Four days of hellish training led by Stone, Glersora, and Charles put Kyrion, Tiffany, and Ceres respectively through their paces.

Kyrion spent two hours training his body every morning before moving on to two hours entering his body of water mana, followed by earth and wind. Afterward, he’d check on his friends and heal any lingering fatigue and training injuries.

Four days of dumping mana made one thing certain. Kyrion’s mana pool was quite huge.

Ceres had spent four days learning how to properly hold herself and deliver food. Clean and repair clothing, among other butlery duties. After that, she learned how to better fill in her role as a defender while in combat.

Tiffany learned more about her abilities in those four days than she had in her time with Gamodren. This made sense, considering that her weapon wasn’t just a weapon. She grew to the point where Damian had to use both swords, and Everest had to start using his traps. She couldn’t beat them yet, but she was getting stronger.

Oddly Kyrion hadn’t had the chance to speak much with Kiara or Nicole. Not much of a difference but habits were habits. Jala had decided not to re-enter Kyrion’s core unless he needed access to her wind affinity.

Noah was, in fact, much stronger than Kyrion. To Stone’s bewilderment and interest. As a fellow in a similar trade.

Damian spent the next few days singing to woodland critters, along with Ceres and Charles, who seemed to listen intently.

Asela and Tiffany seemed to get along exceptionally well despite their initial meeting. Talking and training during their free time as many of Kyrion’s darkest, most traumatic childhood secrets were exposed for mere favors.

Wura and Nicole seemed to spend the majority of their time in the bookstore. “Studying alchemy.” Kyrion didn’t know why he instinctively hated that combination of words. Didn’t change the fact that they seemed to do a lot of it.

Kiara changed what she did daily as her abilities had grown in versatility. She could now create various things with ice, no longer limited to a bow and arrows.

On the night of the fourth day, Kiara approached Kyrion, who was resting high up on a tree.

“You’re an idiot, you know that right?” Kiara said with crossed arms.

“You really don’t like me huh.” Kyrion replied.

“Honestly I’m indifferent. Not that you know what that means.” Kiara looked up at him.

“Ah. I do know. If that’s the case, what have I done did this time?” Kyrion made an effort of rolling his eyes.

“You’re up here in a tree, when all your supposed friends are together. There’s also the fact that you haven’t told us much of what’s going on. Apparently you hadn’t told Tiffany anything about our appearance either. Nicole has been acting funny as of late, I won’t pretend to know what’s going on there.”

Kyrion yawned and rubbed his eyes before hopping down from his perch, landing on some grass.

“I’ve just been thinking. As I suspect you may be aware that thinking isn’t a talent of mine.” Kyrion smirked.

“Are you going to tell me why you’re thinking?”

“Apparently someone wants to steal my body and use it for nefarious purposes. That Leon dude is spearheading it.” Kyrion said.

“Leon of the Hunt?” Kiara asked.

“The one who had a pet wolf. Suffice it to say he’s been weakened for some reason and his control is bad. I think what’s trying to take my body had also taken his.” Kyrion shivered.

“Why did you call us then. To put us in danger?”

“A spur of the moment decision. I thought bringing my friends to help would make things easier. But now it seems that bringing you all here may have put you in danger. He’s an expert while we’re still just fledglings, chances are we won’t be able to beat him on our own.”

“That’s why we have experts here as mentors and bodyguards. Most of us will be safe though I now probably won’t trust your invitations. You’re the type that doesn’t call unless they want something, aren’t you? Well, trust us and communicate. Also, remember to tell them all this. I’m not a carrier pigeon.” Kiara walked away back to the group, leaving Kyrion alone.

“Hmmm. I’m starting to think I misread her intentions.” Kyrion shook his head, and various squirrels retreated into their tree home.

Kyrion made his way toward the group.

“Looks like someone decided to make it to the party.” Everest said from behind Kyrion.

“When. How?” Kyrion looked to where Everest was just standing and saw that he hadn’t moved.

“That’s not me, Kyrion.” The Everest in the bunch said.

“It’s me, Lisa. Don’t you remember me?” The fake Everest said as she turned into a somewhat familiar dark-brown-haired girl.

Kyrion felt pressure in his head as he looked at the girl. “Not really. I’m sorry. I’ll go talk with you later. Shoo!”

“Y-you t-told me you liked me and now you toss me aside? Do you think of me as nothing more than a piece of garbage?” Lisa’s eyes started to tear up.

Nicole and Asela looked at Kyrion as though he was the bad guy. Damian was clearly flustered along with Ceres. Wura and Everest had blank expressions. While Kiara and Noah were scowling in Lisa’s direction.

Kyrion scratched his chin. “Listen. I don’t know you. Go away.”

“Fine!” Lisa turned and stomped away with a pout.

“Kyrion.I didn’t know you could be so cruel.” Asela shook her head.

Nicole ran in the opposite direction.

“What are you talking about?” Kyrion held onto his head.

Everest smiled. “Don’t you remember Lisa? She was the one Wura fought during the last trial.”

Wura nodded. “Something isn’t right.”

Noah looked at Kyrion. “We may need to get ready for a fight. Everest, catch up with Nicole and tell her what you suspect. Asela and Kiara go find Charles and stick with him. Wura, Damian and Ceres, let the adults know something isn’t right. Kyrion go find Tiffany, she was just here and now she isn’t.”

“Right!” They all said in semi unison.

Kyrion opened up his mana senses, spreading his perception across the town. Four visible experts were in the range: Stone, the second Glersora, and the third felt like Leon. The fourth was someone he hadn’t seen before. When he opened up the range of his senses, he noticed a large group of creatures making their way toward the town. Something told him that they were not friendly. Only one person was moving away from him, and it belonged to someone in the fledgling tier.

Kyrion took off in that direction, drawing his staff. Just in case he had to fight something.

After ten minutes of traveling, Kyrion heard someone above.

“Oh my! Kyrion you’ve come to rescue me. My hero. Please get me down from here.” Lisa appeared to be hog-tied to a tree branch and hanging down.

Kyrion noticed quite a few oddities in the scene, the lack of any struggle being one. As a spirit master, a mundane rope is something one can quickly deal with. The main one being her status as a practitioner ranked spirit master. Finally, his brain had cleansed the intrusive mana. She was purposely trying to alter the boy’s memories. She was still trying to do so.

“Kyrion! Help me!” Lisa yelled.

Kyrion decided to keep on walking, leaving behind a present or two, assuming she’d follow him.

After a minute of walking, a few yelps of surprise could be heard as various plants and woodland critters got to work, slowing her down.

Nicole was in the bookstore skimming through a section of fiction novels.

Everest slipped the book out of her grasp to gain her attention.

“Hey! What was that for?” Nicole tried to take the book back.

“I don’t know what you heard but someone with mental manipulation abilities was messing with us until very recently. I don’t know what you think Kyrion said but I do know we need you to get it together. There is a fight coming and I’d rather you be ready.” Everest said, tossing the book back towards her to catch.

Nicole did not catch the book as it flew at her. She just raised her hand and thrust it at Everest.

Instinctively Everest ducked under the strike, using the momentum to flip away.

Nicole’s hand turned into a black metal gauntlet. Bringing the clawed hand to her face. She began to pull it off, revealing someone else entirely. Someone with hawk-like features.

“Tch. You should have just let me kill you. It would have been so much easier.” Edwin said, flexing his fingers.

“Since when?” Everest stated.

“When we had Nicole run off I had her grabbed, now we have two of your friends.”

“So you used an illusion to manipulate her. Good to know. Edwin, I’m going to kill you.” Everest smiled as a black aura emitted from his body, and the boy vanished from sight.

Edwin rolled forward as a slicing sound whistled where his neck used to be. Before moving behind a bookshelf to hide.’

“Shit!” Edwin squawked.

Within moments, wires of mana seemed to cover the area leaving the boy trapped inside with no safe way out.

“Kyrion was right, you are incompetnet.” Everest said from the front of the store before walking out of the door.

“You tricked me!” Edwin yelled from inside.

“This is bad,” Everest thought. “I’ll need to inform my handlers.”

Asela and Kiara found Charles performing in a tavern without a care in the world. The customers and tourists seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere, and quite a few were already drunk. The tavern owner was serving the various customers with gusto as cups and tankards floated over to their tables along with plates of food.

“Didn’t know he was a spirit master.” Asela said.

“Asela we need to inform Charles.” Kiara reminded her.

“Oh right. We should let him finish this song though.” Asela scratched her chin.

“Why?” Kiara was clearly in a hurry.

“It’s a good song and I’m sure he knows we’re here.”

“How was he allowed to be our escort? Isn’t he just your family’s butler?” Kiara asked.

“I dunno. But he’s at least an expert.” Asela shrugged.

“At least you say.” Kiara raised an eyebrow.

Asela covered her mouth. Neither had noticed that the song had ended moments ago.

“That’s enough of that. I assume you’re here because of the hostile tourists headed this way.” Charles said.

“Something like that. How do you know?” Asela asked.

“A little birdie told me. Now let’s get you kids to safety.” Charles led them out of the tavern.

“But we can help.” Kiara said after they made it out.

“Help get yourselves killed… You know what? If you want to help Kiara climb to the top of the hotel and use the cover to provide some support fire. Return inside if you see anything that flies.”

Kiara nodded and ran off.

“What about me?” Asela asked.

“Stay as close to me as possible until a fight starts then just hang back and watch.” Charles said.

“That sounds boring.” Asela was irritated.

“If I left you here then you’d trick Kiara into abandoning her post. This Isn’t a playground try to stand out and you’ll just draw attention.”

“I see.” Asela clearly wasn’t happy.

Nicole lay in a stone cage on top of a four-legged golem with a large torso. The sound of galloping could be heard outside the cell. She looked down and saw a runic circle that seemed to prevent those inside from using mana. She couldn’t physically break out, and she couldn’t use magic.

“Why’d you have to go and lie like that? I hate you. Go away.” She heard Kyion say.

In hindsight, the words didn’t match his lip movements. Nicole had let herself be duped. Kyrion was right. She hadn’t been thinking or acting like she used to.

“This sucks.” Nicole bit her thumb.

“Oi! Keep it down, in there!” Yelled someone from the outside.

Nicole went to poke her head out to see, but a shock passed through her body and sent her flying back into the middle of the cell.

Drawing a small stone pick, Nicole began to attempt to disarm the trap she was in. If she got caught and they came in, she could escape if they tried to attack from the outside, then they’ll hurt themselves.

A wolf’s howling could be heard ahead as they continued forward, and the world got colder.

“Took you long enough.” Nicole scoffed, her disarming of the spell gaining in speed.

Ceres, Wura, and Damian had just finished informing the various chaperones when golems made from stone began to invade the small town.

“Master must be in danger. But… I don’t want to leave you behind. Let’s go together!” Ceres was panicked.

“We need to get rid of these first. Kyrion wouldn’t want anyone getting hurt because we went after him instead of defending the town.” Damian said as he pulled out both of his swords before singing a song that made his allies stronger and faster.

Wura covered herself in armor made by a hardened version of her liquid metal spirit. She equipped a long spear in her left hand and a tower shield in her right.

Ceres decided that she wouldn’t hold back for this fight as she spun her halberd and got into a ready combat stance.

Damian led the charge as he fought a golem with only legs, arms, and a torso. It was around a foot taller than him, putting it at a little over five feet.

The golem brought down both of its arms where the child was at that moment and missed.

Damian used his speed to slide under the creature’s legs and to its back, where a purple spherical core was embedded. So Damian, of course, started slashing at the creature’s weakness.

The golem’s legs pulled together, and its arms rose as the creature started to rotate at high speeds.

Damian ran from the creature that was now a spinning tool of death.

With Damian out of the way, Ceres put both hands on the ground. Which caused a pillar of earth to erupt from where Damian was standing previously. The pillar pierced straight through the golem’s core and snaked out a bit.

The creature flailed for moments as the last of its mana ran out.

“You made that look easy. Can you do it a few more times?” Wura said as she looked at the nineteen remaining golems of a similar size.

“I should be able to keep up the pace.” Ceres replied, looking to Wura.

“Great. Let’s get this over with.” Damian said as he pulled his blades out of the shattered remains of a second golem.

“What did I just miss?” Ceres blinked twice in confusion before getting back to work.

After distancing himself quite a bit from the town, Kyrion decided to turn around and acknowledge his stalker.

“Hey. Why are you following me, person I don’t know?” Kyrion said.

“I’m Lisa, don’t you remember me?” She sent out a probing wave of mana which was suppressed almost instantly.

“Listen. Do you know why I got this far away from the town?” Kyrion asked.

“No. I have no idea why you’d be out here on a beautiful night such as this.” Lisa said, clearly not knowing when she’d lost.

“Terrain advantage.” Kyrion walked behind a tree and disappeared from sight.

Lisa’s eyes went wide as her target vanished from right in front of her.

“What in the never ending abyss! Show yourself!” Lisa’s nails turned into black flame-like claws that extended to three feet. She swung the claws in a circle but didn’t get so much as a reaction.

From the top of a tree, Kyrion hid. Pulling his two hundred pound staff out of his space. Kyrion asked a squirrel to toss an acorn towards the craz… towards Lisa.

An acorn landed behind Lisa, and she laid into the thing leaving the back of her head wide open.

Kyrion leaped off the tree branch, his movement muffled. Slammed his wooden staff into Lisa’s neck, which resulted in a loud crash.

“That hurt!” Lisa held her snapped neck and popped it right back on straight.

Kyrion observed his broken two hundred pound staff and sighed as he carelessly tossed it onto the ground.

“Of course it did. That was my favorite stick! Well second favorite, the first isn’t complete as of yet.” Kyrion mumbled as the woman charged at him.

“Just die already.” Lisa stabbed her claw towards where Kyrion was standing but missed. She was a practitioner rank no way should she have missed someone who hasn’t even had their first major increase in power.

But he did, and the fist that met her skull sent Lisa flying back into a tree. Roots and red vines began to wrap around her. Her claws disappeared as the vines drained her of mana and consciousness.

“Just..” Lisa mumbled as her strength left her.

“That should keep her busy for a moment.” Kyrion turned and began to jog forward further.