Have you ever heard the sound a log makes when it explodes into splinters? It starts with a bit of a creaking, then shifts into a tare, and finally it cracks like a quick bolt of lightning. Of course, it all happens in a split second, so unless you hear it multiple times, you aren’t going to notice all of this. Halfway through our day’s training, I must have heard it a hundred times.

“You need to predict where the targets will be, not shoot for where they are.” Lieutenant Datahu told me after I missed another shot. Yeah, I wasn’t the one making the logs explode. Most of that was Odens; he was a crack shot as it turned out. We were firing spells at wooden dummies flying around in the air, each moving around quickly and seemingly randomly. The dummies looked like bird shaped dolls, but flew like real Neame. Their wings were wood, but had leaf-like feathers on the edges.

Another of the dummies flew over our heads and the Lieutenant yelled for us to all fire. Some of them started their chants, others like Suma simply fired off simple fire spells, she didn’t need to chant on her Crimson Bolt spell anymore, and I launched several of my railgun balls at it. We all missed, even Odens. We had been doing this same practice for six hours, and only three members of our team were still standing. It was me, Odens, and Suma, and both of them were looking shaky. Rou and Nine had already collapsed, one of them had thrown up, but I didn’t see which. Lieutenant Datahu ordered us to fire again as another dummy flew overhead. Odens and I fired off our shots, but Suma fell over. She had managed to create a small flicker of a flame, but it went out just as she collapsed to.

“Uhnn.” She moaned.

“And that is another one down.” The Lieutenant said.

“You okay?” I asked her over our private connection. She didn’t answer. “Lieutenant, I think Suma fainted.” I shouted up at Lieutenant Datahu, who was safely perched above and behind us on a metal support beam. She flew down and landed beside Suma just as I walked up next to her. I picked Suma up in my hands carefully, and started flowing some of my mana into her. The first time this happened during training, I freaked out thinking she was hurt, but this was the sixth time now, so I knew what to do. She has over-extended herself and used too much mana trying to keep up with us.

“I admire her perseverance, but not her foolishness. She is the team healer, she doesn’t need to push herself as hard during the battle exercises. A healer with no mana is a one-way journey to the Realm of the Dragons for the rest of the team.” Lieutenant Datahu said.

“Uhnn... what happened?” Suma groaned and asked when she started waking up.

“You passed out again.” I told her. “Don’t use any healing for a while, I put my mana into you to wake you up.” She nodded her head, but didn’t move beyond that. Her wings hung over the sides of my cupped hands, and her head was leaning on my fingers.

The Lieutenant sighed, “Alright team, training is over today. If anyone needs healing, go to the base’s healing staff. Aside from that, go get some rest and replenish your mana. Dismissed.” With that, the Lieutenant flew off, leaving the team there. I felt fairly okay, a bit hungry, but fine otherwise. The rest of the team, however, were all in a similar state, if not worse, as Suma. Odens looked like he had just been kicked, and was about to fall over. He was swaying side to side, breathing heavily, and with dropping eyes. Rou was splayed out on the floor, face down, but eyes wide open as if he had just seen a ghost. His breathing was ragged and fast. Nine, who after looking closer I found out was the one who threw up, was laying on his side, one wing tucked in, and the other lying flat, like someone who fell asleep on their arm might pose. He was out cold too actually. Still holding Suma, I walked over to Nine and flowed some of my mana into him too. After a second, his eyes opened and he looked very confused.

“Did I pass out?” He asked.

“Yeah.” I said.

“Am I dead?”

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“Nah. But don’t use any magic for a while, okay. I gave you some of my mana to help you wake up. You might kill someone or something.” I told him. He just kind of groaned and laid his head back down before closing his eyes again.

It took a while, but one by one they all woke up and were moving again, however reluctantly.

“I feel like I was mauled by a borog.” Odens said.

“Jake, is your mana supposed to make me feel… tingly?”

“Yes, Jake’s mana has that effect. It should pass once it is out of your body completely.” Suma answered Rou. “It may also cause some feelings of nausea, try not to fly too high.”

“I was already nauseated; I won’t be able to tell.”

“What am I, antibiotics?” I joked. No one laughed, either they didn’t get it, or they were all too tired. Yeah, that’s probably why. “Anyway, I need to go to my magic classes.”

“How are you still moving, Jake? No, how do you still have mana?” Odens asked.

“Jake’s mana reserves are enormous. He will be fine.” Suma said.

“Have you ever had it measured?” Rou asked.

“De ja vu.” I said quietly, feeling like I have had this conversation before.

“His life force is five-hundred Kelma and about sixty Dalma.” Suma said. There was a moment of silence.

“Sooooo, I going to go…” I said and started to walk away.

“How… what?!” Someone shouted, but I didn’t look back.

“Good luck with explaining that.” I said to Suma over our private channel, and went to my classes.

After I got to class, late by the way, thanks to having to help everyone recover; the instructor had me do control and precision exercises for over an hour to make up for it.

“Jake,” The instructor said from his perch, as I was finishing the last of our session’s training. “I think this will be the last of our private sessions.”

“What? Why?” I asked, and stopped what I was doing. My mana dissipated into the air.

“You have as much control as an average Neame now, and you haven’t made any more progress since reaching that point. No matter what method you use, or what technique you learn, you can’t seem to improve beyond this point. I think it may be due to the fact that you are not a Neame, or maybe it has more to do with the sheer amount of mana at your disposal, but I do not think your control will improve any more than it is now.” He said.

“But, I need to keep up with the rest of my team.” I pointed out.

“I would argue that you are already as powerful, if not more so, than them, just due to your unique magic and own raw power. I will inform your Captain, Lieutenant, and the Major of your progress myself.”

I didn’t know what to think, or how to feel. A part of me was glad I was done with the lessons, and that I had grown enough to not hold back my team, but I also wanted to keep them up, and learn as much as I could. “Thank you, sir.”

“Jake, it truly was a pleasure having you as a student.” With that, my instructor spread his wings, and bowed slightly, before standing back up.

After leaving the training room, I went to my team’s quarters to tell them all the good news. I walked down the tall stone halls with vines seemingly everywhere and heard the sounds of laugher. I walked into the room and saw all the members of my team, each perched on vines, or metal, or even wood and stone pillars, talking.

“Oh, hello Jake.” Suma said when she saw me. One by one, the other all said hi to me as well. “How was your training?”

“It was good. Actually, he said I was done.”

“He let you leave early? That’s good.” Odens said.

“No, I mean like, done done. I don’t need to attend them anymore.”

“Oh.” Suma said, surprised. “That is excellent. Congratulations, Jake.”

“Good work, Jake.” Nine said.

“What will you do with your newfound free time?” Rou, who was perched on a bundle of vines a few feet away from me, asked.

“I don’t know. What do you guys normally do when I go to class?” I asked.

“We either eat, rest, or get medical attention.” Rou joked; Odens chuckled.

“He is joking, but he is not necessarily exaggerating.” Suma said. “Perhaps you could use your new free time to explore the base.”

“Yeah, really familiarize yourself with the surrounding.” Rou said. Apparently, puns exist across every world, and they are just as bad whether it comes from a human, or a bird wizard.

"Bad jokes aside,” Odens interrupted, and Rou snickered at her own pun, “it is a decent idea.”

“That will have to wait, we are leaving for the capital tomorrow.” Suma interjected. I sighed; I’d nearly forgotten.

“Right… well then, maybe you should go to sleep early tonight. You will be traveling for several days, correct?” Nine asked.

“At least,” Odens answered. He was from the capital, and made the journey himself when he first came to the base. “It took me four days.”

“Yeah, but Suma isn’t as slow as us.” Rou said. She and Odens traveled together; they had known each other for a long time.

“That’s true. Suma is the fastest member of the team, excluding the Lieutenant.”

“How long will we be there?” I asked.

“I do not know.” Suma answered. “It could be days, or weeks. It will depend on how long the Royal Court wishes to question us.” I shook my head. This was not going to be fun.