------------ tradesman guild ------------

Present day: Tamort city tradesman guild office of valwres guild master.

Valwres felt nervous and worried about the difficulty of hiding his subterfuge, when he was informed on the Chancellor's plans for the first time, he didn't actually understand the magnitude of what he was doing for his guild. And because the Chancellor forced him into it.

There were too many parts that depended on everything falling into place.

He was not placated even when some of his concerns were addressed. As time passed, wheels had been set in motion, until the schedule and plan got fucked with a large and very pure MANA pulse, the plan changed, and There was no going back.

3 days before the pulse.

Location old city tanas (the cursed city).

A wall surrounded the city of tanas, inside it was a collection of ruins. These ruins had once been a fairly large city. Anyone can see that From the various traces left mixed in with the devastation, it did not look like it had been conquered, so much as punched, or beaten to death, for some reason it was cursed.

Even the new city was supposed to be renamed to tanas, yet everyone refused to use that name fearing the curse, except Aguilar.

It was an abandoned city its despair can be smelled in the air, it was a thing you really shouldn’t be able to smell, but somehow in tanas you could.

Only one man was in the city, It was valwres waiting on the sandy beach of old city harbor, the waves just in front of him. He placed an oil lamp next to his feet and waited.

Valwres glanced around at his surroundings again. A dead city behind him and the ocean in front of him, He strained to see into the darkness of the sea, did they delay the plan?, then there was a polite cough from behind him, he froze in position.

As a mix of anxiety and doubt filled him, Valwres spoke, "yes".

A voice asked, "is there anything I should know".

Valwres

"it's all good, just take your men to the forest it's large and deep and hold position until you're needed, and after the hunt you go home"

Valwres, did not receive any reply, he stood and waited as time passed ships approached the port and one ship at a time started unloading supplies and men or women dressed in black.

Extra horses and disassembled MANA carriages had been brought.

Valwres was not comfortable to be with these cannibals, them and their red auras, 'these demons'.

After all, what do you call someone that can kill you, crack your skull and eat your core for power, the only name that fits was **'demon'**.

Valwres stopped imagining his death and distracted himself, thinking about the plan.

The plan called for 250 men to disembark at the old abandoned city, move to the forest and wait for the signal to ambush the prince as he travels to see the old city after tamort city.

The route being taken by the prince’s party from tamort city to the old city, will be watched and prepared, so will the second road.

Stealth was not a factor, deep in the forest they can make all the noise they want, no one will listen.

100 men would block the second road, to finish cutting off both escape routes. Both groups would converge on him and overwhelm the Prince, if the prince party scattered, rather than make a stand.

5 groups of 50 men were deemed enough to surround any nearby village he hid's in and compel surrender, or to scour the immediate countryside if needed and hunt the escapees.

Then, ships would approach the old city harbor, take aboard the men and their prisoners, and abandon the horses. The squadron would finally set sail back home.

Valwres watched as they unloaded their ships, and after a minute he walked to his horse, going back home to tamort city.

That was 3 days before the MANA pulse, Valwres was in his office and just like everyone Valwres was confused, a mana pulse like no other signalled the birth of A highborn, then the prince arrived early then the fucking inquisition showed up with their dick's swinging around.

"What the fuck happened". How did things spiraled out of control this badly.

The prince was safe, the inquisition opened an investigation, a village just disappeared, Aguilar hanged, and a high-born lost in what can only be called a disaster.

The Chancellor's plan to push two countries to war was now a fucking **holy war** on a continental scale. That was an escalation of violence no one saw coming.

It started with the guilds. The fucking guild's did this with their money hungry members. And because they were safe from war, they loved it. They encouraged it, then invested in it.

He remembered how the Tradesman guild called for the Chancellor to support the war so that the merchant guild could be the supplier, and make money on it, they didn't say it that clearly they used different words like, justice, god, and for the peace, yet anyone listening understood their true motivation. MONEY, LENDING, there had been a massive increase in LENDING, SELLING and BUYING, that was it, the war is ON, time to make money.

After all, 'Kings and Queens came and went, but there was always, on every occasion, a profit to be made from the blood.' it's a fact and Valwres understood that, only that, everything else he didn't.

What happened in that forest?, did they get the highborn?, he spent that anxious night waiting for news, and he didn't get any news.

Valwres lost crafting tools he sent to the human assets he placed in the area for his personal project, yet the little secret didn't get out, not yet. And he lowered his activities to avoid the Inquisition finding out.

Valwres stopped thinking about the past and things he can't control, and drowned himself in paper work. As he worked, he hoped the highborn was alive and healthy.

------------ amarys ------------

We were eating in a very awkward silence, or maybe that was Just me, none of us sure how to proceed, too much seemed to be happening. And to many uncomfortable questions.

As for me, I was in my normal condition 'confused', and they both seem like me uncertain, amara still has that disappointed look in his eyes, as if I took his cookies, and the inquisitor seemed like he was stuck on his math homework, he was thinking about something. It's probably something violent.

it's true that am new to this world yet still I can feel that something fucky is going on, and I can't see what, I know am a bit misinformed on few things. Yet still I can feel I am looking at a picture, and it's missing some, some colors.

As I eat I could feel my brain hurting, I wanted a nap, so I finished my food and stood up.

"I will be in my wagon it's been a long trip, and I need to sleep, thanks for the meal, good night."

As I told them about my new plan, 'wagon napping'. amara looked uninterested, his mind definitely on something else, Aqisol Just lifted an eyebrow but kept silent and then nodded. As if I asked for his agreement to sleep in MY wagon.

As if I will let that box out of my sight, all that I have to my name is in that wagon, am not leaving it unsecured. I walked back to the garage.

i entered my wagon closed the door powered the two wards on the door, and moved stuff around clearing space for me to Sleep, and it's better for me to sleep now than later no one would do anything so early, and if I keep tiring myself I will only be getting more and more vulnerable.

Now I sleep so that later I can look over shit with a clear and alert mind.

It was still midday, but I wanted to SLEEEEP, I don't give a shit my brain is pulsating wanting, begging for sleep,

i stopped clearing space, yeah, am done, time for good nap.

i hugged my safety mace and closed my eyes. And took a good fucking nap.

i have woken up to darkness, immediately the light crystal was powered on, as the light banished the darkness I started calming, and I felt actually good this time my mind was clearer after I slept.

'Ah, the miracle of napping.' it never fails.

i looked around me, I could only see the wagon walls around me and for the first time I noticed am in a box, no a cage.

Since when did I start fearing the dark?.

i remembered something, I remembered my past.

i was alone in a dark room, in my bed, as a child afraid of the dark.

i was anxious, my bed was in position that allowed me to look at the hallway, a dark silent hallway, I know I was probably imagining it, the darker shadow. The monsters.

As I explored my fear, as I examined it, at that moment I had an Epiphany, I asked my self why should I be afraid of the dark?, why shouldn't it be afraid of me?.

i looked at the darkness beyond my door, and imagined the monsters behind the veil of darkness burning, the darkness turned into light, a cold empty light, and I watched them scream as they burned, and melted, I showed no mercy. Then I closed my eyes, that night was the last time I feared the darkness. Until now.

So I ask again, since when did I start fearing the dark?.

This fear is unhealthy, irrational, this needs to change, it's time for the dark to fear me.

i turned my light crystal off and in the darkness I replayed the attack inside the hill and when my fear came I pushed it down. This is my mind, I get to say what it thinks and feels.

Spending too much time alone has fucked me up a bit. Human contact is no joke, now am in a village full of them, what I need from them is important, and what I can offer the people outside is more important, yet what I fear, is what can be taken from me.

Hell, even my social status is connected to my aura, thankfully I repaired it with pure mana. No hint of rust color can be seen.

Long story short is everyone is a pro-life until they see you as inferior, then those same people, they turn to the pro-choice option and chose to fucking murder you, and they make the choice for you. And their argument was simple, 'if touching mana kills you, you're not supposed to be alive.' aura profiling motherfuckers, what's next nipple profiling.

i must play my cards right.

i turned the lights on, and I stretched a bit, the wagon was too small.

i needed some mana to energize myself. I took the mana bottle and as I did, I noticed that the purifier core looked darker. Strange, the other cores had the same dark spot. After I took the mana.

i will come back to this later.

'A new day, a new shit storm, let's go'. I opened up my wagon and went outside.

i was surprised to find a small table and plates of food and a bucket of water, I must have missed dinner. It was nighttime, looking around me, I only found the freak horse still a sleep.

i washed my face, and took my meal to the kitchen, then I started eating, cheese and bread, cold soup. And a salad with one boiled egg, it was a nice start.

I wandered on what to do, after I eat. And then I remembered the past few days.

i waited for the choke to come, the horror, the disgust, after I killed two people. It didn't come. And I didn't want it to, the way I see it is, its like a prophecy it will only come true if you force it. If you want it. I didn't.

Yet still I did feel guilty of one thing, when everything went to shit, and I hid in the bunker hill, the traps were still in the forest fully functional. That made me sad, what if they caught something, and it's out there starving to death.

i hoped that what ever I caught, it would soon be found by a fox or something to end its suffering.

That guilt was both a bad thing and a good thing, it tells me that, I am still human.

As I finished my meal, the daylight started to enter the house. And I heard movement.

Aqisol was already awake, aura warrior indeed, old yet still strong, his movement too smooth for his age. Am still not sure what is an inquisitor, and hoped not to know in the wrong way.

Aqisol looked me over,

"ah you're awake, that was not a nap, more like slumber. You must have spent a long time awake and running only on mana stimulation. " He sat in front of me facing me, he continued, "don't ever do that again, it's unhealthy and extremely deadly."

I winced "yeah, I didn't have choice, it was either move or die."

He studied me not sure what that meant then he said, "Not a choice then"

"it never is"

We looked at each-other then I finished my food in silence, he didn't talk or say shit to fill the silence, I liked him.

after I was done he seemed to be wanting to say something, I gave him an opening "yes!".

"Have you considered my offer, you can stay, to build a life in this village."

"maybe, am still examining my options." this little shit show in the village is not my real problem, the last time I checked the main problem is in a bunker inside a hill. digging itself out or its already out. and probably following me.

"Ah you have different plans than just a simple life, yes even with an aura like yours, on tamort you can join a noble home, have luxurious life in the city, all the wine and women you want." he smiled at me.

"No in a noble home I will just be A stallion a life long sperm donor adding to their house power, no thanks. living life only for having sex with a hot girl, that's the path to an empty life. a fun path yet still empty and Temporary." I said.

"It's a better life than walking the woods alone, or in a castaway village, yet I see your point a wise man never walks the path of uncontrollable lust."

"we choose what we love and tolerate what we hate. This is the reality of the world,

I will walk the hard path, I will have my own house, my own free path in life, and I will accept anyone that wants to follow me.

"Like amara"

"if he wishes to" I said that yet in my hart, fuck no I dont trust the litle shit. "can you help me out I need to buy some stuff."

"i can look around town. What do you need?."

"gunpowder, books, wards, tools, cores. anything useful you can think of." he scratched his beard took moment to think.

"i will see what I can do."

"and I will look around the village see the place."

"Take amara with you and stay close, the bandits they might try something stupid" he warned me.

"and my wagon!?" he actually winced.

"Yes, that death magnet, place a ward or two on it the house is safe and as long as it stays behind doors they won't risk entering my house and start a fight." he said

"Yet, greed can make men do stupid shit." I commented. He nodded, agreeing with me.

That was the moment amara joined us in the kitchen. He must have awoken hungry because he didn't talk, just started scavenging food. Then joined us.

"Amarys, do you have an external core, if not I will get you some cores for you to reform. I will get them for you and amara" he looked at amara "it's time for you to cultivate seriously amara, having an external core could save your life."

"I don't know how to reform a core I never did it before, I don't have enough mana." amara said

"It takes a special kind of person to cross over into the path of cultivation, you're old enough to start I will show you," aqisol said, and he seemed as if he was going to be devoting his full strength and concentrated attention to help us cultivate a strong foundation.

"How do I start making an external core" amara asked.

"As you know an external core is a cultivation technique, you must take a monster core, and reconstruct it in your core's image, and use it as extra power source until it breaks and repeat on another core". Aqisol answered him. "And don't bother with the mana I will make you one until you can make your own".

Amara seemed very surprised and then sad and grateful, "thank you"

Okay I just missed a big *social Que*, why is amara so emotional?, will see later.

Aqisol quickly changed the topic.

"Amarys, I can see that your aura is a lightning aspect and that magic has a destructive leaning." humm "yet I see some lack of control, you need a training schedule I can help you prepare your self. It's a truly dangerous aspect to have unconstrained."

yeah no shit Sherlock. "i noticed." this genius really thinks, I don't fucking know.

Aqisol noticed my irritation. "Of course you have, sorry. i.. a.. I will see if I can set up a deflation path near you, when you feel like you're losing control. I have seen your situation before."

A what?, deflation path!. "i would like that very much." I said to aqisol and I was interested to see what it is. and how can it help?.

"Amarys, what power level are you, I can see your aura is approaching silver level purity. But what power level"

ah this question I know, the levels used are 'aura manipulator → aura warrior → cultivator 'the immortal heroes' → MAGE is a cultivator with spells (they are the dictators, kings and Queens of the world.) he wants me to clarify if I am an aura manipulator or aura warrior.

"Am not sure, yet." I said, not liking my knowledge gaps.

amara noticed my shifting mood and fixed it in his way, "when will marvan take his pets and go, there are two of you now, he can't win."

Before aqisol could talk, I asked. "Why are they here?", "are they selling human cores?", I asked, Aqisol looked horrified, and amara he seemed to be going deaf or something, he just froze up. And eyed the door, he wanted to leave the room.

"Selling human... no, not a soul can be that stupid, to do something unholy."

I internally cringed, 'unholy!' at those words. Yeah, I can be that stupid. That's why I am doing research, I asked, and now I know not to do that shit. I don't know why I can't sell human cores, but now I know not to do it. It's called learning, me smart. Me have two human cores in my wagon. Fuck.

I smiled tiredly and Aqisol noticed and asked me.

"Do you know anything about the bandits? Or core trade," he asked.

"No, I am asking you, and amara. Why else would they be hiding here faraway from the attention of the law they are hiding something, it has to be big. That marvan didn't seem to be the kind that thinks small." I continued, "what do they want, how do they want to get it, how can we stop it."

Amara looked a bit shifty to me. Yeah, the little shit knows something, and he's not sharing, not even to aqisol or maybe it's just because am here.

"This isn't the time for this talk, and we can't keep guessing, amara take our guest to see the village. I have things to do. We will meet here in the house."

"I will take some supplies to granny, she Forgets if left alone". Amara said to aqisol and he nodded.

--- amara & me village trip. ---

Aqisol left us going to do something, probably to buy what I asked.

Amara and I also left the house after I secured my wagon, and he collected some bags. He was going to show me around the village.

Outside It was a cold morning I almost walked back into the house, the wind was too cold, winter is too close, I need to get myself a warm coat.

i looked around me, 'where are the monsters?'. The shaft-less. I didn't notice any night attacks like I assumed.

i can't just ask, oh no, I need to get the info without asking directly.

i need something like monster encyclopedia.

For now, it's just me and amara the cagey little shit. I still can't understand how can so much caution and wariness be condensed in one kid.

And this isn't trauma no, he is too attentive, not emotionally wounded. Time will tell, no one can hide forever.

"So amara where are we going" I asked.

"To see granny" he said. What a great conversationalist.

Of course, before this little trip started, a bunch of teens got in the way. Aqisol's house was literally behind us. Yes, it's an ambush.

"Hi amara nice to see you, is this your new friend" they all had big smiles. That's all I needed to know.

As I looked at the new parasites, I noticed the alpha bully was talking to me. "That's a nice mace you have, give it to me, kids your age shouldn't play with......"

i didn't give him and his friends the time to establish their story, lore and characters. I interrupted him with a punch to the nose. Why because I know how this shit was about to go, and I didn't have the peace of mind or tolerance to allow it.

i powered my body and moved fast, of course I was holding back when I punched the first asshole that was in my way. I call it the bullies' diplomacy technique.

As I showed off my Subtly skillful handling of a situation to amara, he just looked uncomfortable, I ignored that and enjoyed myself, I punched kicked and spat in their faces on by one.

One of the shitheads punched me in the stomach, I didn't even twitch.

i delivered a quick blow to his stomach, my punch to his stomach made him puke and piss himself. Note to self, never go on fight with a full bladder.

They tried to make peace after they figured out I can kill them, I could have stopped beating them up, but I didn't stop, they wouldn't have.

i looked at the first ass to talk to me and talked to him. "If I see you in my way again, I will castrate you all, understood." I kicked him. "Answer me".

"ye..s, understood", the irrelevant asshole said just before taking a much-needed nap.

Using mana against these assholes was unfair. Yet I believe that fighting fair was and will always be stupid, and it only guaranteed a short lifespan.

i suppressed them and considered braking some knees to be sure they won't run at me in the future. 'Nah, that could be too much and I still need to make peace with the villagers, these idiots are their kids'.

i spoke to them “boys, there is a new boss in town and there is only one rule if you act funny, I’ll act hilarious”, I said. With a cold voice, "do we understand each other." they all nodded.

- - - watching - - -

From the distance hiding behind a house, mervan gazed at the new kid 'the cultivator of lightning', as he showed his true colors, and understood that kid ain't playing soft he will react violently to violence, he's a fighter.

Mervan noticed how his punches and kicks were well delivered that shows training, yet he seemed uncomfortable doing it, more like he was physically uncomfortable. Not morally, morally he seemed very comfortable with violence under the circumstances. must be from a rich family, Yes his father is extremely rich for him to have all that alumanum. 'So why is he here?'.

This kid and aqisol will plan something, Mervan can't give them time to plan. And if he didn't plan, his fight with this kid or aqisol could go wrong, explosively wrong. This kind of person isn't the type to solve a problem, he's the type to add to it.

His aura bore a resemblance to that of a beast, he was showing lack of human sensibility, and the way his aura went to war, it was uncontrolled and savage, they say the aura is the window to the soul, if it's true this kid has a beast soul.

mervan was starting to understand his new enemy, and He felt a disturbing kind of serenity. 'That kid radiates chaos, what the hell did you bring to us, amara.'

mervan considered the coming fight and smiled, 'It was going to be one hell of a show when that happened.'

- amarys -

"Let's go, amara." I said. We left and amara actually spoke to me.

" Lest go see granny's house. Fallow me. And don't say anything about my dad to her." he said, and I fallowed.

After we left the idiots, amara guided me and looked irritated, and I understood him. I was just being cruel to weaker people. But I was just fallowing an old wisdom, 'do to your fellow man what he would do to you, and do it first'.

We walked towards a stone longhouse not too big and not too small, at the front door was an old woman, 'is that mulan's grandma', she looked like her with the same energy. Short, old and energetic. And looked nothing like amara.

She was talking to a cat.

"yanyan your fur is so messy, did you attack the Inquisition again." she said that and from the corner of my eye, I saw amara as he winced, am new to this world, yet I figured out that no one disrespected the Inquisition like that.

yeah granny has a bad taste in humor. And as for yanyan, I can already see its ego, that cat has held up an entire inquisition battalion, by itself.

"Hello granny" amara said in happy tone.

"Ah amara, look yanyan we have a visitor." granny said to us, and the cat, it was unimpressed. "Come in, it's cold outside."

amara entered first and placed the bags on a table.

The old lady showed us hospitality, bringing bread and cheese and warm milk. amara was about so say something yet she interrupted. "We can catch up later, first we eat, Dear.” she said to amara.

She looked at me and stopped, "boy, where is your talismans young one." she asked me.

i didn't know what she was talking about then I noticed the ring on her hand and her necklace same symbol like the ring on amara, yeah everyone had one of the two or both, and I guessed what she meant, I didn't want to be the strange one or the nonbeliever of the group I don't know what it is, and I didn't want to be alienated.

"i lost it, I had a long trip and many unfortunate encounters." I said.

The granny looked upset "oh no, no that won't do, a young man like you all alone in a forest should not be unprotected the world is not as safe as you youngsters believe it to be, there are dark things in the shadows, they hid from us to make us believe they are a mythical, a lie, they exist, these old eyes remember."

'So it's a protection talisman!'.

She went to her room and came back, she gave me a talismans ring, "I don't have an extra necklace, yet my late husband had this, it's the same protection take it boy, and stay safe in the light and darkness, may the mana protect you boy".

amara who had silently watched over our exchange so far spoke. "Nonsense there is nothing in the dark only animals and besets, no evil just nature, and men and there are No limits to the depravity of men." amara said. He's a bit dark Spirited, isn't he.

Granny's face scrunched up in disapproval.

" Famous last words, it's the ones like you that usually hear something outside at night, and go take a look and never come back, don't underestimate what hid's from us, trust me it's evil, and it has too many, and too large teeth." her voice was too serious with a hint of a memory, and I remembered my own shit.

i shifted the conversation off this topic, "thank you for your kindness" I took out a gold coin and gave it to her, "kindness for kindness, Is the reward of goodness anything except goodness?, thank you for the ring, I will keep it close" I said, this old lady showed me kindness, and she looked like she has a big mouth so this coin is paying for advertisement.

"Smart boy, you should learn from him, amara," she said.

We spent time with the old, and clearly lonely lady keeping her accompanied, she talked and asked amara simple questions, and she gave us more soup. She was avoiding some topics like bandits, death of amara's dad.

After it started to get dark, we went back home.

No one was at home. i helped amara starte the fire heat up the hous and used candle for lighting, the candlelight gave the house a golden color.

amara noticed me wating for aqisol "he wont be home early. he will visit the village walls first." he said.

"ah so what should we do" i asked

"i will be in my room, we will make dinner when aqisol gets home." he said and walked off.

so aqisole will be home soon, amara and I will be home alone until he comes back. I need to take this time to get some work done. So I headed to the wagon in the storage room.

As I opened the door to the storage room I heard a sound, I didn’t see anything, and I don't know this house and its normal background sounds, so I finally shrugged it off, that was a big mistake.

As I walked into the storage room a shadow moved, it ambushed me and hit me, the punch was so hard on my solar plexus, I lifted off the ground and could taste my stomach acid in my mouth as I was sent flying all the way back to the kitchen.

Falling on the table and chairs didn't help my back pain issues. It started them.

My aura was out and electrically boiling like a Tesla coil, my left hand closing on the pommel of my Kukri blade, my only weapon, I stood, "motherfucker, you're dead". I said in anger.

Within a moment, he’d crossed the shadows of the hallway and was inside the kitchen. In the candlelight he walked in.

i noticed the shockingly ordinary looking villager, i have never seen a more obvious assassin, he was pulling a long curved Kukri blade from behind his back as he approached me, Fear moved through me, his blade was glowing. He looked at me, and grimaced in annoyance, "ah, wrong kid." the intruder said.

'That blade, fuck, it's an aura piercer', I thought to myself. And imagined it in my guts.

i was on my feet and ready.

I looked at him, he looked at me, I wanted to stab him, and he wanted to stab me, it was homicide at first sight. We clashed, he was better at controlling his aura using it like armor and using the blade for mana attacks, I wasn't skilled, only stronger. Brute forcing it.

i blocked, dodged, and hit back Sparks erupted, my lightning roared in the room and was the only thing touching him, and holding him off, my blade never made contact with his body.

If I wasn’t busy fighting for my continued survival, I might have thought the man was disgusted with something.

"You have the aura of untamed beast." he commented.

Fuck he just said that, hurting my feelings, I need to end this quick or run.

His blade flashed, I blocked, and I kicked, The impact was hard it shifted my attacker aside, giving me the opening I needed to deflect the force of the blade and roll to the side.

There was a muffled grunt and the man went down to one knee, I gave him a good mana powered mule kick.

But a subtle shift in his stance caused me to jump back, I was just in time to avoid losing all my entrails to a reversed slash.

Then I noticed my blade it was cut in half, for a small moment my amateur ass froze, that was a big fuck-up.

I didn't notice the danger, until a piercing pain flared in my left side, I looked down to see a hand holding a pommel, the blade passed my aura, and skin. It was in me, my eyes looked up to see a man towering over, the 14 years old me.

It took only one mistake for him to launch himself at me, and didn't hesitate to stab me, his pro. Yet he made a mistake. He was too close to me.

i wrapped my arms around his body, what was left of my blade I implanted in his back, I embraced him tightly in my arms.

He didn't have chance to escape my enforced arms, I looked him in the eyes, and he didn't like what he was seeing in my eyes. I pulled him in closer.

My aura had more power and I collapsed his aura, holding him down I gave him a good hug then what I would like to call it the endless electric chair technique.

i pushed all the lightning I could into him, we both vibrated on the floor like possessed men. And we were possessed by electrons.

The good news is I didn't get the usual damage from the lightning, this bastard took all of it. So I didn't shit myself. But he probably did. It wasn’t the first time I smelled it, but I truly and honestly hoped to never smell it again.

The smell of burning flesh and hair spread first, and I didn't care the pain in my side was getting my attention.

i rolled over on my back, bleeding and in pain.

Then I saw amaras face looking down on me. The little shit, now he shows up. Is he smiling.

"it's him, he's the one that killed dad, you killed him.". amara said.

"okay let's call it my good deed for the night."I said. He spoke saying something, but he was sounding farther away than I would have expected. Everything did.

He came back with 'is that a dinner plate?', this fucking idiot. 'I am bleeding out, so why is he showing me a dinner plate'.

He placed it on my chest, and it glowed greed then I started to actually feel better, my mind started to clear up. Then the glow stopped, 'shit'.

“Shit, I’m getting dizzy. Did I lose too much blood?” I talked to my self.

amara answered me "yes you did lose blood, it's a consequence of getting stabbed".

i ignored him and used the new-found strength, to stand up. The pain in my side didn't stop. Amara helped me up. "Wagon" I said, and he understood, I started to walk, and it took ages or centuries to get to it.

i deactivated the ward then reached my hand in it and took a mana bottle and opened it.

amara made a surprised sound, I lowered my self to the ground carefully, and then he placed that plate back on me.

"That thing needs mana, am I right?" I asked

"Yes it's a healing plate, I can't power it anymore..." he stopped talking as I gave him the bottle, "use this".

He took it with a caution, like handling explosive. It was.

As he did, I could feel my body heal and I know the blade needs to get out, I grabbed it and pulled it out.

The healing was fast, yet didn't fully block the pain. Moments stretched to hours, and minutes passed in seconds. I took all I could take, then I lost the fight of awareness and was forced to take a nap.