Today is the day!
After three years of the hellish training cycle of forging my body and refining my mana control, I can feel that today the path to the abyssal power will open to me.
My five-year old body has grown roughly rapidly in the past three years. I take after my mother in my looks, which resulted in having more subtle feminine looks over the strong “wall of steel” aura that my father exudes.
The increased height and motor skills is nothing compared to the progress made in the forging process of my mana channels and control skills. It took a long time, and I can finally control small wisps of my mana supply in my body, as well as cultivate the ambient into my refined mana more efficiently than the conversion process of turning a mana beast’s into my own mana.
I have been effectively “digging a reservoir” of mana capacity in the spot where Selene’s mana has reacted with the abyssal power. The goal being if I collect enough mana there it can trigger the reaction like when Selene overloaded my mana channels previously.
Selene has yet to return or given me any form of sign that she is okay or returning. It has been worrying me, and the only thing I can do is get stronger and maybe one day I can figure out what is happening with her.
“Lucian! Can you come with me to the market today to carry groceries home? Your Dad will be home soon, and he needs a nice meal after the two weeks on his mission.” My mother called out to me.
She always has… Amazing timing. It’s like she has some intuition that I am going to be doing something she would not approve of.
“Of course I will, Mom!”
I threw on my small mana beast leather pouch my parents made for me for my third birthday. My father personally hunted a Tier 3 Ironhide Boar, which is known for its hide being strong as well.. Iron. My mother apparently spent three weeks infusing a mana-thread to use for the stitching of the bag as well.
This resulted in a very durable, and even luxurious quality for a commoner bag, and was surprisingly lightweight and could attach to a belt comfortably. I developed a fascination for learning about this world, and will often pick up plants, rocks, or other materials I can experiment with and test magic on.
I like to keep small objects, like a small handful of metal chunks I acquired on the ground near the local blacksmith for emergency measures. The blacksmiths are hardworking and antisocial people, but they were happy to allow a kid like myself that is interested in the little leftovers bits. They even offered to forge me a weapon suitable for my size when I grew older.
This world has been kind to me so far. I don’t know what the future will bring, but the experiences so far have been nice.
I met up with my mother at the door, ready to leave. “What is the plan for dinner tonight, Mom? Since it's with Dad in mind, a lot of meat?” My mother laughed at the question, and said “Don’t pretend you are not just as big of a fan of meat as he is. I swear, you’re starting to eat as much as he is!”.
“I can’t help it, I’m a growing boy!” We left the house and walked down the dirt path from the outskirts of Seastrand, home to the dense forests hunters frequently occupy. It is a path you rarely encounter any issues, like mana beasts or even.. Bandits.
The bandits have grown to become such an issue that even the royal capital, Solara has dispatched a team to investigate the issue. The bandits have even managed to elude them, and has caused the “traitor” theory of Seastrand to become a hot topic, which has lowered the people’s trust in the guard. It’s only resulted in a tenser atmosphere with the guards, and nothing major has occurred as of the moment.
This path was usually safe. It was quiet, but there would generally be some level of activity happening, like a guard patrol or even birds chirping. This time however, the area was silent. I held out my hand for my mother to stop and I looped my finger around my head to have her notice the area.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
I took a deep breath, and stretched pretending to not notice the environment around me, while internally I mobilized my mana into my right foot and casted the Tier 1 Wind Spell, Wind’s Guidance. It was a short range sensory spell, but was extremely useful for situations like this. Years of training in different magic has allowed me to cast chantless magic at least at the Tier 1 level of the basic elements.
I kicked up a bit of dirt to create a small cloud of dust to disguise the gust of wind sent from my foot as it scanned a short distance from and the surrounding treeline around my mother and I.
It took a few seconds, but I felt the spell trigger in four different spots. One high in a tree, two to our right, and one to the left. I put a hand on my mother’s shoulder, and relaid the information to her using the rudimentary recreation of Selene’s mental magic. It took a long time and a lot of practice, but I managed to create a one-way version of it that requires physical touch. My mother nodded to me, and readied the small wand usually kept on her waist.
I heard a stir in the trees, and my mother did as well as she quickly chanted a spell I was unfamiliar with, and a transparent mana shield formed around us in a dome. She specialized in defensive and utility magic, and I have never seen her cast an offensive spell. She yelled out “We know you’re there! Come out!”.
The three figures to our sides came out, but the figure in the tree did not move. Trying to get us to let our guard down? Two of the figures turned out to be muscular men, who gave the tavern drunks a run for their money on the worst looks. The third figure was wearing a black robe that covered all but his face. A thin and frail looking man, with an extremely pale complexion. Is he a mage? A mage is rare among your typical bandits.
Going off of looks, there was a mage, and two warriors in front of us, with an archer in the trees. A well rounded party that would be difficult to deal with. “Look what we have here, lads. A pretty lady, and a small whelp. I see a pretty payday when we turn in these two to our buyers.” One of the grisly looking men said.
Bandits. Not only that, but fucking slavers.
My mother has this shield up, but I don’t know the limitations of the spell. “Do you have a plan, Mom?” I asked quietly, wanting to follow the lead of the experienced albeit retired adventurer. “This shield requires my full attention, and all we can do is hope I can hold out long enough for help to arrive.”
A risky, but a plan that suited that of a defensive mage. This road was usually populated, so reasonably it should have a guard or someone show up soon.
“Don’t worry, pretty lady. I will help you grow accustomed to what our clients expect from our slaves before you’re sold. Just open up and make it easy for all of us and it will be less painful, I promise.” The other grisly looking man pulled out a large axe and started swinging at the shield. The shield held, but I could tell each hit took a toll on my mother’s mana supply.
*bang*
What is the best way to deal with this, Lucian? THINK.
*bang*
The other man joined in swinging a worn down sword, likely taken from another victim. The advantage I have right now is they wouldn’t suspect a kid like me to be able to cast magic. If mother’s shield fell, and they got close I could at least use the surprise to kill the two men. The mage’s abilities are unknown, as well as whoever is in the trees.
*bang*
The two men were the only ones bashing the shield, and after what felt like 10 minutes, help had still not arrived. Mother was visibly strained and barely holding on, and the men got more excited seeing it. “Almost there! You’re giving us quite the workout! We gave you a chance, and you didn’t want to behave!”
*bang*
I was not going to let them put their hands on my mother. The shield was close to breaking, and if nobody arrives in time… I will have to figure out how to keep her safe. The mage still has not done anything, and that only leaves one guess to me. He’s the mage that puts the slave crests on their victims. I keep watching him because once the shield goes down, who knows how he will react.
Thud. A loud and dull noise came from beside me. I quickly turned to check, and my mother is not standing beside me anymore? Looking down, I see that my mother is on the ground, unconscious with two long arrows sticking out of her chest, and a blood stain tinged with purple coming from the puncture.
How? The shield is still up! I look from where the archer was in the trees, and see two small holes in the shield. They didn’t break the shield, but pierced it. I quickly cast a Tier 1 Earth spell called Shield Wall, and slam my fist into the ground and a thick wall of the earth rises from in front of us to block us from more attacks from the archer.
The shield was going to go down on the next hit, and I had no time. My most proficient spell was Healing Hand, and I used as much mana as I could to increase the potency as I cast Healing Hand in one hand and removed the poisoned arrows from my mother’s chest with the other. Her breathing was shallow. The blood flow was stopped, but she was still unconscious. Her breathing was getting slower, and so was her heart rate.
WHY?!
My version of Healing Hand was stronger than even my mother’s! Why isn’t she waking up, and instead getting worse?!
“It is a Tier 1 Water spell called Healing Hand, Lucian. It works close to what a medicinal kit could perform.”
It can’t heal poison. I don’t know a spell that heals poison. I only know Tier 1 Magic.
I gently shake her, trying to get her to wake up. “I can cast the spell if you tell me the chant. It’s risky, and I avoided casting above Tier 1 so far, but it’s worth it!”.
She won’t wake up. I roughly shake her. “I’ll apologize when we get through this, Mom! I’m sorry for being rough with you, Mom. Please just tell me the spell and I can take care of the rest!”.
Nothing. No response. Silence.
“Mom?”