Red sets a tough pace, which is made that much more difficult with Eshya hanging off of my shoulder. There is no easy hiking path through the forest either, tall roots and low branches resist our passage at every step. If it weren’t for Nel swapping out with me, and Vii clearing the branches, I’d have been left behind long ago.

I can barely feel my legs by the time we escape from the forest.

Stone walls rise up as tall as the trees that we leave behind, a number of furred figures standing atop the walls watch us closely with weapons in hand. They stand at ease, apparently friendly with Red.

While the dozen metre tall stone wall is immediately impressive, I quickly notice the rough edges.

The castles I can recall from home, while aged, held a certain grace that this doesn’t. It’s brutalist and functional. The stones fit one another well enough most of the time, but there are more than a few spots where sizeable gaps have just been packed thick with mortar.

The few wooden structures atop are similarly simple but durable, absolutely no efforts made for aesthetics.

“Welcome to Gantop.” Red says, walking us around the massive wall as the guards continue to watch over us, some calling out greetings to her, while others throw insults at us. “This is going to be your new home for a while.”

I don’t have the energy left to give her much of a reply, but that’s probably for the best. She might react well enough to disrespect, but there’s not much chance that the rest of her people will react so nicely.

I expect a gate, or something vaguely similar at least, but instead what we come upon is a gadget something like a rudimentary elevator hanging off of the side of the wall.

Red leaps effortlessly up to the top of the wall, speaking with the guards at the top before riding the lift down to us. With the roughly hundred of us that are left after all the bullshit of earlier today, it’ll take quite a few runs to get all of us up.

I cut to the front of the line with Nel and Eshya. I may be patient enough normally, but the blood dripping from Eshya’s leg and her weakening state has put me a bind.

“Get the fuck back,” I shove right past a few other students, who are thankfully too despondent to care. Except for the little scaled lizard guy who falls and breaks down crying as I shove past him.

Well, shit. I feel bad now.

Moving on…

“Not long now,” I whisper to Eshya as she continues to murmur endless curses.

We pile onto the elevator as soon as it hits the dirt, a few other students gather the courage to join us before Red starts pulling us up. Vii follows along on her own wings, nervously watching the guards at the top.

“So, healing?” I ask Red, knowing that it isn’t going to be something simple.

“I’ll point you to the healer, but it’s up to you to convince him to help.” She says, growing serious, “And I’ll expect you to gather in the training yards as soon as you’re done.”

“No rest?”

“Not until you’ve proven you deserve it.” She replies, “You’ve still plenty of energy left in you. You’d better give your all in training.”

“Fuck you.”

“You think I’d fuck a weak, little pipsqueak like you?” She asks, laughing.

“I wasn’t flirting.” I hiss in reply as the elevator levels out at the top of the wall. The town inside is spread out across a larger expanse than I expected, yet the houses are considerably more ramshackle.

A good half of the town looks slum-like, countless cramped houses built atop one another just about ready to collapse. The other half is lined up with dozens of sturdy barracks.

“What a lovely home you have here…” I say.

“It’s not my home, just a local operating base.”

“Oh good, what shithole.” The dog people around me glare my way as they listen in, “What? I can literally smell the shit from here.”

“Moving on, training grounds are right down there,” She points to the clearing at the base of the wall we’re now standing atop, “The healer should be in that barracks right by the training grounds.”

“Thanks,” I sigh, stumbling over to the wooden stairs on the inner wall, “And, you’d better not half-ass our training.”

“Just try and keep up, you won’t have the energy left to complain,” She says happily as she lowers the elevator out of sight.

Nel cautiously helps carry Eshya as we stumble down the stairs, the guards barely glance at us, but when they do I feel no kind feelings kindling behind their gazes.

“You call a shithole a shithole…”

Eshya snickers quietly, “They’re probably quite proud of their little shithole, Kyra.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Yeah, I can heal it.” The furred man says, working his dog-like jaws on some jerky, “But why should I?”

“Not today…” I moan rubbing my brow and forcing the violent thoughts back into their boxes.

After getting some brief directions from the grumpy warriors lazing about in the barracks, we find the healer sitting in a small office, luxurious only for the comparison to the rest of the town.

“You’re not soldiers here. I have no obligation to help.” He sits back in his chair, showing little interest in the blood dripping on his floor. We settle Eshya on a hard wooden table stained with blood from countless others who have come before.

“Not soldiers yet, but I get the feeling we’re not getting training to plough fields.”

“You think that makes you worth anything?” He asks, “You’re a lot of worthless meat sacks saved by Captain Lefue because she’s way too soft hearted to leave you all to die.”

It takes me a few moments to realize he’s talking about Horny Red, and a few moments more for his comments to actually make sense.

“She’s soft hearted?” Nel asks before I can, shivering beside me. I grab her hand and give her a brief smile.

“So, you’re not going to heal her?” I ask, standing straight and meeting his eyes.

“She’s an elf,” He says, a low growl to his voice, “Her sort isn’t worth saving. You lot aren’t much better, too much of their blood in you.”

“That’s your issue?” I ask, ignoring what he’s implying.

“What of it? Your lot don’t understand the value of things. You come in here just expecting me to spend my efforts to save your little friend. Why the fuck should I?”

I ignore him a moment and check on Eshya. She’s paler now, but whether it’s because of magic or because she’s just terribly strong, she’s still conscious and swearing.

“What if I ask really fucking nicely?” Eshya asks, beating her shaking fist against the wood. He doesn’t even look at her, sneering quietly as he bites into another stick of jerky.

“Why did you take the path of a healer?” I ask, without facing him. I look over injury, held together by her misshapen boot that’s still dripping blood.

He doesn’t say reply.

“I’m in the middle of the most fucked up day of my life,” I say, tired and numb, “Pulled from my home, and shoved onto a ship, that you guys tore from the skies. I don’t really blame you, though, this a war or something, right?

“I don’t really know this girl.” I say, wiping the cold sweat from Eshya’s forehead, “I don’t know what you’re fighting for, I don’t know why you have a problem with elves. I don’t know why I was brought into this.

“But I do know that she deserves a chance,” I say finally turning the healer again, “So what the fuck do I have to do to get you to help?”

He stills, focused on me.

“You’re a lot like the Captain,” he says with a sigh, “Fine, if you’re anything like her, you’ll go far. When you do, remember that you owe me.”

He reaches over to Eshya and touches her wounded leg. The elf squirms in pain, biting her tongue as the waves of healing wash over her leg. A golden glow pulses through the flesh as it starts to right itself.

The bone sinks back into place, and the flesh twists and restitches itself, finally the skin covers over the wounds properly and the cloth that was stuck in the flesh is shed, falling onto the table.

The blood and dirt runs off of her wounded leg as he finishes up, until there is nothing but clean skin in a torn and messy boot.

“There, done. Now piss off.”

I don’t wait, I pull the dazed Eshya off of the table and with Nel’s help drag her out of the room and out towards the clearing where the other students are gathering.

Vii quickly joins us again.

“It went well? You look a lot better now,” She says to Eshya.

“I am, and thank you, all of you.” Eshya mumbles, pulling herself to her own feet and testing the new flesh.

“Surviving is easier if we look out for each other,” I say.

Vii nods cheerfully while Nel clutches my arm tightly.

“I hope we continue to get along well, then.” Eshya replies with a smile, “I don’t think I’d trust anyone else here to help me if I’m in trouble. Though, I doubt I’d stop to help any of them either…”

Before I have chance to reply Red claps for our attention, the last of the students now rallying with us.

“Time for some training.” The horned woman seems far too happy as she says as much, “Now that you’ve warmed up, it’s time to show me what you can do. Pair up and get some space, we’ll start with some sparring.”

“We don’t even know how to fight!” I shout at her.

“Try your best and show me your fighting spirit. Let your beastly souls out, then I’ll see what to start teaching you.”

“Ah, shit.” I say.

Nel and Eshya are complete opposites. Nel trembles as she stays close to my side, she opens her mouth as if to say something but freezes up and quiets.

Eshya, meanwhile, bounces on the heels of her feet seeming to enjoy the situation. I have to remind myself that she was slowly bleeding to death just minutes ago.

She looks at us with a giddy smile.

“I’ll go look for someone tough, good luck.”

Vii hovers around a few moments.

“What about me? Who should I fight? I’m great at flying and wind magic, should I find someone good against that, or bad against that?” Vii asks, looking about nervously, “Oh, I’ll spar with that guy!”

I don’t even see who she’s pointing too before she flies off.

“What… what are we doing?” Nel asks me uneasily, her hands clutched painfully tightly to my arm.

Red is already yelling at some of the other students, beating the more hesitant of them, inspiring the rest to move. Eshya has pulled aside a minotaur and is readying a wooden sword to spar with him, though he still looks a little clueless.

I lead Nel over to a selection of practice weapons that have been left at the side of the training grounds.

“We’ve got to pick something.” I say, trying to pick up a sword. As soon as I touch it, I feel the difference to everything else that I’ve touched thus far. The pins and needles stab deep at just a gentle touch, and even as I force myself to grab it, I find I’m barely able to shift it.

“I… but…”

“Nel,” I say firmly, “You’re a lovely girl, and I don’t really mind you clinging to me. Any other situation and I’d be ecstatically gloating about protecting you and trying to get in your pants.”

She’s shocked quiet while I continue, “But right now, I can’t even protect myself. So, pick up a weapon and fuck me up.”

She swallows, and her attitude quickly changes.

“Right away,” she says, hesitantly taking up a wooden staff and spinning it around awkwardly. While she gets ready, I search for something that doesn’t hurt to touch. Every weapon I reach for rejects me the same until I find a small wooden knife. It’s beaten, chipped, and dull.

Well, it’s something at least.

“Quit wasting time!” Red yells, looking over to the group of students around us.

I pull Nel over to a free space, and take a quick glance at the few students already in heated battle. Eshya is struggling with her minotaur, a battle of speed versus strength. Vii is swooping and whipping the wind up around one of the goat people, who is struggling to even reach her with his spear. Some few other pairs are battling, but none quite as whole heartedly.

I set aside my glasses and turn to the now slightly blurred shape of Nel.

“Swing at me.” I say, lowering myself as I’ve learned from self-defence classes.

She meets my eyes, and I can tell that she’s forcing herself to control her breathing. She lowers her head to me in a bow.

“Right away,” She smiles tensely, a poor imitation of what she’s shown me before.

She steps into range of me and swings her staff, it’s slow enough that it’s no trouble to step back and avoid it. I step towards her hoping to charge while she’s recovering from her awkward attack, but she quickly swings back the other way.

I dodge again.

This is going nowhere, and I can feel Red glaring at my back as we awkwardly dance about.

“Prepare yourself!” I call to Nel, who nods and readies the staff.

I rush forwards and she swings widely, just as the times before. There should be so little power behind it that it shouldn’t hurt me even if I do nothing, but I’ve felt the enough physics fuckery today to know that even touching that staff is going to hurt.

I crouch low and hold the knife up to try and deflect her attack, but even anticipating the magical forces behind it, I fight against it. It hits and follows through, my knife pushed back as if a blade of grass before a scythe. I’m knocked to the ground and roll a few metres away.

“Shit,” I swear as I push myself to my feet.

“Are you okay?!” Nel cries, dropping her staff and rushing to me.

“Fuck,” I swear as a tall red figure starts towards us.

Bruised, tired, frustrated. I push all those emotions into my legs as I leap at Nel, raising my knife against her. Her eyes open wide, as I tackle her, my weight barely enough to trip her back. She lands, shocked as I hold my wooden knife to the small cut on her neck.

I lean down near to her ear and whisper, as she trembles underneath me.

“Nel, I…” I swallow, seeing the terror in her eyes makes my heart clench in pain. “Please, we need to do what that stupid bitch wants. We have to survive, and you’re one of the few people I can trust.”

“Yes, I… as you say.” She nervously smiles, her eyes shine with shifting fractals and for some reason she seems to calm down.

She shoves me hard, taking me by surprise. I hit the ground rolling again, my bruised body hurting more and more.

I clutch tightly to my knife and throw myself to my feet again, facing Nel, who’s rearmed herself with her staff. She stands a little more confidently now, and I know that if I charge her carelessly, I’m going to get more than a bruise.

Red stand to the side watching us, making it impossible to waste time or fuck about.

“Fucking fuck,” I swear, charging at Nel.

All the worries, the fears, and the raw confusion that’s bothered me all day fades away in the simple struggle of fighting. I strategize and fail. Plan again and land a blow before I’m beaten down once more.

Nel watches me closely as I approach, swinging faster than before. Knowing I can’t afford to get hit, I fall flat and let it fly over me. Nel tries to quickly swing it back again, but I’m quicker, leaping up close enough to reach with my knife.

I slash at her arm, the dull wooden blade bouncing off without leaving even a mark. She quickly raises a hand and shoves me back. This time I only fall back a half a metre, but it’s enough for her next swing to hit me firmly on my bruised side.

The world goes black and I wake up with my face in the dirt.

Spitting and coughing I push myself back up, running on adrenaline. Nel is standing where she was before, still holding the staff as she watches me, ready for my next approach.

“Again.” I say, charging at her.

She nods and grits her teeth.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Classes & Skills

~Fire Magic: Grade 1

Current Goal: Complete a mana-fire conversion.

Warning: Your mana form is too underdeveloped to take the next step in this class.

~Mana Form: Grade 1

Current goal: Develop your mana form.

Current mana density: 0 units