/ GREAT PLAINS OF FAEILAN/

It's been five days since Alke swallowed the mana core and experience the hellish pain of having his body overload with mana. Learning from this experience, he always consult to his parents whenever there's question regarding mana.

" Mama, why can i smell mana in the air and breath it? Is it supposed to be this way?" Alke asked about this strange phenomenon he's experiencing.

Different types of mana have different smell corresponding with their differing traits. He can smell the fire type mana with the smoky and aggressiveness of it everytime his mother light a bonfire every night. He can also smell the scent produce by wild flowers in the plains whenever they go past the river where they drink water, he assumed it was due to the wind type mana in the air.

On damp caves and muddy ground, he can smell the thick scent of dirt and dust with some hint of grass whenever he encounter earth type mana.

Water type mana on the other hand is vague, it sometimes smells salty and other instances it produce a sweet scent that is not too overwhelming but enough to attract his nose.

" It must be due to you eating the mana core of the mana beast your father hunted the other day, or maybe you are talented enough to have an acute sense on feeling the mana. We didn't have someone who posses this kind of skill back in the meadows."

Like a spark lighting a bulb, Alke thought it must be because of him not being a native here in this world.

He maybe is sensitive to mana, back on earth mana didn't exist or have long been gone. It's like having your sense of taste revived after not tasting food for a very long time.

" Is it bad mama? Will i feel pain again like last time?"

Alke asked worriedly as he remembers the incident last time. He might be scared for nothing but it is always good to ask first whenever theres wrong in his body, besides his parents made him promise that everytime his body feels weird he would consult them and always be straightforward about it.

" No need to worry my son, you won't feel that pain anymore as long as you always heed our words."

Sensing the worry in the voice of his son, Maja rubbed her head against him and licked him affectionately. Alke internally sighed as he mentally took note of his newfound power/curse. ' I must investigate this sense of mana if this can give me an advantage in this dangerous world.'

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Alke once asked why they always travel which his father answered ' We are looking for a member who would gladly join our pride, we must create a strong pride.' Alke understood that lions generally band together and make a group for them to survive in the wild, but here where his parents are strong enough to be classified as tanks back on earth are still dependent on making a pride is quite puzzling.

Not until he saw a herd of rock elephant bathing in the pond confront them. After sensing the presence of lions, the herd of rock elephant waved their trunks high up in the air as they trumpet and a rock elephant having thrice the size of his father spoke with anger laced in it.

" Lions! Go away. You can't kill me and the herd!"

Hearing this Alke is surprised that he can understand the elephant albeit not clearly but he somewhat discerned its meaning. " How can the elephant speak to us?" His absent minded question is answered by the lioness who is watching the surroundings while his father confront the elephant.

" No son, the mana beast can't speak but it can spread its intentions and our mind can recognize this intentions thus mistaking it for him speaking to us."

As the mother and son spoke to each other, Luka retaliates with a roar of his own declaring his intentions of approaching the pond. " We just want to drink in the pond and continue our journey, we don't want a fight mana beast. Can we take a reprieve at the pond?"

The elephant in question is dubious and won't trust the lion. Trumpeting, the elephant menacingly approached them and declared its ownership of the pond.

" My pond, Mine only lion!"

Charging with her tusk pointed at Luka, it tries to ram him and kill him using her weight. Unfortunately, elephants have many strong points but dexterity is not one of them.

Evading easily, he slapped the elephant's forehead and tried to slash her face but he failed as her trunk hit him.

As Luka gracefully regain his footing, he examines the elephant and was quite surprised to see it unscathed. He didn't use his full power but he was sure it would somewhat concuss her.

" Mana beast aren't supposed to be common, why would you bring your herd here far from the great rivers and meadows?"

" You lions with humans fight each other, you spill blood. We want no part!"

It shocked Luka that someone is causing ruckus on the inlands. They fled the inlands and move on the outskirts to nurture their cubs and maybe one day come back when they have enough power to protect themselves.

" You are mistaken, we don't have a part in their squabble. Let us have a drink and we won't bother you."

The female elephant gaze behind the lion and saw 4 newborn cubs, she initially thought that the lions where accomplices with those who hunt mana beast and their herd for mana cores to fuel their tools.

" Our herd leave, you can have the pond yourself." Still cautious of this renegade lions, she left the pond to find a more secured place to stay while the war is raging on inlands.

Shrugging, Luka beckoned his mate and cubs to drink while they have the time.

" Come here Maja and bring the cubs, we should clean them and be on our way to a hunting spot. There we can have a constant supply of meat and maybe find someone who will be part of us specially this time where other pride wage war."

Some lions would abandon the pride if it's head are killed on the war, they would go to the outskirts and raise there cubs to lead their pride after becoming an adult. They may also join prides who live in the outskirts albeit rarely due to them believing those who live in the outlands are weak and cowards.

Alke sniffed the water as he drink and smelled some traces of earth mana, it must be a residue left when the elephant strengthen his body using mana.

Drinking from the pond, he can see the earth mana be absorbed by his body as he drink on the pond. 'Huh, what a cheat it would be if you can attain mana by just drinking water with some mana residue.'

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As they resume their journey, Luka stopped in his tracks and looked at the horizon. He must be calculating the distance they need to walk for them to reach the hunting grounds.

" Maja, let's rest and resume the march once the sun rises. Guard the cubs, i will go hunting for now."

The skies haven't darkened so it must be that what they are going to pass is somewhat dangerous during night, or father just wanted to rest after the encounter with the herd of elephants.

Alke surmised as he helped his mom settle the cubs. Even though he was born the same day as this cubs, his stature says he's atleast months older than them. His height also rapidly change and already a fourth of the height of his mother.

As he helped his mother, a cub opened its eyes and have a look at the world for the first time. Maybe she was not accustomed to the light as it hurts her eyes, a cry resounded catching the attention of Maja.

Approaching it and examining her face, she saw it open her eyes and looked back at her. Sensing the big lioness, it stopped its crying and examined her mother.

It sniffed and let out a giggle as it recognizes its mother's scent. The lioness let out a satisfied growl and rubbed her head against the cub.

" Oh my! After a week and we got another one. You have the eyes filled with wonder and curiosity my baby girl."

Maja fawned as she identified it as the sole female in her cubs.The cub looked below and saw another lion albeit smaller, she can recognize the smell as someone who was always beside her during feeding and sleeping.

" Mama, do we name her after father come back from his hunt?"

" Yes Alke, we wait for the head of the pride before we name a newborn cub after it opened its eyes."

The reason newborn cubs only get their names after opening its eyes was because in wilds, death always loom above their heads. They would only name the cub if it survives the wild plains and don't have any powerful disease endangering its life.

Newborns are targeted during hunts or battles because they are the weak points in herds or tribes, like much back on earth. Cubs separated from its herd and parents are doomed to die.

Alke shudders as he thought what would happen to them if they were abandoned by Maja and Luka. It's a relief that both of them are responsible and truly love their cubs.

' I'm fortunate to have a loving parents back at earth and also here. I guess i am really lucky.'

Just having a wonderful parents is a blessing of a lifetime.

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That night, Luka came back with a gazelle which they roasted with flame magic casted by Maja. Alke was quite bewildered by the concept of lions cooking their food, there are still many secrets and culture he hadn't experience so he would buckle up and be ready for anything weird he would see.

They also named the cub Vinna which meant fast in the old tongue due to her running fast even though she is still a newborn.

" My love, our little Vinna might love to run in the Great Meadows back in Tituan. We should hasten our plan and be back as soon as possible."

" My thoughts are the same, we should finish creating our pride fast and return to Tituan. Our cubs can grow their faster with the help of godfather."

The lions made amendments on their plans as they saw how their cubs is growing faster than they anticipated. It is also inconvenient for their godfather who helped them escape and given them time to build the pride of their liking.

" Alke my son, come here." Luka instructed as he called his son who's running with his sister.

" You are a fast learner and have an astonishing growth. You are to guard and teach your sibling as we travel for the hunting grounds. Don't worry we will still teach you during the night." Luka trusts his idiotic yet genius son to look after its sibling.

" My baby, watch your siblings for mama. I can't be always their for you and your siblings, we need to hasten our plans and be back to your true home. The Great Meadows of Tituan." Maja apologetically said as she can't cuddle with them as often as she do now.

" Don't worry mama, i will watch Vinna and the other cubs. I'm their big brother after all." Luka is ecstatic of him having siblings which he didn't experienced due to having the one child policy of his country back on earth.

But still he can now be a big brother to his newborn siblings, he can live the dream family he can't continue back on earth. It is enough for him to give his all on training his mana and martial prowess to protect those he deem precious.