front, or when to adjust it to go past a Tempest Bear resting near water.

    About half an hour after she began her escape, Virria heard a sound of a horn reverberate from behind her. This signalized that the hunt had begun. Sooner than she expected, but any head start was better than none. However, her chances of survival have dropped significantly. She needed 4 hours to be sure she''d survive. An hour to still have a chance to last through the night. If nothing happened, she''d be dead before sunset. Now all she could do was to run ahead and rely on Ognyana to find foes for her enemy.

    <hr>

    Noon was long gone, and Virria was already exhausted from running. Twice she had met the Curmin and twice she escaped with her life by playing with fire. The first time was before noon, when she met with one of the guests face to face and saved herself by jumping off a cliff, praying there was water deep enough at the bottom of her jump. The second one was just moments prior, when she met prince Nakir with his escort. Fortunately, there was an adult Greun nearby, so she delayed them by waking it up. Now they were behind her again and were getting closer. Ognyana was in front of her, looking for any beast to stop or at least distract them with, so she could escape. But everything seemed futile now. There was no cliff to jump off and no beast to distract her enemies. She''d probably die very soon. ¡°Is it even worth trying to escape? What will I get out of it? Maybe I should just accept my fate and...¡± her thought process was interrupted by Ognyana. She found something she couldn¡¯t identify. All she could tell was that it was big and looked strong and intimidating.

    ''What else can I lose?'' Virria thought. ''I''ll either be killed by the prince and his escorts, or that thing, whatever it is. I might even sneak past it and let it fight with those fuckers behind me. It hasn''t noticed Ognyana, so I might have a chance to slip by it unnoticed. Alright. Last attempt to get away. I''m finished either way, but this at least gives me a chance.''

    Running on the path, her hopes kept increasing as she approached her familiar. Those hopes also died down when Ognyana noticed the Thing could see her and flew off the branch she was sitting on in a panic, right to her master''s embrace. There was no way she was stealthier than Ognyana while stationary. Furthermore, she had to keep running to escape the death from behind, so Ognyana coming straight to her have blown her cover. She now had to rely on her speed to get past the Thing faster than it could react, and then draw its attention to the Curmin. She turned to the left and made her way through the thick bush to the other side and around the Thing¡­she stopped. Not because she wanted to or that there was nowhere else to run. She stopped at the sight of the Thing in front of her. Virria was the tallest person she knew, but this Thing was huge! Virria guessed that the Thing in front was almost twice as tall as her, and saw it was bipedal and wore a strange cloth over its body, that made it blend with the colors of the surrounding forest. She could also see one pair of arms raised above its head, holding something. The moment Virria stepped out of the bush, the thing''s binocular vision buried deep inside her soul and stopped her in place. Its hands began to swing down, and she could see the metal part of a weapon come to her view, assaulting her at speeds she could not dodge even if she tried to.

    ''So this is how it ends,'' she thought and closed her eyes, sure of her fate. She waited for the strike to come. And waited. And waited. But there was no pain. Confused, Virria opened her eyes, just to see the Thing looking at her carefully, its weapon stopped high above her head and then slowly lowering itself off to the side. Her knees gave out and Virria fell to the ground at the mercy of the Thing in front of her. She could not go on. All she could do was to hold Ognyana close to her and watch it.

    The Thing was alerted and stressed. That''s what her tamer senses told her. It touched its chest and unlocked a weird black strap and took a weird bag she just now noticed off its back. It put the bag on the ground away from her and took out a strange metal bowl and filled it with water from another metal bottle. The bowl was then offered to her. She was grateful and reached out her tied hands to grasp it.

    Before she could grasp the bowl, however, the Thing launched a terrifying kick that went over and behind her head. Straight into the path of an attacking Curmin. With a sickening crack and a pained yelp, the Curmin was sent flying back through the bush it came through.

    Virria was stunned. She could not even hear the Curmin, yet this Thing was able to see it and even kick it accurately while the Curmin jumped? She looked up at her saviour and saw the blank face it showed. It looked back at her and slowly lowered its hand with opened palm in front of her. After a moment of indecisiveness, Virria took hold of the palm and was surprised about the fact that she was lifted and placed in front of the weird bag. She sat down again and leaned against the surprisingly comfortable side. She also finally took a hold of the bowl of water she was offered. Drinking water felt great after a whole day on the run. She did not have many opportunities to drink something, and most of those she had, it was muddy water near stagnant ponds.

    She almost began to relax, but got alarmed by sounds of someone cutting their way through a bush. Looking at the Thing, she saw it in a state of alert with its weapon in its hand again and looking at the bush in question. She then looked at the same bush just in time to see a group of 4 more Curmin enter the open area.

 Chapter three: There they come

    James P.O.V.

    James expected a lot of things to jump out of the bush, but a 1.1 meter tall (3"7''), four eyed bipedal lizard with two pairs of hands tied in front of it and a stylish fur coat armour was not one of them. Stopping his strike in mid-air, James gawked at the creature in front of him in utter amazement.

    As it emerged from the bush and saw him, it stiffened up and then closed its eyes, now shaking uncontrollably. Not knowing what to do, James waited in the same pose until the lizard opened its eyes, and only then he put away his spade slowly and steadily. The lizard fell to its knees and clutched onto the weird bird he saw earlier in its embrace.

    Looking carefully at the creature in front of him, he could see that the poor thing looked exhausted and thirsty, with its dark grey scales full of mud and deep scratches over the parts of its head and arms he could see. He took off his backpack and poured some water from his water pouch into the cup, and wanted to help the lizard chase its thirst away.

    As he turned around to give it the cup, he could see a weird thing hiding in a bush behind the lizard. It looked like a big cat, but with leather armour on its side and two tails. One of those tails pushed a nearby branch out of its way, while the other was holding some sort of yellow stone emitting a strange dim light. The cat-like thing was about 30 to 40 cm (11'' - 1"4'')tall and a bit over half a meter (2") long, its tails half the length of its body. Its armour was dotted by soft green and dim yellow sparks. Its claws were visible to the naked eye, and its teeth were slowly finding their way out of its maw.

    He watched it carefully while offering the cup of water to the lizard, so he did not miss the moment the weird cat lunged at the lizard he was taking care of, clearly with malicious intent. Out of the protector''s reflex, he kicked the cat-like thing away into the bush.

    He purposefully hit the armour on its side to hopefully teach it a lesson, but not to hurt it severely. After all, if it was intelligent enough to wear armour, it might be able to communicate with him.

    This, however, was not enough, as he heard a crack from the impact of his metal tipped army marching shoe on its armoured side. The thing let out a pained yelp and inertia from the kick sent it flying halfway through the bush. It then lay lied there motionless, all the sparks of its armour disappearing.

    The lizard snapped to attention and looked behind itself in an instant and then at James again, almost falling off to the side in the process. James could hear another of those things making its way through the bush to the side of him, where he kicked the one earlier.

    He looked at the little lizard and, kneeling down in front of it, offered his hand to hold onto. After a moment of visible doubt in its eyes, the lizard caught onto his hand and James lifted it and, surprised by its small weight, placed it in front of his backpack, where it could lean against the soft backrest. Giving it the cup of water that he hadn''t spilled on the ground, James took hold of his spade again and stood up, looking at the bushes where something was snapping some twigs and rustling the leaves.

    There he could see 5 yellow bodies moving amongst the leaves. All of them glowed in green sparks, but just one of them had the yellow ones as well. After a short while 4 yellow cat-like beings came out of the bush, while the fifth one with yellow sparks began to soundlessly crawl to them through a bush.

    "This ain''t gonna be fun" James said, eying the four in front. The fifth one was still too far away to make any difference. All of their armour had the same design. A crest, showcasing a yellow and white tower shield with 3 red claw marks diagonally over the surface. The armour was brown coloured with not a lot of wear visible. Obviously newer or well-kept armours. And all of them had those green sparks that unnerved James.

    Suddenly, the leftmost one darted directly at him, trying to gauge his reaction. Unimpressed by the speed, James repeated what he did with the last one that tried to attack him and, disregarding its claws attacking his protected ankle, launched a kick at its unguarded armoured side. One quick kick was all it took to make it unable to keep on fighting, as it joined its friend on the ground, this time writhing in pain. It landed on the ground near the bush the fifth one was just crawling through, startling it enough to stop its movement. Those green sparks of its armour glowing brighter and starting to enter its body.

    The rest looked at their fallen companion and, thinking of their next move, gave James enough time to gain proper balance again and take a defensive posture. With a couple of low growls and hisses, the other 3 attacked James at once. One of them tried to bait James into kicking him by running around him in a wide circle toward his left and snapping at his feet, while the other two ran around him to his right and, while staying side by side, aimed for the lizard which leaned against his backpack. What the two did not expect however, was the spade that flew streaked from their left flank and hit them like an ax, flinging them away.

    The first one to be hit was lying on the ground eerily quiet with a pool of turquoise fluid, probably blood James thought, forming underneath it. The second one was in slightly better condition. It only received a secondary impact, but even that was enough to break its right rear leg and send it flying through the air and into a group of mushrooms, smashing them in the process. There it hissed in pain and tried to get away, green sparks homing onto its broken leg. James turned to the last one that had been running in circles around him, now standing across from the lizard and safely out of his reach.

    He took a while to assess the situation he found himself in. He was now facing forward, with the lizard about 4 meters (13¡¯) behind him and the one hiding about 1 meter (3¡¯ 3¡±) behind him and in the bush to his left. It was clear what they were trying to do. So obvious, in fact, that James took a while to consider the possibility of a trap. There was not a high chance of it. Instead, he was presented with a chance to make a trap of his own.

    He¡¯d play along with the bastards. Taking the spade into his right hand, James used his left hand to pull out his machete from its scabbard on his left thigh. With a spade in his right hand and a machete in the left one, he stepped forward towards the creature in front of him, then he quickly turned around counterclockwise, throwing his spade, aiming in front of the one which just rushed out of the bush. Continuing his spin, James lowered the blade of the machete to be perpendicular to the ground, with its tip just centimetres from hitting it.

    Seeing him turning around, the last of the 4 Curmin took it as its chance to kill the weird being in front of it. Rushing forward with its claws and fangs ready to strike the target, it did not notice the sharp edge cutting through the air in its direction until the blade connected with its front leg, cutting through it, cutting it off, and continuing almost undisturbed towards and through its neck.

    James, finishing his spin, paid no attention to the turquoise blood spilling all over his boots and rushed to the lizard and the last Curmin, just to stop his rush after seeing the results of his throw. He then slowly walked towards the carcass in front of him.

    <hr>

    Virria P.O.V.

    She could not believe her eyes. In the beginning, when those 4 elite guards jumped out of foliage, she lost all semblance of hope. Those were the ELITE soldiers who guarded Curmins of royal status. Literally, one out of about 500 soldiers could even begin to think of becoming one. Every child or pup or hatchling wanted to either be one, or to be someone important enough to be protected by at least one.

    With those state-of-the-art hunting armours of unified design, they were faster and stronger than a regular Curmin. Those armours did not provide any protection aside from getting grazed by branches and stuff, but their true value was in their support abilities. Replenishing the wearers stamina and water expenditures, as well as providing healing in case of injury and enhancing spells while worn by the caster.

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    And yet, the Thing didn''t care about those features at all and absolutely destroyed the first one to attack it by simply kicking it to the side once, while completely disregarding its claws or fangs assaulting its joint.

    Over the course of her career, she hadn¡¯t seen a Curmin get hurt in a match, let alone when there were more of them working in unison. She was quite surprised when she saw the elite guard flying helplessly through the air with its face was contorted in pain from a kick that had enough power to break its bones and probably produce fatal internal bleeding.

    After a moment of shocked silence, Virria snapped her attention to the rest of the guards, just in time to see their coordinated attack begin. After her horr0ible ealization, that two out of the three Curmin were oming after her struck home, Virria prepared for a desperate last stand with her back still pressed against the thing''s weird bag. Just to be amazed once again, by the Thing simply swinging one of its arms and hitting them from their flank.

    The first guard was most definitely dead on the spot. A puddle of fresh Curmin blood was good enough proof to say that. The second guard was chucked a large distance, right into a group of extremely toxic mushrooms, where it began to breathe its last breaths whilst thrashing uncontrollably. There was no helping those two.

    The last of the guards stood motionless at the opposite side of the Thing, staring at her with hatred, determination, and, was that mockery in its expression?! Looking around wildly, Virria noticed a movement in the bushes to her left. It was prince Nakir staring at her through foliage! As soon as she noticed him, her body tensed up, and she saw that ellow and pink mana started to float all around her, binding her in place and preventing her from moving anything except her head and eyes.

    This was an effect of magic stones the Curmin used from time to time. These stones were incredibly rare and expensive, because even if you did not know how to cast spells, all you needed to know was how to channel your mana. You could cast the spells engraved into these stones for as long as they lasted.

    Curmin could use 2 stones at one time, holding one in each of their tails. And right now, she was bound by two of their favorite spells, ''Silence'' and ''Bound''. She couldn¡¯t move to escape or fight the predator lurking in the shadows, and neither could she alert the Thing of her dire state. This would be an unbearable situation to anyone she knew, including herself.

    But now she had something to believe in!. The Thing in front of her was now her one and only hope to get out of this situation alive. So, she believed in her savior. Even as it made its first step away from her, and her mind fell into a blank state, she still watched the surrounding scene.

    When she''d later recall events of this fight, she always wondered how he did it. All she saw was him stepping forward, which provoked the prince into attack, then suddenly turning around, with a blur of a movement heading towards her. Continuing to turn and cutting off the head of the final guard, while at the same time hitting prince Nakir in the side with the thrown weapon, piercing his skin and innards, killing him on the spot.

    As the prince died, the spells he maintained lost their effect and Virria became free to move her body.

    Mustering what strength remained in her Virria stood up and saw the Thing walk towards its thrown weapon. he walked to the still warm body of her former bane and, seeing a blunt edge poking out of Nakir¡¯s side, began to search for anything that could help her cut the rope tying her arms together.

    The Thing pulled its weapon out of the body and cleaned both weapons on ome grass, that was growing nearby. After cleaning and holstering one of its weapons, it came to Virria and kneeled next to her, signaling her to show it her tied arms. She responded by stretching both pairs in front of her. The Thing took a moment to study the knots on both hands, trying to untie them. Due to the size of its fingers, however, it wasn''t able to do so. With a sigh, it took out the biggest knife Virria had ever seen and cut the ropes tying her wrists together.

    Finally. Virria was once again one step closer to the freedom she desired so much. With her hands free, she could simply climb into safety, then spend the rest of the time needed to unlock the bracket that forced her to wear this rigged ''armour''. She ran around for a while, trying to get her blood flowing in her arms, and then climbed to a tree crown, just to check if she was in good enough condition to climb. The Thing watched her the whole time, drinking from its metal bottle.

    When Virria came down to the ground, she was offered water once again, which she happily accepted. After freshening up, Virria stood up and walked to each soldier, collecting their Cast Stones and any usable gear and materials. She was looking for a certain item - a Necklace of Languages, or one of its lesser versions. One could use these necklaces to communicate with those he did not understand. Unfortunately, she found only a few items they could use.

    5 Cast Stones with ''Silence'', 1 with ''Bind'', 2 with ''Heal MinorWounds'', 1 with ''Hydrate'' and 1 with ''Search'' imprinted. She also found a length of rope and some dried rations.

    Now she had to make a choice. Would she leave on her own and try to survive through the night by herself? That seemed impossible. She''d have to stay close to her protector. She did not even take notice of the prince hidden in the bushes mere meters away from her, yet the Thing knew about him and thwarted his surprise attack. Not only that, but she''d also have to rest very soon.

    The question was how to communicate with the Thing. Virria was sure the Thing was sentient because it used tools and knew when to stop its attack. Unfortunately, she did not find any of those necklaces, nor did she know its language, so she had two options left. Continue with the pantomime they''d already begun to practice, or try using ''telepathy''. One problem was that only very few sentient races reacted positively to telepathy and agreed to use it.

    While she thought about all these things, she felt pressure on her shoulder, and after looking up she saw Ognyanas¡¯ pleading gaze. She was looking for a treat, and she would get one. She deserved it for finding Viria such a great ally. Taking a look in her supply bag filled her with a sense of grief, anger, and hopelessness. Obviously, in the eyes of the Curmin, it was not enough to take away her tamed beasts, which she spent more than 8 years of her life collecting and making friends with, in some cases even creating bonds. What Virria saw in her Tamer bag breached the mental barriers she had built while serving in the land of Curmin, and she began to cry tears of sorrow.

    She cried out to the skies; she regretted even leaving her home country! Then out of nowhere, a shadow befell her, as the Thing came running to her and gently embraced her in its strong arms. Protected by those strong arms, Virria cried her sorrow out, after which she fell to the merciful sleep of the exhausted in the warm embrace of her savior.

    James P.O.V

    As James turned around to rush to the lizard¡¯s aid, he saw the spade he had thrown wedged deep in the flank of the cat-thing that was hiding in the bushes. There were some residual sparks of yellow and pink floating in the air around the lizard, but the lizard itself seemed fine as it stood up and went to the carcass.

    James took hold of his spade again and pulled it out of the body. With his machete in one hand and his spade in the other, he cleaned the blood and other parts using a patch of grass, after which he holstered the machete but kept the spade close.

    Kneeling in front of the lizard, James signaled it to hold its arms straight, so he could see the knots. They looked like they could be untied, so he gave it a try, but without luck. Begrudgingly, he took out his knife and carefully cut the rope. It was a nice rope and could come in handy. Unfortunately, his fingers were too big and could not untie it.

    The lizard seemed very happy with the changes, as it began to swing its arms about and even quickly climbed a tree. It reminded him of his pet cat he had as a kid, as it also got overly excited and climbed whatever was nearby as soon as he got home. Pouring some water into his cup attracted the lizard''s attention back to him. He gave it the cup and took another sip from the bottle.

    After the lizard drank some water, it darted around the bodies, checking various compartments and bags James did not see, collecting those things in the dirt next to his bag. His attention was drawn by 10 small cubes of different colors and with script he did not recognize. They shined brightly in sunlight and were far more interesting than the rope and something that looked like dried meat or mushrooms nearby.

    The lizard seemed to be pondering something, so he left it to its own thoughts and started to clean his shoes from drying blood. He was halfway done with the first one when he heard a shriek come from the lizard.

    Rushing over, James found it looking into one of the bags that were fixed to its armor. In the bag there were little compartments of cubic form. And almost half of those little compartments were filled with what he could describe only as pieces of animals. Some of them had pieces of fur, some others just a feather or a bone. One of them had a bird head with its eyes scooped out.

    James did not know what that meant, but it clearly was not good for the lizard. He embraced it gently, trying to get it to calm down. After approximately 20 minutes of soothing, the lizard fell asleep in his embrace. Lifting it up gently, James brought it to the center of this clearing and laid it on the ground. Taking another look into the bag, he decided to take it off of her. He cut through a few rough stitches and removed the bag from the armor, placing it into his own backpack beneath some t-shirts and his cape.

    "Looks like we''ll spend the night here. I should start digging a fire pit." With this thought, he took the spade in his hand and began looking for a favorable place for it. About 2 minutes after he began his search, he noticed a figure, seemingly made out of glittering moonlight, looking at him.

 Chapter four: Educators

    Aavari

    Aavari was about to lose his mind. He was a high member of the council of Quortals, the eldest of Antrions. Quortals were the ones responsible for all mortal matters, including a creation or destruction of various races off the face of the world. Yet, he had to deal with a non-trivial matter of young Curmiolini, the Celean intern, using the summoning circles without expertise, destroying them in the process.

    It would be one thing if he only used one or two circles, but 47 of them? The amount of prayers needed to construct even one of those circles was so immense, mortals (with a few exceptions) could not afford even one.

    "Do you understand what you did?" he asked Curmiolini beside him, whilst looking at what was left of the summoning altar and surrounding area. The once beautiful lush green and turquoise garden was gone, replaced by fires of different colors, consuming the remaining grass and whatever Mana was left in the air, which was filled with black smoke.

    "I attempted to summon a powerful being without supervision or asking, destroying the altar in the process." The youngling said this without apology, which pissed Aavari off. He silently nodded, and sent Curmiolini back to his room.

    Turning around to the rest of his clan, the Antrions, he simply stated: "We''ll have to wait for the fire to die down. Only after that will we be able to find if Curmiolini succeeded and where the summon ended up."

    "I''ve always said that this exchange program between Clans is a mistake. This was bound to happen sooner or later", came the angered voice of Anterion, the pessimist of the clan, whose voice was simply ignored. Everyone here had heard this story many times over.

    "Can''t we just extinguish it with water magic?" The newest member of the clan, Aderrio, asked. Aavari just sighed, and as calmly as he could, explained to the young one that that would only add to the power of Mana Flames now emitting from the broken rings.

    "Alright. I will now go to the summit of Clans to discuss how to handle this situation. Until I return, no one is allowed to leave the sanctuary. The only exception are our VVIP believers'' summons. I''m looking at you, Ahrain."

    Ahrain, as was tradition, immediately retorted: "Damn it old man! How many times do I have to tell you to stop telling me that? It was more than 250 years ago. Stop rubbing it in my face!"

    "Yes, yes, whatever. I''m leaving now. I''ll leave the things here in Anterion''s hands." As Aavari finished speaking, he vanished with a flash of light, reappearing on his throne in a round room clad in gold and marble. There were 26 thrones in a circle, each one with a different capital letter made of pure gold and decorated with rare gems. He was 19th to arrive, and he did not have to wait for long before the rest of the Clan elders arrived and their meeting began.

    "I''d like to thank you all for coming here on such short notice today." Aavari began. "I''ve called you here because of a certain phenomenon most of you have probably noticed already: the massive Mana Deprivation Wave that came across all the sanctuaries just an hour ago." After saying that, he let the elders discuss it for a few moments, before releasing a bit of Mana to let everyone know that he wished to speak again.

    "This Deprivation Wave originated nowhere else than in the summoning rings of sanctuary of the Antrions and was caused by unauthorized operation of the rings." As expected, a wave of murmurs spread across the room. The only ones who did not take part of it were the eldest of the Antrions and Celeans, who had been informed in advance.

    After everyone calmed down again, Capeih, the eldest of the Celeans, stood up and took over the position of speaker. "Please, everyone. Before you start putting blame on the Antrions, I''ll have to inform you of all the details of the incident. It has been caused by a member of our clan who had been attending lessons in the Antrion¡¯s sanctuary. The member in question is very young, only 3 months since his ascension to the Clan member status."

    This quietened everyone. It was quite common to fail at rings usage, but to use another clan''s rings without permission was something entirely different. A ring was an important and expensive asset of every Clan. Even the weakest of clans made sure to have at least 2 of them functioning, to summon powers and sometimes living entities from beyond, and use them to get more power and wealth than the other clans. The Antrion Clan and Celean Clan were two out of the four most powerful Clans, so one of them causing an accident with the rings of the other was a problem of the highest caliber.

    Capeih continued. "Our Clan member has misused 47 circles, ruining them all, as well as starting a Mana Deprivation Fire to the Summoning Garden. We, the Celean Clan, offer you, the Antrion Clan an amount of Prayers worth 50 circles, to pay for this incident and spare the life of our member, as well as Prayers worth two circles to every other clan for the complications our young one¡¯s misstep might have brought upon you."

    What followed after those words was shocked silence. Two circles worth of Prayers? To the weaker Clans, it was enough to last 2-3 decades. To the strong ones, it was a nice gift, saving them maybe a month of harvesting. The Celean Clan was offering almost 100 rings worth of Prayers in all, because of a blunder of one of its younger members. All eyes in the room turned towards Aavari, who thought deeply. The amount of Prayers was vast, and would be more than enough to make up for the losses he and his Clan suffered.

    As he was about to accept, Aavari received a mental message from one of the members of his clan that made him think about the pros and cons of said offer and consider a new counteroffer. The message was made of four words only: ''The Summon was successful''.

    Aavari stood up and began pacing around the room, making a full circle before sitting down again, looking directly at Capeih. "The Antrion Clan is grateful for your offer, but there is something else we would like to obtain." After saying so, he watched as the wheels in Capeihs head began to turn in a futile attempt to find a way not to surrender his member.

    Trying to stop his overthinking, Aavari spoke to all the elders in the room. "The Antrion Clan will give up those 50 rings worth of Prayers for the rights of the creature your disciple has summoned. The Celean Clan will be responsible for offering half the amount of Mana for the creature to connect it to the World System, as well as giving up the rights to the creature, but other than that, we won''t want any other reparations." Putting on his best poker face, Aavari sat down, and looked at Capeihs'' changing expression. He could not read it, as he was not knowledgeable in facial expressions of other Clans, but Aavari predicted he''d be pretty shocked.

    Capeih

    Now it was Capeihs'' turn to think. A creature summoned with the power of 47 rings would indeed be very powerful and dangerous, as well as incredibly helpful. The problem was that it was not summoned onto the altar but to the world below, meaning the need for actual ascension to join their ranks. This process would require more than 1000 years of it running wild in the world below with little to no chance to guide its behavior, unless it proved to be extremely compliant. The offer stated the need for them to give the creature enough Prayers to join the world system (which was usually about 20 rings worth of Prayers), but that would be paying in advance for not having trouble in the future. They could use their arrays of circles to summon and enslave enough strong creatures before the millennia passes, effectively catching up to or even passing the Antrion, and getting into leading position. He made his choice.

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    "The Celean Clan will accept your generous offer. We will proceed as soon as my Clan pays the promised prayers to the rest of Clans, and your Clan finds the creature." Capeih said, and nodded to Aavari, who was sitting on his throne and smiling. "Shall we begin the Prayers transfer?" he asked the rest of the elders.

    ---

    One hour later

    Capeih walked side by side with Aavari towards the place where Antrion Clan found the creature. They did not talk, just walked in silence, so as not to alarm any being that may have been nearby.

    About 200 hundred meters from the clearing where the summoned creature was, they encountered another member of Antrion Clan, Arreani, who specialized in espionage and twisting laws in her favor. "Arreani." Aavari said, surprised she was not near the clearing. "What are you doing here? Shouldn''t you be watching the creature?"

    Arreani simply looked at him, and after a short pause she simply answered: "Self protection! The thing was able to detect me, even while using countermeasures. After scouting the terrain and witnessing combat results, according to our predetermined laws, I decided that retreat was the safest option, and I opted to inform my superiors in a predicted safe distance." She then looked at Capeih, simply bowing her head.

    "Combat results?" Aavari asked. "Give me the details. As much as you know."

    With a practiced ¡°bored¡± look and a monotone voice, Arreani began reporting her findings. "I¡¯d found the creature approximately 20 minutes prior. It was walking in circles, obviously looking for something. After disguising myself, I flew to the crown of a nearby tree to watch the clearing, from there I saw 5 carcasses of Curmin origin: one of them decapitated, two of them with large holes in their flanks, one thrown into toxic mushrooms, and one lying near a bush on the edge of the clearing. I decided to check the bushes around for any clues of the combat, and found another carcass, this time without any sign of external damage. After thorough inspection, I discovered a shockingly strong impact to the flank, which was probably enough to throw it halfway through the bush. Around that time, I noticed the creature watching my every move, unaffected by my countermeasures. I decided to fall back and report to you. That was about 10 minutes ago. I don''t know if the being decided to walk away, but from what I saw, it planned to stay the night.

    Capeih and Aavari looked at one another, and wordlessly walked the rest of the way, this time much more circumspectly. Stopping at the edge of the clearing, they saw a weird scene of an Ent sitting next to a fire pit with burning wood, and right next to a bipedal being, clad in fabric of green and brown colors scattered in an unorganized way, partially blending to the background. Ents did not usually reveal themselves, as they preferred just protecting their quiet places and despised any creations of Clans.

    The two Clan elders looked at each other and tried to come up with the connection between a monster capable of killing Curmin and that thing over there, casually chatting with a guardian of a forest in its native language.

    ---

    James

    James was watching the figure of moonlight, as it searched around the clearing and studied the body of the first cat-like thing he kicked, before looking at him and disappearing. James watched the bushes around for a while, before going back to the lizard to check on it. It was sleeping, but it had started to get pretty cold. "Fuck it. I already decided to spend the night here, so why not just get to it?!" He opened his backpack and took out his sleeping bag and mat, lowering the lizard carefully onto the mat and covering it with his sleeping bag to hopefully heat it up.

    While he was doing that, the weird bird landed near his now opened backpack, pecking at the bag he cut off of the armor. He tried to shoo it away, but to no avail. "What the fuck do you want? Huh? You wanna bite some meat off of those parts or what?" James asked no-one in particular.

    "The bird is trying to look for some seeds that are probably in that bag. Why don''t you try and look for them?" James was quite surprised when he heard an answer coming from behind him. Turning around, he saw a being describable only as an Ent. About 2.5 meters tall and with legs replaced by moving roots, it was probably the closest thing anyone could imagine.

    "An Ent?" James asked, and the Ent simply nodded its head, rustling leaves in the process.

    "It looks like you''re trying to set up a fire pit. As you still have not been noticed by The Will of this world, I have come to show you some rules, so that I don''t have to fight you. That ax on your pack looks dangerous. By the way, my name is Nheeria, it is nice to meet you." Nheeria slightly bowed, and James did the same.

    "James. The pleasure is¡­mine?" James replied, a bit shocked, and then the words dawned on him. "Wait a minute. You said that I''ve not been recognized by The Will of this world. What does it mean?"

    "It''s quite simple. As you have not been noticed, you have not been linked to the inner works of it. That way, you could not sense the will of various spirits and guardians of sorts. If you could sense them, you would know that the place you are allowed to make fire is right next to the place you laid the Raaketig."

    "Is that a bad thing? That I haven''t been noticed and recognized?"

    "You don''t have to worry. I''m pretty sure those who are responsible for your arrival are looking for you now. While they are still searching for you, I''ll be your company. If you do not mind, that is."

    James nodded. Thanks to Nheerias navigation, he was able to dig a fire pit using his shovel, which for some reason kept catching Nheerias eyes, and he even managed to collect some nice, dry firewood. He was also surprised by Nheerias offer to light it for him, but seeing the hesitation in Ents eyes, he politely refused and rather lit it with classical flint and steel, much to the relief of the Ent.

    After attending the fire for a while, James pulled the mat with the sleeping lizard closer to heat it up, but not close enough to endanger it by his sleeping bag catching on fire. He then went to his backpack and brought it to the mat, took out few apples to eat, and sat on the opposite side of the fire from the lizard. Nheeria watched him carefully the whole time, only freezing for a moment when he took out the apples.

    After James sat down, the Ent lowered himself next to him, and they began to talk. James offered one of the apples to Nheeria, who blissfully accepted and held it in his arms, like you''d hold a newborn child. Nheeria began to talk about the forest and some of the common animals in it, but he also told him about the land that surrounded it.

    James began his education about this place, and was assured that this was indeed a new world. After all, you can''t expect things called Mana Eaters or the "Misty Bear of Anguish" in the forests of Earth! He was also told about the things he killed - the Curmin, and the lizard he saved - the Raaketig.

    Nheeria viewed the Curmin as sadistic tyrants and the Raaketig as oppressed scavengers with good ties to nature and other living beings. The forest was not a friendly place, but some species have adapted to it by developing immunity so they weren''t affected by the numerous kinds of poisonous plants and mushrooms, or some other kind of countermeasure.

    Nheeria was just talking about a small kind of frog, and how it developed special hormones to ignore one very specific kind of plant, forming a symbiotic relationship with it, when he suddenly stood up, putting the apple held in his embrace somewhere into his crown. James stood up as well, one hand resting on his machete, looking around the clearing for a threat. Seeing two figures, shining in the moonlight the same way as the one he saw about 15 minutes ago. Nheeria spoke up. "I see. Your guides have arrived. I am no longer needed, as they will show you the basics of communicating with this World. I will now leave you here. Should our fates cross again, let''s hope we are not opponents. If you want to, you can find me again by remembering my mana and following it to the source. I''ll leave you a trace on your pack here. " He touched one of his shoulder harnesses, brown specks of light emanating from his hand. He then bowed, and walked away, to the opposite side, than the two figures were.

    Watching the Ent leave, James was silently thinking of what was to come next. Turning around, he watched the two figures slowly making their way towards him.

 Chapter five: Meet your benefactors

    Capeih

    When the Ent noticed their presence, it stood up, and after a few last words with the being, walked away towards the opposite end of the clearing. Aavari glanced at him, before heading out to the open, towards the campfire and the strange being. He took out his bracelet of languages and equipped it on his arm, instantly feeling his Mana draining bit by bit. They had about three hours to get this over with, or they wouldn''t be able to get back into their sanctuaries for a while.

    As he walked closer, he began to understand that the Ent they saw earlier was not a sapling, but a full-fledged adult and a powerful being, probably ruling over a significant part of this forest.

    The being was tall, taller than him by a head or two, clad in an annoying fabric that made it hard to stay focused on it. Its eyes jumped between them, expecting anything and everything. By looking at its face, he wasn¡¯t sure he could guess its emotions correctly without his bracelet. It told him the creature showed signs of wariness, even though to him, it looked like aggression. He trusted the bracelet, as it had never failed him before, but still stopped at a respectable distance. Aavari seemed to be of the same mind, as he stopped next to him without speaking up.

    Only now did Capeih realize that the creature was armed with what seemed like a well-made spade in its hand, hanging idly at its side, and a blade of sorts in a weird scabbard at its thigh. It was well armed for close combat, but he could not see any ranged weapons or sense any sort of Mana. That might have been caused by its essence of Mana being different from this world''s Mana, but the Will of The World would take care of it by itself once it notices the being in front of them.

    Avari spoke up first, "Greetings, traveler from Great Beyond. My name is Aavari, and I am here on behalf of my Clan, the Antrion, to welcome you to this world." This prompted him into action and he introduced himself as well.

    "And my name is Capeih, here on behalf of my clan, the Celean." Capeih then watched as the face of the creature quickly went through several quick changes in expression, including relief, surprise, and confusion, before settling on a completely unreadable one. The two elders waited for an answer from the clearly intelligent being in front of them.

    James

    James did not know what to think anymore. As the two figures approached him, he could see more details became apparent. The taller one was about 1.5 meters tall, bipedal, with whiskers on its elongated nose, soft looking fur everywhere he could see, wearing a delicate robe with intricate red and gold ornaments. The other one was a bit shorter, about 1.3 meters tall, bipedal, but had short and stiff fur, and was clad in practical clothing any artist would crave. Small sparks of light flew around them and into the bracelets on their forearms.

    The smaller one then spoke in fluent English.

    "Greetings, traveler from Great Beyond. My name is Aavari, and I am here on behalf of my Clan, the Antrion, to welcome you to this world." James noticed right away that the movements of its mouth did not match the words he heard. It was like looking at a badly dubbed movie.

    "And my name is Capeih, representing the Celean clan." Glancing at the other one, James saw more of those sparks flowing into the bracelet as the being named Capeih spoke.

    Curious, James thought, ''Could it be that those bracelets are translating devices? If that is the case, what are those sparks, then?'' ¡°My name is James. May I ask You to please explain what happened to me?" James said, while carefully watching the bracelets, noticing a significant number of sparks rushing in. ''Yep. Definitely a translating tool. Now, how does it work?''

    After a quick exchange of glances by the two figures, the taller spoke up." I am very sorry for causing you such trouble. The thing is, a member of my Clan used a certain spell without expertise or supervision, which targeted and brought you here, to this world. We did not ask you if you wanted to come here, but simply tore you out of your life and brought you here without permission." Capeih then bowed his head, followed by a quick nod from the smaller one.

    "Alright. I guess you did not mean any harm by bringing me here. So let me ask you: Is there a way to get me back from where you took me?" James then shrugged visibly and took a less defensive stance. The relief of two figures in front of him was very obvious, as they weren''t acting so stiff now. They behaved more like old friends would. They exchanged glances and the smaller, Aavari, spoke up.

    "That is unfortunately not possible. The one responsible for the summoning set the target to a random location, and after the spell was completed, the formation containing the location of your origin was destroyed. You also have not been introduced to the World System, which would normally be done using the same formation after making sure that you wanted to enter it."

    James could tell that was a lie by the way Aavari¡¯s eyes darted to anything he could see around, but avoided meeting his direct gaze. He decided not to mention it, but would remember it for later.

    "Fine." Sighing tiredly, James sat down on his mat, making sure he looked nonchalant. Everything not to attract their attention to the Raaketig in his sleeping bag behind him. "So what now? Will you try to kill me?" He purposefully looked at the dead Curmin on the ground, just a few paces away, and then at the two figures. "Or will you try something else?" He then gestured to the other side of the fire pit, to a clean, dry grass he sat on with the Ent.

    The two sat down without a hint of hesitation, which amused him somewhat, and Aavari gave him his offer.

    Aavari

    Aavari was very happy. So happy, in fact, he wanted to cry. This was the best bargain he''d ever done! The creature seemed to be strong right after summoning, yet not arrogant and unwilling to hear him out. It was worth far more than 50 circles worth of Prayers. With his best poker face on, he sat down in front of it and shot his shot. "We, the Antrion Clan, give you an offer to join our ranks. You will have to go through Ascension in this lower world for an uncertain period of time, which you can use to get used to the rules of this world, as well as gain experience among the living beings we''ve created. As a reparation for you not being able to decline our offer of inviting you to this world, I will hear out three wishes and do my best to fulfill them, as well as give you an opportunity to gain a Patron in one of this world''s laws."

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The creature in front of him thought for a while, before asking a few questions. "What does it mean to me to become a member of your Clan? What do I have to do and what are going to be my responsibilities?"

    "A classical question." Aavari chuckled next to Capeih, who started to turn pale from realizing what he''d lost by this deal. "You will have to choose an art."

    Seeing the look on the being''s face change, he checked his bracelet for a meaning, which came out as confusion. "You see, we are an artistic clan. Our members all specialize in some kind of art. Some are bards of different kinds of music, some are painters of various styles. I, for example, am a sculptor. Based on my chosen art, I have been blessed by the Patron of Stone, who gave me this Chisel of the Mountain King." He took out his chisel, tapping a nearby stone with it, and watched as it peeled off, layer after layer, until there was a beautiful statuette of a baby bear. He then tossed the statuette to the creature, who looked at it in amazement. "The power of this chisel allows me to work with any kind of stone, be it this rock, city walls, or even entire mountains and continents. Of course, everything has its price, and the larger piece of stone I work with, the more energy and Mana I have to utilize."

    "To be a member, you have to choose an art best suited to your race. One that your kind did as often as possible. You will also have to get a name that is compatible with this world, but you''ll have to do that regardless. As far as your responsibilities go, we''ll decide them once you''ve managed to ascend from this world." With a smug look, he looked at his future slave, who thought it was free to decide. He was caught by surprise, when the creature suddenly showed its teeth at him. Checking at his bracelet, he became slightly less unnerved, but still not calm at all. "What a weird way for anyone to show happiness. Most other kinds see baring teeth as a threatening gesture, so I''d advise you to think of that when walking around."

    "I''m sorry, I did not mean that." said the creature, quickly covering its fangs with its free hand. "I''ll remember it next time. Anyway, I think I know what art my kind excelled at, we practiced it all the time. Before we continue, however, I''d like to hear about those three wishes you spoke of." The being leaned forward, applying silent pressure on the elders. "Can I wish for anything?"

    The thing¡¯s vision buried into him like a nail hammered into a plank, making him feel uncomfortable. "If it is not something beyond my power and does not endanger me, I''ll see what I can do. We will decide them now, because once you start to merge with the rules of this world, Capeih and I will have to leave. So tell me, what are your wishes?" He had to be extremely careful with this. If he gave the creature some broken abilities, it could cost Aavari''s life because of the energy expended.

    "I see..." After a brief pause and watching the flames dance across the wood, it continued. "My first wish is to have all of my equipment work as it would in my original world." This surprised both Aavari and Capeih. They expected something like ''I want a sword that can cut anything,'' or something like other summoned beings requested.

    "Why would you want that? There are better things to wish for!" asked Capeih beside him, to which Aavari just nodded.

    "Probably, but I have a sentimental attachment tomy things. For example, my compass." It then took out a small weird tool, with a weird looking cross wiggling slightly counter-clockwise to clockwise. "I don''t want to see things like this not working properly."

    Aavari nodded and sighed in relief. ''Although it is intelligent, it seems dumb, becoming attached to tools that could be easily replaced.'' Since it played to his advantage, he just nodded and asked for the second wish.

    "My second wish... Ooh. I want to be able to sense the will of spirits and guardians and whatever else I''ll be able to."

    This surprised Aavari. It should not know about this, but he supposed the Ent told it about that. It would be able to figure it out on its own, eventually, but he did not lose anything with this wish. It would be able to use Prayers sooner, but that was actually good for Aavari. As this thing got better at using Prayers, it would be able to accumulate more of them, which in turn meant he''d be able to obtain more Prayers from it. "This is a bit problematic¡­ I can''t just give you the ability to hear everything. You have to choose just a couple of things to hear. Don''t worry, as you will be able to learn how to hear other things when the time comes, it takes practice."

    "Oh. I didn''t think of that." the summon simply stated, then thought some more. "How about the surface thoughts of those around me? Like ''I''m hungry'', or ''I''m thirsty'', or ''I''ll stab you in the neck'' or something¡­ Also the kind like the Ent showed me. Where to make a fire pit, what can I eat or drink. What others can eat."

    It looked at him for confirmation, to which he simply nodded and gestured for it to continue. Its requests weren''t hard. He could give it the ability to sense even deep emotions and manipulate them, however the price was not to his liking.

    "And the third one. That would be the knowledge of my Kind."

    Aavari stopped for a moment and thought deeply about this one. On one hand, it was a big risk, giving it full access to the knowledge of its kind. On the other hand... He hadn''t seen anything out of the ordinary. Yes, the blade was weird and made by a method unknown to him, and its clothes were interesting, but nothing special. As a bonus, it could use medical knowledge appropriate for whatever species it was, so it would not die so easily. After a quick telepathic debate with Capeih where they weighed the pros and cons, he decided to accept it, but with a major alteration. "I can give you the knowledge of your Kind, but the knowledge will be only the knowledge relevant to the art you choose. If I gave you all the knowledge your kind have, it could bring our Clan trouble down the line, because too many resources were wasted today." The first two requests were so bland he did not need a lot of power for them. Even though this one was significantly more expensive, he''d fulfill this wish.

    The being in front of him thought about the offer. It was not a simple wish to fulfill, but it realized it would miss out on a lot of knowledge. Apparently reluctant, it nevertheless agreed, to the hidden joy of Aavari.

    "Very well. I''ll fulfill those wishes of yours to the best of my ability. Now then, for the final part of the deal. You have to take on a new name, starting with the letter A just like every member of our Clan. It''s a common policy between the Clans." As he looked at the creature, he saw a troubled look on its face. "Is something wrong?" he asked out of courtesy, not really caring.

    "I''ve always been terrible with naming stuff. I don''t even know what an appropriate name should sound like." Still visibly bothered, it locked eyes with him. "Could you give me one that''d be accepted down here?" it asked.

    ''I thought it was dumb, but this dumb?'' Aavari thought. ''At least the knowledge won''t take too much energy'' "Of course. Are you a male or female of your kind?" Aavari asked, getting a stern look from Capeih. He knew that there were species that took this as an offensive question, but this soon-to-be slave''s feelings were irrelevant.

    "A male" answered the creature, obviously not really sure what to think.

    "Then from today onwards your name shall be Aragami!" Aavari chuckled at the great joke he just made, and even caught Capeih flicking his tail in amusement. Both of them knew it meant ''Slave'' in his language, but they''d keep this fact to themselves.

    "Aragami it is." the savage nodded, visibly satisfied with the name. "So, what happens now?"

    "Capeih here will infuse you with Prayers, the energy that we used to summon you. While he does that you are to chant the art you chose in your mind. If you are lucky, a Patron will pull your consciousness towards them and form a contract with you. Then your consciousness will return here. We will leave as soon as it disconnects from your body. When you return, it will drain my energy to provide the wishes I promised. You are then free to do anything until your Ascension. Everything clear? Shall we start?"

    Receiving a nod, Capeih walked to Aragami and started to infuse prayers into him. Aavari estimated the cost around 30 rings worth of Prayers, before he started to feel the rejection pulling onto him, towing him back into the Sanctuary. Bidding farewell to Capeih, Aavari showed him a mocking grin, before they both vanished in a flash of light.

 Chapter six: Into the realm of Laws

    Aragami

    He was extremely confused. Just a few moments prior, he was talking to those two beings in front of his campfire, making a bargain with them. All his tools, including his phone and solar charger working, him being able to sense the will of this world and knowing what is safe to consume, plus knowledge about the art he chose¡­ And the next thing he knew he''s slowly floating out of his own body, looking around. He saw the two Clan members leave in small flashes of light, but he also saw a weak aura that formed around their bodies, before suddenly exploding into blinding light. He then kept rising up, until he saw nothing but black emptiness dotted here and there with flashes of light made of different colours.

    He remembered what the Clan members told him and thought about the art he chose. Almost immediately, sprites of light started to gather around him. Red, blue, green, yellow, brown, and many more. They danced around him, seemingly measuring him. After a while, the red sprite flew onto his arm and burst into flame! Aragami immediately tried to swat it off of him, but realised it was not actually hot. Oddly, it felt nice and warm. Another sprite came close, this time a light green one. It landed on his back, and James felt lighter, as if he had a jetpack attached to his back. A deep blue sprite landed on his hand, and he felt his clenched muscles relax a little, feeling a nice calming effect.

    Aragami was not sure what to think about them. He could tell that if he chose one of them, he would go back to his body, or he could try to lure another. But at the same time, he felt something amiss. This was not the same feeling as what the Ent showed him. "These sprites feel kinda¡­dead. As if all personality had been stripped off them," he muttered to himself. Aragami looked around for a while more, looking for an element that had any semblance of personality, but he couldn''t see or sense any. "Well, whatever. I guess I''ll have to find a Patron down below. I don''t like these."

    Stuffing his hands into pockets, he was about to return to his body when he sensed something that stopped him dead in his tracks. It felt like someone was watching him¡­and it was behind him and to his left. Aragami slowly turned in that direction, and saw a sight he wouldn''t forget until the end of his life.

    There was another element, but he could not quite place it. It looked like a cloth of purple so dark it could have been black,floating and fluttering in a non-existent wind, with sprites of silvery light floating towards it from all directions. As he gazed at the strange object in front of him, he heard a voice reverberate in the void of space around him.

    "So you have noticed me, even though I released only a tiny bit of my presence. Not only that, but you were also able to locate where it came from. I must congratulate you. The ones who sent you here would not be able to even detect me."

    Aragami looked at the cloth in stunned silence. He felt that the being in front of him was probably one out of many Laws of this world, but he was mesmerised by its beauty, the rhythmic fluttering of it. The sprites floating towards it, seemingly coming out of nowhere. The way it slithered around him, sizing him up. This being was completely different from the sprites he saw just before. This one felt like it made sense. This one had its own personality.

    "Before I continue my murmurs, I''d like to know a few things. First and foremost: what is your name? How should I address you?"

    This snapped him back into reality. "When I arrived and talked with those who sent me here, I was told that I need a new name, as my old one was not fitted for this world. I was called James, but I''ve been given a new name - Aragami."

    "I see. Your original name was indeed not meant for this world. Most intelligent beings would not even be able to pronounce it." At this, the law stopped in front of him, fluttering in place like a flag. "But the name you received is not bad. It has more meanings, as most words do. Now to my second question. Do you know what language we are speaking now?"

    James paused at this weird question. "This is my native language. I''ve grown up speaking it and using it." ''Could it be, this language is actually uncommon here? The Ent guy seemed like he didn''t have any problem talking with me, but those other two used translation magic¡¯.

    "I see. This is interesting. For you see, this is a very old language, linked to the laws of this world. Only very few beings here can use this language fluently. Almost every being knows at least three words of it, though. We call it the Language of Origin, while beings on the surface call it the Language of Magic."

    This caught him kind of off guard. English was a Language of Magic? Awesome! Maybe he could learn some? Hey, what if elves are real in this world? He''d already seen the Curmin and Raaketig. How many more races are there?

    The cloth probably saw his line of thinking, as it remained silent for a while. Then it fluttered loudly, which had the effect of Aragami snapping to attention again. It then said, "I almost forgot to introduce myself. You can call me Noir, and I am one of many laws of this world we call Baharuth. Now I''d like to ask you another question. Why didn''t you choose any of those elements? They are much easier to control, while still giving you some useful abilities."

    Aragami didn''t even have to think about this. "Somehow, it felt wrong. Like they were hurt and manipulated. I''ve never seen anything that would try to bond to something its has never seen before. You are a better example of behaviour in such a situation, and my kind is sensitive about this. Furthermore, as my people despise being controlled and manipulated, we try to help others who look like they¡¯re in the same situation.

    "Then why stop to talk to me? I appeared just as you were leaving, wasn''t that suspicious?¡±

    "It is, but honestly? I got a feeling of being safe so I decided to stay here and try talking. I think I could get away fairly quickly, but all the advantages are on your side." Aragami nervously scratched his ear, taking a hard look at his own motivations.

    The only move Noir made was to flutter and draw in sprites. Aragami turned his attention to the sprites, trying to catch one as it emerged from the void of space next to him, but failing miserably.

    "You can feel them," stated Noir, his voice clearly intrigued.

    "I can see them clearly, but I don''t know what they are. I saw some of them before, but they had different colours. The two that sent me here had yellow ones float around them, and before that the Curmin had green and orange ones floating around them. What¡¯s that all about?

    "Those are concentrated mana particles. One of the basic principles of this world. Their colour can tell you what they are used for. For example, the green ones are usually used for healing purposes. I am surprised you can not only sense them, but tell the difference in colour. You do not have any mana of your own, yet you can see it? I have never seen anything like that before." Noir started circling him again, this time much slower. "Would you mind a little experiment? Just to see if you can cast spells without any mana?"

    Aragami became anxious. ''I just discovered the epic power that is mana and magic exist in this world, but I might not be able to use it? Crap!'' When Noir talked about experimenting, Aragami became wary instead. "Experiment you say? How would you do it and how much danger would it bring me?"

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    "You don¡¯t have to worry. It will be safe. I will send a portion of my power to you, and try to find a way for you to absorb it and then release it in the form of a spell. It will not harm you in any way, shape, or form. It might harm my reputation amongst the other elements a bit for using a mortals body without forming a contract first, but that''s it"

    "Are you sure? It sounds like a big deal."

    "It''s fine. They¡¯ll just talk shit to me."

    Aragami didn''t need a single moment to think about it. "If that''s the case, I''d be glad to take part in this experiment."

    "Alright. Settle yourself, as I will now take control of one of your arms, understand?¡± After receiving a nod from Aragami, Noir moved one of its corners and touched Aragami''s left arm. Aragami still felt his arm, but could not move it as he wanted. His hand rose in front of him, with his opened palm facing away. "I will now try to cast a spell. If it bothers you in any way, please tell me.¡±

    "Of course." After nodding, Aragami then saw an interesting phenomenon. His fingers were covered in dark purple, like a glove. This ''glove'' then started to have various letters drawn on it, most of which were in english. The sprites of light that were floating towards Noir swiftly changed their course and started to circle around his extended arm before swiftly flowing in between his fingers, and finally condensing into a purple flame in his hand. Noir then grabbed it with his fingers and squashed it to extinction. "Wow"

    "Interesting. You don''t have mana of your own, but as long as there is mana around you, you are able to use it. It would be worth a try to experiment a bit more with this."

    "Does this mean I could use all mana around me, including from other living beings and plants?"

    "Technically yes, but you would have to touch the plant, and touch a living being, while getting its approval. This power is a double-edged sword. You can easily hurt your friends and nature around you if you aren''t careful."

    Aragami nodded. He understood that this was like playing with fire. One wrong move, and all would be gone.

    "I have two final questions to ask you, Aragami."

    "Ask away, Noir." ''He sounds troubled, as if he isn¡¯t sure what to think.'' With this thought, he focused on Noir.

    "I have a certain problem, which I think you could help me eliminate. However, for that I would need to ask you the second question. Before I ask it, however, I need to know whether I will regret asking it. My first question is: Will you let me into your mind so I may see your life through your own eyes?"

    Aragami was shocked. Although he expected a lot, this was not one of the things he could just wave away with a smile. "This is very personal and potentially dangerous to me. I don''t know what you really want. You could change and destroy my memories without me noticing. Maybe you want me to be an ideal slave to you, agreeing to every order, or maybe you just want to have a mortal vessel¡­do I have any proof you are not that kind of being?"

    "HAHAHAHA! This is assuring." Noir started to move around Aragami quickly, while talking. "Just so you know, most of those in this world would jump for this chance, to prove to one of us, just to be used by someone in the shadows. You have just passed my test."

    Aragami, surprised by the flow of this conversation, was surprised and glad. He nodded his head and waited for the second question.

    "The other question then. Would you agree to sign a contract with me?"

    The awkward silence is something Aragami wouldn''t want to experience again. Neither of them said anything for several minutes, until Aragami could bear the silence no longer.

    Noir

    "A contract?" said the existence in front of him, clearly surprised by the turn of events.

    "Indeed. A contract."

    "Why would you need a contract?"

    "How do I phrase it¡­" Noir thought for a while. ''I can''t tell him too much, as that would get unwanted attention.'' "There are certain groups in the world below, cleverly using a gap in the cliffs that are the laws, that are getting an unfair advantage in solving problems. This gap is caused by me not having a sentient envoy that could judge those mortal matters."

    "And what does that mean for me? What would I have to do, if I decided to accept this offer?"

    Well, it¡¯s not a full-time job. You have to answer the summons of beings asking for judgement under my purview, either in your physical body or with just your soul; solve the matter for which you were summoned; and cause as little as possible bloodshed when performing your duties. Oh, and occasionally I may need control of your body, the same way as I''ve taken control of one of your arms. Those would be our basic conditions. Of course, while doing those responsibilities, I will make sure you don''t have to harm anyone you care for, unless it is not the cause of your summon."

    "So whenever I receive your summons, I have to drop everything I''m doing and go wherever?"

    "Not at all. You can just leave with just a soul most of the time. Your physical body will stay behind, still capable of doing basic tasks. Right now, your physical body is adding more wood to the fire to keep it burning. The times when I''ll ask you to bring your body will be few and far between, and you will be given time or means to finish whatever you need to do."

    Aragami thought deeply about something, before asking his next question. "Is it because of the art I chose, that you''ve asked me this question?"

    Although a bit surprised, Noir thought for just a split second before answering. "Not really. Your art is just an insurance that if things go very, very badly, you''ll be probably able to manage. I asked you primarily because you are not affected by the Clans, and are not easily manipulated."

    Nodding his head, Aragami asked an expected question. "What do I gain from this?"

    "Although I can''t help you with things like casting magic or understanding languages, I can support you in questions regarding memory and protection¡­give you an aura so that anyone with ill intent towards you or your friends will be made aware."

    "Help with my memory? What do you mean by that?"

    "What did you ask the Clan elder as your third wish?"

    "The knowledge of my kind, regarding the art I chose."

    "Do you think anyone of your kind would not go mad out of all the knowledge since the beginning of your race suddenly appearing in their mind?"

    He stiffened up, only now realising what he actually asked for.

    "I can help you organise this knowledge, as well as help you upgrade the skills of this world. You are able to hear the voices of spirits and guardians, but not really understand them. I will help you with that. Also, if you show me you are worth the effort, I will consider gifting you with abilities and skills unique to my avatar.¡±

    After a long while of thinking, the summon in front of Noir spoke up. "I can agree with these conditions, however I have one more which I''d like you to add to the list. The condition I ask for is that either one of us can withdraw from the contract if he is unsatisfied with it."

    Those words surprised Noir, as they did not even cross his mind. "You are giving us a backdoor to escape these terms if we are unsatisfied. You''ve even thought of that¡­ I agree with this condition as well."

    Noir then created a contract using his own energy, and presented it to Aragami. Not sure what to do, he asked Noir to explain to him what to do.

    " You have to put your hand on it, then put it on your chest. As soon as you do so, I''ll separate a part of myself to enter your thoughts and protect you from all the information received once you return down below."

    As Aragami did as instructed, Noir detached a ribbon off his body and had Aragami tie it around his head.

    " The contract is sealed. When you return to your body, lay down and prepare to go to sleep. You''ll have about three minutes to do so, before the knowledge starts to pour in."

    Aragami straightened himself. "When I get down there, how do I contact you? I can''t leave my body normally."

    "You can simply call for me in your mind. I will hear you through the ribbon around your soul"

    "Very well. Thank you very much. I won¡¯t forget this, and I won''t make you regret this." With an attempt to hide his grin by placing a hand in front of his mouth, his first sentient envoy departed the Spiritual Domain with a bow.

    Noir kept watching him as Aragami travelled down into his physical body, stood up and added wood to the fire, and finally took off his shoes and lay down onto the mat. Then he proceeded to unwrap the Raaketig and, positioning himself behind it, covering both of them with a sleeping bag.

    Not long after that, Noir had a lot of work. He had expected a lot of information, but this was very surprising . "One thing is for sure. He chooses his options wisely." Finishing the sorting of all the knowledge Aragami received, Noir looked through the most recent information to assess it. As he finished this, Noir looked to the vast emptiness and spoke, "You lot can come out now." And from the darkness, various shapes and figures started to emerge.

 Chapter seven: Explain

    Capeih

    The moment Capeih appeared on his throne, he finally let out all of his frustration. The rage that he held inside released all at once, as he destroyed several pieces of furniture and threw few slaves across the throne room. "FUUUUCK! DAMN IT ALL!!" Sitting down onto his throne, Capeih started to ponder his next actions. ''The summon was supposed to take away their prayers and some interest. Even though Curmiorini did his job as instructed, the Anterion Clan was so damn lucky! They lost just one third of their circles, instead of all of them. They even succeeded in the summoning process, for which I tried to throw the responsibility for the creature onto them, just to find out that it''s sentient AND cooperative! What do I do now? I need to find a way to surpass them in resources somehow...'' He was thinking deeply. So deeply, in fact, that he did not notice his guards and slaves with higher standings enter the room and cleaning the mess he''d made.

    ''I have to warn the other elders. If we don''t prepare for the time when that thing will ascend, Anterions will conquer us one after another.'' With such thoughts, he sent out notice to the rest of the elders.

    "My lord. Is there something we''ve done that made you feel angered? Shall we prepare the execution grounds for your majesty?" Noticing a voice, Capeih looked down below his throne. There were more than 20 figures, kneeling on the ground, with foreheads pressed against the stone of the floor as hard as they could. Capeih did not bother with answering the question. He simply stood up, and while he walked down the stairs, took out his throwing needles. He walked over the backs of the beings prostrating on the floor, and aimed straight to the torture chamber in the dungeon of his Cemetary. He''d practice throwing poisoned needles at moving, live targets, and then he''d go to meet other elders.

    One and a half hours later, Capeih sat on his throne, waiting for the elders to end their discussions. Most of them came to spread misinformation, some out of a barely-felt obligation to know what''s going on. The throne of Anterions was empty. No one expected any of them to come, as they had cut off connection to the world about ten minutes prior. An interesting action to be sure, but no one could say his clan hadn¡¯t done it in the past.

    The murmur in the room was suddenly cut short by a member of Anterions appearing on its throne. This was not a classical entrance of a clan leader, as this was a low-tiered clan member who entered their sacred place. As soon as he entered, his body burst into flames, and he began to scream in pain. Everyone in the room saw the Flames of Promise that consumed the member, and silence spreaded across the room. Those flames meant only one thing. That the Anterion clan went overboard with Prayers expenditure, and had to isolate itself not to burn the same way their member did.

    Capeih slowly stood up and walked to the remains of the a slave, to find a recording crystal with Aavari''s symbol on it. Sitting down, he noticed that all the eyes in the room were glued to his every move, and that there was absolute quiet. Savoring this feeling for a bit longer, Capeih checked the crystal, just to find it was locked by a debt-type Prayers lock, set for ten years of debt. ''That asshole knows we want to know why he went to hiding, but refuses to give us I formation for free...'' Thinking so, he placed the crystal onto his armrest, and spoke to the elders.

    "Shall we start now?" After receiving several confirmations, he continued. "As you''ve probably guessed, I invited you here today to give you the information about Anterion''s new Summon. We will proceed as is tradition. The higher price you offer, the more information will be disclosed to you. I''m offering a small piece for free. The Summon was able to kill five Curmin without any visible damage to its own body." He then stayed silent for a while, until the elders realized that the free information was over. All of them pulled out small Prayer stones, putting them on the table in front of them. After all of them placed their stone, Capeih continued with a piece of information, after which he waited for Prayer stones to be put onto the table. After three rounds, Maahesvir stood up from his throne and returned to his cemetery, shortly followed by a few others. They either didn''t have enough Prayer stones, or didn''t wish for more information.

    When Capeih finished recounting the events prior to sending the summon to the Patron¡¯s realm, he had a nice amount of Prayer stones safely stored away. There were still 18 elders around the table, looking at him. "Now then," he finished off, "as we''ve all seen, Aavari was so benevolent he sent us this crystal for the price of one of his slaves. However, this was not enough for him, as he placed a 10 year debt lock onto it as well. I do not know how much the debt is, but I have a proposal. "He looked carefully at each one of the elders, making sure he had their attention. "If we open it together, we can lessen the impact of spending Prayers dedicated to our clan. Does everyone agree that we will split the debt evenly?"

    "That''s only logical." came the voice of Faera, the elder of Fantonien Clan.

    "I agree" said elder Baarea of the Baheks Clan.

    One after the other, everyone agreed to this term, and everyone placed one hand, or anything else filling this role, on the table, and everyone chanted one word in the language of magic together. "UNSEAL"

    The backlash felt unreal. The debt was paid in Prayers, so it should not be a lot. But the amount everyone had paid was essentially more than three times the normal Prayer debt. The other elders began complaining. "It took how much?!" "Three members of my Clan have been consumed by Flames of Promise!" "What is the meaning of this?" and other similar things could be heard around the room.

    "Please, everyone, calm down." Capeih said, panting. "I understand your reaction. This amount of Prayers is about three times the amount of opening a single lock, yet every single one gave them. Can you imagine if only one of us tried to open it?" This made everyone shut up. They did not even want to think about that.'''' What is important now, is that we were able to unseal the crystal. Let''s hear what has been recorded on it now." Everyone present nodded and focused on the crystal, while Baarea walked and took the position for mana supply.

    After pouring in some mana, they could hear a very angry voice of Aavari talking to the crystal. "Did you like that? That must have cost you quite a lot of Prayers! Don''t worry, I understand your feelings completely. This is only a portion of debt placed onto our Clan, and I will now explain how we got it. I am pretty sure that Capeih already shared the information of our new ''slave'' to you, so I won''t bother with that. I will tell you how we acquired this debt, as well as offer a few words of advice." Aavari then yelled something to the side, possibly to one of his slaves, before returning his attention to them.

    ¡°After I left the scene, I celebrated a bit, the same way the rest of you would, if you were in my shoes. Then I prepared for the wish transfer by having my treasurer constantly update the status of the treasury. The first jump I noticed was a big jump of about ten circles worth of Prayers, which I thought were for the third wish. The first two were so insignificant I wouldn''t even notice them. But then the price kept rising, and rising, and when I checked again, it was now 370 circles worth of Prayers." With those words, color drained from the faces of everyone present in the room. Usually, you are able to take a look every few seconds, when you lose at most 20 circles worth of Prayers. But if what Aavari said was true, in those few seconds he lost more than 350 circles worth of Prayers . That would be devastating for most of those currently in the room.

    "I immediately checked the wish counter, where I discovered a despairing fact. This being the young Curmiolini summoned chose an art that reaches more than seven thousand years into the past of his kind. We''ve immediately begun preparations for isolation from this world. The slave that brought this crystal to you was the last member of Anterion clan connected to this world, save the ''slave'' and few other ascendees." A short pause later, filled with Aavari yelling at his subordinates, Aavari''s voice once again reverberated across the chamber. "I am warning you now. The ''slave'' has been infused with prayers of two different Clans. That means that if any of your members touches him, the prayers of said member will be transferred to the ''slave'', and your member''s soul and body will burn in the Flames of Promise. We are going to cut ourselves off from the world, as the price of this wish is too damn high! The feeling you''ve experienced earlier was just half a year worth of Prayers we have to pay now, and the price is increasing. If the Anterion Clan has any luck, we will be able to change the essence of our mana and prayers enough that we won''t be incinerated as soon as we touch this world. Have fun with him, as he WILL be trouble." With those final words, the crystal glowed in a bright red color before oxidizing into a pile of dust on top of the table. No one in the room moved for a long time. One of the four most powerful Clans, the Anterion Clan, with the largest portion of resources and Prayers of all the Clans, was unable to pay off a debt based on such a pesky little question.

    Faera was the first one to calm herself down enough to return to her Sanctuary, and soon, she was followed by the rest of the elders. This one message would change the behavior of all the Clans. Usually they would send their members to hunt for the new ascendee, but now...

    Noir

    Noir turned his attention towards the various laws that emerged from the darkness. Looking at them, he could tell most of them had mixed feelings. The Vermilion Bird was visibly angry and his flames burned brighter than usual. He started bombarding Noir with questions and criticism.

    "We made an agreement that none of us will reveal ourselves to the slaves of The Manipulators, as well as seal off the area of Broken Spirits. Yet you, being the mighty Noir, decided to ignore those agreements, and simply revealed yourself. And even that went too far! To form a contract with that being? Do you have any explanation for that?

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Many of the other laws supported Vermilion Bird by voicing their agreement, and some by asking more questions in an implacable flurry of questioning. Most of the laws stayed to the side, staring them down, while intently listening to the discussion.

    "Verdy, please calm down. It wasn¡¯t like I was there of my own volition. I was summoned there by The Will of the World, as the creature showed great aptitude toward me. As I had been summoned there, I could not leave before the other summon did, so I just stayed there thinking I was imperceptible, and watched it search for elements."

    "So that thing didn''t have aptitude for any of those manipulated cutoffs, but had one for you?! Don''t even try to think we are so stupid not to discern lies from truth!"

    "Again, you are incorrect in your assumptions. It did have aptitude for most of them, it just did not choose any of them, and after futilely searching for a while, it decided to go back without a single one."

    This shocked everyone. Who would do that? Who would resist free power?!

    "That''s still not a reason to reveal yourself!" Verdy retorted again. This got him murmurs of agreement from everyone present.

    "Again, correct. What made me reveal myself, however, was the fact it looked like Klaimnir over there, even though it was made out of flesh instead of storm clouds. If you remember correctly, the Deity of Creation stated that Klaimnir was shaped after the creation of her younger brother, with whom she had very good relations."

    Every law turned to look at Klaimnir, the law of Changing Weather. He appeared as a weird, bipedal build without any tail for balance or fur for keeping heat or even scales for additional protection. Just a smooth surface made of gray and black vapor, with an occasional stripe of white surfacing. As one of the very few laws that manifested clothes, he was very hard to miss.

    "I tried to read its mind, but all I could hear were random pieces of thoughts, that did not make much sense. It was as if its thoughts could change any minute. And it was definitely hard to influence or rule over him, just like the weather Klaimnir rules over."

    "So you revealed yourself to it in all of your glory, and just started to casually chat with it?" asked Klaimnir, who did not like the attention he suddenly received.

    "Not at all. I was fine with it going back to the surface and trying to survive on its own. Those facts I listed before made me feel like I should have at least tried to see how compatible it was with me, so I released a thread of my presence to the other side of where it was. To my surprise, it not only stopped what it was doing, but it turned accurately not towards the released strand, but towards me specifically. Does that suffice for the reason I talked with him?"

    Baffled silence followed. It was not uncommon for beings to have an aptitude to one of the laws, but to be able to discern a string of power from the actual law, hiding itself, was something not common at all.

    Vermilion Bird then spoke again, although with much more respect in his voice. Okay, that sounds like a troublemaker to me, but I understand why you talked to him. Still, a Contract?! Have you lost your mind, Noir? You know, that if that thing becomes possessed, or power-hungry you can''t just cancel it. That''s what happened to brother Stein. He accepted a being that later betrayed him and took away his chisel.

    Noir just looked at each of the laws, gathered in front of him, with nothing but sympathy. Each and every single one of them was his brother or sister, each one was irreplaceable in his heart. That''s why he cared enough to explain his next words in as much detail as he could. "This was exactly the reason I talked with it. I was assessing it by what it said, while searching for a lie that would blow its cover. But when nothing seemed to be blowing its cover, I asked it to let me take a look at his memories."

    "And naturally it accepted. After all, it was a mighty law speaking to a mere mortal. It did not have the chance to refuse. Am I right? We''ve heard it so many times, I can¡¯t count them all," Vermilion Bird stated, shaking his head in dismay. "All mortal beings are the same"

    Noir just smiled for himself, feeling a genuine sense of hope rising inside his soul after a very long time of drowning in despair. "You are once again mistaken, Verdy. He refused. He refused my request after taking into consideration the possibility of me erasing his memories and turning it into a mindless slave. That''s what led me to ask the final question, that is if it wanted to form a Contract with me. And when I asked this, all I recieved was a poker face and silence. Even reading his thoughts proved more troublesome than before, but I could mostly hear one question he asked." With a dramatic pause, Noir looked at everyone gathered here. "Now here''s the thing. As beings come here they have yet to be spoiled by the Usurpers, so this is the only time to check their mind without outside interference. And the only thoughts I heard in his mind circled about one and the same question: Is this a trap?"

    Silence took over the place. Every law present thought over whether or not this was enough of a proof to form a Contract with said being, and most of them began to nod slowly. The rest was still undecided, so Noir decided to rub some salt into their wounds with more information.

    "When we finished designing the Contract, he asked for one more rule to be added. A rule that was so essential to me, that only in that moment I decided to give this one a try. This one is the best chance we''ll have in a long, long time. He asked me to add back doors to the Contract, so if either of us were unsatisfied with the other, we are free to discard the Contract at any given time."

    Once again, the laws fell into silence, pondering the matters they''d heard from Noir. Most of them wouldn''t agree to form a contract until the summon refused to share his memories, and they were baffled that Noir had even harder prerequisites to fulfill.

    Everyone was then surprised again, this time by Vermilion Bird, the law of Eternal Fire, who spoke the most against the idea of Noir making a contract. "You''ve made me change my mind, Noir. Your actions were righteous and you did everything in your power to ensure the safety of us all. Would you allow me to ask just a couple more questions?"

    "Ask away. I''m here for that now, or at least until he needs my assistance."

    "Thank you. First I''d like to ask you what name he has taken on in this world? Verdy asked, once again surprising everyone. The Vermilion Bird asking for a mortal''s name? Yet it seemed to Noir, that Verdy was able to see behind the veil, that he was already looking through it. They both sensed that a pivotal point in their long clash of power was coming closer, and that that mortal might play some role in it.

    "His name? It''s Aragami. Not a fancy name, he doesn''t even have a surname, but he''s already a good fighter." As Verdy tried to speak again, Noir stopped him by fluttering forcefully. "I will also answer your next question. He''s been chosen by the Usurper''s Clan named Antrion, giving him the ability to specialize in one kind of art he chose before coming here. For those of you, who think that art is something small and insignificant, Aragami and I have a surprise for you. We will show you what it means to anger an artist. We will show you¡­what it means¡­to anger the Art of War!"

    Aragami.

    Aragami woke up on the mat. It was nice, clear weather, no clouds as far as he could see. Yet something bothered him. He had a nagging feeling, urging him to try doing something, anything, just to get started. He sat up, staring into the still hot coals, glowing in the night. Throwing some wood onto them, he coaxed the fire out of them and watched the hungry flames feast on the dry wood.

    It was then that he heard them. Voices, coming out of everywhere and nowhere around him. Some of them sang happy songs and were full of life and prosperity, while other ones were screaming in rage at the intruders, trespassing into their domain.

    The angriest voices were coming closer and closer. Aragami, switching up gears into ''super alarmed¡¯ mode, took a hold of his boots, pulling them on, and simultaneously calling out to Noir in his mind.

    ''Noir! Can you hear me?! I might have some trouble down here!''

    ''I can hear you clearly. It seems like your new ability to hear the voices of guardians has finally awoken.''

    ''So these are the voices Nheeria was talking about? All I can tell is that they''re angry. Very, very angry and coming closer.''

    ''That just means something is trespassing through their territory while they don''t care if they destroy it or not. In essence, an angry mob will be here soon.''

    ''You don''t say? I thought it was a welcome party for me. Now, please tell me we received some knowledge that could help us out of this mess.''

    ''We actually received quite a lot. In fact, it¡¯s far more than I expected. I''ll make this quick, as there is not much time left. We received knowledge regarding all sorts of things, ranging from diplomacy to siege weapons. You can learn each ability the normal way, by training yourself in it, or bypass the usual way and have your body inherit those skills in their perfect form, becoming in essence muscle memory knowledge.''

    ''I''m guessing right now, that this power of instant comprehension does not come as cheap as the other variant?'' Aragami asked, a bit intrigued.

    ''Of course not. You will need Prayers, a special kind of power generated by the beliefs of mortals and aimed at their ''Gods''. In this world, that would be either local Gods, or the Alphabeters, two of which welcomed you here and sent you to the Zone of Laws. I have gathered some of them, but not enough to let you learn everything. It''s enough for three or four abilities, so you must choose what to unlock.''

    Aragami thought for a moment. He turned back to the Raaketig on his mat, wondering why he was protecting it. "Because it needs my help and protection. That''s why. Now shut the fuck up and go kick some ass, you dickhead!" he whispered to himself.

    ''Oi! I''ve asked you to use that language sparingly. You don''t have the touch for mana yet. You could cause a big incident to occur!'' Noir scolded.

    ''Got it. I''ll try to keep that in mind. Unfortunately, it seems like fighting will be unavoidable.''

    ''I don''t see any way out of this as well.''

    ''So. Could you give me a little boost in combat power with those Prayers you spoke of?'' Aragami asked, grinning viciously while walking towards the approaching wave of bodies.

    ''What kind of boost? I don''t know what to look for yet. It''s too much to comprehend in such a short time.''

    First enemies rushed onto the clearing, just to stop dead in their tracks and look at Aragami. He took out his machete and readied himself. There were about twenty Curmin with gear of varying quality. From full gear of leather armor with mana floating around them, all the way down to one of them with nothing else than a helmet on its ugly head.

    ''Let''s start slowly with some basic martial arts and blade skills, shall we?''

    Moments later, his body was bathed in a surge of raging power that settled almost immediately after that into his muscles.

    Savoring the feeling, Aragami blissfully thought ''I could get used to this feeling'', before the first Curmin rushed out to try his luck.

    One flick of his wrist was all it took for a head to roll on the ground, the simple helmet of bad quality stained with the owner''s blood spilled all over it.

    A horrifying yell then spread across the clearing and surrounding forest. One that any Curmin that might have survived this night would remember till the end of their lives.

    "WELCOME TO THE RICE FIELDS MOTHERFUCKERS!"

    ''Oi!''

 Chapter eight: The mission and discovery.

    Barteool

    ¡ª--------------------------

    Barteool sat near the lantern together with his party, wondering how they got to this situation. They''ve just returned to the Guild from completing a quest, when one of those Curmin guards casually approached them. For a team mainly composed of Raaketig, that was common only in one scenario, but that was not allowed here. Internal laws of the Guild forbade any kind of violent conflict from happening amongst its members anywhere in the visual range of the Guild. You could still talk shit to each other and fight it out once the Guild is out of sight, but that was sort of a gray zone.

    As expected, the Curmin approaching Barteool and his party right after entering the Guild, naturally drew the attention of other members, currently sitting in the lobby with various drinks on the tables.

    "Are you Barteool, one of the silver rank members of the Guild?" asked the guard captain. Barteool could tell it was a captain based on the insignia on Curmin''s shoulder. He wore a full set of leather armour, signifying openly, that he''s serving one or the royal families of the Empire.

    After Barteool gave him a single nod, he and his party were guided to a Briefing room on the second floor of the Guild, where they received a mission with barely covered threats in case they''d refuse it. They were to search for a prey to hunt in a planned hunting event of royals. The pay was shit and without any benefits whatsoever, maybe except the fact they''d not be banished from the country, but what else could they expect from the Curmin.

    Now they were here, camped in the middle of the poisonous Forest of Mushrooms, with him having to worry about his friends being either killed by poison all around them, or entangled in a vicious plot by the guardian spirits, because they stepped on the wrong patch of grass or something. Meanwhile the Curmin royalty that hired them sat in an artificially made clearing with mana stones protecting it all year long against the spirits.

    "This sucks" said Maeli, a Raaketig, and the group''s mage, who was leaning on a fallen trunk, and chewing on some dried rations.

    He was immediately scolded by Nhaerria, also a Raaketig, and the group''s healer. "Don''t complain. We had to either accept this, or escape the empire with our wanted posters in every single town along the road."

    "That doesn''t mean I have to enjoy sitting here and eating some dried rations instead of a nice breakfast in a pub." retorted Maeli.

    "Stop whining Maeli. None of us enjoys it, but it''s still better than the other variant." Daente, a member of the Merten race, and the group''s fighter/warrior, joined the discussion. Merten are usually taller than Raaketig, about 1,3 meters tall, and with their feathered bodies with their two arms and legs, they were considered outliners and a weird species. Daente was a typical member of this species, although only 1 meter tall, with feathers covering most of his body. What was not typical, however, was the black and gray coloration of his feathers, which made it very difficult to join the Merten society.

    "Oh come on Daente! You as well?! At least Moti is on my side, right?" As his last resort, Maeli turned to the silent Moti. Moti was a Qerter, a race that evolved for easier movement in water and wet environments. Moti in particular, being quieter than your usual Qerter, had no problem finding a job in the security division, but he rather chose the Guild life, traveling with a bunch of morons across the empire with a set of chainmail, a bucket helmet and a sword made of simple steel.

    Moti, upon being called upon, wisely chose to ignore Maeli''s tantrum, and continued to drink his wine.

    Sighing, Barteool finished his breakfast and stood up. "Alright. I''m gonna head out now, before dawn comes. Nhaerria will take command until I return. For those of you wondering ''Why Nhaerria? I''d be better suited for it,'' the answer is simple. She''ll have to heal all the damage and poisoning you''d suffer from the commands of the camp leader."

    "Alright Barty. Can you tell us where are you heading? And for how long? I don''t want to have this target on my back longer than necessary." Nhelaerria asked.

    "Dunno. See you soon, hopefully." With such nonchalant words, Barteool left the camp, only turning around once he was at the edge of the clearing. "Make sure my bow won''t get all wet, you understand?!"

    He was the group''s scout, also referred to as ranger or thief, specializing in the art of silent movement and knowledge of nature. He was the only one of the group, that was able to move freely within the forest full of poison.

    With some food and water in his bag, and some throwing knives and a dagger on him, he picked a random direction and began to make his way through the thick underbush.

    About half an hour later, he heard a familiar noise of multiple bodies making their way in a certain direction. ''Could be a Silver Deer or something similar'' he thought, so he waited in place to take a look. He was then surprised, as a group of roughly 25 Curmin in chainmail ran past him, not noticing the slight colour difference his scales and armour made with the leaves surrounding him.

    ''Isn''t this supposed to be a hunt? Why would they send out such a force just to hunt some common beasts?'' He knew that it was none of his business, but his curiosity won in the end. Silently following the Curmin, he made sure not to make a blunder by stepping on some rare herbs or snapping unnecessary twigs. The Curmin, however, did not care about such matters. Their armoured paws smashed into the ground, iron claws unearthing whole patches of grass and herbs, and those who had bladed tail coverings even cut off some branches that irritated them in one way or another. This made following them more difficult for Barteool, as the air began to fill with poison vapours. He had to keep up with the group, but not get too close to them in fear of being killed.

    About 15 minutes later, Barteool saw a clearing in front of him, illuminated by a small fire on the far side of the clearing, and the sound of combat in between.

    He stopped for a while, unable to decide his next course of action. He then went around the clearing clockwise, looking for a suitable tree to climb, with a view of the clearing. About 15 metres further down the road, he found a decent tree and climbed into the crown. He could now see the clearing, save the part where the fire burned, and he couldn''t really believe what he saw.

    Out of the 25 Curmin that made it here moments prior, 12 were laying on the ground, either writhing in pain, with their chainmail pierced through, or eerily silent with pools of blood spilling out below them. The other 13 Curmin circled around a weird being. Bipedal, with no scales and only a little bit of fur. It was very tall, about two times his own height, with clothing that would help it disguise itself in a normal, non-poisonous forest. Now, however, it was covered from head to toe in stains of Curmin blood. It held two tools in its hands. A very big blade, that was about 30 cm long, and an even bigger axe. A

    As he watched on, he saw one Curmin rush out of their formation to strike the creature''s unprotected back, just to get hit to the side by a blunt edge of the ax in its left hand, joining its friends on the ground. He watched on, as the being took care of three more Curmin in quick succession, just to have its axe stuck in one of their helmets. It now had only its blade, and nine opponents to go. He could see a few stains of red liquid spreading over its legs, presumably from successful Curmin attacks.

    ''Something so big might be able to escape them, so why is it not running away?'' he thought silently. ''I have never heard of a guardian taking this form¡­'' Just as he thought this, the Curmin attacked all at once. The being, having lost one of its weapons, was in a very bad position now. It was able to cut three of them down, kicking into another three, but it was then slashed on the inside of its legs, falling to the ground. Howls of victory and anger echoed in the air, as the Curmin slowly circled around the being.

    Barteool was indecisive in what to do. On one hand, he had nothing to do with this, but on the other hand he hated the Curmin, and taking the number of dead bodies into consideration, three more would not be all that suspicious. His thought process was interrupted, as one of the Curmin spoke to his friends.

    "Finally! This stupid thing''s down. Calmeer! Loinn! Let''s finish it now. We can take care of the Raaketig near the fire later!"

    He made up his mind. Taking out his throwing knives, he aimed for the unprotected joints he could see, and threw all twelve knives in quick succession. Nine of them found their target, and as two Curmin fell to the ground with pained yelps, the third one made its way to escape the dangerous situation by running towards the edge of the forest.

    Barteool did not have any throwing knives left, so he had no choice, but to leave it to escape and inform ist higher ups. The same, however, could not be said about the Thing, as it threw its blade after the escaping Curmin, burrowing it deep in its back. He was absolutely astounded, as he didn''t expect it could throw such a heavy looking blade accurately.

    The thing then stood up and walked to its axe again, ripping it out from the helmet it was stuck in, and finishing off the Curmin writhing in pain on the ground. With an axe dripping with blood, it walked to retrieve its blade and then look at the two Curmin Barteool immobilised. It killed them in a quick succession, no questions asked. Pulling out the knives, it looked straight at Barteool in the crown of a nearby tree, gesturing him to come down to the fire, and took the knives there.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Barteool swiftly climbed down the tree and took out his dagger, holding it in a defensive position next to him. As he entered the clearing, he understood that this group was only one of more groups sent here. In front of him was a pile of bodies he hadn''t seen from the tree, some of which had leather armour on, and five of which had chainmail. The being was sitting near the fire, checking on its wounds, and had a small, green bag with a mark of a red cross in a white field opened beside it.

    Barteool slowly made his way towards it, looking for any signs of aggression, but the being was busy checking its wounds and pouring some kind of medicine on them, after which it always stiffened its muscles.

    Carefully coming slower and closer, he watched the being up until he saw the reason it stayed here instead of running away. About a meter tall, with grey scales and Ognyana sleeping on her. "Virria!" he yelled, as he discarded any semblance of wariness and ran to check on his friend.

    ¡ª----------------

    Aragami

    ¡ª----------------

    His legs gave out. Those fuckers did not cut through his pants this time, but it still felt numb. This was the third wave of those fuckers. ''Damn it. Why did I let that stupid cat from the first wawe escape?! It went back to their camp and brought back the armoured ones. At least they split up and the first five armoured guys warned me, so I could take my axe. Otherwise this would be much hoarded with the spade. Come on, you shitheads! You''re the last three of this batch. I won''t let you escape!'' as he thought this, an idea suddenly popped into his head. ''Noir?''

    ''Yes, Aragami? What do you need?'' Noir''s voice sounded in his head. It sounded¡­ displeased. Noticing this, he made sure to explain himself.

    ''First of all, I know I''ve made them suffer, but that''s what I had to do. I''ll end their suffering once I finish these three.''

    ''Okay. I can accept that.'' Noir agreed, now in a slightly better mood.

    ''Secondly, I think at least one of them will try to escape. Can you teach me how to throw things accurately? Even if it costs all the Prayers.

    ''I can do that. Give me a second aaand¡­ Done.''

    Feeling the surge of power once again, he felt confident he''d stop them from escaping. ''Thanks Noir. Now all that''s left is to finish off these three.'' He was about to lunge at he foes in front of him, not really caring about what the said to each other since he didn''t understand, when he sensed feelings of malice from the crown of a tree on the edge of the clearing. At the same time, throwing knives started to appear in the unarmored parts of two Curmin in front of him, immobilising them. He didn''t have time to look at the one who threw them, as the third Curmin beelined to the forest. ''I''m glad I bought it'' he thought, as he threw the machete after the escaping Curmin, hitting him near the spine and killing him.

    He stood up, grimacing slightly, as he put weight on his wounded leg. ''Fuck those assholes.'' He made his way towards his axe, pulling it out and finishing off the survivors, and then retrieved his machete. Turning back again, he went to retrieve the throwing knives for the one in the trees. He sensed indecisiveness and slight distress as he approached, but when he waved at his benefactor it disappeared.

    Now that he took a good look at it, although his scales were coloured differently, his benefactor seemed to be of the same race as the lizard lying near the campfire. So instead of bringing the knives to the bottom of the tree the lizard was on, he decided to take them with him and gesture to the lizard to follow.

    Sitting at the campfire, he threw the last wood into fire and began tending to his wounds. Couple of surface cuts and a few bites was all he had to suffer, but they still hurt quite a bit. Not to mention the bruises he is sure to get from the attacks that didn''t penetrate the thick pants he wore. Sighing, he pulled up the legs of his pants, and searched in the first aid kit for Hydrogen Peroxide B to clean his wounds and bandages to close them up.

    ''This will hurt.'' he thought, before cleaning the cuts and bandaging the worst ones right away. The dark green lizard was approaching him warily, with its knife on the ready. Aragami eyed him a little bit, but made sure to look like he didn''t see it up until the point the lizard made a weird noise and ran towards its kin on his mat, instantly checking on it.

    Aragami looked at the lizards, but opted to finish cleaning the two remaining cuts on his leg before taking a sip from the water bottle and heading there. The green lizard, noticing his presence, quickly turned around to look at him, but seeing he had no weapon except his bottle calmed down a bit and made some space so he could sit down next to him, grimacing

    ¡ª------------

    Barteool

    ¡ª------------

    Virria was fine, just sleeping. That was great to hear. The question was why was she in this forest, in this weird armour she never wore, attacked by the curmin and defended by whatever that thing was. Speaking of that thing, it was walking towards him! He turned around, knife ready to stab and run, but seeing it had nothing but a weirdly shaped bowl in its hand, he calmed down a bit. Making room for it to sit down, he watched it carefully, as it lowered itself beside him. He catches a glimpse of the wound on one of its arms. It pierced skin, but stopped before reaching flesh. Not a mortal wound, but surely a painful one, which was confirmed by the grunt the Thing made as it sat down next to him.

    The thing drinked something out of its bowl, before offering him a sip. He took the bowl and smelled the liquid, just to find regular clean water inside. Taking a sip, he nodded to the creature, which nodded back at him. It then reached behind Virria, into a weird bag, and took out a Tamer''s bag with Virria''s insignia woven into it. It then handed the bag to Barteool, signalling him to open it in a simple motion of its arm.

    Doing as instructed, Barteool undid the buckle holding the cover and opened the bag, just to stare in disbelief. Instead of the summoning crystals that should have been in each slot, there were parts of bodies of different creatures he recognised. All of which had some distinct features, and all of them were parts of the familiars Virria had acquired during the years of travelling. Also, all of them had signs of Curmin claws on them, that were made either when they put them into the bag, or before as they killed the familiars.

    Closing the bag, he handed it back to the creature and gestured from the bag to the things weird bag. It seemed as if the thing understood him, as it put the Tamer''s bag inside its weird one, and covered it with some cloth. Thinking what he''d do next, he looked at His friend, laying there without any movement whatsoever, when he noticed her eyelids rise a bit.

    "Virria!" he jumped to her, losing eyes with her. "Virria. Can you hear me? Do you understand what I''m saying?"

    A look of confusion showed for a moment, before she recognised him. "Barty. How did you find me? Did you save me?" she said with a weak voice.

    "That''s not important now. What happened to you? You''ve been laying here for a while now." With a worried look on his face, he watched for any sign of pain or wound.

    "I''m fine." Said Virria in a voice that was a lot of things, just not fine. "I''m just tired from running for the better part of the whole day. Say, is there Nhaerria nearby? Could she replenish my stamina for a bit? Also, could she spare some clothes so I don''t have to wear this rigged armour?"

    ''Running for the better part of a day? Rigged armour? That does not sound good.'' "She is not nearby, but I''ll get you there. Don''t worry. You are with me now. We''ll take care of you, so you can tell us what exactly happened, okay?"

    "Okay." she said sleepily. "I''ll sleep now. I''m sorry for the inconvenience." She went to sleep again, showing just how exhausted she was.

    "Don''t worry. I''ll get you to Nhaerria as fast as I can." he looked around, only now noticing the thing looking at them intently. ''It seems strong. Should I try to talk it into carrying Virria? It shouldn''t hurt her. Right?'' He slowly stood up, attracting the creature''s gaze, and mimicked picking up Virria and walking away, then pointing at it. The creature looked hesitant, so he showed it again, this time sure it would understand. For his little theatre, he received a nod from the creature. It then turned around, starting to sort its things out, packing them and putting them into the weird bag. It packed everything else and put out the fire, including masking up the fire pit, before turning to Virria. It then gently lifted her up, and then set down just a few metres away, and packed the mat and sleeping bag into its bag. With a small spade attached to the side of the bag, blade in its scabbard on its thigh, and ax tucked into the belt, it gently lifted Virria again and held it securely in its embrace. It was almost comical, seeing Virria, the biggest Raaketig he''d ever seen, being carried like a small child.

    Chuckling to himself, he gestured to the creature to follow, and led the way towards his camp and his friends in it. The thing followed him, evading most of the twigs in its way. Three times the Thing stopped him from disrupting guardians and animals of the forest with such an accuracy, Barteool bagan to think if it was able to d¨§sn¨§ the will of things around it, or just knows the forest so well. He was still contemplating this, even as he approached the camp, only snapping to attention as he heard his friends'' voices.

    ¡ª-----------

    Daente

    ¡ª-----------

    Daente was on guard duty. It was boring for most people, but he actually enjoyed it. He liked this forest, although it was poisonous and he had to have his guard up all the time.

    When he heard a slight commotion, coming from the underbush, he readied his spear in expectation of a wild animal coming out. To his relief, the one who emerged from the Bush was someone he knew very well.

    "Barty!" he yelled, waving at their ranger, and laughing a little bit, as Barteool snapped to attention and jumped a little.

    "Don''t do this to me." Barteool said in an annoyed voice, trying to mask out his shock.

    Shrugging, Daente asked the question he carved to know the answer to. "Did you find something?"

    This question earned him an inept look from Barteool, after which he turned around to see the thick bushes behind him. "Ooh¡­ okay." Barteool turned around and spoke to Daente. I''ll show all of you at once. Could you tell me what happened here while I was away?"

    "Oh, nothing much, the usual. Maeli disobeyed the camp leader''s orders and took a bite of one of the less poisonous mushrooms, saying he wanted to build up poison immunity. He''s been treated and Nhaerria is scolding him now."

    "Damn him, that Maeli." Barteool facepalmed. "Okay. Could you bring everyone together? I will tell you what I found. As quick as possible, to the lantern, please."

    "Why won''t you call them yourself? You''re here after all¡­" Daente asked, not really understanding what''s going on anymore.

    "I still have to take care of something." Barteool said, as he turned around and walked towards the bushes. "I''ll be there in just a few minutes." After saying so, he walked back into the forest, leaving the perfectly confused Daente to gather all the other members of their party together.

 Chapter nine: Lets join a Party!

    Walking back through the bushes, Barteool saw the creature with Virria still in its arms, crouching behind a taller bush and watching Daente slowly disappear in the direction of a camp. He tried to make sense of the thing, and after thinking for a bit,  he concluded it was assessing what kind of threat Daente could be to it. After all, as far as he knew, the only encounter it had up until now was with the Curmin, which tried to kill it, an exhausted Virria, and himself. He casually approached it, making sure he''d be heard, and gestured to it to follow him. After a brief moment of indecisiveness, the thing decided to trust him and slowly followed after him to the place Daente stood watch moments prior. Here the thing stopped again, and looking through the branches, took a long, critical look at their small camp.

    Barteool attempted to do the same, but with his relatively small height, he couldn''t see anything except the occasional sparks coming out of the lantern. He let the creature watch the camp for a few moments before urging it to continue walking with him, but this time the creature did not follow him, instead using  one of its fingers to point at the camp, and then at its blade repeatedly. ''Is it perhaps afraid of being outright attacked?'' he thought, so he took out his knives, and while pointing with his free hand at the camp, he put his knives to the ground. He had to repeat it several times, before the thing seemingly understood, and nodded its head up and down, while pulling out its ax and putting it on the ground as well.

    "I''ll take that as a yes, then," Barteool said out loud, then picked up his knives and made his way to the clearing. Before he passed by the bushes, however, he got an idea. Stopping in place, he gestured to the creature to stay where it was, and after it nodded again, he nodded back and walked to his friends to tell them the news.

    ¡ª------------

    Daente

    ¡ª------------

    Daente did what he was told and gathered the whole Party, including Maeli, near the lantern. It''s been a while since Barteool kept something to himself, not sharing the tiniest bit of information with the rest, so everyone tried to guess what is behind this strange request.

    "I''d say he found a wounded Curmin and decided to bring it here." said Maeli, trying to start an argument again.

    "Maeli. Could you please stop causing trouble when you''re bored?! That would help a lot." said Nhaerria, annoyed because she was low on mana and healing herbs mostly because of Maeli.

    "Hmmm¡­  I don''t think so" Maeli shot back with a grin, happy to have an argument. Daente just chuckled and reluctantly stopped Moti from hitting Maeli with a broad side of his sword.

    Just then, they could hear leaves rustle and twigs snap, which immediately drew everyone¡¯s attention. They didn¡¯t know what  to expect in this forest. Daente and Moti darted to their feet with weapons ready, while Maeli watched the clearing in front of him, chucking a mana replenishing potion to Nhaerria, who drank all of it immediately.

    Their worries turned out to be useless, as the one who stepped out of the bushes was Barteool. "It''s always nice to see your welcoming faces with no malice to be found." he said with a wide smile on his face.

    "Damn you, Barteool. Could you not let us know it was just you coming through the bushes? You know how much I dislike those potions." He was immediately scolded by Nhaerria, much to the entertainment of the rest of the party. Daente and Moti sheathed their weapons again and went to greet their party leader, while Maeli tried (unsuccessfully) not to attract Nhaerria''s attention while he took a sip of his favorite beverage.

    "Okay everyone. I''ll gladly answer your questions but there are a couple of things I have to tell you first, so if you could calm down and listen." Receiving a nod from everyone, he continued. "First of all, I''ve found out what the Curmin are hunting here, in this forest. The short answer is that they''re hunting sentient prey. The longer one is that they''re hunting for people that mysteriously disappeared or died in this region." This caused an uproar, as all four of his friends demanded a detailed answer.

    "What do you mean by ''sentient prey''?" "You mean like people that disappeared?" "Have you found one of them?" "What species are they?"

    "I''ll get to it , I''ll get to it, so just listen to me," he said, exhausted and exasperated. "When I left the camp, I was looking for a deer or something like that, when, about an hour after I left, a group of armored Curmin ran past me. They were in chainmail, so no simple scouts. I decided to follow them, even though they slashed at branches and made poisonous vapors fill the air. When I caught up to them, they were fighting a strange thing on a small clearing. It had an open fire with a sleeping Raaketig next to it, together with appropriately thirty bodies of Curmin laid all over it. I helped the thing in the fight and after all was done I tried to approach it."

    "That sounds like you Barteool. Not that I blame you for killing a few Curmin. I''ve always hated those bastards." Daente mumbled to himself, just loud enough for Barteool to hear it.

    "It was a Raaketig? Someone who went missing not too long ago?" Nhaerria said, while thinking deeply. "Wait a moment! Could it be you''ve found Virria?!" she exclaimed, standing up quickly

    "Virria? Like the same Virria that traveled with us up until three years ago? That Virria who was said to die last month by the hand of an assassin while buying time for the royal prince to escape?" asked Moti, who hadn''t connected the dots yet.

    "Yes. I found that Virria. She was dressed in a weird armor that she said was rigged, and defended by this weird thing about two hours away."

    "So what are we waiting for?!" Exclaimed Maeli. "Let''s get this camp packed up and go to where Virria is."

    Everyone started to nod along, while they stood up and were about to go pack their things. That was when Barteool spoke again. "You are too hasty. Let me finish first!" Everyone just stopped what they were about to do and just looked at him again.

    "I want you to do me a favor, could you please trust me now?" Barteool said, waiting for confirmation from each of them. When he received it, he continued. "I am certain that the thing that protected Virria is sentient. It used weapons and tools, as well as other things it did. But it''s also wounded and alone."

    "Don''t tell me you''ve brought it here." Maeli said with a slight tremble in his voice. The rest of the party looked shocked as well.

    "That I did." answered Barteool. "And this is where the trust comes in." He looked his friends in the eye for a moment, making sure that everyone could see how certain  he was about what he was about to propose. "I want you to drop your weapons on the ground, let it bring Virria here, and let it leave safely as well."

    After a moment of stunned silence, the voice of Nhaerria sounded out. "You left Virria in its care? Is that how much you trust it?"

    "It took care of her for who knows how many hours, defended her against the malicious Curmin, and asked me for help regarding her. It has also carried her carefully for the two hours it took us to get here, while saving my life or health multiple times. So yes. That''s how much I trust it."  And this reply made everyone think hard.

    ¡ª--------------------

    Moti

    ¡ª--------------------

    Moti stood there, in shock and awe over the impression the thing had made on their leader. Barteool was not the kind of person to be easily swayed by fake faces and personalities. But to give up his weapons completely away and expose himself? That was something else entirely.

    He saw the indecisiveness in the faces of his friends, as well as the strain in the face of Barteool, and he knew he had to be the first one to act. But he couldn''t get himself to do it. Maybe if he''d seen the creature he''d have an easier time deciding what to do, but he had not. ''Wait a minute. Why did he not simply take Virria with him and bid the creature farawell? Could he have something else in mind?'' He mulled over the idea some more, before deciding.

    ¡ª-------------

    Barteool

    ¡ª-------------

    ''This is not good.'' That is what Barteool thought, as he watched his friends think for a moment. ''I know this is a hard request to fulfill, especially when you haven''t seen the threat yourself, but this is taking too much time. But I know I can''t push them to do it. They have to decide for themselves.''

    He watched on in nervous silence, up until Moti started to move suddenly, drawing the eyes of everyone present. He walked to the side of the lantern, about six meters, and undid the belt that held his sword. "I trust you." was all he said, yet to Barteool it were words of pure trust directed at him specifically.

    "You can keep your knives" Barteool said, while walking up to Moti and placing his throwing knives next to his sword. Moti simply nodded.

    "What took me so long to decide?" said Nhaerria, walking over as well, and placing her healing rod next to their weapons. "If something goes wrong, I''ll blame you" she said, to which Barteool just smiled.

    Daente walked over and wordlessly placed his hammers alongside his friends'' ones. Everyone looked at Maeli, who was still indecisive. "Maeli. Come on" said Nhaerria for which she got a nasty glare from Maeli.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    "You know that you can cast spells even without your staff, right?" Daente joined in with a smirk, prompting Maeli to get up and put his staff next to their weapons. "What am I supposed to do with you¡­" he said, as he turned from the weapons and his friends, seemingly exasperated, while intending to take up a good spot near the lantern. The rest of the party laughed for a little bit, before following him back to the lantern.

    "So." said Daente after sitting down again. "What now?"

    "I''ll go and bring it here now, so try not to be aggressive."

    "Barteool wait a moment." Nhaerria called out, just as Barteool was about to leave. "Why don''t we test its intelligence? Try to signal it to come here."

    Barteool was certainly not against the idea. He''d walked more than enough today, but the rest of the party had to agree as well. He took a quick glance at them, and after receiving encouraging nods, he stood up and waved both arms in the direction of the creature, after which he sat back down.

    ¡ª-----------

    Moti

    ¡ª-----------

    There was a slight pause between Barteool waving and the rustling of bushes. In the end, the bushes opened up and made way for a weirdly interesting creature. Bipedal, with two arms and some hard to see clothing, and carrying a weird bag on its back and something black on its chest, held by its arms. Nothing special about it. That is until he realized that the black thing is in fact Virria. The 1,1 meter tall biped looked like a child in the creatures'' arms!

    He jerked a little bit at this realization, and he was not alone. In contrast to Virria, it looked massive. Massive and very heavy. Its footsteps sounded heavy, as if its boots had metal in them, and the way it effortlessly pushed branches out of its way only served to show its power.

    It stopped about ten meters from them, carefully released one of its hands (it held Virria with one arm!) and used its free hand to slowly pull out two weapons and toss them to the side.

    First one was a blade of sorts. About 30 to 40 cm long, it was effectively a curved sword to people of his kind, but this one went even further. It was absolutely massive. The blade was narrow up until about two-thirds of the length of it, where it started to widen and took the shape of a silhouette of a bubble on the blade. Moti was glad it threw it away, as he wouldn''t want to face it with his sword alone. Maybe if he had a shield¡­ and a full set of high-end plate armor.

    The second one was an ax, longer than the blade, at about 70 - 80 cm in total length. The axehead looked like a solid chunk of steel that was very wide, asi if it was made for splitting wood or something, and buried in a weird, black handle, that closed in around it even at the top. He peeked at Daente, as he had more experience with weapons such as axes or warhammers, and saw a grim expression showing on its face. When the ax fell on the ground, he heard an unusual sound, as if an empty barrel hit the ground instead of an ax.

    Daente next to him stirred uncomfortably. "Just to be clear. I don''t want to fight that thing. That ax would be able to dent a very good plate armor, yet it threw it with such ease¡­" He spoke to no-one in particular, yet everyone understood what he meant.

    They watched it approach, noticing more details. The cloth was covering most of its body, but its feet, hands and head were exposed. Its boots were tall, matte black in color and tied with a black shoelaces. It had five fingers, as opposed to his three, with one of them being able to turn back against the others, forming a perfect closed grip.

    Its head was kind of weird. Two eyes darted between all of them, with a small snout located below them. Its mouth was partially hiding in the sand colored fur on the lower part of its face. He could also see some fur on the upper half, but it seemed like it was cut off on the sides of its head, but kept on top of it and tied to the back. It looked kind of threatening, yet he did not feel any malice coming from it.

    "It''s wounded," noted Nhaerria, for which she got a couple of glances of confusion. "Just look at how it walks. It''s putting most of its weight on one leg, while barely burdening the other one. Also, it has some spots of blood on its clothes."

    Looking carefully, Moti could see what she thought by that. It appeared to have some trouble walking, but most likely it only felt some pain doing so. He was fairly certain it could still move relatively fast.

    As the thing closed the distance to about two meters, it stopped in place and stared at them for a moment, before it slowly and carefully set down Virria, right beside the lantern. Nhareeia slowly stood up and carefully walked closer, while Moti and Daente eyed the thing with hands on their knives. The thing noticed their glares and moved away, giving Nhaerria some more room to check up on Virria.

    After checking her, Nhaerria stood up and walked to her bag. "She''s fine. I''ll give her some stamina medication and she''ll be ready to travel by tomorrow," she said nonchalantly while she searched for the medications.

    Barteool stood up as well and walked towards the thing. It simply watched him come closer without moving anything except its head. "Nhaerria, could I ask you to check its wounds as well? I''ve seen it pouring some chemicals on them, but those blades were poisonous." He gently put an arm near one of the wounds, so everyone saw how the thing clenched its muscles a bit, before relaxing again.

    Nhaerria thought for a moment, before answering. "Can do that, but I''ll need my staff to get the poison out. I don''t have a whole lot of mana left."

    "Nhaerria! It''s too dangerous!" yelled Maeli. "What if it sucks out all of your mana and something happens later tonight?! We can''t risk that!"

    "You know, Maeli," Nhaerria said in a sweet voice, with a big smile on her face (In essence this: https://tenor.com/view/nami-and-zeus-nami-ep996-angry-nami-creepy-nami-nami-gif-23564989</a>), that gave everyone chills. "That would not have been possible had you not tried what you did have. So could you just sit there quietly while I''ll repay our debt of not being able to protect Virria?"

    Everyone felt that and everyone pitied Maeli for invoking her wrath. There was not a single complaint, as she strided to her staff and picked it up.

    ¡ª-----------

    Nhaerria

    ¡ª-----------

    As soon as she picked up the staff, she  felt it. The eyes of the thing, making her feel the silent pressure it emitted even more. That feeling made her want to curl up into a ball and hide, but she resisted those instincts and slowly straightened herself and turned around. She then saw almost exactly what she expected. The thing was seemingly ready to strike or flee at any moment, looking at her. What she did not expect, however, was the sight of Barteool trying to calm it down by patting its leg, while being cautious of its reactions.

    She outstretched the hand holding the staff to the side, and looked for anything to demonstrate what she was about to do. She had few scratches, but nothing that would serve the purpose of showing the thing what she was about to do. Then she noticed a few scratches on Barteools¡¯ forearm ,that could serve as a good example. ¡°Barty? Could you show it those scratches on your arm, so it could see me healing them? I feel like coming any closer would result in it running away in panic.¡±

    She then watched as Barteool tried to get its attention by waving his hand in front of its eyes. After he broke its line of sight, the thing looked at him briefly, and then at the forearm Barteool pointed at. It looked around the wound with great care not to cause any damage or pain, but she could see the tip of Barteool¡¯s tail twitch from time to time. ''Yup. Definitively sentient.''

    After a while, Barteool seemingly decided that it had a good enough look, so he freed his arm from the thing¡¯s comically big hands without any problems Nhaerria could see and started to walk towards her.

    ¡ª----------

    Aragami

    ¡ª----------

    The wound on the green lizards'' arm looked like it could hurt a bit, but it was most definitely not a life-threatening injury. Sure, it looked nasty, with a couple of scales torn out and some dark blue spots he presumed to be blood visible on the naked skin, but there wouldn''t be a big chance for an infection to set in.

    When it attempted to pull its forearm out of his grip, he released it from his arms and watched as it approached the other lizard. It had sand coloured scales, with a lot of strange ornaments and talismans tugged in between them. It also held a staff that looked like a tree root, holding a green crystal at the tip, and with some green mana floating around it. What unnerved him was the amount of gray mana coming out of the lizard, absorbing some mana from the plant life around it. ''Is she collecting mana? Could that be the effect of that little potion she drank before?''

    In the meantime the green lizard walked to the sandy one and stood in such a way Aragami could see its wounded arm. The sand coloured one stepped to the green one with a jerking movement of a scared person. ''It seems I''ve made the correct decision and did not approach it. It might have collapsed if I came any closer.''

    His train of thought was interrupted by a sudden movement of mana in front of him. The sand coloured lizard was standing against the green one with its staff near the wounded forearm. In between the staff and the forearm, there was a small bubble of green mana, with a shaky flow of mana moving from the sandy lizard to the green one, entering the damaged skin and scales and repairing them from inside. ''Is the sand coloured one a healer? I can''t see any weapon on it other than the staff and a knife.''

    The flow of mana continued for about fifteen seconds, before coming to a halt and the mana bubble dissipating into the air. The green lizard came close to him and showed him its forearm, now completely healed and without any sign of being damaged at all. ''Definitely a healer.'' Aragami thought, and leaned back against his arms.

    The sandy lizard approached, this time smoothly, and tried to untie his bandages. He considered not moving at all, as if not to intimidate it, but seeing the amount of trouble the lizard was having, he ultimately decided against that. One by one, he undid his bandages and revealed all the minor cuts he collected. The lizard nudged at some of the cuts, before taking its staff and placing it just above the nastiest looking cut on the inside of his right arm. It started mumbling in a very broken English with an accent so strong he could not understand it. He could see a mana bubble form in between his wound and its staff, and he felt a nice, warm feeling in his arm. He could see the wound close from the inside out, and even some pink coloured liquid being pushed out of his body. ''Poison? It might be. But how did it get in there? The green lizard¡­ I don''t think it did that. So could it be those Curmin? It''s in the wounds caused by them, so that''s possible.''

    While he was thinking, the lizard finished up with his wounded arm and moved to another one. He watched it carefully and tried his best to feel the mana around him and in his arm, but to no avail. He could only feel some warmth and nothing more.

    The lizard finished treating his wounds and tiredly sat on the ground. It looked at him and tilted its head to the side, moving one of its free arms in a manner of ways, stretching its muscles. He mimicked its movements and noticed his arms did not hurt anymore when he moved them. Smiling for a bit, he took off his backpack and offered the lizard some water as a reward for its hard work. He poured it in a cup and placed it in front of it in a way it could grab it comfortably.

    The sandy lizard took a sip from the cup, before saying something to the rest of the camp. He was interested in what all of those creatures looked like, as he only saw the three lizards up close and the bird-like one from a distance did not have the time to take a good look at the rest of them. As it turned out, those feelings were mutual, as every member of the small camp moved closer to him to take a thorough look at him, which in turn enabled him to take a good look at them as well.

 Chapter ten: So it begins

    Aragami

    ¡ª----------

    He watched the other creatures approach with great curiosity. He''d seen some weird shit like cats with two tails named Curmin, wearing armor and using some basic tactics to attack, and of course he saw three different Raaketigs, one of which was able to use magic.

    The one using magic had scales coloured as sand, with a lot of small talismans and ornaments tugged in between its scales. It also held a sceptre, best described as a tree root holding a green orb with mana floating around it. He already learned that it was a healer capable of taking care of small wounds and extracting what he presumed to be poison from his body, but he could not be sure as of yet.

    Then there was the dark green one, that helped him in the last fight against the Curmin. It used throwing knives as far as he knew, but he had a feeling it could do more than that. When he walked behind it to this place, he noticed it was able to find a safe way most of the times, trying not to disturb the various spirits in this forest. It did have a piece of what he presumed was leather, strapped around its neck. He did not know if it was a fashion thing, or had any special function. He could not see any mana around it, so he presumed it was for fashion only. It also had a talisman, made out of a piece of bone with a strange letter on it, tied around its right wrist. This talisman had some white mana float around it, actually circling around it in a circular pattern, like an orbit of white light. On some of its scales, there were some letters and patterns drawn upon them, looking like a cool alternative for a tattoo. ''Thief of the party. Probably''

    The dark grey lizard was still in its armour, laying on the ground closer to the lantern.

    He looked at the three creatures approaching him, not knowing what to expect, and tried to take a good look at them even as they began to circle around him, which made him a little nervous, to be sure.

    The one he noticed first was the fourth lizard. It had a slim build, almost like a stick figure. Clad from head to toe in some kind of green-ish robe with yellow marks of what he presumed was moon cycles on the left side of its chest, only its blunt nose poked out of its cape, with vague shapes of its four eyes being barely recognisable. Its scales had a fiery colour, contrasting sharply with the coat. There was mana floating around it in great densities, orange, yellow, white and even blue in colour. It almost seemed like it was sorting its mana constantly, trying to concentrate it to make room for more mana. ''Groups'' mage? It certainly does not look like a frontliner. It would be interesting to see what it can do.''

    The next one was the bird-like one. It was about 1 meter tall, with feathers that covered most of its body in grey and black colour. He could not see any wings, but its hands were covered in small and large feathers that probably did not allow flight, and ended with clutch-like fingers with sharp claws. On top of some light armour, it also had a leather belt with several pouches on the side, as well as two small hooks on each side he was not sure what they were for. It also had two suspender-like leather straps coming out of its belt and crossing on its chest, going over its shoulders and probably latching on the belt in the back. There were more of those hooks he could see on those straps, but nothing was on them. It had short feathers on its head, light gray in colour, and a beak of a bird of prey. Sharp and dangerous. Its feet had four claws, one of them facing backwards, all of which were clad in some kind of battle armour thing. It had three blades coming out from the top of its armoured talons. ''That would be helpful for either kicking your opponents, or if someone wanted to step on your foot, trying to immobilise you¡­ That''s an interesting idea. That''s definitely a warrior. I''m not sure if it would be a frontliner, but definitely a close quarters combat specialist.''

    As for the last one¡­ he could find one animal that reminded him of the last being. That animal was an otter. Short fur everywhere he could see, sharp teeth, swim membranes in between its fingers, even the shape of its snout was similar to an otter. It was about as tall as the bird was, with a shirt-like piece of clothing on its chest. It also had leather pants with several leather straps on them. Aragami was not sure about the exact function of those straps, besides looking cool as hell. It had a leather helmet on its head, tied with another strap under its chin. It had marching shoes of older make, and all of its clothes had a lot of wear clearly visible to the naked eye. Surprisingly enough, Aragami was able to notice a not-insignificant amount of muscles underneath its hide. ''A warrior? With an agility based build, it seems¡­ That''s an interesting party configuration.

    Finishing his evaluation, he sat still, occasionally looking at them when they passed in front of him. The green and sandy Raaketig joined him a while later, sitting to his left, beginning to form a circle. It was now he realized that they have two pairs of arms. A completely alien concept to him. The rest of the camp occupants finished checking him out and sat in the circle one by one, before starting a conversation he did not understand. Having nothing else to do, he focused his senses and tried to read the mood and attempt to read surface thoughts of those around him using the power granted to him by his benefactor.

    ¡ª-----------

    Barteool

    ¡ª-----------

    Barteool was relieved. No-one tried attacking the thing from the get go, although Maeli was close, ready to cast spells at any sign of aggression. The thing was calm and collected, its eyes locked on his friends and its arms placed firmly on its legs. It was kind of funny, seeing his friends warily, yet curiously circle the being, while being barely higher than it was sitting. Its eyes darted from one to another, not staying in place for more than just a few seconds, until it stopped turning its head to look around and sat still, seemingly allowing everyone to check it out as they pleased.

    He glanced at Nhaerria, gesturing to the creature with his head, before walking over and sitting next to it. After a bit of indecisiveness, Nhaerria joined him as well, sitting on the other side of the thing, looking for more wounds or signs of discomfort she could recognise.

    ''I wonder how will everyone evaluate it. It doesn''t seem very capable of violence from the first glance. It might look somewhat threatening due to its size and strength, but it also looks kind of goofy. No scales for protection, little fur anywhere on its body except for the top of its head, proportionally long legs and fingers, no natural weapons he could see¡­'' The list continued on, but he remembered how it fought. ''But it''s using tools to fight. That blade and ax¡­ plus the way it moved. It must have a lot of experience fighting with that body.''

    Not too long later, everyone with the exception of Virria sat in a circle with the thing, and he was free to speak his mind.

    "What do you make out of that?" he asked, eyeing the rest of the members, specifically Daente and Moti, but to his surprise, the first one to speak up was Maeli.

    "I can not sense any mana from it, which is weird, considering every being we know has at least a single spark inside. There are two possibilities for this. One is that it is something unnatural, possibly summoned here from another dimension, or that it has such an abundance in mana I''m mistaking it for the mana around us, in free air." Maeli said, crossing both sets of arms across his chest.

    "And what do you think is more probable?" asked Nhaerria. As Maeli was about to answer the question, he was cut off by her again. "I personally think it''s the first possibility. When I healed its wounds, I did not encounter any mana flows through its body, as well as no crystals or symbols of power."

    "I have to agree. When we traveled here, I couldn''t see it use any spell to find a safe way, or cast a shield to push away branches and stuff¡­ it walked through the forest, carrying Virria and pushing branches with its arms." Barteool said, humming to himself.

    Next one to speak was Daente. "Personally, I wouldn''t want to fight it in a close quarter." That got everyones'' attention. "Don''t get me wrong, I am pretty confident we could take it down if we worked together. I could probably hold it off for a while, buying you time to get away if necessary, but I don''t think I''d defeat it. As it is now, it seems like its legs have the most muscle mass on its body. And considering how its legs are almost as tall as we are, I wouldn''t want to block its kick. Especially if it was able to kill several Curmin search parties."

    Moti just nodded here and there, only saying a few words in the end. "We still don''t know how it uses its weapons."

    "True. It might fight very differently than we do, using tactics that might evade our defenses completely." Daente continued. "We''ve seen it holding some sort of blade and an ax, and I''m pretty sure that thing on its waist is a knife," he said out loud, prompting everyone to look at the things waist, and at the scabbard hanging there.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    "A bigass knife." Moti laughed to himself, being a bit more wary of the things movements.

    Nhaerria was the next one to raise a question. "How do you feel about letting it stay near the camp? Personally, I''m not sure I''d like it to sleep too close, as it has a combat build."

    Everyone agreed to that. Having something so big and strong near you when you sleep was not a pleasant experience.

    "Why are you even asking this question?" asked Maeli curiously. Daente and Moti nodded for confirmation, not sure how the question came to be. Barteool only needed to think for a while, before his head snapped to the thing. Its head was almost resting on its chest, its eyes nearly shut. He stood up and went to check it, while still listening to Nhaerria.

    "Well, the first thing is that when I healed it, its muscles seemed like they had worked overtime. It was on the verge of muscular failure." Nhaerria glanced at Barteool, seeing him trying to get some information out of the creature using pantomime. "The second thing is that Barteool found it relatively early in the morning, shortly after the sunrise. And that it was fighting the Curmin, right? Would it be too bold to assume it also fought for the better part of the night, denying itself any sleep? You can''t defeat 40 Curmin in a couple of minutes, plus they''d try to attack you using surprise first and foremost. It had a couple of wounds with poison, which surely deprived its energy trying to kill it¡­

    "So? It woke up during the night and fought. How do we not know if it is nocturnal or not? How do we know it even needs to sleep at all? Some beasts don''t need to as long as there''s enough mana in the air." Maeli refuted. "How do we kn¡­

    He was interrupted by the thing standing up. Barteool turned to the rest of them with an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry everyone, but I think it has to get some sleep now. I''ll try and get it to sleep far from the camp before I come back."

    The thing picked up its bag, waiting patiently for Barteool to finish talking, before turning around and walking towards its weapons. "Could you try to borrow one of its weapons?" yelled Deante on a whim, curious if he could get an idea of its fighting style off its weaponry. Barteool just raised one hand in approval, not even turning around, and followed the thing to prepare its sleeping quarters.

    ¡ª----

    Nhaerria

    ¡ª----

    As Barteool with the thing left the camp, Maeli turned to his friends with a serious look on his face and asked a question that was on everyones mind. "Why do you think he brought it? Just because he''s thankful it saved Virria? Or is there a deeper meaning to it?"

    "How could we know," chuckled Nhaerria. "He''s always thinking in a ways I can''t fathom. He might see some sort of weird potential in it. We''d have to watch it for a long time before we''d be able to properly sort it into a proper category. Is it a magic beast? Or just a normal one? What are its strengths and weaknesses?" She then looked at everyone else, before laughing out loud.  "Isn''t it exciting? Discovering unknown species and trying to find the balance of how much you can influence its behavior?"

    Moti watched her laugh, thinking of what she said, and surprisingly enough, he found out he wholeheartedly agreed with her. "Hehehe. Yeah, I can see your point. I''m nervous, because we have something so strong and unpredictable in the vicinity, yet intrigued by what it is capable of. I''d love to hear Barteools'' take on this."

    "Come to think of it, he hasn''t told us what he thinks about it, besides that he trusts it, " nodded Daente. "It''s kind of important to know what the leader thinks."

    "Should we confront him about that? When he comes back?" asked Nhaerria, to which she recieved nods of agreement from Moti and Daente.

    "Wait a minute!" yelled Maeli, almost hysterically. "Are you all really fine with that?! For all we know, it''s feral, only pretending to be a civilized being, waiting for us to drop our guard!"

    "I don''t think that''s the case."Barteools'' voice sounded from the dark in the direction he and the thing went. Everyones'' head snapped in that direction, greeting Barteool with their gazes. Daente and Moti had their eyes glued to the ax he brought with him. It was the size of a war ax, but with a much thicker handle and a smaller, but thicker and wider blade.

    "There are multiple reasons why I don''t think of it as a possibility, but I''ll tell you the two most recent ones." Barteool sat down next to Nhaerria and placed the weird eax in front of him so everyone could see. "First of all, as you can see, it lended me its weapon for a bit. Before I was able to take it, however, I gestured to it to lean it to me for a while. I think it has some kind of psychic ability, that has something to do with thoughts and maybe even desires. However, it is not skilled at it. It sensed I am interested in its weapons and handed me this one." He pointed at the ax, drawing everyone''s attention to it. "As you can see, this is not a normal ax, but a very strange one. The center of mass is barely under the ax head, causing more damaging blows than the normal one. We could learn from that a lot in my opinion.

    "The second reason is that it had tools in its bag, specifically for creating a place to sllep in. It took out two bags. One of them had two ropes and a piece of cloth in it. It took the ropes and tied them around two trees, before hanging the cloth in between. The second bag had another rope, and multiple little iron pieces of varying shapes. It tied the rope around one of the trees again, with the iron pieces hanging on the rope. It then hung its bag on one of those pieces, suspending it in the air off the ground. It also took off its shoes and weapons, and hung them on different metal pieces before it lay in the cloth and went to sleep I guess."

    "That''s a bit interesting, but still not a valid point, proving it''s civilized." protested Maeli.

    "Oh really?" Daente made a mocking expression. "So if the fact it can tie knots is not enough proof to you, it had everything prepared in separate bags, ready to be used without sorting its things or rummaging through its bag. Furthermore, it suspended its things in the air, preventing them from getting wet, and possibly rot, before going to sleep." He eyed Maeli with a knowing expression before continuing. "Yeah. I think I''ll consider it to be civilized. That does not mean I won''t keep an eye on it, but I''ll consider it as a sentient creature that''s willing to communicate."

    Nhaerria, Moti and Barteool nodded from time to time during the speech, signaling their agreement.

    "Fine!" Maeli said exasperatedly, shaking his head. "But I''ll keep more caution than all of you guys combined when I''m in its vicinity."

    "Thank you Maeli." Barteool nodded. "I appreciate that."

    Everyone then sat in silence for a while, until Nhaerria perked up. "So. Now that this is done with, Barteool, would you tell us what do you think about it and what we''re your plans with it when you brought it here?"

    Barteool immediately became the center of attention of the entire party, and he was not happy about it. "Yeah, I guess it''s only right that I tell you how I feel about it." He thought for a while before continuing, going straight to the topic at hand. "Frankly speaking, I like it. And I''d like it to join our party in time. It''s strong and I feel like it has a great potential."

    "I won''t rebuke it''s strong. I don''t know about its potential, but I won''t question it for now. What I''m concentrating on is the fact that you can''t have it join our party the usual way. The Guild would need the information about its species to be registered within the Great Libraries as a sentient species, which takes generations, " noted Daente, intrigued by the idea of new party member.

    "I''ve thought of that, and there is a simple solution to that. It might not be a fair one to the thing, but I thought, now that we have Virria with us once again, why don''t we just write it as her familiar?" As Barteool presented his idea, he felt nervous. There was so much that could go wrong. Virria does not have to agree to that. Or the thing. It might resent them after it learns it''s noted as a familiar, a lesser being, worse than a slave. But it was the best thing he could come up with.

    "I don''t think that''s a bad idea." Said Nhaerria, a strand of excitement in her voice. "It would be nice to have a new companion. Especially if it''s a strong one. And can you imagine someone laughing at us in the streets when this thing walks with us? Maybe we''ll be able to teach it the common language and joke around."

    "I see, that would not be bad." daydreamed Daente. "Imagine walking down the streets without all those racial slurs coming your way."

    Everyone sat there for a whe, wondering what the future would bring if the thing joined them, until an idea struck Nhaerria like a battering ram. "It''s a nice idea, but how are we going to achieve it when we don''t even know its species or what to call it. Nevertheless, what kind of food it can or can''t eat?"

    Barteool thought for a while, but he could not find a fitting  answer. In the end he simply shrugged and said: "Let''s try to see if Virria can get some of that information using her tamer skills. If not, we''ll have to take it to the Observer in Draceenville and pay the price."

    "You want to take it to the town?" "You know we''d be responsible for the damage it causes, right?" "Can we control it well enough?" These and other questions bombarded him immediately, but he was able to quieten them all by one of his own questions. ''Do you have a better idea?''

    With no other things to discuss, Barteool took note of the advanced time and began dividing the work in the camp. "It''s almost noon, so I''ll ask you to stop for now and focus on the responsibilities of the camp. Who''s on guard duty?"

    Daente stood up and walked to pick up his weapons. "I still have two hours left, but I''d appreciate it if you could station me somewhere where I can see that thing as well."

    Barteool nodded and sent him off to guard duty. He then turned to Moti and gestured to the ax. "Would you take a look at that? I''d like to know if we can make something similar for us as well. The handle is hollow, so the blade can be heavier, but I don''t know of any material that reminds me of this one." Moti was a bit surprised, but complied nonetheless. He picked up the ax and went to collect his weapons, before heading to his tent.

    "Nhelaerria, could you take care of those two? Virria asked us to get her out of that stupid armor. She also said it''s rigged, so have Maeli take a look at it for traps. I''ll make something to eat, so don''t worry about that."

    With their workload divided, everyone went back to their responsibilities, while Aragami lay in his hammock, catching some sleep in the shade of the trees.

 Chapter eleven: Reunion?

    Virria was feeling warmth all around her. It was like she was sleeping for a long time, feeling uncomfortable laying on the soft material, her tail resting on a pillow. She turned her head to the side, still pretending to be asleep, and listened carefully. It seemed like there was someone else in the room, as she could hear their breath, but that person appeared to be asleep.

    She slowly opened one of her eyes, darting it around, looking for any sign of hostility around her. She was on a raised frame made of some branches and grass, with a soft mat on top. There was cloth all around her, hanging from the ceiling on ropes. The ceiling was made of sticks and cloth, forming a semicircular shape above her head. On a small table beside her, there was a bowl of water and some wild flowers, tied into a bouquet.

    She tried to move her hands, expecting some form of cuffs or other bounds, but she found nothing. She tried moving her feet next, with the same results. She then opened her eyes fully, slowly sitting up and stretching for a bit. She was feeling a weird, sore feeling, as if she''d be riding a creature with a very long stride for a whole day. Looking at the ground, she found normal dirt with some remnants of grass. Singing her legs over the edge, she realized someone stripped her of the armor she was forced to wear earlier. It did not pose problems with her, but she''d do anything for more protection in a situation like this. Very carefully, she reached for the edge of the cloth separating her from the rest of the tent, her hands ready to tear at anything she could see, and her tail ready to swing forward, and with a quick motion, revealed the rest of a medical tent in front of her eyes.

    There was no one there. One folding table with a book and grinding stones laid on it, one simple chair fit to be used by the Raaketig, and a briefcase with herbs and other tools. She quickly looked through the briefcase, taking two small daggers, and advancing towards the exit. There was another area separated by a cloth on the other side of the room, but it was too small to hide a lot of people. She kept one on it, as she peeked through the tied doorway.

    What she saw caused her to drop the daggers and run outside crying. "BARTY! NHAERRI! DAENTE! I''M SO GLAD TO SEE YOU!!" She lounged to the embrace of her dear friends, not really caring about the meal in their bowls.

    "Virria! You should have told me you were awake!" Nhaerria said in between waves of relieved laughter. She stroked Virrias'' head, scratching her scales.

    "I was afraid I was sold to some slavers or someone like that. It''s a bit contradictory to call for help in that situation, don''t you think?"

    "Yeah. That checks out." Daente laughed and sat closer to the three Raaketig. "Noe. Could you tell us what happened to you? We are dying to know." He knew his mistake immediately, as Virria flinched immediately as she heard the word ''dying''.

    "Daente!" Nhaerria called out before giving him a nasty glare. "It''s okay, Virria. You don''t need to tell us. We''ll wait till you''re ready."

    "It''s okay. You all deserve to know that. No, that¡¯s not enough. You all need to know that." Virria became serious. Her friends, noticing the change, became serious as well. "Could you call everyone here? I don''t think I''ll be able to say it all twice."

    Everyone looked at Barteool, who thought for a while before answering. "We can call Maeli here, that''s not a problem. But we have to go to Moti. We are in a dangerous part of the forest now, so we can''t risk having no guard. I''ll go find a place to sit down, so Nhaerria, could you please check on Virria to see if she''s OK? And wake up Maeli? We''ll wait near Moti."

    Nhaerria nodded before turning to Virria. "Come on, let''s get you checked. We don''t want you to have some untreated injuries." She pulled Virria to her feet and walked her to the tent.

    ¡ª--------

    Barteool

    ¡ª--------

    As Barteool watched his companions enter the tent, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. His friend was safe. He then heard Daente speak from behind him. "The reason you sent her with Nhaerria¡­ was it to check on the thing before you bring Virria near it?"

    This gave Barteool a pause, as he had to think deeply about the reasoning of his actions. "Maybe." he said after some thinking. "I''m not sure it''ll react the way we expect it to when it sees Virria walking by herself. I just want to make sure she''ll be fine."

    "I think you''re a bit overprotective, but I can see why." Daente nodded. "Look there. It''s awake."

    Daente looked to where the thing was to see it with its feet hanging out of the cloth nest it had made. It was grooming the fur on its head with a black brush of unknown material. The same material that was the handle of its ax made of. As it noticed them, it put the brush away and waved one of its arms above its head.

    Barteool wawed one of his own hands back, and to Daente''s questioning gaze answered simply with "I suppose it''s a greeting."

    Sitting down, Barteool and Daente sat down a short distance away from the thing, watching it approach and sit next to them.

    "It''s kinda weird. Y''know. That we''ll probably call it by name in a couple minutes." said Daente, not really expecting any answer, so he was started by Moti speaking up from behind him.

    "It''s kinda weird just to have it here, unchained. But we all trust in Barteools'' decision."

    Daente jumped into the air, turned around, and proceeded to scold the grinning Moti. "Don''t do that! You know I hate it! What would you do if I did this to you?! Huh??!"

    "You wouldn''t be able to do that, you''re so damn loud!" Their exchange continued for a while, with Barteool laughing in the background, up until they noticed a barking sound escaping from the things'' chest.

    As everyone looked at it in wonder, Nhaerria, Virria and Maeli emerged from the bushes.

    "Virria?!" Maeli asked, almost panicking while preparing some type of spell. "What does that sound mean?!"

    "Calm down, Maeli. It''s just feeling amused. Or worried. I''m not really sure yet." said Virria, walking towards it. She sat down next to it, closer than anyone else dared. Eventually she leaned on the things'' leg. "If you want me to get more info then I''ll need to stay in contact with it."

    "Really? You didn''t need to do that with any other animal I''ve seen." commented Nhaerria, sitting down next to Barteool and leaning onto him.

    "Are you sure it''s safe to do so?" asked Daente, feeling no mercy for the annoyed Barteool.

    "Do you want all of us to move closer without weapons?" asked Moti.

    Everyone collectively ignored Maeli urging Virria to ¡°...get away from that dangerous animal,¡± because, ¡°it''s not safe.¡±

    "Yes, Daente, I''m sure it''s safe. Yes and no Moti. I want you to get closer, but I don''t want you to have weapons ready to stab it. It could frighten it. And yes, really Nhaerria. Other animals are all classified in one way and another, so all I have to do is to get used to the animal. I this is an unknown species, with unknown biology and reactions. All we know is that it is friendly and in my case even protective."

    "I see your point." "If you think so." "I see." and "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM THAT!" sounded on the little clearing.

    "Maeli." said Moti, grabbing Maelis'' head and turning it in a way he could look into his eyes. "Please tone it down. You''re making too much noise, so I might not be able to hear anything approaching from the forest."

    This caused silence to spread over the clearing. Moti sat back down, and gestured to Virria. "Now. We''d like to hear what happened that made you wander the Forest of Mushrooms till the end of your strengths in a weird, smell-rigged armor?"

    ¡ª-----

    Virria

    ¡ª-----

    "Yeah. I guess that''ll be for the best. I''ll begin with what happened after you dropped me home¡­" So Virria started recounting the tale of her separate adventure of years past. While she spoke, she got the thing to scratch her back, making her pause from time to time to enjoy the feeling.

    "... So I was running towards the direction Ognyana found the beast in, and when I got through the branches and onto the clearing, that''s when I got to meet Aragami here." She said, as she patted the leg of the thing.

    """""Aragami?""""" asked everyone.

    "Yes. Aragami. I told you my skill required some time to take effect. Now I can tell you some things about it¡­ excuse me, him. His name is Aragami. He was summoned here about three hours before I met him. And I can''t sense any magic stone or mana from within¡­ also, he''s sentient, but I guess you already understood that." With a smug grin, she observed her friends'' reactions. The fact her skills surprised them every time never got old.

    Stolen story; please report.

    Shocked silence continued for a while, but it was eventually disturbed by Barteool. "So it¡­ he was in this world for about eight hours when I met him? And he already fought that well? With no levels? Or classes?"

    "But no magic is a huge pain in the ass. Imagine what would happen if we encountered someone with control type spells. He also can''t equip most of the magic items." Counted Maeli, now calm enough to consider things from the logical perspective.

    "That means a lot of custom equipment to pay for. On the other hand, we''d be able to acquire funds more easily. We might be able to accept some higher-ranking jobs as well. All depends on the way Aragami fights and his effectiveness." Nhaerria threw into the discussion. Everyone was now feeling at ease. No-one was scared of Aragami anymore, as everyone saw his reaction and affection to Virria. Nhaerria was so drawn to Aragami, she even nudged him to scratch her scales as well, and narrowed her eyes a little as he did so, which caused everyone to move closer as well.

    However, their carefree altitude soon had to change. The one responsible for it was no-one other than Aragami himself. His head, previously leisurely hung down, shot up, looking in one general direction. His hands stopped scratching, and withdrew to his sides, ready to push his body off the ground.

    Aragamis'' sudden movements tore their current conversation apart, surprising all of them. Virria used her skills to check on him, before muttering confused: "He''s wary of something? Or even threatened?"

    Barteool was the second one to react, as he turned his head to focus in the same direction and called out sharply. "Virria! Nhaerria! You two get behind us! Something is coming. Quickly!"

    Moti and Daente stood up, unsheathing their weapons, while Barteool tensed up his bow. Maeli and Nhaerria started circulating mana through their bodies, preparing to use magic as needed. Aragami stood up, his heavy shoes resounding loudly on his way to his suspended nest, where he took out his spade and blade.

    And Virria just stood there, not sure what to do, as her sole familiar was a scout type, with no fighting ability whatsoever.

    "Virria!" called out Barteool, drawing her attention. He was not even looking in her direction, but his tone was serious. "If we want our plan to succeed, we''ll need you to have Aragami registered as a member of our party. I know forming a contract takes a while, so you need to focus on understanding Aragami and the way he fights."

    "Got it!" she yelled enthusiastically, and proceeded to watch Aragami get ready to fight. ''A wide stance, slightly bent forward, with a weapon in each hand¡­ the blade is in his right hand¡­  does it mean he''s more skilled with his right hand?'' Aragami returned to their group, taking up the right flank, next to Moti.

    Barteool hid behind him, while Maeli chose to stand behind his long-term shield - Daente. ''At least I''ll protect Nhaerria with my own body,'' Virria thought, and stood in front of her friend. She had nothing but her dagger, but she drew it anyway.

    The bushes on the edge started to rattle, and everyone lowered their stance slightly, all eyes glued to the spot they expected enemies to appear.

    As the rattling got louder, they expected to hear more noise coming, but Virria couldn''t hear anything other than that. The same, however, was not the same for Barteool and Aragami, as Aragami motioned to Daente to take a few steps aside, creating passage between their small group.

    Naturally, Daente refused, as he thought it foolish action, up until he received the same signal from Barteool. Reluctantly, he complied, and created a three meter wide passage in between them, whilst keeping an eye on the bushes.

    A while of awful waiting later, they all understood why he wanted them to do that. From the bushes, two massive, soundless shadows jumped out, and ran in between the small groups. "Hounds of the Wild¡­" Virria noted. "If we didn''t split up, they''d consider us a threat and attack us¡­ instead they just saw us as other animals of the forest. How did you know, Barteool?"

    "I did not." Barteool snickered. "I just believed in Aragami''s intuition. I''ve seen it multiple times now. He can sense things sooner than I do. He''d saved me a couple of times on our way to the camp, and he noticed them sooner than I did as well."

    There was a loud crashing noise coming from behind them. One of the hounds probably collided with one of the tents, resulting in a sound of torn fabric filling the early afternoon. ¡°Aren''t the Hounds of the Wild supposed to be stealthy assassin monsters? How could they make such a mess?" asked confused Maeli.

    The answer came from Nhaerria, who studied the ground since the noise ceased. "At least one of them is badly injured. I¡¯d guess it can''t stay on its feet for much longer. I mean, look at all that blood!"

    "Sooo¡­  is this the danger we prepared for?" Maeli voiced his thoughts, and looked expectantly to where Barteool stood. His hopes soon died down, as he saw Barteool with a tense expression, looking to where the Hounds came from.

    "No. The real danger is the one they ran away from." The realization sent shivers down Virrias'' spine. Something the Hounds of the Wild were afraid of? Coming towards them? Their chances kept on dropping lower and lower. But there was no way out.

    Daente closed the gap between them, creating a solid front once again, and swung his hammers in anticipation.

    The bushes started to rattle again, but this time it was different. They could hear cussing and sounds of metal impacting wood. There were definitely other sapients behind the bushes, but no-one knew what kind of intentions they had. Friend or foe? Ally or enemy? Bandits? Guards? Soldiers? They''d learn all the answers in just a minute.

    The chopping noise got louder and louder, and finally one of the twigs started to shake from being impacted, before disappearing. Followed by another one, then another one. One by one, the branches disappeared, allowing whoever was on the other side to pass through. And so they did.

    One, two, three, in total eight beings emerged from the bushes, positioning themselves directly in front of Barteools'' group.

    Four of them were Curmin, so trouble was guaranteed. Two of them were of another species, a four-legged species with short, stiff fur and pointy antlers.

    They were about as tall as Curmin, maybe a bit taller, with longer legs and weaker tails. Virria recognised them as Zhaariin, a species very similar to Flower Deer, but with very sharp antlers. Most of the time they were pacifists, but those of them that weren''t made their living by various other means, including slavery.

    The other two were bipedal, with one set of arms each. They were a bit smaller than an average Raaketig, but much wider and masculine. Their skin was covered in scales of shifting colors and fur on various places. They also had collars around their necks and weights on their arms, their legs were chained together, and their tails chopped off near the back, causing only a small stub to remain.

    "Curmin? Experimental slaves? Zhaariin? Looks like we found ourselves in some big trouble." Daente noted, now completely serious.

    "Should we strike first?" Moti followed up with a quick question to Barteool, but he already knew the answer to that.

    "We can''t act carelessly." Said Barteool in a grave tone. "Those guys are Orihalcum ranked adventurers." As he said this, everyones'' eyes shot to the necks of the Curmin and Zhaariin, just to see matte blue plates with some text scribbled onto them.

    Daente cursed under his breath, and pointed out another thing." Can you see the symbol on their forelegs? Aren''t they a part of that clan? The Silver Paw?"

    Silver Paw¡­ a faction inside the Guild, racist eradicating and enslaving bipedal species. Not much was known about this faction, but almost every biped in the Guild had a nagging feeling it was not just a rumor.

    Now there was a living, breathing proof of said organization not only existing, but performing terrible experiments on the bipeds they captured. She could see one of them had an ax grown into his forearm, in place of a hand. The fur on their bodies wasn''t naturally grown, but injected deep into their skin, causing a strong reaction of the immune system. They had tumors all over their body, where the fur had been injected, with pus pouring out.

    One of the Zhaariin was muttering to itself in the language of magic, but Maeli already took note of that, as he called out a warning. "Barrier spell! They''re trying to trap us in here!" But by the time Barteool started to move away, everyone knew it was too late. The spell was completed, and they were enclosed in a spherical barrier.

    "Teleportation is blocked off, I''d need time to study the structure of the barrier to get us out." Maeli stated in a monotone voice, before saying an apologetic "Sorry. It''s my bad."

    "Don''t worry about it. None of us noticed. And given the long incantation, I suppose it''s a pretty high-tiered spell as well." Barteool noted. "I guess there''s nothing else left. Let''s hope there is no second mage."

    As soon as Barteool finished the sentence, their Pendants of Rage activated, negating the effects of another spell. "I guess we won''t be so lucky. That was a ''rage'' spell." Maeli was slowly losing hope. "If I start inspecting the barrier now, I''ll have no way to defend us from other spells."

    "We''re lucky we bought these ''Strings of Calm Mind''. They came in handy sooner than expected." Nhaerria noted, and started casting ''Repair'' onto their string accessories.

    A voice came from one of the Curmin, making everyone at once feel even more uneasy. "I see. You are not as dumb as other bipeds, willing to spend some of your dirtily earned money on protective items¡­" he flicked his tail, deep crimson crystal held within emitted a blinding light, and released a visible shockwave in the direction of the bipedal group, knocking them down to the ground with the exception of Aragami.

    The elderly Curmin then chugged a high-grade mana potion and continued. "Unfortunately there are four reasons you won''t get away from us. First one being the power of this sealing stone."

    Barteool, Moti and Daente started to get up. Maeli and Nhaerria were getting ahold of their powers, after letting it slip when falling to the ground. And Virria just lay there on the ground, knowing full well the Curmin way of fighting. He wouldn''t let them stand up again. He wouldn''t give them the slightest chance to escape.

    Another shockwave came by, felling those who tried to stand, and disrupting mana. The Curmin then continued. "The second one being the composition of our party. Because what can you do against a Barrier Master and five Paladins of our order?" His statement was almost immediately confirmed, as one of the other Curmin cast another ''rage'' spell.

    "The strings!" A panicked voice came from Nhaerria. "If we¡¯re forced to take more than one more of these spells they''ll break beyond repair!"

    "The third reason why you can''t win is not because your magic items for protection will break in a couple of minutes, but because there is one of you without any item like that." The Curmin grinned, as the eyes of every biped in the group turned to Aragami.

    It all clicked into place in Virrias'' mind. ''They want us to die by his hand? But why had he not done so already?'' She and their whole team forced themselves to look away from the Curmin, to the little mountain of a creature, still standing above them. And everyone collectively felt a sense of dread. Its eyes were bloodshot. Its teeth visible to everyone in a wide grin of madness.

    "And finally, the fourth reason!" called out the Curmin in a victorious tone, not bothering to watch the bipeds he was torturing, but rather choosing to turn towards a sealing crystal with a ''Record'' spell. Every Curmin and Zhaariin turned to the speaker, eagerly expecting the final words of their groups'' leader.

    They couldn''t see what Barteool and his party saw. They couldn''t see Aragami switching the weapons in his arms. They couldn''t see him pull his right hand backwards, and then throw the spade in a single smooth move. All they could see was a large and heavy blade, slicing through their leaders'' tails, and embedding itself in the leades'' back. As everyone in the Curmin group started to panic and rushed to their leader, no-one paid any attention to the sealing stone that fell to the ground as if in slow motion, and then shattered on a boulder, releasing the powerful spell sealed within.

 Chapter twelve: A little anger never killed someone, right?

    Aragami

    ¡ª--------

    How does life get so chaotic in such a short while? He just sat there, near his hammock, with the Raakteig, Bird-like and Otter-like creatures, enjoying the warm afternoon sun while scratching the gray Raakteigs'' back. The sand-coloured one tried to get some scratchies as well, and everyone seemed to be at ease.

    And then, out of nowhere, he sensed a couple of panicked animals coming directly towards their group. This caused him to stop scratching and focus on the forest around them. Panicked animals were no joke, and he could sense these were no joke.

    In just a few moments, two bigger Raakteigs already stood up, pulling their weapons out. The Otter-man had a sword, and the Bird-man a pair of hammers. Pretty ironic, considering what could be done to birds with bludgeoning weapons. He stood up as well and went to his hammock for his spade and machete. With a machete in his right hand and spade in the left one, He joined the Raakteig in their formation on the right-most side, next to the otterman.

    It was just now, he realized, that the green Raakteig that brought him here had a bow. A very large bow in comparison to its body, in fact. ¡®I knew It could do more than just throw knives. I guess it¡¯s too difficult to move in the forest with a big-ass bow on one''s back.¡¯ The caped and sand-coloured Raakteig¡¯s mana started to circulate and formed itself into rings of colorful mana around her waist. ¡®I wish I could do that as well. It¡¯d be cool as fuck,¡¯ he thought. He turned his attention back to the new creatures as they made their approach.

    There were two creatures, slightly above knee-height for him, waist-height for the rest. There were traces of mana, but he couldn¡¯t quite place it. He could also sense the bloodlust of whatever it was behind them, approaching slightly slower than the two beasts in front.

    He had no more time to try and sense more details about the group behind, as the two beasts reached the edge of the clearing and through the bushes.

    He quickly gestured to the birdman next to him to make some distance between their groups, hoping the two beasts would see them as a lesser threat, causing them to run past without stopping instead of attacking them. The birdman appeared hesitant, but after a signal from the green Raaketig, he moved away about three meters, before stopping and watching the bushes.

    A little while later, the bushes rustled and what jumped out were¡­ PUPPERS? No. These looked more like small wolves with some gray mana floating around their paws. The only noise they made running past their group was panting and painful whining from the one lagging behind.

    They had dark-colored fur that covered their entire bodies and big, fluffy tails. The one following had a long, deep laceration on its side, with its crimson blood still pouring out to the fur and on the ground.

    As the wolves ran past them, Aragami turned his attention to the group in the back. He could hear the lizards speak in their own language, but he didn''t understand a word they said. He also heard the sound of crushed wood and tearing fabric, but there was no time to check that.

    The approaching group consisted of eighth beings, but he got the feeling that two of them weren''t in their right mind. Their movements seemed too¡­ mechanical? Like a puppet held by inexperienced hands. There were four of the damned cats and two more four-legs he had not met before.

    It seemed like the Raaketigs and the others still hadn''t noticed the threat, as they all talked amongst themselves, occasionally looking after the wolves. Aragami almost voiced the warning swelling in his chest, but after he squinted towards the green Raaketig, he noticed it was looking in the direction of the approaching group and calmed back down.

    A little while later, the birdman closed the gap between their groups, and swung its hammers in anticipation.

    Everyone could now hear the sound of an ax splitting wood, and see the quivers of various branches of the bush the wolves came through.

    As the second group emerged from the bush, Aragami noted that there were all the members he sensed previously.

    The new quadrupeds were as tall as the Curmin, and looked like a small deer/buck. Their fur, light brown in color, had been cut into various marks and symbols that continuously overflowed with mana. One of these quadrupeds was constantly chanting and concentrating mana above its back, and creating some sort of Web in the air.

    The two remaining beings were bipedal, but surely not in their right mind. They looked like abused lizard slaves with fur stucke into their skin. One of them even had a prosthetic arm with an ax blade!

    He was so interested in studying the newcomers, he didn''t notice the swelling mana net growing bigger and shaking more furiously until the hooded Raaketig beside him called in an anxious manner. After that, Aragami could only watch, as the net launched in the air, and covered both parties.

    His attention was now concerned on the opposing party. He could see the mass of crimson energy amass in their formation, and after a while see it build up momentum coming towards them. ''If I assume it''s the same strength as an average Curmin, I should be able to block that¡­'' thought Aragami, and prepared himself for a decently strong impact, even shielding the black Raaketig behind him.

    You can imagine his annoyance went up, as the red mana simply passed through his prepared defense and continued on undisturbed. He could see that the sand-coloured and hooded Raaketigs in his group started to amass mana and the fight-focused members prepared their weapons, so he reeled back his annoyance, and focused on the cat-thing that started screeching in front of him, while waving a crimson shard in its tail. Out of nowhere, Aragami could see a visible shockwave approaching so fast he was unable to dodge it. All he managed to do was to brace for impact of whatever the shockwave brought.

    The shockwave managed to make him lose balance and almost forced his spade to fly out of his hand. The rest of his group was not so lucky. All of them were lying down on the ground, beginning to get their shit together. Mages tried recapturing their mana that was forced to release during the shockwave. The black Raakteig he saved did not even try to stand up, gazing into void.

    The screeching from the cat-thing started anew, accompanied by the crimson wave. ¡®Alright. This is getting annoying really fast.¡¯ He thought as soon as the wave passed through him. ¡®What can I do to stop that?¡¯ His lips curving into a fiendish grin, as an idea came to his mind. ¡®Hey, Noir? Can you hear me?¡¯ He called out in his mind.

    ¡®I can hear you clearly. What do you need?¡¯

    ¡®I wanted to ask you a question¡­ Would it be fine if I took care of that trash over there? I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s a slave trader gang. Those bipeds have collars and everything.¡¯ Aragami asked excitedly, seeing the leading cat-thing turn around, drawing the attention of its party.

    ¡®I can¡¯t find a single reason why they should live as well. You can do as you like. Just make sure not to cause too much suffering as usual.¡¯ Noir answered lazily.

    ¡®Actually there is something I wanted to ask you.¡¯ Aragami started slowly switching his weapons, so he held the spade in his right hand. ¡®Those guys are able to cast magic and stuff, so I¡¯m not sure what I can do to stop that. Also there is that weird crystal in that cat-fucks¡¯ tail.¡¯

    ¡®Weird crystal? Lend me one of your eyes, so I can see.¡¯

    ¡®Go for it. Take the left one.¡¯ As soon as he said this, he lost vision of his left eye, it was replaced by a calming purple glow.

    ¡®Holy moly! How much rage have you accumulated? That¡¯s not an amount of rage normal creatures of this world would have an easy time dealing with! Be it one of the guys at your feet with this much rage, they¡¯d probably go berserk!¡¯

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡®No worries. I can handle that for now. Could you Please help me with the problem at hand?¡¯

    ¡®I can. That thing that the ¡°cat-fuck¡± is holding is a sealing stone. There is a spell sealed within, and he¡¯s borrowing its power to cast more powerful spells. If you want to get rid of it, I¡¯d recommend breaking the crystal. This will release the sealed spell within and allow me to help you more directly during the following combat.¡¯

    Aragami grinned even more as he heard that. ¡®So all I have to do is to break the stone?¡¯

    ¡®Yes¡¯

    ¡®With any method? Like smashing it with the spade?¡¯

    ¡®Yes, basically. The stone is very fragile. It shatters easily.¡¯

    ¡®And you will help me take out the trash afterwards?¡¯

    ¡®Take out the trash, clean up afterwards, and maybe even get you a skill by absorbing some of the spells¡¯ energy.¡¯

    ¡®So it¡¯s a Win - Win situation!¡¯ Laughing internally, Aragami threw the spade towards the unguarded back of the Curmin leader. ¡®God. I¡¯m really happy I invested those points into throwing things¡¯ Aragami thought, as he watched his beloved spade make its way towards the unguarded  back.

    The spade hit its target, burying itself in between the shoulderblades of the misfortunate Curmin, causing it to drop the crystal.

    ¡®I did not expect you to do that.¡¯ Noted Noir in an amused tone of voice. ¡®And I doubt they expected it either¡¯ he finished, just before the stone hit the ground.

    An enormous wave of dark red mana filled the sky all around, causing everything to fade away. Aragami stood there, completely blinded, listening to the words of his patron. ¡®Listen carefully. This spell is much more powerful than what I anticipated. It¡¯s called ¡®The Army of Hatred¡¯. It is basically a mass Berserker spell, but the more rage you possess, the better your defense gets.¡¯

    ¡®Hahaha. Good thing I¡¯ve been holding it back all this time.¡¯

    As he said this, the spell began to take effect. The wild, raging mana was swept into a whirlpool around Aragamis¡¯ feet, slowly climbing upwards. As the whirlpools materialized, Aragami could see his surroundings once again. He stood in the center of a massive whirlpool, easily 12 meters (40 ft) wide, with the Raakteigs, bird-man, and otter-man floating in their own small whirlpools around him.

    ¡®Will they be okay? I¡¯d hate it if something happened to them.¡¯

    ¡®The spell has released a massive wave of Raging energy that had to be absorbed into all of you. They had some items to protect themselves, but those proved vastly insufficient. There are legends of great enraged warriors materializing various parts of equipment that would aid them in a fight. The drawback Is that it would drain a lot of energy from their bodies, killing them. We still don¡¯t know if it is the effect of the spell, or if it was their own technique.

    ¡®What does it mean? I¡¯m not that angry yet. There are way more levels of rage to go through.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m currently forcing your mind to work undisturbed so you can think¡­ For about one and a half minutes. After that you¡¯ll change into whatever the spell dictates, possibly massacring everything around you.¡¯

    This information caught Aragami off guard. ¡®I¡¯ll rampage about? I might hurt the ones who healed me and guarded me in my sleep?¡¯

    ¡®It is certainly a possibility.¡¯ Noir interjected. ¡®But we can do something with that. That is to rob them of all of their mana temporarily. That way they won¡¯t be affected by the spell anymore, but they¡¯ll lose their ability to move for a while.¡¯

    ¡®Ability to move? That¡¯ll be very problematic.¡¯

    ¡®If you want, I can help you get them away from here, as well as transfer their mana to you. But I¡¯ll want you to complete more of my missions and requests in the process. Oh, and also don¡¯t forget about the Curmin y¡¯all faced. They had enough protective gear in case something like this happened, so they''re relatively fine.¡¯

    ¡®They are fine?! How the?! Okay. I¡¯ll take on your deal, Noir. Let¡¯s get them free of this spell, and then send them off to where they want, shall we?¡¯

    ¡®Alright. First thing you have to do is to catch all of them before the whirlpool reaches your waist. Just stretch your hand, they should drift in easily.¡¯

    Aragami did as he was instructed and outstretched his arms towards the black and dark green Raakteigs. He could feel something like an invisible rope coming out of the palms of his hands, connecting to the Raakteigs. ¡°This is weird.¡± he muttered, and pulled with all his might. Both Raakteigs literally flew into his hands, almost felling him. He then repeated the process with the rest of the group, reeling them in with his left hand and holding them by the collar with his right hand. By the time he finished, the whirlpool reached the upper half of his thighs, relentlessly continuing to climb upwards with increasing speed.

    ¡®Impressive. You actually got them all even before the limit. Now hold your open palm in front of their foreheads. One at a time. I¡¯ll extract their mana into the magic storm around you. After we¡¯re done with them you can lay them on the ground. They¡¯ll wake up shortly after. Also try to think up a way to get them out of here. Magical carriages and stuff like that won¡¯t work, you need to find a way to make them leave without disturbing the barrier spell.¡¯

    So Noir and Aragami got to work, extracting mana from all of the members of Barteools¡¯ party. During this process, Aragami couldn¡¯t feel any magic whatsoever flowing through him when he contemplated the options he had to send everyone away. The idea only clicked in place as he lay the last member on the ground, by the time the vortex reached his neck in height.

    ¡ª--------------------------------

    Maeli

    ¡ª--------------------------------

    ¡®What the fuck was that spell?!¡¯ He wanted to ask, but unfortunately, he was the one with the most extensive magic knowledge in the party.

    He was currently lying on his back, looking up to the crowns of the surrounding trees, Moti and Nhaerria by his side. ¡°Is this afterlife?Have we died?¡± It was so peaceful¡­ But nothing lasts forever. Virria, who was lying down besides Nhaerria, jumped to her feet and started speaking gibberish looking in a certain direction - to his left.

    With great effort, he made himself turn his head in that direction, and almost died of shock on the spot.

    There was the small mountain of muscle and bone that shared their camp for a few hours, but it was different now. It was clad in a Full-plate set of armor, almost black in color, black cloak full of holes, floating freely in midair together with specks of solidified essence of rage. His head was clad in dark purple flames with plumes of dark smoke rising to the sky and his hand was holding Barteool by his shoulder.

    Barteool himself was clad in a set of chainmail armor he never wore in his entire life, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was writhing in pain, as solidified essence emerged from his body, dissolving the weird armor into thin air. As soon as the essence stopped flowing, Barteool went limp in Aragamis¡¯ arms, before being gently lowered at the end of the line.

    Around Aragamis¡¯ head,a bucket-helmet started to materialize out of thin air. He must have noticed that they were alive, as he turned towards them and knelt down to be as tall as they were.

    Both Maeli and Virria then felt incoming telepathy. It didn¡¯t consist of actual words, just a conglomeration of feelings and desires, but they both understood.: ¡®IS THERE A SAFE PLACE NEARBY TO GET ALL THE HELP YOU NEED?!  If it was not enough that he almost passed out just by seeing it, he was about to collapse again. Virria already lay on the ground, fainted. It was all on his decision, but he was unable to answer it. The last thing flashing before his eyes before he fainted as well was Aragami ripping a hole in thin air, and the interior of Adventurer Guild of the local town.

    ¡ª----------------

    Aragami

    ¡ª----------------

    Aragami just threw the last member of the adventurer party through the miniature wormhole he just made with Noirs¡¯ help and pulled the edges back together. He felt himself slowly losing control, but there was something that still bothered him.

    ¡®Noir.¡¯  No answer came. ¡°NOIR! I don¡¯t have much time¡± he called out again, this time outloud.

    ¡®I¡­I¡­I-m..I¡¯m here!¡¯ Came Noirs¡¯ reply

    ¡®I want¡­to ask¡­a favor. Could you¡­make it so that¡­no one can¡­cast any¡­more magic or¡­escape¡­ from here?¡¯

    ¡®Huh? Ah. Okay. I¡¯ll do that. But in exchange you¡¯ll tell me why and how you know this concept. Deal?¡¯

    Breathing heavily, Aragami drew the last thing to manifest from the spell, a greatsword from his waist, and wielded it in the direction of the Curmin that prepared their own attack formation. ¡°Deal. But¡­we¡¯ll have to¡­talk about¡­that later¡­ Sorry¡­ ¡®bout that.¡± Those were the last words Aragami uttered, before falling victim to the spell controlling his body.

    ¡®Yes. Yes, we shall¡­¡¯ Noir contemplated aloud, before casting the spells necessary to fulfill his end of the bargain. The battlefield was then covered in Anti-magic Field and Impregnable Barrier spells, ensuring no aftermath of the battle within could reach the outside world

 Chapter thirteen: Breaking the barriers

    As soon as the group fell through the tear in space, there were weapons pointed at them. Swords, spears, daggers, scimitars, halberds, battle axes, pickaxes, even a couple of clubs and mallets. Bows, crossbows and even a couple of slings lined the balcony of the first floor, all of them aiming at the unknown beings that broke through the Isolation Barrier of the Guild house

    Faces full of wariness were all around them. After all, this place was protected by a powerful magic item that prevented any magic from taking effect inside, unless you wore a special item that allowed exception to the rule. And that item was worn only by the high executives of the Guild, Royal Guard, and the Royal Family itself. So for the low ranked party to break the spell was¡­unusual and suspicious to say the least.

    There was a commotion in the back of the adventurers'' guild, and two figures made their way to Barteoool¡¯s group. The leading figure was a Zhaariin with wildflowers woven into her antlers, one on every peak, and with a wondrous colorful cloak on her back, the Guildmaster of Falmuth, Zaanta.

    The other figure was massive, only a little shorter than Zaanta¡¯s upward-spread antlers. It was a biped with two horns growing on top of her head. Her hooves were furiously slamming the wooden floor, leaving not-so-unidentifiable marks on the surface. With silvery plate armor covering every part of her body except for the hooves and head, and an unreasonably large maul on her shoulder, the #6 close-quarters combatant of the local Guild, Ghanna, made way for the Guildmaster by indiscriminately pushing, and in some cases slapping or even punching her way through the crowd.

    "Get the fuck out of Guildmasters way!" she yelled after being forced to have one very stubborn adventurer make way by using her maul.

    "You know you don''t have to do that. I could make a way using druidic magic regardless." Zaanta sighed, knowing full well her attempt at peacekeeping was useless, but she tried anyway.

    "Can''t do that boss. You need to preserve your power in case something goes wrong with the silvers that teleported inside. How did they do that anyway? I thought it''s not possible for anyone without that trinket of yours."

    sigh ¡°That''s EXACTLY why I''m here. It shouldn''t be possible." Zaanta replied without excitement.

    "So? How DID they do that? How did they get here?" asked Ghanna curiously, giving Zaanta a headache and bringing smiles to everyone who heard their little exchange.

    It wasn''t often they saw guildmaster suffer this way, as she kept sending Ghanna on various requests for the sole purpose of avoiding this situation, so they enjoyed their small serving of unassisted retribution, making sure neither Ghanna or Zaanta were able to see them smile even a little bit.

    "Ghanna. I don''t know how they did that. I am here to find that out. If that is not enough of an answer you''ll have to shut up and let me search for more information." She glared at the female oxkin, her relatively small height forcing her to look upward. Another unfortunate adventurer couldn''t hold their laughter and about two seconds after he began laughing, he lay down with what would become a big painful bruise on the abdomen.

    Ghanna straightened herself, resuming her walk towards the center of the commotion, and to the party that broke through the Guilds¡¯ countermeasures. There she saw several species lying on the ground. Four of them were Raaketig, one Merten, and one Qerter. Four males and two females.

    ''Males in combat teams bring misfortune. That''s why they should stay home or in the cities.'' Ghanna thought, but she knew better than to voice her thoughts. Zaanta behind her started chanting, and she recognised some words to be of the information magic. She didn''t understand all of them, but she was not meant to understand them in the first place. So instead of listening to Zaantas'' almost singing voice, she chose to take a thorough look at the members of said party.

    Most of them were unconscious, with the exception of the groups'' leader. He was the only one awake, staring at her from the ground. She loomed over him, casting her shadow all over him, studying his facial expressions and the silver piece of metal around his neck. Her surroundings became rather noisy, so she looked up from the immobile Barteool and fried all of the onlookers with a look that promised threat.

    "How about you go and get to your tasks? This isn¡¯t a show for your entertainment." Upon hearing this, most of the crowd excused themselves out of the main entrance. Everyone still remembered the time Ghanna threw an orihalcum ranked adventurer through a window when she refused Ghanna¡¯s order to disperse. The only ones left were the members of guild security forces, responsible for helping the Guild.

    Zaanta finished her chant and just stood there in the middle of a ring of GSF, appearing to be deeply thinking about something. Ghanna knew better than to disturb her, so she simply stood next to her, waiting for her friend to sort her thoughts.

    "How are they?" asked Zaanta after a couple of minutes of silence.

    ¡°Silver-ranked party. The name¡¯s Fallen Leaves. Four males and two females. All of them are unconscious except the party leader. Each of them has signs of significant physical strain. The leaders¡¯ name is Barteool, he¡¯s a ranger or thief. I ain¡¯t completely sure. He¡¯s unable to move for now. Didn¡¯t even twitch when I released my Bloodlust towards him, but his eyes were afraid and he wanted to get away. There are two other close-quarters combatants, but they¡¯re unconscious for now,¡± Ghanna said, inspecting the suspiciously delicious-looking stain on her right forearm.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± murmured Zaanta, before sharing the information she gained. ¡°This is similar to what I''ve found. They had their mana robbed from them by an unknown force. Their bodies were soaked in some kind of evil-tasting energy. Sylphie felt disgusted only by touching it¡±

    ¡°Hohooo¡­ So your Guardian Spirit Sylphie felt disgusted by that? Then it had to be some nasty spell that consumed life force! Or perhaps abused the body to its limits. That would also explain the stiffness of their muscles and their inability to move¡­¡±

    The exchange of information made a big impression on the members of GSF. ¡®All that information could be obtained in about thirty seconds?!¡¯ ¡®Miss Ghanna released her Bloodlust without anyone noticing?!¡¯ and other such thoughts went through their heads. ¡°How skilled they must be¡­¡± someone muttered, but made sure it wouldn¡¯t be heard by either of the two monsters in the room with them.

    ¡°Do you know how they bypassed the barrier?¡± Ghanna asked curiously, leaning on the smaller druid.

    Zaanta just shook her head, her antlers making Ghanna pull back reflexively. She knew full well that under the flowers that covered the peaks of her antlers were very sharp spikes with various spells, including Venom and Shatter, inscribed just below the tips. ¡°I do not. I am but a simple druid. If you gave me a question about wildflowers or animals I¡¯d gladly talk your ears off, but if you ask me how to pass through a barrier I will greet you with silence. We¡¯d need my brother here to get more information.¡±

    ¡°Ganter, huh? I wonder how he¡¯s doing in the capital¡­¡± Ghanna wondered teasingly. Thinking of her brother never failed to annoy Zaanta, and this time was no exception.

    ¡°Heh. He¡¯s probably lying somewhere in a ditch again after challenging someone he shouldn¡¯t to a fight he couldn¡¯t win. But enough about my brother. Let¡¯s take a look at those gals and guys, shall we?¡± Zaanta hastily changed the subject and approached the immobilized party, giving her friend no time to tease her anymore.

    Zaanta then looked over the unconscious group on the ground. As Ghanna said, there were signs of physical strain, but they were not as severe as expected. After all, what do you want from a purely physical fighter? The strain seemed to be caused by the mysterious spell. Barteool followed her movements with his eyes, unable to move his head at all, so she started examining one of the two females of the group.

    ¡®Raakteig, magic-focused build, probably a healer? Maybe a shaman of some kind based off those talismans. Her mana circuits were disrupted by forcing all of her mana out in a short amount of time¡­ That might be the cause of their paralysis and unconsciousness.¡± She muttered to herself. Ghanna stood behind her, making sure Zaanta wouldn¡¯t be harmed in any way.

    Zaanta then poured some of her own mana into the body of the party healer, looking for any changes that might occur with her body. First thing she noticed was when the healer opened her eyes. There was only confusion and fear in those eyes, but she was unable to move.

    Zaanta slowly leaned into her line of sight, making sure not to make any threatening movements or having her negative emotions show on her face. As soon as she entered the Raakteigs¡¯ field of view, she felt her eyes on her. She slowly looked at the little plate on Raakteigs¡¯ neck that had information about the owner written onto it, before speaking. ¡°Hello Nhaerria of the Fallen Leaves. My name is Zaanta. I am the Guildmaster of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild of Falmuth. Have you heard of me? If yes, simply blink your eyes thrice. If not, Blink twice.¡± She then watched as Nhaerria blinked thrice and continued her questioning. ¡°Great. that simplifies things a lot. Next question: Do you know where you are right now?¡± Negative answer from Nhaerria cut her line of questioning, so she had to start again.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°You are currently inside our Guilds¡¯ lobby. Do you know how you got here?¡± Negative answer hinted that she wouldn¡¯t get much more information from her, so she tried one final question. ¡°Do you know who could be responsible for getting you here? or if anyone from your party knows such a thing?¡± There was a long pause from Nhaerria, before she blinked four times.

    Zaanta was a bit taken aback, before her thoughts caught up, but in the end she asked a confirmatory question. ¡°Are you unsure about the answer?¡±, which was followed by a positive answer from Nhaerria. ¡°Okay. Thank you for your assistance. You should be able to move freely in about two hours, but I''d like to talk with you at least once more. Could I ask you to get everyone into a talkative mood? I¡¯ll give you an hour to do that, so expect me to visit your party around that time.¡± Nhearria then blinked two times before closing her eyes and focusing seemingly on refilling her mana reserves.

    ¡®What an aspiring healer. Barely conscious, yet she started collecting mana to heal asap¡­ Now who should I kickstart next?¡¯ Zaanta thought as she circled the group. Her options were a mage, two warriors, and one tamer. She could question the party leader, as he was the only one who managed to kickstart himself, but she saved him for last. She had mana for one more person to keep her reserve undisturbed. In the end, she chose the male Raakteig mage. His Guild tag said he¡¯s skilled in elemental magic of fire and ice, two rather unusual and unstable elements. But he also had the highest resistance to mana right after the healer.

    She then repeated the process she did with Nhaerria, poured a portion of her mana into the body of Raakteig named Maeli, looking for any changes to his body. Similar to Nhaerria, Maeli opened his eyes, but there was no confusion. Just fear. Fear so deep she couldn¡¯t compare it with anything she¡¯d ever witnessed.

    ¡°Hello Maeli.¡± she started as she did with Nhaerria, slowly leaning into his field of view. ¡°My name is Zaanta, and I am the Guildmaster of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild of Falmuth. Have you heard of me? If yes, simply blink your eyes thrice. If not, Blink twice.¡± As expected of a mage, Maelis¡¯ eyes widened so much they almost fell out of their sockets. Every mage in the kingdom knew her name. Her title of the Royal Druid was not just for show afterall. After Maeli calmed down, he blinked thrice, awaiting another question.

    ¡°Do you know where you are right now?¡± Zaanta asked, expecting either a negative answer, or the same answer of ¡®I¡¯m not sure¡¯ she got from Nhaerria. She was then surprised by a clear positive answer, with no hesitation whatsoever.

    ¡°So you do know¡­¡± she thought aloud, ¡°Do you know who or what is responsible for bringing you here?¡± Maeli answered by blinking twice once again, surprising Zaanta once again. ¡°Was this all done by someone who¡¯s present in this room? What I mean is getting you here, through the barrier.¡± Maeli gave the annoying four-winked answer of ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯, mildly annoying Zaanta in the process. ¡°If we showed you the room, could you tell us the answer for my previous question?¡± She tried a different approach, attempting to get at least some information out of them this early after the event transpired.

    Maeli thought for a while, before slowly blinking thrice. ¡°That¡¯s amazing news. Ghanna! Come here and lift him in such a way he can see the whole room!¡± Zaanta yelled at the now bored-looking Ghanna.

    ¡°Sure, boss!¡± replied Ghanna enthusiastically, finally given a task she¡¯s good at: lifting heavy, unmoving objects. Maeli was gripped under the shoulders by a pair of strong arms, and lifted up high so quickly that when his head hit the low ceiling he almost lost consciousness again.

    ¡°Ghanna! You are lifting a living being this time! Mind the roof!¡± Zaanta yelled her down, throwing a healing potion at the poor Meali.

    ¡°Sorry boss.¡± Ghanna calmed down and very carefully lifted Maeli into a position from where he could see the entirety of the room. His eyes wandered the room for a moment, before looking directly into Zaantas¡¯ eyes and blinking twice.

    ¡°So the one responsible is not even here. Great.¡± Zaanta sighed internally. ¡°Alright. Ghanna? I¡¯ll ask you to gently lower him from where you took him. Maeli? You should be able to move in about two hours from now. I want you and Nhaerria to take care of your friends and make them a bit more talkative. I¡¯ll return in about three hours, so do your best.¡± She then turned away from him, focusing on the various people around. ¡°Members of the Guild Security Forces! Take these members into the lockable apartment on the third floor. Make sure all windows are secured and there is no way to get out for now. I want there guards at the front door and at least one on the outside. Make sure there will be no escape. Dismissed!¡±

    After giving her orders she motioned for Ghanna to follow her into her office. ¡°That will be so much paperwork¡­ My hand hurts just thinking about it.¡± she complained.

    ¡°Yeah. I kinda feel sorry for you. I¡¯d help you, but for some unknown reason the Headquarters forbade me from touching any and all paperwork.¡± Ghanna said absentmindedly, trying to get some food from between her teeth using the tip of her shortsword.

    ¡°Yeah, cuz last time you were supposed to do paperwork you broke the table and made a huge mess in the documents.¡± Zaanta said teasingly, barely masking her laughter.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it. I swear!¡± protested Ghanna, her shortsword with some kind of vegetable stuck on the end flying wildly through the air. ¡°There were too many letters, so I tried to punch them closer together! If they are closer together they might just jump into my head so I don¡¯t have to read them! Pretty smart idea, ain¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡ª---------------------------------------- Barteool ¡ª----------------------------------------

    As soon as the Guildmaster and her party member left, his whole party was picked up by the members of Guild Security and brought to the third floor into a spacious room. The walls were covered with decorative carpets, old trophies and some flowers here and there. On one side the wall ended halfway up, and was replaced by a steep incline of a roof. There were four rooms adjacent to the living room they were placed in, all of them with solid doors made of a strong decorative wood. There were windows that offered a beautiful view outside, and although he couldn¡¯t see it from his position down on the ground, there was a beautiful sprawling city outside. He was not sure which direction it faced, but he¡¯d find that out in just a couple of hours.

    Both the doors and windows had magic symbols inscribed on them, ensuring the absolute highest level of security a non-royal could buy. The trophies were mostly of dangerous carnivores and a couple of wayward omnivores and herbivores, and were most definitely attached to the wall with some kind of spell so they wouldn¡¯t be able to use them as a weapon. There were no sharp objects in the room, including corners and all the trophies had their mouths closed, not to expose any teeth.

    ¡®What a glorified holding cell he thought, and allowed his thoughts to run free for a while before he focused on making his body work once again. He had to repair all of his mana circuits, but about an hour later he was able to stand up and walk for a little bit. Nhearria and Maeli made steady progress as well, and were about to kickstart Moti, Daente and Virria.

    Barteool managed to drag himself to the window and looked outside, just to see sprawling city stretch in every direction. The majority of buildings were at most two stories tall with roofs connected together by a net of drying lines and lanterns, walkways of stone and wood, and in some rare cases even a power-bridge manifested by a manufacturable artifact. Storefronts were open for business, and there were a lot of figures clad in varying quality of gear ranging from a simple reinforced tunic to a paladin in silvery full-plate armor.

    Further in the distance he could see the narrow yet elegant towers of marble and gold of the Magicians¡¯ guild reaching to the sky as if to harvest the stars that circle around it during the night. Behind it he could see the sturdy form of the City wall of Knaer design, its toothy silhouette sharply contrasting with the greenlands that lay on the outside. Irregularly shaped towers ensured the best possible firing solutions for the defenders as well as provided enough space for enhancement magic to be hammered into stone walls using chisels of platinum, and were placed in regular intervals along the wall. When he pushed his head to the right-most corner of the window he was able to catch a glimpse of the Cathedral of The Seven Gods, with its long, dark green banners hanging from the belltower, an even a part of the Transition zone between the Knaer-designed part and Curmin-designed part of the city scenery.

    He had to sit down, so he slowly did so right beneath the window, and digested all the information he just received. ¡®We are in Falmuth.¡¯ he thought shocked. ¡®We punched right through the city scaled defense formation and through a couple of Guilds¡¯ formations without being stopped.¡¯

    He then picked himself together and went to help Nhaerria take care of the rest of his friends.

    It was almost three hours since they were brought in here, that everyone was able to talk again. There were some whispered conversations here and there, but no one wanted to be the one to start the discussion. It was too much of a risk, if someone eavesdropped on them they could head to the combat zone and do whatever they wanted.

    Finally Barteool couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and asked the first questions in almost three hours. ¡°How much do you all remember? I¡¯ll go first. After that shard fell to the ground, I don¡¯t remember anything until I woke up in the guild.¡±

    ¡°Same here.¡± ¡°Exactly my words¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything either¡± said Daente, Moti and Nhaerria respectively. After a while of uncomfortable silence, all the eyes turned towards Virria and Maeli who stayed silent for the time.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember a lot¡­ To be correct, I¡¯m not sure I remember it correctly. It might have been an illusion or something of a similar nature, but I saw something holding Barteool in the air, but then I passed out.¡± Virria replied unsure of what to think.

    ¡°Holding me?¡± Barteool said, confused. ¡°I don¡¯t remember anyone holding me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I know it sounds weird. I guess I just dreamed it out¡­ ¡°Virria shrugged it off, trying to sound nonchalant, but her efforts were destroyed by Maelis¡¯ words.

    ¡°No, you haven''t.¡± he said, lying on his back, looking up to the ceiling with a wondering glint to his eyes.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Barteool asked, confused and disturbed.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying Virria didn¡¯t dream that out. I saw it as well.¡±

    ¡°Could it be a mass hallucination? I mean the spell in that sealing stone.¡± interjected Nhaerria, visibly uncomfortable with the theme.

    ¡°As far as I know, Mass Hallucination is far less powerful than that. Also You can¡¯t hallucinate about something you¡¯d never imagine normally. Like¡­¡± he trailed off for a moment. This stretched the nerves of his friends a bit, but before any of them could ask more, Maeli continued. ¡°Like for example I couldn¡¯t imagine Aragami in a set of dark coloured full-plate, punching holes through space and throwing us through it.¡±

    Silence spread throughout the room and into the hidden observatory, from where Zaanta and Ghanna eavesdropped on the affected party.

    Finally, after a while of silence Ghanna leaned towards Zaanta and, while speaking in her normal voice, asked: ¡°Who the fuck would name themselves ¡®Slave¡¯!?¡±

 Chapter fourteen: A little test

    ¡°Who the fuck would name themselves ¡®Slave¡¯!?"

    Right after Ghanna asked the question, she was immediately glared down by Zaanta, making her shut up immediately.

    They were behind a hard-to-detect illusive barrier that had a full view of the detention room with no function akin to sound isolation for obvious reasons. Ghanna speaking aloud effectively blew their cover, notifying all the occupants of the room of their presence.

    Zaanta then sighed tiredly, and reluctantly deactivated the barrier generator, revealing them to the occupants who were wildly looking for the source of the voice.

    Most of the occupants were surprised to say the least, as guildmaster Zaanta and her bodyguard Ghanna appeared in the room, sitting in comfortable chairs that weren¡¯t in the room before. The only one not surprised was the party leader and thief - Barteool.

    ¡°Greetings, Fallen Leaf! I suppose there is no need for an introduction or for me to explain why I¡¯ve appeared here all of a sudden¡­¡± Ghanna nudged her side, looking at the party leader with an amused expression. Zaanta turned her eyes towards him as well to see a smug look on his face, mixed with a shade of bitter thoughts. ¡°I guess you could ask your party leader, Barteool.¡± she finished.

    This got her a couple of confused looks, and a reply from Barteool, although it was more of a statement for his friends to hear than a reply. ¡°I was pretty sure there¡¯d be someone to monitor us, as this is such an important matter, but I certainly didn¡¯t expect the guildmaster herself would be present.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t leave it to someone like Ghanna here, can I?¡± she said jokingly, teasing Ghanna in the process. That little joke was worth it, making the occupants of the room slightly less tense. Zaanta also made sure to avoid eye contact with Ghanna, who was glaring at her with great passion. She had to make sure she¡¯d treat her to a tasty snack later.

    ¡°Shall we sit down to discuss the matter at hand?¡± she motioned to the sofa and armchairs in the room, walking forward to take one of the armchairs for herself. Ghanna followed suit, and so did the members of the Fallen Leaf.

    ¡°As I said earlier, I believe there is no doubt of why I¡¯m here and what questions I¡¯ll ask, but before that there¡¯s something else I should mention¡­ As soon as this round of questioning finishes, we¡¯ll unlock those rooms over there, as well as bring you some food and water, so don¡¯t worry about that for now.¡± Zaanta watched them closely, so she did not miss the rising shoulders and changes in expressions as soon as she mentioned food. ¡®This works like a charm. Offer them some food and a safe place to rest, and they¡¯ll try to get this over with as soon as possible, usually by telling the truth.¡¯

    ¡°I have several questions,¡± she started, ¡°be it why is there a person publicly declared killed in action while defending prince against assassins, or how did you all end up paralyzed like that.¡± As Zaanta talked, she paid close attention to the party, expecting averted gazes and awkward looks, and in some cases she got them. But the one she talked about, Virria, as well as the party leader Barteool, faced her gaze straight on without even blinking more than regularly.

    ¡°But I¡¯ll put all those questions aside for now. We¡¯ll return to them later.¡± Zaanta paused for a while, giving everyone some time to recuperate. ¡°Instead I¡¯ll ask the main question, that is how you got here.¡± She then leaned onto the side of the chair, waiting for a reply with a slight smile on her face.

    ¡ª---------------- Barteool ¡ª----------------

    Barteool looked at his friends, before turning to guild master Zaanta once again. ¡°Unfortunately I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything more we can tell you¡­ Most of us don''t remember anything after that sealing stone broke. The only one who remembers anything is Maeli, and even he doesn¡¯t know much. Right, Maeli?¡±

    Maeli shivered slightly, as the eyes of all the beings in the room fell upon him. ¡°I can tell you what I think I saw, but my memory is kinda hazy¡­ I guess I was too afraid to think, but I¡¯ll try to tell you as much as I can.¡± He turned to his uncertain memories, going back to the moment he saw what happened, and a short while later he started talking.

    ¡°I was confused, lying on my back, looking up to the sky, blocked by twigs and branches, with Moti and Nhaerria lying by my side. At first I thought I¡¯d died, and it was so peaceful around me, before Virria got up and started yelling utter gibberish to my left. So I looked there, just to have my heart stop for a while.¡±

    He breathed in. It seemed like now would be the interesting part. ¡°Then I saw him. I saw Aragami standing a small distance away from me, some powerful spell manifesting into a defensive armor. His head was engulfed in phantom flames, with smoke rising into the air, and he held Barteool in one arm.¡± He then looked directly at Barteool with a look that sent shivers down his spine. ¡°You also wore some weird armor, but it was only chainmail with some protectors. Your eyes were bloodshot and you were constantly writhing in pain. And then, condensed mana started to emerge from your body and armor, dissolving into the air.¡±

    Maeli shifted on his chair and shot a cautious look in the direction of the guild master. She was not smiling anymore. She was not even nonchalantly leaning onto the armchair. Her back was straight, her ears focused solely on him. She was in a state of total alertness. With a nervous gulp, Maeli forced himself to continue. ¡°As the flow of mana stopped, Aragami lowered you to the ground, the final piece of his armor manifesting in place, and he turned to me and Virria who were the only ones awake at the moment¡­ But after that I can¡¯t seem to remember anything else. It¡¯s as if there are thoughts that are not my own¡­¡± Maeli slipped his head into his hands, with signs of visible discomfort finding their way through his behavior.

    Barteool sat closer to him, trying to calm down his friend, and to offer at least some form of comfort for him. He was followed by Nhaerria, who sat on the opposite side of Barteool with the same intention in mind.

    ¡ª--------------- Zaanta ¡ª---------------

    This was bad. Although she did not get the answer she wanted, there were more questions that piled up. Who had that crystal? Could that spell be the one she thought it was? What was the one they called Aragami? Was it really a slave, or was it just some cruel joke? Where did all this happen? Is this Aragami responsible for getting them all through the barriers? If yes, how did he do that?

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Her train of thoughts was interrupted by Ghanna, who poked her with one of her fingers to get her back to the present.

    ¡°I think we should let them get some rest. They seem exhausted. Especially the mage.¡± Ghana whispered to her, and Zaanta wanted to agree, but she couldn¡¯t get herself to do that. If her theory proved to be correct this could cause a big, big problem.

    In the end, Zaanta got up from her chair, all nervous and eager to continue her discussion, but acted cool and uninterested to the best of her ability at the moment. ¡°I believe we should end this here.¡± she said, even though her mind yelled for more information. ¡°Although we don¡¯t have a lot of time, please try to rest even a little bit.¡± Zaanta said, clearly implying who she was addressing by switching her gaze between Maeli and Barteool.

    ¡°Yes, miss,¡± answered the Raakteig, understanding the implications.¡° We will tuck in in about half an hour, as it was a very hard day for all of us.¡± He said with his eyes locked on Maeli. ¡°If it does not bother you, could we skip dinner tonight? I believe none of us are in the mood for a meal right now.¡±

    Zaanta smiled and simply nodded her head, before standing up and signaling the confused Ghanna to follow her out of the door. As soon as the door closed behind them, she could hear the sounds of several Raakteigs moving about in the room,opening the doors to the bedrooms and beginning their preparations for sleep. By this time, Ghana approached her and whispered her question: ¡°I thought you wanted to talk with them for longer.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did. And I will. This is just so the most tired ones of the party and those who don¡¯t know anything can go to sleep. We¡¯ll talk With Barteool and maybe someone else in about half an hour later. Now let''s go. I need to write down the info we were able to collect before I forget the details!¡± With that she stormed away, leaving the dumbfounded Ghanna in her tracks. She had never seen Zaanta passing on an opportunity to get some kind of information even a second sooner, yet she was willing to wait for half an hour? Impossible!

    ¡ª---------------------------------- Virria ¡ª----------------------------------

    She just finished helping Nhaerria with climbing onto her bed when she heard a quiet click of a latch. She poked her head into the living room of their holding cell, and saw Barteool walking towards the main entrance. He then stopped by the door and leaned on the wall next to them, before motioning Virria to follow him as well.

    A little confused, Virria closed the door behind herself and quietly walked to Barteool, not to wake up the rest of their party. "What is it?" she whispered, wondering why he''d still be up, leaning onto the doorframe.

    "The Guild master wants to continue interrogating us, but with fewer people." he said.

    "Wouldn''t it be easier to just interrogate us when she was here? Why would she give us a half an hour break?" Virria couldn''t understand. There were rumors about Guild Master Zaanta saying she''d skin someone alive if it meant she''d get more information. This simply didn''t check out.

    "I think this has two possible reasons. First one could be that she needs to make a report to her higher-ups, after which she comes back and we''ll be forced to continue¡­ The second one might be that she wants to prepare some tools or magic items for interrogating us? At least lie detectors." Barteool looked up to the ceiling, clearly thinking about something.

    "That''s true, I suppose." Virria joined him by leaning onto the wall to the other side of the door. "There could also be the possibility that she knows the spell from inside the sealing stone, and the knowledge of it being released just shocked her¡­ Don''t you think so?"

    At that moment, they could hear a sound of a latch becoming undone, and a small peephole opened in the door. ¡°So there really are people waiting here¡­¡± an unfamiliar voice said with an amused tone, before shutting the peephole closed and opening the door slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do anything funny and simply follow me. Do not stop to touch anything or peep into opened rooms. If you do so, I¡¯ll be forced to use some drastic measures.¡± The figure then turned around and started walking at a reasonable pace into the corridor illuminated by various mana lamps.

    Virria did as instructed and walked out of the door. There were at least six soldiers in full gear stationed besides the door to their cell, with weapons at the ready. They were watching her carefully, but did nothing to stop her. She was closely followed by Barteool and together they started to follow the mysterious figure.

    The figure itself was bipedal, and about head shorter than Virria. It was covered in black cloak, with a hood that cast shadows over its face. She could not hear almost any sound of its shoes or feet making contact with the floor, other than occasional creaking of the parquet floor.

    They walked along the long, empty hallways, occasionally bumping into a worker of the guild, or two, but they were quickly shoved out of the way by their mysterious guard. Eventually, after many turns and going down multiple flights of stairs, they reached the underground, and there they found themselves in front of a large brass gate, seemingly fusing with the stone around. There were various symbols and runes on the gate, many which Virria didn¡¯t recognise, but still she could see a lot of symbols for laws, gods, demons, daemons and many others. And in front of the gate stood a small group of beings, consisting of seven scholars, Guild Master Zaanta, her ex-secretary Ghanna, and two more she hadn''t seen before.

    The cloaked figure approached the group, before signaling Virria and Barteool to stay where they were. It then turned to Zaanta and whispered a couple of words to her, before walking off to the side and vanishing into the shadows of the cave.

    "So there are just two of you to continue our little discussion¡­" Zaanta sounded kind of displeased, as if she expected a lot more people to join them, but the undertone vanished right after the first sentence. "Well, that''s fine I guess. After all, we needed just one of you to join."

    Her monologue was interrupted by a cough from one of the scholars, reminding her of proper manners. "Oh! Yes. I guess I should introduce you. The beings beside me are my party members, Tina and Guus." She pointed to the two unknowns. "And these would be the scholars of ''Cults of Law'' each is a specialist of their own law, so there''s no need to fear them" She then turned to the rest of the beings, including clearly bored Ghanna, and introduced Virria and Barteool. "This is the leader of The Fallen Leaves, silver-ranked party in our guild, and the tamer Virria, who have been proclaimed dead by the Curmin royal family."

    Both Virria and Barteool deeply bowed their heads, as all the people in the room vastly outclassed them in rank and abilities. The scholars remained unfazed, but the members of Zaantas party grew a little bit fidgety.

    ¡°There is no time for pleasantries.¡± stated one of the scholars, eyeing Virria and Barteool. ¡°Raise your heads and step forward. We are in a hurry.¡± he urged them. Virria and Barteool then looked up hesitantly, as if to not offend the scholars, just to see kind and caring expressions on their faces.

    ¡°We¡¯ve called you here to confirm a certain suspicion based on the report we''ve received from the Guild Master. All you have to do is to touch the gate,¡± stated one of the scholars, standing in the middle with his four hands behind his back. He then took the lead and walked towards the gate, motioning Virria and Barteool to follow after him. As she had no choice in the matter, she started to follow after the scholar with Barteool by her side.

    But after just about seven steps she felt something amiss¡­ There was no sound. She couldn¡¯t even hear her own footsteps, let alone Barteools''. She wanted to point it out to him, but she found herself unable to speak or to stop moving. She looked at Barteool with fear in her eyes, just to see him falling to the ground with empty expression. But she had no time to contemplate why that is, as she lost her consciousness and fell to the ground the same way Barteool did.

 Chapter fifteen: Another journey?

    Zaanta watched as the two figures collapsed to the ground with a sad sigh. ¡°I guess my assumption was incorrect. They were not blessed by an unknown law that brought them here.¡± she turned to the corner of the room, where she could see the cloaked figure leaning on the wall nonchalantly. "Thanks for your help, Daliiy. Can you get them back to their room, please? There''s no need to wake them up right here."

    Daliiy was an assassin, specializing in information gathering and shadow movement. He was the one who gathered most of the Guilds'' information, but he had little to no say in their matters. In response, the Guild traded information and requests with him.

    After Daliiy took the two away, the scholars turned to Zaanta. "As it turns out these were not blessed by a conscious Law¡­however, more investigation will be necessary to ensure nothing similar happens in the future."

    "Is that really necessary?" Ghanna called out to the elders, her reluctance all over the sentence. "Or if it is, then why should WE take care of it? Can''t you just take some priests of your orders to take care of it?!"

    "Oh do not worry, miss Ghanna." said the priest of light, as he showed a wide smile with most of his sharp teeth on display. "We will of course send some of our priests, however the place where this anomaly occurred is at a very dangerous location and they''ll need very strong bodyguards."

    Zaanta was too late to stop her from speaking up, so she just sighed and reflected as to why she formed a party with Ghanna in the first place. Tina and Guus just facepalmed and glared in Ghannas'' direction. Ghanna didn''t know what that meant, until she heard the next words that left the scholars mouth.

    "Therefore we greatly appreciate your offer to guard them. After all, it is not often you could see the highest-ranking party in the town go on a mission. At least these days, that is." The scholars didn''t even bother to hide their laughter, as they made their way to the exit of the cave. "We will be expecting the information about our departure in three hours in the cathedral of light. Have a nice rest." Laughter erupted in the group, as they reached the entrance and disappeared from sight.

    Ghanna turned to her friends with the best imitation of innocent expression she could manage, but greeted by the sinister smiles they had, she quickly turned around, and trying and failing to whistle, dashed to the cave entrance. She did not make it even halfway through before she crashed violently into the barrier erected by Tina while being followed by furious Guus.

    ¡ª------------------

    Zaanta looked at her friends mingling in the dust, and walked past them towards the exit. "Don''t go overboard." She said as she walked past them. "We''ll need her to walk on her own tomorrow."

    "Tomorrow?" asked Tina and Guus at the same time.

    "Yes, tomorrow. The Cults want to set out as soon as possible. That''s why they gave us just three hours. In the meantime I''ll go and inform The Fallen Leaves about the situation¡­ We''ll take at least one of them with us to show us the way to their camp and to the place they teleported from¡­" She mumbled, as her friends lost sight of her.

    Zaanta then walked back to her office and quickly scrambled some information for the Cults to make their own plans. There was mainly time of departure, form of transport and meeting place. She also included the number of personnel she was confident to defend, and sent it off via porcelain-ranked adventurer. These were the youngest in the Guild, and had basically no combat strength, so they acted mostly as Guild¡¯s personal couriers. After she sent the adventurer on his way, she leaned on her side, fed up with all the work she had to do today, and reminded herself that once she became Guild Master, she had to accept all the benefits as well as the restrictions.

    She got up again, her tired body protesting a little, and made her way to the detention flat. When she turned the corner, she could see four guards in front of the doors, clearly bored and playing card games. As she came closer and the guards noticed her, they quickly hid the cards along with a not-insignificant pile of coins, which Zaanta generously overlooked.

    Walking past them, Zaanta opened the doors into the shared room to see most of The Fallen Leaves gathered around their party leader. "I am sorry to barge in without knocking, but I am too tired to bother with protocol now."

    "Oh do not worry about it, Guildmaster. After all, we are adventurers as well. To be honest we admire you for working with the Cults with so much patience." stated the healer, Nhaerria, while pointing to a couch for her to sit in.

    Zaanta, glad to rest on something comfortable, gratefully accepted the offer. She knew the party had some questions, but there would be time later. "Thank you," she said, as she leaned into the cushions. "I have come for several reasons, so if you don''t mind I''ll start with those." She looked for any signs of disagreement, and when she found none she continued. "First of all I wanted to check on the two of you, Barteool and Virria. How are you feeling?"

    Barteool and Virria, who were sitting in comfortable armchairs, with steaming cups in their hands, now looked at one another, before Barteool turned back to answer. "We are feeling pretty much alright, thank you. We woke up about an hour ago, and since then we''ve been comparing notes, and we have been able to regain most of our memories."

    "That''s good to hear." Zaanta sighed. ''At least something is going according to plan¡­'' "I am sure you have a couple of questions about that, but we''ll have to talk about it somewhere else." She made a motion with her head, gesturing to the entrance to the room and everyone understood. The Guild security might have not paid them much attention up until now, but now that the Guildmaster was there¡­

    "Which brings me to my next question." She said with a bit of enthusiasm, trying to get their attention back. "I''m looking for guides to the Forest of Mushrooms and I wanted to ask if any of you are willing to guide us to where your camp was and to where¡­that happened." Zaanta expected some reluctance to her question. After all these beings were locked up, questioned, deceived, and whatnot. And now she, the main being behind all those things, asked them to guide her.

    The response her question brought were three of the Raaketigs volunteering to guide them. "Please let me explain." started Barteool, as he gestured to the other two to calm down. "We have discussed this among ourselves, and we came to the conclusion that there are three of us that should set off to the forest if we get the chance. First there''s me, as I am our party scout. As such I was the one responsible for choosing the place for our camp and for the way we took there." Zaanta simply nodded. This was exactly what she needed, someone that knew what route they took and where exactly they were by the moment of the event. But she didn''t understand why the other two would be necessary.

    "Second would be Virria." continued Barteool. "She was the first one to come into contact with Aragami and she could be useful in case he''s not in his right mind. We hope that is not the situation, but there''s never enough assurance." That made sense as well. She would also feel more at ease if she knew there was someone that could tell her what''s going through this Aragamis'' mind. She nodded once again and looked to the last of the group, the healer Nhaerria.

    "As the last one I''d like to take Nhaerria with us. As she''s partially familiar with Aragami and his body structure we think he''d not mind if she took a thorough look at his condition instead of any other stranger. Furthermore Virria is still recovering from having her stamina critically deprived just a day or two prior, so we would like to have Nhaerria with us."

    This was difficult. On one hand their arguments made sense, but on the other hand she was not sure she''d be able to protect the three of them. The scholars of the clan could at least use magic of fairly high tier, but them?

    "I am glad that you would join us, Mr. Barteool. That will quicken our search greatly. I''m also willing to take Miss Virria with us. The arguments you''ve provided are convincing enough." She made a little pause to give them time to figure out what she implied. "But I will have to disagree with Miss Nhaerrias participation. There will be several scholars of the clans tagging along with us so in terms of support magic we''ll have more than enough people. They can take care of miss Virrias stamina replenishing, and I believe with a bit of assistance from Miss Virria they''d be able to heal whatever is necessary."

    She could see signs of resignation in the expressions of the party, but she had to make them understand. "See guys? I told you she''d think the same way I did." Nhaerria spoke up. Her face was decorated with a big smile in the center. "I am sorry if we have caused you any dilemma. I was of the same opinion as you, but these guys didn''t get it. I''ll stay here and take care of our mana depletion. As our mages will stay here it''ll be more beneficial for me to be here to assist them."

    Zaanta smiled a little bit. "I''m glad there''s someone who''s of the same mind. Also could we all drop the honorifics? Honestly it''s kind of a pain to call everyone mister and miss."

    "Oh thank the gods!" called out Nhaerria. "Finally an official behaving normally! I thought a day like this would never come!" She then fell back first into her own chair, feeling much more relaxed.

    "Although I have an official role now, I can assure you I''m an adventurer through and through." This party of friends was nice. She felt like when she first started adventuring all those years ago¡­ "Oh, oh yes. Barteool and Virria. We are leaving tomorrow morning. I''ll come to pick you up, so you''d better get some rest. Tomorrow will be hard on all of us."

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    "I can only imagine." replied Barteool. "You''ll have to deal with all those scholars. To tell the truth I don''t envy you in the least."

    "Same here!" came from Nhaerria, who did her best to chuckle secretly.

    Zaanta then let out a chuckle of her own. "Alright. I''ve asked you a couple of questions. Now is your turn. I''ll give you one question now, as there''s not much time. I''ll need to sleep as well."

    "Hehehe. I don''t think we''ll use it today, Miss Zaanta." grinned Daente, surprising her.

    "Yes, we''ll let you take some rest, too, Guildmaster. However we''d appreciate it if you''d come back again with your party members. Telling adventure stories without the party involved is no fun at all." Barteool''s answer enlightened her a little bit.

    "So you''re asking me to come back again¡­I don''t mind. It feels nice to talk to you all." She stood up, and with a simple goodbye she left for her apartment, thinking of the comfort of her room and pillows.

    Inside the detention room, everyone was looking at the door Guildmaster Zaanta used to exit the room with different thoughts in mind.

    "Well¡­That was scary," noted Maeli, as he let out his breath for the first time since Zaanta entered the room.

    "Quite the intense experience, I must say." nodded Virria.

    "But it answered some of our questions. Didn''t it?" mumbled Nhaerria. "She didn''t use any sort of magic I could detect, yet it still feels like I''m charmed by her¡­"

    "I guess she''s as powerful as they say in the stories. Zaanta The Ally of the Forest. She''s making quite a reputation for all the druids." contemplated Barteool, but he quickly snapped out of it. "But it''s not the time to think about that now. I don''t know about you, but I''m going to sleep. Tomorrow will be quite long and harsh, and I want to have enough strength."

    "Yeah, same here." Virria stood up. "If you''ll excuse us." The group then began to prepare for bed. Tomorrow will be a long day.

    ¡ª------------------------------------------

    Barteool woke up an hour before sunrise. He looked through the things that the guild gifted them, and found all the things he needed for hygiene and care for his scales. Virria woke up about half an hour later, when Barteool was just about to finish buffing his scales to remove the natural polish that formed over them. It made his scales too reflective to his liking.

    As he entered the main room, he saw Virria and Nhaerria packing two bags with healing herbs, various mastics and other things he didn¡¯t recognise. When they had packed everything, they sat on the couches, looking out of the window at the sunrise. The Guildmaster didn¡¯t give them any specific time of departure, so they just had to wait for someone to pick them up. They didn¡¯t wait for long.

    About quarter an hour before the sunrise there was commotion in front of the door, after which the door opened and revealed Zaanta in her druidic cape. It was dark green in color, and despite being woven out of simple wool, it looked like tree roots woven together in an intricate pattern of magic symbols and flower petals.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± whispered Zaanta, trying not to wake up the rest of their party. ¡°Are the two of you ready to move out?¡± she whisper-asked with her eyes tied to the bags the two carried.

    ¡°As soon as we get something to defend ourselves with.¡± replied Virria with a smile. Zaanta just nodded and gestured to someone, after which two of the guards came from across the corner with their weapons. A simple knife for Virria, and a bow, arrows, throwing knives and a warrior dagger for Barteool.

    After a quick check of their weapons they both hid them in their places, and following after Zaanta, made their way to the gates of the city, where a small crowd awaited them. There were the members of Zaantas party present, together with a whole delegation of cult scholars, and four members of Guild Security Forces.

    There was no small talk as there would be if this was a regular group, because this one group shared interests of multiple parties. The ten scholars of the clans talked amongst themselves, but nobody really cared about them. Guild Security were trying to uphold their reputation as neutral, and while Zaantas party was so loud it could wake up a small village, no one dared to even try and join their conversations.

    It took until late afternoon for them to reach the Forest of Mushrooms. Scholars, too lazy to walk, ordered a carriage to pick them up and that filled their surroundings with noises of animals and constant creaking of the axles.

    Barteool guided them through the sparse life on the edge of the forest, before he had to persuade the scholars to leave their carriage where they were. ¡°The trees are too close together to allow a carriage to pass through at all. And if we cut the trees down, there will be poison everywhere, or even worse, an Ent might show up.¡± As the scholars wanted nothing to do with ents, they reluctantly agreed to continue walking on foot, so Barteool took a sharp turn to where their camp should be located. About another hour of exhausting travel later, Barteool worked his way onto a strange clearing inside the forest. He could see the trees behind him, as well as in front of him, but between them there was a clearing in the shape of a slightly bent strip of land devoid of any trees or other vegetation.

    Barteool stopped dead in his tracks before even walking onto the deforested strip of land. "This was not here when we came here. This is new."

    "Good job guiding us here, Barteool." nodded Zaanta, walking past him to the edge of the clearing. "You should probably stay behind us now. We''ve entered a dangerous territory." Her party members walked past Barteool as well, and discussed their next action, before Zaanta took out a dried old tree branch and started swinging it in the air.

    In front of everyones'' eyes, the branch sprung to life, small, bright green leaves popping up across its surface. "That''s amazing Miss Zaanta." marveled one of the scholars. "I never knew you were capable of such magic."

    But with a serious expression on her face, Zaanta kept watching as the leaves grew more and more, as the branch sprouted roots and upon being implanted into the ground, grew into a waist-tall sapling. ¡°That was not my magic¡± Zaanta stated and turned to everyone present. ¡°The sight you just saw was magic cast by Dendroids, Protectors or Guardians of Forest, or however your race calls them. This branch was gifted to me a long time ago by a certain individual in this forest. And now I¡¯ve contacted him via this sapling.¡± Her expression darkened, and her tone changed from serious to demanding. ¡°Now kneel before him. The Dendroids are highly respected beings, and if you offend one, no one will be able to save you once you enter their territory.¡±

    As the group kneeled in obedience and respect, they waited for a couple of minutes before rustling of leaves revealed something was approaching them. From the other side of the clearing, a short but wide tree walked in their direction. Its crown spanned a respectable width, and its two main branches hung by its sides, seemingly burned black. As it walked closer, the air around them got significantly fresher, with the scent of blooming flowers reaching every single nose.

    ¡°I solemnly greet you, Head guardian of the Azaethani Forest, Magnate of all Forests in the land of Azmuth, formerly known as Nhin.¡± Zaanta greeted the dendroid with as much respect as she could manage, her eyes firmly pointed to the ground in front of her.

    ¡°Let''s see¡­Zaanta, was it? It is not often I give out our summoning saplings, and it is very rare that one would be used.¡± The dendroids'' voice was simply unnerving. A cacophony of rustling, scraping and creaking, that could be somewhat understood by most beings. Strong spiritual energy seemed to emerge from its body, only to float through the air and re-merge with a different part, creating visible tremors in the air that remind you of air above heated stones. Because of that, Virria, Barteool and a couple of GSF members were awed to such a degree they made no unnecessary movements at all, sometimes even forgetting to breathe.

    ¡°However if the one who used it was you after coming all the way here just to discover my barrier, I believe you had sufficient reasons to call out to me. Ask your questions, as I do not have a lot of time to converse with you¡± The dendroid then reached for the sapling that called for him, gently blowing at it.

    Only now did Zaanta lift her head, raising her line of sight to the barrier in front of her. ¡°I thank you for granting me an audience, especially on such short notice. We have come here because of a breach through a certain barrier protecting a certain place under my jurisdiction. We were able to trace the point from where the breach originated with the help of those that slipped through. We have come to try and investigate how that happened and to secure the area.¡±

    ¡°With those that slipped through? So the breach was successful in the end¡­ And based on the composition of your group¡­ I take it those two were the ones who passed through?¡± The Dendroid turned to the group again, taking a long look at the two Raakteigs kneeling behind Zaanta. Neither Virria or Barteool dared to even breathe out. The eyes of a Forest Guardian were pointed directly at them.

    ¡°That is indeed the case.¡± Was all that was said for a while.

    In the end, the Dendroid diverted his gaze back to Zaanta, allowing the two Raakteigs to breathe again. ¡°I shall allow your group to enter the barrier, but you have to take these things into consideration first,¡± he stated as he slowly turned around, gently caressing the small sapling. ¡°The reason why there is this clearing is because this place became a battlefield of enraged energies not too long ago. Behind the barrier lay the remains of that battlefield. The natural mana in the air is abundant to a degree it forms all sorts of events of unpredictable nature. If you enter that place you have to be prepared for anything and everything.¡± The sapling grew before their very eyes, standing about as tall as they were, before stopping its growth and seemingly withering. ¡°You will have to walk about half a mile through this dangerous territory without using any of your magic. It would attract those phenomena and you¡¯d die by them. After the half-mile journey, you will notice a change with the soil. you will be free to use basic magic there, but I don¡¯t recommend that.¡± The tree withered to the point only tips of a couple of branches remained green. ¡°There are three beings still alive inside, but two of them are in a very unfavorable condition, and they could bleed to death. Last time I checked was when I arrived as the huge barrier hiding the battlefield disappeared hours earlier. To pass through the barrier you¡¯ll need these.¡± The Dendroid pointed to the barely- green branches. ¡°They will last for twelve hours from the moment I leave this space, so treasure your time. If you, Zaanta, The Benefactor, want to acquire a new sapling to summon one of us elders, as well as the qualification to hear my new name, you need to go to where the three beings are and on your way there, collect the first living branch you see. As is our way, if I like what I see, I will reward you appropriately.¡± With that, the dendroid turned around and, without any other words left the area.

    He recognized one of the two Raakteigs, so he was able to guess what, or rather who, they¡¯d find inside. He reached into his branches, feeling the shape of the fruit he received, and contemplated for a while. First it was the Curmin, then the Alphabeteers, and now one of my fellow ents used you as a scapegoat to have his favorite pair of Hounds of the Wild escape death¡­¡°I caused you trouble as soon as you escaped the first ones you had¡­ I hope you¡¯ll be able to forgive me for that.¡± There was more to be done, more trees to be regrown, and more spirits to move into their new homes. He would be busy for at least a couple of days, but it would be worth every while spent. He could feel the group of seventeen pass through his barrier, but the wild mana on the other side prevented him from seeing any further.

 Chapter sixteen: Do NOT poke the beast

    Zaanta was the first to pass through the barrier, and as soon as she did so, she was taken aback by the drastic change in the scenery. In front of her, moments before she saw trees, there was a huge field of burnt forest. Tree trunks that stuck out of the ground almost unnaturally, with not a single leaf or blade of grass in sight. Just black, burnt landscape, filled with ash. She soon snapped out of her shock, as the rest of their group emerged from behind her. She took a quick look at the branch she had tied to one of her antlers, just to see a couple of leaves wither and fall to the ground. ¡°Twelve hours is a short time after all.¡± she mumbled to herself, before proceeding to snap everyone awake. ¡°There¡¯s no time to goof around!¡± she commented as she waved in front of everyones¡¯ eyes.

    Surprisingly enough, Ghanna was the first one to come to her senses. ¡°What the fuck is this change in scenery?! Why did we go from seeing trees and stuff to this?!¡± How?!¡± The question was spoken loud enough to snap out everyone. Various discussions broke out, but with no apparent answers in front of them, they had to settle on solving those mysteries some other time.

    In the meantime, while everyone was discussing the rapid change, Zaanta and two of the scholars tried to sense any sort of mana around them, but with little-to-no success. "Heh. I guess the dendroid was talking bullshit." Laughed one of the scholars. "There''s no mana around here. Not in a hundred meters radius." He then opened his bag, taking a magic artifact from within and prepared to activate it.

    He was immediately struck to the ground by Zaantas'' antlers, as she started to yell-lecture him. "You fucking idiot! Do you want us to die?! Did they not teach you anything in the order?!" She quickly grabbed the artifact, so that the scholar couldn''t use it.

    The scholar managed to get upright again, and glared at Zaanta. "Dafuq Guild Master? I thought you were supposed to protect us and provide assistance. Not to interfere with our job."

    "That''s exactly what I''m doing. Protecting you bunch of you fools." She didn''t bother to hide the anger in her voice. "I guess it was foolish of me to assume you paid some semblance of attention when they told you about the Dendroids and other free-spirited sapient beings living amongst nature."

    "All of us paid attention. To Dendroids we paid special kind of attention. So much so that the likes of druids don''t even understand. Now return the artifact!" the scholar demanded.

    "Is that so, mister scholar? Then please explain to my ignorant little self what is the Dendroids ruling caste made of, what are their responsibilities and philosophy, and how much mana they possess." Zaanta questioned the scholar, stuffing the artifact into one of her bags.

    The scholar was left speechless, as he didn''t know anything. He had indeed attended those lessons about Dendroids, but he was drunk most of the time and spent the lesson playing for money with others. They were viewed as the elite branch of scholars, experts in their own sector. No one expected them to be questioned to such extent and intensity.

    Seeing this, Zaanta took the chance to correct him. "Seeing the look of ignorance on your face, allow me to lecture you. Dendroids, also known as Dendranae, and according to some old texts, Ents, abandoned their royal system in favor of territorial spheres of influence. As such the Dendroids'' royalty dispersed throughout their population, boosting the power of average Dendroids. They also have no Tinkered Mana, or simply Mana as we call it, but Natural Mana, which they call Mana. So if the Head Guardian warned you that there''s a lot of Mana inside the Barrier, he was talking about the natural Mana in the air, not our ''Tinkered Mana''.

    As Zaanta lectured the scholar, she could see his facial expression shift from anger to embarrassment, and then to utter shock and panic. It seemed like he understood what he almost caused, and so did the other scholars. Natural Mana was extremely sensitive to Tinkered Mana. And although most of them couldn''t sense the Natural Mana, those that did all had solemn expressions. The concentration was exactly as high as the Dendroids stated. Very high.

    Zaanta turned to the rest of the scholars and Guild Defend Forces, making sure she looked into everyones'' eyes before speaking. "No-one is allowed to use any and all spells until I say otherwise. That includes members of GDF, the scholars, our guides And my own party. Now let''s get going. Our time here is limited." She gestured to the two Raaketigs to come closer to her and guide them to their camp, before taking the lead and resuming their journey through the wasteland.

    Traversing the wastelands proved to be a bigger obstacle than anticipated, mostly because of all the magical phenomena around. Mana Flames, concentrated spheres of lightning, even undead monsters walking around; and they could do almost nothing to counter them. Their only chance was to bait the undead to go near the Mana Flames, but after what happened the first time they tried, they gave up on the idea.

    The first time an undead chased them, they jumped over a small Mana Flame without anything more serious than some burned fur on Ghana''s legs. But when the undead creature attempted to follow not by jumping over it, but running through it, upon contact the Mana Flame grew exponentially in size. So much so, that they were chased by the expanding Mana Flame, which posed a much greater threat to them.

    You can''t destroy an undead without magic, and you can''t extinguish Mana Flames without dumping awful amounts of Tinkered Mana in the mix and facing the violent explosion that happens afterward. So they had to avoid both in order to get to a safer area.

    The half-mile journey took them more than two hours of constant detours, backtracking because of a blocked path, and escaping the undead and explosions. After those two hours in an area of bare stone and ash, they saw a rare scenery in front of them. A tree trunk, although burned black, was standing in front of them. Its naked branches reached for the sky, as if asking to be saved from this hell, as their tips slowly burned with small flames.

    As soon as Zaanta saw it, she knew that was the place she''d been looking for. She guided the group to the tree, making extra sure not to overlook any phenomena happening around. As they neared the tree, she noticed a major change with the ground. There was no ash. She felt solid ground under her hooves again, which felt reassuring in more than one way.

    Just then, one of the scholars called out to her. "Guild Master Zaanta? Isn''t the flame on that tree caused by our Mana? Tinkered Mana?" She focused on those small flames and confirmed the fact.

    "Yes, they are, but it looks like it''s dissipating... It seems like we will be able to use some simple spells from this point onwards. However, try to not use any and conserve Mana. I feel like we''ll need it soon enough," she said to the scholars and then gestured to Barteool to take the lead once again.

    The landscape changed drastically. There were tree trunks everywhere, all of them burned black or still burning with Mana Flames. The ground revealed nothing, as only occasionally there was a stone poking out of the ground here and there. Yet Barteool still managed to find their way, whether by recognising an odd-shaped rock or trunk or a small hill to the side. It took just about an hour to get near the place Barteool¡¯s camp used to stand.

    "There it is," he whispered, pointing one of his hands to the front. Zaanta squinted her eyes and focused in front of her, but she saw nothing more than a couple of burned trees and maybe a small clearing? She couldn''t be sure from the distance.

    She motioned for her party to come to her, and turned to Barteool with a smile. "Thank you, Barteool. Would you mind moving to the back now? We''ll make sure it''s safe before calling you."

    "Actually¡­ I wanted to ask you if you''d take us with you. Me and Virria." the small Raaketig piped up, his eyes facing downwards. She wanted to reject him quickly, but he bagan to speak before she could. "We do not know how Aragami will react if he sees a group of unfamiliar people and species approaching him. If he''s wounded, he could react very poorly. But if he sees me and Virria, especially Virria, he may calm down a little."

    That was a logical argument, Zaanta had to agree. But it had one significant flaw. "What if he won''t calm down? What if he''ll attack the two of you?" Zaanta asked, looking for any sign of hesitation in the eyes of their guide.

    The answer came from behind her, from Virria. "If he attacks, I''m sure miss Tina could buy us some time to escape with barrier spells, as well as time for miss Ghanna and Mister Guus to face the offense. After all, if he''s hostile towards us, he would be hostile to the whole group."

    "That is true." Zaanta replied. She was convinced, but she''d need her companions to agree. Tina had worried expression and constantly circulated her mana, but as she noticed Zaantas gaze, a small smile formed on her face. Guus simply nodded at her, and Ghanna was busy trying to see the camp in front of them. "Very well. We''ll all go together. The two of you will be near Tina, and the scholars and GSFare to guard the rear. Don''t forget about what the Dendroids said. There are three living beings inside the barrier."

    The group began to move again, although with great caution. Weapons ready, with spells prepared and Mana circulating all around their bodies, they inched closer and closer to the clearing, where they saw¡­nothing? There was no creature there, no bodies, and nothing even resembling a camp. Just a slight dent in the ground with the remains of the firepit.

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    "Are you sure this is where your camp was? I can''t see any equipment or blood¡­ Other than some Beast blood," Guus noted and kneeled to inspect the ground with patches of blood on top.

    Barteool looked around for clues in the terrain, and then looked directly at Guus and Zaanta. "This is indeed where the camp was. But we were sitting on the edge of the clearing when the fight began." he pointed to the front of them and to the left. "Over there."

    All the eyes followed the trajectory to a secluded corner of the now demolished clearing, before slowly making their way towards it. First thing they noticed was the air. There was no semblance of Mana they could use, just pure Natural Mana. The ground was covered in dust, where footprints and tiny puddles of blood remained visible. In some places, there were spots of dirt burned by fire magic, with some trunks less burned than others, and there was one especially disturbing one, that had a huge hole drilled through its trunk.

    "What the hell happened here?!" questioned one of the scholars, whose eyes didn''t know which area he should study first.

    "That''s your job, isn''t it?" snored Ghanna, and adjusted her grip on the maul. "We are here to escort you and to help Mr. Barteool here retrieve their friend. You are here to investigate the scene from where the barrier was breached."

    Zaanta gave her a silent thumbs-up and proceeded to check the flow of Natural Mana in the air and trunks. Guus was attempting to figure out how long ago the fight ended based on the blood, and Tina was keeping an eye on the treeline and two Raaketigs that were studying pieces of some brown bark or something. The scholar wanted to argue with Ghanna, but then he remembered what she specialized in and gave up in favor of a large burned patch of dirt.

    The Natural Mana was a bit too stormy. Normally she''d feel it like a breeze, flowing from one place to another, without any rush, but the one here felt like a rapid river current, pouring over and around the obstructions in its path. Those obstructions were the burnt tree trunks, as well as their small group. "That would explain the Natural Mana rich zone in the outer layer of the barrier, as well as lack of any Tinkered Mana." She mumbled. "There is someone, or something, that''s returning the Tinkered Mana into its Natural state, creating a stream of Natural Mana that flows from the source¡­ But then it hits the barrier, and having nowhere else to go, it condenses into anomalies such as Mana Flames and undead? Or maybe the Tinkered Mana created the undead? That would explain why the undead reacted in such a way with the Mana Flames. In that case where''s all the Tinkered Mana that creates the undead? That would be¡­ Wherever this stream of Natural Mana flows from."

    Coming to such a conclusion, Zaanta tried to find where the origin of the stream of Natural Mana comes from, but sensed nothing. ''The flow stopped?'' She''d never heard of anything like that before. There was no such thing as a source that switched between active and inactive states. She just couldn''t get it.

    It was this moment that Guus called out to everyone. He stood near the edge of the clearing, making sure to stop anyone from stepping into the forest as they approached. "Zaanta!" he yelled and waved his hand high in the air. "Come take a look at this, and bring the Raaketig ranger with you!" She needed no other words, as she made her way to the Raaketigs and with them by her side they quickly advanced to where Guus was at.

    As soon as Zaanta saw it she understood why he wanted the ranger. There were blood trails going off into the bushes, but there was not enough of it to follow without proper skills. As soon as Barteool saw them, he kneeled next to them and began to study them.

    "There are a lot of small grooves in the dirt, presumably from armor? It seems like some quadrupedal pawed creature pulled the bodies out of the clearing¡­ but I am not sure what would be the purpose of such behavior. I suspect that one of the Hounds of the Wild is responsible for that, as I don''t think there was anything else that would match the description¡­" he looked up to see worried expressions all around.

    "I''d recommend we follow this trail, even if there''s this much danger. There could be hints on the bodies. Also, this is the only trace we''ve found so far." he looked at Zaanta and pointed his hand in the direction the trail continued. "It''s quite well hidden, but there is minor damage here and there where the bodies scratched stones and bushes."

    Zaanta looked unsure. On one hand, Barteool was correct. This was the only path they''d found so far. But they also didn''t search the clearing thoroughly. In the end, she decided. "Okay. Everyone will search the perimeter one last time! If we won''t find anything we will try and follow the path of the bodies." As everyone dispersed to check if they missed anything around the clearing, the only ones left were Zaanta, Virria and Barteool who kept studying the ground with almost desperate expression. And Zaanta suspected to know the reason.

    She leaned over the small biped and watched him search for a while before speaking up. "Any news about your colleague?" She watched as the Raaketig almost jumped upon hearing her voice. His head shot up and immediately turned in her direction.

    "Not yet, ma''am." he almost shouted, before remembering where they were. "I''ve been looking mainly at the ground, tracing the scratched roots and stuff¡­ He looked at Virria who nodded for him to continue. "I don''t think I''d find his traces very easily, but if I had to I''d probably search for them somewhere above my head."

    This confused Zaanta "Above your head?" She asked, and upon receiving confirming nods was unable to control her curiosity. "So is this Aragami very tall, or does he move from branch to branch?"

    ''He''s tall'' was the answer she received with what she assumed were knowing smiles. She just nodded and made her way to do an investigation of her own.

    ''I guess the last all-bipedal party of our guild will get their own quadruped'' she thought, thinking about the half-illegal betting ring in the Guild. There was one particular betting topic, and that was if The Fallen Leaves would find a quadrupedal party member in the upcoming month and quite a few people were betting there. That was also the reason why Barteool and all the other members were pushed by other adventurers to either find themselves a quadruped party member or to leave the Guild.

    Half an hour later, the group was following after Barteool who, while bent low to the ground, led the group through the remains of the forest, all the way to another small clearing. He stopped on the edge and tried to scout ahead, but he was suddenly pulled back. He wanted to argue with the one that pulled him back, but found himself face-to-face with Ghanna who was signaling Barteool to be quiet.

    He swallowed his arguments and attempted to take another thorough look at the clearing, before Ghanna pointed to one of its corners. There, under the blackened trees lay multiple bodies of Curmin and Zhaariin origin, all of which were lying in one big pile of intermingled legs and tails, all of them still in armor and covered in blood.

    And just several meters away from them he could see two black and white bodies covered in thick fur that made them almost invisible next to the burned trunks. "Hounds of The Wild¡­ They managed to survive through all that?!" Barteool whispered in shock. With the amount of destruction they saw on the way here, it was a mystery how did the two Hounds survive this long.

    "That''s a mystery¡­ Also aren''t the Hounds of the Wild usually all black in color? Why are these black and white?" one of the scholars noted.

    It doesn''t matter! The main objective has been achieved. We found them!" Ghanna enthusiastically whispered, as she adjusted her grip on the giant mallet she brought for the mission. "Should I go and investigate them?" she asked Zaanta, her eyes begging for permission.

    ''Absolutely not!'' is what Zaanta wanted to say, but she knew she couldn''t. If she outright refused Ghanna, she was sure Ghanna would just rush out to the clearing and smash those Hounds to a fine paste. "I can''t, Ghanna. The Sects are the ones paying us and they want us to do escort duty." She could see the look in Ghanna''s eyes darken, so she quickly continued. "But what we can do is to immobilize those hounds so they''d not pose trouble for the scholars. You can''t kill them, but you can capture them and keep them from lashing out at the scholars."

    The dark look in Ghannas'' eyes disappeared, and was replaced by a big grin. "Okay. I''ll prepare for it and start the capture in a minute." Ghanna then began to look for a good spot on the ground a small distance from the rest of them.

    In the meantime, one of the scholars approached Zaanta with worry in his face. "Are you sure miss Ghanna will be capable to subdue two of them by herself? Even if I take her strength into consideration, it''s a great feat¡­ Also, are you sure she''ll keep the subjects alive? Wouldn''t it be better to have Miss Tina enclose them in a small barrier instead of having Miss Ghanna capture them?"

    Zaanta looked at the scholar with an exasperated look on her face. "Yes, it would be better and more efficient to have Tina catch them. But if we''d do that, Ghanna would start rampaging because of lack of entertainment. And let me tell you you don''t want to be near her when it starts. Also do not worry, she''ll make sure to keep them alive." She looked at Gahanna , who was preparing for a quick sprint across the clearing before immobilizing her target. She was grinning so much, she showed all of her teeth, and she held her mallet with all of her might. "She might break their legs, though."

    She could see the shocked expression on the scholars'' face, but it was too late to act now. Ghanna kicked with so much force that the tree trunk she used as support to get her speed up had a visible dent in the shape of her hoof imprinted.

    She turned her attention to the two Hounds across the clearing, just to see one of them was awake, and watched Ghanna approach. It opened its maw, revealing its sharp teeth for everyone to see and tried to get up¡­ Just to fail miserably and fall back down to the ground. Ghanna pushed herself even more and attempted to increase her speed even more as she sprinted across the clearing. ''She''s fine. It seems like that''s the wounded one and the healthy one''s sleeping.''

    Zaanta dismissed her worry and got up to follow behind Ghanna. When she heard it. A high pitched whimper coming from the wounded Hound.

    And by the corner of her eye, she saw a movement near the corpse-pile. ''Oh yeah'' she thought. ''The Dendroids said there were three living beings here.'' She couldn''t cast her magic in time. She was not fast enough to get there in time. All she could do was¡­

    "GHANNA! LEFT! DANGER!" She shouted with all her might, and saw her friends'' head swing to the left to locate the new threat, but it was too late. The thing was already just a couple of steps away from her, swinging one of its arms with a massive shining weapon at Ghanna.

    Ghanna had to shield herself from the attack from her left. But her mallet was on the other side of her body, and it was too heavy to swing it around in time. There was only one thing to do. She released her grip on the mallet, and used her armored forearms to absorb as much of the attack¡¯s momentum as she could while she hoped it wouldn''t hit any unprotected part of her body. And that the weapon isn''t sharp enough to cut through her armor.

    The moment the attack connected, she understood how underprepared she was to face it, as she was thrown several meters through the air before landing on the ground, breathless.

 Chapter seventeen: Friend or foe?

    Zaanta watched in horror as her friend flew through the air and hit the ground a couple of meters away. She sent a quick healing spell in Ghanna¡¯s direction before focusing on the creature in front of her.

    It was a biped, a very tall one clad head-to-toe in black mana armor full of small dents, cracks and symbols. She couldn¡¯t see its eyes due to the narrow slit in its helmet, but she knew it was watching their group. She expected the creature to attack, move towards them, or at least roar, but it was just standing there. Menacingly!

    Next to her, Tina briefly panicked,but quickly recovered, and prepared herself for action. "What should we do, Zaanta? Fall back and prepare for an attack? Or secure Ghanna?" Tina whispered, ready to erect a barrier at any time.

    But Zaanta just shook her head and lowered her staff. "It is not attacking us for now. Let''s try and find out its intentions first before blindly attacking." She then gestured to everyone to calm down and spoke to the scholars. "Lower your weapons, wands and staves. I don''t want to see a single being with an active weapon."

    "You cannot be serious!" one of the scholars yelled out. "We''ve just seen that thing knock out your warrior companion and you tell us to basically expose ourselves to that?! You must have lost your mind!"

    "There are three things you are neglecting, sir scholar." Zaanta snapped back. "First one being that if it wanted to attack us it would have already done so without giving us any time to retaliate. It would have valid reason to do so, because we attacked first. " She pointed at the being in question and continued. "The second one being that it has a very good weapon in reach, which it could use very easily. Mallets aren''t as hard to use as swords, you see?"

    Multiple eyes followed the trajectory Guild master pointed in and sure enough, saw the mallet Ghanna dropped right next to it. "Third thing you might have not paid attention in whatever briefing your sects gave you, if any at all,: that thing might be highly intelligent, perhaps even sapient based on its behavior up until now.

    With a lot of reluctance visible in her movements, Tina lowered her staff, her vision focused on the thing In front of them. After a while the scholars followed suit and discharged their staffs and in two cases resheated their blades. They didn''t secure them, but this was enough. She hoped.

    Tina leaned close to her and whispered the question that bothered Zaanta from the first time she saw the thing. "What do you think it is? And how did it get here?"

    Zaanta thought for a while more, before answering so everyone could hear her. "There are two possibilities of what that is. Either an experimental slave that''s running amok after killing its masters, or whatever The Fallen Leaves found and Familiarized I don''t see any other option that is viable in this case." She could feel the disgust the group felt towards slavery, especially abused ones like this, but she had to make sure everyone understood the situation they found themselves in.

    "Let''s move towards Ghanna, I don''t want her to do something¡­Ghanna-like." Thus motivated, the group began to advance in Ghanna¡¯s direction. The being in black was still focused on them, but it didn''t move aside from turning its head towards them.

    As the group approached Ghanna, they could see the reason she was unable to get up on her own. The thing she got swatted with was¡­ an armored Curmin paladin corpse. Only her head and upper torso were visible, her hands trapped underneath the Curmin.

    "Zaanta!" Ghanna yelled, her voice filled with rage. "You''re here! Help me get this thing off of me! It''s too heavy for me."

    Zaanta wondered if it would be better for the group to stop Ghanna from moving and causing more harm, but in the end she chose to get her out. It would be bothersome and dangerous if the thing decided to attack and Ghanna couldn¡¯t help. "I''m on it. Just don''t do anything stupid as soon as you get out." Zaanta turned to the group watching her, trying to figure out how to extricate Ghanna, before calling out to them. "Guus, Tina, and the scholars are to watch that thing. If it moves in a concerning way, call out to us and try to slow it down if you can¡¯t stop it. The rest of us will get that armored corpse off Ghanna."

    Aside from bewildered expressions from the scholars, everyone quickly went to work. Guild security, together with Zaanta and the two Raaketigs, began to push the dead paladin off of Ghanna, while the rest stood guard.

    "Stupid Curmin paladins! Do they really have to use this spell on each of their armors?!" one of the guards cursed under his breath. The Curmin had a habit of equipping their armors with a Decrease Weight spell. Thanks to that, their armor could be considerably heavier and offer the same amount of protection as other races¡¯ armor, while using common and easy-to-obtain resources to create them, unlike, for example, Zhaarin paladin armor, which used rare and expensive materials to be both light and strong. This allowed the Curmin to increase the weight of the armor to stop attacks with high momentum at the cost of consuming the wearer¡¯s Mana.

    "Report! The thing has not moved aside from a couple of steps to regain its balance, but the amount of Tinkered Mana around it is increasing rapidly." Tina reported from behind them. It was good to know there is no imminent danger, but everyone still did their best to free Ghanna.

    "Tina! Erect a barrier. If it attacks, we will defend first, then counterattack! Now let''s free Ghanna ASAP!" Without waiting for Zaanta to finish her order, Tina erected a spherical barrier around the group and continued observing the biped in front of her.

    As Zaanta and her group pushed for the last time, freeing Ghanna, Tina made another report. "Mana concentration has reached stability. Prepare for a mid-tier spell."

    "Brace yourselves! If it attacks us, prepare a counterattack as soon as Tina¡¯s barrier fades!" Zaanta yelled towards the group before turning to Tina directly. "Make sure not to dispel it. Ghanna is too eager for a rematch," to which she received a quick nod.

    A single look at Ghanna was all she needed. She was warming up and stretching her muscles while glaring in the thing¡¯s direction. She also had her backup weapon, a smaller mallet, in hand. ''If that thing attacks us, it''s good that Ghanna is as furious as she is, but if it doesn''t¡­''

    Her thoughts were disturbed by a distress noise coming from Tina, followed by a quick report. "Zaanta! I don''t know how, but it''s gathering all the Tinkered Mana from nearby. And our barrier is made of it! I don''t know if I''ll be able to hold it together!"

    ''Fuck.'' As soon as Zaanta thought that, she could see a tiny stream of condensed mana escape from the barrier, and fly towards the things'' armored hand. Tina had to replace the lost mana as fast as she could, causing her to lie down to the ground, unable to stand. There was no-one left with their weapon sheathed, and everyone stared, awed at the creature in front of them that was able to steal mana.

    The stolen mana combined with the mana in the air before condensing on the beings palm in some form of¡­crystal?! A crystal! Deep red in color, with a couple of pure white veins on top. It was levitating just slightly above the palm of the being, rotating slowly as if on display. As everyone watched it, the being took hold of the crystal with its free hand, breaking an invisible bubble that contained it. As the bubble popped open, it released a wave of Natural Mana that attempted to distribute itself evenly and flowed in all directions, including the one in which the weakened barrier was.

    Without slowing down, the mana wave shattered the fragile barrier and flowed to the edge of the clearing and beyond, to the Dendroids barrier. ¡®Is this the source? Did he do it? and how? How do you change the mana tinkered by our Creators back into its natural state?¡¯ As Zaanta thought that, Ghanna leaped past her and sprinted towards the thing, weapon in hand and yelling threats.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°You fucker! You dare to destroy Tina¡¯s barrier?! I¡¯ll beat you up so bad you¡¯ll fear my kind for all eternity!¡± Ghana yelled at the creature in front of her as she sprinted to attack it. ¡°Mages! Support!¡± A couple of spells emerged from behind Zaanta, some of them aimed towards Ghanna, others for the creature. Zaanta received a blessing of the wind, making her faster, as well as the blessing of stone, boosting her defense a little bit. The spells aimed at the creature were mostly intended to bind it in place, but all of them were resisted, only making the creature look annoyed.

    ¡°Ghanna! Come back! It didn¡¯t attack!¡± Zaanta tried to stop her, but she knew it was already too late. She reluctantly stood up to follow her, just to be overtaken by the two Raakteigs that scurried past her. ¡®What was that about?¡¯ ¡ª--------------------------------------------------------

    Ghanna pretended she didn¡¯t hear Zaanta. She knew what she¡¯d be told. To stop her attack, even though it was completely justified. It broke through a barrier Tina erected. Spells flew past her, and she could feel the Blessings of wind and stone affecting her. She sped up more, watching as the binding spells reached their target and failed. ¡®Doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll just chase it around,¡¯ she thought as she swung her mallet, aiming for the knees of the creature. ¡®This could cripple it enough¡­ I don¡¯t feel like chasing it.

    The Mallet continued on its way, and Ghanna braced for the moment it impacted its knees¡­ but it never came. The being in front of her jumped up, its knees and feet made way for the mallet to pass through.

    Ghanna was not prepared for this, so the mallet threw her off balance for a moment, exposing her side to the beast. It didn''t hesitate and Ghanna got kicked away once again. She was out of breath and she almost lost the hold of her weapon, but it seemed that there was no severe damage.

    A healing spell hit her and she inhaled sharply, enjoying the air in her lungs once more. Using her mallet as a walking cane, she got up before looking at the creature that kicked her side. In the time Ghanna took to get on her legs, it picked up her first mallet and held it near its right side in one hand. The other hand held the small crystal, but it didn¡¯t look like it would be attacking anytime soon.

    Another volley of spells hit it, but none of them seemed to take effect. In fact, its armor started to repair itself little by little. The cracks started to fill in, and it didn''t stop until the mana flow was cut off. "Don¡¯t use any more magic on that thing! It''s using it to regenerate its armor!" she yelled to the scholars as she reevaluated her tactics. ''This is troublesome. I can''t use any advanced attack skills, because it would just use them to repair that armor. But I also can''t use attacks weak enough to make it lose interest in fighting me. As long as it attacks me, it won''t focus on Zaanta and the others. In that case I should use empowering magic on myself to make me stronger, and attack with purely physical attacks.''

    The biped in black was standing about five meters in front of her with its hands by its side. It held her mallet in its right hand, and the weird crystal in its left hand. Its feet were shoulder distance apart, with its right leg slightly in front to keep balance. Its first leg joints were bent forward, and she couldn''t see the second joints or ankles. She caught a movement to her right. Two beings approached her from Zaantas direction, with weapons at the ready.

    Upon recognising them, Ghanna was a bit surprised, muttering: "I never thought I''d be glad to see Raaketigs coming to my aid. On the other hand¡­" She looked to the group of Guild members and scholars that stood in defensive formation far away. "They are not helping at all." She scoffed and quickly focused on the thing in front of her.

    It was preparing for an attack. Her balance was off and it wouldn''t allow her to regain it. The thing began its offensive, swinging her mallet towards her. Its grip was light, almost as if asking her to intercept it before it could reach her. But she knew that would be a mistake. The swing was fast and dangerous. She had to defend!

    She pulled her mallet into a defensive position just in time to see the thing flex its forearm and wrist, adding even more speed and power to the already fast moving mallet. The impact shook her hand and made her feel numb, but she had no time to waste as the thing continued its attack. Devastating attacks rained on her from all directions, but she was able to block or deflect most of them. There were plenty of openings to attack, its technique was not at all perfect, but the strength and speed of its attacks made her focus on defending herself while retreating towards Zaanta, hoping that she''d give her better view of the creature.

    Its attack stance suddenly changed into a squatted one, but her guard blocked her field of view and Ghanna was too slow to react to the change. As the things mallet was thrusted into her abdomen with enough force to lift her from the ground and make her lose her breath, Ghanna was thrown backwards before falling to the ground and vomiting. ''Is this the end? Do I really die here just because I''m unable to use my skills and techniques?'' These and other thoughts ran through her mind as she watched the thing close the distance between them with her mallet above its head. Its dark armor emitting rays of crimson energy, unable to see its eyes because of the design of its helmet. ''What are Zaanta and Tina doing?''

    Just as Ghanna thought that, a black Raaketig jumped in front of her, her arms wide open in a protective stance. Ghanna felt a pair of arms grab her and drag her away from the creature and Tina''s barrier directly behind the Raaketig tamer, extending above and around her. "Let me go and help the tamer" she groaned and tried to free herself, but she was surprised to hear Barteools voice coming from behind her.

    "Virria is not so harmless as you might think. With Guild Master and Barrier Queen supporting her, there is nothing to worry about. Also, Guild Master asked me to get you to where she is, so stop resisting or walk there yourself." Ghanna had nothing to say to that, so she just calmed down and while she watched the tamer, let herself be dragged back to the healers.

    ¡ª---------------

    A couple of moments prior

    Virria

    ¡ª--------------

    They were about halfway to the ''Battle Beast'' and Ghanna, when what they assumed was Aragami went on the offensive. His strikes were fast and calculated, which assured Virria that it was indeed him.

    "Are you sure it''s him?" Barteool asked from beside her with a worried voice. "It doesn''t seem like that calm Aragami. Even when he fought the Curmin he was not like this."

    "I am sure it''s him. And I am pretty sure he''s awake now. These attacks are way too coordinated for someone Enraged." Just as Virria finished, both she and Barteool felt incoming communication Magic.

    "Can you hear me? This is Zaanta. Virria? Barteool? Do you have a plan?"

    They looked at one another, before Virria answered. "We can hear you Guild Master. We do not have a plan, but there is something I wanted to try. Could you help me with that, please?"

    "I told you to call me Zaanta! And yes, we can, just tell us the details. Tina can hear you as well."

    "As soon as there is an opening, I will jump in between the two of them. Aragami¡¯s swings are fast, but I''m confident I will be able to dodge them at least twice. I would be glad if Miss Tina created a barrier behind me, so that if I''m wrong and he''s not awake I''d have more time to react. If I am correct, Barteool will get Miss Ghanna out of there, or else she might attract too much of Aragamis attention." Barteool looked at her, not believing what he was hearing and she could feel that Zaanta was worried as well.

    "That''s way too many IFs. I don''t know if I like it." Zaanta retorted, but Virria had a counter argument at the ready.

    "Do you have any better idea?" Virria asked, focused on the intense exchange in front of her. Ghanna changed direction of her retreat, and was now traveling towards Zaanta.

    "I don''t." Zaanta sighed mentally "We will cover you. Try your best to buy us some time if things go wrong, so we can send the security force to assist in capturing it." Zaanta cut off the connection, and Virria noticed a Speed Boost spell coming her way.

    "Don''t you dare to overestimate yourself!" Barteool yelled in her direction. "We just got you back! Our public image would drop even lower if we lost you so soon." Virria smiled and wanted to retort, but Aragami had other plans as he scored a hit on Ghanna, and Virria was forced to act.

    She jumped in between Aragami and Ghanna, her arms stretched wide open. She''d heard it from a lot of hero stories, how they jumped in front of the Wild beast, protecting the weak. They always seemed so¡­heroic and fearless. But now that she was in this situation she understood how hopeless they were.

    The mallet, raised high above Aragamis head, could smash her head to bits any moment. Her knees felt weak, and she had felt the need to vomit. But she also had to stand her ground. She had to stop him and prove that he wasn''t some mindless killing machine. She was unsure how long they stood there facing one another and staring in each other''s eyes, but Aragami was the one to make the first move. He lowered the hand with the mallet slowly, releasing his grip, and letting it hit the ground with a slight thud.

    Virria released the breath she didn''t realize she was holding, and hung her aching hands by her sides. Without looking away from Aragamis head, she slowly stepped closer and gently touched the arm that was endangering her with a mallet just moments prior.

    "Hi Aragami." She said and smiled broadly, making sure she sounded calm and collected to calm him down if necessary. "We''ve come to help." She was fairly sure he wouldn''t understand what she was saying, but the mention of his name could be the final push he needed to break free of the spell. So she decided to believe. To believe in him and his strong will.

    Aragami shifted his body slowly. He kneeled down, so that his head was on the same level as Virrias, and with his right arm he gently pulled her close to his chest, scratching the scales on the back of her head the way he did back in the camp before all this madness even began.

    The feeling overwhelmed her, and all the emotions she was holding back burst out as she cried in relief.

 Chapter eighteen: Recuperation

    Zaanta ¡ª---------

    Barteool dragged Ghanna all the way back where Zaanta was and sitting down, he turned around so he could see his friend''s determination.

    "Will she be okay?" Zaanta asked, worried. She was still watching the clash of wills between Virria and the beast, unable to offer any significant help.

    "I said it before and I''ll say it again. Virria is not as weak as you think." Barteool answered with a snicker. "Although she lost all of her pets and tamed beasts, she didn''t fall into despair, but rose up and decided to help. And now her strong will decided that she can help someone like Aragami to regain his vill."

    As they talked, a change occurred in front of them. Aragami slowly lowered his hand to the ground before releasing the mallet. "It seems like it''s over now." Barteool noted. "I''ll go check on them. Please wait here for now."

    Barteool jogged away, in the direction of his Party member, and Zaanta had time to work on Ghanna''s injuries. "Seriously, Ghanna. How could you let something like that beat you so badly?" she commented after inspecting the bruises on her arms and stomach.

    "It''s stronger than it looks." Ghanna whispered, before closing her eyes in pain as Zaanta touched her stomach. "If it was able to use its magic or aura, I don''t think I''d be able to win against it."

    "Huuuh? So it''s a strong close-range fighter type?" Zaanta started healing the worst injuries, and she could see Ghanna visibly relax.

    "Yeah. And with a lot of experience as well. Although it seemed like mallets are not the main weapon it uses, it sure knew how to swing it. I just barely blocked some of the attacks."

    Zaanta wanted to continue her questioning, but she was interrupted by one of the scholars. "Miss Zaanta? It seems like the Raaketig is trying to get our attention. He''s waving in our direction."

    Looking in the direction the scholar indicated, Zaanta could clearly see Barteool doing his best to get her attention, so she contacted him using the Telepathy spell. ¡°What is going on, Barteool? Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°Not the kind of problem you mean, but yes,¡± came the reply, confusing Zaanta for a second. ¡°Could I bother you to come here, please? I want you to take a look at something.¡±

    "I''ll be there soon. Just let me treat the worst of Ghanna¡¯s injuries." Zaanta returned to the large bruise on Ghana''s stomach, receiving one final sentence from Barteool.

    ''You might want to save mana for this.''

    "What''s going on?" Ghanna asked, worried.

    "I don''t know yet. I''ll heal this bruise, but for the rest I''ll have to leave you in the scholar''s care." She grinned at the surprised face Ghanna made. "You have no excuse."

    She spent a little more time to make sure Ghanna was okay, before assigning the scholars and GSF with their tasks, and then she made her way towards Barteool And Virria. Virria was in the things embrace, softly sobbing, and Barteool sat on the ground nearby.

    It was the first time she was able to see it from so close up. Its armor was made out of concentrated Tinkered Mana, but it was just a manifestation of some kind of spell. She felt disgusted by the nature of said spell, and wondered how the being could cope with it. The armor itself was shiny black in color, with an insane number of words and letters inscribed into it. It had five fingers, now encased in pointy fingertip gloves that reached well beyond its wrists. The helmet was cracked open, with one of its forward facing eyes clearly visible through the opening. It was white and red in color, with black center and a ring of blue around it.

    "Is it ok if I come closer?" she asked before proceeding, and the thing immediately snapped its head in her direction. Its eye narrowed down, and she could feel the bloodlust emanating from it in her fur but she decided not to step back, although all her instincts screamed at her.

    Barteool also noticed it, and he was quick to move. He stood up and walked in between Zaanta and what she assumed was the Aragami they talked about, making calming gestures. "It''s okay Aragami. She''s friendly." Barteool tried to calm him down and without turning around, directed his speech at Zaanta. "I am sorry about that, but amongst the group that attacked us there were Zhaariin."

    "Ah." It clicked in her mind. "He thinks that I want to attack him?" Zaanta asked, and after Barteool nodded slightly, she slowly threw down her staff and showed her empty hands. This calmed down the beast a little, and he quickly looked at Barteool for confirmation before turning his head back to Virria.

    "Well¡­ that was intense." Zaanta noted and picked up her staff before continuing. "So. Why have you called me here?"

    "Because of him" Barteool pointed at Aragami. "His left hand has been injured. He''s not moving it and there is a lot of his blood on it."

    "I can''t see any blood. Are you sure?"

    Barteool simply pointed towards the left arm, and when Zaanta focused on it she noticed a sort of dark fluid traveling downward into the palm and then onto the ground. "His blood is dark red. Not bright like ours. It also solidifies, but I don''t know the right conditions for that."

    ''Dark blood, huh? So unlike those of us who have been created by our Gods with bright blood in our bodies, he was created by laws, so he has dark blood?'' Zaanta thought, but just nodded and walked closer. Aragami turned his head in her direction again, but there was no Bloodlust this time around. Rather than that he was¡­curious?

    She carefully observed the wounded arm, making sure not to touch it too much. There was a hole through the armor, roughly three centimeters in diameter, going through his meat and out the other side. "This must hurt him a lot. Let me at least dull the pain and try to heal it." She prepared her staff and got ready to cast, before Aragami moved his right arm in her field of vision with an open palm.

    "What?" Zaanta asked, although she knew he wouldn''t understand her. "You don''t want to get healed?"

    "Can''t. Heal." Aragami spoke and she reeled back in shock. That was the ancient language of magic! It spoke in the language of magic! Virria and Barteool seemed shocked as well. She guessed they didn''t know it could speak either. "Armor. Eats. Mana."

    Zaanta had to sit down. "Impossible." she mumbled. "How can it know the ancient language?"

    Aragami scooped up Virria, holding her close to his chest with his right hand and stood up, before looking towards Zaanta and speaking again. "Help. Follow." He had to repeat it two more times before Zaanta finally understood what he meant. She stood up and came closer to him. It was ridiculous. Her head was at the height of his elbows, while the top of her antlers just barely reached above his shoulders.

    He guided her across the clearing to the two Hounds of the Wild. As soon as she realized that both of the Hounds were awake and watching her, her legs lost the strength to walk and she stopped in place. She was glad that she was not Virria that had no opportunity to stop as she was carried towards them. ''Does he plan to feed us to them?''

    Aragami came all the way next to the dangerous predators and slowly lowered Virria to the ground. She was visibly shaking and afraid of the Hounds, and tried to hide behind Aragamis back. To Zaantas horror, one of the Hounds began to stand up while growling nastily, but Aragami noticed it and yelled out one single word she didn''t understand. As soon as the hound heard the word, it stopped growling and laid back down to what she noticed was a soft-looking bed of various cloths.

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    With his right hand, Aragami reached out and touched the HEAD OF A HIGHER DIFFICULTY MONSTER AS IF IT WAS A DAMN PET!

    And the worst part? The hound seemed not to be opposed to it! In fact it made Virria curious as well and emerge from behind Aragami to have a better look.

    Aragami then turned towards her, tilted his head to the side, and spoke up again. "Help. Here."

    She stretched her neck to see what it was that he wanted her help with. There were two Hounds of the Wild, both of them with white bandages on their bodies. The one that tried to rise up had fewer bandages, with only one of them discolored by the blood they absorbed. The other one had a lot more wounds, several of them deep with a lot of blood on them. It was seriously wounded, but it didn''t look like it was bleeding anymore.

    Zaanta was too scared to move on. If she had Ghanna with her, she would be more willing, but this was simply too much to ask. "Virria!" she yelled, doing her best not to run away. "Can you see what it wants me to help with?"

    Virria just nodded and focused her attention towards the beasts, before answering. "I don''t know!" After seeing the look on Zaanta''s face, she seemingly decided to tell her more, for which Zaanta was thankful. "It seems that he wants you to help with healing one of the Hounds, but I don''t know which one. This one is not seriously injured, and the other one appears to be healed completely¡­ Oh yeah, there is some kind of magic pact or agreement in effect here, so the Hounds will do whatever Aragami asks them. Of course with some limitations, but I''d have to inspect the pact more carefully."

    ''So there is a pact in place. If this Aragami asks these beasts not to do something, they won''t do it. If Aragami asks these beasts not to do something¡­'' Repeating her internal mantra, she resumed her way towards Virria and the beasts. Her vision switching from Virria, to the bandaged beasts on the ground, to the large shadow sitting on the ground and back to the beasts. During the time she needed to get next to them, Virria had already gained a semblance of trust from one of the beasts, and she was petting the fur around the tail of the standing beasts while its head rested on Aragami''s leg.

    She was sure that the hound was watching her. Its front-facing eyes were always checking her out, and its ears alerted. But it didn''t move except for blinking. Aragami was looking down on it, his left hand still holding the crystal, and the right hand on the beast''s back, he appeared to be asleep. She was proven wrong, as Aragami slowly turned her head towards her, making her freeze up once more. After a short staring contest, Zaanta managed to loosen up and finished her stressful journey to Virria.

    "Are you okay Guildmaster?" Virria asked as she stood up from the ground.

    "Of course I''m not!" Zaanta shot back immediately. "Those are higher difficulty beasts! Of course I won''t be okay near them without a close-combat guard in between us!"

    "But you have one." Virria smiled and nodded towards Aragami. "He''s been restraining the Hound since it growled at me. If you take a look at his right arm, you''ll notice that he''s pressing the hound down. It''s not just laying there. It''s forced to lay down quietly."

    Surprised, Zaanta inspected the hound carefully and noticed Aragami''s clenched muscles. "Okay, I can see that now. So have you figured out what he wants?"

    Upon hearing the question, Virria''s gleeful expression froze over. "Not really. It has something to do with healing these, but I don''t know what he means. This one that he''s holding will heal on its own, but the one that healed so fast is the problem¡­"

    The moment Virria said that, Aragami nodded towards the wounded hound, a singular wound leaving his lips: "Help"

    Zaanta and Virria both looked towards the second Hound, wondering what it could be Aragami wanted their help with. After a couple of seconds, Zaanta shook her head and made her way to the improvised den. "Fine, I''ll help you Aragami, but make sure to pay me back later!"

    "You know he probably can''t understand you, right?" Virria noted with a small smile on her face.

    "I''ll count on you to convey it when he does." She said as she arrived at the den. The wounds were worse than whatever she estimated, with signs of large wounds mainly around the spine and sides of the body. She carefully removed one of the blood soaked bandages just to find them crunchy with dried blood. ''This is the first time I''ve seen its blood while it was still breathing¡­'' she thought, as she unrolled the last layer. But instead of a large gush from where the blood came from there was a perfectly fine skin, although devoid of any fur whatsoever.

    Surprised, she took some time to search for any signs of Natural or Tinkered Mana, but she found none. "Could it be that the Hound can use some kind of healing skill? But if that was the case I''d find some Natural Mana residue here and there. So he used some technique that is not magic to close off those wounds¡­ I wonder if he''d show me how to do it¡­" While thinking aloud, Zaanta inspected all the wounds she could find with the same result. She even used a couple of spells to check the internals, but found no fault at all. The Hound was healed.

    She returned to Virria and watched as ''Aragami'' tensed up. "I can''t find anything wrong with it! Is there anything in particular he wants me to check out?"

    The question perplexed Virria, and she thought deeply about it before shaking her head. Aragami just watched them, while the helmet made it impossible for Zaanta to discern his feelings.

    Suddenly, Aragami moved his right hand in the air above the Hound''s back, and with just one finger he started to trace imaginary lines in the air, catching both Virria and Zaanta off guard.

    "What is he doing?" Virria asked no-one in particular, and tried to make sense of the weirdly curved lines Aragami was drawing, even picking up a stick to replicate them in the dust on the ground. The result was a Hound-sized net of shallow furrows (grooves) in the dust, that made no sense whatsoever. "Do you have any idea what he means? Guildmaster?" Virria asked, confused.

    But there was no answer to be heard from behind her. Turning around, Virria looked up to Zaanta and saw her flabbergasted look, which confused her even more. "Guildmaster? What is it? What did he draw?" she demanded an answer.

    But instead of answering her, Zaanta just averted her gaze from the image in the ground and onto Aragami, before turning around and walking towards the fallen Hound.

    ''If I''m not mistaken and he showed me that thing, it would change and improve so, so much¡­'' Zaanta ignored Virria and her questioning. She needed answers, and if she wasn''t sure she was not willing to potentially spread misinformation.

    As she leaned over the Hound, she turned her mana to different parts of the body. She ignored all of the should-have-been-wounds, past the skin and into the muscles and bones, before the issue was straight in her face. It was so obvious, yet so well hidden that if he didn''t specifically point that out she wouldn''t find it. It was so¡­trivial. She had to laugh out loud before she began her work.

    Half an hour later, she finished healing the hound and stretched her exhausted muscles. Aragami was watching her the whole time, which made her a bit nervous, but she was sure he''d notify her if she made a mistake. She turned her head towards Aragami for confirmation and received a strange gesture in return. A clenched fist with one of the digits pointed to the sky.

    "I''ll take that as a yes." Zaanta grinned and went off to stretch her legs for a bit, where she was joined by Virria.

    "How did the healing go?" Virria asked, barely able to contain her curiosity.

    "The healing was done when I arrived." Zaanta explained. "The hounds were physically healed. The only thing he doesn''t know how to do is to heal their mana flow." Seeing the question mark in Virria''s demeanor, she gave her a little more info.

    "You see, every time someone attacks us with a magic-enhanced weapon, there is a chance that they will disturb or damage the flow of mana in our bodies. That disturbance may cause a significant weakening, or even death in some cases. The problem is that it''s very hard to notice the damage as it is often passed up as simple disturbances that will fix themselves with time. But they won¡¯t."

    By the time Zaanta finished the rough explanation, they found themselves in the company of Aragami and the two Hounds once again. He was checking on the severely wounded one, but when he saw the two of them approach, he seated himself comfortably with his back towards a tree and motioned them to come closer. He was patting the Hounds with his right arm, one at a time, while letting his left, blooded arm rest in his lap. Virria was looking for a way to squeeze in, but in the end she gave up and just sat down nearby, tending one of the two fluffy tails, while Zaanta opted for a more distanced observation.

    A short while passed, before Aragami shifted to one side, his head slowly falling onto his chest. ''The loss of blood from his wounded arm was making him dizzy.'' Zaanta thought and started preparing a healing spell, just to stop herself a moment later. ''But if I use magic his armor will absorb it, making the spell last longer¡­Wh-What do I do¡­''

    "Ehhh¡­ Guildmaster? Will he be alright?" Virria asked, not entirely sure what to make out of the situation.

    But just as Zaanta opened her mouth to answer, Aragami jerked awake. His head swung from side to side, and as soon as he noticed the situation he was in, he did three things.

    First one was that he took the crystal into his right hand, before handing it over to Virria, who took it with utmost care.

    As a second thing, Aragami slowly rose to his knees, before making his way towards the bag that was next to the nest. He opened a compartment on the side, and took out a small white metal tube, with a green cross on it. He unscrewed the cap, revealing a thin-looking pointy piece of metal that extended for about 5 cm. He held it in his right hand, the pointy metal piece aimed towards his left shoulder.

    The last he did before plunging the metal into his shoulder and passing out was say five words while looking at the Hounds.

    "Fido. Tes. Protect these two."

 Chapter nineteen: Well, thats a scam

    Aragami (A couple hours earlier)

    ¡ª--------

    He was awake. He was leaning to the left, and his head and left arm hurt like hell. The darkness around his head cracked open, and a little piece in front of his right eye dissipated into the air. There was some kind of stick right next to his head to the right. He instinctively reached for it. But the stick retracted to show a large metal warhammer that impacted his head and woke him up.

    ''No wonder my head hurts,'' Aragami thought as he held his head in his hands, trying to will away the pain before looking in the direction of the hammer. There were three creatures, one Curmin and two deer-lookalike ones, all of them in some kind of plate/chainmail armor, and all of them with weapons pointed in his direction. A warhammer, a spear, and a flail to be exact.

    ''Whoa whoa whoa! What the fuck is going on?'' he thought as his instincts kicked in. He lowered his center of mass by bending his knees and took a wide stance to counter the attack he was sure would come.

    But instead, the creatures started to retreat, seemingly panicked. He could hear them yelling something, but he didn''t understand as his ears were ringing.

    He looked around, trying to find anything to defend himself, but nothing useful was nearby. Then the creatures stopped retreating and started yelling at him. ''What the fuck does that mean?'' he thought, before an idea emerged from the back of his mind. ''Noir! Hey, Noir! Can you hear me?'' he thought as he paid attention to the ones in front of him.

    Shortly, Noir answered. ''Aragami? Thank the stars you''re awake! How do you feel?''

    ''I feel like I''ve been hit in the head multiple times, but it''s bearable'' he answered, glad that Noir could hear him. ''How long have I been out and what the hell happened?''

    ''If you want to convert the time into hours, then that would be¡­around fourteen hours now.''

    ''FOURTEEN HOURS?! Why isn''t my body exhausted after fourteen hours of fighting?!

    ''To be fair, you''ve been fighting for about an hour in total. As soon as you started raging , they sent their slaves at you and tried to escape. Then they bumped into the barrier I set up and tried to breach it, but you found them, so they ran away again. You were searching for them the whole night, taking out three of them in the process, and only half an hour ago you stepped on their necks, cutting off all paths of escape, forcing them to fight you¡­'' Noir'' s voice sounded amused, although he was masking it well. ¡®As for your body¡­the spell moved it using mana, so your stamina has been preserved.¡¯

    ¡®These are the last ones?¡¯ Aragami asked and took a closer look at the surroundings. There were overgrown branches all around him and a pile of boulders in front of him blocking the way, creating a small clearing with only one exit behind him. ¡®Say, are you opposed to me killing them?¡¯

    ¡®Not at all. They¡¯ve committed too many crimes to count. Just remember our deal. No unnecessary suffering,¡¯ Noir said nonchalantly, making Aragami feel like he was shrugging. ''And no, I''m not shrugging.''

    He wanted to ask something, but decided to let it go. He and Noir would have time to talk later.

    Having no blade on him, he clenched his fists and started to slowly move forward, thankful for the additional protection the armor provided. Keeping his eyes on the beings in front of him, Aragami tried to figure out the best way to defeat them.

    ¡®Do you have any idea what it is that they¡¯re yelling?¡¯ Aragami asked as his annoyance levels escalated a bit more. The Curmin with a warhammer began to run toward him, his warhammer high above his head. Focusing on the incoming threat, Aragami tried to dodge the impact zone. He was partially successful, as the hammer slid on his armored forearms, the impact causing his arms to go numb.

    He went on the offensive. His right arm targeted the knees of the Curmin, aiming to immobilize it, or at the very least limit its movement. The Curmin, not expecting Aragami to dodge, lost its balance and after being hit in his knees repeatedly, he was forced to throw his hammer at the agile opponent.

    Aragami reached for the thrown hammer, gripping the handle, just to realize something was very wrong. This was the heaviest hammer he had ever held! The weight pulled him off balance, and although he reacted quickly, the damage was already done. His balance was gone, and he had just noticed a penetrator on the Curmin¡¯s tail approaching him at a very high speed. He had just enough time to dodge the fatal blow by twisting his body, but it still pierced his left biceps.

    Aragami fell to the ground and immediately rolled to the side before standing up again. The Curmin was eying him cautiously, the tail raised above its back like a scorpion, prepared to attack him.

    His whole arm felt numb. He still remembered how it felt to get shot, and this feeling was similar, but even worse. ''That''s poison.'' Noir spoke up, and upon noticing the confusion in Aragami''s mind he continued his explanation. ''The weapon that pierced your arm was poisoned. It''s a common tactic among the Curmin to have poison-type weapons.''

    ''That''s great. Thanks for telling me.'' Aragami grimaced and stood back up. ''Could you do something about it? Stopping the spread is fine, I have a way to deal with it later.''

    ''Are you sure? That poison is quite strong. It might have severe consequences if it isn''t treated.''

    ''If you focus only on the poison, I''d have to fight those fuckers alone. I''ll need some help with this, especially since there''s three of them.''

    Noir went quiet for a bit, but Aragami could feel the numbness in his arm recede a little. He tried to move his fingers, which was fine, but as he tried to move his forearm the pain overcame him and he had to stop.

    ''Is that acceptable?'' Noir asked with a smug undertone. He basically made the whole arm usable in under one minute.

    ''That''s more than enough. Thanks Noir.''

    ''So. Now that the poison is stopped, how do you want me to help you fight?'' There was a curious undertone to his words, as if he expected to witness some unusual strategy. Well¡­he might be disappointed.

    ''Can you make it so that I have my machete back? Or at least the shovel or any sort of bladed weapon? Also, can I get some sort of protection? The armor is kind of weak now¡­''

    ''Hmmm¡­ I can''t summon your weapons, but I can kind of recreate them. About the protection, would shield suffice? I''ll convert some of your armor into a shield and a machete, but I''ll make sure to protect your vitals at least a little bit.''

    ''I don''t think I''ll be able to use my left hand so much, but it''s worth trying.'' He nodded, preparing to dodge another attack launched his way.

    ''Block it with your left arm'' Noir''s words emerged in his mind, and he thoughtlessly swung his arm in the way. There was a loud screeching noise, and a strong impact flung it back behind him. The numbness dulled the pain, but it still made him grind his teeth together.

    From the plates on his right forearm separated a newly formed matte purple dagger that he grasped in his hand, and with one quick motion, rammed it in one of the crannies in between the armor plates of the Curmin and twisted it fiercely, triggering a small waterfall of what he presumed was blood.

    He quickly pulled back, leaving the writhing Curmin far enough away so as not to hurt him. ''That''s pretty good. It''s a shame I left the dagger there, though.'' As soon as he thought that, another one materialized just above his palm, adjusting itself in a way he could comfortably grasp it.

    ''These daggers are part of the armor. If you get too far away from them they''ll discharge into Tinkered Mana which will be once again absorbed by the armor. Pretty neat, isn''t it?''

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    ''I feel like I''m talking to someone who''s into fantasy literature. This is flipping AWESOME!'' He almost yelled as he grasped another one. He then looked at his left arm, where the shield was supposed to be, just to see overlapping triangular layers of armor all over his arm.

    ''That armor on your arm? I can make it harder, softer, and even expand it, although just a little bit. So you focus on attacking, and leave the defense to me!''

    It was pleasant to have such great support with him, especially against the two deer-like opponents in front of him. Speaking of his new opponents, he felt quite uncomfortable, going against a spear and a flail with nothing but a dagger and some armor on a wounded arm.

    He noticed a cacophony of sounds coming from the front, and looking up he saw the flail and spear wielders charge him at the same time. ¡®Well this is not optional.¡¯ He thought to himself, before charging their way.

    ¡®Hey! What are you doing?¡¯ Noir yelled, unable to understand his behavior. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t we try to widen the gap instead of closing it? Also, the shield AND your arm have only certain levels of durability, you know?¡¯

    ¡®They won¡¯t expect me to do this. See?¡¯ Aragami pointed out to the two creatures that seemed much less sure than they were a few seconds ago. ¡®Also, because I have the shorter weapon, I¡¯d be the one to spend more effort to break their guard. Is it not logical to surprise them to weaken their guard?¡¯

    A spearhead darted in his direction, but Aragami deflected it to the ground with his left arm. Stepping on the end of the spear with his left boot, his right leg curled close to his chest, before his sole kicked towards the shaft of the spear, knocking it out of the hands of its former owner.

    In the corner of his eye, he could see the flail coming his way from his left. The spear wielder was temporarily disarmed, his spear under his feet, so he could pay attention to the late-comer. He confirmed that he couldn¡¯t see any mana effects around the flail, before setting his left arm in the way of the flail, and proceeding to stab the neck with a FUCKING MANA DAGGER in his right hand.

    As the dagger neared its destined target, he could feel an impact on his left hand, and could see the Armor on his hand activating. But he could also see the flail extending, wrapping around his arm. as he killed the late-comer, his left hand was completely bound and weighted down by one dead body.

    ¡®It¡¯s a trap!¡¯ Flashed through Aragami¡¯s mind as he looked back at the spear-wielder. The amount of mana that was gathering behind its back was blinding to him. The mana started to converge into a single point, forming a small, colorful crystal.

    ¡®Grab the crystal!¡¯ Noir¡¯s voice pierced through the chaos in his head, and he mindlessly obeyed. His right hand darted to the crystal, grasping it before the deer-like creature could dodge, and watched as the black armor started to spread from his fingertips once more.

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake!¡± he yelled out, before the darkness engulfed him once more.

    The next time he came to, he felt strangely tired. His left arm hurt and he could tell he was bleeding, but he didn''t know how severe the injury was.

    He was alone in the forest, one dead body hanging on a magical flail tied to his left arm, and searing pain coming from his right hand. His body, covered once more in black armor, felt sluggish and weak.

    Sitting down, he examined his bleeding arm. The blood didn''t have enough time to coagulate, so little time had passed.

    While deciding what to do next, he began untangling his arm from the chain of the flail cursing internally every time a careless movement made the pain spread from just his arm into his whole body and fill his mind.

    With the last loop removed, Aragami tiredly leaned back against the tree and considered his choices. ''I''ll need to get to my backpack as soon as possible to stop the bleeding¡­but where is it? Where is the clearing?''

    ''In front of you to the left.'' He did not expect an answer, so it took him by surprise, but he recognised the voice.

    ''Noir! You knew what would happen, didn''t you?! Why would you make me grab that crystal?!''

    ''Because it was either you losing your mind for five minutes, or several hectares of forest AND you vanishing off this world.'' If his words were to be believed, Noir just saved him from an early death once more.

    ''Guess I can¡¯t be mad about that. Sorry, I didn''t know any better.''

    ''No worries. It''s a natural reaction. If our roles were reversed, I''d probably act the same way.''

    Aragami chuckled for a bit, just to regret it as a searing pain jolted through his body. ''For a higher being you''re surprisingly down-to-earth, aren''t you?'' he jokingly thought and proceeded to stand back up.

    Noir chuckled, then said, ¡°You have no idea.¡±

    ''Alright! Although this is not how I pictured my first adventure, let''s wrap up this part, shall we? You said that my backpack is in front of me and to the left?

    ''Yes.''

    ''Then let''s go!''

    So Aragami began his march towards the clearing from where he sent off the Raaketig party. ''I hope I''ll be able to see them again,'' he thought. ''They seemed like a fun group to be around.''

    He had to walk for about ten minutes before he emerged from the overgrown bushes and directly next to his hammock. In front of him he could see the remains of several tents fallen to the ground by all the magic and the two doggies that ran past them.

    As he was looking through his backpack for his medkits, he wondered about their fate, before noticing a movement among the cloth. A dark gray body slowly moved out of his vision and into the mess of rods and cloth.

    ''Well¡­ That answers my question.'' he noted as he unzipped his medkit.

    ''Are you sure this will help you heal your severely injured arm?'' Noir asked, a little bewildered. ''As far as I can tell, those are just some white metal sticks.''

    ''These might not look like much, but¡­'' Aragami grinned as he unlocked the fuze, ''...these are high-grade healing items from my world.'' The needle popped out and he slowly pushed it through the armor on his left hand, injecting himself.

    ''Huh? How did it go through the armor? It''s made specifically to let nothing through! Even I have trouble getting my consciousness to pass through the cracks, yet the needle just simply made its way in?! And is the tube decreasing in length? What is happening? '' Noir nearly panicked as he watched the tubes visibly decrease in length before disappearing through the tiny hole in the plating.

    ''These are NAINS, or Nanobot Insertion Stims. They are made completely of miniature machines that are injected into my body to repair it from the inside. It''s mainly used by our Explorers and soldiers, but if you know where to search, you are able to get them as a normal person as well.

    ''Miniature machines that repair you? A profession called ''Explorers''? How is it I know nothing about that?''

    ''Wait ! You don''t? Weren''t we supposed to receive all the war-related knowledge of my kind?!''

    ''I know! That confuses me as well! I''ll have to look into it, but first let''s figure out how much information is missing.''

    Aragami thought Noir sounded a bit panicked, so he quickly moved on before the confused Law could become more distracted

    ''Okay. Let''s find a way to do this¡­'' Aragami thought for a minute before presenting his idea. ''Try this. You tell me the latest thing with great significance. Enough for it to be passed down in history books.'' With bated breath, Aragami waited for Noir''s answer. This would influence the entirety of his life here.

    ''Let''s see¡­historical events that took place¡­ooh! Here¡¯s one! The Genpei war! With significant battles like the Battle of Kurikara, or the sea battle of Dan-no-ura!'' Noir was delighted that he¡¯d found a magnificent example!

    But Aragami didn''t recognise the names. ''I don''t remember these from my history lessons. Could you try something else?''

    ''Let¡¯s see, how about the formation of the Ayyubid dynasty?'' Noir tried again, but didn''t ring a bell.

    As soon as he saw Aragami shake his head he tried another name that came to mind. ''The country of Portugal gaining independence?''

    To this he could see the spark of recognition spark up. ''Hey, Noir.''

    ''Yes? Did you figure out how much is missing?''

    ''I have a guess, but I¡¯d like to confirm it first.''

    ''Sure! But how would you do that?'' His tone was curious and Aragami found it quite amusing. But if the truth turned out the same way he expected it to, his amusement would be short-lived indeed.

    ''Among the memories we have received, is there something called: The Crusade for the Holy Land, or simply The Crusades?''

    ''Is that what was passed down in history, not the battles I''ve named? Yes, there were the two Crusades. And there are currently preparations going on for the third one.''

    ''Second and third crusade¡­'' Aragami closed his eyes and punched the ground with his right hand. ''That''s the twelfth century¡­''

    ''Twelfth century? Are you using the Christian calendar?''

    ''Not anymore. We used it up until we met other races in the Great Void. Since then we have switched to Galactic Standard time.''

    ''So you¡¯re having trouble figuring out how much we¡¯re missing because of the switching of your calendars?'' Noir didn''t understand. Why was Aragami feeling so down? What was the issue?

    ''That''s not the issue, Noir.'' Aragami just shook his head and proceeded to stand up once more. ''The issue is that we switched to the Galactic Standard, in which one year lasts about three times longer, seven hundred and eighty years ago. That''s roughly two thousand three hundred and forty years of Christian calendar. And when we switched it was the year¡­ Two thousand seven hundred and forty five¡­ So today would be¡­ Year five thousand and eighty five¡­''

    Noir was checking the numbers as Aragami counted them and found it quite strange. There were almost no delays, even when he multiplied numbers off the top of his head. ''How are you able to do that?''

    ''Do what?'' Aragami asked, walking towards the tents.

    ''Multiply almost instantly with no errors.''

    ''Oh¡­ I have a chip in my head that gives me the numbers once I input them, don''t worry about it.''

    ''A Chip? What the fuck is a Chip? Is it some kind of parasite or something? And I''m supposed to not worry about it?!'' Noir yelled before taking a breath to calm down and resume their conversation. ''Let''s leave it for another time. I''ll want to know more about this Chip before making a decision. Anyway, with the help of this Chip, you''re someone who can count complex numbers in an instant! In a world of magic! Can you not see the issue?''

    ''No, I can''t. I can''t use magic yet.''

    That shut Noir up. There was silence between them before Noir asked the next question. ''So. If the crusades were in the year 1095 and 1123, that means that the amount of time we''re missing is¡­''

    Noir paused and Aragami finished his sentence. ''...Roughly four thousand years.''

    As one they said, ¡®Well, shit¡¯.

 Chapter twenty: Lets repair this mess...

    Aragami

    ¡®Well, shit.¡¯ he thought and held his head in his hand. ''Why did this happen? Was I not supposed to get ALL the knowledge?'' He started pacing without realizing it.

    Noir was quiet the entire time, and Aragami assumed he was searching for the answer as well, so he left him to it. Instead he proceeded to check out his wounded arm. The bleeding had stopped and nanites started to repair the wound, but it was still better not to use it too much, as it could still break very easily. He disassembled his hammock and packed it into his backpack before throwing one of the straps over his right shoulder.

    ''Let''s check out the wolf-dogs,'' he thought as he made his way towards the ruins of Raaketig''s camp.

    On the way he made a detour to pick up his machete and spade off the ground. They were slightly wet, but it didn''t really matter, as they were made of titanium alloy and he got the hydrophobic laser treatment. He strapped the spade to his backpack, and with just the machete in hand, he resumed his walk towards the camp.

    When he was about six meters from the camp he caught a glimpse of a movement to his left. He stopped and scanned the terrain and debris in front of him, occasionally catching a glimpse of a gray body quickly dodging his line of sight. ''They really do look like dogs, but their wild side is pretty evident. It''s like a wolf bred with a German shepherd, more towards the wolf-side.''

    He studied its movements for a bit and noticed that he could see only one of them, which made him nervous. ''I''d swear that there were two of them that ran past us¡­so why can I only see one of them?''

    ''Because one of them was wounded.'' Noir''s answer startled him, causing him to lose the gray body once more. ''If they weren''t seriously wounded, they wouldn''t have any reason to stay here on the open field. They''d just go away.''

    His words did make sense. He wouldn''t stay in the open if he didn''t have to either. ''Does it pose a problem to me? How much of a danger are they?''

    ''That depends on what you are about to do.'' Noir trailed off, judging the beast''s physique. ''As far as the threat goes, if only one of them attacks you, the armor will hold on for about five minutes¡­ at most. Then its attacks would land true.''

    ''So I have approximately five minutes to get away if it attacks me?''

    ''Five minutes worth of protection, yes. Now¡­ could you tell me what it is you''re planning to do?''

    Aragami grimaced a bit and thought about a way to word his thoughts, before giving up and spilling the beans. ''When those wolves, or whatever they''re called, ran past us, there was a not-insignificant amount of blood behind them. I was thinking of a way to perhaps befriend them, the same way that black Raaketig had that weird bird as a pet. And what is a better way to get their trust than to heal a severe injury?¡¯

    Noir was left flabbergasted for a bit, processing the logic in the statement. ¡®I can see your point. It¡¯s just a very unusual way to get acquainted with the creatures of this world, especially the stronger ones.¡¯ As soon as Aragami showed a confused expression, Noir continued his explanation.

    ¡®You see, if you wanted to get a high-ranking beast as your servant, most of the beings in this world would beat it to a state near death to show their superiority. A sealing artifact, used to greatly reduce the beast¡¯s magic and physical prowess, and only then would it be healed and sent to *ehem* /Training Centers/ where it would be /educated/ into obedience¡¯ He paused for a moment, letting all the info sink in before continuing.

    ¡®You see, people of this world are afraid of those strong creatures. They call them monsters, and the people that fight against them are the monster-hunters.¡¯

    ¡®I thought you weren''t allowed to tell me anything about this world?¡¯ Aragami questioned with a raised eyebrow.

    ''Under normal circumstances I indeed can''t teach you. But this is different. There''s a lot of energy in the air from that spell you unleashed. This energy is linked to the Alphabeteers that summoned you here, so as long as I''m purifying it and paying a small price to the other laws, I''m allowed to teach you.''

    ¡®Ain''t that convenient?'' Aragami thought as he tried to find the wolf again, before a certain idea struck him.

    ''Wait a minute. So¡­ if there''s this energy in the air, is there a way to turn it into the energy I need to learn things?''

    ''Of course! Actually, you can already do it by yourself, but if you don''t know how I''ll help you for the price of half the Prayers you extract.''

    ''How nice of you to say that I can do it. But are you perhaps forgetting something? Like¡­I don¡¯t know. That I can''t use your damned magic? There was no magic where I came from!''

    ''...Okay, I''ll help you for free this time around. But just this once!'' Noir sounded a little annoyed, but in the end he decided to help him. ''Let me possess one of your arms.''

    ''Will you have to move it?''

    ''Not in a way to open up your wounds.''

    Aragami didn''t like how it sounded, but committed nonetheless. ''If it''s absolutely necessary then use the left arm. I feel like I''ll need the right one.'' As soon as he finished speaking, a soft mist enveloped his forearm.

    ''What now? What do you want me to do?''

    ''You just need to breathe. The Prayers are in the air, so you have to collect them and send them via your bloodstream into your arm, where I''ll be able to extract them.''

    ''Can''t you just absorb it directly from the air? My skin is breathing as well, you know? I think that would make it somewhat easier, wouldn''t it?''

    ¡®You¡­you can breathe through your skin?¡¯ Noir sounded quite surprised, yet excited, to hear that.

    ¡®Well, yes, but actually no. I can get about three percent of the oxygen I need? I¡¯m not sure about the number, but skin burns are considered a serious injury, and we can even suffocate if the burnt area is large enough¡­¡¯

    Noir said nothing, but the mist enveloped the entirety of his arm and moved it close to his chest, so he could move freely.

    ¡®I¡¯ll take that as a signal that you don¡¯t have any more questions?¡¯

    ¡®Oh no no no, I have plenty more questions, but those can wait for later.¡¯ He sounded very focused, so Aragami decided not to bother him anymore and set off in search of the wounded wolf.

    As he was passing one of the collapsed tents, he once again took notice of the wolf circling him. It was about seven meters to his left, hiding in the piles of crumpled fabric.

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    ¡®Good thing I''m so tall. If I was as short as the lizards I¡¯m sure I¡¯d have missed it.¡¯ He kept advancing, passing two more tents before he saw what he was looking for. Crumpled fabric, pulled from within the crashed frame into the open space. It was stained with a considerable amount of dark red blood.

    Looking around, he caught a glimpse of movement behind him. The other wolf moved behind him, about three meters away. He pondered his options for a couple of seconds. Should he turn around and confront the one behind him, or try to heal the wounded one?

    After a short minute, he silently exhaled before calling out to Noir once again.

    ¡®Hey, Noir?¡¯

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Noir sounded a bit annoyed, but he assumed he was safe to continue.

    ¡®I might get attacked now. Could you make sure the armor will withstand it?¡¯

    ¡®Wait a moment! What do you mean by that?! What normal person would be calm when he¡¯s about to be attacked?!¡¯ Noir almost lost it. He was about to start to lecture him, even though he was certain Aragami hated being lectured. So he decided to change the subject.

    ¡®Can you not see the wolf?¡¯ He asked mentally as he slowly took off his backpack and reached for another stim.

    ¡®Of course I can. I¡¯m just saying you might want to turn on your damn survival instincts.¡¯ Noir was exasperated, but complied nonetheless and reinforced the armor on his back.

    ¡®Thanks!¡¯ Aragami thought, before continuing. With a stim pack and machete in hand, Aragami made a first step towards the wounded wolf, just to feel a strong impact on his back. He was flung forwards, over the wounded wolf, just to get his ankle bitten and pulled in the other direction.

    ¡°Damn, he¡¯s strong!¡± Aragami unintentionally yelled out and attempted to reach for the attacking animal.

    ¡®She.¡¯

    ¡®What?¡¯ Aragami asked, confused.

    ¡®I said ¡°she.¡± The one that¡¯s biting your leg is female. She is trying to protect her mate,¡¯ Noir calmly explained, his thoughts focusing on something else.

    Aragami saw the slight twitch running through his left arm, but nothing major given the circumstances he found himself in. He had more pressing concerns. He reached for the wolf-thing¡¯s head, but it yanked his leg to the side, throwing his aim off. He tried a couple more times with the same result, before giving up and kicking the wolf with his free leg. It was surprised and with a small yelp it let go for a moment. But that gave him just enough time to withdraw his legs and gain his footing once again.

    The wounded wolf was about seven meters behind him, giving him plenty of space to figure out how to subdue the relatively healthy one. It stood in front of him, making half-circles away from its¡­her wounded companion.

    ¡®Heh. Clever. Trying to distract me from attacking the weaker one, are you?¡¯ he thought, just to get distracted by a violent twitch and a dim red light coming out of his left hand. A trickle of blood started to flow from the wound, gathering near the elbow and then dropping to the ground.

    ¡®Hey, Noir! What the hell are you doing?! If those twitches won¡¯t stop, the bleeding will start anew!¡¯ He snapped. Those stim packs were expensive.

    ¡®Just a moment. I almost got it this time.¡¯ Noir was completely unaffected by his bad mood, dismissing his question.

    The wolf, however, saw him getting distracted and took the chance she had. Aragami was just quick enough to put his right arm in between his throat and a maw full of sharp teeth, dropping his machete in the process. The she-wolf bit his forearm, her paws smashing into his chest plate and legs, her head tugging in every direction. Eventually, he was torn down on the ground, where he tried desperately not to get his face torn off by the furious beast with just one hand. The wolf was unrelenting, and its attacks aimed to his vital spots, but somehow, he managed to divert most of them. Those that slipped past his defense were mostly paw strikes that were easily deflected by the armor.

    The contest of strength went on for about a minute or two before Aragami started gaining ground. At first, the intensity at which the paws impacted his armor decreased, after which he was able to take a hold of the wolf''s snout with his armored glove. As he grabbed the inside of its upper jaw, the wolf reeled back, trying to get him to release her.

    Although its attempts were intense and powerful, the long assault exhausted her too much. Aragami quickly gained the upper hand and managed to lock his legs around her body, making sure she wouldn¡¯t be getting away any time soon.

    As he struggled to keep his right hand in the beast¡¯s maw, his entire left arm shuddered and he could see weird, semi-transparent waves racing over his left hand and into his chest. It threw him off so much he almost let go of the wolf. ¡®NOIR! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT?!¡¯ Yelling mentally, he readjusted his grip on the maw and body, preparing to throw the she-wolf on her side.

    ¡®Do not worry. I¡¯m almost done with preparations.¡¯ Noir¡¯s voice came back calm and collected, which annoyed Aragami just a little bit.

    He quickly shifted his center of mass to the side and pulled the wolves head in the other direction, causing both of them to fall to the ground once again. But this time around he was the one in power.

    ¡®Preparations for what? Could you be a little more revealing after taking control of my left arm?¡¯

    ¡®No time to explain, just follow my instructions.¡¯ His left hand slowly extended beside the wolf head, stopping around its snout before stopping in place and opening into open palm. ¡®As soon as you see the flow of Mana around your hand, propose a deal to the Hound. It¡¯ll understand you and will be free to decide if it¡¯ll take it or not.¡¯

    ¡®What the¡­what do you¡­¡¯ Aragami wanted to ask more, but by then he already saw the first signs of the Mana wave. His arm trembled and the wound resumed bleeding. As he watched the flow climb from his elbow all the way to the tips of his fingers he noticed that the wolf froze up. Her eyes watched his left palm.

    The Mana wave reached his palm and started to orbit it, getting denser and denser, almost like oil or something. This was his cue to ask the question. He took a relatively deep breath and while watching the hound/wolf carefully, he proposed his deal.

    ¡°Life for life.¡± The Hound¡¯s/wolf''s eye snapped towards him, almost begging for clarification. ¡°Let me try and heal your companion. If I succeed, both of you will accompany me until you save my life, repaying the debt. If I fail, you are free to kill me, eat me, or have me do your bidding. I will not resist.¡±

    ¡®What are you thinking? Do you have a deathwish?¡¯ Noir asked intrigued.

    ¡®Not really. I just want to show them how serious I am. That I¡¯m willing to put my life on line. You said that they¡¯d understand.¡¯

    ¡®By understand I meant they would understand the content of the words, not the meaning behind them! Basically, You are giving your life into the hands of the weird medicine you have in that tube without knowing if it¡¯ll work or not.¡¯

    Noir sounded¡­bemused? Bemused and confused. Not a tad angry, which gave Aragami all the self-confidence he needed. ¡®Welp. There¡¯s no sense crying over spilled milk. I take it there¡¯s no way to influence the question now, is there?¡¯

    ¡®The question? What you asked was a foundation to a contract between three living beings, not a simple question.¡¯ This shocked Aragami a little, but he kept his calm to listen to the explanation. ¡®No, there¡¯s no way to change the base of a contract. There is a way to influence the tiny details, but that would require a huge amount of knowledge and power, out of which we currently possess¡­neither.¡¯

    Aragami glanced to his left palm, yellow Mana still floating around it, circulating. ¡®That is the power of contract creation?¡¯ He asked Noir, fascinated by the sight.

    ¡®A basic contract, yes.¡¯ Noir paused for a moment before continuing. ¡®Contracts are one out of four ways to make use of a being in this world. The other three being curse, possession and taming. I can¡¯t tell you the details, but rest assured, as the contract is second only to taming the creature when it comes to making no enemies in the process. Now, the Hound has calmed down quite a bit, so release her snout so she can make the choice.¡¯

    Although a little doubtful, Aragami slowly loosened his grip, letting the jaw slip from his hand before quickly retracting his fingers from the vicinity of the sharp teeth. The Hound didn¡¯t move, just lay there with his open palm next to its snout.

    He didn¡¯t urge her. He just patiently waited. For one minute, two minutes, three minutes¡­ After three and a half minutes of quiet, the Hound finally moved for the first time. Its jaw closed shut and her wet snout bumped against his open palm, turning the mana in its way into a shade of green.

    ¡®Congratulations, Aragami.¡¯ Noir said proudly. ¡®You¡¯ve just sealed your first contract. You can now release her. She won¡¯t attack you until they repaid their debt, or until you fail to uphold your end of the deal.¡¯

    He was a little doubtful, but he released the she-wolf and stood himself up. The she-hound walked off to the side, watching him, but not attacking. He took it as his cue to move on with what he came here to do.

    Walking to the place he dropped his stim-pack and machete, he stayed wary of the beast behind him, but it just followed him without doing anything. He picked up the stim-pack, leaving the machete on the ground, and twisted the setting ring from option ¡®HUMAN¡¯ to ¡®UNKNOWN¡¯, setting the nanites to analyze whatever being they were injected into before starting to repair them.

 Chapter twenty-one: Setting up camp

    ''Are you sure this will work?'' Noir asked carefully. ¡®It would really suck losing my only contractor so soon after gaining him.¡¯

    ¡®Wait.¡¯ Aragami wavered in his steps, but walked it off. ¡®You don¡¯t have anyone else you¡¯ve formed a contract with?¡¯

    ¡®Yes.¡¯ Noir quickly replied and waited for his question to be answered. However he was pretty sure that wouldn¡¯t be the case. And sure enough, more questions followed.

    ¡®Why wouldn¡¯t you take in more¡­contractors, as you called me? Wouldn¡¯t it be more beneficial for you to have more backups?¡¯ Aragami - now focusing not to trip and fall again - fired in quick succession.

    ¡®Yes, it would certainly be more beneficial, but there are certain qualities that I as a Law require. And most of the beings were unable to pass a certain quality many would deem controversial.¡¯

    ¡®The /Do not touch my mind and memories/ part?¡¯

    ¡®Exactly. Most of the sentients were created and programmed in such a way as to give up their all whenever their creators ask for it, including their memories and souls.¡¯

    ¡®Even their souls, you say, makes me wonder what those glorious creators like.¡¯ Aragami rhetorically thought as he stopped over the wounded hound. Its condition was bad, a huge gush on its side partially revealed bones. He guessed that the insides weren¡¯t too much deeper. ¡®Lucky me. It seems like this is not too much damage to deal with.¡¯ He quickly thought and, under watchful gaze of the second hound, activated the nanite injector.

    ¡®You¡¯ve already met two of them. Remember back on the clearing? Before you met me?¡¯ Nior¡¯s answer to his unasked question surprised him, distracting him from the wounded hound.

    ¡®Huh? How could you know who I met before you? And how could you know who they were and how many of them there were?¡¯

    ¡®Again, with asking multiple questions at once. First of all, who do you think propelled you into a secluded, isolated corner of another realm? Secondly, I know there were at least two based off of the specific nature of two payments used to get you there. Thirdly, as to how I know who they were¡­ Let¡¯s say we, the Laws, do not have a healthy relationship with them. Basically, they are trying to destroy us and take our place as they did with the Laws you saw there shattered.¡¯

    As the nanites streamed into the body, they disassembled their casing to fuel to keep them running for as long as necessary, leaving no sign of entry point behind. All that was left was to wait and see if the nanites did good enough work. But Aragami didn''t feel like sitting down and chatting, so instead he got up and set to work adjusting the environment around them.

    ¡®So, basically, you¡¯re at war with these guys? If so, why would you even bother trying to see if I''d notice?¡¯ He thought to Noir while looking for some sticks to use as support for a shelter against the sun.

    ¡®I¡¯m not really sure either. I just¡­ felt like I could regret not trying to test you, same as with every single being I found there before you.¡¯ Noir paused for a while, likely to think things through, before speaking up to warn him. ¡®I¡¯ll be using your arm now, you should probably sit down. Just for sure, get your back to face the Hounds.¡¯

    Although confused, Aragami complied. He sat down on the crumpled tarpaulin on the ground, making sure to notice where the hounds were. The one he had to wrestle with was halfway between himself and the wounded Hound, so he slowly turned away and waited.

    ¡®Hey Noir?¡¯ he asked as he watched the withered trees around him. ¡®What happened to those that passed your test before me? You spoke of them, but you said nothing specific. Why am I the only one?¡¯

    ¡®That is a reasonable question.¡¯ Noir started to move the left arm again, stretching the fingers before weaving them into a weird sign. A short while of silence later, scattered mana around him began to move in a wide circle. ¡®In most cases, the beings in question decided to break the contract and followed the wrong path, abusing the powers I provided.¡¯ The whirlpool of mana began compressing to his vicinity, the centermost particles crumbling and separating into two forms. A dark purple one, and pearl white one, each one gathering above his thumb and pinky finger respectively.

    ¡®As they breached the agreed upon deal, they were punished by the wild principles of this world, losing their sense of self, essentially becoming wild animals.¡¯ The casualness with which he said it frightened Aragami, but there was no stopping the monologue now. Noir simply continued. ¡®Of course, as they were the ones to break the deal, I was compensated by having partial control over them. I can direct them where to go, but I can¡¯t control their bloodlust, so most of the time they wander across deserted regions where they¡¯ll do the least harm.¡¯

    By the time Noir finished speaking, all the Mana in his vicinity was divided into two shining balls, about the size of a basketball. ¡®Now, brace yourself. There might be¡­ a small shockwave. I¡¯m not used to handling Mana with your body.¡¯ As Aragami did his best to brace for the impact in his vicinity, he watched in horror as the white orb shot up into the sky, while the dark purple one centered itself in the middle of his palm.

    The white ball flew up above, into the tree crowns, where it popped like a soap bubble. All of the Mana stored inside, no longer restricted, bursted into its surroundings, destroying everything in its path. Branches broke, trees unearthed and flew away, pebbles and stones moving away from the center of the explosion. Aragami lay on the ground, his right hand covering his face as best as he could to shield it from all the debris. By the corner of his eye, he could see the Hound close to the ground as well, defying the oncoming wind with all her might.

    And as suddenly as it started, everything suddenly came to halt, the clearing now eerily quiet. ¡®That was a bit more intense than I wanted it to be, but we can work with that.¡¯ Noir sounded pleased, and that was the clue for Aragami to sit back up. A couple of trees were missing, holes in the ground from where the roots were were smoothed out, as if it was created by an explosion. The red orb in his hand began to compress, forming a diamond shaped crystal that levitated just above his palm.

    The healthy hound was watching him from a safe distance with its ears perked up in his direction, while the wounded one just slid about a meter away.

    ''I did not expect it to be so bad.'' Aragami noted as he massaged his back and his left arm that started bleeding again. ''Mind telling me what was that about or why was it worth breaking my arm again?''

    ''Sorry about that. It was hard to judge how much power would break it. Well, not that it matters. You can just heal it with that healing item of yours, can''t you? How many more do you have?''

    ''One.'' He spent his time, enjoying the silence that ensued, before continuing. ''I have one more healing item. After that I''ll have to use whatever I can find.''

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    ''That''s¡­ not ideal. I''ll have to reduce the amount of Mana by a lot and make layered crystals¡­'' Noir trailed off again as he adjusted the spell once more.

    ''Could you please answer my first question?'' Aragami asked, prompting Noir to focus on the topic at hand. ''What is the crystal for, considering that you broke my arm to create it.''

    ''Ah. The crystal, right. You know how I told you there are multiple kinds of Mana floating around?''

    ''No?''

    ''Well, there are two main branches with two types of mana and many sub-types. Namely, there is the Primal, or as the inhabitants call it, Natural Mana, and a Corrupted Mana, usually called the Tinkered Mana. Are you still with me?''

    ''For now, yes.'' he walked to an unearthed tree and sat down, leaning against it. This might take a while.

    ''Good. Stop me if necessary.'' Noir happily replied before returning to the lecture. Primal mana consists of two subtypes . The Enriched Mana, and the Imperfect Mana. The Enriched Mana is in essence the Imperfect Mana that absorbed properties of a particular Law or Element , for example the Element of Water.''

    ''Beings that grow up in an area rich in certain Enriched Mana grow in such a way to adapt to it, causing them to have greater control when they try to handle that specific element. This comes with a cost, that is worse control over the other elements, so these beings are usually specialized in one or two areas of magic.''

    ''So if you were born in an area rich with Mana of Light, you have a better aptitude for it, while worse for everything else?''

    ''If you have aptitude for fire magic, you can learn a spell that normally takes six years to learn in something over two years. But if you wish to learn some water spells, it will take at least a year longer and the spell will have weaker effect.''

    ''Everything has its drawbacks, doesn''t it?'' Aragami pondered. ''So how about those that live in a place with multiple kinds of Enriched Mana? Or the ones that live in a region of Imperfect Mana?''

    ''Seems like my rant have caused you to get interested in magic, huh?'' Noir playfully teased him, and after Aragami awkwardly nodded he continued. ''Those who grow up around multiple kinds of enriched mana usually subconsciously choose one that suits their personality the best and suppress the others. Although there have been some beings that were apt in more than one field of magic, they are the exception.''

    ''Those that grow up surrounded by Imperfect Mana are average in the learning speed and power. They usually try to broaden their horizons as much as possible, so they''re very versatile, but not necessarily strong in combat.''

    ''So they can be better in more categories of magic spells, but they learn slower and often branch out too much and stop progressing?''

    ''That''s not how I''d say it, but basically yes. They hit the limitations of how much Mana they are able to control and are unable to progress any further.'' Noir seemed quite happy. Was it because he was interested in magic, or was it that he was finally able to talk to someone? Aragami noted his observation for later, as there were other things to think about.

    ''There is a limit to everything in nature, including the amount of Mana one can master. With Natural Mana it depends on how much you''ve trained and experimented with it, your innate aptitude for it, and how well you can sense it. This makes certain beings better at controlling Mana then others, but one can still train to expand your mana pool, so everyone in the entire world have, more or less, equally accessible way to get stronger.''

    ''Wait. So. Everyone, even the weakest of the weak, with no mana whatsoever can simply train and experiment with mana around him to get greater control of it and be able to use it?'' During the lecture, Aragami was slowly losing hope, as it seemed you had to be born with magic in order to use it. Now though¡­

    ''Hahaha. So that''s what worried you.'' Noir Laughed in relief. ''Yes, even someone like you, with no magic whatsoever, can learn to use it. Even if there was no mana where you grew up, you''d still gain a certain affinity based off of your surroundings. As you entered into a contract with me, you naturally gained an affinity for the Law Magic of my nature, but it will take a while for you to mature enough to actually use it. Now. Do you have any more questions that are not about the crystal and why I''m giving you this lecture?''

    Aragami had some questions, but all of them focused exactly on that, so he opted to ask them afterwards.

    Noir, content with him remaining silent, resumed his lesson. ''If you have no more questions, I''ll continue with the Corrupted Mana. As a disclaimer, I don''t know a lot about it, other Laws are more interested in it, so I''ll just go over basics before moving on.''

    ''Corrupted Mana is the other major branch of Mana. It is artificially created by some of the most powerful beings from natural mana. As an example, various Gods and the /Creators/ that summoned you here, as well as dragons and other powerful monsters and demons.''

    ''To use it, one pays a small price of sending a fraction of their power to the owners of said mana. Demons often corrupt living creatures, making them lose all the connections to the Primal Mana, essentially forcing them to either make the demon stronger, or die.''

    ''That sounds dangerous! Is there a way to defend against that?''

    ''There are many ways, but the most common ones are to either have greater understanding of Primal Mana than the corrupt or, to have someone more skilled than the corruptor reverse the corruption, temporarily weakening you, or throwing away all of your progress up until that point and start again from scratch. There are other, more complicated ones, but these are the most common ones.''

    ''That''s kind of cruel, isn''t it?''

    ''The world is cruel. Life is cruel. Because if it was nice and easy, what would be the point of doing anything?''

    ''Yeah, I suppose you''re right.'' Aragami nodded and adjusted his position. He thought about what Noir told him. ''If there are just two types of Mana, which one did you use to make a deal with the Hounds?''

    ''Primal Mana of course. Unlike most of the civilized beings in the world, they evolved here. They are Primal species, and as such they recognise only Primal Magic.'' Something about that sentence bothered him, but why? He didn''t have time to ponder it deeper, as Noir spoke again.

    ''Now that you know about both Primal and Corrupted Mana, I can explain the crystal.'' Aragami chose to focus on the subject at hand, tossing the bothersome sentence to the back of his head. ''What I did was that in essence, I turned your arm into a Mana magnet to gather all the Scattered Mana in the surroundings and then extracted one of the subtype of Primal Mana, a Mana enriched by my law, and concentrated it into a crystalline form. That way you will have a piece of my power next to you, so your body will get used to it beforehand.''

    ''Beforehand of what?'' Aragami asked, confused. ''Why do I need to get used to your law? Aren''t you already using my arm right now?''

    ''Yes, but it''s me who''s controlling your arm. I don''t have all the time in the world to nurture you. I have my own chores as well you see? Being a Law is not so easy. Sure, I can afford to waste a couple of days getting you used to this world, but if for example the law of storms did that, some of his storms might grow too much and cause a lot of damage.''

    Aragami took hold of the crystal with his right hand, carefully inspecting it against the sun. On the outside it looked like a simple dark purple, almost black piece of glass, but when he looked at it against the sun, he could see a bunch of small specks of light moving through the crystal in every direction. He was so captivated by the sight, a single word slipped from his mind and through his mouth. "Beautiful"

    ''Huh? Oh. Eeh. Thank you? Now let''s return to the matter at hand, shall we?'' Did he just stutter? No, that must have been his imagination.

    ''Place it somewhere safe and let your arm heal for a while. I''ll make some adjustments to the spell and then we''ll try again. If anything comes up, just knock on the crystal.'' With that, Aragami felt the muscles on his left hand twitch as a now familiar presence disappeared.

    He felt a little bit alone, until the pain of the wound reminded him that it was Noir who negated it. ''Fuck'' he thought, doing his best not to yell it outwards. ''I gotta get some pain killers from the medkit. And when I''m there, I might as well take a look at the Hound as well. It sounds dumb, calling them Hounds all the time. Should I name them?''

    Gritting his teeth in pain, he stood up, his right arm holding the left one, and a crystal in one of the pockets, and walked over to the wounded animal. ''It seems like he''s doing alright. I could move him out of the sun and into the shade, but I gotta get my painkiller ASAP.

    Very carefully, he walked over to his backpack and began the work on his arm while being quietly watched by a pair of clever eyes of the Hound female.

 Chapter twenty-two: Can I keep them?

    It''d been a couple of hours since Noir left and Aragami was working hard. After bandaging his arm, he waited for a bit to have the painkillers take effect and sprung up to work again. First thing he did was to scout the surrounding area for threats and debris of the camp that Noir scattered, all while the female Hound followed him.

    After climbing to the crown of two trees to recover tent tarps, he found a small clearing with an abundance of shade. There was also a spring a couple of paces away, so water would be no problem.

    Using two sticks, a tent tarp and a couple of ropes from his backpack, he even made a primitive sled with which he dragged the wounded Hound to the shade. There he created a den for them.

    When everything was set and done, he prepared some water for the Hounds to drink and checked their wounds. The nanites seemed to be working, as the skin on the male''s side was intact and there was no sign of any scar or pus. His magical energy seemed to be in disarray in comparison to the female, but for now he wrote it off as a result of an injury. That, however, didn''t stop him from keeping an eye on the mana.

    The female protested in the beginning, not letting him touch her, but after a while of back and forth he gave her a quick look around, disinfecting one ugly gash on the back and let her go. She still followed him, although with a greater distance in between them.

    Not knowing what to do with his time, he decided to drag the bodies from the sunlight, so that they hopefully wouldn''t start rotting before someone comes to check out the area. As he pulled a body of the cat-thing (he refused to call them by their names, even racial one) through the forest, he wondered what the members of Raaketig party were doing. Are they coming to look for him? Or did they get caught up in something? What if the wormhole collapsed onto them and crushed them? What if¡­

    A loud crack from behind snapped him back into reality. He dropped the corpse, causing the blood to slowly spill on the ground, and took a defensive stance, just to see the female Hound pulling another corpse behind him.

    The sight of her dropping the leg she was pulling and looking him in the eye was the last straw. He braced himself off his thighs and laughed; the stress, uncertainty and every other feeling of the last two days spilled out uncontrollably in the form of pure laughter.

    All the while the female Hound stood there, her ears turned toward him to study these new sounds. "Oh my god." he sighed out loud, immediately looking around for some disturbance in Mana around him. ''I have to be careful with talking, but experimenting a little bit should be beneficial, right? I mean, how much more ground could I accidentally destroy?''

    Deciding so, he kneeled down, and started to talk to the female Hound.

    "Thank you. I needed that." Nothing happened, and the Hound turned her head toward him, studying his voice.

    ''Should be safe to continue.'' he thought, and while still paying close attention to his surroundings, talked to the Hound.

    "Hi. Hi beautie. How are you?" He squatted down and extended his right slightly open, as you''d do with a dog. "We didn''t start off the way I''d want to, so let''s start over."

    He talked in a calm manner, baby-talking, slowly gaining the canine''s trust high enough that she came close enough for him to touch her.

    "Who''s a good girl? Are you a good girl? I hope you are. My good hand is at risk." he tried touching her, but was met with a low growl and so he quickly got the idea.

    "I wonder if you want to make friends with me. I hope you do." Aragami was talking for quite a long while now. His throat was sore and his legs hurt from squatting for so long, but he didn''t move for fear he might miss the opportunity.

    "I wonder if you want to be friends with me, or if you''re just using me to help your other friend back there." Up until now, he was pretty much talking for the sake of talking, saying whatever came to mind. But as the time flew by and the pain in his legs grew, he started contemplating, or realizing he was voicing his thoughts aloud.

    To his surprise the canine''s head turned aside, towards her fallen companion, before turning back towards him and rolling to one side with ears perked up and her tail completely still.

    "It almost seems like you can understand what I''m saying." He tried to laugh it off. Surely, he''s gone crazy. Talking lizards with armor? Magic? Talking tree and mist? Yep. There surely are a couple of screws loose somewhere.

    But his thought process was interrupted by a strange sound. One he''d not heard since he came here. A soft woof. He looked around for the source of the sound just as the she-hound in front of him moved.

    Coming a step closer to him, her maw opened just a little bit, and she barked at him. Again.

    A couple of thoughts flew through his mind, before one insane settled in. "Wait, you can understand me?" he asked more out of whim than an honest question to which he was answered by another bark.

    He fell on his butt, trying to comprehend what was happening. "If you can understand me," he said, laying his words carefully, "spin around twice."

    To his amazement, the Hound simply spun around twice before gazing directly into his eyes. A small whirlpool of Mana began to materialize close to the tip of her snout, which worried him a little, but he stayed unmoving, trying to prove he can be trusted.

    The small whirlpool eventually unwound itself, revealing a narrow string of Mana that flew towards Aragami. He watched in fascination and prepared to grab it in midair, but halfway in between them, the string broke apart and slowly dissipated, as if someone tore it into small pieces.

    Both him and the Hound stared at each other, before the she-hound slowly sat down and stared at him.

    Almost instinctively, his hand found the crystal Noir gave him and knocked at it.

    ''What is the problem?'' Noir''s voice sounded in his head again. It was almost instantaneous, as if he''d never left.

    ''I¡­ I don''t know if you''d consider it a problem, but¡­ something just happened. I''m not sure what it was, but I feel like it was important.''

    ''You''ll have to give me something to work with. I thought you knew that.'' Noir''s reproachful words struck him as guilty, so he quickly reformed his thoughts before trying again.

    ''There was a magic phenomena I can''t quite place. And I think she''s the one responsible for it.''

    ''You have my full attention. Please explain.'' Noir''s voice turned completely serious. Sensing the tone in Noir''s voice, Aragami quickly retold what happened with the string earlier, including what he saw and felt.

    **''Is that truly what happened?'' **Noir asked, his voice completely neutral.

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    ''Yes''

    **''And did you communicate in any shape or form with her before that happened?'' **

    ''Yes''

    **''Fuck. Thellia will eat me alive.'' **Noir sounded tired and annoyed, but he quickly asked another question. **''Please tell me, did you talk to it? Even a single word in your language will help.'' **

    The question sounded really weird, almost fishy, so very slowly, Aragami spilled the colors. ''Yes¡­ I¡­I did talk to her. And not just a couple of words or sentences¡­''

    **''Thank the heavens.'' Noir sighed, all the seriousness dissipating from his voice. ''I''ll tell you what to do now, okay? Bring the Hounds together and stay with them. I''ll ring their creator to take a look at the damage¡­ Thankfully, you talked to them, so the damage shouldn''t be so bad. I''ll get back to you as soon as I find her.'' **

    With that, Aragami could feel Noir''s presence disappear from his mind. He sighed, and while bracing his knees, he stood up. The she-hound kept on sitting, staring him in the eye, as if she expected something from him.

    Sighing again, Aragami set to lift up the body he was carrying prior to this. "Good thing this is the last pair." he thought aloud before turning to see the she-hound. "Let''s bring them to the camp and take a look at your friend, okay?" The Hound huffed softly, before running over to the second body and dragging it behind him.

    ''Yup. I''m definitely naming you. And I might even name your¡­ friend? brother? Whatever.'' he threw away the thought as he focused on the way forward.

    Arriving at the camp, he threw the body atop the pile next to a tree and went to help the she-hound with the other one. After that, they walked over to the den, where the other Hound was still asleep.

    Aragami sat down near a tree, his back against the bark and waited. The hounds laying together in the den, the she-hound looking at him. He checked out his left arm and tried to relax until the laws came in. His throat was sore, but the little bit of water was intended for the Hounds to drink. ''I''ll have to go get some more after all is said and done.''

    Ten minutes later, he was just trying to kill some time when he noticed something. He couldn''t see it, as it was in the forest¡­ He could just¡­ feel it. It was slowly heading towards them. And it didn''t seem friendly.

    He slowly stood up and stretched himself, while keeping his eyes in the direction of the thing. He walked over to the Hounds to check on them, just to find them happily sleeping. Smiling to himself, he picked up the machete from next to the den, and headed just a couple of steps in the direction he felt the thing. He then sat down next to a tree and pretended to relax while still keeping an eye out for something just out of sight.

    **''I''m back.'' **Noir''s voice sounded loud, as if a gunshot had gone off in his vicinity.

    Aragami flinched in surprise before yelling back on Noir ''Fucking hell! Could you not let me know you''re here more peacefully?!''

    ''I could, but that would defy the purpose of why I did that.'' Noir sounded proud of himself, which infuriated Aragami a little, but before he could retort, Noir''s voice shifted, as if he wasn''t talking to him, but someone else instead.** ''Is that good enough for you?'' **

    Aragami was about to ask who it was he''s talking to, before something came out of the bushes. Slowly venturing into the open, there was a snow white hind(female deer) with a silver and gold necklace hanging on its neck in front of him.

    Mesmerized by the sight in front of him, he heard a voice, however unlike Noir''s neutral tone, this one had a clear feminine side to it.

    *"I suppose you were telling the truth this time around. You found a being that might be worth the while." *

    He looked around in confusion, looking for the source of the voice, before his eyes fell on the deer once again. ''Surely not¡­'' he thought to himself, throwing the idea out the window. It couldn''t have been the deer that said those delicate words just now.

    To distract himself, he called to get Noir''s attention once again and hopefully get some answers. ''Hey Noir! What is going on? Did you find the one who created the Hounds?''

    **''Eeh. Yeah. I found her¡­'' **He sounded weird¡­ as if he was unsure how to handle the situation?

    **''I guess I should introduce the two of-'' **

    *"No need, old man. I am more than capable of introducing myself if I want to!" *

    Noir was cut off mid sentence and Aragami was baffled. There were two reasons for his bafflement, first one being that someone would even dare to cut Noir off like that.

    The second part was about who exactly was it that cut him off. He stared at the deer as it adjusted its posture to appear as majestic as possible, and spoke in a scornful tone:*"I am the Great Spirit of Life, Guardian of all the beasts native to the land, the one that drove away the Fire Dragon Daisimuss, Patronic beast of the Treants, deity of the Sl''ankhoo, the one that regals with absolute power, Thellia!" *

    The whole display was magnificent. The white fur of the deer reflected sunlight in such a way one would think that the fur itself is shining, the majestic tone and choice of words. Everything was absolutely perfect. Until Noir spoke up, that is.

    **''Yep. That''s Thellia. She takes care of the forest and only the forest in my brother''s stead.'' **

    The reaction was instantaneous. The deer''s head swayed sideways as the self-proclaimed deity shouted out loud.* "Shut up old man!" *before her body went completely still.

    Aragami sat there for a short time, before a single confused "Huh?" sounded on the clearing. He called out to Noir about what''s going on, but the only answer he received back was quiet.

    After a hot minute of trying and tapping the crystal multiple times, he finally got a reply.

    **''Hold¡­ Hold on a minute, will you?'' **Noir''s voice sounded as if he''d been running for a while. **''We''ll get back to you in a - OW! SHE BITES!'' **With that, the connection was cut off again, leaving Aragami more confused than he already was.

    As soon as Aragami processed what happened, he started laughing uncontrollably at the bizarreness of the situation.

    ''Yes, yes, very funny. Now listen closely, I don''t have much time.'' Noir''s voice brought him back to reality. He tried to suppress his laughter and succeeded to some degree, so Noir resumed talking. **''I don''t want to deal with Thella''s tantrum, so I''ll dump her to you. I''ve managed to get her to teach you how to take care of the Hounds, as well as how to heal them. You''ll have to do her a favor in the future, but that''s a whole lot of ¡®not my problem¡¯.'' **

    That snapped him out of his laughter. He was thankful for the help, but he couldn''t help but wonder what kind of favor would the spirit demand, but Noir still continued.

    ''I''ve managed to talk her into letting you name them, but you have to understand something first. Naming a certain creature makes it stronger in one way or another, but it also creates a weakness. If you know someone''s true name, you can, with a help of a certain not-so-legal ritual, gain control of them, essentially making them slaves to whoever knows it. I would recommend you pick a name that sounds easy to pronounce, but is difficult to write.''

    Noir trailed off for a minute before continuing.** ''She might ask to borrow a part of your body the same way I did. I''ve placed a couple of barriers in your eye to prevent her from seeing anything you might not want her to see, but other than that, I have nothing prepared. If she tries to take control of your body without your approval, just shout out loud at her in your language. That should deter her from trying anything more.''**

    By the time Noir finished talking, the white deer began to shake slightly. If his intuition was correct, whoever was chasing after Noir was about to get here, which was confirmed by Noir just a second later.

    **''Fuck. She''s fast. I''ll go for now. When she leaves, just give me a heads up using the crystal and I''ll show you something that is beneficial to both of us.'' **With that, he once again withdrew from his mind and disappeared to who-knows-where.

    Sorting out his thoughts, Aragami waited for Thella to come back and inhabit the deer. He didn''t need to wait for long, before its head swung to the side and a voice of the self-proclaimed deity resounded across the clearing once again.

    *"I can''t believe he''d disrespect my introduction like that. Damned old man. I don''t care about seniority, if he keeps on taking away my creations and reputation, I''ll drag him to some remote cave and seal his ass for all eternity¡­" *

    Aragami did his best to contain a chuckle as - If his intuition was correct - Noir was much stronger than Thella, which would make it very hard for her to even catch him, no need to talk about sealing him.

    To his luck (or acting skills, he really wasn''t sure) it seemed like she didn''t notice as she turned in his direction and with an entitled demand in her voice, she finally addressed him directly.

    *"So. You are the reason the old man broke the agreement he had with the other laws¡­ You sure don''t look worth it, in my humble opinion." *Thella stated matter-of-factly, before stopping, giving him the opportunity to defend himself.

    Aragami had a feeling she wanted him to defend himself, so instead of answering, he put on the best poker-face he had and simply stared into her eyes without saying a word.

    This earned him an amused* "Hoho"* from the annoying deer in front of him, before she moved on, coming to terms that she won''t get him to argue with her. He could see why Noir didn''t want to deal with her, and if he didn''t have to, he wouldn''t. But he needed to make sure the Hounds were okay and sort of wanted to get her recognition so he would, hopefully, have an easier time dealing with her in the future.

    All he could do now, was to just sit there quietly, with a poker-face on, as an albino deer continued to throw not-so-subtle insults in his direction as it slowly made its way to the temporary den he''d made.

 Chapter twenty-three: Know your pets

    As Thellia walked up to the Hounds, she immediately noticed it. The female was in a fair condition, but her wounds were well tended to and she''d have no problems healing up as long as she got the appropriate rest.

    The male, on the other hand, was in a strange situation. His wounds were completely healed, even in places where he was cut deeply. He had been cared for in such a way that he wouldn''t even have any scars to prove it.

    What worried her quite a bit, however, was the condition of his mana arteries. They were disturbed in several places, and in one place, missing completely.

    She went over some of Noir''s memories from when he helped his contractor subdue and heal them, and noticed a giant gash on the Hound''s side, exactly where the artery was missing.

    ''I see. So this is the thing he wanted me to teach him. But why? That''s basic knowledge, isn''t it?'' She contemplated for a moment, turning to look at Noir''s contractor and, activating the necklace, searched for any sign of Mana Artery in his body. But she found none. Not even in the creature''s brain.

    ''That''s ridiculous.'' she thought. ''How am I supposed to teach it how to heal a Mana Artery if it can''t even sense the Mana around it?! Why would the old man make a contract with some useless magicless being? The fact that it knows the language of magic is useless if it doesn''t know how to use it. It could blow up the area if it''s not careful enough. This is ridiculous.''

    It looked at her curiously, as if it could see what she was doing. She scoffed and, while mentally resigning, started questioning the thing.

    "Let''s begin. I will ask you questions, and I want you to only think of the answer. Do not speak them out loud, or I swear to the skies above, you will pay for any harm to the forest. Are we clear?"

    The thing shook its head up and down, and she took it as a sign to continue.

    " I will use telepathy to read your thoughts, so there is no doubt about what you said. Now to the first question. Do you know what magic is?" She activated the telepathy magic and focused on the thing. She sensed affirmation, which caught her a bit off guard, but she pressed on. After all, he could have heard about magic from Noir or any other being it could have stumbled upon.

    "So you know about Magic. But do you know what mana looks like?" She smirked internally. As if the magic less dork could know what a Mana particle looks like.

    She activated the magic, expecting confusion or straight-up ignorance, but instead she was granted with a perfect visualization of a mana particle.

    She reeled back in pure shock. How could it know so much without even having a single artery?!

    "Where did you learn that? Who told you? Was it Noir? That damned old man!" She was a little upset. This was her favorite part about teaching others any form of advanced magic. Explaining the basics and completely resetting their fundamental understanding of magic. Annoyed, she cast the spell again, only reluctantly reading the simple sentence the thing thought.

    She had to do a double take.

    "There''s no damned way. Are you trying to make fun of me?!" She yelled out. "Are you seriously trying to tell me you can SEE THE MANA IN THE AIR?! Don''t be ridiculous and simply tell me the REAL reason."

    She laughed and read its mind again, almost choking mid-laugh. Instead of an apology and an explanation she expected, she could read only five words, clearly marked out. "See for yourself. Left eye? Are you trying to make fun of me?!" She was fuming. If this was another of Noir''s jokes, he''d pay for it dearly. She wasn¡¯t stupid enough to act thoughtlessly.

    But the longer she stood there, the more her curiosity grew. In the end, she couldn''t help it. She played along.

    "Okay." She sighed, drawing the thing''s attention. "Close your left eye. I don''t want to get blinded by the light as soon as I can see through it."

    The thing flashed its teeth a little bit, but closed its eye shut. She warily closed both of her eyes, as she needed to focus. She''d transfer only part of her consciousness, enough to peer through its eye, so if Noir prepared some of his annoying jokes, she''d be prepared to withdraw.

    As her consciousness drew closer, she was able to sense the remains of Noir''s presence, as well as his Mana writing on the side of the eye. No barrier, no active formations, nothing.

    Confused, she drew closer to the writing, so she could read it. "Let''s see¡­ Operating manual¡­ Who does he think he is?! I know how to operate a damned eye!"

    Annoyed, she brushed past the manual and settled inside the now-closed eyelid, preparing to open the eye using mana as usual. But then she stopped to think for a moment.

    " Wait a moment. This body doesn''t have a shred of mana inside, so how am I supposed to open the eyelid?!" With the sudden realization, she tried her best to open the eye, before ultimately giving up and looking at the manual. (She couldn''t bring herself to ask the brute for help.)

    ''Operating manual.'' ''Hi Thellia. Miss me? I am sure that the moment you saw the words "Operating manual" you simply passed by thinking something along the lines of "I know how to use a damned eye", right?''

    Thellia had to inhale deeply, as the jab was very accurate. "This fucking old geezer¡­" She muttered and, steeling her resolve, resumed reading the jab-filled manual as she shot back the insults to the Un-attending law.

    In the end, Noir instructed her to leave the movement of the eye and eyelid to the brute, as incorrect movements could permanently damage the eye. She was to just redirect the flow of information in a way she could watch it, while restricting the back of the eye to collect any light.

    It took her about five minutes to read the manual and set up the eye, but in the end, she was ready. ''Let''s see why he thought it important for me to see through the brutes'' eyes.''

    She instructed the brute to open the eye, having low expectations of what she''d see outside.

    However, as soon as the eyelid opened, she had to do yet another double-take. Thellia was not prepared to see a flow of mana. Even she had to sense it with her body, yet this¡­ thing could see it without even trying?

    "Are you kidding me?" she yelled, frustrated. "No fucking way! How did the old fart do that? How did he make it so that you''re able to see all that?!"

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    Out of reflex and a little bit of curiosity, Thellia activated the telepathy magic and read its mind once again.

    "No fucking way we''re you able to see it even before meeting the old geezer! Are you trying to deceive me?!" Thellia yelled out in anger, her avatar in front of the brute kicked the ground for greater effect.

    Her magic stayed activated, so she felt it all. The brute was surprised from hearing her raise her voice, then it was annoyed about something before contemplating for a moment and forcefully shoving one of its memories for her to see.

    Before she could cancel the spell to look away, she already saw a set of images.

    ¡®That¡¯s so fucking unfair!¡¯ She thought so, but did her best to hide how she felt.

    ¡°Okay. I can see you weren''t making fun of me, so this will be much easier than what I anticipated. Let¡¯s start this up, shall we?¡± Thellia assumed the control of her own avatar and moved towards the downed hounds.

    ¡°You are permitted to look at what I¡¯m doing, as I will only heal the most severe damage. I will not teach you exactly how to heal them, as it would go against our laws, but I will show you how and where to heal them. The rest¡­ you¡¯ll have to figure out yourself¡±

    The brute behind her huffed slightly, so she used a weak telepathy, just to find out what it felt¡­ ¡®Annoyance¡­Well, I can see why It would be annoyed, but it¡¯s not like I can just break the law¡­¡¯

    She kneeled down to the male, forcing the female to sleep using magic. She had a feeling the female might lash out if she saw the male being treated. The brute came up to her left side, its gaze jumping from her to the male in front of her.

    ¡°Listen well, I will not repeat this.¡± Its eyes shot in her direction and remained there. She had its attention, so she began the lesson. She used telekinesis on a nearby stick and used it as a pointer. ¡°From the memories Noir gave me, the male had a large wound around here, right?¡± Brute¡¯s head jumped up and down, which she took as a yes. ¡°You¡¯ve done a decent job healing up the physical damage. I won¡¯t ask HOW you managed to heal it this quickly without knowing how to use magic, but I am greatly interested in it¡± She sent a gaze to indicate that she¡¯d like to see it, but the brute either didn¡¯t notice it, or ignored it. She wasn¡¯t sure.

    Resigning herself to leave the mystery unsolved, she continued her explanation. ¡°However. What you didn¡¯t heal were the Mana Arteries in his body. All of the strongest beings have them inside their bodies. They are very important to all the beings in this world, as they allow us to use Magic. These Hounds, for example, have three main Mana Arteries, two of which are necessary for them to survive. One of them goes through their spine and two of them go through their sides.¡± She used the stick to point out their locations.

    ¡±When the Artery is severed, it can usually be repaired with the mana flowing through it, especially if it is a Main Artery. But unfortunately for this one, the wound was too large and caused by a Magic Weapon that specializes in disturbing the flow of Mana. It disturbed the mana in the artery, so it wouldn¡¯t heal on its own.¡±

    ¡°The treatment is simple. I will have to infuse the Artery with my own Mana and use it to move the Hound¡¯s Mana through the two ends of the Artery, reconnecting the flow. He¡¯ll heal on his own after that. Any questions?¡±

    She used her telepathy to search for questions amongst the surface thoughts. She didn¡¯t search for long until she found one worth answering. ¡°If two Arteries are necessary for him to live, why doesn¡¯t he wake up? Good question! It¡¯s simple. He can survive, but he will be crippled. He would become slower and slower, his muscles would degrade, and due to the unstable flow of Mana through his body, the second Artery would die off, degrading him into a regular wolf. And in this forest, a regular wolf won¡¯t survive for too long. That¡¯s why he¡¯s trying his best to recover his Artery, even if it costs him his life in the process.¡°

    She flashed him a knowing look. The reality was harsh, especially in a dangerous environment such as this one. ¡°Any other questions?¡± She searched for a while longer, before a question was shoved right in front of her. ¡°How do you find a disturbed artery and locate the correct ends, huh? Why can¡¯t you ask simple questions such as the last one?¡±

    She contemplated for a while. How could she explain how to find the arteries to someone with zero knowledge about the subject? Her gaze wandered over the body, then towards the forest before slowly settling on the brute¡¯s face. No, not the face. The eye. ¡°The eye!¡± She said, gaining confidence by the second. ¡°You should be able to see it!¡± It was so simple! Why didn¡¯t she think of that from the start?

    She looked through the brute¡¯s eye again, visualizing the mana around them once again. ¡°Your eyes receive too much information for what we¡¯re trying to do here. Try your best to ignore all the mana in the air and flora around. We do not need it now. Try to focus your eyes to look inside the Hound, underneath his skin and into the meat. Look for Mana that is concentrated into a flow on his side!¡±

    She didn¡¯t know how much it understood, but it did as she ordered. The Mana in the air didn¡¯t disappear from her vision, she just saw it as a blurred dots all round. The Mana inside the Hound, on the other hand, could be seen better and better by the second. In the end, however, there seemed to be a limit to the detail with which it could see it, but it was good enough so that she could work with it.

    ¡°Can you see the stream of Mana running through its back? There is one on its side, but it¡¯s disturbed in one place. You can tell which end is supposed to be connected by how much Mana flows there. Now try Pointing to the two ends that need to be connected. The largest ones.¡± She waited in anticipation. If the brute caught on this easily, this was the easiest favor she¡¯d ever earned. Its undamaged upper leg moved past her head and to the Hound¡¯s side where it paused for a moment before gently tapping two spots where the ends of the Main Artery were.

    Thellia smiled to herself. ¡®Bingo! Easy job! The favor is as good as mine now!¡¯ She thought, and while erasing any of her inner feelings from her voice, she spoke to the brute. ¡°Great job. Those are exactly the Arteries. Now look closely at how I connect them. We¡¯ll do the Main Artery, and two more Arteries of your choosing, before I leave, so choose wisely.¡±

    She extended her hoof to touch the Hound near the Artery and infused her Mana into its body. She could see the Mana through the brute¡¯s eye, so she could tell her golden Mana contrasted with the Hound¡¯s dark blue Mana. She guided her Mana in such a way to Intermingle with the Hound¡¯s disarranged Mana, tying it into a rope-like bundle and pulling it towards the other end. As soon as it reached the other end of the gash, she released her hold of the Mana and allowed the damaged stream to stabilize itself.

    She repeated the process two more times, connecting the Mana Arteries the brute pointed out, making sure they¡¯re the correct ones and that the brute understood her lesson completely, before moving to the second topic at hand.

    ¡°Now that this is done with, Let¡¯s finish this quickly. Did you think of the names you wanted to give them?¡± The brute nodded again without looking away from the male Hound. It was still studying the Arteries, and she found it quite annoying,so she withdrew from its eye. As he passed through Noir¡¯s barrier, she felt that she wouldn¡¯t be allowed to pass through any more, so it was a good thing she didn¡¯t leave it from the beginning during the entire treatment. She wouldn¡¯t need the thing¡¯s vision for this.

    ¡°I hope they are somewhat difficult to write¡­¡± The brute nodded and, using a stick, wrote a couple of letters into the ground near the Hound with arrows pointing to each of them.

    Thellia leaned over to get a closer look, just to see a bunch of random letters. It read: Thaessie, with an arrow pointing towards the female, and Phydeaux, with an arrow pointing towards the male.

    ¡°That¡¯s a nice mess of letters. But how do you read that?¡± Thellia asked out loud, unknowingly prompting the brute to answer.

    ¡°Tessi and Fido¡± It said, pointing to the female and the male respectively. She was disturbed. The way it said those words¡­ Something about it was wrong. As if the air itself trembled with some kind of meaning, painfully out of her grasp. She tried to contemplate the meaning behind those words. There had to be one! But no matter how much she contemplated, there was nothing.

    In the end she had to give up. She stood up and walked to the side of the clearing. ¡°That will be all. I will collect my favor when you grow a bit stronger. You wouldn¡¯t be of much use as you are right now.¡± She was about to leave, but she stopped to clarify something first. ¡°Just to make sure you understand, as the Hound is right now, he will live and won¡¯t degrade to a normal wolf, But he will be quite crippled. I¡¯d recommend you find a way to treat him as soon as possible. Take good care of them. They are still only pups after all."

    With that, she undid the sleep spell on the female - Tessi, and vanished into the wind. She had a lot to do and she spent a lot of time here. She¡¯d probably work overtime today, but for a favor from one oh His contractors? Just that much was acceptable

 Chapter twenty-four: Thats my dog!

    As soon as Thellia disappeared from his vision, Aragami''s shoulders slumped down and he breathed a sigh of relief.

    "I fucking hate these kind of people. Acting all mighty and whatnot¡­" he muttered as he fished out the crystal from inside his pocket.

    Before he could call Noir, the female Hound woke up and looked around, confused. He smiled for a bit and scratched her behind the ears, making her close her eyes in pleasure.

    "Just wait a little longer, I''ll give you a name soon enough." As he muttered this, the Hound looked at him with a knowing gaze and lay her head on his leg.

    "Ooh. Whoosagoodgurl?" He whispered to her, and, holding the crystal in his left hand, used the knuckles of his right hand to call for Noir.

    Almost immediately, a column of dark purple mana rose from the crystal, slowly circling around him. ''Is she gone?'' Noir asked him, carefully sensing the surroundings.

    "Yeah," Aragami answered, petting the Hounds. "She left about five minutes ago."

    ''Good. Aren''t you a bit thirsty? Her lectures are¡­ taxing.'' Noir asked, concern evident in his voice.

    "I''m fine." Aragami shrugged. "I will go get a drink when we''re done with the things here."

    **''Of course. I don''t want you to collapse due to lack of water, so let''s do the naming first, as we have to be near the named beasts. After that, let''s just go to the spring and I''ll do the extraction on the way.'' **

    "You''re gonna get some water?"

    ''No. You''re gonna get some water.''

    Aragami laughed and returned to gently stroking the fur under his fingers. "Shall we begin?" he asked, making sure to not hide his excitement.

    ''The sooner the better.'' Noir nodded in approval. **''I''m gonna need to use your arm again for this one. May I?'' **

    With a quick nod of his head, Aragami allowed Noir to once again take control of his arm. It was a weird feeling, having all the pain and sensitivity of his wounds disappear so suddenly, but at this point he was starting to get used to it.

    What he was NOT getting used to anytime soon was seeing his arm move independently. It still sent a shudder down his neck, seeing his arm move around as it wished, coincidentally directly next to his right arm, to the top of the female Hound''s head.

    ''Okay. Do you have any name in mind? Or do you want me to name her?''

    ''No, thank you. I''m the one who''ll have to call them by their names. I''d rather embarrass myself, thank you,'' Aragami shot back, while taking his right hand away and writing the name into the dust on the ground.

    ''Tessie? Sounds original enough, but how do you pronounce it?'' Aragami got the feeling that Noir liked the name, and to be fair, he liked it as well. It was a name he gave his dog that passed away a few years prior, and he felt like he''d like to call her name again.

    ''I''ll pronounce it as ¡°Tessie¡±. I''m already used to that, and it has a nice ring to it, don''t you think?''

    ''Hmm¡­ Tessie. I guess it will be fine, although some of the species out there might have a tough time pronouncing it.''

    ''I don''t plan on getting rid of them any time soon. If there is someone else they will be willing to listen to, I''m sure they won''t mind a bad pronunciation. They''ll probably take it as a nickname¡­''

    ''I agree. Aside from you, they''ll listen to whoever they themselves find worthy.'' As Noir said this, the entire left arm he controlled suddenly turned dark purple, almost black in color. Then, from the darkness, a multitude of points shone through with a bright light.

    ''Preparations are complete. We can offer her a name now.'' Noir controlled the Mana around his arm in a way that a little bridge of brightly shining Mana connected the bright points on his arm all the way from his shoulder to the tips of his fingers.

    He removed Aragami''s hand from the Hound''s head and withdrew it just a tad in front of her maw, opened, palm facing away from Aragami.

    ''Ready?'' Noir asked, and recieving a nod from Aragami, he continued. ''The process is simple. As soon as you see a magic circle appear in front of the hand, you are to talk to her and offer her the name you''d like to give her. Then, it''s up to her to either accept or decline it.''

    ''That''s simple enough to understand,'' Aragami thought as he looked the soon-to-be-named Hound in the eyes.

    He saw¡­ expectation? Maybe a bit of curiosity and wariness as well, but the expectation ruled over all of it.

    ''Let''s get to it. I don''t think I''ll have the self-control to wait any longer.'' He chuckled to himself before an idea came to mind.

    ''Anyway, what do I have to do? Is there some sort of ritual or something?'' Aragami asked.

    **''Not the kind you''re thinking of. Just watch her eyes and when the time comes, say something like: /I, Aragami, offer you the name of Thaessie/ or something like that.'' **

    ''It''s not like I stopped watching her¡­'' Aragami noted and focused back on the scene in front of him.

    Nothing seemed to have changed. The Hounds stayed where they were, the female only turned her head to the side a little bit.

    Suddenly, the amount of Mana on his arm skyrocketed. The shimmering arcs previously only barely visible surged with power and like a gigantic wave flowed towards his palm. About five centimeters in front of his palm, a circular Mana formation formed itself in the air.

    It had a diameter of about 40 cm and had a combination of English, Latin, and some other language Aragami didn''t recognise all throughout it.

    He snapped himself away from the Formation, recognizing it as his cue to acting and looked deep into the Hound''s eyes.

    "I, Aragami, formerly known as James Paerrung, offer you the name of Thaessie in exchange for your companionship along my journey of this world." Aragami solemnly said, as be stared through the Hound''s eyes into her soul. He could see the words he said emerging around the Mana Formation, but he paid it little attention.

    All of it was focused on the Hound in front of him, and she stared right back at him. About a minute of staring and studying each other later, she finally moved. At first, she moved very slowly, carefully placing one paw in front of the other and moved forward, staring directly at his face.

    As her snout touched the Formation Aragami could feel all the Mana in his entire arm flew forward and into the Hound, Thaessie. He felt a weird sensation, of another mind brushing against his own.

    It was similar to the time Noir first talked to him, yet different. Noir was able to send him a concrete thought or word, but all he felt from this mind were raw feelings. A sense of wariness and¡­ something else he couldn''t classify.

    And as soon as it came, it left, leaving Aragami utterly confused. The Mana Arcs on his arm dwindled and ran out of power, the bright points got drowned out by the darkness, disappearing from his sight.

    As Aragami tried to figure out what exactly was it that brushed past his mind, a sudden impact into his chest caused his torso to fall backwards, breathless. A wave of confusion and alert washed over him.

    As he was trying to get ahold of his breathing again, he put two and two together. A fluffy storm assaulting his face and hair, a wet snout sniffing the air all around him, together with the fact that the second Hound was still asleep could only mean one thing.

    "Damnit!" He managed to yell out as he raised his arm to protect his face. "Tessie! Stop it! No! No! Do-" He tried to calm her down, but was cut short by a paw that smacked him right across the mouth. He could tell it was meant as a game, as the paw immediately withdrew and was replaced by the wet nose that searched his face.

    ''Okay. Is this how you want it?'' Aragami thought and his hand shot out to catch the snout. Tessie tried to evade but was caught off-guard and her upper jaw was caught in Aragami''s grip.

    Eventually she broke free and lashed after the hand that captured her, but Aragami moved his hand out of the way in time and caught her once again. This repeated for a couple minutes, before Aragami''s hand grew tired and was caught in Tessie''s maw. She bit down on it with enough power to leave a mark on his skin, but not enough to pierce it and tugged his hand a couple times.

    "OW!" He yelled as her sharp fangs dug into his hand. As soon as Tessie heard that, she released his hand and cautiously sniffed it. Aragami couldn''t be mad at her. He started to scratch her head and watched as she closed her eyes in pleasure.

    "Are you happy now? Huh? Staring at me like that? I almost had a heart attack. Oh yes." He whispered. Tessie just pushed her head against his hand even more and laid down on his legs. "You little rascal." Aragami laughed to himself and redoubled his scratching efforts, this time along her head and back.

    ''I''m going to be honest.'' Noir snapped him out of his little world. ''I did not expect that. I could have sworn she was attacking you, but somehow in the middle it turned out she was trying to play? How did you know?''

    ''Well I agree that it was kind of hard¡­ I even almost panicked at one point. But when she smacked me across the face just to immediately check on me? Moreover before Thellia left, she told me they are just puppies and to take care of them, so I kinda assumed that puppies will be puppies and will want to play.''

    As he communicated with Noir, he noticed that Tessie took a note of his pants and was chewing them. He laughed and pried them out of her mouth, which initiated another round of hand catch. ''Well, play, bite, and taste things around them.''

    ''... Are you aware that she could inflict a severe wound on your still healthy arm?'' Noir asked, exasperated.

    ''She could, but she''s being careful not to bite too hard. See?'' He let his hand be caught again to prove his point. As soon as Tessie closed her maw, she immediately released the hand and kicked it away to chase it. ''See? Just a puppy that wants to play.'' Aragami noted with a Smile.

    ''...Deadly puppy¡­'' Noir mumbled to himself before changing the topic. ''Anyway, now that the female is named, let''s name the male as well.''

    ''Are you reading my mind or something?''

    ''Yes. Yes, I am.'' Noir answered, drawing a facepalm from Aragami. That made him feel amused. ''Naming the other one will be a bit harder, though. The Hound must be awake to accept the name.''

    ''That will be a problem. Won''t it? I mean, he''s sleeping right now, repairing his Mana Arteries, so I''m not sure if it''s a good idea to wake him up¡­''

    ''You are correct. Normally, it wouldn''t be a good idea to wake him up. But this is not the case now, as we have Tessie to help us. She can help him circulate Mana if she gives it her all. She won''t be able to move for a while though, so it would be your turn to protect both of them.'' Noir sounded almost proud of him. Was it because he thought of the Hounds'' well being, or because of some other reason? Aragami wouldn''t know any time soon.

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    ''Are you sure there will be no other side effects? I mean, besides the inability to move.'' He asked carefully, visibly repulsed by the idea of causing any harm to the newly named Tessie.

    ''Absolutely. She will only transfer a portion of her energy to the other one. She can recover it by resting,'' Noir assured him, and with that out of the way, they started to prepare for naming the other Hound. Aragami guided Tessie to lie next to the other Hound and quickly explained what he wanted from her while Noir drew a Mana Formation on the ground using his left arm and a stick.

    When all was set, Noir activated the Formation and the other Hound woke up for a short while. He was confused, but Tessie calmed him down and he allowed Aragami to name him. As soon as he was named, Fido went back to sleep and Tessie laid her head next to him, watching Aragami out of the corner of her eye.

    Aragami was happy, but he didn''t know which one he should pet with his one arm. He decided on Tessie, as she was the one awake, and turned his attention back to Noir.

    ''Hey, Noir. I have a question.''

    ''Ask away.''

    ''When I named both of them, I felt something brush past my mind, similarly like you do when you come and go. But it stayed, and I can still feel it.''

    ''That is the consciousness of Tessie and Fido respectively. As I said earlier, naming someone does have a couple of little perks. For example, sensing the mental state and feelings of the one you named. If you develop a close enough bond between the two of you, you would be able to communicate directly in your mind when you''re nearby. It''s a handy ability, but to most it''s a bit annoying, so they learn how to ignore it.''

    ''That sounds like a waste¡­''

    **''It is useful, but not for everyone. Now stop petting them and go get something to drink. We can do the other thing on the way.'' **

    ''The other thing?'' Aragami was confused, but obliged nonetheless. As he stopped petting, she growled a little and raised her head to look at him.

    "Don''t worry Tessie." Aragami cooed at her. "I''m going to get you some water to drink. I''m sure you''re thirsty, aren''t you?" With one parting scratch, he started to walk away, but stopped himself. ''I don''t know if this will work or not, but¡­'' he thought as he turned back to Tessie and pointed at Fido. Then he said a single word. "Guard."

    Hearing the command, Tessie growled and perked up her ears. She then growled and started to look around. He could feel one of the consciousnesses switch to wary feeling, while the other he was almost unable to read. ''I guess the one that''s hard to read is Fido''s and the wary one is Tessie''s. I''ll have to learn which is which, not to confuse them.'' He thought to himself as he set out on his way to the spring.

    ''Okay Noir. Let''s get to the other thing you wanted to do. What was it?''** He asked while walking past the pile of bodies on the other side of the clearing.

    ''You know how we made the crystal containing my power, right?'' Noir jumped straight to the point.

    ''Yes. You said you''d have to make layered crystals or something¡­''

    ''Exactly. Instead of creating a crystal in one go like last time, we''ll create them in layers to reduce the stress caused to your arm.'' He sounded proud of his brilliant idea, but Aragami was not so enthusiastic.

    ''Do we really have to make these? What are they good for?''

    ''We do not HAVE to do that, but there are a lot of advantages for both you and me in doing so. First of all, it''s a concentrated Mana crystal, so when you learn how to use Magic you''ll have Mana stored and Ready to use.''

    ''I''M IN!'' Aragami almost yelled out before Noir could finish his sentence.

    ''Wait a moment. I didn''t even tell you the best part!'' Noir teased him.

    ''If you remember how you learned some things instantly, like throwing accurately and the basics of martial arts, then you surely remember that I wanted Prayers. Corrupted Mana is created using Prayers, and they are scattered throughout in a very, very small percentage. But what happens with all the Prayers if you compress Mana into crystal-like density?''

    Aragami almost forgot to breathe as the realization washed over him. ''Wouldn''t that mean that the Prayers will get concentrated in one place as well?''

    ''Exactly.'' Noir affirmed. ''When the power of Prayers is concentrated enough, You''ll be able to use it to learn the arts and skills of your people.''

    Aragami was exasperated. He was wondering how to earn more Prayers, and now Noir gave him the perfect way to do so. But then he stopped and thought for a while. ''If what you said is all there is to it, then that''s perfect, but there is a catch to it, isn''t there?''

    ''Very good.'' Noir sounded pleased. ''The process of concentrating and compressing Mana is not an easy one. As such I will take a majority of Prayers for myself. I''m essentially paying you to use your body as a medium to gather Prayers for myself and the other Laws, as well as giving you this knowledge. That''s why you didn¡¯t get any prayers from compressing the previous crystal. Are we clear?''

    ''A test!'' That''s what Aragami thought to himself, not letting Noir read his thoughts for the moment. ''He is trying to test me. But for what reason? Why is he telling me all of that?''

    A short while of thinking things over later, he once again opened his thoughts to Noir. ''So that means that if I use the information you gave me and learn how to compress Mana on my own, I''ll get to use all the Prayers I collect instead of a small portion of them?''

    A short moment of silence followed, before Noir spoke up again. ''Bingo.''

    ''So what about all the questions I have for you all the time? Do I have to pay for them as well?'' Aragami asked, deadly serious.

    ''To be fair, you should, however because you have no knowledge of the fundamentals of this world, I am giving you a free period when you can ask anything related. I''ll tell you when it''s over, as you do not understand the date format just yet, but it would be similar to forty days worth.''

    ''So one month and one week left¡­ I''ll make it work. I think.'' Aeagami sighed in relief after hearing the answer.

    ''Do you have any more questions, or can we get to the matter at hand?''

    ''No question that we have a higher priority than getting stronger. Should I sit down, or is it fine if I continue walking?''

    **''You just contradicted yourself¡­ No, it''s fine if you keep upright, but you''ll have to stay still. A significant movement could break the spell and cause you another injury.'' **

    ''Alright, I''ll sit down, then.'' He noted, and sat down on a smaller boulder. He was about two hundred meters from the spring, so he relaxed his legs and watched as Noir did all the work.

    His left arm was once again covered in that black, tar-like color and Aragami wondered whether or not he''d have to learn how to do that to cast the spell himself.

    His left arm, controlled by Noir, reached forward and opened, palm facing upwards. Atop his opened Palm, a small Mana whirlpool started to form, sucking in the abundant Mana particles around him and concentrating them in the middle.

    In the beginning, nothing seemed to be happening, but as Aragami watched on, he noticed a small crimson crystal slowly growing above his palm. It slowly grew larger and larger, and He finally understood why Noir called it a Layered Crystal.

    ''You have to create each Layer individually, while maintaining the Mana whirlpool that is sucking in more Mana?''

    ''It''s a bit more complicated, but yes. The process of compressing consists of multiple actions at the same time. Sucking in Mana, dividing the Prayers and Natural Mana, compressing the Prayers, and stopping the Natural Mana from escaping. Trust me, it''s safer to released one bit wave of Mana, than a steady stream of it.''

    ''Why is that? Wouldn''t it cause less harm to release a large amount of something over a period of time, rather than in a short burst?'' Aragami asked as he thought of Mana as a water behind a dam.

    ''With anything other than Mana you''d be correct, however Mana is a bit different. If you release it in a slow stream, beings and plants will be able to absorb a large quantities of it over time and mutate into what locals call Monsters. They become more confident because of their new strength and try to figure out their new position in the food chain by attacking everything in sight.''

    ''Did he just say Monsters? I feel like I''m playing D&D but in real life.'' Aragami thought to himself, but resumed paying attention to Noir.

    ''If you release only one, powerful burst, the Mana will rush past everything, maybe knocking some weaker creatures unconscious but unhurt, and distribute itself evenly across the area. Instead of allowing a couple of beings to grow exponentially stronger, you let everything in the area grow just a tad stronger.''

    ''Didn''t you put up a barrier earlier? Wouldn''t it stop the Mana from spreading throughout the area?'' Aragami asked, noticing a flow in the idea.

    ''I already dispersed it when I brought Thellia here. And even so, the Mana would distribute pretty evenly throughout the central area, but starting concentrated and reactive near the edge of said barrier. When the barrier is dispersed, the Mana will continue to even out.'' Noir assured.

    Aragami nodded and resumed watching the crystal. It already grew pretty big, about twenty centimeters in diameter, and Noir stopped the amassment of Mana.

    ''I''d recommend that when you can create these, you don''t make them bigger than this until you can take on a monster on par with something like Wyrn. That''s a flying lizard-type Monster. If my memories serve me correctly, it''s specified as Emerald rank¡­or was it Sapphire? Eeh¡­ I don''t know anymore. Either way, it''s a fairly high-ranked Monster.''

    ''Why not? How could it caused any problems if I created a bigger one?'' Aragami didn''t understand.

    **''Two reasons. One: The most common places locals can get these crystals are dungeons that form them naturally. The party you sent off earlier is capable enough that no one can argue when they say they got them from a dungeon, but this side is about the biggest you can get there. Any bigger crystal is formed after you kill a High-ranking monster and the Mana in its body condenses. Those occasions are rare, so even when you can kill those beasts, do not make bigger crystals too often unless you want to attract some unnecessary attention.''

    ''Two: These crystals were quite expensive the last time I checked, so if you flash them all around, you might get mugged or straight up killed because of them.''**

    ''They''re expensive? So I could use them as a one-time financial gain?'' Aragami said hopefully, his eyes almost glistening with a vision of financial gain.

    ''You can do that, but I''d recommend using up the Prayers first and foremost. It''ll degrade the crystal a little, lowering its price, but the financial loss is miniscule in comparison to the loss of Prayers.''

    ''This extraction is so beneficial. I get to learn things in an instant, have Mana stored for future use, and I can sell them for some finances as well¡­''

    ''Yes. The only thing that limits it is the high level of understanding for Mana and magic itself, as well as a LOT of experience to do it this easily. I''m essentially giving you the byproduct from the process, as the Main commodity extracted are the Prayers themselves.''

    As Aragami heard what Noir said he paused. ''Why are you telling me all of this? Wouldn''t it be better for you to make it seem as if you''re doing me a huge favor to get me to try to repay you?'' He asked, confused.

    ''Why am I telling you this information? That''s simple.'' Noir replied, amusement apparent in his voice. With a booming voice, a declaration rang through Aragami''s mind. ''The Law I govern is straight up and even. I do not favor anyone and try to fool no one. Any deal with me is expensive, but with a solid, unchanging price one has to pay. If someone doesn''t want to adhere to my rules, they are free to search for another law to make a contract with, Albeit with a much shabbier guarantee.''

    Straightup, righteous and even. Aragami would remember those words. He just nodded and resumed studying the crystal in his hand.

    A little while later Noir was creating another crystal when an idea crossed Aragami''s mind.

    ''Noir?''

    ''Yes?''

    ''You said that you don''t recommend creating a crystal bigger than the first one, correct?''

    ''Yes?'' Noir sounded confused by the question.

    ''So¡­ I was wondering¡­ How hard is it to create a bigger crystal, and whether or not it is cost efficient.''

    ''So that''s the question. It is not more difficult than creating a small crystal, you just have to maintain the spell for longer. It takes some practice and mental fortitude, but you can train those.''

    ''So when the time comes, if I won''t be able to create them on my own yet, you''ll make them bigger?

    ''I can do that, yes.'' Noir replied in affirmation. He then completed another crystal before continuing. ''For now I''d recommend we resume walking. I believe I''ve optimized the spell enough that you''ll be able to walk during the extraction.''

    With that, Aragami stood up and went to the spring where he refilled his water bottle. On the way back to the camp Noir created three more crystals and was in the middle of making another one, when he felt a sudden change in Tessie''s consciousness.

    Her wariness was replaced by a state of alert. She sensed something, and she was afraid of it. Without a question asked, Aragami switched to running towards the clearing, annoying Noir.

    ''Hey! What are you doing? Do you want the extraction to fail?'' Noir questioned angrily, focusing on keeping the Mana field together.

    ''Tessie sensed something in her vicinity.''

    ''Is that a reason for disturbing a spell?!''

    ''If I remember correctly I made a contract with her about protecting them. What would happen if I let one of them die?'' Aragami retorted.

    This caught Noir off guard. ''Well¡­ I mean, I could probably make it so you receive no severe punishment, but you''d still lose at least one appendage.'' Noir pondered for a while, switching themes.

    ''Do you want some kind of ability that could help?''

    Aragami thought for a moment. He could see the light from the clearing coming through the trees. It couldn''t be more than 200 meters in front of him.

    ''Do you have anything that would improve my physical ability? Like speed and strength boost?''

    ''Kind of? There is one that will boost these stats for a short time, but after the time''s up, you''ll get slightly weaker for a short time.''

    ''I''ll take it.'' Aragami quickly agreed. He could feel that Tessie was really afraid now, and sped up.

    ''I''ll take the payment from this crystal.'' Noir said as a wave of strength washed over Aragami. He could feel it in the back of his head. An ability he could trigger at any time, as well as what it did and how long it lasted.

    He was forty meters from the clearing when he heard a sound of something in front of him running, and a loud yelp from Tessie.

    His vision turned red, adrenalin was pumped into his bloodstream, and he activated the ability.

    His body shot forward. As he rushed past the trees and a pile of cat bodies, without slowing down, he gripped the one lying on top with one hand and swung it at the creature that was running towards his dogs.

    It noticed him and tried to block the attack, but his momentum was stronger and the creature was thrown several meters away, the dead body, slipping from his grip, landed on top of it.

    He was about to follow up the attack, but the effect of the skill ended and his legs almost let him down. He braced on his knee and watched the creature warily.

    ''I knew you were strong, but this is far beyond my expectation.'' Noir noted as he resumed collecting Mana.

    ''How was your first time using a Skill?'' He inquired, curious to what Aragami might say.

    But it appeared that Aragami didn''t pay attention to him. He took a deep breath, straightened up, and in genuine surprise muttered five words.

    "Was that a fucking Minotaur?"

 Chapter twenty-five: Dueling is kind of fun.

    "Was that a fucking Minotaur?!" Aragami muttered, looking in the direction he threw the being.

    He could feel his muscles aching from the sudden expenditure of power. His legs trembled and it took a lot of effort for Aragami to keep standing.

    It was now that he noticed the group that attacked Tessi and Fido. There were at least ten of them, a mix of bipeds and quadrupeds, all of them with weapons and various gear.

    The most eye-catching one had to be the deer in front. It had various flowers in its antlers, and he could see a vast amount of Mana just waiting to be used. He could also see another being, with an otter-like body basically overflowing with Mana as it held a short staff.

    A couple of the weird, robed figures behind them had perceivable Mana, but not nearly as much as these two. He could see some weapons amongst the group, but as the deer turned around and yelled something, all of them were hidden from his view.

    He kept watching them move toward the one he knocked away, unable to stop them as his body still refused to move as he wished. He noticed a small mallet lying by his feet and wondered how it got there. Did the Minotaur drop it? Would they be alarmed if he picked it up? Most definitely. Wait. Did he just see what he thought he saw?

    ''What are you going to do?'' Noir''s voice sounded in his head and snapped him out of staring at the group. He was almost sure that for a split of a second, he saw an arm with black scales. He sighed regretfully before focusing on what to do next.

    ''Now I''ll try and regain some strength in my legs before finishing up the crystal.'' he said. He could feel Noir''s surprise, but didn''t know what caused it, so he brushed it away.

    ''Do you have¡­any trouble moving after using the skill?'' Noir asked. Aragami waited to try and move his legs. It was hard, but it seemed like everything was as it should be.

    ''There is some resistance, but nothing too bad. It''s as if I finished a field exercise. Nothing unusual. I''ll be OK, just give me a minute.''

    ''We''ll have to look into that later. There should be no noticeable side effects.'' Noir muttered to himself before focusing back to the matter at hand.

    ''So what''s the plan now? Will you take revenge for scaring the Hounds? Or perhaps try to communicate with them? To negotiate?''

    ''I think I''ll finish the crystal first and foremost. It''d be a shame if we break it should it come to another fight, don''t you think?''

    This surprised Noir a little. ''Are you sure? Wouldn''t that make them more nervous and cause them to attack you?''

    ''Perhaps. But on the other hand, it could make them wary and retreat to a safe distance for both of us.'' Aragami noted as he finally stopped shaking and straightened up.

    He could see that the other party had split into two groups, and each of the strong magic users was in one of them. The Otter was looking at him together with the cloaked figures, while the deer and the rest of the group tried to remove the dead cat from atop the Minotaur thing.

    ''I see the wisdom in that.'' Noir agreed and started to circulate the Mana around his arm again. ''Tell me if you see them cast any spells. This takes quite a bit of my attention since we got interrupted last time.''

    ''Sure thing'' Aragami nodded and focused on watching the group. They almost freed the Minotaur and seemed to move hectically. The otter-like one yelled something at the deer behind, after which it erected a bubble of Mana around the group.

    ''Uuh¡­ Noir?'' He called out.

    ''Yes? Ah. Nothing to worry about. Just a barrier. I''ll try not to siphon away all of its Mana, but I might graze it.''

    ''Thanks for the warning.'' He noted as he strategised his next couple of actions.

    ''So¡­ there are three options that could happen. First: They will stay where they are. In which case I''ll back up towards Tessie and Fido.''

    ''If that happens, will you take the mallet, or leave it here?''

    ''I thought you had to concentrate?'' Aragami jabbed at Noir.

    ''I''m pretty much ready. We''re just waiting for you to finish your /What if/ scenarios.'' Aragami had the feeling that if noir could shrug, he''d be doing it now, but he dismissed the thought.

    ''Will you take the mallet? After all, they dropped it.''

    ''If you drop your weapon does that mean that you''re giving it away? I''m not into that. I guess I''ll leave it here as a sign that I don''t mean any harm. I doubt that they''d get here before I''d be able to retrieve my machete.''

    ''I suppose that''s true. So, what are the other options?''

    ''Second option is that they''ll attack, after which I''ll have to do whatever I can to stop them. The third is that something completely unexpected will happen and I''ll have to adapt to that.''

    ''Great chances, one in three to make it out without a fight.'' Noir mused. ''Shall we get to it then?''

    ''Yeah, I guess there''s nothing else to say, is there?'' Aragami agreed and simply watched as Noir did his work. Once again, the Mana swirled around his left arm and he could see the crystal grow another layer of crimson material. But this time there were little spots of white mixed in as well.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Curious, he traced the white Mana back through the vortex all the way towards¡­ ''Uh oh. Eeeeh. Noir? I don''t think this is just /grazing/ their shield.''

    ''It will at most weaken it. The Mana won''t kill them.'' Noir replied sleepily.

    Before he could argue more, Noir had already finished the crystal and released the cleaned Mana to the surrounding area. The wave moved towards the weakened barrier, and as if to confirm Aragami''s worries, broke the barrier into pieces before continuing onwards.

    Where did the mana go? That was not on his mind, since the Minotaur leaped onto him once again.

    ''This fucking thing is aiming for my legs!'' flashed through Aragami''s mind as he saw a plethora of spells launch his way. "Fuck!" he swore as he prepared to dodge them.

    ''Don''t bother with that for now. Focus on physical attackers!'' Noir''s voice rang through his head and he did his best to comply with them. As he focused back on the Minotaur in front of him. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see a couple of spells disintegrate in midair, while others changed direction away from him.

    He had to plan his actions as best as he could in order to be the most effective. As the Minotaur swung its mallet to his knees he jumped up and let it pass beneath him. It tried to correct the course of the attack, but since inertia is still a fundamental law even in another world, its momentum carried it past him.

    Spinning around, he delivered a kick to its unguarded side and sent it flying away, buying himself a bit of time. As he watched the Minotaur fall to the ground and break its fall by rolling, he bent down and picked up the mallet it dropped during the first charge. As he straightened up, he felt a couple of impacts hit his back, but no pain. He looked at his hand that had black armor creeping towards his fingers again.

    ''Is it you repairing the armor?'' He asked Noir, for which he received a simple ''Yes'' as a reply. Focusing back to the enemy in front of him, Aragami adjusted his grip on the mallet. It didn''t fit his hand and had a lot of weight in the front, but he could work with that.

    The Minotaur almost regained its balance and he didn''t want to give it any time to recover. The only way to do that was to attack it. He sprinted forward, dangling the mallet with his right hand only. He used his own momentum to get the mallet moving towards the enemy and just before it impacted, he flexed his hand to give it more speed and power.

    As the Minotaur deflected the mallet he quickly redirected it back towards it. Not trying to hit it directly and stop its momentum, that would end his attack. Instead, he aimed for its arms and legs, so even if he just grazed it he could keep on attacking without letting up his momentum.

    After chasing the bull around for a while he made a fatal error. He allowed the Minotaur to deflect his mallet upwards, leaving him with one arm outstretched above its head. Fortunately, it didn''t seem to notice his mistake, as its mallet got in front of its eyes, obstructing its vision. With most of his strength, he pulled his hand back and behind him, before thrusting the mallet forward towards the thing¡¯s stomach, hoping it wouldn''t have the time to parry his attack.

    With a deep "Ouuff" sound, the Minotaur fell to the ground out of breath, its mallet falling out of its hands. It vomited on the ground, and he felt almost sorry for it¡­ before remembering the bloodlust he felt when it attacked his dogs. With the mallet raised slightly above his head in a threat, he slowly closed the distance to try and kick its mallet away before he froze in place.

    Someone jumped in between them. Someone he knew. Black scales, two pairs of arms, and the weird bag that was full of animal carcasses when he found her the first time. What was she doing here?! And was that¡­thing¡­her friend?

    As he thought that, he saw another familiar lizard. The ranger! He grabbed the Minotaur and did his best to drag it away towards the other group. He didn''t even realize he got so close to them.

    As he watched them pass through the barrier with none of the other beings getting out, he slowly let his arm down. He could feel his muscles unresponsive from blood deprivation. As he dropped his arm down, he also released the mallet and turned his focus back on the black lizard in front of him.

    She dropped her arms as well and was talking in a soft voice. He couldn''t understand the words, but he heard one single word that confirmed it was really her. His new name.

    He dropped to one knee and used his right arm to scratch her back, just as he did back at the campfire. Everything would be alright now. Help was here.

    As soon as Aragami secured Virria things went fast. With a little help of the archer Raakteig he was able to get the deer to repair the Mana arteries to the point that Phydeaux could heal the rest himself. He had to hold Tessie so she wouldn¡¯t lash out, but as soon as she understood what was going on she calmed down and just kept an eye on the process.

    As the deer finished the healing process, Aragami leaned over Fido to check if they missed anything. It would be unpleasant to find that out when there was no capable healer around. He still kept an eye out on the deer as it approached Virria and¡­talked with her?

    Satisfied with the results, Aragami sat down next to his dogs and patted them on their heads. This was kind of difficult, as his left hand was out of commission, so he carefully laid it down in his lap and switched between the two fluffy heads. The two alien creatures approached him and sat down in the vicinity. Virria tried to sit close by but Tessie wouldn¡¯t let her, so she just sat on the ground and petted Fido¡¯s tail. The deer sat a little ways away, but Aragami couldn¡¯t say he minded that. He just leaned against a tree and closed his eyes for a moment. He¡¯d done it. He survived the thing. It seemed almost unreal.

    From being thrown into an unknown situation through choosing his blessing, all the way to meeting Virria¡¯s party and subsequently losing them again.

    Yet here he was, clad in Mana of all things! The stories of old Earth might have something to them. Gods, parting seas, battles of the sky¡­ He¡¯d have to think about it for a while, but not now. Now was a time for a little nap after a busy day. Yeah, That sounded nice¡­

    ¡®Aragami! WAKE UP!!¡¯ Noir¡¯s voice rang through his head. It almost hurt him how loud that was. ¡®You¡¯re losing blood! If you went to sleep now, you wouldn¡¯t wake up!¡¯

    Well¡­ That¡¯s one way to sober him up. ¡®Sorry Noir. I¡¯m on it now¡¯. The only thing that indicated that Noir even heard him was a quiet ¡®Huff¡­¡¯ in the void of his mind.

    Figuring out that Noir was not in the mood to chat, Aragami got to work again. First things first, he took the crystal from his crippled left arm and gave it to Virria. She could hold onto it for the time being.

    Rising up from the pile of fluff, he slowly walked over to where his backpack was and fished out the last injector. ¡°I hoped these would last me longer¡­¡± he muttered as he started unscrewing the safety cap. ¡°I hope the needle will go through the Mana armor¡­ It should. After all, it was designed with exosuits in mind¡­¡±

    He readied the injector, before thinking about one last thing. He walked back to Tessi and sat down next to the tree again. He could feel her eyes on him, waiting for what he¡¯d say.

    With a small smile that was lost in the darkness of his helmet, he petted her head and gave her a command. ¡°Tessi, Fido. Protect these two.¡± Aragami knew that she understood and that she¡¯d tell Fido. The Bond was a miraculous thing.

    Knowing everything will be fine, he injected the nanites into his arm and waited for a moment for them to take effect, before closing his eyes and resting again. The nanites wouldn¡¯t let him die again. He¡¯ll wake up if necessary¡­

 Chapter tenty-six: Let just calm down.

    Virria

    ¡°What the hell does he mean by ¡®protect these two¡¯?! Do I look like I need protection?¡± Zaanta angrily strolled in a circle. ¡°I''m a pretty good druid, you know? I can take care of myself! Not that I''d need any sort of protection from a male!¡±

    Virria was still shocked by what happened just now. She inspected the crystal Aragami gave her, turning it around, examining it thoroughly. Dark red in color with strands of black ¡®veins¡¯ throughout. On the top of the crystal, near the surface, there was one tiny vein of silvery white colour. The same colour as the barrier Tina created. Was this Mana siphoned from her barrier? If yes, it would explain why it collapsed so easily¡­

    ¡°I''ll have to ask him about that.¡± Virria muttered as she took a piece of fabric and wrapped it around the crystal before putting it away. ¡®First things first, we need to move on. Our passage into the barrier will run out soon.¡¯

    She turned to Zaanta to tell her, but found her looking at¡­ her? Why was she looking her way? And what was with that expression? It''s like she''s looking at a ghost or something.

    As she was about to ask her why she looked at her the way she did, she felt a warm, moist breeze on the nap of her head.Nearly frozen with fear, she slowly turned around to look behind her. The female Hound with a couple of scars all around her muzzle was just a couple of centimeters away, her eyes locked onto Virria.

    Were it not for all of her experiences with taming wild animals, she''d probably jerk away to get as far as possible from the beast. But she knew that might have the exact opposite effect. Slowly, she created a little more room in between the two of them, making sure her hands were visible at all times, before carefully extending them toward the Hound, palms up.

    Its gaze lingered on the palms for a moment, before she looked Virria in the eyes.

    ¡°Virria?¡± Zaanta finally called out from behind her, her voice shaky. She was close to panicking. ¡°Can you control it, or should I incapacitate it?¡±

    Without looking away from the Hound in front of her, Virria spoke up in what she hoped would sound like a calming voice. ¡°What do you think would happen if you harmed Aragami''s Hounds? Have you seen what happened to those paladins?¡±

    ¡°Eeeh¡­¡±

    ¡°Thought so.¡± Virria chuckled and continued. ¡°I think I know what is going on and what it wants. Just let me try something before rushing things.¡± She didn''t wait for a reply, as she slightly waved her hands from side to side to get the Hound''s attention away from their talk. Then she carefully extended her hands just in front of the Hound''s muzzle to let it sniff them.

    She stared right into the Hound¡¯s eyes and nodded her head slightly to signal her coscent.

    She watched with bated breath as the Hound slowly lowered its head forward, almost touching her fingers, and started sniffing them carefully. Virria slowly exhaled, relaxing her fingers slightly as a wave of relief washed over her.

    ¡°Thank gods.¡± She muttered before slowly turning her head to look at Zaanta. She was still frozen in place, but her face betrayed how astonished she felt.

    ¡°I don''t think there will be any problems. It seems like they''re intelligent enough.¡± Virria noted with a slight smile. Zaanta just stared at her wide-eyed, so Virria turned back to the Hound and talked with it instead.

    ¡°Hello beautiful. What''s your name? I think Aragami called the two of you¡­ Fido and Tesi? Are you Fido?¡± She talked in a soft tone and tried using some of her taming skills. Just to get her point across. Nothing more.

    She noticed that as soon as she started using them, the Hound in front of her stiffened up momentarily, but after assessing what she tried to do, it visibly relaxed again. As for her question, she felt a bit of displeasure from the Hound, so she tried again.

    ¡°Not Fido? So you are Tes? Tesi?¡± Virria probed as she slowly moved her hand just above the Hound''s head. On this try, she felt some semblance of pride coming from the Hound, and it was confirmed as the Hound pressed its head against her opened palm.

    ¡°I see. Tesi, huh? I like that name.¡± Virria giggled as she rubbed the Hound''s head. She still wasn''t sure about its gender, but with the help of her skills, she''d find out soon enough. She might even be the first one to get enough information about the Hounds to write a book? She would have to think about that.

    ¡°Miss Zaanta?¡± Virria asked quietly, as to not distress the Hound, but she was greeted by silence. Sighing slightly, Virria turned her head again and a bit more forcefully repeated herself.

    ¡°Miss Zaanta?!¡± The guild master still stared at her, frozen in place. ¡°Oh for fuck''s sake.¡± Virria muttered before using one of her smaller arms to snap her fingers in front of her face. ¡°MISS ZAANTA!¡± She yelled out.

    The Zhaarin in front of her finally snapped out of her shock and made a few cautious steps back before getting hold of herself again. ¡°Ye-yes?!¡± She stammered.

    ¡°I believe things are under control now, are they not?¡± Virria asked with the best poker-face she had.

    ¡°Huh? Eeeh¡­ I - I guess so? I mean, we still have to find a green branch to inform the guardian and secure the Hounds. We have the chains, as well as¡­¡±

    ¡°I won''t allow that!¡± Virria interrupted her monologue.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Zaanta asked, confused.

    ¡°With all due respect, what do you suppose will be Aragami''s reaction when he finds out you''ve bound his familiars with chains that prevent them from even moving?¡± Virria asked angrily, retracting all four of her hands and folding them on her chest as a sign of protest and disagreement.

    She was quickly reminded of the presence of the beast behind her, as a massive paw slammed into the ground in front of her and the Hound stepped in front of her, shielding her. ¡®Did it notice my anger?¡¯ Virria thought, before snapping to a realization. ¡®Shit. I can''t let it attack the Guild master. If that happened, it''d just confirm their worries. I have to show them that the Hounds won''t attack spontaneously.¡¯

    With all of her mental fortitude, she tried to reach out to the Hound and calm it down while gently petting it on the side. ¡°Sit down, Tesi. There''s no need for all of that.¡± Virria called out to the Hound, and to her amazement the Hound turned to look back to look her in the eyes before stepping aside and sitting on the ground next to her.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Zaanta stared at her with amazement clearly visible on her face. Virria was shocked as well. But she made a conscious effort not to let it show. She didn''t expect the Hound to actually listen to her, but this way her words would have more weight behind them.

    Looking Zaanta in the eyes, Virria tried convincing her again. ¡°If no one threatens them, they won''t do anything to them. On the contrary, they might even help us. That is as long as we don''t interfere with the orders from their master.¡± Virria reached out to stroke the Hound again, but reconsidered the idea, and just pretended to stroke a part of the back Zaanta wouldn''t see.

    It was fairly obvious to anyone looking at them that Zaanta was angry. One of her rear hooves dug into the ground and tore a long, shallow line in the grass. She needed proof that the Hounds wouldn''t attack them, and the word of a Raaketig was not sufficient proof.

    ¡°I can not allow that and you know it well Virria. Even senior tamers are required to have some sort of limiting and control devices on their beasts at all times. Even if those beasts were with them for decades.¡± Zaanta pointed out.

    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡±

    ¡°No buts!¡± Zaanta interrupted. ¡°Given the situation I''ll overlook the offense of refusing an order of a guild master, but this will not be repeated. Since I value your insight into this matter, I give you four hours. Either that¡­ thing¡­ wakes up and takes control of the Hounds, or I''ll lock them in a cage until another course of action is determined!¡± Zaanta said, pointing towards the unconscious form of Aragami. She then turned away and slowly walked back toward her subordinates and scholars.

    Virria watched her as she strode back and slowly released a breath she didn''t realize she was holding. Unfolding her hands, Virria slowly turned away and walked toward the tree Aragami was leaning against. She stopped to check if there were any wounds she''d be able to heal, and to her dismay, saw a huge hole through one of Aragami''s arms.

    She looked around for anything she could use and spotted the remains of one of their tents on the ground, used as a mat to keep the Hounds away from dirt when sleeping. She was aware that the Hound still followed her around, but she tried not to pay it any mind for now.

    A lot of the fabric was dirty, coveredwith dirt and fur, but she still managed to find the two cleanest pieces and walked back to Aragami. The bleeding had stopped, but just to be sure Virria cleaned the remaining blood from the arm and around the wound.

    It was circular, with a diameter of about three centimeters and passed cleanly through the bone all the way to the other side of the arm. She reached for her satchel and searched for a moment, before pulling out a couple of bags with mixed herbs. She opened one of them and immediately covered her nose from the disgusting smell. It was bittersweet, and made her stomach act up just from smelling it. As it should. Her mom always told her that good medicine is disgusting in at least some way, and these herbs were no exception. They were great for disinfecting wounds, but the smell and texture were less appealing.

    Very carefully, Virria spread the medicine around, making sure to disinfect the skin around the hole. She was not confident enough to reach to the inside of the hole, as she didn? know if the mix wouldn¡¯t hurt Aragami, so the exterior would have to suffice. When she was done with that, she carefully tied the tent pieces around Aragami¡¯s arm, making sure they weren¡¯t loose, and looked over her handiwork before noticing that the hound that watched her was looking somewhere¡­behind her?

    Virria turned around to see Barteool a couple of meters behind her, frozen in place. ¡®Ah¡­ I guess he tried to sneak up on me and got caught¡­¡¯ she thought, as she chuckled involuntarily.

    ¡°Tesi! Good work! You caught him! But you can let him go now.¡± Virria called out with a grin and watched as the Hound made its way to her side. Barteool also relaxed just a little, before cautiously approaching her. His eyes never left the Hound for a second.

    ¡°And I thought I could surprise you.¡± He laughed awkwardly. ¡°I thought it would jump at me and tear me apart had I moved¡­¡± Barteool said as he stretched his limbs.

    ¡°She''s been instructed to protect me after all. She''s just doing her job, right Tesi?¡± Virria smiled widely and offered her hand to the Hound for pets, which Tesi graciously accepted.

    ¡°Damn. You''re making me jealous, Virria. Those skills of yours¡­ Sometimes I wonder if I chose the right career.¡± Barteeol laughed bitterly and slowly sat down a respectable distance away from them. ¡°What''s the plan now? Did you talk to the Guild master?¡±

    Virria¡¯s smile faded instantly. ¡°Yeah. I managed to buy us some time before she chains the Hounds for transport, but after that¡­I have no idea.¡± A slight shiver ran down her back as she thought of what Aragami would do to someone who harmed his pets.

    ¡°I see. How long do we have?¡±

    ¡°About four hours? Minus the time it took me to apply the healing paste, so three and three quarters?¡±

    ¡°More like three and a half. You always take your time doing that and my muscles ache slightly more than just after quarter an hour in one pose,¡± Barteool joked, trying to lift their collective mood.

    ¡°Had you not tried to make fun of me again none of that would happen.¡± Virria laughed and sat down next to the unconscious Aragami. ¡°Let''s get some rest while we''ve got some downtime. I doubt anyone will voluntarily get close to two freshly tamed Hounds¡­¡±

    ¡°Damn straight. If it weren''t for worries about your safety, I wouldn''t come near here either.¡± Batteool laughed and Virria chuckled for a little while. They watched as the scholars and Guild employees dispersed across the clearing to do various tasks. Inspecting bodies, collecting samples of Mana, digging graves¡­

    ¡°I think you should take a nap Virria.¡± Batreool interrupted the calm atmosphere. ¡°Since Aragami is asleep and the Hounds have acknowledged my presence for now, you should rest. Since¡­ you know¡­ You''re the only one that can really talk to him right now?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ What about you then?¡± Virria questioned. The idea of a nap was tempting, but the wellbeing of her friends took priority. ¡°What will you do while I snooze away?¡±

    ¡°I''ll try to be useful as an early warning to anyone stupid enough to get too close. After all¡­ wouldn''t it be bad for the Hounds to attack someone because of the danger they don¡¯t pose?¡± Barteool smiled reassuringly. ¡°I''ll be able to get some sleep once we get back to the carriage. You''ll look after me there. Deal?¡±

    Virria didn''t really need to think about that. The Guild had some excellent scouts, and Barteool was allowed to go with them solely because of her well-being. ¡°I''ll take you up on that. Don''t make me regret it later, Barty.¡± Virria quickly leaned onto Aragami''s side and closed her eyes.

    ¡°Oh come on! You won''t even split the responsibility?!¡± Barteool teased her, with betrayal clear in his tone.

    ¡°Bart, I''m tired. Not stupid.¡± Virria opened one of her eyelids just in time to catch the smirk quickly fading from Barteool¡¯s face. ¡°Wake me up if there''s something serious.¡±

    With that, she closed her eyes and tried to relax and fall asleep.

    Barteool watched his long-term friend relax and smiled to himself. ¡®She''s been through so much. It''s good that she''s found someone to rely on once again.¡¯ He thought as he readjusted his seating to keep himself awake and vigilant.

    As he watched the Guild employees keep their distance from their little group, he realized that the Hound that stared him down just moments prior walked over to Virria and Aragami and lay down next to them, squeezing its way between the two of them. Its ears were erect and swung from side to side, even though its head stayed completely still on Aragami''s thigh.

    The second Hound woke up around half an hour later and after checking around for a while, approached Barteool from the front, making sure he''d see it.

    Barteool panicked for a moment, wondering if he''ll get torn to pieces like this. But he regained his calm and his brain kicked in, going over the memories of tamers dealing with their beasts. He extended one of his arms palm down toward the Hound and let it hang in the air for it to sniff.

    The Hound paused for a moment, but approached the offered arm and sniffed it, before laying down next to his legs, just out of reach of both of them. Barteool couldn''t kick or touch it, and the Hound couldn''t bite him without getting up.

    They stared each other down for a while, before Barteool''s eyes started to wander about once more.

    Compared to the other Hound, this one was smaller in stature and looked¡­ softer? Not just its facial bones, but its fur as well. It had no scars like the other Hound and it was a bit longer and more fluffy.

    For the first time since arriving here, Barteool felt a sting of envy. ¡®That fur looks so fluffy, yet I can''t even touch it. Virria on the other hand¡­¡¯ He looked to where Virria slept and watched the Hound laying by her side, brushing against her. ¡®I guess I''ll have to get their trust in order to pet them.¡¯ Barteool chuckled quietly, and let his eyes wander again.

    He didn''t notice the slightly swishing tail of the closer Hound, or the anticipating eyes looking at him from the Hound, or Aragami''s hand, petting Tesi''s furry ears.

 Chapter twenty-seven: Out of the brrier

    Barteool spent most of their allotted time eyeing his surroundings. Be it the Guild employees or the various scholars, none dared to come near the trees where he, Aragami, Virria, and the Hounds rested.

    Actually, three or four times he noticed scholars come closer, but the Hound in front of him chased them away with but a small growl every time.

    Barteool felt almost bored. He was no stranger to night shifts and such duties, but he had a hard time focusing on his surroundings when there was a literal Hound in front of him.

    He yawned for Gods knew how many times and shook his head to clear it. He''d have time to rest outside the forest.

    His gaze wandered about the little alcove and eventually beyond, towards the scholars camp. Not a lot of things could be distinguished, but he could see a couple of people resting here and there with only a few guards around the perimeter.

    ¡°They must have calmed down as well, huh?¡± Barteool mused to himself and yawned. ¡°Must be pretty nice to have a nap in the middle of a campaign¡­¡±

    He closed his weary eyes for just a second and reclined his head against a tree to rest for a bit. But when he opened them, he came to a realization that it had not been a short rest.

    Based on the shadows alone, he had to have slept for at least an hour. He quickly checked the clearing to see the scholars tearing their camp down. The Hounds were still around, but¡­had they swapped places, or was it his imagination?

    As he studied the two Hounds, he noticed a hand in the fur of one of them.

    ¡®Is that¡­¡¯ his mind raced even as his gaze swept upward to look Aragami in the eyes, now unobstructed by the armor. By the looks of things, he was paying attention to the scholar¡¯s camp as well, and he was just subconsciously rubbing the Hound''s fur. Virria was still sound asleep by his side, and it looked like she didn''t plan on waking up any time soon.

    ¡®Thank the Gods she didn''t catch me sleeping on duty. I''d hear it for months to come.¡¯ Barteool thought as he slowly stood up and started to stretch himself.

    This, of course, didn''t go unnoticed by Aragami as he turned toward Barteool with a questioning look in his eyes.

    ¡°Good morning, Aragami. I''m glad to see you again!¡± Barteool said in a joyful tone. He was pretty sure he couldn''t understand the words, but the tone was what was important here. He was immediately rewarded with a shiver along his spine as Aragami bared his teeth at him in a vicious grin, and he froze in place.

    Seemingly recognizing his mistake, Aragami''s hand shot toward his mouth to cover the teeth once again, but what was done was done. It took Barteool a good minute to regain control again, but after that, he slowly crept closer to wake up Virria.

    ¡°This will need some getting used to, but for now, let''s forget that. OK, Aragami? Great. Now, we need to wake up Virria so that we can move out of this place.¡± Barteool spoke in a calm, slow tone together with gesticulating so that Aragami would have little to no trouble understanding.

    And the process worked! After a short while, Aragami slowly nodded, reached down by his side, and gently bumped into Virria¡¯s shoulder to wake her up.

    He needed multiple bumps, but after the third one, Virria suddenly jumped to her feet and away from Aragami slightly panicked. But once she realized where she was and what happened, she immediately jumped back, much to the dismay of the Hound near Aragami.

    ¡°Aragami!! You¡¯re awake!¡± She yelled out as she tried to hug him. That, however, was too much for the Hound to bear, and it growled deeply.

    Startled, Virria hurriedly backed off to a safe distance, expecting an attack, but Aragami acted faster. His hand shot toward the Hound¡¯s neck and grabbed it by the skin, lifting its front paws off the ground and bringing it close in to calm it down.

    Barteool had almost no time to react, but once his thoughts caught up to the situation, he immediately reached for his dagger and turned to the second Hound. It was standing nearby, its ears erect, and its eyes wandered across all of them, but it didn¡¯t attack. The scar on its fur shimmered slightly under the light of the late afternoon sun and slight breeze.

    ¡°Fido!¡± Aragami whisper-yelled behind him, and the other Hound slowly stopped struggling against his hand. He used his other hand to pet the hound¡¯s side and back without releasing its neck for a second. In a couple of minutes, the Hound calmed down enough for Aragami to release its neck again and gesture them to come closer with the now free hand.

    Barteool was still indecisive whether to trust the hound not to attack them again or not, so he stayed in place, his hand still near the dagger in case something were to happen. Virria, on the other side, slowly and carefully approached the pair, her hands clearly visible the entire time. When she was coming close, she extended her arm toward the Hound and let it sniff her before coming even closer and petting its side.

    By this point, Barteool let his guard down and slowly approached as well, following Virria¡¯s example. Virria found a spot next to Aragami¡¯s leg where she could rest her back against his thigh, so after getting sniffed, Barteool joined her.

    ¡°Good morning, sunshine.¡± Barteool greeted her before sitting down with a grunt.

    ¡°Do you mean ¡®Good evening, perchance?¡± Virria grinned back as she petted the hound¡¯s side.

    ¡°You could say that, I guess¡­It¡¯s good that Aragami woke up. I¡¯m getting chills thinking what would happen if anyone tried to come close if he wasn¡¯t awake.¡± Barteool looked at the little giant they sat beside and shivered.

    ¡°Yeah, that wouldn''t be pretty¡­ But hey! No what-ifs now. He¡¯s awake, and that¡¯s all that matters now! Right, Aragami?¡± Virria said and looked to Aragami for confirmation.

    A deep rumble escaped from Aragami¡¯s chest, and he extended his free hand towards them. Virria, of course, didn¡¯t hesitate, and as soon as she could reach, she guided the hand to rub her head as well.

    ¡°What? Are you jealous of the pets the Hounds get from Aragami?¡± Barteool asked with the best innocent smile he could muster. Virria just glared him down, still holding Aragami¡¯s hand to her head like an oversized hat before turning back to the Hound.

    Barteool just held back laughter and tried to think of what to do now, but he was interrupted by a warm breeze from behind him. Tensing slightly, he slowly turned his head around to see eye-to-eye with the other hound, the one with scars. After a short staredown, the Hound broke eye contact and stepped over Aragami¡¯s leg to lie down¡­ exactly where their legs were.

    It was surprisingly heavy AND fluffy, and Barteool simply couldn¡¯t help himself but stretch out his hand and start petting its side.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she great?¡± Virria asked with a wide grin. ¡°Her name should be something like Tesii or something like that.¡± As she said that, the Hound raised its head and looked at her before lying it down again with a huff.

    ¡°And how in the name of all that is holy do you know that?¡± Barteool asked, exasperated.

    ¡°He called their names before falling asleep. Tesii and¡­Phiido? Fiido? I¡¯m not really sure¡­ Yet.¡± Virria said enthusiastically and redoubled her efforts of petting The other Hound, Fiido, much to its delight.

    Barteool just smiled a little and nervously petted the predator in front of him. After all¡­ this was a once in a lifetime experience. Who could say he petted a still living Hound without losing a limb? He knew about just a handful of people who could claim to do so.

    The three of them just laid back for a short while, enjoying the afternoon and chatting, until one of the Hounds raised its head in the direction of the camp, drawing their attention. When Barteool looked up, he saw four figures approaching from the camp. Guild Master Zaanta, Barrier Mage Tiina, Chief of Guild Security, and one of the Scholars were making their way towards their small group.

    ¡°Eeeh¡­Virria? You might want to explain to Aragami that we''ll be moving soon.¡± Barteool said calmly and gestured in the direction of the approaching group

    ¡°Huh?¡± Virria looked up from the Hound and turned to look at the group. As soon as she saw the Guild Master and her group, she understood and turned to try and explain their situation.

    But Aragami was faster. As soon as he noticed the group, he started to stand up, forcing Virria and the Hound to stand up as well. With one short whistle, he got the attention of both Hounds and walked with them to the edge of the clearing where his bag was.

    Virria gave up in favor of explaining the situation to the Guild Master whose group stopped as soon as Aragami got up.

    ¡°Greetings Guild Master Zaanta. Is it already time to move out?¡± Virria asked politely and got immediately fried with a look from Zaanta.

    ¡°Could you not have warned us that he¡¯d stand up? The scholar almost pissed himself.¡± Zaanta questioned her in return, the suppressed laughter barely noticeable in her voice. ¡°Yes, we''ve found the branch to get out of here, so now we''ll start moving¡­¡± Zaanta leaned to see Aragami sitting with his Hounds and continued.

    ¡°I hope that all of you are rested well enough to make the trip back?¡±

    Virria looked back to see both Barteool and Aragami show her a thumbs-up. ¡°Yes, we are ready whenever.¡± Virria affirmed.

    ¡°Will the Hounds need some sort of¡­ encouragement to stay in line?¡± The scholar in the back piped up, just to get bewildered looks from Virria, The Guild Master, Barrier Mage Tiina, and somehow, even from Aragami across the clearing. Even the Chief of Guild Security raised an eyebrow, but otherwise stayed stoic. The scholar immediately shrunk back and pretended he said nothing.

    ¡°Scholar Mikeel¡­¡± Zaanta said, bewildered. ¡°I don''t know what I expected since you tried to use an artifact in a mixed-mana environment, but pray tell me, what is there that our Chief of security could do that TWO TAMERS SPECIALIZING IN BEASTS COULDN''T?¡±

    She slowly increased her voice to yelling near the end before lowering it again and turning to ask Virria. ¡°I assume he''s a tamer?¡±

    With a small chuckle, Virria threw her hands wide. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine. I met him a couple of hours before this whole incident, and we haven¡¯t been able to have a proper conversation as of yet.¡±

    A bit shocked, Zaanta decided to just go with it and turned back to the scholar. ¡°Okay, anyway. Until I or your superior officer says otherwise, you are to shut up and not interact with any magical equipment. A crisis on the way being an exception.¡± Zaanta ordered the scholar and returned back to the thing at hand.

    ¡°Excuse me, but could you tell Aragami to come closer? Alone, preferably. I''d like to try something before we depart.¡± She said as she reached into a pouch on her side, pulling out a thin sheet of metal.

    Virria was a bit puzzled, but called out with a bit of pantomime for Aragami to come. Which he did right after he threw his bag over one shoulder.

    As he slowly approached, his hands just hanging by his sides. Virria noticed the entire group stiffen up slightly. She didn''t blame them.

    After a bit of awkward signaling and explaining, Zaanta got Aragami to stretch one hand in front of him and secured the metal plate around his wrist.

    ¡°This is a magic item.¡± She explained to Virria and Barteool. ¡°It''s usually used to decrease the size of an object or being wrapped around, albeit the mass stays the same. I personally use them all the time to shrink my antlers.¡± She motioned to the top of her head, where Virria could see thin strips of the same metal with some kind of symbols on them.

    ¡°So¡­ how does it work?¡± Asked Virria, intrigued. ¡°Will he shrink by a certain percent, or just a little bit? Will his items be affected as well? Should he drop the bag, or is it fine as is?¡±

    ¡°It works like this: The plate draws mana from the air and uses it to shrink down the wearer. It requires some adjustment when you first wear it, but after that, you can just simply put it on and off as you please with the same results every time. Let me demonstrate.¡± Zaanta nodded to Virria and simply tapped the metal.

    A soft glow started to spread from the metal piece up Aragami''s hand and about halfway across his chest and bag before it slowed down and started losing its brightness.

    ¡°This means that one piece cannot gather enough mana, so the effects will be lessened.¡± Zaanta explained as she started rummaging through her bags once again. ¡°Fortunately, you can connect multiple of them together, so that they act as one.¡± Zaanta lectured as she snapped three more metal pieces on top of the first one.

    The light stopped spreading for a short while, and the pieces seemingly melted together into a singular metal bracelet. After the fusion was done, the light resumed spreading at its original speed, until it completely covered Aragami''s whole body and clothes.

    ¡°The artifact now possesses enough Mana to function properly. With no adjustment, it will shrink him down to about half his original size once he touches it with the intent of shrinking. Could you let him know that?¡± Zaanta asked, a little excited to show off the artifact.

    ¡°Ehhhh¡­ sure, but may I ask a question before that?¡± Virria asked timidly.

    ¡°If it helps us to start moving faster, go for it.¡± Zaanta nodded encouragingly.

    ¡°Is there some sort of drawback to using the item? If you just shrink, will you be able to swim? Can we take it off somehow? And last but not least: how much do we have to pay for it? It seems rather expensive.¡±

    Zaanta, quite perplexed by the questions, took a moment to answer them. ¡°There is a slight drawback. Since it feeds off Mana in the air, it is slightly harder for magicians to recover their Mana. As to swimming, from what I''ve been told, you are still as heavy as you were before shrinking, so you''ll need to test that out. You can take it off when it''s deactivated by simply getting one finger underneath it and pulling it off.¡±

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°As for the price¡­¡± Zaanta paused her explanation to think. ¡°The Guild will take care of this case, but we will require him to join our ranks and go through the exam. I take it you wanted to register him either way, correct? This will spare you the paperwork necessary.¡± Zaanta grinned slightly. ¡°Another reason is that there is a translator artifact in every Guild. We''d like to try and get some insights from him, since he seems to know a certain language fairly well¡­¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Virria nodded. ¡°I will have to discuss this with our team and Aragami. In case he doesn''t agree to the terms. How much would these (pointing to Aragami¡¯s wrist) artifacts cost then?¡±

    ¡°About a gold coin per piece.¡± Zaanta answered and watched as Virria visibly deflated at the thought of the expense. ¡°Shall we please proceed? I''m not sure how much time it will take us to get back to the barrier.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Virria nodded and turned to try and get Aragami to touch the artifact to decrease.

    Zaanta turned to Tina, who watched with interest the whole time. ¡°Now that we know what awaits us on our way back, how far do you think you could get us with your barriers?¡±

    ¡°Ummm¡­¡± Tiina thought for a moment. ¡°I''d say I could try and do something in the last quarter of the way. The zone of mixed Mana near the center is quite dangerous and I''m not confident enough to risk it. Sorry Zaanta.¡± Tina hung her head.

    ¡°No worries. I''m honestly impressed you could even do something. We''ll be counting on you then.¡± Zaanta comforted her friend and turned back around just as Aragami activated the artifact. His entire Body started to slowly shrink and he started to hop from one leg to the other as they grew further apart.

    ¡®He''s clever.¡¯ Zaanta thought. ¡®Most others would simply lay or sit down and wait until the artifact does its magic.¡¯ She turned around and walked over to Virria and Aragami to take a better look at him now that she didn''t need to tilt her head back.

    She was higher than him now, but she was well aware that was just a deception of an artifact. He was about a head taller than Virria, at about the same height as Ghanna, actually. If they covered his figure and lack of horns and fur, people wouldn''t look at him twice.

    ¡°Tiina?¡± Zaanta called behind herself. ¡°Could you go to the rest and bring Ghanna''s backup cloak? It is resistant to the artifact effects, so we''ll be able to cover him up to avoid the attention he''d cause.¡±

    ¡°Sure Boss!¡± Tina yelled out before turning around and going to the rest of the group.

    As they waited for Tiina to come back, Zaanta observed as Aragami tried moving about. He stretched his arms for a bit and walked in a small circle. Virria followed him around, looking for¡­ Zaanta wasn''t actually sure what she was looking for. She only knew that Virria didn''t find it as after a short while she stopped following Aragami and simply stood a bit to the side.

    Aragami walked around a bit longer, and then, out of nowhere, jumped high in the air, above Virria¡¯s head. It appeared as if he didn''t expect to jump so high, as he then tipped over and fell forward, hitting the ground with a grunt.

    Zaanta would have laughed out loud at the sight, but her laugh quickly died in her throat as she saw a movement in the corner of her eyes.

    It was the Hounds. They somehow sneaked up on them and stalked through them without anyone noticing! And now that there was a defenseless target in front of them they launched into attack!

    Zaanta backed away to get more breathing room in between her and the Hounds and prepared to start casting a spell, but wavered as she heard¡­ laughter?

    A scaled hand rose up in her vision, as Virria signaled to stop. Zaanta was confused. She looked at the Hounds clearly attacking Aragami. But¡­ he laughed and swatted them away? How?!

    As Zaanta tried to wrap her head around what was happening in front of her, Virria started laughing and ran into the pile of bodies on the ground, hands spread wide. The Hounds just paused their attack to look at her, before renewing their charges against Aragami and her.

    Zaanta, flabbergasted beyond belief, backed away a few more steps before sitting down and yelling out in front of her.

    ¡°VIRRIA!¡±

    Virria, to her credit, immediately stood up from the pile and straightened her posture. The Hounds now completely ignored her and attacked only Aragami on the ground.

    ¡°Yes, Guild Master Zaanta?¡± Virria asked.

    ¡°WHAT IN THE NINE RINGS OF HELL IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?! EXPALIN!¡± Zaanta yelled hysterically.

    ¡°Yes Ma''am. Both Tesi and Fido are about five months old, Ma''am.¡± Virria reported in an official tone.

    ¡°Meaning?¡± Zaanta demanded in a cooler tone.

    ¡°They are still puppies, Ma''am. They are playing with Aragami. Testing what is allowed and what isn''t. If he didn''t like the way they played with him he''d give them order to stand down. But since he''s reciprocating their desire to play, he''s encouraging them to play.¡±

    ¡°And why in the hells did you feel it was a smart idea to join in?¡± Zaanta asked and fried Virria with a look.

    Virria, however, ignored her completely and responded with ¡°Playing is the simplest way to establish a bond with a young predatory animal.¡± with a grin all over her face. Zaanta just stared at her, dumbfounded, before shaking her head and releasing her. Virria continued standing for a while longer to see if she''ll receive more Instructions, before diving back down and rejoining the pile.

    ¡ª---------------

    A while later, the pile calmed down enough for Zaanta to recognise the bodies from one another.

    Zaanta,after the initial surprise, watched the whole thing as it happened, and was prepared to step in if things seemed too out of hand, but she didn''t need to. Every time the Hounds did something borderline it seemed as if they noticed and made sure either Virria or Aragami were fine before resuming their ¡°attacks¡±.

    Zaanta almost didn''t notice that Tiina returned with Ghanna in tow. When she did, Zaanta just raised an eyebrow before standing up and walking over to them.

    ¡°Tiina. What does this mean?¡± Zaanta asked, glancing in Ghanna''s direction. ¡°I asked you to bring her backup cloak, not her with the backup cloak.¡± Zaanta teased.

    ¡°Oh! Zaanta. You know how Ghanna is. She didn''t like the fact we''d take her stuff away and demanded she''d come with me to see ¡®What''s that about¡¯.¡± Tina said half heartedly, looking at the ¡®battle¡¯ in front of them. ¡°But rather than that, Zaanta, shouldn''t we¡­ stop¡­ that? Before something serious happens, I mean.¡±

    ¡°I guess you''re right.¡± Zaanta sighed Before turning to the pile. ¡°Virria!¡±

    ¡°Yes Ma''am!¡± Virria stood up to attention.

    ¡°I believe it is time to finish this up.¡± Zaanta said with a tired voice, getting a shocked look from Tina and Ghanna.

    ¡°Understood.¡± Virria nodded and dove back in between the fluff.

    Zaanta just turned back to Tina and shrugged. ¡°What else do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me.¡± Ghanna whispered in exasperation.

    ¡°Believe me. I wish.¡± Zaanta just laughed and watched on as the hounds stopped blindly charging Aragami. Instead of the feral growls and snarls, Zaanta heard a quiet mumbling. ¡°Who¡¯s a good girl? You are! Oh yes, you are. Both of you! So big and fluffy! Big like a horse. That¡¯s how big you are! Yes, you are!¡°

    Zaanta walked over to see what exactly was going on, just to see the two Hounds getting belly rubs from Aragami and Virria. The Hounds¡¯ fur was full of dirt and other debris from the ground, Virria appeared to have a couple of deep scratches in her scales, but nothing seemed serious. Aragami¡¯s forearms had a couple of red spots from all the biting and scratching the Hounds did, but that was it. No blood, no broken bones, nothing.

    Zaanta just shook her head and cleared her throat. That seemed to have the desired effect, as Aragami sat up and Virria straight up jumped to her feet.

    ¡°I believe you are ready to depart?¡± Zaanta asked. After receiving a curt nod from Virria, she continued. ¡°If that¡¯s so, we will need to disguise Aragami. As he is now, he¡¯ll attract too much attention.¡± She shot Virria a smile. ¡°Unfortunately we do not have an appropriate disguise, as we didn¡¯t fully believe your testimony, so we¡¯ll have to settle with another solution.¡± Zaanta finished and gestured to Ghanna.

    ¡°I would like to ask Aragami to wear this cloak until the Guild can provide some better disguise.¡± Zaanta finished and braced for Ghanna¡¯s furious retort.

    But it never came. Confused, Zaanta looked at Ghanna just to see a quiet battle in her eyes. ¡®Oh.¡¯ Zaanta thought ¡®It seems I misunderstood something about her¡­ culture?¡¯

    ¡°Very well.¡± Ghanna nodded and stepped forward toward Aragami, her backup cloak in hand.

    ¡°I, Ghanna Degen, offer this cloak as a prize for your victory in our bout. Know that I was fighting honestly within the restrictions of not the rules, but the environment itself, and lost a fair match between opponents.¡± She raised her head up high - a sign of respect to her people, and offered the cloak to Aragami.

    Zaanta was quite surprised, as she didn¡¯t think Ghanna would be the one to give a speech, but shut her mouth and chose to simply observe.

    Aragami, clearly not knowing what was going on, simply grabbed the cloak offered to him with a little bow, and after inspecting it, successfully threw it over his shoulders and his backpack. Ghanna even helped him with the buckle to keep it secured around his neck. An unprecedented feat for her volatile nature.

    After that was done, Ghanna took a step back to assess Aragami¡¯s visage, before nodding and retreating next to Zaanta, followed by a brief moment of silence.

    ¡°I do not wish to interrupt, but we should probably move out,¡± said the Chief of Security, breaking the silence. Zaanta actually forgot that she was there until she spoke up.

    ¡°I think so as well.¡± Zaanta nodded and made her way towards the main group. ¡°Virria? Please make sure Aragami won¡¯t start playing with the hounds without a warning, okay? Some of the scholars are not as disciplined as we are.¡± She instructed.

    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am.¡± Virria nodded and gestured for Aragami to put his hood on. Which he did. Not that it made him stand out less in between two shoulder-high hounds that looked like they would lash out on anyone daring to approach.

    ¡°I guess this is as inconspicuous as we¡¯ll get. Now for the hard part: getting the scholars to leave without inspecting Aragami or the Hounds...¡± Zaanta sighed and brainstormed what to say to the scholars.

    As they approached, Zaanta could already hear the lead scholar. ¡°Guild Master! What is the meaning of this?!¡±

    ¡°And by this you mean¡­?¡± Zaanta retorted. She had quite a good idea what he meant, but she¡¯d let him confirm her suspicions first.

    ¡°You drag us all the way out here, forbid us from examining the place of interest we¡¯ve come in search for, and now you bring a still unknown creature escorted by a class A unrestrained Magic beasts?! What will the guild do if something happens to us? How does the Guild plan on taking responsibility?!¡± The scholar yelled, his eyes drifting greedily towards the Hounds.

    Zaanta sighed. ¡°First of all, You were the ones that forced us to bring You with us. The Guild didn¡¯t volunteer to take you in.¡± She paused for a bit, letting the scholars think for a moment.

    ¡°Secondly: We didn¡¯t say we would cage anything and everything that moves in this general area. You are here simply because we are not against You advancing Your research. If You are worried about Your safety, You should have hired Your own escorts.¡± Zaanta fried the scholars with a look before moving on.

    ¡°Now. We ran out of time to study the environment here, so we¡¯ll have to move back outside the barrier. That is not my decision, and if you have anything to say to that, feel free to address this forest''s caretaker when we get out.¡± With those words, Zaanta left. The scholars, although angry, were pretty much powerless to do anything against her verdict and just followed behind.

    As the procession of Guild security, scholars and adventurers traveled towards the edge of the barrier, Zaanta kept an eye on Aragami and his group. Although she trusted Virria¡¯s judgment, She still felt uneasy leaving her back exposed to a couple of Hound pups and an unknown species. Yes, the Guild Security isolated them out, but that still didn''t feel safe. If Aragami wasn''t here, she''d definitely have the Hound restrained. At the very least with their muzzles.

    When they approached the Mixing point of Natural and Tinkered Mana ,the procession made a quick stop to rehydrate and prepare for the hurdle in front of them.

    Zaanta went around the group, looking out for anyone with difficulties, before picking up her water pouch and drinking some water herself. Her eyes drifted across the desolate land around, before she saw Barteool, Virria, Aragami, and surprisingly Tiina, sitting quite a distance away from the group.

    ¡®That''s weird.¡¯ Zaanta thought and stood up. ¡®Why would Tiina hang out there instead of the main group?¡¯

    The answer became obvious as soon as she approached. They were all sitting in a circle, with Virria and Barteool next to Aragami and Tina directly across. The Hounds were resting a little ways away, as if not to disturb Tina.

    As Zaanta approached, she could feel the Mana density increase. And as soon as she looked over Tiina''s shoulder she understood why.

    A small Mana crystal slowly levitated above Aragami''s palm. It was about the size of her fingernail and was dark blue in color. It slowly spun and reflected the light across their faces in small dots. It was quite fascinating, so Zaanta opted to sit down next to Tiina and watch for a while as well.

    ¡°He started as soon as we came here.¡± Tiina motioned toward the crystal.

    ¡°Do you know what he is doing or why?¡± Zaanta asked, genuinely interested.

    "No, not really.¡± Tiina shrugged. ¡°I tried asking Virria if she knew, but all she could tell me was that ¡®He didn''t like something in the air in front¡¯, so he''s cleaning it.¡±

    ¡°In front?¡± Zaanta asked and turned to look at the wasteland in front of them. ¡°but there''s just a lot of chaotic Mana there. Nothing could survive long enough¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That''s what I think as well, but it was interesting watching him manipulate Mana. He does it quite differently than we do. I don''t fully understand the how, but I get the why.¡± Tina mumbled. ¡°He''s also very inefficient with the way he uses Mana. I''m honestly quite surprised that he knows how to use it at all. He seems rather clumsy¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡± Zaanta hummed and just watched the crystal grow. She had to agree, it was quite satisfying to watch the sides expand.

    But after a while, the flow of Mana around them stopped completely. Zaanta looked up from the crystal to see several beads of sweat form on Aragami''s forehead and neck and understood the meaning.

    ¡°It seems this is the limit of what he can do now. He''ll need more practice to use Mana for something more than cleaning the air around him.¡± Zaanta noted as she stood back up.

    ¡°Virria? Make sure he can continue as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Yes Ma''am!¡± Virria nodded.

    ¡°Tiina? Could you help me with ¡®motivating¡¯ the scholars? They are their usually grumpy selves.¡± Zaanta asked, sarcasm dripping from her tone.

    Tiina nodded and quickly stood up and brushed some dirt off her robe.

    ¡°Sure thing. I love doing that!¡± Tiina agreed and made her way towards the main group together with Zaanta.

    Neither of them noticed the smirk on Aragami''s face or the ease with which he stood up and walked to the Hounds, the crystal disappearing in one of his pockets.

    Virria and Barteool did realize that, but decided to ignore it with a single shared glance.

    After a while, Tiina ¡®motivated¡¯ the scholars enough to make them stand up and file into a single line. Virria and Barteool waited until then to join in with the group, and Aragami went behind Zaanta''s group to be once again surrounded by Guild Security members.

    They moved out through the wasteland and made their way around a couple of fields of fire, before Zaanta noticed anything unusual.

    ¡°Hey, Tiina!¡± She called out. ¡°Don''t you think it''s¡­ calmer than when we went in?¡±

    Tiina looked around, inspecting the Mana around, before answering. ¡°I guess so. It looks like the Mana pressure equalized since the time we''ve entered. There''s a good chance that the Guardian is the one responsible.¡± She nodded in front of them where the barrier should be. ¡°See? Even visibility has improved!¡±

    Zaanta squinted and for a moment saw a wall of white fog, what she assumed was the inner barrier. ¡°You''re right. It certainly is better than before. But let''s move quickly. I don''t want to spend any more time here than necessary.¡± Zaanta said and sped up a little.

    As they reached the barrier, Zaanta prepared the branch they needed to get back out. She turned around to look at the crowd behind her, and decided to say one last thing.

    ¡°Before we exit, I''d like to remind everyone of their oaths. No information about this operation is to be spread outside the Guild and its affiliated organizations before the Guild releases this case to the public. Anyone who will be caught spreading this information prematurely will face severe punishments in accordance with the law. This is not a Guild matter, this is City''s Security matter. The fact that something breached the defensive barrier is a serious issue, and we will NOT tolerate anyone looking forward to getting some extra coin from an underground information broker.¡±

    She looked every single person in the eyes. Some of the scholars faced her gaze head on, others averted, a couple acted like they weren''t listening. In other words: the usual.

    The Guild Security members nodded along. They knew that their job hung in the balance, and they weren¡¯t stupid enough to risk it for a couple of coins.

    Virria and Barteool were nodding as well, but since they are the ones under investigation, they''d have no chance to spill the beans to some third party.

    Zaanta then looked at Aragami. She was pretty sure he had no way of understanding what she just said, much less spreading the information. And he''ll also be investigated, so there should be no need to worry.

    But he acted weird right now. Why was he stretching? Staring with his legs, he slowly worked his way up to stretch his hands as well? Why? Was he not tired at all from the long walk through the wasteland?

    She just shook her head and extended the branch to touch the barrier. As soon as it did, the branch simply dried out and passed through without a problem.

    Zaanta snuck a look at Tiina''s reaction, and after receiving a small nod in response, walked through the fog-like barrier. She felt a bit cold, but nothing else was out of the ordinary. Her head swung from side to side, checking out the surroundings, before focusing on the form of the Forest Guardian in the middle of a small clearing to her right.

    Tiina emerged beside her, followed closely by Ghanna and then the rest of the group. Barteool and Virria were the last ones to pass through, signaling everyone was accounted for.

    Zaanta relaxed, her mind turning toward less pressing matters, like what she will have for dinner. But a loud thud interrupted her train of thought, as Aragami¡¯s backpack fell to the ground.

    Since he stopped touching it, the artifact stopped having an effect on it, and the bag rapidly reverted back to its original size, smacking a couple of the Guild Security members to the ground. And before anyone understood what was going on, Aragami rushed out of the group toward the Guardian and, to the dumbfoundedness of everyone present, started to beat the shit out of it with his bare hands.

 Chapter twenty-eight: Repairing the damage

    Aragami woke up to a light breeze. Both of the Raaketigs were sleeping nearby together with his puppers. Fido and the black Raakteig next to him, and Tesi with the greenie about four or five meters away. The group with the Minotaur could be seen across the clearing, with guards around the camp for protection.

    He rested his head against the tree, and ruffled through Fido''s fur, enjoying the calm and quiet.

    When one of the Raaketigs woke up, Aragami followed his gaze to the other camp and watched as he stretched after a nap.

    The Raaketig said something Aragami couldn''t understand, but it clearly had his name in it, so he just smiled and nodded his head. Unfortunately, he smiled with his teeth, making the little Raakteig recoil in fear.

    ¡®Stupid motherfucker. Didn''t you learn anything over the years?!¡¯ Aragami thought as he smacked his hand across his mouth.

    Fortunately that seemed to have the desired effect, as the Raakteig slowly calmed down. It started to creep closer, babbling in its weird language, gesticulating towards the black Raakteig.

    ¡®This language barrier is getting quite annoying¡­ I should look for a way to learn the language. Or at least communicate in some way.¡¯ Aragami thought as he gently shook the black Raakteig awake.

    As the Raakteig woke up, it got frightened and jumped away. For like a second. Then it squeaked happily and went to jump back toward him.

    He found it quite a cute reaction, but the same couldn''t be said about Fido. All the commotion the black Raakteig made woke him up and now he snapped at the offender. Aragami was quick enough to grab him by the skin between shoulders before anything serious happened, but it was a close call.

    The Raakteig was quick to catch on, and gave them some distance. The other Raakteig was about to pull out some sort of knife, but stopped himself halfway through, probably because he realized Tesi was staring him down from jumping distance.

    As everyone calmed down, Aragami released Fido and resumed petting him. After the Raakteigs calmed down, they slowly approached and after getting sniffed by Fido, laid by his side and started chatting in their weird language.

    As he watched them bicker, Aragami was reminded of the children he was taking care of before getting summoned, and chuckled before reflexively extending his hand to rub their head.

    He realized what he was doing only as a pair of cold, scaly hands gripped his fingers and slammed his hand on the black Raaketigs head, which led to more bickering.

    At some point, Tesi circled their small group and emerged from behind the green Raaketig to sniff him, before laying on their legs in an attempt to get pets, which she received.

    All of them seemed to relax. The Raakteigs bickered among themselves and Aragami just listened and tried to learn some words. He thought he heard Tesi''s and Fido''s names, but he wasn''t sure.

    But as things stood, they couldn''t slack off for too long. About five minutes into their rest Fido raised his head and focused on the Minotaur''s camp. When Aragami looked over, he could see four creatures approaching.

    One of them looked kinda like a deer with flowers on the tips of its antlers, another one like an Otter with a walking stick and a short dress, the third one was another Minotaur, albeit a bit smaller, and with some kind of armored uniform, and the last one was a turquoise Raakteig dressed in a long, white coat with silver woven emblems.

    ¡®Welp. I guess that time to slack off is over.¡¯ Aragami thought and stood up, forcing Fido and the black Raakteig up as well. He noticed that as soon as he moved, the approaching group stopped dead in their tracks, contemplating what to do next.

    He whistled to Fido and Tesi, and walked with them away from the group, towards his backpack where he awaited for the situation to be worked out between the natives.

    Both of the Raakteigs went up to the group and talked for a while before the black one turned around to check on them. Greenie showed a thumbs-up, so Aragami just went with the flow and gave a thumbs-up of his own.

    it appeared that the turquoise Raakteig said something that earned the deer''s ire as shouting ensued. Aragami was unsure why, so he opted to stay where he was and just pet his dogs.

    After the shouting ended, the black Raakteig started gesturing for him to come closer. The dogs tried to tag along, but after a furious gesticulation Aragami understood that they were to stay there.

    ¡°Okay. Tesi, Fido!¡± He whisper-yelled. ¡°Sit! And stay! Good boy, good girl!¡± Aragami said after they both sat down.

    Turning back around, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and strolled to the group with two pairs of eyes burning themselves into his back.

    The group seemed to stiffen up a bit, but otherwise no one moved a muscle.

    As he observed the group closer, he noticed an area of dense Tinkered Mana around the deer''s neck. And near the edge of the Mana levitated a strip of metal with yellow runes drawn onto the surface. He took a while to admire the runes, and noticed that some of them looked kind of like Norse runes, before he noticed the deer¡¯s pantomime to raise his arm.

    He did so, slowly, and with his fingers relaxed. The metal strip then flew onto his arm and wrapped around it on the impact. It was almost like¡­ Wait a minute!

    ¡®Is that a fucking snap bracelet?!¡¯ Aragami thought to himself, as he examined his wrist, just for additional bracelets to be snapped on. He wanted to protest and tear them off, but then he noticed the runes started to move and connect across the bracelets, merging them together.

    ¡®How the fuck does that make any sense?!¡¯ Aragami twisted his wrist, trying to find the seam between the bracelets. With no success, he turned his attention back to the group and ¡®his¡¯ Raakteigs, who were talking to the deer. ¡®I¡¯ll definitely have to find a way to communicate. The sooner the better.¡¯

    As the Raakteigs finished talking, the deer turned away to talk with its teammates. The Black Raakteig turned toward him and started gesticulating. It took him a moment, but in the end he touched the snap bracelet.

    And then everything started to change sizes around him. He went through a brief panic, before his mind caught up to the fact his feet were drifting apart and it really started to hurt his crotch, so he jumped from one foot to another, like a jump rope.

    When he felt like the ground underneath his feet stopped changing shape, he looked at the group around him and froze again.

    Either everyone else grew taller, including the trees and boulders, or he¡¯d drunk down. To about half of his size? Both of the Raakteigs were about a head shorter than he was, and the minotaur in uniform was about the same height. He looked to the deer to his left and a chill ran down his spine at the sight of the antlers on its head. Before they looked almost cute, but now they appeared menacing and overwhelming. It said something to the otter behind her, but otherwise stayed still and kept its distance, which he appreciated.

    It seemed as if nothing special was going on, and they were waiting for something, so he tried walking around and stretching. all felt quite natural, until he tried jumping. He tensioned his legs and jumped up with a little bit too much force. He flew over the heads of the Raakteigs before slowing down and hitting the ground face-first.

    He was sure it was very funny for everyone else but him, so he gritted his teeth and proceeded to stand up before a fluffy torpedo hit his side and knocked him back down. Aragami was disoriented for like a second, before he saw Tesi¡¯s smug face emerge from the fur.

    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± Aragami muttered before extending his hand to grip her muzzle. She evaded and tried biting on it, so he withdrew and grabbed at her from another side. And at that exact moment Fido decided he wanted to play as well and started gnawing at his other wrist. He laughed out loud and swatted him away as well, adding the fuel to the fire that was their playtime.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    At some point, the black Raakteig joined them by lying in between the Hounds and petting their sides as they gnawed and stepped on Aragami¡¯s chest. There were a couple of attempts to bite the Raakteig, but Aragami turned them aside if they got a little bit brutal. The Raakteig did a good job on its own and turned a few paw strikes aside, but against the muzzles she was quite hopeless.

    He entertained all three of them for a while, before he heard a loud ¡°Ehem¡± that made him sit up. The Raakteig stiffened up before jumping to their feet and straightening up with a weird, salute-like posture.

    The deer started talking, before gesturing to the minotaur. A tense moment ensued, when nobody moved or talked, before the Minotaur stepped towards him, making him stand up. Now it was about as tall as he was, and its horns seemed much more dangerous. It ranked in a ceremonious tone, before handing him an old, battered cloak.

    Unsure what to do, he took it with a slight bow and threw it over his shoulders and bag. The Minotaur stepped closer and frisked out an old-looking buckle from the folds of fabric. It showed him how to close the buckle and stepped back next to the deer.

    It all felt quite surreal, but as there was no harm, he just shrugged and looked around. A bit of talking later, he was pantomimed to put on the hood and follow the group. Both Tesi and Fido formed up by his sides, and the Raaketigs stayed between him and the deer.

    There seemed to be a slight disagreement when they reached the larger camp and he didn''t like the looks he and his dogs got from the majority of people there, but they quickly moved on.

    About half an hour later the environment changed drastically. Gradually changing from the burned husks of trees and fields of grass to a desolate wasteland with flames still dancing across the surface.

    He was shocked, since the scenery was quite different from what Noir told him.

    ¡®Ummmm¡­ Noir?¡¯ Aragami thought, trying to get the beings attention.

    In just under a minute he got his reply. ¡®For fucks sake, Aragami! Can''t you leave me be for at least half a day? I have things to do as well, you know?¡¯ Noir''s voice came, annoyed to no end.

    ¡®Sorry, but the scenery didn''t return to normal as we advanced to the edge. Quite the opposite, actually. I just thought you would like to know.¡¯

    ¡®What do you mean it did the opposite of changing back to normal?¡¯ Noir''s voice turned from annoyed to mildly intrigued.

    ¡®I''m not confident I''ll be able to explain it that well, so how about you take a look yourself?¡¯

    ¡®You could at least try¡­¡¯ Noir complained as his consciousness reached for Aragami''s eye. ¡®It leaves a better impression when you need a favor to¡­¡¯ His voice seized as he took over the vision. ¡®Oh. Okay, I understand what you mean. Sorry about the rant.¡¯

    ¡®Yeah¡­ is it as bad as I think it is, or worse?¡¯ Aragami questioned, a shiver running down his spine.

    ¡®It''s not THAT bad. It''s just annoying to deal with. Like radiation where you come from.¡¯ Noir noted. ¡®I am unsure who caused this, but when I find out, I''ll make sure he''ll suffer.''

    ¡®Okayyy¡­ Could you¡­ like¡­ do something to make the travel forward somewhat safer? I can see a lot of Mana clashing in front of us.¡¯

    ¡®If you let me use your arm again, sure. Say, what would you say we make a deal? You''ll lend me the control over your body when you find the one responsible, and I''ll let you keep all the Merit.¡¯ Noir asked.

    ¡®Eeh. How much of the control will you take? I want some assurance you won''t get me killed.¡¯ Aragami countered. ¡®This is a pretty big deal.¡¯

    ¡®Trust me, it''s worth it. Also, I can take control only IF you willingly let me. At any time you can stop me from moving. After all, it''s your body.¡¯

    That reassurance calmed Aragami down. ¡®Fine. But please let me know what''s going on first before punching someone.¡¯ Aragami quietly laughed.

    ¡®So. Do you need me to sit down again? Or can you do it while on the move?¡¯

    ¡®I can absorb most of the Mana while you''re on the move, but I don''t think your new friends will like it.¡¯ Aragami was almost sure he could hear a snicker. ¡®It will be better if we wait until they stop to rest.¡¯

    The group continued walking for a while longer, before the Deer made a sudden noise and stopped. The whole promenade stopped and sat/fell down and gulped down some water.

    His lizards walked off to a side before sitting down, and Aragami together with his dogs joined them. He was about to let Noir take control, when he noticed the Otter looking at him curiously. He was preparing to tell Noir, when he heard his voice.

    ¡®You don''t need to tell me what you see. Remember? I''m still in your eye.¡¯

    ¡®Oh yeah, I forgot. Anyway, what will we do? Wouldn''t it be a bad idea to let her see me create crystals from nothing?¡¯

    ¡®No, not really. I doubt she''ll fully understand what is going on, but just to make sure I''ll create one in your palm and the rest in your pocket. It will take a bit longer, but should be fine.¡¯

    ¡®If you say so.¡¯ Aragami shrugged and got to watching Noir''s handiwork.

    The crystal on his palm started forming almost immediately and he could see the flow of Mana part around it and flow over to his pocket. All four were focused on the crystal that now had a deep blue color, so no-one noticed the Deer coming closer. It quickly spotted the Otter and then lay next to it to watch as well!

    ¡®Just a bit longer.¡¯ Noir noted and the flow of Mana quickened. ¡®I don''t want HER to look into what we''re doing here.¡¯

    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ Aragami asked, confused.

    ¡®She''s pretty skilled, so I don''t want her to pay more attention than necessary. Also, the less people that know you can make Mana Crystals, the better.¡¯

    ¡®Is that really such a big deal? These Crystals?¡¯ He asked.

    ¡®A big deal? Yes, quite a big deal. They use them to power most of their magical equipment. Usually the only way to get them is to kill magic beasts, like your dogs, and harvest their Mana Hearts to use as fuel.¡¯

    ¡®That is quite barbaric, is it not?!¡¯ Aragami shrunk back with disgust.

    ¡®Not really. Most of these beasts are quite dangerous and attack any living being nearby. So to protect their people they send out teams of skilled fighters to hunt them down. There was one organization that did this. Quite a large one. But I forgot the name¡­ Eeh, whatever. You''ll probably find them when you get to the town.¡¯

    ¡®That sounds¡­ reassuring. Anyway, did you figure out who''s responsible for this mess?¡¯

    ¡®More than just that. I even found out where he is. See that barrier in front? That thing stopped the Cleansed Mana from flowing out, forcefully mixing it with the Tinkered Mana that was left near the edge of my barrier. And the one responsible is a Dendreae right outside the barrier. So I''ll probably fulfill the deal here and now.¡¯

    ¡®I swear I can hear you grinning.¡¯ Aragami rolled his eyes. ¡®Do you need me to teach you how to walk and move about, or do you have your ways?¡¯

    ¡®There is a way for me to do it, but it will be easier for you to demonstrate how to move. I don''t have a body of my own, after all.¡¯

    ¡®Sure. So, as soon as those two leave, I''ll just walk around for a bit and move my joints so you can learn how to use them?¡¯

    ¡®That''s exactly Correct. Yes.¡¯

    ¡®Cool. Seems like a piece of cake to me.¡¯

    As Noir finished making the Crystals, Aragami waited in a hope that the otter and the deer would leave them, but as a conversation picked up around him, he decided there was no point in waiting. So he slowly stood up and stretched. All the time he could feel Noir''s power mimick all his movements.

    After stretching, he walked around for a moment and even jumped over rocks a couple of times before sitting back down.

    ¡®How''s that? Was it enough or do you need more?¡¯

    ¡®No, no. This is plenty. To be honest, I didn''t expect your body to work like that. It''s completely different from what I''m used to.¡¯ Noir sounded like a kid excited to play with a new toy.

    ¡®I don''t like the tone, but now''s your turn. You''re in control now.¡¯ With that, Aragami felt all the muscles in his body loosen at the same time, tightening just to keep his torso upright.

    ¡®It''s harder than it looks like.¡¯ Noir''s voice sounded focused.

    ¡®Yeah, we also had a lot of problems with keeping another object upright. A lot of our early robots were prone to tipping over.¡¯ He enjoyed the surreal experience of not really controlling what was going on AND confusing Noir.

    He stopped laughing once Noir stood him up. ¡®Fuck, this is weird.¡¯

    ¡®I can imagine.¡¯ Noir replied as he slowly moved him about with increasing confidence. ¡®I Didn''t realize how mentally tiring moving your body truly is. Since I had to abandon mine so long ago.¡¯

    ¡®You had a body?!¡¯ Aragami almost yelled out loud.

    ¡®Of course I had a body. Everyone has. Yes, it has been a long time since I ascended, but that means nothing. Please stay quiet now, the group is about to move out. If you want to know more you''ll have to either find out the knowledge yourself, or pay A LOT of Prayers for a clue.¡¯ With that, Noir ignored the stream of questions from Aragami and moved out with the group.

    He even gestured to Fido and Tesi the same way Aragami did and improved his motorical control over the course of their kilometer walk to the barrier. The deer had some kind of a speech prepared, but Noir paid it no heed and just stretched Aragami''s hands and legs, making sure he was ready for an action any time.

    The deer looked at them funny after the speech, but shook its head and turned to the barrier. It pulled a green branch from¡­ somewhere, and touched the barrier.

    Aragami immediately saw the Mana that formed the barrier shift and move to the sides. The deer then walked through the barrier, followed by the otter and minotaur. He stopped paying attention after that.

    As his body passed through the barrier, he could feel the cold mist-like Mana wash over him before laying his eyes on the forest in front of him. It felt like so long since he last saw it¡­

    But Noir didn''t give him time to reminisce. As soon as he oriented, he dropped his backpack and threw it to the side, forgotten. His head was locked onto a tree-like being in front of him and his fingers were curled into fists. The distance must have been closer than it looked like, because they closed on the Treant in under a second and started raining fists all over its body.

    He heard a noise in the background, before noticing it was his own voice talking in a language he''d never heard before.

 chapter twenty-nine: Hes a Warlock?!

    Barteool didn¡¯t get a lot of time to look around the forest before a huge backpack threw him to the ground. Panicked, he watched as Aragami rushed to the Dendrae before others got in the way.

    He struggled to get the backpack off of him, twisting his torso to push the weight to the side with little to no luck. Then, a group of four Guild Security officers entered his vision and with all of their efforts combined, pushed the backpack to the side, freeing him and two scholars that were stuck.

    Barteool tried to stand up, but a sharp pain in his ankle sent him to the ground again. ¡°Fuck!¡± he yelled out and grasped his wounded leg.

    Luckily, one of the healers noticed his struggle and marched over, gently dragging his hands away from the wound and casting a low healing spell.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Barteool asked, the pain in his ankle slowly disappearing.

    ¡°Your ¡®friend¡¯ carelessly tossed his bag and rushed at the guardian. The Guild Master and the rest went to mediate and instructed us to take care of the situation here.¡± Another scholar spoke up from beside him, disdain dripping from every word. ¡°Your companion went with them, and you are to do the same as soon as you are able to.¡±

    With that, the scholar turned away and walked to care for his other comrades. Barteool nodded and thanked the scholar that helped him and looked around. The area was plunged into chaos. It appeared that Aragami threw his bag to one side and threw himself to the other. There was a clear straight pathway of scholars shoved to the sides without a care in the world.

    ¡®Welp. Let''s go, then.¡¯ Barteool shrugged and got to running through the chaos.

    As he emerged from the group, he immediately saw Guild Master Zaanta, Battering Ram Ghanna and Barrier Mage Tiina waiting a short distance away, in between the group and Aragami wrestling a Dendrae. As he jogged up to them, he searched for Virria. She was supposed to be with them, but he couldn''t see her.

    ¡°Ah. Barteool! Finally!¡± Guild Master said as he came to stop. ¡°Now that all of us are present, let us try and mediate the situation before anything too bad happens.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Barteool raised his hand. ¡°I don''t see Virria here.¡±

    ¡°She''s gone ahead to try and stop him while we gather,¡± Tiina answered, a slight smile on her face. ¡°We told her to wait for us, but she gave us some¡­valid counterarguments.¡±

    He could imagine her arguments, so he just sighed and gestured that he was ready to go.

    As they approached, it became obvious that something was very wrong. Even though Virria tried her best, Aragami was not responding at all. In fact, he was back to his original size and ripping various branches off the poor Guardian''s body.

    The barrier Mage prepared her staff, perhaps to cast a barrier in between the two, but stopped herself mid-incantation.

    Zaanta looked at her questioningly, but Tina just pointed to one of the trees, her hand shaking.

    As they all turned their attention to the tree as well, Barteool¡¯s legs almost gave out. The tree was twisting and growing at an unnatural pace. It then stopped moving as suddenly as it started, before its roots shot out of the ground and pulled the whole tree above.

    He covered his face with his hands to protect himself from the dirt and stones flying through the air, before he felt Ghanna''s hand touch his head and slam it to the ground. He wanted to protest, but then he heard a weird, shaky voice from in front of him.

    ¡°Raise your heads.¡±

    He did so very carefully. In front of him he saw Guild Master and Barrier Mage kneeling on the ground. Ghanna was beside him, with Virria on her other side. And in front of them was another Dendrae. This one even older looking than the one they met on the way into the forest.

    He was amazed to see such a powerful being in front of him. This was something he would be telling his grandkids and great grandkids. He was sure of it. And then he heard the other voice.

    *¡°%@¡Á!#^¡ê:&#@??¡±

    It came from the left, where Aragami was. The voice was deep, rumbling, and was as pleasant as if you dragged a battle ax against a stone floor. And it was coming out of Aragami''s mouth at the moment.

    To everyone''s surprise, the older Dendrae immediately snapped to attention and answered in the same language, albeit in a much more pleasant voice. To everyone''s amazement, Aragami started to scold him, pointing to him and to the other, weaker Dendrae that lay on the ground with ripped off branches.

    ¡°Oh, he''s dead.¡± Ghanna muttered beside him and got a quick glare from Zaanta for speaking out of line. But Barteool had to agree. You simply don''t speak up to the Dendrae. He could see the fear in Virria¡¯s eyes as she watched the situation, unable to interfere.

    ¡°It''s not him.¡± Virria whispered. The Guild Master turned her head slightly, still maintaining her kneeling position.

    ¡°Explain!¡± She demanded quietly.

    ¡°Aragami''s eyes!¡± Virria pointed a finger. ¡°They changed color, his movements seem shaky and unsure. And the language he speaks seems unnatural.¡±

    Barteool focused on the beings in front of him, their discussion gaining momentum. He carefully observed their movements and saw what she meant.

    ¡°She''s right, Guild Master!¡± He whispered, unable to snap his eyes away. ¡°That''s not how he moved through the forest. He was way more fluid.¡±

    The Guild Master narrowed her eyes and turned to observe the being. After a short while she nodded slightly.

    ¡°I can see what you mean. Those movements are nothing like during the fight with Ghanna.¡± She paused. ¡°Tiina? Could it be a case of possession?¡±

    Barteool felt his blood freeze over. Possession was extremely risky if you weren''t careful. The majority of mages that got possessed wreaked havoc before they were forcefully taken down by whole groups of Adventurers and soldiers.

    ¡°It is quite possible.¡± Tiina confirmed. ¡°However if that is the case and it comes to fighting, at least there''s a Dendrae to help.¡±

    Barteool could do nothing but watch and listen. His head filled with images of stories his father told him. Of the mighty Dendrae that enforced nature''s laws and principles on anyone that disturbed the balance. He briefly wondered if the Dendrae would even bother helping them if worse comes to worst.

    Then, the Dendrae turned to them. Its eyes swept over their group, before settling on Guild Master Zaanta.

    ¡°Please, stand up, Adventurers.¡± It''s voice rang across the small clearing. Barteool could swear he heard some suppressed emotion, but discarded the thought. The main objective right now was to survive.

    The Guild Master was the first one to move. She slowly stood up, still maintaining her subservient stance. Tiina and Ghanna followed suit, and so did he and Virria.

    The Dendrae slowly nodded before speaking. ¡°I understand that this situation is not pleasant for you, so allow me to explain. This right here,¡± the Dendrae pointed one of its roots to the poor Guardian ¡°is one of my apprentices.¡± Barteool noticed the Guild Master in front of him perked up. ¡°And your friend over here had made a deal with an old benefactor of mine.¡± The Dendrae pointed to Aragami, who just threw one of the Dendrae''s branches to the side. ¡°He is currently lending his body to my benefactor for a set amount of time to punish my stupid apprentice for a serious mistake he''s made.¡±

    Barteool almost sighed in relief. Aragami was still there. He just made a deal with¡­something. He didn''t care about the rest.

    ¡°Now that I''ve arrived,¡± the Dendrae continued. ¡°I have volunteered to take over the punishment.¡± The Dendrae bowed slightly. ¡°I am sorry for any injuries or confusion this matter has caused among you, mortals. Please, accept my sincere apology.¡±

    The Guild Master bowed deeply in reply. With her head to the ground, she went to politely refuse any need for an apology.

    ¡°The matter of apology is not my decision. I have violated an ancient agreement which had you all dragged into these events.¡± The Dendrae shook his crown. ¡°As an apology I have offered myself to¡­ mediate the matters between your group and my benefactor here.¡± One of the Dendrae''s branches pointed to Aragami. ¡°But I was refused. Since HE would like to talk with you without a mediator to translate HIS will.¡±

    As the Dendrae spoke, Aragami slowly walked over to the group and knelt down to their height.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°HE offers a short term contract to either of the Raakteigs among you, to allow HIM to take over your body and speak to you in your own tongue. It has been a long time since HE interacted with you beyond HIS obligations as a Law.¡±

    That last sentence shook everyone present at their core. A personification of a LAW wished to talk to them. And even went out of its way to talk their language!

    ¡°We are honored to be granted an audience with¡­¡± Guild Master began, but she was immediately shushed by the Dendrae.

    ¡°Do not tell it to me. If you accept the offer, choose one of the Raakteigs to accept the contract.¡± The Dendrae seemed annoyed now. Guild Master, clearly lost as to what to do now, looked at Batreool for help, but he was as confused as she was.

    Virria, on the other hand, stood up and to the shock of the whole group, walked in front of the kneeling Aragami.

    As she approached, Aragami''s eyes, now deep purple in color, watched her every step. Barteool wanted to stop her, to take the risk instead of her, but his legs refused to move.

    Virria stopped about a meter from the giant and bowed deeply. ¡°I, Virria from the village of Carne in the Kingdom of Falmenas, wish to accept the generous offer made today.¡±

    She then straightened up and looked straight into the eyes of the being in front of her. Silence fell onto the group once again. Everyone''s gaze focused on Virria and the being in front of her.

    And after a moment, Aragami¡¯s face contorted. His lips twisted, revealing his teeth in a menacing grin. Slowly, ¡®Aragami¡¯ reached into one of his pockets, and withdrew a large crystal.

    The deep purple color immediately drew everyone''s attention. The crystal pulsed with a mysterious, malicious glow. It levitated mere centimeters above Aragami''s open palm and slowly rotated, reflecting light rays from its polished surface.

    Gently, Aragami lowered his hand, until the crystal was directly in front of Virria. About fifteen centimeters in length and five centimeters in diameter, it was large enough not to be easily carried.

    Virria stared at the crystal for a moment, before extending one of her arms and touching it.

    The effect was immediate. The crystal stopped spinning and sent a wave of dark purple Mana throughout Virria¡¯s body. Her other arms reached out and grabbed onto the crystal with all her might. Aragami watched for a moment, before withdrawing his hand and sitting on the ground behind Virria, his eyes turning back to their natural colors.

    Virria didn''t move for the longest time, before walking over to Aragami and sitting in front of him, turning her back to the Dendrae.

    Her gaze swept across their group and Barteool felt a chill run down his spine. Half of Virria¡¯s face was obscured in a deep purple mist, with a single red light instead of an eye shining through. The other half, on the other hand, looked completely normal. Her eye looked directly at him and¡­blinked.

    ¡°First thing I would like to say is that I am still in complete control of my body.¡± Virria said in front of everybody, her voice filled with awe and respect.

    That snapped them out of their shocked stupor.

    ¡°The other thing,¡± said a voice nobody recognised, ¡°is that I am not taking her ability to think at all. Any time she wishes to end the contract, she can.¡±

    The voice was deep, melodic, and with a foreign accent Barteool couldn''t quite place. It resonated with something deep in his soul, assuring him that the being in front of them held unimaginable power.

    Guild Master was the first one to speak up after the initial shock wore off.

    ¡°We are honored to be granted audience to one of Your gloriousness.¡± She bowed deeply and the rest of the group quickly followed.

    ¡°No need for formalities, ¡®Nature''s Wrath¡¯ Zaanta. Our time is limited,¡± The Voice shot her down immediately.

    Zaanta recoiled immediately, bowing her head even lower and through gritted teeth, forced out a quiet ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°If I am correct, your group came here to investigate the method with which your barrier was broken through. Did I get that right?¡±

    After an affirmation from the Guild Master, The Voice continued. ¡°I will have to ask you not to look into that matter any more.¡± Zaanta''s head shot straight up, confusion and protest clearly visible for all to see.

    ¡°I understand that you have your share of work to do, however this is something your people are not ready to discover. If I were to tell you how Aragami got through your barrier, I would violate multiple rules of Nature and Society of us Laws.¡± The Law paused for a bit, clearly expecting some kind of reply, but Zaanta kept quiet and listened.

    ¡°Sigh. However I am not oblivious to the fact that you have to make a report to your superiors. You are probably thinking of what to tell them since I forbade you from digging into the matter. Correct?¡±

    ¡°It is as you say, venerable Law.¡± Zaanta agreed and bowed her head deeply. Barteool couldn''t help but notice that the shadow covering Virria¡¯s face shifted with the reply.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± the Law appeared to contemplate a reply. ¡°In that case, both myself and Aragami here are willing to give you the following information.¡± The Voice paused for a moment as it watched Zaanta frantically searching for some kind of diary to write the information down.

    As soon as she had a diary ready, The Voice continued. ¡°The method he broke through your barrier is that he created a miniature tunnel, directly connecting two places on the same plane of existence. His people call them ¡®Wormholes¡¯.¡±

    Barteool could swear he saw the pack mist around Virria grimace.

    ¡°If you want to know more, I would recommend asking Aragami directly.¡±

    Zaanta frantically scribbled notes before bowing once more.

    ¡°I thank thee for thine words. I shall not look into the matter any further without counseling with Aragami.¡± She paused.

    ¡°However this one is afraid no-one here is able to reliably communicate with him.¡±

    Even Barteool knew that was not true. The Guild had an abundance of people that knew how to speak the Ancient language, but all of them wanted to be paid for their knowledge.

    As he watched Virria, searching for any sign of discomfort or pain, he noticed a slight change in her expression. Her scales vibrated for a moment, a sign of amusement among their people.

    ¡®Yup. She''s definitely plotting something.¡¯ he thought.

    Virria stood up and walked toward them, the dark cloud of Mana following her closely. ¡°If I recall correctly, your organization used a certain artifact to learn other languages in exchange for the knowledge of the wearer''s language.¡±

    ¡°That is correct.¡± Zaanta nodded.

    ¡°Well then. If you want to communicate with him, all you have to do is to provide him with one and wait for him to learn this¡­common language, as you call it.¡±

    Virria was now standing in front of Zaanta. Her hand, covered in the dark Mana, extended in front of her and pointed to Zaanta''s antlers.

    ¡°I can see you are wearing one right now, so there shouldn''t be any problem, correct?¡± The Law questioned, it''s Mana shaping itself into a menacing, beast-like appearance.

    ¡°Yes. We are able to provide the artifact in question, however we have none ready to use at this moment.¡± Zaanta''s voice quivered slightly. The vicinity of Law taking its toll even on her mentality.

    ¡°Oh do not worry. You will have plenty of time to provide it.¡± The Law said. Virria turned to the side and marched about.

    ¡°From what your friend here allowed me to know, she plans to have Aragami integrated as a member of her group.¡± Zaanta nodded, not letting the idea of ¡®allowing¡¯ a Law to look through her thoughts interrupt the conversation.

    Tiina and Ghanna gawked with their mouths agape, and Barteool had to hold himself together not to pass out.

    ¡°Furthermore, from what I can tell from Aragami''s side, he''d taken a liking to their little group and had planned to stick around for the time being,¡± the Law said nonchalantly.

    Zaanta simply nodded again. Barteool suspected that she stuffed the implications somewhere deep in her head, where she wouldn''t have to face them. Laws were known to be powerful. But to be able to read minds so effortlessly and with no signs of discomfort, yet still needing a permission to search the thoughts of someone¡­

    ¡°Understood.¡± Zaanta bowed even lower than before. ¡°We will gladly welcome him as a member of our organization.¡± Zaanta straightened up, her diary ready. ¡°For the sake of smooth integration, may I ask for the information necessary for an application?¡±

    Tiina looked exasperated, her gaze switching from Zaanta to Virria and back. Ghanna was looking nowhere, her gaze distant.

    Virria stopped pacing in front of Guild Master, her gaze burning though Zaanta. ¡°And what would you need to know that you don''t already?¡± The Law questioned warily. ¡°You know his name and appearance. You will surely measure his skill when you get back to your headquarters. That was all your Guild needed some two or three hundred years ago.¡± The accusation was clearly noticeable in the tone. The Law was not happy.

    ¡°My apologies.¡± Zaanta bowed her head, her voice shaking. ¡°During the last century, a lot of things have changed in regards to The Guild and its rules. Nowadays, every member has a tag of identification with their name, occupation and age. The tag also has a small sample of the owners blood, so they can be identified as their truthful owners via runic arrays. It serves as a proof of their identity as well as their affiliation.¡±

    As she spoke, Zaanta took out her own tag. A small piece of rare metal, about five by two centimeters in size. She also pointed to Tiina and the rest, implying they have their tags as well. Tiina hurriedly took out her tag, similar to Zaanta''s. Barteool quickly fished for the string around his neck that held his tags. Unlike the Guild Master''s Orichalcum tag, his was made of plain silver. He took great care of it, as a damaged tag was associated with lazy or dangerous individuals.

    Virria fished out her tag, as well as multiple others. ¡°These are tags of my tamed animals.¡± She said, her voice tinged with sadness. ¡°Unfortunately, most of them passed away recently and I didn''t get the chance to hand over the tags to the Guild.¡±

    The Law took some time to inspect every single tag in her hand, before shifting to look at the Guild Masters tag.

    ¡°I see.¡± It said. ¡°I assume that the material of these ¡®Tags¡¯ reflect your position inside the organization?¡±

    ¡°Yes and no.¡± Zaanta glanced up. ¡°The tags specify the difficulty of a mission the owner is allowed to take. For example, a mission my group can accept is unreachable to Barteool¡¯s group, since it would be too difficult for their group.¡±

    ¡°That sounds reasonable enough.¡± The Law nodded and Viria started pacing again.

    ¡°Very well.¡± The Law agreed after a moment. ¡°His name, as you know, is Arragami. He is a male of his species. His age would be thirty-two winters. And as to his occupation¡­leave it empty for now. At least until he decides what to do.¡±

    Zaanta quickly scribbled the information. She looked it over before speaking up again.

    ¡°I am thankful for the information. However, as he has entered some sort of agreement with You, we will need to add a line to his tags. It will simply say: Warlock. As a sign that he might be suffering an odd effect or two compared to normal people.¡±

    ¡°Both of us are fine with that. As long as you don''t specify that it is a Law he''s made a contract with.¡± The Law agreed and Aragami nodded in agreement.

    Zaanta nodded frantically and quickly scribbled another note onto the diary.

    ¡°Thank you very much. Your grace is very appreciated.¡± Zaanta bowed.

    ¡°One last thing before I leave:¡± The Law added, as if making a casual conversation, ¡°Make sure that Your friend here, Virria, recycles her Mana naturally. No mana potions are allowed, unless you want to have her abdomen explode.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Virria panicked, just before the Mana mist evaporated from her body, canceling the possession contract with the law.

    The clearing had gone quiet apart from the whining of the torn up Dendrae in the background and wind in the tree crowns. And slowly, Virria sat down to the ground and fell asleep, thoroughly exhausted.

 Chapter thirty: The negotiations

    Aragami watched, mildly worried, as Noir used his body to torture a living tree. But, he kept his worries to himself and just observed as Noir tore a tree branch from the being. He thought he could feel a slight current of Mana passing through his arm, but stayed unsure. That is, up until a whole bunch of crimson flames scorched the inside of the tree¡¯s crown.

    ¡®Okay Noir. Aren¡¯t you going a little bit too far with this?¡¯

    ¡®If I had no other motive I¡¯d have stopped a long time ago. I just need this piece of trash to call for its master and it knows it very well.¡¯ Noir sounded annoyed. ¡®But he¡¯s a bit stubborn!¡¯

    ¡®How about this. Give him about five to ten seconds. Just give him a window to call for help. Because if you keep this up, he will die before he gets the chance.¡¯ Aragami smirked. ¡®Believe it or not, my people have quite a lot of experience in this field.¡¯

    Noir thought it over for a short moment before canceling the fire spell. ¡®Fine.¡¯ Noir agreed. ¡®Hey! Listen up, punk!¡¯ Noir called out seemingly nowhere. Aragami was then startled by the sound of a distant screaming voice

    ¡®You have ten seconds to call your Master. After that, we will resume what we were doing until either ten minutes later, or until he shows up.¡¯ The screaming voice yelled something unrecognizable, while Noir walked around its broken body with one of its branches in Aragami¡¯s hand.

    ¡®Why can I hear it?¡¯ Aragami asked, curious about the mechanics behind the ability.

    ¡®Well, since I am in direct communication with you, if I engage in another communication channel, a sub-communication if you will, I can soundproof the latter communication so as to not hear anything from the primary communication.¡¯ Noir answered, a hint of pride in his voice.

    ¡®So as a priority communication, we are able to hear the sub-communication. That¡¯s pretty neat.¡¯

    ¡®A sub what? You know what? Never mind.¡¯ Noir sounded exasperated. ¡®Time to get back to it, I guess.¡¯ Noir grinned and reached for another branch, but stopped midway. ¡®Damnit! He¡¯s here faster than I thought.¡¯ He sighed and turned away from the sorry being.

    The situation in front of them changed slightly. Aragami saw the Raakteigs and their superiors (he assumed) kneeling in the same direction he and Noir were turning toward. There, on the edge of the forest, a young tree got engulfed in a large amount of bright green Mana.

    ¡®His superior?¡¯ Aragami asked.

    ¡®His master, yes.¡¯ Noir affirmed.

    They watched as the tree absorbed the Mana, growing rapidly and, Aragami assumed, self-destructively. In about a minute, the tree grew up to the height of around four meters before wrinkling up and forming a face on the bark.

    ¡®That¡¯s weird. Do all of the Ents move like that?¡¯ Aragami asked as the Ent ripped its roots out of the ground.

    ¡®First of all,¡¯ Noir said. ¡®They are usually called Dendrae. Ent is their species-specific name and others aren¡¯t allowed to use it.¡¯

    ¡®Ah shit. Sorry.¡¯

    ¡®No worries. He didn¡¯t hear you. Just make sure not to let it slip in front of them.¡¯ Noir sighed ¡®As to your question: No, only High Ents can move across these far distances. Lower class like that one can usually move in its line of sight.¡¯

    The En¡­ Dendrae made a few steps towards the kneeling group and gave them some kind of command. Aragami felt like he was about to start some kind of lecture.

    ¡®Alright! we can¡¯t have that! If we let him start his speech, we¡¯ll be here for a while. I am sorry in advance, Aragami.¡¯ Noir gruntled.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Aragami was confused. ¡®Sorry about what?¡¯ But before he could get his answer, Noir had already taken control over his vocal cords and mouth.

    A strange screeching language came out of his throat, immediately grabbing the attention of the Dendreae.

    ¡®That hurts!¡¯ Aragami yelled out. His throat felt sore and he was sure that if he continued using it that way there WOULD form some kind of damage. ¡®Don''t do that!¡¯

    ¡®Hey! I said I''m sorry.¡¯ Noir laughed. ¡®I just needed to get his attention. I''ll use less destructive ways from now on.¡¯

    ¡®I''d hope so. Otherwise I''ll force you out of my throat!¡¯ Aragami complained and used one arm to massage his throat.

    The Dendrae walked up to him and started speaking with a soft voice. The language sounded similarly to what Noir used, but much softer. Noir, on the other hand, stood by his words and spoke in a softer tone, putting significantly less stress on his vocal cords.

    Aragami was kind of annoyed that he couldn''t understand what they said, but he shot down the thought and focused on just observing.

    Finally, Noir spoke up.

    ¡®Alright. This old fart agreed that my method was just, albeit a bit overboard, so you don''t have to worry about them taking revenge.¡¯ The Dendrae turned to the natives and started talking to them.

    ¡®I''ll need you to take back control now. Since I had quite a good idea that will benefit you.¡¯ He sounded smug and Aragami didn''t like it.

    ¡®Sure.¡¯ he agreed and rolled his shoulders in delight. He saw Tesi and Fido looking at him from the side, so he smiled at them and threw them the branch from the punished Dendrae. They smelled it for a moment before grabbing it in their maws and starting a tug of war.

    ¡®Hey! That was kind of rude!¡¯ Noir called out, a bit of humor seeping through his mask of annoyance.

    ¡®I can always play the [Oh! I didn''t know!] card.¡¯ Aragami snapped back, a shit-eating grin on his face.

    ¡®Oh yeah! I forgot about that.¡¯ Noir contorted. ¡®Anyways, I''ll need you to do me another favor.¡¯

    Aragami just nodded, watching the dogs play.

    ¡®Could you kneel down in front of the group? It seems like I''ll be able to talk to them in a certain way.¡¯

    ¡®Sure can do.¡¯ Aragami answered and turned to the group. The Deer was talking to the Elder Dendrae, the other members kneeling down behind it.

    Aragami slowly walked over and kneeled down to rest his legs a bit. The Dendrae next to him paid seemingly no attention and continued talking.

    At one moment, a wave of shock washed over the group, making the Deer fall over its words for a moment.

    Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the black Raakteig jumped to its feet and marched in front of him. It bowed about ninety degrees and said something in a weird language. It reminded Aragami of the time he heard someone speaking Greek or perhaps Turkish.

    ¡®Nice. I hoped she would be the one to come forth.¡¯ Noir said. ¡®If you are not against it, I would like the two of you to get to know each other.¡¯

    ¡®You what? How?¡¯ Aragami questioned.

    ¡®It¡¯s quite simple, really.¡¯ Noir smirked. ¡®Since I need to possess someone in order to make sure your future safety is guaranteed, I thought that I would do you a small favor along the way. I will connect the minds of the two of you, allowing you to exchange memories of your choice while I talk to her Master.¡¯ Noir sounded proud of the idea.

    ¡®So? What do you say? Great idea, isn¡¯t it?¡¯

    Aragami thought for a second. The idea itself was solid. A bit underhanded, but with Noir, he was starting to get used to it. ¡®I will agree that it is a great idea.¡¯ He conceded. ¡®But I just want to make sure. This will not affect her in any way, will it?¡¯

    ¡®Ooh! Someone is trying to care for the Raakteigs after throwing them through a tear in space! Don¡¯t worry.¡¯ Noir said, with the most sarcasm Aragami had heard from him so far. ¡®I have no intention of harming your allies. It¡¯s quite counterproductive with what I am trying to do.¡¯ Noir assured. ¡®At most she¡¯ll feel exhausted and/or will need to replenish her Mana reserves. No need to worry.¡¯

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Aragami wanted to think about it a little more, but Virria didn¡¯t give him the time, as she walked in front of him, bowed and started talking.

    ¡®Alright. I¡¯ll take you up on that offer. But ask her if she agrees to it as well. If she refuses, the deal is off.¡¯ He countered.

    ¡®Sure. We can work with that, I guess¡­¡¯ Noir reluctantly agreed. ¡®Alright, alright¡­ Could you just take out that first crystal we made?¡¯

    ¡®Sure thing!¡¯ Aragami smiled and reached for his chest pocket. He grabbed the crystal and slowly lowered it in front of the Raakteig. He could see a bit of Noir¡¯s power reach for the crystal just to make it float above his palm.

    ¡®Show-off.¡¯ He thought and shoved the crystal towards the Raakteig.

    ¡®Yeah, yeah, whatever. It¡¯s effective. Now shut up and let me work. Think of what memories you want to share, or something.¡¯ Noir brushed him off.

    Still grinning, Aragami offered the crystal to the Raakteig. It hesitated for a moment before reaching out to touch it with one of her hands.

    The moment she did, he could feel another consciousness materialize in the void around him. He could also feel her emotions. Awe, confusion, and a healthy dose of fear. All before Noir even started talking.

    ¡®Greetings! Virria of Carne, subject of the Kingdom of Falmenas!¡¯ Noir grandiosely declared, and the consciousness shrunk back in fright. ¡®I am your friend¡¯s Patron. And I wish to speak to your Masters. Given that I do not know your own language, I propose a trade.¡¯

    Fear, awe, and a hint of curiosity were the answer. ¡®Yes, yes. You are allowed to make a counteroffer in case you do not like what I propose.¡¯ Noir said, and Aragami understood that he was talking to the Raakteig, so he kept quiet and thought of what to share with it.

    ¡®Definitely my birth house. Maybe the area where I grew up? But showing her just the countryside might be counterproductive, so a city is a must as well¡­ And then¡­¡¯

    ¡®Could you stop that? It¡¯s quite distracting.¡¯ Noir interrupted his train of thought. It seemed as if he was in a full-blown discussion in the background. The other consciousness shifted every second.

    ¡®Sorry ¡®bout that.¡¯ He replied. ¡®It¡¯s just¡­ You told me to think of something¡­¡¯

    ¡®I was just telling you off! Your subconsciousness will decide what to show. You can set the initial tone, but after that, it depends on what way the other one will take.¡¯ Noir sighed. ¡®The moment you decide you¡¯ve seen enough, you are free to emerge from the memories. I¡¯ll make sure your body won¡¯t fall over in the meantime.¡¯

    ¡®Wait what?¡¯ Aragami asked, but by that point he already felt like falling backwards. His vision dispersed and all the colors rearranged around him. He regained control just as his feet hit the water. But instead of piercing through and plummeting into the depths, he gently bounced off, floating mere centimeters above the surface.

    ¡°Fuck, that¡¯s weird!¡± he said out loud before slapping a hand across his mouth. ¡®Stupid! What were you told about speaking up?!¡¯ He reprimanded himself and looked around.

    He was in a marshland, surrounded by huge trees. A number of Raakteigs dressed in rags and clothes woven from grasses were all around him, collecting some sort of plant from the water. Their heads were low and their shoulders slack. Among them, there were a couple of children going around with a fruit basket and waterskins. They stopped by each of the adults, offering them the basket of half-rotten fruits and veggies. But only rarely they¡¯d be taken up on the offer.

    Out of nowhere, a whip cracked into existence, striking one of the children. It made a high-pitched yelp and urged the rest of them to move onwards, a bright red tattoo mark on their upper back showing through the torn rags.

    Not knowing what to do, Aragami followed the group of children. They stopped a couple of times, offering the fruits and water, but not a single word was spoken among them. Eventually, they found a small island in the knee-high water. Once they reached it, they dispersed across it, digging up insect larvae, roots and veggies, collecting them into the basket.

    As Aragami walked in between them, he noticed that the farther he went from one certain child, the blurrier everything got. Her black scales were dim and helped her blend in with the dead grass she was hiding in. He knew instinctively that this was the black Raakteig that he saved, but he still couldn¡¯t believe it. She looked scrawny, even malnourished, yet instead of foraging for food like the rest of her group, she chose to hide in the grass, staying completely still for the longest of times.

    Aragami looked in the same direction and saw a small bird on a tree branch far from the reach of her small arms. He didn¡¯t know how, but at that moment he knew what the bird species was called Idowu. It looked like no normal bird, no matter how hard he tried to classify it in his mind. Its beak was too small to be a nut eater, yet too thin and delicate to drink nectars. He was completely focused on the bird, so he noticed the tiny head movements before it suddenly disappeared.

    Startled, he walked closer to inspect the branch, just to find out that the bird was still there, but it had camouflaged itself like a chameleon. He also noted the fact that it had only one leg before the image blurred out. He looked behind him, about to follow the little Raakteig, but she was still hiding in the grass. She had a terrified expression on her face, with all four arms smacked across her jaw. Her fear filled eyes were staring in the direction of the adult Raakteigs.

    He focused as well and noticed an area of water swirling around something invisible to his eyes. And it was approaching the island where the children were. As it closed in, Aragami noticed who he assumed was Virria was carefully following the swirling water up until the unknown being reached the shore.

    She then stayed completely still, scarcely even breathing. The unknown creature sniffed the air, before moving in the direction of another child. Although Virria didn¡¯t move, Aragami did. He leaned down to inspect the footprints, and what he saw chilled him to the bones.

    Three deep gashes in the muddy dirt signifying the presence of talons, a scaly pattern on the sides of the footprint, and the depth suggested a large lizard-like being. He shuddered at the thought and was glad that he couldn¡¯t really see it, but Virria had other thoughts.

    Her small frame darted from the grass and started stalking the larger reptile. her movements a blend of stealth and urgency, she moved forward with determination.

    ¡®For fuck¡¯s sake¡­¡¯ Aragami swore to himself and followed suit. This was clearly an important memory and he¡¯d gain nothing if he just stood there.

    The next time they saw the reptile was just as it caught another child. It screamed and trashed, struggling to get free, but the invisible hands of its captor held it steady. Virria stopped behind a small bush, peeking at the other child. It appeared as if the child was punching something with little to no effect, since the only thing Aragami could see change were the child¡¯s fists getting bloodier, as if repetitively striking something hard, and an area of blue blood hanging in midair where it was striking.

    A gurgling laugh echoed through the air as something caught the child¡¯s arm mid swing. It immediately tried to twist it out of the grasp with all its might, but without success. The child was hoisted in midair and screamed in pain, but it didn¡¯t stop fighting for a moment. it tried every trick in the book to get free. Scratching, punching, even biting, but with every attempt, its clothes tore in more places and deep cuts appeared along its side and hands. In the end, it simply hung there, sobbing silently, expecting a quick end.

    But its captor, it appeared, had no such intentions. Without any warning, the child¡¯s arm straightened up and started bending in the wrong direction, as if someone was trying to break a bone. It started crying from the pain and reached out with its bleeding arm to try and alleviate the pressure.

    The blood from the open wound flowed out of the child, falling through the air, and onto the armor of the invisible assailant. Although he couldn¡¯t see much, Aragami saw more than enough to determine its species even with his limited knowledge.

    It was another Raakteig. Its legs and torso were covered in armor that gleamed with the fresh blood of the youngling in its arms. He felt revulsion at the sight and went to turn away from the scene.

    But at the same moment Virria jumped out of her hiding spot and sprinted for the adult. Aragami focused back to the scene, flabbergasted by her action of clear suicide.

    As Virria closed in, the poor child¡¯s arm finally gave in and bent, tearing the ligaments in its elbow and making the child scream out in pain. The brute laughed and reached for another arm, but noticed Virria beelining toward him. He threw the minced child to the side, not caring whether it lived or died, and walked toward little Virria.

    Aragami felt nervous as to what would happen now. He knew Virria would live through this, but wasn¡¯t sure how exactly.

    His question was quickly answered, as Virria picked up a handful of mud and threw it at the brute in front of her. Of course, the mud just splashed against a chest plate, but it seemed to annoy the adult, as it charged at her with haste. But Virria wasn¡¯t done. She reached for the ground and started bombarding the adult with mud projectiles. They harmlessly splashed on the now visible full plate armor the Raakteig was wearing.

    As it neared Virria, she made one last, desperate throw and hit the adult directly in the face, blinding it momentarily. Aragami cheered and marveled at the shot, before noticing that although the Raakteig appeared blinded, it still managed to catch Virria by her leg and was now lifting her in the air, directly in front of its faceplate.

    With one mud covered hand, the adult Raakteig lifted its faceplate, disrupting the camouflage spell and revealing its complete form.

    The armor was made of plain metal and started to rust in several places. There were no decorations to speak of. Its arms were covered in chainmail with iron plates sloppily stitched on. He had a short sword on its hip, right beneath a leather whip with traces of blue on it. He held Virria by a pair of strong arms, with another pair of smaller arms holding a small knife in front of her face. one of the smaller arms was what lifted the faceplate and was now wiping out mud from his forward facing eyes. Its secondary eyes were staring daggers at the small child in front of him.

    A moment later, the Raakteig wiped all the mud off and menacingly smiled at Virria, showcasing all of his teeth and slashed at her with the small dagger. She dodged madly, escaping an injury by mere centimeters. The Raakteig swung at her a couple more times and Virria dodged all of them, her small frame giving her an unexpected advantage.

    But before long, the adult got bored and threw Virria up in the air. She couldn¡¯t do anything. Just soar up, before plummeting down to the ground, where a dagger was awaiting her arrival.

    And just as she approached the apex of her flight, he caught a glimpse of movement just out of the corner of his eye. The adult beneath Virria flew to a side with a rather large arrow poking from in between his eyes. Another shadow darted across the lake, shades of dark blue and black mixing in a confusing pattern, and caught her as she plummeted to the ground.

    Aragami breathed a huge sigh of relief before noticing that the world all around him started fading into nothingness. The last thing to disappear was the face of Virria¡¯s savior. A dark blue Raakteig, dressed in a dark gray robe damp with water, smiling at her while casting a bright green spell.

 Chapter thirty-one: The lands of Memories

    After the memory (he was pretty sure it was a memory¡­) of the blue Raakteig saving young Virria, his whole surrounding dissipated into white nothingness. Aragami wondered what to do, but the nothingness answered that for him.

    From beneath his feet, a stone path emerged, followed by a small park and a huge stone wall to the side.

    As soon as he got his bearings, a group of small Raakteigs, including Virria, and other species, passed beneath him in a playful manner. Not seeing anything more interesting, Atagami decided to follow them and try to learn something.

    The children ran around, chasing each other. It was very easy to notice that there were two groups mixed together. One group consisted of the children he saw in the previous memory. They were thin, agile, and a little more skittish than the other group, but shined with enthusiasm.

    The other group appeared a little better fed. They were faster and relied more on their speed and strength to catch each other. Aragami suspected that they were children from a city or some sort of community.

    His guess was confirmed a short time later, when he saw a robed figure enter the park. It was an adult Raakteig dressed in a long black robe with silver accents and a small pendant around the neck. The hood was down and Aragami could see a couple of small horns peeking up from the top of their head. He got a slight tinkling at the back of his mind that it was not normal. After all, none of the Raakteigs with Virria had horns. Right?

    A masculine voice rang across the park as the Raakteig spoke, and even though he couldn''t really understand it, all the children did. They stopped their game and gathered around the adult, the thin group significantly further away than the other. The Raakteig didn''t seem to mind and started talking to the group in a deep, rhythmic voice.

    Aragami tried to pay attention to the lecture in progress, as it appeared quite important, but found himself unable to focus on the finer details. The design on the Raakteigs cloak blurred and his voice turned into incoherent noise.

    He looked around the group for Virria, scared that he might have missed her leaving the group, but he found her just on the edge of the group, looking into the treetops.

    After sighing in relief, Aragami walked over and laid down to have the same view as the child. Immediately, he noticed the weird bird from before. It sat on a thick branch and¡­ danced?

    It moved all around the branch, making complex movements and changing colors. Several times it even stopped mid-motion to make a pose for the small Raakteig.

    After focusing on the bird for an embarrassing amount of time, he sat up and focused on Virria.

    She was humming a quiet song and swinging her fingers to the rhythm, her eyes stuck to the little dancing bird above her.

    Aragami watched on, switching his focus between the bird and Virria, before a realization hit him from nowhere. ¡®The bird is dancing to her song!¡¯

    He redoubled his efforts and confirmed his speculation. The bird moved in the same direction Virria¡¯s fingers moved in, and stopped every time Virria stopped. It was far smarter than he gave it credit.

    As soon as he came to understand this, a crack formed in the air beside him and the whole scene was sucked away. He Was once again in the empty space, left to contemplate.

    ¡®She made friends with that bird at such a young age. Could it be the same bird I saw when back in the forest?¡¯

    His musing got interrupted, as several scenes materialized around him.

    Scenes of young Virria stashing bread from a large table with plates of food, of Virria secretly feeding the bird with that bread, gathering pieces of cloth and what appeared to be moss for the bird to make a nest for winter, an older Virria studying a book with the bird''s picture¡­

    The visions flew by too fast to see them all before getting sucked into one of them.

    Aragami found himself in a large stone room.

    There were bookshelves along the walls and a podium with a lectern near the wall in front of him. The room was full of various species, all in simple clothing and looking nervous. Virria stood right next to him, looking a bit older and less starved than in the park. She was looking around, taking in the atmosphere.

    Despite so many people around, the only sound he could hear was breathing and shuffling of feet on the hard stone floor.

    Before he could really get his bearings, a door burst open behind him, and a small Ratkin man with a large book entered the room. With the attention of every single person in the room on him, the man walked to the central podium, set the book and started to speak. And surprisingly, Aragami could understand some of the words.

    ¡°Greetings. Today, we @%#&# here in @#¡ê&# #<sup>#&</sup> to undergo the ceremony of #¡ê&(!¡±

    The weird mix of understandable speech and weird garbage made him tilt his head in confusion. Luckily, Virria next to him appeared to have just as hard a time understanding as he had. The man didn''t really care and continued rambling on.

    ¡°You will form a line, and come up to me #<sup>¡ê*#*@.</sup> I will Divine your future <sup>¡ê@*</sup> and provide you with what you need.¡±

    That was easier to understand, at least.

    He watched as all the children got into a single line and stepped up to the podium.

    He also kept a close eye on Virria in case she decided to do something, but she just watched the podium the same way he did.

    They watched as a child Otterkin walked up to the lectern and placed a hand on the large book. A gust of wind passed through the room, bringing in a couple of leaves to land on the youngster¡¯s hand.

    ¡°A Farmer¡­¡± The adult said, reaching into a small pouch on his hip. ¡°More specifically %¡¦!¡ì¡§, responsible for treating trees.¡± The Ratkin pulled out a couple of small items. A pouch of some kind, garden shears, and a small ax. Then, at the end, he reached in with both hands and pulled out a long stick with shears attached to the top. There was no way the almost two meter stick could have fit in there. The pouch had to be magical!

    Th Otterkin accepted the tools, bowed and descended the podium, walking to the back of the room for now. Next up was a young Minotaur. He walked up, the stairs creaking under his weight. He was taller than the Ratkin by at least two heads, but the elder didn¡¯t seem to mind or notice.

    ¡°Please, put your hand on the book.¡± He said, gesturing to the lectern. The Minotaur bowed slightly and pressed his open palm into the book. For a second, nothing happened.

    Then another gust of wind entered the room, but this one significantly stronger. It curled around the youngster for a couple seconds, before condensing and creating a small cut on his forearm before dissipating. A single droplet of blood dripped onto the book.

    The Ratkin shooed the Minotaur to the side and looked over the book, mumbling to himself. Then he reached into the pouch and pulled out a sword and shield before speaking.

    ¡°Warriors aren¡¯t very common around here. Head off to Areelib and ask for Guard Commander Baal. He will be expecting you.¡±

    The Minotaur bowed respectfully before accepting the equipment and walking off to the back of the room. The ceremony advanced for about half an hour, with most of the group receiving laboring tools, the warrior keeping his prestige as most interesting.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Then it came to Virria. She walked up onto the podium and nervously looked at the book. The pages were blank, but when she pressed her hand onto the page, words emerged out of nowhere above her fingers.

    It read: Virria Carne, Kingdom Falmenas. The text was in the Latin Alphabet. The same alphabet used in English. Aragami decided to remember the text in case he¡¯d need it in the future, but now he waited with bated breath for the wind to come. Finally, a gust of wind swept through the room, wreaking havoc on any unsecured pieces of paper lying around. After it calmed down, both Aragami and the Ratkin looked to Virria with expectation.

    She was still standing in front of the lectern, one hand on the book, the other covering her face. Her scales had a mixture of grass and feathers stuffed into every crevice, making her look like a weird mix of a bird and some furred animal. She finally stopped covering her face and looked herself over, before glancing back at the book.

    There was new text, right under her palm. Taming.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± The Ratkin broke the silence as he rummaged through his pouch. ¡°That was certainly unexpected, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± He pulled out a book and looked it over before tossing it right back. Virria just stared at her arms.

    ¡°I¡¯ve almost given up on ever seeing this.¡± The Ratkin continued mumbling while pulling several books from the pouch. ¡°Tamers are pretty rare and not a lot is known about the nuances of taming¡­ The best I can do for you is to give you some information about known Beasts.¡± The Ratkin smiled softly as he offered her a small stack of books. ¡°If you need more books, swing by the local library. I will make sure you will receive access to the Beast section.¡±

    Virria varily reached for the books before skitting to the back of the room to await the end of the ceremony with the rest of the young adults.

    But Aragami didn¡¯t get to see it through, as the scene around him cracked open and he fell out into the void again.

    As he fell, he saw a couple more pictures, each and every one more recent than the ceremony. Virria making a bow in the woods, her in a black robe with the bow over her shoulder in front of a large desk in a room filled with beings in armor, adventuring the land, and meeting the group he¡¯d found in the weird forest what felt like ages ago.

    As he aimlessly floated in midair, a small black spot appeared directly in front of him, slowly growing like a black hole.

    ¡®Oh god. What now?!¡¯ He thought as darkness slowly enveloped him. The first thing he noticed were his legs.

    They hurt. They hurt as if he sat in one position for too long and cut off blood circulation. Then his hearing came back. A conversation took place around him. He could hear Virria and the weird Deer-something that came with the Minotaur.

    The last thing that came to him was his sight. He slowly moved his head up and down to check for any weirdness, but found nothing.

    ¡®Hey, You! Finally awake?¡¯ Noir¡¯s voice came through to him.

    ¡®Where the fuck did you learn that?¡¯ Aragami groaned, starting his reclamation of his legs by moving his toes.

    ¡®Nowhere in particular. Just thought I¡¯d lighten up your damp mood.¡¯

    ¡®You really have an answer to everything, don¡¯t you?¡¯

    ¡®I like to think so. And if I don¡¯t know, I probably know someone who does.¡¯

    ¡®How long was I out for?¡¯ Aragami asked. ¡®My legs are burning quite badly.

    ¡®Not long. Quarter an hour maybe?¡¯ Noir sounded thoughtful. ¡®I¡¯ve talked things out with The Guild. That¡¯s the organization Virria here joined together with her team you know.¡¯

    Aragami mentally nodded, accepting the information at face value.

    ¡®They agreed to a couple of things. First off - They will give you an artifact that will help you learn the local language.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s huge news! What¡¯s the catch?¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m getting there. They also agreed that you and your pets can travel with Virria¡¯s group.¡¯

    ¡®The catch is that you will have to join their organization. You¡¯ll be fulfilling quests your group chooses, and in exchange you¡¯ll get paid and provided identification papers to enter cities.¡¯

    ¡®That¡­doesn¡¯t sound bad, actually. Especially if I can travel and stuff.¡¯ Aragami smiled to himself. ¡®Who knows what this world has to offer¡­¡¯

    ¡®Yeah yeah. All¡¯s not as rosy as you picture it. But you¡¯ll figure it out on your own, I¡¯m sure. You will probably have to go through some sort of test to assess your skill, and hire some illusionist or someone to disguise your dogs¡­ I don¡¯t have to tell you what effect would two apex predators freely walking through a town center have, do I?¡¯

    ¡®About the same as tigers escaping from ZOO?¡¯ Aragami smirked.

    ¡®What¡¯s escaping from what?¡¯ Noir asked, thoroughly confused. ¡®Lemme check¡­Oh! Those are some nasty beasties! Yeah, something like that.¡¯

    ¡®Did you just¡­¡¯

    ¡®Yes. I looked through your memories. The ones safely with me. Not your own.¡¯ noir assured. ¡®Still can¡¯t find what exactly is a ZOO, though.¡¯

    ¡®Not surprised.¡¯ Aragami answered. He could feel his legs again, so he started moving his ankles. ¡®They are not exactly related to warfare. They are basically big parks with cages where we brought various animals from around the world so people could look at them and learn about them.¡¯

    ¡®You¡­let me get this straight.¡¯ Noir said with barely held laughter. ¡®So your kind saw a super dangerous predator and thought: Oh my! I have to show this to so many people!¡¯

    ¡®I guess you could say that?¡¯ Aragami thought for a second. ¡®Some of us would think they¡¯re cute. We even have a term for cute, yet dangerous animals. Dangerfloof.¡¯

    ¡®Of course you do. I¡¯ve seen you ¡®play¡¯ with those Hounds¡­ I should¡¯ve known better¡­¡¯ Noir did a mental equivalent to facepalm to Aragami¡¯s great amusement.

    ¡®I¡¯ll go now, before my worldview is shattered even more.¡¯ Noir sounded exhausted. ¡®For now: Follow the Guild Master¡¯s commands. She¡¯s the Zhaariin up front, with flowers in the antlers. Call me when they give you the language artifact. I¡¯ll show you how to use it.¡¯

    ¡®Sure thing. And thank you for your help Noir.¡¯ Aragami smiled.

    ¡®Just don¡¯t do anything crazy while I¡¯m tending to my duties!¡¯ With that, Noir cut off the link and Aragami was alone in the middle of a group he didn¡¯t understand. Again.

    As he thought of what to do now, Virria in front of him made a panicked noise as the Mana of Noir¡¯s spell evaporated from around her. She sat on the ground and slumped her shoulders, prompting him, as well as the rest of the group to spring up to check on her.

    He arrived first, since he was the closest and caught her before she fell over to a side. Her right side felt noticeably colder than her left, so he immediately tried to warm it up with his own body heat.

    In the meantime, the Guildmaster galloped in front of him and bent down to examine the Raakteig. She was effectively terrified when Tesi¡¯s furry body brushed against one of her legs as she checked out the commotion. The rest of the group together with Fido caught up soon after. Only the other Raakteig dared to get near the Hounds to check on Virria. Everyone else just looked to the Guildmaster for instructions.

    ¡ª-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As soon as the mist evaporated off of Virria¡¯s body, Barteool rushed forward. He was sure he was rude to the Guildmaster by not waiting for her instructions, but he didn¡¯t care. His friend could be in danger.

    The Guildmaster brushed past him about a quarter of the way to Virria. Her face showed awe and slight concern. He snickered and redoubled his effort, watching as one of the Hounds stalked in from a side to take a look.

    As he got near he slowed down. Aragami was holding Virria close to him, no doubt warming her up. He gently squeezed past the Hounds and reached out to check on his friend¡¯s condition, just to find her deep asleep with a peaceful look.

    He breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Guildmaster who was eagerly awaiting answers.

    ¡°Ma''am. Virria appears to be in a stable condition. Just asleep and a bit cold, but Aragami is taking care of that.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± The Guildmaster nodded and turned to the Dendrae.

    ¡°May we be excused to get back on our way, Guardian?¡±

    The Dendrae waved them off, not even looking away from its mauled brethren on the ground. ¡°Our conversation has ended. You are free to leave.¡±

    Guildmaster bowed once again and turned to Barteool. ¡°Get him to pick up his things so we can be on our way. I don¡¯t want to spend any more time than strictly necessary wandering.¡± With that she turned to the scholars and left.

    ¡°Yes, Guildmaster!¡± Barteool saluted and turned to Aragami. ¡°Now¡­ How will we do this¡­¡± He thought for a moment before waving to get his attention. With a bit of pantomime, he got him to pick Virria up and march over to his bags. The two hounds never left his side for more than a second, and if they did, Aragami was sure to call them back quickly.

    As they closed in to the scholars, they were given a wide margin to walk through. At the backpack, Aragami set Virria down for a moment to rummage through his things before pulling out a big warm-looking blanket and carefully wrapping Virria like an egg.

    He then threw the backpack onto his back, the shovel and ax on one side rattling against each other, and carefully picked up Virria, holding her to his chest.

    Barteool nodded at him and gestured to follow. Then he marched to Zaanta in the distance.

    ¡°Ah! Barteool!¡± The Guildmaster yelled as soon as she saw him. ¡°Are we ready to go?¡± She asked as she eyed Aragami.

    ¡°Yes ma''am.¡± He affirmed. ¡°Virria is safe and getting all the warmth she needs.¡±

    ¡°Good, good. Since he¡¯s holding her, I take it he doesn¡¯t plan on repeating his stunt earlier?¡± She asked, a hint of amusement slipping through her voice.

    ¡°I hope not.¡± Barteool chuckled. ¡°If he does, I¡¯ll give him an earful as soon as I¡¯m sure he can understand me.¡±

    ¡°Reassuring¡± The Barrier Mage giggled from behind Guildmaster.

    ¡°Barteool.¡± Zaanta said in a serious tone. ¡°I have sent out a messenger to bring illusionists to the edge of the forest.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Barteool asked, unsure as to what to do with the information.

    ¡°So you are to explain to Aragami that we have to disguise his¡­ pets. If we left them like that all the way to the Guildbase, it would cause a mass panic.¡±

    Barteool understood. ¡°I will do my best to make him understand. But I might need a demonstration when we get there.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± Guildmaster nodded. ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡±

    ¡°Nothing that comes to mind.¡± Brteool shook his head.

    ¡°In that case¡­¡± The Guildmaster gestured to Ghanna.

    Ghanna took a deep breath and yelled out to the entire procession. ¡°DEPARTING!¡±

    With that, everyone started to move toward the city once again.

 Chapter thirty-two: A dangerous bargain

    Virria was SO scared! Not only did Aragami not react to anything she did, but now she found out he was possessed by a Law?! She totally ignored the discussion with the guardian, opting to sort out her thoughts. That is, until she heard the Guardian tell them about the Laws'' offer.

    Her body moved on her own, and before she knew it, she was walking in front of the now-kneeling Aragami. She panicked and thought of things to say, before throwing the idea of a grand speech into the wind and going with her formal introduction.

    She stopped in front of Aragami and bowed deeply, mentally preparing to speak up. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth in front of the law.

    ¡°I, Virria from the village of Carne in the Kingdom of Falmenas, wish to accept the generous offer made today.¡± She tried her best to keep up the facade of calm. The Law¡¯s gaze felt like it pierced through her conscious mind and reached directly into her soul. The thought of something so powerful made her shudder in fear. But the Law was in contract with Aragami. And if she wanted to integrate him into their group, she was sure they would come into contact with the law sometime in the future as well. Just for that reason, it was better for her to let the Law know her intentions now.

    The Law inspected her for what felt like hours, before it used one of Aragami¡¯s arms and slowly reached into a pocket on his chest, searching for something. As the hand emerged and slowly descended down to earth, her eyes were immediately drawn to the ornate crystal now levitating above the open palm. It looked fairly similar to the crystals Aragami made, but this one was much larger.

    It was deep purple in color and pulsed with an ominous light, drawing her in. She hesitated for a brief moment, before steeling herself. ¡®There is no going back now!¡¯ she thought, and reached out to touch the crystal.

    The second she did, an enormous Mana wave washed over her and isolated her from the surroundings. Her fingertips burned with her Mana fighting off the excessive Natural Mana of the crystal.

    And then she felt it. An immense pressure gently closed in around her skull, beckoning her to reach out and touch it. She was sure that if it wanted to, her mind would cease to exist any second, overwhelmed by the Law before her. But it didn''t

    The pressure didn''t feel nauseating or oppressive, but gentle and careful as if the Law did its best not to hurt her by accident.

    Reassured, tried her best to get used to the strange power of the law in order to communicate, before a strange, melodic voice resounded in her head.

    ¡®Greetings, Virria of Carne, subject of the Kingdom of Falmenas!¡¯ Virria shrunk back in fear and reverence. She''d never communicated with someone/something nearly as intelligent. ¡®You may call me Noir.¡¯

    She had to say something! The Law already said two whole sentences!

    ¡®I am grateful for the opportunity to speak with someone as majestic as thee. I thank thee for the permission to address thee directly, oh venerable Noir!¡¯ She hoped with all her heart she didn''t upset the Law.

    ¡®Please, stop with the formalities. I only wish to speak to your Masters, not get praised by the one I choose to communicate through.¡¯ She heard what she swore was a chuckle and mentally nodded to indicate her consent.

    The Law focused back on her, radiating satisfaction. ¡®Given that I do not know your own language, I propose a trade. You will allow me to use your knowledge of language and ONLY language, and I will make sure your time will be worthwhile.¡¯

    Her mind raced. Was she sure that the Law would not break its promise as soon as it got in? On the other hand, what was there to stop it? She felt the density of Mana underneath her fingers, and she was sure she¡¯d stand no chance.

    ¡®Ooh¡­ I like your way of thinking.¡¯ The Law interrupted her thoughts. ¡®It reminds me of how Aragami plucked out all the loose ends when I made the deal with him.¡¯ A wave of mildly warm feelings washed over her before the Law reverted back to neutrality.

    ¡®Fear not, as hurting you is the opposite of my intentions. Doing that would only antagonize me.¡¯ She had to concede that.

    Virria weighed the options for a second before deciding.

    ¡®I am willing to give out my language knowledge to the Law. I wish to aid Aragami as much as possible.¡¯

    ¡®Good.¡¯ The law said and Virria braced for pain. But it never came.

    ¡®Oh I don¡¯t do that sort of thing.¡¯ The law smiled. ¡®If you¡¯d like to accept, just embrace the crystal in Aragami¡¯s hand.¡¯

    ¡°Wondrous.¡± Virria muttered. ¡°I had no idea Laws were so merciful.¡±

    ¡®Let¡¯s just say that I am a shining exception. Don¡¯t change your world views just because of me.¡¯ The Law warns her as she embraces the crystal. A warm, purple fog washed over her, settling on her left side, leaving her right side clear. She could feel the warmth seeping into her body and head, before a foreign presence settles into the back of her mind.

    ¡®Forgive the intrusion.¡¯ The Law¡¯s voice comes clearer than ever. ¡®Please turn around to your companions. We have a lot to do, and our time is precious. This will consume a LOT of your Mana.¡¯

    ¡®Understood¡¯ Virria smiled and turned to the Guildmaster.

    ¡ª---------------------------------------

    She helped the Law negotiate with the Guild, providing it with more information by suggesting a thought or two. She was especially proud of telling the Law about the language artifact. The Law was about to accept the information at face value, until Virria offered her thoughts. The Law¡¯s thought process seemed to grind in its tracks as it examined the thought, before immediately pressuring the Guild Master to call her bluff.

    She was saddened as she pulled out the tags of her Familiars, but she had time to mourn later. The Law took some time to examine the tags as well as her surface feelings calmly, before it moved on.

    ¡ª---------------------------------------

    As the negotiations came to an end, she could feel a tiny string of mischief slip out of the Law, snapping her full attention to the situation.

    "One last thing before I leave:¡± The Law added, as if making a casual conversation, ¡°Make sure that Your friend here, Virria, recycles her Mana naturally. No mana potions are allowed, unless you want to have her abdomen explode.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Virria exclaims, as she feels the Law¡¯s presence slip out of her mind together with most of her Mana. Her vision blurred and tilted to a side, before she heard a soft voice of the Law echo in her head.

    ¡®Thank you for fulfilling your side of the deal, Virria. Now it is my turn.¡¯

    As soon as she comprehends what she heard, she finds herself levitating in a dark space with millions and millions of specks of light, flickering all around her.

    She looks around carefully, trying to find out where she actually was. ¡®Where could the Law have sent me?¡¯

    A small pinprick of light passes nearby, and Virria spontaneously reaches out to touch it. She didn¡¯t expect the small light could suck her into a memory!

    Small hills of fertile farmland lay spread in front of her, with tens of animals that look kind of like Security Chief Ghanna, but on four legs and without clothes¡­ The sun is pleasant and warms her skin as she walks past the thigh-high grass towards where she feels the presence of the owner of the memory.

    There, on top of the hill, underneath a small tree, she finds him.

    Although he¡¯s still a child, she can tell it is Aragami sitting in front of her, staring at sunset in the distance. There is also a strange metal construct leaned against the trunk of the tree, but she can¡¯t tell what it is supposed to do.

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    Virria takes a second to decide what to do, before sitting down next to him and watching the sunset together, thinking of what to do next.

    ¡®If these are really Aragami¡¯s memories, I just got a unique opportunity to learn to understand him.¡¯ Virria thought as her gaze followed the red orb. ¡®Now. I¡¯ll have to remember what the old man taught me during Taming Lessons¡­ To think I didn¡¯t believe him when he said it would be a useful skill¡­¡¯

    Virria closed her eyes and concentrated. From what she remembered from Guild lessons, the Realm of Memory worked quite differently than the normal world. There were supposed to be fragments of memories floating nearby, forming into small entryways to specific memories. Here, however¡­

    Virria breathed out and opened her eyes. The sun was already beyond the horizon. She looked towards Aragami, half expecting him to be fast asleep.

    But he was standing up and donning a helmet, his eyes still on the horizon.

    ¡®What¡¯s about to happen?¡¯ She thought as she felt around. ¡®The memory is getting unstable. It¡¯ll probably end soon.¡¯

    Aragami finally turned his back to the sun and walked over to the weird construct, swinging one leg over it and using one of his legs, prepared some sort of a lever on the side.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± Virria muttered to herself as Agagami started stepping on the lever, the contraption making a bubbling noise with every push, before the whole thing started screaming right in her face.

    She instinctively jumped to the side, opting to act silly, rather than getting hurt by something. As she looked up from the ground, she saw Aragami twisting something and the construct started to move on its own!? It made a huge ruckus, but it also got him moving quite fast.

    As she stared, dumbfounded, the area around her started to break apart and she fell through it back into the void.

    ¡°What the fuck was that?!¡± She yelled before smacking herself. ¡°Calm down Virria! You have time to ponder that later!¡± She looked around to see the thousands of memory fragments around her.

    ¡®Finally something to catch onto.¡¯ Virria thought and focused. ¡®What do I want¡­no. What do I need to know about him? How he thinks, how his people live and¡­what he eats?¡¯

    She opened her eyes and watched as the fragments stirred to life. They gathered in front of her, forming a large blank window. She timidly reached out, touching it by her fingers before the space around her twisted and changed. A slight wave of nausea passed over her, but she managed not to puke.

    She was in a building made of stone and wood as far as she could see. The furniture around her looked foreign, yet practical, with an abundance of framed drawings that seemed almost life-like. There was a shelf full of shoes with a weird flower in a flowerpot on top.

    ¡®Of course everything is weird. This is a whole different culture.¡¯ She thought to herself as she stalked the corridors before getting startled as she heard loud stomping behind her. She whirled around to locate the source just in time to see one of the doors explode outward and Aragami chasing another one of his kind away from her.

    ¡°Come on #%&¡ê!¡± Aragami yelled to the other. ¡°Stop being a fucking brat and give me back my fucking wallet!¡±

    ¡°No can do!¡± Yelled the other one as he burst outside the house and her view. She sprinted to follow them outside, just to stop as soon as she left the house.

    From in between the doorframe she could see several things, none of which made sense. To her left was a large building with wide and tall gates swung open. She could just barely recognise a silhouette of a large mechanical construct hidden in the shadow. In front of the building lay weirdly shaped pieces of iron and tubes strewn across the ground as if someone violently threw them away.

    To her right stood another construct, this one rectangular with four black wheels and made completely out of metal. It had a couple pieces of glass embedded in the side facing her and in the square hump in its middle. Before her was about ten meters worth of free space before a metal gate from which a wide road of pebbles extended into the distance flanked by poles with wire and greenery.

    Aragami had tackled the other one in the middle of the free space and they were laying on the ground, trying to overpower one another to submission. She carefully stepped out from under the doorframe and slowly closed in on the pair, her eyes scanning for every detail.

    She saw the trees next to the building she just came out of, their leaves turning shades of orange and red, a large animal eerily similar to the Hounds he''s tamed, and more of those wheeled constructs.

    As she observed the pair she came to a surprising revelation that although they were much younger, they were both taller than her by at least half a meter. They also looked a lot alike. She already suspected they were clutchmates and this only confirmed it.

    She was so focused on studying the two she didn¡¯t notice the approaching figure until it literally reached in front of her and tore Aragami from his clutchmate. She jumped back in shock. How come she didn¡¯t hear it coming?!

    The new figure was taller and somehow even thicker than Aragami? It was two times taller than her with thick arms and even thicker legs. It wore blue pants with a leather belt looped around the top. It had thick leather gloves wrapped around the back of Aragami¡¯s neck and a weird mask lifted above its head like a knight''s visor. ¡°

    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you two to STOP FUCKING FIGHTING!!¡± It bellowed, evaporating the fight from the youngsters. ¡°%=/¡Â*? Why are the two of you fighting again?¡± It asked, turning Aragami¡¯s face toward himself. Both Aragami and his clutchmate stood at attention, their eyes staring at the ground.

    ¡°He wrecked my room again.¡± Aragami muttered, interested in his bare feet digging in the ground. ¡°And took my wallet.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± The adult looked over to the other one. ¡°Well I suppose he¡¯ll have to clean the house then.¡±

    ¡°But dad! He left me repairing the fences again!¡± The chased one spoke in protest.

    ¡°Then you should¡¯ve come to me. Making a mess won¡¯t magically solve your problems!¡± The father yelled.

    Virria snapped to attention. So there was magic! Or at least a concept of it where he came from! She didn¡¯t notice any, but that didn¡¯t mean there was none. After all, she was still unsure of how those constructs work. They could be powered by magic, right?

    ¡°Yes Sir.¡± They said dejectedly.

    ¡°Good. Now #%&¡ê will return the wallet and clean the room and ¡°%=/¡Â* will go to repair the eastern fence. The cows broke through it again.¡±

    With that, the father turned back to the building he came from. Aragami and his clutchmate turned back to the house, a defeated look on their faces.

    Virria wondered if she should follow them, but her curiosity won. ¡®Aragami should be coming out soon, right? So I can have a little adventure around here before he returns.¡¯

    Her first destination was the building that Aragami¡¯s father went to. As she passed through the doorway and her eyes accustomed to the dim light inside she got a good look at the construct within. It was large. About six times her height with four large black grooved tires. One of the tires was missing and one corner of the construct was instead supported by chains hanging from the ceiling. The places that still had coverings were sleek looking, with not a single sharp angle in sight.

    The same, however, could not be said about the uncovered parts. A large metal frame hung in her eye-height, on top of it was a chaotic entanglement of wires, pipes and whatnot, connected to a singular large block as tall as her. Aragami¡¯s father was reaching into the tangle behind the large piece, mumbling to himself.

    She snooped around, looking for some sign of MagiTech lying around, before giving up. They either didn¡¯t have it here, didn¡¯t use it, or their MagiTech was so different she just didn¡¯t recognise it. The insides of the building were full of metal shelves filled with metal and other parts and wooden blocks, strange tools hanging off the walls and framed images. Some of the images were of Aragami¡¯s kind, while others were of other constructs and what she could only describe as technical drawings.

    At one point the Hound she saw before walked into the building with a small green ball in its snout and started to annoy the man. It was rewarded with a pat on the head and the ball thrown out of the building. It seemed happy and chased after the ball, catching it after it bounced off the ground and brought it back to the man.

    She watched for a minute, before noticing Aragami exiting the front door. He wore pants similar to his father and a brown tunic with tall brown boots. He walked over to his father¡¯s building and to the wall of tools, pocketing several of them before moving over to the shelves.

    ¡°That was very childish of you.¡± The father spoke, not looking up from his work.

    ¡°I know.¡± Aragami sighed, reaching into one of the many boxes. ¡°But he can be so annoying¡­I just snapped and didn¡¯t think.¡± Aragami answered, pulling a heavy-looking metal mallet from a box and setting it on the ground next to him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your emotions rule over you so easily.¡± His father looked up and smiled. It was a sad smile. ¡°You could come to regret it.¡±

    Aragami nodded thoughtfully and pulled another tool out of the box. ¡°I¡¯ll be better.¡± He said and smiled back. ¡°I¡¯ll take the Chevy and pick up a few stronger poles on the way there. Should I make it triple wired?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± His father nodded and returned to his work. ¡°Reinforce a couple of them as well. I don¡¯t want to keep going back there.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing!¡± Aragami waved as he walked off. ¡°I¡¯ll check out the surroundings as well. Be back by dinner.¡±

    ¡°See you later!¡± His father answered, one hand waving back over the construct.

    Virria followed after him with a weird feeling. ¡®What was that? Something definitely happened before to warrant this response, but¡­¡¯

    With her thoughts racing, she numbly followed after Aragami to another construct. He just threw the mallet into a large tub in the back and pulled a lever on the side, opening large doors inside. She quickly climbed inside and skittered to the side, giving him room to do whatever he was about to do. There was a lot of room inside, but she didn¡¯t pay much attention. After all, being his and his father¡¯s size needed more space than she did. Instead, her attention was focused on the inside.

    Soft gray chairs emerged from the dirty floor and seemingly melted onto the metal wall behind. On the other side there was a bulky wall of black material similar to his ax handle with a large wheel and several levers on one side. In between the seats protruded another stick, this one from the ground. It was made of metal and had a small piece of wood on top of it with a couple of symbols.

    Aragami got in right after her, settling himself on the seat behind the wheel. His legs reached to the empty space under the wheel and his right arm reached for the stick in the middle, shaking it from side to side a couple of times.

    After setting in, he reached behind the wheel and pulled out a narrow key from out of sight and slotted it into a slit just above his knees. ¡°Okay, come on girl. We''re going for a ride.¡± He muttered before turning the key away from him.

    She was startled by the noise coming from in front of them, but Aragami seemed undisturbed. After a couple of seconds Aragami let go of the key and the sound steadied out, now just a slight hum.

    ¡°Good girl.¡± Aragami grinned and patted the wheel. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have work to do.¡± Reaching for the stick in the middle, he moved it toward him and forward and waited. The noise in front got stronger and the construct started to move on its own.

    With Aragami whistling an unknown melody and Virria simultaneously trying not to panic or throw up, the ¡®Chevy¡¯ moved past the now open gate and into the green fields.

 Chapter thirty-three: Revelations

    The ride was surprisingly comfortable . Either the ground was smooth, or there was some kind of magic in action. Virria was sitting on the right-hand seat, looking over the countryside and sorting out her thoughts.

    The last quarter an hour was absolutely eye-opening. After she calmed down she took the time to look around the contraption. The glass windows all around her provided enough visibility outside so that she wasn''t stressed out much.

    They were moving quite fast across a gravel road, swooshing past fences and trees along the way. As she grew bored of the surroundings, Virria focused back on Aragami behind the wheel. He was focusing in front of him, with one hand on the wheel and the other on the stick in the middle of the cabin. He''d move the stick from time to time, making the land around them change speed as they passed by.

    The scenery changed about five minutes into the ride when a tall grass blocked the view to the left. It was green, thick, and Virria got the feeling it was planted in rows? Why else could she see neat alleyways through it?

    They slowed down and turned away from the crop, heading into the fenced area. There was now a small slope toward a forest of pine trees.

    ¡°I thought this is a different world. Why are there trees from mine?¡± She mumbles, wondering about the implications. Their ride ended a short while later when Aragami gradually stopped the construct. The noise from the front ceased and both of them exited.

    Aragami made a beeline to the back, while Virria inspected her surroundings again. She climbed up the slope, trying to get a better look at the forest, but stopped herself just as she reached the top.

    There was a strip of land in front of her, about nine meters wide, reaching as far to each side as she could see, made of a black material with some sort of white markings. She grabbed a stick from the ground and carefully reached out to touch it. When there was no reaction, she threw the stick in the middle of the patch and observed for a second, before gathering up her courage and stepping there herself.

    The surface was rough and firm, yet surprisingly warm. She spent a couple of minutes inspecting it, before running across it to check out the woods. As soon as she entered the shade, she instantly felt relieved. Familiar trees all around her swayed in the gentle breeze, the undergrowth scratched her scales, and the breeze brought her unknown smells of a foreign place

    ¡°If I didn''t know any better I¡¯d say I got lost in the woods around Illbeck¡­¡± She closed her eyes and reminisced about her youth, before a loud banging noise from behind her interrupted her thoughts.

    She reluctantly crawled out and across the black surface to see what was going on.

    Aragami was standing in a wide stance next to a pole that he hammered into the tough ground with a heavy-looking hammer. As she looked, he raised the hammer high above his head and swung it fast downwards, hitting the top of the pole and driving it into the ground.

    It got old quite quickly, so Virria decided to explore the area a bit more. She was just studying how the woodland next to the black thing was cut down when she heard it. A low hum, as well as a noise similar to Aragami¡¯s construct. She carefully walked over to Aragami, now looking in the direction the noise was coming from, when she spotted the thing coming from one end of the black surface.

    It was a construct similar to the one Aragami drove out here, but it seemed more¡­pretty? It was dark green with black details from the front, with two predatory eyes, glowing with white light, and several blue and red lights blinking at her in rapid succession. She could see there was some sort of metal thing in the front, looking menacing and outlining the edge between gaps.

    It stopped above them, the lights still blinking. Its side was the same, green and black with the pattern she saw Aragami wear when she first saw him. It blended with the background quite well, but the Pine trunks outlined it even more.

    Two compartments opened and two adults exited, making their way to Aragami who stopped hammering and was wiping his brow nonchalantly.

    ¡°Good day sir.¡± Said one of the adults, waving to Aragami. The other adult circled to Aragami¡¯s construct and was doing something, but Aragami didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    ¡°Good day officer.¡± Aragami nodded and smiled. ¡°Is there anything I can help with?¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually. We detected some activity from around the road and came to check. Could you tell me what you did before we came here?¡± The ¡®officer¡¯ smiled in return and tapped his wrist. Virria got startled, as a blue light emerged from the place the ¡®officer¡¯ tapped and formed into a small circle in midair.

    ¡®Magic?¡¯ She thought out of reflex, before dismissing the thought. ¡®No. I would notice some Mana overflow. Unless¡­that thing on their wrist is an artifact.¡¯

    ¡°Certainly.¡± Aragami nodded again. ¡°I came out here from our family ranch down the road to fix the fence, since it got torn overnight. As you can see, I just hammered in new posts and I was about to apply tension to the wires as you came by.¡±

    ¡°Do you have some sort of ID on you?¡± The adult asked politely.

    ¡°Sure do.¡± Aragami nodded and pulled a flat leather pouch from his pants. He dug around, before pulling out a thin blue plate and showing it to the ¡®officer¡¯. ¡°The car is registered in my father¡¯s name, but the address should be identical.¡±

    The other green-clothed man came back and whispered something into his colleagues ear before walking back to their construct. The first one nodded to himself before returning the plaque to Aragami.

    ¡°Everything checks out. I am sorry for bothering you, but we have to be a little bit careful here on the frontiers, y''know.¡± He chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ve had some problems with smugglers recently, so if you find something unusual, please make sure to notify us.¡±

    ¡°Sure will. If either us or our cameras see anything we¡¯ll make sure to report it.¡± Aragami nodded as he stuffed the pouch back into a pocket.

    ¡®I guess smugglers are bound to be everywhere¡­¡¯ Virria sighed as she watched the man in green climb back up to their construct. ¡®At least it seems like they are doing something to prevent them from settling in.¡¯

    She watched as the construct came to life and drove away, the hum vanishing off into the distance together with the metal beast it powered.

    ¡°They increased patrols¡­¡± Aragami muttered to himself, looking into the air above. ¡°It seems they are getting rowdy again¡­Black Angels¡± He shrugged before returning to the wired fence. Virria watched him work for a minute, before the area around her started to shatter once again.

    ¡°The end of a memory, huh?¡± She sat down and pondered as the world around her shattered into tiny shards once more.

    ¡°That was¡­enlightening.¡± She muttered, mulling over her knowledge so far. ¡°So they live in pretty standard looking houses, albeit with things I¡¯ve never seen before¡­And they are big into constructs and artifacts? Plus they live in family groups and other beasts? That explains the Hounds, I guess. She chuckled. Who would think something so absurd to her was commonplace to Aragami¡­Not to mention those constructs were at¡­what did they call it? Frontiers?

    That got her wondering. ¡°If that house and those constructs were at the frontiers, how would the main cities look?

    And before she could form another thought, the memory fragments moved again, forming another window of white light in front of her.

    Virria stared at it for a while, scared of what lurked behind it. She wasn¡¯t even sure she wanted to know.

    ¡°I think getting to know more about Aragami takes precedence before his kind¡¯s architecture.¡± She laughed and focused again, this time trying to think of ways his people fought. She¡¯d seen him back in the forest using a blade, but those memories were not exactly sharp due to her tired state.

    She glanced in front of her again, expecting the formation of a new window.

    She was not disappointed, as another crimson window assembled in front of her. The shocking part was that the white window remained, nd was now blinking with a faint pink glow. She scanned the red window as well, seeing it blink white as well. She took a step back, not sure as to what was happening, when both of the windows synchronised, switching colors from white to crimson, opposing one another. They moved toward each other, merging in the middle with a bright flash and a noticeable mana wind picking up and siphoning all the Mana in the air to the now merged windows.

    Virria reached out to feel out her surroundings, noticing the quickly diminishing Mana in the area around her.

    ¡°Give me a break!¡± She yelled out with a grin. ¡°A fused memory of architecture and war?! Is it my birthday already or what?!¡± She knew this was the last memory she¡¯d be able to see for now. The Mana would probably run out before the memory ended, but it would still be worth it. She reached out her hand and touched the pinkish surface.

    She found herself in another construct, this time with two rows of seats. She sat in the back seat on the right side, directly behind Aragami. He looked quite similar to how she knew him, but he was dressed in a formal looking black suit. His hair was shorter and flowed across his head nicely. His brother and father were dressed more casually and were teasing Aragami all the way.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry bro. We are ready to accept your dejected ass when you fail the test.¡± His brother said with a smirk.

    ¡°You mean IF I mess this up. Not WHEN.¡± Aragami shot him a venomous glare from the front seat, no doubt immensely regretting not being able to strangle him there and there.

    ¡°I know what I said.¡± His brother retorted with a smirk, looking out the window as if nothing was going on.

    ¡°Stop it, both of you!¡± Their father scolded them. ¡°I know you are both nervous, but there is always a second chance.¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡± Aragami turned to his now-grinning father with a textbook example of a shocked expression. ¡°That¡¯s it! WHEN I pass the tests I¡¯ll charge you for the use of my services!¡± He sulked in his seat, his hands crossed across his chest.

    ¡°Oh no! Whatever shall I do?!¡± His father retorted, his grin growing wider. ¡°¡±I guess I¡¯ll have to stop poking fun at our surely-soon-to-be-remote-tractor-operator.¡± His brother laughed out loud in the backseat and even Aragami couldn¡¯t stop the smile forming on his lips. He opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by a loud rumbling noise from outside.

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    Virria looked out the glass window, looking for the source of the noise, but only saw trees passing by at an alarming speed and a metal railing separating the black surface from before from the green grass beyond.

    ¡°These ships are getting louder and louder!¡± Aragami¡¯s brother complained loudly as the noise died down.

    ¡°Makes sense. We are near the port, after all.¡± Aragami¡¯s father smiled and spared a look over his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯d recommend not to look just at the trees, but above as well.¡±

    Virria, still looking for a large body of water through the trees, stiffened up. She knew that he was talking to Aragami¡¯s brother, but she couldn¡¯t help herself and looked up, over the crowns.

    At first she didn¡¯t see anything, but that soon changed, as a massive metal¡­thing made itself known with a loud roar. She watched in amazement and horror as the metal ship lifted itself from the ground. She didn¡¯t see any sails or people on its surface. Just a mass of roughly brick-shaped grey metal with wisps of blue flames scorching the ground beyond the tree cover. It had a script she didn¡¯t recognise on the side in pristine white colour with several markings at the end.

    She watched as it rose above the trees, before turning in place away from them, exposing seven massive black cones in the back alight with the same blue light as its bottom. It grew in intensity, before a large flame tongue belched toward them at speeds she didn¡¯t think possible.

    She jumped away from the window in fear, about to pray to the gods for a quick and painless death before realising no-one in the construct even looked worried. And she also learned why. Just as the flames were about to reach them, a massive blue barrier materialised on the edge of the black surface, deflecting the flames up and away from them. She clutched her heart, worried it might jump out of her chest if she let go and tried to calm down by listening in on the conversation. She wished she didn¡¯t.

    ¡°See?¡± Aragami¡¯s father said with a smug expression. ¡°This is the reason we couldn¡¯t just simply take the plane to The City. Ours¡¯ isn¡¯t rated for the heat of space shuttles taking off.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this an older one?¡± Aragami noted as he looked out. ¡°Small ones like that shouldn¡¯t need so much fuel just to move.¡±

    ¡°True, but knowing their pilots they either overloaded them or tuned their engines for fun. Kind of like you, when you ¡®roll coal¡¯ with the Chevy.¡±

    ¡°Oh that sounds like fun. And so does drifting with a spaceship.¡± Aragami grinned at his father¡¯s reply. ¡°Those shields make for a fancy show as well. I know that they replaced the tunnels and honestly they are much nicer, but why couldn¡¯t they put down the shield generators from the start instead of building tunnels, then destroying them and placing shielding?¡±

    ¡°First off: Those are not spaceships, just the shuttles. Spaceships are much bigger. To the point they can not land on planets without major damage. That¡¯s why they have shuttles to get things up and down.¡± Aragami¡¯s father explained patiently as another metal monstrosity descended from up above, taking up the now-empty spot.

    ¡°Second: They couldn¡¯t place the generators for the same reason we can not use hovercars. You need enough infrastructure and power in place to rely on them. If you took a hovercar to the farm it would be a useless heap of rare metals taking up space without the ability to lift itself from the ground. You need a lot of electric cables for the engines to get power.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Aragami questioned, his eyes gleaming with interest. ¡°I knew that hovercars don¡¯t need to refuel, but how do they work then?¡±

    ¡°Well you see, the electric cables generate an electromagnetic field around them which the engines are able to connect to and adjust to changes¡­¡±

    Virria made a conscious effort not to listen to the conversation any longer, since she was afraid her mind couldn¡¯t take it all. Instead she focused on the outside.

    The landscape around her changed quite a bit while she was scared for her life. The trees gave way to tall buildings on both sides, made mostly of glass and a white substance she didn¡¯t recognise. She also saw another construct passing them on the right side. It was dark green, with slick curves and large glass windows. She could see people inside clinking glasses of bubbling liquid and cheering before the whole thing just fell down into the ground.

    She stood up in panic and rushed back to the window to look for where the construct went, and regretted her decision almost immediately. There was no sign of the black surface she discovered in the previous memory, just an empty space as far as two hundred meters below.

    Constructs flew everywhere with no sense of order she could see. There were people in the buildings and on the numerous streets and bridges below her, seemingly unbothered by the hive-like activity of the constructs all around them.

    Large boards shining in bright lights levitated in midair all around with pictures of products, glyphs of writing and numbers written in bright pulsing colours. In between them, constructs with the same color scheme as the one that stopped by Aragami the other day chased after seemingly random constructs with relentless precision, dodging towers and signs with impossible accuracy. She was getting sick only from looking at the mess outside.

    She slowly withdrew from the window, trying to hold her lunch where it belonged and generally just tried not to lose her common sense.

    ¡°Holy shit.¡± She muttered mostly to herself. ¡°I had a feeling that his culture was different, but to that extent?¡±

    She tried to come up with something to calm her down when she finally noticed that all three of her companions had their seats turned into the middle and were discussing something easy to understand. She thanked the gods for their blessings and skittered closer to hear what they said.

    ¡°So we will drop you off at the academy to go for the exam, while we will go over to the market to procure some supplies and get more fuel delivered to the farm.¡± Aragami¡¯s father said, pointing at him.

    ¡°So I will be the one sweating furiously at the exam hall, while you guys will be enjoying yourselves at the market? That hardly sounds fair.¡± Aragami answered with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m in.¡±

    ¡°Good. You don¡¯t have a choice in the matter.¡± His father grinned playfully. ¡°Well. Off you go. Go and break a leg!¡± With that the door hidden in a side opened up and Aragami stepped out. Virria was not prepared to step out just yet, but the decision was made for her as the doors closed and she fell onto the hard, yet surprisingly warm floor.

    They were on the side of one of the buildings, on a small balcony protruding out about four meters into the air. Virria carefully peered over the edge just to have her stomach protest yet again. She saw a long fall into the abyss, the lower along the towers, the darker it got. She saw hundreds of specks of yellow, white and red lights move down there with vigor of an angry anthill.

    She tore her eyes from the abyss to the sky to see the constructs passing above their heads. From down here, the erratic swarm-like movements she observed above seemed almost organised. There were three main flows, each going to and from a cardinal direction, with close to no constructs flying toward the centre of the giant city.

    Only now, face to face with one of the buildings she realised their true size. The windows were at least six meters tall and reached from floor to the roof of the room. There were no visible supports along the side of the building, making it seem like there are no walls isolating them from the outside world. She inspected the outside just to realise Aragami had already walked into the huge room on the side of the building.

    ¡°Yes, we have you in the system, mister %=/¡Â*. Here is your participant number. Please wait in the atrium until the next exam in ten minutes. You can choose any seat you want.¡± The lady behind the counter said with a smile and gestured to the room.

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Aragami smiled in return and went to sit in one of the offered chairs. Virria took this as her cue to explore the area.

    She went off in a random direction to investigate a particularly interesting plant in the corner. The only thing that at least seemed like something she might know.

    Her hopes were shattered almost instantly as she noticed a tiny tube poking out of the soil and spraying water to the stem. She sighed and moved on, not sparing the traitorous plant another glance.

    The furniture was tasteful and quite comfortable to sit on and the staff seemed nice for people twice her height. The room didn¡¯t appear to have an exit other than the one they entered through. She inspected the area and moved forward just to end up in front of Aragami once again.

    Argami spent his time looking into a black slab of some kind, not bothering anyone, so she decided to spend her time observing his kin. During the wait, several others came into the lobby and sat down in their seats. Virria was fascinated by the diversity of his people. There were multiple color combinations of skin, hair, eyes, and in a couple of cases even nails or teeth.

    Finally the wait finally seemed to come to an end as a soft ¡®Ding!¡¯ sounded across the hall and everyone looked up to the inner wall. Virria followed their gaze and was surprised to see the central metal wall part in the middle to reveal yet another, smaller room.

    Everyone stood up and entered the brightly lit room and sat on padded benches. Virria started to wonder why she was shown this memory. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t it demonstrate how his kind fought?¡¯ She thought as the whole room shuddered. As the door opened again, Virria got a look at a mostly empty room with a couple of small tables and a bunch of adults sitting at the tables.

    She watched with her eyes wide as Aragami¡­sat down and started taking a theory test.

    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?!¡± Virria whispered, but increased her volume as she talked. ¡°Is this what I get for wasting all the Mana to fuse a Memory?! A FUCKING TEST EXA-¡±

    Her bout of fury got interrupted by a loud explosion somewhere outside. Everyone in the room looked up in confusion until red lights flooded the room, turning the clean and proper room into a sinister nightmare.

    A voice sounded from somewhere above her head together with a wail of some sort of twisted horn. ¡°Caution. Air raid. All civilians please evacuate to the nearest shelter. I repeat. Caution. Air raid. All civilians¡­¡± The voice repeated indefinitely, causing more chaos among the present.

    ¡°Get us out of here!¡± A young voice sounded from across the room, rallying people in support. Chants of ¡®Let us out!¡¯ and ¡®Basic **/-+ Rights!¡¯ bellowed all around her.

    Virria, stunned beyond words, just stared at the storm brewing around her. How fast did the situation devolve into this?

    An adult stood up onto a table, trying without success to calm down the mass of people in front of him yelling over the bodiless voice. His attempts were met with hostility and insults from the frustrated ¡®young¡¯, trying to get into safety.

    And during all this time, it seemed that no-one but Virria and Aragami noticed the whining noise that slowly perforated the room. Both of them slowly moved toward the corner as far away from the noise and were lucky to survive as one of those huge flying ships smashed through the wall, flattening almost everyone in the room before exiting the space on the other end.

    Virria stood with her jaw wide open as they saw the outside world through the enormous hole in the wall. The ¡®ship¡¯ had crashed into the building, shearing about a third of the way through the entire building before getting deflected into the pit of the street below.

    Most of the buildings around were burning or outright destroyed by huge pieces of metal raining from the sky like a meteor shower. She watched in horror as molten metal rained from above like some sort of wrathful rain and shattered what glass windows were left.

    ¡°Warning! Structural integrity compromised! Leave the building immediately! Repeat: Warning! Structural¡­¡±The bodiless voice changed its monologue before winking out after a couple of repetitions.

    Virria was freaking out. How the hell did it come to this? It was so calm just minutes ago¡­

    A bright flash drew her attention to the sky and she lost any hope she had of anyone surviving this, as an absolutely humongous ship broke into four parts high above their heads. She watched, full of dread as it fell down toward them. The bright blue shield flickered for a moment before giving up and shattering into millions of tiny pieces and seemingly causing hundreds of simultaneous explosions as far as she could see.

    ¡°Gods above please help us.¡± Virria muttered a small prayer before she felt as if someone kicked her in the stomach.

    She bent forward, gagging on nothing and preparing to accept her inevitable death as someone tackled her.

    She reflexively lashed out, hammering the assailant with punches, determined to at least take him with her when she heard the words in her mother tongue.

    ¡°Virria! Virria! Thank the Gods you''re awake!¡±

    She stopped herself mid-swing, recognising Nhaerria¡¯s sand-coloured scales with all sorts of trinkets stuffed in between.

    ¡°We thought you wouldn¡¯t wake up!¡± Nhaerria basically cried in her lap, refusing to stop hugging her. ¡°They told us you bargained with a Law! And¡­and¡­that never¡­never goes well!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine Nhaerri.¡± Virria said, gently caressing the other Raakteig¡¯s scales. ¡°I just feel a little drained of Mana. Give me a couple of hours and I¡¯ll be fine, I swear.¡±

    ¡°A couple of hours?¡± Nhaerria finally looked her in the eyes. ¡°Virria! You¡¯ve been asleep for four days straight! Do you have any idea when the Guild Master had you carried into here on a stretcher?¡±

    Before she could really answer, the doors to the room burst open and her whole group rushed in like a tidal wave, exclaiming in relief.

    Virria just smiled and enjoyed the company of her comrades. She was not sure she could ever forget the terror she felt at those final memories, but the company of her friends definitely helped with that.

 Chapter thirty-four: The re-union

    Virria watched as her friends swarmed around her, making sure she was fine and taken care of. It took them only a couple of minutes to thrust a cup of fresh tea in her hands and a nice pillow behind her back. They talked over one another, joked, and generally milled about.

    As the group calmed down, questions started to emerge to the surface.

    ¡°So, Virria?¡± Nhaerria spoke up. ¡°What exactly happened with the Law? We know that you accepted a temporary contract, but nothing else.¡±

    The air in the room buzzed with tension as every ear turned to Virria. She was surprised at the blunt question, but took a moment to reorganise her thoughts.

    ¡°I don''t know how much I can tell you guys¡­ the Law didn''t really specify what I can or can''t say.¡± She thought out loud. ¡°Also, I think the Guild Master will want to hear from me as well, so we should probably wait for her.¡±

    ¡°Oh come ooon!¡± Maeli whined. ¡°Can''t you tell us anything? Do you know how many guesses we came up with?!¡±

    It seemed that that was a secret, since everyone else in the room reached out to slap their party mage.

    ¡°Maeli!¡± Barteool yelled in mock offence as he reached for Maeli''s shoulder. ¡°We had a verbal agreement that we would not pressure her!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sorry. I just couldn''t help myself.¡± Maeli raised all four of his arms in the air. ¡°It''s so rare to talk to someone who was in contact with a Law.¡±

    ¡°Well it won''t be so rare any more, will it?¡± Virria smiled at him mischievously. ¡°Since Aragami was not only in contact with one, but is actively contracted to one.¡±

    The revelation made everyone freeze on the spot. Maeli stared at her, his jaw agape, Nhaerria pressed her hands to her mouth and Moti had a spit-take of his tea.

    Virria, confused by her friends¡¯ reaction, asked the only thing that came to her mind. ¡°What? Didn''t Barteool tell you?¡±

    Every eye in the room turned to their group leader, who was obviously very uncomfortable being put on the spot like that.

    ¡°Well¡­ ummm¡­ Wait a second. I can explain¡­¡± He stammered as he did his best to catch Nhaerria''s arms raining down on his shoulders.

    In the heat of the moment, no-one noticed the soft click of a lock, or the main doors to their holding cell opening on its well-oiled hinges. That is why they were all surprised when they heard the voice of their Guild Master from behind them.

    ¡°He did not tell any of you because I asked him not to tell you.¡± The group slightly jumped at the intrusion and, as one, turned to the door, where they saw Guild Master Zaanta, Battering Ram Ghanna, and Barrier Mage Tiina standing with smug looks on their faces.

    ¡°Guild Master!¡± yelled Nhaerria, being the first one to greet their unexpected guests. ¡°We did not expect you! Would you like some tea? We have a delicious berry mix ready to be served.¡±

    ¡°That sounds wonderful, thank you.¡± Zaanta nodded to the sandy Raakteig.

    ¡°I''ll have some too, if I may?¡± Tiina raised her hand.

    ¡°Certainly! Please sit down. I''ll bring it right away.¡± Nhaerria nodded and turned to Ghanna. ¡°And what can I bring to you, miss Ghanna?¡±

    ¡°No need to worry about me. I had some water before coming here.¡± Ghanna nodded and followed her boss to the sofa.

    ¡°Very well.¡± Nhaerria nodded and ran off to fetch a couple of teacups.

    ¡°Forgive our intrusion. We were informed that there was a commotion in here and we figured we''d stop by before heading out.¡± Zaanta said as she sat down in a corner.

    ¡°It''s your house, not ours.¡± Daente joked and sipped his tea. ¡°We are lucky you are not making us pay for using the rooms.

    ¡°You know what? That''s a good idea.¡± Tiina muttered aloud, as she received a steaming cup from Nhaerria. ¡°We should have them pay us rent. After all, all this wear on the furniture and floors, as well as you using up air¡­¡± She stopped when she saw the horrified expression on Daente''s face.

    She basked in the horrified expressions that appeared on everyone''s faces before she couldn''t hold her laughter down anymore. ¡°I''m just messing with you! We wouldn''t do that!¡± She laughed and sipped the tea. ¡°This room is for information gathering, not for rent.¡±

    ¡°Please don''t scare us like that!¡± Nhaerria acted offended. ¡°Next time you do that I won''t be offering any tea!¡±

    ¡°Oh my! We can''t have that!¡± Tiina yelled and grasped the cup with both hands. ¡°I won''t let you take this away from me!¡±

    ¡°Why would she want that?! You already drank from it.¡± Ghanna murmured just loud enough for everyone to hear, receiving a couple of snickers from across the room.

    That seemed to break the remaining tension in the room as everyone relaxed.

    Virria looked over at her comrades, finally relaxing in their chairs. ''Good old banter. Never fails to make us relax.¡¯ She sipped some of her tea and let the warm feeling spread through her body.

    ¡°This tea is delicious, Nhaerria! You have to tell me how to make it!¡±

    ¡°That is my family recipe, miss Zaanta. I am willing to sell you some actual tea, but not the information about the mixture.¡±

    ¡°As stubborn as ever. I guess I''ll have to take you up on that offer then.¡± The Guild Master took another sip before setting the teacup onto the desk in front of her.

    ¡°Now, to the main reason for our visit.¡± She said in a serious tone, her eyes locking onto Virria. ¡°I believe there is no need to tell you why I came here personally, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Guild Master.¡± Virria nodded and took another sip. ¡°Although, I would appreciate any pointers to the main information you would like to know.¡±

    ¡°Anything you could tell us about the Law, as well as the deal you accepted.¡± Zaanta said bluntly.

    ¡°I see. I am afraid I will not be able to tell you a lot about the Law. I did not see any figure when it interacted with me, I couldn''t sense any element it might have possessed, and I am not sure if I am allowed to share the name it told me to address it with.¡±

    Her words drew the attention of everyone in the room. Maeli and Tiina pulled out notepads and writing utensils to record her words, while the rest of the group just listened intently.

    ¡°When I touched the crystal, I could hear its voice and feel its presence emanating from Aragami, but it was faint, as if just a small portion of its consciousness was focused onto me.¡±

    ¡°How did the voice sound?¡± Tiina asked and Virria realised she was staring a hole into the opposite wall.

    ¡°I would say it sounded really¡­ old. Almost ancient. A deep, melodic voice with a ring of residual power.¡±

    ¡°So, a male voice then.¡± Maeli muttered and she nodded.

    ¡°Yes, that''s probably how I would describe it.¡±

    ¡°How did you feel in its presence? Did you feel anything when it used its Mana?¡± Tiina questioned.

    ¡°I felt overwhelmed. Like it could crush me at any second if it wanted to, but¡­it pulled itself back to just barely reach me.¡±

    ¡°Probably an Elder Law then.¡± Tiina concluded.

    ¡°Possibly an Ancient?¡± Maeli countered.

    ¡°Will you two shut the fuck up?!¡± Zaanta snapped. ¡°You are free to take notes and compare them afterwards, but stop interrupting!¡±

    ¡°We are very sorry.¡± Tiina immediately bowed her head without stopping her note writing. Maeli smacked one hand across his mouth and hid on the other side of the sofa.

    After glaring for a second, Zaanta turned back to Virria with a slight smile. ¡°Please continue. Anything you can remember is fine.¡±

    Virria nodded and tried to determine where she left off. All the while, their words tugged on her mind. ¡®An Elder Law? Weren''t those just myths? And if not, what could be classified as Ancient?¡¯

    ¡°Alright. So, when I touched the crystal, The Law started talking to me in a casual tone, dismissing my attempts at formality as a hassle. Instead, it proposed a deal.¡± Virria paused to collect her thoughts.

    ¡°It wanted to talk with You.¡± She looked Zaanta in the eyes and felt like she saw a hint of surprise. She could understand it. The thought of a Law, of all things, focused directly on her was disturbing.¡°But, since it didn''t know our languages very well, it requested my knowledge of customs and language you would find¡­ comfortable.¡±

    ¡°Holy fucking shit.¡± Ghanna whispered.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Virria smiled. ¡°Not how you expected a Law to think, is it?¡±

    ¡°Highly irregular,¡± the Guild Master nodded, sipping her tea. ¡°Is there anything else you are willing to tell us?¡±

    ¡°Nothing in particular¡­¡± Virria thought out loud. ¡°The Law read my surface thoughts and used my knowledge of the common language. It didn''t teach me any new languages or talk to me about Aragami¡­¡±

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Would you say it didn''t fulfill its part of the deal you''ve made?¡± Zaanta asked, leaning forward.

    ¡°Hardly.¡± Virria laughed and sipped her tea. ¡°You have no idea what¡­ No¡­ The Law did for me. The knowledge I gained¡­¡± Virria stared off into the distance. ¡°The knowledge I gained was¡­ out of this world.¡±

    The room went quiet as she said that. Maeli and Tiina both stiffened and looked up from their notes for what seemed like the first time. Nhaerria sat straighter, and The Guild Master furrowed her brows.

    ¡°Do you mean that literally, or just figuratively?¡± She asked, breaking the quiet of the room.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Virria stammered as she realised what she just said. ¡°I¡¯d say quite literally. The sights I saw¡­ the people I witnessed¡­ I am pretty sure Aragami is not from here. Not from this world.¡±

    ¡°Well, we pretty much knew that already.¡± Maeli snickered as he scratched his notes. ¡°Just his weapons hinted at the possibility, and don¡¯t even talk about his clothing or equipment.¡±

    The Fallen Leaves nodded in unison, recalling the short time they had spent with Aragami. The Guild officers, on the other hand, looked lost, so Virria talked them through her first encounter with Aragami and the short time they rested together.

    ¡°I see.¡± Zaanta nodded as Virria ended her tale. ¡°Completely different culture and technology¡­ That might cause some¡­ issues, if it becomes common knowledge.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Barteool, who had stayed quiet the whole time, spoke up. ¡°I get that you want to keep as much of it as possible a secret, but what would be the issue if people knew of Aragami¡¯s background?¡±

    Zaanta finished her cup and Nhaerria went to fetch the kettle. ¡°The problem,¡± Zaanta stated, ¡°is that if what you said is true, we can not accept Aragami into The Guild as a member.¡±

    Virra opened her mouth to speak up, but Zaanta raised her hand to stop her. ¡°We need his species to be accepted by The World first. The system is too rigid to accommodate him in the same way as you all.¡±

    ¡°So he won¡¯t be able to join us?¡± Daente asked quietly.

    ¡°Not in a traditional sense. And not only you, but any guild or organisation in this kingdom.¡± She paused for a second as Nhaerria poured her another cup of tea.

    ¡°Thank you, Nhaerria. Now, there is a way to allow him to travel with you, but there are some¡­ complications.¡± She pointed to Virria. ¡°If you want him to travel with your group without much issue, you will need to do two things.¡±

    ¡°Firstly, since you left The Guild three years ago, you will have to re-apply for membership. That is required for the second part, forming a formal contract with Aragami, which would allow The Guild to recognise him and allow him to travel through the kingdom with you.¡±

    ¡°A Subordination Contract?¡± Dante exclaimed. ¡°Aragami would not be a part of our group, but Virria¡¯s pet? That hardly seems fair to him¡­¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Zaanta went to explain, but got interrupted.

    ¡°Actually, there are more contracts to choose from.¡± Virria looked to the ceiling as she counted. ¡°You are correct that one option is the Contract of Subordination. If it is even possible to form one with him, he would be classified as a pet. But, another option is the Summoner''s contracts. Those would allow us to register him as a spirit or something, but I am not able to perform those¡­¡±

    ¡°Also they wouldn¡¯t allow him to enter towns.¡± Tiina chimed in. ¡°Those contracts are only viable as summons and have a set time period for each summon.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I almost forgot about that.¡± Virria smiled. ¡°Next there are General contracts, but those are only useful for set jobs such as transporting or menial labour¡­¡±

    ¡°Could we get a contract that would hire him as a guardian or something?¡± Barteool chimed in, trying to help.

    ¡°Two problems: The smaller one is that you need to reward the contracted being for its job. I guess food, our company, and a place to sleep would suffice, but one never knows.¡±

    ¡°Why do you include company in the rewards?¡± Tiina asked curiously.

    ¡°From what little I know, his kind is highly social and lives in groups. And don¡¯t ask me how I know that.¡± Virria answered reflexively, and as soon as she saw Tiina¡¯s mouth open to ask, she shut her down.

    Tiina, for her part, didn¡¯t protest, but scribbled some notes before speaking up. ¡°So the second reason why you don¡¯t think this contract would work?¡±

    Virria sighed and looked to the ceiling. ¡°I don¡¯t think it would be appropriate to have him defend us all the time. That would mean almost no time for sleep and being constantly alert. Also, what would he do when we have to split up in cities or when we are exploring the land? What if he can¡¯t just intimidate someone in the city and is forced by the contract to fight or even kill? And don¡¯t even start about the problems the city guards would have with allowing an unaffiliated deadly being with two Hounds biased to protect a certain group wandering the city.¡±

    The quiet in the room spoke for itself. Everyone knew that this idea simply wouldn¡¯t fly with even a little scrutiny.

    ¡°Wow. This is tough.¡± Zaanta thought out loud. ¡°Do you always have to think things through when you create contracts with your beasts? I never thought Tamers had it so hard.¡±

    ¡°You haven''t seen the amount of paperwork I need for each of my beasts.¡± Virria laughed and reached for her Taming bag. The remains of her old companions were long gone, but the papers remained there. She reached in and pulled out a thick folder of papers about three centimeters thick. ¡°This is just Ognyana¡¯s. She needs a bit more paperwork, since it¡¯s quite rare to see her species, but I generally need one of these for every beast: permission from The Guild, permission to enter the outer town area, permission to go to the market with her, a pardon from the church guaranteeing they won¡¯t post a quest to kill her¡­¡± She pulled out various paperwork with every example she said, piling them on the table in front of them.

    ¡°Why would you even need permission to enter the street market?¡± Zaanta asked, shocked by the amount of bureaucracy in front of her.

    ¡°Oh, you know. To prevent mass panic if a rare beast appears in the area. For example Aragami¡¯s Hounds.¡± She paused to let the concept sink in. ¡°If we want to go shopping with them in tow, we¡¯d have to either disguise them as something else that is approved by a committee, or have them visibly restrained in such a way that would make most people feel not directly threatened as they walk past them. Of course, you are directly responsible for any damages caused by your beasts, so most people just don¡¯t bother and keep them at home.¡±

    ¡°Well that fucking sucks.¡± Ghanna muttered from behind Zaanta, her quiet words clearly understandable in the quiet room.

    ¡°We drifted away from the main issue.¡± Zaanta said and shook her head to clear it. ¡°I¡¯ll have to discuss changing the Guild ordinances to simplify the process for acquiring Tamer permits. Tiina? Could you please make a note and remind me later?¡±

    ¡°S-sure thing.¡± Tiina stammered as she was startled awake.

    ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Virria apologised and retrieved her paperwork. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about that sometime later.¡±

    ¡°Okay, sounds good enough to me.¡± Zaanta nodded and reached for another cup of tea. ¡°So, if we can¡¯t use Subordination or General contracts, what can we use?¡±

    They all thought for a moment, before Nhaerria perked up.

    ¡°How about Familiar Contracts? Can¡¯t we try that?¡± She beamed a smile at the two most knowledgeable in the room.

    Virria had to look deep into her memory to the lessons of her student days. Familiar Contracts varied from case to case. But one thing they had in common was that there was either a very powerful or very strong monster contracted to voluntarily help the caster. The caster was responsible for taking care of the monster for the duration of the contract in exchange for the monster¡¯s help.

    ¡°It should be possible,¡± Virria glanced at Zaanta and Tiina, who were deep in their own thoughts. ¡°The issue is what terms would manifest for us to fulfill. Rare beasts often require a certain standard of living to fulfill their end of the deal.¡±

    ¡°As for the legal side of things¡­¡± Zaanta glanced at Tiina who nodded at her. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any issue as long as we have proof that there is a contract between the two of you.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d have to verify it a couple of times per year, but The Guild could issue you a permit to have an ¡®unrecognised specimen¡¯ follow you or any of your party members across town, provided he¡¯ll behave.¡± Tiina chimed in, happily taking notes as she spoke.

    ¡°But to issue a permit we would have to assess his combat prowess and get a general idea of his capabilities.¡±

    ¡°So, if Aragami agrees to form a contract with Virria, you¡¯d do what? Throw him into a fighting pit somewhere people won¡¯t see him?¡± Dante piped up, generally curious as to how the Guild would handle the situation.

    ¡°Well, we could have some of our security officers spar with him on the training grounds¡­¡± Zaanta suggested, doubt clearly visible on her face.

    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Zaanta jumped up excitedly. ¡°How about the fighting tournament in The Pit?¡±

    ¡°A fighting arena? Seriously?¡± Tiina frowned and Zaanta looked at her friend disapprovingly.

    ¡°It makes perfect sense!¡± Ghanna practically jumped with excitement. ¡°You¡¯ve seen how he fought against me. Our men probably wouldn''t stand a chance. But those guys in the arena are highly skilled fighters. It would show off his abilities as well as his skill level depending on how far he gets in the leaderboards.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t just throw him into The Pit. It¡¯s morally wrong. Also I know you¡¯ll sneak off to the betting stand to gamble again! Absolutely not!¡± Zaanta practically yelled.

    ¡°If I may?¡± Barteool raised his hand. When he saw Zaanta turn away from Ghanna and give him her attention, he cleared his throat and braced himself for their reactions. ¡°I believe that The Guild would be able to benefit if Aragami fought in The Pit. Let''s say he enters the tournament as a challenger from The Guild. All rewards from said tournament would go to The Guild, correct?¡±

    ¡°That assumes he¡¯d get far enough to claim any reward worth more than the entry fee to the tournament¡­¡± Zaanta grumbled.

    ¡°Do you think miss Ghanna here wouldn¡¯t get far enough to reach the rewards?¡± Daente piped up again and Ghanna gave him a thumbs-up from behind Zaanta.

    ¡°Well, yes, but there are people that use magic in the later fights. We don¡¯t know how strong he is against that.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a great opportunity to find out then?¡± Barteool countered with a smile. ¡°You¡¯ll get to know just how capable he is, and, if he places well, The Guild will gain something from it. Also, I am sure if the PitMaster hears you have a new, unique fighter you want to join his tournament, he might even give you a discount.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think¡­ that just feels wrong somehow. Tiina! Help me show them some reason!¡± Zanta stammered in defiance, turning to Tiina for help.

    Tiina, however, was almost salivating at the thought of observing Aragami''s fighting and shook her head when asked. ¡°I think that their reasoning is sound. If we want to properly classify him,we¡¯ll have to put him against a lot of people with different skill sets.¡± She looked up from her notes and looked her friend in the eye. ¡°And, I also want to see how he fights against someone who isn¡¯t Ghanna before I let him loose in our city.¡±

    ¡°Ugh... Fine.¡± Zaanta gave up and threw herself against the sofa. ¡°But if he refuses, we won¡¯t force him to do anything and we will prepare our own test.¡±

    ¡°You have a deal, Guild Master!¡± Barteool said with a smile while Daente and Moti bumped fists behind him. ¡°I also wanted to show the rest of our team how he fights, since he really fought in front of me and Virria.¡±

    ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll get you some seats.¡± Zanta whined before catching a glimpse of Ghanna¡¯s cheerful expression. She groaned and stood up, motioning for the rest of them to stand up as well.

    ¡°Since the case of the broken barrier is closed, you all are free to head out to do whatever. If you want, you can come with us to talk to Aragami about the tournament and stay with him for a while, but you won¡¯t be allowed into this room again after you leave.¡±

    The Fallen Leaves cheered loudly and went to collect their things, chatting excitedly about the upcoming changes. Virria questioned Tiina about changes to Guild rules, and Nhaerria had to threaten Maeli to come and see Aragami and not to go to his study just yet.

    As she guided the merry group out of their temporary quarters and into the cellars where Aragami was, she basked in the merry mood and soft banter from behind her.

    Sometimes she missed just going on a mission, not worrying about The Guild and its problems,and just enjoying life.

    As the group neared the large cellar, they heard a playful voice, and growls coming from inside. The Fallen Leaves rushed past Zaanta and into the large room Aragami stayed in with his Hounds.

    They saw him, shrunk down to their size, playing tug of war with one of the Hounds, while the other rested in the corner.

    As soon as the group entered, both of the Hounds turned their attention to them. Aragami, confused since the Hound let go, fell backward and rolled over before looking at them and waving.

    ¡°Hello All-One!¡± His voice echoed across the room as he smiled at them. ¡°Welcome Here.¡±

 Chapter thirty-five: Onto the road again?

    Aragami sat inside a furnished room in the basement of a large house and wondered how he got there.

    Back when Noir¡¯s possession of Virria came to an end, Aragami had gently picked her up and, after gesturing to his dogs, followed the deer-woman out of the forest with Barteool by his side. There, underneath the clear blue skies, he looked up to the sky, and exhaled in relief.

    ¡°Finally.¡± He muttered to himself, bathing in the warmth of the sun overhead. ¡°I can see something other than the tree canopy.¡± He lowered his head, his gaze sweeping over the horizon, looking for anything of interest. He didn¡¯t have to search for long. He saw a large structure on the horizon to his left and what he assumed was a wall of a city directly in front of him. The walls were red in color, with guard towers stretching about two floors above the wall itself.

    He also noticed carriages near the edge of the clearing with large, bull-type monsters harnessed to the front. The carriages themselves were plain looking, wooden frames covered in a dull gray fabric with little decoration. The crowd that followed them out of the forest streamed past them toward these carriages, loading them with backpacks and equipment before climbing inside themselves.

    Aragami looked down at Barteool, and was greeted by a knowing smirk as Barteool gestured to another carriage well hidden behind a bend. This carriage was different. It was a little smaller, with beefier wheels and axles. Its tarp was camouflaged and looked to be sturdier as well.

    Aragami was guided to the back of the wagon, where he carefully handed Virria over to one of the many people around him. They carried Virria into the wagon and laid her onto a padded mattress in the middle. Barteool jumped in to check on her for a second, before jumping back out and waving at Aragami to follow.

    With nothing else to do, he followed after Barteool with Tessie and Fido following quietly after him. Barteool guided him past the other three wagons to the top of a small hill, where the deer-woman and minotaur waited. Sighing, Aragami prepared for a round of pantomime, and climbed up to the top.

    Once he got there, Aragami immediately noticed another camouflaged wagon approaching from below. There was another deer-person sitting in the front, maneuvering the wagon up the road by pulling on the reins and making the monster in front literally pull the wagon from side to side.

    Tessie and Fido sat on the ground next to him, waiting patiently. Barteool sat down next to Fido and patted him gently, while the deer-woman and minotaur slowly moved away from them. Aragami laughed to himself and squatted down to pet Tessie, partly because he didn¡¯t want her to feel left out, and partly because it seemed like they would have to wait for the driver to climb up to them.

    And he was right. It took a solid five minutes for the wagon to reach them on top of the hill. As it slowed down, Aragami could see several faces poke from inside and look at him (or his dogs?) with glee.

    Finally, as the wagon stopped right in front of them, he stood up and walked over to the deer-woman. She looked him in the eyes, before extending her hand and tapping her wrist a couple of times.

    He mimicked her, tapping the bracelet he received back in the clearing a couple of times, and experienced the weird feeling of shrinking down once again. As he jumped from one foot to another, the deer-woman marched up to the wagon and talked to the occupants within.

    Once he stopped shrinking, Aragami found himself swarmed by the people from the new wagon. They held measuring sticks and pieces of fabric of some sort and immediately set to measure him, including his arms, legs, torso, and for some weird reason his face and ears?

    He gently swatted them away, not willing to have total strangers wave sticks so close to his face. This obviously annoyed them, since they complained to the deer-woman loud enough for some of the other people to notice. She did her best to calm them down, before slowly approaching Aragami. On the way over, she snatched one of the measuring sticks around her and handed it over to him.

    He was at a loss. Not knowing what else to do, he simply accepted the stick and held it in front of his eyes. It had notches placed at regular intervals along its length. He was not really sure how far apart they were, since this whole shrinking thing threw off his sense of size and distances, but he estimated they were roughly two centimeters apart.

    ¡®Huh, if I were my normal size, those marks would appear to be about one centimeter apart.¡¯ He considered the implications for a moment, before nodding and handing the stick back. ¡®I¡¯ll have to look into this. How would they get to using the same measuring system we do?¡¯

    The people around him stirred nervously and moved back to take measurements, albeit much more calmly. It took them about five minutes to measure him thoroughly, before a small group separated to go into the wagon, while the rest waited around for something.

    He looked over to the deer-woman who sighed exhaustively and pointed to his dogs.

    ¡®Ooooh. They want to measure Tessie and Fido as well? Why though?¡¯ He shrugged and whistled to the two of them. Immediately, they stood up and trotted over to him, snuggling against his side. He took a second to pet them and then sat them down and waved to the deer-woman.

    She nodded in response and turned to talk to the group, slightly increasing in volume and hand gesticulations, until the deer-woman threw her hands in the air and walked over to him with an angry expression. She stopped right next to him, turned on her hee¡­ hoof, and yelled over to the group.

    It was quite obvious that they were afraid of Tessie and Fido, and he didn¡¯t blame them. After all, who wouldn¡¯t be afraid of a predatory monster as tall as themselves and two times heavier? It would probably be like walking over to an adult lion.

    As he watched the group argue with the deer-woman from a distance, he subtly motioned for Tessie and pulled on his bond with her to go and snuggle up against the deer-woman. It was the first time he¡¯d ever done that, directly telling either of the dogs to do something through their bond, but it seemed to work perfectly well.

    ¡ª---------------

    Zaanta

    ¡ª---------------

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you!¡± Zaanta yelled for the umpteenth time. ¡°They will not attack you! We have already confirmed the presence and limits of the contract. As long as you don''t provoke their master or them, you are completely safe!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you say!¡± Yelled the small Quarter in front of her, leader of the costume-makers and illusionists. ¡°The only ones they¡¯ve interacted with were that thing! How do we know they won¡¯t snap at us as soon as we get near?!¡±

    ¡°You fucking¡­¡± Zaanta muttered to herself. It was always difficult to work with businesses outside the guild, but this level of danger appeared to be the limit. She was about to turn to Aragami to ask him to do something, anything, when a wet nose pushed itself underneath her arm, followed by a large furred head and a pair of wondrous eyes. One of the Hounds, the female, if she remembered correctly, had walked over and nuzzled against her, almost pushing her off-balance.

    She resisted the urge to look behind her and carefully brushed the Hounds¡¯ head the same way she saw Aragami do it, just to have the Hound press its head against her hand and close its eyes.

    ¡°See?!¡± Zaanta yelled back to the group, her eyes locked onto the Hound under her arm. ¡°No danger!¡±

    The quiet that followed was too precious for her to interrupt. Finally, they snapped out of their shock, and consulted among themselves, before slowly, reluctantly moving to take their measurements.

    Zaanta took her time to pet the Hound''s head as everyone around her took various measurements. She was so captivated by the large monster acting as a pet, she didn''t even notice the illusionists retreat back to their carriage.

    She was pulled out of her thoughts when she saw Aragami''s hand emerge from the corner of her eye and join her in petting the Hound''s head.

    ¡°Thanks, Aragami.¡± She smiled and looked up to the strange being next to her. ¡°I know you probably won''t understand me, but thank you.¡±

    To her surprise, Aragami actually smiled back and nodded his head.

    ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll make sure you are classified as sapient and join your friends.¡±

    ¡ª-----

    Aragami

    ¡ª-----

    After distracting the group with his dogs, he spent about half an hour just sitting around with the deer-woman and petting Tessie and Fido, before the man from before walked over to them once more.

    He stopped a couple of meters away and said something just to get glared at by the deer-woman before slowly creeping forward to about one meter away, which seemed to be his limit.

    The deer-woman audibly sighed and extended one arm toward him. He quickly placed several things on her open palm and backed away into the safety of their wagon.

    Aragami looked at the deer-woman, expecting an answer, and she didn''t disappoint.

    She handed him three things. Two of them were collars made of rope with pieces of colorful fabric sewn along the edges. There was a latch on the back protected by a piece of leather from the inside. The other one was a wooden mask with two holes and a strap at the back.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    All of the items radiated slight magical energy, but nothing similar to the crystal he broke back at the clearing. The mask was clearly meant for himself, so he tried putting it on. As soon as he put the mask on and threw the strap over his head, it immediately tightened. He panicked for a second and tore it away from his face. And to his surprise, it was actually easy?

    As soon as his fingers touched the mask the strap loosened and the mask fell limp around his neck. He carefully looked over the mask, searching for anything. There were some glyphs grooved into the inside of the mask, as well as patterns on the strap, but he didn¡¯t feel any sense of danger from them.

    His confusion seemed to amuse the deer-woman next to him, as she laughed out loud and reached for the collars.

    She took one of them and pointed to the collar and then to one of the dogs¡¯ necks. She showed him how to unlock the latch and he understood that the leather strap was there to prevent their fur from getting locked in the latch.

    He let the mask hang around his neck before taking the other collar and carefully locking it around Fido''s neck. As soon as it clicked, the collar came to life and started to shine with Mana. Aragami took a careful step backwards and watched as the light engulfed Fido and modeled itself into the shape of a bovine-looking creature. He could still see him, but as he tried to touch him, the light gently stopped his hand a couple of centimeters above him.

    ¡®It¡¯s like a hologram,¡¯ he thought to himself as he circled around Fido, looking for any inconsistencies all around. And to his delight, he found none.

    The deer-woman let him inspect his dog for a moment, before stepping closer and waving to get his attention. As soon as she got it, she pressed at the area of Mana above Fido¡¯s collar and dragged her finger along his back, effectively ¡®unzipping¡¯ the Mana that covered him, and unlocking the collar around his neck.

    ¡°I¡¯ll never get used to this Mana thing¡­¡± Aragami muttered and shook his head. He locked the collar again and tried to open it himself. It took him a couple of tries, but he was able to do it. It didn¡¯t seem to cause any issue to his dogs, so he was willing to use it for now. He locked both collars and watched as the light passed over his dogs, shaping them into the bovine-things.

    He checked them for one last time, making sure there were no parts of them poking from underneath the Mana lights, before carefully pulling the mask back over his face. He was not surprised by the strap this time, and just felt how it tightened around his head without creating too much pressure anywhere. The holes in the mask were precisely positioned to allow him maximal field of view without revealing too much skin around them. It hindered his jaw a little bit, but beggars can¡¯t be choosers, right?

    After checking everything, he turned to the deer-woman and nodded at her, signaling he was ready to move out.

    ¡ª-------------

    Zaanta

    ¡ª-------------

    Zaanta was a little worried when she handed over the mask and the collars. Could Aragami take offense by being essentially told to hide himself? No, he¡¯d surely understand that promenading predators in the town was a bad idea, but that only extended onto the Hounds. How would he react to the mask?

    She didn¡¯t have to wait long. It seemed that he understood that the mask was for him to use and tried it on. It also seemed like he didn¡¯t like it, because he immediately swatted it away the moment it got close to his face. ¡°Oh well, I guess we¡¯ll have to try something else then.¡± She muttered in disappointment.

    He moved on to the collars, studying them for a second before she came forward and shoved him the latch on the back. He seemed to take them quite well and snapped it shut around the Hound¡¯s neck. Zaanta noticed that one of his arms immediately retreated closer to that big knife he had on his hip, but stayed there as the collar did its magic (literally) and created an illusion of a Bowler, a bovine beast commoners use to pull carriages.

    He inspected it thoroughly, before seemingly coming to a positive conclusion? Be that as it may, she still had a duty to fulfill and since she was the one forcing him to use these tools on his tamed beasts, she showed him how to unlock the magical collar and release the illusion.

    It took him a couple of tries, but he was able to do it in the end. He then locked the collars around both of the Hounds, before picking up the mask from around his neck and carefully putting it to his face again. This time around, he was completely calm about it, and Zaanta wondered why it had bothered him on his first attempt. Was it because of the material? Did it smell weird to him? Or was it the tightening strap? Did he see the strap for the first time?

    All those questions and several more passed through her head before Aragami turned toward her and she froze on the spot. There were two bright eyes staring at her from underneath a dark black cape. The mask completely vanished in the shadow, giving him a mystical aura. His unusual body type with wide shoulders and muscular arms with no fur or scales just added to the mystery. Not to mention the two disguised Hounds staring at her from behind him.

    She shook her head to get rid of the shock and motioned to the Guild¡¯s wagons in the distance. He just nodded and whistled for the two Hounds before waltzing over to join the expedition forces. Zaanta took a deep breath and walked over to the Illusionist¡¯s wagon.

    ¡°Your contract with The Guild is concluded. Give me the papers to sign so you can receive your rewards at the counter.¡±

    ¡ª-----------

    Aragami

    ¡ª-----------

    After putting on his mask, Aragami walked back to Barteool¡¯s wagon and looked inside. He saw Virria getting treated on the ground of the wagon and Barteool talking with some official-looking person, gesturing wildly. Most of the people who had climbed inside when he first saw the wagon were now sitting outside, seemingly looking for something.

    As he considered what to do next, the deer-woman appeared behind him and ushered him to the side. She walked into the middle of the group and said a couple of words he didn¡¯t understand, but was pretty sure meant ¡®Let¡¯s move out!¡¯ or something, because everyone stood up and marched to their wagons.

    He was shoved toward Virria¡¯s wagon and pushed inside by a wave of people waiting behind him.

    The first step into the wooden construct was quite surprising. He thought that it would feel akin to his cars back home, moving only slightly, but the floor decided it wanted to be a wave. The whole wagon swayed to one side and Aragami almost fell off balance, only catching himself by grabbing the wooden sides. He was ushered to sit down in the middle, next to Virria. He didn''t complain. His dogs tried to jump inside as well, but he stopped them after seeing the faces of the people waiting.

    After everyone boarded, the deer-woman got his attention before pointing at Fido and Tessie, and then on the floor inside the wagon. With her permission, Aragami gently tapped the floorboards next to him and his dogs jumped in with no hesitation. The wagon rocked a little bit, but not nearly as much as when he entered, and his dogs lay down next to him on either side.

    The deer-woman took it as a signal and yelled out in a commanding voice toward the front of the wagon. Tessie¡¯s ears shot up at the shouting and she even tried to stand up when the wagon started to move, but Aragami calmed her down and scratched her behind her ears.

    They rode the wagon through farmlands and open fields, the other wagons following behind them, until finally, after about an hour, they slowly came to a stop on what appeared to be a stone bridge of sorts. The deer-woman climbed out and vanished from his view as she walked to the front of the wagon, before coming back several minutes later with an otterman dressed in a medieval guard uniform with a sword hanging from his hip and a long spear held in his arms.

    As Aragami Looked the man over, he could tell the otterman quickly skimmed over everyone inside the wagon before settling on himself. The guard said something and the deer-woman gestured to Fido and Tessie. The otterman demanded something and the deer-woman sighed before gesturing to Aragami.

    He carefully reached out just above Fido¡¯s collar and looked at the der-woman with a question in his eyes. She nodded to him, so he unlocked the collar and watched the guard¡¯s reaction.

    As soon as the Mana light came off, the guard panicked. He pointed the spear at Fido, who just lay there with no care in the world. Aragami smiled behind his mask and scratched his head for a second. Meanwhile, the deer-woman was doing her best to calm the guard down and explain something. She pointed at Fido and then at Tessie and Aragami saw the color drain from the man¡¯s face. He smirked and locked Fido¡¯s collar once again, watching as the guard slowly backed away and yelled something at the deer-woman before storming off. She just shook her head, climbed inside and gave an order, and the caravan started to move forward again.

    They passed through a massive gate made of stone and drove into a city of small, stone houses and narrow streets. It was here that the different wagons began to separate from the caravan, going their separate ways, until theirs was the only wagon remaining.

    After another ten minutes travelling through the city, the wagon drove through a small wooden gate into a small yard and stopped. The people sitting on either side of him stood up and got out of the wagon, closing the wooden gate and entering the adjacent buildings.

    He was one of the last ones to exit the wagon and he followed the deer-woman into one of the buildings and down a set of stone stairs into a large, well lit room. There were small windows near the ceiling that allowed light to enter the room and a single door that they came through. He noticed a couple of metal hooks in the walls, as well as a large pile of straw in the corner.

    The deer-woman stood in the entryway, seemingly waiting for something, so he got her attention and pointed at the room. She, in turn, pointed at him and his dogs.

    ¡®I guess we are to stay here for now.¡¯ Aragami thought and took off his mask. Calling Tessie and Fido as well, he removed their collars and hung them on one of the hooks on the wall, before tapping the bracelet on his wrist and returning to his normal size.

    He breathed a sigh of relief, before starting to unpack his backpack and testing if the hook will be able to hold his weight for a hammock. As he hung the first rope, he heard someone behind him clearing their throat, and turned around.

    The deer-woman was walking over to him with a small blue necklace in her hand, while a younger looking deer-person in the doorway looked at him with wide eyes. He waved at them and the small one darted away.

    The deer-woman turned to look at the door before sighing and walking the rest of the way to Aragami. She offered him the necklace and after he took it, she showed him how to put it on.

    The necklace was a plain iron chain with no Mana in it, and a small blue crystal with quite a lot of Mana pulsing through it. Aragami studied it for a second, before throwing the chain over his head and letting it hang around his neck, the blue crystal on top of his t-shirt.

    The deer-woman gave him a once-over, before speaking up.

    ¡°You understand?¡±

    This time, Aragami understood. He looked at the deer-woman with confusion, before nodding his head.

    ¡°Good.¡± The deer-woman nodded and pointed at the room. ¡°You three. Stay here. People come here. You learn. Understood?¡±

    She wants me to stay here¡­ what does she mean by learn? Learn to use the necklace? Should I learn the language, or something else?

    ¡°Understood?¡± the deer-woman repeated, a questioning look in her eyes.

    Aragami was about to nod, to express he understood, when a new word came to his mind. A word he¡¯d never heard spoken, but he had a feeling it meant exactly what he wanted to say.

    He decided to give it a go, and pronounced the weird word while nodding his head in affirmation. ¡°Understood.¡±

    The deer-woman opened her eyes a little wider, before nodding her head. ¡°Good.¡± She said as she turned and exited the room. She closed the door behind her, and Aragami could hear a loud click of a lock.

    ¡®Well¡­ I guess I¡¯ll get comfortable for the time being, then.¡¯ He thought to himself and went back to hanging his hammock. ¡®Finally, we are getting somewhere.¡¯

 Chapter thirty-six: Interview

    Aragami

    ¡ª-----

    The first visitor to his new living arrangement arrived a couple of hours later. He was just in the middle of brushing off Fido, when he heard a knock on the door of his room.

    Aragami and both of his dogs stopped what they were doing and locked their eyes on the door. The door slowly opened and a scaly head carefully peeked inside, scanning the room for its occupants. It was easy to tell the exact moment the being spotted them, as its eyes widened and its head ceased any movement for a couple of seconds before they exhaled and made the final step inside.

    Connected to the head was a body of a red Raakteig female, dressed in a long, purple robe, that ended just above the ground. She had a satchel hanging from one of her shoulders and a couple of books held in her lower arms. She looked very nervous. All her eyes flicking between himself, his dogs, and the door, searching for any excuse to get out of the undesirable situation she found herself in.

    Finally, after about a minute of panic, the Raakteig slumped her shoulders and closed the door to the outside before marching over to them with what he assumed to be a determined expression.

    She stopped about three meters away and nervously waved at them before speaking.

    ¡°Hello. I am Maria.¡± She said, slowly. Her tone was crisp and her words clearly understandable. Her eyes were all over the place, jumping from him, to his dogs, to his hammock and back to him.

    Aragami smiled gently, making sure NOT to show his teeth, and thought of words to say what he wanted. The necklace around his neck glowed slightly and the now-familiar feeling of new words popping into his mind washed over him.

    ¡°Hello Maria.¡± Aragami said using those new words. The Raakteig visibly winced as she heard his voice. ¡°I¡¯m Aragami.¡±

    ¡ª------

    Maria

    ¡ª------

    Maria was surprised when she received a summons from The Guild. After all, why would an organisation such as The Guild require the services of a teacher? But, her curiosity got the better of her and she came to the Guildhouse to see what this was all about.

    The Guild was kind of infamous in the eyes of the city folk and, as Maria walked through the main doors, she could see why. The room she entered was essentially a tavern with every single patron armed. The floorboards, as well as the tables and chairs, bore deep scratches from dropped weapons and armored figures alike, while the once pristine white walls had entire sections of stone foundation exposed for all to see.

    This was not a place for normal people to be and the stares of everyone present clearly indicated this. She saw the scoffs forming behind tankards of beer and the eye rolling of most of the mages there.

    Maria steeled herself and walked in between the tables to the massive counter opposite to the door. She did her best to look confident and not to make eye contact with anyone there, staring straight ahead. Fortunately for her, most of the occupants were seated to the sides of the room, so she only had to walk by a couple of the ¡®Adventurers¡¯ as they liked to be called.

    As she arrived at the counter, she rang a bell to summon an employee to report to and waited patiently. The patrons didn''t bother to shush their voices, so she heard every single derogatory comment about ¡®bookworms¡¯ and ¡®squishy civies¡¯. It was common knowledge that even the least able adventurers were stronger than the farmers, so townsfolk didn¡¯t really stand a chance in comparison.

    The door to her right opened about a minute later and out came a young Zhaariin, the same race as this branch¡¯s Guild Master. She had a bloodied apron roughly tied around her waist and a tired look in her eyes. ¡°Hello miss. My name is Rhonda. How can I help you?¡± Rhonda asked in a tired voice, her eyes flicking from her to the back of the room and back.

    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Maria hummed, thinking of what to say. ¡°I received a summons from your Guild? Something about bringing my teaching materials?¡± Maria was sure she sounded ridiculous. Why would The Guild need a teacher?! But the reaction of Rhonda only served to confuse her more.

    ¡°Oh! Someone actually came?¡± The Zhaariin perked up. ¡°Guild Master will be glad to hear that! Please follow me.¡± Rhonda beamed at her, trotted out from behind the counter and led her to a side door.

    ¡°The Guild Master?¡± Maria asked as she walked by. ¡°This is a request from the Guild Master?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± Rhonda trotted past her and led the way further inside. ¡°Guild Master Zaanta needs a teacher who has experience teaching someone who knows almost nothing about the local languages and cultures.¡±

    ¡°You found some foreigners?¡±

    ¡°I guess you could say that.¡± Rhonda nodded. ¡°However, I am afraid I can not tell you anything more, since I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Maria seriously doubted that Rhonda didn¡¯t know more about the situation, but she kept this thought to herself. Rhonda probably had her own reasons not to tell her more.

    They ascended a set of stairs into another hallway and walked to the other end, before Rhonda stopped in front of a certain unmarked door. ¡°A fair warning.¡± Rhonda looked her in the eyes. ¡°Please, only talk when you are asked to. The Guild Master¡¯s guests are¡­temperamental.¡±

    Before Maria could ask what that meant, Rhonda had already knocked on the door and walked inside. Guild Master Zaanta was sitting behind her desk, reading some documents, while several members of the town administration sat in front of her with scowling expressions.

    ¡°Miss Zaanta?¡± Rhonda piped up, drawing her gaze. ¡°A teacher from the city has answered your summons.¡±

    ¡°Summons?¡± Zaanta frowned for a second, before seemingly remembering. ¡°Ah! Of course! Of course! Please sit down, miss¡­¡±

    ¡°Maria.¡± Maria bowed slightly, before walking over to the offered chair.

    ¡°I am sorry, miss Maria, we sent out a summons to every teacher in the area, so we didn''t know who to expect.¡± The Guild Master smiled at her nervously. ¡°You see, we have found ourselves in an unusual situation and, to resolve it effectively,  we are in need of someone with your skill set.¡±

    ¡°I figured as much. There are not many reasons why you would look for a teacher, of all professions.¡± Maria nodded. She was acutely aware that several town administrators were thoroughly scrutinising her from the side.

    ¡°You are correct. We want you to teach a certain individual about social norms, speech patterns, and everything else he might need to know so he can live here. We will, of course, pay you for your service, including a significant danger pay, due to the nature of the student.¡±

    "Danger pay?! Are you not selling the situation too cheap, Guild Master?!¡± One of the administrators called her out.

    Maria felt a knot form in her throat. ¡®Danger pay? Too cheap? What is going on here?¡¯ her eyes locked onto the Guild Master, who sighed exasperatedly and turned to the administrators with a cold fury in her eyes.

    ¡°I have told you to keep quiet if someone enters my office. Education of our future members is in your best interest. Unless, you want yet another brain-dead idiot with a big sword to wander the streets of your city.¡±

    ¡°You are endangering our residents by withholding information! It''s in our interest that they make informed decisions! There are laws that even The Guild must follow!¡± The official retorted, but Maria got the feeling that this was less about her being informed and more about the city having authority over The Guild.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°And those same laws state that we are allowed to reveal the information gradually, in order to not overwhelm the candidate!¡± Zaanta punched the desk of her table with so much force, Maria could feel the vibrations on her scales.

    ¡°This is your second and final warning! Either shut up, or leave my office!¡± Her violent outburst momentarily shocked the official. It was clear he didn''t expect her to react so violently, so he just sat back down and sulked.

    Zaanta glared at the official a little longer, before turning back to Maria. It was clear Zaanta was trying to calm herself before talking to Maria again. Maria appreciated the gesture.

    ¡°As I was saying.¡± The Guild Master continued, in a placating tone. ¡°We would like to use your expertise in teaching our new recruit.¡±

    ¡°If I may ask.¡± Maria nervously shuffled in her seat. ¡°What is this about ¡®danger pay¡¯? Is this new recruit dangerous?¡±

    The Guild Master took a second to think over her answer before sighing and looking her in the eyes.

    ¡°You could say that anyone in our Guild is a dangerous individual. All of us are armed most of the time and, generally speaking, we are stronger than most of the population. So, someone WE are trying to recruit is bound to be quite strong and/or dangerous.¡±

    This frank statement caught Maria off-guard. She was expecting the Guild Master to behave the same way most officials do, dodging her questions and diverting the conversation. It was then she realised the Guild Master detested such behavior as much as she did. Maria had to respect that.

    ¡°What is the nature of the danger he presents? Is he violent? Moody? Or does he come from a tribal society?¡± Maria inquired, pulling a notepad from her satchel.

    ¡°That is the problem.¡± The Guild Master sighed, sinking into her chair. ¡°We do not know. He seems to be from quite a developed place, but he doesn''t know any of the common languages around here. We have no idea about his species, abilities, or mentality.¡±

    ¡°There is one person who could help us with that, but she is currently unconscious in her room. Her companions are taking care of her as we speak.¡±

    That was kind of troubling. Maria had dealt with teaching a rare species before, but to teach someone of a new species who didn''t know any of the common languages? She was not sure she would be up to the task.

    ¡°We won''t ask you to commit yourself to teaching him everything.¡± The Guild Master pulled Maria out of her thoughts. ¡°We just ask for you to help him learn the language and some basic societal norms. He''s already received a language-learning artifact, so all you need to do is practice with him.¡±

    Maria looked up, surprised. ¡°That makes things a lot easier.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I suppose it does,¡± The Guild Master nodded. ¡°However, there is one more thing you¡¯ll need to know, if you are still willing to accept the job.¡± Her expression was serious, and Maria shifted uncomfortably. She stared the Guild Master in the eyes for a full minute, before she realised it was her turn to say something.

    She took a deep breath and checked her notes once again, looking for all the information she had right now. ¡®The student is male of an unknown species, unable to speak common, but equipped with a translating artifact. Probably highly skilled in combat¡­¡¯ ¡°You said he is dangerous, correct?¡± Maria asked.

    ¡°Yes?¡± The Guild Master nodded.

    ¡°But you also said you don¡¯t know his abilities.¡±

    ¡°That is correct, yes.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ How do you know he actually IS dangerous?¡± Maria asked, carefully observing the Guild Master¡¯s face.

    She didn¡¯t expect her to smirk. ¡°Tell me, Miss Maria, how much do you know about our Guild?¡±

    ¡°Your Guild?¡± Maria asked. ¡°I am afraid I know just the basic information. You are a small branch of a larger organisation. You were founded to keep the local monster population in check, as well as to be a fast-response force in the event of a dungeon breakout.¡±

    ¡°That is correct, but not what I wanted to know,¡± The Guild Master stopped her gently. ¡°What I wanted to know was if you ever heard about any of our members specifically.¡±

    ¡°Your members? I am afraid I won¡¯t be able to name a lot. Let¡¯s see¡­ I have heard of your party, so you, Miss Tiina, the Barrier Mage, and Miss Ghanna, the Battering Ram. Then, there would be the Red Crest party, so Sir Laanter, Miss Telar, Miss Kiria, and Sir Quenn.¡± Maria counted on her fingers, pausing to think of anyone she might have missed, but dropped her hand after the seventh name.  ¡°Unfortunately, I probably won''t be able to name anyone else, since your Guild is not exactly one of my research priorities¡­¡±

    ¡°That is fine. You named most of the important members.¡± The Guild Master stood up and walked around the table, gesturing for her to follow.

    ¡°You said you have heard of Ghanna, my companion.¡± She said as she opened the doors to the hallway.

    ¡°Yes. I have not only heard of her, but I also got the chance to see one of her matches back in the day.¡± Maria responded while following the Zhaarin out of the office.

    ¡°Well, Ghanna actually lost to this recruit in a duel.¡± Zaanta said and Maria had to do a double take.

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Ghanna lost a duel to the one you will be teaching, if you decide to accept our deal.¡± Zaanta confirmed. ¡°Although¡­ Ghanna couldn''t use Magic to fight the way she usually does, so we can cut her some slack there.¡±

    ¡°H¡­How?¡± Maria was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Well¡­ Ghanna decided that attacking a pair of Hound pups was a great way to blow off some steam. Unfortunately, she chose HIS puppies, so Aragami defended his pets.¡± Zaanta stopped in front of a stone wall with a Magic formation drawn across its surface. ¡°He saved both of them and now they refuse to leave his side.¡±

    Zaanta tapped the wall a couple of times and Maria watched with her mouth agape as the formation activated, allowing her to see an unknown being playing with a pair of what appeared to be large wolves. They were trying to bite at his fingers while he appeared to be trying to touch them between the ears? Their movements were so fast, she had trouble keeping up, even from the elevated vantage point.

    She observed the room for a solid five minutes, the Guild Master patiently waiting by her side for her answer. The creature that played with the hounds had similar body proportions to a Raakteig. The only difference she could see was the lack of scales and only one pair of arms and eyes.

    ¡°What do we know about that species?¡± Maria asked, her eyes never leaving the creatures down below.

    ¡°Basically nothing.¡± The Guild Master said calmly. ¡°Our working theory is that he got summoned here by something, but your guess is as good as ours. If you gain some new information about him, the Guild is willing to exchange money for that knowledge.¡±

    That got Maria''s attention. She had a stable job and wasn''t exactly starving on the streets, but getting paid for teaching and gathering information at the same time? There had to be a catch. But, she probably wouldn¡¯t figure it out until it''s too late.

    ¡°One last question.¡± Maria turned to the Guild Master, who looked at her with a question in her eyes. ¡°When and where do I start?¡±

    ¡°Do you accept the position?¡± The Guild Master asked her in surprise. ¡°I was sure you would run away screaming after seeing the Hounds.¡±

    ¡°They are scary. I won''t deny that.¡± Maria turned back towards the magic formation. ¡°But isn''t that exciting? I have an opportunity to describe a new species, as well as observing the behaviour of Hound pups. Do you know how many people attempted this and failed miserably?¡±

    ¡°We are the ones who deliver these beasts to the researchers in the first place¡­¡± The Guild Master smiled at her. ¡°We''ll prepare a contract for you to sign. Let''s head back to the office and after that is taken care of, you can start your first lesson with Aragami.¡±

    As it turned out, the paperwork took longer than expected, mostly because of the city official''s meddling in the contract and criticizing its conditions. In the end, Guild Master Zaanta had to throw them out of her office, because they couldn¡¯t come to an agreement otherwise.

    After signing the last page, Maria returned the writing utensil back into the cup and leaned into the back of her chair. ¡°Hooh! I hate bureaucracy!¡±

    ¡°Trust me. You are not the only one,¡± the Guild Master agreed as she filed away the paperwork. ¡°You are lucky you don¡¯t have to deal with it in your everyday life. Had I known that this position required so many forms and formal stuff, I¡¯d have remained adventuring with my group.¡±

    ¡°I had a similar motivation for not taking the job teaching at the academy.¡± Maria laughed bitterly. ¡°They tried to rope me in, saying they¡¯d provide me with lodging and food in exchange for teaching their noble students. As if they¡¯d listen to a commoner like me. I¡¯d be executed in a heartbeat for offending someone.¡±

    ¡°Oh wow. I didn¡¯t even think about that. Offending nobility is not something we have to deal with. All our quests and missions are handled through the organisation. We are just its labourers, which are expected to be rude commoners.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me! I might join The Guild if you keep dangling that carrot.¡± Maria laughed.

    ¡°It might not be so bad, you know?¡± Guild Master Zaanta said, getting Maria¡¯s attention. ¡°We could use someone to teach our newbies about weaknesses of different beasts, as well as the basics, like reading and counting. You would be surprised how many commoners can¡¯t do that.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Maria weighed the offer before shaking her head. ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I¡¯ll have to decline for now. I¡¯ll just go and teach this¡­Aragami some basic knowledge and if I am satisfied with your Guild¡¯s attitude, I¡¯ll reach back out to you.¡±

    ¡°That is completely understandable.¡± Guild Master said with a slight smile. ¡°Now, shall I show you the way to your new student¡¯s accommodations?¡±

 Chapter thirty-seven: Discussion

    After their introduction, Aragami sent his dogs to the side and focused on the Raakteig in front of him. She was checking some notes and flipping through several books, mumbling to herself the whole time. Finally, after about a minute, Maria looked him in the eyes and started speaking.

    ¡°Hello Aragami. I am here to teach you how to speak properly.¡± He just nodded, which seemed to annoy her somewhat.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t use gestures when we talk. The goal is to teach you to talk, not just understand.¡±

    That made sense. If he was to teach someone to talk, he would probably want that person to talk back. He made the effort and searched for words before slowly replying. ¡°I¡­Am sorry. My People¡­ We use¡­ A lot of¡­ Gestures. When talking.¡±

    ¡®This is actually quite difficult.¡¯ Aragami thought as he forced the last words out. In comparison to Maria, he had a very strong accent, but that was to be expected, he guessed.

    Maria certainly didn¡¯t seem to mind, as she just nodded and wrote down some notes. ¡°Alright, I understand. I will not force you not to use gestures, but I want you to talk to me.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± he bowed his head like a child getting scolded.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Maria smiled and scribbled more notes. Aragami suspected she did that a lot.

    ¡°For starters, how about you tell me something about your people? Or would you like to ask some things about the city or the land you are in?¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°You have¡­ No idea¡­ How many¡­ Questions¡­ I have.¡±

    ¡°Enlighten me, then.¡± Maria dared him and shifted into a more comfortable position.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Aragami muttered, deciding what to ask first. ¡°How many¡­ Species?... Are there?¡±

    ¡°How many species?¡± Maria raised an eyebrow. ¡°That is a weird first question to ask.¡± She had to think for a while, and Aragami patiently waited for her reply.

    ¡°If we are talking about this city only, then there would be about thirty to forty species.¡± Maria said, paying close attention to Aragami¡¯s reaction. She noticed how his hands stopped moving when she said the number, as well as the way he frowned. She noted down the observation before continuing. ¡°If we were to talk about the country, or even the Continent, I am unable to give you an exact number, since I don¡¯t know it.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ See¡­¡± Aragami nodded and looked down at his hands. ¡°I suppose¡­ Those are just¡­ The¡­ Recognised¡­ Ones?¡±

    ¡°Recognised? What do you mean by that?¡± Maria Questioned in return.

    ¡°Recognised¡­ As citizens.¡± Aragami tried to gesture toward her. ¡°Can work¡­ And¡­ Own a house?¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Maria facepalmed. ¡°That¡¯s what you meant! Yes, there are a lot of other species, but most of them are not smart enough to form societies.¡± The answer seemed to satisfy Aragami, so Maria decided to ask a question in return.

    ¡°How many species are there where you come from?¡± She asked hesitantly. Aragami looked her in the eyes, searching for something. Maria forced herself not to look away, tightening her fists out of Aragami¡¯s view, before Aragami just nodded and said a single word.

    ¡°One.¡±

    ¡°One species¡­?¡± Maria gawked, the idea completely alien to her. ¡°One single species where you came from?¡±

    ¡°One¡­ Sapient¡­ Species.¡± Aragami nods at her. ¡°Lots of¡­ Sentient¡­ Ones.¡±

    ¡°Lands full of beasts¡­¡± Maria mused. ¡°Did your people make companions of those beasts?¡±

    ¡®If his kind was surrounded by nothing but beasts, you would surely domesticate at least some of them.¡¯ She thought.

    Aragami looked at her curiously, before turning his head to the Hounds in the corner of the room.

    ¡°We did.¡± He agreed. ¡°Befriended some. Dominated others.¡±

    ¡®Intelligent predator species with experience in beast taming. This is bad news for whoever makes an enemy out of him.¡¯ Maria nodded and filed the information away for the moment, deciding to ponder the implications at a later date. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s put this aside for now. If you have more questions, I¡¯d rather save them for later.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡± Aragami nodded at her, a smile tugging at his lips. He knew exactly what he did when he asked that question, didn''t he?

    ¡°Let¡¯s get to the thing I actually came here to do, alright?¡± Maria said as she opened one of her notebooks. ¡°First things first: we''ll practice your vocabulary and speech patterns before transitioning to reading and learning social norms such as common sense and rules of behaviour on the city streets.¡±

    ¡ª-----------

    Aragami

    ¡ª-----------

    Maria left after about three hours and it had already grown dark outside. Aragami sighed and tiredly walked over to Tesi and Fido. They behaved well for the entire time of Maria¡¯s visit, so he played with them for a while more before walking over to his sleeping quarters. As he walked by his backpack, he briefly considered sorting out his things on the dry floor, before dismissing the thought. He was absolutely sure he was being monitored after he sensed the use of Mana when he was playing with his dogs earlier.

    He climbed into his hammock and tried to relax. He closed his eyes, and listened to the sounds coming from the street outside. He wondered how many people walked past his windows, knowing there was something down there.

    During the two following days, he mostly just played with Tesi and Fido, learned about the world outside with Maria, and wondered what was planned for him. On the third day, after Maria left his holding cell, he was shrunk down, playing tug of war with Tesi, when the doors to his room burst open and several familiar figures flew into the room.

    Both Tesi and Fido turned their attention to the visitors, with Tesi letting go of the rope in her mouth in the process. Aragami, not expecting her to let go, fell backwards onto the stone floor of the room.

    Aragami muttered a curse and rolled over to get a better look at the newcomers, just to be greeted by several pairs of eyes watching him from the doorway. He saw Virria, Barteool, and the rest of their group whose names he still didn''t know. And of course, the deer-woman from before.

    He fished for the words from his newly practiced vocabulary and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Hello everyone!¡± He said. Well¡­ at least he thought he did¡­

    It seemed that everyone understood, since Virria barreled toward him, while the rest appeared a bit shocked.

    ¡°You can talk!¡± Virria yelled, as she skidded to stop just in front of him.

    ¡°I might even¡­ understand a little.¡± Aragami smirked in return and reached out to scratch at her head.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell us he would be this sassy.¡± A voice called out from behind Virria. It was the otter looking dude with a small shield on his back and a sword at his hip. They locked eyes for a second, before grinning at each other like maniacs.

    ¡°How could I not? I got such an¡­ opportunity?¡± Aragami teased, but hesitated about the last word. The voice offered him several words to use, but no context to use them in, so Aragami just used one and hoped for the best.

    Apparently he chose the incorrect one based on the confused looks he received, so he tried the other word with much more success.

    ¡°Oh! That''s what you meant!¡± The bird-man with a pair of hammers squawked, falling over laughing. ¡°Lemme tell ya, this¡¯ll take some time getting used to!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t laugh at him!¡± The sandy Raakteig that healed him back in the forest smacked the bird-man on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s quite remarkable that he learned to speak the language in such a short time!¡±

    Aragami smiled at the small banter. ¡°To be¡­ fair? I had help.¡± He pulled at the chain around his neck, bringing up the small necklace.

    ¡°They gave you an artifact?¡± The green Raakteig ranger asked, eyeing the necklace. ¡°I suppose you¡¯ll be taking it back in the near future, Guild Master?¡±

    ¡®Guild Master?!¡¯ Aragami thought and followed Raakteig''s gaze to the deer-woman in the doorway.

    ¡°Of course we will. It¡¯s quite expensive, you know?!¡± Guild master said, feigning offence. ¡°And if it gets damaged or lost, you lot will be responsible for paying for it.¡±

    ¡°Oh shit!¡± The bird-man exclaimed in mock horror. ¡°For the love of everything that is holy! Do NOT lose it, Aragami!¡±

    ¡°I do not know. It looks¡­ brittle.¡±  Aragami managed to look totally serious as he said it, but he had trouble holding his laugh.

    ¡°I take that back.¡± The Guild Master backtracked quickly. ¡°If you break it, I¡¯ll hold you, specifically, responsible.¡±

    Aragami immediately released the necklace, letting it dangle around his throat, stood up straight, and raised his hand to his forehead in a salute, before speaking in a completely serious tone. ¡°It shall be safe, Ma''am!¡±

    His quick movement seemed to startle Virria and the rest, as they visibly winced and some of them backed away slightly.

    ¡°Good.¡± The Guild Master nodded carefully, before walking over to him and laying down. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse us, we have something we need to discuss with you. Specifically what we want to do in order to avoid most of the paperwork¡­¡±

    ¡°You have my full¡­ attention.¡± Aragami nodded and dropped the salute, before sitting down opposite the deer-woman. Virria seemed to debate what to do, before walking over and sitting to his left. She was quite small even though the band on his wrist was activated. The same, however, couldn¡¯t be said about the green Raakteig. As he walked over and sat between them, Aragami noticed the musculature on his back. The bow he used must have been pretty strong for him to need this kind of muscle.

    The rest of the group came after that and Aragami got another look at them. The otter-man and bird-man sat down to his right, their weapons secured to their belts this time around. The sand-colored Raakteig sat between Virria and the Guild master, her numerous trinkets chiming softly as she moved. And lastly, the robed Raakteig sat between the bird-man and the Guild master, trying to put as much distance between them without intruding into the Guild Master¡¯s personal space.

    ¡°First off, I''d like to thank you for your cooperation back in the forest and on the way here.¡± Guild Master bowed her head slightly before looking back up.

    ¡°Second, I''d like to confirm the information we''ll use to create your identity card.¡±

    ¡°An Identity card??¡± Aragami immediately asked, raising one eyebrow. ¡°Why do I¡­ need¡­ that?¡±

    ¡°Identity cards are low-class artifacts used to identify people. They have the name of the card holder, as well as their occupation, rough description, and a sample of their biology, usually blood.¡± She pulled out something that eerily resembled dog tags and handed it to him to inspect. ¡°They are used to make sure the holder is who he claims to be. There were some cases of assassins using dead men¡¯s identification to commit crimes.¡±

    Aragami tried out his reading capabilities, but found himself woefully outmatched by the strange letters. The only thing he could decipher was part of Guildmaster''s name: Zaanta.

    He returned the dog tags and nodded his head. ¡°So¡­what do you need¡­ to confirm? You know my name. You will¡­ likely?... decide my job. You can¡­ describe me well.¡±

    The Guild Master widened her eyes in surprise, but she masked it quickly before answering. ¡°We did some digging, and we found something quite¡­ disturbing about your name.¡±

    ¡ª-------

    Zaanta

    ¡ª------

    If she didn''t have Aragami¡¯s attention before, she had it now.

    ¡°You see.¡± She continued, shifting carefully. ¡°We found mentions of ¡®Aragami¡¯ in old religious texts, so we contacted a linguist to find out more.¡±

    Aragami¡¯s eyes hadn¡¯t left her since she started speaking, unnerving her about his reaction to what she was about to say next.

    Steeling herself, prepared to run if necessary, she shared her team''s findings.

    ¡°You see, the texts where we found your name were referring to¡­ slaves.¡±

    ¡°@#%¡ê&*!¡± Aragami mumbled something in his native tongue, and although Zaanta couldn''t understand what he said, it didn''t sound like a compliment.

    ¡°The moment I see those two again, I will¡­ fucking kill both of them¡­¡± Aragami mumbled, and Zaanta paid her full attention to how his hands closed into fists before opening up again.

    ¡°I understand how you feel, so I''ll ignore the threat this time around. I''d recommend keeping those things to yourself in the future though.¡± Zaanta nodded to him and took note of how he immediately seemed to calm down. It was eerie in every way imaginable.

    ¡°That is actually what brought me here today, as well as the possibility of learning something the others might have overlooked.¡±

    Aragami looked at her, rage simmering in his eyes. It was not directed at her, but Zaanta still shuddered remembering his fight with Ghanna. ¡°Since we, as The Guild, are in charge of formally assigning you with a name, we are willing to have your official name changed to whatever you want. Unfortunately, when interacting with beings more aligned with nature, you''ll have to explain that you have two names¡­¡±

    ¡°I have two names¡­ already. Third name will cause no trouble.¡± Aragami laughed bitterly. ¡°Better than being¡­ called slave each of¡­ days.¡±

    ¡°I''d imagine so.¡± Zaanta nodded and breathed a sigh of relief, choosing to ignore the first sentence.

    ¡°Do you have an idea of what you want to be called? Is there a specific way your kind names themselves?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aragami frowned in confusion.

    ¡°As an example, there are a couple of tribes on the southern islands that get their names based on what they break. We have one of their people here at our branch. His name''s Brick, because he broke a brick with his bare hands at a young age.¡± Zaanta observed Aragami carefully, so she didn''t miss the smirk on his face.

    ¡°Just like Orcs¡­¡± Aragami muttered, his mood getting slightly better. Next time he spoke, his words were clearly hearable.¡°We have naming¡­ pattern. I do not know if our pattern is common here... My people¡­ we have two names. Our¡­ person name. And our¡­ family name.¡±

    ¡°Your family?¡± Zaanta asked for clarification. ¡°As in a group of people staying in one household?¡±

    ¡°More than that¡­ but, yes, family lives¡­ together.¡± Aragami nodded in affirmation before looking concerned. ¡°Wait¡­ do you not have¡­ family groups here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, we do.¡± Zaanta assured. ¡°The thing is, family names are usually reserved for nobility. City folk have no reason to flaunt their family name, so they don''t bother with it.

    ¡°I see.¡± Aragami nodded. ¡°If I change my name to¡­ Ar Agami, no one would think¡­ strange of it?¡±

    ¡°Knowledgeable people would assume you are aligned with the corresponding religion, but no one would suspect you are not telling the truth.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Aragami said, thinking deeply. ¡°Let us¡­ choose my name¡­ later. You have¡­ thoughts in mind¡­ to come and¡­ see me here.¡±

    ¡°That we do.¡± Zaanta breathed in relief, moving to something she had more influence over.

    ¡°As we researched the requirements of you joining the society around here, we''ve discovered a problem with the bureaucratic system. You see, in order to classify new species, we would have to provide three specimens of said species.¡±

    She watched as Aragami¡¯s face shifted in thought.

    ¡°So... I must be¡­ described as an unknown race?¡± Aragami shuddered. ¡°That¡­ must need¡­ lots of paper¡­ work.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that would be a lot of paperwork.¡± Virria jumped to her rescue. ¡°But fortunately, Guild Master figured out an alternative solution!¡±

    ¡°Tell me.¡± Aragami looked between the two of them. Zaanta was about to start talking, but Virria was faster.

    ¡°It''s simple. Really. You just have to become my familiar.¡±

    Zaanta felt like she could feel something snap. She glared at Virria before checking how Aragami took the offer.

    What greeted her was just confusion and¡­ amusement? He opened his mouth, with a single word coming out. ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter thirty-eight: Negotiations

    Zaanta

    ¡ª---------------

    After the fiasco of Virria spilling the beans, Zaanta took some time to explain the bureaucratic nonsense required to get him accepted into society. Ar Agami listened patiently, occasionally asking pointed questions and asking for clarification. Zaanta was actually surprised at how much of the legal jargon he seemed to understand.

    ¡°So¡­ Let me¡­ get this¡­ Straight?¡± Ar said, after hearing the entire plan.

    ¡°You want me¡­ to fight¡­ in a¡­ tournament? To¡­ measure¡­ my¡­ skills?

    ¡°To see your combat effectiveness, yes.¡± Zaanta nodded grimly. ¡°We know you might be against the idea and are prepared to find a different way¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in.¡± Ar cut Zaanta off mid-sentence. She looked at him quizzically and he continued. ¡°I also want¡­ to know¡­ how¡­strong?... I am¡­ exactly.¡±

    Zaanta was¡­ actually surprised. She didn¡¯t expect him to agree so easily. ¡°Alright,¡± she started, carefully judging his reaction, ¡°we¡¯ll take care of the administration, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±

    Ar nodded to her, bidding her to continue.

    ¡°In order to find you a good match, I need to know what kind of fighter you are. Do your people fight with your body, with weapons, or do you use magic?¡± Zaanta held her breath. If it turned out that Ar¡¯s species had some sort of magic on top of his physical abilities¡­

    Ar scratched his head for a second before answering. ¡°We fought with¡­ weapons¡­ and armor. In¡­ recent¡­ history, we¡­ mostly switched to¡­ ranged weapons¡­ though.¡±

    ¡°Ranged weapons, huh?¡± Zaanta muttered. ¡°I am afraid you won¡¯t be able to use those in the tournament. We can lend you some melee weapons, but the tournament bans any and all armor. Would that work?

    ¡°I¡¯d like to¡­ take a¡­ look¡­ at those. Preferably¡­ before you¡­ send me off¡­ to the fight.¡±

    ¡°That is reasonable. Zaanta nodded, cold sweat running down her back. ¡®A species that used melee weapons and armor, but switched to ranged weapons? Did they develop a bow that could pierce good plate armor? And even if they did, why not keep them in reserve? Why would they switch to using primarily bows?¡¯

    ¡°Do you have any other requests or questions before I leave?¡± Zaanta asked.

    ¡°Actually¡­ I do.¡± Ar nodded and showed her three of his fingers. ¡°Three¡­ for now.¡±

    ¡°Very well then.¡± Zaanta gestured toward him. ¡°Feel free to ask.¡±

    ¡°First¡­ I want¡­ to train.¡±

    Zaanta was not surprised by the request. It made sense to get acquainted with your new weapons. ¡°Can do.¡± She nodded. ¡°The second one?¡±

    ¡°Secondly¡­ I¡­ want them¡­¡± He gestured to the Fallen Leaves ¡°To be¡­ allowed¡­ to watch me¡­ fight.¡±

    This one didn¡¯t surprise Zaanta either. ¡°I agree. They might have to fight by your side in the future, so knowing how you fight would prove beneficial to them.¡± She saw Virria pump her fist in the corner of her eye and smiled a little at her enthusiasm.

    ¡°Third one¡­ is a question¡­¡± Zaanta focused back on Ar, just to find him staring at her dead in the eyes. She shifted slightly, feeling uncomfortable. ¡°Why¡­ do you¡­ help me? What¡­ do YOU¡­ get¡­ out of it?¡±

    ¡°That question is simple, yet complicated.¡± Zaanta smiled, trying to keep up her calm facade. ¡°Basically, I get a strong being that is now somewhat affiliated and indebted to our organisation.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ makes sense.¡± Ar nodded. ¡°Those are¡­ all¡­ my questions¡­ for now.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Zaanta nodded in response and stood up. ¡°I will leave you all to get to know one another and I will prepare the tournament participation paperwork.¡± She sighed and stood up. ¡°I will send a runner to fetch you when the time for training comes.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± Ar nodded in response.

    As Zaanta left through the door, she wondered how he would fare in the tournament. These thoughts were quickly overtaken by thoughts of Ghanna and her gambling addiction. Shaking her head, Zaanta muttered to herself. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely have to forbid her from betting this time around¡­ But how?¡±

    ¡ª--------------------

    Barteool

    ¡ª--------------------

    As soon as the Guild Master left the room, the overall mood seemed to improve. No one wanted to interrupt the Zhaarin while she was talking business. They were surprised when Ar asked for them to observe his match, but they were glad he did. This way, they wouldn¡¯t have to pay for their own tickets.

    ¡°Thank you. For everything.¡± Virria spoke first, breaking the silence. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to think about what would have happened if I didn¡¯t find you back in that forest.¡±

    Ar smiled back at her, warmth spreading through his voice. ¡°I¡¯m glad¡­ I could¡­ help. Those¡­ cats¡­ had it¡­ arriving.¡±

    ¡°You mean ¡®had it coming?¡¯¡± Daente picked at him. ¡°Other than working out our tactics, we¡¯ll have to practice speaking with you as well? Good heavens!¡±

    ¡°If you¡­ do not like it¡­ I can always¡­ act on my own.¡± Ar snickered.

    ¡°Nononono. That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Daente bristled his feathers in response. ¡°If nothing else, Virria would eat me alive for driving you away.¡±

    ¡°You are god damn right I would!¡± Virria laughed and punched him in the shoulder.

    ¡°Speaking of working together.¡± Barteool called for attention. ¡°We should probably introduce ourselves. I doubt you know our names or how we work together?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I know¡­ Virria¡¯s name, but¡­ no-one else¡¯s.¡± Ar scratched his head. ¡°And¡­ honestly? I am¡­ not sure I will¡­ remember them.¡±

    ¡°Finally!¡± Moti yelled out. ¡°Someone who understands!¡±

    ¡°Moti!¡± Barteool yelled at the Quarter. Moti made a calming gesture and sat back down, holding his furry tail to stop it from twitching nervously. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Barteool turned back to Ar, just to see him grinning from ear to ear.

    ¡°No worry.¡± Ar answered, covering his teeth with one hand. ¡°Those¡­ real reactions¡­ brought¡­ some memories¡­ of past.¡±

    ¡°Alright. We won¡¯t pry.¡± Barteool said, gesturing for Maeli to shut up. ¡°Feel free to share whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°Oh. So¡­ I am¡­ first?¡± Ar raised an eyebrow. ¡°Alright then. Sorry¡­ if I take long to¡­ formulate¡­ New language¡­ and stuff.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing.¡± Barteool smiled and gestured for Maeli to take notes.

    ¡°My name... as you know, was¡­ changed to Ar. I¡­ served¡­ in my country¡¯s army¡­ A military force¡­ as an extremely long range¡­ soldier. But¡­ I was¡­ trained¡­ to fight¡­ in close quarters¡­ as well.¡±

    ¡°As to how¡­ I lived¡­ My father, me, and my¡­ brother lived on a¡­ big farm. Bred some¡­ animals. Mostly for food. Had some¡­ vegetable fields¡­ as well.¡±

    ¡°Did you live close to a town?¡± Maeli asked.

    ¡°Close?¡± Ar thought. ¡°We could get to¡­ a close town in¡­ about an hour? I do not know¡­ how do you measure¡­ length. Or time. Or¡­ anything, really.¡±

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°Well. We know what an hour is. In the past, summoned beings established a consistent concept of time in most of the cultures.¡± Maeli rubbed his scales. ¡°Length, on the other hand, is kind of difficult. Meter and its units are most commonly used. The Skiel is also common. Some people use something called Miles, but I don¡¯t know how far it is.¡±

    ¡°You know Metric?¡± Ar widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°Well, that makes¡­ things easier, actually. The town was¡­ about two hundred kilometers from our farm.¡±

    ¡°Eeeh¡­ I think our definition of kilometer is different.¡± Barteool interjected. ¡°There is no way you could travel two hundred of them in an hour.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­ about a meter tall?¡± Ar asked, and Barteool simply nodded. ¡°Then¡­ our definition is¡­ the same.¡± Ar smiled. ¡°We had machines¡­ you probably can¡¯t¡­ even imagine.¡±

    ¡°I can attest to that!¡± Virria chimed and everyone turned to her. ¡°As part of the bargain I took with the Law, I got to look at some of Ar¡¯s memories.¡± She looked at him, feeling a bit embarrassed. ¡°We¡­ took a ride in one of their ¡®machines¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Which¡­ one?¡± Ar asked, shifting his hands under his chin.

    ¡°You called it¡­ a Sheehveey? I think.¡± Barteool watched as Ar nodded his head. Virria continued after that. ¡°It was this¡­ metal construct on four wheels. It made some wild noises, but it traveled very fast and very smoothly. I believe it was not the fastest of their ¡®machines¡¯, since I saw two bicycle-like constructs, and they were fast as well.¡±

    ¡°Motorcycles.¡± Ar nodded again. ¡°Did you see the¡­ ships?¡± He asked, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

    ¡°Yes¡­ I did.¡± Virria nodded, her eyes looking a bit sad. ¡°I also saw one of them fall¡­¡±

    ¡®Fall? What does she mean by fall?¡¯ Barteool thought as the two in front of him exchanged knowing looks. He shook his head and waved the thought aside. There would be time to discuss that later.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll put the matter of traveling aside for now. Thank you for sharing with us, Ar.¡± Barteool smiled. ¡°I am Barteool, but my friends call me Bart. I am our group¡¯s ranger. Eh¡­ that means I¡¯m a shooter and a tracker. Some even call me a thief, but that is a very inept description of my line of work.¡± He motioned to Virria to continue.

    ¡°As you know, I am Virria. I am a tamer. I enter contracts with beasts, and call for their aid both in and out of combat.¡± Barteool took note of her twitching tail, suggesting nervousness or embarrassment about what she was about to say next. ¡°As of right now, I am contracted only to one beast, Ognyana.¡±

    ¡°The¡­ weird bird I¡¯ve¡­ seen?¡± Ar asked.

    ¡°I¡­ I suppose she is not quite common, but she is perfectly normal among other Idowu birds.¡± She took a look out of the window, extended her arm, and whistled softly. Barteool saw the camouflaged head poke out of the window, before she slowly fluttered down onto Virria¡¯s arm. He doubted anyone else noticed her, but was proven wrong when he looked at Ar and saw his eyes pointed straight onto the still camouflaged Ognyana.

    ¡°Come on, girl. Show yourself to our new friend.¡± Ognyana looked Virria in the eye, before seemingly shrugging and canceling her camouflage skill.

    ¡°Yes¡­ This is the one¡­¡± Ar nodded and extended one finger toward Ognyana to pet her.

    ¡°Some people actually say that her kind brings bad luck, but there is no concrete evidence.¡± Virria rambled on, as Ar gently ruffled Ognyana¡¯s feathers. ¡°She usually hangs around me, catching flies and other small insects. She sometimes brings me trinkets she finds.¡±

    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Ar nodded. ¡°A mix of ¡­black cat and¡­ a crow¡­ The worst of¡­ both.¡± Ar commented with a smirk.

    ¡°I could say what you remind me of, but you wouldn¡¯t like it either!¡± Virria exclaimed in mock offence. She glared at Ar for a second, before she couldn¡¯t hold her laugh any more and burst out giggling.

    Barteool let her calm down, before gesturing to Nhaerria.

    ¡°I am Nhaerria. I am the group¡¯s supporting member. I provide them with supportive spells and healing, and blame them for everything that happens to my things.¡± She said, as she tugged at several talismans stuck in between her scales.

    Ar looked at her, recognition spreading across his face. ¡°Thank you¡­ for healing¡­ my wounds¡­ back then.¡± He grinned.

    ¡°You more than paid for it right afterward.¡± Nhaerria grinned back. ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to your head, though. I¡¯ll charge you next time around.¡±

    Barteool slightly shoved Maeli, drawing Ar¡¯s attention to him.

    Maeli glared at Barteool, before switching to his noble expression and introducing himself properly.

    ¡°Maeli Von Kyset, at your service. I am the group¡¯s Mage, specialising in Mana research and practical testing.¡±

    ¡°A¡­ noble?¡± Ar questioned, one eyebrow raised slightly. ¡°I will have to¡­ warn you¡­ I have¡­ bad experience¡­ with nobles.¡±

    ¡°He is not THAT bad.¡± Barteool laughed and slapped Maeli on the back. ¡°He joined us back when we were cleansing the slums from diseases and he hasn¡¯t filed a single complaint to the city, yet!¡±

    ¡°I still have them prepared for when you all piss me off!¡± Maeli barked back, before sitting back down. Everyone laughed at that, some more worried than others, until Daente straightened up and started to speak.

    ¡°I¡¯m Daente. Nice to finally meet you! I am our group¡¯s frontliner and I specialize in offence. Mostly, I use my hammers, but I can handle a sword or an axe.¡±

    ¡°Nice to¡­ meet you, too¡­ Dante.¡± Ar nodded to him.

    ¡°It¡¯s Daente. DA. EN. TE.¡± Daente explained begrudgingly. He¡¯d had this conversation many times, and from his experience, it was easier to correct the other party the first time they misspoke his name.

    ¡°I am sorry Da¡­En¡­Te.¡± Ar prolonged the pauses between syllables, making Daente swallow his words right then and there. It was the first time Barteool had seen anyone piss off Daente with such casual speech.

    Moti was the last one to introduce himself. ¡°I¡¯m Moti. I am also a frontline fighter. I am usually the one getting swarmed, since I am the only one with a shield.¡± He patted the wooden shield on his back. ¡°Unfortunately, I am not very skilled outside of wielding a sword and a shield at the same time, but I am open to try and learn something new, either from you, or together with you, Ar.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s lying! He is also very good at gathering herbs!¡± Nhaerria called out, followed by another round of laughter.

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll have to¡­ learn to do that¡­ as well.¡± Ar forced out in between bouts of laughter.

    They talked for another half hour, their conversation mostly shifting to the nature of their work and the woes of contracts provided by The Guild.

    As The Fallen Leaves left Ar¡¯s chamber and started their walk home, they discussed what they learned about their new ally.

    ¡°What do you guys think he meant by the extremely-long range combat?¡± Moti asked. ¡°Do you think he uses a bow and arrow like Bart?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s highly unlikely.¡± Barteool shot him down. ¡°His back muscles are developed, yes, but not in a way that would suggest bowmanship.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ Magic?¡± Moti pushed on.

    ¡°Not probable, either.¡± Maeli didn¡¯t even look up from his notes, annoying Moti. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like he knows how to gather and hold Mana inside his body. I didn¡¯t sense anything from him.¡±

    ¡°So how do you think his people fight?!¡± Moti was getting rather worked up now, but no-one seemed to have an answer.

    That is, until Virria spoke up.

    ¡°I might be completely off, but¡­¡± She paused, drawing the entire group¡¯s attention. ¡°But, I think it has something to do with their constructs.¡±

    ¡°So Mana tech, huh¡­¡± Nhaerria pondered. ¡°Those things are known to be unreliable, and their explosions are pretty nasty¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s Mana tech.¡± Virria interrupted. ¡°I didn¡¯t sense any Mana from either of their constructs. And the¡­ I assume it was an engine? It was nothing like what I¡¯ve seen before.¡±

    ¡°How about Golemancy?¡± Daente chimed in. ¡°They are hard to detect even using tools, and they can be very versatile.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ I¡¯ve heard that Dwariin golemancers use ropes and steam to move their golems, but that seems like a far stretch.¡± Virria scratched her chin. ¡°I mean¡­ There was a part of the way where they didn¡¯t move to adjust their construct, but it traveled by itself and changed directions multiple times¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about that as well. But, honestly? I won¡¯t believe it until I see it with my own eyes.¡± Barteool nodded. ¡°It seems far too outlandish to be true.¡±

    ¡°You can try asking around for that Dwariin craftsman that moved into town.¡± Maeli offered, stopping at an intersection. ¡°You might have to put on your best clothes though. His shop is in the high-end district.¡±

    The rest of the group grumbled at the thought.

    Daente shot Maeli a poisonous glare as he replied. ¡°It might be easy for you, since your father is an official. But some of us spend most of our time in the slums, actually helping others.¡±

    ¡°Magic research is also important for making people¡¯s lives better!¡± Maeli retorted, preparing for yet another argument.

    ¡°Enough!¡± Nhaerria yelled at them, smacking them both. ¡°We will NOT be opening this can of worms again! Last time the two of you started ¡®arguing¡¯, we had to pay for repairs for half of The Clam!¡±

    ¡°Not to mention, back then we only had to deal with one angry barkeep, not several angry homeowners.¡± Moti huffed and dragged Daente away. ¡°Let¡¯s just calm down for the night, alright?¡±

    ¡°See you later, Maeli. Let us know if you find any interesting starter jobs we could take once Ar joins us.¡± Barteool waved Maeli goodbye and went with the rest of the group to his house at the edge of the town.

    ¡°Sure thing, boss!¡± Maeli grinned and went on his way.

    ¡°Hey, Bart?¡± Virria called for his attention. ¡°We¡¯ll have to find a place for Ar to sleep, won¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°We can clean up the spare room at my house, can¡¯t we?¡± Barteool jogged up to the rest, throwing in ideas. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to add another room. It would be too much work to make it blend in with the rest of the house¡­¡±

    ¡°But what about my herbs?¡± Nhaerria exclaimed in mock horror. ¡°You won¡¯t force me to store them in the training room, will you? Do you have any idea how bad it smells?¡±

    ¡°Hey! We air it out regularly!¡± Daente puffed out his feathers and Moti nodded in agreement.

    ¡°I know, I know.¡± Nhaerria calmed them down. ¡°I¡¯m just messing with you. We still have to make room for him to move in, though. Unless you can afford to rent him a room somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you or Bart have some connections near the walls? With the innkeeper, or whatever?¡± Moti piped up.

    ¡°I want to save that for later. You never know when a good informer comes in handy.¡± Barteool protested. ¡°Let¡¯s just tidy up one room for now, and figure out a more permanent solution based on the situation.¡±

 Chapter thirty-nine: Culture shocks

    ¡ª------------------

    Zaanta

    ¡ª------------------

    It took several days for Zaanta to make a deal with the tournament officials. During this time, Ar spent his days learning the language, playing with his puppies, and generally killing time in his allocated room. After three days, Zaanta finally stood in front of the reinforced doors to Ar¡¯s chamber with Ghanna in tow and several officers on standby in case something went terribly wrong. She took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked inside.

    ¡°Good morning Ar!¡± Zaanta waved her hand at him. ¡°How is your pronunciation coming along?¡±

    ¡°Guild¡­ Master! Welcome!¡± Ar stood up to face them with a smile. ¡°It''s¡­ better. I think?¡±

    ¡°Are you able to describe what kind of weapon you want to use during the tournament?¡± Guild Master asked, while the Minotaur behind her shifted uncomfortably.

    ¡°I''ve thought about¡­ that?¡± Ar wondered about his choice for the last word, before brushing this thought to the side. ¡°There are a¡­ lot of weapons my people used, each made for¡­ different situations. And I would like to ask¡­ about the situation I got myself into.¡±

    ¡°Could you elaborate?¡± Zaanta asked and Ar nodded in response.

    ¡°I wanted to ask about the¡­ tournament. Do I have to¡­ fight using a weapon? What kind of¡­ weapons are¡­ usually used? If I have to use¡­ one, can I change my weapon¡­ depending on the opponent? Will my¡­ weight and¡­ density not be a problem, or prepare will we¡­eeh¡­ will we prepare¡­ some alternatives?¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Zaanta nodded. ¡°Let us go to the training grounds. I shall answer what I can along the way. As for things I cannot answer¡­ There is someone else there who will answer for me.¡±

    ¡°Can I take¡­ the dogs?¡± Ar asked as he stood up to follow. ¡°Or they must stay here?¡±

    ¡°Can you ensure they won¡¯t lash out at anyone on the way there?¡± Zaanta asked in return.

    ¡°That will¡­ be no issue.¡± Ar replied.

    ¡°How about during the training? If someone challenges you during the training, can you ensure they will not act in your defence?¡± Zaanta studied Ar¡¯s expression carefully. She didn¡¯t miss how he looked to the Hounds for a split second, before a mischievous smile appeared on his face.

    ¡°Unless our¡­ life is in¡­ danger, you will not¡­ have to worry about them.¡± Ar said, his tone sweet as a syrup.

    Zaanta had her doubts about that, but then she remembered that once this whole thing is over, Ar will most definitely be walking through the city streets with the Hounds in tow regardless. ¡®It¡¯s better if I check his control over the Hounds now and deal with the consequences, rather than later when he can act on his own¡­¡¯ She thought and sighed.

    ¡°You can, but there will be rules. They will be near us the whole way there. Once we get there, we will discuss how and where to keep them based on their behaviour on the way there. Deal?¡±

    ¡°Deal!¡± Ar beamed and reached for the Hound¡¯s collars. Zaanta watched as he summoned them with a whistle and locked the collars around their necks. The illusion quickly took effect, and a minute later, he was scratching two Bowlers behind their ears.

    ¡°I get that we have to do this to prevent mass panic, but I still don¡¯t feel right about it.¡± Ghanna muttered next to her. ¡°The people deserve to know when they are in danger, even if there are people protecting them.¡±

    ¡°I know Ghanna, but sometimes there is no other way.¡± Zaanta whispered back. ¡°I don''t like it either, but look at it this way. He will be with us. We will take some of the security force to keep an eye on him. When among the people, we will separate him from the common folk, so if the Hounds attack, their primary target will be armored professionals instead of civilians.¡±

    ¡°And how do you plan to convince the security force to go with us in full combat gear?¡± Ghanna poked at the idea.

    ¡°We will take them to a training exercise in the arena. Since we have it reserved for ourselves today, there is no need to hoard the entire arena just for Ar.¡±

    Ghanna still seemed doubtful, but she reluctantly nodded. ¡°Alright boss. I''ll go get some of them and have them prepared for a ¡®training exercise¡¯.¡± She quoted in the air, before turning on her heel and walking off. ¡°I''ll send someone to get you once we''re ready!¡±

    Zaanta waved her off and focused her attention back to Ar. ¡°We still have some time before we have to be on our way, so I''ll try to answer some of your questions.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­ very much.¡± Ar smiled and scratched the Hound''s sides. They reacted surprisingly well to the collars and didn''t try to tear them off.

    ¡°First, you asked me if you have to use a weapon, right?¡± Zaanta asked as she paced the room.

    ¡°That is¡­ correct.¡± Ar nodded.

    ¡°The point of this¡­ let''s call it an exercise, is to evaluate not only your combat capability, but also to prove you are not a mindless beast that doesn''t know how to use a proper weapon.¡± Zaanta watched as understanding dawned on his face.

    ¡°So¡­ the answer¡­ is that¡­ I do.¡± Ar nodded.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Zaanta agreed. ¡°However, there are positives to your situation as well.¡± This made Ar look up at her, a question in his eyes.

    ¡°While you have to fight with a weapon, you can choose from a myriad of them. There are some more traditional choices, such as swords, shields, spears, axes, and hammers. Then there are some¡­ let''s say, specialised weapons: whips, war scythes, and pikes, for example. I wouldn''t recommend using those unless you know how to do so effectively. Some of the participants have a literal lifetime of experience with such weapons.¡± Zaanta waved toward the door through which Ghanna left.

    ¡°As an example, Ghanna, who just left, is one of few people I know of that uses mallets to fight with.¡±

    ¡°They don''t seem¡­ suited to fighting¡­¡± Ar responded.

    ¡°I agree that, by themselves, they are not great weapons.¡± Zaanta smiled. ¡°However, that all changes when she uses her magic.¡±

    Ar straightened up slightly and Zaanta took it as a sign to continue.

    ¡°You see, when the two of you fought back in the forest, we were very careful not to set off a Mana explosion, so we forbade Ghanna from using most of her abilities.¡± Ar shifted nervously and Zaanta gave him some time to sort through the information before continuing.

    ¡°Normally, Ghanna uses several mallets and spells at once. She uses one spell to make them fly around her, and then uses another to make them hard and heavy. And then, she throws them at her opponents. The first spell makes them gain speed after she throws them and then returns the mallets back to her after they hit their target.¡±

    ¡°...What?¡± Ar looked at her, his eyes wide. ¡°So¡­ you mean to¡­ say me¡­ she isn''t a¡­ close-range fighter?¡±

    ¡°Not primarily, no.¡± Zaanta considered what to say next. ¡°She is capable of close-range fighting more than anyone from our group, but she can''t compare to someone specialised in close-quarter combat.¡±

    ¡°Holy sh¡­¡± Ar started to say in the Language of Origin, but smacked himself before he could finish the sentence. He had a distressed expression and looked frantically across the room.

    ¡°Holy? What was that?¡± Zaanta asked, not hiding the confusion in her voice.

    ¡°I''m¡­ sorry. I¡­ almost said something¡­ dangerous.¡± Ar replied carefully. ¡°I have been¡­ warned¡­ not to use my¡­ language thoughtlessly. We don''t know¡­ what would happen if I completed the¡­ swear word.¡±

    ¡°A swear word? You use religion to swear?¡± Zaanta''s eyes opened wide.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°We use.. a lot of¡­ phrases. The more¡­ offensive the better.¡± Ar grinned at her and gestured to the door. ¡°I am¡­ ready to go.¡±

    That brought Zaanta out of her stupor. She shook her head briefly before talking. ¡°We have to wait for Ghanna to prepare her people. We can discuss some more questions you have.¡± She smiled apologetically, although she doubted he understood that.

    ¡°What of the¡­ weapons?¡± Ar asked, but Zaanta had an answer ready.

    ¡°I believe that the tournament host will be able to provide a more detailed set of rules than I do.¡± Zaanta watched Ar carefully, keeping an eye out for any obvious reaction.

    ¡°Unfortunate.¡± Ar inclined his head slightly. ¡°I will¡­l assume that is¡­ your answer to anything about the fight?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately.¡± Zaanta grinned and Ar returned the gesture.

    ¡°Then¡­ how about some¡­ questions about¡­ societal norms?¡±

    ¡°I thought that was the reason you were assigned a teacher?¡± Zaanta frowned. ¡°Is there something you can''t talk to her about?¡±

    ¡°No, there isn''t. It''s just¡­ There are¡­ more important things to¡­ discuss than my cultural questions. For example: why do¡­ most of the species I''ve seen wear¡­ pants? Raakteigs have¡­ scales¡­ all over their bodies, right? And your¡­ companions have fur covering¡­ everything, do they not?¡± Ar seemed to stop himself when he saw Zaanta''s flabbergasted expression.

    ¡°Sorry if I¡­ came across as¡­ rude, but¡­ those are some things that¡­ I observed. When my¡­ people found other species, we found out that¡­ most of them¡­ didn¡¯t really have a concept for¡­ clothes, so¡­ seeing clothes here¡­ made me wonder¡­ why you all bother.¡±

    ¡®When his people found other species? Wouldn''t that be fairly early in their development?¡¯ Zaanta¡¯s head was racing from one thought to another. ¡®Wait¡­ Maria said Ar told her that there was only one species where he came from, so was that a lie?¡¯

    ¡°Well¡­ Umm¡­ Some people wear them because they provide some additional protection, others because of pockets, and some just because everyone else around them does¡­¡± Zaanta stammered. ¡°Most adventurers like pants because they provide armor for their legs¡­¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Ar nodded. ¡°I suppose¡­ that makes sense.¡±

    ¡°How about you?¡± Zaanta asked. ¡°Why have your people developed not only pants, but that weird tunic you¡¯re wearing?¡±

    ¡°Oh, my t-shirt?¡± Ar pulled at the fabric on his chest and Zaanta watched in fascination as it stretched. ¡°Our bodies are covered in¡­ fine fur. Not enough to¡­ protect our skin from the¡­ environment, so¡­ we started to¡­ cover¡­ ourselves in the¡­ skins of other animals to protect ourselves. As we¡­ advanced as a¡­ civilisation, our clothes¡­ evolved to what you can see here.¡±

    Zaanta, staring in disbelief, had her thoughts interrupted by a knock on the door. A nervous Tarkin poked her head inside the room and froze for a second as Zaanta''s and Ar''s eyes locked onto her.

    Miss Zaanta?¡± The Tarkin squeaked nervously. ¡°Miss Ghanna asked me to let you know that the escort is prepared and ready to leave.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Thank you.¡± Zaanta addressed the Tarkin, searching for their name before giving up. ¡°You may return to your duties.¡±

    She turned back to Ar, filing her question to the back of her mind. She would have to ask Maria to research Ar¡¯s culture in more detail at a later date. For now¡­

    ¡°Shall we go then?¡± She gestured to the door.

    ¡°Very well.¡± Ar agreed, putting on his mask and the cloak he got from Ghanna, before whistling to his Hounds.

    ¡ª------------------

    Ar Agami

    ¡ª------------------

    He was leaving his room for the first time in days. His attention jumped from one door to another, mapping out the stone-lined hallway of the building. That is, until the deer-taur Guild Master opened one of the doors and walked through them.

    As soon as he looked through, he stopped dead in his tracks.

    The space opened into a wide area, lined with dark wooden boards and rough-looking wooden furniture. Most of the windows were covered with heavy-looking curtains and the room was lit by several torches in key areas. There was a big bulletin board, covering a significant part of one wall with pieces of paper with writing stuck to it.

    He could also see a couple of patrons sitting about, all of them armed and armored, and all of them staring him down from behind their beer mugs.

    He did notice some of them wincing or looking away as soon as Tesi and Fido pushed past his legs and into the tavern, but he decided not to think about that for now. The Guild Master was walking toward the front door, not caring about the looks she received. He followed her through the door and into the small square outside. He immediately noticed Ghanna standing in front of the door with crossed arms, and about twelve armored figures in uniform-looking armor. One of the figures visibly twitched as Fido and Tesi trotted out from the building, but didn¡¯t react in any other way.

    ¡°Thank you Ghanna.¡± The Guild Master nodded to the minotaur. ¡°And thanks to all of you as well for participating in our training exercise. We are to make our way to The Pit, for a lesson in close-quarters combat training. There is a special guest among us, so we will practice VIP protection guidelines on the way there and back as well. Anyone who doesn¡¯t agree with the exercise is to raise their appendage, so we can find someone to take their place.¡±

    Zaanta looked over at the small crowd in front of her. No-one raised their hand or equivalent, so Ar took it as a sign of compliance with the orders.

    ¡°Great!¡± Zaanta nodded to the crowd. ¡°Operation Escort is hereby commencing!¡±

    The ¡®guards¡¯ reacted immediately. They formed a loose ellipse around Zaanta, Ghanna, Ar, and his dogs, and started to move in a direction of what he assumed was ¡®The Pit¡¯. Ar noticed that the guard that winced at Tesi and Fido was keeping her distance, being stationed on the far end of the formation. He decided not to pay her any more attention, and instead focused on the route.

    They were walking through what he could only describe as an idyllic medieval town. A cobblestone road passed seamlessly through a wide street full of people of different shapes and sizes. He was pretty sure he saw someone with rabbit ears peeking above the crowd, as well as a bipedal being with completely green skin covered in red tattoos. Quadrupeds seemed not to be a rare occurrence and he saw several of those dual-tailed cat-people¡­Curmin? Or something like that¡­ strolling through the street.

    Most of the civilians didn¡¯t really pay any attention to the armored group passing through them, which surprised him a little. He searched for the words to use, before leaning toward the Guild Master with a question.

    ¡°Does the ¡­common folk¡­ usually ignore more¡­ armed and¡­ armored people?¡±

    The Zhaarin nodded her head, not looking at him directly, before answering. ¡°The local lords raised taxes for the third time this year, so the common folk don''t really like them¡­ When the lords decide to travel through the city on foot, it¡¯s usually because they lack the capital to use other means, so they compensate for it by hiring guards to ¡®protect¡¯ them from the crowds.¡±

    ¡°As if the guards won¡¯t¡­ turn on them when¡­ things get out of hand¡­¡± Ar muttered in response.

    ¡°Are you sure you have never visited this kingdom before?¡± Zaanta asked with mock disbelief before quieting down once again.

    The rest of the way to ¡®The Pit¡¯ went without trouble. Ar¡¯s stomach grumbled slightly as they passed by a stand with skewered meat, but there was nothing legal he could do to get his hands on it, so he just swallowed his saliva and marched on past.

    Soon enough, The Pit revealed itself in front of their little group. If he had to describe it, it would be a big hangar-like building on the outskirts of the city with a single entrance he could see guarded by two Raakteigs in plain iron chainmail.

    They stepped aside as their group approached, letting them through into a narrow hallway with several doors along its length, leading into a colosseum-style sandpit surrounded by raised spectator benches. The spectator area was separated by a stone wall, ensuring the relative safety of the spectators above.The air was surprisingly fresh and cold compared to stale air in the hallway he came through, but still noticeably stale in comparison to the air outside in the city.

    In the middle of the open arena, stood an armored Minotaur with a pair of axes hanging from their hip. He? waved at them and picked up a small cubical object from the ground before leisurely strolling over.

    ¡°Guild Master Zaanta! It''s a pleasure to make an acquaintance!¡± He called out, his deep voice carrying across the open area. ¡°Thank you for contacting me. I am grateful to be able to contribute to classifying a new species¡­¡± He made a show of looking around and behind them, his eyes lingering on Tesi and Fido just a bit too long, before turning his gaze back to Zaanta.

    ¡°Sooo¡­ May I ask for the whereabouts of the new specimen?¡± He asked, greed visible in his eyes.

    Zaanta sighed exhaustedly, before simply gesturing to Ar. ¡°Here he is. Also, Naell, could you please stop pretending you care about the scientific significance of the fight? I know you¡¯re just looking forward to setting up the odds for those betting on the tournament.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Zaanta. Are you trying to hurt my feelings? Of course I care about the scientific value! And I have no idea whatsoever about any betting. You know that¡¯s illegal by the order of the king, right?¡± The Minotaur, apparently named Naell, didn¡¯t even try to sound convincing. Instead, he stepped closer to Ar and started circling him, judging him with every step.

    ¡°I must say you have outdone yourselves this time around, Zaanta. Pure bipeds are quite rare these days. Especially ones that do not wobble about like a fawn.¡± Naell poked at Ar¡¯s arm and back, frowning a little. ¡°Well, that is certainly unusual. Hey, Zaanta! Did you guys enhance him with defensive magic, or something? I feel like his skin is¡­ unusual. As if there is something affecting it.¡± Naell turned to Zaanta with what Ar assumed was an annoyed expression and an accusatory tone. ¡°You know that those things are prohibited in my matches!¡±

    ¡°There is a spell, actually.¡± Zaanta smiled coldly, discreetly winking to Ar. He didn¡¯t quite understand what she meant by that, but her next words made her intentions clear. ¡°I do not know about the specific effects the spell has on Ar, but we can cancel the spell any time.¡±

    Ar just grinned, took off his face mask, and tapped his bracelet a couple of times. The sensation of growth still foreign, yet somehow familiar, gave way to anticipation as the minotaur in front of him shrank from one head taller to barely chest-height for him.

    ¡°Well, I would appreciate that very much! Thank yo¡­¡± Naell spoke in a dismissive way, until he turned around and his smile died down as he locked eyes with Ar.

    Ar, of course, couldn¡¯t help but grin at the smaller man in front of him, before addressing him in the minotaur¡¯s own language.

    ¡°Thank you for¡­ having me, Mister Naell.¡±