Chapter 3

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The sun had completely risen, lighting the land with its rays. I went out of the house directly to a certain place. The land was mostly flat and dried with no trees growing. It was a special landmark in the village. A couple of rocks protruding from the ground became its special feature.

There are other children already waiting for me there. Some lazily sat upon the rocks, others chasing and running around them.

These children, although I'm embarrassed to say, were my playmates. Despite having the mind of an adult, I was often bored in the house and I have no one to have a hearty conversation with as both my siblings are busy with work.

As a result, I joined these children. They're about the same age as me.

"Oh look, it's Lauren!" Yelled one of the children. He was tanned and big with a rough looking face and few missing teeth.

"Oh look, it's you!" I greeted also, trying to hide the fact that I was still in the process of remembering his name. 'What was it again, Ovelis? Ovedyn?'

Ove-something frowned and said unhappily. "Don't 'oh look' me. I could tell that you have forgotten my name again!"

"Of course I haven't, Uberman." I said turning towards the other. "Its Ovideus!" I ignored the frustrated scream behind.

"Hey." A girl with brown hair approached me. "The thing you taught me have impressed both my parents!" She said with a cheerful smile. "They said it is very useful!"

"I'm glad I could help." I said. The thing I taught her was fundamental mathematics. Just the the four operations. I figured that in this primitive time, such could be helpful, especially in a remote village like us. In this village, the only learned ones and are willing to teach are the bards, which come and go like the wind. By the way, her name is Senia.

"Then have you got other things to teach us?" Rolando, boy with lush golden hair and light complexion also joined. He was the son of the village chief.

I shook my head. "No, but I do have a story to tell you. It's base from real experience mind you."

When I said that, the children gathered and made a circle around me. I sat on top of the rock like a dignified teacher, and begun the narrating what happened just this morning, embellishing some details in the process. Making myself sound heroic.

The children looked scared and started to look around suspiciously. Some glared at the darkness casted by the shadows, expecting red eyes to appear.

"But then I manage to summon the holy sword! The sword burning with righteous flame made the skeletons freeze from fear! And then..."

When the story finished, the children were thrilled, some immediately went to grab small branches and wave them around like warriors. As the older ones, we disarmed them with coaxing. It would be bad if they suddenly decide someone was a skeleton and the world needed a warrior like them to vanquish it.

For example.

"Hiya!" A small child let out a fierce battle cry, chasing Ovideus with a branch. I promptly disarmed the child, reprimanding him. "Look, don't swing a stick on a person Roy. It would hurt them."

The lively child, Roy only followed the stick I was held up with tears eyes. He tried to reach out to it with his small arms. It took me a while to succeed in coaxing him.

When I'm done, Rolando quietly come to me and said in a hushed tone. "I heard from father that there have been missing livestocks in some households. They thought it was theft, but..." He glanced around before continuing. "Some of the people have mentioned seeing tall silhouettes with red

eyes at night. Other say they heard faint rattlings before the day their animals disappeared."

He said looking to my eyes. "Your story reminds me of that."

I have heard the same from the conversation between my parents, but I payed it no mind as I thought it was just some baseless rumors made to frighten little kids to go home before dark.

'So those skeletons were the culprit.' I thought, and told Rolando about the skeletons, omitting the fact that I defeated them.

"So that's it." Rolando nodded in understanding.

We went back to the other kids, Ovideus challenging Rolando into a swordplay.

"Lets dance!" Ovideus declared, pointing the blunt stuck at Rolando. The two were soon engaged in a flashy sword fight. I watch all the kids like a Guardian from the top of the rock, but I was secretly trying to create a miniature tree with fire.

The children soon grew tired of playing and seek another ways to entertain themselves.

"Alright, lets go watch the faeries!" Ovideus suggested.

"Right, the usual place!" Senia voiced her approval. With two of the well known older kids, it was already decided that we should watch the faeries.

We went a bit farther from the village, and during the way, we passed by an old sentinel towering with great height. This was the landmark of the village. It was said that the founder of Woodville planted this tree.

I stopped and gazed at its massive frame and bathe upon its imposing presence. As always, I was called out to wake me up from my stupor.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

We moved towards the forest ahead. It was a small forest, and the only wild beast dwelling in this place are some small rodents. You wouldn't find a wolf or a bear even if you tried to. Nevertheless, it was still a forest and it is possible to get lost inside.

But we have been coming here for a long time, we know every tree and rocks like the back of our own hands. And we have the old markings of travelers who have went here in case we really got lost.

We passed through the rows of trees and came into a clearing. At this point, we slowed down silenced our footsteps. There in the center of the clearing dancing in the air, was a cluster of tiny glowing creatures.

These things were the faeries. They would vanished without a trace once they were disturbed.

We watched quietly, sitting on bare grounds. My arms were wrapped around my knees as I view this magnificent sight.

While I was watching, I noticed the faeries' movements become somewhat out of rhythm.

"Something's wrong."

"My genius mind is sensing something."

The first to voice their thoughts out was Rolando and then Ovideus who grabbed this chance to praise himself.

The faeries have suddenly become agitated, and then faded in the background. Such occurrence was common, but only if one approached them too near. But aside from small insects, there was nothing nearby which could threaten their safety. We also made sure to keep enough distance. This had never happened before.

Just like Ovideus, my senses are also tingling.

"You guys, move here." I urged them quickly when I noticed a thin figure approaching.

Perhaps sensing the seriousness in my tone, the children obediently crouched behind the huge tree where I was. I gestured for them to be quiet, then popped my head to have a clearer look at the approaching figure. The cold and stale aura was familiar.

Creak, crack, the branches groaned as it walked. There was a disturbing rattle as it moves. When it was near, the red eyes grew apparent in the shadow, flashing with malice. In that instant, I knew it's identity.

"What the heck-"

Before he could raise his voice in exclamation, I covered Ovideus' mouth, who had somehow had his head in the open without my attention.

I pulled him quick behind the trunk. For a brief moment, the footsteps halted, and there was silence. Ovideus was sweating profusely.

I sensed the skeleton send its gaze towards this direction. I was prepared to conjure another flame sword. I beat around four skeletons, and a lone one would not be a problem. But the Robles are these kids. I don't know about this world, but we're this on Earth and I was found to be capable of conjuring flames, if I I was not burned on a stake, I would have been sliced apart in some underground laboratories.

The main point is, my social standing is at risk, and my life too. Then again, his current life have been unscientific so far. Skeletons could casually stroll around the village, perhaps making fire without any mediums is the norm.

The sound of footsteps once again reverberated in the woods, and after some time, the sound was getting weaker and farther.

Rolando was frowning and the other children was on the verge of crying. Only holding back for the fear of being found out.

Now, as the one with the oldest mind, I am responsible for these bunch's safety.

I was curious about the skeleton's behavior, but I also have to watch over the kids. If I was gone and the kids encountered another skeleton, then it would be tragic.

I was thinking when the footsteps become louder and clearer. The children who was about to start conversing was discouraged by my gaze and held their mouth, shaking their heads.

The sound stopped just behind the tree. We knew it was there, with just a single tree setting us apart.

For a moment, I was tempted to stab a flame sword to the trunk and pierce the skeleton behind.

There come a thought that perhaps it was doing it on purpose to scare us, which did succeed.

Clattering sound came from behind the tree.

The kids were perspiring, this time, not from being nervous, but because the temperature in the area have suddenly risen.

There was a muffled roar from behind followed by an intense heat that spread out. Tongues of fire stretched forth behind the tree, setting the dried leaves on the ground and the tree itself.

I made the group back away from the tree and they gladly got away from the unbearable heat.

The flames went out as quickly as it appeared. But the sizzling air still hadn't settled. Smoke rose from the charred tree, still glowing red from the fire.

There was no signs of any skeletons.

The children all stood there, expecting the monster to come out from the ashes. They think that it was the one that caused the fire.

"Let's go!" Seeing them like that, I yelled. They were curious but they instantly turned and dashed away when they heard my shout.

Panting and wet from sweat, we arrived at the village. There was no time for us to contemplate, each hurried to their own homes upon returning.

I was the same, and recounted what I see to my father.

The longer he listened, the stricter and grim his face become. And I knew he was angry.

"Didn't I tell you not to stray far away!" He bellowed. Maybe all his indignation was released from that one shout and his tone was a level softer when he told me. "Go to your room. Reflect on what happened. Gosh, what would have become of you if the skeleton self-destructed a bit nearer."

To be exact, the skeleton did not self destruct. I burned it, but I was not going to correct him. I obedient entry went to his room and did as he told me. Reflect on what happened.

A ball of flame appeared a distance away from me. It's temperature was mild and tamed so that I would not bother anyone in the house.

I could conjure flame from far away, but the distance is limited. In that way I burnt the skeleton to ashes even with a tree standing between us.

The flame faded and I leaned on the wooden wall, making creaking sounds. I closed my eyes and started to practice another feature in my ability which I just recently discovered.

I made a small butterfly made of flames, my eyes were closed, but I could feel the butterfly, I could tell it where to go, and I knew exactly its position.

The butterfly flew around the room, it felt like I have merged with the butterfly. I could sense the surroundings. It was a mysterious feeling, it was not sight or vision but it was near there.

This could be useful. I could scout a place from above, and if thinking on using it to harm something or someone, I could simply send some flame to the place, and incinerate the target from miles away.

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On a dark cave deep in the Sina forest, a small hooded figure was sitting on the floor. The figure's face was hidden by the hood. Suddenly, red eyes flashed open.

The figure whispered softly. "Another one of my skeletons was burned."

The figure looked in the direction of the village, saying. "There was an expert guarding it."

Disoriented footsteps entered the cave. The silhouettes of skeletons carrying various animals walked in front of the robed figure and dropped the weakened animals on the floor.

The figure looked at the 'harvest' and mumbled. "But this should be enough."

A hand was put on the body of the animals. Slowly, they lost their colors and vitality. Soon they were cold corpses.

The robed figure nodded, satisfied.

"I've gathered enough life force now to enter the fourth stage of necromancy."

The necromancer have chosen this particular area to practice the art for one reason; the power of death was abnormally thick. Fortunately for the robed figure, no necromancer have yet discovered the place.

For sure, there was something mysterious in the forest, in the area. But the robed figure does not care about that and did not came to this for that reason, the focus was solely on cultivation and nothing else.

The figure looked at the carcasses with a wave, their flesh immediately rot, leaving the skeletons. The beast bones stood up.

The figure gave them command to guard the cave and let nothing approach the cave, living my or non living.

The the figure was alone again, and the cave was enveloped in silence as the figure dived deep in meditation.