Chapter 3 - The Continent of Elms

While looking at the child who introduced himself as Roen, Engil debated on whether or not running away in this situation would help. Could he even get far enough away from this monster? First off out of everything he could've asked for he want food? Am I really a servant?!

Watching Engil's reactions Roen gave a small chuckle and began to walk in the direction of where the men came from. Engil dejectedly looked at the child with an array of mixed feelings, but resigned to his fate and started to follow after accepting this new master. Who knows he might just become an almighty master alongside the child or maybe die in a ditch the next day.

"By the way, who are those guys? What'd they even want with you?" Asked by Roen, Engil turned to face the child only now to notice that the boy's mouth didn't match his words. Slightly confused he calmed down his need for an answer, and politely replied to Roen.

"They were men from the Lands of Sorcery sent to kill me for running away. I have no idea why they sent such a force, but they take great pride in secrecy and strength leading them to kill all exiles no matter the cost."

"Lands of Sorcery? What's with that lack of creativity in naming sense. Don't tell me the place we are in now is called the lands of bones and that place over there is the lands of sand." Roen commented by pointing towards the sand dunes in the horizon and the boneyard that they were currently walking through. Engil gazed at Roen half in astonishment and half in an attempt to get answers, but once again came up with nothing.

"Those people with terrible naming sense are part of the strongest force in the entirety of the continent of Elms. It's best to not provoke them because most kingdoms near us look to those guys as if they were gods. No mater how powerful you are it's not wise to offends gods."

"God huh...alright your advice will be noted and probably discarded at one point. Anyways you said the 'continent of Elms' what is that? Can you eat it? You didn't forget about my meal right?"

"You're a weird one aren't you? Terrifying but weird. To answer your question the continent of Elms I currently where you are in at the moment, the continent is surrounded by the Serpent Sea which is why we haven't tried to expand the continent's borders or explore what is beyond. As you already know the continent's biggest super power is the Lands of Sorcery, who take up a little less than half the continent. The rest is split between 5 other kingdoms who are constantly fighting. There's never a time for peace."

"Serpent Sea? Sounds fun yea. Oh yea what were those glowing thingys that sucked in ether." The boy's question threw Engil off guard. Engil was about to comment about the dangers of the Serpent Sea, but the word 'ether' stopped his thought process. Ether is an old energy that was said to be used by the ancients, but the way of using that ancient energy has become lost over time. Wasn't this just a monstrous child? No matter how strong one is even ancients would be dead now.

"I'm sorry for my silence i had to think for a little. Well those 'thingys' are called runes, and the 'ether' hasn't been used for billions of years. As such it is thought to be a myth."

'Ether is a myth? I'm in an odd place, my time is all wrong, just how long was i asleep for.' As the boy was lost in his thoughts the two remained silent and didn't move.

"Tell me what would you consider the strongest in this continent right now." The boy's sudden question after a long silence caught him by surprise and gave a wry smile as if to say the child was the strongest being here.

"I know my strength, now tell me others i am in no mood to play games right now." Hearing the change in tone gave Engil's deeply rooted fear of the boy a relapse. Calming his nerves Engil opened his mouth.

"Right, let me explain from the start. Everyone has the capacity to start using 'aura' however to even begin one must go through many life and death struggles or through the method of counter balance which can be achieved in many ways. When one awakens their 'aura' that will be the largest increase a person will have pertaining to their aggregate 'aura'. From then on they will have to train in control and over the years their 'aura' will grow along with their life expectancy. When one gets to the point where one can materialize their aura then they have entered the 'materialization phase'. Their aura will take on an amorphous shape and a random color that differs from person to person. We don't really know what color has to do with aura as of right now. When their aura increases in purity and density then one can begin to condense their aura. This allows a wider variety of attacks and an overall stronger increase in strength. This stage is the pinnacle of this continent and any further stage we have no knowledge of. Does that answer your questions."

"Some. Also you don't seem to be showing me the respect of your master."

"Ah! My apologies it's just I haven't gotten used to being a servant of a child."

"I see well I guess that's.... Wait you said child?!?"

"Yes? Aren't you a human child."

Realizing something Roen started to examine his body. After inspecting every inch of his body, he turned to Engil with clear tears in his eyes.

"This is surprising." Out of all that Roen learned today this piece of information was the most shocking to him.