Chapter 15 Coming out the Shadow

Shadow stood there in shock. She was awed at the level of power that someone at such a low level could display.

‘Even if he is of the Kan bloodline this shouldn’t be possible. This type of talent…’

Shadow didn’t let her mind complete the thought and she moved once again appearing directly in front of Aegis.

The boy, no the teenager in front of her raised his weapons up guarded and ready the moment he noticed her. She studied the boy as he studied her. This was her first time really taking a good look at Aegis. He was a broad shoulder youth that was built for battle. Even when Shadow observed him from a distance, he always appeared to be a nocked arrow ready to take off at a target in a moment noticed. He truly inherited his mother’s eyes, nothing but a black void with white dots spread around to represent starlight. His dreadlocks which had gone completely red with the activation of his bloodline returned to their normal state with most of his hair being black and the tips ending in a fierce fiery red.

*

As I basked in the feeling of regaining my strength when suddenly with the help of Malix I noticed a figure that had appeared before me. I didn’t even sense it, her if I was reading correctly. I didn’t know what she looked like as she was wearing a tattered brown cloak that fully covered her body but the thing, I noticed instantly was that she was an elf. The hood of her brown cloak had slits in which her ears appeared out of.

None of that stopped me from immediately readying my weapons the moment I noticed her. Even if I had no chance I would not go down without a fight. We both silently stared at one another. She was tall maybe 6ft but even still I could not see her face as the hood covered it up. So, I waited not speaking and not moving. I was furiously drawing in mana and retuning into my own signature while my core itself was helping in the process by generating a small amount it would take a few hours for me to fully restock and that was time I didn’t have. Taking in raw mana and quickly processing it like this was not healthy, it could lead to a swift death but if the figure attacked, I would die anyway. If not for Malix bopping me I would probably have never noticed the elf at all.

“You can address me as Shadow. I am here under Lady Keala Kan’s orders to protect you for a period of 5 years maximum.”

Her voice was soft and light, and she spoke with perfect Imperial.

Shadow? That was a weird name but who was I to judge. I wasn’t going to come out and admit who I was, however. Just because she said my mother’s name didn’t mean she wasn’t one of the people my mother mentioned who would not hesitate to strike me down.

Deciding my course of action, I looked at her in confusion and responded. “I’m not sure what you mean. I’m just on a pilgrimage to the city of Redcoomshi.”

It was then that the figured reached into her cloak and I instantly brought myself fully drawn and ready to launch at a moment’s notice. Her hand paused but did not stop as she brought out a medallion with my family’s crest on it. It was what she did next that surprised me as she let it go it hovered midair for a second before slowly moving in my direction.

“Your mother sent me and provided me this tracking stone to follow you as you went on your ‘pilgrimage.’

You are none other than Aegis Kan and with this bloodline ability it all but confirms it for me”

I looked in confusion at the ‘tracking stone’ that was clearly a medallion as it made its way towards me. I slowly relaxed and thought over my mother’s letter. There was a part in it were she mentioned level 2 and a shadow or something. I would have to review it when I went to collect the rest of my stuff.

“Where is the mole located on Lady Keala’s face?”

I wanted to confirm Shadow was truly sent by my mother and not another party only pretending. Only those who had seen my mother in person would notice the somehow darker point of skin on her obsidian features.

“On her left just slightly below her bottom lip.”

I lowered my weapons and stopped my furious intake of the raw mana in the air. I would slowly expel that later but right now I was tired, hungry, and just wanted nothing but a hot shower even if my bloodline burned everything away including any smell I had been building up.

“Malix you can have all the bodies if you still want them in this condition.”

I watched Shadow cock her head in confusion, but her posture straightens up instantly as she finally noticed the moving worm on my armor. I couldn’t blame her as both Malix and my armor had similar complexions.

‘If your offering…’

Her cheerful voice rang out and I could see the shock in Shadow’s stance as she staggered backward in wariness. She now had a crossbow in her hand bolt cocked and ready to fire although it was lowered.

“This is my traveling companion Malix,” I said pointing to the worm.

“This is Shadow, a guard my mother hired to protect me.”

With introductions done. I wearily walked to my camp before collecting my things. I would not be camping here for my rest as I did not know what other creatures may be attracted to the destruction. At least I now knew there were indeed predators in this area.

*

Shadow watched as Aegis collected his scattered things before moving out the clearing. This time he was moving swiftly and in the right direction to reach the entrances of level 2. Her curiosity was eating at her. She very much wanted to snatch the boy up and ask him what type of training he had done to get such strength at a young age. During her meeting with the boy, she noticed that he’d broken into a new level of strength and was now a tier 3. If her sun elves could have access to his training method maybe there was a way for them to rise again and reclaim their lost territory in the Forest of Life.

For now, she would wait and watch. At least give him the chance to acquire proper rest.

…

12 hours passed since Aegis moved to a new clearing with his shadow. They had journey for another one when Shadow first revealed herself before finding another clearing in the Everchange forest. Shadow watched as Aegis immediately went about setting up his camp and several warding items to alert him if any creature was approaching. All these items were top tier and Shadow wondered if the boy knew how much wealth he was showing off. Even his tent was top tier. Shadow could tell it was made from a rank one beast hide and could ward off blows from at least tier 6 beast.

When he finally finished his preparations. He immediately entered his tent and slept. The beast on his should accompanying him inside. Shadow was irked by the beast. Aegis may not have been able to tell how strong the beast on his shoulder was but Shadow could see that it was about to undergo its first evolution and reach its first rank.

The beast tiers were similar in effects to the ones of the physical cultivations of the sentient races. They would each unlock an ability at the 3rd tier of power. Knights and warriors could unlock things such as Wind Blade and if you were really good you could ignite the air and launch Fire Blade. At each tier beast could further enhance their bloodline ability as they grew larger, and their body grew stronger. Able to resist the natural elements and weapons better. In the 6th tier beast would undergo another bloodline enhancement that could either alter their ability into something extremely dangerous or activate another bloodline ability for them. The stronger ones could even get both effects.

Tier 9 beast in settle lands could bring ruin to villages and towns with ease. As not only do they unlock more of their bloodline abilities they begin to get ready to go under the process of evolution. This can cause their behavior to become erratic as they will consume much more food than normal or may cause mass destruction by lashing out in pain. Until they reach that threshold

Tier 10 and becoming a rank being. Just like humanoids their bodies would undergo a drastic change and if they survived, they would never see the world in the same light as before.

The creature Aegis called Malix was at that threshold. Shadow watched as she consumed every creature Aegis killed that night regardless of their state. The thing that bothered Shadow so much is that the creature spoke. It could only mean one thing. It was an Emperor class beast with an Emperor bloodline. The humans called them Bloodline Initiators but that was far from what they could and would do. These beasts were powerful enough to establish an empire on the continent or destroy one and a youth of those renown beast was right in front of her. How could Shadow not be scared but it also meant an opportunity. If she could capture… Her mind instantly banished the thought. Her family had fallen but never low enough to go against an Emperor. Beast born with intelligence and usually several tiers strong already.

Once Aegis was awake however she would question him. No one could jump 2 tiers without so much as a scratch on their body.

*

When I woke up my body was more than restored and my mana was filled to the brim. My passive ‘Dragon’s Health’ really worked overtime in restoring in as I slept. However, I had noticed its side effect. I was constantly eating and running through my food supply. This wouldn’t be a problem as I always made sure I was topped off, but it was just an observation on how my power worked. Thinking of my aspect I was extremely excited to get these cuffs off and test the 2 actives I received.

I was upset when I first found out that I couldn’t use Ashes Fall [Beyond] but after thinking about it I came to understand that it was good runic cuffs could stop some of the powers of the aspects. If not, I would be much more hesitant than I already was to just release it on a mass scale to people. The things criminals could do with unlimited powers was never good. I’ve seen to many tropes to not be wary.

I quickly got dress and pulled fresh clothes from my bag. Probably the greatest feature I discovered was that the bag would dispose of any of my dirty clothes and replace them with a new pair. Even keeping my growing body into account. I didn’t know too much about runes and runic crafting, but it was moving to the top of the list of things I wanted to research once I returned.

I left my tent and began to put away all the warding items and the tent itself into the spatial bag. Looking around I spotted Shadow in the shadow of one of the stalagmites not too far from the clearing. Today we would properly talk. I was too mentally and magically exhausted yesterday to do much conversating. I waved over to her, and she walked towards me.

Malix hadn’t been too active after the events that took place hours ago and the worm had asked me if she could rest inside my spatial bag. This shocked me as I didn’t think anything living could go inside. I tested that several times with small critters in the first tier but when I tried to tell her I watched in stupefaction as she slithered up to my bag and entered it. What were Malix and her mother Kalix really?

Shadow arrived and I started walking into the forest only slowing to pull out my canteen and some dried meat some for myself and I offered some to Shadow. She hesitated before reaching out and accepting.

She probably had questions she wanted to ask but before that I figured we get more comfortable with one another if we were to establish any sort of cooperation during the journey.

“So, what are the parameters of your protection? I assume you have limits before you would step in,” I said looking towards the taller elf.

“Actually, before all that. Isn’t it only proper you remove your hood. If we’re to have any type of cooperation we should at least be familiar with one another. Especially if this journey takes the full five years.”

Shadow’s hands reached up slowly, and she removed her hood. The instant I saw her face my breath caught. She wasn’t beautiful. I mean she was beautiful, but she wasn’t just beautiful. It was like her beauty was ethereal. This must be the work of magic. Her skin was sun kissed as if she never once spent a day inside and her eyes were yellow like two rising suns. I quickly searched through my memory to see what kind of elf she was. As there were multiple clans.

“I am only to save you if you’re on the verge of death. Otherwise think of me as nothing but your shadow.” A slight smile appeared on her face as she said this, and I felt my face and body heating up.

Stupid teen body and going through puberty again. To mask what was going on and to get my body and mind to focus on something else I began to move faster. Shadow following me every step of the way. As we moved through the forest I was surprised as no questions had come about my power and how I could so easily defeat something so much stronger than me without so much as a scratch. So, I let my mind return to what I had previously spent hours on last night. I jumped using stalagmites as lift until I was jumping from top to top. I would be collecting one of those drops today.

*

Shadow watch as the boy moved forward swiftly the moment, he saw her face and she couldn’t help but chuckle internally. Elves were beautiful yes but not as much as an elf that had undergone a ranked evolution. If the boy saw a ranked 2, he will probably pass out.

Originally, she was going to start questioning the boy but her emotions that had been in turmoil had finally calmed a bit and Shadow realized she had a few years to follow along the boy’s path and closely observe him. There was no need to rush especially if she could gain some benefits besides her original payment to bring back to the clan.