The next day Kai woke up to the smell of cooked lynx meat. He found Bear sitting next to the campfire cooking the food. Bear handed Kai some food as he ate that sat there in comfortable silence before Bear finally spoke.

“Kai what do you want? Do you want to get adopted or do something else? You don’t have to answer now, think about it for a while and then tell me your decision. Whatever it is, I promise you we will help you.”

Kai thought about Bear’s question seriously, wondering what exactly it was that he wanted to do. Kai didn’t really have any goals, nothing that drove him now that he had escaped. He should probably find a way to deal with Seth and learn more about bond armaments. He also wanted to get stronger and he wanted to learn magic. But was that it? Was there anything else he wanted and why did he want to get stronger? Kai knew why he wanted to get stronger. It was because he wanted to never lose those close to him again but decided to take Bear’s advice and think on it more.

Sarah and Thane came out of their tents, ate some food and started packing everything up as Kai sat there thinking. They set out with Sarah dashing ahead every now and then to scout. Thane was in front of Kai and Bear behind him. They walked and eventually the silence was broken by Bear.

“Hey kid, you want to hear some stories of some of our adventures? “Kai nodded and Bear started talking. Bear first spoke of his time spent wandering around on his own. Bear spoke of battles against beasts that had almost killed him and battles that should have killed him that he survived without even a scratch. He spoke of traveling and dealing with troublesome merchants. Finally he talked about how he met Sarah.

“There I was in the most heated fight of my life. My opponent refused to back down and I was the same over and over. We clashed running each other ragged fighting for some of the best and largest ore I have ever seen. That merchants' prices were outrageous yet I wanted the ore for my new axe. That was when Sarah struck she jumped in grabbing up the ore that we were fighting over and ran. She was one of the swiftest people I have seen even at 17. I ran after her hoping to get the ore and then get the price down to something more reasonable. I cornered her when she was tired from the weight of the ore. I was curious why she had done it so I asked her. She told me that she needed the money to purchase a wind spell so that she could hunt beasts to pay off her debt. I asked her if I bought her the spell if she would give me the ore and create a team with me to make hunting easier. She said yes.”

They walked and Kai was told stories of their travels and things they had done. As they talked Kai learned about them before night arrived and they had to set up camp.

The next day they woke up and set out just like the day before. Bear was telling Kai stories of the time when Thane thought that it would be a good idea to try to collapse part of a cave that they were fighting in but ended up collapsing the whole thing barely managing to keep the stone from collapsing on to them when Sara dropped down in front of them.

“2 gray back gorillas coming this way we can’t get out of there way in time we need to prepare to fight them off.” No more words were spoken as Sarah grabbed Kai and got him into a tree leaving the bags with him. Bear went to the front with his axe ready to chop down anything that came for them. Thane started casting his magic. “Mother earth I seek your aid. Please take my offering and grant me the protection of your children. Help me defend against those who seek to harm. Grant me your protection so that those I seek to help and defend will be safe. Earthen summon.”

Kai felt something inside of himself stir at those words as a storm raged. He felt the urge to fight. His eyes burned as something drained out of him and into them. Everything came into focus from the sound of the pounding steps of the gorillas to the feel of the tree to the scent of fear.

The 2 earth men ripped themselves out of the ground, Thane went back to muttering to himself and 2 walls of earthen stone rose up blocking the direction where the gorillas were coming from. 2 creatures burst out of the woods, both were about the size of a normal gorilla. Their bodies were gray and it looked as if there were stones implanted in their fur offering some protection.

Thane immediately started firing stone spikes. The earth men took one gorilla as Sarah and Bear took the other. Their weapons slashed at the gorilla struggling to damage it through its fur. The gorilla swung its fist at Sarah, missing her as she used a bit of wind to help dodge. Bear swung down with his axe. The gorilla took the hit before punching Bear, sending him sprawling back. The gorilla went to chase after but found a stone spike and short sword blocking his way.

Kai watched on as they fought for their life trying and failing to drive off or kill the gorillas. The other fight wasn’t going much better since the earth men seemed to be made to be tougher than their opponent. And when they weren’t they were of little use other than occupying the gorilla. Again and again they attacked the gorillas but it was a losing fight. Kai felt that storm rage harder and harder he took in more and more his eyes burned hotter and hotter. Kai acted seeing no other choice.

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Kai spoke the spell that had been once used against him to try to save people that might just be friends. “Cold embrace of death I summon you to your place of birth. Death Field.” Kai swung his hand and cold black energy left him. The mist settled on the battlefield and a feeling of the cold end radiated from it.

Their blades and spells cut into the hide parting flesh but it was too late. Bear and Sarah had taken too much damage and the golems were chipped and crumbling. Bear’s body was beaten up while Sarah was walking with a limp. Thane looked haggard and exhausted. A stone spike began to form, getting larger and larger radiating that black energy. It shot out piercing into the gorilla’s chest allowing Sarah and Bear to kill it.

The storm in Kai raged even harder, seemingly trying to escape as he watched. The second gorilla destroyed the 2 earth men and then raced towards Thane. The gorilla hit Thane sending him flying back hitting the tree Kai was hiding in. The gorilla raced towards the tree ready to kill Thane. Kai’s mind raced and came to 2 decisions. First he answered the question that Bear had asked him. He decided that he wanted the power to control his fate and the fate of the people around him. Second, he decided that he didn’t want these new friends to die.

Kai took out the knife that Bear had given him and jumped down. Kai fell down onto the gorilla that was about to kill Thane. The storm inside of him raged moving from his chest into his hands and mouth. Words formed as the storm raged out of his mouth and hands.

“I claim the crimson as mine, submit and obey, exit and join me.” The knife plunged into the gorilla’s back, managing to cut through its fur reaching flesh and blood. Kai’s words were not the prattling of a madman but the command of an emperor backed by the raging storm that had been trapped inside him. The blood followed his command and the gorilla was cut to pieces as blood ripped its way out of the gorilla before the magic died off all of it expended. Kai and the gorilla collapsed, one dead and the other exhausted beyond belief. Or it would have been beyond belief if Kai had not already died once.

Kai felt completely drained, he was exhausted and that storm had started to die down but it still raged. Sights and smells assaulted his every little touch felt like an explosion under his hand and the taste of the world started to overload him. Pain shot through his mind overloaded by the sensory intake a hand touched him and he could feel his skin, his flesh, and muscles indenting. He could feel every tiny detail and imperceptible line on the hand. Kai’s mind burned from the pain. Someone spoke and it felt like a hammer was pounding into his head with every word.

KAI. KAI. ARE YOU ALRIGHT?

Kai screamed as everything overwhelmed him, pain shooting through his mind. He couldn’t do anything; his mind was overwhelmed by his senses.

THERE’S SO MUCH MANA TRAVELING INTO HIS EYE’S IT SEEMS TO BE OVERWHELMING HIM.

Kai screamed at the pain shooting through him at the words. They sounded like someone had taken the world's largest speakers and played them next to his ears. The same voice spoke so quietly that he almost didn’t hear it through the bombardment of senses.

Kai, I need you to calm down. Remember it's your mana, tell it that you're safe there is no danger. Take hold of that storm inside of you and calm it.

Kai was barely able to understand the words that he heard. His mind struggled to process them until Kai realized what they meant.

This is my mana? If it's mine then it will obey me. Kai’s mind moved, something inside of him reached out, grabbed and pulled. The storm was grasped in his hands. He could feel his mana moving through his body in pulses traveling through his blood veins but most of his mana could be found moving to his eyes. Kai tried to stop it but found that he was unable to. It flowed in like an unrelenting river. Kai growled to himself. You are mine. Submit. A willpower that had been cultivated by 5 years of hell slammed into the storm inside of him. Kai’s body began to leak blood from cuts that began to appear on Kai.

Kai would not allow his mana to take control any longer. He grabbed onto the not quiet real force inside of him and blocked as much of it flowing towards his eyes as he could. Everything started to calm down. He no longer felt everything in as much detail as before and everything was quieter.

Kai’s eyes opened up and he looked around. He saw Bear, Thane, and Sarah standing over with looks of worry. None of them look good. They had all been hurt from the attacks. Collectively they all let out a sigh of relief.

Good to see that you’re ok kid we were all worried about you.

Sarah appeared in front of Kai and wrapped him up in a hug. Thank you, if you hadn’t helped us we would have died.

The arms around Kai were warm and gave him the feeling of an older sister hugging her younger brother. Kai wrapped his arms around her tears welling in his eyes. Is this what a family should feel like? Is this how a family should act? Kai remembered his mom Isabel and came to a decision. They are my new family and I won't lose them too.

Kai’s senses were still enhanced. He could smell, taste and hear everything. He could hear the pounding of 2 sets of feet coming this way. Kai could tell they were humans.

There are 2 people coming this way from the east.

Everyone whirled around facing the east, weapons and spells were ready to cut down anyone who came for them. 2 people burst through the forest Kai stepped forward hand wrapped around his medallion not willing to lose his new family. He instantly took in their appearance.

One was a tall well muscled man with fiery red hair wearing leather armor and holding a sword. The other a slim woman with azure blue hair wearing what looked to be a mix between a coat and a robe. She had no weapon and instead had a spell ready to throw at them.