Lumina opened her eyes and saw the stars in the sky above her. “Am I dead?” She could feel the heat of a nearby campfire as she quietly sat up. Lumina nearly cried when she felt the intense pain rocket from her left shoulder causing her to fall back down to her back further jarring the damaged joint.

Lumina gasped as she laid there, various other aches and sores started to filter in, and she no longer felt like moving. “So, I’m not dead? Then… how am I alive?” She pondered that confusing but wonderful statement. She let out a yelp of surprise as Milli’s face suddenly appeared in front of hers.

“You’re finally awake!” Milli said with a grin, a large cut across the left side of her face. “I was worried I killed you.” Lumina grimaced as she fought the pain, “You mean. I passed?”

“Yep! Congratulations Lumina, you are the second person to survive and graduate from my training. Your mother being the first. She would be so proud, and probably horrified.”

“What happened to your face?” Milli laughed at Lumina’s concern for her. “My face? I think you should be more worried about yours! I did punch you with all my strength. Pretty sure there are some cracked bones somewhere in that mess.”

Lumina let out a sigh of relief, “I passed. But how?” She was still having a hard time believing the fact. “The only way I could pass was if…”

“You escaped. Or manage to hit me just once.” Milli interrupted as she went to put her face back in front of Lumina. Milli pointed to the large gash across her cheek completely scabbed over. “Not sure what happened either, a lesser man would have been killed. You broke both my stone gauntlets and nearly took off my head with whatever magic you used. Believe me, I am just as surprised.”

Lumina laid there still thinking, her mind inwardly celebrating while her body screamed in pain. “Magic? I manipulated the elements?!” Lumina said aloud as she lay there not moving.

“I know right?” Milli said as she hefted a large bottle and downed a chunk of its contents. “Not once in the 20 years I have known you, did you ever cause something to happen with the elements; even with Elrin’s teaching and guidance. We were all pretty sure that you would never be able to shape the world to your will. Though whatever element you used today was extremely potent.”

Milli grabbed a much smaller bottle and popped the cork on it. “This will help with the pain.” She said as she offered it to Lumina.

Finally getting a better feel for what exactly was injured, Lumina used only her right hand to help herself sit up, then grabbed the bottle and chugged the entire thing. “Careful now! The last thing I need is for Elrin to think that all I did was teach you how to drink.” Milli said half concerned and half-jokingly.

“But I graduated.” Lumina said a smile creeping on her face. She wanted to jump for joy, but her body told her otherwise. “Finally, after 2 years.”

“You managed to hit me.” Milli replied. Lumina looked at Milli. “You were actually going to kill me!” She accused the large woman. Milli simply shrugged and took another drink.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“If I remember correctly, you came to me 2 years ago, begging me to train you without restraint. You, a small little Fereece who had given up on trying to live a normal life.” Lumina looked away, remembering that day very clearly.

> Fereece are a hybrid breed of Humans and Furans (see post chapter note). They look mostly human and carry noticeable traits from their animal lineage. This can take many forms including claws, teeth and even fur. Though most commonly Fereece look human but with ears and a tail.

“It really isn’t your fault; people just can’t seem to get past the ears and tail. Your kind have a really bad history following them around. Take those few defining features away, and no one would be able to tell the difference between you and a human.” Milli said as she took a seat.

Lumina sighed, “It would have been nice to settle down in Woodvale and live a normal life, but it’s as you said. The people know me, I grew up there, went to school. And yet, no one would accept me. You and uncle Elrin were really the only ones that cared for me, and it’s mostly because of my mom.”

Milli couldn’t help but also sigh thinking about her deceased friend. “While it’s true that your mother showed me Fereece could be more than mischievous little thieves, I would have come to accept you soon enough. I mean I did start training you how to use a sword when you were four.”

Lumina laughed briefly, her body still ached, “I still remember uncle Elrin’s reaction when he saw me swinging a sword.”

“He almost lost it. He was really against the idea about letting a toddler hold a sword.” Milli reminisced as she took another drink, “He was probably right. But look how you turned out. A strong fierce warrior that had the courage to charge at me more than once.”

“You were going to actually kill me!” Lumina retorted as she looked at her teacher angrily. Milli just shook her head, “I told you right from the start. There was a good chance you wouldn’t survive, let alone actually succeed. Besides, that was only the tenth time you almost died in the two years we trained.”

“This time was different though! I mean… wait. That was the twentieth time!” Milli waved her hand, “Ten? Twenty? It doesn’t matter, I usually stop counting after five.” She replied to Lumina.

Lumina couldn’t help but let a small growl escape her lips, “Those were different. The other times were because I made a mistake or didn’t move fast enough. This time you were intentionally going to kill me! I mean you’re practically my mom! You took me in when mine died!” She couldn’t help but feel anger well up inside her.

Milli refilled Lumina’s smaller bottle from her own. “I owed your mom at least that much. Lucina was a bright and intelligent warrior. She had complete mastery over the element of water and could still give me trouble in a non-magical duel. I’m sorry I couldn’t save her when we went to stop Genesis.”

“My mom made her choice. The world was in danger of annihilation, and she knew that you guys would need her help to take that monster down. I don’t even really remember her face.” Lumina looked up into the starry sky trying to remember.

“We’ve already been over this. Aside from the silver hair, you are the spitting image of your mother. Right down to that bushy tail of yours.” Milli replied.

“I just wish I could have seen her you know?” She stared into the fire obviously trying to remember anything she could. “As weird as it sounds, today felt like I was sparring against your mom.”

Lumina smiled slightly, then Milli continued on in a joking manner, “Though your mom would have actually hit me more than just once, and it would have been a purpose.” Lumina picked up a nearby rock and threw it at Milli, to which the woman easily caught and crushed it to dust with one hand. “I give credit where credit is due. You still have a long way to go, but you are more than strong enough to strike out on your own adventure now.”