Kai sat in the corner using his finger to draw out lines of mana. The lines were patchy, parts of them light blue and other parts were gray and colorless. After a couple minutes the lines dissipated leaving nothing behind. Kai reached out pointer finger straight. He closed his eyes and focused his mana. Kai opened his eyes and once again began writing in the air leaving behind more lines of patch mana.

Kai let out a long sigh as he got up and went over to where Bear and Thane were sitting down and resting after some training.

“Hey Kai are you done making you glowy lines.” Bear asked.

Kai shook his head at Bear’s comment. “They’re not glowy lines. They’re mana lines.” He said for the hundredth time.

Bear shrugged at him. “They glow and they’re lines, so glowy lines.”

Kai let out a sigh as he gave up. “Where are the other three at?”

Bear grinned at Kai knowing that he had won. “Sarah and Nixie went out to hunt some beasts and should be back some time later today. As for Tom, well he’s out doing his own thing in the city just like he has been for the last while.” Bear said

Kai nodded and turned to Thane. “Can you help me get an idea of how I’ve progressed?” Kai asked him.

Thane reached out a hand and touched Kai’s arm. Mana flowed out of Thane and into Kai’s arm. Kai clamped down on his mana preventing it from lashing out. It thrashed in his grip like a fish trying to escape from someone’s hands. Kai’s arm went stiff and became less flexible as it took on a slightly gray tint. Kai took control of his mana and shot it out through his entire body eliminating any foreign mana that he found. Kai purged not just the mana in his arm but some that had been hidden in his foot, his lower leg and his chest.

Kai looked up at Thane who had removed his hand from Kai’s arm.

“Good job, you got all the mana on the first try. It seems that we will have to up the difficulty tomorrow.” Thane told him. “You have made some extremely impressive progress in just two weeks. Now why don’t we go up and get something to eat? It's getting late and I don’t know about you but I’m hungry.”

***

Kai, Thane and Nixie were all sitting down on the floor in the training room. Sitting on the floor in between them was a small scroll of paper.

Thane reached out and grabbed onto the piece of paper. “Spells are a way of enacting change through mana. They are a mold that shapes the mana based on its nature and how you command it. But they aren’t just words and it is extremely dangerous to attempt to use a spell if you have not gained it in the proper ways. For example, trying to use a spell that you heard someone else use. It is extremely unreliable and doing so without the correct knowledge can be dangerous.” Thane handed the paper over to Kai and he took it.

Nixie continued the explanation. “When you learn a new spell you will feel pain. There won’t be too much pain. It will be like a brand just hot enough to hurt but not hot enough to do anything too permanent. Though I have heard that stronger and more complex spells hurt more. For now we only have one spell though we should be able to get you a couple more. Even the most basic spells are rare and expensive, especially combat ones. Though Sarah has been looking around and should be able to find you a couple of the more basic combat spells. But for now that doesn’t matter. Right now you need to learn that spell.” Nixie said.

Kai looked down at the scroll and then back up at Nixie and Thane. “How do I learn the spell?” He asked.

“You simply read it.” Nixie said. “Everything will happen on its own.”

Kai nodded his head and looked back down at the scroll. He opened it up and started reading it. There were words on the paper and Kai did read them. Yet he did not take in a single word. His mind couldn't even recognize their presence. Instead his mind was wholly focused on a slight burning sensation not dissimilar to what he had felt when Tempest had branded him. Yet this time it was only a slight burning that couldn’t even be considered painful to him and it only affected a small part of his aura instead of the whole thing.

The burning sensation faded and basic information for the spell was left behind in its place. Kai closed his eyes, channeled mana into them and focused the enhancement on his magic senses. Kai felt out where he had been marked. He could vaguely feel that there was something there. It was present but muted and hard to get a sense of.

Kai allowed even more mana to flow into his eyes. As more and more mana flowed into them he felt them begin to heat up with the beginning stages of over use. Kai ignored the burning sensation and focused on where he had been marked. Kai felt it out trying to understand the mark. Yet no matter how much he tried he couldn’t get a feel for it. Quickly Kai started going at it from a different angle. Instead of trying to feel out the mark he changed to trying to understand why he couldn’t feel the mark.

It only took moments for Kai to realize that the reason he could feel the mark was due to his aura. Kai’s aura was being suppressed and that was blocking him from being able to feel out the mark. Kai directed even more mana to flow into his eyes increasing the burning sensation. Kai felt out his aura trying to figure out how he could free it. Kai’s senses swept over his aura until he found something. It felt like a magical knot keeping his aura down. Kai reached out feeling that all he had to do was untie this and his aura would be free.

“No.” Arthaya’s gentle yet admonishing voice echoed in his mind. “Do not free your aura. There is a reason I am keeping it suppressed and it’s not just because Tempest marked you. If you want to free your aura you can but I suggest you wait until you are alone and in a place where you can spend a month or two learning to control it. Most people’s aura when they first gain control of it is a candle flame while yours is a raging bonfire.”

Kai cocked his head to the side. “What exactly is an aura?” He asked his mental voice full of curiosity.

“An aura is the manifestation of your weight upon reality. It is a combination of your past actions and your potential for future change. An aura is the manifestation of this and flavored with your experiences and by which you can enact change. If your weight comes from being a prince that will be felt in your aura, a general or a soldier, a scholar, or a politician. These things can partially dictate how your aura feels. Since that will be how you affect reality. Your affinities and other such things also have an effect on your aura because that is how you enact change.” Arthaya explained.

“Ok.” Kai said simply.

He retracted his senses from his suppressed aura but kept the mana running through his eyes. Opening his eyes he saw Nixie and Thane looking at him with worried expressions. Kai cocked his head to the side in confusion. “What?” He asked them.

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“Are you ok?” Nixie asked. “You’ve just been sitting there. Did something go wrong?”

Kai shook his head. “No everythings fine. I was trying to examine where the scroll imprinted the spell on me.” He said.

Nixie and Thane let out sighs of relief.

“So you're ok?” Thane asked.

Kai nodded his head.

“Ok then why don’t you try casting the spell.” Thane said.

Kai gathered up a little bit of mana in his lungs and spoke. “Light that flickers in the night. Candle flame.” Kai felt the mana rush into his lungs and then out of his mouth with the words. He felt the imprint do something to the mana as it formed into a small flickering candle flame sitting on his palm. Kai watched the small heatless flame flickering over his hand with awe.

***

“Light that flickers in the night. Candle flame.”

Nixie watched as Kai cast his spell and a small heatless flame came into being above his palm. She watched as his face lit up with awe and then joy at having cast his first spell. In that moment his face showed none of the weight all five of them knew he carried from his drive to get stronger. She wished that he could spend the rest of his life just like this. Transfixed not by the cruelty of life but by its wonders.

Nixie knew that sooner or later Kai would yet again face hardship. It was simply the nature of life to face struggle. But for now she would do everything she could to preserve what wonder she could. If only so Kai wouldn’t be so burdened by his struggles.

***

“Wild force come forth. Static strike.” A small arc of electricity shot out of Kai’s hand and out at Bear.

Bear's axe was already swung, intercepting the strike. As the bolt shot out Kai ran to the side his training sword wreathed in crackling electricity. Kai swung his sword out at Bear’s leg. Bear’s hand shot out, slapping his sword away. Kai grabbed onto Bear's arm and pulled himself up, his hand shot out towards Bear’s face.

Kai’s hand hit Bear's face at the same time Bear’s hand grabbed onto his shirt. Bear’s face jerked back from Kai hitting it as he threw Kai away from him.

Bear grinned at Kai. “You’ve lost, you don’t have your sword any more.”

Kai grinned right back. “You only lose when you quit fighting.” Kai’s hands curled up into fists as he dropped into a fighting stance.

Bear shook his head as he prepared his axe ready for a fight. “You shouldn’t abandon your weapon so readily.” Bear told Kai as he prepared to attack.

“Sometimes sacrifices need to be made to achieve our goals.” Kai said in response. “Wild force I channel you. Static strike.” Kai charged forward as an arc of lightning shot out of his hand. Bear matched his charge ready to match Kai.

“Time to eat supper.” Nixie’s voice echoed out from where she had just come into the training room.

Bear and Kai both stopped and grinned at the same time. They abandoned their training equipment in a corner and hurried out of the training room and up to the main room.

Thane, Sarah and Nixie were already sitting down at their usual table digging their meal. Kai and Bear rushed over and sat down with Kai next to Nixie and an open chair for Tom. And Bear sitting next to the open chair and Thane.

Kai and Bear immediately dug into their favorite meal of a plate sized steak and a second plate piled full of mashed potatoes and gravy. As they ate they talked and laughed having an enjoyable night. Eventually Kai finished up his food and looked around. He noticed that Nixie had stopped eating but still had food on her plate. His stomach let out a small rumble, Nixie smiled warmly at him and pushed her unfinished plate of food to him.

Kai smiled up at her and then hurriedly dug into the food in front of him. As Kai was cutting into his food his knife slipped and he cut the top of his finger. Kai grimaced as he pulled his knife back.

Nixie looked over at Kai having heard some. Her eyes widened when she noticed that he had been cut. Nixie reached out, setting her hand over his. Water mana flowed out of her and into Kai as she muttered a spell. Nixie reached over and ruffled his hair. “Be more careful next time.” She said, her voice full of motherly warmth.

“Thanks.” Kai said simply while smiling up at her. Kai turned back to his food when he noticed something on his plate. Sitting on his plate was a drop of pristine golden blood. Kai looked at his knife to see more golden blood smeared across it.

Kai cocked his head to the side as he started wondering. Picking up his knife he closed his opposite hand around it and cut.

“Kai what are you doing?” Nixie said, sounding confused and worried.

Kai waved her off as he peered curiously at his blood. His blood was now a pristine and vibrant golden color instead of red. Kai watched with awe and fascination as the blood ran down his hand and dripped down onto the table.

“What is it Kai?” Bear asked curiously.

Kai looked up to see him also watching the blood dripping down onto the table. “My blood is golden. I think some of those experiments have fully taken effect.” Kai said as the wound slowly closed up.

Eventually everyone went back to simply enjoying the company of friends. Time passed and Kai decided to go up to his room and get some reading done. Sarah got him some new books that morning and he wanted to start reading them.

As Kai walked towards the stairs he saw Tom leaning up against the wall watching everyone having fun. Kai walked over to him and leaned up against the wall next to him.

“Kai what do you think is the most important thing in life?” Tom asked without actually wanting an answer. “The answer varies from person to person but for me that is the most important thing in life.” Tom said while gesturing to where the others were having fun. Tom set his hand on Kai’s shoulder and handed him a scabbard. “Find what is most important to you and protect it with everything you have no matter the cost and you will be happy one way or another.” Tom walked off.

Kai pulled the sword out of its scabbard and examined it. The sword was simply crafted with the hilt resembling a bolt of lightning and the spot where the blade and hilt connected having a fire pattern. Set into the pommel was a small crimson red jewel. While it was simply designed with little decoration, there was still beauty in its simplicity.

Kai ran forward and hugged Tom from behind a smile on his lips.

***

Kai walked through the woods with his sword by his side and a staff that Thane had gotten made for him on his back. Kai ran his hand over the guild card that proved he was a hunter.

The card was a strip of light gray metal. The color of the card would indicate whether he was dead, active or inactive. Light gray indicated he was active, black was dead and dark gray was inactive. It also showed his tier and his combat specialty.

His tier would increase though doing enough quests or commissions to be promoted. Quests were set out by the government to deal with things that would become or were a problem. Things like beasts on the roads or wandering too close to towns. Various things like that. Commissions were requests from people for things. These were things like specific resources or the corpses of beasts. Kai was currently on a commission to collect the hide of a bark lynx.

Kai carefully stalked through the woods. His senses were enhanced so that he would be able to tell if anything dangerous was approaching. Due to this Kai was able to hear the sound of boot leather on grass. Kai paused not thinking much of it but still being even more careful just in case.

Looking up Kai decided to take an extra precaution. Kai quickly and easily climbed up the tree and hid himself in its leaves.

Three men walked under Kai’s tree; they all wore armor that had been designed to partially blend in with the woods. Two of them had swords while the third one had a small round ball. A fourth being stepped into sight.

It looked vaguely like a wolf that had its hide stripped off leaving flesh, muscle sinew and bone exposed. Patches of its flesh were unnaturally black and at times it seemed to partially fade out of sight. The flesh wolf stopped walking and started sniffing around.

Kai felt an intense and overwhelming revulsion well up. He was filled with disgust at seeing it and felt rage at its existence. Kai’s hand tightened around his sword as he looked down at it.

A second wave of revulsion, disgust and rage hit him as Seth’s voice echoed through his mind. “KILL IT.” Kai’s hand moved away from his sword and tightened around the scythe that had just formed in his hand.