Chapter 8 - Yue gets mad

Yue blocked Nik’s attack with one of her swords held out to the side and quickly used the momentum in order to counter attack with her left hand sword. Nik jumped backwards dodging but Yue didn’t let up and ran towards him with a flurry of attacks. Nik and Yue continued a dance of attack and defense neither giving room and only light hits were made. When they both were breathing heavily and their outfits were soaked with sweat Sir Arthur called at halt to the spar and both Yue and Nik collapsed on the dirt of the courtyard.

It has been a year since Yue and Nik first started their training with Sir Arthur. In that time they both had improved greatly reaching beginner rank and halfway until intermediate. The first three months had been muscle building activities leaving Nik and Yue so sore that they would have trouble moving the next day, not that it stopped Sir Arthur from dragging them though another training session. After three months Sir Arthur had them train with weapons ranging from staff, sword, to an ax in order to help decide which weapon they wanted to train in. In the end Nik chose a single sword while Yue decided on duel blades. After the weapons had been decided the training schedule had changed to warm-up exercises *cough*torture*cough.* Hand to hand combat, and then weapons training. 

Although at first Yue had resented training since it took away time which could be used to watch her father craft. She quickly changed her opinion when she realized that being able to defend herself without using magic could be very important. Especially right now since she was ‘too young’ to be able to use magic using common sense of this world. But the main reason was that there is always the possibility that she might one day come across a situation that leaves her unable to use magic, in all the fiction books ‘Sarah’ had read the most safe characters were the ones that could use both magic and physical fighting. After a half of a year training Yue also found that she had grown so used to sparing and training that she actually was starting to enjoy it, it had frightened her a bit thinking that she was turning into a muscle head which led her to rereading books around her home and begging her parents to buy some more or asking neighbors to lend her some she had not read.

Yue was six years old now and she looked nothing like what she had in her past life. Her body was tanned and toned with muscles, unlike the white bookworm body Sarah had. Yue raised her head from the ground and looked around the yard. Sir Arthur was putting away the weapons, Nik was still comatose from the training, and Ink… Yue couldn’t spot him but that didn’t worry her much. After the first month of training Ink got bored watching the repetitive actions and started staying home or wondering the village looking for scraps. Yue still worried a bit though since Ink was still small puppy. Normal dogs would have grown to an adult size in a year but since Ink was a Ying Yang beast it would take five years until he reached an adult size.

Getting up, Yue swayed a bit from exhaustion but slowly made her way to Nik who was starting to come around. Yue stretched out her hand.

“How does it feel to be bested.” Yue joked to Nik.

Nik snorted and grasped her hand pulling himself up, “I think you have some bruises as well Yue.”

Their friendship had been a rocky start. Yue had been to shy and nervous to speak up to Nik, and Nik was used to being in charge as a lord’s son. But after training through hell with each other that quickly changed. Yue broke out of her shell learning to speak up for herself. And Nik started to grow out of a noble attitude since Sir Arthur didn’t treat him as one once he became his student. Also training beside Yue made him see her more as a equal, but he still decided that he would protect Yue if anyone tried anything. He didn’t want to feel that helpless again.

With the training done, Yue said goodbye to Nik and Sir Arthur and started home. After the second month Sir Arthur ordered her to jog her way home instead of ‘being a weakling’ by riding the carriage home. Yue let the noise of the village wash over her as she jogged, snippets of conversations entering her hearing from food prices to news from the merchants. One conversation stopped Yue in her tracks, it was about a problem with poachers within the territory. Yue shook her head trying to shake off dark thoughts of the fact that Ink being alone in the village, but the feeling wouldn’t go away and Yue picked up her pace, Ink was always home before she was. He followed her everywhere except training and he made sure he was home to greet her when she returned. 

Yue quickly opened the door to her house, but Ink wasn’t waiting by the door. Racing through the house Yue checked each room ignoring her mothers questions. Nowhere, Yue couldn’t find Ink anywhere. 

Yue looked at her mother, tears filling her eyes. “I can’t find Ink.”

Grace quickly gathered her daughter in her arms, Yue hadn’t cried since Kevin was taken away, “Its okay sweetie, he probably is on his way home now and just got side tracked.”

Yue nodded and went to the dinner table where her mother had laid dinner forcing her self to see sense. It was unlikely anything happened to him. Brian and Grace came to the table and dinner started. Each one talking about their day, but with each minute Yue grew more and more worried.

Yue lay in her bed unable to sleep. Ink had yet to return and when it grew dark Grace said it was time to go to bed she was sure Ink would show up tomorrow. Yue got up and looked up at the night sky, No Yue thought. She would not just wait, what if Ink was injured or the poachers got him. If they recognized him as a rare beast they would have taken him after all. Yue’s eyes grew cold at the thought of anyone taking her family away. Because thats what Ink was family. 

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Yue stepped up on the window sill of her second level room and jumped commanding the wind mana to slow her decent. After landing Yue went into the alleyways and made her way to outside of the village. Few in her village were strong enough in magic to feel mana but Yue wasn’t going to take a chance when she intended to use her power to its fullest in order to find Ink. Once inside of the forest near the village Yue climbed up a tree, which was easy with her fit body unlike most mages. Taking a deep breath Yue closed her eyes and looked inward to her mana. Pulling it out Yue imagined her mana on the wind spreading far and wide searching for Ink’s essence. It flowed though the village but found nothing. Yue changed its direction and had it go into the forest. After a half hour Yue’s mana raced back to her a sign that the spell had found what she had made it for. Creating another spell Yue formed a small golden orb and imagined it leading her to the essence her last spell found. The golden orb moved deeper into the forest the moment Yue released it. Yue jumped down and raced after it, jumping over roots and scaring animals as she forced her way.

The golden orb slowly stop. Yue stopped as well to see what it had found. Three men sat around a campfire in a small clearing. Their horses tied up to a nearby tree and next to the tree was a sight that made Yue’s blood run cold. Ink was in a small cage and in the flickering fire light Yue could make out dried blood matted on Ink’s legs. 

“How dare you.” Yue spoke as she took on Ink’s condition. She couldn’t help it, her mind was blinded with rage.

The three men turned finally noticing the small child that stumbled upon them.

The biggest of them sighed, “I must be getting lax letting a child sneak up on me.”

The one next to him laughed and looked pervertedly , “It’s fine, look she will grow up to be a beauty we can sell her after we play with her a bit.”

The last one looked at the second one with disgust, “she’s a child of f*cks sake we can sell her but thats it.”

Yue let her mana loose she didn’t care if these monsters saw it because they wouldn’t be able to tell a soul. She let her rage feed her mana taking control of the nearby earth, wind, plants, and summoned fire to surround the clearing but not spread to the forrest. The monsters acted quickly swearing as they drew their blades.

“She must be using illusion to hide her appearance, don’t take her lightly.” The biggest one spoke as he rushed at Yue with his great sword.

Yue dodged his attack and at the same time had the plants twine around the other two. Jumping back Yue dropped the earth beneath the biggest monster then without hesitation Yue covered the hole, burying him alive. The pervert monster got free of the plants and attacked Yue’s back. Yue tried to dodge but still got a large cut down her back. The last monster got free and together the two surrounded her. Yue’s face turned expressionless as she imaged two things. Wind domes surrounded Yue, Ink, and the horses and then the surrounding fire imploded inward, burning all within the clearing. Two monster’s screams pierced the air as they were burned to a crisp until only ashes remained. 

Yue forced the fire to vanish, and separated her mana from the surroundings, then used the last of her mana to heal her back. The moment she finished her vision started to blacken, she had used too much mana. Yue crawled to Ink and opened his cage then collapsed into darkness.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yue woke to Ink’s tongue on her face. The sun high in the sky, shined through the trees telling Yue it was midday. Yue tried to get up but couldn’t, her whole body screamed in pain and weakness. After a few hours Yue could sort of walk, and she released the horses. Yue slowly made her way home with Ink following her, she had to take many breaks or risk collapsing again. Just as then sun was setting Yue made it to the edge of the forrest. Spotting villagers running around yelling her name.

“I am here.” Yue croaked out.

A nearby villager heard her and raced in her direction shouting out to others, Yue tried to stay standing but her body was still weak and she had all but forced it to make it this far. As the villager reached her Yue fell once more into darkness.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yue woke up in her bed, sitting up she saw Ink asleep and bandaged at her feet and her mother asleep on a chair by her bed. Yue’s movement must have stirred Grace because she woke up as well, tears filled her eyes as she hugged Yue and cried.

Yue spent a week bedridden and weak. Each time her mother, father, healer, Nik, or Sir Arthur asked why she went missing or was in the forest Yue gave the same small story and refused to go into details. ‘She had been worried about Ink and went into the forest, she had found Ink injured in the forest but got lost which was why she was gone so long.’ When her parents and Nik questioned the healer why Yue was bedridden, the healer had replied that he didn’t know but Yue was in an exhausted state. Of course he had noticed that her symptoms were just like a mage which overused their mana, but since Yue was yet to be ten he dismissed that possibility.