Company

--

He had been told that he couldn't loiter around the gate. Nor did he wish to create any trouble for the two guards just doing their job.

'I probably could though, now.'

He physically recoiled from the thought, like he had bit into a rotten lemon. He despised the young master types throwing their weight around. There were quite a few of them visiting magic equipment shops.

That did leave him without much to do. As he walked away, the ground lit in a cold red light as an orb popped up in the sky. The Lost Moon, as it was called, had surfaced again. Rightfully known as the capricious one, it had no real schedule of appearance, nor any discernible long term behavior.

He had always loved the whimsical thing, but common folk feared the Lost Moon, the eery red light didn't help either. It had so many names - the devil's eye, Two-face, the trickster - each with a sizeable lore. Some said it signified death, believing Wilds were sent by an orb of rock like the larger, sedate Lune. The Red Church asserted the Lost Moon was their patron god and very much alive.

The stories originated all over the Nas continent, each showing a different facet of this enigmatic thing. Though all present it as notorious at best, and a villain at worst. One thing everyone agreed upon, along with the notorious fickleness, was the mana pressure it exerted. It truly did create mana tides, taking away mana with it when it was gone, and then bringing it all back in a massive torrent as it appeared.

'Hmm, the mana does feel stronger', he thought.

He felt fresh, reinvigorated, his newfound sense tingling. At the same time, he felt drunk with euphoria and anticipation, wanting to test if his epiphany from last night still worked. He chose a particularly grotesque looking tree by the roadside. Going over the steps of the exercise again, his expressions shifted. He had no trouble at all to chug a massive bolt at the tree. It literally shattered, bolt continuing on to hit a couple more behind it.

The cracking and crashing had been really loud, almost and explosion. The guards must have climbed back up as lanterns became visible over the town wall.

He had enough wits to rush away and not scare the guards anymore. Entering a copse of trees near the road, he found a clearing. The place had a few smoothed tree stumps, circles of stone for campfires, a couple broken tools and wooden debris. The place appeared well maintained. 'Traders probably camp here.'

It seemed good enough. There was a trash pile to one size, away from the road, towards the deeper forest. Picking a wide knee height stump, he fell into a trance, recovering his mana.

The mana had a will of its own. It rushed into him. There was so much that he played with it. Mana clung to his palms, putty in his hands. He acknowledged his feelings and incorporated them into his awareness.

His expressions shifted as like the faces of a moon. Dark sometimes, the mana disappearing from the view completely. Then it came back bright like the accompanying smile. Every once in a while, he made small breakthroughs - making waves or shapes, pulling in the mana within his body and bringing it out again, packing it denser. The mana glowed, a bright voilet, which hadn't been the case earlier.

"More likely that it had not been noticeable during the the day."

He tried throwing it, not getting any results.

'Understandable really. No idea why all this even works at all. But it's fun.'

He found himself enjoying himself, discovering all the various ways the mana worked. He was certain it was mana. It just felt right. And matched everything he had known, slowly matching that feeling of using a tool. He was not as exhausted as he expected to be. Rather, he would feel completely recharged each time he breathed in and centered himself for a bit.

Next, he was piling mana with both hands facing up to see how large a heap he could make.

"Mate, mighty confident, aren't you?"

"That's a lotcha magic. Plan to blow us up or something?"

Two voices appeared behind him in the clearing, about 10 paces away. He had been facing away from the road to avoid accidental damage like earlier. Which meant his back was open.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

'Three. Sound like teenagers.'

He wasn't yet sure how to dissipate so much mana so he continued holding the pile, as he twisted his neck to look around.

A tall and a fat guy in armor stood together in a corner of the clearing. Slightly to one side, a girl in leather overalls sat on her haunches, staring at him with wide eyes. They seemed pretty comfortable waiting where they were. It felt like they had been there for some time as well.

"It's not nice sneaking up on people."

Slowly, Tommy pulled the mana back into himself, natural as a rag dropped over spilled wine, effortless. And then realized his stupidity. It was dark again. He was alone at night at the border of the woods outside a new town with no one else around but three unknown teenagers who were clearly armed.

'The fat one has a big wooden bat, I think...'

Tommy couldn't find it in him to speak. All sorts of paranoid thoughts occupied him, his face going pale. 'Should I run?'

"Better. You were glowing like a torch." said the tall boy.

Tommy could tell he was older, a head taller than Tommy, and likely the leader of the trio. Tommy pressed down his anxiety, and tried to project confidence.

"My apologies. I was practicing."

He tried to get up to leave. But he couldn't. Controlling such large amount seemed to have drained him. So, he went with bluffing.

"Anyway, make yourselves comfortable, don't mind me."

"Leader, he sounds like a wuss."

"Ah, don't mind Dagger. We were also enjoying the show."

The tall guy spoke while he made sparks with a tinderbox.

"Not often we run into a noble mage showing off out here in the boonies."

The fire got going, bringing dim light back into the clearing. Along with the moonlight, it was enough to see the three properly, now that his eyes readjusted to the darkness.

The three were at ease, not really preparing to attack. Instead, they busied themselves clearing up the area around the fire.

"Right? I have never seen that color before. It was so big too!" said the fat one.

'Of course. I am a dumbass. This is the Academy. Students are royalty to these folk.'

As he spoke, he put down the huge round shield he had been carrying and started taking out things from an equally large pack that laid by his side. He was... humming. The other guy, likely the leader, grabbed sticks out of a bundle, stacking them in the pit, one after the other. Even the girl, concentrated as she was in sharpening some knives, looked harmless, her tongue hanging out and up.

Tommy took in everything while he focused on recovering feeling in his limbs.

Meanwhile, the leader continued,

"We didn't mean to be rude, mate. Would you like join us for breakfast? Your lightshow bagged us a couple rabbits, so we owe you."

"I caught them." said the girl, her tone offended.

"Dagger, these cuties were standing up and still staring at him while you walked up and twisted their necks."

"Fair enough. I still caught them. I get a say."

"And I am the one cooking. I'll make stir fry if he stays. Otherwise, it's soup."

"Not fair, Fatty." the girl said, who then turned to Tommy, "You can stay."

"Umm.. I haven't agreed to this yet."

"Surely some food after practice would do good. Eh, mate?"

Tommy thought about it. Properly. There really were two big white rabbits, hanging upside down, tied by their tails. Tommy was hungry too.

'I could leave. These are certainly normal folk. Young hunters or foragers maybe. Seem nice enough.'

He brought some mana back to his hand, just to see if they'd react. They weren't spooked or angered by the reappearing light either. Instead, there was a lull in the activity as they smiled.

"Cool!"

"Yeah, continue practice. We'll call you when it's ready."

He remembered his anticipation for mana shows when he was young. The three had same excitement on their faces. 'So... normal'

"You know what, I would appreciate a hot meal."