Chapter 22: Lost but not Forgotten

I laughed looking over at my brother before shaking my head. We had just gotten of a ride at the amusement park, and I couldn’t help but laugh as I thought back to the girlish scream he gave out. Today my family was enjoying one of the rare occasions where we were all together. To celebrate my father had decided the family should go to our local amusement park for some much-needed fun.

“Hey, you weren’t any better” my brother said giving me a punch to the arm.

“That hurt, $%*&@^#.”

‘Huh?’

The world grew still around me and color faded leaving only me and my brother together.

What was my brother’s name?

“You ok Terrence?”

“$%*&@^#?”

“$%*&@^#

$%*&@^#

$%*&@^#

$%*&@^#

$%*&@^#

$%*&@^#.”

I woke up screaming. My body hot and drenched in sweat and my head throbbing. A groan came from my left and I looked over only to see Ryna hands clutched around her head. Fuck, I wanted to be the one clutching my head. What was going on with me? I didn’t have time to process that right now. I looked around. I had a feeling we weren’t in Kansas anymore.

A thriving jungle surrounded us on all sides while our bodies laid in a giant crater roughly 30ft in diameter. It was a perfect circle. I got up slowly, head still in pain and moved over to Ryna who was muttering and clutching her head eyes tightly closed and her body slightly shaking.

I sat there for a few minutes getting my thoughts in order and taking stock of my body.

‘Status’

Overview

Name: Aegis Kan

Age: 8

Race: Magi Human

Racial Abilities: Minor Adaptation

Physical Cultivation: 4

Magic Cultivation: 0(4)

Aspects: Starlit Harbinger

Titles: Resolved

No wonder my body was all out of order. My physical cultivation had finally been fully unlocked, and my intestines had begun the process of enhancing. Tier 4-6 of physical cultivation enhanced your intestines, kidney, and finally heart. The Kan family way of physical cultivation was different than what you may see with an adventurer or another noble family. It was required to enhance your organs, but the Kan specifically did it with each of the three major organs in between two minor organs. Whereas other families may have another way of doing it. Same thing goes for adventurers. I already had my lungs, skin, and bones enhanced by magic. The finally two organs to be enhanced would be in tier 7-9 which included the brain and privates. From what I was taught tier nine is making sure your body works in a cohesive manner. I did not know what it meant to become prestige as the adventures like to call it. I still wondered why the noble cultivation although the same was not fully explain to the common people, but I could imagine a number of reasons. Power for a start.

With my body settling down I took stock of my situation. Ryna was still moaning and rocking back and forth, and I started to become really worried about her. I moved towards her to help and reached out a hand for her shoulder.

“DON’T TOUCH ME,” she screams, and I reared back as if burned.

“Ryna…?”

“Who is Ryna?”

The teenager had a duller look in her eyes and her blue, white hair was in a disarray and parts where matted to her forehead.

I opened my mouth to answer her, and bile came out as I kneeled over before my vision doubled.

‘System what is going on with me?’

I asked the question as it took all my willpower to not collapse and faint.

‘Analyzing…

Analyzation complete. Your soul is misaligned with your body. Estimated time until the System can realign 28 days, 6 hours, and 35 minutes. Once the process is complete a new aspect space is available.’

My soul was misaligned. How could that have even happened? As those thoughts swam through my head my vision once again focused only to see a concerned Ryna nearing me.

“Big brother are you ok?” Her voice came out light almost sounding like a young girl.

Oh… shit.

The necromancer, no Nar’nazak the god or whatever he was. I never full bothered to learn about the various gods that the sapiens of Nia worshipped. A few holy wars waged against each other by the other empires is the most I learned about before my interest dwindled. Whatever Nar’nazak had done almost pulled our souls from our bodies.

“Big brother…?”

Ryna said as she looked at me with puppy dog eyes.

“I’m ok but please call me Aegis.”

The girl’s expression drooped, and tears appeared in her eyes.

“Or you can call me big brother.”

It’s not like I wasn’t used to being called big brother anyway in this life and the last. It would just be weird being called big brother by a girl my senior.

A brilliant smile appeared on Ryna’s face and I internally groaned until I realized that my stomach was also groaning in protest. I turned to look for my backpack glancing around the crater that housed our stuff. My ax, check, Ryna’s staff, check, and my buckler had never left my side, but my backpack was nowhere to be seen. A sinking feeling appeared in my gut, and I hurried to the edge of the crater glancing all around. My backpack was missing and with it Malix as well.

“Oh fuck. Today is not my day,” I said glancing around hands on my hips.

Ryna appeared next to me.

“Oh fuck. Today is not our day.” A mature voice said to me.

I turned to look at the girl only to have a staff pointed at my neck.

“Where am I? Who are you? And why is it so quiet if we’re in the middle of a fucking jungle.”

Ryna’s voice came out more mature sounding very different from the original teen I had come to know and very much displeased but after she mention how quiet it was my sense were on alert. How is it that we were in the middle of a jungle and not even the chirping of insects or birds could be heard. My eyes flicked towards where I had left my ax and I open my lips slowly.

“Don’t look around. 15ft to your left something is watching us. I would like for you to slowly put your staff down and pretend to have a laugh. Then follow me as I go to retrieve my ax.”

This mature version of Ryna gave me a hard look before doing as I said, and we both laughed as we made our way towards my fallen ax.

The moment I grasped my weapon they struck. Two black streaks quickly flew towards me one veering off towards Ryna who was a distances away. I brought my buckler up as claws raked against it just inches from my face and jumped back trying to get a view on my assailant while swinging my ax in the direction the attack came from.

I sent a quick glance in Ryna direction only to see her wielding her staff in graceful swings blocking and parrying the creatures, birds, attacking us. That glance almost cost me as the bird attacking me reacted swiftly and clawed towards my ax hand. I bashed my buckler forward sending the bird crashing to the ground and threw my ax splitting its chest the moment it landed. Three screeches came from the forest and a larger variant of the birds swooped towards me. Grabbing my weapon, I prepared to activate my bloodline when nothing happened, and my body became wracked with pain. Yet, that pain didn’t stop as my body reacted. All those days of training and fighting saved my life at this moment. The birds were coming from both of my sides and directly center, and I rolled to the right dodging the first two creatures and bring my buckler up in a vicious swing. Satisfaction radiated through me as I heard a sickening crunch. Not even checking my kills I turned to face the last two creatures and found Ryna already engaged with the two. It looks like food would be aplenty in this wild jungle.

***

Murnia strained her ears and listened for any hint of movement. Ever since her master Aegis left, Lady Keala had taken her from the regular training the maids and butlers of the Kan went through and to her personal mage tower. Murnia was fascinated when she first set her eyes on the tower. It was the tallest building in the city and was on castle grounds surrounded by a small forest. The tower itself was like a piece of the night sky placed upon the ground of Nia with small starshaped gems studded throughout the outside. The inside of the tower made Murnia believe she was amongst the stars themselves as every inch and surface represented the night sky.

She dodged to the left but felt a sharp sting against her cheek as the blade cut her.

“That was your only warning shot. Do not let your thoughts be distracted again. Maids of the Hukku are not to be taken lightly.”

Murnia head swiveled to the voice trying to locate its exact source. Koa was her trainer today while Nani would be returning to the Hukku Clan with her lady. Koa and Nani were a pair of beautiful maids that followed Lady Keala to the Kan dukedom when she first got married to the duke. They were also powerful women that were trained in multiple ways to protect their charge. Ways that they were drilling into Murnia.

Murnia heard a light tap and dashed towards the sound short sword extended and ready to bite into her target. Another short sword clashed against hers and a spark lit up the dark room for a brief moment showing Koa in her maid attire. Murnia heard the swooshing of the second blade and jumped back before bringing her second blade up in a stab while her first one was slashing in a diagonal right slash.

Both blades where parried and Murnia received a kick to her stomach creating distance. She strained her ears once again listening for the slightest sound. This time the tap came from behind and Murnia reversed the grip on the short sword in left hand barely blocking the blow that sent her stumbling forward and losing the sword in the process.

“Sufficient. You are ready for a breakthrough. Sit.”

Murnia sat while practicing the breathing technique of the Hukku Clan using it to regain her breath and focus. After an hour of this she was ready. Murnia had been on the cusp of the 3rd tier for a while now. She thought about the information that had been revealed to her when she first started this journey and the oath binding her body and soul tighten slightly. Her mind turned its attention to her body, and she drew in ambient mana to her magi core purifying it before beginning the process of her 3rd organ enhancement and breakthrough into the 3rd tier of power.

Murnia breath quicken as she slowly guided the magic to her brain. The Hukku first 3 tiers of organs they enhanced was the bones, skin, and finally brain. The brain which was the most dangerous part of the body to enhance. Sweat leaked down Murnia’s face as the magic made its way towards her brain. Slowly, ever so slowly, Murnia poured more and more magic into her skull saturating her brain. Her thoughts became clearer and suddenly she opened her eyes and found how even in total darkness she could see. Koa was sitting across from her smiling brightly.

“Congratulations on reaching the 3rd tier in the Path of the Body.”

“This… this is amazing. Is this what you see all the time?” Murnia asked as she looked around in amazement. Her vision was sharp enough to count the individual hairs on Koa’s head.

“It will fade in time but yes if you focus mana to your brain and eyes constantly you will see like this and much more as you walk farther along the path. You now have the strength of a knight in the Empire.”

Murnia closed her eyes and smiled. She was now at the level of strength her young master was at before he left. Her thoughts drifted towards the friends she called family, the Slight Hands, Murnia couldn’t wait to brag about being the first one to reach the 3rd tier of power. She would also try and give hints to her friends to tie themselves as close as possible to the young master if they ever wanted to truly walk the paths.

***

“Lance Formation,” Amaya voice rang out the field and the Little Army moved in response.

Amaya could only stomach so many tactician classes with her uncle before she grew tired and wanted to put them in action. She stared across the field at Lord Fross, one of her uncle’s closest advisors. The count waved back a friendly smile on his face as he called out orders to his own set of troops.

The troops quickly moved in formation just as Lord Fross troops slammed into them. Paint was being used on blunt weapons while the troops wore an outfit with and helmet with an X representing where their vitals were. Any time one of the X marks were hit the troop would freeze up and drop to the ground.

“Bowl Formation,” Amaya called out and the lance point that was holding against the counts troops slowly withdrew pulling in the counts men until her side appeared like a bowl.

“Crush.”

As Amaya said this she jumped down and moved past her backline of spearmen. The sides of the bowl slowly moved in until the counts troops broke and retreated.

Lord Fross clapping was heard, and Amaya had a slight blush as the man appeared in front of her.

“Bravo, bravo! Well done little lass.”

Amaya curtsied before responding.

“Thank you, Lord Fross. I strive to put the techniques taught to me to use.”

Amaya said while looking over the Little Army. Most of the soldiers had broken into the first tier of power and showed a significant boost to their strength and resistance. The first time Amaya had done this mock battle she requested the enemy troops to use power of the first tier. These men where trained soldiers with most already having the strength of a grand knight or 6th tier with some even higher so it was a small thing for them to do to control their strength. The two troops mingled, and the older troops went over a view of the things the little army did wrong and right.

Amaya smiled at the site of this and made small talk with Lord Fross until the mingling was over before going back to their positions and doing it all over again.

***

Shadow breath heavy while calming down her roiling energy. Two consecutive breakthroughs occurred, and Shadow smiled as she broken into tier 2 of Path of the Mind. She looked at the bag across from her and sighed before picking it up and moving swiftly through the tunnels in the Land of the Dead.

Her mind shuddered at the thought of the last battle in was in and the lifesaving item it cost her to save herself and several other people. The strange members of the Blue Team being amongst them. Yet she could not erase the memory of the fearful looks in the eyes of those left in the ritual grounds. The divine, Nar’nazak, had granted a request and nothing powerful enough was there to stop him. She made sure to thoroughly list everything that had occurred during the ritual. A divine had not acted like this in several hundred years at least from what Shadow had privy of.

“Gods…”

If the divines were becoming active, then war was not far especially if it was one of the gods the greenskin races worshipped.