A dull crunch rang out as Katai tried to wrench his blade loose, breaking something apart. It came free after a second tug, with a visceral, sucking sound that almost turned his stomach. He wasn’t sure why, but the sound made him shudder every time he heard it. The gurgle of air leaving the body through an unnatural hole; sucking wetly when it was pushed out through a spray a blood, or whistling against exposed bone or chitinous-like skin. Every time, he shuddered.

It didn’t help that they were trained to finish an opponent by piercing the centre of mass. Often that meant gut or lungs. So, it was becoming a bit of a regular occurrence lately.

He turned away as blood and guts started to leak out of the large entry wound. He wiped at his blade, frowning at the pearlescent green blood that coated its length. He was surprised to see it changed hue as he tilted his blade, the liquid glimmering in the midday sun. It was also thick enough that it clung to his sword even when he held it point down.

It was a funny thing, blood.

Nearby, he could hear Lariss cursing at Silas, complaining that he’d stolen the kill from her. Kenemen was saying something behind him too, his voice a quiet murmur. Yoto, the only one of them paying attention to their surroundings, was standing at the front the group with his bow in hand, peering warily down the ravine they’d been travelling through.

No-one was paying him any attention. Perfect.

If Blood were his domain, his area of expertise, then this should be no different. It might be green, and from the body of an alien creature, but it was still blood. It should be his to command, and he was sick of experimenting in secret.

The sounds around him faded away as he focused on the blood-covered blade.

Green light bloomed, filling his vision and pulling him deep –deep– into a shifting, emerald miasma. Raw potential filled his vision, bursts of inspiration and countless possibilities flashing through his mind in an instant.

Overwhelmed by the explosion of information, his mind flexed… and then broke before the deluge.

“What’s he doing now?” Lariss said to Silas, still sounding peeved. He turned around to see Katai staring motionless at his own sword.

“Katai? A bit of rust ain’t the end of the world you know,” Lariss called out, rolling her eyes at his overly dramatic examination, staring as if horrified at the blade. Without waiting any longer for a reply, she strode up and gave him a friendly whack on the shoulder. He still didn’t respond.

“Uh, Katai? Hello?”

“Something’s wrong with Katai!” Silas called out to Kenemen, who was talking to Emilia just out of earshot. They quickly hurried over.

“Hmmm, yes. How long has he been like this?” The Questor seemed remarkably calm as he examined the younger man. He clicked his fingers in front of Katai’s glazed eyes and then checked his pulse, neither action provoking a response.

“Maybe a couple of minutes?” Lariss answered.

Kenemen sighed and nodded to himself. “Might as well set up a fire and cook lunch while we’re here then. He’ll be out for a while.”

“You know what’s going on?” Silas spoke up, concern clear in his voice.

“Yes, I’ve seen it several times actually and experienced it once myself. It’s known as an Epiphany, or a Breakthrough, and it’s a relatively common thing. Especially for new Mages.” He unloaded his small pack and began to unpack a small, cast-iron pot and several small packets of dried leaves. “It’s caused by a sudden influx of knowledge about your magic or skills and how they work. It’s like your brain suddenly realises how it’s all meant to work and it sort of… clicks. It can be quite intense. Then of course, your body has to adjust to the mana changes and catch up. Hence, the statue of Katai.”

He sat down and looked pointedly at the nearest fallen branches. With a sigh of resignation, Silas took one last look at his friend standing motionless, before he trudged over to gather the wood.

Consciousness returned slowly. Katai had fleeting memories of a vast green whirlpool that had pulled at him. As his mind became more grounded and lucid however, the memories soon faded. By the time he regained control of his eyes, his pupils dilating and refocusing, he was only left with vague hints at what he’d just gone through. The feeling of inspiration however, remained.

He blinked and almost stumbled as the weight of the sword suddenly made itself known. The weapon dropped to the ground, his forearms spasming from holding it in the same position for who knows how long. Then, he felt the distinct itch at the back of his mind that told him he had new notifications.

You have forged a deeper connection with Blood magic.

Aptitude increased by 3.

Resistance increased by 3.

Blood Aptitude has reached 65%.

Blood Resistance has reached 65%.

Well, freaking finally! Katai could have jumped for joy if he weren’t still reeling from the effects of whatever he’d just gone through. As it was, he had to sit down. Some might say collapse, but he meant to do it.

“Katai!” Silas rushed over. “Are you ok?”

He looked up, dazed and unfocused. Blinking rapidly, his eyes cleared to see everyone looking at him with varying degrees of concern.

Slowly, he nodded. “Yeah… yeah, I’m– “

“–Eurgh…” Silas cut him off, groaning loudly. “I... I think I’m gonna– “

He quickly turned and threw up. The sound of heavy liquid splattering the ground made them all wince in sympathy. Then the smell hit Katai. It was a very familiar scent.

The smell of blood.

With an effort, Katai got up and stumbled over to his friend. He placed a reassuring hand on his back, letting Silas know he was there. With some trepidation, he leaned over to examine the disgusting mess at Silas’ feet. As he’d feared, the spew wasn’t just the contents of his stomach. The majority of it was red.

Silas groaned and wiped at his mouth, still leaning over above the pile of fresh goop. He spat, trying to get the nasty coppery taste out of his mouth.

“Silas, what the fuck?” Katai spoke quietly as he hovered over his friend, “Are you injured? Did one of the Megasoma hit you in the stomach?”

The reply was equally quiet, Silas subtly glancing around as he kept his head down. “No, I’m fine. I just got a Class notification. I think that’s what it’s from.”

“What, and it made you sick? You just threw up blood.” Katai was quietly incredulous.

“The notification… I just gained my first Aptitude. It must have been you,” Silas said, his voice full of wonder, and something else that Katai couldn’t identify, “because I just got Blood magic.”

What? Katai worked hard to control his surprise, conscious of Kenemen approaching them. Quickly, before he could begin to process the ramifications, he asked the most important question.

“Did you unlock Blood Mage?”

Mutely, Silas shook his head. “I only got seven points. Not even enough for a Warrior variant.”

Relieved, Katai patted him on the back and stepped back to pick up his dropped blade. Well that explains the blood, I guess? Must be a reaction to the sudden influx of Blood magic. But how did he gain the power in the first place? Does the Bond have more of an effect than I realised? It’s too coincidental that he gained Blood Aptitude right after I made a jump myself.

Shaking his head, Katai started to clean his sword while he kept an eye on Silas and Kenemen. He could overhear snatches of their conversation.

“…must have hit me harder than I thought…”

Kenemen didn’t seem completely convinced. He eyed Katai suspiciously, nodding absent-mindedly as Silas rambled along, doing his best to cover up the real reason for his sickness.

What would the Questor do if he found out Silas was on the pathway to becoming a Blood Mage? Would he pass judgement just for having the Aptitude for it? Katai tried not to delve too deeply into that thought. It was bad enough that he was bound to the Empire. He was actually surprised at how much leeway he’d been given so far. Perhaps his usefulness to the Questor and the Empire was enough to ensure a better life than other slaves.

“Alright, it looks like we’re good to keep going then.” Kenemen said, his voice carrying to everyone in the twisting ravine, “We need to make up some time, otherwise we’ll still be trying to find this campsite in the dark.”

They quickly packed up and started down the ravine.

Luckily, they didn’t encounter any more Gyas lying in wait for them on their path. It appeared they were ambush predators, as both pairs they’d encountered previously had been hiding in depressions or behind boulders. Simple enough to deal with for someone like Katai, with his Blood Sense. It would have been a different story without his warnings however; the creatures fast enough to seriously challenge them in combat.

Their journey into the valley had taken them on a winding journey. They’d had to decide which way to go at several junctions, each time Kenemen pointing them unerringly towards the destination he had in mind.

Worryingly, most of the daylight had been used up by the time they started ascending the side of the bluff. They struggled to get up the steep slope, but Katai was actually quite pleased at that – it meant anything trying to get up after them would have the same problem.

A short climb later and they had reached the top.

Yoto took the lead at this point, cautiously advancing through the trees, while the others followed at a distance. It was for good reason that he led them through the small section of trees. None of them had even half the forestry skills that Yoto did. The man was a silent wraith, gliding amongst the handful of trees and shrubs as he scouted out their path. He paused at the edge of the trees, crouching with his hand held up to signal the others to stop.

Of course there’d be trouble. Why would Katai have hoped for anything different?

The Questor patiently waited for the hunter to return to them, Yoto as cautious as he could be on the way back. The whispered conversation they had seemed to frustrate Kenemen, judging by his tense shoulders and scowl. Soon enough, Yoto moved off again, returning to the forest edge, while Kenemen waved them all closer.

“Alright, we don’t have much time.” He whispered fiercely, the sun casting deep shadows on his face, “We need to set this place up so we’re not constantly on guard. There’s a large creature that’s already living here however. I’m going to take it out quickly, so we can get started on the camp.”

Uh, on your own? Well, this should be interesting! Hmm, I wonder how big ‘large’ is?

“You all need to be ready to pitch in, in case I can’t kill it.” Kenemen continued, “That’s unlikely though. Just be ready.” He looked around and received nods from everyone. Lariss and Silas looked excited, while Emilia was definitely apprehensive about the plan. Though that seemed to be her constant state since they’d left the village.

He looked away from her when she glanced at him with a frown. He couldn’t worry about things he couldn’t change. She’d just have to grow and learn to deal with the situation. Why did he even care?

He shook his head and slowly drew his blade, putting those thoughts out of his head. It was time to focus.

Kenemen didn’t take long to prepare. A minute with his eyes closed, and then a yellow glow started to emit from his body. He stood and stretched, a smile on his face. He looked like an avenging angel, the glow giving him an ethereal quality that was emphasised by the sudden speed at which he moved. One moment he was stretching, a lazy smile and predatory look in his eyes, and the next he was gone, blurring through the trees.

The group stared, open-mouthed for a few seconds before Katai realised they were missing the battle. He stood and ran through the trees, stepping into the clearing before he stopped to stare once again.

It was already over.

A hulking creature stood, towering over the open space. It was rotund, a thick-bodied creature that was taller even than the looming rock that jutted above the trees behind it. It took Katai a second to find the Questor, who stood at the feet of the giant, calmly staring up. Even weapon-less he exuded confidence and an air of danger. It made Katai shiver. His body knew he was in the presence of a very dangerous man.

The creature fell to its knees, shaking the ground around them. Slowly it toppled over, Kenemen’s blade piercing its breast right up to the hilt. The thing was so big, the blade didn’t even come out the other side.

With a boom that could probably have been heard for a mile, the body hit the ground. The blade was driven even deeper, finally poking a few centimetres out of its back, making it clear the thing had to be dead. Kenemen turned and walked back to the group, who stood stunned at the edge of the clearing. Wide-eyed, Katai watched him approach. The glow abruptly disappeared from his body, removing the angelic aura and easing some of the awe he felt in the man’s presence.

“Ok now that’s dealt with, Silas we need to remove the body.” He spoke normally, as if he hadn’t just toppled a hulking giant with a single strike, “Someone needs to retrieve my blade, we need to thoroughly scout the campsite, and fortifications need to be built. Think you can organise that?”

Silas nodded, unable to speak after what they’d just witnessed.

“Very well. I’d suggest Emilia gets started on the fortifications. Otherwise I’ll leave it in your hands.”

With that, he walked away from them, removing his pack and sitting at the far edge of the clearing. They watched him start to unpack cooking utensils, before realising they had work to do.

Without needing to be asked, Katai walked over to the beast, shaking his head in disbelief. He’d known that Kenemen was strong, but seeing this was… something else. The man was an absolute powerhouse. The worrying thing was, he wasn’t confident in taking on the Necromancer by himself. If Kenemen, as powerful as he was, wasn’t confident, then what chance did Katai have?

He poked absentmindedly at the thick, pebbled skin of the giant, his blade not making the slightest mark. He tried again, this time stabbing it and putting a fair amount of force behind the strike, to the same effect. Realising the task ahead of him, he sighed heavily.

Gotta look on the bright side, he thought, looking around the area, we have a secure campsite, which means we have somewhere safe to sleep and train. Which reminds me - I wonder what Kenemen’s going to make us do for training?

He looked back at the creature lying prostrate in front of him. If he can teach me how to get this strong, I’ll do whatever he wants.

It was a thought that would haunt him in the weeks to come.

Katai's Status

Katai D’Castro

1st Class: Warrior – level 33

2nd Class: Blood Mage – level 19

Skills - Warrior

Lunge (Expert) – level 7

Parry (Expert) – level 4

Bash (Proficient) – level 3

Battle Cry (Novice) – level 5

Skills - Blood Mage

Sense Blood (Proficient) – level 4

Lacerate (Proficient) – Level 1

Bond of Blood (Novice) – Level 4

Attributes

Strength: 18

Dexterity: 19

Constitution: 29

Intelligence: 15

Wisdom: 16

Charisma: 17

Magical Aptitude

Blood (Life): 65% (+3)

Water: 9%

Resistances

Blood (Life): 65% (+3)

Void: 31%

Spirit: -16%

Wither (Life): -16%