Today was the beginning of the Moonshine Festival. It was rare for Alice not to burst into my room and wake me up for training, and it felt even weirder not seeing her all morning; however, that was all part of their tradition as she was one of the three chosen Tersilyas, Elvish for Fae Spirits. The festival started at noon with the introduction of The Spirit Hunt.

They gathered thirteen representatives chosen by the great families of Thysa that also made up the Council of Elders, which were then sent out to catch the chosen Tersilyas. If captured, the Tersilya would bless the hunter with good fortune and are typically honored by being paired up until the festival came to an end.

“Welcome to the annual Moonshine Festival,” said King Elwyn, with the Queen by his side. Despite spending a month in Thysa, I had never seen so many elves gathered in one place. “As always, we shall begin with our sacred tradition, The Spirit Hunt.” The crowd cheered, excited to see who shall be the winner. Not only would they receive a blessing, but it would bring honor to the family they represent. “Let us introduce the chosen hunters that shall chase the Tersilyas who completed the sacred rite. Step forward.”

I, along with twelve others, walked over to the central stage. Thousands of eyes were watching us, some on the ground while others occupied the wooden bridges connecting the trees. It was a spectacle in which I never expected to participate.

“Myriil Yaldra,” said a teenage elf looking only a few years older than Ellie. It was hard to believe he was competing against us. “Representing House Yaldra.”

“Fior Ulna.” I was made aware that all contestants were between their early teens and late thirties, and Fior fit the latter. “Representing House Ulna.”

“Morgan Dralta,” said another, looking to be around my age with a dozen piercings and a man bun. “Representing House Drelta.”

“Sirist Ivosya, representing House Ivosya.”

I recognized Sirist. He was next to Aymon the first time we met. It was hard to forget the scrawny kid hiding behind others while acting all mighty.

“Galborn, representing House Faera.”

It was surprising to see someone representing another house without belonging to said family, which made me believe that he was also intrigued because of how he looked at me; however, I found his gaze too malicious for that to be true. We eyed each other for so long that I forgot to listen to the other contestants, but it didn’t matter since it seemed that Aymon and Galborn would be my only real opponents.

If I had to compare the two, Aymon seemed leagues above everyone else in the competition, but Galborn’s scars that covered his body indicated he had some combat experience.

“Aymon Gelistar, representing House Gelistar.”

The crowd cheered as soon as he introduced himself, showing just how popular he was, and despite my dislike for him, I had to give him credit for doing something many wouldn’t be able to.

Eerie silence occurred after Aymon’s introduction, making me realize I’d forgotten I was next.

Clearing my throat, I looked at the crowd and said, “Alexander Kallis, representing House Kelthyra.”

I knew the declaration wouldn’t be well received as an outsider got to represent the Royal Family, but it beat not participating in the Spirit Hunt. However, what I hadn’t realized as I’ve grown used to it and was made aware only when I heard whispers about it, was that everything up until then was said in Common. It was King Elwyn’s choice when he introduced the Spirit Hunt, and the contestants followed along to not disrespect the King’s choice.

“Now that the hunters have been introduced, it is time to bring to the stage our beautiful and free-spirited Tersilyas!” The King said as three girls walked up behind and around us to the front.

While I didn’t recognize the other two, my eyes were glued to Alice, who stood between them. Despite hiding behind a catlike mask that covered half her face, there was no way I would mistake her for anyone. She wore beautiful robes that one would assume hindered movement, but knowing her grandmother made it, I knew that wasn’t the case. The robes left her right shoulder exposed as drawn runes covered her skin, and her running barefoot was a surprise. However, with mana protecting her and her light feathered steps, she would easily avoid any cuts.

Per tradition, the girls did a ritual dance right in front of us, and my mind blanked, enthralled by the performance. Alice mentioned she loved to dance, and I could see why, as she had an undeniable talent for it. Her swordplay often resembled one as well, making it difficult to adjust to the flow of her blade.

Cheering them on, the crowd hoped none would catch them.

“Thank you for your performance, ladies,” said the Queen, taking over for her husband. The Tersilyas courtesied, taking a step back. “I’m proud to announce as the monarch of Thysa the beginning of the Spirit Hunt. Ladies, you may set out on your journey, and I wish you the best of luck not to get caught by our fierce hunters.”

Alice and the other two turned their back to us and ran outside the city gates. For them, the competition had already started; meanwhile, we waited a few minutes in silence, eyeing each other.

“Listen up, hunters!” King Elwyn yelled. “You were all made aware of the rules ahead of time. The objective of the Spirit Hunt is to capture the chosen Tersilyas. You may use any method as long as you do not harm anyone. Fighting among yourselves is forbidden. Is that clear?”

“Yes!” yelled most of the contestants.

He looked to the girls who were already long gone out of our sight.

“Then I, King Elwyn Kelthyra, hereby announce that the chosen hunters may begin!”

The thirteen of us didn’t waste a single second rushing out of the city as we chased after them. By the footprints left behind, it was clear they split in three directions, and so did we.

Aymon and three others, Morgan, Sirist, and Galborn, took the lead in chasing after Alice. They smugly looked back, noticing they were faster, but I wasn’t even trying.

Circulating mana through my body became as natural as breathing, and while it didn’t waste any mana, it allowed me to surpass my limits. There were still those without mana that could match me even when I went all out in strength and speed, but those were freaks of nature. However, if I started using spells to enhance me further, normal humans no longer stood a chance. The four in front of me all had upper cores, and guessing by their age and style of training, the three of them were likely first circle, just like me. Aymon being older was the only exception, but even he hadn’t shown any signs of incredible speed.

While we ran next to each other for a while, Alice was surely getting further away, considering how slow we were. However, there were boundaries past which the girls weren’t allowed to run, meaning that it wasn’t all up to speed and had a lot to do with endurance. If so many of us worked together, the Tersilyas had no chance of escaping for long once we had them cornered. Luckily for the ladies, the pride of winning made any teamwork impossible.

“Jump!” yelled Aymon, leaping over a dense bush while the rest of us had to go around.

He gained a slight lead, but nothing I couldn’t catch up to if I used Blink or simply picked up the pace.

“Now!” yelled Morgan as the three guys in front of me suddenly stopped, blocking my way.

Their intentions were clear, and I feared as much. Despite a rule stating that no fighting was allowed, as long as they didn’t hurt me badly, it’d be my word against theirs.

“Unlucky for you, Alexander,” said Sirist with a malicious grin.

“Blink,” I chanted, appearing in front of him before throwing a straight right hand that landed clean on his chin.

Sirist rolled across the ground as I put my full strength behind the punch. He was incapacitated, if not outright unconscious.

“You bastard!” yelled Morgan as if they were not about to do the same.

“Lesser Water Blast!” Galborn chanted the incantations as a smaller transmutation circle appeared in front of him, gathering water slowly before unleashing it toward me.

“Blink.”

His attack was too slow as I appeared behind him before the water reached me. A swift kick to his shin allowed me to grab his hair and smash my knee into his face. Galborn’s back hit the floor as his body twitched, rendered unconscious.

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“Arcane Arrows!” Morgan had given up on spells that would avoid hurting me, probably afraid of what would happen to him had I reached him.

I charged toward him as three spectral arrows appeared above his head. Wishing to preserve mana, I avoided using blink again, and as the arcane arrows shot toward me, I ducked under them. However, to my surprise, I sensed them turning back, still aiming to hit me.

“Shield.” I chanted as a barrier prevented the spell from reaching me while allowing me to keep going.

Morgan had no time to channel another spell, so he threw a punch, but my hand-to-hand combat surpassed his. Sidestepping his fist, I grabbed him by the wrist and swept his legs from under him. His back hit the ground, and as his eyes went wide from the pain, I mercilessly stomped down on his stomach. Luckily, I controlled myself, avoiding any unnecessary damage. Though, I still made sure it was strong enough to make him unable to keep fighting.

Morgan called me a bastard, making me think that they expected me to allow them to attack first.

“You'll. . . never catch up,” Morgan snickered, choked by his coughs.

“What do you mean?” I asked, surprised he was able to talk.

In his condition, focusing on casting a spell with his skill was impossible, allowing me to talk to him without worry.

“We know your weakness.” he chuckled, almost throwing up. “You might be faster, but you can’t cast more than three spells.”

I hummed, crossing my arms. Morgan’s statement left me with many questions but no time. It was something I had to figure out later. It was clear information about me was leaked, but their plan failed.

“Thanks for the warning,” I said, turning my back to him and running toward Aymon.

Presuming he knew where Alice was going, chasing him was the easier choice.

About twenty minutes passed before I decided to use Stride. Their delay tactic and attempt at draining my mana would’ve worked if not for my ability to absorb mana while moving. Even Alice didn’t know I had such an ability, as I kept it a secret in hopes of winning a duel by surprise. However, our fights never lasted long enough for it to matter.

“There’s no point in running, Princess.” I heard Aymon’s voice, so I decided to hide. “You made a mistake stopping here.”

“What have you done?” Alice said, a dozen meters away from him.

She was out of range for Blink to reach her, so I had to wait for a better opportunity.

“What do you mean?” He smugly smirked. “Did you expect that human to reach you first?”

“If I find out you hurt him. . .”

“Few other contestants were glaring at him, but I’m sure he’s alright.”

“Aymon!” Alice got angry, and while revealing myself would’ve calmed her down, I needed her to be unaware of my presence.

“You should start running,” Aymon warned her. “Without your sword, you can’t match me, or are you just willing to give up and save us the trouble.”

“I’ll never give you what you want,” Alice bitterly said.

“Lesser Agility,” Aymon chanted, empowering his body before charging toward her at surprising speed.

“Blink!” Alice tried avoiding him without using mana, but he got close to capturing her, so she was forced to teleport.

He continued chasing after her, but once Alice began running, catching up to her became a problem. Aymon still held the advantage and proved slightly faster, but it seemed Lesser Agility didn’t last long. To make sure he didn’t catch up, Alice used the surroundings to her advantage, and instead of running straight ahead, she darted in between the trees within a certain radius. It worked out better for me as I could stay hidden while waiting for my opportunity, but at the same time, the longer I waited, the more chances Aymon had of catching her.

“Earth’s Grasp!” Aymon summoned out of the ground multiple vine-like whips that lashed out at Alice, trying to capture her legs and arms.

“Shield!” She blocked with the mana barrier, deflecting the whips.

“Think you can outlast me in mana? I’m leagues above you,” Aymon bragged, extending his hand toward her. “Earth’s Grasp!”

Alice gritted her teeth, allowing for the spell to capture her. While the opportunity appeared perfect for me to blink in and steal the glory, her expression made me believe she had something in mind.

“To think you can only catch me using such pitiful tricks,” Alice taunted, but Aymon paid no attention to her petty words as he slowly approached.

“That was easier than I-” Aymon said but was interrupted by Alice spitting in his face. “What the?!”

“Always wanted to do that.” She smirked. “Blink!”

She disappeared, escaping her binding by appearing behind him.

“You. . . you. You!” He turned angrily toward her. “To think that you’d. . .”

Aymon tried showing restraint as he knew he still needed her, but his emotions were evident. However, neither realized that Alice’s last Blink put her within my range, and with her guard down, it was the perfect opportunity.

“Blink,” I chanted, appearing behind her.

Aymon’s anger quickly turned to shock as I went to grab Alice, but once again, she managed to do the impossible and react on time. Ducking under me, she shoved me to the side before escaping.

“Earth’s Grasp!” Aymon unleashed his spell on both of us.

“Blink!” Alice reacted first, managing to teleport to safety.

“Shield!” I blocked, unsure if he would follow up with something that would prevent me from casting Blink.

“Alex, you okay?” Alice asked, despite being chased by both.

“I’m fine,” I sighed, glancing at Aymon. “I ran in a bit of trouble on the way.”

“I knew it!” Alice glared at Aymon.

“To think you’d have mana left after fighting three people. It seems they underestimated you.”

“They managed to get a spell out of me,” I said, stopping my Stride. “And it seems it just ran out.”

“And that would be three.” Aymon chuckled. “It seems that you’re no longer able to go on.”

“How did you know he can use only three spells?” Alice asked.

“Alice,” I called out to her. “Focus.”

“Earth’s Grasp!” he chanted again, but this time he aimed for me specifically.

I pretended to dodge but allowed him to capture me as the vine-like whips grappled my arms and legs. Honestly? It hurt less than I expected and was more like someone slapped me.

“You scum,” Alice insulted him, readying herself to run.

Breaking away from the bindings felt nearly impossible, but I kept trying to oversell my situation.

With Stride no longer active, I needed only a bit of time to regain what mana it spent casting initially, and then I’d be able to cast Blink.

“Earth Wall!” Aymon summoned an absurd amount of mana, conjuring a massive wall of earth behind Alice that prevented her from running backward. “Earth’s Grasp!”

“Blink!” In response to the whips bursting out of the wall, Alice teleported closer to me as she looked in that direction. “Dammit.”

She decided to run away from me, but her plan was obvious to both as she didn’t want me in his line of fire.

“You won’t be able to run forever.” He chuckled, extending his hand toward me. “Maybe making sure he doesn’t catch up again is a good start.”

“Alex! No!” She yelled, turning back in a desperate attempt to save me.

“Fool,” Aymon mumbled smugly.

“Blink.” I chanted, escaping my bindings by appearing in front of Alice. Her eyes went wide as I cut her path, and despite her best effort to react, Alice couldn’t do anything except helplessly fall into my arms. “Caught you.”

Alice looked up at me, confused as to what happened, whispering, “But how?”

“You lied!” Aymon yelled, filled with anger because I outsmarted him. “You could cast more than three spells!”

“Control yourself,” I told him, still holding Alice tightly. “The hunt ended, and I’m the one who caught her.”

“You. . .” He gritted his teeth as mana oozed out of him, but a terrifying roar stole our attention and snapped him out of it.

Leaping in between us was none other than Noir.

“Noir!” Alice yelled, still not trying to break away from my arms.

“Congratulations, Alexander,” Noir said. “It seemed you’ve won this year’s Spirit Hunt.”

“What are you doing here?” Aymon asked, a bit shaken that an awakened beast showed up.

“Silence, child. Do you think I am blind?” Noir slowly walked up to Aymon with his petrifying gaze fixated on him. “We should pretend nothing happened.”

Noir’s words left little to interpret, making Aymon nod in agreement.

“You okay?” I whispered to Alice.

“Yeah,” she said, looking me in the eyes with a warm smile. “Never knew getting caught would feel so comforting.”

I chuckled, shaking my head.

“Alexander,” Noir said, turning to me. “The two of you should head back. My roar has alerted them that the contest ended.”

“Right. . .” I said, hesitantly letting go of her.

“Come on,” Alice said, grabbing my hand. “Don’t let me escape, or I might say you never caught me.”

“I won’t.”

We laughed, making our way back to the city together.

Chapter End.

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