My herd had gathered at the hills near the city of the ‘cursed’. That name had always sounded so wrong to me. In just what way were they cursed? Because they were born different from us? Had I known what we were gathering for beforehand, I would never have come. Embric Greymane, the eldest of our herd, had led us here on what he called a hunting expedition.

It wasn’t until now, when the city was in view, that I knew what sort of prey he intended to hunt. The Greymane had always had a hateful view of the cursed. He would refuse contact with them, or any of their known associates, and would openly complain about their mere existence. “Get ready.” He said, a mad look in his eye. “Today, we shall cleanse this land of the cursed plague.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. Knowing the possible consequences for my actions, I trotted up to stand in front of him. “Please, there must be another way.” I begged, not wanting to see blood spilt between the herds. “This can’t be the answer.”

However, the Greymane only gave me a cold look. “This is the only answer. They are an abomination to our people and our god.” Greymane had always sought to follow the teachings of Tryval, but his version of the teachings was… skewed.

“Greymane… How can they be an abomination to our god? You’ve heard the stories! Tryval once stood with the ‘cursed’, sheltering them.” In the oldest tales, whispered amongst the Greymanes, there was a time when the cursed had been the target of killings at birth. However, to stop this, Tryval himself walked the plains.

Anyone who gave birth to a cursed would be visited by Him. They would have two choices, raise the foal themselves, or he would raise them in his own herd. Those who stubbornly chose to still attack the foal would be killed before they could lift a hoof, and the foal would still be taken with Tryval. Later, he led the cursed to aid various herds, displaying the power of the cursed.

Yet, it was this same power that earned them their name. They possessed a power so naturally that none of us were able to fathom. Whether it the ability to fly through the sky upon the wings of a bird, or shoot flames from their fingertips. Some thought that they had been cursed by Tryval, cursed to live with their ‘deformities’ for their entire life. That the only reason he did not allow their death was because they had not lived out their punishment.

“Silence, boy!” The Greymane snarled out, reaching for his bow. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Those are just stories made up by them to buy acceptance.” As he spoke, he grabbed a single arrow from the quiver on his back. “They preach of following Tryval’s teachings, to accept one another, yet they hide in their walls to disguise their shame.”

I flinched as I saw the Greymane grabbing his bow. Yet, if I stopped here, and joined their ‘hunt’, my protests would have been for nothing. I would have only been walking a path I did not believe, one that could only end in bloodshed. “I can’t agree to this.” I shook my head, turning my body away from the Greyman. If he wished to shoot me, he would have to shoot me in the back.

“I will follow the teachings.” I spoke, slowly beginning to trot away from the herd. Almost without meaning to, I spoke out the first of the teachings. “The plains are my home, and its people are my people.” I wanted to warn the cursed at the Hold, but that would mean betraying my herd even further. I could only choose to wander on my own.

I felt a chill settling down my spine, and felt that the Greymane may truly fire his arrow at me. Although he has aged greatly, the Power of the World that he had obtained was equally great. Compared to me, who lacked the talent for fighting, he would likely be able to kill me with a single arrow. So, I did the only thing that could ensure my survival. My trot quickly increased to a gallop, and I brought myself as far away as my hooves could carry me.

By the time I stopped, the sun was beginning to set over the plains. The spear in my hand was shaking, a weapon that I had never truly mastered. Yet now, I had no choice. I would need to fend for myself without the herd. My stomach was empty, and I could see no herbs to pick.

My first hunt alone… I gripped my spear in my hands, determined not to die so easily. If it was just hunting a single meal, even I could do that! Closing my eyes, I focused on my surroundings. I called on my own Power of the World, the Power of the Scout. With this, I could easily memorize any location I had traversed, or search my surroundings.

I was currently doing the latter, searching the area for any small animals that could be hunted, or any herbs that could be eaten. My Power soon answered me, alerting me to the existence of some herbs nearby, buried just beneath the soil. There were also several animals just a short distance away that I could hunt.

However, the Power also warned me. In the skies above, a Lightning Striker was beginning its descent. Its feathers glowed with a golden color, crackling with energy. I could tell that it was moving in to attack, and that the target of its attack was me. Panic begin to surge up inside of me.

Lightning Strikers were often feared among the herds. Their speed was far greater than a normal centaur’s, and their talons could easily dig into our flesh. It took great luck to bring a single one down, and that was when an entire herd attacked a single one. For a lone centaur like me to be found was nothing short of a call to die.

I closed my eyes and galloped ahead, pushing my tired body as far as it could go. My eyes were closed, ready to accept my fate. However, it was at this time that I heard a young voice calling out, one that could not have possibly been there. My Power had just scanned the area, and there was no centaur within a hundred lengths.

“Guided Flame.” The voice spoke, and I felt a scorching heat fly past me on either side. A moment later, I heard a shrill scream from behind me, and something crashing into the ground. I felt my hooves slow down, my eyes opening as I looked back in shock.

The Lightning Striker that had just been diving towards me had landed a few lengths behind me, crying out in pain as its feathers were burning. At the same time, a figure stepped past me, grabbing the spear from my hand. “Sorry, I need to borrow this.” He said, before he pointed it at the bird.

For a moment, I felt a strange feeling of powerlessness when I looked at him. His hair was golden, reaching down just past his shoulders. His chest seemed to lack any sort of muscle tone, rather possessing a slim body. His lower body was much the same, golden and slim, though seeming to contain more power than his appearance told.

When he pulled the spear back to throw, I began to feel fear, greater than what I had felt when my own life was in danger moments before. When the spear was thrown, it was as if the very air itself had collapsed around it. It shot through the air faster than any arrow I had seen, crashing into the Lightning Striker with enough force to shatter the spear itself.

However, the damage done to the Lightning Striker was even greater. The red Life Bar above its head, which had been steadily dwindling from the flames, blinked out of existence all at once, signaling that the bird had been slain with that one hit. The man walking next to me frowned, but shook his head in resignation.

It was only now that I noticed the horn protruding almost two hands long, sticking directly from his forehead. A cursed, one of the unicorn breed as they called themselves. The golden unicorn turned to me with an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I wasn’t expecting it to break. I’ll help you get a new one later.”

His smile seemed so genuine, and the frightening strength that I felt from before seemed like a lie. Right now, he seemed to be no stronger than even me. “No… it’s okay. Thank you for saving me.” I wanted so badly to tell him about the attack my herd had been preparing for. But, by now the attack would have already ended. My herd… they were probably all dead by now.

“I insist.” He said, nodding his head decisively. It was at this point that I noticed something odd. He did not have a leather satchel on his back. By now, it was common to see any centaur, especially those travelling alone, with such satchels in order to store Promise Scrolls. To not have one could only mean that he was able to completely provide for himself, or that he never left the area near his herd.

“O-okay.” I stuttered, remembering the shocking power that he had displayed. “What’s your name?”

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“You can call me Dalin. Yourself?” He hesitated somewhat before answering, as if unprepared for my question.

“Ah! Sorry, that was rude of me. I’m Ashur…” I completely forgot to introduce myself in my curiosity. I was still trying to understand what sort of Power he had comprehended that would allow him to take down a Lightning Strike by himself.

“Don’t mind it. Anyways, you seem to be without your herd?” He asks curiously, looking back in the direction I came from. I could still feel the chill that had crept down my spine when I galloped away, so I did not bother to follow his gaze. I simply nodded my head, instead. “I see, that’s unfortunate. Someone at your level probably won’t be able to last once the predators begin to show themselves.” Stating that much, he seemed to have a troubled face.

“It is alright.” I shook my head in response, thinking back to the power he used just a moment ago. If I was able to use that curse power, then surviving on my own wouldn’t even be an issue. Sadly, that was only a dream for someone like me.

At least, that’s what I thought, until Dalin looked at me seriously, as if having decided on something. “Well then, shall I help you become strong?”

I chuckled wryly, looking at the golden unicorn in front of me. “You know that we can’t learn the curse powers. Please don’t make fun of me.”

“The curse… oh, you mean magic. No, well, you probably could, I think. It might just be really hard.” He spoke, mostly to himself as his voice lowered, before shaking his head again. “Anyways, that’s not what I meant. There’s another power that you can learn. One that’s every bit as strong as the ‘curse power’.”

“Yeah, and what exactly is that?” I asked, feeling as if he was still joking. Still, it is true that he saved my life. I can entertain him for an evening if need be.

“A power that is hidden inside everyone, regardless of whether they are ‘cursed’ or not.” As he spoke, he placed a hand on my shoulder. I could feel a strange warmth passing through his hand and into me, flowing through my body. It stopped at my hearts, and for a moment I thought this might be some killing curse power. However, it simply stayed there, passing through me a moment later as if nothing had happened.

This was my first time feeling such a Power myself. “What… what Power was that?” Was it truly something that even a centaur could learn? If it was… that could change everything.

“That is the power of a monk.” He said casually, taking his hand from my shoulder. “It can strengthen most physical powers, such as the spear throw I made earlier.”

“How do I acquire that Power?” Although everyone had their own Powers, it was a well known fact that there were certain methods to unlocking them. For instance, my Power of the Scout came from wandering the plains and committing them to memory. Embric’s Power of the Archer came from his constant training with a bow.

Dalin made a troubled face again for a moment, before nodding to himself. “You can acquire the… Power, by finding it within yourself. Close your eyes and focus, remember the feeling you had just now. That is the secret to awakening that Power.”

I truly wanted to do exactly that, and find that Power within myself. But at the moment, I just felt… empty. Not just because I had left behind my entire life, or that my herd had already likely died in a suicidal battle to eliminate the cursed. There was also a low rumbling from my underbelly that was painfully distracting.

Hearing the rather obvious signs of hunger, Dalin simply laughed. “Go ahead and eat. You can keep the bird, if you know how to cook it.”

With a thankful nod, I accepted his offer. It was not exactly proper for me to claim his kill, but at the same time it was true that I needed to eat. And, with his lack of Promise Scrolls, he was likely not carrying the tools needed to clean and cook an animal. Did he prefer to eat herbs instead?

My suspicions were thrown off when Dalin requested to have a portion of the bird cooked for himself. My Power of the Chef was not very great, but I did my best in preparing it, going so far as to sprinkle some herbs I found onto the fire in an attempt to add more flavor. Though, in my eagerness to create a good meal, I fear I may have gone a bit overboard. Although he still ate the portion that was offered to him, his cramped face suggested that it was not entirely to his liking.

It was only after we had eaten our fill did I finally take his advice to seek out the Power of the Monk. To my knowledge, none of the other Powers could be found inside of a person as he was suggesting this was. They all required some special action or training to achieve. Yet, with how confidently he had spoken about this, I felt the need to at least make an attempt.

So, I stood there, my eyes closed as I tried to feel every corner of my body. I could feel my muscles flex, my heart beat, and my tail flip. But, no matter how I tried, I could not find the Power he spoke of. I was just about to give up when I felt his hand tapping my shoulder again, sending some more of the Power into my body.

It was only then that I felt something stir inside of myself. It felt as if the energy was radiating within my hearts, calling out to the Power he sent into me. My mind leapt with joy as I immediately tried to control that Power. I could already feel it settling back inside my hearts, but at this point I knew where to look for it.

I heard a familiar tone in my mind as I reached that Power, but I couldn’t afford to pay attention to it yet. I knew what the tone meant, and as soon as it ended the energy within my hearts seemed to swell up like a storm. Although it was noticeably weaker than what Dalin used, I could feel it slowly filling my entire body. And, when I opened my eyes, my hopes were proven true.

You have attained the Power of the Monk!

I almost reared up in joy. Thankfully I didn’t, or I might have accidentally kicked Dalin who was standing in front of me. Seeing my excitement, he nodded slightly. “Good, it looks like it worked. Now, you should be careful with this power, because it could easily injure you if mishandled.”

I nodded my head quickly, feeling my eyes begin to water as I realized the importance of this gift. To my knowledge, I was the first person outside of the cursed that had ever received a type of Power like this. I quickly checked my Condition to see what changes there were.

Name

Ashur

Race

Centaur

Life

181/181

Strength

12

Ki

21/21

Stamina

9

Intelligence

5

Dexterity

12

Wisdom

11

Luck

6

Charm

7

Power List

Archer 4

Carpenter 6

Chef 2

Herbalist 5

Hunter 3

Monk 1

Scholar 11

Scout 13

Warrior 3

The numbers were still largely mysterious, and many had not figured out their purpose or the method to raise them. But, some had rather obvious effects befitting their names. What made me happiest was the new entries for Ki and the Power of the Monk. There was also a second line to my list of Powers, something that hadn’t been there before. It made me wonder, just how many Powers existed?

“Just… how should I use this Power?” I asked Dalin cautiously. It wasn’t that I did not trust him to answer truthfully. After all, he had given me this power without a price at all. Even if he were to ask me to fight for him, it would be an easy decision. Rather, I did not trust this strange Power itself. This was a Power that had been born inside of me, not one that I had trained to awaken. It was different from any Power I knew, so how could I place my faith in it so easily?

“Right now, you should not have very much ki. There are several other Powers that would help that grow more easily. If you can tell me what Powers you have already learned, I should be able to help.” Dalin stated calmly, still smiling at me.

After I listed my Powers one by one as they appeared in my Condition, he gave a small nod. “The ‘Power of the Herbalist’ is the best choice to increase your ki. Although Scholar and Carpenter would also help, it will be much more slowly.”

With his assessment, I couldn’t help but be rendered speechless. Herbalist, really? “But, Dalin, how is it that that Power is the one that would help the most? Surely, the Powers of the Monk and Herbalist have no relation?”

When I asked that, Dalin seemed to have a troubled face, as if he was unsure how to answer the question. It was possible for Carpenter to help through the training of the body, or Scholar to help by learning more about the power, but Herbalist? “Well, naturally training the Monk will give the most benefit over all, but it is hard to train it without having enough ki. As for why Herbalist helps… Being able to identify healing herbs and those that can strengthen the body would have an impact on this energy that comes from the body.”

I was not entirely sure that I believed his answer, but there was some sense to it. “Very well… I shall try. But, you did not answer how I am to use this Power safely?”

Hearing that, Dalin nodded his head. “First, until your Power is stronger, you should make sure not to use it on your legs. Putting too much strength into them might break them if you are not careful.” He began lecturing me on the ways he knew for the usage of ki. After which, he even went a step forward, explaining to me even more energies that I never knew about.

These extra energies were the ‘curse’ power, which he referred to as magic, the power of the soul, and the power of the world itself. He spoke long into the evening, into the night, as if he felt no fatigue from his journey. It wasn’t until I felt that I had no strength to remain awake that he finally stopped. As I was alone, he offered to watch over me for the night, in order to ensure that no predators attacked. I was not even able to answer before my upper back relaxed, and I felt my thoughts fade away.