I felt myself fly through the air, my eyes clenched shut against the wind. I fell for what felt like days, time slowing as the sound of my frantic heart overpowered the hissing of the plague beetles.

But my journey had to come to an end sooner or later. My body slowed down in midair, the sudden cushioning of air startling me into forming some cohesive thought. The words “Good luck” lingered in my mind as I opened my eyes to find myself on solid stone.

My breath came in pants, my eyes refocusing on the stone in front of me as the shock faded. I swerved my head around from side to side, trying to get a grasp on my surroundings.

I saw both Eishilya and Samilya in the middle of getting up, their golden fur contrasting the dull red stone of our sacred temple in a divine light. My breath slowed as events came back to me, my previously panicked mind calming down enough to recognize the situation.

I checked immediately, looking upwards at the mountain of stairs that were cast upwards, the beautifully curved sun-stone previously chiseled smooth was full of fractures and cracks.

“Ugh….” I heard someone faintly over the hissing. Eishilya was up, with a paw clutching her head in pain. For a brief second, I felt a flash of sympathy with her before I squashed it. They were my subordinates. They served me with dedication and truth, upholding my life above their own. This was nothing to those lucky enough to be graced by my presence.

Samilya soon followed Eishilya, stumbling up and in my direction as I stared at both of them in annoyance.

“Took you long enough.” I said telepathically. It would be hard to speak normally with all of this noise, so I would have to make do with my Psychic mana

“What…” Eishilya paused.

“What happened?” She asked, turning to Samilya in confusion. I felt a flash of anger that she turned to him instead of me.

“I… I think we made it.” He said while blinking, studying his surroundings the same as I did. They were so slow, dammit! We don’t have time for this!

“Of course we made it! We didn’t go through all of this absurdity only to splat on our own temple and die!” I huffed.

They scowled at me, looking like I had just ruined their mood. They’re both Idiots...

“...Nevermind. We need to get up there.” Samilya gestured with her snout towards the entrance near the top, leading into the temple.

Filthy cretins stealing all of my glory. I would punish them when father came back.

“Come on. We don’t have much time before the plague beetles overcome the shielding.” Samilya started walking up the steps, claws clicking on stone as he led the way.

Another flash of anger and I sped up quickly, overcoming his clumsy gait as I took my rightful place at the head. I turned around and gave him my best glare, reminding him of his place. He sighed, continuing up the stairs and bowing his head.

Satisfied with his correction to his mistake, we bounded up the steps, quickly finding ourselves above the gap, looking into the top entrance. It felt… Off. Before, it had been lit with the subtle glows of mana waters that had flowed through its massive structure, the perfectly carved canals highlighting its red stone. The will-O-wisps would always greet you at the entrance, welcoming you into the home of the gods but…

It was dark. Cold.

None of us spoke as we stared down into the abyss that was our home. A slight haunting melody seemed to play in the wind, barely even perceptible over the hissing plague beetles. Wisps of sickly green mana escaped the entrance, twirling into the air and drifting into ambient. I took a whiff and recoiled, almost gagging at the smell.

“What… Is that?” I said, choking on air.

They didn’t answer, the tips of their fur bristling.

“... We have to go in there.” Eishilya said with a grim expression.

“What?! Are you crazy!? I’m not going in there! Father and the others can find their own way out! We can just scout outside! There's no need to plunge to our deaths!” I yelled, bits of spittle dripping from my mouth.

Eishilya glared at me.

“You self-absorbed little… Those are our families down there! They need our help!” I flinched at her tone without knowing, expecting the paw to come crashing down on my head for asking questions.

When I realized it didn’t come, and I had grown scared of my one servant, I grew even angrier. My voice shook with equal parts frustration, rage, and fear.

“Wha… What are you talking about? There's no way we could make it down there! Just look at that mana! It would rip us to shreds!”

She growled. “It’s just mana. It can’t hurt you unless someone makes it hurt you, which admittedly, is a good possibility.” She glanced back at Samilya who was rooted to the ground, staring at the black hole blankly. His radiant fur was dim and matted, his eyes wide and glossed over.

“Sami? What’s wrong?” Eishilya asked him in rising concern.

He was silent for only a moment before he spoke, his telepathic voice cracking.

“I can feel them…” He whispered eerily.

A chill ran down the back of my neck, Eishilya looking at him with similar confused, but horrified eyes.

“What? You can feel them?” She said.

“I… I think so. They’re down there… But there's something else too. It's so cold…” He went silent again.

I looked between the two, my heart thudding out of my chest. The sky rumbled with magical power, my held breath choking me with subtle fear.

She was still there, just standing on nothing but her own mana. I felt her gaze bore through my own, her mana blazing with the intensity of a silver sun.

I looked away quickly. I knew what she wanted, and it was suicidal. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. Even if it was part of the deal.

“I can’t just let them die. I’m going in.” Eishilya said with determination, her solar mana shining through her coat, mixing with her unique metal mana, shining a dull grey.

“Are you coming?” She said, looking at me. I felt her eyes judge my very soul, disgust flicking across her face.

I said nothing as I watched Eishilya take a deep breath and turn to Samilya, nodding with determination. The mana grasped at my neck, tiny trickles of blood dripped onto the sun-stone, blending with the rest of the colors.

I had to stop her from getting herself killed, from leaping to her death. I had to stop her… She was going to die…

“You… You won't survive…”

If she heard me, she didn’t seem to care

My body locked up in place in terror, the green mana slowly boring into my channels, like some kind of disease.

I didn’t move as I watched her disappear into the darkness, her sharp metal mana piercing it like a sword.

I didn’t move as Samilya silently followed after her, jumping into after her in certain doom.

I didn’t move as I watched the darkness solidify, sealing the entrance from outside as the sickly green mana ate them

The temple rumbled, the mana condensing into black fog, drifting from the gaping maw of the monster. It was a trap.

A grey 5 fingered hand grasped the edge of the hole, pulling itself up like it was crawling up from the pits of hell itself.

I saw everything in perfect detail. The grotesque face of a goblin appearing as one hand became two, and two four. Then it was 4 limbs and a torso, and then a head. Finally, it hauled itself completely out and turned to stare at me, making eye contact with me as its rotten face curved upwards in a smile.

I didn’t even hesitate. My paws carried me down the stairs, fleeing from the goblin as a scream escaped its mouth. I ran faster.

My earth mana responded to the adrenaline in my body, my bolt down the steps turning into a slide as I went even faster, ignoring the ever-increasing sickly green mana.

A second scream joined in, making me stop and turn around for just a second. There were 4 now, and I could make out two more forming behind it, the black smoke condensing again as another popped out from the hole. I had no idea where they were being summoned from, and I didn’t want to find out.

My servants… No, my friends were gone. Whatever Samilya had sensed, it wasn't our people. It was bait.

I hurried faster, the sunstone resisting my manipulation with every pulse I sent out. I didn’t care that I was soiling the temple. Father would fix it later. Yes… He would escape and save me from the goblins, valiantly pushing away the beetles in a feat of raw strength. Just like he always did when some idiot attacked me because I was too ‘Arrogant’

Confidence crept up as my mud and earth mana carried me to the bottom. He wouldn’t keep hitting me if I did well, and I almost always did well. Remembering his lessons, I quickly formed a dome of earth around me fusing it with the surrounding earth, and activating my most hated skill. Hide presence.

*He valiantly turned tail and fled, hiding amongst the trees in wait for the predator to pass. Some say there is shame in cowardice, and you are inclined to agree with them. However, there is wisdom in fear and you embrace that with every fiber of your being. The skill Hide Presence allows for you to smother your heartbeat, brain waves, and even mana! At higher levels, it can obscure any visual skills without fail! Enemies are 300% less likely to spot you if you're in the dark.*

I covered my eyes with my paws, whispering as I took shaky breaths, limiting my oxygen to slow puffs as my mana propelled me down into the earth. After I was around 10 feet beneath the water, I stopped. Once I wasn’t focusing on my mana, I felt panic come back and I tried to suppress the feeling.

I would be… Safe. Yes, I would live to fight another day. My… Friends were stupid. They fell into a trap because they were arrogant, foolish. It's their fault they're dead, they were just stupid. Yes, stupid…

I clenched my eyes shut, the darkness seemed to penetrate my body making me feel dizzy. It wormed its way through my mana channels, hungry for my core. I wouldn't let it. I wouldn't let it consume me like it had consumed my friends. I was different from them. I was better, it was in my very blood, decided from birth.

Yet, still. Some part of me knew this was wrong. Knew that I should be up there fighting. The look of disgust Eishilya had given me drifted across my mind, as I fought the impulse to throw up. Her death... scared me more than Viralya ever could.

I screamed with the little mana I had left, sending out a warcry for all of the goblins. My claws rendered the wriggling rotten flesh into four chunks, flopping to the floor in a heap. The edges of my eyes were bloodshot with rage, my pupils dilated to specks of black.

I danced like a drunk from Ash’s world, stumbling and panting and killing more Z-goblins. A tiny part of me that wasn't angry, snickered.

The nasty taste of their flesh hit my tongue as I wrenched another's head off its shoulders, headbutting its animated corpse.

They were endless, and I didn’t care. After all, more Z-goblins meant more killing!

“I’m… Almost… There” Someones high pitched voice rattled my head. I ignored it, throwing my body into another Z-goblin scratching at the forcefield with little concern for its unlife. I felt a beam of green mana pass over my ears, slamming into the forcefield as it started to decay.

I whipped my head towards the culprit, growling as the not-so-mindless Z-goblin glared back. More were coming rapidly, the horde ever increasing.

There was blood, flesh, and it was war. I just wanted to kill, taste their screams, and then kill. And kill them again.

My body seemed to lurch forward, my speed matching cheetahs if a cheetah had the dexterity of a hummingbird, and the constitution of a bugbear.

I bit down on anothers large pointed ear and threw it at the stupid grey-skinned mage, watching as they both tumbled to the floor. I took a second to regain my balance, and then I was attacking a fresh one.

I ignored my body's desperate aching, pleading for me to lay down and rest. My blood dribbled down my paws, the black around the edges of my vision creeping ever closer.

I had no time. I just had to kill, kill, kill, kill, kil-

“That's it! Yes!” Said a voice I didn’t recognize. It was annoying, buzzing in the back of my head, distracting me from my snacks.

I looked for the voice, but there were only Z-goblins, not that I minded. Another was torn to pieces as I just kept killing. And then I wasn’t, as they were all gone.

I looked at the corpse in front of me as blood spurted from its neck, knocking it onto the mud and dead grass as its head rolled off. I looked for a new Z-goblin, but there were none. All of the other Z-goblins were decapitated as well.

“Phew! That was hard!” I turned to look at the being that rattled in my ear, my silver-grey eyes burning with fury.

“I totally did it! I actually made the skill! Hey Cinder, look I-” Rage gave way to action, as I pounced on the fly, my claws swiping for its throat. I expected to meet sweet and tender flesh, pulsing with delectable crimson fluid, but I met only air.

I looked at the thing in confusion, wondering how it got there instead of here. But then I understood. The annoying thing had dodged. It had dodged my attack. Rage bubbled in greater intensity as the smoldering candle that was my mana sparked.

I lunged, my gaze fixated on its wide-open eyes, prevalent with shock and fear. The eyes of prey.

“What the hell are you-” I snapped at his neck, making him flinch backward. I used the distraction to turn my body, my tail curling with power as it slammed back into his body with a satisfying ‘crack!’, sending him skidding across the water 30 feet away.

I heard the distant echo of someone else's battle, sending my remaining blood boiling with excitement. I watched with eagle eyes as my prey stood on two shaky feet, gasping for breath. It clutched its side as blood dribbled down its chin.

“Ci… nder…. Are… You…” The name sent shockwaves down my body, making me shiver in fear. I banished the feeling immediately and my eyes narrowed. It had made me… Afraid. This weak thing had made me feel fear. That…

Was unacceptable.

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“Cinder…! Wait! I can-” I dashed with renewed strength, the single spark in my candle becoming two as my claws flew into its face, cutting its solid-wind stuff in half. But… The prey dodged again. My frustration and anger were heightened.

My claws were sent into a flurry as I slashed at it, forcing the prey to give ground. This pleased me.

“Cinder, you have to snap out of it! We don’t have any time for this!” The thing screamed, its weird purple power washing over my skull. It covered my eyes, and coated my brain, making me see things. Things that weren’t real.

I didn’t care. I could still feel him trembling in the water. I didn’t need my sight anyway. As I bounded up to him, feeling his desperation, I felt a flicker of… Something. Something that wasn’t rage.

I slowed down quickly, turning my mind inwards to attack the invader. I banished the thing with but a thought and returned to my body, quickly advancing again as I prepared to attack.

But the moment I did, it was back. And stronger than before. I growl escaped my teeth as red rage squashed the thing, forcing it back across a… Thin blue string thing.

I left it alone, trusting I had defeated it once and for all. But then the arrow came. I could feel it piercing my rage, splitting it in two as it carved a path to me with that purple energy. I roared, charging the arrow thing in a show of strength.

The moment it was near me, I bit down on it impossibly fast, crushing the threat to purple dust.

And then it exploded, swallowing me in a miasma of memories.

I saw myself sleeping with the small prey, cuddling and giggling as we looked up into the stars. I saw us training together against the wyvern hatchlings with Viralya in a volcano, braving the heat with combined clever might. I saw us flying across the sea, traveling to face against trials that brought us purpose. Identity.

The link stretched, my consciousness pulled into another's eyes as the image of my regular sarcastic smirk was replaced with the snarl of a beast. Through Ash’s eyes, I saw my crimson fur pained with blood and fur, muscles bursting with terrifying strength. My eyes contained a blank anger, like I didn’t know what the world had done to wrong me. My body didn’t even need my input, as it leaped forward in a blur, swiping my own claws across my brother's neck.

That was…. Me. I was Cinder. And I was about to kill Ash.

I desperately left Ash’s mind, entering my mindscape through the soul link as the overwhelming rage overcame me again. But I wasn’t completely mindless anymore. I wrestled control from the rage, pushing against it using pure indomitable willpower. I felt it slither back, falling into the recesses of my soul as the horrible skill faded.

Instantly I stopped my claw from hitting my brother's face, inches from ending our only hope at finding that flute. I stared into his eyes, his breath heavy and fast, adrenaline making his entire body shake. A slow smile spread across his lips and he wheezed a laugh, his back hitting the water with a splash.

Crazy bastard.

“You… Have a ton of… Torque in that… Soft tail of yours.” He said. I gave him a bloody grin, before I fell, hitting the water in exhaustion as unconsciousness hit me like a sack of bricks.

It was really hard to develop that damn perception skill in that kind of stress, and on top of that, I had to also create a new Psychic enhancing technique! The icing on the cake was when I found myself in a bubble surrounded by a bunch of goblins.

I mean, I figured Cinder would just keep running while I did that with me on his back, but… I guess he was out of mana.

I had to break the forcefield by destroying the runes carved into the ground that surprisingly didn’t have water in it. After that, I had to use a ton of mana to get rid of all the still alive goblins, killing them all with a 360-degree crescent slash using shape of wind.

Okay, maybe I’m complaining here, but that's a lot to deal with in 5 minutes. Now, an unconscious Cinder was laying at my feet, totally depleted of any strength and as bloody as a rooster's crown.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and let lose a low groan. I would have to find the stupid flute by myself. There was no way I could lug around this mound of fur and flesh. I just hoped the goblins wouldn't get to him.

Speaking of goblins… I looked up to see 10 or so charging my way, snarling as their eyes locked onto my body like it was a delicious steak. I distanced myself from Cinder immediately, watching as all of them changed their course just slightly to match my position. Well. That solves the Cinder concern I guess.

Balancing act flooded my veins, the 40% of my remaining mana urging me forward. I followed the urge, dashing away at speeds that would hopefully buy me enough time to activate the new skill. I hadn’t gotten a system notification for it, and I was happy I hadn’t. The perception skill was crude, inefficient, and unpracticed. The only reason I wasn’t refining it was because of the desperate situation.

My hand went to my waist, expecting to find my staff. I cursed when all I felt was empty air. I must have left my staff on the ground when I woke up! Dammit! My mind swirled with chaos. I wasn’t sure if I could use the skill without my staff.

It calms me down and helps me visualize the wind mana I was using to sense my surroundings. My eyes drifted back to the screaming goblins, and then to Viralya and the other green-grey blur battling it out in the sky.

I decided I didn’t need my staff.

My breathing steadied, my racing mind falling into itself as I entered battle meditation. I didn’t pay attention to my surroundings, only focusing on my wind and Psychic mana. I sent 15% into my palms to condense, and another 10% to pluck the 4th bundle of Psychic spiderwebs.

*Your use of the skill has given you a greater understanding of its inner workings! Psychic Perception XVI becomes Psychic Perception XVII*

My awareness sharpened, my perception of time slowed down and my innate mental sensory increased in leaps and bounds.

The mana in my palms condensed into tiny balls, the wind mana exploding outwards as I gave it the same command as before.

Now, I may have described that like it was a quick thing, but in reality, it took 45 or so seconds. That's a lot of time considering I’m running from a bunch of crazed goblins.

I felt the command take effect as my roaming wind mana took note of everything in a 500-foot radius, and flew back into me, filling me with information.

Even with my Psychically enhanced brain, and the fact I only told it to record in broad detail, it felt like someone was jackhammering my skull. I staggered and clutched my head, not daring to slow my pace.

The skill told me that there were a bunch of goblin corpses, an unconscious fox, a lot of water, and even more dead grass. But no flute thingy.

It was in the shape of a half-sphere with me at the center, unable to penetrate where the air couldn’t go.

This… Would take a while. I would never have been able to do this if I didn’t get all the mana I spent back, by using the return command. Well, not all the mana. I lose around half a percent in the process, but that's irrelevant. The important thing was, was that I only had to get within 500 feet with the flute bearer thing to spot it. And then I would kill it. Easy as pie right?

No. Not even a little.

After about 15 minutes of running and using the perception skill, I was dog-tired. I missed my magical sentient crimson fox steed who blabbered a ton and had an attitude to match. Alas, I would have to make do with literal magic wind.

I felt the mana condense in my palms as I passed my internal 800-foot mark, quickly using the skill again, trying to cover the maximum ground possible with the least amount of mana. The wind seemed to explode from my body, combing the surroundings with fervor. If I was any less tired, I would be rolling over in frustration and pure stress.

I was slowly approaching the goblin-infested temple, trying to avoid the growing horde by running around it. My pursuers didn’t seem to care too much for their brethren as they trampled anyone and anything, just to get a chance to take a bite out of my Psychically enhanced brain.

Too bad they wouldn’t get the chance.

The wave of silver-green power funneled back into my mind, hammering another nail into my already throbbing head. Liquid trickled down my nose as I grimaced, my wind-enhanced feet doing nothing against the friction while wading through the water. My mind finally seemed to decode the confusing message, deciphering it and identifying the sights, sounds, and smells that the wind picked up on. I grit my teeth in disappointment. Nothing again.

I focussed on the distant temple, slowly honing in on it as I drew closer and closer. I was pretty sure I was only a mile away from the structure, but that was just my best guess.

My mana levels were shrinking, as I had used the skill three times to scan in a 500-foot radius. I had to work overtime to cast three spells at the same time while also running, but I did it. I had to.

I felt my fire mana roil, slithering through my veins with rage and brute force. It almost broke me to force it back down, trying to sustain myself without falling.

It would be so tempting to just give in to that anger. I could channel it, use it like wings on my back. I would smite my enemies, save Cinder and Viralya, and burn the flute to a crisp. All I had to do was give in. Give in to the wrath.

I shook my head to clear the thoughts, doubling my efforts in running as each step I took was longer than the last.

As soon as I was 300 or so feet from the edge of the temple, I activated the skill. My wind swept over hundreds of grey-skinned goblins pushing past the bodies as it met the impenetrable sun-stone. Oddly enough, there was a portion of the temple's stairs that looked like it had been melted and left to dry.

My wind perception also reached upwards, but only for a moment as the clashing mana was far too powerful and dense to reach any higher than 15 feet off the ground.

My eyes narrowed as my mana washed off the solid stone of the temple, my perception skill unable to pierce the rock. My best chance to find it was that damn temple but it gave such an… Ominous feeling. Like how you would get chills after seeing some kind of spooky broken-down mansion.

The droning of insects was even louder, like a crowd in a gladiator arena, cheering on the violence.

My breath hitched in my throat when I saw the source of the goblins. They were coming from a haze of black smoke, clawing upwards and climbing out, breaking the law of energy conservation.

I had no idea what had happened to the other trio of foxes, and frankly, I didn’t have the time or energy to care. The goblins were swarming the outside of the temple, covered in that dark green mana that I couldn’t recognize. It felt like decay and steady destruction, but that was just at first glance.

I would have to find a solution to get over the grey-skinned freaks without dying, and judging by the fact that I was running out of distance to actually jump from, I would have to do it now.

My fire mana surged with delight, the heat it gave off made the impression of a booming laugh. My soul sparked with power, channeling the immense amount of fire mana through my veins. I felt it pool into my legs and core, wrapping around my muscles and quickly overshadowing balancing act, external ignition activating with a burst of speed.

As much as I hated the fact I had to use my fire mana, there was no other choice. I didn’t have the mana, or time to think of a clever way through the crowd, so instead, my fire mana opted I go over it.

With a sudden leap, I was in the air, twirling with the grace of a screaming slug as the massive amount of fire mana faded from my limbs. A part of me really wanted to bathe in that destructive power, to succumb to the mindless rage. But a bigger part of me was utterly terrified.

I hit the side of the stone, my legs impacting with a creak and a groan. I wasted little time, scrambling up the stairs as my pursuers went from a couple to a couple hundred.

I ignored the descending goblins, outpacing their stumbling gaits as I bounded up the steps. I could feel Viralya’s mana seeping out from her body, infusing the air with a sense of power and density, warning me that I was on the clock. The swoosh of claws and the grunt of impact were like core instruments in a grand symphony, playing in tune with the blood-curdling screams of the goblins, and the hissing scuttle of the beetles.

After killing a few stragglers, I reached the top, gasping for air as half the source of all my troubles lay bare in front of my eyes.

Now that I was close enough to see the gaping hole that the smoke was coming from, a couple of things became clear to me.

The first was that whatever being was down there, it meant me harm and wished me dead. The second was that the smoke smelled like sulfur. And not the kind of rotten egg sulfur, no. It smelled like the kind of sulfur you’d find in a volcano. Or in the pits of hell, which was fitting, because this might very well be hell.

My first instinct was to blow away all the smoke with wind mana, but I had to dismiss the notion immediately. I could see Viralya’s mana wrapping around it, squeezing and pushing it. If she couldn’t blow it away, there was no way I could.

In fact, I suspect the only reason she hadn’t crushed this flute person was for our training, and because she was using most of her power on the miles of forcefield around us, as well as handling the big grey and green thing. I can’t even imagine the level of mana it would cost to maintain that.

Standing on top of the temple, I took a deep breath. I took a moment to feel the pressure of the chaotic mana, clashing against my will. I felt the earth beneath my feet, its steady support hoisting me up, showing me to the sky so that I may one day free myself from gravity's pesky influence.

My mind reinforced itself in but a second, the Psychic mana spiraling in webs as it sunk into my head. My palms were light with mana, the silver energy tinged with just a bit of green took the shape of two spheres on either palm. I held them out, pointing them in either direction, getting ready to unleash the wave of mana. Just before I did though, I felt a flash of insight. Instead of releasing them in two waves like I normally do, I slammed my palms together in a clap that exploded with double the intensity. I gave the command to the powerful wind, feeling it reach farther into the sky, and further across the water than it did before.

As soon as the first command was complete, the wind was mana yanked back, cracking against my head, and slamming with tremendous force into my mindscape. I felt bits and pieces of information regarding the area slip away into ambient as it was far too much for my puny mind to take in all at once.

But just for a second, I felt omnipotent. I felt like a god, standing on this temple, repelling goblins with my sheer aura.

And then came the blistering headache that bore down on me without mercy.

I wanted to fall and die right there, collapsing into unconsciousness like a bloated bear. Actually, I would hibernate, for a couple of weeks. And instead of eating a bunch of sweet honey, it would be savory tacos. Ugh, just thinking about this makes my headache even worse…

I took a moment to breathe properly and clear my head, getting my frayed nerves to start working again. I scanned over the mental information, searching through my pain, as I looked for the feeling of something besides thin air.

I must have gone through thousands of small individual reports on a specific rock, or a bigger than average mite of dust, or-

There! I squealed to myself in jubilation.

Right there, only 30 feet or so above me, was a mermaid thing with dirty matted hair. It was hovering in silence, its fingers flying across an instrument with perfect grace.

For a second, I was confused as to why I didn’t spot it before when I was taking the first look using my wind mana.

But then, I realized the sheer genius and control it took to take shelter in someone else's mana, hiding in plain sight. I could barely even spot the bits of rotten green mana connecting it to the black smoke and the goblins! Even with all the extra juice, I used to spot her, (She was definitely a her) she was still difficult to make out, like a white silhouette in a sunset.

I didn’t dare show any signs I had noticed her, sitting rock still as I took quick stock of my options. The first, and smartest thing to do would be to hit her hard, and hit her fast. For this option, all I would have to do is shoot a condensed wind arrow at her as stealthily as possible, and kill her in one shot. The risk of this was that I had no idea if she was powerful enough to resist it, and if she was, then my element of surprise would disappear and my life would be forfeit.

The second would be to lure her down here somehow, probably by just killing all the goblins, and giving her the beatdown of her life. Except for the fact that there was no way in hell I could fight her.

The third, and probably the riskiest one, would be to just draw Viralya’s battle over here and get her killed in the crossfire. It was a sure-fire way to win, especially if I out her by shooting an arrow in her direction when Viralya was close enough. The only problem was that I would also most likely get killed in the process…

My head pulsed with a migraine. Okay, plan A it is then!

I gathered my wind mana again but paused before I could mold it into anything. I had very little left. Like, a little more than 5%. There was no way I would be able to make a powerful enough shot with this.

Apparently, using that massive radar explosion, was actually really stupid, especially when you take into account that I couldn’t control all that mana at once, and had never done that before. Okay! Note to self, on the spot insights will probably get you killed.

But back to my mana problem… As much as I loathed, I was going to have to use fire mana. I hated using it, okay?! Even when it is right there to save my life, 90% of the time I don’t take it. It's only when I’m feeling really stupid, angry, or distracted that I use it, and I have to say. Migraines are pretty F@%$ing distracting.

I checked my fire mana, seeing its status at around 67%. External Ignition must have taken more power than I realized, but I could work with this.

I condensed the mana as fast as I could without drawing attention, shaping the explosive fiery power into a stretchy thread.

*Breaking your moral code in your hour of need, you give in to your rage! True Fire Creation IV becomes True Fire Creation V*

Godammit!

Ignoring the system notification, I tried to refine the fire mana, pushing it to condense into a small thread. I fastened a small spike at the end of it, planning to use it to pierce the heart of the flute bearer in a single strike.

Its stupid green mana was summoning a bunch of murder-hungry zombie goblins and was keeping the plague beetles in check. It's even more stupid minions had almost killed my brother and was in the middle of trying to kill my step-mother. But above all, its stupid song was killing my head! The last thing a person with a headache wants to hear is music!

With steady precision, I formed a relatively large slingshot, letting the thread spool behind me, folded neatly. In one quick movement, I whipped my head up to look at the siren-looking thing and shot the ball forth as fast as I possibly could, enhancing my reaction speed with a bit of Psychic mana.

With a whizz, the spike took to the air, the little red blur carrying the thread behind it.

With mana sense on full burn, I watched as the flute bearer jerked from her hiding place, faintly shimmering in the air as it shot past over shoulder. Remarkably, they still managed to keep up their song, steadying their breathing even in that life or death situation.

However, she seemed to underestimate me as she turned away from the projectile, eyes flashing with a rage I knew all too well.

With but a twitch of my finger, I moved the end of the string in an arc-like pattern, using it as a high-speed serrated flail. I aimed for the center of her chest, waiting to see if she had another trick up her sleeve. If I had gone for the neck, she would have had slightly more time to duck, and I was taking no chances.

Sure enough, she noticed the string that trailed after it screaming towards her at high speeds. It quickly cracked the air, only a few feet away from slicing her in half.

At the last moment, she seemed to regain her bearings, throwing herself up as she tried to escape the deadly flaming thread. It wasn’t quite enough, but I suppose it didn’t have to be. Like spring, she curled her tail backward, as it seemed to skim inches beneath her scales, flying under her… But not before the string curled around the flute and yanked it from her hands, pulling it along with the spike that was now long gone.

Time seemed to slow down as green and cursed mana froze, its complex patterns and weaves fading. The hissing quieted, as well as the battle above our heads as the grey blur revealed itself to be an overweight and massive goblin.

I held my breath in elevation and nervousness, staring at the now un-camouflaged lady as she opened and closed her mouth like the fish she was, slitted eyes popping out of her skull in shock.

When the goblins and beetles began to fall, that's when I knew it had worked. I gave her the biggest winning smile I possibly could, and turned tail and fled.

Hey, what can I say? I may be a stubborn and determined fool, but I was also a smart fool. And my smart-ness was telling me to bolt in the other direction until my favorite fox mother came to save me. Well, I hope she would.

The mermaid thing, to her credit, reacted instantly, shooting forward on a flying wave of water. External ignition blared behind me, shooting me off the side of the temple as I used balancing act to keep me righted in mid-air.

The sudden lack of noise felt weird, considering that for the last hour or so, that’s all I’ve heard. Now, with a furious scream, the silence was broken and a watery hand erupted from under me, grabbing and pulling me down into the oversized puddle. My fire mana was dampened, the water suppressing external ignition to little more than sparks.

“I’m going to kill you!!!” A voice erupted, their volume making headache explode in pain and intensity, the nausea that came with it making me want to puke

The water squeezed, pressing down on my skin and crushing my bones. I groaned, not even caring as I activated gluttonous creation, trying to fight against the pressure. For the sake of my survival, I let my fire mana run rampant, setting my skin and clothes steaming.

The wrath like power was unsurprisingly angry at the mermaid lady’s attempts to kill me, and with chosen of flame activated, I felt my flesh grow sturdier. Harder.

Gluttonous creation burned my mana, and the ambient equally, using the energy to fix my worn-out body the best it could.

I focussed on true fire creation, trying to direct the energy to my bones, and the edges of my skin.

“You-… How-… Ruined-...” I caught bits and pieces of what she was trying to say, but I had no time to focus on her jibber jabber.

The water squeezed further, creeping up my skin and towards my mouth. I clamped it shut, scrunching up my nose as I tried to free my arms. She only squeezed harder.

I lost concentration in my panic, my control over the fire mana dissipating into smoke as gluttonous creation went back to restoring each part of my body with equal importance. My previously semi-resistant skin was crushed just like that, as more of my bones than I could count cracked and shattered.

I screamed.

But, her viciousness knew no bounds as its water shot into my open mouth, flooding my throat and lungs and clogging my airways.

The only reason I hadn’t passed out yet was ironically, because of the migraine. It's hard to fall asleep when a headache this intense hits you, and it was a good distraction compared to all of the bones in my body crushed into a paste.

Her voice buzzed in my ears, but I didn’t hear over the pain, trying to choke the water back up. I attempted to close my mouth but it was jammed open, the watery tentacle curling my lungs, slowly asphyxiating me. Well, it probably wasn’t slow to her, but to me, it felt like hours.

And then, it was gone. The constant pressure in my throat disappeared along with the watery hand that was in the middle of crushing me to death. But for reasons I couldn’t comprehend, I was still floating.

Even though it felt like hell to move, I couched the water up immediately, throwing up a bunch of the liquid as I desperately took in a breath of fresh air.

Soothing warm energy flooded my veins, mending torn tissue, and realigning broken bones. I sighed in relief, my headache fading to a distant buzz as I looked up with tired eyes at Viralya.

She looked pissed off, the wind mana around her tense with focusing power.

“Are you alright child?” She said softly, looking at me with some sense of rage. Luckily, It wasn’t directed at me.

It took me a second to comprehend her question, but I nodded, eyes fluttering in exhaustion. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cinder floating a couple of feet away, very much unconscious. I was jealous.

“I… Apologize. This got out of hand very quickly and I did not expect one of the Siren Sisters to be here… Let alone, Celestina.” She went quiet as she stared at the distant horizon, now partially uncovered. The sun hit my eyes, making me squint.

“Her schemes are growing in number, and she has roped me in on her biggest one yet. Considering the fact she sent a high-level elite soldier with a relic of the gods, she is getting serious.” That… Made absolutely no sense to me.

Regardless, it would be impolite to just stare blankly at her, so with some effort, I smiled and nodded. My muscles were sagging and twitching in exhaustion. Whatever her healing magic did to my body, it had sapped it of all its strength.

I felt the thunk of wood in my hands as I idly looked at my staff, wondering why Viralya had put it into my hands. Almost automatically, I let it shrink, attaching the small pill-shaped stick onto my waist.

She was talking again, but I just couldn’t listen to what she was saying. My eyelashes fluttered and closed as darkness claimed me as its own.