Battle Cry has reached level 4.

Katai slumped to the ground, exhausted. Finally, they could rest. He looked around blearily, seeing the others in the process of dismounting. Their shapes were dim, the darkness of night coming in full force, but he could see they were just as tired as him, their movements slow and deliberate. A hard day of riding had gotten them close to their destination, pushing their mounts as much as they could without risking injury, but the encroaching darkness would force them to a walking pace if they tried to continue on.

“No fire. Make sure the horses are rubbed down and fed.” The Questor called out, brusquely. “Katai, I want you focusing on blood manipulation and then you take first watch. The rest of you sort out the horses and gear, then you’re free until it’s your turn.”

Muted acknowledgements came from the figures sprawling on the ground. Katai however, was unsure what he was meant to be doing. Blood manipulation? That wasn’t one of his skills.

“Uh, Kenemen sir, what do you mean blood manipulation? I don’t have any manipulation skills.”

Kenemen paused in his unpacking. He cocked his head to the side, “What do you mean? You’re a Blood Mage, so your whole domain is blood manipulation. You need to increase your magical affinity as much as you can, as it’s likely fairly low. The easiest way of doing this is through experimentation with your power — more commonly known as element manipulation.”

The confusion on Katai’s face did not fade. He shook his head blankly, still having no idea what the older man was talking about.

“I mean, what—how—do I do that?” Katai’s voice sounded tired. The long day had worn him down, making his brain feel like mush. He was just too exhausted to try and work out what Kenemen was telling him to do.

The Questor covered his face with his hand and sighed, his expression partly hidden. He turned to face Katai in the dim light, his hands falling to his hips, a stern expression on his face once more. The ride had not been easy for him either, though he looked the least affected of the group.

“I forget how little you’re taught out here in the country.” He said, his voice exasperated, “A person can fight, even without a Warrior Class, right?”

Katai nodded at the obvious question.

“In this same way, a Mage has some small power over their element before they gain the Class. Many Mage’s need to train for years, slowly increasing their affinity before they can unlock the Class related to it. You are no different, though luckier than most.”

That…actually made a lot of sense to Katai. He knew that Common Classes like Baker, Cook, Warrior and so on, all contained skills and knowledge that could be learnt without the Class or their Class skills. He just hadn’t thought about it applying to Mages. Did that mean… he’d always been some kind of Blood Mage? He’d always had some power over blood?

“Of course, without the Class, the control and power you have over the element is far more limited. Once you experience the awakening and accept it, your control and power, as well as aptitude, are increased.”

Katai was stunned at all of this new information. He looked down at his bare hands, examining the blue veins that ran through his palms and down his wrists. To think that all this time, he’d had this power inside of him and he’d never discovered it. Well, not until that happened. And of course, if that hadn’t happened, he never would have chosen the Class.

“Ok, I think I understand now.” He said slowly, still looking at his dirty, sweat-stained hands.

Kenemen nodded to himself, seeing something had finally clicked. He said nothing more as he turned back to his saddlebags, simply shaking his head. The boy had a lot to learn.

Katai sat and listened to his heart thudding heavily in his chest. He stared at his hands. The sun had never made much of an impact on his pale colouring and the veins stood out clearly.

Grimacing with resolve, he pulled out his dagger. The fact that the Questor allowed him to carry his weapons did not give Katai any comfort. In fact, quite the opposite. Was the man so aware of everything around him that he was confident in not being taken by surprise? …No, that couldn’t be it, he’d already ambushed him once. Perhaps he was so much stronger than the rest of them, he felt he had nothing to fear? He couldn’t, after all, take away his Blood magic.

Glancing up, he saw Kenemen placing a circle of stones around his sleeping area. As he placed each one, he waved his hand over it and paused to stare at the stone, unblinking. Maybe he was adequately cautious after all.

Besides all that, he knew the Questor could track him. He’d been marked. Probably with a strong enough skill that any other Questor could track him too. They were both feared and respected, the Imperial Questors, for good reason.

Taking his dagger firmly in hand, Katai clenched his teeth and dragged the blade across the back of his clenched fist. Blood slowly seeped from the long slice, the fluid oozing like thick treacle.

He concentrated on the glimmer of red that welled up. In the back of his mind, he could sense the flow of blood as it pumped through his veins, and the small seepage that was occurring from the cut on his hand. How though could he manipulate it?

Focusing on what he could see for now, he pictured a strand of blood rising up. To his amazement, it started to move, slowly pulling itself upwards until it was as long as his forearm. He pulled again on the thin strand and saw it stretch more as it rose higher, remaining attached to the bloody wound it had come from. It rose to his head height, a glistening red rope that continued to stretch—far more than it rightfully should.

“What the fu—”

Katai’s concentration wavered and the length of blood suddenly collapsed. Blood splattered over him, covering him in the sticky fluid. Surprised, he looked down at his drenched tunic incredulously. That was way more blood than there should be from one little cut. Still not enough to make him feel the loss, but a lot more than he thought. He guessed his blood must be a bit special, given his Class. Not to mention his high constitution.

Lariss stared at him, her lip curled, as he tried to clean some of the blood off his clothing. He glanced up, but she looked away before he could meet her eyes.

He sighed, frowning at her reaction. He wasn’t surprised, but it still hurt. There wasn’t much he could do about it though and there would be plenty of others with the same reaction, or a lot worse.

“Why don’t you just use the blood on your clothes?” Silas piped up, watching Katai’s unsuccessful attempts at cleaning himself up.

Ah, why didn’t I think of that? Katai thought to himself ruefully. He nodded appreciatively at Silas before returning his focus to the bloody clothing.

Collecting the splashes of blood that had seeped into his clothing turned out to be quite a challenge. The blood had mixed into the soft fibres and some of it was already crusting over and drying onto the cloth. It felt to him like the blood was less ‘alive’ than it had been when it was seeping from his hand, but focusing on it he could still faintly sense its power. He wasn’t sure if that was because it had lost connection with the blood still within his body, or if there was some kind of freshness factor involved that affected things.

Perhaps this was something he could experiment with—if anyone suffered an injury, he could test how easy it was to interact with their blood after it left their body. For now, he continued to remove the splashes of blood, gathering it all into a messy ball while paying attention to how difficult it got over time.

His theory seemed to be holding out on his own blood. The longer he took to collect it, and the longer it remained separated from his body, the more difficult it became to collect and mould. While this could be because the blood had completely dried out by now, he thought his theory seemed more likely; the longer the blood was outside his body, the less ‘life’ it contained and the less control he had over it.

Lost in his thoughts, Katai didn’t notice the flying piece of wood until it hit him solidly in the shoulder.

“It’s past time for your watch.” The voice of Kenemen called out grumpily.

Katai rubbed his shoulder with a scowl on his face, but didn’t complain.

Later that evening as he sat in the darkness, he considered his new attribute points. What he’d learnt today made him rethink what he’d previously decided on; new points would go towards health primarily, with the remainder going to strength and dexterity. What he was now considering was putting some more points into intelligence and wisdom. The reason for that was simple.

Magical Aptitude

Blood (Life): 62%

Water: 9%

The information he was now looking at had been unlocked when he gained his Mage class, and it showed he had some small talent for Water magic. If the Questor wasn’t lying to the group, and Katai doubted he had a reason to, then he must be able to train that aptitude up. Maybe then when his Warrior Class reached level fifty, he’d be offered a Class advancement related to Water magic?

The main problem was that he had already invested quite a bit into his Warrior-related attributes. Blood Mage seemed to be suited to close-range combat as well, since it required high vitality instead of relying on intelligence. Even he, a country rube, knew what attributes best fit a Warrior and what fit a Mage. If he were going to fight Void Classes and hunt undead, then his focus needed to be Blood magic and then Warrior skills. Adding something like a normal Mage class would detract from his progress in both of those areas. But it was such a tempting prospect! What skills would a Water Warrior have? Would it be Uncommon, or would it reach the Rare tier like his Blood Mage Class?

Shaking his head wistfully, Katai brought up his attributes and forced himself to make his selections. He had to have a focus and it was firmly on the Necromancer and the roaming bandits.

Attributes

Strength: 18

Dexterity: 19 (+1)

Constitution: 28 (+2)

Intelligence: 15

Wisdom: 16

Charisma: 17

He decided that dexterity was slightly more important for him at the moment. If he needed to do more damage, he could always use Lacerate. Dexterity though would allow him to dodge and move quicker, allowing him to get closer to his targets. It didn’t make a huge difference anyway, as he was alternating points between strength and dexterity, while keeping constitution as his main focus.

It was a long couple of hours sitting in the darkness. The chill of the night and the lack of fire had Katai shivering, but it also helped to keep him awake until his watch was finally complete.

They woke before dawn. The Questor had taken the last watch and woken each of them when the first hint of sunlight appeared on the horizon. They hurriedly packed up the campsite, simple throwing the rough leathers they’d slept on into the saddlebags without even trying to dry them. Kenemen had a sense of urgency about him and it infected the rest of the group, causing them to hurry about their travel preparations.

They started down the rough trail at a canter, eating strips of dried meat in the saddle. The meat was tough and stringy, almost unchewable. Katai let it sit in his mouth, having experienced these types of travel rations before. They lasted almost forever, but had to be softened up first to be edible.

They rode for some time before Katai shouted, his cry echoing over the treetops. He tried unsuccessfully to stifle the sound so it didn’t travel quite so far, but the low-ranked skill resisted his attempts, exploding from his mouth with the same loud roar as it had yesterday. They were still far enough from their destination that it didn’t matter, but his lack of volume control meant he wouldn’t be able to use it closer to their destination.

The horses continued their canter without slowing for a couple more hours, their energy steadily renewed by Katai’s skill. Hot and uncomfortable from the midday sun, they finally came in sight of Waycrest village.

There was no smoke coming from the distance houses, which struck Katai as a positive. That was the first sign of an attack on Tiaston—well, the first sign they’d seen and by that stage it had been too late.

Kenemen slowed the group to a walk. They kept their eyes on the surrounding countryside, the area around Waycrest opening up into a large plain of gently rolling hills and small valleys. It was a place much more suited to livestock and farming than their own village and far more spread out. The village itself didn’t contain the homes of many of the farmers, as they lived next to their fields, trusting that they’d be able to retreat to the village in times of trouble.

As they drew closer to the village, Katai was relieved to see signs of normal daily activities. A new building was being constructed, with people carrying materials back and forth. The clank of hammers and shouts of instruction carried faintly on the wind. There were a few small gardens being tended, the neat and orderly rows of vegetables sprouting happily in the midday sun. An industrious village, Waycrest was prosperous and growing.

They were almost within shouting distance when it happened.

A fireball shot into the air, flying straight up into the sky. It appeared to have come from a tree-filled gulley that ran parallel to the village, not very close to the village edge, but near enough. A good spot to launch an attack.

Following the fireball, figures burst from the tree-line, hurriedly climbing the bank towards the village. Once at the top, they split into two groups; the main force heading towards the village in a ragged mob, while a smaller force headed towards them.

Katai’s eyes widened at the rapidly unfolding events. Had they triggered an early attack when they approached? He looked around and saw the others drawing weapons, preparing for battle. He drew his own blade, his face darkening with anger and shouted.

As the effects came over the group, he didn’t wait for orders. He had felt the rush of adrenalin as danger approached, his heart leaping in his chest. Then, the dirty clothes and ragged formation had drawn his attention—these were bandits. The bandits. It must be the same group; they even had a Fire Mage. With another shout, this time a cry of anger, he charged forwards.

Katai ignored everything but the first scruffy-looking bandit running their way, the man’s fierce grin capturing his attention. His blade glittered in the air as his mount gathered speed, his demeanour fierce and proud as he charged forwards. His mount was no battle charger, but she had been trained to serve in a patrol group and was quick to reach her top speed. She seemed fearless, storming towards the mob of flailing weapons and shouting Warriors without hesitation.

He leaned down as he neared his target, the wind streaming through his hair and his eyes narrowing. The first man swung his blade down, timing his attack perfectly to strike Katai. He swayed away from the obvious attack, his body leaning one way, while he kept his blade angled low and slightly trailing. He felt a slight tug, as the blade came into contact, sliding along and cutting deeply into the man.

You have defeated Warrior (level 27).

He quickly straightened and blocked the next opportunistic strike that came at him. His mount carried him onwards, into the range of the last attacker, the slowest of the bunch. He didn’t slow, flicking his sword out before the wheezing man had a chance to bring his own weapon up, slicing a chunk out of his throat. He slowed as he turned his horse, the chubby man slumping to the ground as his lifeblood gushed to the ground.

The group attacking them outnumbered them two to one, but they were mounted, making it a close contest. Katai had taken two out in the initial charge, and as he turned, he saw the others had followed him into battle. There were four bandits still standing.

He spurred his horse onwards, back through the remnants of their attackers. Yoto took out another, his arrows proving deadly as he kept his distance and fired repeatedly. Katai leaned down and swiped his blade across his target, felling the gangly figure who had been about to lunge towards Silas. Lariss and Silas teamed up to dispatch their opponent, but not before Kenemen calmly ran his blade through the suddenly desperate fighter he was facing.

You have defeated Warrior (level 21).

Congratulations! You have gained 1 Warrior level.

1 Attribute point awarded for reaching level 30 Warrior.

The lull in fighting allowed the group to catch their breath. Katai wiped his blade clean and guided his horse over to Silas.

“You alright?” he asked, his eyes bright and intense.

“Yeah.” Silas said, his chest heaving from the sudden, frantic battle, his face pale.

Satisfied his friend had come through unscathed, Katai looked around at the others. Lariss was looking a bit shell-shocked, staring at one of the bodies, her gaze unfocused.

“Lariss.” he called out gently. She didn’t react.

“Lariss!” She jerked her head up, looking startled. Realising where she was, she straightened and raised her sword. She looked at Katai thoughtfully, her face twisted into something resembling a grimace. She nodded at him and quickly looked away.

Yoto caught up to the rest of the group, his bow at the ready and stopped next to the Questor, who was watching the battle with narrowed eyes.

The main band of raiders had descended on the village in an unruly mob, stopped only momentarily by the handful of Warriors who came out to meet them. Like Tiaston, there were a number of guards stationed around the village, but against these odds and a surprise attack, they fell to the attacker’s blades far too quickly.

Kenemen’s stern gaze flittered over the village and then turned to the farmhouses that dotted the landscape. He looked at Katai and frowned.

“Silas, lead the attack on these ingrates. Make sure to protect Katai, he’s now Imperial Property and must not be too badly damaged.”

Silas gave a double-take at the command. His mouth opened with surprise, and he stuttered, “What—but, what will you be doing Sir?”

“I’ll be out hunting for a more elusive target.” He calmly replied, the corner of his mouth twitching upward at Silas’ reaction.

With that, the man turned and sped off towards the closest set of houses, leaving a group of shocked Warriors behind him.

He wasn’t going to help defend the village?

Katai's Status

Katai D’Castro

1st Class: Warrior – level 30 (+1)

2nd Class: Blood Mage – level 16

Skills

Lunge (Expert) – level 5

Parry (Expert) – level 3

Bash (Proficient) – level 3

Battle Cry (Novice) – level 4 (+2)

Sense Blood (Proficient) – level 2

Lacerate (Novice) – Level 5

Bond of Blood (Novice) – Level 1

Attributes

Strength: 18

Dexterity: 19 (+1)

Constitution: 28 (+2)

Intelligence: 15

Wisdom: 16

Charisma: 17

Magical Aptitude

Blood (Life): 62%

Water: 9%

Resistances

Spirit: -16%

Void: 31%

Blood (Life): 62%

Wither (Life): -16%