Chapter 4 part 1

Stirrings of Power

An eerie silence fills the air as they lock eyes. The beasts’ body rumbles as it lets out a low growl filling the air with a malignant aura. The killing intent could be felt in waves emitted from the body of the great beast. Each wave attacking the spirit of the weaker combatant.

Maia rocks back on the balls of her heels, legs as tight as a spring and focus stretched to the maximum. If the beast shifted a muscle her eyes would easily perceive it, even though the body of the beast was barely illuminated by the camp fire. The beast blood red eyes flash and so do the bright orange of the young Draconian as she senses a shift in the atmosphere.

The beast disappeared in a blur appearing right besides Maia. Ready for the move, she had already began to dodge barely missing the viscous white horn sweeping in diagonally from her blind spot. Even though ready, she was surprised at the apparent agility of the monster.

No doubt about it, that’s definitely a Triple Threat Blood Lion. Glancing the two fangs, pure white horns and hulking figure, Maia shuddered. What the hell is a Master class monster doing here, there’s nothing in the desert for it to eat and next to nothing to drink.

It’s growling intensified as it failed to kill its prey, and the Blood Lion began to circle round feeling the slow terror encroaching his target. Maia, bent at her slightly shaking knees, moved round in the opposite direction.

Before she could take another step the Lion suddenly shot towards her left, again in her blind spot. Maia ready to dodge, eyes widened as she realised it was a feint. The beasts’ thick back legs pushed against the soft desert sand and its front legs reached towards her. In an instant it was beside her on her right. Still facing the other way she couldn’t even move her eyes to face her demise.

Three gashes opened on her side, splitting her skin open to the bone and cracking her beautiful purple scales. The Blood Lions fangs and horn were covered in blood. Slowly the blood on its horn was absorbed and it returned to its pure white appearance.

Falling to her knees, Maia looked up and despite her gut wrenching pain saw this happen and lost all hope. I’m done for, it’s taken so much of my blood . The horn and the two fangs were not why the fearsome being was called a Triple Threat Blood Lion, rather the third and final threat was what happened after it feasted upon it opponents blood.

The red mane of the beast began to swell, ripple and grow. Even more changes were taking place on the body of the beast. Its muscles bulged, legs growing even thicker and fangs growing longer. Finally its horn grew over two meters and curved over its head.

Suddenly looking behind the severely injured woman and the body to her left, it tensed and shot of into the night. Sand blew into the air leaving an empty space where the certain demise of Maia stood a second ago.

Shocked she looked behind her where the monster stared of and saw nothing. What could scare a monster as great as this one? Whatever, never look a gift horse in the mouth, or in this case lion.She chuckled weakly while dragging her body towards the carts where her precious good were stored. A huge amount of her blood stained the yellow sand of the desert floor red, as she rummaged around the back of the carriage. Finding her expensive health potion, Maia popped the lid and downed it in one gulp.

Falling back on the floor of the desert, she collapsed against the side of the carriage. Too weak to even take care of the unconscious boy or the crackling fire she also sluggishly faded into darkness.

Feeling the cool streams of energy find their way to the deathly wounds on her side she thought; Looks like my losses are only increasing. Come what may, if the bastard returns, so be it. That’s how it was meant to be.

(Authors Note: *cough* lots of dialogue *cough*)

Groaning, Faerwald shifted and opened his eyes a crack. The morning sun and its accompanying bright sunlight momentarily blinded him. Remembering the antics he went through, Faerwald’s throat tightened while he pushed up of the ground.

“So you’re awake,” a weak voice came from behind him.

Turning around he looked behind him as saw his companion in a sorry state. The entire side of her body wasn’t visible. It was covered in a pulsing blue and red crystallised mass, it encased her so much of her that she couldn’t move at all. Random sparks of blue light travelled across the surface.

Rushing to her side Faerwald exclaimed; “Are you okay!”

“Shh, not so loud, it vibrates and breaks the healing formation”

“What is it” he said looking positively stunned. It looked as if she had been half frozen.

“It’s a healing formation, unique to some Draconians.

Shouldn’t you be asking about the danger we just faced, during which you conveniently decided to have a seizure” Maia playfully responded, although it came out as pitiful with her body in such a condition.

“I’m sorry, I can’t really control them and they come and go whenever they please. What was that thing anyway? Did you kill it?” Looking around for the body he was still mystified.

Hysterical laughter burst forth from her mouth and broke into a deep cough, wet with blood. “Beat it. That was a master class beast and a Triple Threat Blood Lion at that! But of course you wouldn’t know that, you’re like a baby you know Faerwald”

A sudden light brightened Maia’s face, and a dazzling smile lit up her face only marred slightly by the dried blood on her chin.That’s it, of course, like a baby. How could I not thought of this sooner.

“A Blood Lion?Master Class? Anyways, are you okay Maia,” Faerwald said worriedly. Has her mind broken from the pain, unless she’s an unbelievably optimistic being no-one would smile in that much pain.

“Faerwald, I realised why you are having these seizures” still smiling brightly.

I also know why, that shit-face old Auraleos told me to gain power otherwise my body and soul would deteriorate , Faerwald grimaced while rubbing his chest where the soul tome mysteriously entered. To bad he didn’t say why. Obviously I can’t say that , so instead he replied in an enthusiastic voice;

“Really, thank god, the pain felt like it was destroying me!”

“I’m not surprised. Even babies are taught how to control their internal mana otherwise the body wouldn’t be able to adapt to mana and survive. Eventually decomposing to nothingness, in fact, some babies do! Luckily even I know such simple techniques, and can teach you on one condition.”

This time real enthusiasm and slight disbelief coloured his voice; “Done” He couldn't care less about the condition. Even if became a slave, which he doubted Maia would do to him, it would be a significantly better fate than dying. And he still remembered the warning of Auraleos from inside of the soul tome;

...As your strength increases, memories will unlock from me and you will remember things. As for getting back, well if you’re strong enough to subdue the gods maybe you can...

I can at least fulfil the first requirement, Faerwald thought.

“Well, I lost so much money during this trip with the potion I used on the both of us, I need help gaining the money back. So I’ll teach you the human magic I know, if and when you reach intermediate stage. In return you can help me sell and buy things in Denari.”

Pausing with a smile that resembled more of a grimace. “Now, go and get me one of those expensive healing potions from the carriage and help me heal while losing money.”

A short while later Maia sat cross legged still leaning on the carriage, but looking significantly better. The healing formation had shattered leaving her with mostly healed, but still raw wounds. A great feat in Faerwald’s opinion.

“I’m going to begin to teach you the basics of human magic to what I know, which is intermediate class.

Like I said before, babies are taught how to control their internal mana, albeit, in very simple ways. Some babies die from not being having sufficient talent in control, even though it is quite easy. Most humans call this ‘culling’.

Quite a brutal name for quite a brutal way of dying. Not given the chance to live even a moment after seeing their mothers face. Maybe magic is actually curse in the guise of a blessing. Faerwald thought.

“Since I need to rest soon, I will explain some basic knowledge that even a beggar on the streets of Denari would know.

After that, the basic internal control techniques that even babies know”.

Taking a big breath she began to explain.

“To start off, let me explain the two questions you had. What was the beast that attacked us last night and why I named it master class. Well, most systems of magic have the same ranking system developed by the ancient Antarian nation mages.”

So that old man wasn't lying when he said their magic culture was the greatest.

“It ranks monsters and humans slightly differently. In the lower tier of magic for humans and other beings we have beginner, intermediate and advanced.”

With a little bit of a giggle Maia said; “You would actually be less than beginner since you don’t have any control over magic at all and don’t have a mana well like all things on this planet, even inanimate objects. While I am ranked intermediate. Even though each rank system is only one step away, to get to the next level gets progressively harder, and in most cases being one step higher has an infinite advantage. For example, a beginner would find it extremely hard to beat an intermediate and almost impossible to even scratch a fully-fledged advance ranked mage.

Whereas the lower tier ranking of beasts is quite simple. It goes; common, pack, fierce. For example a common beast could be found roaming anywhere in D’lrow, like the abundance of two tongued lizards in this desert.

Pack class beasts are like Ripa and Rapa, my two Rawls. Rawls are used to pull carts and are low class pack beasts, most beasts in the pack class are just transport animals. While fierce class monsters are stronger more dangerous types of animals. But the monster we faced was a master class.

Even though most people interchange monster for beasts, they are basically the same thing. Anything that isn’t overly intelligent and uses strength or magic without casting. This changes with rank in the top tier however.

The top tier of the monster and magic are the same rankings; master, sage and God.

If you see a top tier class monster, run. Not only are they intelligent unlike low tier monster, they have much more advanced magic. If you see a top tier class mage, be extremely respectful. Not only could they kill you as easily as their monster counterparts, they are always in positions of power. The four human kingdoms offer all types of positions to these mages depending on the class in the top tier.

The more power you have, the higher the position. Maybe if a god class mage appeared, all four kingdoms would unite with the magician an the emperor.

But a god class mage hasn't appeared in anyone’s memory apart from the first Gods, but a few God class beasts do exist, so none of the different races can become too complacent. After all, if one of those beings decided to destroy an entire race, nothing could stop them.

Any ways, the beast from last night was of master class rank, so we would've died had it not left for some reason.

That brings us to teaching you how to control and use magic.

Most spells are just sequences pre-made on scrolls of magicians. Unlike the great Antarian language of old that possessed the true name of elements and hence made it the most powerful. Current magic is just normal language imbued with mana.

My ¡ChAngé spell is just a sequence of other mana imbued magical words I practised which transform the carriage into resting state.

If not stopped, any spell could eat all your mana away and kill you! Therefore, Faerwald, always remember to cancel a magic spell by imbuing mana in the word cancel and thinking about the -spell, okay?”

“Okay” echoed Faerwald, thoroughly absorbed in the massive influx of information. He had deeply engraved the different systems of the world and theories in his mind. I’m going to have to check with Auraleos if the system is the same with only the glyphs swapped in for words. I only saw the glyph for fire and not cancel.

Maia continued once she was Faerwald understood; “Now onto the basic mana control technique. I’m not going to teach you how to imbue words until you’re ready, but this is relatively simple. All you have to do is breathe”

“What, I’ve been breathing this entire time” Faerwald retorted angrily. After all, he had being going through intense pains and couldn't hold back his sudden frustration. Immediately he felt regret looking at his teachers hurt face. “I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated”.

“Y..you don’t just breathe normally. You have to close of all your senses and breathe, feeling the mana around you. Then draw it into your own mana well.” Regaining her previous flow. “Babies have their eyes closed when they are born in D’lrow until they do this. Then they begin to cry.”

“I see, I’m sorry”

“That’s okay, now just go practice this while I rest. I expect to see a creation of your mana well and some mana intake when I wake up.” Maia promptly closed her eyes and began to snore in loud snorts not befitting her beauty.

She must have been in a lot of pain, but she still gave me such a lengthy explanation Faerwald mused as he stared upon Maia’s sleeping form with an admiring light in is eyes.

Faerwald closed his eyes and began to breathe.

//Hey this is p1 of ch4 since I had wanted to progress the story a lot and it ended up bigger than expected

//Apart from that, Faerwald-Rise Above reached above 10 followers. Hurray!! (Confetti and clapping).Thankyou to everyone that followed and favourites. You have my heartfelt thanks!

//p2 is in the works and will be done some time this month

Ps:I count it as a chapter in my 2 chapter per month scheme

Pps:s should I?

My apologies for the double post earlier. RRL went physco and my draft didn't save or post when I tried so I had to rewrite a bigger portion of it, then it actually posted so I deleted one. :( :(

Brroderic