It’s not long before the day arrives that we head off to the continent, Dr Rath and I are all packed and ready with the Coans and Abcier standing nearby. I’ve placed all my notebooks and other things into my inventory a few days ago and the rest like clothes into a pack
We had a small boat with the same Powered hull as the ferry from our last visit to the continent. Just enough for us to carry three people. Malter will ferry us down to a beach and we’ll catch the train to Oghqoa.
I turn to everyone and say “Well, it’s time to head out. I cannot thank you all enough for your help, kindness and well, willingness to put up with me.” to chuckles all around.
“Really, the time I spent here has been amazing. I promise I will come back one day, and tell you of my adventures.”
One by one they come up to give and receive hugs, we’ve said our goodbyes and thanks several times already so the farewell is swift. Coan is the last to say goodbye and says “I promise that I will catch up to you.”
“Mate, I’m ten years older than you and you almost already have a Created Power. Don’t kill youself, and by kill I mean overwork yourself to catch up.”
“Oh yea, I’m not going to go too crazy. Stay safe.”
“You too kiddo, I’ll send a letter or maybe a clone when I’m sorted.”
Shaking hands Dr Rath, Malter and I hop onboard and make our way out to sea, about half an hour later and we are moving down the coast a bit. Another hour later and we arrive at our destination, a lonely stretch of beach.
As we disembark, Malter says “Well, I'll leave you guys here. Hope you guys make it to Oghqoa safely. Michael, stay safe.”
“Thanks again, Malter, I hope you never hear from the Institute about me.”
“Ha! The only thing I need to worry about is what Lord Head thinks, he’s expecting you to be gone in another six months. Wonder what he'll say when he finds out you’ve been gone for that long.”
Chuckling I respond “Let’s hope he’s not too angry about that. I will see you again, Malter.”
“Farewell Michael, Dr Rath.” and as Malter takes the boat back we wave goodbye. Dr Rath looks toward the tree line “Right, let's head up. There should be a Powered Carriage coming soon”
“Got it, let's boogie.” I reply as we head toward the “train” tracks. “Boogie?”
About ten minutes of walking inland we come across a straight line at the border of a clearing, a very long clearing, walking further in we see three more lines and on the far side of the clearing, yet another line. Riveting.
“So this is the Carriageway, it runs along those three lines in the middle and the two on the edge help keep the foliage away and let’s them know that something or someone is on the tracks.”
“Cool, so how long do we have to wait?” “Well, cause we are on the tracks they will slow down so we have about an hour or so.”
Two hours and change later we see the Carriage down the rail, as it pulls up we get to have a better look at it. The front has a sloped angle that ends on a large grill with a window near the top. Behind it there are a series of flat-beds with some storage boxes on them with some other carriages covered.
As the cab rolls up next to us a woman in a leather jacket opens a door and leans out, the one defining feature that I noticed was something I was not expecting. Something right out of a Fantasy, an Elf.
“Wycraghei, corsqua crueseph ghoproa wietieenejlial skaiesebida on the suogahlial?”
“An Elf?”
“Untai ebgoir scoam ngiene scait Oghqoa, aiwprie ghoproa skuene unnai?” replies Dr Rath “Elf?” he asks as he turns to me while the Elf moves back into the cab.
“She looks like something from Earth fantasy and mythology, an Elf or Elves main characteristic is having long life and sharp ears. She speaking Dedintcadu, Casupanian?” I recognise some words but not all of them.
“No, she's speaking Widunexpreg. And I thought you were reading through my medical books I gave you.”
“Yea I was kinda busy trying to get the Powers sorted.”
As I say that she appears again saying “Are you fra scait shy? Untai skoz scoam qeene on the suogahlial bicrukai.”
“What she say?” “She's asking if we can fight, there is something on the rails up ahead.”
“Well you saw how I can fight, as long as its not too powerful.”
Replying, Dr Rath says “Untai aiwprie, jy de sce kuz tosvo voese skuoiel craip sisaene”. Yea she does not look convinced. Dr Rath must be thinking the same thing as he pulls on a pouch and says “Untai aiwprie koaene.”
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At that she brighten ups, and says something waving at us to hop on. Climbing up we enter the cab and see some spaces for sleeping, some chairs and further in a control panel.
It’s only her in here which is kinda weird. “Is it just her? Don’t you guys get pirates around here?”
“Oh there are, the entire carriage is Powered. The barrier it has won’t stop something very powerful, but the odd wild monster, animal or person. If it's anything more Powerful it's normally tracked and the cab we’re in keeps us protected quite well.”
“There should also be some guards walking up and down the carriage.”
Some coin passes hands and the train starts moving again, our conductor sits near the controls and starts it up again. She presses onto a crystal and says “Tosvonewid jy treiene blouxlial, foaene shai scrie ra hair. Tosaiz aiwzic priebr fra scait troiene the qeene bicrukai by unnai”
She says ”It’s just some travellers, they're here with me. They should be able to handle the monster ahead of us”
Before long the train slows down again and we can see a large bear-like creature standing on the rails with a broad chest and muscular build. Its coat is a rich, chestnut brown, and its eyes are a deep amber colour that seems to glow in the sunlight.
She points and says “Foaene, zib sracai nyt shoaene the suogahlial”
“That’s it, we need that off the rails.” says Dr Rath.
“Cool, I should be able to at least move it away.” As I exit out of the cab the monster looks toward me, growling angrily. Yea this might be a bit harder than I thought.
“Dr, please ask her to bring reinforcements. I might just need some help here.” “Ok!”
As he replies I walk forward and am about to bring my fingers into a plus but that might be a bad idea. I move my hands up and get prepared to bring up some sharpened pillars of stone.
At the sight of me moving forward arms raised it gets up on its hind legs and roars, “Oh shit”
It gallops toward me and the train, I immediately bring my fists up and two pillars of sharpened stone shoot up underneath it, the force of it moving the stone deep into the creature's stomach and chest.
It's held in place for a moment and before it can do anything else I kick one leg up, moving another pillar up that rips into its throat and through its neck. It thrashes for a moment before stilling.
Holy shit I just killed a giant bear thing with magic haha! I start to cheer and the train starts to honk. I turn back to the train just as another bear gallops towards me from the treeline!
“Ah!” I yell shooting fire from my legs to propel me away from its path, rolling along the ground to the left I get into a kneeling stance facing the opposite tree line. Three more ought to do it!
With two fists shooting up and a knee shooting into the third pillar into its neck when I move upwards the other bear-thing is dead.
I still have plenty of MP left over so I turn back toward the train, the Elf yells out, “Yjngi shaene ghoproa ngieese ghy rucyk suogahlial! Zib skieneskeiese by rucyk nytlial, foaene aiwzic priebr taiene tieene”
She says “I hope you didn't break those rails! Get rid of those things, there should be nothing else” says Dr Rath.
Bringing my hands down to my side in a swift motion the pillars go back into the ground and the beasts drop. I walk on over, “lets see what this Power does.”
As I move toward the beasts I stand over the second one and say in English “Arise!”
At once its body is coated in a massive amount of black smoke, its body slowly shrinking while the black smoke becomes more and more solid and starts to form the bear body. Once it completes the smoke enters my shadow and disappears altogether followed by a System window appearing.
Total MP Remaining: 500 points.
Mana Beast Uprising (Rank CC)
Mana Beast Uprising Successful!
Creature: “Qeene Vibryd” has agreed to the Uprising contract
“Qeene Vibryd” is a D rank creature without Powers.
MP Cost: 234 points.
Current Mana Beast Abilities:
Mana Beasts have access to Voice Chat (Text) function (New sub-ability)
Limited understanding of languages and requests.
(Increases with Mana Expenditure and Rank)
Slight recollection of original memory
Able to be retracted into Well for storage
Disguise
(Kage are able to stay hidden in any shadow and match their mana signature with their surroundings, dependent on Kage Rank)
Independent Power usability
(Kage will have access to any Powers they had during life, may be a lower rank)
Unconscious activity
(When Host is unconscious Kage will still be active)
Kage have the ability to refuse Uprising or leave after Uprising
Alright! Lets see if I can do the next one. I walk over under the eye of a shocked Dr Rath and an even more shocked Elf. “Arise!” I say to the next one, the same black smoke appears and a new window pops up.
Total MP Remaining: 12 points.
Mana Beast Uprising (Rank CC)
Mana Beast Uprising Successful!
Creature: “Qeene Vibryd” has agreed to the Uprising contract
“Qeene Vibryd” is a D rank creature without Powers.
MP Cost: 254 points.
Current Mana Beast Abilities (Minimised)