The following day, heavy rains slowed our progress. Fortunately, my Mana Shield proved invaluable; its versatility was truly remarkable. The rain simply diverted around me. However, Alira looked miserable in her non-waterproof clothes, despite her hood and mantle.

“You look like a marinated vegetable,” I couldn’t resist teasing her.

“I really hate that ability of yours,” she grumbled, seeking shelter under a nearby tree.

“Well, I found a downside to the ability, so it’s not as amazing as I thought,” I said, pausing for effect.

“So, are you going to keep me in suspense?” she asked, her expression a mix of annoyance and impatience.

“No, I just find it amusing to see your annoyed face when you try to hide it,” I replied.

“Still waiting!” she retorted, crossing her arms.

“First, I discovered that I can’t turn it into a soft shield like a mattress.So sleep is still horrible; that was a big disappointment, trust me. And now, on muddy terrain, the Shield creates a very smooth barrier between my shoes and the mud. It's almost like walking on ice. I nearly slipped a couple of times. On wet grass, it’s manageable.”

“Thank Elune for small miracles,” she said, her annoyance slightly comical. I had to suppress a smile.

To keep the conversation going, I changed the topic. “Speaking of Elune, is she a goddess of the moon or night, or something similar?”

“Not exactly. She is the goddess of vengeance.”

“Well, then, it was just a coincidence yet again. I guess coincidences happen. So, what do you have to seek vengeance for?” I asked cautiously, hoping not to touch a nerve.

“Nothing really. Each god offers a boon if you worship him/her, and it happens that her boon was beneficial for my class.” So, she wasn’t particularly religious. Good to know.

“So, a boon is like a buff. Can you have more than one boon?”

“You can’t have boons from multiple gods. But other classes have buffs. Boons are permanent, while buffs are temporary and only work within close proximity.”

“Well, I might have a buff. Let’s see if it’s possible to share it with someone else,” I said, pointing my palm at her and saying aloud, “Arcane Intelligence.” “Now, check your stats please.”

Her eyes widen in surprise “Five intelligence? It basically doubles my stat. That’s a significant buff. I’ve never heard of anything like it,” she exclaimed, momentarily forgetting about her wardrobe problems. "You got really lucky with your spells" she commented.

“Well, you said your class focuses on dexterity and faith. Do you have any use for intelligence?”

“You can learn one ability per point of intelligence,” she said, her excitement palpable. “So, this means I could learn 5 more abilities!”

“But what happens when you lose the buff?” I asked.

“Who knows? Nobody ever gets dumber to find out. But my guess is you might still have, let's say, 10 abilities, but can only choose 5 to use.”

“So, this means I can learn more than three spells? Yes!" Being a one-trick wonder would have gotten old eventually. "So, how do you learn more abilities or spells?”

“Well, for mages, I’m not sure. Maybe from a spellbook? As for me, I watch people who have mastered an ability I want and are willing to teach it.”

“So, what abilities do you have?” I asked casually.

“That’s kind of a personal question,” she said, trying to sound offended.

“You know all my abilities. How is that fair?” I countered, feigning hurt.

“Fine. I have a Dash, which allows me to move quickly, a Dodge, which is a self-buff, and a Concealment ability. It’s not like invisibility, but it's very effective at night and somewhat less so during the daytime,” she explained, suddenly stopping and concentrating as if she had heard something. The rain had slowed to a drizzle by then.

She gestured for me to be quiet and stay put, then disappeared into the trees.

I hated waiting. I was never good at it, especially when there was nothing to do. Eventually, after 10 minutes, she returned.

“There is a caravan transporting prisoners toward the Celestria border. The thick mud has slowed some of their wagons, and they are separated from the main force. There are maybe 10-15 guards, and some of the prisoners are children. They must have attacked other villages."

"I know it’s asking a lot, but there is no way I could free them alone.” Her eyes were determined, and without much thought, I responded, “If they have children in cages, there's not much to think about.”

“You might have to kill again. I hope you realize that,” she said, now more unsure.

“I’ll try to be careful, but water and lightning are a dangerous combination. Please stay away from the people I’m attacking,” I replied, hoping to reassure her.

We made our way, trying to minimize noise. Well, she was quiet, so it was more like me trying not to make noise, but the drizzle helped mask some of my missteps. The good news was that they weren’t soldiers, but more like thugs. The bad news was that we could hear the noise from the other wagons in the distance, so we had to act quickly. The rain was obscuring vision and helping with noises, but if it stopped, it would be bad news for our chances.

The prisoners were shivering in their cages, and as we got closer, I could see there were about 5-6 people in the wooden cage, huddling together for warmth. I couldn’t be sure, but I could see at least 2 children.

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We decided that I would take out the guards farther away, while she freed the prisoners. She gave me the signal, and a Lightning Bolt struck the farthest guard. I held my breath, afraid the thunder would alert the others, but luckily, they seemed to think it was just a storm. However, on the second Bolt, the confusion cleared, and some guards charged at me, while two ran, presumably to get help.

They were slowed down by the mud, so they fell one by one to my Bolts as they tried to reach me. I tried to use as little power as I could to only daze them, but it wasn’t an exact science. Meanwhile, Alira had dispatched three guards and was breaking the lock on the cage.

Then things took a turn for the worse. The runners returned with reinforcements, and now there were 20-30 soldiers heading our way.

"Get them into the forest!" I shouted. Alira glanced at me, her hesitation clear in her expression.

Sensing she needed more assurance, I added, "Trust me, I’ve got a plan. Just get some distance with the prisoners."

There wasn’t really a plan—more of a rough idea. Close enough, right?

Alira gave a reluctant nod and began guiding the prisoners toward the forest. Meanwhile, I turned to face the soldiers

The problem was they had nets; those things could pin me to the ground, and my shield would be useless. My Bolts were not instant; I had to aim, so there was no chance of picking them off one by one without being overwhelmed. My only option was some area of effect. The problem was they were trying to encircle me, and my spell was basically single-target. If they succeeded, there was no way I could escape.

With time running out, I sprinted toward a large puddle but slipped as soon as I stepped in, unable to see the ground beneath me. The Mana Shield, for all its protection, made the mud feel twice as slippery.

By now, most of the soldiers had caught up, spreading out as they entered the puddle, trying to surround me. I waited until they were in close melee range. Trusting my shield would hold against lightning, I fired two bolts into the water on either side of me.

For the first time, I felt the Mana Shield falter slightly under the strain, but it held. Within moments, a dozen or so soldiers collapsed, writhing in the water. The rest, who had been slower and hadn't reached the puddle yet, hesitated.

One brave soldier tentatively stepped into the water, and I immediately sent a Lightning Bolt to his feet, watching him fall, convulsing from the shock.

Even the ones trying to flank me through the mud stopped, clearly weighing the risk of continuing. I fired a few more bolts in their direction, forcing them to dive into the mud to dodge.

Taking advantage of their hesitation, I turned and sprinted toward the forest path, hoping I had enough of a lead.

I caught up with them after a few minutes by following the muddy trail they had left behind. Alira, if surprised to see me, didn’t show it. She handed me my backpack and a young boy to carry on my shoulders while she took a girl from another woman.

This allowed us to make better time, and we gained some elevation to escape the mud and the tracks that could lead back to us. In addition to the two children, there were two middle-aged women, a young man about twenty, and a surprisingly agile elderly man.

After about an hour, the adrenaline had worn off, and everyone except Alira and me was showing signs of heavy exhaustion.

“Let’s rest for a bit. I think we’ve moved far enough that our tracks won’t be an issue, and even if they use dogs, they won’t pick up our scent in this weather,” Alira said confidently, and the others now looked a little less worried.

“Does anyone know these parts? Maybe there’s a shelter nearby?” I asked.

“I know these parts,” said the old man. “There is a wooden cabin we could reach by nightfall. After that, we could make our way to the main road, where we should find some transportation.”

Alira quickly unpacked the last of her rations from her pack. It wasn’t much, but at least her pack was now light. Everybody was too tired for casual talk, so we ate quickly, and then we continued walking. The old man seemed to know the way, so spirits were high, and we eventually reached a small wooden shed.

I slept outside, as there wasn’t much space inside, and with my Shield, I could sleep on the ground with my back against the shed. The next day, as we walked downstream beside a small creek, we came upon a clear forest road. With the rain having stopped overnight, we made good time toward the main road.

The road was busy enough, and we soon found a wagon willing to take them to a nearby village. After that, we found a wagon for ourselves and headed in the opposite direction.

“I never got a chance to ask you; there were at least two dozen men. How did you manage to hold them off?” Alira asked, concern evident in her voice.

I explained how water conducts electricity and how I managed to hit multiple targets at once.

"And the others backed off after that?" she asked.

"Yeah, after watching ten of their comrades go down, none of them were eager to charge in. I think they shot a few arrows, too."

"But that's hardly worth mentioning, right?" she replied, amused.

"I was more focused on not slipping in the mud again," I admitted.

She laughed. "I still can't believe mud is more dangerous to you than arrows!"

“So, what’s the town we're heading to like?” I asked once her laughter had faded.

“Well, it’s a proper city, maybe 10,000 people. It has a garrison, professional guilds, and…”

“There are professions?” I interrupted her. “Like enchanting, alchemy, that sort of thing?” She nodded. “And are they difficult to learn?”

“It takes 5-10 years to achieve moderate proficiency, depending on talent.”

“Damn, I guess that means no Enchanting for me. That’s disappointing,” I said with a hint of sadness.

“I’m sure you’ll find something else,” she said, back to her sarcastic self.

"Alright, here’s the real question. You've been a generous host, no doubt, but I can't keep relying on you for food and a place to stay. How do people make money around here? Sure, I could work the fields or chop wood, but maybe there's something more fitting for a mage like me?"

She paused to think for a moment. "Well, being a policeman is off the table since you're new here, and that kind of job requires a lot of trust. The army could be an option, but there's the whole killing aspect to consider. Bounty hunting might suit you though—you seem to adapt quickly to new situations," she said thoughtfully.

“Was that a compliment? I need to remember this day; it might never come again,” I said, smiling.

“Yes, I was distracted. Don’t worry; it will definitely not happen again.”

“So, bounty hunter. That could work. Speaking of jobs, what do you do, exactly?” I asked. She was putting out traps for animals and now delivering reports to be sent the capital. Something didn't add up.

“I’m like a bounty hunter, but I work for the kingdom,” she replied, sounding a little proud.

“So, what were you doing in that forest where we met?” I asked, curious.

“That, I’m afraid, is a secret, and it’s not mine to tell.”

“Let me guess. You were at the border, waiting for a defector/spy from the other kingdom to make contact with you and provide you with vital information for the future of the Shadowmere kingdom!” I said, giving her a playful look.

“If only we were so lucky,” she smiled.

“OK, don't tell me, the war is going badly, and the leaders are now seeking mythical artifacts that could turn the tide of the war. You heard a whisper of a rumor that one of these artifacts was last seen in that part of the forest?” I suggested, making up random scenarios.

“Too bad I forgot to bring a shovel and came home empty-handed,” she said, joining in the fun.

“Okay, okay, I got it. The gods themselves chose you for a quest to hunt down wolf-like armadillos, but they proved too much for you, I’m afraid. The gods do love their mischief,” I joked.

With just a hint of hurt in her voice, she replied, “The shells on those creatures make them almost immune to any sword attack. The gods were clearly cruel to give me that quest. They do love their mischief.”

We chatted a little more, but as night fell, it wasn’t comfortable sleeping in that wagon. By daylight, we could see the city in the distance. The suburbs, if you could call them that, were all farms of different sizes, with some manufacturing buildings as we neared the city. The city itself had stone walls, maybe five meters tall but very thick. As we entered the city, the houses were mostly made of wood. Most were one or two floors; I only saw one building with four floors.

Traveling through the mud wasn’t my first choice, but if it would allow me to see more of the world, maybe I could endure it. Tomorrow, with any luck, I would start my journey to becoming a bounty hunter.