There was a day within that 10-15 year span when I saw a stranger on the continent. I had granted knowledge to a beast when I heard someone behind me say something. "What's going on here? You don't normally see anyone out here." They looked like they'd just come from a city, their clothes were neat, Fenzoshu and Iastea fashion from what I remember. I couldn't tell if they had any visible Blessings, so I wasn't sure if they were Human or Shaji, or mixed. But they didn't have anyone else with them. Seemingly no way here, no one around, doesn't look like they've been out here for longer than an hour.‌

"No. You don't seem to be from around these parts either." I didn't want to say that I've been here, but I could only imagine from my roughed up clothes and unkempt hair that I couldn't have looked like I've only been here a short time.‌

"I was simply checking the land, I hear no one has been here for many years." I'm sure.‌

"I don't think anyone's had a reason to come here. There are plenty of rich resources everywhere and no existing settlements would make it difficult for trading."‌

"Of course. But if you wanted to be alone, this would certainly be the place." There was a silence between us. Neither of us wanted to show our hand. I wasn't sure how to get more info out of them without revealing more of my own, but there is always a gamble.‌

"Anything in particular you're looking for? I've only been here for awhile but I can tell you what I know." Just feign ignorance, we weren't near the home I had built, so I would count myself as lucky.‌

"You haven't happen to have seen anyone else out here?"‌

"No. Just you."‌

"What are you doing out here? I don't believe I asked."‌

"Nothing particular, just examining the beasts." Not entirely false but should be good enough.‌

"Oh, are you a researcher of sorts?"‌

"No. Just an artist. I'm compiling all the differences of various similar beasts from around the world." As long as they don't probe it too much, this should be a simple lie.‌

"An artist but you've been out here for some time, doesn't seem like the kind of place an artist would be."‌

"Art is pain, as they say."‌

"How did you get here?"‌

"By boat of course. There really isn't any other way to travel to such an unknown land." ‌

"This is true, but I didn't see any boats docked here, nor is there any place to dock them."‌

"Well, it's a small one, I came in from the south."‌

"Funny that, I came in from the south as well." Yet you came from the north. "If it was a small one, it might've gotten washed away. Do you need a way back?" I could leave for a short time back to Iastea or Xocha and pick up some supplies. Only problem is that I don't have any money for either. Though being away from Niki might cause her some alarm, but it wouldn't be anything new to be gone for some stretches of time. seemed like I could only disappear from people's lives for periods of time. Maybe this is why I never really made connections.‌

"Ah, I guess a trip back to Xocha would be appreciated but if my boat was washed away then so was any money I was carrying with me."‌

"Strange to have money with you but be based out of Xocha." Great.‌

"Ah, well, it'd be for supplies, I'm not done here yet and my supplies are running low, or rather, they're gone now, and Xocha would be the closest place. I'm actually based out of Omadoriand." I just wanted them to stop asking questions and let things go. "Are you from Iastea?"‌

"Yes. I am just a simple land owner looking to expand." I doubt that, the Fenzoshu clothes don't exactly say you're a land owner of any kind, but there wasn't much I could have gotten out of them.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

I noticed their face suddenly had a faint expression of surprise, the next thing I knew, a splitting pain through my lower left gut. Instinctively putting my hand down by the pain, I wasn't sure what had happened. Did I catch something? I was then lifted and thrown to the side. The boar had awakened. I had taken my mind off of it and completely forgot about it. I could hear the sound of wind cracking, did I give it some kind of wind knowledge? Suddenly my mind was just blank of what I did with it. How silly of me. This person, what I could only assume is a Shaji, was light on their feet and holding nothing, but it would appear that they had a grip on something in their left hand. The boar charged at them, back and forth, I could see blood slashed into the air with the sound of a sharp crack. It was like they were using a whip. The boar had flames coming from its mouth with each breath. Its tusks began to glow a faint orange. It was just like the other one. Beasts had to be self Shapers or Augmentors. Standing to my feet, I got ready for when the boar came closer to me. Throwing a small crystal of blood into it, I quickly Shaped it to expand and amass with the blood within it to make a large crystal blood spike forth. I knew the only way this was gonna stop was with it dying. It fell to the ground with some speed at the Shaji, who in response to me because it might've looked like it was an intentional attack, whipped me. I didn't have the fastest response to this, there was now a lash from chest to shoulder.

"H-hold on!" Raising my hand, waving. "I'm not a threat! It was to stop it!" Great. Now I had two things to deal with. ‌

"This was your doing! Did you make this thing?!" I didn't want to call attention to myself.‌

"No, I said I'm here to study the animals." If I killed them, I wouldn't have to worry about that attention. But if they are a part of Fenzoshu in the government somewhere. There might be an issue. But why did I consider this? This isn't illegal by Fenzoshu standards, these are just beasts.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Niki running in. In a flash, she went down.

"Niki! No!" Scrambling to my companion. She got whipped in the neck. Even stopping the blood flow, I could still feel her fading. It would be too dangerous to transfuse blood to her. Mixing blood from different races would result in rejection. I didn't want her to leave, even in her older age, I knew she didn't have much time left. But this isn't how she would've wanted to go. I had an idea. I didn't have much time with the slow death that she was experiencing, but it was enough. It had to have been enough time. It took some time but, running back to the site that I had ready for capturing Light and Dark. I was going to use the jewels. not the Tugillby & Suloxyhyte, but Aurourline & Safs. This was a last ditch effort. Normally no one would go this far for a beast. But Niki meant so much to me that I couldn't let her go to something like this. I had to add a few new etches into a 2 Aurourline & a Safs. I was going to link our spirits together. In theory it would keep the other alive and keep their body alive to regenerate like normal, but it would stress both of our spirits. I'm sure I had enough spirit for a beast of the size of Niki. We should be compatible as well from the time spent together. Only Pure Ishu Shapers would be able to accomplish such a task like this. I know I had emotions flowing out, There could have been an Incident if I wasn't careful. But this may have been categorized as an Incident. ‌

"Don't panic Niki, this'll hurt a bit. Take slow breaths and don't move. You have to trust me." Making a small cut into Niki's chest, I could feel her trying to squirm. "Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be... Please..." Then pushing the jewel in. With Pure Ishu Shaping, I connected the Ishu from the jewel into her core. Then I sutured the cut as best as I could. Now I just had to do it to myself. Deep breaths, clear mind. I kept telling myself over and over. Nothing will go wrong. It'll work out. Pushing the jewels into my cut wound. It was painful. Our cores are located in the chest. Just right below where our collarbones are. Incredibly painful to push through bone. I'm not sure how it all worked. But I was able to get both in, and somehow still be able to move. I cannot Shape bones or jewels. Maybe it was the Higher Deities. Maybe it was the world. Whatever it was, it let me keep Niki and myself alive. This now meant that I couldn't stray that far from Niki nor vice versa. I was overjoyed to see Niki able to get up and move again, like there was no issue. And now I could feel her emotions and partially her thoughts. I couldn't tell if she could grasp our language. But I could make out what she would be saying to me now. One of those things was being idiotic and not letting her die. I'm sure Yè would say the same if I did the same for him or if he knew about this.

Now the few tops I did bring with me I had to cut a section into them for the jewels. A very minor thing to trade out in keeping my companion alive.

It was from that, I could feel the Ishu around me. Shapers can normally feel the Ishu around them. Pure Ishu Shapers specially. But this was a different feeling. It was like a sixth sense in a way. I was able to 'see' in a small field around me, or rather feel. But just in my mind I could see the blurred, partially distorted, rough blocks of things around me. Well, it was more like after years of simply existing it became like that. At the start when I noticed it, it was more like extra white space in my mind that I was able to notice that didn't seem right.

At the end of those years, I did see the fruits of my labor. This knowledge can be passed down. Though I may have inadvertently messed too much with the beasts of this continent. Because now they're all gonna have some kind of ability to Shape, or rather use their Reactionary Shaping. I never did find a good phrase to name this.

But then came the worst day of my life that has ever happened.