《Greatest Hero, Greatest Tamer》


 1 - A Broken Circle

    Prologue - Broken Circle


    For their sake, he thought, I''ve got to follow this lead.


    tabi, he inspected the large room for about two minutes before coming to the educated conclusion that it was safe for his less combat-oriented teammates to come in.


    mudra, while drawing on the ambient anima, and carefully attuning it to each seal. His anima-shaping done, he slammed a hand into the stone floor of the underground bunker, or lab, or whatever it used to be, which created a gust of wind that rotated about the odd device, and himself, with the engineers, scholars, and apprentice adventurers who were keeping guard outside.


    jutsu, as Far Eastern magical arts were named, the big engineer chimed in.


    more distant without anything physicaly moving.


    Hmmm...this is definitely not the Goldtear Highlands, he thought. After all, there were none of the massive crystals that grew over the lands near the Allemandian Tower. He stood up, dusting off his dirt-besmirched leggings, but on his face was a grin.


    ninjetti, the paired shortswords favored by shinobi. The two monsters - they were definitely monsters, one had some odd dark energy dripping from its fangs - halted and with a yelp and a cry like "Gloomcub!" turned their ears back and began backing away slowly. This caught Ondun''s attention, because normally monsters that caught sight of a human tended to attack. As a rule, monsters were stronger than a baseline human, but not as intelligent.


    ninjetti, only these were made of carapace with a bright white sheen to them, and were about as long as Ondun''s arms. The monster was insectoid, beyond this, a lot like the Mantises he was familiar with, only this one had two wings that looked like leaves on its back that flittered as if warming up.


    ninjetti came into Ondun''s hands immediately and he assumed a fighting stance.


    smile.


    Monsters don''t use language...so why did the Wayfarer''s Brand try to translate that growl for me?


    ninjetti diving into the chitin that encased the large monster as it cried out in pain. With a backflip, he avoided the small fire he had set and retreated into the shadows of another tree.


    intelligent. Yet, here Ondun was, fighting with one that didn''t just blindly rush and attack, but was cognizant of environmental hazards, could handle ambushes from the shadows, and was even attempting to, in its own limiited way, communicate.


    knives of all things. Incapacitate, we need to take him in!"

 2 - A Brave New World

    friends!?" she asked, with some panic in her voice. The four-armed monster pushed her back gently with one forearm and move in front of his ally. Ondun could respect that; he''d done that on more than one occasion himself.


    are you? You talk like a human or something. The only times that''s happened in the past are when a legendary mon needs something..."


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    With the human city looming in front of him, Ondun decided to help allay some of these people''s fears. While he doubted they''d have any more useful information for him, and he was confident that he could defeat them while embodying the Medicus profession, if Ondun wanted to return to his friends or heal the ones whose souls had been siphoned by that mysterious sorcerer, he would need allies. Fortunately, getting people to tell you their problems was old hat for any adventurer worth their salt.


    "At any rate..." Ondun carefully stepped away from the two and sat on one of the padded seats on the walls of the vehicle. "I am your prisoner, for the moment. Nonetheless, I will need some help. I apologize for my offence. I hope we can work together."


    The woman nodded slowly and exhaled, as if she''d expected that exchange to go far worse.

 3 - Guardian Alice

    will defeat you, just like I promised during last year''s circuit!"


    any of it up. We have footage. The only point of discontinuity is that he talked to Ranger Janine about who he is. Hell, I asked him about it, and he was able to answer, though something''s wierd about that too. Anyways, we reviewed the footage per procedure, and the thing is, on the footage, he''s speaking in some completely different language. We tried running it through translation software, and it doesn''t match any known language on file. Sending it to your phone now."


    begging him to make an escape attempt. With such an earnest request, he thought it over. As a prisoner in an unknown land, it was highly unlikely he''d be released. No matter how...different? Advanced? ...this land seemed, Ondan simply didn''t have the time to stay a prisoner. His friends'' anima was weakening by the day, the odd energies about them seemingly tethering their souls remotely to their bodies.


    ninjetti of a Shinobi. He then went to the cell - a lot of metal and some unusually clear and hard glass - and began trying things.


    jutsu seemed to be effective on the odd glass. He made some alterations to the series of hand seals, and focused his anima into those seals, then slammed his hand into the large panes of glass.


    jutsu he''d cooked up made him transparent, to a certain extent. He would''ve preferred to stick to the shadows, and exit this facility without being seen at all, but this would do at least until he couldn''t hide anymore.


    <div>


    Guardian Alice was in the Security Room. There were monitors connected to an array of cameras all over the building. The Ranger corps was no prison, but there was still a vested interest in keeping things secure. While human armies only rarely fought each other, ensuring that dangerous mons were kept controlled, and didn''t fall into the hands of nefarious groups, was essential. So it was that Alice watched the strange "Draconian" use magic to change from an ornate set of robes into an old-style ninja''s gear, do some kind of weird ritual magic to melt the bullet-resistant glass that was keeping him contained, do more weird magic to hide from sight, and now were tracking his progress as he ''stealthily'' escaped the building.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    jutsu. "Greetings, lady." He gave a courteous bow; he was caught, so there was no point in being rude. "Do you let everyone escape from your prisons, or am I just that special?"


    precautions in place now."


    ninjetti drawn. "Do you always ask your monsters to attack people you''re interrogating?" he asked.

 4 - Trusty Companions, Good Rivals

    Sparkles the Faerrow unleashed a happy giggle, bouncing in midair. Then it fired its beam attack. This column of bright pink energy slammed into the heavy brick walls behind Ondun as he dodged cleanly. Alice just raised an eyebrow.


    "Impressive. Most monsters can''t dodge a Faebeam," she called out. Ondun ignored this because he had other things to worry about.


    While the Traveler''s Brand gave Ondun a few advantages, like being a polyglot and having limited precognition of incoming hazards and attacks, not to mention shielding him from corrupting influences, it was just a huge advantage and not a reason to get sloppy in any fight. In this case, Ondun chose to see Sparkles as an enemy mage, a caster who would pelt him with powers from afar.


    While a Shinobi was a good job for scouting and taking down unaware targets, the simple fact was that it didn''t have the longevity to survive a mage doing what a mage did best: acting as artillery. Embodying the power of the Dragon Knight was an even worse idea¡ªwhile the armor and damage potential were there, the jumps that were the signature of that job would keep him out of range of the strange monster, giving it the range advantage it would thrive in.


    There was only one choice for an encounter like this. Even as he was dodging, he put a hand to his chest and drew from the Medicus knowledge gem. As soon as his robes had materialized, he released the spelliths into an aggressive formation and responded by firing his own beams from the levitating spell foci at random.


    Sparkles let out a loud, chirping giggle as it floated through the air, nimbly dodging many, but not all, of the beams. Eventually one pegged it straight in the face; as its visage was scrunched up, Ondun altered the magical configuration he had been building and instructed all four spelliths to unleash a single, powerful, accurate bolt that burned red through the daytime air. Out of the corner of Ondun''s eye, he could see Alice wince as the modified spell cut into the pale shape, leaving a nasty energy burn.


    As Sparkles let out a perturbed grunt of "Faeeeeerow!!," Ondun inspected his handiwork. He''d left a few minor scratches on the beast, but nothing too serious, other than the burn that was eating away at the monster''s stamina. He could keep that up, but the sheer resilience of this creature, in addition to its nimble evasions, gave Ondun a lot of pause. Clearly, this monster had fought its fair share of battles, just like he had.


    "Sparkles, he''s been greeted. Let''s get serious. Do the thing we did at the B.M. Tower."


    Ondun wanted to snicker at the unfortunate landmark''s name, but the massive monster did something mages weren''t known to do: It charged him. Ondun was now on the back foot as he danced out of the way, a little less nimbly than he might do if he were still embodying the Shinobi. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that this change in agility had not gone unnoticed by Alice. "Keep it up, Sparkles, he''s not going to be as nimble as he was before!"


    Sparkles immediately pivoted in midair and repeated the feat.


    Ondun moved his spelliths about him and unleashed the anima that had been building up inside them, creating an energy shield that the monster skidded off of at an angle...only for it to reorient and slam headfirst into it, straining the magics. Ondun was already moving out of the area¡ªit would endure on its own power for a short time, and if he went inside it, it would slowly mend his wounds. To improve his own resiliency, he gathered the spelliths about himself and altered a healing spell to instead give him a more focused, mobile shield.


    Ondun was frowning now. Given long enough, he could beat this creature, but it was a coin flip on if he could beat it solo, and Ondun was recognizing this fact the longer the duel went on. This monster was a threat at any range. Even as Sparkles reoriented for yet another blitz on him, he lined up the spell lathes and let loose another blast of neutral anima and gave Alice a look out of the corner of his eye. She had a slightly smug look but was looking a little worried too. She clearly had expected the strange monster to defeat him in only a few moves, and that wasn''t what happened.


    Of course, defeating the monster in the normal way wasn''t really the goal of this contest, Ondun remembered. He just needed to put Alice''s monster ally through its paces, make it struggle. This wasn''t a fight purely based on brute strength. Ondun had become unused to deploying his potent charisma after months of fighting his world''s Vroskan Empire across two continents.


    All he had to do was convince Alice he had won the duel based on her own conditions. Ondun grinned, which drew a worried look from Alice. He dodged another charge, gave Alice a wink, and reached his hand up to his chest, replacing the robes of the Medicus with the armor of a Dragon Knight.


    "If we want to play tag..." he began, then gathered his legs, "...let''s get some flight practice in while we''re at it."


    Then Ondun unleashed his High Jump. Alice scoffed, and Sparkles chirped happily and dashed into the air directly beneath him. Alice cried out, "Sparkles, dodge, he''s going to do something!"


    ... It was, of course, too late. The strange monster was aggressively charging and didn''t have enough time to begin altering its immense inertia as Ondun reached the apogee of his high jump. He aimed his lance, the Lohengrim, beneath him and dove, the deep blue outline of a dragon flaring about him as he channeled massive amounts of anima into the dive.


    Sparkles did dodge at the last minute, but a massive purple bruise had welled up on one wing as well as a windburn. Ondun slammed into the ground, leaving a circular pattern of cracks in the concrete of the improvised arena, rocking Alice back, and forcing her to do a backflip of her own that she stabilized with both hands. She landed in a four-point lunge, her eyes glinting dangerously. It seemed to Ondun the woman was unused to needing to dodge attacks or deal with field conditions.


    Sparkles leveled off to Ondun''s right, its eyes glinting fiercely, but awaiting orders from its master. Alice brushed a length of blonde hair from her face with a graceful flick. Ondun raised the visor and crest that was shaped like a dragon''s head.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Are we still playing tag, or would another game be better?"


    Alice''s mouth was open. The woman ran through a number of possible responses in her head.


    She hadn''t expected an attack that could cause harm on a graze and that could unleash destruction. Looking around, she saw a crowd gathering outside the Ranger''s office with people already recording the match on smartphones both from the street level and from nearby buildings.


    The man was making a spectacle of this. Granted, she was the Guardian, but if this kept up, she''d have other fallout to deal with. No, she needed to end this duel quickly.


    Even as she thought this, the man straightened up. "So...would you say I gave your monster friend a good workout? They seem to need to touch up on their flying. With those spells at its command, it could be an untouchable menace."


    Alice''s eyes narrowed. "One, Sparkles is a girl. Two, flying is hard for it, and three..."


    He raised a hand. "Peace, Guardian Alice. I also could stand to work on my aerial control too. Tell you what...I propose a trade. Let''s talk over lunch." He had noticed her apprehensive glance at the growing crowd. He replaced his spear on his back as he did this and took off his helmet, just to give whatever was giving her pause even more of an impact. "I can also train with Sparkles whenever you''d like to help her get better at flying, which will help me develop my Dragon Knight arts even further. In return for this, I need to ask you some questions. It''s clear that where I am isn''t where I came from. Besides, where I''m from, I''m known as something of a helper."


    Alice sighed and closed her eyes. "Are you sure you''re not a politician like me? As quid pro quo goes, that''s a pretty good deal.... Besides, I am getting hungry. Amethyst and I had to fly here pretty quickly when we were told about you."


    Ondun cocked his head. "Is this another monster ally of yours?"


    She grinned brightly. "Eh, I may as well introduce you. She''ll like your armor." She put a hand to her belt and pulled out a deep purple capsule, held it out, and pressed the release. "Amethyst, come out; there''s someone I want you to meet." Even as the massive, purple, gemstone-encrusted dragon materialized, Sparkles floated over beside and slightly behind her tamer. To Ondun, it looked like she wasn''t exactly on good terms with the dragon that bore down on him.


    "Amethyst, this is..." she looked to Ondun. "Given you''re not human...well, are you a boy or a girl?"


    Ondun sighed and decided to never tell Alice about the time some of his adventurer companions had thrown a cross-dressing party that led to them needing to raid a few dungeons back-to-back. Aenora hadn''t stopped teasing him for two weeks after the fact, though he''d gotten the impression she was going to give him fashion advice a few times.


    "I''m a guy. My name is Ondun, of the Knowing Circle. I''m an adventurer by trade and someone who saves countries and alliances, usually by accident." He gave a courtly bow to the astonished woman. "It''s my pleasure to make your acquaintance, and that of your monster allies."


    Amethyst padded forward and put a massive claw on his head gently. With a deep, rumbling growl that sounded like the beginning of a cave-in, she pulled the paw away and went to stand beside her human. Alice giggled. "It seems Amethyst recognizes you." She turned to the dragon. "Were you watching the whole duel?"


    "Gemragon," it growled out, nodding. "Gemgemragon!" it said, with its eyes shining brightly. It turned to Ondun, and with a serious look on its face, pushing its chest out, loudly said, "GEMragon!"


    The Wayfarer''s Brand reacted again. What came over wasn''t language but a promise to defeat Ondun when they would inevitably duel. Ondun couldn''t help but smile. He stepped forward and offered a balled fist to the monster. "Where I''m from, we have a gesture of respect¡ªa fist bump. It shows that we respect each other''s strength and have friendly intentions. Amethyst is worthy of such a gesture, Alice...as are you. You have formidable allies at your side."


    She grinned and bumped her fist into Ondun''s. "Yeah, one doesn''t become Guardian without her trusty companions...and good rivals to keep them sharp." Her eyes twinkled. "It''s been a while since I''ve had a proper rival, you know. Your might, determination, and tactical sense...I feel like you''d make a fair monster coach yourself."


    Ondun thought about it. These monster allies were excellent teammates, if properly trained and cared for, it seemed. And he was condensing that anima crystal. Ondun thought for a moment further, coming up with an idea that might amuse him, help him find a way to save his comatose friends, and return home in one stroke.


    "I''d like to know more about being a ''monster coach,'' as you say. I''m hungry too. What''s good to eat around these parts?"


    Alice grinned, and the Ranger Captain sheepishly peeked out of the Ranger base behind Ondun. She gestured to him to come over too.


    "Come on, I know a few places. Besides, it doesn''t seem like you''ve ever seen a city like this before. I can''t have a new monster coach getting lost or disturbing the peace."


    She turned on her heel, with the Ranger Captain giving Ondun some slightly panicked looks. Ondun, for his part, simply shrugged. This was far from the weirdest thing to happen to him. With a reassuring nod to the captain, he began to follow the black and gold-dressed woman, who had now recalled her monster allies to their capsules without breaking stride.


    <hr>


    The trek through the city wasn''t overly tedious. Many people''s faces glowed with admiration and recognition when they saw their beloved Guardian was walking among the common people of the land, at least in Ondun''s eyes. They saw Ondun, and their faces turned to a deep curiosity and sometimes fear, both for his own Draconian features and the ornate armor and massive lance slung across his back.


    The Ranger Captain was largely exempt from all of this and seemed to be doing his best to not stand out. He still got some cheers from passersby every once in a while, with thanks for saving a friend or a relative. Ondun gave him a pat on the back and a reassuring nod, which only seemed to make the black-haired, well-built man a little nervous. Ondun slackened his pace to walk beside the man. "You remind me of the Rangers from the lands I started my adventuring career in."


    The man looked up in shock. "How¡ªhow so?" he asked.


    Ondun thought back. "Well, Eldifia is a forest realm, like this one. It has lush wildlife, the same as here. Only where you''ve built these massive buildings have the humans and Elvidan of Eldifia built their dwellings and businesses into the trees. Massive bridges span from tree to tree, and an order of shamans communes with the wild to tell the common person of the will of the forest itself. Something about this, different though it is, reminds me of all of that."


    Alice slackened her gait to come to her captain''s side. "That sounds like something out of a fairy tale. Yet...for you, you''ve really been there, haven''t you, Ondun?"


    He just nodded. He could see stars in the woman''s eyes as her mind went into overdrive, imagining herself in such a land.


    "I''ve also explored some of the ruins of the precursor polity to that land. Usually because of random doomsday cults setting up shop in those, but Eldifia..."


    The woman stopped, then rushed forward and grabbed his gauntleted hands. "Ondun...did you say ruins!?"


    The Ranger Captain facepalmed; Ondun had done it now. "I love archaeology. You must tell me everything!" she exclaimed, her mouth squiggling in anticipation. Ondun resolved to only allow her around Aenora with adult supervision.


    Alice began jogging forward, pulling the armored Dragon Knight behind her, as the Ranger Captain shouted for his Guardian to wait for him too. Eventually they came to a small restaurant. She guided her men in and chose a seat.


    "Now, Ondun...start at the beginning. I want to hear everything."

 5 - Aenora Seeks, Ondun Finds

    Meanwhile, back on Arcanis, in a sub-floor around the Allemandian Tower...


    "Is this the place?"


    "It is."


    The woman walked into the ancient chambers. Her silvery hair, cut into a stylish bob, bounced about her vaguely feline features as she scanned the room, not that anyone would be able to know that by tracking her eyes. She had lost normal eyesight about one year ago as a result of a desperate choice to use a forbidden teleportation spell to get out of an assassination attempt by one of the Alliance''s corrupt city-states. Her companion had lost his ability to shape anima entirely, and his clothes.


    Aenora, on the other hand, had lost her sight. While her skill with magic allowed her to perceive the world''s anima currents, including the crystallizations of anima that were literally all things, living and otherwise, her teacher had warned her this would come at the cost of her lifespan.


    Even so, her enforced perception of the world through magic had turned out to be a blessing in disguise over this past year. She was quickly able to ascertain her friends'' true predicament, that of some mysterious sorcerer separating the Knowing Circle''s members'' souls from their bodies.


    And now, staring at the plinth in the center of the ancient stone room, she could clearly see a wound in the anima that, some hours later, was struggling to heal. The most important fact, though, was that it was only subtly different than the aura about her comatose friends.


    She walked around it, studying the space through the well-woven blindfold about her face. It had been a gift from a former member of the Knowing Circle, the woman who was now running the newborn Republic of Ahn Mexol, freely liberated from Imperial control. As a gift a few weeks back, after a close call that Ondun had helped stop, her friend had gifted her this beautiful veil that was also highly enchanted.


    With a slight hum, she stopped her investigation, as Kelse Skyward and his two top engineers, McCoy and Crusher, stood at his side, fiddling with animatic devices. The two engineers stood, while Kelse just watched Aenora. In one hand, he had a mask of the same kind the Knowing Circle had been using for years, except this one was augmented with Imperial animatech.


    Kelse came to stand by Aenora. "With your sight, it''s probably redundant, but..." he extended the mask to her. "We''ve got the readings from the event recorded here."


    Aenora favored the man with a rare smile. She was normally very serious; from a young age, her master had impressed upon her the value of information and the gravity of sharing it. She was truly grateful, of course, so she gently took the device. "Let us see what you saw, then..."


    Aenora pressed a control and heard the audio playback from the event as well as a colorful projection of the disappearance. She watched Ondun clear the room, then inspect the device. She saw him stop channeling anima to the strange token he had picked up and watched as the rift built up and eventually displaced the seasoned warrior.


    She took off the mask and handed it back, and once again after hearing the report of her disappeared friend, the Knowing Circle''s disappeared champion, the warrior of all warriors, a man who could slay beings others held as gods to alleviate his boredom...she felt the absence of his presence. Aenora would never say she loved anyone in the romantic sense, of course. She simply wasn''t built that way, at least she didn''t think so. Also, her master would relentlessly tease her if she did express interest in someone.


    No, Aenora valued Ondun as a colleague and even as a friend. While she hadn''t exactly opened up to him about any feelings or invited him to tea or anything, he had helped with a number of vexing problems across the Alliance, and in the last few months, across Arcanis. He always took her seriously, his stoic nod becoming something of a meme with the other members of the Knowing Circle. Yet, the man could give snarky barbs to match anything she could say and took the same in good stride. More to the point, he always took her pronouncements as seriously as they were intended. It was he who had come to her rescue when it became known she was caught in the flows of the forbidden teleportation spell Planeshift.


    She never forgot what it was like to be lifted in his arms, to wake up for him to say to her, "Rise and shine, princess; the sun rises over the library, and the books cry for their lady to return to them."


    Aenora shook her head. No, Ondun was her friend and colleague. Kelse just shrugged at something that Aenora could only guess about.


    "Anyways...you''ve seen what we''ve seen. Anything odd around here?" he asked.


    Aenora inspected the rest of the room more carefully. The plinth was obviously an Allemandian magical focus of some kind. The token had disappeared with Ondun to...wherever he was. However, there were traces, here and there, of some kind of ritual. Pulling an excavation brush from her pack, she began to dust away centuries of detritus from the imperfectly sealed room.


    When she reached the actual stone of the floor and found an obscure but not unfamiliar glyph inscribed in the floors, she smiled the smile of a predator on the hunt, the same smile her people had borne during actual hunts since they had come into being. Only where most Felinians would hunt horse-birds or wompamanders, she hunted knowledge.


    "This glyph predates the Allemandian Empire; I recall reading about runic magic from the First Age. It seems like even the Allemandians at the height of their empire couldn''t improve on runic magic for some applications." She began scanning the room as the two engineers scratched their heads; while they were talented with animetech, they weren''t animologists. They just abused animalistic principles to achieve certain mechanical effects.


    "The spell traces lead to a few points on the floor of this room. Were I a betting woman, I would put down good money there will be similar runes. If I get these runes, I may be able to reverse-engineer the ritual using modern principles."


    The three engineers turned to each other and cheered. "HA! We knew she would come through for us!" the big one, the Garlon, said. "So, not a betting woman, eh? How about after Ondun comes back, we go to the Silver Salon and buy a Lucky Ticket?"


    She sighed an amused sigh at the engineers. "Gambling is just a tax on people who are bad at math. Still...if this leads to all our friends waking up soon, I could be convinced to go to one of their overpriced restaurants. Especially if there''s good fish."


    Kelse grinned. "Well, then, boys, let''s not stall. Help the woman clear the runes, will you? Also, record what we find. I''ll tell James to get an all-hands meeting going back at the workshop. I have a feeling we''re going to be building something interdimensional soon."


    Aenora shook her head, deciding not to interrupt the engineer''s dreams of a swift analysis. This was old magic, and it would not readily divulge the secrets of interdimensional travel. Nonetheless, as she relocated to another spot her magic sight was drawing a line to, there was a wide smile on her face.


    "Ondun...wait for me, OK? I''m coming to get you this time."


    <hr>


    Back on Monastria...


    Ranger Captain James Ming was crying. The armored man gave him a pat on the back. "Yeah, Lady Brighid started off as our foe, but as we were flying to that sky island, she embodied the Astral Siwa one last time...and the Imperials fired everything they had at her." Ondun lowered his head. "I...I miss her too."


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Guardian Alice decided to change the topic. One, there was an audience, again. Two, this man had been through so much. He had adventured for mere days before being approached by the Knowing Circle for having a rare gift¡ªthe gift that let him be an omniglot, of all things¡ªthen had to do battle with one of those terrifying Astrals, the ones that could force you to worship them, then had the junior members of their group killed while fighting a second Astral, then had to rescue the senior members, then lead an all-out assault in a continent-wide operation to unseat the Imperials from numerous bases.


    From there, the Alliance of Free City States had tried to create a volunteer force not unlike Alice''s own Ace Tamers, only those had been bought out by some rich jerk from one of the city-states, who had turned on the Knowing Circle. Each member escaped as best they could, but Ondun had to flee the very people he''d championed. He wound up, with a few fellow survivors, sheltering with a noble from some Order-State he''d helped along the way, but wound up getting roped into a millennia-long war against dragons.


    Alice shook her head, trying again¡ªvainly¡ªto process this man''s tale. She felt a rattle from one of the capture capsules on her hip, a short one, once. It was the signal that he was telling the truth. In light of this, Alice took another drink of the bright blue cocktail that Captain Ming had bought her. He took a swig of his own drink in unison.


    Alice shook her head; just a few minutes ago she''d questioned if people were drinking when they made their report, only for everyone at this little table to be doing just that as a result of asking the man to tell them his background over some lunch. There was probably a lesson about getting what one asks for in there somewhere.


    "Ondun," the captain asked. "How have you been keeping it together?"


    Ondun thought for a moment, glad to interrupt the tale of his journeys. "I have friends who I can help. They''re what I fight for. I...I want to see them again. I want them to wake up. But...here I am. Alone and seemingly in a different world. If I had Aenora''s gifts of magic, I bet I could figure out some way to get home, but for now...for now I''ve got nothing." He sighed and took a drink of the same blue cocktail Alice had ordered.


    Ondun focused his full attention on Alice. "You seem like a good sort. I''m sorry for breaking out of that place when you wanted to talk, but I really must be on my way. I just don''t know what to do." He sighed. "I could use some help."


    Alice was taken aback. Before their fight he had been cocky, full of confidence, but now the mask of this invincible warrior was coming off, and Alice saw Ondun for who he was: A very able man, who had turned being in over his head into an art form.


    She signaled the waiter¡ªhis own eyes were red from the tales he''d been listening in on¡ªand paid their check, just as she''d agreed with the good Captain. She stood up. "Well, enough tales of woe. How about I put you on the path to getting some new friends, who might help you?"


    Captain Ming and Ondun both stood as well. "I appreciate it, Guardian Alice."


    She laughed and waved a hand. "Please, call me Alice. I find I agree with you on weighty titles not being worth the trouble."


    The two men followed her out of the store. She turned to Captain Ming and gave the orders she''d wanted to give all along. "Go back to base; tell them I''ve got everything under control. I''m going to introduce this man to Dr. Wusiji."


    Captain Ming gave her a crisp salute, his hand raising up as if lifting a visor off his brow. "Yes, ma''am. Thank you for lunch, ma''am!" She nodded, and once the man was double-timing it back to the Ranger base, she giggled. "Silly guy, I would''ve bought it anyway."


    She turned to Ondun and pulled a capture capsule off her belt. "Mindy, come out; we need to go see Dr. Wusiji." A humanlike figure that looked vaguely like a woman in a dress, with green, jade-like armor accents, appeared in a flash of energy.


    My Queen, I am glad that you have summoned me. I shall convey you presently. As you are, warrior of warriors, slayer of gods... I greet thee.


    Having completed its telepathic greeting, Ondun did a double take. The monster gave a curtsey, then extended two pale hands to her tamer and to Ondun.


    Take a hand, then think only of the feel of my hand; that is very important. My Queen, direct my path, and we shall be there.


    The three joined hands, and Alice thought of Dr. Wusiji''s lab near one of the three prominent lakes across Kongming Province, Lake Yongqi.


    "Mindy, use Teleport!" she called out.


    In a flash of violet and a sensation that reminded Ondun of his displacement and his rather frequent use of Teleptite Crystals in his homelands'' major city centers, he found himself in a much more rural locale. He was in front of a shorter, two-story building that seemed more natural than the massive stone and metal megaliths that made up Yuanto City. Smaller houses were dotted about the area in a loose ring. In the distance he could see children playing under the watchful gaze of an older woman, probably some kind of teacher.


    There were also more monsters, but these weren''t the well-developed creatures he''d faced in battle. These were more identifiable due to their increased intelligence and the fact that some of them were using utility powers to help the humans they traveled with do things.


    Ondun turned back to Guardian Alice, who had been watching him the whole time.


    "I''ve got an eye for people. I feel like you''ll do right by these people." She gestured to the building. "This is Dr. Wusiji''s lab. He''s a bit eccentric, but tell him I sent you and that you''d like to learn how to train mons. He''ll get you set up with some jobs that will help both of us."


    Ondun nodded. "This means a great deal. I thank you, Alice of Kongming."


    She gracefully flipped her hair, not because she needed to, but to let him know his compliment was received. "By the way, if you want to talk to me again, the Kongming Circuit is starting in two weeks. Basically, people from all walks of life who want to make their way as monster coaches gather teams of mons, travel to each town, and battle the leaders of each town. The rewards are monetary, but leaders can also have special knowledge passed down in their families."


    Ondun caught on immediately. "If I can do well in the Circuit, not only can I provide for myself, but I may also find relevant knowledge to make my way home or at least communicate with someone from Arcanis."


    She nodded. "Well, since you''ve got it, this is where we part ways...for now. Hero Ondun? Make your friends proud."


    She extended a fist that he immediately bumped. "I want you to challenge me in a proper mon battle, understand?"


    Ondun''s limbal rings activated as his excitement peaked. "I accept your challenge, Guardian Alice." He gave her his best grin, and she giggled with excitement of her own.


    The Guardian of Kongming Province lowered her fist and took her human-like ally''s hand. "Then...be seeing you. Mindy, take us back to the office, please."


    The two disappeared in a violet flash, and Ondun was alone again. He turned to the door of the lab and knocked before entering.


    <hr>


    Dr. Eugene Wusiji had made a career from strange things. For the longest time, people didn''t know where moms came from. Typically, when a monk was ready to bring more of its brethren into the world, they would just disappear for a time before finding their way back to the humans they had bonded to.


    It was only in recent years that some no-name researcher from Yamato had learned that all mons were capable of laying eggs! From there, Wusiji had paid attention to research from all over the world and was devising his own theories about how mons could use moves.


    While it was widely accepted that monster moves had some spiritual element to them, that some human monks over in Gaulia called Auricists attributed to the Aura that was their namesake, something about that description had always nagged at the researcher as being a partial truth. There was something else at play that the science simply hadn''t caught up to.


    So it was that Wusiji was typing up another grant application, co-drafting with some bodybuilding, surfing ladies man researcher over in Kahunaloa who specialized in mon moves. It was some dry stuff, mainly focused on research methodology, which is why when he heard the knock, he immediately saved his work and turned just in time to see the strangest man¡ªor was it a man?¡ªenter his laboratory.


    Most visitors didn''t have to crouch to not bang their lance on the mantle of the door, and they didn''t typically wear a full suit of plate armor. I mean, unless you count the occasional visit from the Guardian of Yamato¡ªof course he was well known as a weirdo who thought dragons were cute. The less said of Guardian Nagayari, the better.


    "Greetings," the dragon-like man said. He even had horns!" I seek Dr. Wusiji. Guardian Alice dropped me off here and asked me to lend my services. I understand you''re working on something, and that my learning how to tame monsters might help."


    As the man finished, Dr. Wusiji got an email message from the champion. "One moment..." he said and checked the message. Sure enough, it was about this man¡ªOndun¡ªand asked him to sponsor him for a Kongming Circuit challenge, and that he would be owed a favor by the Guardian.


    Dr. Wusiji let out a cackle that would do any movie villain proud. Being owed a favor by a champion was not a trivial debt, and he had a few ideas on how to cash that in. However, he still needed to deal with the man in front of him, who the email confirmed was from a different world and knew nothing about Monastria''s monsters, let alone how a proper monster battle should be conducted.


    With a wide grin, he turned back to the unnerved, dragon-like man. "First, Ondun, we''ll need to get you your first partner. Do you favor fire, water, or plants?"

 6 - The First New Friend

    Ondun raised an eyebrow at Dr. Wusiji. The strange human asked him to pick between fire, water, and plants in regards to a first partner monster, with no further context. To Ondun, plants could suggest some kind of healing magicks, or perhaps a monster with an affinity for elemental Earth. Ondun rubbed the scales on his chin and decided to just voice the question. "Fire and water seem pretty obvious; many mages I know use those elements in spells. Plants, though, are odd. Do you refer to some kind of life magic, or elemental earth?"


    Dr. Wusiji didn''t react how Ondun expected. Had it been Aenora, she would have just sighed and given a short and to-the-point lesson on the basic elements of magic: positive earth, water, and wind; negative fire, ice, and lightning. Dr. Wusiji, however, was not Aenora.


    "That''s right, you''re not from around here...let me pull out...the table," said the scientist with a wide grin. He began rummaging in a desk drawer, which led Ondun to assume this was not a piece of furniture.


    What came out was a grid with the same words repeated on the x- and y-axes. There were red dashes and green crosses on certain cells. "This, my boy, is the known chart of type effectivenesses. As you can see, there are a few types of monsters, and thus abilities, that can be used: Fire, Earth, Lightning, Wind, Plant, Water, Ice, Psychic, Dragon, Light, Dark, and Metal. It''s possible other types exist, but if so, we haven''t discovered them yet."


    He pointed to one of the green crosses. "Certain types are strong to others. For instance, if you use a Fire move on a Plant, Ice, or Metal mon, it will typically be a little bit more effective." He moved his index finger to a red dash. "On the other hand, types can be resisted. Using Fire moves against a Water, Earth, or Light mon will see the move being a bit less effective." He gestured to two cells, the one for Ice vs. Fire and Fire vs. Ice. "It is possible for the relationship to be asymmetrical, as here in Ice and Fire''s relationship. Fire can melt ice, but introducing ice to fire can weaken the fire."


    Ondun was by no means a stupid man, but the sheer complexity of an 11x11 type grid¡ªincluding the possibility of unexplored types¡ªbegan to overwhelm him. However, a question occurred. "I wonder...how does the polarity of each type apply?"


    The strange scientist''s expression went blank. "My pardon?''


    Ondun reached up and shifted to the Shinobi discipline. He then formed the hand signs to create a Wind jutsu. "Where I''m from, the magical arts, whatever their origin, are all tied to anima, an energy that permeates all things. This jutsu I just used is wind-elemental, and wind is known to be a positive-aligned expression of manifested anima."


    It felt very strange to be giving the sorts of explanations Aenora would normally give, but the scientist was nodding along.


    Ondun then formed the seals for a Lightning jutsu. "Lightning is often considered the negative expression of the same general idea as wind. Typically when a wind spell and a lightning spell collide..." he shot the electric jutsu into the static wind field. He had intentionally not channeled much anima into either spell, but the effects were still dramatic: There was a loud crack as the anima collided and detonated, scattering papers and a few light objects through the lab.


    Ondun pointed. "The two tend to destructively interfere in what my colleague Aenora calls ''anima annihilation.'' What''s more likely is the anima just gets transformed into a neutral expression and scattered, but polarity does matter in spellwork...as you just saw."


    Dr. Wusiji picked himself up, and to Ondun''s lessening surprise, put his massive glasses back on with the widest grin. "OH. MY. OLYMPUS. My boy, you''re a genius, A GENIUS I SAY!!!" He immediately went and picked up a displaced notepad and began paging through it. "Yes, that oaf from Kahunaloa has mentioned cases of some moves explosively colliding in certain, isolated cases. Hmm, hmm! I can''t wait to show that dandy proof of this phenomenon, though I have to say, I don''t much care for the idea of ''magic.'' That implies a miraculous force. No, no, this ''anima'' you speak of, that''s an idea, a very, very interesting idea!" The scientist nodded. "I will have to devise some experiments for this...but that''s for another time, alas."


    He turned his attention back to Ondun. "I will have to experiment on...erm, with you at some point. Wait, what were we talking about?"


    Ondun had an eyebrow raised all the way to his forehead at this point. "I...um...was supposed to get a first partner monster?"


    Dr. Wusiji clapped his hands together. "Yes! I look forward to making extensive scans of you and that odd power you used to change clothes." Without any further explanation of that ominous statement, the scientist walked towards a different room. Ondun, after a moment of hesitation, followed, though he continued embodying the Shinobi arts, in case things got weird and the man pulled out a syringe or something.


    Dr. Wusiji unlocked the room, which had a massive device in the center that looked vaguely Allemandian, somehow. Slotted into perfectly capsule-shaped slots were three all-red capture capsules. The odd doctor picked up all three and pressed the release button on them, causing three small monsters to materialize in a flash of energy.


    "First, a favorite of most young boys is the Fire Squirrel, Flamarmot. This line ''evolves''¡ªwhich'' is to say, metamorphoses¡ªinto a powerful fighter with ceramic claws, though a variant has been sighted with steel claws. For a new adventurer, they can be good partners, though you should probably take care to take precautions against starting unintended wildfires."


    "Flamarmot!" It squeaked, striking a cute pose as it did so. Ondun nodded at the creature. "Good to meet you."


    "Next, a favorite in general: Aquepup. Everyone loves a puppy, and this puppy has a surprise up its sleeve¡ªit''s a speed demon that can call upon water. It also metamorphoses as it grows and gains the power to smite foes with a powerful blade of light."


    Ondun knelt. "Hey there," he greeted. "Aquepup!" it barked, proudly. Ondun found he liked the little monster puppy.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Last but not least," Dr. Wusiji gestured to a nymph-like creature that had a thick bed of moss growing on its shell. "This here is a Yezimoss. These insect-like monsters tend to live in forests, eat dirt, and photosynthesize basic sugars for sustenance. These monsters metamorphose differently than these more animal-like species, though: As they endure molting cycles, they grow and change. The final form is known as a Yeziblade, who cleaves enemies with twin ceramic blades."


    Ondun took a step back and gave the small creature a respectful nod. "I''ve fought a rather huge monster that growled that word, ''Yeziblade.'' This is their young form? Huh. Good to know it...and good to meet you."


    "Yezimoss!" it squeaked loudly, pleased at the display of respect.


    Dr. Wusiji stepped back. "So, lad. Here''s your first lesson on being a monster coach: Mons respect strength, but to have a monster safely join your team, you need to secure its loyalty. Sure, you can beat a mon into submission, and some coaches do just that...but it never ends well. Mons tend to be at least as strong as a human at peak development...well, by the standards of our world at least. This also includes mental faculties. If you want a mon to join you, their agreement is crucial."


    The man raced up to Ondun. "Never, ever, think of a mon as a pet. If you''re lucky, you''ll suffer a quick death."


    Ondun nodded. "Peace, Dr. Wusiji. Where I''m from, we learn very early on that all monsters deserve only the highest respect. The difference is, most monsters are bloodthirsty beyond reason. These..."


    Ondun gestured to the three young mons he had been shown. The Flammarmot had rolled over and was showing their belly while being very, very cute. The Akita was giving the two humans puppy eyes and wagging its tail. The Yezimoss was doing a little dance in a circle.


    "...These are most clearly not like the monsters where I''m from."


    Dr. Wusiji nodded sagely. "Yes, well, these three were bred by human breeders in a controlled environment. Since the day they hatched, they''ve seen humans, and their parents were all tamed by powerful trainers. These particular breeds are rare here in Kongming Province but are more common elsewhere in the world. However, that is not to say they can''t be dangerous."


    Ondun nodded and knelt. "So...I''m Ondun. I''ve been an adventurer for the last two years. I''d like one of you to come with me. Who wants to come?"


    All three monsters perked up, walked forward, and sniffed his outstretched kote gauntlet...and promptly yelped or squeaked, then ran to the far end of the room.


    Ondun turned to Dr. Wusiji. "Excuse me, Doctor...is that normal?"


    The doctor already had a massive syringe out. "It is not... I wonder, dragon-man, why do they fear you so?"


    Now Ondun was backing off. "Hey, hold on. Put down the syringe. I''m sure it''s just...well...the blood scent..." He looked down at the coat. "My hands aren''t exactly clean, you know. I''ve been fighting monsters and humans for a while now. Your child monsters here...they probably haven''t smelled anything like that before. And...I can''t blame them for pulling away."


    Ondun gave the monsters a nod, who were no longer trembling in fear but watching curiously. He stepped away from the doctor, who was debating taking blood samples or entertaining an emotional response, and sat down in a metal chair on the opposite end of the room from the monsters.


    "I wouldn''t mind learning to be a monster coach, like Guardian Alice... I merely wonder if someone like me is fit to befriend creatures like them. They are mere children, even if they are monsters. Perhaps a younger trainer would be better for them." Ondun said seriously, deflating a little as he said it.


    The truth was that Ondun was looking forward to a monster being on his side for once.


    Dr. Wusiji looked between the two sides of the room. "BAH. Such recriminations from someone with so rich a life experience?" He let out a loud, cackling laugh.


    "This is EXACTLY why one of these mons should join you! This is a chance to confront an unknown. ''Can a man who is a slayer of monsters become a great ally to them?''" He nodded. "The reaction to the blood scent is a new and interesting observation. It''s not exactly possible to ethically reproduce it, granted, but this opens up a number of other questions about the nature of human-mon relations. I wonder if Alice, with her archaeological background..." he shrugged. "Not important."


    As Dr. Wusiji had been mulling over his observations, the Aquepup had walked up to Ondun and nudged his leg. "Aque...Aquepup?" it barked quietly, then sat and wagged its tail.


    Ondun interpreted this as a question: "Are you going to hunt us?" Ondun looked down, some tears in his eyes. "No, little one. I will not hunt you."


    The Akita leapt into his lap and gave him some licks. "Aquepup! Aque-aquepup!"


    One look into the tiny monster''s eyes sealed the deal.


    "Dr. Wusiji, I think the Aquepup here will be a fine ally...no, a fine friend."


    The Flamarmot and Yezimoss just looked at each other and made motions kind of like a shrug. Then they ran forward and, at Ondun''s foot, cheered for their friend, making sure to give Ondun some nuzzles, just in case he had a notion of changing his mind.


    <hr>


    When the nuzzling and petting and cheering was over, Dr. Wusiji had been feverishly scribbling theories and ideas on his trusty notepad. Ondun returned the group to a more pressing concern.


    "So...Guardian Alice has sponsored me to learn to be a monster coach, on the condition that I help out with local issues. I believe there''s paperwork and equipment that needs to be procured." he asked.


    Dr. Wusiji finished writing his final ideas down. "Yes, quite. For right now..." Dr. Wusiji pulled out a rectangular device that looked a bit like an Allemandian Bookdrive, only without the signature glowing lines and with a massive screen that had a UI that looked a bit more user-friendly than anything Ondun had seen in Allemandian ruins.


    "For right now, I''ve paid for a room for you for the night. I''ll write down the directions; the person you''re going to have a room with is Mrs. Li. Her son went on a monster coaching journey some time ago, so she rents out the spare room as a bit of side income. She''s also a good cook." His tone became serious. "Don''t mess with her, or my mom will end you."


    Ondun just nodded and chose not to inquire about the possible relationship between Dr. Wusiji and Mrs. Li, not that it had been on the table to start with.


    "Anyways, I''ll take a moment and get your sponsorship already started. It''ll be a standard sponsorship, the same as what we give 16-year-olds who start on their coaching journeys. As part of my sponsorship, I will have research tasks for you. Given your prior experience, they may be more perilous than usual, but I have faith in your skills. It will also be a good learning experience for Aquepup and any future allies you''re able to recruit."


    With sudden speed, Dr. Wusiji grabbed Ondun''s arm and sped him to the door so quickly, Ondun suspected the man might be a nascent Time Mage. "Anyways, I have research to conduct, mysteries to probe, and boring government paperwork to submit. Also a cellphone to buy you. So go book your room. BYE!"


    With that, Ondun was somehow outside; the door had closed quietly, but quickly, and there was a piece of paper in his hands that was a well-drawn map from the lab to Mrs. Li''s house.


    Ondun shook his head, and his entire encounter with Alice made a lot more sense. After dealing with a man like Dr. Wusiji, he reasoned, a Draconian adventurer who randomly appeared and nearly beat a Yeziblade in a duel was probably only a 5 of 10 on her weirdness meter.


    Trying not to think of what a 10 of 10 on Alice''s weirdness meter looked like, Ondun began following the path to Mrs. Li''s house and ignoring the stares of children and adults alike who had never seen a Draconian before in their lives.

 7 - A Parents Greatest Fear

    Ondun walked out of Dr. Wusiji''s lab, his Aquepup trotting along happily at his side, or at least seemingly so; the small monster was giving him some nervous glances. So it was, Ondun knelt and motioned for the canine monster to come close, and Ondun picked him up.


    "I should probably give you a name. Where I''m from, named monsters are always a little bit stronger; they always have a couple of extra tricks up their sleeves. What do you think?"


    "Aque!" it growled.


    This got Ondun thinking. "Oh, that''s right. I forgot to ask. Are you a boy or a girl?" The dog gave a strong bark of "Aquepup!" puffing out its chest and wagging its tail as ferociously as it could. Ondun''s gift got a strong sense of "boy" from this, so he nodded.


    "Then, I''ll have to think of a handsome name for my new brother-in-arms. Or perhaps paws?"


    Ondun got a lick, so he stood up and kept walking. He''d looked at the map enough he had a general idea of where he was going at this point. The adventurer prided himself on not getting lost, almost as if he had a tiny map in his head he could look at at any time, once he''d internalized his whereabouts.


    It was at that moment that there was a distant scream. It seemed reasonably far away, but it was nonetheless filled with terror. Ondun and his Aquepup locked eyes and nodded as one. All thoughts of Mrs. Li driven from his head, he dashed through a town gate that was guarded by two Rangers who were talking on some kind of communication device, not unlike the Voca Earrings most adventurers wore, only in an ugly black box.


    "Sir, you should stay in; let the Ra¡ª"


    "Wait a minute, I know of him! He''s the one that Guardian Alice told us about."


    "Even so, he needs¡ª"


    Ondun ignored this little exchange and simply kept running. There was a sign with odd writing on it that wasn''t like anything he''d ever seen, and his Wayfarer''s Brand simply failed to translate it for him. There were two directions he could go, left or right. The voice cried out again, louder, from the left, so he ran that way.


    "Listen, boy. We''re going to have to work together. I need you to distract whatever''s troubling the boy. With my combat skills and the Shinobi arts, I can handle the brunt of the fighting. The main point is for us to take any heat off the child. No heroics. If you get hurt, I can heal you, but only to a certain point."


    "Aquepup!" The young monster understood.


    "I''ll trust your judgment to use any moves you see fit, but if things look bad, run. You''re a companion of mine; I cherish your life the way I would that of any of my more civil friends. Understood?"


    The dog nodded, then leapt out of Ondun''s arms and started running beside him. Somehow, the canine monster looked like it had gotten a tiny bit faster somehow, but it was hard to be sure.


    The cry got more panicked. Ondun immediately began forming the hand seals for the Earth jutsu that would create a zone of heaviness as he rounded a corner and almost immediately caught sight of the monster and the human child he was menacing. The monster looked like the small dog-like monsters he''d encountered in the Yuanto Forest, the ones having a territorial dispute, only it was much, much larger, with dark grey gravelly fur, eyes that burned red, and an odd energy radiating off its body. To Ondun, this felt like the power he felt from demons, the otherworldly denizens of another realm that invaded his homeland to harvest the anima of living beings...but it wasn''t quite the same.


    His cub had been preparing an attack too. The Aquecub took a deep breath, then shot a thin stream of water straight at the menacing monster and proceeded to hit it in a very specific part of its backside. With a loud yelp of "GLOOMWOLF!" it snarled, then turned to face Aquecub, who immediately ducked behind a tree, before barking, "Aquepup! Aqueaqueaque!"


    Ondun''s gift interpreted this as some sort of taunt, but it didn''t land. The monster had fixed eyes on him. The Shinobi launched his jutsu, immediately slamming the mon to the packed earth of the trail. Seeing his chance, the child bolted, but not towards Ondun and the city gates, but further into the verdant forests.


    "Aquepup, go cover the kid; make sure nothing else comes after him!"


    "Aque!" The small monster darted off, leaving Ondun and the odd Gloomwolf facing each other. Ondun drew his ninjetti. "By the way, monster...this is an illusion."


    Then Ondun''s image disappeared with a loud poof, leaving behind part of a fallen branch. The corrupted Gloomwolf blinked at this a few times, then sniffed the air and snarled and darted after the child it hunted, as well as the two new scents that were now accompanying it. Angry at this trickery, the mighty monster breathed in even as it ran and unleashed a mighty howl.


    Moments later, numerous, higher-pitched howls sounded, acknowledging the presence of a pack leader and accepting his authority on the hunt. These smaller figures began running out of the woodwork¡ªof the ones the Gloomwolf could see, there were perhaps twenty of the young Gloomcubs and five Gloomhounds. With a ferocious snarl, it began barking orders loudly, giving specific instructions to his new, terrified charges. With eyes sparkling in anticipation of a masterfully sprung ambush, Gloomwolf slowed its speed, conserving its might to deliver the killing blow to the human, the odd-looking human, and the baby mon that had squirted him in a place no one should ever get squirted.


    <hr>


    Mike was running for his very life. His mother and father had always warned him against leaving town until he was old enough to get a partner of his own. "It is too dangerous!" they said.


    Mike believed them now.


    The monster had methodically cornered him.


    In school, the local monsters were required coverage for the youngest people in a given town or city, so Mike knew this was very bad, to be cornered by the final form of the Gloomcub line, Gloomwolf, of the affinities Dark and Ground. It was said that they would hunt their prey over the course of a year, and once they had marked someone as prey, they would never stop hunting them.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Then the odd man who was seemingly dancing through the path beside him and shouting at him and the small man came. Mike was more of a Flamarmot man, personally, but the Aquepup had masterfully distracted the Gloomcub. Then the man...who was maybe also a mon...had used some weird Earth ability that slammed it into the ground. If one monster was too much for Mike, three was out of the question, so now he ran to the place he''d seen in his dreams: Lake Yongqi, known to the locals instead as Lake Qing-gan-hu. In all the old tales, the heroes ran to the lake when they couldn''t find a path forward, and in Mike''s dreams, he''d been leading someone there. It felt important, somehow.


    "Kid! Stop! We''re about to run into a lake!"


    Mike came to his senses, seeing he had built up too much momentum and was about to speed himself right off an outcropping of rock. The odd dragon-like man made hand seals, then appeared in front of him, absorbing most of his momentum, before picking him up about the waist and swinging him around behind him. In the same fluid motion, two long knives that were perfectly straight were unsheathed, and the man assumed a fighting stance in front of him.


    "Young one...when I tell you to run, follow my monster ally and go back to town. I will hold our pursuers here."


    Mike smirked. He''d seen this thing in those Yamato cartoons. "Mister, let me guess, you''re some sort of super-warrior who has power from some goddess who brought you to this world, and you''re going to save me and become known in this world as a great hero?"


    The man looked over his shoulder. "How did you know all that?"


    Mike smirked. "Lucky guess. Anyways...Mom''s going to absolutely kill me."


    He turned his head back. "I''ll put in a good word for you, if that helps." The Aquepup barked in agreement.


    "Anyways..." he shifted one knife into a reverse grip and started making mudra with one hand. "The battle''s about to start. Aquepup, when I give the signal, lead our small friend here to safety."


    Out of the forest poured a number of monsters. Just as they did, Ondun activated his seals. "Fuu-jutsu: Fuu-ton Shuriken!"


    A spectral, green, four-pointed blade lanced from the final hand sign and cut a bloody swath through the incoming monsters. Mike''s eyes went wide, but the man shouted, "Now''s your chance! RUN!"


    Mike didn''t need telling twice. Even as a few Gloomcub and Gloomhounds dove at the man, he disappeared behind one of the Gloomhounds and made an expert slice across its neck. Even as it bled out, he did a somersault, kicking a Gloomcub to the ground about the lake, before swinging his blades in a circle about him, claiming the lives of four more Gloomcubs, and severely wounding another Gloomhound.


    Most of the Gloomcubs were yelping in fear, but a snarl from the forest silenced them. The smaller monsters retreated, and Ondun was face-to-face with the odd Gloomwolf, snarling, eyes filled with hate and hunger. "Gloomwolf!"


    Ondun assumed a more upright stance. "I see. I''m now your prey. You should''ve come for me first, and not a child, fool of a monster."


    The wolf monster let out a series of loud barks, almost like laughter. Then the Gloomwolf and Ondun began to circle each other. There were a few feints, but neither man nor woman fell for them; they were both simply too experienced for that. Even as the wolf stopped, with a sly look on its face, Ondun leapt, dodging the massive pillar of stone that erupted at an angle in front of him with an elegant backflip. A phantom blade made of pure anima was flung at the wolf monster, who simply sidestepped it, as if it had seen that coming from a great distance, as it gathered itself for a proper charge.


    Then, for Ondun, time stopped. Well, it might not have been a complete stop; it was more as if time was only moving about one one-hundredth as fast as it should''ve been. Even as the monster was gathering dark anima, Ondun could see it clearly at this speed and knew precisely where to dodge thanks to this information and his Wayfarer''s Brand¡ªa small figure popped into existence in front of him.


    Hmmm. Warrior from another world. He who is hurt is hurting others. Nothing ever seems to change, does it?


    Ondun couldn''t move, let alone speak.


    Yeah, I''m not interested in your sob story like Alice or that Liu guy. I know you''re a stone-cold killer. I know you''ve got principles, too; I feel them, but I also feel that bloodlust. Damn, you could give Hellzeph a run for his money, you know. I think you have only a little more chill than he does.


    Ondun wanted to deny it but could do so neither physically nor spiritually.


    Right, and you can''t answer because we don''t have all day. Normally I''d be happy to take a few centuries to tell you everything you need to know, but we''re on a schedule here. Here''s the situation: You know how you''re on a different world? Well, some jerks from your world are using this world as something of an experiment. They want to do something here; they did it somewhere else. You know those...ah, yes, those demons?


    Ondun did not like where this conversation was going.


    Yeah, so they''re here trying to tip Monastria towards the element of Dark. To that end, they''re up to something generally sinister. I can see from your emotions you''ve been dealing with all that, and I pity you because these guys are good at being bad. They''ve smoothed things over so that no matter what happens, they win somehow. Normally I''d say our world is pegged like those boards that absolutely sane human doctor in the nearby town makes, but then you showed up. You''re not bound by fate as everyone else here is. You''re not bound to Olympus as we, his children, are.


    The Draconian adventurer was listening intently.


    Good, you''re paying attention. Here''s the deal. Some humans are about to kick that puppy''s butt. You''ll find something around here in the forest that will help you. However, when things get bad¡ªand according to my big sister, they will¡ªyou are going to have to come back here. You''ll have to save me. That''s very important. Do NOT forget, or both worlds will suffer a slight case of TOTAL ANNIHILATION. Seriously, do not mess this up.


    Ondun wanted to nod.


    Okay, I''ve done my bit. I''d love to offer you emotional support, but the humans have invented therapists for that. You should see one. BYE~~~


    Then with a pop, the creature disappeared, and Ondun launched into his dodge, the Gloomwolf sailing by, but raising a pillar on which to pivot and line up another charge.


    Then, with some soft hisses, there was the sound of darts, all of which plunged into the Gloomwolf. Ondun did a reverse backflip while making the signs for the Wind Wall jutsu, just in case someone tried to tranq him a second time in the same day, but all that happened was the wounded Gloomwolf fell to the ground with a soft thud, as a mix of blue and green-uniformed humans swarmed the scene, capturing the bleeding-out Gloomcubs and cataloging the monsters that Ondun had slain in defense of the human child.


    One uniformed man walked forward. "Excuse me, sir. You''ll need to come back to town with me, Guardian''s orders. We''ll need to debrief you on what happened here. Also, going forward, don''t kill mons. We know you''re...not from around here, but it is against the law. The Guardian warned us this might happen, and due to the circumstances, we''re choosing to with you. We need to know everything you know about that corrupted monster, and the Guardian herself is willing to let ONE incident slide. There will be no others, or I will personally throw you in prison. Understood?"


    Ondun nodded. "Of course, I only came to render assistance. I apologize for my offense. I''ll be happy to cooperate."


    The man sighed and visibly released some tension. "Also, Dr. Wusiji will be there. He wants to run some tests."


    Ondun''s partially scaled face slammed straight into one gauntleted hand. The ranger simply nodded. "Yes. That is the correct answer."


    When Ondun raised his head from his hand, though, Aquepup leapt straight onto his chestplate and began licking him, barking happily, telling his human ally that he''d accomplished his mission. Ondun could only smile, but then he looked back to the lake.


    Those who hurt, hurting others, Ondun thought. Maybe that odd monster was right. The question is...what do I do about it?

 8 - Interrogation

    Even as the Ranger officer led Ondun from the edge of the lake and the broken and bisected bodies of the Gloomcubs and Gloomhounds he had littered the earth with, Ondun reflected on how things had happened. Even as Aquepup was looking up at Ondun with a worried expression, Ondun came to a conclusion: This was a different world. Yes, he had fought for the scared human child, but he didn''t just have to be a dealer of death.


    "Excuse me, good sir, one moment. I believe I can be of help here. My arts aren''t just those of dealing death. I am also a skilled healer. May I demonstrate?"


    The man turned quizzically and nodded. "No funny business, or my people will sic our Mons on you, or just shoot you."


    Ondun nodded and raised a hand to his chest and drew on the power of the Medicus. In a flash of soothing blue light, the robes and spelliths formed about him. He lowered his visor and began scanning everyone nearby.


    The child had some scrapes and bruises, but nothing serious. Ondun sighed with relief at this. Aquepup was in similar condition. His most dangerous foes were his own lack of motor coordination and the harsh terrain of the woodlands about the lake.


    When Ondun turned his gaze to the monsters he''d bloodied, it was a different story. Many shapes shone with the grey outline that signified death¡ªa lack of animatic activity. However, a few Gloomcubs were still alive. So it was that Ondun activated his spelliths and went to work alongside a young female medic. He carefully mended the wounds until the medic indicated to stop, whereupon she took a black and yellow capsule and tapped it against the monster, who was absorbed into it. The medic and Ondun repeated this process a few times, quickly saving a few monsters who would have died as a result of Ondun''s own efforts.


    Eventually, Ondun stood, the blue and silver robes stained with crimson. He shook his head. "That''s the last living foe handled. I can treat the scrapes of my Aquepup and the boy, but I think my healing powers have seen their usefulness completed here."


    The officer and most of the other Rangers who had been watching were whispering among each other, clearly impressed. It seemed to Ondun that, contrary to his own expectations, folks at arms in this strange new world were not used to having adequate healer support. Ondun made a mental note to have a word with the Guardian about this deficiency.


    He nodded to the medic, who smiled gratefully until she saw her officer shake his head. Ondun continued until the boy ran up to him, presenting a scrape, which his basic mending spell healed almost instantly. Aquepup was right behind the child. Ondun reached down and petted his new friend and ally.


    "You did good, small one. Thank you for helping me save this child when we barely know each other yet."


    "Aquepup!" it barked happily. It then fell in beside its adventurer coach as the officer, now very obviously done with the detours, carefully led Ondun back to town, with Rangers on overwatch for both threats and also Ondun and his partner.


    <hr>


    In Ondun''s short life, he''d gathered more crowds than most bards or thespians he''d heard of. His return to Yongqi Town had simply added yet another crowd to the ever-expanding list of crowds to that count.


    The young boy ran straight to his mother, crying despite being perfectly fine. To be fair, though, so was she and the well-built man who rushed forward in a very plain-looking shirt and sweater. Ondun smiled even as he kept walking, this time genuinely buoyed by that familiar feeling of having made some kind of difference, however small. While misfortune might visit this family in the future, it hadn''t afflicted them now.


    "Excuse me, good sir... I wanted to thank you. You saved our boy." He gave a distinctly eastern bow, and the boy and wife did immediately after, followed by most of the town. "We thank you from the bottom of our hearts."


    Ondun returned the bow a little more shallowly, as in the Far Eastern custom. "It is nothing; I was merely in the right place to help. I apologize for...well, the mess."


    The man shook his head and waved a hand. "I don''t know where you''re from¡ªclearly not here¡ªbut these sorts of things are important lessons for our young. Mons are our friends, yes, but they are dangerous." He turned to his son. "Doing dangerous things causes death. Never forget this."


    "Yes, Dad..." the young child said.


    "By the way, you''re grounded until further notice," the woman added sweetly.


    "Yes, Mom...I understand." Even as his parents nudged them away, Ondun nodded and resumed the march with the rest of the Rangers, straight back to Dr. Wusiji''s lab.


    After a knock and the Rangers letting themselves in, they were all standing in front of a vibrating Dr. Wusiji. "We brought him here. Make sure you actually tell him useful things this time, like how to not break the law. And no experimentation."


    Dr. Wusiji just cackled. "Fine, I''ll give him a more in-depth education..." he grinned an evil grin, though. "But no promises on that last part."


    The Rangers looked at each other with a profound expression of, We did our job; let''s get out of here. One gave Ondun a pat on the back. "You''re on your own. This is why you don''t kill Mons."


    They then hurried out. Even as Ondun turned back, the massive, empty syringe was in the doctor''s hand.


    "Now, while I''m teaching you a few things, I''m going to need a few...samples. If I understand correctly, you can heal yourself. That''ll make this all go so much faster."


    Ondun was rapidly developing a fear of doctors for some reason. Aquepup just whined and hid behind Ondun.


    <hr>


    Meanwhile, on Arcanis...


    Aenora stood in front of the Skyworks engineers, holding a purple crystal in one hand. They were all back in the chamber from which Ondun had been dimensionally displaced. The room looked a lot different this time; there was no dust, which meant that the inactive Allemandian technology and the more ancient runes that had been inexpertly integrated were all clear to see. The plant glinted a metallic black, and the lines on it pulsed dark blue, as it was in a low-power mode thanks to the efforts of the engineers over the last hour.


    Kelse, the "president" and chief engineer of the company, was standing at the head of his men. There were no junior Knowing Circle people present; care of the comatose senior members had been handed off to the junior members who could care for the bodies of their brethren, while Aenora, and presumably Ondun, were hard at work on the mystery of how to reunite their allies'' souls and bodies again.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "So, Aenora. It seems like you''ve made a breakthrough of some kind," he started, bringing the impromptu meeting to order.


    "That''s certainly a way to interpret it. Rather, I like to think of this as an experiment, that my own animalistic talents are ill-suited to executing alone. I have a firm grasp of the theory¡ªoddly enough, the runes used here are actually well-documented, just in many different contexts than this. In a few hours, I was able to learn each rune''s function and anima flows, which, in combination with the readings you took, Master Kelse, I was able to use to reverse engineer the mechanism by which Ondun was displaced."


    The engineers looked impressed. The massive Garlon laughed. "So what do you need us for?"


    Aenora fixed him with a sightless stare from behind her ornate veil. "I want to repeat the feat, only with a test object instead of an unwilling warrior whose services are dearly needed elsewhere. As it is, we''re having to...outsource...our operations while this mystery demands our attention."


    Aenora held up the crystal. "Now, can anyone tell me what''s special about this crystal?"


    The Garlon once again answered with a hearty laugh. "Absolutely nothing! That''s just a corrupted Light crystal."


    James, the red-headed assistant to Kelse, kicked him in the shin, but Aenora held up a hand to limit the amount of percussive maintenance done to the hulking engineer. "That is actually completely correct. While corrupted Light crystals are rare, I want to use this because the runes here serve one sole purpose: they control the space and time coordinates of the magicks this plinth is built to channel."


    Kelse grinned. "They''re coordinates."


    Aenora favored the ex-Imperial human with a nod. "Just so. If we can recreate the phenomenon, then by analyzing the process by which this crystal is transferred to the other realm¡ªwhich will destroy the crystal by decomposing it into raw anima¡ªwe will have a nice bright trail that will tell us, relative to our world, where our friend has been deposited."


    James nodded too, catching on. "Which means we can scry, send probes, and plan."


    Aenora nodded again. "Master Kelse, would you be so kind as to reactivate the plinth once we are all clear and the crystal is prepared?"


    He nodded, so Aenora closed her eyes and began channeling her own anima into the already anima-dense crystal, weaving a special series of instructions that would unravel as the crystal was unmade by the process of dimensional travel. When that was done, she inspected her work with her magic sense and found that the spell she''d woven into the anima had taken. A few steps were taken to place the crystal on the plinth, and then she jogged to the outside of the room. Everyone else followed suit, and when she was sure no one was in the likely splash zone of the teleportation effect, she nodded to Kelse, who activated the ancient animatic machinery.


    With a pulse of purple, the crystal was lifted up and then slowly became more distant without moving, just like Ondun had, until it was gone.


    Aenora put a hand to her earring. "Everyone, the test seems to have worked. Now...where does the trail lead?"


    After a few moments, her eyes went wide. "Wait, Lord Shun...you can''t be serious."


    Kelse and the engineers were paying attention. "Well, where does it go?"


    She turned to the waiting engineers. "It''s in the Far East. Whatever world Ondun has found himself on, he''s right back where much of this started¡ªXin-xia."


    She put her hand back on her earring. "Lady Suzumi, I must request an audience with the young master. Our journey will lead through your lands, it seems." She paused and sighed. "Yes, I know he ''called it.'' That man spent far too long among the Draconians, including Ondun."


    <hr>


    Back on Monastria...


    "Hmm, your blood results show little deviation from a baseline human, though your titanium levels are a little high. This could account for the bluish pigmentation. Fascinating. It also seems like, in the tests where you''d been casting... HEY, TEST SUBJECT, WAKE UP! You''re disrespecting the science!"


    Ondun jerked awake. "Is it over? Aenora? You there? I was dreaming all this, right?" He met Dr. Wusiji''s sinisterly shining eyeglasses and promptly put his head down. "Nope, this is a dream; going back to sleep."


    Aquepup nudged Ondun and started licking him, which caused the warrior to giggle at the ticklish quality. "Ok, fine. Aquepup, you''re the best part of this dream." This just caused Aquepup to whine pathetically.


    "Oh, don''t worry about your human, young water puppy. I''m done with the test. I can practically taste my new research fellowships, and more importantly, grant money!" He restrained himself from drooling at his own daydreams of his work on cataloging the biological similarities and differences of extra-dimensional sentients from those of their own world and the monsters that inhabit it. "More importantly, we''re still crunching the data from the tests of those jutsus.


    Why that data alone will either fill in the gaps in many of my theories...or it may lead to us finding more theories!"


    To Ondun, this was the oddest part of the man. His life was spent trying to answer questions; Dr. Wusiji seemed to delight more in finding them. This was making Ondun''s head hurt, and not just from blood loss. Dr. Wusiji saw him sway and tossed him another piece of candy.


    "Anyways, as I was saying, it''s perfectly legal to force mons to flee or lose consciousness, but killing is off the table. We enjoy a precarious relationship with the mons, you see. There was a time in antiquity when humans hunted monsters for sport and food. While some mons are farm-raised and produce edible products¡ªincluding meat¡ªthis is highly controlled and usually negotiated carefully with the region''s legendary mon before a human does anything. I''ll say, lad, the Guardian has her work cut out for her. You don''t do anything by half-measures, do you?"


    Ondun just nodded. "What do you mean by legendary monsters?" He was getting vague shades of his conflict with the many Astrals that had plagued his homeland.


    "Oh, they''re mons; they''re just...unusually powerful. Some may be immortal; we''re not sure. Researchers who try to study legendary monsters typically become dead researchers. There have been some unusual cases. About twenty years ago, some madman created an artificial clone of a legendary mon, but it broke out of his control¡ªthe data was useful, though! A young trainer was able to defeat it and calm it down. To this day it roams the world, sometimes harming, sometimes helping, with seemingly no rhyme or reason."


    Ondun nodded. "So if I encounter one?"


    The researcher smiled. "Run, or you will surely die."


    "Good to know." Ondun patted Aquepup gently, letting the young monster nap in his arms now. "This world looks very, very peaceful, but the more I learn about it, I''m starting to think it''s only barely less horrifying than my own."


    Dr. Wusiji turned to him. "Hmmm, an interesting insight. Perhaps, one day we will be able to explore your world and find the truth. Yes, this ''anima'' you''ve told me about, the recounting of the battle against the Corrupted Gloomwolf... I wonder if not only the mon abilities, but also the Auric Arts are all tied to this anima. A fascinating proposal, I''ll grant...but it must be tested!"


    Something about that sentence jogged a memory in Ondun. "Question. Are those corrupted mons a common occurrence, or weird?"


    The doctor nodded. "Hmm, actually they''re very strange. They were first reported in the last week. No one knows what caused this effect; it''s literally never been seen before. Our own Guardian checked the ancient archives of each city leader and came up with nothing. You have no idea how rare that is."


    Ondun did have an idea of how rare that was. It would be like Aenora consulting a library and not finding any trace of the development of magic or the understanding of anima.


    "Anyways...you''ve debriefed thoroughly, and all this data will be passed to the Rangers. Now, it''s time you went to Mrs. Li and got your room and some rest. Same for your mom. We can''t all be heroes of myth and legend like you, Mr. Ondun!"


    Then, somehow, Ondun was outside again, the door closing in his face. I need to learn how he does that, Ondun thought. That''s got to be a jutsu.


    Ondun turned, and this time people were going about their business, but treated him less with a scared and curious demeanor and more respectfully and deferentially, even friendly. It felt better this way as Aquepup slumbered in his arms, clearly tired from the day''s events. The sun was getting low, and the blue of the sky had faded to violets, oranges, and yellows, with the green of the trees turning dark, presaging the oncoming night.


    Somehow for Ondun, this time of day was the most peaceful, the end of something good that had run its course, and the beginning of a restful time. Ondun wished Aenora could share this sight with him, the first night in a new world. He resolved to take it all in just as soon as he''d reached his new lodgings and checked in with Mrs. Li.


    His footsteps quickened; he already knew the way. Before he knew it, he''d reached the small house near the town''s northern gate. With a smile, he looked to the stars. "Good night, Aenora, wherever you are." Then he knocked and waited for the lady of the house to come and speak.

 9 - Adventurers, Past and Present

    Ondun waited for a few seconds before hearing the pattering of human feet. When the door opened, a woman in her late 30s yelped and jumped before regaining her composure. Ondun looked down, seeing he was still in bloodstained Medicus robes. The shock, in light of that, was understandable.


    "Excuse me, is Mrs. Li in?" Ondun asked. "Dr. Wusiji sent me here to stay the night while my paperwork is handled."


    The woman nodded. "Please, come in," she said politely, but Ondun could tell the woman was terrified. The Draconian adventurer was literally the first of his kind to visit this world, after all, and the blood from the healing he had done on the wounded Gloompups didn''t really help.


    He entered a very clean, if relatively small, house. On one wall were pictures of a younger Mrs. Li, a man who looked a little like the Ranger Captain he''d met with Alice, and a child. As Ondun followed the hall, the child went from a mere baby to a toddler, to a young child, to a young man. At his side in one of the final pictures was a bird that looked oddly familiar, but he couldn''t place.


    Ondun stood by quietly while the woman came in behind him. He decided to break the ice. "These pictures...we don''t typically have anything like this where I''m from. You have a lovely family."


    The woman stood by his side. "Yep. My husband there..." she pointed out the man, "is a cousin of a Ranger Captain in Yuanto City. He works in accounting of all things." She grinned like a lovestruck girl. "''Someone''s got to keep the books in order while the kids go traipsing around the countryside!''" she said in a deep voice. Ondun laughed, of course¡ªas an adventurer, the idea of balancing books as opposed to seeking the horizon was laughable. Even so, she stared at the picture fondly before turning her attention to the child.


    "That''s my son, Yuan. He''d be 20 this year. He started on his journey at the right and proper age of 16, with his Fledgelev. I caught it for him." She struck a pose. "It may not be obvious, but during my circuit, I battled all five city leaders to a standstill. It was only in the Grand Tournament where I stalled out."


    Ondun nodded, letting the woman talk. "That''s impressive. I''m sure the competition is quite fierce at that level."


    She nodded. "Those who defeat all the city leaders are, by default, a cut above most other trainers in the province, you know. Just reaching that point puts you in an exclusive club and automatically qualifies you to take place in the tournament...if you can make it through the Shengli Path, at the base of Mount Kongming. The path takes you to the headquarters of the province, which is where the tournament gets held. It''s a process that, while I can''t do anymore...I am very proud of."


    Ondun nodded. "You must be quite an adventurer in your own right. When I''m situated, I''d love to hear more about your journeys."


    She nodded. "You know, I was scared when you came here, but I can see you''re an alright sort." There was a brief pause. "Here, follow me; I''ve got a spare room."


    The woman led Ondun through the house and eventually came to a room that was relatively clean if minimally decorated. There was a window, something that looked to Ondun like an Allemandian terminal, and most importantly, a soft bed. Immediately seeing his accommodations, Ondun released his embodiment of the Medicus discipline, shifting to simple wayfarer''s clothing. He set his pack with generic camping supplies down, while Aquepup jumped straight onto the bed and curled up.


    "This is amazing. It almost reminds me of my home village. I just turned 18 myself," Ondun said. "I left my home at 16 to strike out for glory and adventure. I suppose I''m a little like your son in that regard."


    The woman pulled the chair away from the odd terminal and sat down. "So you''re an adventurer yourself? Do you have a Circuit where you''re from?"


    Ondun sat on the bed. It was quite comfortable, and if Ondun lay down, he knew he would fall asleep nearly instantly. "No, we don''t. In the world I''m from, Arcanis, life is difficult. There are monster attacks, natural disasters, and all sorts of things. We live in the shadow of advanced civilizations that pulled themselves apart in their hubris and the foolishness of spellcasters who prioritized their own aims over the common good."


    The woman rolled her eyes. "Believe me, you''ll find everyone here on Monastria can relate. The more things change..."


    Ondun nodded. "The more they stay the same." She giggled in response. "Glad to see that''s the same between worlds," she added.


    There was a pause. "This is my son''s room. His journeys have taken him abroad, and he''s got quite the powerful monster team. He does call home, of course, and let me know how he''s doing. Every week, on schedule, my Yuan calls. It''s always good to hear...but bittersweet, too. He''s basically a grown man at this point. He doesn''t need me."


    Ondun thought about his own parents, back in that sleepy village. Somewhere, between his involvement with the Knowing Circle, the goofy adventures he and his fellow adventurers got up to, and the struggle for the very fate of the realm, his parents had gotten swept by the wayside. Only now was Ondun realizing that his parents were probably quite worried for him. His face fell. "I...if I get home, I think I''ll go check on my parents, that is assuming some idiot doesn''t summon a new Astral, or something."


    She nodded. "You should. I''m sure your parents love you very much. They''re probably worried about you, no matter how strong you''ve become."


    Ondun couldn''t disagree. The woman thought, then stood up, smoothing her lilac skirt as she did. "Anyways, take a load off. Dinner''s in an hour."


    <hr>


    The sound of gentle knocking woke Ondun from the nap he''d taken in that comfortable bed. He stretched as Mrs. Li called out, "Dinner''s ready!"


    The sun had set early despite the mild weather. Ondun stretched. "Coming!


    He got up off the bed and took a moment to re-straighten the comforter he''d rested on, checked that his Memory Gems were on, just in case, then left the room. A few steps down the stairs brought him to the dining room, which was filled with a spicy and savory smell. On the table were two empty dishes, some silverware, and in the center of the table, two larger dishes. One was filled with stir-fried vegetables that reminded Ondun of his journeys into his world''s Far East, particularly the rural village of Imanai. Next to it were some cooked meats that were bright red and had some onions stacked atop them in the shape of a volcano.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    There were also some glasses of water, though Ondun knew from experience that the water would just spread the spice over his palate.


    The adventurer stood at the chair on one side. As he was a guest, he chose to let the woman whose house this was dictate the etiquette. This was a technique the Draconian had developed over the last two years, due to being invited to fancy feasts and dinners by Alliance commanders and heads of state alike.


    "Oh, dear, you look well rested. Please, any seat is OK. There''s no need to be so gosh-darned formal."


    Ondun sighed. "Thank you so much." He immediately took the seat, and the woman did likewise. For a time they just filled their plates with vegetables and spicy baked meats and ate. The vegetables had a nice salty flavor and coated the tongue so that the spicy meat and edible volcano garnish weren''t too overpowering.


    After silverware was laid down, Ondun sat back. "Thank you for this feast," he said, with a bow.


    The woman bowed back. "Mighty Olympus is to thank; I just cooked the food." It was a formal response and again reminded Ondun of his time in Inamai.


    "That spiced meat was fantastic, ma''am. How did you learn to make it?" Ondun, he asked.


    "Oh, that? That''s a recipe called ''Volcano Bake-Meat.'' It''s a Yamato delicacy. My son learned the recipe in the second year of his journey. He apparently became quite the field cook." The woman tapped her lip, apparently the regional behavior for indicating one was thinking. "The stir-fried vegetables are a family recipe, though."


    Ondun grinned. "I won''t pry, but I will praise. I fear I''m not yet much of a cook."


    Mrs. Li grinned wide. "Well, not with that attitude you''re not. Seriously, though, everyone should learn to cook. It''s not just good, relatively clean fun; who doesn''t want to eat good food? Also, you save lots of money." She added sagely.


    Ondun nodded; early in his adventuring career, when money had been a serious problem, he had considered visiting a chef''s guild and accepting instruction. Nowadays, money wasn''t such a problem...or, it wouldn''t have been, had he not been dislocated to this strange new world.


    Ondun pulled out a Sil, the standard currency of his home, and set it on the table. "I''ve been meaning to ask about this. Do you think my money will buy much?"


    The woman''s eyes went wide. "Is this a real gold coin!? Huh. You''d have to go to a bank or a money-changer, but I''m sure you could exchange it for at least something." She nodded. "You don''t see an honest-to-Olympus gold coin every day, after all."


    Ondun nodded and pushed the coin towards the woman. "Oh, no, I can''t accept that!" she said, but Ondun held up a hand. "Please, consider it a souvenir from another world. This feast was more than gift enough. I am humbled by your hospitality."


    The woman thought for a moment, then took the coin.


    "There is another question I had, too. This ''Olympus'' you speak of. This seems to be a being of great reverence. Can you tell me about Him?" the Draconian asked, carefully. He was hoping that Astrals wouldn''t be a problem in this odd world, given how people tended to react to any display of the magical arts, but there was no harm in being sure.


    Besides, Ondun knew how to deal with Astrals by this point.


    "Hmmm...so, Lord Olympus has been since the beginning. It was said that He created the entire universe and that Mons and Men are both his children. He is said to favor the top of Mount Kongming, where the provincial government has built its headquarters. He controls both time and space, and his ultimate power is that of Creation itself."


    The woman fixed Ondun with a serious look. "Olympus is not worshipped because such a being is well above petty piety. He is revered and respected, and more to the point, we know he exists. Two centuries ago, someone fell from a hole in the sky and saved the land from a great menace, a traitor and ally to the Dark One, Hellzeph. This hero preserved the boundaries between worlds, bringing Hellzeph into submission. Then, one day, they vanished, never to be seen again."


    Ondun sighed with relief. That did not fit the M.O. of any Astral he had ever faced.


    "This girl is held as a legend, and we all hope she returns to us one day as a redeemer of Kongming''s lost potential, though. She is a symbol to all the peoples of Kongming, embodying diligence, the bond between Mon and Man, and the very concept of what it is to be a hero. We call her the All-Maiden."


    Ondun tensed right back up. The ancient enemy, the Knowing Circle, had both faced and lost friends to love, using figures like this as the basis for inspiring people to call upon Astrals. He would have to keep an ear open for any further mentions of this All-Maiden.


    The adventurer chose to change the subject. "That''s fascinating. I''ll seek out more information as I go on my journey. Speaking of which, can you tell me anything about the Circuit? I believe I can learn much of this world by competing. What precisely would I be facing?"


    The woman thought again. "It''s hard to say. The cities and towns have had their leadership replaced a few times by now. The team compositions are also tied to the relative level of experience that a challenger brings. If you''ve got a bunch of weak monsters¡ªno offense, Aquepup¡ªyou''ll face a small, limited team intended to teach you lessons on how to battle better or deepen the bond between you and your monsters. If you''ve got strong monsters, the battles get much, much more difficult."


    She paused.


    "If you clear the circuit and ascend the Shengli Path, you will be facing the most powerful coaches in the region and the most powerful Mons in the region. I don''t know if you know, but it''s generally considered for a tamed Mon to be twice as strong as its wild counterpart, especially if that Mon is well cared for.


    Ondun thought back to his battle with Alice''s Faerrow and how different the battle was from his fight with the Yeziblade in the Yuanto Forest. This raised another question.


    "Out of curiosity, do monsters stay as they are, or do they somehow change? The Doctor showed me a baby monster, a Yezimoss, and it seemed like a much larger monster I fought when I came here... I think it growled the word ''Yeziblade.''"


    The woman''s eyes went wide. "Oh dear, that explains a lot." She nodded. "As monsters experience more things, as they win fights, as their bond with humans and other Mons grows, Mons can metamorphose into higher forms. It''s a slow process. Some mons, like your Aquepup here, will only slowly change over time until they reach their highest form. Some, like more insectoid Mons, will do things like weave cocoons around themselves, almost like normal insects. Yet others develop in strange and wondrous ways."


    Ondun nodded and reached down to pet Aquepup, who promptly began licking the spicy baked meat juices from his fingers. "I''ll make sure you grow big and strong, my new friend."


    "Aquepup!" it barked happily. The woman giggled.


    "By the way, have you named your Aquapup yet? It''s a tradition since time immemorial to name Mon companions. In the old days, it was said that names made a Mon stronger. I don''t know if that''s true, though."


    Ondun snapped his attention. "Where I''m from, named mons are always stronger than unnamed counterparts." Ondun tapped his chin. "Also, that move you used, little one...I could swear you shaped anima in order to do it."


    "Aque?" the small monster whined. The woman just looked confused. Ondun resisted the urge to stand and start pacing. Instead, he took a sip of water. Ondun was no Aenora, but even he could see common threads of phenomena between the worlds. While this was still nothing directly actionable, Ondun made sure to keep these observations in reserve; there was something here he could use to get home, and maybe even save his friends.


    "I''m starting to think this world and mine have much, much more in common than I would have expected."

 10 - Survey

    The dining room was quiet. Both Ondun and Mrs. Li had, of course, recognized how oddly similar their different worlds were, but Ondun voicing it lent a certain gravity to the situation. Ondun decided to lighten the air.


    "Well, Mrs. Li...no matter what''s going on, you''ve opened your home and cooked me a fine meal. I''m honored by your generosity. I sincerely hope to repay it someday soon."


    The woman smiled again. "You sound like my son. That''s...that''s just what he says, or so I''ve heard, when someone does him a good deed." She shook her head and stood. "Anyways, I will clean the dishes. Why don''t you go wash up before bed?"


    Ondun raised his eyebrows. "About that...where I''m from, personal cleanliness isn''t secondary; we just tend to handle it a bit differently."


    The woman nodded seriously. "Ok, come with me." She led Ondun back to his room, turned on the computer, navigated to a site that showed videos, and typed in some search terms that would teach a youngster the basics of modern cleanliness. "Watch that, then clean up."


    "Yes, ma''am. Thank you again; my apologies for lacking such basic knowledge."


    She waved him off and went to clean the dishes. He watched a video and realized that the humans here had a very hard time of things for the past few millennia. Their technology had been developed to help them keep pace with a hostile world. Now that I think about it, Ondun realized, this is the same situation the Imperials found themselves in.


    The Empire he had spent the last few months fighting were a diverse bunch, but they all had one thing in common: they''d been born with a hereditary factor that meant they could never use magic. This led to a very insular outlook on the world that, a couple of decades ago, had soured into open aggression on the rest of Arcanis. He had been a young child when the proper invasions started, but every country that was laid low by animatic technology¡ªpowered by a rare, glowing blue liquid called Azuline that could be converted to magic power¡ªhad seen its citizens conscripted by their conquerors and used to invade other lands, especially if they had access to potent magics of their own.


    The fights in the past few weeks, before Ondun''s friends fell comatose thanks to the sorcerer behind that odd voice, it had been revealed that an ancient conspiracy that the Knowing Circle had been opposing all along wasn''t just behind it¡ªthey created the Empire for the express purpose of advancing their plots, not that the common soldier knew about it. The broken-down peace talks that were never going to yield anything in the first place led to the Battle of Grimald Pass. Fortunately it had ended before Sid, a tinker, ladies'' man, and skilled infiltrator, had had his soul "summoned" from his body.


    Ondun shook his head to clear his thoughts. That wasn''t important right now. Ondun had a habit of ruminating on his friends'' plight recently. While this was justified, he had other concerns right now, like getting that sponsorship, searching the woods for whatever that Mon said was in them...and taking a shower.


    Ondun sniffed himself and recoiled. He was a bit ripe. With that in mind, he stood and went for the bathroom with his new knowledge of modern lavatory technology.


    <hr>


    The next day...


    "Hey! Hey! You''ve overslept. I''m going to charge Dr. Wusiji extra, I swear..."


    Ondun sat up with a concerned Mrs. Li standing over him. "Come on, move your butt. It''s ten in the morning!"


    The adventurer shook off the covers. "...Mmm, my bad. Sleep...too late..." None of the Knowing Circle had ever accused Ondun of being a morning person.


    Mrs. Li, for her part, took it in stride. She reached into a pocket. "It''s been many years since I''ve used this, but..." She pulled out a spray bottle and a piece of paper and turned away from Ondun, then sprayed the paper. "Here, hon, just have a sniff."


    Ondun did, started coughing copiously, and his eyes widened. "By the All-Mother, where did you get such an awful smell!? Seriously, it''s like a Marlboro farted in an outhouse..."


    The woman just raised her eyebrow and held back some giggles. "I''ve never heard that expression before..." as the adventurer collected himself. He was still in his non-combat clothes. "Thanks for waking me up. Fortunately, I travel light, so I return your room to you."


    He picked up his pack, put his hand to the necklace with his Memory Gems, and embodied the Shinobi. He pulled back the hood and nodded to the woman. "I thank you again for your hospitality. I think I''ll go see Dr. Wusiji now."


    She nodded. "It was a pleasure. When you have money, if you''re ever in town and need a place to stay, just book a room through the Internet. I''ll let Dr. Wusiji know to add my contact info to your phone."


    Ondun nodded, and the woman led him to the door. He gave her an Eastern bow, then waved and set off for Dr. Wusiji''s laboratory.


    <hr>


    The walk back to the lab was quick, and Ondun quickly found himself face to face with the mad little scientist again. The man had one of those Bookstone-like devices¡ªa smartphone, apparently¡ªas well as an identifying card, a belt with six capture capsules in it, and a different card.


    "There you are, Ondun. Here, I was able to get you your provisional coach license, as well as a used smartphone, a basic set of capture capsules, and a bank card. This card has all your money on it and is already set up. You have 10,000 diamonds to your name. Food typically costs anywhere from 300 to 500, and capture capsules can cost 2000 for even the basic models. Medicines tend to hover around 750 to 1250. Manage it wisely."


    Ondun accepted all these things. "So, I''m not getting this for free. What''s my first job?"


    Dr. Wusiji grinned brightly. "Well, I was going to have you do a survey; there''s an app on your phone, Mondex.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Simply scan mons, preferably without them seeing you, and I can have data remotely sent to me. However, since a corrupted mon has been seen in the area, I want you to track it down and capture it. I will compensate you for any capture capsules expended in the attempt. We need one alive because we need to know what causes this corruption and what, if anything, we can do to heal it. We only have the one sample thanks to you, but we need more."


    Ondun nodded. "I''m used to extended stays in the wilds. Just show me what to do to get you the information."


    Dr. Wusiji spent the next few minutes showing Ondun how to use a smartphone and what apps did what¡ªhe found Mrs. Li and Guardian Alice''s contact info already saved in the general communication application¡ªand a few practice scans of Aquepup were done, which gave Ondun some interesting information about his new companion.


    "Hmmm, growth state unusual..." Ondun said, tapping his chin. He sincerely hoped he hadn''t stunted his partner''s growth by facing off against all those Gloomcubs and their higher forms.


    The doctor dashed to Aquepup''s side, causing the small monster to jump. He began peering over him, tapping one leg to test his reflexes, and even asking the terrified monster to open his mouth, which it did. After a few moments of this, the doctor began tapping his lip.


    "Hmm. He''s grown more quickly than usual. Granted, under normal circumstances, Mons accompany teens with no combat ability, and it is known that Mons do benefit from even secondhand exposure to battles. I wonder, was your combat the catalyst? Or was it something else?"


    The doctor and Ondun just looked at each other for a moment, Ondun stunned that the doctor had precisely voiced his own thoughts. Then the doctor jumped. "ACTUALLY! That''s one important thing. If you kill any Mons, that license will be revoked, which will leave you with basically no options. Also, your Aquepup will be taken away from you." The small monster whined and looked genuinely upset with this.


    "For your license to be promoted to a full license, you need to challenge and be recognized by even one city leader. Now, here in Yongqi Town, we have a leader, but...well, she''s in a special position at the moment, so she can''t be challenged. HOWEVER! If you follow Route 1, you can reach Shengxi City. The leader there is frankly boring, so I expect you to have no trouble. However, work before play, young Ondun! Complete my survey, and you will be paid handsomely. That should be more than enough to send you on your way."


    Ondun nodded. "Very well. I will study monsters, not slay them. I''ll rely on Aquepup to protect me." The monster barked and puffed itself up with pride, prancing around Ondun in a tight circle. "By the way...I was talking to Mrs. Li. Something in common between my world and yours is that named monsters seem somehow stronger. Do you know anything about this?"


    Dr. Wusiji stopped for a moment. "I have heard of that...that''s fascinating. Tell you what. I''ll pay you a bonus if you observe a battle with your Aquepup before naming and after so that we can put some nice, hard numbers to that thought. I don''t expect any difference, because names are just words, as everyone knows. But on the off chance you''re right...then your servitude¡ªerm, research partnership¡ªwill have paid off!"


    The doctor pounded a fist into an open hand. "Yes, that''s what I''m going with, especially if Alice asks."


    Ondun just looked down at Aquepup and shrugged. "I can also give you some training out in the wilds, my friend. What do you think of that?"


    "Aquepup!"


    Ondun nodded to his ally, then gave the odd doctor an Eastern bow. "Then, I beg your pardon. This survey is a project best started now, I think."


    The doctor nodded seriously. "Very well. Be safe, travel light, and if you''re around the lake and a small monster tells you something important, you should probably listen because it knows what it''s talking about!"


    Ondun had begun turning, but he continued the turn until he was facing the doctor again. "Wait, what?"


    "Wait, what?"


    There was an awkward pause. Ondun''s eyes narrowed. "Hey, what''s your relationship wi¡ª"


    "Nope, not answering. SCIENCE!" The doctor was gone the next moment.


    Ondun shook his head and decided that a couple of weeks of camping out, observing monsters, and looking for some non-lethal fights for his new partner were infinitely easier than dealing with the strange academic.


    Speaking of strange academics, Ondun thought as he walked for the city gates, Aquepup proudly strutting at his side, I wonder what Aenora''s up to today?


    <hr>


    Meanwhile, on Arcanis...


    Xin-xia had been furiously rebuilding over the past few months. Eastern humans, Garlons, and the odd Alviers were either building the odd paper and redwood buildings or chiseling blocks on more secure stone buildings when those were being erected. Humans and Draconians were standing guard, or manning the food stalls, as children pretended to be Shinobi or Samurai or Shamans.


    Aenora couldn''t physically see any of this, of course, but she saw the anima, the glow and thrum of life all about her, as she materialized in the Teleptite plaza, two squadrons of Shinobi guards eyeing her every move in case of some kind of subterfuge. Eventually they relaxed. "Lady Aenora, welcome back to Xin-xia," one greeted with an Eastern bow.


    Aenora returned it. "It''s good to be back, and full glad am I that your people prosper so. I had asked the young master for permission to investigate a...sensitive matter." She ended that sentence delicately, and the Shinobi nodded.


    "We understand the situation and what you''re trying to do. A squad is standing by out the south gate, by the boats. We may not be able to hunt what you hunt, but we can promise you will not be disturbed in your search."


    Aenora nodded. "Has the Empire remained quiet after the battle?"


    The Shinobi nodded. "Yes. While there are Imperial cells here and there, they''re biding their time for now. The defeat at Grimald Pass put a heavy dent in their morale. Our Alviers allies have reported that provincial governors have pulled back security forces for fear of insurrections, which, of course, the various'' territories resistance factions are acting to capitalize on. All things considered, the Empire seems to be on the back foot across Saia," he said with an impressed nod, referring to the massive continent on which both Xin-xia and the Empire were.


    Aenora nodded. "That''s well, especially...given the situation. Keep your vigil, Shinobi."


    "You too, Lady Aenora. And...our hero? I know you''ll get him back to us, along with all your other friends. You aren''t known as the Lotus Petal Shaman for nothing."


    Aenora couldn''t help but smile at that¡ªshe did like the epithet. She also dreaded her master learning of it. The teasing would be something to eclipse even Ondun''s legend.


    With another bow, she made her way to the southern gate, where boats were moored. Fish and goods were traveling freely on the newly liberated river. A tap on her shoulder from a gauntleted hand saw her jump and turn, only for an entire squad of three Shinobi, one of whom was very familiar, to be snickering at a safe distance.


    "Lady Suzumi, by the elements, you have got to quit doing this. I''m sure your masters would chide you rightly for such an abuse of your talents."


    The Shinobi just giggled harder, except Suzumi. "Nonsense. This is how we keep sharp. A harmless tap here and there keeps one aware of one''s surroundings." She stopped. "Especially when you''re looking for something important...and especially when other odd things are happening."


    Aenora raised an eyebrow, a gesture adopted from Ondun. The woman simply held out an anima crystal that the mage couldn''t help but stare at. After all, while it was physically there, it had exactly no anima charge to it whatsoever, nor elemental alignment. It was practically a void.


    "Miners keep finding crystals in this state. Something is going wrong. We need our friend back, immediately." the master Shinobi said, the other two stopping their merriment and adopting a much more serious mien.


    "Then we begin our search immediately, Lady Suzumi, Masters Shinobi. I know water magicks. We will not need a rower."

 11 - The Wake of Two Empires

    As Aenora channeled anima into the water, bidding it to part before the small boat that held her, Lady Suzumi, and the two shinobi she had brought with her, she took a moment to breathe in the air and listen to Xin-xia as the splash of moving water sprayed a cold mist about the small party.


    A few wild animals and monsters roamed the immediate area, and the ruins of war were everywhere¡ªImperial vehicles and automatons, either destroyed by the Xin-xian army during the initial invasion twenty years back or more recent wrecks from a few months ago when the Emperor seemingly died, had scattered their mechanical innards across the land, each telling a story of carnage and subjugation all its own. There were craters, too, either from the impacts of powerful siege weapons or the blasts of magic from both the Xin-xian defenders and conscripted Imperial mages who had been pressed into conquering the lands of others.


    Many who had written each tale on this proud land had not lived to tell it. The few who had lived, Imperial or a child of Xin-xia, doubtless did their best to forget such horrors.


    Yet, beyond the ugly scars of war, was a land yet untamed. Tall mesas of various stones rose through valleys between majestic mountains, the midday sun glimmering on the many waterfalls that gave Xin-xia its name in the first place: Country of Waterfalls. Tall trees and groves of wild bamboo dotted the landscape, seemingly in defiance of the ravages of the Imperial invasion, the Xin-xian people''s counterattacks, or any of the chaos that Ondun and the party that had set forth from Ahn Mexol had inflicted.


    The smell of the land, alas, told a deceptive story of the resilience of nature in opposition to the wanton cruelty of the allegedly civil races, of the war between those blessed with magicks and those who were born without. No, the smell only told part of the story. As Aenora opened her magic-sensing eyes, she saw a land whose natural anima currents were stagnant and sluggish. They hadn''t halted outright, but they weren''t behaving as they should. It was as if something had blocked the anima from flowing from being to being, stone to stone, plant to plant.


    Yet, amidst the viscous anima flows, Aenora could pick out a single luminous thread that was weakening by the moment. It was this she kept her eyes on as she carefully whispered to the water, directing the boat, with her magnificent living wood staff gently caressing the Xia-he, the waters that served as the land''s veritable artery, even as her two fluffy, triangular ears perked up, and her tail swished excitedly.


    "I have the trail. I intend to speed up. Secure yourselves," she warned. The shinobi, for their part, were already sitting but began making various seals. Immediately, the ride became extremely smooth, as the shinobi were aiding her with water jutsus.


    Suzumi nodded. "Wait not on our account, Lady Aenora."


    With a grin that could have been worked on Ondun''s handsome visage, Aenora increased the power of her spells, causing a massive burst of water to blast from the aft of the tiny boat. Away across the Xia they did fly, towards the thread of hope for the very champion who had restored theirs.


    <hr>


    The boat ride didn''t take long.


    Aenora was able to decelerate the boat with the help of the three shinobi. After they dragged the boat ashore and hid it in some brush, Aenora used some wind magicks, imbued with a tiny amount of fire, to dry everyone''s clothes. While the day was still warm enough, everyone present could appreciate the many problems that a march in soggy clothes would cause, and no one wanted to endure that.


    The four marched across Xin-xia in silence. While there were a few monsters about, none were particularly interested in Aenora or the shinobi. One monster seemed like it spotted them, but a quick jutsu created an illusion of a running child that sent the quadruped off on a wild chase that would be more than long enough for Aenora to find the end of that thread of crystal light.


    Only about four hours passed before they found the cave. The cave itself was nothing of any significant note, of course¡ªXin-xia had many caves. In fact, the Xin-xian Liberation Front had holed up in one that Inamai had practically been built on top of. Even so, this cave was obviously different because of the bright blue straight lines that were clearly visible from the outside.


    Aenora turned to her companions. "It seems the Allemandians had a foothold in these lands, too, though this is far more eastern than I was ever aware their empire had expanded. Accounts speak of their conquest of the southern continent, but other than the Grey Wastes to Xin-xia''s west, there should have been nothing of note at the time for them to want to conquer."


    The shinobi thought for a moment. One spoke. "Then, Lady Aenora, might this ruin be unraided?"


    Aenora mulled the question over, with Suzumi giving her a very concerned look. "While I''m sure some looting has happened over the past millennia, what scares me more isn''t lost lore or devices, but rather active defenses."


    The shinobi looked to each other and nodded. One man took off his lighter scouting gear and pulled a heavier set of Xin-xian style half-plate armor from a heavy bag and began tying it onto his gi and hakama. Once he was satisfied, he traded out his ninjetti for an uchi-gatana and an extremely small shield that fit over one bracer. He nodded to the rest of the party. "I have training in the samurai arts of Wa-xia. I will draw the ire of any foe."


    Suzumi nodded. "Kei-ichi, be light on your feet. The enemies you will face are more formidable than the automatons fielded by the Empire in our wars. Their auto-repair systems can be difficult to deal with. You will be sorely tested. Fortunately, Lady Aenora is a mistress of the healing arts. If we protect her, we should be able to follow her lead and see precisely what we are dealing with, and hopefully our next objective."


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Aenora nodded. "Honorable Kei, our lives are in each other''s hands." The other two shinobi promptly turned invisible and presumably fanned out to the flanks of the small formation. Aenora nodded to Kei and began carefully stepping into the cavern and the ruins that loomed within.


    While no traps immediately activated as the natural stone of the cave gave way to the odd metallic-and-luminously-lined, sharp angles of Allemandian technology, Aenora wasn''t about to let her guard down. The Allemandians were notoriously paranoid near the end of their sick reign, as the people they claimed to protect had been revolting violently with each additional conquest.


    Yet, in this piece of history, covered in dust and detritus though it was, no beam-fences restrained the party''s movements, no bit-type automata harassed the team, and no cloned monsters assailed the party in relentless waves.


    There was just dust and silence broken only by the silence of footsteps. The only consolation was that the place felt abandoned and not like an open grave.


    Before long, the dust gave way to more pristine corridors and doors. From prior experience at Ondun''s side, Aenora knew each door would be automatic but could be locked to a person who didn''t have a badge or device that was keyed to let them in. So it was, she carefully approached each door, off to the side, while the shinobi companions quickly caught on and began investigating other doors. None was trapped, but only one opened.


    The party filtered inside to find an ancient word-slate beside a data terminal that still, after thousands of years, had power. While Aenora cursed her ill luck that Sid had been laid low by the summoning spell of the mysterious sorcerer, the woman had seen enough Allemandian devices that she could operate them, if only in the most basic of capacities. She noted that the device was pointed to a folder that had a series of files. If her High Allemandian was correct, the file names were "Diary.text," "The Emperor is a Jerk.text," and "I''m done.text."


    She looked to her companions and gave a nod. The two senior shinobi covered the door, while Suzumi began checking the rest of the room for traps or any other material of value, starting with the word slate. Even as she was rummaging, Aenora touched the files with her finger, opening one after the other...


    <hr>


    "Dear Diary, Researcher Markus Varen reporting. We were relocated to the Great Dusts facility after our cross-dimensional gate experiment...catastrophically failed. Even though we presented the Emperor with the revolutionary findings of a being who wasn''t a damned Astral beyond the gate and records of our brief conversation with it, he fed our chief researcher to the tower and basically exiled us! It seems I am in charge now."


    "We promptly abandoned our posts. It was clear we were sent there to be forgotten, so we had some people there paid off. We had a tragic accident now. We are officially dead to the great and glorious Allemandian Empire! However, we serve her still, even in this distant land. We have built this outpost to continue the experiments that failed and learn from our mistakes. To that end, we''ve managed to use an appropriated construction automaton to reprint the Porta Intermundus. We just need to secure a power source, and we can resume our experiments."


    <hr>


    Aenora frowned. "This was an off-the-books research facility. There were definitely some automata here, but minimal living presence. There''s something called the Porta Intermundus here; I suspect, based on the data we''ve gathered, that some kind of cross-dimensional experiment was done here." She then returned to her reading.


    <hr>


    "Markus here. It''s been three months since our disappearance. Some people from the Dust checked up on us and gave us some news about the war on Meraia¡ªthe last of those Astrals has finally been contained. The world is a bit safer now. Yet, our work continues."


    "We sent them back with a request to get certain runes engraved in our old laboratory. While the Emperor sealed it off, that jerk, he''s more busy playing with those shadow beasts than worrying about a few nerds he exiled. Even as he''s prodding the powers of the Dark for yet more power of his own, we''ll make a name for ourselves all on our own. We may even be able to be emperors and empresses in our own right!"


    "Still, why our fellows had to wear those creepy black robes makes no sense. Worse, I could swear I''ve seen them before...bah, probably not important. When going behind the Empire''s back, caution is the name of the game. I mean, none of the villagers in this backwater are going to be able to challenge the might of Allemand."


    <hr>


    Aenora''s eyes had gone wide. Black-robed people who seemed oddly reluctant to be found were, unfortunately, a major part of the reason the Knowing Circle had been formed. For their hand to be in this worried Aenora greatly. Yet, other than the presence of the world''s true enemy, there was little to help her with the greater goal of at least re-establishing contact with Ondun.


    So it was, she opened the final file and began to read...


    <hr>


    "Markus here. WE''VE DONE IT! The Porta Intermundus has been activated again. Elasmia went through first but yelled as she did¡ªwe''re not sure, but the thing on the other side probably pulled her through. We know it''s intelligent and capable of reason, so it can''t be a monster...but it was also hostile to the head researcher. We have logged Elasmia''s sacrifice in the name of science."


    "The bigger problem is supplies. We''re running out, and our brethren haven''t given us a delivery in quite some time. Gandard and I talked it over...we''re going to go trade some of our precious metals to one of the nearby villages for provisions. Then, we''ll go prospecting to see if this land has any Azurium deposits. We''ve had to put many of our automata on sleep mode just to conserve power."


    "...Actually hold that thought; I need to check with Gandard on if this land is supposed to have earthquakes...this one feels like it could be a big one..."


    <hr>


    Aenora sighed and lifted her head. "Another account of the fall of Allemand, and in particular the great earthquake that heralded the close of the Third Age. More to the point, we are in great luck. They were having power problems at the end. Few automata, if any, should be active."


    The shinobi gave each other a high five as Suzumi looked up from the word slate with a nod. "Should you download that for transcription later? It seems like something that would be helpful."


    Aenora nodded. "You''d make a fine archaeologist." With a smile, she took the slate and connected it to the terminal, then pressed a button that, if her reading was correct, said "Download directory," though it could also have been "Download file system."


    A brief pause rang through the room, as only those moments where something has gone terribly wrong can. Then the alarms started.


    "Warning! Intruder alert! Unauthorized file access detected! Activating local defenses."

 12 - Forces Joined

    As soon as the alarms started, Aenora had her staff drawn from her back with a single fluid motion. The shinobi already had their ninjetti out, while Suzumi was making the hand seals for a wind jutsu to make everyone move a little bit faster.


    The team of adventurers was expecting automatons to burst out of the walls, firing animatech weapons, or perhaps a giant scorpion robot that would add arm-mounted drills to the mix, or some kind of mechanical dragon. What they did not expect were shouted curses from further into the facility.


    "Shite! Someone''s in here and triggered the defenses! What do we do?"


    "Easy, we get the hell out of here!"


    When the footsteps started, the shinobi all went invisible. Aenora just walked out of the room, staff in hand, only to turn, slam the spike of her staff on the ground, and wait to see who else was in here.


    Unfortunately for the Shinobi team, all three figures were wearing Imperial armor, black and silver in oddly organic shapes. Each person was armed with a simple javelin and a shield made of some Imperial alloy and had a manadrive on their back to either enhance their spells or allow them to cast spells that weren''t within their personal affinities.


    The Imperials, however, didn''t seem to view Aenora as a threat. The largest of them¡ªa Garlon, perhaps?¡ªmoved in front of the Shamaness, showing her his back. "Protect the caster here; they''re coming!"


    Even as the Imperials formed what was unmistakably a battle line, the automatons appeared. The leading unit had a massive ovoid body and two massive reverse-jointed legs. It was made of a pale metal and had blue lines pulsing throughout the length and breadth of its body, with the sole exception of the bright red sensor. At its side were some humanoid shapes, whose two arms ended in a long, stiletto-like spike. They moved with jerky movements and were made of all the same materials as the larger unit.


    When a cannon dropped from the central body of the main unit, the Imperial commander activated an ability and fired straight at Aenora, even as the other units charged. Immediately two of the units spontaneously fell apart¡ªa flash of motion told Aenora the shinobi had probably gotten behind them using their short-range teleportation technique and carefully removed parts that looked important. Even as two of the humanoid models feebly sparked and mechanically whined on the ancient facility''s floor, a burst of electricity caused the other two to seize up.


    That was when the impact of the beam hit the Imperial leader...only he didn''t instantly fall with a mortal wound like Aenora was imagining. Instead, his buckler had expanded to something like the size of a heater shield, and his manadrive device had come to life. The energy shield it produced flickered with the force of the blow, and Aenora could feel the backblast of heated air as the large man stumbled back, but he didn''t fall. Aenora quickly drew from the ambient anima, shaping a spell that would allow her to respond in kind.


    Aenora stepped from behind the giant man as two projectile autocannons popped off the automaton''s back and slammed their payloads into his shield.


    With a grimace, Aenora loosed a blue-white beam of purest light at the thing, staggering it and melting away some of its armor plating. With this opening, the two other Imperials activated their manadrives and shaped a powerful electric spell that slammed into the opening Aenora had created, short-circuiting the massive machine as it feebly stumbled forward, eagerly executing the ancient commands to eliminate all interlopers.


    The two blade automatons directed their efforts to each Imperial, only for two four-pointed Fuuma Shuriken jutsus to dismember the robots, even as they stabbed at the Imperial soldiers and grazed the soldiers. The two lesser shinobi appeared from behind the two injured troopers, ninjetti held against their exposed throats. They immediately stopped moving as their leader dropped his javelin, retracted his shield, and raised his hands.


    Suzumi walked up beside Aenora. "Hmmm, not going to destroy the savages who retook their land?" She asked sarcastically, not even bothering to hide her disdain at the uniform or the ones who wore it.


    "Look, you Xin-xia insurgents want to kill anyone, kill me, but let my people go home. Our commander abandoned us weeks ago, and we''ve been scavenging here to survive. I''m an Imperial citizen, yes, but my people just want to go back to their families."


    Aenora looked at Suzumi. "This is your land; I''m just a researcher. Far be it from me to weigh in."


    Suzumi shook her head. "If Ondun were here...he''d probably slay them outright. I wouldn''t blame him. Still...I should be a better example to my student." She turned her attention to the Imperials. "As people who have explored these ruins, if you want clemency, help us find what we''re looking for. I can escort you back to our base and get you transport home to your families. As to you..." she stared at the Garlon. "As an Imperial citizen, that won''t be possible. The Master will try you for any crimes you''ve committed against Xin-xia. If this isn''t palatable, I can end this now. What say you?"


    The massive commander looked at the human and Eldifian under his command. They nodded carefully. He nodded back. "We''ll help you, but there are more machines coming. They''ll be on us any moment."


    Aenora nodded, then her tail went straight and her ears did likewise as she caught the faint clang of metal pounding on the floor. "A wise choice. You may want to pick up your weapon, commander... they''re upon us."


    The blades came off the Imperials'' throats as Aenora quickly channeled a wide-area healing spell. Immediately the Imperials'' wounds healed. "Thank you, lady. We swear we won''t let you down!"


    Aenora just shook her head. "Likewise. Fight with us, and we''ll not see you returned to the Empire''s mercies."


    The commander was silent for a moment as the clanging of automaton footsteps grew louder. Just before they came in, he whispered back to the two women, "Thank you. I value my people, unlike some in the Empire." Suzumi was already making electric jutsu hand seals. "If our master finds you innocent, Xin-xia could always use capable and competent leaders, you know."


    He grunted in acknowledgment, expanded his shield, and leveled his javelin against it. "A tempting offer, not going to lie. Emilee, Athvelor, Alpha formation! Cover the foreign auxiliaries!"


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Aenora had been preparing a wind spell of her own. She and Suzumi just looked at each other and shrugged before releasing their anima arts upon the ancient, witless automata. It seemed for Imperials, old habits died hard.


    <hr>


    Meanwhile, on Monastria...


    Night had fallen a few hours back. After carefully scanning the area around town with the new smartphone¡ªOndun had to mentally stop himself from calling it a Booklith because it looked almost exactly like one¡ªhe immediately pitched camp, being curiously watched by Aquepup.


    The fire was crackling merrily within a ring of carefully arranged stones. Ondun offered his monster a piece of jerky, who gobbled it up immediately, happily wagging his tail all the while.


    Meanwhile, Ondun was a little lost in thought. In truth, the adventurer hadn''t had a quiet moment like this in quite some time. For months, he''d been charging from battle to battle, fighting the Empire, running errands for random hamlets, and being a general do-good hero to multiple lands. Now that Ondun''s most pressing mission was literally, "take pretty pictures and readings of a peaceful forest that''s mostly filled with low-level monsters that pose no threat to you," Ondun had some time to process everything he''d been through.


    Aquepup curled up with a whine of, "Aque?" Ondun absently pet the small blue and white monster.


    "You know, little friend...it''s been a while since I''ve been able to just relax like this."


    His ally looked up at him, not even a speck of judgment in his young eyes. The fire crackled.


    Ondun looked down at his companion. "Perhaps the humans here are right. I''ve grown far, far too used to drawing my blades. At some point, ''hero'' did come to mean ''killer''...just like that odd monster said."


    The pup tilted his head curiously, as if to say, "What monster?" Ondun simply petted his friend. "During the fight...time slowed, and an odd, blue, round monster talked to me. It told me to find something here. Then it told me to go find a therapist."


    The Aquepup simply nodded its head. "Aquepup." Sounds right.


    Ondun drew the monster into a sudden hug. "You know what the hell the thing is? I think that monster was right. Yes, I saved that boy...but you know what? I don''t feel like a hero. That Ranger was right to be willing to throw me in prison. Monsters here...you are all intelligent, aren''t you?"


    Aquepup nodded. "Aque."


    Ondun released Aquepup, who didn''t go anywhere. "Then...even if those monsters were a threat to a human, what I did was little better than what they had intended to do. I should''ve shown greater control."


    Aquepup nuzzled Ondun with his nose. "Aquepup!" Look at me.


    Ondun locked eyes with his small companion. There was still no judgment there, just two puppy eyes, a wagging tail, and a sudden lick on his scaled nose. Then look again.


    Ondun nodded. "You''re right. You''re here. I should have worked with you to protect the boy. You''re my ally."


    "Aquepup!"


    Ondun gave his friend some pets. "That said, I''m way stronger than you."


    "Aquepup?" Are you sure?


    Ondun thought back to his fight against the Yeziblade and almost said ''yes''...then he remembered Guardian Alice''s Faerrow, who had forced him to start seriously fighting. He remembered the corrupted monster who''d been dropped by tranquilizers. He remembered all the Rangers, who had hands on monster capsules, ready to summon their allies at a moment''s notice after the examples of the violence he could bring.


    "No, I''m not sure. The truth is, many monsters in this world are probably stronger than me."


    There was a pause. "However, that''s all the reason for us both to get stronger."


    "Aquepup!"


    Ondun grinned at his friend''s agreement. "Well, since everyone knows named monsters are stronger..." He tapped his finger to his chin, recalling his adventures. "There was once this massive wolf named Fenris in a dungeon I delved into with my friends. I think the male version of the name is Fenrir."


    Aquepup thought about it but didn''t make any further acknowledgment.


    "There was also a mighty Astral in my world, named Hecatoncheir. Tonchei?" he asked.


    Aquepup just looked at Ondun with an expression that yelled, Are you serious?


    Ondun thought. "Wait. Those are all powerful monster names, sure...what do you like, though?"


    The young monster pawed at Ondun''s pack and carefully pulled out another piece of jerky. It was now Ondun''s turn for incredulity. "You can''t be serious. You really like jerky, don''t you?"


    "Aquepup!"


    "You know the other humans will think very poorly of me for naming you Jerky, right? The name doesn''t scream ''loving ally and friendly monster companion.''"


    "Aquepup!" Well, why don''t you do better?


    Ondun thought and thought of what some of his adventurer friends back on Arcanis would name a dog. He snickered. "No, that''s a terrible idea."


    "Aquepup?"


    "I could call you ''Strudel,'' since it''s a food, but..." Aquepup was giving him puppy dog eyes. Ondun rolled his.


    "Fine, Strudel. You win. I swear I''m going to have to put you on a diet before our journey ends..." The monster, on the other hand, looked very pleased with himself and puffed up a little. "Aquepup!"


    Ondun just petted his food-obsessed little friend. "So, we need you to get stronger. How about I teach you how to use water a little better? I am a Shinobi, and we can use water jutsus. Water seems to be an element your species is aligned with, so..."


    "Aquepup!" The monster was happily wagging its tail now. Ondun grinned and put his self-recriminations to the side. There was time for reflection, sure, but Ondun had learned the hard way that a friend''s time was ever limited.


    "Okay, then. I don''t know how this translates for a monster like you, but my teacher Suzumi always told me that reaching out for an element means feeling for the essence of a thing you want to use in your jutsu. First, you''re going to want to think only of water, how it moves, and how it flows..."


    <hr>


    The Imperial commander took another blow, but it was the last one. Suzumi somersaulted seemingly out of nowhere, digging her ninjetti into a massive, human-shaped automaton''s control cluster, severing it, and causing the machine to limply fall, with its inner systems feebly sparking. The other shinobi kept on guard...but there were no further sounds of impending battle machines. Eventually, everyone put down their arms. The shinobi turned, with the weapons still in hand, and cautiously regarded the ''ex''-Imperials who had fought alongside them. Immediately the human woman fell to her knees as the Eldifian ran to her. "Dammit, she was already starving before this!" the man cried out.


    Aenora and Suzumi shared a look, then shrugged. Aenora dug into her pack and pulled out some pemmican. "Here." She offered the food to the famished Imperial woman. "Eat slowly. Also..." she pulled out a traveling skin of water. "Drink this, but slowly."


    The other two Imperials were eyeing the rations suspiciously. Suzumi pulled out some of her own. "Here. There''s no poison," she added, "if you''re to fulfill your side of the bargain, you''ll need to be in good condition."


    The Garlon and Eldifian each gave courtly bows. "My thanks, honorable lady." They began carefully eating and drinking. The other two shinobi shrugged and stood watch.


    Suzumi broke the silence. "We need to decide what to do. While our new ''auxiliaries'' were an unexpected surprise, this complicates the mission. We need to hurry. Aenora, how''s the thread?" Aenora checked the thread her anima sight had been following. Already it was noticeably dimmer than it had started. "It is fading. We will need to proceed more quickly now. The automata stalled us quite successfully."


    The Imperials looked confused, and none of Aenora''s allies felt the need to explain anything further. Aenora turned her attention to them. "Are you all strong enough to continue?"


    Each one nodded, though the human woman did so a little more weakly than her counterparts. Unfortunately for her, Aenora knew that time was running short. "Then, if it''s okay with Lady Suzumi, we had best proceed further in. Whatever the Porta Intermundus is, we need to find it quickly and get it working."


    The Imperials and shinobi alike nodded in agreement. With Suzumi and the hulking Imperial leading the way, Aenora in the middle, and the flanks and rear covered by the stealth warriors and lesser Imperials, the seven carefully made their way deeper into the strange, metallic halls, looking for anything that would lead them to the prize Aenora had identified.

 13 - How to Train Your Aquepup

    Strudel the Aquepup was studying Ondun intently as the night grew darker. The warm firelight made the Draconian adventurer look a little more imposing than he had in the lab when the two met.


    Ondun was rubbing his chin, considering how best to teach something to Strudel. Unlike most humans, Strudel could perfectly understand Ondun when he spoke. To the tiny monster, it was as if the adventurer''s words weren''t merely said with voice but instead were communicated on a more spirit-to-spirit level. Before Strudel had been separated from his mother, a proud Aquealpha, his mother had nurtured the tiny pup in a similar way. While Mons, as a general rule, growled to each other and, with context, made their intentions known, Strudel had never previously had such a connection other than that deep cub-to-parent bond, where a look speaks volumes, and a tiny yelp conveys as much or as little meaning as anyone needs.


    To Strudel, Ondun felt off. It wasn''t because Ondun was a bad person; Strudel had been impressed by Ondun''s willingness to defend the young. Rather, Ondun himself was struggling with pain and fear that made the small monster wonder just what the human who was teaching him had been through. The dragon-like man felt sometimes like a cub himself, other times like a veteran of a thousand battles, and sometimes like someone who was just playing everything by ear.


    Strudel didn''t know which part of Ondun was the real one, so naturally the pup decided they were all him.


    <hr>


    Ondun slammed a fist into his other hand. "Alright, I think I know where to start."


    Strudel just looked up at his adventurer ally, eyes wide and tail wagging. To Ondun, it looked like he was saying, "I''m ready!"


    Ondun reached into his bag and pulled out a piece of jerky and some string. Taking a nearby stick, he tied the string to the stick, then the string to the jerky. "Since I know you like food, we need to start with your general conditioning. You handled yourself well at the lake, so let''s take that up a notch."


    To the adventurer, the situation was notable not for the attentiveness of his young monster charge¡ªthough, to Ondun, this was nothing short of miraculous, given his previous encounters with monsters¡ªbut rather for the fact that Strudel wasn''t drooling at the jerky but instead paying him attention. Is Strudel really paying close attention to this lesson? Ondun wondered.


    Ondun prepared the chew toy for his friend. "I''m going to move this to a few different places in a pattern that I think will help you improve your agility. At the end of the sequence, you can have the jerky. Then I''ll prepare another one, and we''ll repeat. What do you think?"


    "Aquepup!" Strudel was on his legs now, tail wagging excitedly. Thus, Ondun began.


    The actual sequence of direction changes was something that had been partially conveyed by the Shinobi Memory Gem Ondun wore on his chest but was also trained by Suzumi and his own battles against Imperial soldiers back on Arcanis.


    The general idea was to instill in Strudel a reflex to check his back, as savvy opponents would gleefully set traps or create effects that would manifest from behind. Further, it laid the groundwork for the most important lesson any fighter learns on day one: There is no more dangerous ground than the ground you''re standing on.


    Ondun felt more than a pang of guilt at teaching what was essentially a puppy so harsh a lesson, that he had honed not just when playing with other boys back in his home village, but also reinforced and refined on the battlefield. Even still, Ondun thought as Strudel completed the first sequence and got to happily eat a sliver of jerky, both worlds are harsh when you stop and think about it. At least he''s learning useful skills in a less chaotic environment.


    For a moment, Ondun reflected on the final blows he''d landed against the Empire at the Battle of Grimald Pass. Two Imperial commanders, suited up in custom animatech armor, had attacked him and his strike force in an alternating pattern. His allies were constantly dodging, waiting for an opening. When the chance had come...


    "Aquepup?"


    Strudel poked the string with his nose, his head tilted to one side. Ondun had gotten lost in his thoughts yet again. He shook his head to clear it, then grabbed another piece of jerky and began chewing it. "Good job, Strudel. This time, we''re going to go a bit faster. Remember, focus on waiting for the correct moment to go after the jerky, OK?"


    Ondun had realized he''d been more easily caught up in thought than he had at the start of his career when everything was a fresh adventure. For some reason, that small, spherical creature''s words rang again in his mind. I wonder, is there actually something wrong with me? I wasn''t always like this.


    Ondun dismissed the notion, at least for now. Even as he made Strudel work a little harder for his dinner, he found he was having fun seeing the immature monster twist and turn, just like a more normal dog might. There was something...well, cute about it.


    When''s the last time I actually let myself think of something as cute? Ondun wondered.


    <hr>


    It was getting very late. While most of the children were fast asleep by now, Dr. Eugene Wusiji''s work had just gotten started.


    The odd, human-like man, Ondun, had been a treasure trove of valuable information. Even his blood was an education. Eugene had sent some copies of the data from the swabs to two nearby hospitals, and both had initially asked why he''d randomly sent them results from someone who worked in a mine.


    After he''d explained the situation¡ªand they''d confirmed with the Guardian herself that, no, he was telling the truth¡ªthe implications of the man''s biology, the odd DNA sequences, and most of all his ability to produce abilities that only humans at the apex of spiritual discipline could, left them with the uncomfortable conclusion that this man was not only very human, mostly, but had put to rest two theories about the expression of Auric arts in humans.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Eugene was now compiling notes from his tests with the few Mons he had, based on the idea of elemental types having a polarity. The man had, of course, been correct that opposing elements, with the same polarity, would fizzle out. When the polarities had been different...


    Eugene looked at the shattered table. Ondun had, in retrospect, not been kidding when he''d indicated he had been holding back.


    Shaking his head, the doctor put aside tiny inconveniences like needing a new table and focused on the email he was typing. A few cities over, one of the leaders¡ªa brawny, brutish sort, not at all unlike Ondun¡ªhad recently claimed to have developed an affinity for the Auric arts. So it was that Eugene attached the recordings of the phenomena the odd, dragon-like man had produced and sent them to him.


    City Leader Lee Lee, the man known across Kongming as "The Martialist," would doubtless find these developments helpful in his own "cultivation" or whatever he was calling it these days. As Wusiji clicked ''Send,'' he couldn''t help but scoff. Either way, it''ll make for an amazing monster battle. Better still, I''ll get more useful data out of it!


    <hr>


    The hour was late, yet Alice straightened herself up and cleared her mind as best she could. She''d gotten the report from Yongqi about the incident with the child who''d been chased by a corrupted Gloomwolf. Unfortunately, the creature had used its signature ability, Packleader''s Call, to amass a small army to help it attack...which Ondun inflicted serious and bloody casualties on.


    That''s why she was here. Even as she raised her hand to knock on the door, the man inside called out, "Guardian Alice, there''s no need to be so formal. We''ve worked together for a long time; your odd problem is so intriguing I can hear it from out here."


    Bolts slid open, and a thin, black-haired man in a Hypnonda onesie opened the otherwise unassuming apartment door. While the black-and-white outfit had seriously confused more than one Circuit challenger, Alice knew that was the man giving his opponents a clue in an effort to make a fundamentally unfair challenge a little more even.


    The man was a psychic, after all, and so were all of his Mons.


    He gestured her inside, and, with a quick and shallow bow, she entered. The man''s apartment was spartan, with simple black furniture that gave just enough comfort for the city leader to relax in his all-too-infrequent time off. He pushed up his glasses as she thought all of this, though. "You know I like a clean aesthetic. It helps keep my thoughts in order."


    She favored the man with a genuine smirk. "Lowell, even if you couldn''t read other people''s minds, you would still be one of the most mentally disciplined people I''ve ever met."


    Lowell tapped his lip. "Of course, that''s the problem. This Ondun you think of. You''re worried because he''s simultaneously very disciplined and really, really not." He gestured to a couch, preemptively feeling Alice''s emotional weariness and wariness. She obliged.


    Alice thought before she spoke, so Lowell knew exactly what the woman voiced before she put it to speech. "Ondun isn''t from this world. As far as I can tell, he''s stuck here with us. I''ve got him studying with Dr. Wusiji..."


    "...who''s at least five bottles short of a six-pack..." he added, rolling his eyes.


    The Guardian of the Kongming Province didn''t even try to argue that point. "...But the fact is, I feel like he''s a liability in the long run. I talked to him, and the world he''s from...it''s like ours, four hundred years ago, but in his world, humans and human-like peoples are basically the top of the food chain. They can use magic more or less freely, and in his case, he''s singularly talented at, and practiced in, combat."


    Lowell nodded. "Indeed, it''s highly unlikely anything but the highest-security prisons could hold him if he went rogue, if I''m reading these thoughts right."


    It was a sign of how dire the situation was that Alice didn''t chide the man for looking deeper than he probably should have. While Lowell couldn''t turn his powers off, he usually did a better job at keeping them in check. Lowell must be as worried about this as I am.


    Lowell nodded. "Of course. Sure, this man could be a noble hero, but he could also be a complete, unstoppable hooligan. Did he really press Sparkles so hard?"


    Alice just gave the man a nonplussed stare. "Sparkles is far from my strongest Mon, but he was able to inflict a wound. If Sparkles had been closer to the point where she could safely evolve into a Faeblade, there would''ve been nothing to worry about, probably. This man is stupidly strong."


    Lowell thought. "Which is why you''ve come here, to me. You need a solution."


    Alice nodded. "Just so. You''re really good with people, and these days it''s all I can do to keep Yamato and Choson from going back to naval skirmishes. I need some options."


    The room was quiet for about half a minute. About twenty seconds in, Alice got very apprehensive, but Lowell ignored that. He was busy thinking and, with the impressions from Alice''s mind, putting together a set of priorities. When he broke the silence, he gave himself two-out-of-three odds that he could do something constructive for everyone, including this Ondun fellow.


    "Guardian Alice...Yongqi is the closest town to here. If you¡ªor that science-nut Wusiji¡ªcan send Ondun my way first on the circuit, I think I can help. This Ondun unironically called himself a hero, yes?"


    Alice nodded.


    "All I will require is some time and some trust. Those who have great power need great guidance to use that power well. You, of course, know this truth as well, if not better than I. After all...you are the strongest."


    There was a pause. Alice was not going to dispute what was a well-proven fact.


    "This Ondun seems inclined to brute force because it works for him. I''m going to make it stop working for him."


    Alice''s eyes opened wide. "No...you wouldn''t."


    "That''s why I asked for your trust. This is going to be absolutely awful for him. Yet, if he can get through my little trial, he may be a little easier to work with going forward. If not, he''ll be in no position to make trouble. I just need some legal cover, which should be well within the realm of the Guardian herself to provide."


    Alice stood and sighed a deep sigh. Between the man''s impatient jailbreak and hot-blooded and bloody rescue of a child, she simply couldn''t find it in herself to say no. Worse, for Lowell himself to jump straight to having Ondun brave the trial that everyone in the Advanced Recon Coaches called the ''Mind Maze'' was a confirmation that he had agreed with the Guardian: Either Ondun needed to choose to stop being a threat or be made to stop being a threat.


    "I will. Ondun''s not the only person I can bend the rules for, after all."


    Alice nodded to the city leader and swiftly left, softly closing the door behind her. Lowell gave the situation another thirty seconds of deep thought, as he felt her teleporter get released from her capture capsule and spirit them off to Olympus-knows-where.


    Then he stood, straightened out the black-and-white bear-motif onesie, and grabbed his smartphone.


    "This is Lowell. There are some circuit preparations around the city we need to make some changes to. We''re going to have a very unusual participant this year, and security for both him and the city needs to go to another level entirely. First, the Circuit trials are going to work a bit differently this year..."

 14 - Porta Intermundus

    Back on Arcanis, in Xin-xia, inside unmapped Allemandian ruins...


    "This time, surely we have the correct key," Suzumi said wearily. She swiped the ancient ID card, and with a green flash and beep, the door controls activated, and a massive door slid open with only a gentle hiss. The elder Shinobi would probably have cheered had the massive back-and-forth through the ruined labs, habitations, and recreational areas not been physically and mentally taxing.


    Aenora gave the elder Shinobi a pat on the back. "We couldn''t have found it without everyone''s contributions. Yes, even you Imperials," she added with a nod to the black-and-silver armored warriors, who had proven adept with Allemandian technology and also helpful in a few of the scarier spots when the defenses had activated.


    The Garlon commander, Wulfric, sighed. "If I never see a crate puzzle in my life again, it will be too soon." His human subordinate just gave him a pat on the back in unspoken agreement.


    Aenora allowed herself a smirk¡ªprivately, she agreed it was a poor security measure and was basically pointless¡ªbut for some reason, one of the Allemandians had thought it reasonable enough to build as a defensive measure. Perhaps, when I go home one day, I should write a paper based on this experience and offer that we rethink the idea of the Allemandians being ''advanced.''


    Shaking her head, she stepped into the room, with Suzumi and Wulfric at her sides, the other two shinobi and Imperials coming in behind, warily. The room they were in was massive, shaped like a semi-sphere, lined with a mix of what seemed like armored white panels and soft white-blue lights, and in the middle of the room, a control panel and a mostly-circular gate. The exposed devices at the top immediately made Aenora think of the traditional torii-style gates that were so common in this part of the world. The archaeologist in her wondered if there was some long-lost connection.


    "I think we''ve found what we were looking for...the thread is weak now, but this is definitely the place. It leads straight into that ''gate,'' for want of a better word," Aenora said seriously. She began looking around. "If my time with Ondun has taught me anything, the moment we try to operate that console, something will happen," she added with great certainty.


    Suzumi nodded, and the three shinobi vanished into the meager shadows that were in the ancient chamber. The Imperials looked at each other and nodded. "We''ve got your back, Lady Aenora. You''ve done right by us. When you''ve got things under control, we''ll go with your shinobi friends there."


    Aenora nodded. "Then, be alert. A fight could very well be upon us." With that, Wulfric and Aenora approached the terminal.


    The room proved Aenora''s assertions correct when, out of the curved ceiling, some armor panels slid away, and a spider robot twice as big as the Imperial Garlon slammed into the floor behind them.


    Unauthorized intruders detected. Security playback indicates termination of security drones and circumvention of countermeasures. Threat level upgraded to G-class.


    Immediately the spider robot folded in on itself. Aenora conjured a wall of wind¡ªshe based the art on what she''d been observing the shinobi doing all this time¡ªjust before a burst of energy neutralized the barrier explosively, sending the two away from the control pedestal. Four of the spider''s legs had folded up, and the tips retracted, exposing prongs that, if Aenora was to guess, functioned similarly to the Imperial manadrives and would allow the machine to manifest pre-programmed phenomena.


    Wulfric readied his javelin and sword. He flicked a switch on the javelin, causing the blade to offset downward somewhat relative to the shaft and exposing the firearm barrels that many Imperial weapons were known to have. "Here, spider, spider, spider!" he taunted, loudly.


    Subject: Garlon. Anomalously low animal capacity rating. Reverse-engineered Animadrive detected. Upgrading threat rating to V-class. Unworthy of immediate attention.


    Aenora shrugged. "Looks like our new friend doubts your prowess. Care to prove it wrong?"


    The large man immediately charged the massive construct with his shield. A prong smashed down onto it as his barrier flashed in defiance of the strike. He slammed his javelin into an exposed joint and pulled the trigger, causing a loud bang to sound through the ancient chamber. As the machine became unsteady on one of its legs, he moved his shield up to block another attack, even as he backpedaled out of range. From there, a Fuuma Shuriken jutsu from one of the concealed shinobi slammed into another leg, as Suzumi appeared in midair above the gargantuan device somehow and slammed both ninjetti into the top of it, causing a massive shower of sparks to pour from the arachnid construct.


    Even as she backflipped and melded into the shadows, the device lowered the legs it had used as weapons and retracted the two damaged ones instead. More sparks started flying.


    Activating X-ATM-092 repair protocols. Limb repair underway. Upgrading threat profile to D-class for the enemy team. Garlon subject upgraded to T-class threat designation. Subject should talk less and fight more.


    The single, red eye on the device shone ominously as Aenora jumped behind the man and erected a sphere of non-elemental, negatively aligned anima in a shield. The resulting electric attack bounced off and slammed into the gateway, throwing some metal plating off it and exposing some circuitry and what looked like coils of a silvery metal inside.


    Aenora peeked out from behind the massive man, who had his shield solidly in front of him now, and called upon positive anima to materialize a bolt of ice, which slammed into the casing around that central eye. The other shinobi pounded the ice with fire, causing it to partially vaporize, but more importantly, to slightly melt. From behind the gateway, the Eldifian Imperial, Athvelor, flipped his sword upside down and put one hand over the pommel. The manadrive on the back of the armor glowed ominously before he proffered the pommel, and manadriven lightning shot forth into the melting ice spike.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Power surge detected. Hostile attack received. Switching to backup processing and control. Threat level: Terminus. All armaments are free. Glory to Allemand!


    The ancient device shuddered as ports opened on its body. "Everyone, to me, now!"


    Immediately the shinobi dropped their camouflage and backflipped around Aenora and Wulfric, and the two Imperial soldiers double-timed it to the Felinian sorceress as ports opened across the arachnid robotic body, and a swarm of tiny missiles flew at Aenora''s party from all sides. She immediately poured all her anima into a massive shield that instantly halted all of the missiles.


    "We need to finish this thing off! Someone take the missiles; everyone else, end that robot!" she yelled, her normal quiet dignity gone in the face of an existential threat. The Imperials nodded to each other. The human woman shouted, "I can take the missiles! Everyone else, you heard the lady!"


    While the Imperial human soldier was even quieter than Aenora, the woman had always moved with swift precision. So it was, raised an unusually bulky axe, and held it above her head. As Aenora felt her shield begin to waver, the shinobi were already making hand seals, and Wulfric and Athvelor were preparing for a bold charge at the ancient machine.


    When the shield fell, everything happened at once. Immediately the axe glowed red, and a burst of crimson power pulsed from it, spiking the temperature in the room to an uncomfortable degree, as a wave of pure fire anima collided with each missile, exploding them in midair in a blinding burst of pyrotechnics. The backpressure from this forced the huddle of people even closer together before the Eldifian and Garlon loosed a primal battle cry, and blades in front, pushed off with their backfoot, charging the monstrous contraption.


    Even as they did this, the shinobi completed their jutsus. Hands outstretched, one pulse of water and two bolts of lightning slammed into the device with perfect timing, causing smoke to pour from the abused machine and, more importantly, causing some armor to blow off. Immediately, Athvelor changed his course as Wulfric raised his shield and knelt. The machine fired an array of energy beams at the Garlon...but the machine had badly miscalculated.


    Athvelor vaulted off his friend, as the physical shield and manadriven barrier both failed, the massive man falling unconscious and suffering some moderately severe energy burns. The Eldifian swordsman sailed through the air, not unlike a certain part-time Dragon Knight Aenora knew, as his long blade found purchase in the device. Even as the machine began ominously vibrating, the blades extended to the sides, exposing yet another barrel. Athvelor wasted no time pulling the trigger.


    With a second and final loud bang, the machine fell to the chamber floor and was silent.


    Aenora fell to her knees, the skirts of her dress-like robe expanding about her as she did. The shinobi also knelt, not only from being winded due to furiously trying to position for the most efficient, machinaicidal strikes, but also from the drain that using so many jutsu so frequently put on the shinobi.


    After all, not everyone was Ondun, with his almost freakish capacity for anima.


    After a moment, Aenora got back to her feet. She rushed to the unconscious Garlon, whose breathing was ragged. She turned back to Suzumi. "Call Kelse. We''re going to need help fixing this thing. I''ll see to the wounded as best I can."


    Suzumi wasted no breath confirming the request. She immediately put a hand to her ear, focused her anima, and started talking. The Imperials just looked to one another as a shinobi patted the human woman on the back in quiet thanks, despite the look his compatriot gave him.


    Aenora focused on the Garlon. "Now, big guy, let''s get you mobile again. You trusted us...never let it be said I''m a woman who doesn''t repay her debts."


    <hr>


    When Ondun woke up to the morning sky, already light, he knew he''d overslept again. The trees, the bamboo...for a brief moment he wondered how he''d wound up back in Xin-xia. After all, it was only about four days since the Battle of Grimald Pass, of the carnage of war, and Imperial warmachina pressing against the Alliance lines...


    A very, very wet lick from Strudel broke Ondun out of the spiral. It took the adventurer a moment to remember this monster dog was his ally now. He shook his head, clearing the cobwebs, as the young canine tilted his head at him in confusion and concern.


    "Don''t worry about me, Strudel. It took me a moment to remember where I was. This place does look a lot like home...but much, much greener. Where I''m from, the land that looks like this is called Xin-xia..." He patted the dog, who bounded up into his lap and curled up with a small bark of "Aquepup!"


    Ondun absently petted the dog. "So, little one, let''s do some more exploring and surveying today. Then, we''ll do some different training. Reward is more food." He said with a wink.


    "Aquepup!" The young monster seemed to agree, so he gave Strudel a quick pat and stood up. Strudel had gotten a little bit bigger overnight¡ªnot so much ''girthier,'' but he was just generally more muscular, his hair was a little longer and more lustrous, and his snout had elongated just a little. "I was going to put you on my shoulder, but you''ve already outgrown me, Strudel."


    "Aquepup..." It seemed the monster had really been looking forward to a shoulder ride. So it was Ondun packed up camp, his trusty ally at his side. The dog took a look at the charred remains of the campfire and sprayed it with a jet of water before digging a hole and burying the carbonized wood into it, then covering it back up with the displaced dirt.


    "Huh...not bad, Strudel."


    "Aquepup!"


    Ondun and his monster friend just looked at each other for a moment. "Well, come on. As we walk, I can tell you about where I''m from, where I''ve been, the people I''ve met, and the friends I have..."


    <hr>


    Strudel walked at Ondun''s side silently for many hours after that, listening to his human ally tell him his adventures in a distant world, of friendships, betrayals, reunions, fierce battles, tender moments, tearful farewells, and inspiring victories. All the while, the small monster couldn''t help but realize Ondun might have been walking in this world, but his heart was far away.


    The tiny monster was coming to understand the odd person better. Ondun''s path had been bloody because that''s what his world had demanded of him. Strudel wondered how he and his mother would have been had he been born out here, in the Kongming wilds, and not on a ranch to a trained mother and father, and with loving human allies.


    With a shudder that Ondun missed, Strudel considered he might be no different than those Gloomcubs who attacked the human child¡ªhungry, fearful, and angry.


    Strudel trotted closer to Ondun and gave him a brush and a bark. He wanted to tell the human, in his words, that Ondun wasn''t alone right now, that he had a new friend right here, and that he would do his best to help Ondun''s new friends wake up again.


    At his heart, Ondun was a man who valued his friends and just wanted to live and journey with them. He just pretended to be this hero because everyone else expected it of him. Strudel didn''t know what to think about that, and Ondun seemed oblivious to the implications of the stories he told.


    So it was when Ondun suddenly stopped, Strudel banged head-first into Ondun''s shin. Immediately, though, Ondun switched to his Dragon Knight''s armor and pulled the massive lance into a ready position. At first, Strudel wondered if the man was having one of his odd dazes he seemed to have, but the adventurer didn''t turn his attention to him.


    Instead, he was looking at ruined metal plates that still faintly glowed with pale blue lines. While Ondun couldn''t understand Strudel, Strudel could perfectly understand what his very alert friend said next.


    "Why the hell are Allemandian ruins in this world!?"

 15 - The Yongqi Gate

    After no automatons had jumped out at Ondun or Strudel, he cautiously lowered the Lohengrim, quietly told Strudel to stay close and be ready to attack anything, and began checking the oddly-shaped ruined gateway. The shape nagged at Ondun as something he''d seen before in his travels, but he couldn''t quite put his finger on it. Even so, he checked everything, looking for sensors or pressure plates or anything that might be a door that could unleash hordes of killer robots upon him and his charge.


    Sure, Ondun could handle it...but he really didn''t want anything to happen to Strudel. He was growing attached to the oddly gentle monster puppy.


    Eventually, after a third circuit was complete, Ondun replaced the lance, confident that this out-of-place ruin wasn''t going to immediately cause any trouble. While the adventurer had been in many Allemandian ruins and operated animatech devices of a number of different purposes, he''d never seen a device like this one. Carefully, Ondun brushed some leaves off a suspicious, mud-caked platform and saw that this was an active control device.


    Thankful for his luck, he decided to try logging into it, but every effort was rejected. Once again wishing Sid was here, Ondun thought and did the second-best thing he could think of: pulling out his new smartphone.


    He quickly found Dr. Wusiji''s contact information and pressed ''Call.''


    Once the mad scientist picked up, Ondun immediately started. "Doctor, I''ve found an odd device here in the woods. I''m about a day and a few hours away from town. I recognize the general make of the device...it''s from my world."


    Ondun could hear the man rubbing his hands excitedly on the other side of the line. "Ondun, listen to me very carefully. I''m going to tell you how to take a picture. I need you to send it to me. I''ll tell you how."


    Over the next few minutes, Ondun fumbled with the not-quite-Allemandian technology of his smartphone, learning how to use the photography app to snap photos, then to share them with an instant messaging channel. As soon as he had uploaded the file and Dr. Wusiji had received it, he heard the scientist''s seemingly trademark cackle on the other end of the line.


    "This is magnificent, MAGNIFICENT I SAY! Yes, technology from another world, on ours...yet it seems so advanced even compared to what I''m used to. That''s a holographic screen; some companies have only started to do basic experimentation with that kind of display technology...and the shape of the device indicates some kind of inductive properties...hmmm." The scientist paused. "Ondun, would you do me a favor and stay there? I need to call the Guardian. With her interests and expertise, she may know something about this. In fact, probably set up camp. You may be there a while."


    The odd doctor then hung up before Ondun could get a further word in edgewise. He looked down at Strudel and shrugged.


    "Well...the doctor may be...very, very odd..." Ondun started, and Aquepup simply yelped, "Aque!" very clearly agreeing.


    "... But he makes a good point. Let''s go just over there. I want to work on your elemental water techniques today. Have you ever seen a water jutsu done? It may give you some ideas."


    <hr>


    When Alice got the call from Dr. Wusiji, she''d just left a meeting with the civilian government of the Kongming Region. It had taken her some work to assure them the ''Otherworlder,'' as he was now being called behind closed doors, wasn''t actually an existential threat to the region or world security. Video of his bout with Sparkles had already been shared on social media, and people were wondering about every single subject of the Draconian. Memes were even being made in some cases.


    Granted, Alice shared all of those concerns, which is why she''d pulled two teleporters from her stables and had asked them both to be on standby. Just in case. Amethyst was ready to be drawn at a moment''s notice, and some of her more unique monster friends were on her belt, in case she needed to get creative.


    "Guardian Alice. What is it, Dr. Wusiji?"


    "Your pet project, Ondun. He''s found something. Sending you details now."


    The pictures that filtered over the satellite connection were sharp and clear. The good, crazy doctor had spared no expense getting Ondun a top-of-the line phone with a full scientific suite, all on the public dollar, of course. Even so, just this data was worth its weight in gold. She studied the odd ruins Ondun had found, just a day and a half or so out of town, based on GPS data.


    Something about the artifact was familiar. She couldn''t quite put her finger on it. Was it related to the ancient hero of the region? A human woman? It had been so long, and when it came to legends in the days before the region had had civil war, after civil war, and the dozen or so name changes as different dynasties of imperial powers tried to leave their mark, trying to keep fact and fiction from melding into anything other than an amorphous blob of possible facts was hard...especially when monsters decided to make an archaeological site their nest.


    More so if those monsters were legendary-class monsters.


    "This is fascinating..." she started.


    "He was able to activate a holographic display on it. Whatever it is, it''s old, advanced, and functional, to some extent."


    Alice tapped her lip, deep in thought. She released one of her teleporters. "Garamond, could you go tell the Prime Minister something came up that needs my personal touch? I may only be able to get with him on the Choson situation in two or three days. This could be big."


    The psychic monster saluted with its large green forearm blades, then blinked away to deliver Alice''s message. She turned back to the conversation. "Amethyst and I can be there in four hours."


    "That''s good. I told Ondun to just set up camp."


    Alice nodded. The doctor was being unusually helpful today. His normal approach to things was best described as a "Terratour in a tea shop." "Are you doing OK today, Dr. Wusiji?" she asked delicately.


    The man immediately grinned a disturbing grin. "How could I not? I got tissue samples, Guardian! We''ve learned so much about his biology, but more than that: Did you know that monsters have ''polarities'' associated with them?"


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Alice shook her head but knew a Dr. Wusiji rant when she heard one coming on. "You''ll have to tell me in person...after I get a look at this device. What I wonder is how it went undetected all this time. Surely a hunter, or the Rangers, or even poachers and criminal teams... surely even one of those factions should have found such an artifact and either had it dug up or sold it on the black market piece by piece."


    The odd doctor shrugged. "All good points. I''ve got theories, of course, but they all tend to the weirder side, even by my generous standards."


    Alice gulped. That which Dr. Wusiji considered weird warranted immediate attention. As Garamond teleported back to his human ally''s side, nodding his completion of the task, she patted the monster on one shoulder and returned him to his capture capsule.


    "Well, consider me convinced. It''s been some time since I''ve surveyed a new relic or discovery..." She was positively beaming now, in a way that some scared interns were noticing and hurrying past with unknowable expressions.


    She patted Amethyst''s capture capsule. "How about it, precious friend? Think you''ve got a trip in you today?"


    The capsule vibrated as the monster inside burst with joy at being able to take to the winds yet again. Alice, for her part, was already on the move to an elevator that would take her to one of the platforms reserved for people to leave the Kongming High State building on flying monsters from.


    <hr>


    Some hours later, in the skies above the forests around Yongqi Town, Alice frowned down at the verdant lands beneath her. According to her GPS, she should be right on top of Ondun''s phone locator signal. The doctor and she had called the adventurer, confirmed the find, and told him how to turn his phone''s GPS locator on. He did that, and Alice frowned just a little bit harder.


    The man''s photos indicated a clearing. There was none to be seen.


    Alice thought for a moment, then put a hand on one capture capsule on her waist, not to use it, but to have a conversation.


    Something is strange about this part of the land. Do you sense anything? Alice mentally asked. There was a brief pause as the monster inside the capsule pushed out with her powers.


    There is a power much like that of me and my kin that lies about this place, my Queen. There is an air of illusion here. Someone is concealing something.


    This power is...odd. It is old, but it is not organic. It is too orderly, too repetitive. It reminds me of the machines you humans seem to revere so.


    Alice nodded. She''d suspected something like this, but the description wasn''t what she''d expected. Some Light mons, like the Faedart line that Sparkles is a part of, had illusionary abilities to bend and project light. Psychic monsters could create phantasmal illusions directly in a person''s mind. This was something in between the two techniques.


    "Amethyst, I have an odd request. I don''t think what we''re seeing beneath us is entirely real. That''s why I want you to descend slowly. I think some of those trees are real...but some are not."


    Amethyst grunted. "Gemragon!" she cried. Then, she began a slow, spiraling descent. Alice could pick out Ondun''s voice as he shouted out, "I am here! You can come down; it''s clear!"


    Amethyst picked up on this and slowly increased the angle of the descent. Eventually, just as she and Amethyst thought they were going to crash into the canopy of a particularly dense tree...the two flew clear through it, and the entire vista disappeared as if it had never actually been there in the first place.


    Instead, Alice beheld the otherworldly adventurer waving, as the Aquepup he had chosen was practicing buffeting a tree with pulses of water. When Amethyst completed her descent, she hopped off, patted her friend, and let her lie down as she approached the Draconian.


    "Huh, you taught him Aqua Pulse. I didn''t think the Aquepup line learned that until they matured into an Aquahound."


    He raised an eyebrow. "I''m not sure. I just showed Strudel the water jutsu I can use when I embody the Shinobi arts. As he''s elementally attuned to water, I''ve been working on the techniques with him. He''s actually very smart!"


    She nodded to the small canine, who stopped and tilted his head, then trotted up beside Ondun, who gave him an almost lazy pat. Alice noted that the small monster was friendly towards him and also somewhat protective. She put a hand to Garamond''s capture capsule. I think this conversation calls for a man''s touch, she thought. After feeling some dissent, she said, "I''m going to pull out one of my friends. He''ll be able to help me talk to Strudel here."


    She activated the capture capsule, and the human-like silhouette of Garamond, one of her ''utility'' monsters, appeared. He was of the same line as Mindy, only his base form tended to evolve based on biological sex into either the more ''feminine'' Maidenpala or the more aggressive, ''masculine'' Knightpala. He gave Alice a bow, then turned to Ondun...and froze.


    A mighty warrior greets me; I see one whose mind works in the ways of the fighting arts. Truly, blessed by my human friend¡ªand Olympus¡ªam I to meet such a distinguished warrior. Your thoughts are strangely clouded, though. Are you well, friend of my friend?


    Ondun struggled to answer that question, oddly enough. "I''m well enough," he settled on.


    Garamond and Alice exchanged a look before the woman continued. "While Garamond can work with Strudel here and talk to him about his experiences, I was hoping you could tell me more about this relic. You seem familiar with the creators."


    Ondun nodded. "They were called the Allemandians, and on my world, they dominated the Third Age. My first encounter with them was when my friend Kelse helped an expedition into the structure that used to be their capital, the Allemandian Tower..."


    <hr>


    Even as Ondun and Alice were examining the odd, alien structure, Garamond knelt next to Strudel.


    Your control of water is impressive, young one. I see your human is at least an able teacher.


    "He is," Strudel responded quietly. "He''s seen much. As humans go, he''s better than I was expecting."


    Garamond paused at that. "His thoughts are tainted with the strain of violence. This man has killed many, both monsters of his world and humans alike. His thoughts are...they are unpleasant to view."


    "I thought as much," Strudel said. "He told me of his adventures, of his friends. I do my best to support him, but...I fear he is struggling. He puts on a brave face, but finding that..." Strudel nodded to the gateway that Ondun was operating, as Alice watched and made suggestions, "...finding something of his home here affected him profoundly. At first he thought we were in danger. He swept it a few times to be sure it was safe."


    The knight paused. Then, my human friend is not in danger?


    The young canine monster shook his head. "No, she is not from the ruins or from Ondun. Believe it or not, Ondun is no brute. He can be brilliant. I didn''t think I could focus a Water Pulse until I was much bigger. It is difficult for me, but as I grow, I believe it may grow easier."


    Garamond nodded approvingly. When you are grown larger, you will be a fearsome opponent indeed!


    Strudel paused. "To be honest...that''s a future I fear. I think my human seeks happiness with his friends. The fighting...I think the bloodshed moves him further from that goal. He spaces out at times...he woke up today and needed to remember where he was...the way he looked at me for that moment honestly scared me."


    Garamond thought. Are you in danger, young one?


    Strudel thought. "I do not think so...but I think someone needs to help Ondun, and I think he needs to heal his friends. He worries greatly for me...but even more so for them."


    The knight paladin nodded. That is all I needed to know. I can advise my lady...and I think we can help you and your friend. Let me return to my lady''s side, honorable hound. May Olympus watch over you.


    Garamond strode away from the puppy, who was looking at a pair of trees as if he was either thinking about how to climb them or efficiently pee on them, and gave Alice a mental nudge. She gave no signal in return, but he could feel the temperature of her thoughts cool with a brief breeze of what he knew to be relaxation.

 16 - A Coach Must Sheathe His Blades

    Alice felt a poke at her lower back. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Garamond had finished talking to the Aquepup named Strudel. Admittedly...it is a cute name, Alice said inwardly. Garamond nodded in agreement.


    "Unlike my friends Sid or Aenora, I''m no scholar in animatechnology or animology." Ondun said, concluding his explanation, "For all practical purposes, it''s good enough to know that the mechanism powering this isn''t any mechanical force, but rather a mix of alchemically created materials, a small amount of thunder anima, and a series of preprogrammed instructions that are typically..." He dug into his bag before pulling out a stone-like slab that Alice confused for a smartphone.


    "...encoded on one of these, a Booklith," he finished. "Back home, certain parties will create and pay absurd prices for even one of these. Most of my sets of arms cost as much as a house, but for the fact that my excursions with my fellow adventurers typically lead to getting at least a few of these, I''ve been able to equip three disciplines worth of Memory Gems over the last two years. I''ve done well enough for myself," the Draconian finished with no small amount of pride.


    Alice nodded and noted how enthusiastic the man was to talk about his home, compared to his more dramatic first showing and his more somber demeanor over lunch two days ago. He''s not nearly as good at pretending to be okay as he thinks he is.


    Garamond nodded again in agreement. Ondun caught the motion but said nothing.


    "Well," Alice said after a moment. She put her worries about the adventurer in front of her aside and put her mind back to the implications of technology powered by magic. "This is a revelation indeed. Here on Monastria, there are power plants that utilize certain aspects of physics to create electricity¡ªwe literally make the same phenomena as lightning without magic, you see¡ªto power most of our everyday lives. That smartphone is powered by such technology..." Even as Ondun looked down at his smartphone with a moderately impressed expression, she continued. "...Having another way to produce electricity could be huge for all of humanity. Indeed, there may be applications that the academics haven''t even thought of. And all due to this ''anima''..."


    Alice trailed off, and Garamond was thinking too. He gave Alice a side-hug, seeing that the conversation had died down, and over a direct-touch telepathic communication, relayed his conversation with Strudel in full to his coach. Alice, for her part, had suspected that the young man was troubled by his sudden displacement, even for all his boasting about being an adventurer who could handle anything.


    Alice was an adventurer in a way too, and she knew full well no one was tough enough to handle everything. Yet, Ondun needed to feel respected, so she indulged him.


    Ondun relaxed a little. Alice realized she''d probably been quiet for a few seconds. "Tell you what, let me call my people over here. We can hold down this find while we wait for the Rangers and some of the civilian science agencies to come in and explore this properly."


    The dragon-like man bristled a little bit. "Ma''am, this seems to be from my world. I''d like to be present when it gets reactivated." He paused. "Like I told you, it''s really important that I get home. My friends'' lives are at stake."


    Alice and Garamond exchanged a look. Garamond confirmed that he was telling the truth and shared the mental image of several people¡ªa human, a pair of young Elvidians, an older Elvidian man with somewhat greying hair and an impressive facial tattoo, and a tiny woman who Garamond informed her was called a ''Talden.''


    The glazed expression wasn''t unnoticed by Ondun. "Your friend there has seen mine. You see the state they''re in. The problem isn''t physical¡ªthey all fell comatose around me at different times. Only Aenora is left on Arcanis right now. She was able to diagnose their condition due to...her skills with magic." Ondun was holding something back there, but Alice didn''t pry. "Basically, someone¡ªsome sorcerer¡ªsummoned their souls. We believe they were trying to summon me." Ondun looked down sheepishly. "To tell the truth, I''m a little worried about having anyone around me right now."


    Alice tapped her finger to her lips. That sounded a little like the conditions of certain Mon moves. "Question. Has anything like that happened since you came here?"


    Ondun thought for a moment, then looked up in shock. "Actually...no, it hasn''t. And that''s odd. My comrades were all ''summoned'' over the past week, roughly a day apart."


    Alice''s smirk went wide as she said, "Ondun, give me a moment." She pulled out her smartphone and made a call, briefly summarizing the situation. "Be sure to send a detachment of ARC coaches; make sure everything goes through the University of Kongming''s Archaeology and Science departments. I will also want daily updates. There''s...a situation that this is pertinent to, and I want to ensure that all our efforts do the most good for the region."


    A brief pause, then she nodded. "Very good. We''ll wait here for your arrival." She hung up.


    "Ondun, call Strudel over, and let''s make camp. The logistics will take my people some time. I have some things I want to talk to you about."


    <hr>


    Ondun broke camp early. It was barely after noon, based on the position of the sun; while Ondun knew the smartphone had a timekeeping ability of some sort, his Traveler''s Brand didn''t seem to be able to translate Monastria''s alien text to his eyes. He''d tried to decipher what he could on his own, and there seemed to be some minor overlaps between the shapes of the letters he knew and the shapes of the letters this world used, but more than that was beyond him.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    As Ondun had told Alice, he was no scholar.


    Even as Strudel curled up at Ondun''s side, Alice gracefully joined the adventurer, with a setup of her own. While Ondun used a spatial pack that had enchantments to retrieve stored items from a pseudospace, Alice had a device that he''d first assumed was a belt pouch. She flipped a switch on it, then used her smartphone to materialize a fold-out chair, some cooking equipment, and a portable light.


    Eventually, she finished her setup and sat down. "Ondun, first¡ªthe matter of this relic is of critical importance to both of us. I swear, on my honor as the Guardian of Kongming Province, that if this device gives us any leads on a way to get you home, or we discover any link to what you''ve told me about your friends'' condition, you''ll be the second or third to know."


    Ondun nodded, and after a moment said, "Thanks." Alice gave a twitch of a smile.


    "More importantly, since we don''t know exactly how to get you back home, there''s a possibility you may be here for a while. Your friends are important to you¡ªand that makes you a good friend and a good person. However, idleness won''t help you. It''ll only drive you mad."


    Ondun nodded. "I know." After an awkward moment, he said, "...look, I''m used to being able to do stuff about the situations that happen to me. Normally I go looking for trouble, and I find it. This time, though...I feel like being stranded across worlds is an achievement even for me."


    Strudel whined a little bit and cuddled closer, and Ondun petted his Mon ally.


    Alice stood up. "If you''re looking, then, I have a challenge for you." She pointed down, striking an elegant and intimidating pose, her black dress shadowing the sunlit canopy of the forest. "I challenge you to complete the circuit. Seek out five city leaders and defeat them all, but without violence or bloodshed on your part. Ondun of Arcanis, I want you to show Kongming¡ªno, Monastria¡ªwhat a hero looks like."


    Ondun and Strudel rose too. "Easy enough to do. That''s what everyone back home calls me."


    Alice shook her head and held out a hand. "No, no, what I''m asking you to do is not easy, and it''s not like what you''ve told me about your situation back home. I''m asking you to, without drawing a blade, be a symbol of hope. I''m asking you to forge alliances with humans and monsters. I''m asking you to use your head to solve problems and learn new things. I''m asking you to push back the horizon and live, no matter what happens."


    Ondun tilted his head. "That...that sounds borderline suicidal. Where I''m from, there isn''t survival, let alone success, without someone doing the fighting to make it happen."


    Alice nodded. "And here''s the hole in your reasoning: You''re not on Arcanis. You''re on Monastria. There are people here who are well-equipped to make the heroic sacrifices and fight the big battles. There are people like me, and Amethyst, and Garamond, who...who also have stained hands."


    Alice closed her eyes. "Ondun, as powerful and able as you are, you don''t need to do everything alone. If nothing else, please let the Circuit teach you that much. That''s why I want you to experience it the same way our youth here do."


    Ondun thought. On the one hand, his experiences over the past two years were conclusive proof that he was, in fact, strong enough. Even as a novice adventurer, people couldn''t so much as file paperwork without needing his help somewhere. When Astrals had become a major threat, he''d been the only one able to make a difference.


    Yet...Ondun couldn''t dismiss what Alice had said. He was, in fact, not on Arcanis anymore.


    "You''re sure the City Masters may have some leads that can help me get home?" he asked quietly.


    Alice walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. "I can''t be sure. However, this here..." she gestured at the alien device, "is proof that our worlds are connected. There''s also the observation you made about Mon elemental moves and your ''anima'' having significant overlap. The simple fact is, if your Allemandian Empire could make a device that could put you here, there''s no reason we can''t make one that can send you back...assuming someone from your home doesn''t figure it out first and come to get you."


    Ondun thought for a moment of Aenora kicking down a door and pulling him out of some monster battle with one of her trademark snarky one-liners. He couldn''t help but grin. Garamond giggled a little too. Forgive me, Lord Ondun, but I would make a bargain to see that come to pass!


    Ondun looked down at the Mon. "You know...at this point, I would too."


    Alice looked confused, so Garamond filled her in. He just had the best mental image of his friend Aenora¡ªa cat-like woman, apparently¡ªcoming to drag him out of a monster battle.


    The woman''s eyes went wide. "Wait, that''s a thing?"


    Ondun shrugged. "She''s Felinian. Also an avid scholar herself."


    Alice stepped back. "I so want to meet her." Ondun nodded. "If she can get here, or I can get home, who''s to say it can''t happen?"


    Alice held out a fist. "That sounds like a deal. You complete the circuit. I meet your friend."


    Ondun stretched out his arm and bumped the proffered fist. "I''ve had worse ideas. Did I ever tell you about the time I exploded a castle as a result of trying to make a distraction?"


    <hr>


    Hours passed. Ondun, his heart a little lighter, talked with Guardian Alice about many things: the cultures he''d seen, the trails he''d walked, and the ruins he''d delved into. Alice was able to respond in kind, telling him about powerful monster allies, her travels across Monastria, the gangs she''d personally dismantled, and her family.


    It was just after sunrise when the Guardian of Kongming and the Greatest Hero woke up, and the Advanced Recon Coaches began to secure the perimeter and report to their Guardian. Soon after, scientists were teleported in with specialized equipment, and the real work of understanding the Yongqi Artifact would begin.


    However, Ondun did not see the real beginning of the hard work. He gave Alice another fist bump, Strudel at his side, before he set off, his steps a little lighter than they had been the previous two days. Ondun was still horribly worried for his friends'' future, but for the first time since coming to Monastria, the adventurer had felt the flame of hope rekindled in his breast.


    By the All-Mother...my friends, I will get home to you, Ondun pledged. To do that? This ''Circuit'' is going to learn how an adventurer and his monster allies fight.


    Eventually, Ondun left the forest behind him and found Route 41, from the Yongqi Wildlands to Xinling City. With a pat on Strudel, he set forth on the paved way, capture capsules at the ready, to continue his saga in this strange new world.


    Ondun found himself savoring the challenge of not using his blades for this, for some reason.

 17 - Strudel vs. Maggie

    Ondun had barely cleared the forest when he got the call from Dr. Wusiji.


    "Ondun, my boy! I just heard the news from the Guardian herself. When I sent you into the forest for a survey, I never guessed you''d find something like what you found. She also told me she''s sending you onwards to Xinling a little bit early, so I think we can call your job done...and then some! I''ve added a little bonus to the payout."


    Ondun heard a chime and pulled his phone from his ear. Sure enough, he saw a message of some kind¡ªhe still couldn''t read this world''s language¡ªthat was presumably confirmation of the completed transaction.


    "Thank you, Doctor," Ondun said. "I appreciate it. Can you tell me anything about this ''Xinling City'' I''m going to be challenging"?


    There was a pause. "Well, the city itself has an academic focus. There''s a prestigious university there, though your circumstances may not warrant worrying too much about that. The leader of the city, Lowell, is a psychic. I think in a monster battle, he''ll be a very tricky first opponent for you!"


    Ondun frowned at that. His Wayfarer''s Brand gave him very limited precognition in fights, allowing him to ''see'' an attack that an enemy was aiming at him. In his nearly two years of testing, Ondun believed that emotion and intent played a key role¡ªan enemy could fake him out if they tried hard enough or were keeping sufficiently calm, like the former Princeps of Ahn Mexol, before the Knowing Circle¡ªat the Alliance''s behest¡ªhad helped rally the various resistance cells into a more cohesive force and made the push that retook the occupied city-state.


    Someone who could do what he could do would be difficult to face; Ondun didn''t have an immediate answer for how to strategize, at least not yet. My first order of business will be to learn about this Lowell fellow¡ªunderstand how he battles, what his limits are, and then get sufficiently creative.


    The adventurer returned his attention to the conversation. "That sounds a little vexing...but I''ll figure out something. Strudel, too." The Aquepup gave a happy "Aque!" in response.


    "That''s very good. Oh, and on the way, you may want to try to recruit a second Mon to your team. Even if you''re a strategic genius, having one Mon against a City Leader is just planning for failure. I personally recommend not facing him until you have a team of three. Anyways...I''ve got to go; there''s more testing to be done! Remember, keep scanning stuff with your phone, especially battles, if you can. I need more data for my new thesis on the polarity of Mon moves!"


    Ondun sighed. The odd doctor heard it. "Don''t worry, I''m no plagiarist. You''ll receive credit too when I go public. I''m crazy, not mean!"


    "Alright, Doctor. If there''s any other research tasks while I''m in or around Xinling, just give me a call."


    "Will do - remember, I want a thorough energy scan of a monster battle with your team. Also, it just occurred to me. Can you actually read our world''s language?"


    Ondun sighed again. I was wondering when he would notice. "Nope. If Xinling is a more academically focused city, as you said, I was hoping I could find some material there to learn the written language. My...my ability to speak any language has its limits."


    The doctor let out a very loud "HUMMMM!" After a moment he coughed. "I mean...that''s interesting; something like a status condition is responsible for you being a polyglot. Something that wide-reaching could have a number of possible causes...and a number of possible effects. I''ll have to sleep on the implications of that. Anyway, lad, I''ve got science, and you''ve got travel. We''d best get to it! Bye!"


    The call ended, and Ondun pocketed his phone before kneeling with Strudel. "So. We''ve got a journey ahead of us. Let''s use this to work on your stamina. We built up your agility in the forest, and we''ll keep on that. Your water has gotten strong since I showed you the Shinobi jutsu. I''m going to look for a second ally to join us in our journey. Is that okay with you?"


    "Aquepup!" I can handle it!


    Ondun gave his friend a quick pat. "Alright. It''ll be good for you too, since we can do mock battles. When I started my adventuring career, I actually joined a Spearman''s Guild in Elfidia. We did some mock sparring, and it did help. Anyways...whenever our new ally joins us, we''ll have to get to them first. Shall we, my friend?"


    "Pup!"


    <hr>


    The journey along Route 41 wasn''t difficult for Ondun at all. Unlike on Arcanis, where only major highways between city-states had anything resembling a road, the dark, stone-like path he walked on was generally very smooth, with little in the way of stumbling hazards. There were lights periodically to ensure that people didn''t get lost or stray from the path, and every once in a while, there was a small homestead that made a little income by renting rooms or camping space out to travelers.


    Ondun had never had a trip so easy.


    As for Strudel, the young Mon was having it a little rough. While the water canine did have a formidable amount of physical stamina, the mental aspect of stamina is another matter entirely. About every fifteen minutes, Strudel would get bored, which would lead to Ondun having to chase his erstwhile monster puppy as he chased after some smaller Mon, the very rare wild animal, or simply marked sufficiently welcoming trees or stones with his "scent."


    Occasionally, Ondun and Strudel would pass other humans. He''d give them a polite nod while taking in the journey. Ondun didn''t pay the humans he passed too much mind¡ªwhile he did note the shock at his Draconian features, he wasn''t paying attention to them so much as the land he was traveling through. If Ondun didn''t know better, he was basically back in Xin-xia, except for the lack of other "Civil Folk," as the various peoples who bought into the shared, civilized customs were known. The mesas looked the same, the trees were the same, there was bamboo, periodic waterfalls...even the land felt familiar.


    Ondun had never felt so odd about something in all his short life. Part of his mind wanted to believe he was in Xin-xia and not Kongming Province. It was disconcerting in a way that led to him bumping into another young monster coach.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "I''m sorry."


    The young woman narrowed her eyes. "The hell you are."


    Ondun wasn''t prepared for the ferocity of the young woman, who was striking a defiant pose. He sighed. "I really am. I was caught in a moment of reverie. This place looks like some place I know. Please, forgive this offense," he added with an Eastern bow.


    The young woman, her sandy blonde hair, just narrowed her eyes. "Sure, I will...but I think I''ll need to test that resolve. You have a Mon with you; that means you''re a monster coach, just like me!" She slammed one fist into another. "I think we should have a battle!"


    Ondun looked down at Aquepup, but the young monster was practically vibrating with excitement. "Alright. If I win, you accept my apology. If you win?"


    The woman tapped her lip. "If I win, you transfer me enough to cover dinner, and you also tell me why you look like that."


    Ondun sighed. "I mean...all you have to do is ask. I''m not from around here. But...if it''s a battle you want, well, this will be my first one. How do we do this?" Dr. Wusiji had taught Ondun about the general rules of Mon battling, but the man was also eccentric to the point that Ondun felt he should corroborate the information.  It was very rare for academics to be skilled warriors.


    She gestured to a flat area of wild land off the path, but still within sight of it. "We choose a spot where no one will get caught by our Mons'' moves. We''ve already declared the conditions of victory, but the rules of engagement also need to be said. One-on-one, we fight until either our Mon or us chooses not to continue." Ondun nodded. This wasn''t actually all that different from a duel back home. "I accept those conditions."


    The woman extended a hand that the Draconian shook. Then, the two walked to the soon-to-be battleground. She turned on one heel and walked back fifty paces before turning. "Why are you still there? The general rule is fifty feet, at least at our level." Ondun nodded. He turned and did the same thing. "Aquepup, this is your first fight. Remember what we''ve worked on, and show her all your very best!"


    The young monster gave a quick bark, then rushed in front of Ondun. The woman pulled a capture capsule off her belt. "Maggy, I choose you! Let''s show this dragon guy why he should pay more attention!" A flash of light, and at the woman''s side, a bird had appeared. Its feathers had an odd zig-zag pattern of dark gold on white, with accents of black. It took to the air and let out a loud chirp of "Fledgelev!"


    Ondun noted the enemy was a flier. "Right, Strudel, light on your feet. You''ll have to use your water to extinguish our foe. They''ll probably stay at range."


    "Aquepup!" The canine monster began lightly hopping on its paws, similarly to how Ondun had done when he''d demonstrated the way he used his shouken as a Shinobi. The adventurer felt a swell of pride already in his monster ally.


    "Well, as the challenger here, I think it''s on me to greet you. Maggy, Divebomb!"


    The bird swept into an arc before diving down on Strudel with incredible speed. Strudel barely managed to dodge the initial impact before a blast of wind tore into the canine. Strudel, for his part, managed to take the hit relatively well, with only a slightly startled yelp, before blasting the bird with a pulse of the water he controlled. The bird, however, nimbly dodged the burst and took back to the skies.


    "Not bad, Scales," the woman said with a grin. "The other kids'' Mons typically get taken down with that one."


    Ondun couldn''t resist a bit of trash talk in response to a comment like that. "Huh, you must be a mage. I thought you summoned a bird, but if it''s a one-trick pony...Strudel! Remember why I taught you to dodge like I did!"


    Strudel nodded with acknowledgment, still lightly hopping, carefully repositioning itself. Eventually, Maggie the Fledgelev began flapping her wings, as if to prove Ondun wrong, releasing a blade of air straight at Strudel. He let out another blast of water in response, which tore the wave of air apart and slammed into the bird with a satisfying splash.


    Ondun gave the woman a cocky grin. "Nice move there."


    "Thanks, that''s Wind Blade. How is your Aquepup able to overpower it?" The adventurer grinned in response but said nothing. The young woman was getting a little more respectful now. Ondun knew the type.


    "Strudel, she''s wet. Follow up!"


    With a bark, Aquepup flashed forward with impossible speed, ramming the struggling bird with a jumping charge. "Huh, that was Agile Strike! I didn''t know an Aquepup could learn that!" As Maggie fell from the skies, Ondun cried, "Now, before it can take wing! Give it one more blast of your water!"


    Strudel did, and this time Maggie wasn''t fast enough to evade. With a weak chirp, Maggie looked to her coach, and without any hesitation, the woman yelled, "We concede. I accept your apology."


    Strudel disengaged immediately and returned to Ondun''s side as the woman rushed to check on her defeated bird ally. At a look from Strudel, Ondun reached up and pulled upon the power of the Medicus, manifesting the blue-and-silver robes. He activated the Spellliths and went to the young woman, who was cradling and comforting her beaten Mon ally. "Here..." He held out his hand, and with the help of the four Spellliths, began channeling healing energy straight into Maggie.


    The woman''s mouth was hanging wide open. "You...how...what...gabluh!?"


    "I''m a healer."


    The woman looked down at Maggie, still in her arms, as the bird flapped its wings to try to get some of the water off, then back at Ondun. "I''m Sylvie Lee. Just who are you?" she asked.


    "Just an adventurer. Also a monster coach. That was actually pretty fun, thanks!" Sylvie just stared at the scaled, robed man as he continued nursing her first friend back to health. Ondun could tell she had so many questions. He had a few of his own as well.


    <hr>


    Once Maggie the Fledgelev was fully healed, Ondun returned to his more ''casual'' attire. Strudel had already joined the two humans and was staring intently as Ondun channeled the healing magicks into the tiny bird. Ondun didn''t know what to make of that but made a mental note to ask either the doctor, Alice, or someone in Xinling as soon as he could.


    "So, you had questions. We can journey together a ways, if that helps. I''m not sure how dangerous the roads are here, but where I''m from...we only journey alone if we''re strong enough." Ondun decided for now to not tell her that his world had a number of titles for him that would make even the hardest bandits darken their pants.


    "I...see. There''s a nice campground about two hours from here. It''ll be dusk, so we can break camp then," Sylvie explained. Ondun nodded. "Then, by all means, lead the way."


    She did just that but didn''t wait. "So...who are you? Really? Adventurers are only a thing in video games."


    Ondun tried to take in that question. He had no idea what a video game was. "Well, my name is Ondun. I''m Draconian. I''m also an adventurer by trade. I don''t know what a video game is, but the best way to think of us is as a hired helper. Sometimes we cull monsters; sometimes we fight bandits. Other times we act as couriers, or people pay us to investigate odd goings-on. The monsters here are all much friendlier than I''m used to. Normally, people don''t coach monsters...they flee them."


    Sylvie couldn''t help but give Ondun an incredulous look. "That''s exactly what video game characters say. Still...it''s weird meeting a boy who doesn''t know what video games are..."


    Ondun shrugged. "Anyways, since I came here, I''ve been working with a doctor in a nearby town who has contracted me for a scientific study. It''s actually not too far off from what I did before I came here. My friends..." he chose to ignore the pang of worry and fear, if only for now, "...my friends are some very smart people who figure out very vexing problems."


    Sylvie raised an eyebrow as the two continued to walk. "So...how does one become an adventurer, anyways?" she asked. Ondun grinned because that was his favorite question.

 18 - A Bird in the Bush...

    It had been all of five minutes since the Draconian adventurer Ondun had beaten Sylvie''s first Mon friend. When she asked how one became an adventurer, she''d expected a tale of harrowing adventure, of loss, of love, of kingdoms rising and falling.


    She hadn''t expected the much, much simpler answer she actually got.


    "I was 16. In my village, that meant I came of age. Food was scarce due to the stagnant anima. It was a simple choice between trying to hunt and farm in an increasingly infertile area or saving my family a bit of food. So, I set out. I got on a caravan from my home to Eldifia, the nearest city-state. The road was long, and along the way we picked up two people¡ªthey eventually became my friends; it''s complicated¡ªbut ultimately, after a Beast Folk attack, we reached the city. Then I went to the Guild and signed up. That was basically that."


    Sylvie blinked her eyes. "That''s it?"


    "Yep. Things are hard back home. I stepped up." Sylvie got the feeling there was much more to it than that, but Ondun wasn''t talking. Strudel, his Aquepup, just kept to his side; the young man gave him an absent pat.


    That the adventurer wouldn''t talk more annoyed Sylvie a great deal.


    "So, why''d you space out and run into me?"


    Ondun paused a bit longer this time. "I told you. This looks like a place I''ve visited in my travels and adventures. It''s not the same place, granted. I just...I got lost in thought."


    The look on Ondun''s face didn''t stick around for too long, but Sylvie caught it. Her annoyance at this odd man only grew. She hated people like this. Her eyes narrowed.


    "You know, a man who runs into each other can''t be that aware."


    Ondun''s eyebrow twitched at Sylvie. "I already apologized. Are you going back on the result of our duel?"


    She sighed. "No, I''m not."


    The two walked on for a few more minutes. "So...Sylvie. What''s your story? Why did you become a monster coach? Your friend, Maggie, fought well for you."


    "Yeah, not as good as your pastry puppy, though..." she added dejectedly. Ondun stopped.


    "Look, I have two years of combat experience in three disciplines. I know how to fight. I''m actually kind of good at it. Strudel isn''t anywhere near his full potential yet, and neither is Maggie. I was able to show Strudel some of my techniques. Our duel was never equal, despite the conditions. A duel that is equal is a duel that can go either way."


    Sylvie also stopped. She tried to parse all of that...and promptly failed. "What are you saying?"


    "I''m saying you and Maggie gave me and Strudel a good duel. We were prepared for you, and Strudel gave it his all." He gave Strudel another loving pat. "Thanks for the good fight. We learned a lot from it. I hope you did too."


    Sylvie''s eyebrows were twitching. "Oh, I learned, all right! Next time, my team''s going to pound you into the DUST!"


    Ondun smirked at her. "Spoken like an adventurer." As he walked off, Sylvie and Maggie followed behind, with Maggie trying to calm down her human friend, to little avail.


    <hr>


    The two coaches reached the campground and swiftly went about setting up camp. After a terse "Good night," the two went to sleep in their own tents.


    The next morning, Ondun woke up to another wet lick from Strudel, who was definitely a bit bigger now. "Hey...Strudel...you got bigger..."


    "Aquepup!"


    A quick pat, and Ondun got up and reached for his Memory Gem that held the Shinobi teachings. A brief flash of light, and Ondun was clad in black, with his two long knives at his side. He quickly got the campfire going again with a quick Fire jutsu and began boiling some water.


    A soft mmh behind Ondun told him that Sylvie was awake. "Good morning, princess," he said mockingly. The young woman hadn''t completely impressed him the previous day, but she was good in a fight. Had he been some green monster coach with no combat experience, she would''ve wiped the floor with him. Of course, he wasn''t, and his brief training with Strudel in the forest¡ªalong with the monster''s good judgment it showed during the Lake Yongqi incident¡ªhad informed his decision to accept the duel.


    Besides, even if she had been powerful enough to beat me, I have a job. I can make money back. The duel had been nothing but a test the whole time of what Mon battles in this strange new world were like. He hadn''t been disappointed in the concept.


    What confused Ondun beyond anything was the way the woman micromanaged Maggie. In the heat of a pitched battle, telling your teammates what to do move-for-move was simply not feasible. It was important to give overall objectives and guidance, of course, but "use this move!" as a battle practice was something not even the least competent Alliance or Imperial commanders did. All-Mother, even the young ones back home would''ve shown better sense than that.


    "Morning, Scales." She got up and fished out a cereal bar. "Why the fire?"


    "Making cha. Picked it up in Xin-xia, though Wa-xia also sells some good leaves."


    The young woman blinked. "Wait. Are you a time traveler?" Ondun just blinked. "Wut..."


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


    "Centuries ago, our land was called Xinxia, ''The Land of Waterfalls,'' and also the islands to the east of us¡ªan archipelago¡ªwere known as ''The Land of Harmony.'' Today, we are called Kongming and Yamato; our land is named after a general whose stratagems became famous, more so after an evil scheme by a distant land was overcome by a student of his from that land, who took up his name. Yamato is ''The Mountain Home'' in the older form of our language."


    Ondun raised an eyebrow. "You''re well-read in history, I think."


    Sylvie just struck a pose and nodded. "I mean, I am the daughter of..." she stopped. "Well...that''s not important. The point is, a weird dragon-boy who doesn''t know what video games are talks about old-timey things and knows the ancient name of our land? You''ve got to be a time traveler."


    She scooted closer...too close. "It''s always been my dream to meet a time traveler!" she said, stars dancing in her eyes despite the bright dawn. Ondun backed off.


    "It''s...it''s not time travel. Tell me, Sylvie. What is this world called?" Ondun asked. The girl just frowned. "Monastria. The last time Olympus made Himself known to the Hero of Kongming, he said this world''s name. It has stuck since. There''s no point in arguing with the Creator himself."


    Ondun nodded. "My world is called Arcanis. We worship a great goddess, always depicted in crystal. We call her the All-Mother. She...she doesn''t always make her will known, but when she does, it''s hard to ignore it." She has no idea how hard it is to ignore it, Ondun added silently.


    "OH MY OLYMPUS THIS IS BETTER! You''re an alien!" she squealed, causing some wild Fledgelev to take flight in fright. Ondun couldn''t disagree with the assessment. "Same as my ancestors. You asked why I look like this..." he gestured to his face.


    "My distant ancestors were dragons. They fled some calamity that''s lost to time. They were beings of pure anima, though. When they came to Arcanis, they sought to blend in for a time, so they created living forms. They married humans...and the results were the first Draconians. As a result, we look like this¡ªpart human, part dragon."


    Sylvie''s eyes were wide. "That is so. Darn. Cool!" Ondun didn''t know what to say to that. "Tell you what, Ondun. I think I want to travel with you. Besides, I want to see how an alien adventurer who''s part dragon, part ninja, part wizard, and a monster coach deals with our boring world."


    Ondun said nothing to that; this woman was coming off less like a bratty teen and more like a bratty noble. This is Alvath all over again, he thought, his mind casting back to one of the two Elfidian twins whose soul had been summoned by that drattable sorcerer. "Well, we''re going to be roughing it and training a lot. You could be a lot more comfortable traveling with someone else."


    "Oh, that''s even better!" She added, the stars in her eyes back, and her enthusiasm making her glow so much that the Draconian wondered if the woman had a talent for Light magic. "My father...well, he''s really into training. Don''t worry¡ªI can keep up." As Ondun scanned her face, he saw no evidence of tall tales or hubris. This was just a statement of fact.


    "Well...in that case, I guess we''ll see. Sylvie, I''m Ondun. It''ll be a pleasure to work with you."


    "That''s my line," Sylvie said with a grin. "Looking forward to it...my rival."


    <hr>


    The next two days saw the two youths make their way along Route 41. The way was long, and it was all Ondun could do to not rush, because rushing wouldn''t achieve anything. Alice and her people have this. They''re the experts, not me, he reminded himself. Sure, it was starting to drive the adventurer a little crazy. At least Strudel was there.


    Sylvie, for her part, had mellowed out a little bit. The first day was rough when she''d been acting like she expected Ondun to grow an extra head or something, but by the second day, she had proved competent at roughing it in the wilds. She''d also begun teaching him the written language. When she wasn''t acting like a tough girl, she made an excellent instructor¡ªher lessons were controlled, to the point, and efficient.


    While the help with the language was good, what was more helpful was the focus on language in the context of his smartphone. He was nowhere near fully literate, and the Wayfarer''s Brand still wouldn''t translate Monastrian for him if someone else wasn''t speaking it, but he could more effectively navigate his smartphone, and the first lessons were numbers, so Ondun knew exactly how much money he had.


    As Sylvie was moving on to some pop culture, though, there was a rustle from some nearby bushes and a loud cry that sounded like "Galebul!" that was choked short. Ondun looked at Sylvie, who simply nodded, and materialized Maggie. For extra measure, Ondun embodied the Dragon Knight arts. While he was forbidden from using his blades as part of his deal with Alice, heavy armor could probably turn a few attacks, and a well-placed high jump could get him, Sylvie, or one of their Mon allies out of harm''s way.


    The two rushed to the bush, and after parting it, saw a lot of blood and an unknown Mon trying to eat a furiously struggling avian. "Strudel, give that monster something else to chase." Immediately, Strudel rushed the monster, slamming into it and knocking it away from the wounded bird Mon. Maggie flew high and flung a Wind Blade at the monster, cutting a red line on the larger, dark figure''s flank.


    The monster warily regarded the two new threats and the humans behind him. Its eyes laid on Ondun, where it froze immediately. Ondun for his part froze too. Then he drew his lance and charged it because it wasn''t a Mon. Immediately, it blasted a wave of dark magic at the Dragon Knight and beat a hasty retreat.


    "Ondun, this Mon needs help!"


    Ondun turned to Sylvie. "That wasn''t a Mon. That was a demon. Here." He replaced the Lohengrim and switched to the Medicus arts. "Is that what that odd monster meant?" he wondered aloud.


    Sylvie was confused. Ondun shook the thoughts from his mind. While the Daemon did need to be hunted down, there was a Mon who needed healing. So, once again, Ondun released the Spelliths and began channeling energy into the weeping wounds of the injured avian. The last thing the tiny bird said before it fell unconscious was a weak, "Galebul..."


    <hr>


    When Galebul awoke, it was night. Looking around, she didn''t see the unnatural...thing...that had tried to devour it. It looked around and saw the Aquepup that had slammed into the monster curled up at his human''s side. There was also the other human, though the Fledgelev wasn''t anywhere to be seen. The Mons all knew that humans had a device that they used to carry them around. Some Mons who''d been released had relayed their tales of adventures and sometimes of mistreatment.


    Galebul didn''t know how she felt about waking up at a human encampment. The fact that it wasn''t in one of those capsules was a good sign. The counterpoint was that Galebul had almost been eaten.


    The bird tried to get up, expecting a lot of pain. It found none. Galebul moved her wings first, then her legs. It was as if that...abomination...had never even tried to eat Galebul in the first place.


    Galebul hopped over to the sleeping man and found he was not, in fact, human at all. To the tiny bird, something about him felt like a sleeping dragon...but there was also something much more wholesome about the man. It felt...well, it felt like Olympus, but it wasn''t.


    Galebul didn''t know what to make of that. So, she did the other thing she had to do. She climbed up on the Aquepup¡ªhe was big enough that the bird thought it was most of the way to becoming an Aquehound¡ªand went to sleep.


    Galebul would navigate the humans tomorrow. One way or another, they will show me their true colors.

 19 - Welcome to Xinling

    Ondun woke up the next morning to find the bird he''d rescued the previous day sitting on his chest and staring down at him curiously. "Galebul!" came the cry.


    "Good morning to you too, little one." Ondun rubbed the sleep from his eyes and slowly rose as the Galebul flapped off onto Strudel''s head, where the tiny bird landed. The canine Mon tracked the tiny bird with his eyes, so Ondun was treated to a cross-eyed Strudel as well. A laugh escaped, only for both Mons to immediately stare at him.


    "Sorry. I''ll put on the morning tea." With a flash of light, Ondun drew upon the knowledge, powers, and gear of the Shinobi and quickly began to light the fires. When Ondun returned with a very small amount of wood, he found Sylvie already up and waiting for him.


    "G''morning," she greeted. "So. You know what Galebul evolves into. Are you sure you want her on your team?"


    Ondun set the wood onto the fire, made the signs for a Fire jutsu again, then set some water that Strudel had filled the kettle with into it. "I do."


    "You know her higher form is...difficult...to deal with, right?"


    Ondun nodded. "We...well, you...looked it up yesterday. Besides, I''m fairly sure some people in this world say the same about me." Like Alice, for instance, Ondun added mentally. While her concern was genuine, he could empathize with a head of state when a powerful individual landed in their midst. As much as Ondun didn''t like to own his title of "The Greatest Hero" under normal circumstances, even he wasn''t oblivious to the fact he''d at least earned it.


    Ondun diverted his gaze from the young monster coach and down to Galebul. "Little one. I''m on a journey. I''m not from this world. I don''t know how long I''ll be here. I''m an adventurer and a fighter. I don''t know where my road will take me."


    "Galebul." Okay. Ondun interpreted the bird Mon''s reply as an acknowledgment more than anything else. So, he continued. "To cut straight to the point: I would like you to join my team, if you want to. I know you''re small now, and you''ve just had a very close call. I''d like to show you some things I know and work alongside Strudel..." He gestured to his friend, who was sitting proudly at his side, "...and myself. We''re testing ourselves in a trial across this land called the ''Circuit.'' I''m specifically looking for knowledge about how to get home, and if possible, help my friends."


    The tiny bird looked unsure and a little wary. "You don''t have to join if you don''t want to. I was able to heal your wounds, so if you want to fly free, I understand. You''re welcome to stay or go as you see fit. I mean...as a wanderer myself, it''d be pretty rich to say ''travels for me, but not for thee,'' wouldn''t it?"


    Galebul tilted her head. "Galebul..." The bird was still unsure.


    Ondun nodded. "Well, in any event, I''ve tried. If you want to follow along, or fly off, you''re welcome to." He returned his attention to Sylvie. "I think I''ve said all I can. By the way, the water''s almost done; would you like some"?


    "But, it''s not..." Then the kettle started its loud, shrill whistle. "...I stand corrected." She held out a traveling cup of some kind that already had a bag of tea leaves in it, so he filled it, then his own cup.


    He grinned. "Do you want to know how I know?" The younger traveler just nodded.


    "Fire is an element worthy of respect. It tends to burn at certain specific temperatures, based on a number of conditions. Today is a clear day, and this wood appears to be some kind of ash. While I''m no blacksmith, my prior experience tells me that with the amount of anima I used, I can boil water in about two to three minutes if I have the kettle directly in the fire as I do. Were I to use a more indirect method, it might take anywhere from seven to ten minutes." She had raised an eyebrow at this point, so Ondun merely chuckled. "I''ve been experimenting while I was on the road."


    The woman tapped her lip. "So...another question, can I learn how to do..." she moved her fingers in a vague approximation of the hand seals Ondun had used, "...that?"


    Ondun shrugged. "It depends on if you''re able to sense and shape anima. You don''t have to be a Shinobi to do it; the Shinobi way is...well..." Ondun put a hand to the necklace. It was times like this he wished he were better at explaining things the way Aenora could. However, Ondun wasn''t Aenora, so he''d just have to do what he could. He let himself fall into the knowledge contained in the Knowledge Gem that Suzumi had gifted him shortly after his arrival in Wa-xia.


    The girl was still looking at him curiously.


    "Anima is a power that''s all around and within us. You can say it ties living things to one another, but also to non-living things, like the air, and if you believe some cultures, the plants. Plants are definitely alive, though." Ondun added, seriously. He''d had to kill too many plant-based monsters to ever believe otherwise, whatever linguistic conventions existed in Wa-xia.


    Sylvie looked thoughtful. "So, it''s kind of like something from this movie I saw about a farm boy and a smuggler who wound up taking down an evil space empire..."


    Ondun shrugged. "Magic¡ªwhich is when someone draws upon the ambient anima with their will to shape an effect on reality¡ªis something personal. I tend towards more kinetic forms of understanding, so for me, shaping hand signs or infusing anima into leaps as a Dragon Knight tends to be easier to achieve. The results speak for themselves."


    Sylvie straightened up. "Now, hold on a minute, you can also heal, like you healed Galebul here. That looked more like the magic I''m used to seeing in movies and games and stuff. That didn''t look ''kinetic'' or whatever at all!"


    Ondun grinned. This girl has an open mind. I''m not sure many young people back home would accept an explanation like this. "That''s because it''s not. It''s actually really hard. The arts of the Medicus are precise and have a lot of moving parts. I only recently got the Memory Gem for this discipline. It came with a lot of knowledge already inscribed into it." Ondun reached into the neck of his shirt and showed the necklace. It was a simple brass chain, but the three gems shone brightly in the morning sun. The first was a deep blue gem, shaped a little like the head of a dragon; two nodules in about the place where eyes would be shone brightly with their own light. The second was nearly black and shaped like a heart, but in the core of this gem was a soft, purplish glow that pulsed like a heartbeat.


    The last gem was a light pale blue and was shaped a little like an open book. Within the book-like gem, lights danced to and fro, almost as if the words on a page were glimmering with their own inner power and struggling to leap from the metaphorical pages.


    "Wow...those are so pretty...how do you get one?" Sylvie asked.


    Ondun hid the necklace. "Well...this might be boring...but I''m actually working on one. Aenora¡ªmy friend from back home¡ªtaught me how to condense anima into a crystal form. It takes some effort but is apparently really good for improving one''s control of magic. Want to see"?


    The girl nodded, so Ondun sat a ways from the fire and pulled out a tiny, sparkling, colorless crystal. "This is what I was able to make before. Tell you what, why don''t you pull down camp while I start with this? Strudel, help Sylvie out, please."


    With a bark of "Aquepup!" the two started breaking camp down, and the tiny canine extinguished the fire. Ondun took a sip of his still hot tea, then put it down and began weaving the local anima into the crystal seed he''d created. As he meditated, he lost track of the outside world, just focusing on breathing and weaving layer after layer of anima atop the seed, slowly growing it, slowly expanding it, and slowly empowering it.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    When Ondun opened his eyes, he found Strudel, the Galebul, and Sylvie staring at his hands. "Wow. Are you done? Even I could feel that. It felt like the Auric arts...like what Father does."


    Ondun inspected his handiwork. The colorless seed had grown larger, about half again as big as it had been before. He put the seed back. "What are Auric arts?"


    Sylvie tapped her lip. "I don''t know how to explain it...but if you''re doing the Circuit like me, well, we''ll run into Dad. He''ll show you. Somehow...somehow I think it''s related to what you do, though. When you were condensing that crystal, it felt like what happens when Dad meditates, a little."


    Ondun stood and dusted himself off. "Well, then I look forward to meeting your dad. He raised a strong, skillful woman. However, to get him, we''ve got to hit the road."


    The young coach blushed a little but stood. She released Maggie. "Hey there, my pretty bestie! Go get a look above us, then let''s set off."


    "Fledgelev!" was the acknowledgment as the tiny bird flapped off and flew high. Ondun broke down and packed his gear, then set off for the remainder of Route 41, Sylvie at his side.


    <hr>


    The next few hours were spent walking. Ondun was enjoying the bright, clear day, of course, but he also felt somehow restless. He started thinking about this, ignoring the travelers who were staring at him, and eventually came to a conclusion: I haven''t had to fight nearly as much the last few days.


    Back home on Arcanis, for an adventurer like him, there was always a new battle hanging in the wings. Sometimes it would be a bandit, other times monsters, yet other times corrupt minor soldiers, or if you were particularly unlucky, undead or daemons. Yet here, the battles had been at best infrequent.


    Ondun thought about that. I really do fight a lot, don''t I?


    With that happy thought in mind, Ondun''s mind turned to the daemon that had attacked Galebul yesterday¡ªwith a look, he found Galebul riding on Strudel''s back, like a general atop her war-steed, and Strudel barking at it, seemingly trying to talk to the tiny bird Mon. He smiled, but as soon as he turned his gaze ahead, his face fell into a more thoughtful mien.


    The Daemon was evidence that the odd Mon who''d appeared to Ondun at Lake Yongqi was at least a little bit correct. At this point, Ondun was very certain there was some link between this world, Monastria, and his home of Arcanis. If he had to guess, even though the Allemandian Tower, where he''d been displaced from, was basically on the opposite side of the world from Xin-xia, something like that odd gate must exist on Arcanis and was likely responsible for his displacement. Kongming looked too much like Xin-xia to be mere coincidence, and there was too much in common between the two lands. Over the years, something must have happened to introduce ideas from his world to this one.


    If Aenora were here, he could ask her for folk tales and legends. She, with her normal scholastic flair, would probably talk about the most likely ones, impressing on him that folk tales themselves weren''t reliable but always carried a grain of truth nestled within them. Just thinking of her previous explanations made Ondun smile. I really do miss her. He found himself wondering what she was up to yet again.


    Still, Ondun thought, refocusing himself. Perhaps that''s the best place to start. I do recall a legend of some ''Hero.'' When I reach Xinling, I should start there.


    However, there was another problem. The Daemon from the previous day was still at large. While it would mean litigating his promise with Alice, the simple fact was that Ondun was probably the best-situated person in this world to take down a Daemon. Sure, Alice herself was powerful enough to handle it¡ªif that odd Mon he''d fought, let alone that purple, gem-encrusted dragon Mon, were any indication¡ªbut Ondun had a nagging feeling that hunting that Daemon down would help him, somehow. It wasn''t the Wayfarer''s Brand giving him a glimpse of the future¡ªit was just plain, simple intuition.


    "Why is a Daemon here?" Ondun said aloud. Sylvie and Galebul just looked at the adventurer, then shared one themselves. The small but growing party of humans and Mons kept walking all the while.


    <hr>


    Xinling City grew on the horizon with each step. From far away, the tall skyscrapers and high-rises cut an impressive figure. As Ondun got closer, he came to realize just how big the massive buildings were, their gleaming edifices of steel and glass reflecting the clear blue of the Kongming sky, the mesas and some of the larger distant waterfalls, and the flying Mons who were about¡ªsome of whom had human riders on their backs, or in a few other cases, a large carriage under claw and wing.


    The gate to this city had a number of Rangers manning it, and the travelers along Route 41 were lined up both to enter and exit the gleaming metropolis. Ondun studied the lines, noting the flow¡ªpeople showed their Coach ID to the guards, said some words, and then were admitted. Ondun also studied the immediate area, as Suzumi had instructed him.


    The boundary to the city wasn''t well-walled, but there were devices that Ondun assumed were some kind of surveillance device¡ªthey had a lens in them like what was installed in the camera on his smartphone. More to the point, there were periodic patrols of Rangers both on the ground and, with a glance up, in the immediate airspace. Sure, they don''t seem to operate with clear healer support, but they have air superiority like the Imperials.


    As a result, Ondun gave the city a score of 6.5 out of 10 in terms of defenses. As a Shinobi, he could infiltrate the city if he had to, but between aerial surveillance, the existence of psychic Mons, and this land''s advanced technology, he gave it a matter of hours before he''d have to get himself out. Entering the city conventionally was safer, easier, and possible.


    Eventually, Ondun''s party found himself in the line and in front of the Rangers. They stared up at the Draconian with shock as he nodded and presented his ID. "I''m Ondun, in the employ of Dr. Eugene Wusiji. I''m not from around here, as you may guess. I''ve come to settle in in preparation for the Circuit."


    The Rangers, shocked as they were at the clearly not-entirely-human in front of them, scanned the ID and nodded. "So it seems. I only see one Mon registered to you. What''s with the Galebul?"


    Ondun gestured to the tiny bird. "This Galebul was attacked by something along the route; that''s not a Mon. In fact, I recognize it. You''ve got a Daemon on the loose in your woods. I would hunt it myself, but I made a promise to someone that I would stay my hand and abide by the rules of this land." The bird flapped its wings and dashed onto Ondun''s shoulder. "Galebul hasn''t made up her mind on joining my team or flying off yet."


    The Rangers nodded. "Oh, good. You''re not one of these idiot kids who tries to beat up Mons and then forcibly recruit them. That''s already a positive mark for you, at least in our book. Yeah, I see your record here. Stay clean, no violence, and you''ve got ten days until the Circuit properly starts, though the registration lines are already pretty long. Call that doctor of yours and get some gainful work. No lollygagging."


    Ondun nodded. He''d endured the standard city guard routine many times in his life, and he didn''t foresee that abating anytime soon. "Clear like the All-Mother''s crystal." He gave a bow. "I swear I will cause no trouble for you or your city."


    The guards raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar expression but took it. "Alright, go on in. Next!"


    Ondun walked a few steps ahead, and Sylvie had her ID checked and gave a much shorter accounting of herself. They glanced at Ondun, who was waiting with Strudel and Galebul, and she added, "I battled him on the road. He beat me. Yeah, the thing that attacked that Galebul is not a normal Mon. You all should really find that thing and deal with it. It tore up the Galebul pretty bad before Ondun healed it."


    The guards did a double take and cleared her. "Wait, he''s a healer? That''s something that only exists in fairy tales!" one said.


    "Bah, I''ve met an Auric Artist. Some of them can do it too," another said.


    As the Guards argued, Sylvie and Maggie skipped to Ondun. "Well, we made it in.


    I thought the guards would give us more grief than that, given..." She just gestured to Ondun, "My money was on them thinking you were some new humanoid Mon and that I''d have to pretend to be your coach."


    Ondun raised an eyebrow. "I''m not wearing a collar. Also, can humans even be stored in capture capsules?"


    The girl gave him a very serious look. "No, and do not try. It''s a crime for a reason."


    Ondun nodded seriously. Their capsule technology must only work on Mons for some reason. He turned. "Well, we need to find some lodgings and settle in...excuse me, sir...can I help you?"


    There was a serious-looking man in glasses who was wearing a onesie that looked a bit like a Xin-xian species of bear called a ''Panda'' who was calmly standing in front of the two coaches. "You can, but I can start by helping you. I''m a local who has some free time. Would you like to start by having a brief introduction to Xinling City? Welcome, by the way."


    Ondun and Sylvie gave each other a look and shrugged. "I don''t see the harm," Sylvie said. So Ondun turned back and gave his patented stoic nod. "We accept. How may we address you?"


    "People around here call me Lowe. Anyways, the tour begins now, and there''s no need to pay. Welcome to Xinling City." He gestured and started walking. Sylvie followed, and Ondun did after a moment.


    While Ondun didn''t sense anything off or any ill intent, people didn''t just give tours for no pay¡ªas the Talden liked to say, "Time is money." While Ondun was confident he could handle any potential problems, he found himself wondering what the true purpose of this alleged tour really was.