If you didn't count the smoking burned house, two guards bodies and the three slavers on the ground before a bunch of people, it could almost have passed as a tranquil night.

"What are you going to do to us now?"

The woman was speaking, the other two not really in shape to do so, the big one still trying to get over the kick in his crotch and the leader simply knocked out cold by Maximilian's "education". It was Maximilian who answered.

"Me? Nothing, for the moment. I'm just going to take everything you have. After that, you'll have to see with them."

He designed the beastkins and the farmer's family, not really looking forgiving at the moment.

"You...you're not serious, right?"

"Wanna bet?"

With a snapping of his fingers, he shattered the ice around her. She tried to reach for her staff but it was taken away by Gang, who threw it at Maximilian.

"Why are you setting her free?"

"I'm not. I'm just getting access to my loot."

The magician crawled a bit back but was quickly caught by Maximilian who took her jewels, armour and coat, leaving her in nothing more than her undies. She was fidgeting, hiding her chest by crossing her arms. Maximilian did the same with the leader, not really opposing resistance in his condition, and the big one had already taken off his stuff. After he put everything in the havenbag, he pointed at each one of the slaver one by one and...

"Earth chains."

From de ground came stones chains. They got around their arms and legs, forbidding any hostile movements, the woman who was still standing was forced on her knees. Maximilian passed next to Gang.

"As for me, I'm not really concerned for their wellbeing, you and your friends should be the one to judge."

He came crouching next to Tilina, visibly in pain, supported by Titus.

"How are you doing over here?"

She was breathing slowly and with force, her pregnant belly raising up and down each time.

"It...hurts. I wasn't doing perfectly well before, but the binding pain seemed to have an effect on the baby. I think...I think he is coming."

Titus seemed worried hearing her say that.

"Already? But it shouldn't be before at least a week."

She looked at him, the exasperation in her eyes almost tangible.

"Titus, I am the one having a little one inside. If I say he's ready to come out, then he's ready to come out."

Molly and Gara, the two other mothers there, looked at each other, then at the house.

"We need a place for her, and hot water...but with the house like that..."

Maximilian stood up.

"I'm on it. Give me two minutes. Lin-Lin, with me."

"Yes, master"

Lin-Lin looked at Giliane a second, the wolf woman nodded at her and she went after Maximilian who threw her the havenbag.

"Take out tissues from there, and one big beast fur."

"What are you going to do, master?"

"Giving this woman a place to give birth..."

He walked a dozen meters out of Arold's field and loudly stamped on the ground. From it came a circle of stones and dirt who seemed to grow like plants. It grew and formed a dome shelter, with only an entrance, without any windows.

"Like that, she will have a roof, now..."

He went inside and stamped once again, this time making de dirt on the ground dried and formed a natural floor.

"Lin-Lin, quickly instal the fur in the centre of the room, make it the comfiest possible."

While the panda girl executed the order, Maximilian made several fire spheres appeared, bringing sufficient light inside. He created a slightly bigger one on the ground, then got out to create a basin out of stone, using earth magic to do so. He brought it back inside, put it on the fire and used his waterskin to filled it.

"Are you done other there, Lin-Lin?"

"Yes, master. Here, I prepare some clothes they could use for the water, and others for the baby."

"Very good Lin-Lin. It should be fine like that."

They went out and, while Lin-Lin went to told them it was ready, Maximilian used a cover to make some kind of door, to give the women a bit of privacy.

Titus took his female in his arms and brought her inside, passing next to Maximilian without a look. Molly and Gara followed them inside.

Approximately ten seconds after, Titus was kicked out of the "room", and Molly's voice could be heard.

"There's no need for men inside right now. Lin-Lin, dear, come help us, will you?"

Lin-Lin looked at Maximilian before giving him the Havenbag back and went inside.

"You call me if there's a problem, okay?"

"I heard you, mister. There's no one who could help her more than us at the moment. No, go away, she's got work to do!"

Titus, next to Maximilian, was still not looking at him but said.

"This woman...is terrifying..."

"Maybe, but I think she will take good care of her. Let's go, you have other things to do at the moment."

The rabbit man didn't answer him, he just turned and went back to Gang and Giliane. Arold was taking care of Giriel with his two children.

The three were still on their knees, although the big one was now trying to break the chains on his arms, to no avail. The leader had come back to his senses, warily looking at the ones around him.

He spoke, but it was clear every movement from his broken chin was hurting him. He was trying to say as few words as possible.

"My clothes? Where?"

"I took them, they're not yours anymore."

"Give back."

"No need to ask, you won't have them back. To be honest, you should be glad I decide to let you keep your undies, but it's only because the idea of seeing one of you two naked wasn't appealing to me."

"Two?"

"The woman isn't bad, but I don't like her bitchy side."

This made Giliane laughed a bit. To that, the slaver leader threw her a killing look but, strangely enough, he wasn't very intimidating in this position. He spoke to Maximilian again, clearly not wanting to address the beastkins.

"What now?"

"Now? I don't know. What do you think, you three?"

Titus was the first one to talk.

"Why not killing them? They don't deserve to live...why didn't you kill them earlier? You killed two guards, why not them?"

"I killed "corrupted" guards, and only because they were attacking me... or at least one was, the other I anticipate. By killing those two, I made the others flee, they are still running in the capital's direction as we talk. Two guards missing and a bunch of other ones too scared or humiliated to talk is far less suspicious than a dozen missing guards. I did that so the capital would not send other guards to check."

"And how can you be sure they will not talk?"

"Simple, they are corrupted. To whom could they report something they were not supposed to do somewhere they were not supposed to be? Believe me, if one try to talk, the others will stop him."

Gara was the one asking next.

"But it still doesn't tell us why you didn't kill those three?"

The three slavers seemed actually interested in the answered too.

"Because I don't have grudge against them. I'm not the one they were hunting, nor the one they despise. Even now, they prefer to talk to me who kicked their asses, than to you because of your race...or state, I don't really know. This one insulted me and I slapped him for that, but it is not my place to decide what will happen to them. I will comply with what you think they deserve."

The three looked at each other before Gang spoke again.

"You, a human, give us the power to decide the fate of three of your kind?"

"Please stop with that. I don't care about their race, I care about what they did, what they are, slavers."

"Hunters..."

The trio leader was talking again.

"What?"

"We...are hunters, slaves hunters. "

Seeing her leader having trouble talking, the magician spoke at his place to explain.

"We are not the one taking beastkin to make slaves out of them. We are part of the slaver guild, but our work is only to bring back the slaves who escaped. We only hunt, we do not create. Don't resent us for being slaves, we did not put those marks on you."

"But you still used those sceptre earlier..."

"And? Wouldn't you use it? When you hunt wolves, you imitate the wolf cry to make them come out. It's the same here."

Giliane came to her and lifted her off the ground up by the throat, choking her while the chains were stretched to the max.

"We are not animals!"

The magician answered her, breathing hard.

"But still...you act like ones."

She looked down at her with a little smugly smile. Giliane growled in rage before letting her fall down. The women coughed several times, catching her breath. She looked at Maximilian.

"See? That's what you are protecting. They may walk on two feets like us, but they are still savage."

"Enough."

That came from Gang.

"I think enough blood has been spilt tonight...but we cannot let you go, you would come back with more soldiers, you would never let us be."

"That...could be arranged."

All eyes turned once again to look at Maximilian, visibly thinking out loud.

"What do you mean?"

"I could use magic. I could engrave runes on their bodies, their bones, forcing them to do as we want."

Gang looked at Titus, then at Giliane, who gave him the same look, they were not catching on.

"Could you explain?"

"It would be best to show you. At worst, it would kill them, but that was the idea in the first place so..."

They consulted each other without a word, then nodded.

"Okay, do it."

"Very well. So, wich one of you should I ..."

"DON'T YOU DARE TO TOUCH US!"

"...and we have a volunteer, thank you lady magician."

Maximilian came to her. She was desperately trying to get away, but the chains were simply forbidding her to. He came behind her hand put a hand on her nape. Seeing her moving too much, he simply said.

"It will hurt a lot. But if you move, it will kill you."

The serious tone made her stopped and she closed her eyes. Maximilian did the same, concentrating for a bit, then used a hand to maintained the woman still while, using a little silver knife, he started to write runes on her skin.

"GYAAAH!"

It was a good thing he was maintaining her because she moved by reflex while screaming, clearly in pain.

It lasted less than a minute. Once he was finished, he let go of her and she fell on the ground, face down. On her nape, still shining red like fire, a dozen of runes were grave on the woman's skin, visibly going deep in her flesh.

"What...have you done to me?"

Giliane spoke right after her, a little smile on her face.

"Yeah, that seemed painful."

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH YOU BEAST OR I W...GYAAAH!"

As the magician was threatening de wolfwoman, the runes, who had become flesh colour, shine red again for a second, inflicting tremendous pain to the woman.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING!?"

Maximilian came in front of her.

"Look at me."

She did as tell, looking at him with eyes filled with tears of pain.

"From this day on, and until I decide you deserve to be free, those runes will bring you a thousand times the pain you will think of inflicting to slaves."

"WHAT!?"

This came from the magician, but also from the other two slavers and, more surprising, from the beastkins.

"How? How does it work?"

"Simple, I have written in your flesh ancients words of magic. If I translated, it would say "May the bearer of those words be inflicted a thousand time the injury he wishes to give those who can't defend themselves.". Every time you will even think about doing something that could hurt a slave, even indirectly, it will make you feel a thousand time that pain. What were you thinking about right know?"

"I...was thinking about whipping her..."

"And that's what you felt, a thousand time. Know hear me out, and hear me well..."

He crouched in front of her, looking deep into her eyes.

"Those runes, no one except me will be able to take them off your body. You can try to make someone else do it, it won't work. You can cut away your flesh if you want, I engraved them on your bones."

He could see the terror in her eyes, she clearly wasn't used to be the one threaten.

"Why? Why doing this to me? You could kill me..."

He stood up again, turning his back to her.

"I told you, I'm not the one who decide. Gang and the others wanted a way to let you go without risk, I gave them one. It's still their choice if they let you go or not..."

"I PREFER TO DIE!!!"

The big one was screaming in rage, his face distorted by the force he was putting in his arms, trying to break the chains.

"I WILL NEVER LET YOU DO THAT! I DON'T CARE IF I DIE, I WILL NEVER LET THEM BE FREE!"

Maximilian didn't look at him. He looked at the three beastkin and asked.

"Does his choice satisfy you?"

Gang sighed, more depressed by the hatred of the big man than angry. Titus looked at the big man.

"He can die, the lesser the better."

"Giliane?"

"We gave him a choice and he refused, I say let him harvest what he sow."

Maximilian sighed.

"Are you sure? This could be your chance to repent."

The man spat at Maximilian's feet, mocking him.

"I have no regrets, I enjoyed every filthy furball I caught. You will never see me beg, kill me now, fur lover."

"Your choice is as good as mine. Octavia, make it painless."

At Maximilian's words, the white spider who had silently circulate around the three jumped on the big man back and, in a rapid and powerful thrust, pierced his nape, killing him instantly.

The magician screamed and the four others gasped as Maximilian turned to look at the killer spider.

"Where was she, I didn't see her coming."

"Octavia is a spider, a hunter, she is quick, powerful, and can easily make her presence forgettable to surprise her prey. Even if she is a friend of mine, I will never forget that she can be deadly if she needs to..."

The big man fell on the ground, Octavia licked her front leg cover in blood while looking at Maximilian, as if waiting for something.

"You want to eat him?"

She looked at the body and shook her head from left to right.

"Yeah, I suppose he doesn't look tasty...so, what about the woman, is what I've done satisfying you?"

"You sure she will not be able to tell about us?"

"Certain. If she did, it would give her pains, so much that she will beg for death, as it is what she would feel, the pain of a thousand deaths, because of the death she would think awaits you when you're captured."

He looked again at her.

"And just so you know. The pain you experienced here, it didn't last because I've made sure the first one served as an example. From now on, the pain will last. The greater the pain, the longer it will go on. If you, even by "mistake", lead a slave to die, the pain will never.stop.again... Am I clear?"

The magician simply nodded, too scared to even say a word.

The three beastkins looked at her for a bit, then Giliane spoke.

"If it's like that, it's good for me. Gang?"

"We cannot be sure, but I want to believe you Maximilian...Titus?"

"...fine, let her live."

"Very well. So, now about the third one. What will it be?"

After seeing the big man's death, he had lowered his eyes and was actively thinking. He lifted his head and said, in the fewest words possible.

"You said "until I decide for you to be free?", how?"

"How what?"

"How can we be free?"

"You will have to do for slaves an action that is as good for them as your actions have been bad until now."

"What do you want?"

"You told me you two are hunters, given equipment to retrieve and subjugate slaves."

He showed one piece of the sceptre.

"So I suppose you don't know how to set them free?"

"No."

"Then that's what you will have to find."

"What?!"

The two exclaimed as they heard what he wanted.

"You two will work together and bring me the way to take off the binding on the slaves. When you do that, and only then will I take off the runes. Bring me a way to set them free, and you will be free."

"Impossible."

This came from the leader. The magician developed for him.

"What he means is that only the higher ranked slavers know how to do that. They are the one who create the binding tools, we aren't that high in the ranking, they would never tell us."

"Not my problem. Do what you can, even if it costs you. I don't think what you will have to do to obtain that information could be more painful than what the slaves endure."

Still unsure, the magician asked.

"Even if we managed to find something, how will we contact you?"

"With this..."

He took a small rock from the ground and wrote four runes on it. Writing "Once", "Hearing","Distance" and "Speaking" on them, each time filling the runes with magic and then masked them. He gave it to the Magician, not looking different than another rock.

"With this runes, I created a rock of free talkers. When you have found what I look for, use this to talk to me, it will reach me wherever you may be. But be aware, I enchanted it so it would work only once before being destroyed, or to shatter if some "studies" were made on it. It would be better for you to not waste it, I give one to you, one and only chance...At least, if you decide to help, my dear hunters."

They kept silent for a minute, then slowly nodded ascent. Maximilian looked at the beastkin, and they approved. He went behind the leader and did the same thing he did to the magician, with the same result.

Once it was done, Maximilian made the chains disappeared, letting them stand up. They looked at them, not sure what to do.

"Now what?"

"Now you go, they accept that you keep your life, and I made sure you could not come at them again. I'll walk with you a bit, just to make sure you don't have any stupid idea, then you will be on your way, to find what I ask of you if you're intelligent."

He led them outside Arold's field, simply indicating them to not take their horses, as they didn't belong to them anymore.

Once they were far enough, Maximilian stopped and let them go. The magician turned in his direction the last time.

"We don't have a choice, do we?"

"Well...My curse forbids you to even think about hurting a slave. You could, of course, live your life normally without thinking about hurting them...Your choice, really."

"Never! GYAH!"

The pain obliged her to put a hand on her nape, screaming in pain.

"Think about it, now off you go."

"You will pay for what you've done to us today, you realise that?"

Maximilian laughed a bit.

"And if you haven't noticed, let me point to you the curse didn't make you feel any pain when you thought about hurting me."

He saw in their eyes they just realised that.

"That's right, I didn't put this on you to protect myself. You are free to come at me with everything you've got, even an army if it pleases you. But remember, I've got a lot of my friends who are slaves. If you come at me, make sure to target only me and no one else."

"...Aren't you afraid? We are the slaver guild, everyone knows to not go against us. Why are you risking your life like that?"

"Simple, I fear you us much as a dragon fears a sheep, that's approximately the difference between our powers. Try to remember it if you want to attack me again."

He turned away and went back in Arold's farm's direction.

"You should hurry, the forest isn't the safest place at night..."

And, as to confirm what he was saying, wolf cry could be heard in the night. The two slaves hunter looked at each other before running away in their undies, not wanting to finish their life eaten by wolves.

*This is fine, that kind of people will think about themselves before their guild. They will not come at the slaves, that's for sure...but just in case they find a way, I have to prepare protection for Arold's family...I might have some ideas.*

.........................................................................................................................................................

It took him approximately one hour to go with them and come back to Arold's land. As he arrived, he saw Molly, Gara and Lin-Lin helping Arold , Gang, Giliane and Octavia to salvage what they could from the burned house. He came at them.

"How is Tilina doing?"

"Well, if you must know..."

Molly was interrupted by a joyful Titus getting out of the shelter, a baby in his arms.

"I've got a son! It's a son, Gang, Giliane, look!"

Seeing the rabbit man happy with his friends around him was a pleasant picture. Molly sighed, a smile on her face.

"Well, as you can see, all went well."

"And the mother?"

"She sleeps right now, it wasn't an easy work, but thanks to you we had what we needed to help her the best we could. I must say your magic was a big help. Speaking of magic..."

Molly pointed at her burned down house, an imperious look on her face.

"You could have extinguished the fire earlier, look at our house...there is nearly nothing left!"

Maximilian scratched the back of his head, smiling awkwardly.

"Sorry Molly, I was paying more attention to the threat in front of us. Is there something of value you've lost?"

The imperious look was replaced by a sad one as she took out something from her pocket. It was some kind of grey tissue. She unfolded it to reveal the remnants of a bridal veil. The little bit still intact showed it used to be white, with a simple floral pattern on it.

"Is that...a bridal veil?"

Molly nodded.

"Yes...it used to be my Grandmother's one, mother's one, then mine and...it was supposed to be my daughter's next..."

A single tear fell down her cheek, but she quickly passed a hand on it to not let it show.

"Well...better lose this than one of my beloved children. You saved us tonight, and I'm thankful. I'm sorry I don't have anything to give you but..."

"Actually, if it is alright with you, I would like to propose you deal."

She looked at him warily.

"A deal? What kind."

"A simple exchange. Give me your land, your house and what was inside. In exchange, I'll give you something to replace what you've lost."

She stood there, silent, looking at him for a minute.

"You...are you making fun of me?"

"I wouldn't dare, I still remember you're scary with kitchen knives."

This made her laughed a bit.

"How? How could you find a place for us to live? And where? I suppose you haven't forgotten Tilina isn't really in travelling condition, she needs to rest for a bit."

"You don't have to go anywhere. For tonight, you'll camp away from this land, I will make shelters for everyone near the one Tilina will sleep in with Titus and their newborn. While you pass the night with your family, I'll go and do what I have in mind."

"But...it's our house, it should be us who repair it."

"Two things. One, it is like that because you helped peoples in need, so it is normal someone helps you in return. Next, I tend to be more efficient without too many people around, I can easily manipulate what need to be without risking to hurt someone."

She thought about it for a while.

"I...I need to talk about it with Arold."

"Of course, I have other things to do so take your time and come tell me later okay?"

Molly went to her husband to talk while Maximilian went to the beastkins, still around Titus and his newborn. Seeing him coming, Gang took a step on the side, letting him inside the kind of circle they had made. Titus looked at him.

"So? I see all went well? It's a good thing. Congrats to the new father."

"Human...no, Maximilian. I...Tilina asked me to thank you for what you've done."

Gang gave him a slight slap on the back of his head.

"And I thank you too. It's not every day a human do all you've done for us. We beastkins are people of honour, so I have a debt. You can ask me what you want."

Maximilian looked at the rabbit man with an arched eyebrow and a slight smile before pointing at the newborn.

"There is something you can do...Can I hold him?"

Titus seemed hesitant but was encouraged by the others and presented him the baby. Maximilian took the little cocoon of tissues enveloping a human looking baby, with nearly no fur on his pink skin. The only big distinction was the ears, already a lot longer than a human. Maximilian took it in his arms, smiling at the sleeping little one.

"How is he called? "

"Terebim. It was the name of my brother, Tilina and I thought it was a good way to honour him."

"Terebim...That's a good name."

The baby moved a bit before opening his eyes, already as red as his parents.

"He's got your eyes."

The two red ball stopped on Maximilian's blue eyes for a second.

"Hello, Terebim..."

They stayed like that for a few seconds before the little one began to cry. This made Maximilian laughed.

"And he has a good voice already. Here, dad, take him..."

Maximilian gave the child back to Titus who clearly didn't know what to do.

"He must be hungry, better go see mummy."

"What? Oh yes, yes."

Titus went back inside the shelter with the child. Gang spoke a bit to Maximilian.

"You know, he really is grateful. It's just that it isn't easy for him to trust humans, it's hard for all of us."

"I can understand that, Gang. Do not worry, I don't resent that. How could I be in any bad mood after seeing this little one? The mother worked well."

"It's alright then."

...........................................................................................................................................................

"Maximilian?"

Molly and Arold came at him. Arold was the one who spoke.

"Molly told me about the deal, are you really okay with that? You are willing to take our dead land and give us a new home in exchange?"

"That's the idea. But remember, to do that I'll need all you had in the old one, including what's inside your pocket, Molly."

"My pocket...you mean the...?"

"Yes, the bridal veil. I need you to willingly give it to me so you can start anew, are you willing to do that?"

Molly kept silent for a bit, Arold giving her time to think. She took out the burned pieces of souvenir and looked at it for a bit, before finally giving it to Maximilian.

"Do what you must, this place is destroyed anyway."

Maximilian smiled at them.

"Then we have a deal."

...........................................................................................................................................................

A bit later, Maximilian had made shelters for everyone. Using what was left of the wolf meat, they managed to make something to eat for everyone, Tilina eating a bit to retrieve strength after the delivery and Giriel, who was finally awake, was eating too .

Before everyone separate for the night, Maximilian used magic to create a wall of stones all around them. Seeing the beastkin questioning look on their faces, he explained.

"All of you are tired. I make this wall for tonight so you can all sleep without worries of predators."

The wall was tall, more or less five meters high, and was completely encircling them. Maximilian engraved a rune in the wall for everyone to see.

"It means "exit". If any of you needs to go out, simply touch the rune and an exit will appear for you. I have things to do, so goodnight everyone."

Touching the rune, a portion of the wall went inside the ground without a sound and he stepped out. Outside the walls, he wrote two other runes "negate" and "sound", he didn't want them to be bothered by what he was going to do. He walked a bit, returning to the burned house. He stood there for a bit, picturing in his head what he wanted to do.

"Master?"

Looking behind him, he saw Lin-Lin and Octavia, to whom he smiled.

"I had the feeling you would follow me, you two."

"Molly told us what your deal was...can we help?"

"Hum...maybe. Octavia first, I need your talents for something special."

The spider had a questioning look. Maximilian took her a bit to the side and explained what he wanted her to do while giving her something. She thought about it for a while, then nodded and went somewhere else, searching for a quite place to do what Maximilian asked of her.

"So, Lin-Lin, how about I give you your first magic lesson ?"

Lin-Lin seemed shocked.

"But, master. A slave cannot..."

"Who's a slave? I thought a certain panda girl said she wasn't a slave anymore?"

Maximilian's words made Lin-Lin smile.

"I...you're right, it's just that it is new to me...but are you sure I will be able to learn magic? I'm just a beastkin, not a magician."

"There is something you do not seem to realise, you already used a bit of magic today."

"I did?"

"Yes. Earlier, when you were defending me against the beastkins, thanks for that by the way, you made your voice louder, your aura echoed in the room, and that was imbued with magic. I'm sure I'm not the only one who felt that."

Lin-Lin looked at her hands, surprised.

"I...did not realise...I really used magic?"

"Indeed, but unconsciously. What I want is for you to be able to use it when you want to. Tell me something, Lin-Lin, what do you prefer? The earth, the wind, the water or the fire?"

"I don't understand what you ask, master."

"I've read that everyone has an element with wich they are more in "harmony". I want to know what is yours so I can teach you efficiently."

"What about you?"

"Well...I'm a bit special in the fact I don't have trouble with any element... if I had to choose I'll say earth. But in the end, giving enough time and good teaching, anyone can use spells of four elements. The thing is that you should not try and master all of them at them same time, concentrate on one element at the time, and we'll see for the others later."

"I see...is that earth magic you used to chain the hunters on the ground earlier?"

"Indeed, that spell was "earth chains"."

"How does it works? I just have to say those words and the chains will come out?"

"Why don't you try?"

Lin-Lin pointed at the ground and simply said the words...but nothing happened.

"It didn't work, master."

"That's because the words aren't all you need. Let me explain..."

He thought about it for a few second, wondering how it would be the easiest way to made her understand.

"The magic words, like staff or sceptre, are here to help you focusing. Magic isn't simply saying a formula and let it happen, no, this is called reading a parchment and anyone can do it. Magic is manipulating the energy in you, and giving it the form you want."

"What about the element?"

"Think of the element as the material used to give form to your idea. For example...ice sword."

In a second, a blade of ice formed himself in Maximilian's hand.

"What I wanted was a sword, I used ice to give him a form, but if I wanted...fire sword."

In his other hand appeared a blade of fire.

"See? Element isn't what make the sword, the magic in you make the element take the form you wish."

Looking at the two swords in Maximilian's hands, Lin-Lin asked.

"Isn't it hurting you? The fire doesn't burn your hand?"

"What? Oh no, it's alright. When you start to use an element, you start to gain a resistance to it. I do not fear fire like that."

"But...you protect yourself against the magician before...why? If you don't fear fire, why wasting time protecting yourself?"

"Oh, that...Well..."

He made the swords disappeared and picked up a little stone.

"Take that!"

He threw it in her direction, Lin-Lin raised her arms to defend herself. The tiny stone simply touched her and fall on the ground, not hurting her in the least.

"Why did you protected yourself? This tiny rock wouldn't have hurt you, and you know it, so why?"

"I don't know, a reflex...oh, that was the same with you."

"Exactly. Even if now I don't have anything to fear from this kind of fire, my body still remember the fire is dangerous, and so I acted by reflex to protect myself. Maybe one day I'll be able to do without those kinds of reflex, but until then..."

"I understand...I think earth is what I like the most."

"Why is that?"

"I don't like fire because it reminds me of...that."

She simply tapped her shoulder, showing, of course, the place where the slave mark was.

"I don't have any feeling for the wind, it's fine to feel it in my hairs, but I remember it more for the dust he sent in my eyes. Water is fine, I guess, but apart from rare baths and a bit to drink, I don't really feel anything about it."

"And what about earth?"

"Earth, I see it as the thing I walk on, the plain, the flower, the mountain. It's not that I love it...it's more that I respect it."

"Good for me. We will learn the path of earth then...come with me."

He walked a bit with Lin-Lin, guiding her on Arold's field, where several big rocks were buried with only the top showing.

"See the rocks in this field? I want you to take them out using magic. As tool, you will have this."

He took the huntress magician's staff from the havenbag.

"The huntresses magic staff? But she was using fire magic."

"Yes, but do not worry. This staff is only there to catalyse your magic energy, it will not act against you because you use earth magic. Now look, use the staff to point at your target..."

Showing while talking, he pointed at the nearest rock.

"Then comes the good part. While concentrating your energy on it, you have to visualise what you want your spell to do, then say the correct words for it to works...earth levitation."

The dirt around the rock tremble a bit before the big boulder, of a good meters high, came out of the ground. Following the staff, it came landing on the ground where Maximilian indicated.

"That's it, think you can do it?"

"How am I suppose to know I use my energy correctly?"

"Try to remember the feeling you had inside the house earlier, you won't be far. One thing, if you sense that you become too tired to continue, you are free to stop. Please, don't exhaust yourself."

"One last thing, master. I've seen you use magic without staff or spell...could I do it too?"

This made Maximilian laughed a bit. He patted Lin-Lin head affectionately.

"My dear Lin-Lin who wants to run before she managed to walk. If I'm sometimes not using a spell, that's because I have the exact idea of what I want it to do. When you hear me using them, it's usually because it is the first time I'm using this spell...but to be frank, there are some times where I just say the words because I feel like it, for the form. The fact I don't use a staff is because I simply don't need a catalyst. You asked me if you would be able to do the same, I think so. When you will be accustomed enough, I will train you so you don't need magic staff anymore, but until then...please picked up the stones from the field."

"Yes, master. I'll do my best."

"That's all I ask of you. Take your time and focus."

He stepped back a bit, looking at Lin-Lin pointing the staff at one of the rocks in the field. For a dozen minutes, nothing happened, then, around Lin-Lin, Maximilian could feel a new kind of wave, the same kind the magician huntress have but weaker.

*That's the idea, now she just needs a bit of confidence...*

From behind Lin-Lin, Maximilian pointed at the rock and slightly made it move, making Lin-Lin gasp in surprised. He quickly dropped his hand before she turned, a big smile on her face.

"It moved, master."

"Do it again. Remember the feeling when it moved before."

She did as told and, even just a little, the rock moved again. Maximilian patted her head.

"I'm proud of you, Lin-Lin. Now I have other things to do, I trust you to do well without me, just be careful, okay?"

The panda girl nodded and he let her at her field, a contempt smile on his face. He returned in front of the house.

*First thing first, I have to take away what can be taken away.*

He summoned Asterife, who seemed surprised by the place.

"Out? That's unusual."

"You wouldn't happen to mock me, right?"

"Me? I wouldn't dare, friend."

The little smile from the imp said otherwise.

Maximilian made the imps salvage everything that could be taken. Unfortunately, apart from some basic cooking stuff plus one or two set of clothes for each family member, there wasn't anything to take, they also took the time to bring Maximilian the equipment and, because he asked, the bodies of the two guards and the hunter after they took the time to empty their bodies from the blood they had.

*It's still mammal blood when you think about it...*

Maximilian paid the imps and began his work. First, he took off his long coat, gauntlet and upper clothes, staying with only his down clothes to work with. Using fire magic, he incinerated the house's remnant. The fire was so powerful that it took no more than a minute to make the habitation disappeared, leaving nothing more than desert ground for a sweating Maximilian to work on.

*That was hot. First I'll do that...*

He started by digging out underground places, placing them nearly a dozen meters under the ground. He was proceeding as such: first, he used earth spell to pushed away de ground, it was far more efficient than a thousand shovels. After the passage was done, he used another earth spell, but this time to create strong walls. He made the wall in such way it would not collapse, even after hundreds of years.

There were two underground places, one on the left and the other on the right of the underground passage's way entrance, each after one or two meters of tunnels.

The tunnel was square in the form and big enough to let three large man walk side by side, every meter he engraved the rune "light" and charged it, making the tunnel as bright as it could have been in sunlight.

On the left, he built a ten on ten metres pantry, with stones shelves on all the walls and some others separating the room in differents sections.

*Like this, they will be able to stock victuals...I just need to make sure it won't rot.*

He went at the each corner of the room and engraved the rune "preservation" on the stones before filling them with magic, charging the runes for dozens of years to come.

*Seeing how they are passive runes, it will be a while before the magic in them run dry. This room is done, let's pursue.*

The place on the right was a bit different. It was a dozen time the size of the pantry, with a storage space of the size of Arold and Molly's old house. What he did here was creating an underground field.

*I need sunlight and water for that, how to do, how to do...I know!*

For the light, he made some little stone pipes in wich he placed little pieces of a mirror he took from the havenbag, a souvenir from one of the treasures chamber. By doing this, he made several light circuits, working so each day, when the sun is up, the light will be reflected and will charge a stone sphere, hanging from the ceiling by a chain, on wich Maximilian engraved four runes: "Accumulate", "Energy", "Diffuse" and "Sunlight". The idea was that the sun energy would charge the sphere who will then served as a sun extension, literally bringing sunlight underground.

*I create a solar powered sun stone...cool*

He did the same kind of pipes for the water, making them running through the ceiling. He made the exit appeared in the outside trench, where rainwater will accumulate, and closed the mechanism with a simple lever one had to activate to bring rain on the underground field.

Finally, for the field itself, He let the ground as soil, only making stones path to facilitate the harvest. He used the two guards and hunter bodies to nourished the ground, using earth magic to literally crush de bodies between stones and scattered the bits before shaking the ground, making all traces of the bodies disappeared.

Having done all he wanted underground, he made the large stone stairs leading out and closed the entrance with a secret passage who could only be opened by saying the password while touching the rune on the ground.

*The underground is done, now I can take care of the house itself.*

"Master! I made it! I made them move away!"

Lin-Lin came running at him, a big smile on her face, and nearly fall down as she stopped before him, clearly tired. Maximilian made her drink a bit while he observed the panda girl's work.

As she told him, she managed to make the stone move, although none of them was more than half the size of the one Maximilian had taken care of, there was still a dozen big rocks who had been pulled out of the field.

"You did well Lin-Lin."

He was going to pat her head when he realised she had fallen asleep. He laughed slightly before lifting her. He went back to the camp where the others were resting and lay her inside a shelter before going out again. He passed next to the three black horses who were tranquilly eating a bit of grass.

"You, I'll need you later...I realise I did not take the pouch off you yet."

Not wanting to waste time, he only took the six pouches on the horses, two by animal. He put them like that in the havenbag, planning to examine them later. Not having any uses for the saddle, he let them on the horses for now.

He made a quick detour by the forest, looking for wood. He used Falemgeril to cut several trees, kinda easy to do when you have the power to cut a dozen of them in one swing.

*Yep, I'm the king of lumberjack now...*

He used his blade and colossus strength skill to transformed a dozen tree in beams and planks he would need for the detail in the house, luckily the Havanbag didn't care how long what was put inside was, or he would have lost a lot of time travelling from the house to the forest. Here, the long plank and beams went inside the Havenbag like a charm, disappearing into the darkness like they would have fallen in a hole.

*It never stops to amaze me...*

While he was taking what he needed, he thought a bit.

*When I think about it, this skill, colossus strength, is quite useful. Sure I am strong at all time with my high stats, but this skill is like turning on and off a switch when I need to do something...well, colossal. If I hadn't this, it would be a pain to constantly take care to not break someone's hand when we shake them...hell, how many times would have I killed Lin-Lin by patting her head too strong? I prefer not to think about it...*

Once he was back at the farm's place, he went and stood on the secret passage entrance, using this point as the centre of the room.

*First, let's make some walls and ground.*

Using the same kind of magic than for the shelters, he made stone grey high walls "grow" out of the ground. Physically, they looked like small stones put together, but in reality, it was one big piece a rock Maximilian made for each wall, making sure it was the strongest possible. He made all the ground in one piece, the size on the ground showing what he was going to make would be at least five times the size of the farmer's old house.

*If others shall seek a place to hide here, better make space for them.*

The room he made, with in the middle de secret passage, was the living room and kitchen at the same time. The little fireplace in the middle had been replaced by a fireplace big enough to roast a horse in it, place on the house middle wall with the chimney going a dozen meter high in the sky, a must if you count the fact Maximilian was planning to make a first floor.

To replace the old wood table, he made one out of stone. If the last one was hardly big enough to let a dozen people eat, the new one could welcome twenty people with ease. To sit, he use two trunk to make long and big benches, not as comfy as throne, but good enough to enjoy meals on.

He made a big cooking place for Molly, and eventually others, to work on. He even built her a stone oven, so she would be able to make bread.

*If only I had what was needed to make a pizza...well shit, I just found something I miss from my old world.*

He made a smaller room in wich he built three bathtubs and several sinks.

*The water evacuation isn't a problem, I'll just make pipes end far away in the ground.*

Joining Actions to words, he made the stone pipes end inside the ground, reaching far underground where it ended inside a big space Maximilian had made earlier while he was working on the tunnel, before closing the tunnel wall. The water will drop there and be absorbed by the earth, no worries to have.

*Now to bring water in. I could use the same idea I use underground...no, the level of water is lower than the bathtubs... maybe if I use runes inside the pipes?*

The idea was simple, he engraved three runes inside the pipes leading to the bathroom. "Heat", "Purity" and "Attract" were engraved inside the pipes, with one ends at the bottom of the trench, the water was continuously taken from there, purified and heat to a good temperature before being stocked in the pipes and waiting for someone to activate one of the levers to make it come.

*Now that I think about it, it could be useful to have one at their cooking place too...but maybe without the heating part.*

And so he added another part at the cooking place, creating another stone block in wich he dug a sink, working the same way the ones in the bathroom did. Of course, he made sure the pipes were, each time, the least visible possible, not wanting the house to look like a steampunk paradise. He simply let the extremity out with the lever to activate them, while the rest was hidden inside the walls and the ground.

*I should find some kind of river near this place to bring water from it...or at least stock some water for them to use...maybe if I change the trench a bit...*

Going out, he examined the trench. A good portion of it had disappeared, Maximilian had to fill it because of the new house, taking much more place than the last one. The old trench was good enough, although very simple. A hole of less than a meter depth dug all around the house in a hurry and some plank for a bridge.

First, Maximilian dug it again, but this time, he made it a dozen meter depth with stones wall inside, completely closed, if not for the necessary holes for the different pipes ends to pass into.

He made the new trench circled around all Arold's land, not only the house. It was now encircling the bigger house and the field, plus a good portion of land for when the farmer will want to expand his field. The planks were, of course, took out, replace by a beautiful stone bridge replacing them. Maximilian made two, one facing the entrance and one near the fields, if they needed a shortcut.

This done, he made sure the pipes ended where they needed to after his little restructuration. He made, for each of them a protection of stone wire. then took out his waterskin. He opened it and simply attached it to the bridge, letting water filled the trench.

*Although it won't run dry, this could take some time...I wonder if I could...In the magic book, there was that water spell used to accelerate the flow of river, maybe...*

"Water flow."

Making a gesture in the havenbag direction, as if pulling on an invisible rope coming from it, he smiled as he saw the flow at wich the water was coming out greatly increase, creating a small waterfall from the bridge.

*This will do fine.*

He had still some other things to do in the house. He made another small room where they would be able to do the laundry if the weather outside wasn't allowing it.

*And one more water pipe here to help them for that, perfect.*

He was proud of his pipes system, each one placed where they wouldn't bother each other under the ground, he only had to magically guide them through the ground and come out inside the trench.

Last room he made was a toilet. More precisely, he made three, each one in their own little room. He used the same idea for the evacuation than for the bathtubs.

*Now...toilet paper isn't a thing in this world, so...*

Incorporate to the toilet, he made another pipe coming under the one sitting, a bit on the back, making some kind of bidet they activated by pulling a lever.

*This should do. I just need to fix one or two détails in the living room, but other than that, it should be fine. The first floor now*

Each time he created a new room, he made sure the ceiling was good, the biggest room, living room and kitchen, also had the higher ceiling, with a dozen beams supporting it. They went from the exterior wall and passed through the middle one, going inside the other rooms ceiling. Using runes, he made sure none of them would rot with the time, and also strengthen them.

The first floor was simpler. It consisted of a dozen chambers, very simple to make as there was nothing special about them, stones shelves to put dresses on, stones bed who only required mattress, nothing too special, if only for one little detail.

Knowing perfectly well there wasn't any trace of central heating, he made, once again, circuits of pipes that came from the chimney, passed under the chamber's floor before going back up the chimney. He made it so the heat had to pass through it before living the chimney. There was a general circuit circulating in the little first-floor hall, gently heating the stone floor, while the heating inside each room was, once again, activated by a lever inside the room.

Like that, when there will be a hot days, they would not suffer from the heat if they needed the chimney for cooking.

*Alright, the house is done, they will only need to make some material like mattress and such, I won't have the time to do the rest like that...luckily, I prepared a place for that.*

Out of the house, but still attached to it, he had made a working place where those who want it would be able to work on the farming tools, makings furniture, or even taking care of weapons if need be. He had created a simple forge consisting of a stone oven and anvil, plus a stone table for working on.

For the anvil, Maximilian took a little more time to created it. He first had to create the anvil mould on the ground. He then made a three-dimensional mould of it inside a big rock he put on the floor, with just a little hole on the top.

*Now for the steel...*

He took the steel parts of the dead guards and hunter equipment, salvaging nearly sixty kilos.

*That hunter was a bastard, but he still was able to move with fifty kilos of steel on him...*

He used earth magic to tear apart small pieces of steel and made a pile of it. He then used fire magic to heat the rock so much it shined red. While maintaining the heat on, he put piece after piece of metal in it, slowly filling the three-dimensional shape of the anvil with molten metal. Although his skill protected him from the fire basic danger, it was still freaking hot!

Once he was done with the filling, he left the rock to rest while he was finishing the details.

The earth magic allowed him to slightly control the shape of metal, and he used it to "attached" wood planks together, making the doors and shutters look like they were attached by metallic plants growing on them. He made sure to engraved on them the runes to prevent rottenness and protect them from the fire.

He went back to the house and used the same idea of shaping metal to push the hinges into the stones wall.

It took him nearly an hour to make and instal every door and shutter he needed, but it was done.

Going out once again, he could see night was far from other, the near fool moon still quite high in the sky.

*Funny, I could have sworn I spend quite a lot of time doing this...or maybe they've got longer days in this world...now that I think about it, this is my first night out of the dungeon.*

He stayed like this for some minutes, simply looking at the night sky, filled with stars.

*What a beautiful night...okay, the anvil should be good now.*

He went back to the workplace with the rock in the middle, who had finally retrieved a normal grey colour once again. With his fist, he broke it, revealing a modern shape Anvil, with the four feet base.

It was well made, although not the biggest existing, it would suffice for what they could need here. He fixed it on a piece of trunk with four pieces of metal he passed through the feet, then he put three circles of metal around the trunk to secured it, and it was done.

* And like that, I do in a few hours alone what would take several months for a team to accomplish thanks to magic. I'm quite satisfied with my work here.*

He made the pieces of rock disappeared and went out. The last thing he had to make was concerning the field, still in bad shape even after the rocks were pulled out. The rocks, Maximilian had used them as raw material for the construction, so it wasn't a problem anymore.

For the ground itself, he simply used earth magic to even the earth then, using wind magic.

"Wind claw!"

An invisible giant hand seemed to scratch the ground as perfectly symmetrical line were dug in the soil. He did it several times, taking care of all the farmer's field.

*And it's done, They have a house, they have fields to cultivate, they even have running water and central heating. The walls are enchanted to resist attacks. And even if, by I don't know what kind of misfortune, they manage to have intruders inside, they still have a secret passage they can close behind them and wait for the enemy to go away.*

Satisfied, he came near the bridge. He put back on his clothes after a quick wash with a water spell then sat on the bridge and leant against the edge, looking at the sky for a moment while listening to the flowing water.

And just like that, with a slight breeze in his hair, he felt asleep.