I grit my teeth as daggers of pain ripped through my body, reverberating along my channels. My portable array, tucked into a pouch on my belt, pulsed in waves, pushing mana throughout my flesh. Although nowhere near as painful as the real thing under the Academy, it was still uncomfortable at best. Despite that, the benefits were more than worth it. I estimated that it almost doubled my tempering speed when combined with Iron Forging.

For most, this was a helpful but not essential benefit. The vast majority of mages did not need to worry about tempering until the higher ranks. For an Aether mage, it was far more valuable, allowing them to freely use their mana. But I had greater ambitions than simply being able to cast without pain or worry about shortening my life.

Like, for example, altering my mana into the tainted form that the monster I faced used. If I could strengthen my body to a high enough level, maybe I could use that energy without side-effects. And I still remembered the biological enchantment experiments in the capital. Either of those could prove useful and combined, there is no telling how powerful they could make me.

But for now, all it was doing was ensuring I would never need to focus on tempering again. The stone would degrade and break without another day or two, but I could spend a few hours creating another during my watch. I also had some ideas for additional enchanted equipment, though caution was essential before progressing further. Cortos might have left behind a guide for his array, but I was working with limited information and experience beyond that.

Straightening in my saddle, I adjusted my position to a more comfortable one. Darius had decided to trust me with one of their mounts and set another of the guards onto Jacob's cart. I suspected it was a favor, considering he noticed Julia rarely left me alone. My mundane answers were never satisfying for her, and she was always digging for more details. Despite my protests, she still harbored suspicions that I was more than I appeared at a glance.

The latest theory that she had begun hinting at was that I was on a quest for revenge. While not an unreasonable motivation, truthfully, there was no one I hated enough to wish for vengeance. The Esttons might have been selfish and planned to use me for their own gain, but they had also trained and housed me for more than a decade. In fact, the only person I would want revenge on was already dead.

Flynn's face briefly flashed into my mind, and I felt a slight sting of regret again. Though I despised the man, the reality of taking a life occasionally needled me. More than once, I had seen his smiling face in my dreams, sure that I would spare him, right before I sent a blast of mana through his head. A shake of my head banished thoughts of the dead man from my mind, and I returned my attention to more immediate concerns, like my job as a guard.

Letting my gaze scan from one side of the road to another, I spotted motion from the corner of my eyes. A branch shook, leaves fell to the ground, and I heard the crack of wood, as if underfoot. Gripping my spear tighter, I lashed out with my mind, searching for mana.

A moment later, a deer trotted out from the woods, black eyes meeting my own. On an impulse, I stretched out with my mind, searching for its own thoughts. I had tried on several occasions before to develop telepathic abilities, but that had fallen to the wayside in favor of more directly useful talents.

Emotions and sensations surged through me, so strong and unfamiliar that it overwhelmed my thoughts. I grunted, breaking off the connection with a shake of my head, and felt the effect rebound on me. I was hit by a wave of vertigo, and painful throbbing settled behind my eyes. Belatedly, I recalled that telepathic contact could prove uncomfortable for an untrained mind.

Reaching out again, more cautiously, I felt my mental touch brush against its mind. Unlike before, all I felt was a sort of muted curiosity and a touch of understanding. Though less intelligent than a human, the deer had a kind of sentience and self-awareness that spoke to its changed body. I held the connection for several seconds, trying to grow accustomed to the sensation before letting it slip from my grasp.

Making a mental note to practice more with Fortuna, I reached up and rubbed my temples as the deer turned and walked back into the forest.

"You sure it's wise to let that beast walk away?" a voice asked from my side, and I turned to look at another guard. Truthfully, I never bothered to learn his name, though I vaguely remembered it began with an E. Ethan, maybe or possibly Evan.

"It is an herbivore. Why bother killing it and potentially engaging in a fight with a magic beast if unnecessary?" I retorted, giving him a shrug.

"Meat? All the good stuff is reserved for sale, but fresh venison sure would go great in a stew. I haven't had a decent meal in weeks." he responded with a wistful look in his eyes. I found that I could not blame him. Food on the road was efficient and straightforward, something I appreciated but tended to grind on others.

The caravan was still a week or two from the border and had taken a secondary road, pushing east from the coastline and inland towards forests. I knew that we were growing closer to the Estton estate than I would prefer, though there were still hundreds of miles between us.

Like most nights, I took a late watch, patrolling for several hours before waking my replacement. Afterward, I pretended to return to my tent before diverting into the woods and walking several hundred feet away to a smaller clearing. Nighttime was the ideal chance to practice for an hour, and I knew that I needed to keep improving my skills.

Looking around me, I muttered words, casting simple alarm spells within a few dozen feet of me. Learned for the tournament, I had begun using them while studying or practicing my magic to give me a few seconds of warning if anyone approached me.

When I ensured I was safe, I activated the gemstone in my hand, intending for an approximate doubling of gravity. In an instant, a weight settled onto every inch of my body. Muscles protested, joints popped, and even my breath came with difficulty, drawn in with a half-gasp and half grunt.

In a way, it was almost exhilarating, feeling my body struggle for a change. Though only months had passed since I first stumbled upon the secrets of body refining, I had already grown accustomed to the inhuman strength and grace. The sense of exertion reminded me that I was human, at least for now.

After a few minutes of bodyweight exercises, I picked up my sword-staff, moving through my forms. A year's worth of practice had moved me past the basics and into the realm of an expert. By now, my focus was not on memorizing the moves but eliminating the small imperfections. An inch too wide of a block here or a slight overreach when attacking was the difference between victory and defeat. If I was going to die, my pride refused to let it be due to a lack of effort.

When an hour had passed, I practically collapsed to the ground, covered in sweat. My breaths still came ragged, but exhaustion was tempered with satisfaction. A few hours of rest should be enough to recuperate for the day ahead.

Picking up my staff, I glanced at the butt of the weapon, wondering if I could mount the gem to it. Tripling the weight of a strike would make it next to impossible to block, after all. And if I could channel mana into my blade as well, that would be the sort of attack few could survive.

Setting aside unrealistic dreams, I crept back to my tent, waking my replacement on the way back.

Screams tore through the air, and I shot up on my bedroll. Pausing for just a second, I stood, holding out a hand and calling my spear to my palm. Pushing out of the tent, I looked around, trying to find the source of the yelling.

I spotted darkened figures wrapped in cloaks and leather armor standing on one side of the clearing in the moonlight. Several crates were shattered, their contents scattered across the ground, and as I watched, one man raised an ax high, hacking into another container. Strangely, there were no guards nearby, though there should have been at least three patrolling.

"Intruders!" a voice screamed from behind me, and Darius ran past, dressed in plain clothes with a greatsword in hand. I did not hesitate, following after him but keeping my pace just a hair slower. My muscles ached and protested, not fully healed from their exertion, but I ignored it, pressing on.

The men were taken off guard by the sudden charge but still managed to gather themselves fast enough to respond. Four of them stepped forward, swords and axes in hand as they met us. If Darius was intimidated, he did not show it, his massive blade slicing through the air and impacting one man in the side, knocking him to the ground in a single strike.

A spurt of blood flew through the air, and a blood-curdling scream tore through the night sky as another man ran forward, backing up his ally. The two strike at Darius, clumsy attacks easily parried by his staunch defense.

I took all of this in during the two seconds it took me to catch. I aimed a stab low and away at one of my own foes, seeking to injure rather than kill. The thief managed to scramble to one side, falling to the ground and avoiding my attack more by luck than skill. Rather than pursue, I spun, swiping my spear low and shattering another man's ankle with a quick haft strike.

By the time I straightened up, the other had regained his footing, swinging his ax towards my head. As I blocked it, footsteps padded up behind me, and I heard shouts as additional guards came to help.

This seemed to turn the bandit cowardly, and he broke away, shoving me with a clumsy push as he took several steps back. Even in the darkness, I spotted an uncertain look in his eyes as he examined all of us. Next to me, the two engaged with Darius similarly put distance between them.

"Retreat! Retreat!" a voice howled, and a projectile was thrown in front of us, a burst of smoke and flames erupting a half-dozen feet high. I stepped backward, coughing as I inhaled scorching hot air. Stretching out my senses, I detected minuscule traces of mana from my surroundings. They had access to a magical weapon, it seemed.

I tensed, ready to pursue our attackers, but before I could move, a hand landed on my shoulder. Turning, I saw Darius shake his head, saying, "We have work to do here, Lucas. Leave the thieves to run and hide like the cowards they are."

Hesitating for a moment, I nodded, responding, "Yes, sir."

As he turned away, walking towards the other guards to try and establish order over the chaotic campsite, I let my gaze wander back towards the forest where the men retreated. What sort of bandits attacked a camp, took nothing, and carried magical weapons?