After a month of near-constant training, I found the shades were no longer improving. For the past four days, my shade followed the same routine, cast about six manaballs at a time and ceased adding layers to the pane barriers.

I've settled on four manaballs at a time, but have gained better control of them. I've also finally exceeded the strength of a good punch with them.

The stall in growth happened shortly after my nubs grew into proper, short horns. My flames began to stick to things and were hot enough to boil water.

My body finally stopped rolling over the ground and I got up. I stretched, touching the ground with my hands, then lifting my arms as high as I could. I exhaled and shook off the exhaustion.

One last attempt before we moved towards the Academy again.

I walked into the tiny temple, slowly, with measured steps. I focused mana above my horns and shoulders. 

As always, the creature turned around and blasted three manaballs at me. I threw myself to the ground, puffed a little mana to lift myself a couple fingers above it and charged towards the shade.

I released the mana-charged flames from above my horns and swerved right. Five impacts resounded from the ground and I boosted up. I let go of the mana at my shoulders towards the monster. It was slipping past the fireballs and slapped away the mana.

While my movements were janky and sudden, the thing was almost lazy in its movement. With perfect execution, it shot six fireballs at me and swam through the air like a dolphin. I could see the mana releases coming from everywhere on its body, guiding it exactly how it desired to move.

I charged further up, flattening myself against the ceiling and shot towards the shade over its projectiles. I held two pockets of fiery mana in my hands, charging them to the limit I could hold.

I threw my hands at its face. It lowered itself slightly and boosted from its legs, kicking me in the stomach. I hit the ceiling with my back and fell to the ground.

Just as a large manaball almost connected with my face I rolled in the air. I exploded mana around myself and landed into a clumsy roll.

The thing boosted itself towards me, from just outside my mana explosion and slammed into my chest with its knees. A torrent of fire rushed out of my forehead, forcing the creature to sway sideways. I felt four impacts against my sides, then an explosion at my back. I was flying towards the exit.

I puffed seven times in quick succession. After landing on the ground, with a sudden movement I threw four manaballs back. I swivelled my head to look and they harmlessly splashed against a multilayered blue pane.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

A large explosion of fire threw me outside.

My stats had to be growing, but I guessed, there was only so much you could learn in such a short time. I dusted myself off and skipped towards the fountain.

The spiderling was sitting on our luggage, looking into the distance and eating popcorn. Occasionally she giggled at jokes only she could hear. I patted her head. She frowned and poked my arm with a spider-leg, just slightly growing out of her back. She withdrew it as soon as I took my hand away.

I sat down, leaning my back against the bags. Tom was still doing his last attempt. I pulled out a third book on vegetables and opened from my bookmark - a piece of paper I ripped from the diary.

I wondered just how many types of a carrot there were. They had an entire, bloody book dedicated to them. I tapped my feet on the ground, read and waited.

Tom came - massaging his chest - two chapters later.

"Not a single slash on the main body." He grumbled and picked up me and the spider onto his shoulders. Considering how much he complained about his new title, he seemed content to carry us around.

I lifted the luggage, made it fly in a circle around us - the spiderling waved her hands when it was passing ahead of her face - and we were off.

Maybe it would be prudent to come up with a name for the girl... Nah. If she wanted to be called something, she could come up with it herself. Next week I'd just dub her Girl. "Girl, I want you to be better." I'd start grumbling at her. I giggled to myself and put my nose back in the book.

She poked me a couple of times, but with a lack of a response, returned to whatever she was entertaining herself with.

Once we got out of the bubble, we got hit by heavy rain. Lightning skirted among the clouds and the sounds of thunder reverberated across the plain. It was fucking stunning.

The clouds were at the lowest I've ever seen them in this world, at about... "Hey, Tom?" I asked, and the cat turned his head towards me. "How high are the clouds?"

He looked up and wondered for a couple of steps. "I'd say four hundred meters?" he responded uncertainly. I nodded and moved our luggage above our heads.

My book got wet.. well, everything got wet. The luggage was kept safe by the furs laying on it, but we were soaked. I surrounded our bodies with warm flames. I tapped the book, then put it in the backbag.

After withdrawing, it was nice and dry. I smiled and kept reading.

After two chapters on different kinds of black carrots, lightning struck a couple of steps from us. Tom tensed up stopping.

I looked over to the strike zone. There was a burnt-out patch of grass by the road. It would be so fucking magnificent to become one with lightning! I waved at the spot and read on.

The cat began to jog, keeping his upper body from bouncing. He had amazing control over his body, I wondered if he'd make a good dancer. I patted his shoulder, beneath myself.

Some amount of time later, the spiderling seemed to have finished watching, whatever it was she was watching. 

"Could I borrow your violin?", she asked. I handed it to her and looked over, to listen to what she'd play.

The music was otherwordly. A deep longing towards that which isn't, the screams of those who aren't and the carrion call of a beast that can't be.

Tom trembled a little and after a while, I saw his ears got plugged with mana. I thought it was a pleasant tune. More fitting in a club, than during a road trip, but who cared. The cat did, but he didn't listen.

Halfway through a chapter - right after black carrots - about red carrots, I plugged my ears too. The music was making me see many-eyed, many mouthed shadows in the grass and the clouds. Maybe I'd call the girl Eyesabella? No. I wasn't a dad, nor a mom.

As I was reaching the end of the red carrots chapter, Tom stopped. I felt a poke from a spider leg and looked up.

Ahead of us, was a ladder. It reached into the clouds. This was a weird fucking day. It put a really wide smile on my face.