"Orenda, mana, magica, maho, it has so many name and has inspired savant and researcher, religion and sect, king and emperor; its influence on History cannot be challenged.

It is one of the most powerful, useful and adaptable power. But it's also probably the most toxic and unpredictable one of the three. Every one know of the Giant Mana Wast in the centre of the Dragon Continent. A land where Mana-storm, monster, magical beast, Mana-geyser and a lot of other deadly threat wander around.

But what isn't as known is that monster are creature physically and mentally warp by magic. It was discovered in the 736th years of our calendar that often monster are discovered, or originated around Mana-geyser.

The enormous and sudden discharge of mana in the surrounding, forced some mutation; a few researcher had been known to speak of evolution; of the surrounding. Unlike flora who seems to benefit from it, albeit some turn into the most vicious and terrible things, most fauna die because of it.

As for now we don't understand why some live and not other. Power seems not the determining factor, nor adaptability. But the resulting things can't be call like their past self. Warp thing with deadly and random mutation, who hunt every thing regardless of their well being, even regardless of the basic needs. Those berserker like monster are one of the biggest plague and threat of the world."

Excerpt of 'The power of the Individual' By Aranus Pracelius, ArchMagistère of King Stroncius IV.

A few minute latter none of the two took notice of the the rustling approaching. Master came on this scene not understanding it at all. One on the ground clearly still breathing, albeit not quite peacefully, the other turn back face in hand, and the two blushing like young sheltered virgin who saw for the first time a male “material”. Snickering, he came closer to them, and saw how oblivious they were of their surrounding.

Master - GIRLS!

They startled quite wonderfully and look at him surprise as if he just teleport here.

Master, closing on them - I have quite a few thing to say.

Xia he rose quickly, to be literally pull the ears with Tomoe.

Master pulling a little bit more Tomoe's ear - First don't run away alone in the forest. The he pulled Xia He's one - Don't go after someone in the forest alone to! He lessened a bit his pulling - There are danger you can't handle! He pulled again but at both this time - And more than anything never be that oblivious of your surrounding again! You didn't notice me coming and I sure wasn't trying to be sneaky.

He let them go his lips curving by the sight of them smoothinf their ears. He looked at them another second or two before returning to the camp while telling them to come back in five if they didn't want to have him to spank them to yesterday!

Seeing him going back the girls made wry smile. Both understanding how much they made themselfs easy prey. They didn't really encounter any predator but that was only because of their number, which wouldn't help them there. There ears still stinging they both sight at the same time, which naturally made them look at each other.

And the both recalled what made them so oblivious of their surrounding at the end. The "scarlet illness" was striking back, making them turn their back to the other. Xia He harrumpft to hide her shyness and Tomoe spoke quickly but jitteringly:

We sh...should go... back

But they stood still another minute or so, both not wanting the other to see them still red. The one who couldn't keep it was the titan, who began to go back rather quickly. Some would say she lost the "battle" as the tiger girl feeling the departure followed her, and they would be right. But at this moment the follower was asking herself if go second. Yes she was seeing the red ears of her friend, but that only made her even more thinking about IT, and her mind, not listening to her plea, was making her see IT again and again!

So the one who was the most "ill" was indeed Xia He. Now who had really lost?

Quite naturally they were much slower to go back. And before they could go back back to the caravan Xia He stop the other girl by taking her arm. Tomoe stopped, and was beginning to think about how asking why, while she know it, she heard her voice, but the seriousness of it quickly made her stop her track and look around.

Xia He, just after stopping the titan - Something coming, and they're fast! Tomoe - Can we outrun them to the camp? Xia He - No they'll be here in a few second.

Tomoe centered herself with an expiration, then she started to draw the ambiant mana. She pulled some of hers to, but much more than what she sould have. She didn't like to do it that way, but the choice weren't hers. Xia He, then, heard a soft and strange flow of word from behind her as she had turned to were they would come. She couldn't understand it, but she didn't really have even if she was quite shocked. Tomoe was chanting magic! Less than three second and the chant was done. A gust a wind envelopped them, revolving around each for an instant, making their hair flow with it.

Xia He was shocked a second time! She was near Tomoe so she could feel the two revolving wind, but for her friend not to be a magus, but to be able to enchant two person at the same time too! Even with just the little bit of knowledge she had she knew that it required a good skill but a good mana capacity! Tomoe wasn't just good with her blade! So the "existance" of her friend in her mind grew again. The therianthrope weren't know for their magus, just a few of them could do something "battle worth" with magic; but unlike the majority she had abolutly no capacity for it, her body was without any drop of mana. But Tomoe could enchant her, and that was the first! Obviously if one was striking her with a magical attack, like a blast or a fireball she would be hurt like any others. But to this day she never really "felt" the mana, and naturally she read of it, and like any young one she had dream to wield it or to feel it, but never before she could. Even the elven magus she meet wasn't able to make the mana "clung" to her, wasn't able to "enchant" her!

She was so shocked that she nearly miss Tomoe saying to her that she would be faster with it, and that she should turn her head around and look to those coming. Unknowingly she had turn her head to look at Tomoe. And Tomoe looking at the shining eyes of her friend was blushing again before the tiger brought herself back.

Seeing the form still a bit away from them, two or three second, Tomoe closed her eyes to center herself quicker. She draw again from within herself, but this time it wasn't mana. For those capable to see it, a softly glowing blue-green aura expend from within her, envelopping her just a bit away from her skin, before flowing to her sword. That "aura" concentrated itself on the blade, and make itself revolved arround them quickly only a millimeter away a most.

Then she heard a few growling sound seeming like just a few meter away, making her opening her eyes. What was approching the at hight speed was four wolfs she thought at first. Then she saw the spike growing from their back, the crased burning and "smoking" violet glowing eyes. they weren't just wolfs, but Monstruous Wolf!