Staring at the Lords fighting, and the realization of what using magic did to the ambient hitting me was a sensory overload. Overlooking the battlefield with new eyes, I could now feel what fire magic meant.

How does the fireball stay lit? Because we force it to burn.

What makes it burn? Our mana is a lit spark we shove inside of its “body”.

Why does it burn? Because we do not give it the choice.

What makes the flame stronger? You make the ambient burn even hotter, and increase the pain it suffers to create a bigger explosion.

The essence of a fireball is to burn the ambient mana until it collides and explodes in a fiery, and painful death creating a destructive explosion.

Feeling the coldness of the emotional numbness threatening to overtake me, I forcibly deny it from doing so. This is the price we pay for power in this world, turning off how I feel about it will do me no good.

“This truly is a hard lesson to learn, Selene” I told my anxious bond, trying to register my response to the realization.

“If it were up to me, I would have had you wait until you were older to learn it, little one”.

“Time will not wait for me to grow up, and I need to grow as strong as I can” … Whatever the cost might be. The consequences of not doing so before the Divines arrive will cause more destruction by far. The level of power is not something even the Fae Lords can compare to.

The High Oracle is likely close or equal to my level as Callum, and neither of us stood a chance either. That’s the power of the Divine. “Gods” are the only term that could possibly fit their level of power.

“I’m not alone though right, Selene?” I asked my bond. She rubbed her head up against my arm in confirmation. Looking at this battlefield, and seeing the level of the Fae guards, and how they will be like ants before what is coming, I made my decision.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Selene, I will tell you everything the High Oracle told me after this, as far as I can anyways”.

For now, the battle commences. I held out my fist to Selene and she bumped her paw into it, long grown accustomed to my fist bumps. Selene stayed while I went off into battle, even though I know she hated the restrictions she had in this world, and what she could interfere in. To this day, we both have our secrets we can’t quite tell the other yet, but one day.

Chaos is a natural part of a large conflict, even in smaller ones like this one where there were roughly 100 men in total on both sides. The Forsaken were not mindless, just crazed and bloodthirsty to devour the Sin from their victims. It appeared they were somewhat organized under the control of the Forsaken Lord of Greed

Using my past experience in leading chaotic battlefields, I identified the group needing the most support, a group of three women standing in a triangle formation, guarding each other’s backs. They were defending well, but this was a battle of attrition, and they were clearly reaching the line on their stamina.

“How do you kill a Forsaken, Selene?” I asked as I continued running towards the trio holding off four Forsaken males. We could call it a coincidence, or the Forsaken had a reason for targeting the group of women specifically… Either way it’s not going to happen on my watch.

“A Forsaken burns up their body to feed their Sins in exchange for stronger power. Sins can vary, but usually are stored in their chest around the same area as a human’s core. Destroy the Sin, and the Forsaken will turn into ash” she said.

[Ignis]

My control over my Wrath flames has increased from training with Lord Wrath, same for my physical abilities. Focusing on the Forsaken swinging a large club infused with their Sin flames, the gold hue indicating them as Greed flames, I held both my fists up to cover my head and infused my mana and Wrath flames to reinforce my body and arms and stood ready to take the hit that would break the defense of the women on their last dregs of stamina.

*THUNK*

The club smashed against my improvised shield guard, and left the point of impact on my arms numb, and likely will leave a bruise later. The Forsaken club arm was thrown back, throwing him off balance.

Focusing on what Lord Wrath has taught me, I kept my left arm up to guard my head, and threw my punch in a straight line, slightly twisting the fist as I reached my target, the common place where the Sin should reside.

*CRACK*

Once I made contact with the Forsaken’s chest, I pushed the Wrath flames from the point of contact, and the Sin inside the Forsaken made a sharp cracking noise. The Forsaken fell to his knees, and then to the floor as his body started to disintegrate.

One of the four Forsaken were gone, and the three were aware of me, so no chance to surprise them now. Speaking loudly to the three women so they can hear over the chaos, I said, “Listen! You can argue with me later, for now just listen to me and we can get out of here alive!”

Pointing to the two that looked the most exhausted and weakest currently, I said, “You two, form up and work together to either kill or hold off one of them” and looking towards the remaining of the three women, I tell her, “You will need to do the same by yourself for one. I know the three of you are tired, so let’s work together to clear these bastards”.

Luckily, these three women were not like the typical recruits in an army, and knew when to listen in a dire situation, and not argue. Following my orders, they got in position to handle two of the Forsaken, and I focused on the third, who looked to be a martial arts user like me.

I will teach this battlefield the power of Lord Wrath’s martial arts.