A triple lightning bolt cost 24 soul points! I ground my teeth. How was I ever going to get ahead in this game? I looked over the list again. Earthquake was in my budget of soul points, but it sounded too similar to the kinetic spell list. I needed something that killed. Sap soul sounded pretty good, but I wanted distance and it required touch. Begrudgingly I dropped the soul points into triple bolt and felt my mana core stir inside.

It was as if I made the mana core happy. It was hungry for more power. I closed my eyes and looked in at the core. It was a larger core than before. It was red swirled in with blue and now it had veins of electricity flowing around it. I compressed it and the bolts leapt out at me. I jumped. I chuckled to myself. I was jumping back from an energy inside myself. I looked around for Tootsie. She was not in my tent. I really wanted to try out my new spell.

Entertainment 01

That was new. I wondered to myself what would happen when it reached zero. Mia popped in and looked me over. “Have a nice rest?”

“It was short.” I answered, “kept having dreams of an old life.”

“I couldn’t sleep at all.” Mia said, “Millie and Agatha were fighting all day and that Verim did nothing but antagonize it all. I think he likes them fighting over him.”

“Is Shia awake yet?”

“Why do you care?” Mia furrowed her brow at me.

“I just want to find out what is happening down in the canyon and put this forest behind us.” I leaned back on my lower arms. “Aren’t you ready to go home?”

“We are halfway around the world Barker. I don’t think we will make it in time. My father is likely already on a rampage. Soon I won’t have a home to go to.” She said all this as she glared at me. “Are you that eager to be rid of me?”

“I don’t know where you get these ideas from. I am just trying to right a wrong. I shouldn’t have disrupted your life as I did.”

“I chose to go with you.” Mia dropped her voice low. “I could have let you wonder into the next town and out of our lives.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Because I know who you are.” Mia said, “and I want to be there when it happens.”

“Who I am?”

“You don’t know who I am. I don’t even know what I will do. What is it you expect me to do? How do you know I won’t leave you halfway around the world and strike out on my own?”

“Because you are the rage orc.” Mia answered, “I won’t let you leave my sight. None of them will either.” She gestured to the tent flap. “We all know what you will do. We want to see it firsthand.”

“What are you talking about?”

“What are you talking about?” Shia said with a sensual tone as she slipped in.

“She called me a rage orc.”

Shia smiled and her dark owl eyes sent a shiver down my spine. “It is too soon to be sure Magus.” She slipped down to her knees at my side and let her vines slip down the side of my face. I could feel her breath on my shoulder as she spoke. I looked over at her and her dark eyes looked down at my four arms and chest. Then she tilted her head up at me. “If you are, then I am going to have some fun with you.”

“Does everyone think I am the rage orc?” I asked incredulous. I looked over at Mia to see her claws out digging into the dirt floor. Her blue hair was trying to stand up and her eyes were like angry saucers. Her chest heaved with each breath. She didn’t say a word, but a barely audible growl escaped her throat.

Shia acted as if she did not even hear her. She leaned in closer and let her thick bottom lip drag up my shoulder. “Are you the rage orc?” She whispered.

My throat tightened. I couldn’t even process the question. Gooseflesh ran up all four arms and I felt my heart beating against my ribs. “I’m not sure.” I swallowed and her eyes locked on mine. She drew in close to my face and I waited a moment expecting her to kiss me. “Rage is far from what I’m feeling at the moment.”

“What are you feeling?” Shia said soft as snow.

“Dizzy.” I answered.

“I’ll kill you both.” Mia snarled and I wondered if I was the only one that heard it because Shia didn’t flinch, her vines kept probing up my forearm and her eyes stayed locked on mine. I was frozen in her gaze as surely as a mouse before a coiled snake. Only difference is I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get away.

A deep voice interrupted, “want us to pack up your tent?” I looked up to see Goar sticking his head in. He blushed seeing Shia on her knees bent over with her face nearly touching mine.

I cleared my throat. “Yes, Goar that is fine. We should be going now. Long trek, halfway around the world. Plenty of time to explore.”

Shia smirked and dropped back finally allowing her piercing eyes to fall away from me. She slid her eyes across the floor and stopped on Mia. “Oh Mia, I forgot you were there.” She stood and only then did I notice her bark hardly covered her figure any more than a bathing suit would have. Goar ducked back out of the hole as fast as he had entered, and Shia slipped out with a glance back at me.

I sat for some moments staring at the opening. “She is the boldest woman I have ever met.” I said after some time.

“Did you like that?” Mia spat.

I shook my head. “Hated it.” I forced a frown. “Most awful experience of my life.”

Mia stormed out causing the flap to slap against the tent.

“You’re not still mad at me, are you?” Tootsie said timidly from a dark corner of the tent.

I closed my eyes and focused on my core. I could feel the pulse of it. I could feel it longing. Wanting release.

Triple Bolt

Mana 10

I hit the little humming buzzard with three blinding hot bolts of blue lightning. She didn’t scream. She was speaking one second and gone the next. I felt a little guilty after. Almost ashamed. Like I was beating on a kid. Then I smelled the smoke and saw my tent burst into flames. The next second I was sitting outside with my whole clan staring back at me. Shia had the biggest grin. Mia had the meanest glare.