*Oscar POV*

I wake up with a start.  At first I’m confused, I’m not in my bed and since when do I sleep in trees?  Then it all comes rushing back to me, and yet again I feel nothing but calm; almost as if this were some regular occurrence for me, despite it quite obviously being not.

Monk is hanging upside down by his tail to my left.  He looks a little irritated, but then sighs in relief when he sees I’m awake.

“You know, you kick like crazy in your sleep.  I fear for your future wife, you may break her legs with how much you kick.” Monk

‘Can’t argue with that.’

I have a long history of waking up without the blankets I went to bed in.  Once I tried tying my legs together, just to see if It would work.  To my genuine surprise, I snapped the string I used.

It’s currently dawn, and rays from the sun are slowly forcing the fog that hangs above the trees retreat back into the ground.  Now that I really look at it, these trees are all showing signs of autumn, meaning winter isn’t long behind.  I’m surprised I woke up warm, seeing how I have no clothing and world should be getting far too cold.  For now I’ll chalk it up to luck, wouldn’t be the first thing I find weird about my physiology, but I still need to get clothes.  My wings should just phase through anything, so normal people clothes should still fit me.

‘My wings…’

“Hey, Monk, you said people have probably been hunting down the other Fae, right?” Oscar

He nods his head.

“Well, what happens if they see my wings?  I’m guessing these are a pretty common trait, seeing how fairies are always depicted with them.” Oscar

He just waves his hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry about it.  Your wings are incorporeal, unless awakened, even then their not as tangible as you might think.  In reality, I can’t actually see your wings right now.  It’s similar to your genitalia, just not as powerful.  So unless they get high as fuck, you're good.” Monk

I raise an eyebrow.

“High as fuck?” Oscar

He simply grins

“Why do you think they call em ‘Magic Mushrooms.’” Monk

“Oh har har.  But seriously, do they allow people to see my wings.” Oscar

He chuckles, shaking his head in a no, staring off into the sunrise.  I can’t help but think about how my current situation compares to my old life.  While looking at the very beautiful sunrise, I ask the question that has so far been raging in my head.

“So, I’m guessing my life has gotten one hell of a lot harder?” Oscar

“Fraid so.  Thankfully, you have your own personal wish granting device!  AKA, mua!” Monk

He said the last part while gesturing to himself as if he were doing a theatrical introduction.  The fact that he is upside down, and a monkey, only makes the gesture look stranger.  I begin to think on what he has told me.

“Wait, so I could just wish you to release them all?  The Fae, that is.” Oscar

He sighs dejectedly, shaking his head in a no.

“Even if I still had the power to do so, the way this world was built stops me.  It seems to restrict my power, same as yours.  I barely even noticed it, but you have gotten one hell of a lot weaker since you got here.  Let me guess, you can barely even see auras now, can’t you?” Monk

I focus on the monkey, and am dreadfully surprised by the result.  I have always been able to see people's auras, it’s a little weird, but it has made me better at gauging people.  If I had adrenaline in my system, it’s almost as if it naturally slides into place above mine, but if I’m calm I need to focus on what I want to ‘see’.

I’m coming up short, no matter how hard I focus.  This is a first for me.  

“Guessing from your expression, you can’t.  Well, shit.  I was hoping that your body wouldn’t rely so much on mana to fuel it, but I see my hopes were misplaced.  Unlike your previous body, this one is mostly held together by mana, meaning you go through the stuff like food.  It’s a Fae’s greatest weakness, and you have it.  So, while your mana pool would be enormous for a more corporeal being, it’s average for your purposes.  It’s why you were aging like crap back on earth.  You shouldn’t have that many greys with how young you were… oh good, he’s back up!” Monk

I look at him questioningly, until I hear that same inhuman, thundering voice that Gung had.  Weird thing is…

It’s in my head.

[Why is it that everytime I wake up from a binding, you seem to be trying to attempting to strike a pose?]

I had my eyes trained on the now glowing brand that seems to have grown, since it now extends from my wrist to my shoulder.  The style seems to have taken a more celtic style, like illuminated manuscript, however there are some remnants of the norse design in certain characters.  It seems to have depicted a grand story, but without context, I can’t make much of it.  It must have changed one hell of alot while I was asleep.  However I can’t help but look at Monk, seeking answers to what he means.  

It would appear that while I was inspecting the brand, he was making an, upside down, heroic pose.  He’s currently doing the one where he has both of his hands on his hips and, while it usually depicts them looking of into the distance, is looking straight at us.  His pendulum like swinging though, that just makes it all the weirder.  If recent events, and the fact that he’s an asshole, weren’t clouding my point of view, I would actually find this laugh worthy.  Now it simply elicits a glare.

He shrugs and then decides it’s time to get onto my branch.

“Alright, now that Gung’s back up, we can get to training.  As a Fae, you don’t train your body like a normal human.  Every cell in your body uses mana as a part of it, so you train your mana, not your body.  Tuatha Da Danann are equal parts mage and warrior, and while they can train in both, neither will ever amount to the capabilities of one who trains in both.” Monk

“So how do I train my mana?” Oscar

He gets what I can only call a sadistic grin on his face, a sadistic glint in his eyes, and he is also rubbing his hands together.  He is starting to scare me.  The illusion is shattered the instant he goes into teacher mode.

“You need to circulate your mana throughout your body, and open your acupuncture points.” Monk

The sadist look returns with a vengeance.

“And I’ll take care of the acupuncture.  Gung, hold him down.” Monk

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Just then, Gung’s brand flared up again like when he was talking.  My entire body went rigid, and I wasn’t in control anymore.  I still had control of stuff like my mouth and eyes, but otherwise, stiff.  I look between Monk and Gung several times.  Something about the whole atmosphere was terrifying me.

“Why are you looking at me like that for?  I thought acupuncture was supposed to be relaxing?” Oscar

Monk starts walking towards me slowly, almost as if her were trying to play the role of a horror movie killer.  However, his tone of voice was completely different.  It was just like him when he’s in teacher mode, as I like to call it.

“Oh, acupuncture is relaxing, when it’s only purpose is relaxation.  However, I’m going to strengthen your acupuncture points.  Which means…” Monk

His tail stops swishing and now it starts glowing with a red light.  It makes him look even more like a serial killer.

“I am going to be forcing my mana into your body, until you’re capable of resisting.  Gung, wanna bet how long it takes?” Monk

[Two hours per cluster.  Three if he doesn’t take after his mother.]

“I’m thinking one and a half, you seem to be underestimating his father.  That guy was scarier than his mother, when the time called for it.” Monk

I don’t know why, but a cold sweat has slowly started to form on the back of my neck.  

“Is this going to hurt?” Oscar

Both reply yes in unison.  I let out a very loud gulping sound.

Seriously, how the hell did I get into this situation?

*Vira POV*

‘I can’t stand that Scryer!  Complaining to himself about how bored he is one instant, and then going on and on and ON about how important his work is!  At least I get to leave this fucking temple for once!  Why do they even call it a temple?!  There aren’t even any monuments to the Old Ones or the Eternal King!  It’s just that fucking pool of half-demon blood!  That’s it!’

I make my way to the Demon Hunter training grounds.  These assholes were even worse than the Scryer.  Every minute of every day is spent with only one word.

Training.

These people were maniacs when it came to training.  Some of them were even reaching two hundred years old, with training being their only habit.

Demon hunters, unlike acolytes, were volunteers.  Many came from families whose homes were ravaged by Demons and their half-demon spawn, others came for fame and glory, and the last were bastard nobles and other rejects from nobility.

I really don’t like the last two, though some bastards are pretty nice.

I enter the training ground, a smell of sweat and sound exhausted grunts greet me.  Everywhere I look, there are men and women training with swords, spears, and just about anything they can think of against one another.  They all wear exceptionally heavy training armour, though it is also designed just to be heavy while at the same time doing little to protect them.  This is done to both tire them out and maximize the subsequent pain they feel to get them ready for both pain and fatigue.

They're also fucking terrifying, cause everyones all smiles.  I think they actually enjoy it.

In another section of the area, there are the mages of the Demon Hunters.  They are sitting, but also forming sweat on their brow as swell as being sporadically being exposed to all manner of stimuli to strengthen their ability to maintain focus.  They have everything, from putrid food, to hot pokers, there’s even a few whores here on most days.  I seem to have been lucky in getting here when there were none of those.

I stand on the podium that is placed here for when Acolytes such, as I need, to announce the missions for Demon Hunters.  Once I stand on it, a quick shout from the training officers tells the others that I’m here.

Everyone looks at me with hungry eyes, though they're not hungry for me, as I’ve come to find out.  It’s not my first time being here, though it is the first time I’ll be on a mission with them.

I clear my throat and then make the announcement.

“Hello, a Demonic presence has been discovered by the Pool of Sight.  It read the presence to be located in Godric’s Grove.  However!  This presence has somehow confused the pool, preventing it from tracking the presence, and at the same time, may in fact be preventing the pool from tracking other Demon-kin.  We must capture this Demon-kin, interrogate it; and then, if it has not already died, kill it and burn the body.  Without the pool, we will also need to track it by ourselves.  And yes, I will be going along with you on this mission.  We will be making daily reports to the Scryer, and my job is to handle the Communication Stone.  I need a team ready within the hour.” Vira

One of the captains came forward, he was an old man with bulging muscles and two many scars to count on his large body.  He wears an eyepatch, meaning he lost an eye.  He had grey stubble and messy grey hair.  There were claw marks going from his temple to his chin, on the side his eyepatch was on.  The man was a veteran of the Great Scurging, going off his age and wounds.  A lucky one at that.  Most people don’t get away when their head seems to have been free game to a Demon.

He walks up to the podium and turns around, letting out a bellowing and deep shout to the entire building.

“TORIN'S SQUAD!!  FRONT AND CENTER, NOOOWWW!!” Captain Crazy

I had to cover my ears after that, a little ringing present somehow.

After a few moments wait, I could hear running coming from the barracks that overlooks the entire training area.  The door to the barracks swings open and seven young Demon Hunters come through.  They don’t look all that much older than me.  They were all standing at attention though one of them, a man, seemed rather flushed; and half dressed, for that matter.  The one standing in the center, a black haired man wearing a helmet that covers most of his face, speaks.

“Torin, reporting for duty!  All squadmates, present!  Ready for briefing!” Torin

Captain Crazy looks at all of them before stopping at the half-naked one.  He goes rigid under the captain's gaze and, despite being flushed from embarrassment, he goes bone white.  The captain then speaks in a calm, almost mocking tone.

“All of you will go to the stables, and then get to Godric’s Grove.  The lady will give you the briefing on the way.  Consider this you’re test.” Captain

He then walked back to the training yard along with some amused looking Demon Hunters.

I think I can also see a few whores entering the magic training area through their usual entrance.

‘I am so glad all I have to deal with is a boring temple and asshole Scryers.’