Ikrei P.O.V.

“How are you feeling after your first real brawl?” Asked Iru.

“Tired, my body cannot keep up with you guys.” I said honestly.

We were doing our customary recovery training session.

Freslia was keeping watch, Ciel and Krigsain were gathering game from the battle. We were in a cave in the mountain range resting. I looked outside and it was still dark, we halt our travel due to my exhaustion.

I feel bad. I guess Iru did grasp a whisk of it as he spoke with me.

“When the pair comes back you’ll make us a feast, won’t you?”

“Sure thing Magi. Hey, didn’t you say you kept your abilities undisclosed?” I was intrigued after seeing his pyromania driven display of arts.

“Ah, the blue fire? That ain’t much, that’s just a personalized form of an ancient spell. We Magi are special.” He snickered.

“Really now? I’ve heard the Magi call the power of the world’s energy mana. So how is it that small orgon crystals fragments are called mana tears?” I asked our resident bookworm.

“The orgon crystals properties were studied and discovered by Magi. Hence the name, you can say it is the remembrance of the Great Conflict Era.”

“Absorbing mana tears is something my father would do; I guess that’s a practice that sprouted from that era.” I said.

“You got to be careful with that my young cook. Look at Claimere Freslia’s eyes, they glow slightly brighter than normal blue eyes. Most likely an adverse reaction to a mana crystal infusion of some sort, I think.”

“You are saying that you know their secrets or something? Like a sage from reading books?” I tried to slightly mock him, just a little.

“You wish! I was able to visit Orgis once with my uncle many years ago and had my rite before coming to this forsaken land.”

“Places like Orgis, Lemuria or the Kingdom of Kotar itself sound like faraway dreams to me.” I thought within my heart.

Sensing Iru’s disdain and distaste in his eyes and mouth when he spoke those words, I decided not to press the issue. I came back around the subject of eyes.

“I saw a Zurian Dodekor once, she had a similar glow in her eyes very much like our senior sister here. How does that work?”

“It varies; it could be an infusion or it could be the consequence of a blessing. Always be wary of people with the slight glow in their eyes Ikrei. Once—" His voice was interrupted by the returning duo.

“Time to make good on those skills newbie.” Said Krigsain dropping a small but heavy heap of already cut meat.

We interrupted our healing training session and began to setup for ‘the feast’.

“Ciel take watch, let the boys rest, I’ll go scout ahead for a while.” Lady Freslia said.

“I expect a variety of meats Ikrei, Ciel brought several plants and fruits for you.”

With those words she left jumping down the mountain into the crevasse below, a two-furlong dive. I watched stupefied.

Is that woman even human anymore?

“Don’t let it get to you and keep your mouth agape cookie, do your thing.” Ciel said while keeping a lookout.

“Let me help you with the fire. Roasted musky bear sounds about right as the main dish.” Iru said.

“Not every Claimere can do that newbie, she’s special. Take it easy.” Krigsain told me while briefly sharpening his sword.

“But I bet that someday you will do it too. Won’t you?”

Bursting out a laugh he spoke, “Yes, that’s right. You caught me there.”

I knew it.

“Monsters, I am surrounded by monsters.”

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The crew was already brunching on my improvised meat feast of assorted beasts when lady Freslia showed up entering the cave.

“We have your plates ready, you will feel warm and fuzzy Claimere.” I said respectfully welcoming her.

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With a slight nod she walked right pass me. Her cloak and clothes were slightly dirty. That didn’t happen before, not during travel and not during the skirmish with the fearbeasts.

I wasn’t the only one who observed it.

“Anything the matter, Claimere?” Ciel asked inquisitively.

“Later, let us eat!” She said in a jovial tone.

“Musky bear with panther leg perfectly treated with a one mana tear immersion of selected fruits and vegetables just for you.” I said.

Funnily enough Krigsain handed her the dish instead of me.

“Was he going to eat some from the plate? It couldn’t be, right?”

“What relationship do these guys have?” Thoughts that kept surfacing with every new interaction.

After the generous meal, content seemed to fill everyone’s faces. Freslia rested her back against the uneven rocks and spoke once more.

“I believe there should be a small throng of fearbeasts coming our way during nightfall.”

“Rest up, meditate and ready your weapons, we will make our stand here.”

At the words, Krigsain was happy, Ciel was serious, Iru was aloof and I was dazed.

“Shouldn’t we make headway during the day and escape avoiding confrontation while we are in hostile territory?” I asked unable to finish my last chunk of meat.

“The more troublesome ones have been dealt with. We are at the level of the ridge with enough space outside the cave for a fight.” She said indifferently.

“Isn’t too dangerous? Four bears and three panthers could clog the stone paths easily.” I tried to counter.

“What’s the problem? If it gets too crowded just push them down the ridge line.” Krigsain interjected.

Ciel and Iru just casually agreed with Krigsain’s viewpoint. There was no discussion, everything in this group revolves around violence as a matter of fact.

They can also push you. Does no one see the problem here?

Don’t be afraid chicken coop I’ll watch over you.” Ciel said smiling.

Chicken coop? Me? That doesn’t even make sense.

“These people.” I thought secretly while massaging my temple again.

Even if I am the disciple or Andurin of a great elder or something of the sort, I’m just a sprout right now. Can these guys curb it just a little?

“Ikrei, this is good for you.” Freslia added with her eyes piercing mine.

“Everyone get ready!”

Freslia silently stood watch as we went about our hastened duties.

How can this be good for me? Maybe it wasn’t a devil that shook hands with me but something worse. Much, much worse.

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As the Claimere predicted the throng of beasts came.

“Arms at the ready brothers. Try to one shot the wolves Ikrei just like I showed you.” Krigsain said.

Freslia and Ciel were at the back for support fire and cover.

I didn’t like this formation. This meant I had to fight up close and personal with the monsters.

“We’ll take care of the big guys, maybe.” Iru said as he charged at the panthers in the midst with his flames smoldering.

Krigsain went ahead and drove a wedge amongst the fearbeasts. Causing havoc. Three bears at once.

“This guy is insane.” I said out loud.

“Nah, he just trusts me.” Said Ciel as a light arrow flew by my ear to target the bears’ hide.

“Sure thing but I don’t.” I murmured in my heart.

“How dare you shoot pass my earlobe.” I told Ciel.

She just smiled back.

Crazy, absolutely reckless.

Before I could word anything else, the wolves were at an arm’s length.

“Just like you practiced, set your posture, affirm your legs, breath in and breath out. Maintain form.”

Swing!

A clean hit, right?

No, not really, I missed. Fighting on the incline of the mountain near the ridge line was something out of my comfort zone.

Another light energy arrow bolted besides my other earlobe, the charging wolf died on the spot.

I saw the shadow wolves gather together. One? Two? No, not two but four!

“Support, support.” I shouted.

The howl of the incoming wolves reverberated. Four wolves are too much for me at the moment.

The canine beasts split into tandems to my right and to my left.

I adjust my footing and manage a clean hit on the first one to my right. The two to my left move in for a kill. I can sense it. I swoop down with all the force I can muster, my muscles are hurting. It’s a miss for one but the second one to my left strikes true.

“AAARGHHH” I screamed.

The three wolves drop dead in an instant.

I look back. Freslia just waved her hand at me.

“Do better. Don’t expect me to save you every time...”

The look in her eyes is penetrating. It feels uncomfortable.

Three more wolves charge at me, I manage to evade with a roll but I am too close to the edge. One misstep and its curtains. I throw one of my blades and hit the bullseye, one wolf drops, but the other two bite my feet.

“AAARGHHH!” Another scream.

The two wolves drop dead in the blink of an eye. Two light arrow bolts.

I’m bleeding but I can move. The leather armor of these clothes is top quality. Far better than anything I have ever known. Nonetheless, no help is coming.

I know it, I feel it. I doggedly look around.

Iru and Krigsain are just toying with the beasts in front of them. Nevertheless, they should tire out soon. There are too many, about fifty of them. Ciel is firing arrows without pause yet our leader just calmly waves her hand every now and then.

Every wave of her hand and beasts drop dead. I can’t sense it nor can I see it, there’s no understanding of her powers. Not for me at least.

Another pack of wolves is heading up the ridge. I wobbly set my footing again.

Just then the thought occurs to me, “We are perfectly set for an enemy ambush. What the Gurnir dong is going on?”

“Are all Claimere that powerful? Are they that twisted and reckless? Maybe all those things”. I kept thinking.

Another wolf charges in. Not in groups but a single one. He rolls me over with the momentum of its front charge and we both hit the cold hard rock. I pressed my dagger under his jaw. A reflexive move, the pummeling is working. The wolf dies bleeding on top of me.

I push it away and slowly get up again. The voice comes from behind once more.

“Do better.”

“I’m scared. Scared shitless of these beasts so vast in number for someone like me but even more so of this blue eyed demon in the body of a woman.”

Do better? I am doing my best!

“I know I chose this path but this is the second time I have faced these beasts. The second time!”

Another wolf rushes in, the scuffle repeats. I stand up even more bloodied than before.

“I curse, I curse deeply. Better life? Reincarnated? Why do I feel so much fear?”

I freeze as the moment of clarity dawns on me. This is my training, my test.

A glance where the Claimere was standing was all the confirmation I needed.

“Son of a bitch!”

This is the Andurin furnace. This is the sixth precept.