-Excerpt from the First Elven Ambassador to the Humans, Eldar Adifel’s, abridged account of the discovery of humans-
Our kingdom knew that something had changed, but we, nor the dwarves, knew not what.
Two generations had passed, and the attacks lessened each spring.
The mountain pass was quiet, but the sign above the gate said, “Here be monsters”.
An expedition into the valley was called, for the kingdom had to know.
Volunteers went through the gate. I went with, for I was curious.
We searched high and low, day and night, but the monsters that lived between the two mountain ranges could not be found.
We were growing anxious, but I pushed us to complete our task.
I saw them, walking on two legs… I foolishly..., walked towards them…
---
Travis
Despite Lancel not coming up until very late in the night drunk, we headed off right away in the morning. He likely took advantage of his new ability to burn through alcohol quickly and was able to start us off at a quick pace for our 10-day journey. However, I don’t think I even made it an hour before I started to get antsy.
It’s just a twitch in my legs from not going on my morning jog, and maybe from getting stiff in the saddle. Now just relax and stretch out your shoulders. Ok, get your neck and arms too… now what?
I fumble with my reigns, but 5751054 doesn’t need any input to follow the road. Ugh, what the rot is wrong with me?
I try to reason it out, it’s likely just my body anticipating my pending morning workout. Alright, then I just need to occupy myself another way. What do I do when I can’t do any physical or magical training?
I usually read, but I don’t have any books with me. I could practice my drawing, but I have a limited number of supplies and I haven’t even finished my first real day of travel.
I could ask Arc to give me a science lecture, but we’ve been reaching the limit of what he knows now that it’s been 7 years, and with Lancel here, I can’t ask follow-up questions to help him dig through his memories better.
I turn my head to Lancel to see him grinning at me. Oh crap, he knows! Don’t. Admit. Anything. Just point your head forward and focus on the road ahead. There’s another bend up ahead, must be going around another lake, and look, there’s some more birds in that tree…
“Bored already?”
“No! I’m not!”
“Well, never mind then. I was going to ask if you wanted to borrow one of my books, but if you’re not bored…”
Arc begins to chuckle in my ear, “Oh, he’s got you good.”
I try to not scowl, but my mind finally rationalizes that it’s pointless to keep covering up my poorly implemented lie.
I turn to Lancel, “Ok, I admit it, I’m bored…”
Lancel was fighting to hold back his grinning from becoming full blown laughter, “I knew this would happen. Just didn’t think you’d crack after a couple of hours.” He reached into a side pouch of his saddle, “Here’s something to read, you might want to grab a new book when we get to the next fort, that one probably won’t last you long.”
I sighed and reached out for the offered book, “Thanks, but how did you know I’d get bored?”
“Well, you’ve never truly left the village before, right?” I nodded my head in response, “And I don’t think I’ve ever once seen you lazing about, so…” He gestured to the road, “A well-maintained road that doesn’t need any input for the horses to follow, patrols eliminating and driving away any surviving monsters from the flood, plus a limited number of activities that can be done on horseback, will lull just about any soldier into sleep out of sheer boredom.”
I nodded my head in agreement, then looked at the book, “What is this? A logbook of monster hunts done in the Lakewell Fortress area?”
“Yep, professional monster hunters like to read and trade logbooks with other hunters to help expand their knowledge. My field guide only lists the attributes and general weaknesses of monsters to provide accurate identification.”
“So, this might actually be more useful since it gives possible solutions on how to actually track and kill different monsters?”
He furrowed his brows a bit at my mild critique of his field guide, “There are countless ways to kill a monster, the ones listed in there are only valuable for instructing a small group. When you join the army, the smallest group you’ll ever be in is your squad of 12.”
I raised my eyebrow at this statement, then raised my palms to make a motion of searching the area for the rest of his team.
“Ha-ha, very funny. I’m technically on leave right now. The second week of Fifthmonth is when I formally begin my knight training.” He let out a small groan as he stretched out his neck, “I’m both excited by and dreading the training I’ll have to go through.”
“Can I ask about that? How exactly did you qualify as a knight? None of the books I’ve read ever mention requirements, just that they’re elites of the 3 Kingdom’s armies.”
Lancel began to chuckle, “That’s because there’s only two requirements. The first is an oath to the 3 Kingdoms, that you’ll commit to a life-long service in the army.” He paused a moment to tilt his head back in the direction we came from, “That’s the requirement that Trent will never be able to meet, he only enlisted in the army to get himself off the streets. He’s never put the kingdom’s interests before his own. The second he was done with his 12 years of service, he immediately took his severance package and moved to Lakewell Fortress.”
“The second is that you’re able to consciously activate your internal mana.” He stopped to think, “Every living thing has an internal storage of mana that gets trapped inside of their bodies as they age. There’re things you can do to increase your mana, mainly by challenging yourself in combat or academics, but the easiest way to gain mana is simply to live for a long time. That’s why elves and dwarves can become mages so easily, all they have to do is wait.”
“Learning to activate your mana opens up new possibilities for a person. A distressed mother lifting a cart off her trapped child can repeat the same action a dozen times before breaking a sweat, a blacksmith can place his unprotected hands in a forge, and a farmer can enhance his crops to feed thousands.”
“One of the things mana can’t do is extend your life. Humans still top out at around 80, elves and dwarves around 300, and I think I heard that female orcs can hit 180, but I’ve never been brave enough to ask one.” He chuckled for a bit before continuing, “It does help with your quality of life though, my dad is over 60 and can still out-wrestle me and my brothers. It’s actually kinda strange seeing him next to his childhood friends, they’re grey-haired and wrinkled like him, but so frail and weak that there’s no comparison.”
I couldn’t help but let out a wily grin, “So, when I get to the capital, all I have to do is swear an oath to the 3 Kingdoms, prove that I can trigger my own mana, and I’ll get to join you in your knight training?”
“Hey now, don’t be cruel.” Chuckles Arc, clearly enjoying the irony.
Lancel must not have appreciated the joke, and gave me a stiff glare, “I got Trent to admit that your internal mana is unusually high, likely a product of you having a higher-than-normal amount as a child and training to join the army since you were ten, but building up a large internal supply and learning to activate it willingly are two different things.”
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
I wanted to interrupt him, but he held up a hand to halt me, “Stop. The only reason I didn’t have to wait a full 12 years of training in the army like most other knight candidates is because my father was able to coach me in his spare time. The dwarves and elves won’t ever bother teaching us humans, at 30 we’re already past a third of our lifespans, but for them, they’re just finishing their ‘teenage’ years.”
He scowled and eventually let out a small sigh, “I’ll admit, you got a head start compared to me. As a first-generation knight, my dad just didn’t have time or resources to teach me and my brothers. The older families have retired knights to train their children and multiple knights and merchants to help bring in money to provide resources.” He looked at me in the eyes for a moment before looking away ashamed, “I wish I had the natural talent that you have. I saw the two monsters that you killed, you cleaved right through one’s ribcage and crushed the other’s head into mush, it took me 5 years of training in the army to match that kind of strength.”
I wanted to say something, but both me and Arc were coming up blank. Lancel pulled away, not wanting to continue our conversation. I decided it’d be best to not upset him and began to read from the hunter’s logbook, narrating out loud so that Arc could learn as well.
---
Arc
Well, that got a bit intense there. I always knew Lancel was more dedicated to his training than the other guards, but I never knew what was driving him so much. He must be under a tremendous amount of pressure from his family to help establish a future lineage of knights. I can only postulate, but I bet that it takes multiple generations before a family can reliably push out new knights. The older noble families probably don’t even recognize the newer ones until they’ve been around for half a dozen generations.
I know Lancel is fond of Travis, and probably thinks of him as a little brother, but now I’m a tad worried that he’s deluded himself into thinking that he can adopt Travis into his family and provide yet another Knight for his clan. Granted, I may be over-thinking things, but it’s not like I have anything better to do… wait, whatever you do… do not admit to Travis that you’re bored also. You’ll never hear the end of it.
---
“There’s a rest spot just up ahead.” Lancel finally broke his silence, surprising Travis. We cleared the small woods we traveled through and came upon a small creek with a large sandbar. There’s also a fire pit and benches set up, implying that this must be a common spot to rest.
Travis got down and unhooked most of his bags, including me, and let the horse walk up to the creek to drink by himself. Ok, I didn’t have horses back on my parents’ farm in my previous life, but I don’t think the average horse was that well trained. Seriously, Travis just put out a bowl of high-energy grains for his horse to eat as if it were a dog.
My musings were interrupted though by Travis, “Do you want a fire?”
Lancel, apparently still angry, snapped at Travis, “No,” catching himself mid-sentence, he took a breath before continuing, “We’re making great time, we’ll have a proper hot meal at Braewood Fortress.”
Seeing the tension in the air, I [Message] Travis, “Maybe we should give him a moment alone. I think he’s under a lot of stress right now, first from having his faith tested and now he seems to be unintentionally misplacing his frustrations with himself on you.”
Travis tapped his right ear, “I’m going to go fill the canteens.” Then began to walk upstream a ways until fully out of sight and hearing of Lancel.
I watched Travis use magic to fill the canteens with pure water, even mixing a little air in to chill and improve the taste, but I still kept a full overwatch of the area now that my vision was back to normal.
“No monsters or people in my range of vision. If you want, I can alert you before anyone comes near if you want to practice your magic.”
“Thanks.” Travis lets out quietly to ensure that Lancel doesn’t overhear. He grabs a small stick that was lying on the ground and begins to charge his Earth and Water Mana. I observe as he creates long strings of mana on his body starting from his feet and ending at his palms, the idea being that if you mimic the property of the mana you want to create, the easier it will be to do so.
“You’re looking good. Now, just use the stick in your hands as a focus, and envision the Wood Mana traveling along the wood fibers, burrowing itself like a grub.”
The Earth and Water Mana begin to fuse, and shortly after, I see long thin strands of Wood Mana snaking their way into the branch. What once confused me about my tree’s mana types made more sense after learning to create Wood Mana.
Water Mana can be seen as the ultimate expression of flexibility, able to conform its shape to fit its container, heck water’s preferred state could be considered a liquid, since that is when it’s at its most dense form. So, when it gets combined with the ultimate expression of structure, i.e., Earth Mana, you get a mana type that’s a mix of both.
It kinda makes sense in hindsight, wood is naturally both tough and flexible, roots can snake their way into small crevices and provide a strong foundation, and the trunk and branches of a tree can support a lot of weight while being flexible enough to sway in the wind.
Travis, taking a breath from his exertion, decides to evaluate his stick by bending it. It bends far longer than a dried branch should, and he almost bends it in half fully before it snaps.
“Nice work! I wonder if you’ll be able to make use of your poleaxe’s haft in the future? It seems like a waste having all that embedded mana and only using it to reinforce the handle.”
“Hmm, I’ve been thinking about that… Have you gotten a close look at Lancel’s sword yet?”
“Yeah, the blade has permanent spell formations carved into it. They constantly pulse at a high and consistent rate. I’m thinking that Lancel can charge his mana to match, and then use the premade formation to cast a spell.”
“But won’t that mean he only gets one spell in?” Travis casually creates a small [Wind Orb], then launches it into the creek and summons another, “Yeah, unless there’s something I’m missing, it’s impossible to charge external mana without bringing up your own charge.”
“It does have three formations carved into it, each with a different level of intensity. Maybe the idea is to naturally build up your charge to match the different spell levels and then space out attacks so that your internal mana discharges enough if you want a repeat at a certain level?”
“But then you couldn’t use any body enhancement in the meantime.” Travis charges his internal mana a bit and then performs a series of enhanced punches into the air, causing his internal mana to pulse slightly faster after each punch.
“Maybe we’re over-thinking it. The enchantment is probably just a way to give a temporary boost. Lancel stated earlier that the dwarven and elven mages won’t bother teaching an older human how to cast, so maybe that sword is the compromise?”
Travis began to smirk and give out a snooty tone, “Here’s a sword with a built-in spell formation. You can use it three times, if you want more, figure it out on your own.”
I snicker at the likely direct quote from a non-human mage, “Careful now, you’re about to enroll at a school with those people acting as professors. Best not anger them with your accurate impressions.”
I notice Lancel stirring from his position, verbally berating himself for getting angry at Travis. He takes a few big breaths before calling out to Travis. “I just had an idea. What if we counter-manipulate Lancel’s plan for our own benefit?”
---
Travis
I listened to Arc’s plan, tapping my right ear in agreement with him as I placed my bags back on my horse. It was much better than his previous one that resulted in me lying to my parents and friends. This one didn’t trigger that wrongness in my gut like that one, likely because I wouldn’t technically be lying to Lancel.
To be honest, it was a plan I should have had in place to begin with. There is no guarantee that I’ll get into the Mage’s Academy, even if I pass the examination. Arc had a worry that I would not be allowed in just because of my status as a child of a farmer. Even though tuition was covered by the kingdom, a simple bribe could easily keep me from attending to prevent making some rich merchant or noble’s child look bad.
I waited for a good time to implement the plan, wanting a good moment to provide the best impact. Eventually, my chance appeared when we finally grabbed supper at Braewood Fortress.
It was surprisingly quiet in the Main Hall of the fortress, and it was just the two of us in our own corner. I finished my meal and patiently waited for Lancel to finish his.
“Lancel, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”
He looked up from his empty plate, seemingly surprised by my words, “Oh, umm… what do you wish to tell me?”
I took a big breath and gave out my rehearsed line, “I’ve known, since before even the Fall Festival that…” I paused, to ensure that I not only had his attention, but to prepare my own self for the minor confession, “there was something different about me. Even when I was younger, I could easily split logs using Franklin’s behemoth of an ax.”
Lancel shifted in his seat, moving closer to better hear me, “I knew that I couldn’t stay in the village, my mana level is too high now, and I’ll attract monsters to the village.” I began to tear up unexpectedly, the truth hitting me fully for the first time, “I didn’t want to disappoint anyone in the village, you were all so kind to me, and… not being able to stay…” I stopped to sniffle but found myself blowing my nose instead.
“You’re a terrible liar kid.” Lancel interrupted the silence, causing me to freeze. He began to laugh at my expression before speaking, “Back at the Fall Festival, you were a mess after we backed you into a corner and forced you to pick one of us to follow. I knew you were lying about your reasoning to visit the capital, or at least about returning before your birthday, but I guess I was too cloud-headed to figure out why until Trent pointed it out to me.”
I nodded my head, deciding to go with the flow, “It wasn’t a complete lie, I do want to travel and see the world, but returning to the village to live as a simple blacksmith’s apprentice…”
“Would bore you to death.” Lancel completed my thought, “Or at least the equivalent, you’d end up as nothing more than a shell of a person, just going through the motions and no longer having the spark that made life worth living for you.”
“Yes! Exactly!” I exclaimed, finally having someone who understood, “That’s why I want to become a mage. There’re so many things that I could do, so many places that I could go, and so many people I could meet.” I paused to make eye contact, “Lancel, when enrollment opens, I want to take the exam for the Mage’s Academy.”
I held out my hand to prevent him from interrupting me, “If I don’t get in…” I shuddered at the thought that the seven years of training I went through would amount to nothing, “Could you…”
Lancel nodded his head, “If you don’t get in, I’ll get you a recommendation from both me and my father for one of the advanced regiments. That’ll set you ahead of the pack when you finish basic training, and you’ll be able to become a Knight even faster than me if you’re half as talented as I think you are.”
I smiled at Lancel, Arc’s plan worked flawlessly, and I found myself comforted by the reassurance that there was a backup plan.