Contents

Copywright

Dedication

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER 27

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER 29

CHAPTER 30

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 33

CHAPTER 34

CHAPTER 35

CHAPTER 36

CHAPTER 37

EPILOGUE

Second Edition

© 2017 Robert Harper. All rights reserved.

I dedicate this novel to my loving family,

who tolerated my temporary absence from reality.

CHAPTER 1

Under the flickering glare and hum of the fluorescent lights, a young man in a lab coat stared nervously at the screen with tired, drooping eyes. Numbers displayed in a tiny box on the screen slowly counted down. The numbers 00:00 flashed on the screen and the young man didn't dare make a sound as he held his breath. This was the moment of truth, would his efforts be for naught, or would he be forced to go back to the very beginning yet again? There was a palpable pause before the machine went into its cooling phase. Laughter, that only the truly insane could appreciate, escaped through the doorway into the empty hallway outside the tiny room.

The results of the first sample displayed on the screen, showing everything was within acceptable parameters. Many hours earlier the machine had come out of calibration. Usually the very contaminants it tested for clogged the machine. Now that everything was right with the world, he only had about, oh... 500 more samples to run and, of course, everyone wanted a rush turnaround. He leaned back and rubbed his hands across his face, then pulled them through his hair.

Looking at his watch, Danny decided this was definitely going to have to run all night. Fortunately for him, once he started a batch of samples he technically didn't have to be there. He just prayed no hiccups happened while he was away. It was already past 8pm so there was no reason he was staying here any longer. He was starving and his back was killing him from bending over the table, mixing and remixing the required calibration solutions.

He picked up his mobile phone and turned off the lights to the room in which he worked. Walking through the lab, he quickly confirmed that he was indeed the last one still working that night. His boss had helped him earlier, before she had to leave for a family event. She was a great boss and thus he was very understanding. He had done this long enough, he knew he could eventually fix the issue.

While opening the back door to the lab he saw that it was pouring rain. He made sure the door locked behind him before running to his lone vehicle in the employee parking area. Being the last one there, he didn't want to be at fault for leaving things vulnerable to theft. Financial transactions for the lab were all done electronically, but some disreputable groups were always looking to acquire some of the chemicals stored there to help mix up compounds for more... recreational purposes.

Danny stopped by his favorite burger joint, picked up supper, and headed towards his house. After renting an apartment for years he decided he would upgrade to a house. He had set up a rent-to-buy deal with the owner and was making small improvements when he had time. Hopefully he could save enough to buy it outright.

The town he lived and worked in was on the small side. There were quite a few industries in the area and this small town was smack-dab in the middle of them. The local industries that utilized the lab were willing to pay the increased costs for the quick turn around, and thus Danny was able to make a decent salary. Increasing rental costs in the town drove Danny to look for a way to purchase a home. If the town continued to grow he could easily see his plan to purchase becoming an excellent investment.

Pulling into his driveway, he sat in the car and watched the rainwater flow down the sides of his house's roof. It was letting up a little but he didn't see it stopping anytime soon. He seriously wished at that point he could have found a house with a garage. No one else lived with him. His last girlfriend was months ago. The small town didn't host a plethora of young single woman looking to date a "devilishly handsome" chemist. His hopes of finding someone nearby were slim. Hopefully the town would grow some and bring in more people.

Sighing, he quickly grabbed his dinner and jumped out into the night, racing up the concrete walkway to his front door. Right as he got to his front step he slipped and fell backwards. As his perspective turned skyward, Danny could see the burger bag and keys he had been carrying, as they now flipped in the air. They seemed to orbit each other in an intricate dance. The soda cup in his other hand was simply crushed in his grip, releasing its contents in a dark arc. He let out a high-pitched scream, which would not be recognized by many people to have come from a male of his species.

Danny had not just fallen backwards, but also slipped to the side. The side of his head found the brick of the raised bed next to his porch. He was struck across his temple and one of his eyes. Pain lanced through his head and he groaned piteously. His car's headlights had yet to automatically shut off. In the light from the vehicle, Danny had been unable to see what he had slipped on.

Opening his good eye he noticed something floating and flipping his way through the rain right above him. He turned his head to look at it and winced as he felt the unevenness of the bricks below him. The edges of the bricks dug into the back of his scalp, causing him to hiss involuntarily. Through his one good eye he could barely make out a rectangular shape. As it fell into the light cast by his car, he caught a glimpse of a professionally-taken photo of a woman on the front. Groaning once more, he realized it was more than likely some local realtor, wanting to help him sell "his" home.

The brochure floated slowly down and landed right on top of Danny's good eye. Groaning at the insult added to his injury, all he could see was her mouth. Those teeth seemed to be brighter than was possible given the amount of light that made it over to him from his car. Inhumanly white teeth grew to encompass his field of vision. Through the rain and his own moans he could have sworn he heard the maniacal laughter of a man coming from behind him. As he tried to turn to look for its source, a new pain shot through his head and his world quickly faded to black.

CHAPTER 2

Danny awoke slowly to darkness and the feeling that his whole body was pulsing to the beat of his heart. He had never felt so tired in his life, and consciousness was a fleeting thing. His thoughts were incomplete...

He couldn't focus for very long and the constant beating of his heart, raging through his body, stripped him of every chance of putting two thoughts together. He fought to get free. Every time he could manage to take in his surroundings it always seemed closer. Everything seemed to slowly close in all around him, suffocating and restricting.
Infrequently, he would recognize muffled noises and lights of different colors. He thought he recognized some of the noises but couldn't focus long enough to remember where he had heard them.

As time passed everything got impossibly tighter, the walls closing in completely around him. He hated this feeling, this place. He had to get out or he would surely die.

Then everything changed.

***

The walls around Danny began to undulate and squeeze against him as he was suddenly moved. He was forced into a place of absolute darkness, devoid of all sound save his own heart beating. This seemed to go on forever then a shockingly bright light pierced his eyes and then pure noise stabbed his eardrums.

He closed his eyes as tight as he could, but found he was unable to hold his hands to his ears as he wanted. He was lifted into the air and swung around by something under his back. His arms flailed uselessly as he fruitlessly attempted to balance himself. He tried to scream but he only ended up coughing as he discovered fluid in his lungs. His coughing fit lasted only a few seconds until he could breathe again.

Exhausted, he lay there as his limp form was jostled around roughly, until he was wrapped in something soft. He sensed something looming closer and then it covered the top of his head. He noticed, from behind his closed eyes, the lights in the room intensify. A rush of warmth enveloped him and permeated his overly exhausted body. He felt slightly better.

Deep, booming voices filled the air around him. Danny tried opening his eyes, but they still hadn't adjusted to the light level. Eventually, through briefly squinted eyes, he could make out only vague shapes and colors. Unable to figure out what was going on, he was frozen with fear. He lay there, not daring to move. His heavily labored breathing was the only thing betraying his failed attempt at stealth. He wondered if the air here was thinner as his body struggled to take in enough oxygen to fuel his body.

Once again he was moved and Danny felt his faced pressed against something like a soft wall. Fearing he was being suffocated, he struggled to turn his head away, but he could only move it slightly from side to side. He struggled and opened his mouth to scream. Before he could get out a sound, part of the wall rushed in and filled his mouth. Fortunately, he could still breathe through his nose but no matter how much he fought he could not get away from the wall or eject the part between his lips. In self-defense he bit down, and fluid rushed into his mouth. With no other option he was forced to swallow the liquid, causing more of the fluid to fill him as quickly as he drank.

This continued till Danny felt he couldn't consume anymore and he began to gag. The wall quickly receded from him and he lay there. He couldn't remember ever being so exhausted. With his nerves shot and his body empty of strength, Danny gladly accepted the sweet embrace of unconsciousness.

CHAPTER 3

Danny's existence turned into one of complete helplessness. Either hunger or exhaustion claimed his every thought. How long he existed in this state, he could not reason as time held no meaning for him. Eventually, his lungs became accustomed to the thin air and his eyesight improved but he could only make out the things closest to him. He was used to being near-sighted and wore contacts daily, but his eyesight was now worse than it had ever been.

He tried to make sense of what had happened to him. Was he in the hospital? Where were his glasses? He couldn't see far enough to make out a table next to where he was lying, or anything for that matter. Worse, his body refused to respond as it used to. He was relieved he wasn't paralyzed, but the way his body didn't respond the way he wanted it to remind him of stories he had read of people recovering from spinal injuries. Yes, the weird sensations he felt and experienced could easily be attributed to his eventual treatment at a local hospital. His mind struggled to attach logical associations with his experience since he had awoken.

All of his theories were thrown out the window with what was suddenly presented before his eyes. Golden hair and brown eyes, the face of a young woman. Her head filled his view, like the Earth looming over the horizon of the Moon. She was gigantic. As she smiled down at him, she cooed and touched his nose with a massive finger. Danny was so overcome with fear he froze in place. The words she spoke held no meaning to him. While she was undoubtedly human, many of the sounds she made did not come from any of the human languages he knew. She laid him down in a shallow area filled with blankets. Released from his fear, Danny tried to escape but found he could barely rock from side to side, let alone flee.

Danny struggled to move his hand up and in front of his face. Shaking and uncoordinated, a swollen and bloated looking thing rose to the side of his vision. That's as far as he could get it to raise. Looking down further, his arm was in the same condition. Taking a deep breath, he could not deny it any further.

Starting to hyperventilate, Danny cried loudly and uncontrollably as he accepted the truth of his situation. His new 'mother' came over to the crib to pick up a baby Danny. She comforted him and rocked him. Checking his cloth diaper first, she then lowered him to feed him, thinking him hungry. Accepting this comfort, Danny ate his emotions until he was full and promptly fell asleep.

Staring up at what he could only assume was a ceiling, he still couldn't see very far. Danny had awoken calmer than before. Trying to ignore what had escaped his bowels and now settled in the cloth rag they used as his diaper, he contemplated how he had gotten to this point. He vaguely remembered the event of him falling and the pain in his head. The next memory he had was of waking in what he now suspected was a womb. Danny shuddered because he had an innate fear of confining spaces.

Reincarnation was something Danny had not believed in. Despite his best efforts, he could not come up with a better explanation that didn't involve aliens or a different version of himself, sitting alone in an all-white room, drooling onto a strait jacket. There had been no white light at the end of a swirling tunnel. No standing at the shore of a river as an ancient and withered man steered his small boat towards him, a long pole pushing the craft through the fog. Reincarnation being the simplest solution, Danny wondered why his memories from his previous life still remained. Also, by accepting this reality, he had to accept that he had died there, that night in the rain on his front porch. Death by junk mail. A true hero's death! Oh the songs they will sing of his final great battle with that rectangular piece of paper! How depressing...

Deciding to accept his situation, he knew he had months of laying here ahead of him until he could raise his head, sit up, crawl, and eventually walk. He was not looking forward to this. Maybe with his knowledge of human development he could expedite this process somehow. He wondered again if his current predicament was like someone who had received nerve damage and was forced to retrain his body to function. He would also need to try and learn the local language at the same time...

He suddenly thought, *What is that!?*

In the corner of his vision he saw a small faint light. He figured it was one of those annoying floating things in his eye. He turned his head as much as he could, but the light stayed at the same point in his vision no matter how fast he moved his head. This was different than the eye floaters, those would appear to jostle around. Had it been there this whole time? Was it a sign of some sort of eye disease? Worried, he tried to focus on the light as much as he could.

*I can't be going blind now*, thought Danny, afraid.

He tried to steady his breathing as worrying wouldn't get him the answers he needed. In his previous life, Danny had suffered from anxiety and had learned breathing techniques to calm his nerves. Doing this now he purposely took deep, long breaths. He started going through his memories while continuing to focus on the light. In the past he had found that focusing on his issue helped him in learning to overcome the fear it caused. He was so focused he didn't even notice when the faint light began to expand, filling his vision. It took Danny a few moments to notice that the view of his crib was replaced by a strange room.

It looked like a study he would have liked to have at his old house.

He paused and excitedly thought, *I can see everything clearly!*

Looking around, there were a number of bookshelves and a single desk. The room was not overly large and the bookshelves took up the majority of the room. He looked down and discovered he did not have a body. Panicking, he looked around and saw a door.

Choosing to run, he moved towards the door and light once again consumed his sight. He was back in his crib, his heart was beating out of control, and he couldn't catch his breath. He closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing in order to calm down. He had little control over his emotions at this age and wasn't ready for someone to come and check on him just yet. With his eyes closed, Danny noticed the light was still there faintly in the farthest corner of his vision. It wasn't in the way, it would just take some getting used to.

Taking another breath, Danny focused intently on the light again and began slowly breathing once more. Finding himself back in the strange room, he paused to look around. Turning away from the bookshelves, Danny focused on the desk first. His perception moved towards it. It seemed his movement in this room was done by focus and intent. The desk was made from a dark wood and had ornate scrollwork carved all over it. It was very large, and had drawers on either side of the chair he now found himself “sitting” in.

It was weird not seeing his body in the chair while sitting in it nonetheless. The large surface held a single piece of paper. Not paper like he was used to seeing, mass-produced and perfect. Looking closely, he realized this was parchment. He vaguely remembered that it was usually made from animal skin, at least he thought so. The page on the desk held a language Danny had not seen before. It looked similar to Japanese or Chinese characters except blockier and less flowing. As he focused on the top page the letters began to melt as the page darkened. The dark stains began to shrink and coalesce into familiar characters.

Greetings young one,

Know this! Who or what you are is unimportant. What is important is that you are prepared for what we fear is to come. Read my words carefully and learn how the gift we bring you came at the cost of many lives.

They came to our realm like an all-consuming fire. Though no one learned what they called themselves, many came to know them as the Cataclysmic. By the time word reached us of their arrival to our world, the first cities of Man had already fallen. Seeing our end in sight, we worked quickly. Though their numbers seemed without ending we discovered a weakness. None that faced them doubted their strength, but some aspect of our world worked against them and they could not survive long past a single turning of the seasons. It was not uncommon for our scouts to find their bodies without obvious injury, decaying as they lay abandoned by their kind. Our scouts who did return reported that near their portal they were building a great monolith. A team of sorcerers traveled to this location with our best scouts and determined its purpose. One of the sorcerers' familiars arrived a few days later bearing her last report. The monolith was deemed an unmaker. It would take apart those aspects of our world that resisted them, and in doing so turn it against us.

We immediately set about a great work of our own...

Upon reading this, Danny began to receive a vision. Like an out of body experience Danny’s point of view shifted and he was only able to watch the events that unfolded.

At the base of a towering spire, overlooking a massive city, a group of men in dusters handed a small, blood-red crystal to a second group, comprised of hardened-looking men and women. The second group looked to be wearing armor and carrying various weapons, while others wore dusters of different colors.

Small groups were then seen running in teams of four through the forests and across mountains. Every now and then they would look up into the distance, towards what looked like a massive hole in the fabric of space. Periodically lightning would strike at the hole, as if nature itself was trying to drive away the anomaly. The groups would set a white crystal so that a specific end pointed towards the tear in space, before moving on.

The warriors from before had multiplied, now numbering in the thousands. They raced towards the tear and joined in battle against an endless horde of what Danny could only describe as mutants or demons. The Cataclysmic were only similar in the fact that the arrangement of their bodies didn't seem to follow any sort of logical order. Eventually the thousands of humans were whittled down into a team of three women and a man. Around the neck of one of the woman was the red crystal. The team had learned a lesson from their fallen comrades and did not try and kill every enemy in sight, but instead cut a path. Bleeding and wounded, they drew near the portal.

Back at the towering spire, the robed men were watching through their scrying pools and sent others to a ritual area on top of the tower. Hundreds of robed men knelt along the great circled rune etched into the floor. A larger blood-red crystal, sat in a pedestal in the middle of the floor. As power flowed up from the four pillars on the edge of the tower that marked the four corners of the world, some of the men started falling to the ground, unmoving. The pillars' powers coalesced into the crystal, casting a single beam of blinding light. Near the portal only two of the previous team remained, the young man and the woman with the crystal. As the man spun and twisted his two blades at the mass of enemies that surrounded his companion, the young woman flung out devastating magics that tore a path closer to their goal. The crystal around the young woman's neck started to glow and distracted the man long enough for one of his enemies to get within his guard and strike a killing blow. As his lifeless body fell to the ground the young woman released a mass of power around them, briefly freeing them from attack. She quickly rushed to the man’s side. As the Cataclysmic rushed in to finish the two off a fell wind blew through the area around the couple. A spinning vortex of air continuously picked up speed and flung the Cataclysmic into the air as it did so. With tears running down her cheeks, the woman held the body of the dead man and screamed up into air. Suddenly she looked up in the middle of what could be described as the eye of a hurricane. Realizing what was about to happen, a small smile crossed her face right before the power hit.

Varying prismatic views, Danny guessed from the white scrying crystals, winked out, until only a single view from far away showed a great flash of light followed by dust, smoke, and debris. When the wind had settled the portal was no more and the strange monolith was barely recognizable.

The vision left Danny and he looked down to continue reading the remainder of the letter.

The remaining Cataclysmic, doomed to a slow death on our world, turned to our destruction as the citadel was the last bastion of human civilization. Knowing others would survive, we sought a way to aid those survivors in the future we knew was inevitable, when “they” would return again.

Some wanted to leave behind great weapons of enchantment, but we feared they would be found and used by the enemy. Then I brought forth an idea, one that took a project of mine a step beyond its original intentions. All quickly realized that, if successful, this would fundamentally change the people of our world forever and possibly provide the power required. With the Cataclysmic at the very walls of the citadel we began casting our last spell. The spell was cast on a massive multifaceted crystal. Those of us that remained used our mortal souls to power the spell that would change the very nature of this world's mana. To embed it with the ability to grant innate abilities inherent to all who met the qualifications. I had gathered together the knowledge from our greatest masters of every profession into the crystal. My original intention was to grant this power to our initiates of the citadel. Now we grant this power to you.

We have bestowed upon every being born of this world that develops sufficient intelligence, access to their own mental sanctuary. This was an ability only attainable to the greatest of our magi. This sanctuary will retain all the knowledge and skills you acquire. Nothing will be lost. Your knowledge and abilities will be granted a ranking so you know not only how far you have come but how much further you need to go. When you increase in a skill you will be granted increased power in the form of one of three attributes. These attributes will permanently boost your body and cannot be taken away. As you grow in knowledge and skill so shall your sanctuary.

Please use this gift wisely and grow stronger for what will surely come to pass.

The Last Archsorcerer

Danny looked up from the letter and at the room around him. So this was a mental sanctuary. If he understood correctly, this sanctuary gave him a photographic memory. He didn't know anything about the attributes mentioned in the letter though.

*Wait...*, he thought.

Danny realized he was on another world! He thought it was possible that everyone was speaking oddly due to his diminished size and the way his small ears were perceiving sound. Another world with a separate history. He hadn't just reincarnated, but had done so on another world. One with mana! He then realized this must be another universe entirely.

Danny fearfully thought, *I hope they have chocolate... and toilets!*

His thoughts then turned to his family. His parents lived back in his home town and his little brother had yet to move away like he did. He loved his family and acceptance of the fact he would never see them again would take him some time. Some small part of him had thought he would be able to go and visit them. They might not recognize him, but he could just make sure they were alright.

Lost in thought, Danny's gaze wandered above the desk, and he noticed a large copper triangle affixed to the wall. The triangle was equilateral with one side on the bottom so it pointed up. Inside the triangle was another triangle of red and yellow. This red triangle was warped where the top was sharply pointed and the two points to the side appeared grossly stunted. Words were written at each point of the equilateral triangle. 'Intelligence' was at the top, 'Strength' to the left, and 'Agility' to the right. If he understood this correctly, it was a triangular graph of his attributes given by the sanctuary. The red corner of the triangle, representing intelligence, was around halfway to the edge of the copper outer triangle. Apparently, he was currently highly intelligent with non-existent strength and agility. Both of the corners of the triangle representing strength and agility were yellow. He was not sure why they were different color than intelligence.

Thinking on his past life, Danny sarcastically thought, *This doesn't describe someone who worked as a chemist at all... nope.*

Underneath the triangle was an inscription.

Intelligence for adaptability, speed, and simultaneousness of thought.

Strength for power, fortitude, and stalwartness of body.

Agility for speed, dexterity, and precision of movement.

Opening the drawers and not finding anything of interest, Danny moved to the bookshelves. Each bookshelf held a placard title on the side and were not uniform in shape or size. The first bookshelf he came to was titled "Language." Only two of the shelves were occupied. The books on the top shelf were titled "The English Language (Spoken)." There were eight books on this shelf. Volumes one through five were additionally labeled "Apprentice Level" and Volumes six through eight were labeled "Journeyman Level." He focused on the first volume and knowledge filtered through his thoughts about the sounds consonants and vowels made. He found this strange but interesting. Moving on, the second shelf held seven volumes titled "The English Language (Written)." These two sets of books confused Danny as he assumed anything held in the sanctuary would be related to this world. Based on the fact he was apparently on another planet, English was not something that should have been held in that crystal. Maybe the sanctuary was set up to allow new skills to be added based on knowledge and experience. Would this enter into the system as a whole for anyone else he taught English to? If so this was truly amazing.

Moving to the next bookshelf it had a plaque that read "Craftsmanship." On this bookshelf there were five volumes of "Alchemy." There had to be other craftsmanship skills that should have transferred over. Frustrated, Danny admitted to himself that some skills were better than none.

The next shelf down was titled "Mercantilism."

*Why not just business,* thought Danny.

Under this he had five volumes in "Trade," two volumes in "Investing," and four volumes in "Accounting."

*Please, don't let me come to this world just to become an accountant,* thought Danny.

The third shelf that Danny had was titled "Charisma." On this shelf he had four volumes in "Persuasion," one volume in "Intimidation," and two volumes in "Deception." A frown crossed Danny's face as he focused on the books under "Deception," thinking he didn't like to be called a liar. He did see a few techniques for telling believable lies, but there were also quite a few other techniques for hiding in plain sight and convincing others you were someone else.

*Acting,* Danny thought with a smile. He was always getting in trouble for his sarcasm, which no one seemed to get.

The second to the last shelf was titled "Leadership." Danny had always been a bit of an introvert, so he figured leadership wasn't really his forte. There were just two books called "Management." This probably had to do with the times he had been given new employees to train and coach during the different jobs he had had over the years. He had always figured his own managers had just been lazy, but it had helped him here.

The last bookshelf was titled "Healing." Here there was only one set of books. He had five books in "First Aid." Treating himself and having to help take care of his little brother must have upped this skill. Also, the lab he worked at had him take CPR and first aid classes.

*That's it,* Danny's thought shouted in his mind. He couldn't believe his twenty-seven years of existence had only garnered him advancement in... twelve skills! Two of them were for a language he seriously doubted he would come across on this world. Danny moved back over to the desk and looked up at the attribute triangle. Then he looked back over at the six bookshelves, deep in thought. Maybe he was limited to gaining skills with attributes only in intelligence. The redness of the intelligence must represent recent growth. Maybe certain skills couldn't be awarded till he accomplished them again in his new body?

Danny then decided to see if there was anything on the other side of the room, past the bookshelves. It was darker on the far side, but he could easily make out a doorway. The doorway appeared to be sealed up with stone blocks. A metal plaque was affixed at eye level that read "Mana (Sealed)." Did he have mana? That would be a dream come true! Though it was sealed... he focused on the door and nothing happened like with the exit door. There didn't appear to be a keyhole, so how was he supposed to unlock it?

As he pondered on this puzzle he heard a voice and recognized it as belonging to that woman.

*How did she get in here,* Danny thought, when he was suddenly jerked from his position and flung through to the exit door. The door didn't open so much as his perception passed through it into a white emptiness.

CHAPTER 4

He opened his eyes to see the woman - presumably his mother - hovering above him. She fussed over him while changing his diaper. Danny was embarrassed by this, but had no way to address the problem himself. The noises she made were soft, but otherwise meant nothing to him. After interacting with her for a while he pretended to get sleepy and nod off. The woman hovered for a minute, and then she left.

Danny was determined to unlock his mana and he couldn't find any answers in his sanctuary, so maybe the key was out here. Going off the knowledge he had (mostly from fantasy novels and games) either mana was absorbed from the world or was produced from within himself. Focusing on his body first, he searched for anything different. While he had grown accustomed to this new body there were a few things that were off. The first was the faint light in the corner of his vision, which he now knew was the shortcut to his sanctuary. The second was a strange presence right above his stomach. The best way he could describe it was that it felt similar to a lump in his throat. Not in how it felt when he was actively swallowing, but how it seemed to be there waiting for him to swallow, making him unconsciously swallow more frequently than he normally would. Unfortunately, he had no means of 'swallowing' to see what was in this area. Could this be his mana? How would he unlock it? Reaching out with his senses, he tried to pull on this presence. Pain shot through his stomach and chest before he let go. Danny felt a dull ache, like he had been sucker punched in the upper gut. Fussing, he was unable to control himself and he cried.

After his mother checked on him and he pretended to sleep again, Danny focused on what happened. He “grabbed" a lot of the mana, thinking that that was needed to unlock it. Now he was wondering if he shouldn't try a lighter approach and see if there was a difference. Trying to grab just a small amount of the mana proved very difficult, if that is what it truly was. Every time he attempted to grab at the presence he felt a stab of fresh pain, though the amount of pain noticeably lessened as he learned to grab smaller and smaller amounts.

Determined, and a little bored of just being a baby, Danny continued to work on his locked mana issue. In the following days, he was carried around the house and many people came to visit. It wasn't until meal times that he figured out everyone who lived in the house. Besides his mother, there were two other women and a man in the home. There were also two older girls and another boy. While the girls were many years older than him the boy looked just a few years older than him. His interactions with the two adult women were sporadic, but they were very nice to him. From time to time they would help his mother take care of him. Maybe they were his aunts? At first, he wasn't sure if the man was his father or not, as the man treated all the children the same. Then some nights, he would sleep in their bed upstairs. So he was at least the man they were living with, if not his father. The two older girls would play with him and would help take care of him from time to time. The other boy in his house behaved as expected of a toddler.

Danny hadn't been around too many babies, but he did his best to play the part. So as not to alarm anyone, he made sure to smile, a lot. Especially when he wasn't sure what the right response was. This usually resulted in a positive reaction on the part of the recipient.

He eventually started to pick up on a few words when people would point at themselves and say a word. The photographic memory provided by the sanctuary was a big help in this department. Though it was very frustrating when someone would hold a toy or object and ramble on for more than a few words. He could only make general guesses based on repetition of specific words. Did they expect him to immediately go from speaking nothing to complex sentences?! He couldn't memorize something that he couldn't comprehend. Ninety percent of what was said to him might as well have been inane babbling for all the good it did him.

Days turned into weeks and Danny hadn't made any progress on unlocking his mana. He did, however, get to leave their home. Unfortunately, this was very frustrating as he still couldn't see very far past the end of his nose. He was sure they went to a few stores and stalls as his mother left the places with more things than she had when she arrived. Also, as they walked between buildings he heard a lot of different people and could vaguely see them moving around. So he could only assume it was a town they lived in. Whether the town was large or small, the buildings tall or short, or if there was a giant moon hovering above waiting to crash down on the unsuspecting populace, Danny couldn't tell.

It was during one quiet afternoon while Danny was practicing his 'grabbing,' which had turned into more of a ‘pinching’ that something changed. He had become able to grab the tiniest nuance of the presence he felt above his stomach. What had been stabbing pain at first turned into a small, manageable twinge. About ready to give up and call it a day, he reached out and tried again to grab an even smaller amount. At first, he thought he had failed to find purchase when he did not feel any of the usual pain. That's when it started to suddenly move through his system. A strange new feeling moved up to his heart and then it spread from there, like the roots of a tree through the ground. Danny could only guess that it was following his arteries and veins. It cycled through his body and once it reached his brain... he blacked out.

When he awoke he first noticed that he felt a strange sensation all over his body. He could feel it, and it was everywhere! It permeated his body and he could feel it wanting to escape. Besides the strange feeling, he didn't feel any stronger physically. That's when he noticed the sanctuary light, and he immediately focused on it, meditating.

The room looked much the same as when he was there last. He rushed past the bookshelves to the doorway behind them. It was open! He went through the doorway into a room shaped like a hexagon. Each wall of the room was decorated with a different theme, and each wall held a symbol. Unlike everything else, these symbols did not change to English when he focused on them. In the center stood a massive stone table, but it was empty.

The first side he approached had a more natural stone floor and wall than the rest of the room. What at first he took to be patterns in the wall turned out to be veins of different ores in the rock. The ores were obviously unrefined, but the tapestry they made was beautiful and soothing. Ten pedestals lined the wall but only three of them held a tome. "Earth Affinity" Apprentice, levels one through three. Danny focused on the three tomes, one by one, and they contained his knowledge of all things related to his previous life. His knowledge and understanding from courses in geology and geography from school were stored here, as well as his own experience from working with the earth. He would have thought a magic skill would only increase in rank based on the use of skills like 'earthen spike' or 'stone armor' (if such things existed here). Instead, it looked like his knowledge and understanding counted toward advancement in some cases. The last book contained some of his speculations on how mana could be used to affect earth. Danny thought about that last part and questioned if these thoughts were truly his own. Did the sanctuary give hints towards future advancement? He would have to try a few things and see if his theory held any merit.

Danny was hesitant to move toward the second wall. The floor and walls appeared to be made of moving flame. It was as if the flame was trapped in the surfaces themselves. Once again there were ten pedestals with three books, "Fire Affinity". Like the last area this one contained all his knowledge he had acquired about fire. His chemistry classes helped here, as a flame can be created under many different conditions. Once again, he discovered his ruminations on how to create flame with mana. While his logged theories varied, they all seemed to point in a definitive direction.

The remaining three areas housed "Air Affinity," "Water Affinity," and "Life Affinity." The Water affinity area appeared to be in the middle of a brook. The pedestals for the Air affinity area were floating on clouds. The Life affinity area was fleshy, and Danny chose to access these books from afar. Danny was apprentice level three for all affinities. His knowledge gained from his previous life could only take him this far. He wondered if he had specialized in aerospace engineering or studied to become a doctor, whether Air or Life would have gained any additional levels.

Turning back toward the table in the middle, he noticed it had a bookshelf built into the side opposite the door. Moving closer, he found a single volume of "Mana Manipulation." Focusing on it, he found all the knowledge he gained by being able to move the smallest amount of mana whilst unlocking it. He figured he should explore moving his mana more.

CHAPTER 5

Danny left his sanctuary and opened his eyes to a dark room with his mother lying next to him. Night must have come while he was exploring his expanded sanctuary. His mom must have carried him upstairs without him waking. He felt tired and realized that visiting the sanctuary could not replace sleep. Yawning, he turned on his side and went to sleep.

In the morning he awoke to the sounds of his mother leaving the bedroom. Most days his family, besides his mother, were gone for the majority of the daylight hours. He hadn't figured out where the other children went. Before his mother came to check on him he decided to try out a little magic.

*Alright, baby steps Danny, baby steps,* he thought, before laughing. Danny's little baby giggle filled and echoed in his empty room. Hearing him, his mother came in smiling.

After breakfast, and some changing, Danny was left in the main room near the hearth. He could not only hold his head up, but he could sit up as well. Looking around, he could see farther than a few months before, but his vision was still blurry. Frowning, Danny instead focused on the mana within his body. How much did he have? He could feel the mana coursing through his body and assumed it must be a huge amount! Raising his hand he... didn't know what to do.

Trying again he raised his hand and thought about fire. Fire! Danny quickly stopped thinking about fire, as he realized he couldn't even crawl, let alone run away should something catch fire. He raised his hand and thought about something safer, like Air! The speed, the movement, the flow, the... nothing was happening. His mana wasn't even leaving his body. It always felt to him as if it was about to leap out of his body at a moment’s notice, so why not when he wanted it to?

Danny decided it was time to bring out the good old scientific method. What he wouldn’t give for a good composition notebook to write down his ideas. Even though he had a photographic memory, sometimes looking over his ideas brought up new ones. He had already eliminated one theory, it was now time to eliminate a bunch more. He expected, like with all experiments, his discoveries will more than likely come from his failures. History was a long list of discoveries that were not followed by “Exactly what I predicted!” but by “That wasn’t supposed to happen…” or the more popular “Oh shit! Wait, what?”

His knowledge about mana manipulation was all internal. Maybe he had to learn to move the mana out of his body before he could cast any of the elements. Focusing on the mana within him, he once again gathered a small amount with his will and pushed it out of his hand. This was different from his attempt to unlock his mana, as this mana was constantly in motion. It was like trying to pluck a fish from a moving river, not that he had ever tried that. He occupied himself this way until it was time to eat. One can't focus well on an empty stomach. He called to his mother in the other room in the only way he knew.

Later, Danny continued to try to manipulate his mana. One time he slowed the flow of mana through his arm. It scared him at first, but there were no obvious negative side effects. Instead of trying to grab and pull the mana he just redirected it. This worked and, as the mana flowed to his hand, he felt the total amount in his body drop. This continued until he felt dizzy and he quickly stopped redirecting the flow. He had to fall over sideways from his sitting position in an attempt to make the room stop spinning. Lunch threatened to come back up. No, wait... it did. It's surprising what you learn to tolerate when you’re used to sitting in your own half-full diaper, but this really stunk. He let loose another round of skull-rattling screaming and crying, that must have spooked a horse outside because he heard it also whinny. Then he heard a stranger’s voice cursing at it. Danny stopped screaming and scowled.

He couldn't help but think, *Wow, is our house right next to a busy road?*

After she got him cleaned up, his mother chose to bring him outside. There was a small shed out back and he thought he could barely make out a wall around their modest backyard. Danny considered it modest because his limited eyesight could barely tell where it ended. The inside of the shed smelled funny, and he was placed in a basket in a relatively empty corner. He sat there and watched his mother work on what appeared to be some type of leather. After some time had passed she showed him the piece she was working on. He pulled himself up on the corner of the basket and saw that it was a landscape with fields and a mountain. It was pretty good. He made sure to do the smiling thing while trying to grab it. Appeased, his mother went back to work.

Inspired by her diligence, Danny returned to directing mana out through his hand. Turning his back to his mother, he held out his hand and began. This time he didn't wait till he felt dizzy but stopped right before. Well, right before turned out to be right before he almost lost whatever was left in his stomach. After waiting a while the dizziness passed and he could feel the mana spreading through his body again from the presence above his stomach. He had thought earlier that these were his mana reserves, but he was beginning to understand his whole body was the storage. The presence must be like a connection to the source of all mana, or something like that. So, his body draws from this source through the lines that seem to follow his circulatory system. Then the mana is distributed throughout his body as if from a reservoir. So, as long as he didn't empty his body completely he wouldn't lose his lunch.

His body seemed to recover mana very slowly, and after waiting a while he could tell it would be some time before he could try again. It appeared his interruptions from before helped stop him from overtaxing his new abilities... and losing more of his lunch.

CHAPTER 6

Months passed and Danny worked on not just his mana, but talking and walking. He had learned the names of his family members. Many of the strange sounds required to speak their language held no English comparisons. So he decided to assign them names based on feeling. His father got the name Stan. Stan was a handsome guy with dark auburn hair and blue eyes. Stan was quick with smiles and erred on the skinny side. He liked to play with all the kids of the house at once. Being the smallest Danny just sat nearby until attention was centered on himself.

The two other women in the house he named Sarah and Barb. Sarah was a slender, tall, and a very pretty woman with black hair. When she moved it seemed as if she floated instead of walked. Barb, on the other hand, had short blonde hair and looked like she stepped out of a bodybuilding magazine. Even though she had a serious face, she was always very nice to Danny.

There were two older girls he named Jane and April. He was pretty sure they were Sarah's daughters. They both had dark hair and thin features. He enjoyed playing with them and especially playing the baby card to get them to do things for him.

The only other boy in the house got the name Gary. Gary had light brown hair and Danny assumed he was Barb’s kid because he was with her most of the time. He didn't interact so much with Danny as much as near him. Something to do with safety in numbers he guessed. After debating and agonizing over what to call the current leading lady in his life, Danny finally came up with the perfect name, Mom. It had everything he liked in a name, short, simple, and definitive. Danny was given a name which he memorized and learned to respond to.

Danny had come to a decision, before he learned to speak, that he would refrain from telling others about his condition. He would also play the part of the baby/toddler/child, until he was old enough for his strangeness to be seen as gifted. If a baby or toddler was to start talking as in his old life, solving advanced algebra, and doing magic, society would laud them as a genius. If he remembered history right, the people who stood out when they were not supposed to in ancient cultures, were deemed evil and killed in gruesome ways. Until Danny could find proof he wouldn’t be tortured, set on fire, or drowned, he was going to be the best unknown child actor in the world.

***

Walking was harder than he remembered, and why did everything have to be made from stone around here? He seriously needed to figure out how to cast a healing spell to get rid of these bangs and bruises. Danny could only roll his eyes as his mother just kissed them. He could guess she thought it built character and endurance.

He eventually managed to make a tour around the first floor of his home. There was the main room, or hall, with the hearth, which was opposite the front door. On one side of the main room was a large dining table and chairs, and on the other was a small sitting area with comfortable looking sofas and chairs.

In separate rooms were the kitchen and pantry to one side. He wasn't allowed in either by himself yet. Stairs ran up behind the hearth in the main room, to what he was sure was more bedrooms besides just his mothers. He hadn't worked up the courage to climb the stairs by himself yet. Under the stairs by the kitchen was a door to the backyard.

On the opposite side of the main room from the kitchen was the room where he usually stayed during the day. Next to that was a small room with a primitive toilet, and another with a bathtub. Danny learned how the toilet worked when he was home alone with his mother and she left the door open so she could watch him play. There was also a spout next to the toilet that was used to fill fresh water in the bucket.

The bathtub was square shaped and made of stone. It had a spout that released warm to cold water depending on the time of day and weather outside. If you wanted hot water that had to be heated over the hearth or in the kitchen and poured in. Mom usually made Danny's bathwater warmer this way. His mother would take baths with him, which he found really awkward.

After his first few baths, Danny had looked over while his mother was drying herself with a towel. She was an attractive woman, but he already classified her as mom in his brain, so he preferred not to dwell on that. What had attracted his attention were the scars on her lower abdomen. At first he thought she had a tattoo, but as he looked closer he could see that someone had finely cut a pattern with great detail into her skin. Three circles, one inside the other, with a repeating pattern in between them. Then in the middle was a symbol similar to the ones for the elements but it was more ornate. Then two long jagged scars starting from outside the circles cut an "X" across them through the middle. Whoever had cut the "X" was someone different or had rushed. Danny reached out to touch it and his mother immediately stopped drying her hair.

Before Danny could react his mother slapped his hand away. A strange, dead, look was in her eyes before she seemed to come back to her senses. His mother reached down to pick him up, and Danny started to flinch away. His mother’s hands stopped and tears came to her eyes. She then knelt down and opened her arms. Danny ran into them and she hugged him and started to cry. Danny understood something traumatic had happened to cause those scars and wondered if it had something to do with his own special predicament. His mother never bathed with him after that.

***

Danny had finally managed to climb into a chair in his room downstairs. The reason was that this chair was next to a cabinet that was used as a bookshelf on top. He suspected that this was a sitting room that doubled as a playroom for the smaller children. He apparently didn't need to sleep as much as a normal baby, so he spent that time training his mana.

Standing up on the chair, he reached out across the front of the cabinet. He could just barely reach the books on the shelf. His chubby fingers were able to slowly nudge the book he wanted off the bookshelf. Danny looked quickly behind him and listened. His mother had stepped outside and he knew with him being this young she would probably be back quickly. Getting off the chair he heard his mother come back in through the back door.

Falling the last foot, he didn't waste time crying and pushed the book under the table that held the basket they used as his crib. The polished stone floors made sliding it easy. His mom walked in and he immediately rolled on his back and tried to grab his toes. He had seen a panda try this on TV once and remembered thinking it cute. It did the trick and his mom left smiling, thinking him safe and preoccupied. Fortunately, she didn't notice the missing book.

Sitting up, Danny pulled the book out from under the bed. Their house had only a few books and, as far as he knew, they were all kept here. He needed one with pictures or this would be useless. He confirmed it was the book he had been after. He had seen Barb work on this book with Gary, who he was slowly suspecting was his half-brother. He had seen Stan be overly affectionate with all three women of this house, and Danny was still trying to decide how he felt about that.

Danny opened the book to find pages with pictures and a single word below each. Jackpot, thought Danny. He read through each page quickly memorizing the word on each page. Now all he needed was to match the letter combinations with the sounds. Danny noted that the symbol for the elements did not look anything like the lettering on these pages. The written language for this area must have evolved before the runes were discovered.

Now that he thought about it, Danny had seen Gary and his mother work on this short book most nights. Gary must not have access to his mental sanctuary yet. Otherwise he would memorize it quickly. Maybe there was also a comprehension aspect to this photographic memory. This meant that Gary probably hadn't been taught yet how to meditate to enter it. A child Gary's age probably lacked the attention span to learn meditation. Danny couldn't remember if he had the photographic memory before he gained access to the sanctuary or not. He left that puzzle to figure out later.

Turning to the other books on the shelf, Danny crawled back over to the bookshelf and he climbed the chair. He saw some other books with spines that looked similar to the one he had read. He was impatient to start reading and learning more. Mana manipulation could only be done infrequently. Maybe every two to three hours, then in a few seconds he was almost empty, and it was time to wait again. He noticed the number of seconds that it took for his mana to escape was slowly increasing. He had tried casting spells again with little success. He was pretty sure now that the skill books in his sanctuary implanted little hints into his memory that made him believe they were his own. Even with those hints he had hit a wall.

Not wasting any more time Danny grabbed the last two books on the shelf and was able to get them to fall on the chair before eventually falling onto the floor. The first one made it to the floor like a ninja, but the second decided to be a drama queen. With the loud slap of the book on the hard stone floor, Danny momentarily slapped his little hands to his forehead. Of course, Danny chose that point to realize that in his impatience to get the new books he forgot to hide the old book back under the table again.

Looking from the old book to the new ones he quickly pushed the new ones as far back behind the cabinet as he could before waddling over to the book beside his crib. His mom came in right when he got to it and called out his name. She scolded him as she put the book back up on the bookshelf. She paused momentarily and looked around for something on the floor. Danny held his breath. His mother shrugged then moved the chair back to where it was supposed to be. Turning around she scolded him some more before bending over and picking him up to give him a hug. She then carried him with her out back to work on her leather creations.

It wasn't until the next day that Danny was able to retrieve the books from their hiding place. Fortunately, Gary hadn't advanced yet to the books he had stashed, and no one noticed them missing. Opening the two books he found them both to have more pictures. The difference was in the number of words on each page. He chose the obvious next book in the teaching series and sat down to work. This book appeared to teach actions associated with the pictures shown. The third book expanded upon the previous two books, using the words previously learned in sentences so he could understand what the new words introduced meant. Danny was a bit bewildered why they would stop their education at this point. The books had obviously been previously used, more than likely by the girls when they were younger. Maybe they waited until they could help the children unlock their mental sanctuaries.

CHAPTER 7

A few months later at lunchtime, Danny was surprised to realize they were having his first birthday party. He thought it was suspicious when his mother's parents and siblings all showed up at once. His family was all there and the house was packed. Everyone took turns holding him and praising how big he was. Danny realized, quickly tiring of this, that his introverted nature must have carried over with him from his old life. There wasn't a cake, but they did eat a lot of delicious foods. He got a gift from his family. New clothes, mostly repaired hand me downs from his brother. He smiled and laughed, thanking his family with the few words he was supposed to know.

He was curious why he didn't remember there being birthday parties for his siblings. Maybe they only celebrated birthdays at certain milestones. Danny really only saw his other siblings in the evenings, when Sarah, Barb, and Stan came back from working at their family store, or on the one day of the week when the store was closed. Gary and Danny would usually play together in the hall, while April and Jane would occasionally play with them. Their age differences made it difficult. Danny really didn't want to play with Gary for very long but he had to keep up the illusion he was a regular child. Fortunately, Gary was a well behaved kid, so it wasn't a nightmare.

Jane and April were very similar in demeanor, except Jane was obviously the older sibling. She felt the need to take care of her other siblings, and boss them around. April was her shadow and tried her best to get attention from their mother by doing things as perfectly as possible. On the days the store was closed, their parents would sometimes take them to a local park. It was beautifully designed with places for the children to climb and play. There were other children there, but Danny was supposed to still too young to be interested in playing with them. During his days and evenings, Danny would practice his mana manipulation, as he feared any spells would be noticeable to those with magic. Life became a monotonous and boring routine and he couldn't wait to be old enough to have a bit more freedom.

***

Another year passed and the only real change in his family had been when Danny's oldest sister, Jane, left for the girls’ academy. She was to stay there ‘til she graduated, but she could come home on holidays and important family events. He hadn't really gotten to know her as well as he would like, but this was apparently the way of their world. April was very upset about her sister’s departure and was depressed for days.

Danny's mana capacity grew slowly, but he still hadn't made headway with spell casting. He felt it was right there in front of him and he just couldn't see it. Now that he could string more than a few words together in his new native language, Danny thought about asking his mother. The only problem was that Danny hadn't seen anyone use magic. He figured that not everyone would be throwing Fireballs around or conjuring otherworldly beings from another plane. People should at least be using magic to light stoves, fill buckets with water, or heal injuries. He had seen a few cuts and scrapes in his family but those were all treated the old fashion way. April got sick one time and a woman came, some sort of apothecary, and gave her medicine that worked by the next day. Thinking maybe no one knew about the mental sanctuary he looked for evidence to disprove this. He observed his mother sitting quietly for a few minutes late some nights before sleeping. He believed this to be meditation and not praying, as his family never spoke to him about gods or other deities. He had hoped magic or meditation would surface in day-to-day conversations but nothing noteworthy was discussed. His parents mostly spoke about the city they lived in, Diadem, and the store they owned.

If magic wasn't common here, then what would they do with someone who had magic powers. Thinking about what was done to supposed magic users in his time, Danny decided to wait ‘til he could gather more information on his own. It is possible that they blamed the sorcerers for the events of the past. He’d better do his best to hide it if he ever figured out spell-casting. Danny also took efforts to watch what questions he asked. Kids were naturally curious, but his family would get suspicious if he asked something unusual even for a child to care about.

Right now, his efforts with mana made him look like a mime pushing on an invisible wall. He didn't have to hold his hand out like that, it just felt like the right thing to do. He had also started trying to control the amount of mana that flowed out through his hand. He found he could extend the amount of mana that escaped indefinitely. It was just that the focus required to choke his mana flow at an infinitesimal amount while redirecting at the time was taxing. He would do this for as long as he could and then just release the rest.

One day his father came and helped load his mother's latest creations into a cart. Then they all left together, with Danny getting to ride in the cart on top of the merchandise. Holding his mother’s hand while she walked next to the cart, Danny looked around the city they lived in. He didn't know how many people lived here but it was definitely the center of a metropolitan area. They didn't live far from a massive street that ran through the city. Danny had yet come to an intersection that didn't contain a park or public space. The buildings in the city appeared to be set up in a grid pattern with aqueducts running in between two rows of homes. He also learned from his mother that the toilet and bath in their home drained through a sewer system that exited downstream of the river the city was originally built next to. Now the river actually flowed through the middle of the city.

The houses in the city were all stone with wooden roofs. Every building in the city was uniformly square or rectangular. Danny couldn’t help but find this immensely odd. It seemed some home and business owners decorated their buildings by chiseling them with different patterns or murals. Danny suspected, like his home, the first level floor was a stone foundation with any subsequent levels having wooden floors. There were glass windows, but the glass was imperfect and appeared clouded. However, it still allowed plenty of light through. The houses were usually one to three stories tall. Then there were the walls surrounding the city. Apparently, there was a second set of walls on the other side of the river to the north. Danny could just make out a large structure on the other side that could be a temple or palace.

While Stan pushed the cart back behind the store, his mother picked him up and took him inside through the front door. Sarah was behind the counter smiling while helping a customer who was debating between different items to purchase. As his mother went towards the back of the store he noticed Gary and April were playing with toys behind the counter and they waved at them as we went by. Danny waved back before they went through a rear door.

Danny was surprised when he realized the back area of the store's walls, floors, and most of the ceiling were all stone. Then he was hit by a wave of heat. He immediately saw Barb, busily pounding away over an anvil. He couldn't tell what her work was going to be yet but judging by the items up front, she was pretty good at her craft. Next to her was a younger woman he had never seen, an apprentice maybe. Barb stopped long enough to wipe her brow, smile, and wave before going back to work. They apparently owned a store and smithy that sold his mother's leather bags and equipment as well as Barb's tools and weapons. The best he could tell his father helped stock shelves and do any other odd jobs around the store. How on earth he got three women to marry him confused Danny to no end. Danny had trouble keeping one girlfriend and here Stan, "The Man," had attracted not only his mom, but Sarah and Barb. He would need to observe his father and take notes.

***

One evening, Danny was walking through the main room looking for his mother, when he saw Sarah writing in a large book he hadn't seen before. Climbing in the chair next to her, Sarah stopped briefly to look over at him. Danny noticed that the corner of her mouth lifted up. From the gridlines, Danny guessed it was a ledger for finances but couldn't be sure they did things the same way here. "What's that," Danny pointed at the book.

Sarah had obviously been waiting for this question, because she patiently said, "It is a book that helps me track how much money we make in our store."

Trying to get more time looking at the ledger, Danny hammed it up, "Oh, is money yummy, I want some!"

Sarah laughed her musical laugh. Barb’s laugh was loud and fun. His mom's laugh was always soft and reserved. Sarah seemed to be incapable of doing anything without an air of refinement. At the top of the page was a word Danny hadn't seen before.

Pointing to the word, Danny asked. "What's that?"

"That's our surname, Creek, it means small river, and it comes from my parent's family."

Taken aback for a second, Danny didn't know how to process that. He asked, "Why your parents?"

Sarah looked surprised by this question, and responded, "Because when a new family is formed it takes the surname of the woman with the highest social standing... Or to say it another way, the family people in the city like the most."

Danny nodded his head as if he knew this already, "Right!"

Danny had heard his last name before but never had seen it written in any of his books. He hadn't known that it meant little river.

Danny looked down again at the ledger. He had been introduced to their number system in the books from the downstairs room. They didn't go into any elaborate mathematics or algebra. Just enough to let you be able to purchase something with the money you have. It took him surprisingly little time to figure out how the ledger was organized, given he had not been that great at math in his previous life. He always had to work hard to get problems correct. Pointing to a certain figure said, "That's wrong."

Frowning, Sarah looked down at what he was pointing at and said, "You’re right it is wrong, I forgot to car..."

Sarah looked back up at Danny with wide eyes.

Danny quickly realized his error and, while smiling with his biggest grin, started pointing at other parts of the page saying, "And this is wrong, and this, and this is wrong."

Sarah quickly looked back down and when she saw nothing wrong, smiled and said with fake exasperation, "Looks like I will just have to redo the whole page!"

She ruffled Danny's hair in a messy manner and shooed him off to play.

CHAPTER 8

With the sounds of the city flowing over the walls of their backyard, Danny played alone, like he did most days while his mother worked nearby in the shed. Danny was now three years old. He learned his brother was five, April was eight, Jane was nine, and Barb was pregnant. Barb was very happy and could usually be found with a bright smile on her face. April had left with Jane for their academy at the beginning of spring.

The rest of the family went to the store during the daylight hours, as was usual. His mother now trusted him not climb the wall or sneak out through the house. The wall around the backyard almost reached the middle of the second floor and doubled as support for the aqueduct system. His mother left the door to her workshop open, so she could hear him if he cried or called out. The backyard had a garden on one side of his mother workshop, where Sarah grew vegetables. The other side of the workshop had an area that was cleared in a circle of about five meters. The area was ringed with stones. Its purpose wasn't clear. He hadn't seen anyone use it but the kids, and that was to play in. He decided to use it himself while his mother worked. Sitting in the middle of this area, he began meditating and entered the sanctuary.

He came here infrequently at night before going to sleep. When Danny had unlocked his mana, he had gained a significant amount of intelligence from the multiple volumes of elemental affinities and mana manipulation. He had learned after that night that gaining multiple skill levels at once results in sleepiness. After his mother couldn't get him to stay awake for more than five seconds the next morning she let him sleep in. He was still a baby after all. When he finally woke up, feeling slightly light headed, he felt like he had been moving through a fog before. His thoughts were significantly faster and clearer. Subsequent skill leveling didn't result in a noticeable result. If it wasn't for the movement of the triangle and its red color change, Danny would never know it happened. Without the mana episode he probably would have thought the attribute gain was a joke those old sorcerers came up with. Some massive experiment into the placebo effect.

Since the morning of the "great sleep," Danny had gained two new skills under "Language." He gained four levels in "Diadem (spoken)" and three in "Diadem (written)." As far as he knew the humans had only one language, Diadem. Next, he gained level three in Deception. He didn't know how to feel about that, but he had to hide what he could do until he could figure out why no one else was using magic! Shortly after he started to walk he gained an "Athletics" bookshelf. Since then he gained three in "Run," two in "Jump," and two in "Climb." There were a lot of books he wanted to read and if they were all kept up really high, they were no problem for him now. He gained level one in a new skill called "Sneak." He had gained some strength and agility from these skill gains, but, like the intelligence, it felt natural when it was at a steady progression.

Heading to the back of the bookshelves, Danny was surprised to find his sanctuary now included a hallway where the entrance to the mana room used to be. The hallway didn't travel far before splitting into two different directions in a "Y." One direction led to the mana room but the other room was new. Walking into the room he found next to the door a single upholstered armchair with an end table next to it, a lantern sitting on top. Then in the middle of the room was a small bookshelf with three books. They were the children's books he read to learn the human language. Danny's inner bookworm loved the new room, but it only had three books, all of which were for children. What about all the books he read in his previous life? He had the knowledge from them in his skill books, why didn't they show up here? Maybe he didn't have them memorized enough to be included here.

Heading to the mana room, Danny found he had gained the 5th level in Mana Manipulation. This must have come from his knowledge and understanding from moving mana outside his body.

Now looking up at the attributes triangle his intelligence moved to about the 80% mark. His strength barely moved, and his agility moved slightly above that. He wanted to be more rounded, but he didn't want to stop training his magic skills even though they would all boost his intelligence.

Leaving the sanctuary, he focused on mana manipulation. How was he supposed to cast spells? He tried focusing on the element, imagining what he wanted the element to do, and saying every fantasy magic name possible. One time he thought he had actually made the air move, but he was pretty sure he hadn't been directing mana out his rear end at the time.

Picturing the mana room in his mind, he recalled the symbols on the walls. Well there was actually something he hadn't tried. He then pictured the Air rune, which was the element he always started with as it was the safest choice. He imagined the symbol in front of his palm and pushing the mana into it. He could have sworn he felt the mana twist and change shape like the symbol. He did this ‘til his mana was almost empty and stopped. Opening his eyes, he lowered his hand and sighed. He decided casting spells was a fruitless endeavor and maybe he should focus on some sort of craft or weapon skill.
About that time his mother came around the corner with wide eyes, "Are you alright Danny!" His mother always kept her long hair tied up when she was working, and it not only had come undone, but it had turned into a scraggly mess.

Danny looked up at his mother in confusion, "Mama, what's wrong?"

"Danny, just now there was big gust of wind that swept through the door of the workshop and knocked about some of my tools on the wall! Did you not feel it?"

Looking around, Danny decided it was best to level his deception. "Umm, yes mama. It went by with a big... whoosh, and I... and I did some flips," Danny exaggerated being blown into somersaults.

His mother's eyes started to roll when he mentioned the flips. She immediately had him stand up and gave him a once over, looking for potential injuries. "Danny, I have never seen anything like that before, back here with the walls so high… Oh no, it ruined part of Sarah's garden. She is going to be so upset." The nearest plants to where Danny had been sitting were just bent over and damaged.

Danny was glad his mother bought his silliness, but he wasn't feeling so good about Sarah's garden. He walked over with her to look at the garden.

With wide eyes of his own, he thought, *Air magic is the safest?* His mother didn't let him look long before she made him go inside.

From day one, Danny practiced with air in secret. He didn't dare try any of the other elements in fear of what could happen. The other elements might leave behind more telling evidence than just a few broken carrot plants. His next attempt with Air was with his eyes open and he made sure to control the flow. He always thought he would feel the air move past when he called it, but he was casting it away from himself. Using the rune, he discovered that the mana seemed to change texture once it shaped itself like the rune. Maybe he could learn to create that type of mana on his own. He couldn't help but notice what he was doing wasn't really casting a spell, but more like producing raw wind magic. He wondered if he could manipulate the wind after it left his area of influence.

He also decided to learn some fighting skills. Based on Barb's profession and how much business they did, he knew this world wasn't a safe place. He considered his options. He had taken karate for all of six months in elementary school. His mother, from his previous life, was worried for his safety and wanted him to be able to defend himself. She eventually had to start looking after her ailing father and didn't have time to take Danny to practices anymore.

Danny began punching and kicking the air. He really hoped this counted toward some skill as he felt silly just attacking the air. He tried to remember his training. Turning his body with his punches, not sticking his thumb into his fist, and making a loud noise too... He wasn't sure what the noise was for, but he got in trouble with his sensei if he didn't make it. He guessed it had to do with showing commitment to the action or maybe throwing off your opponent. Maybe he should have paid more attention in class.

***

A few months later Danny got to go to the market with his mother, Sarah, and his sisters. It was a holiday so the academy was closed. The family decided to close the store and enjoy the day, as well. On the way to the market, Danny listened to his sisters excitedly talk about the girls’ academy. At one point he overheard his sister mention a word he hadn't heard before.

"I didn't think many of the classes were that hard except the first one," Jane said.

"Uhhhh, it took me forever to learn [unknown], and I was almost the only one left in my group," April complained.

Sarah must have been listening to her daughters’ conversation too because she turned to them and made a sharp noise. April and Jane looked up at their mother who shifted her eyes my way. Both girls’ eyes grew big and quickly switched topics. Danny didn't hear the strange word used again, but he had an idea about what they had been discussing.

The market was near the river and wall that separated the inner and outer sections of the city. The marketplace was bustling with activity and vendors were hawking their wares. Besides the regular goods, there were food stalls, entertainers, and musicians. Danny's mother held tight to his hand and pointed out the things she thought he would find interesting. Danny started to notice that the majority of vendors were women, and they were all very attractive.

In his past life that would have been cause for celebration, but this level of attractiveness was unnaturally so. Looking over at Sarah, Danny realized she handled the majority of trade negotiations for their family. The vendors on the street and Sarah would all have high levels of the mercantile skills. So that would mean that they all had high intelligence. Barbs skills had given her bonuses to strength and she looked like a body builder. Barb was cute, but not beautiful like Sarah. Danny could only guess his mother must have a mix of everything. She was pretty but had some muscle definition and could move quickly when needed. He remembered how Sarah seemed to move gracefully wherever she went. Maybe, Sarah had acquired skills for both intelligence and agility. So - intelligence increased attractiveness, strength increased muscle mass, and agility increased... gracefulness or maybe height?

Danny’s mother looked down at him, “Now Danny, don’t wander far from us, alright?”

Danny smiled while internally rolling his eyes, “Yes, mom.”

Danny’s mother stopped and squatted down next to him, “Danny, I am serious. Bad people will love to snatch up a kid as cute as you.”

Danny was touched by his mother’s overprotectiveness and decided the best solution was to give her a hug, “Yes, mommy. I will stay next to you or mommy Sarah.”

“Danny, you are such a good boy! Is there anything you would like to get from the market?”

Danny thought about this for a moment and did his best to turn up the cuteness factor, “I wanna a new book!”

His mother frowned down at him, “Danny, wouldn’t you like some candy or a small toy. Mommy didn’t bring much money.”

Danny smiled, “Candy please!”

His mother seemed happy with this response and turned back to speak with Sarah some more.

Danny waited a few more moments and tugged on April’s shirt, “April?”

April turned back to him, “What is it Danny?”

“I wanna go to a place wit a whole lotta books to read to me?”

April shook her head, “Not out here, but at the girls’ academy we have a huge library where we can read all the books we want.”

Danny’s eyes lit up, “Take me! Take me!”

April shook her head, “No, but when you are old enough to go to an academy they should have a library for you to use.”

Danny was dejected by this, but smiled and thanked his older sister, *What is wrong with this society that they would not have a library?* He figured they would have reached that level of sophistication by now.

At every stall they stopped at, the vendors would comment on how cute Danny was. If they had some food, they would offer Danny a free sample. He noted that they didn't offer the same to his sisters, who seemed to expect this. After a while he was full and started sneaking the free samples to his sisters. His mothers didn't notice, and the girls would giggle while eating.

It was getting late and they were heading through the far side of the market nearest the river. His mother had made him stop accepting free samples because she was afraid he would explode. They had just turned from a stall when they came face to face with an older woman in expensive-looking clothing. There was another woman standing next to her, who was also finely dressed, and a man in an impressive-looking long grey duster. His mother and Sarah seemed to recognize them and paused. The woman seemed to regard them with disdain.

Sarah spoke up while inclining her head, "Ladies and Lord Blossom, it is good to see you."

The woman looked around subtly, as if for a way to escape, before replying coolly, "Oh, hello, we decided to enjoy the festivities over here in the outer wall. The selection here is… interesting. How is your family?"

Sarah's smile seemed forced and said, "We are well. Stan… is doing great. Jane, April, say hello to your grandmothers and grandfather Blossom."

Both girls bowed and greeted their grandparents politely, "Good evening, grandmothers and grandfather."

Danny didn't need to be a detective to read between these lines. This was his father's parents. They appeared to not be pleased with who he ended up with.

Danny's mother interrupted his thoughts and said, "You haven't met your grandson, Danny. Go say high to your grandparents."

Danny walked forward and bowed as he had seen men do before, "Good evening grandmothers and grandfather."

The three bowed to the children as they were greeted but made no attempt at small talk.

Sarah spoke up again, "Barb is pregnant again, her son Gary..."

The first Lady Blossom interrupted her, "Yes, well we need to be going. Not safe to stay out here on this side past dark."

They watched as Danny's grandparents walked swiftly across the river to the inner walls of the city. Sarah turned around and said, "Come on, let's get back home." They went home in silence.

CHAPTER 9

By the time Danny was four he finally gained level five in "Air Affinity," He also gained a new bookshelf in his sanctuary called "Martial Arts." At first, he thought this was from practicing what he remembered from karate, but he instead received a skill for "Unarmed." Since then, under martial arts he had gained two levels in unarmed. The last skill he gained was level five in “Diadem (written)” under languages. He didn't have access to any more books and he wasn't about to ask his mom for them when she had barely started to teach him to read. Pretending to be bad at reading was harder than he thought. Since he was pretty sure now you didn't receive photographic memory until after you accessed the sanctuary, Danny had to play dumb. This did give him a chance to ask questions about some of the pictures he saw. Not all the pictures he could give names to.

"Mama, why do these people have pointy ears," asked Danny.

His mother looked over to where he was pointing and said, "Those are the people of the forest, or elves. Anywhere you come across a forest filled of trees with white bark, you will more than likely find elves."

Pausing for a moment, Danny asked, "Are elves real?"

"Yes, elves are real...," his mother continued but Danny was already lost in thought.

Danny couldn't believe it, they are real! It was like a dream come true. Unless his mother was pulling his leg...

"Have you ever met an elf, mother," Danny interrupted his mother.

His mother looked down perturbed at her son, "If you had just been LISTENING to what I just said, you would have heard me talking about the time my parents took me to the main street, to watch the foreign... group of people, called a delegation, visit. Every 25 years the four races gather to hold talks to keep the peace, share information, and make deals. I saw the elves, the [unknown].”

"The who?" Danny interrupted.

Looking over at her son, she turned in his book to another page. It was a picture of a dwarf with a pickaxe, mining stones in the ground.

"That is a dwarf. They live in the mountains. Like the elves, if you find a mountain you are bound to find some dwarfs," his mother explained.

Turning to another page depicting various individuals with animal like ears or noses. Fur covered various percentages of their bodies. Some pictured showed tails.

"Before you ask, these are the beastmen," she continued. "They live in all the places humans, elves, and dwarfs tend to not enjoy. Places like jungles, swamps, and deserts."

Danny was too busy calming his inner nerd down to reply or ask another question.

"I was with my parents when I saw the elven delegation go by. The women were so beautiful, and the men were...," Danny's mother got quiet as a blush crept over her face. She seemed to suddenly forget Danny was there.

Danny was looking up worriedly at his mother. He wasn't sure, but he definitely wanted to see a female elf now. Just to see if he would have the same reaction. Danny looked around to make sure his father wasn't here to see his mother mooning over the memory of another man. Danny decided to find more information on the different races as soon as he could get access to more books than the ones found in his house.

***

A while later Danny was in his backyard practicing, as had become the norm. Since he had leveled Air affinity he got the courage to try out Water magic. Poor Sarah's garden, it did not survive the flood that happened on that sunny day. Fortunately, it was isolated to just his family’s backyard. Danny promised himself it had nothing to do with the fact that Sarah had just planted these green vegetables that tasted eerily like Brussels sprouts. Fortunately, his newest sister, Mary, spent her days in a crib behind the counter at the store with Gary. So they were both safely out of the way, that day.

Danny's mother did become very suspicious, but her suspicion was directed at the aqueduct above the garden and not at him. He had been training with Water magic and he came to understand that the water used was drawn from the nearest available source in range. Danny could feel the humidity in the air drop as a small stream of water shot out from his hand. He watched the stream and wondered if he could stop the water from shooting out and shape it into a ball. Right after that thought was when he figured out what happens when you sneeze while casting magic. From that point on Danny would immediately stop casting if he felt a sneeze coming on.

Later, Danny was thinking about the sneezing incident and wondered how the water or wind he created didn't ever push him away. So while creating a stream of wind one day, he focused on having the wind push against his hand when it left his body. It was tricky, but he managed to figure out how to get the result he wanted. He would push mana out and wind would then push against his hand. The two didn't affect each other in a physical sense, air kept returning to him as mana went out. Then Danny had an even better idea, he started practicing pushing mana out of the soles of his feet. That ended up coming out a lot quicker than he thought. Controlling the flow of mana inside his body was infinitely easier than the mana leaving his body. It was a few moments later, after “flying” at least four meters into the air, that he landed on the roof of his mom's workshop. He realized he hadn't practiced regulating the flow of mana through his feet at all. His intention was not to fly but to gain a few extra centimeters or even a meter when jumping. Instead the effort he put into his jump translated to the effort he put into the flow of mana going through his feet.

Of course, his mother's voice came out of the workshop, "Danny, did you just throw something on the roof of the workshop?"

Danny slowly inched his body towards the side of the roof furthest from the door and said, "I saw two birds fighting and one fell on the roof."

A thought suddenly came to Danny and with wide eyes he looked around at the houses nearby. Fortunately for him the wall was high enough where the second-floor windows of the other houses couldn't see the top of the workshop, or him. Whether he got high enough during his "flight" for someone to possibly see him, Danny wasn't so sure.

"Don't get near them if they fall on the ground," his mother yelled.

Danny quickly replied, "Yes mama."

Danny looked at the drop from the top of the workshop and started sweating. He was too scared to try falling feet first while casting Air magic through them. He might inadvertently go over the wall. So instead he chose to try falling and then rolling. He did fall, and he did roll, but there was an audible snap from his left leg. He covered his mouth to smother the scream.

His mother had heard and called to him, "Are you alright out there, Danny?"

Danny writhed in pain while trying to keep his leg still. He took some deep breaths and replied in as calm a voice as he could manage, "I'm playing monsters, grooowl!"

"Oh, OK my little monster," his mother laughed.

Danny was glad his mother was so dedicated to her craft. Danny was also certain that his artificially increased intelligence was to thank for his quick thinking, especially with the excruciating pain coursing through his leg. He kept breathing regularly, but every now and then extreme pain would lance up through his leg. Using his previous excuse he would growl instead of moaning like he wanted too. Finally, he was able to get through the pain enough to open one of the hands supporting his injured leg. He knew it was risky but he couldn't find a way to explain the break in his leg to his mother without her getting suspicious. Fortunately the leg looked straight, maybe it was just a fracture.

Holding out his hand, he pictured a symbol he hadn't tried yet and his whole body began to glow. All the mana in his body was consumed at once, but it was used to heal his entire body. Danny was confused why he couldn’t just target his leg. The pain began to subside and Danny had to wait for his mana to regenerate. He was grateful that using all his mana like this did not seem to cause the nausea or fainting that it had before. Since the pain was subsiding, he tried to stand up, but a quick stab of fresh pain had him sitting down again. He healed himself again until the pain went away and repeated the process.

After about an hour of this, he determined that his leg was well enough, so he started meditating and entered his sanctuary. Checking the attributes triangle, he noticed his intelligence had recently increased. He quickly went to the mana room to pleasantly discover he had advanced to level four of Life affinity.

CHAPTER 10

At the age of five, Danny could curve the water coming from his hand and he reached level five in Water Affinity. He didn't know if it was even possible, but he was determined to create a ball of water using his mana manipulation. Hiding his training from his family was not always easy. Fortunately, his mother would tell him on which days they would be going to the store with his father. Danny had been caught practicing his unarmed skills by his mother. She didn't know where he had picked that up and didn't think he should be displaying such violent behavior at a young age. Danny decided it best to hold off his physical skills ‘til he was older and it seemed more justifiable. He really wanted to level up skills with strength and agility...

One-time Barb came by around lunchtime with Gary and Mary, and walked up to Danny while he was sitting in the circle, practicing Water affinity. He always made sure to practice Water with a very small stream. After a couple of close calls with his father, Danny had taken to practicing magic with his back towards the house and his mother’s workshop. He had a backup plan and put it into action. He always kept a cup of water, his mother gave him when he played outside, and a few of his toys nearby. Picking up the toys he pretended to play with them in the mud created by his Water magic.

Laughing at his antics Barb said, "Danny, I don't think you have enough mud on you. You missed a spot on your head!" Danny looked up at Barb with a big smile on his face.

His mother came out hearing Barb’s voice, "Is it lunchtime already, Bar... Danny Creek, you get yourself over to the back door spigot right this instance, so I can wash you off!"

Barb only laughed louder as Danny's mother dragged him over to the wall and washed him off.

"Once you get that son of yours cleaned off, lunch is ready at the table," Barb chuckled as she went inside.

"What am I going to do with you, you dirty boy," chuckled his mother. She couldn't stay mad at him with Barb enjoying it so much. He was relieved, but he really needed to figure out a way to train without being noticed. He thought he might try using his mana to sense others approaching.

Later that afternoon, Barb had gone back to the shop with her kids and his mother was back in her workshop. Danny sat down by the garden this time, trying to solve his training problem. "Sensing others coming...," he grumbled to himself. A smile came to his face as he stood up and focused on his body. He had released mana from his hands and feet, why not his whole body. He could have magic sonar! His first attempts resulted in him just uselessly releasing mana from different parts of his body. Frustrated he sat down again. What was he doing wrong? Maybe, he was trying too hard. Finding the mana in his body, he took a deep breath and released his mana without focus. It worked! Mana escaped his body in all directions... doing absolutely nothing. Danny jumped up and tried again, this time releasing all his mana at once. He waited, and waited, but depressingly nothing came back to him.

Danny decided to change tactics, if he couldn't sense everything at once, then maybe he could see more of what was in front of him. The prospect of doing anything with his eyes worried him but now that the idea entered his head, it nagged at him ‘til he tried it. Plus he had just emptied most of his mana into his surroundings with his failed sonar experiment. Like the rest of his body, mana was already being absorbed by his eyes. So he started by diverting more mana into them. As the total amount of his mana grew the diverted mana caused an ever-increasing bright light to fill his vision. After looking around to see nothing but the light, he didn't give up. Focusing on the back of his eye he thought of how a cat’s eyes look when you shine a light on them at night. He worked for a while and was able to condense an area on the back of his eye with mana.

Looking up, Danny saw dots, lots of little bright dots everywhere. Some were big and some were small. He looked towards the workshop and saw a really big one. Getting up, he walked to the doorway of the workshop while maintaining the mana sight. When he looked inside he saw his mother. Right above her stomach was the large dot he had seen from outside. He could see her connection to the source!

A few days later after supper, everyone was in the main room. Danny was sitting on the floor pretending to play with his toys. Looking up, he worked up the courage to activate his mana sight and looked at each of his family members. Danny wasn't sure if his eyes looked weird when he used this ability and didn't want to get caught. Looking around, he saw his mother, Barb, Sarah, and Gary all had a bright form above their stomachs. What he took as small or big dots was actually just closer or further away. Everyone's connection to the source appeared to be the same size. His father walked in to sit in his customary chair and Danny received a shock. He couldn't see his father's source connection... His father didn't have one. Did that mean his father didn't have access to his own mental sanctuary and the increased attributes? Was his father born this way?

Noticing his sons staring at him, Stan called to Danny, "Come here and sit with me Danny!"

Numbly Danny got to his feet and climbed up into his father’s lap. His father turned to him and said, "As you know, Danny, Gary will be leaving for the academy next week. Your sisters and all the other girls go to a different academy and get the same education. Boys are special. Do you know why?"

Danny dumbly shook his head from side to side. His father took a deep breath and said, "Whenever a boy reaches the age of seven, the next spring they are all gathered together for a special test. You see, some boys have magic and others don't. We don't know which ones without testing them. I was tested after I turned seven. Unfortunately I didn't have any magic, but I got something better instead. I got your mother, Sarah, Barb, your brother and sisters, and you!"

Danny looked over at the rest of his family as his father mentioned them. They were all silently watching. Sarah was smiling softly while Barb wiped a tear from her eye. His mother was smiling, but Danny also noticed a worried look in her eyes.

Danny was excited to hear about magic as it never had come up before. He was a little concerned that his brother could lose his potential access to the sanctuary over getting magic. He waited impatiently for his father’s next words.

"Now Gary will be taking this test next week," his father continued. "He will either have magic and join the wizard’s academy, or he won't have magic and go to the men's academy. It is a great honor to do this for our country, and our people recognize this. So when your time comes I want you to stand proud and accept your fate. Either way, know your mothers and I are proud of you both and we love you."

Danny looked up at his father, “Will the test hurt Gary?”

His father shook his head, “No Danny, it is a little overpowering, but it doesn’t hurt.”

Danny thought for a bit and asked a childlike question, “Is being a wizard good?”

“Yes, being a wizard is the most important responsibility that a man can have.”

Danny asked, “Can you become a wizard without the test?”

His father shook his head, “No son, the only way one can become a wizard is through the test.”

Danny looked confused, “What if someone did become a wizard without the test?”

His father thought about this for a moment, “Well, I guess they would be taken to the wizard’s academy immediately. Young wizards are very dangerous if not guided. At least that is what your grandfather told me. He is a well-respected Earth wizard.”

Danny was excited about the prospect of gaining access to those with magic, but he had been playing it safe for so long it was hard for him to make the decision to expose his abilities. He also wasn’t ready to leave the relative safety of his family’s home. The outside world was a huge unknown.

Danny wanted to ask more questions but couldn’t think of how best to word it from the perspective of someone who already knows what happens when they fail the test. So, he smiled and hugged his father. Pressed against his father's chest, Danny was frowning.

Danny wondered, *What did they do my father?*

CHAPTER 11

Danny knew he had to do something for Gary but he didn't know what. Gary was his brother and he was about to be potentially cut off from his source and his own private sanctuary.

Danny questioned, *Why would they do this? Was the cost worth the reward?*

A few evenings after his conversation with his father, Danny went over to Gary while they were both playing in the backyard. "Hey Gary, you wanna play a game," Danny asked.

"Sure, let's play catch," Gary suggested.

"Let's play physician instead," Danny said with as much enthusiasm as he could.

Gary shrugged, and said, "OK, how do we play?"

Danny explained, "Alright, you lay down and pretend to be sick and I will pretend to be the physician. Then we can switch."

Gary laid down and pretended to moan, "Oh, my head hurts."

Danny knelt down and looked over Gary with a professional air, "Why yes it appears you have bumped it. Please lie still while I do my examination."

Gary lay still and Danny got to work. Pretending to check him over, Danny wiggled his feet and tapped his knees, all while saying, "Yes, hmmm, I see."

When Danny got to above Gary stomach he stopped and said, "Hmmm what's this?"

Danny activated his mana sight and looked down at his brother. Gary's connection to the source was visible below Danny's hand. Danny had discovered shortly after using his mana sight that he could see the mana moving through the parts of his own body. He also discovered he could see any mana he released from his body. Looking again at Gary's connection, Danny tried to grasp at it with his will, like he had done his own. Nothing happened, and Danny assumed just touching Gary wasn't enough. Danny sent his mana out probing Gary's body, Danny's mana took a path that went to Gary's lungs then heart then spread to the rest of his body. It went everywhere but to the connection of the source.

Gary was starting to get impatient and Danny said, "Hang on I think I found your problem, I just need to put the medicine in your body." Then Danny pressed his finger down right above Gary's connection until he felt like he could almost touch it. Then he tried inserting the mana again. Danny's mana passed right through the source. It was like they didn't exist to each other.

"Oww, that’s starting to hurt," Gary complained.

"Sorry, the medicine worked and you’re all better now," Danny said sadly.

"This game is boring, I want to play catch instead," Gary grumbled.

"One more game and we can play catch," Danny pleaded. He quickly looked around again to see if any of his parents were nearby.

"...Fine, but hurry up, it's almost time for supper and you promised to play catch," grumbled Gary.

Danny sat down on the ground and began his instructions, "Alright, sit cross-legged like this, good! Close your eyes, and focus inside yourself where I pushed in earlier. Do you remember where that was? Hey, I said I was sorry! Look, I will give you my dessert if you do this. Now close your eyes and focus on that spot... Now what do you feel?"

Danny waited and prayed to whatever the god of mana was named (if there was one) for an intervention. Gary's eyes opened and as a look of surprise came over his face. Danny rose up on his knees.

"I feel, I feel... really hungry," Gary laughed and pushed Danny over.

Dejectedly Danny continued to lay on his back, before finally standing back up, saying, "I'll go get the ball, Gary."

Danny ran off towards the closet they kept toys in for the backyard. Danny couldn't fight the depression that settled in knowing there wasn't enough time or access to the problem to fix it. He looked back at his brother as Gary smiled at him while waiting to play his favorite game.

***

The dreaded day arrived which was normally a day the shop was open, but everyone was at home preparing for the yearly testing ceremony. Barb's parents came and would be sitting with them at the event. Danny wondered about Stan's parents and why they seemed to disown his family.

They went further into the city than Danny had ever gone. Past the market with its stalls and vendors calling out the latest deals and specialty items. Then they crossed the river on a large stone bridge. It had been decorated with countless fish that were carved with life-like detail. All the homes before the river were very large. Danny was told this was where the richest merchant families lived. Sarah's parents lived here but her elder sisters took over the family business.

On the other side of the river, the inner wall towered above everything else, and Danny couldn't picture the massive siege equipment that would be needed to either crush or scale it. The public arena used for the testing was just on the other side of the wall. In appearance, it looked similar to the coliseum of Rome.

Groups of people could be seen coming and going from the arena. His family went in and before heading up to their assigned seating area, his dad, Barb, and Gary said their goodbyes. Everyone wished Gary luck and he gave everyone hugs. He was obviously very nervous. Danny hated not being able to do something and had stayed up all the previous night trying to come up with a plan. The best he could do was figure out as much as he could about this testing process, for when it was his turn.

The seating looked more like giant steps. Actual steps were placed periodically around the stadium right next to the seats. The place was packed. Out on the stadium floor there were cots laid out in rows upon rows. All but a few of the cots were empty. The occupied ones were either in a far corner or being carried in that direction by young men in matching brown vests. Other young men traveled up and down the aisles, removing white sheets from the cots and adding new ones. In the corner with the occupied cots, men in black vests and dusters moved among them periodically touching the occupants.

From this distance, Danny was frustrated to not be able to see anything with his mana sight. He had never seen anyone in these vests or dusters except his grandfather. He assumed these were wizards. Do they only stay on this side of the river? He didn't remember seeing anyone the times he went to the marketplace after he learned to use his mana sight.

His contemplations were interrupted, with the entrance of thousands of boys and their parents. The noise level in the stadium quieted to a whisper. The boys and their parents flooded out onto the stadium floor and were directed by the young men in brown vests. As the boys found their respective cots, the noise level picked up again.

His whole family was trying to locate Gary, Barb, and his father. Fortunately the family members not allowed on the stadium floor were given preferential placement in the bottom level of seats. Finally, Sarah excitedly spotted them not far to their right. April tried calling out to them, but they were obviously too far away to hear.

A bit more time passed before the young men in brown vests got all the boys allocated to their correct cots, then they took positions at the end of each aisle. With everyone in position trumpets were sounded from different sides of the stadium. On the other side of the stadium was a small balcony the extended slightly out over the stadium grounds. Danny could barely see numerous people sitting on and around the balcony. Someone in a long flowing duster of alternating grey, blue, and white, stood up and raised a pair of hands. One hand came to the figure’s throat and as the speech began a wind swept across the stadium projecting a man’s voice.

"Well met brave sons of Diadem. I am Archwizard Storm, head of the academy of wizards," the man paused before continuing, "You are about to embark on one of two paths. The path of man or the path of wizard. Both are needed for our survival in this world. A member of our order will come by shortly and you will lie down on the cot behind you. He will press an object in an area below your heart and it will cause you to go to sleep. When you wake up you will then be tested to see if your magic has been unsealed." He paused again, and Danny could picture a smile on the man’s face as the Archwizard added, "Do not fear - the worst injury a boy had suffered during the trial is a horrible case of... bed head. Good luck!"

The stadium erupted with applause and polite laughter. Danny clapped along with the crowd and questioned who helped the Archwizard Storm write his jokes. Danny’s eyes were quickly focused on the new people walking out onto the stadium floor. They started near the other side of the stadium and worked their way over to where Danny's brother waited. Using his mana sight he could see a bright flash every now and then, but wasn't sure what was happening. After over an hour of waiting, they made it closer to where Danny could see. Two sets of three men in dusters, alternated which aisles of boys they went down.

Of the three men, one wizard used a measuring stick and pointed to a place between the boy’s chest and stomach. A second man with a long tube either placed it on the boy’s chest or suggested another location, ‘til they agreed. To Danny it looked like they were guessing and used two people to confirm the most ideal location. To Danny's mana sight it looked like the tube flashed brightly and ejected light into the boy’s lower chest over his connection to the source. From Danny's own experience with his brother he figured this would be useless. The light surged through the boy’s body, which seemed to be wrapped in light. When the light faded, Danny could not see the boy's connection anymore. The third man was dressed in a black duster, and after they used the strange tube, he reached forward and cast a spell over the boy. Danny assumed it was healing magic or something similar. Nodding, the men went on to the next boy and repeated the process. From where Danny was sitting he could only make out a few lights, signs of boys with connected mana amongst those tested.

One set of the sorcerers came in front of his brother and began the process. Part of Danny wanted to yell out for them to stop but knew they would only see a little boy going into hysterics, scared for his big brother. He definitely wanted to stop it, especially now that he saw how wizards were unlocked.

Danny couldn’t help imagining them excited at his abilities, but that dream quickly changed into a nightmare. In it they were not able to replicate his success, and they locked him away to experiment on. Looking down, fear kept Danny's mouth shut and shame washed over him.

After a few minutes Danny looked up and saw the results with his own eyes. His brother would share the same fate as his father... A normal life was nothing to complain about, but when the majority of people around you have the ability to ascend to heights no normal person would ever see... Danny couldn't help himself and started to cry.

Even amongst the noise of the crowd, Danny's mother quickly heard his sobbing and put an arm around him, "Gary is going to be alright, don't worry Danny."

After a few moments his mother shook him to get his attention and pointed to where a man rolled a cart down the aisles. As each boy woke up, they were given time to put themselves together before they were led over to the cart. Two wizards walked next to the cart and when a boy approached one would look over a list he carried. The boy was told to place a hand on a crystal nestled securely down in the cart. Those Danny could see who had their mana unlocked, had their mana sucked from their bodies into the stone, and the stone would then begin to glow. For some the crystal barely lit up, and for others it was like a small star. Once the crystal started to glow, the wizards would quickly pull the boys hand away. Thinking back to what happened when Danny used up all his mana for the first time, he knew why. Sure enough, those that the stone barely glowed for would act dizzy.

Fortunately no one threw up, much to Danny's chagrin. Even through the dizziness Danny could see the boy's happiness at knowing they would be wizards. They ran over to their smiling parents. Those boys that didn't make the stone glow returned to their parents and they left quietly.

Danny saw Gary was awake and watched him walk over to the crystal. Danny's eyes started watering again. Gary placed his hand on the crystal, and nothing happened. The wizard with the list made a note on it and looked around bored. The other wizard smiled and said something to Gary. Gary nodded and walked back to his parents. His father squatted down and hugged his son. Barb ruffled his hair and joined the two. Then they walked out of the stadium together.

As Danny and his family in the stands made their way down the stairs to meet up with the trio they got blocked by a wizard in a black vest talking with a family. Realizing this opportunity, Danny used his mana sight to observe the wizard. What he saw shocked and confused him. The wizard’s mana lines that ran all through his body were massive compared to his own. Unlike his, the wizard's lines looked damaged somehow. There was no outline to these lines it was more like watching lights flow through transparent glass. These lights didn't move at a steady pace like Danny's, they sped-up and slowed at different points all throughout his body. As Danny's tissues stored mana they began to become more and more visible to his mana sight. This wizard looked like he was in his late teens, but his body barely had as much mana saturated in it.

*Maybe he had just cast a spell?*

Danny, also noticed that the mana wasn't being stored in his body equally. The wizard was talking to an elderly man who was clutching his arm and had trouble breathing. The wizard held out his hand to the man’s chest and mumbled some words. Light shone in front of the wizard's palm and grew in size and intensity. Danny could see the mana leaving the wizard’s body into the spell... ball. Like in the wizard’s body, the spell didn't move steadily. Now that he knew what to look for, the rate at which the spell swelled was not consistent. Then suddenly it flashed and the old man’s body glowed. The man’s breathing stabilized and he smiled thanking the young wizard.

CHAPTER 12

Danny had not slept at all the previous night. He had spent well into the early hours of the morning trying to fix what had been done to his brother. No matter how he tried, he could not reconnect his brother to the source. He wasn't even sure where his brother's connection was and had tried dozens of locations across his lower abdomen. Danny had tried healing magic in a last attempt, scared this would wake him for sure. His brother was such a heavy sleeper he didn't even realize it when Danny passed out from exhaustion on the floor next to his bed.

The next morning, Danny awoke in time to say goodbye to his brother. He would only see his brother on holidays just like his older sisters. Gary had finally left to join the boy’s academy.

Danny couldn't stop the feeling that he could have had some way to prevent all this and turned to his father, curious about what would happen to Gary.

When asked, Danny's father told him "Gary will be getting an education like I did. He will learn subjects like history, writing, and math. Later in his schooling Gary will learn a trade. Usually men do a number of apprenticeships before settling on one. Whatever trade he decides on will be the best determination to the type of [unknown] he would eventually marry."

Confused Danny asked, "What is an [unknown]."

Danny's father looked down at him and said, "Well son, when you get old enough and pick a profession to apprenticeship under, your mother and I will be approached by families who have a daughter that would like you to be her husband. This daughter will have gathered two other girls from different families to join you in this marriage. These three girls together are called a Trio. When you finally reach the age of sixteen, you will be allowed to get married." He paused and looked over at Danny's mom to see if she was hearing, he whispered, "If you’re lucky and work hard, more than one family will ask for you. Then you get to pick the prettiest one."

About that time a pillow smacked Stan in the face. Danny’s father comically fell over in his chair. Danny looked over at his mom. Squinting, she didn't seem very amused, but her lip had a slight tilt in one corner.

Even while laughing at his father’s antics, Danny couldn't help the tilt of his head in complete confusion, "Why three?"

Laughing, his father patted Danny’s back and explained, "Because for every three girls born there is only one boy born. Now, sometimes after a war, there are not as many women and you will find special cases of two women marrying a man."

Thinking of high male infant mortality rates, Danny asked, "Do the boy babies die a lot?"

Danny's father shook his head, "They do sometimes, but not anymore than girl babies. Three girls and one boy is also the same for all creatures, elves, dwarfs, and the different beast races."

Danny couldn't believe it three girls for every boy. What would cause that? His father had ruled out a high rate of male infant mortality. He had enough biology to know there wasn't a way to add more X or Y chromosomes to get this result. Plus that usually resulted in disorders. The fact that they prescribed a specific number led him to believe it was probably genetic, but anything was possible. He was now in a world with magic.

Something else his father said confused him, so he asked, "Why do more women die when there is war?"

"Well, the only men allowed to go to war are those who have had two sons. They are trained as crossbowmen. Wizards are also taken into battle, and they are used to bring devastating spells down on the enemy from afar," explained his father.

Danny thought for a moment, then asked, "When was the last war?"

"Oh, that was a very very long time ago. We were not united under the Diadem back then. That all changed when we discovered the ancient keys to unlock our magic. Since then, we have only had minor skirmishes with human outlaws and beastman tribes. The beastman are not a united people like the elves, dwarfs, and humans. Though most of the time they leave us alone," his father explained.

“Where did the ancient keys come from?”

“If I remember correctly, they were found in ancient ruins from times past before the cataclysm.”

Danny looked excited, “Are there any nearby!”

Danny’s father chuckled and rubbed Danny’s hair, “Not that I have heard of. These ruins were far off to the east.”

***

Danny was worried. He didn't know how his mana was going to survive the use of one of the ancient keys. From the way he unlocked his mana he knew mana lines to be sensitive things. For that matter, he didn't understand how they could be forced like that and still function. He was sure the boys were blacking out from the pain and overload. It just happened so quickly their brains didn’t have a chance to register it.

He considered again, coming forward and sharing his knowledge to prevent this from happening, but how could a boy of five tell grown men they were wrong? After meeting some nobles, his grandparents on his father’s side, he could easily guess that power hungry factions would come out of the woodwork to try and gobble him up. He died once already and he was going to make the best of this second chance. He would try to help his family, but from this point on it was a game of personal survival.

Danny had Water and Air affinity at level five. It was time to train Earth and Fire to the same level. How was he going to train either without his family knowing? He thought about building a cave down below ground, but how would he practice Fire in a confined space. How would he explain his absence if they looked all over the backyard and he couldn't be found? He rejected that idea. What if instead of trying to move the earth, he tried to feel with it instead? He had tried to use his mana before to sense things. Maybe he needed to try using an element to sense with instead of raw mana.

Sitting in the training circle, as he had come called it, Danny focused on the rune for Earth. Instead of casting with his hands he focused downward through his feet and legs. He felt the earth begin to rise up below him. He opened his eyes to find himself on a small mound. Small, but noticeable. He remembered how he reversed the airflow to create air that pushed him. This time he used it with Earth. The mound lowered... too far. Working this way for a while he was able to get the ground back to its previous flatness. Focusing again he started over.

Weeks past with his new obsession. His mom more than once found him sitting there focused and asked him if he felt alright. He told her he was just resting. This didn't allay her fears, but Danny didn't worry as he was getting close. He couldn't do anything with his magic except move the earth. He discovered that if he focused he could stretch his mana very thinly over an area. Casting the Earth rune caused small pockets of earth to shift in minute amounts in different directions. If he cast too much mana over the area it would try to shift the whole thing. By stretching the mana very thinly it only affected a percentage of the earth, and this was evenly distributed over the whole area. When done quickly enough this didn't do anything visible. Danny found that if he closed his eyes and focused, he could sense the resistance in the area by how much he had to push or pull in either direction.

Danny practiced this regularly and it cost little mana to do so. Eventually this resulted in his ability to sense the different stratifications of soil and earth, where apparent, as well as any cavities underground. Because his mana was an extension of his focus, these resistances created a three-dimensional image in his mind.

Smiling, Danny realized further possibilities. Looking up at the wall around his backyard, he stretched his mana out thinly over to it. He cast Air and repeated the process, except moving just a few molecules of air over the affected area instead of soil. The Air needed more fine-tuning than Earth, due to the fact the air moved more easily. Danny could hear something rattle behind the wall before he perfected the fine tuning. He was pleasantly surprised that not only was he able to sense where the wall was, he also sensed that there was a box on the other side of the wall. The box had a bowl on top, and something sticking out of the bowl. Walking up to the wall he checked the area with his mana sight and didn't find anyone with connection to mana nearby. His mom was busy working away and he heard her whistling like she did when she got excited about a project. He opened a small hole in the stone wall with Earth affinity. Sure enough, the box was a square table, the bowl was a planter, and the thing sticking out of it was a dead plant of some kind. Closing up the hole he punched his fist in the air. Progress is sweet. Maybe if he learned to move slightly more molecules in the affected area he would get a higher resolution mental image. He decided to call this method scanning.

Danny reached level four in Earth affinity. Also, learning to stretch his mana not only farther out but over a specific area, had granted him level 6 in mana manipulation. He was a Journeyman in that skill now. He had some other Journeyman skills but never reached them since his birth. Not only did he feel his intelligence increase significantly, he was given specific knowledge instead of a hint. He was given the knowledge to create magic armor over his body. Instead of a circle, as he had pictured them, they were almost like a force-field right above his skin or clothes. They were not visible until struck. Once activated they would last as long as his mana did. The magic armors could block only so much incoming damage, and recharged as quickly as his mana flowed into them. The armors also only blocked the element they were associated with. Danny wasn't given knowledge of a physical resistant magic armor. He at least had something new to work on.

Danny's mother, worried about his recent lack of activity during the day had asked Sarah and his father if he could help in the shop. Especially since Gary was at the academy now. She thought he should get more social interaction than she could provide while working in her shed. This was not at all what Danny needed right now. He needed to get stronger and find a way to beat or avoid the power from that ancient key. Unfortunately, he was still just a child.

***

Danny's first day at work in the family store was not what he expected. Waking up as early as he had to, helped him realize how slow a morning start his mother got. He left with his father and got there to find the store already open. Sarah was behind the counter feeding Mary the last of her breakfast. Sarah said good morning to the two of them and his dad went over to give the two of them a kiss. Danny played the role of big brother and cleaned up Mary while his father and Sarah discussed what needed doing. His father was apparently happy he was going to start helping out because he had some time intensive repairs around the place. One of the things his father helped with was running interference when there were too many customers for Sarah to handle by herself. He wanted to be able to work on the repairs without having to stop every 15 minutes to help a customer. Sarah wasn't sure about a five-year-old doing this but his father apparently had a lot of confidence in him. Danny figured the man just had a case of wishful thinking. Fortunately for his father, Danny had more sales experience than he let on. His ignorance of the store’s stock should help hide this.

Sarah didn't look confident in his abilities but took the time to walk Danny around the store and spoke about how she wanted him to help. Barb made mainly weapons and tools of good quality. My mother on the other hand made leather satchels, scabbards, quivers, and backpacks. While his mother’s designs were sturdy enough, where they really shined was the artistry she put into every piece. Sarah did her part by ordering other goods at wholesale that complimented the main attractions of the store. Sarah made sure to give him tips and tricks she thought a five-year-old would be able to use when dealing with different types of customers. She didn't discuss prices with him as she only saw him helping point out where things were and distracting impatient customers. She asked that he come to her with anyone wanting to buy something. Danny hung out behind the counter mostly, playing with Mary until Sarah needed his help. Not wanting to shirk on his magical training, Danny did his best to keep one of his magic armor up at all times. Since it was invisible only when initially cast he could hide it well. He started with Earth wanting to see if he could get his affinity to level five.

He didn't get his very first real customer ‘til the next day. Sarah was dealing with an unruly young woman who wanted to buy one of Barb's most expensive blades on credit. Sarah's polite attempts at telling her no were met as an apparent affront to the woman's honor. Sarah looked over at Danny and jerked her head toward someone in the front of the store. All while trying to keep a civil smile on her face. Danny walked to the front of the store to find a finely dressed woman a few years older than his mother. She practically screamed money.

"Good morning, my name is Danny Creek, how can I help you today?" started off Danny politely. Sarah had gone over with him how to properly address customers.

The woman looked around disdainfully and replied, "Yes, I am Lady Deluge, a friend of mine bought a leather handbag with the most beautiful artwork on it. When I inquired she pointed me to this... shop."

This woman reminded him of his father’s parents. Danny made sure to keep his tone childlike. If he played this right he could probably make this work in his favor. "Oh, I know where they are! My mommy makes the leather bags, she puts really pretty pictures on all of them. I watched her make them, she works very hard," Danny proudly bragged.

The woman looked at him closely as they walked to a particular section of the store, "How old are you boy, shouldn't we get one of your mothers or father?"

Ignoring her question, Danny quickly grabbed one of his mother’s small bags. The carving on the leather was of a single tree growing on an island in the middle of a river. The tree was bending against the wind and a heavy rain could be seen falling around it. You really could almost imagine the feel the wind and rain, as you touched the impressions left by the carving tools. Danny turned to her and said, "See, there are many pretty bags here. Look! This one has a tree in it that is caught in a big storm. Doesn't Deluge mean big storm," Danny asked innocently.

"Why yes child it does, a very strong name for our Family. That bag is beautiful, my friend’s is not that lovely," The lady replied.

Danny smiled and nodded, but then he frowned and looked at the bag, "Oh no! I remember mommy making this one. She said it was very special. I don't think this one is supposed to be here. I better put it behind the counter so it doesn't get bought. Mommy would be very sad," Turning to head towards the back of the store Danny smiled as the small bag was snatched from his hands.

The woman looked at the bag as if it was made of gold, "My, this purse is lovely and the scene is truly a powerful one! It does convey an essence of our family name..."

"Oh lady, please don't be mad, I don't want my mommy to be sad because I sold the special bag...," Danny said with a worried face.

"Just name a price young man that your mother will be happy to part with this treasure," Lady Deluge assured him.

Danny had been paying attention to Sarah earlier as she made sales and responded to requests for prices. Of course, being biased, he paid specific attention to her quoted prices for his mother's works. He remembered Sarah had given two prices for the bags and he doubled the price. With false nervousness, he shifted his eyes around as if his mother would show up at any moment.

Danny quickly explained, "I'm not good with money yet, but I remember Sarah saying 800 triplets was a good price for bags. I apologize, lady, but I really, really don't want to get in trouble with my mommy!"

Ms. Deluge smiled and handed over a whole sextet to the boy, "Here is two hundred more just to make sure you do not get into any trouble young man!"

"Oh surely this is too much Lady Deluge, I would not wish to take too much and get in trouble," Danny worriedly asked.

"You take that coin right this instance, and I will not hear another word about it," Lady Deluge said with a stern look, but a smile hiding behind her eyes as she looked at her new bag.

Danny thanked her profusely as she left the store. Yesterday, Danny had learned that there were two common coins in Diadem. The triplet and the sextet. A sextet was worth one thousand triplets. The triplet was a round silver coin with a triangle carved out of the middle. The sextet was a gold coin with a hexagon carved out of the middle. Both coins had intricate designs pressed into them to deter counterfeiting. If there was any higher denomination Sarah didn't go over that or sell anything with that high a price.

Walking up to the front, Danny crossed paths with the still upset lady Sarah had been dealing with before as she left the store. As Danny got to the counter, he saw Sarah staring daggers at the back of lady unhappily until she left the store.

Sighing, while pinching her nose, Sarah said, "That... woman, comes in once a month to pull the same stunt, and every month I tell her no. She thinks I'll finally just give in... So what did the other customer want? Did we have what she was looking for?"

"It was a Lady Deluge, a friend of hers bought one of mommy's bags. I showed her one and she thought it was very pretty. Then I remembered it was one of mommy's favorites and she would be sad if I sold it," Danny said sadly.

Sarah looked confused and alarmed, saying, "Lady Deluge! She is from a noble family. We can't refuse her, she will ruin us. If she mentioned a friend that could only be another noble. Having two women of that class showing off your mother’s bags would cause demand to hit the ceiling. Which bag was that, unless your mother makes something specifically for someone it goes out for sale! Maybe I can catch up to her and give her a discount... maybe 300 triplets," Sarah mumbled while heading for the bags.

Smiling inside at how well this was going, Danny looked alarmed and described the bag to her. Handing her the sextet, Danny looked properly chastised and said, "I'm sorry Sarah, she really wanted it and you were busy with that scary lady so... I only sold it for one." Danny ducked his head before continuing, "I will make sure to ask you next time, I'm sorry. I will go help daddy..."

Having seen his father go around back of the store with his cart Danny went to help him unload. Sarah meanwhile, just stood there staring at the sextet with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth.

At lunch time Sarah tore his father away from his repair project to watch the store. She took Danny out for lunch and a special treat and praised him on the excellent job he did. That night she bragged to the whole family about what he had done. His mother was the most pleased with him and overjoyed that her craft was sold to such a high-ranking person.

Sarah put Danny in charge of restocking and selling his mother’s wares. Under her close supervision, of course. For a few months his mother's bags and other items were in high demand. The family's profits increased and soon there was a backlog of requests as his mother couldn't make new items fast enough.

Danny overheard Sarah speaking with his mother one night. Sarah said that members of some of the richer merchant families would visit to see the rumored little genius who sold his mother's wares with skill far above what his age should allow. She said she had received a few hints from these visitors. The merchant family representatives showed great interest in securing a future marriage interview for one of their family's young daughters, and her future Trio. Sarah politely told them she would be happy to discuss this with the rest of her Trio before making any decisions.

They both giggled and started whispering after realizing they were being so loud. Danny couldn't help but feel dread knowing they probably were planning his future right now. He knew, based on their personalities that they would listen to his opinion on such matters. He also knew if an opportunity for an excellent family connection presented itself, he would be pressured into taking it. He considered playing dumb and getting worse with sales, but that cat was already out of the bag. Better this than his magic and the government snatching him away...

Danny was pleased when his mercantile skill, trade, advanced to Journeyman. All those years working retail in college, and before he got the job at the lab, really paid off. He was given knowledge on purchasing, specifically in bulk. He guessed this made sense, as his knowledge and experience tended more towards the selling side of business. All the haggling and persuading (and maybe a little deceiving with white lies) gained Danny more insights into the human language.

He was pleased to gain Journeyman level in the language skill diadem (spoken). His smile fell as he learned many swear words in his new language. He had gained the skill after a lengthy sales pitch with an older woman from a family the rich merchant class, who decided in the end not to buy anything at all. As the knowledge of the foul words filled his mind, Danny turned to look out the front door and the people passing by. A look of complete confusion crossed his face as he thought of those grand sorcerers all those years ago. Probably giggling like little boys as they infused the crystal with every cuss word they knew. "Daft elements damned old farts...," Danny said under his breath, with just a little bit of humor.

Just leaving his Earth armor on didn't appear to advance his skill so he tried moving it away from his body to include other objects. During lulls in customers, he would stretch out the field around his body. The field shaped itself around his clothes so why not other objects. He would touch an object and the magic armor field would deform and reach out, like someone pushing on the side of an inflated balloon. Intent and not just focus, seemed to play a large part in magic. His first attempts had him stretching and pulling the armor. Trying to force the field to a shape he wanted didn't cause the effect he wanted. Then one day he touched an object and stretched the magic armor out a little, then imagined the object being included. His total mana dropped and stayed there, not going up. He was excited, but when he moved his hand away, to punch it in the air, his connection to the magic armor left him. As his total mana started rising again, he realized he or what he was touching had to be in contact to share the magic armor. Looking back at the object with his mana sight, he saw a mana shield was still in place! But as he kept watching the shield slowly dissipated. A temporary affect was better than none.

While restocking and straightening inventory, he began to experiment in how many physically-touching objects he could chain with his magic armor. He found it was dependent upon the total size of the objects and his maximum mana. It was during these experiments he came across an anomaly. One of the larger leather backpacks would never accept the shield, regardless of how much he tried. He cast his mana out in a bubble around it and was shocked when he couldn't get his mana near it. He stretched out a thin layer of mana, and cast Air scanning, only to find a vague fuzziness where the backpack should be. Danny didn't want to get his hopes up as he reached out with his hand, while activating mana sight. He released all the mana he could push through his small mana lines. The mana was rebuffed from the surface of the backpack, dissipating into the surrounding air. This was great, but his mana was like a trickle compared to the tsunami that the ancient key produced. He noticed the leather looked different from what his mother normally worked with. He immediately inquired about the backpack’s odd coloring. Sarah said it came from a particular variant beast in the swamps to the far north. The leather was praised for its durability, and if properly maintained was waterproof. Sarah told him that his mother’s skill in leather-craft had advanced to where she felt she was ready to start working with this new leather.

“What’s a variant beast?”

Sarah stopped working on something at the counter and turned to him while looking hesitant for some reason, “Beasts, Danny, are normal creatures that have… grown stronger than their normal counterparts. They are usually much larger, stronger, and faster. The beast that this leather came from was a beast variant. They can use a specific affinity.”

Danny was shocked that no one had told him about this yet. He was seriously getting resentful towards this whole culture’s avoidance of sharing knowledge. If he had even heard about such creatures he would have asked more questions. Now that he had an opportunity he did.

Danny discovered that it usually took whole military squads to take down a single beast, and a platoon would be needed to take down a variant. This was why the leather used was so expensive. Fortunately, these creatures were very large so there was usually plenty of material to be gained from them. Danny was going to guess that “grown stronger” referred to them unlocking their sanctuaries. How an animal would do this was a new puzzle. The variants sounded like beasts that had unlocked their mana.

“Sarah, where do these beasts live, are there any in the town?”

Sarah shook her head, and thinking Danny was scared squatted down to hug him, “No Danny, there are no beasts in the city. They do live outside the city, in the areas that haven’t been cultivated by humans. They attack some of the rural farms and villages from time to time, but that is what the military is for. You don’t have to worry about them attacking Diadem as we are near the center of the human country.”

Danny smiled reassuringly at her so she would quit thinking he was scared.

***

Danny visited his mother early that afternoon while she was still working and asked to see some of the new leather. She showed him the piece she was she was working on. Danny praised her work and gave her a list of new requests for commissions that came in. When the prices for her items kept rising, and the demands for new and specific items grew, his family decided to get an apprentice for her. The young girl, was from a major merchant family. Her mother wasn't the head of the family, but an artisan that joined in a Trio with a major merchant's daughter. Since professions usually passed from mother to daughter, the family had pulled some strings at the girl’s academy to get her apprenticed to the renowned leather crafter, Danny’s mother. Danny learned that girls at the academy spent part of their last years there under an apprenticeship. While Danny's mother had to take time to train the girl, once she found where the girl could best help, work proceeded at a faster pace. His family also received an important connection to this prominent merchant family.

Once the girl found out who Danny was, she would take time to tell him about her sisters and how pretty and kind they were.

Danny was polite and responded, as expected, but he couldn't help wondering, *What was wrong with the people in this culture? Everyone was already talking about marriage options and I am just a few months away from turning six.*

CHAPTER 13

By the time Danny was six, he had devised a plan for escaping the damage of the ancient key. He had quit sleeping in his mother’s room a few years back and was given a room he technically shared with Gary. Gary, of course, only used it when he came back on holidays.

Late one night, Danny crept downstairs and slipped into his mother's work shed. He didn't dare use a light, so with Air scanning he located a stack of the special leather his mother now used. Using his hands, he located the thinnest strip in the pile that was long enough for his purposes. He grabbed a few of his mother’s spare tools she kept in the back and fled to his room. Heart pounding, he made it into his room without waking anyone up.

From his basket in the corner, as a toddler, he had watched his mother work on the leather countless times. Trying to copy what he had seen her do, he first used an old blanket and cut it into a pattern he thought correct. After a few more cuts he finally gave up and grabbed a second blanket. Danny finally completed a pattern for what he wanted. He hid his work and tools under Gary's mattress during the day. Only at night would he have the time and privacy to work on his project.

When he was finally done with it, he was embarrassed to realize it looked like a leather girdle. Well, more like an ugly leather corset. It went from the bottom of his ribcage to right above his waste. The hardest part was getting the top to not show a line across his chest. Running a strip of leather that had to be cinched was the answer to that. He needed something that wouldn't be noticed. It also dug into his left armpit and at other different points along his side, but he couldn't see it under a thick shirt. He also gained his first level in the crafting skill called "Leather Crafting." Danny had expected more levels as this was no small effort. Apparently this single skill was the sanctuary’s way of giving its opinion on the quality and expertise of his work.

Unsure if the back was visible, he decided to give it a test run. He put it on and spent the whole evening with his family, sweating bullets.

“Danny, do you feel alright?”

Danny whipped around, and barely managed to control his reaction before his mother could see it, “Yes, I am fine.”

Danny’s mom looked at him skeptically, “Danny, is your stomach alright?”

Trying to rack his brain for a good excuse, he questioned where his high intelligence went, “Yes mother, I feel fine.”

His mother stopped what she was doing and walked over to him and whisper, “Honey, do you have gas? Do you need to go make a poop?”

Mortified, Danny turned to see his whole family watching the exchange. Well, except Barb. She was looking at the fireplace and trying not to laugh.

“Mom, I am just tired, I am going to go to bed early.”

Still not convinced his mother gave him a gentle hug, as if that alone would release the massive buildup she suspected lurking in her son, “Goodnight, sweetie.”

Walking quickly to his room, he was glad the trial run was over, but wished he could get his dignity back. He had tested the corset again afterwards and guessed that the only way the ancient key could inject mana into him is if they placed it anywhere else on his body but the leather. Pleased with his success he put it away under Gary's bed.

Back at the store, Danny's mother’s wares still continued to sell well, but they were now by request only. Show floor models were kept in the store to display what could be requested. In between discussing what customers wanted his mother to make, and whether they could wait that long to receive it, Danny trained.

He had done everything with the shields he could think of at the moment, so he went back to raising Earth affinity one more level. This next part was the trickiest thing he had done with mana manipulation so far. When scanning with Earth magic he extended what he considered a bubble of mana then activated the spell. The spell affected the entire area from his hand or foot down into the earth and spread out across the mana bubble he created. He had enough control to manipulate the size and shape of the bubble. Currently it affected an area in a sphere almost two and half meters wide. If he trained his scanning spell inside the workshop, the hardwood floor could crack as earth moved up to meet his hands or feet.

Training only a few hours at a time in the evenings after supper, Danny sought the secret to casting magic on a specific part of his mana field. He covered this up by pretending to read a book in the backyard. He claimed he wanted some alone time after spending all day talking to people. He had asked his family for a book on beginner’s alchemy. Since Danny rarely ever asked for anything extra, they were happy to provide this to him. They made a huge ordeal about buying the book and keeping it safe. He wasn’t supposed to take it outside the house, but they agreed to let him take it into the backyard if he put it away immediately when not using it. Danny made the required promises and mollified them.

They were a little confused by his sudden interest in the subject. He claimed it had been interested since seeing the physicians bring medicine. That appeased them enough to see nothing odd about it.

He quickly read through the book once and memorized it. Being six already and not having been trained in meditation, Danny had the sinking suspicion that they did not tell boys or girls about unlocking their mental sanctuaries till after they went to school. His theory was, for boys whose connection to mana was severed, this meant they had nothing to regret since they never knew what they were missing.

Reading of the alchemy book gave him an introduction to this world’s version of chemistry. He learned the names, descriptions, and properties of common species of medicinal plants and animals in the area. He wasn't sure if the descriptions would be enough for him to spot them. Maybe he could find someone already with the knowledge to help identify them correctly. He also learned the proper way to care for the raw materials. It's not like the games where you just stick the entire plant or animal in your backpack and move on. Some had to be dried, others immediately crushed, while still others needed to be fresh or couldn't be stored at all. Checking his sanctuary, his alchemy skill didn't level, which didn't surprise Danny. He had some knowledge but until he got his hands on working with the plants and compounds, he would have very little understanding.

Based on what he had read, alchemy paled in comparison to magic. Anyone calling on the services of an alchemist was usually poor or had a general fear of wizards and magic. Danny would need access to some alchemy equipment if he wanted to actually try anything. Based on what he had seen so far, plants did not have a connection to the mana source. He suspected if they did have a connection then they could possibly find magic plants that could make alchemy rival a wizard’s power. He asked his parents and they told him what they suspected. There were no known magic plants. Danny figured he would stick with magic for now.

Danny’s attempts at compartmentalizing his mana field wasn't working. Just grasping what he wanted took him months of frustration, as he could have been increasing his Earth or Fire affinities. Countless times he had to reshape the earth below him. It wasn't ever extreme so he didn't think anyone would notice anything more than his butt lifting and falling every few minutes. He never used a lot of mana at a time in fear of inadvertently damaging his home's foundation, and also to prolong his training.

He came to the conclusion that what he wanted to do was currently impossible for him. Instead the solution he came to was to spread his mana out into the now familiar bubble, then mold it like wet clay into the shape he wanted.

This took time but once he had created a shape he could recreate it faster than the last time. The last part of his solution was to pinch the mana between the area he wanted to affect and himself. For Earth magic this meant a tiny amount, no bigger than the head of a pin, of earth visibly moved.

His father kept a few planks of rough wood for repairs around the house. Danny grabbed one of these and tried out his solution. The first time he tried it the wood splintered around the hole made by the stone. His second attempt, he first focused on just the wood and creating the hole. He made the mana stream as small as possible then cast stone. Stone rose up and pushed through the wood like a needle. He then expanded the stone around the minuscule hole made. The wood complained but didn't splinter or crack. The reason he didn't just make his mana that way to begin with was that he needed a certain amount of flow to work freely with what he was really doing below the surface. With the stone spike set through the wood into the ground he began to shape the earth below him. Everything worked like he wanted.

Danny was able to repeat this process at the store in a few places where he normally sat on the ground or in a chair. He had to avoid the sewer system, which he found by using his Earth scanning technique. Danny spent his free time creating walls or spikes of stone in layers of earth below the store. He also created cavities, which he practiced first at home, so he knew how best to stop the earth from rising on the surface. This was usually done by compacting material below his creations. With this he was able to make it to Earth affinity level five before the day of his mana test.

CHAPTER 14

The night before his mana test his brother and sisters came home, as it would be a national holiday the next day. Gary bounded into the house, with his usually level of energy, and greeted everyone before asking when supper would be ready. Gary was telling him about how boring the classes were, but he had lots of fun with the new friends he made.

Jane and April came in together a little while later. They were more reserved than his brother and were their usually cheerful selves. They did corner him later to ask about his exploits at the family store. They both were preparing to eventually take apprenticeships as traders, like their mother. He gave them a simplified story of just being lucky. The two girls happily told him a little about their school as they tried to relieve his fears about the next day. They did end up saying pretty much the same thing as Gary, but in a more tactful way.

That evening his mother’s parents came by and everyone celebrated his upcoming test. Despite having planned, Danny was a nervous wreck. His family could tell and they all tried to do their best to distract him. His grandparents left and promised to be back the next day. As everyone was getting ready for bed Danny's parents took him out into the backyard. They took some chairs with them and sat together watching the sunset in the distance. With Danny sitting in the middle.

"This is it my boy, you’re going to have your mana test tomorrow, how do you feel," his dad asked.

Quietly, Danny answered, "Nervous..."

"It will be fine. If you become a wizard, I know you will become one of the greats. If you are given the path of the regular man, well, your mother told me you already have a number of suitors lined around the corner. Remember what I told you about choices," his father laughed.

As his father's head rocked forward, Danny's mother put her arm back around his shoulder and said, "I couldn't be more proud of you my son. I was proud of you even before you helped make my leather creations a hit. I love you Danny. You will do great things and I will be proud of you no matter where you end up tomorrow," his mother said with tears in her eyes.

His father was suddenly very interested in the garden over on the other side from where they were sitting. Danny could have sworn he heard a sniffle come from the man.

Danny thought about a million things to ask or tell his parents. He finally chose one that might get him the answers he had been wanting. He had guessed the sensitive nature of the question and worked up the courage to ask.

"I always wondered. Why didn't you ever have another kid, mom," Danny asked firmly.

His father looked quickly over to his mother. His mother looked down. Danny wasn't sure, but he guessed her eyes were drawn to the scars hidden below her shirt.

"Something happ...," his mother paused for a long while, both Danny and his father didn’t interrupt her. "Sometimes you have one and know you can't do any better," she smiled down at him and rubbed his hair affectionately.

Danny looked at his mother, knowing she hadn't given him the truth. He also knew pushing wouldn't get him any closer to the answers he was looking for.

"I love you too mom, and I guess you too dad," Danny said as he exchanged smirks with his father.

They sat there quietly until it got too dark to see.

***

The next morning his family was rushing around. His mother woke him up, opening the door to tell him his cloths were laid out already on the table and to start getting ready.

Gary was still asleep as well and grumbled, "First night away from school and I still have to get up early. Uhhh, I don't remember this bed being so lumpy."

Danny's eyes flew open. He looked towards the clothes laid out for him then over at Gary's mattress. How was he going to get the leather corset on with Gary in the room?

Danny went over to Gary and poked him in the back, "Hey Gary, do you smell my grandmother's special pie baking downstairs."

Gary shot up out of bed and put his clothes on as he hopped towards the door. He only fell once before opening it and racing down the hallway, to the stairs.

Laughing nervously, Danny quickly listened outside his door and, once satisfied, closed it. Rushing to Gary's mattress he pulled out the corset and started putting it on. He got the straps tightened and had just pulled his shirt on when Gary walked back in.

"There wasn't any pie! You made me go down there for nothing," Gary yelled.

"I didn't say there was pie. I said I thought it smelled like it. Close the door I'm not done changing," Danny said.

Closing the door Gary sat on his bed while Danny finished changing. Danny would have to wait again before double-checking that everything was in its right place under his shirt.

"If you’re worried about today, don't be. It feels like they punch you in the middle and you pass out. By the time you wake up you barely even remember the pain," Gary explained as he looked around the room.

"Really? That's doesn't sound so bad." Danny replied sarcastically while he finished dressing and asked, "Do you wish you had become a wizard?" Danny instantly regretted it the second it came out of his mouth.

Gary looked up at him and looked thoughtful for a second.

"Nah, you have to be smart to do that stuff and I would probably just catch myself on fire or bury myself underground," Gary joked.

"I'm sure there are different types of wizards, Gary. I'm sure you could have been a pretty good one if you’d had the chance," Danny said quietly.

Gary looked away and said, "Let's get going, there isn't any pie, but Sarah made those sweet rolls we love."

Gary got up and headed for the door.

"I'll be right there, I think I dropped my book behind my bed and want to take it with me in case this gets boring," Danny called after him.

Gary waved without looking and kept heading down the hall. Danny watched him for a second before closing the door again and checking over his shirt and corset one last time. Satisfied it was the best it was going to get, he headed downstairs.

***

His parents walked with him out onto the floor of the stadium grounds with the rest of the other boys his age and their parents. They walked calmly to his assigned cot, which was numbered, like the rest, on the front. A young man in a brown vest, not much older than Danny, came by and confirmed his name and cot number. Danny's mother reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly.

His parents started talking about nothing in particular while Danny looked around with his mana sight. Danny confirmed what he had seen two years ago in the young men in brown vests that were close enough for him to see clearly. Their mana streams were chaotic and so was the mana distribution throughout their bodies.

Danny was regretting the extra sweet rolls he’d eaten, as his corset strained to contain him and the meal. Taking deep breaths, he focused on staying calm. It was hot enough out here with a piece of leather wrapped around his middle, he didn't need freaking out to be added to the list of discomforts.

Looking around, it appeared everyone was where they needed to be and sure enough things started like the last time he was here as a spectator. From the position on the ground all the cots had been angled so they could see the large balcony. From his viewpoint he noticed, based on clothing that all the wealthiest families were sitting around the balcony. Then he noticed that those in front of him on the stadium floor seemed to be dressed nicer as well.

*So, the rich and powerful get preferential treatment. Well, nothing new there,” thought Danny.

The nobles and richest families’ sons would be tested first and they would get to leave the quickest. Danny noticed that they were more towards the middle this year than during Gary's test. They were also on the end closest to where the wizards would start down the aisle. Danny wondered if their standing had risen since his brother’s test or had they just randomly assigned the poorer families?

The old man from last time stood up on the balcony in his duster of grey, blue, and white. Danny didn't need to use his mana sight to see a spell form in the Archwizard's hand. He cast it on his neck, a flash of light in Danny’s mana sight, and wind began to flow throughout the stadium.

"Well met brave sons of Diadem. I am Archwizard Storm, head of the academy of wizards," the man paused before continuing, "You are about to embark on one of two paths. The path of man or the path of wizard. Both are needed for our survival in this world. A member of our order will come by shortly and you will lie down on the cot behind you. He will press an object in an area below your heart and it will cause you to go to sleep. When you wake up you will then be tested to see if your magic has been unsealed." He paused again, and Danny wondered if he was reading from a cue card as the Archwizard added, "Good luck!"

Did the Archwizard get in trouble two years ago and was asked to lay off the bad jokes? The stadium erupted in applause as the two teams of wizards began making their way down the aisles, two at a time. Danny was getting nervous, but not for the same reasons as the boys around him. His mother noticed and squeezed his hand again. It seemed to take forever for them to make their way over to them. Danny watched as the ancient key was placed on the boy beside him. There was a small flash and the boy grunted and went limp.

The three wizards that eventually came to his cot were older men. The one with the ancient key wore a duster of red and grey. The second wizard that measured the location of the source with a stick wore a duster of blue. The third wizard wore a black duster.

They had Danny lie on the cot as his parents stepped out of the way. His mother gave his hand one last squeeze before letting go and stepping back. The wizard in the black duster stood at his feet while the two other wizards took places on either side of him. The wizard in the blue duster took the stick and laid it on Danny's body. The stick had a black line in the middle and two tabs that freely slid along it. Danny had made sure to bunch his shirt up so it was wrinkled and didn’t show off the corset’s flatness. He got lucky and the blue robbed wizard mistook an errant wrinkle in his shirt for his belly button. One tab was moved there and the other was placed over his heart. Then the black lines and tabs were moved till it looked centered. The wizard put his finger at the midpoint and the other wizard nodded his head. Danny was visibly sweating by this point, but that was to be expected.

The wizard in the red and grey dusters placed the ancient key on the location and... nothing happened. Danny eyes widened as he realized he didn't consider the device needed something to accept the magic to work. The other wizard was looking worriedly at the key, when they were all distracted by a commotion nearby.

The cart with the testing crystal was a few aisles down and a boy being tested was throwing up while on the ground.

"Looks like Wizard Basin didn't get the boy's hand away in time, why did they select him again," The wizard in red and grey grumbled. "Let's try this again, I will not be known as the ones who broke one of the ancient keys. Especially with what happened to the other key."

Putting the ancient key back to Danny's chest he pressed down. This time Danny was ready and reached out to the devise with a stream of mana. The second it connected Danny released the mana, as the device flashed. Danny was scared for a second, as the mana began flowing back towards his hand from the ancient key, would make it into his body. The mana suddenly dissipated in a massive cloud he suspected only he could see. At the last second, he remembered to grunt and pretend pass out. Danny sensed the wizard in the black duster lean over him and cast a spell on his leg. It was a healing spell that did nothing for Danny.

After a while, he heard the boy that the wizards went to before him start to wake up groaning and sounding groggy. Danny waited a bit and pretended to finally wake up himself. The boy before him, now recovered, was led toward the testing crystal. Danny already knew the boy had lost his connection to mana. A brown vested young man came and led him to the crystal. There was a wizard keeping tallies on a list. This wizard looked in concern towards the wizard, Danny guessed was Wizard Basin, who was standing over the testing crystal.

Wizard Basin was sweating bullets, and said, "P-P-Please place your hand on the crystal for a few seconds then take it away. Please do not leave it there even if the crystal starts glowing. I-I will assist you... should you not do so in time!"

The wizard shouted the last bit as if to convince himself and not Danny. Danny wasn't too worried as he had a lot of mana reserves. Placing his hand on the crystal it began to glow brightly. He could feel the crystals attraction, but he easily controlled the flow. After a few seconds of it glowing like a small fire, Danny removed his hand. He had seen some of the boys place their hand on the crystal and it was as if a star was born, while for others you could just barely tell anything happened. He wondered if anyone had been missed because their mana was so faint.

Relief evident on his face, Wizard Basin said, "Congratulations new initiate, and welcome to the order of wizards."

Danny thanked him and walked back to his parents. His father looked shocked and his mother was smiling brightly. First his mother, then his father hugged him and they walked out of the stadium. His family was ecstatic once we met up outside. His grandparents and sisters took turns hugging him followed by Sarah and Barb.

It was his turn to be shocked when Gary gave him up in a big hug, "Congrats brother! I was hoping you would get to be a wizard."

Gary stepped back from the hug and had a huge smile plastered on his face.

"Thanks Gary," Danny said dumbly, with a smile growing on his own face.

Everyone headed back home to celebrate Danny's new title.

CHAPTER 15

"Mom, I'm going to be late, I have to be there before noon and it’s on the other side of town," Danny complained to his mother.

"I just want to make sure you have everything you need. Now are you sure you packed all your clothes, you can't be running back here whenever you want to," his mother said with a worried look in her eyes.

"Yes mother, I have everything packed, there really isn't that much so it should be an easy trip there," Danny said, not without a little exasperation in his voice.

"Bye Danny, I know Mary is going to miss playing with you in the shop," Barb said as she hugged me.

"I don't know how I'm going to keep up the amount of sales now that you won't be there," complained Sarah, with a smile.

Sarah hugged him and then handed him a small bag.

"Now, Danny, this is from all of us. The wizard academy provides you clothes, food, and a room. That money should help you fill it with most anything else you might need. Keep that hidden now, there are always people looking for an easy purse to snatch," Sarah warned.

"Thank you Sarah I will spend it wisely," Danny promised.

"Well, you definitely earned it," praised Sarah.

His older sisters each gave him a hug, saying goodbye.

Gary tackled him to the ground, hugging him and saying, "See you next holiday, brother!"

Danny barely had time to sit up after Gary got off him before he was tackled again by little Mary.

Danny couldn’t help but question, *Is Barb’s whole family naturally freakishly strong?*

"Please don't go, Danny," the normally shy Mary yelled.

Laughing, Danny hugged her and rubbed her back, "Don't worry, I will be back before you know it."

Becoming shy again, Mary walked over behind her mother.

His mother knelt and straightened his clothes.

"Now look here. You’re getting your clothes all dirty. You can't show up at the wizard’s tower with your clothes all dirty," his mother said with tears in her eyes.

After Danny stood up, his mother helped him pick everything up.

Danny and his parents said their last goodbyes and headed out. The trip through town was nothing new for him, until they crossed the river. They went through the inner wall and passed the arena. Surrounding the arena were a number of businesses, but after that it was nothing but one large residence after another. Some of the properties could have held all the houses on Danny's street, with room to spare. Then, there was the large building that Danny had been able to see from his home, the Council Chambers.

His parents had explained that the families that lived in the inner walls were very influential and wealthy, and thus were taxed more heavily. The word they used to describe them meant something similar to nobility. Except any family that could afford a home, and the taxes, within the inner walls could become nobility. Like the wealthy merchants inside the outer walls, many generations would live in the same home. Generally, the eldest born girl would take over as head of the house once their parents passed on or became unfit. In the Noble houses there were usually one or two Trios per generation that lived in the main house. Any other girls born in these families took on a new family name. His parents also pointed out that it was general practice for the Nobles to seek the most accomplished young wizards for their daughters. Those young wizards remaining were usually married to the wealthiest merchant families within the outer walls.

Danny could definitely see the power structure maintained here. He doubted it was very often a home within the inner walls became available. He also figured an already powerful family could buy any of the available houses for their third or fourth daughter, under a different family name, to create a permanent alliance.

Between the Council Chambers and the city wall, to the north, was the wizard's tower. The tower was a cylindrical, and while taller, was not as wide as the Council Chambers. The tower had a series of three rings of walls around its base. The top of the tower was flat with a ring of battlements. Danny and his parents reached the entrance on the south side of the wizard complex, where other parents were also saying their goodbyes to their sons.

His mom tuned to Danny, “Now, we will come pick you up, so do not come home on your own. I don’t want you getting lost or worse.”

Danny looked up at her and sighed, “Yes mother.”

Suddenly his mother gave him a big hug that lasted a few minutes, before she wiped her eyes and stepped back. She handed over something she had been carrying since they left home.

"Here, I made this for you, please use it well," his mother handed him a large bag with a strap to go over his shoulder. It was perfect for holding books or papers. As with all her creations it held an artistic scene. A lone figure sat with his back to the viewer, sitting on the edge of a small creek. The figure had his arms resting behind him, looking wistfully into the distance. Danny quickly realized the figure had his profile. The creek sat in a field of grass. If you looked closely the grass had waves in it from the wind.

"Thank you mother... I love it and you," Danny said with sincerity.

"I love you too, Danny," His mother cried and hugged him. She finally stepped back.

"Try not to blow up the wizard’s tower on the first day, son," his father joked while getting his own hug.

"Dad, you know I don't like to make promises I can't keep," Danny said and smiled at his dad.

Danny turned and entered the academy.

***

"Name... Name please," Danny slowly realized the wizard at the table on the other side of the entrance was talking to him.

"Danny Creek, sir," Danny said promptly.

"Creek... Creek... here it is. See those piles of vests, shirts, and pants? You are to pick one of each that fits you and grab a bag from the pile with a similar number.

"Then...," Danny began.

"Name! Yes... Yes you! What is your name," the wizard had already moved on to the next student.

Danny looked at the piece of paper handed to him. It read "Dorm #3." Danny went over to the pile of clothes and tried on a few before he discovered what fit him. Then shifting the things he’d brought he picked up the three bags and went in search of dorm number three. A sign clearly pointed, west, to the dorms, which were apparently in between the outside two walls. As he walked along he noticed that areas, not designated for pathways or buildings, were staged in different scenes from nature. There was a small stream running through one area with a bench. In another area was a number of trees grown close together to resemble a forest. The miniature forest with a path running into it. The dorms were all uniform-looking, but the numbers were clearly printed above the main doors.

Entering his assigned dorm, Danny approached the front desk with an older-looking wizard sitting behind it. The wizard was reading from a book and didn't immediately look up when Danny approached the desk. The older man had a bald head, large grey beard, and duster of grey and blue. After a few minutes of waiting Danny interrupted the man.

"Excuse me sir, I was told to report to this dorm for further instructions," Danny said politely.

"Wizard," Said the old man.

"I'm sorry," Danny said confused.

Sighing and putting down the book, the old wizard said, "The proper way to address a man in a duster, is Wizard, not sir. Only wizards are allowed to wear them. What did your parents teach you boy?"

"My apologies for my ignorance... Wizard," Danny kept his tone polite.

"Specifically, I am Wizard Dawn. I am in charge of this dorm and anyone who steps inside it. My position here is the Dorm Wizard," explained the wizard.

"I am Danny Creek, it is a pleasure to meet you, Wizard Dawn."

"Hhhm, ignorant but polite, we might get along," Wizard Dawn said with a smile. He immediately quit smiling the second he looked down at a page on his desk, "You are assigned to room twelve on the first floor. As you are an initiate you are on the first floor, if you are able to gain the rank of adept you will be moved to the second floor. The rooms are twice as big and you do not have to share facilities, as you will have your own. Classes start tomorrow at dawn, you are expected to get there on your own. So you know, there is a bell tower located at the dining hall that will sound when there are two hours and again when there is an hour away from dawn. The first is a call to breakfast and the second is a warning that classes start in an hour. Another bell will sound for lunch and supper. An older initiate will come by in a couple of hours to lead everyone to the small arena found on the north side of the inner and outer circles. Lastly, do not steal from your fellow students or the academy and do not fight with anyone on campus." He said the last while looking at Danny's staff. "If a severe enough punishment is warranted, you will not be expelled from the academy, you will be imprisoned. The city does not need untrained initiates, who have proven themselves untrustworthy, running around loose."

"I will be on my best behavior, thank you si... Wizard," Danny said.

Seeing Wizard Dawn immediately go back to his book, Danny decided he was dismissed. Walking down the hallway Danny quickly found his room in the direction he was pointed, and entered. He half expected two or three beds. Instead there was just one. There was also a small wooden desk, simple dresser, and sturdy-looking trunk. In all, very Spartan conditions. His old and new clothes went into separate drawers of the dresser. He put his new bag and alchemy book on the desk.

Turning around he walked across the room and ran into one of two strings that hung down on either side of a hole. The hole was cut into the wood ceiling. He could see a crystal hidden within. Confused he pulled on the longer string and nothing happened. When he pulled on the shorter one a panel closed over the hole shutting out the light from the crystal. Danny was impressed.

Going back to the trunk and he found a key in the lock. Taking the key out and putting it back in, he locked and tested the trunk. It worked. Looking at the money bag Sarah had given him, Danny decided that the trunk still wasn't the safest place for the money. He went to the corner of the room next to his desk and created a cavity in the stone foundation of the building. He placed the bag inside then added a cover to the cavity with enough thickness to support someone standing on it. He decided to test that assumption by jumping on it himself.

Satisfied, Danny looked around to realize he didn't have much to do ‘til called, so he decided to train. He sat on the floor in the middle of his room and began steadying his breathing. The whole morning, he had been anxious and he needed to calm down so he could focus. Looking around with his mana sight, most of the other rooms were occupied and he could see the initiates moving around. Their mana streams varied in size and their bodies glowed ever so faintly with stored mana. Looking up he didn't see anyone above him, and assumed the initiates were either in class or had a holiday.

After about an hour of training he saw someone else coming down the hall. He could tell he was different from the amount of mana stored in his body. Assuming this was the older initiate he had been told about, Danny got up to go.

"Put on one of your new shirts, pants, and vests! You have half an hour or until I get tired of waiting to be ready to leave! If you are not ready by then, you will be left behind! Get dressed," a voiced yelled from the hallway as he banged on their doors.

Danny quickly changed, throwing his dirty clothes in the cloth sack he brought to carry his clothes in. He went outside and waited by his door. Soon the rest of his fellow initiates came and stood outside their respective doors or walked down the hallway to where the older initiate was waiting.

Taking the opportunity while waiting, Danny asked the older initiate, "Where do these light crystals come from?"

Looking at Danny like he had just crawled out of a hole, he replied, "You have never seen light crystals before? The dwarves mine them from deep within the darkest parts of their mountains. They are not very common so they are expensive. Or at least that’s what the dwarves tell us..."

The older initiate didn't wait for more questions, and looked around saying, "Is this everyone then? Yes? No? I don't care, let’s go."

As they were heading out the door, Danny heard a few stragglers hurry to catch up. Wizard Dawn sat at his desk reading his book and didn't spare them a glance. Traveling along the outer circle they passed many other dorms. Apparently in a fit of altruism, the older initiate pointed to a larger building Danny guessed was half way between the dorms. It looked like it was due west from the tower.

"That is the dining hall, where all our meals are provided. Some of the prominent families are allowed to sell food at different stands. It's better fare than what is normally served for free," the older initiate said helpfully.

They soon arrived at a wall that ran between the middle and outer wall. On entering though an opening Danny noticed that this place encompassed the area from the middle to outer wall. He could see an entrance from between the inner and middle wall as well. The wizard’s arena was inside this area and was significantly taller than the walls circling the tower.

Instead of heading into the stands on the outside, the older initiate took them out onto the floor of the arena. As they entered, another initiate took their names and checked them off a list he had in his hands. They were told to sit wherever but to leave an arm’s space between initiates. After sitting down a few people started talking. Not feeling particularly chatty, Danny kept to himself.

The Archwizard appeared soon above in the stands, on the side they were told to face. At his appearance everyone quickly became quiet.

Looking out towards the crowd, the Archwizard began, "Greetings, newest initiates. Today marks the first day of the rest of your lives. Over the next couple of days we will begin truly unlocking your powers and potential. One of my colleagues will be by shortly to begin the first step in your training. Before that though, I would like to tell you that you represent the future might and power of our great city and nation. Without intense training and dedication, we would not have the respect of the other races. Train well, learn what you are meant to be, what you want to be. Battle-wizard, Healer, Civil-wizard, Teacher, and yes, even Archwizard. There is no one role for wizards in our society, so while you are here find the one that best fits your skills and passions. Please be always respectful to your fellow wizards. Know this, your power is not something to lord over our fellow citizens, it is a gift. A gift we are responsible for sharing with them. Together we grow stronger, apart we are weak... Good luck my pupils."

With that the Archwizard returned to the stairs and disappeared, but not before a new figure quickly took his former position. A tall thin man with long black hair in his middling years stood before them. His duster was blue and he had a stern look on his face.

Lifting his head the wizard began, "I am Wizard Verdant, I have been tasked with teaching you to access your mental sanctuaries. Now, up until this point no one should have mentioned the existence of such a place." At this he looked across the crowd, before continuing, "Now, that doesn't mean that some of you have not been able to access this location on their own. Before continuing has anyone done so already, please raise your hand?"

Danny looked around and didn't see anyone raise their hand. He did not want to be singled out as unique, just yet. It could be that this was a trap to locate family members who spoke about the sanctuaries beforehand.

After a lengthy pause Wizard Verdant continued, "From this moment forward, until supper is called, we will continue this exercise until your sanctuary is unlocked. If for some reason you are unable to do this by then, you will report back here tomorrow at dawn, and continue to do so until you have unlocked it. I fully expect the majority of you to be back here tomorrow. This next process will require you to be calm and focused. Do not think we are rushing you, because we are not. This requires you to be calm and relaxed. Once you have unlocked your sanctuary please raise your hand and follow the instructions of the initiate that comes to you."

If Verdant's tone was serious before, it became grave as he continued, "Before we begin, know that you are not to speak of the mental sanctuaries with any child, boy or girl, before they are tested for magic or go to an academy. Girls will be taught to access this at the girl’s academy, but it is impossible for those that have gone to the boy’s academy to access their sanctuaries. It is better that they have never experience what they have lost. Long ago we discovered that only roughly one in five people tested with the ancient keys unlocked their magic. Since men already made up one in four of our population, we agreed to exchange the chance at the benefits of the mental sanctuaries, for the chance at even greater power. For you see if everyone was to be tested, then only one in five of our people would gain all, while the rest would lose everything. Our people as a whole would be weakened. Those that speak of these things to an underage child will be punished as seen fit by the Grand Council. Most punishments for this offense are not kind."

After that Wizard Verdant went into a lengthy description on the process of meditation. Not long after the arena was quiet as everyone began attempting to meditate. Music began playing softly behind them, and Danny looked back to see three women on stringed instruments playing a soothing melody. This did well to drown out the sounds of hundreds of boys breathing and shifting uncomfortably where they sat.

Danny wasn't sure what to do. Should he train? He got the impression that these wizards had nothing that compared to his mana sight, or they would have discovered him by now. Maybe they didn't think to use it yet. He probably took a risk earlier in his room when burying his money.

Danny thought, *But, then why did they use the stone for the testing? Because it was flashy?*

Looking through his mana sight he quickly checked Wizard Verdant. There was nothing different about his eyes. Initiates wandered the grounds helping anyone not visibly meditating. Danny quickly started meditating before he would be singled out.

Deciding not to train, he focused on his surroundings. Unfortunately he couldn't use mana sight with the mana stored in his eyelids blocking his view. After a long hour of sitting there he heard a commotion to one side. A boy had raised his hand and was being led to the side. In the next hour a few more boys were led off. Danny noticed that their clothes, while the same style and colors, were made of better materials than his and seemed to fit them better. He decided these must be the sons of nobles and rich merchants. They would probably be placed in the same group, unless they were all to be trained in this arena, but Danny doubted that. They were probably taught enough by their parents to not get in trouble. There is no way to confirm something that is only in another's mind. Unless there was magic for that Danny didn't know about. Deciding they would receive a better and more advanced education than the later groups, he decided to risk it.

Opening his eyes Danny raised his hand. As a nearby initiate noticed him and started walking over, Danny noticed the scrutiny of Wizard Verdant. In his brief glances when the other boys where leaving, he never noticed Verdant looking at them this way. Was it his clothes? Whispering, the initiate asked him if he had accessed his sanctuary. Then he asked him to describe it to him. Danny was not asked to go into detail about his skills, so he omitted that information. When he had heard enough the boy raised his hand and motioned for Danny to follow.

Danny was led out of the arena and over to where a number of boys were standing next to a wizard of average height. This wizard had short black hair and piercing grey eyes, and he wore a duster with the colors red, grey, and blue. His duster didn't hide the fact that he was physically fit, and Danny guessed he had some form of martial arts training. After dropping Danny off the older initiate walked back to the arena. The wizard was talking individually to the boys and everyone was quiet listening.

"-is your affinity levels," Danny caught the end of the wizard’s question to one boy.

"I have a one in Earth but I have level two in Fire," A tall handsome boy with dark hair and brown eyes bragged loudly.

The other boys in the group started talking excitedly, some were obviously jealous. The wizard repeated this through the crowd. Most boys had acquired level one in only one or two affinities. There were a few boys who had Life affinities and the wizard mentioned future healer roles. Danny didn't realize that they would not have any affinity in the rest of the other schools. Maybe his previous education affording him insights into the affinities these boys’ uneducated early childhoods wouldn't. Wouldn't the other affinities show up later? Then the wizard’s eyes fell on Danny and his eyes grew suspicious.

"What is your name initiate," asked the wizard.

Danny looked around. He hadn't asked any of the other boy’s names, why was he asking his. Maybe he already did that before he walked over.

"Danny Creek, Wizard," said Danny, remembering not to say "sir."

"I am Wizard August," stated the wizard. "I don't remember there being a major family by the name of Creek?"

Danny figured he was asking if Sarah was the eldest daughter, and replied, "No Wizard August."

Wizard August made a look of disbelief, "And you were able to acquire access to your mental sanctuary on the first evening?"

Danny decided to go with the partial truth, "I was a nervous child and discovered breathing slowly would make me feel better, I didn't know it was called meditation."

Wizard Augustus looked skeptical. He didn't mention that any further. Danny knew it was because it would obviously draw attention to the fact that the other boys around him completed the task before him.

"Well, then I assume you saw your affinity levels. What were they," asked August.

Danny didn't want to stand out but this man's obvious contempt for Danny's family's station seriously pissed him off. Danny quickly picked which affinities he wanted to train the most but lowered them to the other boys’ levels.

"I am level one in Fire affinity, level one in Air affinity, and level two in Earth affinity," Danny said calmly and loud enough to just reach Wizard August. He was angry but he wasn't going to brag loudly like the tall boy. Some of the other boys had to strain and lean in to hear him.

"You lie," declared a blond hair boy near him.

"I am not lying and can prove it," Danny said, turning to the boy accusing him.

Wizard August shared the boy’s expression of doubt and said, "Yes, well, Initiate Creek can demonstrate his plethora of affinities when we begin spell training."

The other boys looked at Danny suspiciously before ignoring him completely.

A bell rang in the distance and an initiate walked up to our group, "That's everyone then, no one else will be joining you."

"Thank you initiate, everyone gather around. That was the bell for supper. Tomorrow at dawn I expect you all in my lecture hall, room number seven, by dawn. You will find I do not take kindly to tardiness. Good night initiates," Wizard Augusts said, and turned and strolled toward the tower through the entrance to the inner circle.

Danny was turning to head towards the dining hall when he heard his name.

"Creek, wait up," called out the tall boy with the two affinities.

Danny paused and turned to look at him warily. A number of the other students from his new class followed behind him.

As he reached Danny, he stuck out his hand amicably and said, "Hi, I'm Harold Peak."

"Nice to meet you Peak," Danny said copying his use of last names.

"Since we are all going to be in the same class why don't we eat together," smiled Peak.

"Sure, why not," Danny said as he tried to come up with a reason not to.

They began walking towards the dining hall in a large group. The other students from the arena were all moving in smaller groups.

Peak moved up alongside Danny and asked, "So where does your family live?"

"They live off the main street halfway between the city gates and the inner ones," Danny said.

"Interesting, I haven't spoken to too many kids outside the inner walls. So your mom came from the Creek family? I think I heard they were moving up in the city," Peak guessed.

"I'm honestly not sure about moving up in the city. My mother joined a Trio with Sarah Creek. My family runs a store along the main street near our house," Danny replied.

Another boy butted in shocked, "Your mother isn't even the head of your family, just a Trio member!"

"Yes, that's right... She is an accomplished leather crafter. If I understand correctly, her leather bags are currently popular with the women within the inner walls," said Danny, defending his mother.

Another boy's eyes grew big, "Your mother is that Creek! Do you think you could get her to make a bag for my mother? I need to get back in my mother's good graces and I overheard her saying she wanted one, but they are hard to get."

Danny was about to reply when Peak interrupted, looking annoyed, "You can talk about bags with Creek later. I heard about your mother too, now that I think about it. I heard you have a brother that could sell the Grand Council their own Council Chambers and have them believing it better than it was before. I hear many of the great families are looking to snatch him away as soon as he comes of age. Maybe I could be persuaded to introduce him to some of our... lesser branch families."

"I seriously doubt I could sell the Council Chambers back to ALL of them. Oh, and I appreciate the offer of assistance in introducing me around. The head of my household said I'm already booked up on offers from families from the inner walls. Well that was before I became an initiate," Danny said, pretending to be bored and ignorant to Peaks personal jabs. If this pompous noble wanted to belittle someone, he was going to have to look elsewhere.

Peak face lost all subtlety and turned harsh. Calling out so the others in his group could hear, he said, "Well, I suddenly remembered that mother said that when I came here. I shouldn't associate with any of the outer wall trash. Sorry Creek, but you will have to eat on your own, the smell from the outer walls is upsetting my stomach."

Peak didn't wait for Danny’s response and started walking ahead. As Peak and his group walked off, the boy who wanted a bag from my mother looked between him and the retreating group. He sent over an apologetic smile and ran after Peak's group.

Danny stood there rolling his eyes, wondering what he had gotten himself into, arguing with children... He walked into the dining hall and noted it looked similar to a food court. There was a buffet style line for the free food. Peak and his gang were already in line for one of the fancy stalls set up along the side of the wall. Women and men were serving prepared meals. Peak noticed Danny walking over to the free line and gave a smug smile.

*Ignore the seven year old boy,* Danny said to himself.

His turn came and he grabbed his portion of what looked like a bowl of porridge with chunks of meat, and a hunk of bread. There was milk and different teas set out. Danny poured a random tea and after trying it, remembered the name listed on the card in front of it.

Looking around the hall he saw quite a few empty spots and sat at one of them. No one sat next to him and he didn't mind. He was full up on social interactions for the day. He ate slowly, actually enjoying the porridge. He didn't know what animal the meat was from, but it tasted like pork. After finishing the last of his tea he got up and returned to his room. The sun had fully set by the time he got to his dorm. Larger light crystals now illuminated the darkened paths between buildings. Inside, the dorm hallway was lit as well, with small light crystals on the walls. Shutting off the light in his room, he removed his clothes and climbed into bed.

CHAPTER 16

In the distance Danny could hear someone ringing a bell. It was dark but his eyes had adjusted and he could make out the furniture in his dorm room from the faint light coming from under the door. Danny bolted up as he realized where he was and what the bell ringing meant. Was that the first bell or the second, he thought frantically. Grabbing clothes in the dark, he was glad his uniform consisted of the same thing every day. Maybe that was by design. He almost forgot his new book bag before running down the hallway.

Racing past the front desk Wizard Dawn wasn't at his desk. Danny didn't wait and started rushing to the dining hall. He saw a few others like himself, but there were enough older boys walking slowly to make him realize this must be the first bell.

He grabbed breakfast, some sort of eggs and chili served in a bread bowl. He didn't want to be late so he ate at a steady pace, before heading to class.

Danny hadn't been past the middle, or second circle as it heard it called, circle before and slowed to check it out. As he looked left and right, he was shocked to see walls blocking him on either side. A door was placed on the outsides of both walls to his left and right. Wishing he had time to explore, he figured he would have to wait to find out more.

In the predawn light Danny could see that the center, or inner, circle looked like a large version of the little parks arrayed around the outer circle. Trees grew along the inner most wall, before thinning out to a grassy area littered with flowers. There was a paved area around the base of the tower which extended about thirty meters and could probably hold a significant group of people, or a class, if needed. Maybe they would get to spend some of their lecture time out here.

The lobby area of the wizard’s tower took up the entire first floor. The ceiling was over seven meters tall and Danny noticed light crystals of different colors, hanging from the ceiling. The light crystals he had seen so far had all been white, so he wondered what caused these to be different colors. There were sitting areas everywhere in the lobby, and in the center was a water feature. Small waterfalls crisscrossed in elaborate patterns. As he walked around it to the south side, he realized the waterfalls made an image of a robed man holding a glowing orb in one hand.

Climbing the stairs to the second floor, he could see down the center of the tower at every floor. Murals lined the walls depicting different scenes of wizards casting or working. Danny couldn't help but feel like this place was older than the rest of the city. Finding room number seven, Danny entered to find himself one of the few early birds.

Wizard August was there, looking up he noted Danny and went back to whatever he had been studying on his desk. The room was set up like a mini amphitheater. Each row had a long wooden desk with small chairs spaced every so often. Danny stood there for a second, before deciding there wasn't going to be assigned seating. He picked a chair in the back on the aisle leading to the door. Placing his book bag on the desk he looked inside it and found some supplies he had seen in there yesterday. The bag only had one large opening on the outside, but his mother had lined the inside with smaller pockets. Pulling out some parchment and a charcoal stick, he almost missed a book that had been hidden in a pocket. Pulling it out he found it was the second volume in a series of the alchemy books. He realized they had already purchased the first volume. He remembered his parents telling him the books were becoming increasingly expensive. He made a mental note to thank them next holiday. He took the book out and began reading.

A loud banging on a desk brought his attention to the front of the class. Danny looked up to see everyone from the previous night scattered around the room. Peak and his group sat in the very middle, and they took a bit of time to settle down.

"Quiet down everyone. As I said last night, I am Wizard August. I am to be your instructor during your initiate level training. I hold the right to kick you out of my class for any reason. You all showed promising aptitude by accessing your mental sanctuaries on the first night. In light of this, I shall be holding you to a higher standard than the other groups." August looked around the room as if expecting them to fail him and require removal right then. "Before we can begin any practical applications of magic we must first understand its history and the history of our world. I will not bore you with too many specifics, but only cover those points I believe relevant. Who here has not read the note by the Grand Magi left in your sanctuaries?"

When no one replied August continued, "After the events known as the Great Cataclysm, the great civilizations of the major races of the world were thrown down.

“The elves that survived had hidden deep in their enchanted forest far to the north past the Great Forest. Elves are inherently magical. They call their wizards “druids.” From birth they are gifted with magic and specialize in magics of Water, Earth, and Nature. However, it is important to note, we have encountered elves with affinity in each of the elements.

“The dwarves resisted annihilation in their strongholds deep within the mountain, to the northwest, that they call home. The dwarves originally only mined the mountains for precious stones and minerals, they have since stayed hidden in their mountain to the northwest. While dwarves are not inherently magical, among them are great craftsmen who tap into their mana sources. The methods in which they do this is not understood as, unlike the elves, they are a secretive race. They are able to create enchanted weapons and armor of unparalleled strength. These enchanted items have only been gifted to the other races, as they refuse to sell them.

“The beastmen survived through sheer numbers and their ability to survive the harshest climates, like the deserts to the southwest. Some recovered historical documents mention a joined beastman government ruled by a collection of elders from various tribes. While some tribes are rumored to have been annihilated, enough variations remain to fracture them in a never-ending struggle for power. Beastmen affinities vary from tribe to tribe and not much is known about their “shamans,” as their wizards are usually called. Beastmen are savage and are known to attack our smaller villages and settlements without warning. Due to their fractured nature, negotiating with them has not proved fruitful.

“Lastly, are us humans. Once at the pinnacle of magical achievement, even now we struggle to regain our lost heritage. After the Great Cataclysm, only a few remote villages remained untouched. With the Cataclysm people died of natural causes, or by the hands of our supposed-allies, humans spread out to reclaim what we lost. Like the beastmen, we were a fractured people. Lost was our knowledge of accessing mana. Without access to magic, our peoples fought with purely martial means. Over a thousand years ago, a leader emerged to gather the various factions of humans together as one. Her family was renamed after the crown placed upon her head, Diadem. Our nation and capital were named after her and Diadem's success was due to the discovery of the ancient keys.

“As you know these keys were able to release the seal on a person’s mana. Unfortunately, not everyone's seal is released during this process. At first Diadem chose to have everyone attempt to unlock their mana. The number of wizards grew but this was met by the unforeseen consequence of weakening our people as a whole. In that first generation we were hit heavily by beastman raids, as they noticed our weakness and took advantage of that fact. The people rose up and declared Diadem unfit to rule. They demanded a council, not a single person, rule over them. Hearing their demands, Diadem chose to heed her people and sat equally on a council of twelve. The council members knew that they couldn't do away with all mages, because the other races brought their own magics to war with us frequently. We had to be able to fight back in kind. So, the council members gathered their husbands and proposed a plan. Their husbands agreed, and the men used the ancient keys on their own sons as an example to their nation. And so began the tradition of male only wizards in Diadem."

One of the students up front raised their hand. At August's nod the student asked, "How many of the original council’s sons became wizards?"

"One," August answered as he looked around the room and brought his eyes back to the boy who asked the question.

"If there are no more questions then I believe it is time to go and begin your training," August said as he headed for the door.

Danny had a ton of questions, but there was plenty of time to find out the answers to them later. He got up and followed behind the trail of students leaving the classroom. They left the tower and headed to the second circle. August led them through one of the doors and down a flight of stairs. A long hallway stretched out into the distance and curved with the wall above. Light crystals hung from the ceiling at regular intervals. They came to a small foyer on the side where a wizard in black robes was standing.

"Listen up, this is where you will come to train your magic when I give you time to do so. If you are told to go and train that is what you will be doing. If I find out you are sneaking off to sleep or play, you will be punished," August warned.

After signing in with the wizard in black, August continued, "When arriving to train you will sign in with the healer-in-charge. The healers will be the ones to put you back together when you mess up. The group training rooms are intended for initiates. If you get injured in there, other initiates nearby can call for the healers’ help. Later, when I judge you are able to do so safely, you can choose to enter an individual room. In that room you are on your own. I'm not your father and I will not be coming to check on you."

They continued down the hallway to a specific door and entered a large room. It reminded Danny of an indoor shooting range. Each lane was separated by a two-meter high wall and crossed by another one-meter wall. This created a firing box to cast spells towards the far end of the room. Light crystals were placed in various spots. A clear material he did not recognize, protected them from damage.

Wizard August explained the purpose of the room and it was as Danny expected. Then the Wizard took them to a corner where there was a small space with benches along the walls. Taking a piece of chalk from his pocket, August wrote the runes for the five elements on the wall.

"With access to your mental sanctuary and your mana unsealed, you should now recognize at least one of these runes. I am going to have each of you take a lane and for the briefest of moments focus on the rune that matches the one you have in your sanctuary. If you cast for too long you will overexert yourself. This can have undesirable consequences. If you plan to cast using the Fire rune, we have special gloves you can wear, until you learn to cast full spells. Now pick your lane," said Wizard August.

Many of the boys jumped up and ran to the nearest unoccupied lane. Peak and a few other initiates went with August to get gloves. Danny was suddenly relieved he had been too afraid of attracting attention or burning his house down. Getting a pair of gloves from Wizard August, Danny approached an empty lane and put on his gloves. Listening, Danny didn't hear anyone else cast any magic. Danny cautiously continued to wait, feeling frustrated as he had yet to hear anyone casting magic. Just when his curiosity had him resigned to cast, he heard Wizard August call out to them to return to the area on the side.

Once everyone had gathered, August said, "As you noticed, you were unable to cast any magic. This is because with the runes shown on the wall, you have only a piece of what is needed to cast a spell. When humans first discovered the ancient keys, they also discovered ancient spell books. These spell books detailed a list of runes used to cast spells. All spells are composed of a minimum of three components. The elemental rune, which you already have access too. The power rune, which specifies how much power the spell will use. The last rune that is required is the method rune, which details how the spell will be cast. The first spell I will teach you to cast is the lowest level spell."

Wizard August turned and drew two runes on the wall. Thinking back to the parchment and charcoal Danny had taken out in his room, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Everything he saw or read, was permanently added to his memory. He wouldn't need to take notes ever again.

Wizard August finished drawing the runes and explained their functions, "This first rune, the power rune, gives the spell a tiny amount of power. This second rune, the method rune, casts the spell at distance once enough mana had entered the spell. This method rune shown on the wall allows a user with a smaller amount of maximum mana in their body than what was needed for the spell, to still cast it. If the caster uses all his mana, this method rune requires them to wait until their natural mana regeneration eventually fills the spell.

Note, your rate of mana regeneration is half the rate that mana flows through and out of your body. Everyone’s mana is unlocked at different rates and this rate is permanent. Now continued practice of mana will increase the amount of mana stored in one’s body. If two people with large amounts of maximum mana cast a small spell, the one with the largest flow of mana through their body will be able to cast more of the same spell in the shortest amount of time.

“To use the three runes as a spell, one must overlay them on top of each other in your mind. Raise your hand and picture the runes at the target you want to cast at. The runes will pull the required mana into the spell in your hand. Once the required mana is reached the spell can be cast at the target. If the caster loses focus, the spell will be disrupted and the stored mana will rupture in your hand. Now let me give you an example of how the runes line up on each of the elements I have already drawn, then you can go back and try again.

“Know this, if I catch you attacking another initiate, or causing anyone to disrupt his spell, I will make sure you are expelled from this academy."

Keeping his head down from the glare Wizard August sent everyone, Danny memorized all of the rune combinations. He specifically noted how the runes lined up with each other to create new and more complex figures.

Heading over to his spot he did as instructed. Before he even got there, he could hear the magic of the other initiates racing down the lanes, splashing, whipping, burning, and crashing. He paused for a few moments and guessed this spell worked for healing magic as well.

A few cheers and whoops could be heard throughout the room. Danny raised his gloved hand and pictured the tiny Fireball spell. It took but a few moments to fill and the spell shot off at his pictured target. Through his glove he could feel heat coalesce before the spell was fired off. The necessity of the glove was immediately apparent. The animal the leather came from must be naturally fire proof. Perhaps it made from the same animal skin he had used for the corset. However, the leather of the gloves felts softer and more pliable than his corset’s fabric.

Danny got off a few dozen Fireballs before pausing. There was commotion at one lane and Danny wondered if someone got distracted and hurt themselves. Walking over to the crowd, he noticed everyone seemed excited. He peered around to see Peak rapidly firing his spell, barely pausing between shots. Danny noted that the time between his shots was not consistent. Even so, how was this possible as he barely had any mana reserves? Using mana sight Danny realized what he was missing. Even with Danny's larger mana reserves, compared to most of the other initiates, his mana flow rate was abysmal.

Looking around there were a few initiates with mana lines as thin as his, but not many. Danny was pretty sure, that unlike theirs, his mana regeneration rate and flow rate would keep increasing. He wondered if his mana regeneration and flow rate would eventually out-pace theirs. Maybe his path was one with a better end goal. He also couldn't deny the fact that, unlike them, he could "freehand" these spells, shaping them how he wanted. He couldn't wait to get access to a private room and test out mana manipulation with Fire affinity.

Danny started remembering all the video games he played in his past life. Intelligence usually affected mana regeneration or storage in some way.

Turning to Wizard August and getting his attention, Danny asked, “Does the sanctuary’s intelligence increase affect our mana?”

Wizard August looked annoyed to be distracted from initiate Peaks performance, “Intelligence affects one’s ability to absorb and process information. It has nothing to do with mana.”

“But, my increases in magic affinity, when unlocking my mana, increased my intelligence.”

Wizard August sighed, “Your affinity levels are representative of your comprehension of how they function within the use of mana. More intelligence will assist you with the ability to process and understand the affinities in greater detail.”

The two were interrupted as other initiates noticed them talking.

"Creek!"

"Hey Creek!”

"Show us!"

"Creek, it's time to show us the three affinities you claim to have...," Peak said with a knowing look. His chest puffed out, filled with confidence from his performance with the Fireballs.

Danny walked forward and the crowed parted to let him up next to Peak. Danny didn't bother looking at Peak. Raising a hand, he first cast Fireball followed by a stone spike. Danny was surprised to see how fast the spike shot up from the ground where he pointed his hand. Last he cast wind blade. The silence in the air was palpable.

From the back of the crowd Wizard August could be heard clapping, "Well done, initiate Creek!"

If everyone was shocked before, Wizard August's praise for Danny simply confused them.

"An initiate wizard with three affinities. This has not been seen in some time. I myself have three affinities and it took me years of studying the ways of Air to unlock that affinity," praised August with a genuine smile on his face. Gone was the disdain he had shown Danny a minute ago.

Danny was surprised as well but seeing an opportunity he didn't pass it up.

"Any advice or knowledge you could give me on my elements, from your vast experience, would be most appreciated, Wizard August," said Danny.

Pleased, August told them to return to their individual lanes and kept them practicing until time for supper. Since the facility was closed, the healer up front would send an initiate to each room to notify them.

"Remember, the only way to increase your affinities is practice, practice, practice. Also, no magic outside the practice rooms! I will see you at dawn tomorrow," August dismissed them to supper.

Danny left with the rest of his class and headed to the dining hall at his own pace. He was surprised when he realized a few of his fellow initiates following him. Shrugging he went to supper and for the first time he didn't eat alone.

CHAPTER 17

That first week at the academy, Wizard August only taught them one other rune and he did not give them any additional power runes. The initiates with healing were given a self-directed method rune, and a cast on touch. Danny was annoyed that the self-directed method rune still used up all of the caster’s magic.

Then there was practice, practice, practice. They learned that all elements were not equal. While changes with Earth magic were permanent, they cost the most magic. Fire magic cost the second most and could be the most destructive. Water magic was the third most costly and could be considered semi-permanent. Air magic was the cheapest attack spell if you just want to push something over. Healing magic's cost depended on what was being healed. Healing a human was cheaper than, say, a dwarf. And healing a dwarf was easier than an animal. Danny suspected that acquiring more knowledge of the anatomy of different races and species would lower the costs. Also, Healing at range was very costly.

Danny’s attempts to learn about strength and agility were ignored as he was told to focus on his magic and thus intelligence. Wizard August went over the different elements and gave a basic lesson on each. Danny was surprised with a few of the assumptions that were apparently made by the wizards. All elements were assumed to be summoned into existence and not generated from the resources around them. Danny’s own experiments with the elements easily refuted this. Otherwise he would be able to summon Earth directly in the air and not have to shape it from the ground up.

The end of the week brought a half day. During this time the students could spend their time however they wanted. Danny decided to see if he could find the academy’s library. Ever since he had learned he had a photographic memory he had been wanting to gain as much information as possible. Unfortunately, even though there was a library near his old house, he was not allowed to go alone and no one in his family had the time to take him.

Danny went down the hall of his dorm to the front desk. Wizard Dawn sat there reading a book, almost as if he not stirred from the last time Danny saw him. Danny coughed politely to get the man’s attention. Holding a finger up, the wizard kept reading a little more then turned the page and closed the book around his finger.

"What did you break this time?" Wizard Dawn asked dryly.

"Break? Nothing Wizard... I was just going to ask if the academy had a library," Danny explained.

Looking closer at Danny, the Dawn said, "Oh, you’re not him! Another boy keeps breaking my toilets, the elements only knows what he's doing in there... How do you crack solid stone with your bare... Never mind. Library, that's on the fourth floor of the tower, can't miss it."

Danny looked suspiciously down the hall towards the bathrooms before turning back, "Thank you Wizard."

The library turned out to be a massive room filled to the brim with texts, scrolls, and even a few stone tablets. Asking the initiate manning the front desk, Danny confirmed he could read but not borrow the books on the shelves.

There was a full wizard-restricted area manned by the wizard in charge of the library. Looking around he didn't know where to start. When he inquired about historical books and anything about the other races, the initiate looked thoughtful. Most people came to look for old spells and runes available to the student body. He asked Danny to wait and entered a door marked "Wizards Only." The initiate returned with an elderly wizard in grey, white, blue, and red duster.

Danny was shocked to see someone with more than three colors. The elderly wizard was stooped, with a balding head and white hair that hung down the sides of his head like moss. His eyebrows were apparently competing with his long beard, as they had grown almost over his eyes to join the hair on his cheeks. He made his way over with the library initiate, who bowed to the elderly wizard before returning to the front desk.

Danny, unsure of himself, bowed to the elder wizard saying, "Good afternoon, Wizard, I am Danny Creek."

"Good afternoon initiate Creek, I am Wizard Diadem," the old man said with a tired looking smile.

Recognizing the name, Danny eyes involuntarily widened, realizing who this man must be. He also realized this man might be used to people fawning all over him and asking annoying questions. Danny chose to keep things simple so he didn’t waste this important man’s time. He didn’t want to fall afoul of the Diadem family.

"Wizard Diadem, I was hoping to find some books on our histories and maybe the other major races," Danny said with a slight bow.

The old man’s tired smile turned into a genuine one “Excellent, someone here wanting to fill his mind with more than spells and techniques. Our collection doesn't hold much, but I believe I know just the books you are looking for."

Wizard Diadem headed out into the forest of bookshelves at a slow pace. Danny saw this as the perfect time to ask the ancient wizard a few questions.

"Wizard, why are new students not given history books to read? Why not books on other important subjects as well?" Danny asked as they walked.

Walking and talking seemed too much for the elderly wizard, so he stopped to answer: "Good questions! Now, there is a key word you used ‘Important.’ When the wizard academy was first established, after finding the ancient keys, we were at war with various beastmen tribes. No one had time to sit down and read books, because new wizards had to be trained as soon as possible. Centuries later this practice was maintained.

“Now wizards do not learn anything other than magic, unless it is deemed relevant to their training. The boy’s academy does not focus much on history. Teaching the boys trade skills is the primary focus, as it takes longer for them to learn. The girl’s academy goes in depth into history, writing, civics, mathematics, and then specialty classes for their desired occupation. Our people are divided this way, and it has worked well."

With the question answered, Wizard Diadem continued on his trek. Thinking about this Danny ventured another question.

"Wizard Diadem, forgive my ignorance, why are children not taught more before turning seven?" Danny asked timidly.

Stopping again, the wizard replied, “If the mental sanctuaries give us the ability to have permanent recollection, then there is no reason to learn too much before then. What is learned during that time is not memorized as well, and in some cases forgotten before the age of seven. Some noble families hire tutors for their children before the age of seven, believing this will give them an advantage. However, many question the effectiveness of that."

Danny had assumed that was the reason, but hadn’t known who to ask. He greatly appreciated the concise answers he got from this wise old man. The wizard continued moving and came to a stop at a back corner of the library.

"Here is the majority of what we have on the other cultures. Most books on the dwarfs are pure speculation as they do not like foreigners inside their fortified cities. We keep those volumes because important people would be offended if we removed them. The elves allowed a few worthy individuals into their forests and much that was learned can be found written here. Information on the beastmen tribes is as fragmented and conflicting as the tribes themselves," Wizard Diadem explained.

Thinking quickly, Danny asked, "Is there by chance any books showing translation of other languages?"

The old wizard’s eyebrows drew together, almost comically, as he asked, "Are you looking to put aside wizardry for a job as an ambassador or trader?"

Laughing, Danny said, "No Wizard, I am just very curious about the other races and not much has been taught to me. I suspect most people don't really know more than the simple fact that they are different."

Nodding, the old wizard reached for a few tomes and put them in Danny's arms, saying, "Before I head back to my chair in the Wizards’ area, do you have any other questions?"

Danny knew he couldn't ask too many more questions, so he kept his on the current topic.

"I grew up in the outer walls and could not locate a library, why is that?"

"Libraries have been proposed by the Grand Council a few times, but book merchants have protested enough to smother those ideas. Now the academies are the only ones to house libraries, beside private ones, as the merchants have no control over them," explained the wizard.

Danny bowed deeply, and said, "Thank you very much, Wizard Diadem, for your assistance and answering my many questions."

Wizard Diadem's eyes turned kind as he said, "It is good to see a young initiate who wants to fill his head with more than just magic. You remind me of a young me. Feel free to stop by with any questions you have."

Danny bowed again to the Wizard as he doddered off towards his room. Heading over to one of the empty tables scattered throughout the library, Danny looked through the books he’d been given. He read all the titles so that he could find them again should he not finish today. The first book he read was titled "The Extensive Elven Language." This was a detailed account on the written language of the elves. The method the author used to write the book would not have worked in his past life. The entire book was written with examples. Brief explications followed, with observations on why this tense was used or in what context to use a specific honorific. The elven language was similar to cursive, the letters written like vines. Any part of the character that deviated from the main line had a leaf at the end.

Danny checked quickly through the other books, but none of them were on the spoken language, just the written. Danny had brought his bag and practiced the language on his own after reading through the book. Danny found the language beautiful, but time-consuming to write compared to human.

Danny gained insights into the elven culture from the language books, but by the end he had more questions than answers. He was about to get up to put the other books away for now and look for the books on elven culture Diadem mentioned, when in the distance he heard the dinner bell ringing. Feeling instantly frustrated by the lack of free time given to him in a week, he put his books away.

That night after dinner, Danny lay in bed, exhausted for some reason. He realized he’d felt different since late that afternoon and wondered if he was getting sick. Sitting up he started to meditate and entered his mental sanctuary. After the novelty had worn off, Danny discovered he didn't need to enter his mental sanctuary as much. Usually once or twice a week, he would check on his progress, but lately he’d had less time to do so.

Looking over his skill bookshelves he discovered that Diadem (written) had leveled to five. His earlier realization that he wouldn't take notes was true, but he found he still liked to write out certain ideas as formulas when thinking things through. Maybe all the reading and using context clues for new words had helped.

He had gained a whole four levels in "Elven Language (written)." This surprised him as he didn't suspect anything written about another culture to be perfectly accurate. A whole afternoon spent reading and practice writing netted him four levels! While intelligence didn't directly affect mana, he was shocked the academy didn't have them absorbing every book they could.

These new levels didn't all come recently, though the four levels in the elven language might have done so. Moving to the exit, he noticed something new about his desk area before leaving. Looking around he realized the original letter from the Grand Sorcerer was hidden under a new piece of parchment. Picking it up, he quickly read.

“Those that seek greater intelligence, can find their path blocked by the complexities of the unknown. Your achievements have allowed you access to a hidden aspect of the sanctuary.”

Looking up, Danny saw what originally had drawn him over to his desk but the new letter had distracted him. The angle on the side of his attribute triangle representing intelligence, had just barely extended past the copper triangle. Now an iron triangle surrounded the copper. The iron triangle appeared twice that of the copper. Danny looked around, confused by the cryptic letter and the meaning of the appearance of the iron triangle.

Danny moved past the bookshelves of skills and into the hallway beyond. The branching of the hallway into two pathways was now three. To his left, he could see the library, with a new book or two on the bookshelf. He could check that later.

Directly across from him was his mana room, and to his right was the new room. Moving inside he found something that freaked him out. A large crystal was jutting up from the ground. In the crystal he saw his body, from his last life, naked. He circled the room unable to take his eyes off his still form inside. When he had made a complete circle of the room, he drifted forward, peering into the face, his face. He jumped back as the crystal-encased Danny's eyes opened. They stayed that way for some time before Danny looked down. He could still not see his body, yet there it was inside the crystal.

Clearing his "throat," Danny said, "Can you talk, can you hear me?"

The crystal trapped Danny smiled and said, "Hello, Danny"

Hearing his voice talking back to him was almost worse than seeing his body trapped in the crystal.

"Is this... am I crazy?" Danny said more to himself than the figure in the crystal.

"No Danny, you’re not crazy. This sanctuary is purely a manifestation of your consciousness. I am now part of your consciousness and thus I have a representation here. I would guess this is how you best could comprehend the gift the sanctuary has bestowed upon you," the crystal trapped Danny said.

Excitedly, Danny asked, "Are you a repository of knowledge!"

The trapped figure squinted at Danny, and answered, "No, no, Danny, you know this place was not set up that way. It's obvious to us that the Grand Sorcerer used great wisdom when creating this gift. If they just gave everyone power and knowledge, you know what would happen. People would use powers and skills they were not prepared for. Most people wouldn't even try to improve further, knowing they already had reached greatness. Already, the humans of Diadem take certain aspects for granted, or purposely stunt the growth of certain groups to maintain a power balance. There might be necessity in their actions, but that doesn't stop the fact of what they do."

Danny thought for a moment before replying, "You just said you were not a repository of knowledge, but you just answered a lot of things I have been questioning... So, what exactly are you?"

The eyes of the other Danny softened as he answered, "I am you, or more importantly now a part of you. Everything I have said you know is what you believe. Our current understanding is that your intelligence has been artificially elevated to a point where I can exist.

You will now be able to focus completely on two independent tasks at once. We will find multitasking, a skill found more readily to some degree in most women, much easier. Speaking of women, it scares us to think how empowered this ability would make them. We can think of a few scenarios for each skill, especially those influenced by intelligence, that multitasking on this level would improve. For instance, how many spells can you hold at once?"

Danny moved closer interrupting, "Wait, wait, wait, are you going to be speaking to me when I'm not here?

"Like I said, I am just a manifestation in here. You will just find tasks easier now that you can focus on multiple things at once. Imagine training multiple spells at once, of course we would have to split the mana usage, monitoring mana consumption rates..."

"Wait! OK you’re part of me, but separate. So, I can't call you Danny because that would drive me crazy. OK, so I'm Danny and you’re... Danny2," Danny moved back and forth pacing.

Looking excited Danny2 said, "You mean Danny2.0! Just kidding, how about Cranny?"

Stopping his pacing movement, Danny said sarcastically, "What's that like a celebrity name? Oh, is that Crabby and Granny mashed together?"

Cranny did not look impressed, "Crystal and Danny... Look, you do realize your just trying to piss yourself off right?"

Sounding contrite, Danny said, "Cranny it is, I just figure we could have come up with something better than that."

"Seriously! Have you even seen the English names you have been giving to the people of this world," Cranny said as he pulled out a pair of reading glasses and looked over a piece of parchment that appeared suddenly in his hands. "You called our mother, 'Mom,' and our father, 'Stan.'" Pulling down the reading glasses slightly he looked up addressing Danny again, "Seriously, Stan? Wasn't that the name of the old electrician who charged us half a month’s salary to fix your power outage issue in the kitchen? How did he fix it again, oh yeah, he flipped a breaker!"

Danny had tried to stay civil, but he had heard enough, "Hey! Stan was a pretty cool for an old guy, and I couldn’t use my previous dad’s name… You know what! Why am I even arguing with myself!"

Without another word he turned around and left to enter his mana room. Looking around he was surprised, and pleasantly distracted from what had just happened, when he found a new skill. "Runecraft" was level one. Apparently, he had barely scratched the surface of the use of runes to cast spells.

Looking around, he realized there was nothing else new in his sanctuary. Ignoring the new room again, he left his sanctuary.

CHAPTER 18

The next week, Danny decided to request use of the individual training rooms after Wizard August was done with the instructional portion of the class. In the first week, August had only taught them a handful of additional rune combinations and most days they went to the group training room and trained, perfecting their use of the spells.

Wizard August, who had warmed up to him since learning he already had three affinities, squinted suspiciously at him, asking "Why would you need the use of an individual room?"

Prepared for this question, Danny answered, "Since I have three affinities I wanted to try casting two spells at once. If I am in the group room, I will certainly become distracted and lose focus."

Wizard August looked conflicted, while tapping a finger thoughtfully to his chin he replied, "I will allow this, but under two conditions. You will demonstrate this dual-casting in three weeks, and you will also take the exam for adept by the time Fall arrives... for all three of the elements you hold affinities."

Danny considered that it was now the second week in spring. August was giving Danny a little less than half a year to prepare for this adept exam.

Danny asked, "When do initiates usually take the exam for adept?"

"It usually isn't ‘til well after their first year, some wait until their second. Then a similar timeframe for a secondary element, if they have one," August replied quietly.

Danny thought for a moment before replying, "What is involved with this exam?"

"I cannot give you too many specifics, but it involves a series of challenges that test your competency with the element you have chosen. You will not find it easy. If you succeed, you will be granted a new vest of the color assigned to the element you have passed," Wizard August smiled, obviously waiting for Danny's reply.

"Why would you think I could do all this in half a year when it takes others four… no six times as long to accomplish the same," Danny asked with much exasperation.

"Look around, noble blood runs through everyone’s veins in this room. Generations of wizards’ blood. Well that is, for everyone... but you," Wizard August said without disrespect in his voice. "I want you to prove to me that doesn't matter. Don't think I haven't noticed you mastering the spells I teach within a few hours. Most of the students in the other classes have to write down the runes we teach and practice drawing them while you learn twice as fast as the next best pupil in this room."

Danny immediately realized a few things. Either the noble boys in this class had a high intelligence like Danny, or the other boys had been taught the runes before they came to this school. The first time they had been told to cast with just the first part of the rune, was probably a test to trap Danny. To see if he had been taught before he came. Danny also realized that his high intelligence allowed him to process things at a near instant rate.

Even with this Danny was still confused, and asked, "Twice as fast, then why do I have to complete everything in a sixth the time it takes others?"

Wizard August smiled as he replied, "I could give you a year, and that would definitely be impressive. What I want is to challenge you, because I know even with you being ahead, you’re still taking it easy in this class." August's smile became slightly devious as he continued, "Plus, I want to be able to say that I was the teacher that led his peasant born pupil to reach adept level in not one but two elements in half a year."

Danny could tell this man had more than a few levels in persuasion. That was a textbook hard sell approach. Time for him to find out what August had forgot to mention in the fine print.

Danny said, "That's if I pass, what happens if I fail?"

August looked away for a second before turning back with a cold look, saying, "I would claim to have not approved of you testing so ridiculously early. You see, students determine when they are ready for the exams, not teachers. It helps promote initiative and confidence. If you fail, then I will request you be transferred to another teacher, as I obviously failed in my responsibilities. You would get to spend the rest of your time here with your own kind."

Danny now had two paths before him. He could accept August's challenge, gain access to the individual training rooms during more than just free time, and use not just spells to level his affinities. The other was staying in this room, for who knows how much longer, casting nothing but spells. Which may or may not level his affinity now that he had raised it so high. One could lead to embarrassment not just for himself but for his family. The other probably wasted a year of his life, or however long Wizard August planned to keep them training together.

Danny knew nothing ventured nothing gained, and said, "Lower the requirement to test only two affinities and you got a deal!"

The smile August sent Danny had him rethinking his counter offer.

"Excellent, you can keep the gloves for training Fire and I will see you in three weeks," said August, dismissing him.

"Wait, aren't you going to teach me anymore spells," Danny asked incredulously.

Wizard August, turned around acting surprised that he was still there, and said, "Oh, you can find all the spells on the shelves in the school library. Here, I will help you, since I am your teacher... The library is on the third floor." Wizard August looked down at Danny, daring him to ask for more assistance.

Danny stared at the man for a few moments before turning around and walked away without a word. He wasn't going to give him the benefit of seeing him angry.

"Good luck Creek, you’re going to need it," laughed Peak and a few of his group joined him. Danny hadn't realized they had overheard his conversation with August.

Danny ignored them too and left to get himself a private training room.

***

Danny thought about going to the library, but he needed to blow off a little steam. Heading to the healer on duty he requested a private training room. They were first come first served. Most of the older initiates and adepts used these individual rooms most days. Instructing Wizards became advisors in subsequent years, having taught their pupils everything they needed to know. The second circle housed hundreds of training rooms. Danny learned from the healer that there were training rooms with specific elements included. There were rooms with sand floors, earth floors, stone floors, or different containers of water. Some rooms dipped further into the earth, expanding underneath to allow for wind wizards to practice in a more open environment. Some rooms had been designed to be colder to assist Fire wizards not cook themselves alive. Training rooms were inspected after use and the floors and walls repaired if needed. This in itself was helpful for training purposes of those in charge of repair duty. Danny was warned about the dangers inherent to individual training. Danny hoped that he wouldn't get to a point where he was hurt beyond the point of being able to heal himself.

Danny chose a generic training room and went to the designated numbered door. Once he got inside he saw there was an actual locking mechanism. This made sense as you didn't want someone stepping in right in the middle of a dangerous spell. Locking the door Danny turned around and stepped down into the room.

This training room was about a ten-meter cube. Danny went into the center and sat down.

*One problem at a time,* he thought.

Holding out both hands, he focused on mana leaving both hands. Mana shot out of one hand then the other. This was not what he wanted. He needed simultaneous releases and eventually independent releases of his mana, from both hands. Danny practiced this all afternoon, until he heard a bell. Looking around, he couldn't figure out where it came from. Thinking it came from the door he walked over to it. There was nothing on the locking mechanism. When he looked up, there above the door was a small bell with a half dome stone cover that was open on the bottom. I guess if you still managed to break the bell and miss a meal that was your fault.

Danny went to supper determined to find some more initiate-level runes in the library the next day.

CHAPTER 19

Danny headed to the library after breakfast the next morning. He discovered that, unlike on half days, the library was usually packed during the day. More than one initiate was manning the front desk and Danny was pointed to a nearby bookshelf upon inquiring about initiate level spells.

He hadn’t really had time to look closely at the other bookshelves during his previous visit so he was surprised to find multiple copies of the same book on each shelf. With gaps between the majorities of the books he realized why. Since this had been described as the initiate bookshelf, he grabbed a copy of each book he could find. Looking around the library he noticed a lot of initiates, in their brown vests, but not as many adepts. To his annoyance, every table was occupied. Danny picked a table with mostly other initiates. The table had an open corner with an empty chair next to it. Danny sat down and opened the first book, going over the runes and concepts described. There weren’t as many runes as Danny had assumed there would be. The books themselves were not very big.

Each book was split by element. In Air he found two utility spells called "Magic Voice" and "Magic Wind." One he had seen the headmaster use. Anywhere the conjured wind traveled, your voice was carried there as well. Wind was just a light wind that could dry things or cool one off. The two attack spells were "Wind Blade," that created a spinning blade of wind for cutting, and "Wind Blast," which caused a rush of air intended to knock an opponent or object down.

The Earth book was a bit thicker, it had a utility spell called "Raise Earth." It could be used defensively as well. This was where the majority of the heft of this book came from. It described spells for square walls, rectangular walls, and varying shaped cubes. The spells created specific sizes based on their close equivalent to the meter. Danny realized how easy this made things to build uniformly. The rectangular shape of all their buildings and walls made more sense now. There was also a modifier rune for the inverse, removing earth from an area. Offensive spells in Earth consisted of "Earth Spike," a thin spike of earth that rose up vertically from point chosen, and "Earth Rumble," which shook the ground in a small area to disorient or knock down.

The Fire book contained two utility spells, "Magic Light" and "Magic Warmth.” Magic Light was self-explanatory. Magic Warmth warmed objects and it could be used to cook food, for example. The offensive Fire spells included "Magic Flame" and "Fireball." Magic Flame could either be used to burn a small area, or used like a flamethrower. Fireball was a condensed ball of flame that ignited targets from afar.

The Water book had one utility, "Magic Water." Mostly it was used for filling containers, washing things, and watering plants. "Water Blast" was an offensive spell that shot compressed water at the enemy. "Magic Mist" was a defensive spell. Unfortunately, anyone caught in the mist received limited vision as well.

The last book was for Life Affinity and it was the thinnest volume. It contained one spell, "Magic Heal." This spell targeted flesh only and would not mend bones or cure diseases. This was a disappointment to Danny and he wondered how anyone would train for this. Though with so many initiates training dangerous spells, there probably wasn't a better place to train to be a Life wizard.

Danny went through all the books by the time the lunch bell rang. The library suddenly came to life, like a nesting flock of birds suddenly startled. Danny got up with the rest of the students, returning his books to the initiate shelves. As he was walking towards the dining room he noticed an initiate a few years older than him. The boy was much taller than Danny and had dark blonde hair. Danny waited till the other boy noticed him and held out his hand as they walked.

"Hey, I'm Danny Creek."

"David Shore...," the other boy said while shaking Danny's hand.

"Nice to meet you David, how long have you been going here," Danny politely asked.

"This will be my third year," David said with a sigh.

"I just started and was wondering if the adept exam is as difficult as they say," Danny said sympathetically.

"Oh yes, it's different every time, so if you don't prepare for everything...," David trailed off, not having to explain further.

"How long does it normally take people to reach adept," inquired Danny.

"From what everyone's told me, and what I have seen, it's about three to four years. For the wizard exam it can be almost twice that long," David explained.

Danny missed his step and almost fell, "Three to four years!"

Laughing at Danny's reaction, David said, "Yep, expect to be here a while."

Danny was doing his best not to hyperventilate and start foaming at the mouth at the same time. He wasn't accomplishing something at fourth the rate of other students, it was more like an eighth!

"...and that's why most study in the library in the mornings before training," David said.

"I'm sorry, I was trying to get over how long it will take to get out of here. What was that about why everyone is in the libraries most morning?" Danny asked apologetically.

"To compare notes mostly. The wizards all want us to learn but they will not give us many hints past the first year of obligatory lessons. They tell us it's to make us self-sufficient but everyone thinks they are just hoarding power so they can stay at the top, long past when we become wizards," David said with venom in his voice.

They arrived at the dining hall and grabbed some food. Danny noticed David didn't purchase any of the food from the stands.

"Hey, there's my friend Peter, come on," David said as he motioned Danny with his shoulder.

Peter sat at the end of a table with a few free chairs around him. He was between David and Danny in height, heavier, with black hair.

"Hey Peter, I brought someone along with me, this is Danny Creek," David said.

"Hey Danny, I'm Peter Frond."

"Hey Peter, nice to meet you. So how long you been here for," David asked.

"This is my second year," Peter replied.

They began eating in the companionable silence that can only be shared between males when they begin inhaling large quantities of food. There was a real sense of shared determination. Eventually they began to slow down, and Danny brought up a few more questions.

"So where are you two from," Danny asked, while looking between the two.

"On the western edge of the outer wall," said David.

"Outer wall, near the entrance to the inner wall," said Peter.

"In the center of the outer wall near the Main Street," finished Danny.

Continuing with the questions, Danny asked, “What are your families' occupations?"

"Carpenter, logger, and mason. They build and repair homes for those that can't afford a civil wizard," answered David.

"Merchant, trader, and investor. My family owns a few stores and invests in others," said Peter, without any hint of bragging.

"Merchant, blacksmith, and leather crafter. My folks own a store that sells weapons and leather crafts," Danny finished.

This time it was Peter who asked, "What's your affinity? Mine is Earth, level 2."

Danny didn't want to brag but he also didn't want to have multiple lies to keep track of. Eventually they would cancel each other out and he would get discovered or hurt someone’s feelings.

"I actually have three affinities. Earth, Fire, and Air," Danny replied.

Peter's eyes grew twice their size as he yelled, "Wow, three!"

David looked like had grown another head, "Seriously? You’re joking right..."

"Shhhh, no, I am not joking. Yes, I have three affinities. How many do you have" Danny said trying to get Peter to calm down.

David looked dumbfounded as he answered, "I just have Air. Level 3."

Danny smiled and said, "Great, we can work together and compare notes!"

David looked confused, "Wait which affinity are you going to go for first? What level are your affinities at anyway?"

Danny looked around and said, "If you can keep it a secret, I am going to try and go for two affinities at once."

Peter looked at Danny like he had just pulled off his own pants and started eating them. Peter started to shout, "YOU CAN'T TAKE... You can't take two elements at once! That's like double the work" Danny barely managed to get Peter to whisper at the end.

"Well, I was going to go with Fire and Earth, but then I met two awesome guys who had Earth and Air so I decided to switch," Danny explained.

David looked over at Peter, who just shrugged.

"OK, but it is your funeral," David said uncertainly.

"You never told us your levels," Peter reminded Danny.

Danny looked around debating what to say but eventually decided to stick with his original story, “I am level one in Fire affinity, level one in Air affinity, and level two in Earth affinity."

Shaking his head, David explained, "Most do not attempt the exams until they are level 3. Some have been known to pass at level 2, but they were very clever. Maybe you should rethink this, Danny."

Danny nodded, "It's already done so I guess I will have to be extra clever then..."

Wanting a change to the current mood Danny excitedly asked, "Alright, do you two meet every morning?”

Peter replied, "Most mornings, except for half days."

"I will see you both in the library tomorrow morning then," Danny said with a smile.

The two nodded, and Danny left to start training.

***

Danny entered one of the generic training room and sat down again in the middle. He hadn't figured out the secret to dual casting yesterday. He wondered if Wizard August had sent him down a rabbit hole of his own making.

Danny knew he could supposedly split his concentration in two easily now, but hadn't tried. He was being stubborn, trying to do it himself. He didn't have the time or luxury to figure it out on his own. Starting with something simple, something non-magical. Danny began trying to pat his head and rub his belly at the same time. Danny had been made fun of by his previous life's friends and girlfriends when asked to try this. In fact, Danny was sure his old friends would contact his newer friends so they would know to ask him to do just that.

He started patting his head, and when he switched to rubbing his belly, he was suddenly rubbing his head as well. While starting over he tried to activate his dual concentration ability. He tried focusing first on what he wanted one hand to do before switching to the other hand. Nothing. He even tried telling Cranny what to do while he would do the other. Nothing, and he might be going crazy...

The little bell over the door chimed and Danny was dismayed to realize he had been at this for half a day. He tenderly checked his scalp to see if he had rubbed a bald spot into his hair. Breathing sigh of relief, he collapsed to the ground and laid there for a while.

Getting up he laughed at the absurdity of what he had just spent his time doing and in a mimic of self-deprivations, he started to rub his belly and pat his head. Danny's smile left his face to be replaced with one of confusion. Looking up his head was being patted. Looking down his stomach was being rubbed.

Danny stopped. Switching hands he started again. This time he didn't think about it. Once again, his head was being patted and his stomach rubbed.

Danny held out his hands and focused a small Fireball spell on one hand. It took the same amount time as usual and right before it did, a small sphere of wind was cast from his other hand. They both hit the wall to leave behind a scorch mark and abrasive cuts into the stone. Danny walked over to where they hit and almost reverently touched the wall.

"Ouch!"

Danny forgot the wall would still be hot so soon after hitting it with the Fireball. Touching another part of the wall, he pushed his mana out to surround and repair the area. He made the stone wall absorb the scorch marks.

Too tired and emotionally exhausted from the afternoon’s efforts, Danny left for dinner. After eating with Peter and David, Danny confirmed their plans for the next day.

CHAPTER 20

Danny didn't see his two new friends at breakfast and later he found out why, when he discovered them already studying in a corner of the library.

"Hey guys," Danny greeted them.

"Hey Danny."

"Danny…"

Danny had already read the initiate level books and didn't see why he shouldn't start on the adept books. He asked his friends to watch his bag and headed over to the front desk to wait in line. The initiate at the front desk looked skeptical at Danny's question, while looking at Danny's brown vest, but he pointed out the adept bookshelves. Danny wandered over and discovered the adept level books took up just one bookshelf, but there were not as many copies as the initiate level. There was no way he was going to be able to compare notes with Peter and David and read through these at the same time. Grabbing a few books he went back to the table.

Peter and David were reading a couple of books when Danny sat down. Seeing they weren't in a talkative mood, Danny picked up one of the adept books and started reading. This one was purely different runes to use with healing spells. Instantly fascinated he continued reading. He quickly finished the book, recognizing that a lot of the runes used could go into applications for other elements as well. He suspected the other books would have similar runes.

Looking up he noticed his two new friends staring at him in confusion.

"What...," Danny asked at their continued silence.

David turned to Peter as if to say, it's your turn. Peter sighed and nodded his head.

"Danny, that book was for adept healing spells, you know that right," Peter said with controlled patience.

"Yeah, so?" Danny replied.

"First, you are still an initiate. Second, your affinities are Fire, Earth, and Air. So, why are you reading an adept book on healing runes?"

Danny looked at the book then looked back at Peter and said, "Why not?"

Peter stared at Danny a few seconds, then turned shrugging to David as if to say, I did all I could.

"Alright, if you two are done staring at each other, could one of you explain why you spend so much time reading here if there are so few initiate level books? You both have been here over a year. You have had more than enough time to get through them all."

"Danny, we are reading books on theories about our elements. Practicing the spells and understanding the element you are working toward are the two ways to increase your affinity. There is one shelf for initiate spells and one shelf for adept spells, the rest are elemental theory," David explained.

Danny blinked a few times and asked, "Elemental theory?" At their combined nods Danny continued, "Well that's easy. David, did you know that air behaves in much the same way as water? So if you were to watch how water moved around your hand, or other objects, you could get a pretty good idea of how air would move around those same objects. There are a lot of other subtle nuances to it than that, but that should be a good start for you."

David sat there a moment before saying, "Umm, thanks, I will look into that."

Danny turned to his other friend, "Peter, the earth is made of many different layers, and it is much more complex than air. I would pick a different element."

Peter's eyes opened wide, as he screeched, "Seriously!"

"Nah, I'm just joking. Let's see, there are a few types of rock, and I only remember two of them... The first comes from cooled lava, which is superheated rock once it comes from below ground. The second is formed from other types of rock being broken down into tiny pieces. Then those tiny pieces end up collecting in a location, where they are compressed by... oceans, if I remember correctly. Rivers or lakes probably wouldn't have enough weight to do it. Sorry I think there is another type, but I can't remember it."

Peter said, "Thanks Danny, I haven't read that in any of my books yet."

Peter and David asked a few more questions before going back to their books. Danny picked up the second book he had grabbed and started to read. This one was on Fire affinity. The morning passed quickly between answering questions from his friends and reading through the Fire affinity book and the lunch bell rang. Nothing really surprising came up in the new book. There was a lot of repetition on the runes he had already seen in the healing book. It didn't appear that there were that many runes. The good ones were either saved until wizard level or they hadn't found them yet.

They left together to have lunch before breaking up for the rest of the day.

Danny went and checked into a generic training room and donned his casting gloves. Today he was going to continue dual casting and find out what his limits were. Starting with simply casting two spells at once, Danny cast Fireball and Water blast without any issues. Next, he attempted to create a stone spike while using Air sense on the area. He successfully started to use his mana for the two tasks, independently, but since the mana he was using was occupying the same space at the same time, it merged. Changing tactics, he started creating stone spikes while throwing out blades of wind. Without the area affect getting in the way, he successfully created both with mana manipulation.

Danny probably couldn't use mana manipulation in the adept exams without it going unnoticed. On the other hand, he didn't want to stop gaining levels in mana manipulation. He was also pretty sure he wouldn't gain affinity levels as quickly with merely spells. He decided to split his training times evenly between the two. This would help him not get bored from spending a long half day on spells.

Danny took his customary position in the middle of the floor and tried to decide what he wanted to do with mana manipulation. He had previously wanted to try and create spinning mana. Maybe it could make attacks more powerful.

Creating a ball of mana above his hand, Danny tried a few things to get it spinning. He tried willing it to spin. He tried waving his hand in a circle. He tried adding more mana to one side, like shooting a ball on its edge with a water hose.

Coming up with a new theory, Danny tried activating Air rune while continuing to pump mana into the ball. With the addition of the new mana he willed it to spin. The ball of air began to spin before the air could fully burst forth, as it would if he had just cast Air without the new mana. The spinning ball of air got faster the more mana he added to it. He then changed the order for the new mana from spin to launch. The spinning ball of air flew towards the wall he was focusing on. Rock exploded from the wall, jagged pieces of stone flew everywhere. Including into Danny's head, arms, and body. Luckily, Danny had the wherewithal to cover his head at the last second.

With pieces of stone in his body, Danny started to cast the healing spell, when he realized this was a good mana manipulation opportunity. He knew how to manipulate mana in his body, but he had never tried using just the healing rune to heal from within. At first, he tried to ignore the pain in order to focus, but instead he focused on it and used that pain to locate problem areas. Danny tried isolating the mana lines and mana stored in his flesh, but he would have to empty his body of mana. He had no way to remove mana stored in specific places in his body. He gave up on healing from within using mana manipulation, for now. Casting a healing spell with the method rune for self, he could feel his cuts, and wounds heal. Like mana manipulation, healing himself with spells still used all the mana in his body and tried to heal everything at once. There was a sound like sand falling, as bits of stone fell out of the healing flesh.

Having felt like he had reached the halfway point, Danny switched to casting spells. He needed to familiarize himself with how long it took to cast these spells. Going through the list of initiate level spells he cast them one at a time. The current method spells he knew consisted of four types. Cast on self, cast on target, cast on touch, cast on shape. Air for example would have: cast carry voice on self, cast wind blade on target, cast carry voice on touch, and cast wind in cone. Carry voice allows one to project one’s voice as far as the wind you create can carry it. Range depends on the amount of mana you put into the spell. Cast wind blade where you were focused on a target when it was cast. However, if the target is moving it will not follow them. Carry voice on touch does the same as on self but for someone else. Lastly, cast wind in cone, creates a concentrated cone of wind, intended to knock a target down.

Powering spells was pretty straightforward. In order to use some of the method runes, one would require a minimum power level. When casting a single spell multiple times using the power runes, Danny discovered that the levels increased the time needed to cast a spell by a factor of two. Having no way to determine damage output he could only assume they did the same amount of damage per second of mana output. Considering all things equal, the only reason Danny would use a higher power level would be if a spell required it. That being said, Danny's current mana flow rate was not the highest and it would take him too long to cast some of the higher-level spells to be effective.

CHAPTER 21

Danny met up with his friends again the next day at the library. They both had more questions about the things he had said the day before, about the nature of their elements. He answered them both the best he could. It had been a long time since he had looked into geology or aerodynamics. It seemed his understanding of them from his previous life hadn't left him, but the gory details had.

Danny was able to get through the adept books on Earth and Air before lunch. Once again, besides a few specialty spells, like carry voice, there wasn't a lot of new information. After lunch Danny practiced mana manipulation trying to create different objects out of earth. Having Earth spells always needed to be connected to the ground and they could result in unintentional shapes. The last thing he did was create a miniature house about 1/10th the size he could fit in. He was able to fit little chairs, a table, and slab for a bed. If he had made it actual size it would have taken most of the day, not counting getting rid of the evidence afterwards.

Danny was going through his spells one more time when he realized that he might have to cast while moving during the exam. He might not have the luxury of stopping just to cast before moving again. Danny used an Air spell meant for drying out or cooling things off, as this would not cause massive repercussions if it backfired. Quite a while later Danny stood casting wind on himself for about the hundredth time. Focusing while running sideways, backwards, or any direction except forward was not easy. He was able to maintain his casting almost half the time while running around. Running forward was definitely the easiest.

Danny continued this pattern of training for the next three weeks. In the mornings he started reading elemental theory books, looking for hidden gems into the mana side of the elements. Most of the theories were duds.

Danny looked up from another book, that should have been labeled as ‘Waste of Time: Volume 2,’ to ask his friend, “Hey David, I get the feeling a lot of these elemental theory books are full of incorrect theories. I found more than one case where they were contradicting each other.”

David nodded in agreement while Peter scoffed, “Danny, all the really good theories are stored in the libraries of the nobility. Most of the nobility wrote the best ones, but if they find a peasant wizard with a book detailing new ideas or understanding, they get them under a contract immediately. These contracts enforce crazy penalties should the wizard spread this knowledge or write any more books on the same topic. Though you won’t hear the wizards complain because they have it made for the rest of their lives.”

David chimed in, “I heard there have been secret wars between the noble houses over new knowledge or old knowledge that was stolen.”

Peter quickly nodded in agreement.

Danny wondered if it was worth it to try and sell his knowledge. He finally decided he would keep that as a fallback plan.

Mana manipulation with Fire was extremely dangerous. Since his mana was connected to his hand any Fire rune cast on it would try to burn his hand. He thanked the gods of this world that he had been too scared of discovery to attempt it when he was younger. Without the gloves he would have had more than just the one burn on his palm, where a small amount of mana had slipped between his skin and the glove.

He could use Fire armor but that would not allow him to use two spells at once. There had to be a way to cast Fire with mana manipulation, without burning himself. The spinning trick hadn't increased his level, so that had to be the roadblock. His running while casting had improved. He realized he was trying too hard and let his split concentration ability handle the running. So he thought *no dual casting while running.*

During his half days of free time, he tackled non-magical learning. He discovered that the gentleman who wrote the translation book on the dwarf language was full of hot air – the non-magical kind. He spent an entire afternoon reading the supposed dwarven encyclopedia only to find out he had not received any language related skills. The worst part for Danny was that the farce of a book now existed in his little mental sanctuary. A waste of space.

Danny wondered why anyone hadn't removed this when it didn't gain them any skills? Looking everywhere he could not find any translations of any beastmen languages. Not surprising giving the strained relationship they had with humans.

The most resourceful book he read was on the elven culture. The elves had a ruling monarchy. There was also a council of elders that advised the ruling family and had other responsibilities. Elven children were rare, the author never went into why. Males chose a mate from among the available pool of females. Their culture frowned on relationships lasting for more than a quarter of a century unless a child is conceived. If a child is conceived the couple can choose to separate or not. The author considered this elven practice immoral, as she believed relationships of this nature should only be between a wives and their husband.

***

Exactly three weeks later, Danny showed up in Wizard August's lecture hall. Many of his classmates were already there. Danny found a chair where he had sat in the back that first week. Wizard August sat at his desk and did not seem take notice of Danny entering the hall. A few of the students noticed him, but no one said anything.

Peak took one look at him and snickered, but other than that it was normal. Once everyone came in the wizard began his class. They were covering the method runes on touch. Once finished with his lecture, he held his hand up to stop everyone from jumping up to head out the door.

Wizard August addressed the class, "Today we have a special treat, initiate Creek has returned to us and will demonstrate the dual casting technique he has been practicing. I am sure he has mastered it in his time away from us. Let's please head towards the group training room so he can begin his demonstrations, then class will proceed as normal.

August had announced this in a very matter of fact way, not a drop of sarcasm in his voice. As if this was an everyday occurrence. Danny didn’t respond to this but quietly followed the rest of the class as they left.

They made their way to the group training room and Danny put on his casting gloves. Wizard August directed him toward one of the lanes. Casting a spell of his own the wizard flicked his hand at the end of the lane. A stone slab, the height of a man, lifted into the air where his spell landed.

"Initiate Creek, please proceed with your demonstration," Wizard August announced to the group.

Everyone huddled around the back of the lane. Danny distinctly heard Peak whisper something to someone and they both started snickering. Danny couldn't wait to get this over with.

Pointing both hands toward the end of the lane, Danny simultaneously cast both a Fireball and a ball of air at the monolith. A few seconds later, both scored a direct hit. Turning around Danny saw nothing but the whites of their eyes. More than a few had their mouths open. Wizard August, on the other hand, looked like he just found out it was his birthday.

"Well done initiate Creek. You have succeeded where many of your fellow students thought you would fail. I am satisfied with your display and will await your entry into the semiannual adept exam in the Fall," Wizard August stated.

Nodding to the Wizard, Danny didn’t wait around and left without another word.

***

Light from the late summer sun, hidden behind the tops of the trees, cut a swath across the small glade. Tiny motes of dust danced in light between the shade cast by the trees. Fish darted around inside a small pond in the middle of the clearing. If not for the distant sounds of the academy and city, Danny would have thought himself hidden deep in a forest. Focusing on the small stem, hidden in the grass in front of him, Danny pushed his hand out towards the plant. The stem shook ever so slightly then began to grow. Leaves formed on side shoots on either side of the stem. Soon a yellow flower could be seen sprouted forth from a bud at the top of the stem.

It was the end of summer and Danny was sitting in one of the small gardens hidden around the academy. Danny had chosen a garden designed like a small forest for the privacy it provided. He also chose this particular one for its location. It was close to an unused dorm building, far away from the dining hall or arena. It was less likely he would be interrupted or more importantly seen there. Technically, what he was doing wasn't spell casting, it was mana manipulation. He had been told casting spells outside the training rooms would result in punishment. In the legal world, semantics is king.

This was Danny's first attempt at casting the new elemental rune he had received. Throughout the spring and the summer he had trained his mana manipulation and spells, for all five of the elements he had originally received. Danny was pleased with his progress. First Fire affinity had reached level five and then Earth affinity reached level six. By the end of Spring, Danny had trained his other element for the exam, Air affinity, to level six as well. Danny moved to Water for a change of pace. When Water affinity reached Journeyman at level six, he was shocked at what he found in his sanctuary.

Inside his mana room, two new walls had appeared. One was between Earth and Water, called "Nature Affinity." The other new wall was between Water and Air, called "Storm Affinity." Danny had three levels in each affinity already. Confused he checked and he discovered the same benefit as when he’d unlocked his original affinities. His knowledge of the inner working of storms and nature gave his affinities a boost. Danny had not seen anything in the novice or adept books on either of the elements. Was this something that only wizard level members of the college were taught?

Danny had tried using his Storm affinity with mana manipulation in the training room. The wind picked up and water vapor could barely be seen condensing on the ceiling above. His ears began to pop as the pressure in the room dropped. This continued for some time until Danny realized there wasn't enough water to form an actual cloud. Excited by this Danny wondered what would have happen if a cloud had fully formed. He couldn't try this outside as it would most likely draw suspicion.

Danny next cast Nature affinity with his mana manipulation. Expecting vines to burst forth from the ground he was surprised when mud came up instead. Looking at the mud covering his arms and legs, he looked up as if he could see the mud now in his hair. The movement of the mud had surprised him and he had lost control of the element. Using rinse followed by wind, Danny was at least glad he didn't have wounds or burns to heal this time. Danny didn't want to give up and left to find a quiet place outside to test his theory with Nature affinity.

***

After the success with making the flower grow, Danny went in search of something needed to test one more theory.

Looking around he realized that what he wanted was in the dining hall. Begging the staff for what he wanted got him nowhere. They told him to return at supper time. As he was leaving he noticed that one of the food carts had what he needed. Asking the woman behind the cart, she refused to help him without proper compensation. Running back to his dorm, he retrieved his money from its hiding place and returned paying the woman. With his purchase he left to get a training room.

*Let's see if this works underground,* Danny thought.

Throwing the object into the middle of the floor he cast Nature magic on it with mana manipulation. Roots emerged to bury themselves into the ground, slowly a stem emerged. As the stem grew larger it darkened. Shoots grew from the sides sprouting leaves, and eventually apples. A large apple tree slowly appeared before Danny.

Having expected this to happen, Danny had stood on the outside of the room when he threw the apple in the middle. What he had not expected is that the main trunk of the tree would grow right towards Danny like an arrow. He had to cut off the flow of mana as the branches grew close to him. Frowning Danny sat confused. How to make a tree grow straight up? He could try a spell. That would work but spells were the easy way out. He thought about his efforts with making a spinning ball of air. Though, he didn't need a spinning apple tree.

While he was thinking Danny grabbed an apple that had grown on the new tree and munched on it. Danny stopped eating and looking at the apple. It was good, really good. Grabbing a few more he set them aside, then had the tree sink into the floor of the training room with Earth affinity. Because of the size of the tree this unfortunately took some time.

Once he got the tree down deep enough Danny realized something else. The tree roots had grown through the rock floor like it was soil. He was sure this wasn't natural. Normally only lichen or other hardy species of plants could latch onto rocks. Even then, their roots were small, in order to get through minute cracks. These roots hadn't destroyed the stone floor to get down into the ground. The area around the roots had turned into a soft soil. Danny wondered if his mana provided what was needed to make what he wanted to happen.

Throwing another apple into the middle of the floor, Danny used his mana sight and created a ball of mana. Stopping he watched it float there. Like the elemental armor he had acquired previously, without a connection to his mana the ball slowly dissipated into nothing. Creating another ball of mana, he willed it at the apple before disconnecting it. The ball flew toward the apple. He was pleased when it stopped on the apple as he had desired it to.

The mana was still technically his, so he tried casting the Nature rune on it. To his surprise, and pleasure, an apple tree began to grow. Danny stopped as he watched the mana ball be consumed. The tree grew to a small sampling. Frowning, Danny buried the tree and threw another apple. This time he created a super dense ball of mana, made from all the reserves he had. After a few minutes of this he cast the mana ball at the apple. The tree grew to monstrous proportions, soon hitting the roof of the room. The branches, unlike the roots, spread along the ceiling. Danny felt like Christmas had come early with all the green and red on display.

Cleaning the room, which took a while, Danny repeated his performance from before but when he threw the dense ball of mana he didn't drop his connection to it. He willed his connection to the dense ball of mana to rise up toward the ceiling in an arch. Then he decided that wasn't enough. He walked closer and willed the connection rising to twist around and spin. Not having really done this before it took some time.

Finally, he cast the Nature rune and watched the tree grow. As the dense line of mana was consumed the tree grew up toward the ceiling. This time however, as it grew it followed his connection from the mana ball twisting and spiraling. As it reached the top of the arch of his connection, Danny realized it was still growing and would come back toward him. Stopping the flow of mana from him the connection quickly retreated towards the ball. No longer directed by the mana connection, the tree grew up and across then ceiling.

Danny looked up at the beauty of the twisted trunk, green foliage, and spots of red from the apples and smiled. His mana could be used like a paintbrush to direct the growth of the plants he grew.

***

"Danny!"

Danny looked up to see David and Peter pulling up chairs to the library table he was sitting at. A few of the other boys in the room looked over at the sudden noise with annoyance.

"What?" Danny asked.

"Don't ‘what?’ me, why haven't you told us?" accused Peter.

"Everyone is talking about it, don't ‘what?’ us," David said at the same time.

Danny continued to stare at them confused.

"You entered into the Fall adept exam for two elements," Peter accused.

"Oh yeah, I did, for Air and Earth affinities. I told you two about that," Danny answered.

"Danny, you did tell us you were going to go for both of those. What you didn't tell us is that you would be doing this half way into your first year!" David said incredulously.

"Oh, well I guess I figured it was implied. If I don't take the exam how do I know what to work on for improvement?" Danny reasoned.

"Danny, if you fail the exam, you have to wait a year to take it again," David replied.

Danny thought for a moment before replying, "Well then I will be taking it again whenever most people take it the first time."

Peter tried to remain calm but failed, almost yelling, "Danny, most people don't try until their second year!"

That got more than a few requests for quiet and complaints from the other occupants of the library.

Peter looked around guiltily before leaning in and whispering, "Most students wait ‘til they are absolutely ready because the results are known to the whole city. If you fail, not just your reputation but your whole family's falls. On top of that, there is the fact that you are going for two affinities at once, which is rarely done. If you fail one it probably won't look too bad, but if you fail both, you, and by extension your whole family, will look like fools because you tried it."

Danny was thinking that Peter's whispering voice was almost louder than his yelling voice, but no one else said anything about it.

"Well then, I guess I can't fail then," Danny said while going back to reading his book.

Peter threw his hands into the air while David just shook his head.

David decided to change the subject, "How was your vacation, Danny?"

Peter added, "Did you tell your family your plans for the exam?"

Danny addressed Peter before answering David's question, "No, I didn't tell them. My vacation was good, my mom's crafts are still selling like cheap light crystals. My youngest sister isn't so little anymore. Other than that not much has changed," Danny replied, "How about you two?"

Peter jumped in, "My family’s businesses are doing well, but what I can't wait for is that my dad is coming back. He has been working down south at some border village."

Danny looked over, "Your dad doesn't work in your family’s businesses?"

"I didn't tell you? He's an Earth wizard. He's not as powerful as some, so he gets a lot of work from smaller villages to go and build or repair walls and civic structures. He takes a bit of time and so he charges less than the more powerful wizards," Peter explained.

"That’s great, I would like to meet him if I get the chance," Danny explained.

"Peter's dad also sends work my family's way if he comes across someone who can't afford a wizard’s rates," David put in. "By the way, thank him again for that work with the Branch Family, after that job we got a lot of additional requests from their neighbors and friends."

Peter smiled broadly, saying "That's good! I will let him know for sure."

After reading for a bit more, Danny put his book down and asked, "I know it's different every year but what were the exam like in previous years?'

Peter looked like the fact Danny didn't know this already confirmed his insanity. David, on the other hand, calmly replied, "They have ranged from having examinees create complex shapes with Earth and Water, to obstacle courses that can only be completed with the use of the specific magic element. The idea is not just to test if they cast the spells, but if they can use them to solve problems while under pressure."

Danny thought on this a while before returning to his book.

CHAPTER 22

Danny sat with a couple hundred other boys along one of the walls on the path between the inner and outer circles. This wall held the access door to the training complex in the middle circle. The boys gathered ranged in ages from a year older than Danny, to their early teens. Danny even saw an adult Fire wizard who was there to test in another element. They all had one thing in common, they looked nervous.

Danny had learned long ago, in his past life, to distract himself before exams or interviews. He usually did this with reading. On this chilly morning, sitting in the sun was actually nice. The second alchemy book was very interesting to Danny, as it went into advanced extraction and mixing methods. Danny could think of a few ways some of the magic utility spells could mitigate a few of the steps required. He also wondered if he could recreate some of the wet chemistry methods from his old life to aid in extraction and distillation of some of the potions. Unfortunately, nothing here pointed to alchemy being able to overcome or even compete with the effectiveness of magic.

By asking the aides who had set up a booth near the entrance, Danny learned that the whole training complex had been closed for the day, and wizards who had already proved mastery in a chosen element were called in to be examiners of the participants.

After waiting a few hours Danny was finally called back by another initiate who was working as an aide for the exam. Danny had found out that a lot of punishments doled out by the instructors resulted in a specific number of days of "service" helping the academy. There was a small group of wizards that worked here in the academy, whose sole purpose was organizing these allotted services.

Danny entered a group training room and three wizards wearing dusters of one or more colors sat by the door. They all had one color in common, white. He greeted the examiners and they exchanged quick pleasantries. Looking around the room he noticed a stone wall had been added to well over half the room, blocking out most of the lanes.

"Initiate Creek, I will be the head examiner for your adept exam. Please present all questions to me. We are going to begin the exam by having you show your competency with the initiate level spells. Please cast all spells called out toward the end of the lane," the head examiner said.

As each spell was called out by the head examiner, Danny cast them as quickly as he could. The head examiner cleared his throat and said, "Alright, next we will present you with your challenge. We will head over to the area on the other side of the partition. When we do you will walk up and down the length of the low stone wall until you have seen all ten of the stickmen designated as targets. To aid in quickly identifying them, their "heads" have been painted red. You will then stand in the red circle drawn on the floor. You may not step out of this circle once the exam begins. When I give the command, you will begin attempting to knock over or destroy the stickmen. You can only use Air affinity spells. The points you gain will depend on technique and speed. Your lower mana flow rate will be taken into account. Please, also notice there are a number of stickmen with green "heads." You will be deducted points for harming, knocking over, or destroying these. Any questions?"

Danny thought for a second, then asked, "Can I use adept level spells?"

The examiners looked shocked, and one even looked like he thought Danny was lying to try to impress them.

"Yes, you may use any Air affinity spells," the head examiner said.

Danny nodded and said, "I have no other questions."

The examiners led Danny to the other side of the partition. The head examiner stood near the red circle in the middle, while the other two examiners took positions on either side of the arena. Danny looked across the small wall to see something reminiscent of a wild west shooting gallery. Except, he was sure none of the stickmen would move out behind some of the walls to shoot at him. The stickmen were comprised of groups of sticks tied together on a wooden frame. The head was a flat piece of wood painted red. Some targets were elevated while a few were down in holes. Danny wanted to come up with some way to hit them all at once and impress the examiners, but he didn't have the time or skill yet. He decided to focus on the easiest first then whittle down the rest. There were plenty of green stickmen, he decided to call "friendlies", but not all targets had them in the way. In this room Danny would have to definitely be careful about errant gusts reflecting off the walls and possibly ceiling.

"Begin," called out the head examiner.

Danny began charging wind blades in both hands. He heard the indrawn breath from one of the examiners but didn't let that lose his focus. Wind blades were usually safer when created as a range spell and if they had a few modifiers, like size and angle. Danny chose to aim for the two targets without friendlies in front of them. Unsure of how strong these stickmen were, Danny upped the power a little. After a minute of charging he unleashed his blades one at a time. The first was the easiest. He was on the edge by himself. Danny split that target in two. The power cut into the back wall and Danny knew he could pull back a little on the power. That should speed up his charge time and reduce cost. Then he moved to the second target. This stickman was in the ground but there was a friendly a meter behind him. At this angle Danny had prepared a smaller wind blade which he targeted at its "neck." Since the targets didn't move, he easily hit his intended spot. Nervous about the power, he helplessly watched as the head didn't go into the hole with the rest of the body as intended. Instead the head hit the floor and knocked into the friendly behind it. The green headed stickman looked like the town drunk for a few seconds before finally settling down.

Realizing he was wasting time, Danny quickly charged two more spells. The third target was between two friendlies and just required a horizontal slash. The wind from the slash rocked the two friendlies but Danny realized he didn't have time to worry about the friendlies' AA meeting. The fourth target was peering behind a stone wall, and a horizontal slash fixed that.

The next grouping of targets, five through seven, was set up in a crowd of friendlies in what looked like the arena sitting area. After analyzing the situation for a minute he understood that whoever staged this area wanted it to be completed a specific way. He began charging another wind slash but at about a 30-degree angle.

While that spell was charging in his left hand, he moved on to target eight. This stickman was behind a wall in the corner. The wall the target was behind was at an angle towards where Danny stood. Charging wind blast, Danny modified it for ranged attack and staying compressed. The blast could be used two ways, like a floodgate for close range or like an air cannon for long distance. It was all about the radius modifier. The distance needed would increase the power required. He started charging that with his right hand.

Looking over at the cheap seats, Danny aimed in the middle of targets five through seven and released his spell. At this distance, accurate measurements were difficult. Like raise earth the length of a wind blade had been established. The blade tore into the three stickmen he had targeted. Danny winced, as one of the friendlies on the right side got nicked. The falling pieces of the intended targets jostled the friendlies nearby, but nothing else happened.

Danny didn't waste any time firing the saved mana blast at a specific point on the room’s wall near figure eight. The blast ricocheted off the wall and knocked the target out from behind it, on the far side.

Target nine was on a raised platform, two meters in the air. Surrounding him were six friendlies in a perfect ring, with one of the friendlies directly in between number nine and himself. Danny decided to come back to him.

Target ten was behind a wall with three sides, in the middle of the room. The side furthest from Danny and the top, were the only sides open. There was some space between this set up and those on either side. Danny considered his options and started casting something new in his right hand. That's about the time his mana reserves died, and he was stuck with basic mana regeneration. Now charging spells will take twice as long.

Danny knew what he had to do for target nine. He started casting with his right hand. Now he had two choices for target ten. Option one was to admit defeat and not try, which really could be the answer. There was always the chance of trick questions on a test. Option two was to use one of his adept spells. He would need a lot of mana and that meant one thing, time. He thought about this while the spell in his right hand finished charging. Since he had almost no mana reserves, dual casting would be pointless. After about five minutes his spell had charged enough, and Danny prepared to go for target number nine by squatting down. He had considered leaning as much as he could and trying to take out one of the target’s legs while trying to hit as little of the friendlies in front, but that was difficult especially since he couldn't see the target’s leg that well anyway. Danny focused on his target and fired. A tiny wind blade tore through the bottom part of the head on the friendly in front, almost at the neck. It exited and entered the middle of the head on the target, then flew over the friendly in the back’s head. The front friendly tilted backwards and paused at the precipice of its potential arc backwards. As he watched, Danny could tell that the front friendly was going to finish falling backwards. Looking at target number nine, it too was rocked backwards but at a much lower force. Target nine rocked forwards at the same moment the front friendly fell backwards. The motions didn't cancel each other out but when the two stickmen came to rest, the front friendly was leaning back against target nine.

Taking a deep breath Danny looked over to target number ten. His idea, that might work, would take at least half his maximum mana and he probably didn't have enough time to wait that long. Turning around he saw the head examiner looking at him expectantly. Danny scrunched his lips up and to the side in thought.

"I'm done, I will not be able to hit the last one without more time than I am sure I have left," Danny said in resignation.

The head instructor nodded his head, and said, "Please wait on the other side while we discuss your exam."

Danny nodded his head and walked over to wait on the other side of the wall separating the two sides. He racked his brain for what he could have done differently but couldn't come up with anything plausible.

After about five minutes the three men walked through the archway.

The head examiner said, "Before we give you your score, we have two questions."

Danny nodded, "Yes, wizard?"

"First, on the second to last red stickman, did you intend to hit the green stickman in the front," asked the head examiner.

"Yes, my first thought was to try and lean over, so I could sever part of a leg on the front green stickman, and the whole leg on the red stickman. This would likely have resulted in the front green stickman and the red stickman knocking the others over. Plus, the angle would have probably had the rear green stickman getting hit too. So, I went with the only other viable option I came up with. I already had the angle to avoid the rear green stickman. So I sacrificed one green stickman to get my target, and essentially save the other five green stickmen."

The head examiner made no reaction to this reply and asked, "On the remaining stickman, if you’d had more time then what would you have done?"

Danny replied, "I will admit it would have been a risky gamble. If I had quite a bit more time, I could have generated enough mana to use the adept Air spell "Air Lift" near the top edge of the walls. I believe this would create enough upward force to lift the stickman out of there. I would also have had another wind blade spell ready to cast and cut it in half once it rises above the top of the wall."

The head examiner stood there a moment before turning to one and then the other examiner beside him. They both gave nods of their heads.

The head examiner turned to Danny with a smile and said, "Congratulations on a job well done Air adept!"

Danny smiled and bowed saying, "Thank you wizards."

With that he turned and left.

***

As Danny sat in a room with the rest of the finished examinees, he wasn't sure but he was starting to realize the effect his increased intelligence was having on his actions. He doubted his past life’s self could have analyzed those situations as quickly. Nor could he have guessed, as closely as he had, the amounts of power, angle, length, and trajectory needed, after just a couple of initial spells cast. Once the last examinee was finished they were all released.

Walking to his next destination he figured he had enough time to regenerate the rest of his mana before his next exam. Major pathways went in each of the four compass directions radiating from the center of the tower to the outer walls. The gaps in the training complex between these paths was set up as the waiting areas for the different affinities.

Danny had been on the north side, near the arena, for his Air exam and now he had to get to the south side, near the main entrance, for his Earth exam. He made sure to stop by the dining hall for a quick early lunch. The dining hall was serving lunch all day because of the exam schedule, but even so it was packed as everyone stayed to talk about the events that day.

Right around noon Danny arrived at the training complex's south entrances and checked in at the booth set up nearby. Danny pulled out his alchemy book and started reading from where he left off. Other examinees started showing up and one by one they were called into the training complex. Danny had finished his alchemy book, but wasn't feeling particularly enlightened by what he’d read. Thinking back on the Air adept exam earlier he was surprised by how hard it was. They really wanted him to think about his actions.

"Initiate Creek!"

Danny got up and followed the initiate thinking, *That is until the ceremony tomorrow, and then I will be and adept... Well, of Air at least.*

He was lead into a dark chamber, by the echo of their feet he could tell the space inside was huge. There was a lit pathway walking to a platform in the middle of what felt like nothingness. Danny walked to the center and looked around, but it was just as pitch black here as it was by the door. Turning around, to look behind him, he realized the lights for the door and walkway to the center had been turned off when he wasn't paying attention.

A great rumbling sound filled the room as a deep voice boomed from the nothingness, "Greetings, Initiate Creek!"

Trying to adjust his eyes to see something out in the vast darkness, Danny guessed, "Hello... wizard?"

"Good, I am Wizard Basalt, head examiner of your Earth adept exam. There should be others here with me to judge this exam, but something came up and they are a little tied up at the moment," the voice replied, grumbling the last bit.

Another spotlight shone down from the ceiling in front of him. Looking up Danny could make out the cone-shaped cover on what he expected was a light crystal. The illuminated area looked like just another platform, without anything on it. This new platform was a good distance away from him and at a higher elevation. He could just barely make out the top of it.

"Cast raise Earth on the platform and make me a cube, one meter by one meter," Wizard Basalt's disembodied voice commanded.

Earth magic was expensive, but this was a simple request. Danny created the requested cube after a few moments of charging.

"Good, now create an Earth spike that points towards you from the side of the cube," Wizard Basalt said.

Casting Earth spike on the side pointing towards him, Danny thought, *He’d better not send this thing after me...*

"Excellent! Now cast Earth rumble right below it," the head examiner said in a most dramatic voice.

Danny looked into the darkness as if to say, you got to be kidding me. Then cast Earth rumble where requested.

The cube and spike shook and the whole platform began to crumble and fall. Danny suspected the platform to have been constructed to be structurally weak. The light that had been blocked by the platform now revealed the falling rocks would soon hit a large tube. The tube must have been made of glass, ceramic, or something else breakable because water immediately began to spill and flow down a channel into the dark.

Wizard Basalt angrily shouted at Danny, "What you have done!"

Lights all over the room came on and Danny had to squint in order to see. On a platform next to the pipe, that was now a round hole in the wall, stood a large man in a grey duster. Water from the hole in the wall fell into a large pool that contained the rubble from the platform Danny had just destroyed. The pool had already started to overflow and quickly filled three separate channels leading down from it. The entire far wall sloped towards him at an angle, with those three channels feeding into three separate pools.

From there, the three pools fed two channels that each in turn flowed into four pools. Splitting and merging and splitting, the last row of pools equaled seven before they split again where they would flood the floor far below where Danny stood.

Danny squinted down at the newly lit floor below and saw something else. Two wizards, who appeared to be held down by bands of earth, wriggled on the floor below. Their hands were encased in earth and someone had shoved bits of cloth into their mouths. If the water reached the floor it would easily drown the two men who couldn’t raise their heads very high off the floor.

Danny immediately saw what this puzzle was going to have him solve, nervously he looked around for an answer while charging raise Earth wall. He kept his other hand free in case Earth spike might be a hidden solution and he needed a quick response. Already the first two of the seven rows were filled with water.

"Initiate Creek, can you stop enough of the channels to prevent my fellow examiners from getting wet! Major points deducted if even one drop touches their heads! As you can guess you can only cast from Earth affinity spells! Cast anywhere in the room that doesn't hurt me or my fellow examiners, but you better hurry...," Wizard Basalt was cut short by a noise next to him.

An earthen wall came up right in front of the hole in the wall stopping the flow of water into the pools.

Wizard Basalt looked next to him like someone had eaten his last piece of cake, "Well, rocks in my socks! You figured it out!"

Wizard Basalt held out both hands and began dual casting as he walked forward over the empty air. Blocks of stone rose high to stop right where his foot would land as if he was walking normally down a flight of stairs. This continued until he was in front of Danny. The amount of mana and flow rate required to do this would have taken Danny half a day to replicate.

"Good job adept Creek! You’re one of the few who has figured out that little trick of mine. Most people start casting walls along every channel they can, only to fail in the end. Well one initiate actually managed to block enough channels fast enough, but they immediately overfilled. Oh, that was hilarious. The boy was laughing so much at my joke he started crying uncontrollably. Of course he didn't make adept, I felt bad abo..."

Danny was half listening to the man as he looked over the edge of his platform.

"Are they alright," asked Danny cutting in.

Wizard Basalt stopped short, confused at Danny's interruption.

Looking over the side, Wizard Basalt’s face turned sour and he said, "Yes, they will be fine. Just a bunch of stuck up noble begotten..."

The rest trailed off with the grinding of stone. Wizard Basalt's hand raised up and a platform holding the bound examiners rose to stop next to Danny's. Not waiting for Wizard Basalt's approval, Danny removed the earth from around their hands and bodies, freeing them. Once loose they removed the bits of cloth from their mouths, yelling obscenities at Wizard Basalt. The two freed wizards seemed to threaten everything under the moon at him.

Basalt stood there staring at them, well, more like staring at the wall behind them. They finally got tired of ranting without any reaction from him and just stormed out of the room.

Wizard Basalt shook his head like a wet dog and gave Danny a sideways hug, while walking him to the door, "Where were we? Oh yes! Congratulations newest Earth adept! I will submit everything right now, welcome brother!"

At the door, Danny quickly untangled himself, turned, and bowed to him, "Thank you Wizard Basalt."

Looking out of sorts for the first time the wizard looked lost saying, "Well, yes get on with you now, I need to report your success and get this room fixed up for the next examinee. I hope the replacement examiners they send are more agreeable than the last two. Guys couldn't take a joke if it was gift wrapped and shoved up their... Oh yes, goodbye!"

Danny walked away quickly down the hallway to the finished trainee waiting room. He wasn't sure what had just happened. He felt a bit cheated after the difficulty of the previous exam. Walking into the waiting room and seeing the faces of the other examinees changed his mind. Apparently, Basalt hadn't been exaggerating when he said he was one of the few to figure it out.

CHAPTER 23

"Oh Danny, I knew you were going to do well here! I am so sorry Sarah and Barb couldn't come, the store can't be closed too often. They did send you some gifts with us. I left them with your father... now where did he go this time." Danny's mother was looking back down the hall from the doorway to Danny's dorm room.

"Mom, I'm sure he's fine, how’s the store doing? Are your crafts still selling like they used to," Danny asked.

Looking back into the room, his mother replied, "What, oh everything going great, can't get my leather bags made fast enough. I had to take on another apprentice just to keep them from beating down the front door to look for me."

His mother laughed at her own joke.

"Hey son! I see your mother already found you. Where can I set this down," His father said with a groan.

Danny helped his dad put the heavy box on the floor in a corner.

"What is all this stuff," Danny asked.

"Well, we really were not sure what to get you for a present, so I took Sarah shopping and she helped me find a few things you might need to start that hobby of yours. Did you get a chance to finish the book we brought you last time," his mother asked.

"Yeah mom, I just finished it. I haven't had much time though, our school schedule is pretty hectic," Danny explained.

"Danny, you don't need to work so hard, take it easy every now and then. You are young, enjoy life while you can. If you really like this alchemy stuff, then make time to relax and have fun with it. I don't want you exhausting yourself. We were proud of you before you did all this," Danny's father said with a concerned smile.

Danny looked at his father smiling, "Dad, I'm fine honestly. Thank you both very much for the gift and thank Sarah and Barb too. Now we need to get going or I am going to be late!"

***

The arena was packed with students and their parents. Danny went down to the ground floor to stand with the other new adepts. He was nervous about getting up in front of the huge crowd and was ready for this to be over with. He wished they would just send someone to his room with his new vests and a nicely worded letter congratulating him on his success. He'd put it on his wall in a nice frame made of some expensive wood from some elven forest. He was wondering if the elves would be angry for cutting down a tree when his thoughts were interrupted.

"Welcome! Today, we all gather here to acknowledge the accomplishments of the worthy students who stand here before us. It is with great struggle and sacrifice we reach out into the world, to grasp that part which we would call our own. Yesterday these individuals reached out and grabbed hold the mantle of adept. Will you all join me in congratulating them," Archwizard Storm said and applauded with the entire arena.

The Archwizard stood on a raised platform before the rows of new adepts. He held up his hands for silence. Once the crowds quieted he continued, "Instructors please come forward and present your pupils with their new vests."

Danny watched as Wizard August emerged from the ground access with the rest of the instructors. Danny hadn't seen him, really, since the dual casting demonstration.

"Congratulations initiate Creek, you have earned this," Wizard August said with a smile.

After Danny took off his brown vest, August handed him a vest of grey on one side and white on the other.

"Thank you, Wizard August," came Danny's short and polite reply.

Ignoring August's presence Danny put on his new vest. Who knew a simple color change in one's wardrobe could so greatly affect your feelings on the world around you?

The Archwizard stepped forward again and said, "Now I would like to recognize those individuals who did exceptionally in the different elemental affinity exams. When I call your name please step forward."

The Archwizard then called on a single adept from the group on the floor for each of the elements Fire, Water, and Life. He gave each of them a pendant with a crystal of their affinity. Like the light crystal, these crystals are rarer still and highly sought after. The Fire crystal would warm the caster when the stone was touched. The Water crystal would dry the caster when touched. The Life crystal would heal any who touched it. Touching the crystals pulls available mana from the wearer. The biggest benefit of the crystals was their extremely efficient use of mana.

"Adept Danny Creek, please step forward," the Archwizard called out.

Like the rest of those called out Danny's instructor came with him. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Wizard August put on an award-winning smile. Stepping up to the stage, Danny and August walked over to the Archwizard.

Placing a hand on Danny's shoulder, the Archwizard turned in all directions as he addressed the crowd, "It is with great pleasure that I award adept Creek with the award for highest score in the stone exam." Waiting until the crowd quieted down, he held his hand up for silence, "It is also with great pleasure that I award adept Creek with the award for highest score in the Air exam." The crowd applauded even louder than before. Once again, the Archwizard raised his hands for silence. "Lastly, it is with great pleasure that I acknowledge adept Creek as the youngest student to reach adept in two affinities in the school's history." With that the crowd surged to their feet in applause.

Danny was shocked. He thought with Wizard Basalt's comment he might get the top score for the Earth exam, but also getting top score in the Air exam came out of left field. It was some time before the Archwizard could quiet the audience.

"Adept Creek, please accept this reward," said the Archwizard as he reached out and placed a pendent with three crystals around his neck. "This pendant represents the great accomplishment you have achieved. The stone crystal will allow you sure footing through swamps, deserts, rivers, and other terrains as long as you store mana in it. The Air crystal will keep you cool and dry. Lastly, the mana crystal will store mana when you will it to and give it when it is needed. Congratulations, you have earned these."

Through the roar of the crowd Danny made sure to bow to the Archwizard and thank him for this generous gift. If he heard Danny, that was unclear. Danny bowed to the crowd in thanks for their standing ovation. As Danny turned and head back down to his spot on the floor he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Wizard August waiving to the crowd like a beauty pageant winner.

Danny's parents were thrilled with his awards, and couldn't have been more proud of him. Unfortunately, they were not allowed to stay on the campus for very long after the ceremony. Before they left the stadium, he was given a cloth sack with more vests of the same style he was wearing. He was told to leave his old vests with the dorm wizard. Wizard August made sure to meet his parents and play the role of supportive instructor. Danny didn't care as long as their arrangement benefited him. August wanted to see Danny the next morning, preferably before class, as they had things to discuss.

He was given a new room on the second floor. This one had a window over-looking a garden area between his and the next dorm over. Not all the rooms on the second floor had views like this, or windows at all. He wasn't sure if the room was a result of luck or because of his recent actions but he planned on enjoying it. He made sure to get his hidden money, which he had barely spent, out of the space under the floor in his old room.

He hid the money again in the wall above his desk. His room, with bed, desk, drawers, and chest, was only slightly bigger than his previous one, but now had its own private bathroom. Danny wouldn’t mind being able to take baths or use the restroom whenever he wanted, instead of having to wait for a shower or stall to free up.

***

At supper that night, he sat with Peter and David who wouldn't stop asking about the exams or his new pendant. Strangers and a few of his classmates would randomly come up and congratulate him or ask him similar questions about the exam as well. Danny was feeling more and more like hiding in his room till this popularity died down.

"So, how much more powerful does the mana stone make you," asked Peter excitedly.

"I would say that it holds about twice my current mana," Danny said with a smile.

David looked a little reluctant, but said anyway, "Danny, you just unlocked your mana half a year ago. Your maximum mana will increase as you get older. Right now, your mana is probably at the lowest amount you will ever have it."

Danny suddenly realized that if it hadn't been for the abnormally high mana reserves, from the seven years head start he had on the rest of the boys, he wouldn't have been able to complete either of the challenges as quickly as he had. Danny subconsciously reached up to touch the pendant around his neck. He couldn't help but feel like the pendent around his neck was more a testament to his cheating, than any accomplishment he had made on his own merit. If he truly thought about it, he had even more mana than the students who had been here for years. If someone had a high mana regeneration and flow rate like his classmate Peak, they might have been able to pull off what he had. Then on top of that he already had over twenty years of experience problem solving issues in his old life. Danny was not pleased with himself, but he was also determined to grow stronger. He couldn't dwell on this too long, or it would consume him. David looked worried as he saw the range of emotions playing over Danny's face.

David raised his hands as if he could physically stop the direction Danny's thoughts were heading, saying, "Hey Danny, I'm sorry! I am sure you will get some good use out of it."

"What? Oh no, I was just thinking if I could take the Fire adept exam in the spring," Danny said absently.

"You could do that, there are only rules preventing you from taking the same affinity exam more than half a year apart. But wouldn't you want to start working on acquiring your wizard qualification in Earth or Air first," David asked?

"I haven't asked, and no one's mentioned what the requirements are to get a wizard qualification," Danny admitted.

"After the adept exam, getting your wizard qualification is like any other profession. You have to do an apprenticeship working under a wizard of the same element. Once you complete a year or two with them, they can recommend you for qualification. The time depends on how well you do. If a wizard promotes too many adepts to wizard that later show incompetence, they are not allowed any further apprentices without intervention by the Archwizard," Peter explained. "My dad has an apprentice right now. Like an apprentice in any other profession, it can slow things down when training them, but in the end their work gets done quicker. With Earth wizards this is especially true as it takes so much mana to use the spells."

Danny thought for a second and said, "That makes sense, but up to two years?"

"Danny, we can't all breeze through this stuff like you. Also, some apprenticeships last even longer than that, if the apprentice doesn't perform well," David admonished him.

"Yeah, you’re right. So what does an Air wizard do anyway? Knock over things with wind?" Danny asked sarcastically.

"Usually they go into the military branch and are used for their attack spells. Some are hired by major industrial families to help supplement the wind power to their different mills. The wind generated also sends a lot of smells from the populated areas."

Looking deadpan at the two initiates, Danny asked, "So my choices for Air are, making a giant fan spin, or fighting in the army..."

Peter interrupted, with a mouth full of food, saying, "Or swailin!"

Danny looked at Peter for a second before figuring it out, and said, "Or pushing a sail on a ship?"

"Well, you would only need to push it to get away from major storms or pirates," clarified Peter.

Danny looked over at David as if to ask him how that made it better. David just smiled and shrugged.

CHAPTER 24

"Adept Creek, please come into my office," Wizard August said as he walked through a door on the side of the lecture hall.

Looking back around at the empty classroom Danny hadn’t arrived early enough that there shouldn't be at least a few initiates studying.

"Where is everyone?" Danny asked.

August looked up and back through the door at the empty classroom, saying "Oh, I only teach them a few days a week now, they are on their own in the group training room. Once they show enough progress I will proceed with more lessons."

Danny nodded at this as it made sense. There were not a lot of runes taught in this school. The subtle nuances of each spell made there seem like more, but Danny figured there had to be more than this few handfuls of spells.

"So, I am supposed to go over the results of your exams. Do you want the short version or the long one?" August asked.

"Short please, wizard," Danny replied.

While August pulled out a packet of three sets of papers and started skimming through the pages, he explained, "Good, the first is the results from the Air exam. They essentially said that while you lacked a strong flow of mana, you showed amazing versatility and problem-solving skills. You made minor errors and were able to make a justifiable call on the one occasion you purposely hit a non-target. They were especially impressed by your reasoning for not hitting one target at all. They said you didn't even try? Let's see... you recognized your limitation with your mana flow and prioritized time over completing the task. Hmm, I guess that is impressive."

That last bit was mumbled so that Danny could barely hear it.

Grabbing another packet of papers, August started, "This is your result from the Earth exam..." A confused look passed over August's face until he, quickly flipping pages, finally got to the last set of papers. "The first two examiners only listed formal complaints in their assessment... towards their fellow examiner, so there are no reviews there. They did however mention you freeing them? Ah, I recognize the name of the last examiner. Wizard Basalt. He is an Earth magic fanatic, and the most infuriating and uncivilized individual I have ever met. How he got to be so close to the Archwizard I will never guess. Anyway, he says you did an excellent job seeing through the deception of his exam and finished it in record time. Hmmm, good job here as well, Danny..."

Danny was a little amused by Wizard August's sudden confusion and use of his first name. But that quickly passed.

"Now Adept Creek, we have a few options. First, you begin training for Fire adept come spring. I think, given your recent experience, that shouldn't be too difficult for you. Your second option is to take on an apprenticeship to an Earth or Air wizard," August explained.

Danny asked, "Am I allowed to request a specific wizard to train under?"

Nodding, Wizard August said, "Yes, you may request it, but it will only be taken into consideration."

Danny nodded and replied, "I would like to go for Earth apprenticeship, and I would like to train under Wizard Basalt."

Wizard August didn't bother to hide his look of complete disbelief that those words came out of Danny's mouth.

"What on earth would compel you to do something like that?" August’s question rang out loudly and echoed around the empty classroom.

"Is he not any good?" Danny asked.

Wizard August looked taken back by the question, "What? No! Well..." August had risen almost to standing at Danny's question, then he slowly sat back down. "While the man infuriates me to no end, I am not petty enough to be blinded by that. I admit he is probably one of the finest Earth wizards we have. But! He doesn't take apprentices, or more likely, no one requests or accepts an apprenticeship with him."

"Well good, he is free then, I won't have to wait for another apprenticeship to be finished," Danny smiled happily.

Wizard August looked out of the window in his room as if to confirm he was still on the right planet. He finally turned back to Danny, studying him like he hadn't really taken a good look at him before.

Nodding, Wizard August said, "I will inform the Archwizard of your request to apprentice for Earth wizard under Basalt. If Basalt is available, he will be able to teach you well... that is if you survive. You will receive a notice from the Archwizard’s office when the decision is made... Good luck..."

With that Danny was dismissed and he left to go shopping.

***

Danny walked down the main street through Diadem towards his family’s business. Pulling the strap of his full book bag over his shoulder for the umpteenth time, he trudged along at a steady pace. Initiates couldn't leave the grounds unless it was a half day or holiday. Fortunately, Danny wasn't an initiate any longer and had free range of the city. Only Wizard August's censure could stop Danny's new freedom.

He was going to need some traveling gear and what better place to look than his family’s shop. He entered the door and walked up to the counter. Sarah was looking over a logbook and didn't see Danny approach.

"Excuse me I am looking for a sturdy backpack with a lot of pockets," Danny stated like an ordinary customer.

Recognizing his voice, a smile spread across Sarah's face before she looked up, "Danny! What are you doing here? Did you come by yourself!"

Laughing, Danny replied, "I came to see everyone, but I also really do need a backpack, believe it or not."

Looking at him askance, Sarah asked, "Wait, where do you think you are going that you would need a backpack?"

"Not sure yet but I am planning on an apprenticeship with an Earth wizard. I am told they tend to travel a lot."

Sarah replied, "That's generally true, but some stay local and just take work in one city."

"I'm not completely sure, but I get the feeling this particular wizard doesn't like to sit still for too long," Danny explained.

Waving to Danny to follow, Sarah said, "Come over here then, which style of your mother's backpacks do you like?"

"I was hoping you could help me there. I haven't actually done much with it yet, but I really want to practice alchemy more when I am not doing magic work, I just haven't had the time. I figure if I can find a good case to fit the equipment. I could bring a portable alchemy workstation with me," Danny explained.

"Do you want to be able to carry your clothes and other traveling necessities in the same backpack," Sarah asked.

Danny nodded his head, "Yes, exactly!"

"Alright, Danny leave it to me. I have some ideas, but it will depend on if your mother and Barb can make them happen or not," Sarah explained.

Jumping over and giving her a hug, Danny said, "Thanks Sarah!"

Hugging him back, she said, "Go say hello to Mary, Barb, and your father in back. I am sure your father will want to walk home with you."

"Yes, ma'am," Danny said sharply and ran off.

***

His whole family was happy to hear the good news of his appending apprenticeship. Well that is except his mother. Danny really wished his mother and father had had another child after him. Someone to split the mothering equally between. When Danny left the next morning, his family promised to have him a serviceable backpack by the next week. Not liking him traveling through the city alone, his father insisted on walking with him back to the academy.

Danny returned to his dorm and was stopped by Wizard Dawn at the front desk, who had a letter from the Archwizard for him.

"This came for you yesterday," said Wizard Dawn before going back to his reading.

Thanking him, Danny went up to his room and sat down at his desk, opening the letter.

Adept Creek,

Please report to the Archwizard's office, on the 6th floor of the tower, at noon tomorrow to discuss your request for apprenticeship.

Sincerely,

Secretary to the Archwizard

Confused by the request, Danny suddenly realized he barely had enough time to clean up before heading over. Quickly bathing and dressing in new clothes, Danny rushed over to the Archwizard’s office.

After the long walk through town he was especially grateful he had time to bathe. Walking into the Archwizard's office, Danny saw a thin wizard sitting by a desk, busy at work. The wizard wore black and red, a combination Danny hadn't seen before. Actually, he hadn't seen anyone with multiple affinities as a wizard, who wore the healer black as one of them.

"Excuse me Wizard, I am Adept Creek here to see the Archwizard. I believe I have an appointment about now," Danny said.

"Yes, please wait, the Archwizard should call you in shortly," the wizard said perfunctorily and went back to what he’d been doing, ignoring Danny’s presence.

Danny didn't wait long until he was called back into the Archwizard’s office. Walking in, he saw a typical office setup. No magical contraptions flew around the room. No magical beasts lurked in the corners. The only thing to separate his office from anyone else's was the topics covered by the books on his shelves.

"Come in, come in Adept Creek," greeted the Archwizard. He directed Danny away from his desk towards a table set up in the middle of the room with four chairs.

"Good day, Archwizard Storm," said Danny.

Sitting down across from each other Archwizard Storm rang a small bell found there. His secretary promptly entered with trays carrying tea, fruits, and sandwiches that Danny hadn't noticed while he was waiting outside. The Archwizard waited ‘til his secretary retreated before speaking again.

"Now I have been meaning to have a talk with you since your advancement, but it seems like there is never enough time in the day," the Archwizard complained while pouring Danny and himself some tea. "Your request to apprentice with Basalt was the perfect excuse to make time."

They began eating, and Danny politely waited for the Archwizard to continue. While waiting, Danny helped himself to the delicious food.

After taking a sip of tea to wash a bit of sandwich down his throat, the Archwizard asked, "Now Adept Creek, I want to congratulate you again on your advancement to adept in Air and Earth magics! A momentous accomplishment. Now, your instructor, Wizard August, tells me you have three affinities already, is that correct?"

Not surprised by this line of questioning, Danny stuck with his story saying, "Yes Archwizard, I have affinities in Earth, Air, and Fire."

Danny's brain was screaming at him, trying to make sure he said the right three. It wouldn't do to slip up here in front of this important person. Anyone who has made it to the Archwizard position is bound to be sharp.

The Archwizard smiled and said, "Excellent, gaining affinities is a difficult process involving an in-depth study, over decades, into their very nature. Most people have a natural understanding of different affinities, so to have so many affinities at such a young age... I look forward to watching your progress and the wizard that you shall become."

Danny smiled not knowing how best to respond to this praise. Uncomfortable, Danny chose to change the subject.

Danny smiled, saying, "Archwizard, thank you for sharing this delicious lunch and your kind words. I do really hope to grow strong and couldn’t help but notice the ease with which Wizard Basalt uses Earth magic. Do you think he will take me as an apprentice?"

The Archwizard nodded his head, "Yes, adept Creek, I believe he will." The Archwizard paused before looking thoughtful and speaking again, "Before we get to that though, I was wondering if you could help me with a bit of a mystery?"

Confused with why the Archwizard would require his help with anything, Danny nodded, "Yes, of course, Archwizard Storm,"

Smiling kindly at Danny the Archwizard said, "There was an interesting event that occurred recently. You see, the training rooms are inspected after every use, by an apprentice Earth wizard. They look to ensure the rooms are safe to use again. They refresh the stone on the walls and floors as necessary. You see, this is an excellent way for them to train their affinity. One apprentice brought something to our attention a few weeks back." Reaching out to the bowl of fruit, the Archwizard plucked an apple off the top and held it out to Danny.

Danny began to sweat. His hands shook as he took the apple.

Clearing his throat Danny managed to get out, "What was it, Archwizard?"

The Archwizard’s smile was gone as he studied Danny, "An apple! Can you believe it, someone had left their snack behind in the training room."

The Archwizard laughed and Danny nervously laughed along with him. Danny was so relieved that he sighed loudly. He almost started giggling.

"Well, that wasn't all," The Archwizard continued.

Danny's laughing stopped.

"The apple was attached to a branch. The apprentice didn't have enough mana to pull the rest of it out, so he got master to come and assist him. The wizard didn't believe his apprentice at first, but then when he got to the training room in question, that changed. Can you imagine his surprise when he unearthed a whole apple tree? I was of course summoned, and it was the largest apple tree I have ever seen," the Archwizard stopped speaking to take another sip of tea from his cup. "Now, adept Creek, can you tell me why the training room you had just checked out of had a tree planted in the ground?"

Danny didn't move a muscle, nor did he say a word.

Leaning a little forward, the Archwizard said, "Can you also tell me why we found another apple tree in the next training room floor you used?"

Danny sat there for a while before deciding the jig was up. He had hoped to avoid discovery, but it appeared that was out of his hands now. Looking down, he took a deep breath and sighed.

Danny finally looked up smiling as he admitted, "Well, you see, the thing is Archwizard Storm... I got hungry, then after growing the thing I realized I wasn't a ‘whole apple tree’ hungry. Guess my eyes tend to be bigger than my stomach."

The Archwizard had been expecting an excuse or possible response in the affirmative, just not this one. The Archwizard leaned back, laughing hard. While laughing he stood up and motioned for Danny to follow him again.

They went out a door on the other side of the room from where Danny had entered. A flight of stairs spiraled up until the Archwizard lifted a long trapdoor above him. The stairs continued all the way to the other side of the trapdoor that Danny realized was flush with the top of the tower.

Stepping out on the roof the Archwizard finally got his laughing under control and turned to Danny. Without saying a word, he raised a hand in the air, and using his mana sight, Danny could see it glow brightly.

Danny looked around, but his only possible escape was the trapdoor they came through. The Archwizard had closed it behind them after Danny had gone through. A subtly as he could, Danny started to inch closer to it. Before Danny could get any closer to the trapdoor the Archwizard’s prepared spell shot up into the sky. Danny made a guess and used Air armor, but didn't know if it would be any help against an attack from this man in front of him.

It was a cloudy day, but it suddenly became completely overcast. The clouds poured rain down upon the two, as well as the rest of the town.

"The council hates it when I do this. A few of them grumble, blaming me every time it rains and it inconveniences them. I never deny it," the Archwizard said with a childish smile that did not belong on a man of his station or age.

The rain soon subsided and the wizard cast a breeze of air that dried them off, before they went back down to the Archwizard's office. Danny entered the office, and stopped, finding two women in dark clothing sitting at the table that were not there when they had left the room.

"Excellent, you two made it just in time," the Archwizard came to a halt and smiled secretly saying, "Or should I say, thank you for waiting patiently for the appropriate time to show yourselves."

The two women inclined their heads respectfully towards the Archwizard but didn't say anything. Danny noticed they both had the sharp features of the local nobility. They were wearing mixes of black and dark red clothing. Nothing ornate, nothing expensive-looking. The both had dark hair, which Danny also suspected was a favored feature of the nobility. He could tell they were attractive women, but they did a lot to make themselves look average. Danny guessed they could be related.

The Archwizard sat down and indicated Danny to do so as well. They sat in their original seats which put the two women on either side of him.

"Now Danny, what I showed you above is a secret that usually only wizards learn about. Gaining enough insight and experience to obtain additional elemental affinities, besides the original five, is the struggle of a lifetime," the Archwizard explained.

"Then why not just teach the elemental rune to others," Danny asked, interrupting.

The Archwizard looked at Danny confused for a second. Danny could see the gears turning in the old man’s head. Storm's eyes widened further and his mouth opened slightly.

The Archwizard turned toward the woman on his right, and asked, "Brianna, would you take that serving knife and cut your arm. I would do it, but this body is getting so old, and healing takes its toll on me."

Without hesitation the woman reached out, grabbed the knife, and smoothly cut her arm lengthwise. Danny could only look in horror as the wound began to bleed. Danny was never one for blood and he might have been more interested in being a doctor if he hadn't been.

"Thank you dear. Now Adept Creek, would you be so kind as to heal that for her? As you can tell by my duster, you are the only healer here," The Archwizard asked as if Brianna had only dropped her napkin, not sliced open her arm.

Danny looked up at the old man and realized he knew. Looking over at the woman's arm Danny decided he needed to do something before he passed out or threw up, and he currently wanted to do both. Reaching over Danny charged then cast a healing spell. At least he had a clear enough mind not to show off his mana manipulation skills.

"It is true! I can't believe it...," the Archwizard leaned forward to wipe away the blood and look at her arm. "A Pentacle...”

Danny had read about that briefly in the library. It was a magic user with access to all five affinities. His stomach sank further as he knew he had given himself away and this was only going to get worse for him.

"Danny, do you mind if I call you Danny?" the Archwizard asked.

Looking across the table, Danny sighed and said, "That's fine."

"Danny the magic you used to conjure the tree was from your high level of Earth and Water correct?" At Danny's nod of confirmation, the Archwizard continued, "Could you show us the magic you used to grow the apple tree?"

Danny looked at the three individuals at the table with him. He didn't actually know any spells for casting the Nature magic. He could guess, but he didn't know what happened when you messed up with Nature magic. If he used mana manipulation the Archwizard would instantly know something was up when he didn't cast a spell, yet the tree grew.

"I can't exactly grow a tree in this room," Danny lamely ventured.

"Let's go downstairs then. It is a lovely day outside," the Archwizard said as he stood.

Danny thought about not following, but the two imposing women stood up next to him. He knew this was something he couldn't sit out. Walking downstairs, no one took note of them except to greet or bow to the Archwizard. Walking into the forest on the edge of the inner circle the Archwizard stepped between two trees and disappeared. Brianna shortly followed as the other woman stood behind Danny waiting for him to continue. Danny thought about trying to make a run for it, but he didn't exactly have a place to run to. Plus he didn't know if he could take out the woman behind him. Both of these strange women exuded strength and speed. She wouldn't expect an attack with mana manipulation. He thought maybe he cou...

"Hurry up," said the older woman.

Danny stepped forward between the two trees and continued on ‘til the path opened into a glade, like the one he had trained in the other day. There was no pool in this space, but in the center lay an apple.

Rubbing his hands together the Archwizard smiled excitedly saying, "Alright Danny, show us your Nature magic!"

"I don't think I can anymore," Danny said weakly.

Both of the women rested their hands on the blades at their waists. The message sent was very clear to Danny.

Thinking furiously Danny came up with an idea. He could cast the lowest level Nature spell at the fruit using a cast at target modifier. Once it starts growing use mana manipulation to do the rest. If the spell causes mud to form that will hopefully be covered by the tree growing, and their lack of knowledge of what it should look like to begin with.

Casting the low-level Nature spell, Danny prayed the Archwizard wouldn't notice him hold the fully charged spell, and think it still charging. With his other hand he extended a ball of mana next to the apple without touching it. He didn't need the two spells to touch. When that was ready he cast the low-level Nature spell. When the spell hit, roots burst forth from the apple and it started to grow. Danny could tell it was slowing down, so, he moved the mana ball over, releasing his connection, and activated the Nature rune. Slowly, the apple tree grew and grew. Looking over at the other three in the clearing, Danny saw the Archwizard laughing as the two women only showed their shock and surprise in their eyes. The tree grew taller than the canopy around it.

"I have only seen the elves command plants like this. They have shown us how they could make our fields grow almost in minutes from a seed. Unfortunately, their prices were too high. Now I have confirmation it is possible for us as well," the Archwizard said gleefully.

"There you are, you got your apple tree, I will just be heading back now," Danny turned to leave, when he felt the hand of one of the women fall on his shoulder, holding him in place.

From behind him Danny heard the Archwizard say, "Sorry Danny, there is just one more thing we have to be sure of before we can move forward. It has to do with what happened to your mother before you were born..."

Danny turned slowly around heedless of the two women with hands on their blades. Danny's voice was cold, "What happened to my mother, what happened to her?"

The Archwizard asked, "Danny, did your parents tell you anything about what happened?"

Danny squinted and said, "No, tell me what happened."

The Archwizard must have seen something in Danny's eyes he believed because he said, "Good, no one is to know about that night and what happened. Your parents would be punished if they had told you or anyone else."

Danny couldn't believe that more people knew what happened to his mother and he didn't. Danny's face turned red, "You know what happened to my mother! Tell me now!"

The Archwizard started to say, "No, Danny you will never learn about what happened, I will no..." Then all Danny could see was that the Archwizard’s eyes were wide as he looked around the glade confused. "How are you doing this," the Archwizard yelled and it sounded like the older man was very far away.

That confused Danny enough for him to realize the air around them was moving. Danny was in the middle of a miniature hurricane that only gained in power. Leaves, grass and small branches circled his body. Apples, leaves, and branches fell from the massive tree above them to join the rest of the debris. The two women stood with him in the center and moved with swords drawn to cut him down.

From the swirling hurricane around them came a muffled, "Don't... don't hurt him!"

Both women stopped and one of the women said in a calm voice, "Stop this... now."

He hadn't remembered using mana manipulation, but half his mana was gone. The tree had taken only a small fraction of that. Taking a deep breath, he pushed his mana out in all directions until it filled the small glade, then casting Air rune willed the air to be still.

It was as if someone had pressed pause briefly and then took away the wind. The previously flying debris was held suspended in the air for a few seconds, only to fall covering everything including the cowering Archwizard.

Taking a deep breath, Danny said, "Tell me about what happened to my mother."

The Archwizard stood up and brushed himself off saying, "How did you do that boy?"

Danny ignored the old man and turned to Brianna, 'Tell me what happened to my mother. What are those weird symbols on her lower stomach?"

The Archwizard looked up at that, "She showed those to you?"

Danny flung out a dismissive had, "I saw it when I was little and remembered it. Now tell me what happened," the last part came out as a scream, and the three adults tensed waiting for another small hurricane.

"It was decided after that night that no one should speak of what happened, a decree from the head of the Diadem family," the old wizard said quietly.

"Then who can rescind the order and tell me?" asked Danny.

The Archwizard shook his head, "You don't understand, Danny, the only people who know about what actually happened, were your mother and the previous head of the Diadem family."

"The current head of the Diadem family was not told the specifics but was made to promise that this knowledge should not escape your mother as it somehow endangers us all. I wish we could tell you but we can't, and the only person that can will die if it is found out that she told you," the Archwizard said apologetically.

Danny sunk to the ground and covered his head in silent frustration.

"Danny, why is it so important that you know," said the old man, as he hesitatingly put a hand on Danny's back.

"No one told me anything, but I have guessed a few things and I have some sort of... innate knowledge. I can't explain," Danny said, looking up at the older man, "Based on what you have just told me, if I were to tell you, we would all have to die."

CHAPTER 25

The Archwizard handed Danny a cup of tea saying, "Here, drink this Danny it will help you feel better,"

Taking the cup form his hands, Danny sat in a chair at the small table in the Archwizard’s office. He stared into the contents of the cup as if they would give him the answers he needs.

The Archwizard squatted down next to Danny's chair and asked, "Danny, look at me. Out there in the glade, were you using mana manipulation?"

Danny looked up at the man with wide eyes. He paused briefly before slowly nodding.

The old man took a deep breath and said, "What level is yours at?"

"Seven," Danny said reluctantly.

The Archwizard actually fell backwards onto his rear, and thought for a minute before asking, "You’re a sorcerer... Is that how you beat the exams?"

"No, I only used spells because I was concerned about... being found out," Danny said dejectedly.

A confused look crossed the Archwizard’s face, "Why were you scared about us knowing?"

Danny looked up at him, "No one else could do what I can do. Everyone uses spells. Your mana lines are ripped open with those ancient keys, and your maximum mana regeneration and flow rates are set. The mana moves through your bodies inconsistently and mana is stored the same way.

“I, on the other hand, unlocked my own mana. My mana moves consistently through my body. My mana is stored consistently through my body. As far as I can tell, my mana regeneration and flow rates are increasing steadily as I use more magic. I was scared what you would... are going to do, now that you know I hold these secrets..."

The Archwizard spoke softly saying, "Danny we have known about how sorcerers unlock their mana since the beginning. Decades of meditation and self-reflection, trying to sense the mana in our bodies. Danny, the ones that succeeded were old men and women by the time they were able to unlock their mana. These ancient keys were discovered and gave us the edge we needed to survive.

“Every now and then a sorcerer is born, like yourself. The last birth was over one hundred years ago. The records state that when he was three he must have become upset and buried his family alive. At first no one understood what had happened, when all that remained was a flat piece of land and the little boy. Then the boy started riding around on the earth like it was a horse. Before anyone could stop him, he lost control of his magic and crashed into the side of a building, dead. The fact that you have survived this long, and stayed hidden, is nothing short of amazing! Especially since your family has been under random surveillance since your birth."

Danny wanted to tell the wizard everything, but if his mother would die for what happened before his birth... He was certain now that they were connected.

Danny looked over at the two women sitting calmly at the table before looking into the Archwizard’s eyes and said, "Storm, what is the Diadem government going to want from me now that they know I exist?"

The Archwizard took on a pensive look before sighing, "Danny, I am part of Diadem, just as you are. They are going to want you strong, just like they want me strong. Why? So that when the next problem arises, we can stand with them to face it."

Danny nodded, seeing the words between words. He was to become a weapon, or a shield.

"Alright, where do we go from here," Danny asked.

The Archwizard got back up and sat in his chair grabbing his cup of tea, to take a sip, "We are going to get you some real-world experience. The best way to do that is with an experienced wizard in the field. We also need to find someone who we can trust. Fortunately, you have presented us with the perfect alibi. Wizard Basalt is one of us. We work directly for Diadem in a less... publicly known capacity."

Realization dawned on Danny's face, he interrupted, "In other words you’re Diadem's secret intelligence agency. Sworn to protect the country. They will deny all knowledge of your existence if caught. That sort of thing, right?

"No... Well, actually, yes, exactly like that. Where did you get that information, Danny?"

Danny had difficulty replying with a mouth full of cookie, "Oh, ith's part of the dom't ask dom't die fing."

"Oh yes, well, sounds like you don't need much of an explanation of the risks involved. Makes things easier... This is a lifetime position. Once you join, and you ever choose to leave without approval, you will be hunted down and your family held in close observation until your termination. As head of our wizards, you will be reportable to me. You being a sorcerer will have to be kept as a secret to the public. You will still be called Wizard Creek. You will come with us to our training facility, where you will be paired with a Trio. We can't have more oddities popping up around your training areas. Also, I would rather you learn to use your mana manipulation effectively, than stay here and potentially stunt your growth. The Trio you will be paired with has been trained from the age of seven to be part of our order. We have never had a wizard begin training with us this early, as we seek out potential recruits from promising adepts with three or more affinities. Being as you are a sorcerer, you are a special case. You will train with the assigned Trio until you are ready to assist Wizard Basalt. Without hindering his work, of course."

Danny waited for the pause in the Archwizard’s explanation to ask, "What do you mean by "paired" with a Trio? What kind of work will I be taking on?"

"Oh, for all intents and purposes, you will be contractually bound to this Trio. As for work, it is probably as you expect. Highly dangerous, or of a very sensitive nature. To be more specific, I was impressed with how you took on some of the targets in your Air exam. That is one way we look for promising recruits."

"So, I wouldn't get a say on who I get to marry," Danny asked upset.

"You will be paired with a Trio, under a trial period. If you do not work well together during your trial period, then we will select a different Trio. Think of it like a marriage interview, except you will get more time to learn about them than you would in a couple of hour long meetings with your parents present."

Danny had forgotten for a second that that's how marriages were arranged here. Looking up he asked, "What happens if I refuse."

"We will ask that you not say anything about anything we told you here. Then we will follow up with decisive action, should we discover you have said anything. You will go back to being a student, get an apprenticeship with someone less talented than Basalt. After that would be up to you. We would also have to ask that you not use mana manipulation, especially in view of others. As you guessed, people would not understand. Others would believe your unique ability to unlock your mana could be easily duplicated. They would quit testing their sons for mana and our country, weak, would fall to the other races. Those with your abilities in the past have tried and failed to help unlock another's mana. One person cannot affect another's mana directly."

"I will be allowed to use mana manipulation if I agree to work with you. What if our work has me needing to use it in front of others?" Danny asked.

"We have the people and resources needed to cover up any issues that arise. Most people won't recognize what you’re doing when you use mana manipulation. If you were to reject our offers and be caught, you would not be able to keep it under wraps for long. Just like how the attendee at the training facility discovered you."

Danny wanted more time to think, but he guessed this was a onetime offer. If he accepts, and he gets to become stronger, stronger than he would by himself. The acceptance will come at the cost of a loss of freedom. If he declined and he could end up being a great wizard, but he would be stuck using spells. Exchanging one prison for another. There was the option to try his luck with the other races. The beastmen were probably not an option, too much animosity. The dwarves sounded unfriendly and reclusive. The elves might take him in... He doubted the Diadem government would let someone as potentially powerful as him just up and leave...

Danny looked around the room in thought. Finally he turned towards the Archwizard, "I accept."

The Archwizard smiled as he reached out and shook Danny's hand, "Excellent! Welcome aboard. Now let's begin with introductions." Turning to indicate the two women. "As you will be traveling with Wizard Basalt, you will also be traveling with these two ladies and the other member of their Trio. Danny, this is Brianna and Wren Basalt."

Danny smiled and exchanged pleasantries with the two women, who just earlier, had almost cut him into pieces.

The one introduced as Wren said, "Our husband would not shut up about your exam performance."

Chuckling Brianna added, "Yes, even after we threatened to kick him out of the house unless he stopped. It's good to know you wanted to apprentice under him."

Danny had worried they would keep on those emotionless masks all the time. Emboldened by their sudden friendliness, Danny jokingly said, "I'm glad you two will be coming along. Wizard Basalt is very powerful and I can imagine he can be quite a handful."

Both the women smiled knowingly and Brianna added, "Our husband tends to act that way when he is not on a mission. He says it helps him unwind."

Wren just rolled her eyes.

Danny looked over to see the Archwizard drinking tea and smiling at their affableness together. Setting his tea down, the Archwizard said, "Let's go meet up with everyone else."

***

After grabbing Danny's things from his room, he was quickly led out of the wizard’s academy. He wanted to say goodbye to his friends but was told they didn't have the time. He decided that he would send them letters explaining his sudden departure.

They led him to an expensive looking restaurant near the city arena. The area was busy with shoppers and people traveling between the areas of the city. Danny had only ever bought food at the food stands at the market within the outer wall, so he was excited to see what restaurant food was like. As they walked in a woman appeared from the side and directed them towards a hallway in the back. The restaurant was evidently popular and the Archwizard waved to a few other wizards and women that Danny guessed were influential in the city.

They were led into a private room. The walls were lined with mirrors and a large table was laid out with dishes of delicious smelling foods. Danny started to sit down when Wren grabbed the collar of his vest and hauled him back up to keep walking with them. Danny pilfered a roll from the table and looked back to see the woman who led them in waiting at the door they entered. The door was closed, and she was leaning back against it.

Brianna reached up next to one of the mirrors on the back wall and fiddled with something Danny couldn't see. The mirror swung inward and they kept walking down a flight of stairs. They eventually reached a corridor guarded by a woman dressed in nondescript clothing, like Brianna and Wren. The woman silently nodded to them and they continued on their way. The corridor was long, and they walked for quite a while. Danny thought he heard the Archwizard grumble something about old men and long distances. They eventually turned a corner and a doorway opened up into a large cavernous space. The majority of it looked natural. Danny realized the corridor must have been sloped downward and he hadn’t noticed. In the distance he could see other doorways cut into the walls. The space was illuminated by numerous light crystals. Danny could see at least a hundred people either standing around talking, moving, or performing some sort of martial arts training.

His group moved towards two people talking by the people training, Danny recognized one of them. The Archwizard called out, "Wizard Basalt! There you are, I have brought your future apprentice and our newest member."

Wizard Basalt turned to them with a huge grin, "Storm, you brought him, good! I was hoping to get a new apprentice. My last one kept getting lost and I got tired of searching for him. I heard a rumor he decided to become an elf!" The large man laughed putting a hand on his stomach.

"Basalt, don't scare the boy before we can see what he is really capable of," the Archwizard admonished him. "Now come walk with me so that I can catch you up on some recent developments. Danny, please meet the other member of the Basalt family while I update their husband."

Danny watched them leave.

"So, is this him?" asked the new woman while smiling at Danny. She looked noble, much like the other two women, except she had dark blonde hair instead of straight black.

Brianna introduced the other woman to him, "Danny, this is the other member of our Trio, Arya."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Danny said politely as the woman nodded to him.

Arya looked at the other two asking, "Is he what we've been looking for?"

Brianna nodded while looking around, saying, "Yes, the Archwizard said he didn't have three like we were told, he has five. He is also a sorcerer."

Danny wasn't sure how he felt about being discussed when he was standing right there. He frowned, but then again, he was only seven and a half.

Arya looked impressed at what Brianna said, and turned to Wren, "What about you?"

Wren just nodded.

Arya let out a puff of air, "Alright, I will talk with Umbra."

Arya left towards one of the doorways. Before Danny could ask any questions the other two women engaged Danny in conversation, asking about his family and academy. The two wizards returned, and Basalt came over to Danny shaking his hand, which shook Danny's whole body.

"My new apprentice, I can't wait to begin once you are done here! Train as hard as you can so we can begin the real fun!"

Danny rubbed his hand saying, "Yes, Wizard. As much fun as one can have while endangering one's life."

"Oh, come on now boy, death is always waiting around the corner. It's more fun to go find him and kick him in the shin when he's not looking!" The man’s laugh echoed around the cavern. The instructor training the group in martial arts looked over annoyed at the disturbance. Now that Danny could see them, they were mostly girls with a few older boys thrown in here and there.

Arya appeared at that moment and didn't look happy with her husband. Pulling down on his ear like a child, the large wizard winced in pain. "With all your noise, you will bring the whole cavern down on us, and then who will be around to laugh at your 'jokes'? Come on everyone Umbra will see us."

They all moved towards the door Arya came out of. It led to another long corridor.

"Who is this Umbra?" Danny finally got to ask.

Brianna turned to him and answered, "She is the head of our order. She is the third daughter of the Diadem family. Anyone you meet here, that is not a wizard, is a third daughter of their noble family. All noble families are required to contribute a child this way."

Danny was shocked to hear this and wanted to go back. More nobles...

Brianna continued, "Our order assigns Trios based on who works well together. Then later the Trio is paired with a promising wizard selected from the academy. Here station and political maneuvering are not important. What is important, is how well they all work as a team. Our nation faces many threats and these teams are able to turn the tide of battles."

Danny asked, "Are we officially part of the military?"

Brianna replied, "No, but they are aware of our presence and will follow our orders. If anyone else asks then tell them you are part of the family you are married to."

The corridor they had been traveling down ended at a door with alcoves on either side. As he passed, Danny noticed these were occupied by guards. They walked into a room with a large table in the middle. The table had a map in the middle with small figurines placed all over it. As he watched, a woman walked over and moved one around. There were desks along the walls with people working. Danny recognized men in dusters here and there working alongside the women in the room. They continued to the back of the room, through a pair of doors, and into what looked like a conference room. At a long table sat a woman Danny figured was around the Archwizard’s age. She had a serious air to her.

"Come in and sit down. The others should be with us shortly. Adept Creek, please come sit down here next to me," the woman patted the table to her right.

The wizards sat down with Danny on one side and the Basalt Trio on the other.

"Adept Creek, I am the leader of this order. You may refer to me as Umbra. Archwizard Storm, as you might have guessed, is in charge of identifying and overseeing the development of any young wizards that join our group." Umbra turned toward the Archwizard who sat on the other side of Danny and asked, "Now, I am told Adept Creek has even more potential than we previously thought?"

Clearing his throat, the Archwizard replied, "Yes, not only is he a Pentacle, but he is a sorcerer who unlocked his magic at a young age, which allows him to use mana manipulation."

Umbra asked, "What is mana manipulation?"

"Mana manipulation is the natural form of using magic. Spells were developed later to create an easy method of casting known configurations with the elements." Looking around the Archwizard turned to Danny, "Here, Danny, please give her an example. Can you cast raised earth on the wall over there, in a cube, then create a similar sized creation of your own design next to it?"

Nodding, Danny turned toward the stone wall right behind himself. He cast mana sight and started dual casting. Charging raised Earth with his right hand, with the other, Danny sent a stream of mana out toward the same wall, just far enough away where the two wouldn't interfere with each other. Once the mana stream reached the wall he caused it to spiral and taper-off so it wouldn't be too heavy on the end furthest from the wall. Then he cast the Earth rune and let go of his connection with his left hand. At the same time, he cast with his right.

As a perfect cube of mana jutted out from the wall, a spiraling stone form emerged next to it. Arya's eyes widened, while Brianna and Wren just looked impressed. Danny heard Wizard Basalt laughing down the table. Umbra looked shocked for a second before getting up and approaching the two shapes. "This is remarkable, can you do this Storm?"

"No, Umbra."

"Is there anything else I should know," Umbra said absently, sitting back in her chair.

"Yes, while the boy has a low rate of mana regeneration and flow, this will increase with time. I would recommend his training here continues until his rates increase enough to be effective in battle. Also, I would like to also point out that he has gained access to the Nature elemental affinity."

"Really, when did you find this out?" Umbra demanded.

"Just before we came, Adept Creek grew an apple tree for us near the tower."

Umbra nodded.

Danny chose this point to speak up, "I also have access to Storm affinity."

The Archwizard stuttered saying, "That's not funny, Danny," and looked crossly at him.

Danny held up his hand pushing mana at the top of the ceiling. He cast the Storm rune.

The Archwizard’s face went from annoyance to shock and clouds tried to from as the air pressure dropped. Nothing actually formed but the Archwizard knew Danny wasn't bluffing. Danny canceled the magic now that he could see the Archwizard believed him.

Seeing the Archwizard’s pale face, Umbra laughed softly, "Adept Creek, is there anything else you wish to share? Part of me hopes not, as our esteemed Archwizard here might not survive it."

"No Umbra, I have nothing else to share."

Danny looked back over at the Archwizard to find him staring at Danny sadly. The older man finally said, "It took me most of my life for my affinities to be high enough to gain that affinity, and you... you’re..." The Archwizard was too befuddled to continue.

About that time the door opened and three girls walked into the room and stood quietly by the door.

Umbra noticed them and said, "Shadow Basalt and Archwizard, would you please excuse us?"

The five adults, on the sides of the table, quietly got up and left the room. Umbra motioned for the three girls by the door to sit down on the other side from Danny.

Once they were seated, Umbra began, "Jade, Ivy, and Brooke. I would like to introduce you to the potential final member of your future shadow, Adept Danny Creek."

The three girls nodded as she said their names. Danny suddenly got quite nervous as they all turned to look intently at him. Jade was a tall and gangly girl with dark blonde hair with bright green eyes. Danny thought she looked familiar but was sure he would remember those eyes. Ivy was a petite girl with dark hair and brown eyes. Danny knew she could easily be a child model in his former world. Brooke was a large girl with blonde hair and brown eyes. Once again, she looked familiar as well. Danny had perfect memory so he most know someone related to them. Danny guessed them all to be slightly older than his seven years.

Turning and looking at Danny, Umbra said, "From this moment forward, you are no longer a Creek. You are Adept Danny until such time as your shadow becomes official and is given a name. This will then become your family name. You are not from one of the noble houses and might not know this. Only the first two daughters can claim the name of a noble family. The rest must join another family as part of a Trio. This is why many noble families do not have more than three daughters. It is frowned upon for noble families to not produce a third daughter to give to our order.

Ivy is the leader of your group, she will be in charge. Ivy will also be the Strike, she will attack on the front line or retreat to fire from range at opportune moments. Brooke is the Guard, she is the one who will be on the front line. Jade is the Reach, she will attack from range or scout ahead for threats. Now normally we don't select wizards for this training until they are older so you four will be a bit of an experiment. Do you have any questions, Danny?"

"What will my positions be called," Danny asked.

Umbra blinked and looked at him strangely, "Wizard, of course."

"Oh, right... wizard." Danny suddenly wanted to pull the stone floor around him in a safe cocoon, where he couldn't be embarrassed.

"Any further questions?"

"No, Umbra."

"Good, I will allow you to have supper here in this room. That should come shortly. I will leave you, so you four can get to know each other a little better." Looking at both sides of the table she continued in a less formal tone, "I really hope this arrangement works out as you are some of the best your generation has to offer. Your team has potential we haven't seen in a long time."

With that, Umbra stood up and left the room.

There was silence for just a few moments but it seemed to stretch for an eternity. Right when Danny had built up the nerve to say something, Ivy spoke up.

"Danny, I want to welcome you to our group. I hope we can come to work well with each other. If you don't mind, could you tell us a little about your family?"

With this said, Ivy smiled and Danny realized this girl wasn't just beautiful. She knew how to use it to get what she wanted from others. Danny pictured warning lights flashing in his brain. Wasn't she too young to know how to do that? Danny tried to think back to when he was this age, what would it have been, elementary school? He needed to tread carefully here.

"Sure, I grew in the middle of the outer wall area. My mother is a leather crafter and my father helped in my family’s shop. The head of my family is a merchant, and the other member of my mother's Trio is a blacksmith. I have two older sisters, an older non-wizard brother, and a younger sister."

Ivy smiled at him and was about to ask another question when a woman pushed in a trolley with plates of food. She quickly doled out the plates and utensils. She also brought out a pot of steaming tea and cups. After receiving thanks from the four youngsters she left.

Ivy got up from there side of the table and came over to sit by Creek, explaining, "There, it looked odd us all sitting one side of the table."

"So, could I know more about your families?" Danny asked as Ivy sat down.

Ivy looked at the others before speaking first, "My family is in leadership roles in the Diadem government. My father was a wizard. I of course have two older sisters, two younger brothers, and four younger sisters."

Brooke spoke up next with a big grin on her face, "My family, Peak, is also in leadership..."

At the mention of her family name, Danny almost spit out the tea he had chosen to sip at that moment. Brooke noticed this and gave him a very familiar glare.

Groaning internally at this situation, Danny said, "I met your brother at the academy."

Brooke nodded, as if that was enough information for a justification and continued, "We also have a number of businesses that include the buying and selling of elemental crystals from the dwarfs. My father is a Fire wizard and aids our smithies. There're my two older sisters, you unfortunately met my younger brother, and I have two younger sisters.

Jade smiled shyly and said, "You have met my aunts and uncle, the Basalts."

Danny had his tea cup away from his face so he was prepared to smile and nodded for her to continue.

Jade continued, "My family, Bramble, has leadership roles as well. The family business is financing and investments throughout the country. Then there is just my sisters and I."

Brooke spoke up next excitedly, "So what kinds of magic can you do!"

Ivy looked annoyed at her outburst, but Danny just laughed.

"I have all the five elements, plus Nature and Storm magic."

The smile left Brooke's face as silence reigned throughout the room.

Ivy was the first to recover, "Wow, that's amazing. Umbra said you were an adept."

"Yes, I just started at the academy last spring, and only recently went for my Stone and Air exams. I didn't want to get in over my head if they were too difficult."

Ivy looked at him shrewdly and asked, "Were they difficult?"

"Oh yeah, I wasn't sure if I had the Air exam beat or not."

Ivy nodded, seeming pleased with his response.

Danny asked a question that had been bugging him, "So how old are you all? I am seven and a half."

Brooke said, "I'm nine."

Jade said, "Nine."

Ivy said, "I'm ten."

Danny was shocked, he thought Ivy was the youngest. Brooke he had pegged about right, but was left wondering how tall Jade was going to get. Danny had thought Jade was the oldest, with her height.

Ivy looked at everyone and suggested, "Looks like everyone's done, so I suggest we adjourn for the night. We will have time later to talk."

Danny looked at Ivy wondering how old this girl really was. Brooke and Jade acted about the right age, but Ivy was like a little adult. Maybe she had increased intelligence like he did. Could that be why no one questioned the way he spoke... Maturity has some effects on the way one speaks. For Ivy it must be burdens of leadership, he guessed.

As they were all walking out of the room, a woman he guessed was in her fifties stopped talking to a desk worker and walked their way. Danny recognized her from earlier in the cavern. She reached them and greeted the girls before turning to Danny.

"Hello, Danny, I am instructor Meadow. I will be teaching you not to get killed when the other members are too distracted to watch your back. Do you have any skills in weapons?"

"I have two levels in unarmed and one in staves."

"Good, we can use that. With your spells, you wizards don't need much ranged weapon training. I usually start teaching a single-handed weapon to new wizards, but the staff is a good weapon too. Should keep you alive ‘til the others can come save you.

I will take you to the boys’ dorm and your new room. We have a bell system like the academy. Follow the other boys to breakfast and then be out in the training area with your team as soon as possible."

"Should I wear my academy uniform?"

"You will be given a new uniform to wear and anything else you will need can be provided by the dorm. Are you ready?"

"One more thing, what about my family?"

Instructor Meadow looked ready to go but paused with this new question. "Look, you can't go to see them until your training here is over. Then before you start your 'apprenticeship' with Wizard Basalt you will have a break to visit them. Someone from the order will get in touch with them shortly."

"How long is my training here supposed to take?"

"That depends on you..."

Danny didn't like that answer but figured he didn't want to know the real answer. Danny turned to see the three girls still standing there. Danny said his goodnights to them and followed instructor Meadow.

CHAPTER 26

Danny's cell, as he liked to call it, in the boys’ dorm was about two meters by three meters. Enough for a bed and a trunk. Besides time spent in the bedrooms, bathrooms, and afternoon training, everything else was done with your team. The whole cavern was humid, and it always seemed like there was water dripping somewhere. The constant dripping was about to drive him crazy. The dorm, like the rest of the complex, was carved out of the stone around the cavern. Apparently if they needed a room they just picked another spot on an open wall and carved out a door. There was just one entrance into the boys’ dorm, a fire code violation if Danny ever saw one. The dining hall was in between the two dorms. Danny woke to the bell in the hallway of the boys’ dorm. Without any windows the sound just kept jumping around for what seemed like forever. No trouble sleeping through that. Food was already laid out on the table on plates, and Danny was pleased to see a steaming teapot between every four place settings. Brooke waived at Danny when he entered with some older boys, and he headed over to them. Danny had been given black trousers and a dark red shirt to wear. His shoes were replaced for some boots that actually felt pretty comfortable.

Sitting down, he greeted everyone and poured himself some tea, taking a sip.

Ivy watched him happily drinking, and asked, "So how did you like your room?"

"Oh, it was a little on the big side, but after I get my desk and bookshelves down here it will be right cozy."

Ivy smirked but didn't reply.

Brooke thought it was pretty funny and said, "I kept falling off the bed, not being used to one so small, I finally gave up and just slept on the floor."

Danny looked around and said, "So how often do we get to go outside, or do we stay down here the whole time."

"No, we do a lot of training outside the city."

"That's a relief." Danny picked up his fork and started digging into his food.

The day started with everyone practicing unarmed moves. It reminded Danny a lot of the karate classes he attended, except they were not learning karate.

They did this for about an hour, then they started running. At about this point Danny was ready to call it a day, but instructor Meadow had other ideas.

***

Hours later, at lunch, Danny decided that he hated Meadow's ideas. He also concluded that her ideas hated him right back. Danny could feel everything in his body and everything was throbbing and yelling at him to stop. They had practiced unarmed moves, run, climbed, lifted, and then practiced with a weapon of their choice. Danny of course grabbed a staff. He wasn't about to pick up one of the dull metal training swords that looked like they weighed twice as much as he did.

Danny did his best to only complain internally, but he noticed the sympathetic looks he got from his teammates. They did their best to encourage him.

After lunch it was specialty training. The girls went their separate ways and instructor Meadow introduced Danny to the scariest-looking little wizard Danny had ever seen. He wore a black duster with red trim. Meadow said his name was instructor Pebble. Danny just called him Wizard to be safe. The man's sleeves were so stretched out, Danny didn't know why they didn't just get him a duster that fit him. Danny was directed to a training room that looked similar to the ones at the academy. Except this one had, in either corner of the wall with the door, a small pool of water and plot of earth. Also, this training room was set farther from the others.

Opening the door, instructor Pebble, said, "This is your training room, you keep it clean. You will practice every day and use your magic as much as possible to increase your mana reserves. I was told about your gifts and cannot help teach you. So instead I will challenge you. You will create a novel defense and offense using each of the elements you control. You will have to show you can use these quickly and under pressure."

"How long do I have to complete this?"

"You have until I start to wonder if you’re actually trying."

Danny did his best to hide his confused look. "Besides cleaning up before I leave, is there anything else I should know?"

"Yes, if you are going to kill yourself in some stupid way, try not to make too big of a mess as I will be the one to clean it up."

"Sure...'

The door slammed as the wizard abruptly left.

Danny looked around and saw a crate next to the stairs. Inside was a few smaller baskets with apples, grapes, and strawberries. Confused, he didn't know if these were for training or lunch. Shrugging his shoulders, he got to work.

***

By the end of the first week, Danny was ready to try and see if reincarnation would work again. His aches had aches, and the only thing that he felt like he was improving on was magic.

For Fire affinity he made a wall of fire, and then for an attack, he made a sweeping whip of flame. It was almost too easy to make new things now. The only question was if he could do it under pressure. So he practiced the spells until they were second nature. He learned to split the Fire whips and give them multiple tails. The wall of flames was pretty straight forward and could be shaped different ways. He also wanted to make a better Fireball so he practiced creating a free floating ball of mana, then sending a stream of mana in front of it, then when he cast the Fire rune to create the Fireball, it would attach to the mana stream allowing him to control it. Well he could control it slightly. His ability to correct its trajectory was limited by how far he could stretch his mana. This was a two-step process compared to the firewall and Fire whips.

Danny was excited, and then annoyed when he discovered his efforts got him to Journeyman in Fire affinity. He usually ended his week by checking his mental sanctuary. He walked into the mana room to find two additional walls. One wall looked like a volcano barfed on it and the other was covered in ice. Between the Fire and Air walls was now, "Cold Affinity". He figured Fire and Air would make steam, but he was apparently wrong and the other wall was between Earth and Fire, called "Lava Affinity." While he was excited by the development, this meant he had to come up with even more attacks and defenses. Stupid advancement. Once again, he had three levels in each already. Danny thought, *Thanks public education, these Diadems... Diademians... Diademites... they were missing out.*

The next day the teams were given packs and led down, yet another, long corridor to the north. Of course they jogged it. Only this time it took as long as the corridor he had come down to reach the headquarters. When they emerged from the tunnel they were in a cave. Leaving the cave brought them out onto an overlook of a forest, with mountains in the distance to the west. It was beautiful, and Danny realized he had never left the city before. It took him a moment to realize that the trees here were enormous. They stretched high into the air. There were some smaller varieties interspersed amongst the larger. This must be the Great Forest.

Danny also realized that the only animals he’d seen were either the domestic kind or the random horse they let draw something exceptionally heavy through the city. For some reason they rarely let any large animals into the city.

Instructor Meadow walked around and handed each team a map of a location to visit. Each map was different and included collection points for picking up items to be delivered as proof of successfully navigating the forest. Teams started leaving and Ivy turned to Danny.

"Have you been out into a forest yet?"

"No, I haven't even been out of the city."

"OK, don't worry, we have done this plenty of times. We should probably head out now because this could take a couple of days."

He nodded thinking, *what is there to worry about?*

***

So Danny was pretty worried. As he had been told, there were regular animals in this world and then there were beasts. What wasn’t explained very well was that these creatures were like animals put on steroids and then run through a nuclear blast. Some of these beasts, called ‘variants,’ had learned to unlock their mana and take on elements around them. Danny figured he would be able to use his mana sight to locate these creatures, but since every creature was born with a connection to the source, his vision lit up like a bonfire. Every bird, squirrel, lizard, and ant caused it to be all but useless for anything other than the closest of inspections.

The ‘normal’ beast boar in front of them could be best compared to a bull. They could have all jumped on its back and headed to the county fair for the first place prize. The best part was when Danny found it by stepping on its tail. Apparently when sleeping they look just like a big hairy algae covered hill.

Danny forgot all about what magic was, or how it existed, and just ran his little legs as fast as they could go. When he turned around, it was to see a nine year old Brooke shrugging her pack off onto the ground, pulling the car door she calls a shield off her back, and a mace from her waist. She was taking hits from the thing and deflecting them to avoid most of the force. Jade was strafing the beast shooting every vulnerable spot she could locate. Danny looked over to see Ivy land a stab on the thing’s nose before jumping back just in time to pull a crossbow off her back and shoot it in the eye.

Danny was ashamed of his inactivity. Raising his hand he began to cast a spell when the beast fell to the ground, dead. Running over, Danny went to each girl searching for injuries.

"I am so sorry, did anyone get hurt? I didn't even see it there. I didn't know they could get so big! Oh, Brooke you got hurt! Here I will heal you!"

Ivy grabbed Danny by the shoulders, "Danny calm down, we deal with this every time we come out here, it's how we train. We should have seen the boar. Next time, don't run away unless I give the command. Plus, this was just a baby. It must have gotten separated from the rest of its herd. "

"Yes, Ivy, sorry. Can I heal Brooke now?"

Ivy nodded and Danny ran over to heal a gash Brooke got on her head where the boar knocked her shield into it.

Brooke smiled and patted Danny on the head, "Thanks Danny, you sure are handy. A lot better than bandaging it up and waiting for it to heal naturally."

"Sure, anytime."

Ivy called out, "Let's keep moving, hopefully we will reach our objective and won't run into the boars."

***

They had been trudging along at a fast pace. Danny was struggling to keep up, but no one was saying anything about it. He had taken to using the staff he’d brought as a hiking pole. His other hand held a quarter of his mana ready to become a Fire whip at a moment’s notice. Ivy, looking down at their map, signaled for a stop. The other girls crouched down beside her. Danny, on the other hand, sort of fell, face first, on the ground near them. Brooke snorted at this, but Ivy just started talking, ignoring him.

"We are not far from the first drop off point. It's down in that valley. Danny be ready to fight another beast or more. Meadow never puts these points somewhere easy."

Danny raised an arm in recognition. Then he slowly pushed himself up. They started down into the valley. The forest became extremely thick and difficult to move through. Jade was able to find a path for them through it, somehow. The girl was always running ahead and then returning to report what she found. Danny wondered how much higher her agility was than his?

After Jade returned from scouting ahead, Ivy signaled for a stop and absolute silence. Danny made as little noise as possible sitting on the ground next to the others.

Whispering, Jade said two words, "Beast Snake."

Taking up their positions. Brooke was in front, her shield and mace out. Behind her was Ivy, with her sword and crossbow. Then Danny, who had decided a staff was no use against giant snakes, held out both hands. Jade brought up the rear with her large bow.

Jade stepped forward to point out what she had seen before. A large snake skin lay wrapped around a tree where it had been shed. It was as wide as Danny was tall. Danny looked over at Ivy. She looked confused and looked around with concern. She noticed his stare and smiled at him reassuringly. Danny was not reassured.

They came up on a large cave near the bottom of the small valley. Ivy, of course, pointed at the cave while looking at her map. Brooke took a position near the side of the cave and waited. Jade found a vantage point in a nearby tree. Ivy, standing a ways back from Brooke, signaled for Danny, standing further behind her, to send in a light. Danny cast magic light into the cave and gave it enough power to last a while. As it flew through the entrance the high ceilings inside were revealed. Along with a bed of branches and the bones of many animals. Danny was grossed out but relieved there weren't any snakes.

Jade cried out, "Danny!"

Danny heard the twang of her bow shortly after. Turning he saw two pairs of vertically slit eyes feet away from his face. The snake reared back a bit and opened his mouth to strike. The creature was enormous, and its mouth could easily swallow more than a few Danny's in one bite. Danny didn't think but stuck the mana stream he was holding in one hand out in a straight line and activated Fire rune. As just mana, it easily traveled right into the snake’s mouth and out the back of its body. Danny had come to believe that part of the mana flooded the affected area with oxygen, lowering the requirements needed to combust. The other part of the mana substituted for fuel when there was none.

The inside of the snake’s mouth, throat, and back caught fire. The snake began to writhe uncontrollably. The snake’s body coiled and flopped around hitting Danny and flinging him through the air. Fortunately he landed between some trees and slid to a stop. That didn't prevent his chest from throbbing extremely painfully where he had been struck. Looking up at the canopy Danny knew he had to get up and help finish the snake. He then heard Jade, still up in the tree.

"Snake!"

A few seconds later he heard Brooke yell, "Snake!"

"Danny get up and help Jade!" Ivy's commanded while breathing heavily.

Danny struggled to his feet to see Brooke and Ivy battling another snake. Brooke took strikes as best she could on her shield, while also using it to bash the snake. And Ivy also struck out at the stunned snake.

Looking over to Jade, he saw a third snake slowly making its way up to her. Jade was sending arrows into the snake from above, but the angle and foliage in the way made it difficult. Both of the two new snakes were nowhere near as big as the first one he’d burned. That didn't stop them from being large compared to the apprentices. Ivy's snake was smart, keeping its eyes and mouth closed. The arrows bounce easily off its scales.

Danny didn't want to burn the snake and possibly the tree with Jade in it. Using the vines to grip an animal without real shoulders or hips could potentially be pointless. He also used up more than half of his mana on that first snake that now lay unmoving where he was thrown.

Earth would take too much mana and too long. Even with Earth spike which sacrifices strength and density for speed. He hadn't had much practice with cold or lava, so that left Air. He had a crazy idea and not enough time to come up with something better. Casting two balls of mana with the remainder of his mana he ran closer while sending them on tethers. One above the snake’s position and one near the ground below Jade. Fortunately, the snake was too distracted by Jade to notice his actions. Adding his remaining mana to the ball, near to where the snake was about to pass, he caused it to spin. Then he activated Air rune. The saw blade of air came into existence next to the tree, then once it had enough spin he moved it. The tree blew apart and the snake was cut in half. Jade went flying but Danny was ready. Ignoring shrapnel and snake bites flying all over him, Danny moved his second mana ball to intercept Jade. As she was just above it Danny used Air rune, commanding the air to stop. Jade didn't stop with it but slowed like she was moving through molasses. Seeing her safely settled on the ground he turned to the last snake.

Ivy was on its head thrusting her blade through its head, while the snake had Brooke's shield half way in its mouth. They both quickly moved away from the thrashing body of the dying snake.

Danny turned back to Jade, to see her sitting up from the ground. She smiled gratefully at him, then the smile was slowly replaced by one of horror.

Not again..., Danny thought tiredly.

He turned to see the burned snake from before lunging for him. If it wasn't for the scorch marks on the beast’s mouth and head he wouldn't have recognized it. It looked like the snake had been soaked in lighter fluid and set on fire. Flames whipped around it as it moved quickly towards Danny.

Danny was out of mana and had no time to pull out his staff. Without mana he couldn't cast Fire armor, which wouldn't help against the physical attack of the snakes fangs and body. Being able to think so fast was a burden.

With the sun shining behind the snake's head, Danny didn't have to squint as much when the shadow of the snake’s head and fangs crossed Danny's face. Then the snakes head slammed into the ground and slid forward, just inches from him. A massive blade pierced through its head. It had happened so quickly Danny hadn't seen it happen. Instructor Meadow stood with one foot on the snake’s head. Looking at her standing there, Danny realized the snakes were abnormally large but also his perception was skewed by his diminished height. Instructor Meadow beat with her boot to extinguish the flames that had caught hold there.

"Good work you four. I almost stepped in when the first snake got close to eating Danny here. I was surprised when you roasted it from the inside. It is very rare to hear of a variant being hurt by its own element."

They all made their way over to their teacher, breathing heavily. Meadow turned to each of them, giving her evaluation.

"Jade, you should focus on your team’s flanks and rear for threats when they are focused on entering a possible enemy location. You are supposed to be their eyes in the back of their heads."

Jade looked utterly ashamed, "Yes instructor Meadow."

"Danny, you need to be ready to use your spells at a moment’s notice. Was that spell what you planned to use, burning the snake from the inside out?"

Danny looked abashed, "No, instructor Meadow."

Looking over at the remains of Jade's tree and the decapitated snake, Meadow smiled, "Danny, good work saving Jade, I was impressed with that."

Danny nodded before Meadow continued, "Brooke, good work."

"Ivy, your team is raw still but has much potential. Make sure they train their weaknesses so they become their strengths. I had planned on using this location with the idea that there was just one of the smaller snakes, not three." Patting the dead snake below her she said, "This one was not supposed to be this close to our training area. You four have gone above my expectations. Now get your mission item and get back. I will see you there."

With that, instructor Meadow grabbed her blade, pulled it out of the ground and snake like it was nothing. Danny could see the large muscles flexing in her arms. Danny suddenly wanted to increase his strength attribute. She turned and ran with amazing speed towards the way they had come from.

Danny was suddenly tackled from behind as he heard Jade’s voice, "I am so sorry Danny, you almost died. I am so sorry!"

The girl began to cry quietly. Danny managed to turn around and give her a reassuring pat on the back. "It's alright Jade, just help me keep an eye out while I am casting magic. I have to focus and can miss things going on around me."

Jade let go of him and quickly wiped the tears from her face, nodding rapidly.

Danny looked at the three and said, "Alright, who needs healing?"

"Danny, take care of yourself first and heal Brooke, Jade, then me," Ivy said.

Since he hadn't figured out how to only use part of the mana in his body to heal, he sent free floating balls of what mana he had regenerated towards everyone. Divvying up his mana equally he used up the remaining mana in his body before casting Life rune on the girls in the order Ivy ordered.

"That was all of my mana. Does anyone have anything that needs additional healing?

Ivy and Jade responded in the negative, but Brooke had a fracture in her shield arm from taking hits from the snake. Ivy and Jade went to retrieve the mission item from the empty cave. Brooke and Danny sat down to wait till he had recovered enough mana to heal her. While they waited, they scanned the area behind each other for threats.

"I'm glad you’re safe Danny," Brooke said.

"Me? You’re the one with the broken arm," Danny teased.

"Danny, you almost died... twice."

"Yeah... How did Meadow know we were going to need help?"

"They always send a trainer or other member out with anyone going out here for the first time," Brooke explained. "We were kind of lucky, since we would have had a difficult time just the three of us."

"You would have gotten this mission if I hadn't shown up?"

Brooke shrugged her shoulders, "Probably. They usually prepare things so we are challenged, but accidents happen. Kids don't come back."

Danny was shocked. He didn't realize how serious this was ‘til he stepped on that boar this morning. Feeling he had enough mana, Danny took her arm and repaired the fracture. Danny determined that healing bones and flesh converted mana into energy the body could use and guided it to repair itself at an amazing rate. Unfortunately, the materials from the repairs came from the person, so they would be hungry later.

"There you are, good as n... oof!"

Brooke hugged Danny to her tightly. Danny thought, *Wow, this girl is strong!* He patted her back like he had Jade’s. Brooke didn't cry, that wasn't her thing. She did have tears in her eyes, but they didn't fall. Danny looked away to hide his own. *These poor children,* he thought. He wondered if this was really necessary to save their people. Were these sacrifices truly required?

"Well, I am suddenly feeling left out...," Ivy said standing above them. Jade was looking around, determined. Danny could tell she was already doing her best to not let any threats reach them.

As Brooke and Danny got up, jokingly he said, "I am sure Brooke will be happy to give you a hug too."

Ivy looked at Danny for a second before reaching out and pulling him into a hug. This shocked him more than the other two girls. She was strong, not as strong as Brooke. She said, "I apologize that you were almost eaten multiple times while under my charge. We will do better next time we come out here."

Danny looked at the other two girls confused. They were not paying them any attention. He figured Ivy would not be the touchy-feely type. Was she doing it for him? Unsure of how to handle this, he said, "Uh, sure, no problem. We got this, so don't worry."

Ivy pouted, "Jade and Brooke got back patting, where is mine?"

Realizing he had his hands hovering in the air above them he lowered them around her and patted her back. After a few seconds of this Ivy pulled away. "Alright everyone let's move out. We are not getting back before nightfall, but we will try and get as far as we can."

***

They continued back in silence, but as Ivy predicted, it got dark quickly and they were not anywhere close to getting back to where they started earlier that day. She called for the group to start looking for a suitable spot to camp.

"What are we exactly looking for?" Danny asked her.

"We need a defensible location that is high enough to keep us dry if it rains. I don't want to wake up to find we slept in a low spot as it fills with water."

They kept searching for a few minutes when Danny thought about how he had heard some survivalists would sleep in trees in the wild. It was supposedly safer.

"What about I make us a spot up in a tree?"

Ivy looked away from her search of the surroundings to look at him. "What do you mean?"

Looking up at the massive trees Danny had another idea, "I should be able to make a tree grow out a hollow space for us to sleep in. We couldn't use a fire but we will be dry and high up."

"You mean like the elves build their homes? You can do that, Danny?"

"I have never seen the elven homes before, but I should be able to make something crude."

"How about we find a good camping spot, and then you can go make us an elven cottage in the sky."

"Ha, sure."

It didn't take them long to find a small hill with a flat enough top for them all to fit on. Danny was exhausted and just wanted to crash on his pallet, but he would sleep better up higher. Sure, the snakes could get up there, but he could probably make it difficult for them to reach his group.

He thought about all the things he would do if he had enough time, or mana. He made hand and footholds sticking out up one side of the tree. Climbing was harder than making the handholds. Then high up he found a group of branches he liked. He had learned that his Nature affinity allowed him to modify existing plants. The closer to the natural structure of the plant Danny kept it, the lower the cost of mana. Looking around he got on one of the limbs and tested its support ability. He might as well have been jumping on the ground. He crawled to a nearby branch with the same results. Now the fun part. He stretched the two limbs towards each other a quarter of the way down them from the trunk. He then merged them together so that they shared bark and internal fibers. The tree seemed to fight his modifications less as he did that. Then he raised limbs up in a bowl before spreading them out so he could merge them.

"Wow, you are doing it."

"Ahhhh! Ivy, don't sneak up on me while I am focused on magic... ON A GIANT TREE!"

She giggled cutely.

Danny sighed, "Well it's good you’re here. I am going to have enough mana to make us a space here to sleep. I was going to make one large room, then add a partition for me to sleep in."

"Why?" Ivy smiled at him curiously.

"So that..." Danny thought about that for a moment. He looked down and remembered he was only seven. "I forget why. Can you think of anything else we might need? I can make this room and maybe something else. At least for now."

Ivy hesitated for a second and then asked, "Could we have somewhere up here so we don't have to climb down the tree in the middle of the night."

Danny was confused for a second before his mouth made an "O." Looking down he realized he would need to build their outhouse on a branch away from where they would come down the next day. Danny finished the tumorous looking room, giving it a doorway that curled back on the room like a snail shell. Then he made a small pathway to a nearby branch and formed a smaller platform. He created a raised seat with a hole all the way through. Then he made a curved half wall hiding the seat from the new hut.

Going back to the tree house, Danny found all three girls waiting outside. There was barely enough light to see by.

Brooke smiled while looking up at the large ball now on the tree, "Danny, you did all this!"

"Yes, you all ready to go in?"

As the four team members walked into the tree house, Danny cast a light spell on the ceiling. He gave it enough mana to last a while

"This is great, Danny," Ivy said. "Brooke brought your pack up here, so let's all unpack, get some dinner, and go to sleep."

The room was big enough for them all to have space for their pallets and their backpacks. The center of the room was used for food preparation. They couldn't start a fire, but with the four of them in the small space, it became warm enough to be comfortable. Danny was the first to finish and crashed on his bed.

***

In the morning Danny woke up and was a bit disoriented until he remembered where he was. He sat up, and through the small amount of light entering from outside, could see everyone else and their things were gone. Getting up quickly he changed and packed his backpack. As he left the little tree house, he found them sitting on the edge of the platform talking.

Brooke turned hearing him and said teasingly, "Good morning your highness, did you sleep well?"

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Danny complained.

"Oh, we tried but you slept like the dead."

"Don't worry, we were warned about this when working with wizards. Any serious strain on mana usage and they sleep heavily that night," Ivy said. "We will give you a moment to eat some breakfast, and do whatever else you need to do, then we need to get going."

Nodding, Danny quickly finished his morning routine and they all climbed down from the tree. There were numerous animals and beasts in this forest, but Jade was good at leading them around any hazards. The arrived back at the cave entrance they started at the day before. Instructor Meadows greeted them and told them to head back on their own. They were given free time for the rest of the day.

CHAPTER 27

Danny's training with the order continued over the next five long years. First his weeks, then months, and finally years became a repetitive exercise. A massive blur of activity that never seemed to end. Between the trainings, missions, and crashing into his bed at night, Danny’s life was filled with purpose.

He was now thirteen and had gained much in those years. At first, he wondered when he would get to work with Wizard Basalt, but his growth in other areas soon quieted any complaints. By training as a team in the mornings, Danny learned how to move more in sync with the others. The three girls had already developed a style to their teamwork and Danny did his best to integrate himself.

After the snake incident, Ivy dedicated herself to creating strategies for different possible engagements and how she wanted them to initially respond to a variety of threats. This way they wouldn't be waiting on her commands if they were caught in a bind.

Like the first half of his year at the academy, no one had much time for socializing outside their groups. The exception was at meal times and their brief free time. The other boys were all older than him and seemed to always be in some sort of competition with one another over who was the most powerful wizard. Danny never cared to take their bait and join them, he had more important things to worry about.

With every year that passed the other female trainees seemed to warm up to him. At first they all seemed upset at him and his group. Danny hadn’t cared enough to try and find out why. He did notice that when he had been speaking with another girl for more than a few minutes, one of his teammates would always suddenly appear to join in the conversation. Which then soon ended

Free time was only given as an incentive for completing the weekly missions to the forest as quickly as possible. Danny quickly resigned himself to the fact that these missions were obviously designed to be completed in the time allowed. Free time was a rare event.

The other teams ranged in age but always contained the four same builds his team had, Guard (strength), Reach (speed), Strike (adaptability), and, if a Trio showed promise, a Wizard (magic). No one had time for petty squabbles, especially since they would be punished if Meadows found out about it. The only competition fostered in the program was one against the never-ending hill known as weakness. The stronger a Trio, the quicker a wizard would be assigned to them.

Over these five years, Danny got to really know the three girls he had been teamed with. Danny discovered that one can truly learn the character of a person when mutual survival is on the line.

Ivy was stern and used to getting her way, but she was also fair and grew to be a great team leader. Ivy rarely cracked under pressure, except he noticed, when he was personally in serious danger. She focused on perfecting her blade and crossbow skills, rarely deviating to other weapons. He discovered that she received training in foreign languages and customs, tactics, and leadership in her individual time. Ivy became even more beautiful as they got older and her height almost matched his. She was not as athletic looking as her other Trio members, but she would not be considered weak in appearance.

Brooke was always quick to laugh and looked for any reason to have fun. She especially liked finding where Danny had chosen to hide during their brief free time, and dragged him away to join them. Brooke had developed high skills in an array of weapons, mostly large one and two-handed weapons. Though she tended to prefer an oversized mace and shield when they were out in the field. When he had first teamed up with Brooke she had been a rather large overweight girl, but now she looked like a bodybuilder. She was slightly taller than him and, as she gained muscle tone and definition, was turning into a very handsome young woman.

Jade was always shy and reserved. Danny liked that he could always count on her to be there whenever he was in a bind. She moved through the forest like a ghost and sometimes only through his Air scan could he find her. She preferred her bow and short swords, though she also practiced most lighter weapons and throwing knives. Jade was slowly transforming from a gangly youth into the embodiment of a professional athlete. All her movements looked unnaturally effortless and graceful. Her tall body could move through a room like a ballet dancer would across a stage.

As Danny's physical skills increased, he learned there was no easy "grinding" in this world for levels. His lack of athletic aptitude from his previous life seemed to follow him to this one. Most gains were made with hard work, lots and lots of hard work. The first few levels took weeks or a month, after that it was anyone’s guess. As his unarmed and staff skills grew he was able to get Meadow to let him learn to fight with a few other weapons. His plan was to gain the first few levels in as many proficiencies as possible.

He trained daggers, short sword, and crossbow to level three. Unfortunately, Meadow required him to reach higher levels before he moved on to anything else. It was nice for him to notice how these little attribute increases added up to increase his speed and strength. Compared to his attempts at karate in his old life, he could tell that these physical increases were not normal and augmented. Though, just being able hit harder or move faster didn't make you technically more skilled with a weapon. He suspected that this was the reason they didn't try and train as many skills as possible.

Danny's run skill increased to level five, jump skill reached level four, and climb skill reached level three. Sneak rose to level four, as it was a crucial skill to avoiding most dangers in the forest. He gained two new athletics skills through fighting and moving through the Great Forest. Since, Danny learned quickly that it is better to avoid a hit than take it, he acquired the "Dodge" skill. Thanks to his slower speed than the others, it increased quickly to level four. He also gained the first two levels in the "Swim" skill from having to travel through a few rivers and some ponds.

The girls were already to the journeyman level and higher in most of these skills. Danny had a lot of catching up to do. The benefits for journeyman level skills were double that of apprentice level skills. Journeyman skills were not gained by repetitive actions but through insights and learning advanced techniques.

His sanctuary gained a new bookshelf called "Labor," and it held the first four levels in "Hauling." He assumed this was from carrying his backpack around the forest and during training at the headquarters. Another bookshelf, titled "Domestic," held the first two levels of "Cook" and "Clean." Growing up, he always had someone else to feed him and clean his laundry. In the Order, he was expected to take care of his own needs, especially during missions. The "Survival" bookshelf was created, and he now had two levels in "Hunting" and "Foraging," and three levels in "Woodcraft." The girls had taught him many tricks to traveling and surviving in the forest. Foraging probably came from gathering herbs and minerals while in the forest.

Danny finally found time to use his alchemy skills. The alchemy kit contained a few simple ingredients and equipment to prepare compounds and potions. Everything in this world contained magic to some degree. Plants, animals, insects, and even minerals contained magic. Combining different ingredients would result in different effects. Danny didn't get to practice much but was able to raise his alchemy skill to journeyman level. This provided him with a wealth of knowledge into harvesting and preparing ingredients for use. He was happy to take advantage of the order's craftsmen and commission a few new pieces of equipment he would use in his laboratory back on earth. With this he was able to purify potions to levels not listed in his book. He would need to visit an actual alchemist to determine the level of his potions.

In his sanctuary, his skill library had grown with every bookshelf added. His attribute triangle was looking a little more impressive. Intelligence was almost half way between the copper and iron triangles. Strength was an eighth of the way to the copper. Not impressive but better than the next to nothing it was before. Besides his normal growth, he felt heavier and stronger than when he started, so that was important. His agility was over a quarter of the way to copper. He could feel his movements become more fluid and faster. He also was taller than when he started, so he must have hit a growth spurt. Looking at Jade, she was a head taller than him. He wondered if there was a height connection with high agility.

Danny discovered his greatest ability with mana manipulation was activating mana directly inside another creature’s body, especially with the Fire, Water, and Cold affinities. Water was the surprise offensive affinity for him. It was easier to manipulate the water within a creature’s body than using the other affinities. He could remove the water from a creature’s body or add more. Adding water usually had less than pleasant results when examining the remains of the creatures’ bodies. Fire would easily scald their cells and cold slowed down their movements. Outright boiling tissue or completely freezing a creature’s body was very mana consumptive, as evidenced by his experience with the snake. Since even using Water affinity was very mana consumptive, he learned to debilitate his enemies and let the others finish them off. This left him with mana to spare in case emergencies occurred. With his efforts, cold affinity raised to level four.

He finally tested Lava affinity out once in a wide clearing in the forest. While the girls watched his back he used most his mana before he got a result. The grass in a small spot began to dry up and turn black. Then the ground began to move and undulate like boiling water. Lava appeared in a small circle where he had focused. He could feel the heat pouring off of the lava from where he sat. The circle was depressingly no bigger than his foot. Unfortunately, this Lava affinity required tremendous amounts of mana like the Storm affinity. It was currently not practical for him to use with his level of mana.

He got better at making his tree houses. They rarely were sent the same direction in the Great Forest so he had plenty of opportunities to practice. He took to carrying seeds in a pouch on his waist and would graft fruit trees he grew into the platform of the tree house. He also began to build cage-like walls of branches around the platform after something large tried to get in their room one night. That night he had reacted instinctively and scared it off with fire. Once he used water to put out the little fires he’d set everywhere, the girls took turns yelling at him about using Fire magic while in a tree. Well not all of them, Jade just gave him very dirty looks ‘til they went back to their beds. Danny didn't sleep much more that night.

His efforts in learning how to create tree houses, with the tree instead of against it, netted him a level to his Nature affinity. He was now a Journeyman in Nature and was not rewarded with a new affinity, but with an idea. While Earth and Water are used as the building blocks for plants, he had forgotten what else relied on these two elements. Mammals, reptiles, birds, insects, etc., all relied on the Earth and Water for Life. Of course, energy was required as well, but that was were mana came in. Mana was like the universal multi-tool.

***

Meadows seemed pleased with his progress. That being said, she always seemed to push him further the second he showed any aptitude in any skill that he previously struggled with. Jade was always happy to help him train his weapon skill. Even though she preferred her bow and short swords, she was still hands-down better than he was. Her increased agility from all her other skills made her speed impossible for Danny to match, let alone beat. Danny was a little embarrassed when he first realized she purposely slowed her movements down when they started practicing. Of course, Meadows put an end to that, and he would leave every day for lunch with new bruises all over his body. Jade would fuss over him and pout until he healed them.

Instructor Pebble seemed nonplussed with the mana manipulated offensive and defensive casting abilities Danny had come up with. Thinking he was not working hard enough, Danny suggested ideas for what he could do next. Instructor Pebble just interrupted him by waiving his hand, saying, "Sounds good kid... just don't stop using as much mana as you can every day." As Danny looked at the closing door, he figured he would be told when he was lagging behind.

***

Danny was practicing staves with Jade after their morning workout. While nearby Ivy attempted to find gaps in Brooke's shield defense. Instructor Meadow interrupted them and asked them to follow her to her office. The older woman sat down behind her desk and the four of them took a seat in the only other chairs in the room.

Crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair, instructor Meadow looked at each of them saying, "You have done well this past year and I am having trouble finding you new challenges in this side of the forest. It's time for you to receive your trial mission from the order. Your trial mission has been chosen based on your capabilities. Since I expect more from you than the other teams, this will not be an easy first assignment.

Hunters and trappers have reported goblins in the area far to the north. They are stealing from the hunters’ traps and overhunting the area. Goblins tend to move in large groups and are known to trespass into our part of the forest from time to time. Expect to find a camp set up somewhere in the area. You are to kill or at least drive them off by any means. Anything you find after they have been successfully driven off is yours, unless it is personally marked. Personally marked items will be returned to their owners. I have a map with a circled area showing where they have been spotted. Be warned, the beasts in these areas are larger and you could be up against variants."

She extended a map to Ivy, who looked over it briefly before nodding.

Instructor Meadow continued, "Do you have any questions?"

Ivy asked, "What is the timeframe for completing the mission?"

"I will give you a month, by that time if you have not completed your mission, return. If you do not return within a week after that I will send another team to search for you."

"What is the expected enemy numbers?"

"Unknown, however goblins tend to operate in large groups. Expect at least twenty or more."

"That's everything I can think of at the moment, does anyone else have a question?" Ivy asked the rest of her team.

With no further questions, instructor Meadow dismissed them. Ivy suggested they break to prepare for the trip and meet back there in the morning for breakfast.

Danny went back to his room and prepared his things. His family had been told the cover story for his whereabouts and had sent his new backpack along with some supplies to help him on his journey. It was not an overly large pack with a few slots on the inside for clothing to be easily separated inside. The outside was littered with different sized pockets. A secondary backpack was made to attach to the back with straps. He easily figured out how to put it on and take it off. The secondary pack had a built-in multilayered chest, made from pieces of wood wrapped in leather. The chest was designed for his alchemy equipment and supplies. He sent a letter thanking his family profusely and told them he was doing well and still expected to be traveling with Wizard Basalt for a while.

CHAPTER 28

The next morning Danny was packed and ready to head out. They met one last time at their customary spot in the dining hall and after breakfast they retrieved their packs to head out. Their Journey would take them further into the forest than they had been before. Most of their missions had been within a few days travel from the headquarters. They always traveled in silence, only speaking when stopped. At their break for lunch on the first day, Danny brought up something he had been meaning to ask since they discovered the details of their mission.

"So, could someone explain to me what’s known about goblins? I do not really know much about them."

All three girls turned to stare at him blankly for a second before Brooke asked, "What did they teach you at the wizard academy?"

"...magic..."

Brooke blinked and replied, "Well, Goblins are shorter than most humans, with greenish to grey skin. They are tribe-like and breed like rabbits. When they grow too numerous, they form hordes that flood the surrounding lands. Those they don't kill are taken as slaves."

"Are they weak to anything?"

"Same things we are."

"Where did they originally come from?"

Brooke shook her head, "I don't know."

"I heard they were an evil wizard's experiment on the Fae," Ivy said in between bites of her lunch.

"Fae, like fairies with wings and magic dust," Danny asked curiously.

"I've never heard of the Fae having wings, but they do have powerful magic. They are ancient beings who are best avoided. Some say the elves are descended from them. At least that is what I was told," explained Ivy.

Danny couldn't believe all the stuff that wasn't in the wizard academy library. Did their society only depend on knowledge traveling by word of mouth?

***

Their journey continued for a few uneventful days when they were set upon by a pack of beast wolves.

Danny had been looking around the dense forest for plants resembling those from his alchemy books. If they had time on the trip he was going to practice his alchemy skill some more. Too much of his free time back at the headquarters were spent sleeping or trying to catch up with the girls. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. He was pleased that his magics were an equal contribution to any one of their martial skills. Over the years his magic had grown, but only at a slightly faster rate than before. He really wished he could measure his magic in some easy to discern fashion.

He had stopped as he spotted a new mushroom with black and blue spots. He quickly went over and started digging in the soil. He had to get the roots and this one apparently had something similar to a tap root, going deep into the ground.

Ivy called back to him, "Danny please keep up, what are you doing back there?"

"I just found a mushroom that I haven't seen before."

"Don't you dare eat that, it could be poisonous!"

"I am trying to level my alchemy skill, I'm not going to eat it..."

"Picking mushrooms is foraging not alchemy."

"I... I know that!"

Jade barked a warning from above, "Wolves, Danny to your left!"

Annoyed being been interrupted, Danny absently waived his hand to his left creating a half circle wall of flames, before going back to work on the mushroom.

Brooke yelled, "Wolves!"

It was Ivy’s turn to yell, “Danny, wolves!”

Danny had dug about six inches in the ground and the roots still hadn’t ended, “Ivy, it’s just wolves, nothing you three couldn’t handle. I almost have…”

Danny suddenly remembered he was a wizard, and starting laughing. Loosening the soil with Earth magic he quickly pulled up the rest of the mushroom. Standing up he turned around to show everyone his find, and stopped laughing.

Ivy was bent over with her hands on her legs, struggling to catch her breath. Around her were the corpses of four large beast wolves, each wolf had been significantly larger than her. One had been pierced through the eyes with a crossbow bolt, the other three had been run through at critical locations with her sword.

Brooke had taken a knee and rested her large shield on the ground. She had killed six wolves. Most of them had obviously flown a few meters, wrapped around trees or laying, unmoving, on the ground. This was made more impressive by the fact that she had done it with a one-handed mace.

Danny looked to his right and starved his Fire wall with Air magic. On the other side, Jade was pulling an arrow out of the five wolves she had shot. From what he could tell, each one seemed to only need one of her arrows to die.

Danny’s shock addled mind could only come up with this golden gem as proof of his high intelligence, “Oh…”

The sound of heavy breathing got louder and quickly Danny turned his head to see an irate Ivy, standing with her face inches from his own.

“What?” The question came out of her at a deceptively quiet volume.

Danny looked around timidly asked, “What… what?”

Ivy somehow had the mushroom in her hand before Danny could stop her, and turned to him with a smile Danny did not find reassuring, “What is so important about this mushroom that you almost got us killed? Can it maybe bring one of us back from the dead?”

Danny’s fight or flight response was heavily leaning towards flight. As he took a tentative step backwards he mumbled, “Arthritis…”

A look of confusion washed over Ivy’s face, “What about arthritis?”

Danny took another step and jumped as his back hit the tree the mushroom had been growing under. “It can be used to treat arthritis,”

If someone had been observing from above the tree line of that particular part of the forest that day, they would have seen countless birds in a seemingly mile radius take flight, obviously started by a loud high-pitched scream.

Danny’s face was scrunched up and bits of mushroom were peppered all over it. Danny turned his head to the side before spitting out the mushroom pieces. “Ivy, I am sorry, I got distracted again…”

Ivy threw her hands in the air, “You got distracted again! Danny, do I need to remind you about your propensity for getting distracted?”

“N… no.”

Ivy narrowed her eyes at him, “Yes, yes I do. I won’t go over all of them, but let’s get the highlights. Brooke, stop that and help me here.”

Brooke had fallen on her back and hadn’t stopped laughing until Ivy singled her out. “What about that… that Bigleg?”

Ivy rolled her eyes, “Yes, the Bigleg you say you saw!”

Danny sheepishly interrupted, “It’s Bigfoot… it’s called a Bigfoot…”

Ivy just shot daggers at him, “And what did it turn out to be?”

Embarrassed, Danny stayed quiet.

Brooke started laughing again, “An elements damn big forest troll! I didn’t think we were going to be able to kill that one… fast bugger.”

Danny nervously smiled, hoping Brooke’s laughter could change the mood, “Yeah, if you hadn’t crippled both its legs long enough for me to burn out its heart, I don’t know how we would have gotten it. It kept whipping its head around too quickly for me to hit its brain.”

Ivy wasn’t smiling, “Then you found that special plant in the forest.”

“I thought it was a plant with mana!”

“It was a male Nature variant beast snake, and it was mating season! How many snakes was that?”

Brooke was grinning at Danny’s obvious discomfort, “I counted at least twenty-seven…”

Danny crossed his arms and looked away.

Seeing his mood, Ivy changed tactics and spoke pleadingly to him, “Danny we could have avoided all of those fights…”

“…I know,” Danny quickly agreed as they started getting ready to leave.

That’s when one of the wolves Brooke had supposedly killed started whimpering.

Brooke sighed and walked over to it to deal the wolf a final blow when Danny yelled, "Wait!"

Brooke looked over at him, "What?"

"I want to try some new magic I got. Just make sure it doesn't attack me!"

Ivy came over having heard the interaction, "Danny is this really necessary, we need to get moving. We have already wasted enough time."

Danny looked at her pleadingly, “Please, just a few moments. It shouldn’t take long.”

Ivy sighed and silently nodded her head, defeated.

Danny turned around to find Brooke looking upset, "Danny I know this wolf tried to kill me, but I don't want to hear it suffering anymore."

"OK, hang on."

Danny looked at the animal and decided healing it was necessary. He couldn't have it attacking them once healed. Grabbing a few seeds from the pouch at his belt, he bound it with vines. Making sure they were nice and strong he started to heal the wolf. When its whimpering stopped Brooke visibly relaxed only to be replaced by a different anxiety.

"We need to make camp soon, so I hope this is worth it, Danny," Ivy said with concern.

Danny was actual surprised Ivy hadn't told him to stop already. He looked up to his left where he last heard his teammate's voice, "Jade, would you watch my back?"

"Already on it," came the reply to his right.

Looking over at Ivy and Brooke, Danny explained, "I haven't had a chance to use my magic on an animal and don't know when I will get another chance."

Ivy looked like she was going to strangle him, "Danny they keep chickens in a specially made room near the kitchens for quick access to their eggs and meat. You could have used one of those!"

"Oh..."

"Did you ask anyone for an animal to practice on?"

"Instructor Pebble is really scary..."

Ivy threw up her hands, "Well, hurry up and get on with it then!"

Nodding Danny sat down next to the struggling Wolf. The vines appeared to be holding, but Danny strengthened them a little bit more just to be safe. Danny reach out with his mana and touched the wolf. He activated the Nature rune and saw... himself. Danny could see through the beast's eyes! Danny's eyes were closed, and he wasn't moving.

Danny could "hear" the wolf’s thoughts and communicate with it to some degree. The wolf did not like him. He tried asking it where its home was. He saw images of the forest and a large hill. Underneath the hill was small impression. Danny moved towards the hollow in the side of the hill and a litter of pups came running out and surrounded him. He realized this was a memory when he couldn't control anything. In the memory, he started licking the puppies as they jumped all over him. Then the puppies started to nurse and Danny suddenly had all the answers he wanted at the moment. Danny backed out of that memory quickly and asked another question of the wolf only to meet resistance. Then he felt himself forcefully flung out of the wolf’s mind.

Danny came to, on his knees, back in his own body. Looking up, he tried entering the wolf’s mind again with no further success. Danny knew he could have forced his way back in, the wolf's mind wasn't particularly strong. He felt that forcing his way in would be a violation of some unwritten rule. He couldn't help but find the whole experience enthralling and bizarre at the same time. He had expected a few things when he went to use Nature magic on the wolf, but reading thoughts wasn't it. He didn't read a plant's thoughts when he used it on them, though they really shouldn't be thinking anything.

Getting up, Danny said, "Alright, I got what I wanted. We can go now when you all are ready."

Ivy walked up and grabbed his arm asking, "What just happened, you were sitting there for a while?"

Danny noticed it was significantly darker than when he started, "I entered her mind and read some thoughts before she kicked me out. She has puppies waiting on her so let's leave and I will remove enough vines for her to escape later."

Brooke looked down a little pale, "She has... puppies."

"Come one Brooke, let's go so she can get back to them," Danny said sympathetically.

The four team members moved away before Danny removed half the vines and all those around her head and neck. The wolf immediately began chewing on the remaining vines. Before she got free the four humans were gone.

***

On day four of their journey, they were walking east along a small field next to the forest. Appearing out of the trees to their side, Jade moved over to them and whispered, "Goblins." Then motioned for them to follow.

They hadn't gotten far into the woods before Jade had them crouch low and sneak forward. There in the trees ahead, a group of goblins wrestled with something big. Danny couldn't see how many there were because of his lower elevation and the trees. Using Air scan, he couldn’t make out the different bodies as they were all wrestling with the creature. Jade looked to Ivy to see what she wanted to do. Ivy looked thoughtful before apparently deciding to take advantage of the goblins distraction.

They all removed their packs and she issued the order to move out. Jade moved to flank while the other three went the opposite direction towards higher ground. Once in position Ivy looked to Danny to begin the attack. Thinking for a moment he decided to go with something new he had been working on. He could see at least four goblins, three wrestled with something covered in short fur, while the third watched.

Danny willed all the oxygen in the surrounding area to condense around the four goblins. As he waited for the oxygen levels to rise enough in the targeted area, he prepared to send a Fireball. Before that was even ready there was a loud explosion that blasted the goblins away from where they had been gathered.

Danny had instinctively ducked. The concussion wave was strong enough to cause his ears to ring. With wide eyes, Danny looked over to check on the girls, only finding Brooke and Ivy next to him. Both of them were staring daggers at him.

Danny jumped as an arrow landed in the ground, next to his butt. He recognized it instantly as one of Jades. Looking around he had no clue where she was hiding, and tried to hide further down into the grass.

Screams erupted from where the goblins had been. Eight goblins raced across the field towards them. The four to five-foot creatures wore crude hide armor and wielded clubs, small swords, and crude wooden shields. When one of them went down with an arrow in the eye, those with shields quickly raised them. Those without shields ducked behind those with them.

Brooke and Ivy rose and stepped forward in front of Danny, with Brooke holding the line. Getting up, Danny opened his mouth wide to try and stop the ringing in his ears. Looking around the girls, he sent out his mana into a large patch in front of Brooke. Using Nature affinity he had grass roots grow up in loops all over.

Another one of Jade’s arrows found the side of a goblins head before they could reach Danny’s surprise. When the first goblin with a shield tripped and fell to the ground, Ivy quickly shot it in the top of its skull with her crossbow.

Danny saw an opportunity to create one of his saw blades of air and tore through three of the goblins that had collapsed in a heap. Even though he had killed numerous beasts this way, the sight of the mangled sentient goblins was enough to make him gag. Unfortunately, none of the other goblins were hindered by the grass snares.

The first goblin that reached them found Brooke’s mace easily dividing its shield before doing the same to its skull. The second goblin was bashed by her shield and fell backwards onto the ground.

“I’ve got this one,” stated Ivy.

Her sword ready, she approached the goblin on the ground. It looked up at her in contempt and when it realized the rest of us were not going to interfere, grinned with a mouth full of crooked yellow teeth. It said something in its language, obviously taunting Ivy, as it stood up without grabbing its shield. Circling each other the goblin shot out its non-sword hand and threw the dirt it had been holding. Ivy spun away and parried the lunge the goblin had followed its throw with. Angered that its trick failed the goblin screamed and issued a series of brutal and relentless blows at Ivy.

Ivy effortlessly parried and diverted every attack as if training a small child. When the goblin had tired itself out, Ivy quickly swung her sword and relieved it of its head.

Wiping the blood off her sword on the fallen goblin’s hide armor, Ivy addressed them, “They do not appear to be much of a challenge individually.”

Jade spoke up behind Danny, startling him, “Four more tried to flank us. The ones we first spotted are all dead.”

Nodding, Ivy turned to stare at Danny, "Were you trying to alert the whole forest we are here?"

Danny was visibly taken by surprise, "No..."

"We don't know how far their camp is! That probably alerted the whole tribe to our presence!"

Danny looked between the girls before responding, "I... didn't think about that. I was trying to take them all out at once and didn’t think it would be that loud... I will choose more silent methods from now on."

Ivy stared at him quietly for a minute before her face turned softer and she smiled, "Thank you. Now let's see what was on them, maybe something will give us a clue as to what they are doing here?"

Searching the bodies and area only netted us a few crude or rusted swords and daggers. Everything else either smelled too bad to take or was junk.

Jade came back with a net, "I think this was a human trapper's net and not theirs. They must have raided it to take back for food or livestock."

Brooke kicked one of the bodies saying, "They look pretty thin, but I'm not sure what they are supposed to look like to begin with."

Ivy nodded, "Sounds right, Danny, bury the bodies. Then, let's move out and try to find the camp. Hopefully they didn't hear us. Jade, you lead."

After he sunk the bodies into the ground, they grabbed their packs and continued on for a while. Jade would report back every now and then on what she found. She came back at one point and led them in a roundabout way to a large hill. Once they climbed it she motioned them to get down and crawl the rest of the way. They took off our packs again and did as instructed.

The hill overlooked a very large and dry creek bed. In it was a goblin camp with at least five dozen goblins walking around. There was no telling how many were in the crude tents that dotted the area. Jade pointed out a cave in the far side of the ridge. A goblin came out and went on his way. There was a half-dozen wooden cages next to the cave. In them were animals, but one cage held a human form, laying on the ground. Ivy finally motioned for them to move back, and they did. Grabbing their packs, they moved further down the ridge as silently as possible.

After a few minutes’ walk, Ivy grabbed Danny's arm and pointed up at a tree. She had gotten good at picking out what trees he could use. Danny nodded, took off his pack, and got to work. Making the handholds on the far side of the tree from the goblin camp, just in case, he climbed the tree. After finding a suitable spot, Danny made sure it also wasn't visible from the goblin camp. He added extra foliage to the cage around the new tree house, to muffle sound and light. An hour later he was done. Then he went higher with the handholds but unfortunately couldn't see the goblin camp from higher up. When he came down to the tree house level, Ivy was there and looked confused at what he was doing. So Danny explained quietly and she nodded in understanding.

They all gathered inside the living room and Danny cast a light. During the day this won't be noticeable, but at night some light might leak out, so he went back outside to wrap the doorway around a bit more, making the living room look more like a snail shell.

Setting their things down, Ivy got right to business, "I want us to take turns scouting the camp for a day or two. We need to know patrol routes, numbers, and try to discover any weaknesses. I want to know why those animals are being caged and if that person they captured is still alive. We might have to try and extract them before an attack. Danny, good work on the tree house. Can you get us closer through the trees while maintaining cover?"

"Like a system of tree bridges?"

"Exactly, but with plenty of cover."

"Sure, it might take some time depending on distance."

"Can you get it done today?"

"... I don't see why not."

Nodding Ivy turned to Jade, "Until then you are in charge of surveillance. If Danny takes longer than planned, Brooke or I will switch with you. At sunset return here."

Jade nodded and left them.

Ivy turned to the remaining girl, "Brooke, you guard the way up here. I don't want any uninvited guests."

Brooke departed to her assigned task.

Ivy turned to him last, "Danny, I will watch your back and keep an eye out for any goblins below us while you are distracted. I would rather they not notice you working. Alright let's go."

As Brooke went and leaned against the trunk of the tree, Ivy followed him towards the direction of the nearest tree. Danny sat down cross-legged and planned what he was going to do. A stiff branch connecting to two trees might break in a strong wind that affected one tree more than another. To connect them it would need to be flexible. Happy to try something new, he grabbed a grape seed from his pouch. Holding it to the tree they were on, he used Nature affinity to grow the seed. He made sure to graft the roots all the way into the tree. Plants have a system of veins and arteries similar to animals, connect the right ones and they work together. Normally you would only graft plants within the same species. Fortunately, knowing what processes in the plants he wanted to streamline, the magic worked to make it happen.

The grape vine grew out along the smaller branches and jumps to the next tree. Then he made it pull itself tighter, but still allowed the vine to hang slightly loose. Danny repeated the process a meter down the branch he was on and then stared weaving the two together. Soon he had a rope bridge between the two trees, that shouldn't snap in high winds. Now all he needed was to hide it from below.

Danny decided to create another vine across but this time it hung in the middle and two meters above the first two. Then he started weaving a triangular tunnel. Once that was done he had the two trees grow more leaves near the bridge. Grapevine leaves in amongst the two trees might be an eyesore and stand out. Happy with the low visibility, Danny crossed the bridge to the next tree. As Ivy crossed to him he started creating a platform there. He discussed with Ivy about which tree to move to and repeats the process.

By mid-afternoon Danny has reached a tree close enough to the goblin camp to observe them. He increased the tree's foliage slowly and then created a hunting blind type structure on that tree’s platform. This would allow anyone observing not have to worry about excess movement and would block most sounds they made.

Jade returned at sunset and reported that she counted at least fifty goblins but is unsure how many are in the cave or still out hunting. She watched as a large group of about ten goblins set off towards where they had attacked the hunters, around midday. They had returned later empty-handed and the camp appeared more on alert after that. She also said that the human didn't move all day and is either unconscious or dead. If he was too hurt or sick that he couldn’t move, then getting him out of there before attacking would be next to impossible. Ivy had Jade go with her to the new lookout while Danny took the first watch guarding the way up. Brooke had something to eat and slept so that she could take the last watch near morning.

CHAPTER 29

The next morning, Ivy had Jade go down below and see if she could spot them moving through the trees to the new lookout. Jade pointed out a few weak spots and suggested increasing the foliage further out as it looked unnatural with the sudden dense amount of leaves. After patching up his work, Danny couldn’t help but wonder how long this bridge and canopy would last. They never went back to any of his other tree houses so he had no record of longevity. The leaves especially would be considered inefficient by the tree when they don't receive enough sunlight. The leaves should move towards the sunlight or the tree will kill them off when they don't supply enough nutrients. He decided to walk the skyway each morning and fix any large movements or leaf die off.

He also planted a few fruits, in the tree next to their living room, grafting them there. The girls were really happy with having fresh fruit. Eating rations could get old fast, and up in the tree they couldn't cook their food. They would have to range pretty far to start a fire. He could add growing more fruit to the list of morning duties.

While Jade scouted around the camp on foot, Ivy and Danny went to the lookout to observe from there. Brooke was given guard duty ‘til lunch, when she and Danny would switch duties.

Danny sat down next to Ivy whispering, "So, what plans have you come up with for tackling this?"

Ivy didn't take her eyes off the distant enemy, saying, "I think a direct assault is out. Being outnumbered by more than ten to one saves us the time of even considering that route. At a minimum, we were asked to drive them out, so we can use scare tactics. Right now, they could be thinking the party we killed already was attacked and dragged off by either predators or enemies. Jade and another from our team could stalk a few smaller groups that leave the camp. Then we could do our best to leave behind some mangled bodies. Make it look like an animal attack."

Danny nodded, "I like the stealth approach. If I got close enough, and with enough time, I could set off some serious magic. I'm afraid I might inadvertently hurt that man in the cage at the same time. They would get rid of his body if he was dead, right?"

"I guess, I haven't had a chance to observe goblins before. Neither has Jade or Brooke so this will be a major learning experience for us."

Not much seemed to happen most of that morning. Another large group of goblins left the way the team had come from. They returned with a type of large lizard Danny had never seen before. They began cutting it apart there in the camp and cooking it over individual fires set near each group of tents. A few goblins came out of the cave and grabbed some of the meat only to return back into the cave.

"Hey Ivy, are there any females down there?"

Smiling, Ivy turned to him and asked, "Looking to join with another Trio?"

Scowling at her, he replied, "No, I'm just curious how to tell them apart."

"Danny, most of the goblins we have seen have been female."

Danny looked dumbly at her then turned to scrutinize the members of the camp again. There was nothing outwardly that would distinguish one from the other. Some were smaller or bigger. He did notice a few with longer ears than the others. The longer eared ones seemed to stay near the tents or large cave.

"The ones with longer ears male?"

Ivy smiled approvingly, "Correct! I was told that the males stay in the camp tending the young and handling any construction efforts required. The females hunt and protect the tribe."

Danny was in a bit of a culture shock here realizing that he would be more prone to not hurting the males than the females with this arrangement. The males looked so weak. He had another thought, he asked, "Do they have access to their mental sanctuaries?"

"Like most minor races the majority of goblins do not. Usually the ones that figure it out take on the role of chieftain or shaman. I have been told those that unlock that ability, do not like to share power and are quick to kill each other."

"What makes them a minor race?"

"Major races are called so because of their ability to form towns or cities and work peacefully with other races."

"Then what about the beastmen tribes? How are they any different from these goblins?"

"They were once a great civilization and we hope they will be again one day."

Danny nodded thinking about what he had been told. He looked to Ivy asking, "If they have males here then where are all the children?"

"I was taught that newborn goblins will grow to their full height in a few months. They tend to live in extremely hostile environments and have to grow up fast. The trade-off appears to be that they are slower and weaker than the other races." Ivy shrugged unsure, "If there are children around they must be kept in the tents."

***

Danny relieved Brooke at lunchtime and spent an uneventful afternoon by the trunk. He focused on his guarding duties while his dual concentration worked on Air scanning the area. For a second, he thought he sensed someone at the edge of his senses but when he searched the area with his eyes he didn't see anyone. He didn't sense the presence again when he Air scanned again and decided his bored mind had imagined it. Around sundown the others came back to the tree house. Danny cast a light spell in the living room and they huddled to discuss what they saw that day. Ivy started off, "I don't think they suspect we are here. My guess is they think that whatever got the hunters yesterday is no longer in the area or is satiated for now. Jade?"

Jade nodded, "I agree, they are acting nervous but seem to be going about what appears as normal routine. I did find another problem. They have a chieftain or shaman, I couldn't tell which. A large goblin walked to the entrance of the cave when the lizard was brought in, but they retreated before I could move in to get a better look. I couldn't make out much, besides it being at least twice as big as the other goblins."

Ivy nodded as if she had expected this. She outlined her idea for sowing fear by attacking smaller groups and leaving some behind with animal attack wounds.

Danny had a sudden thought and brought it up. "What if I went with Jade and buried the remains and any evidence. If they think its animal attacks they will just increase the number that can leave the camp at one time. Not knowing at all what is happening to their missing is scarier than vicious animal attacks."

Ivy thought about this for a moment before asking, "Jade, Brooke, what do you think?"

Brooke pondered this for a while, "I say we have Danny bury them. I know I would be freaked out, think its ghosts... or the fae snatching them!"

Jade nodded at Brooke's assessment, "I agree, Danny can come with me and hide the bodies and any other evidence."

Ivy nodded and in a tone that brokered no argument, "If Danny is going with you, I would rather we all go together."

Danny was a little confused by this statement. More of them would be safer, but they would make more noise and be easier to spot. Shrugging his shoulders, he waited with Brooke while Jade and Ivy went to the lookout, to watch for a small enough group to leave the camp.

Turning to Brooke, Danny asked, "Do we consider goblins to be evil creatures?"

Brooke looked over at him confused, "What? Why would they be considered evil?"

Danny hadn't expected that response, "I don't know, because they steal, enslave, and... kill."

"If that makes them evil, then wouldn't that make humans evil as well?"

"Well, yes it would... then how do we view goblins?"

"They are pests! I don't like killing them, but it's either that or letting them spread like ticks on a mangy dog."

Danny didn't have much to say after that. This world was completely different from what he expected.

Eventually Ivy and Jade returned and they quickly made their way towards where they had seen a couple of goblins exit the camp. Jade ranged ahead as usual and returned saying she had killed the two silently. Surprised, Danny hadn't heard anything, so she wasn't lying about the silent part. They came upon the pair laying in the woods. They both had their necks slit. It looked like she had been able to kill the first before the second could realize its own neck was being opened. Jade confirmed they didn't have anything of value or interest on them. Danny buried the bodies and any signs of struggle. Then as they left he sent a gust of wind to stir the leaves and hide any remaining traces of what had happened.

They quietly made their way back to the tree house before speaking again. Happy with the results of the short trip, Danny said, "That was pretty easy. Next time I could just go with Jade. We could avoid being seen with a smaller group."

Ivy looked at him quietly, before saying, "It will be fine with us all going, and that way we can watch each other’s backs."

Confused, Danny said, "Well if it's just a small group, two maybe three, the two of us should be able to handle it."

Ivy started to get impatient, "No. If you leave with Jade then at least Brooke, I, or preferably both of us will go as well."

Danny suddenly grew suspicious, "What, why?"

"Danny, don't make an issue out of this..." Ivy turned as if the conversation was over.

Whispering fiercely, Danny said, "I can handle myself, if it wasn't for that human over there in that cage, I could probably create a firestorm that would erase the camp from existence!" Danny wasn't really sure if he could do that, but they didn't need to know that.

Turning back Ivy whispered even louder, "Danny, you forget! I am in charge here, not you! If I say you will have more than one of us with you then that is how it is going to be!"

Danny couldn't take it any longer and yelled at her, "But why? Do you think I am weak!"

Ivy yelled right back at him, "No! That's not..."

Jade suddenly grabbed Danny around his chest, covering both his arms, with one arm and covered his mouth with her other hand, while Brooke did the same to Ivy. They dragged the two of them into the living room. In the dark room, Brooke's voice calmly filled the room, "If you two are going to continue yelling, I will have to knock you... both... out. I am not going to stand there while we have a whole goblin tribe show up for supper, because you two want to have a screaming match. Now talk quietly or I will go get my mace and help you two sleep it off."

Jade and Brooke slowly released the two. Danny looked around in the dark and created a magic light attaching it to its customary spot in the ceiling.

Ivy looked around not really focusing on anything before she hesitantly spoke first, "Danny, you have to understand something. Unless something unfortunate happens to you, you are all but in name our husband. We can't afford to lose you. They are not going to trust us with another wizard if we lose you. That was made perfectly clear to us before you were assigned to our team. You also don't seem to notice how valuable you are. Your gifts alone probably make you the most valuable asset our country has. Strange as it sounds, if you were born the son of a noble family, we probably would not be having this conversation. They would have figured out your magic abilities one way or another, and never let you go to the wizard’s academy. You would be preparing for a cushy life with the Trio of a first born daughter of a council member."

Ivy paused before continuing. She reached out and took one of his hands. "I would like to let you go out and fight all the goblins, but I can't afford to do that. While we are on missions, we will only leave you alone if you are somewhere secure. Like up here, and that will only be if it is absolutely necessary. Otherwise there will be two of us between you and any threat, at all times. We were told that they assigned you to us because they felt we were the strongest available Trio. You insisted on growing stronger and they want for nothing more than to let that happen. They entrusted us to your safety and believe we are capable.

“Danny, as far as raw power, you are probably one of the weakest wizards they have recruited in a while. I don't know if you have seen any of the other boys in the other shadows fighting. The rest of a shadow is there to watch a wizard's back while the wizard deals with most threats by themselves.

“After the snake incident on our first trip into the woods, they almost took you away from us. If instructor Meadows hadn't stepped in and took the blame herself for missing that one snake variant, we wouldn't be here having this conversation with you. You would be with some other girls and we would be trained as a team without a wizard... or future husband. They had someone follow our next few trips into the woods after that. I don't know, they might have someone watching us right now."

Danny was dumbfounded. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Since coming to this world he had been almost completely absorbed with learning and harnessing magic. They really didn't have much time to make friends outside their shadows, and the other boys in their training group were always so much older. They ignored him, and he was always consumed by his little side projects. Looking back, he remembered seeing Brooke's brother back at the wizard academy, shooting Fireballs faster than he could. Would he be able to beat him now? The same question repeated itself over and over in his head, he was the weakest...?

Then before he could dwell on that much more, his mind turned to what else Ivy just dropped on him. It had been five years since he first sat across form those three young girls. He was depressed thinking how they had to grow up so quickly. Learning to deal with death, with killing, and all while trying to keep their only chance at having a husband alive. This was too huge of a responsibility on them... all of them. They should be in school, learning a craft, or profession. Going shopping and out to eat with their friends. Not fighting for their lives and learning to kill or be killed.

After the snake incident he noticed how focused Jade had become. Before the snake incident, she was a shy and timid eight-year-old. Now she was a fifteen-year-old silent tool of death. He figured her change was out of a sense of responsibility to her teammates. He never figured it could possibly be because she didn’t want to lose her future husband. For the first time Danny really wasn’t sure if he liked this new world anymore. Yeah, he had had some hardships, and some things were kind of hard to accept, but this... He now knew his life held more meaning and value than just to himself alone. He couldn’t be taking anymore stupid risks like picking mushrooms among the wolf infested forests while not bothering to scan his surroundings. He was now also, for all intents and purposes, betrothed to these three girls. He had been so focused on training and growing stronger, he knew he had to start doing a better job at being their friend and not just a teammate.

He felt a hand cover his. Jade worriedly asked him, “Danny?”

Danny shook his head, finally recovering from his shock, “I had no idea. I am sorry for any unnecessary risks I have taken ‘til this point." He looked at each of the girls, worried looks on all their faces. Not wanting to delve into his weaknesses, he chose the coward’s way out of the situation, "So we are going to be married?"

Ivy face turned neutral and watched him closely as she asked, "Do you not like that idea?"

He looked over to her smiling, "Oh, yes of course I like it! I'm now more worried about disappointing you three." He looked down as he said this, struggling with his inner self doubts.

Brooke smiled and reached over to push him over, sarcastically saying, "You will have to do I guess."

Jade looked shocked and surprised Danny by talking back to Brooke, "Brooke, don't be mean to Danny! Danny, you are great." She said the last while looking earnestly at him.

Danny was horribly embarrassed by this attention and was sure he was blushing. It had to be due to this younger body of his, he never got embarrassed like this in his last life. Though he never had multiple girls fuss over him like this before.

Brooke frowned looking over at Jade, "I was just teasing him. You’re the one that turned him red."

Noticing the effect her words had in changing Danny's coloring, Jade blushed and returned to her former shy self.

Smiling, Ivy shook her head at the three. "Danny I am glad you see our position now and please don't tell anyone what I told you about them almost taking you away from us. I was not supposed to tell you about that."

Danny nodded, "Of course."

Ivy returned to business mode, "Alright everyone let's get back to work, hopefully they didn't hear Danny and my outburst earlier."

CHAPTER 30

Over the next day they were able to remove six more goblins before the tribe seemed to catch on that something was wrong. The four team members hoped the goblins would pick up and leave in fear, but unfortunately it wasn't enough. The goblins started posting sentries and the males began building walled fortifications around the camp.

Coming from the lookout, Brooke sat down with a huff, "We have to do something before those fortifications go up. Otherwise they will be holed up real tight."

Danny suggested, "They are down in that ravine. Maybe if we start shooting at them from up high, maybe a tree, we can hit enough before they reach us to make the difference we need."

Ivy shook her head, "I don't like the idea of trapping ourselves up in a tree."

Danny suddenly had a thought, "What if we got close enough to the cave for me to make a path down into it. We could find the chief or shaman who is in charge and kill him. Cut the head off and the rest will not know what to do."

Ivy thought about this, "How would you know where to open the hole, wouldn't that take a while with trial and error? We could easily get spotted by then, and that has to be noisy."

"I found a way to use magic to see gaps in the earth. It is similar to my Air scan. I can do the same with Water too."

Brooke looked annoyed and confused, "Why haven't you told us about this till now?"

Danny shook his head, "Because it uses a lot of concentration and a bit of mana and that cost increases with the size of the area I am searching. Also, I can only stretch my mana out so far. Right now it's between ten to fifteen meters. At the furthest distances I can't really add any more mana. So my spells are weaker."

Ivy frowned, "We are going to sit down and have you list everything you can do. Everything! I figured we would have covered everything by now. Back to the problem at hand, how close do you need to get?"

"Once I know where I need to go I should be able to start digging a tunnel there from any distance. I can work my way over searching the earth for possible tunnels or natural openings to exit into. Of course, it will just take more time the further away I start the tunnel."

Ivy nodded, "Alright, we will start searching for a good location today. Tomorrow we will begin the tunnel."

***

Danny was laying on his stomach in the grass. A good distance behind him in the tree line of the forest, Ivy, Jade, and Brooke, waited nervously for him to finish. When they had reached the area behind the entrance of the cave, Danny hadn't felt anything in the safety of the tree line. Ivy almost called it off, not wanting him go out into the open.

Danny was sure something just crawled up into his shirt. He did his best to ignore it and kept crawling. Every few feet Danny would stop for a few minutes before moving again. He wasn't just resting, he was scanning the earth below him for access to the cave below. Up ahead of him was the edge of the small ravine and the goblin camp below. He could see some of the goblins on the outskirts of the other side of the ravine, moving around.

He found it! Danny scanned again to confirm. Then he stopped doing a general sweep of the area below him and targeted specific directions. The cave was comprised of a single large cavern leading to what he suspected was the entrance. He would have to move closer to the edge to confirm, but he had gotten what he needed. He considered just closing the opening and slowly filling the cavern, but was worried they might have more prisoners inside the cave. He tried casting Air scan through the earth but could only confirm there were humanoids shapes moving around inside. He didn't have the skill or experience to differentiate more specific features. He really needed to practice that more. He slowly began crawling backwards. That's when a goblin walked out of the tree line to his left and approached the edge of the ravine. The goblin was a male and began shouting at something below. Danny began slowly inching back, as the goblin might turn at any moment and spot him. His knee came down on a small twig with a loud snap. The male goblin stopped shouting and paused. Just as the goblin was about to turn around there was a crash below, followed by more shouting. Danny didn't take any further chances and slowly raised himself up and crouched/duck walked back to the others.

Brooke and Jade barely grabbed and flung him behind them before a pair of female goblins came up to the male and started yelling at the long eared creature. They soon left to go back down to the camp.

The teammates quietly made their way back to the tree house. Casting a light spell on the ceiling, Danny collapsed onto his pallet.

Jade complained, "That was too close!"

"Agreed," Ivy said as she sat on her pallet.

Brooke chuckled, "I thought he was caught for sure when he snapped that twig in half!"

Jade sat on the end of Danny's pallet and told him, "We are going to practice your sneaking skill as soon as we have a chance!"

Ivy interrupted, asking, "So, what did you find?"

"I could only find one large cavern. They might have expanded on it a little themselves. I also was able to tell there were at least a dozen humanoid creatures in the cave."

"You can sense people through the earth?"

"No, I can sense people through the air. My mana can pass through objects and I used it on the air inside the cavern."

"I see," Ivy said, though Danny doubted that.

"I thought about collapsing the entrance and just slowly filling the cavern. For one, they would probably notice the entrance slowly closing and some might have time to escape before I am finished. I unfortunately can't distinguish human from goblin. I don't want to inadvertently kill a human prisoner."

Ivy thought for a minute, "How long will it take you to make us a tunnel from that tree line we were watching from?"

"A day, maybe less, maybe more. Moving earth isn't easy and I need to make sure to shore up the sides, so it is less likely to collapse on us."

"Alright we will start first thing tomorrow morning. Danny get some sleep, the rest of us will take watch duty tonight."

***

Danny was almost to the cavern wall. After spending half the morning pushing through the earth, he had an epiphany. One of those epiphanies that says, "Hey idiot, yeah you!" Danny started using earth scan to feel the weakest parts of ground between him and the cavern. After that it felt as if he had to work half as hard. Danny went back to the surface where he had surrounded the entrance with roots from the neighboring trees that morning. The roots helped keep the entrance intact and stopped it from caving in. The girls waited there and he sat down next to them, tired from focusing for so long.

"I have less than a meter to the cavern wall."

Ivy smiled at him, "Good job. Do you think you can create a small hole for us to look through without alerting whoever is in there?"

Danny nodded, too tired to speak. Brooke handed him her water skin.

Ivy stood up, "Alright, I will go with you, Brooke and Jade, watch our backs."

They returned to the end of Danny's tunnel and he started to remove the last bit of wall. It was slow going as he didn't want to alert anyone on the other side with the shifting and falling rock. Just before he broke through, he realized he still had a magic light going. The last thing he needed was the hole he created to shine out into the cavern like a flashlight. Extinguishing it he used earth sense to finish the last finger length of rock left. Light shone through the hole when it was done and Danny leaned in to look.

Danny was expecting a large goblin seated on a throne made from the skulls of humans and other animals. Instead, the largest goblin laid back in a pile of furs. She had a long-eared male on either side of her and was eating some meat off a bone. Another dozen females and a few males, sat around a large fire.

Danny leaned back and let Ivy take a look. Going back to the entrance they discussed their findings with the other two. Ivy asked Danny, "If we wait ‘til after nightfall, would you be rested enough to attack?"

"Yes, I should be good to go by then."

"Jade, Brooke, do you have any suggestions?"

Jade spoke up first, "I should stay and guard the rear."

Brooke said, "I will go in first."

Ivy nodded, "Agreed, we will begin the att..."

Danny interrupted, "Now that we are sure there are no prisoners in the cavern, I could just kill them all. I can... create a spinning blade of air and kill the ones around the fire. That way if there is a prisoner I can't see, they will only get hit with a strong wind and... debris."

Ivy stopped, "How soon can you do that?"

Danny said, "Give me an hour, and ask again. I would rather be close to topped-up, in case something goes wrong."

Ivy pondered that, "Go ahead." Turning to Jade and Brooke she said, "You two guard here. Danny, you can do this by just looking through the hole in the wall, right?"

"Yes."

"...Alright, then let's go."

Danny and Ivy reached the small hole again and Danny looked through it to get his bearings. He reached out towards the large fire and began making a dense magic, right in its center. He charged the spell for a while before he began to make the magic spin and stretch out into an almost flat circle. The goblins laughed and ate from the meat cooking over the fire. Seeing how happy they were, Danny hesitated for a second before looking away and casting the Air rune. There was an audible high-pitched whine, followed by the sounds of objects hitting the walls and ceiling, and then complete silence. Danny reached up and felt something wet touch his face. Wiping off whatever it was with his sleeve, he peered back through the hole. The fire had gone out, due to the sudden large gust of wind. Light filtered in from the cave's opening. Body parts were strewn in a circle around the fire pit. Two goblins, probably alerted by the sound, walked in and stopped at the sight. One ran over to the fallen chief. Danny reached out and used the last of his mana to create another smaller Air blade and decapitated it. The remaining goblin didn't even scream. Danny heard what sounded like water pouring on the ground before the goblin ran outside the cave.

Danny was pulled away from the hole and Ivy look inside. He couldn't see her face with it pressed to the hole but her voice was quiet, "... Let's... let's get back to the others."

When they got to the entrance, Jade took one look at Danny and rushed to him, "Where are you hurt!"

Danny felt lost, and numbly replied, "What?"

Ivy turned to him with a concerned look, but replied to Jade, "It's just goblin blood."

Jade looked relieved, "Oh, thank goodness."

Brooke had looked alarmed as well but on hearing Ivy's explanation she relaxed, "Did you get it done?"

Ivy nodded and turned to him, "Danny, please seal up this entrance. When you are done we will head back."

Danny turned and silently sealed the hole. He made sure to grow the grass back over the new earth. Then they silently headed back to the tree house.

***

Once they got back to the tree house, Danny sat down against the living room, just staring into the distance. He vaguely heard Brooke telling Jade to watch him and whispered something else. Then Brooke took Ivy to the lookout. Jade sat down next to Danny so that their arms were touching. "You alright Danny?"

Danny looked out unfocused at the forest around them, "I don't know."

They were silent for a bit. Then Danny said, "When they are screaming and running at me, I don't hesitate for a second to kill them. When I bury their bodies, I don't really focus on the details. When they are just sitting there, happily eating, joking and..."

Jade wrapped her long arms around him and pulled him into a hug. "I know... They usually don't see me before I kill them. Though, it makes me wonder at those times when I realize I have not been paying attention. Who is going to be there, waiting in the shadows for me..."

Danny shuddered and reached around her and held on as tight as he could. Danny suddenly missed the flickering fluorescent lights and the finicky lab equipment of his old world. They didn't have anything else that night as Danny fell asleep there next to her.

CHAPTER 31

Danny awoke to pitch-black darkness and someone screaming. A large weight fell on top of him and a hand closed around his mouth. The screaming stopped. Another pair of hands grabbed his legs and stopped them from thrashing around.

Ivy's voice came from out of the darkness in a soothing whisper. "Danny, you're alright, calm down, you were just having a bad dream."

Danny was confused, had he been the one who was screaming? What was wrong with him? Taking deep breaths, the girls eventually let him go.

Jade's worried voice came from the doorway, "What's going on, what's wrong with Danny?"

"He was just having a bad dream, go check the camp to see if they heard anything," Ivy told Jade.

A hand, Danny thought it was Brooke's, was rubbing comforting circles into his back. Her voice came from right beside him, "You want to talk about it, Danny?"

Danny sat there for a bit, tired and drained emotionally. He started shaking his head, "No, not... no."

Brooke wrapped him in her arms and rocked him, "It's going to be alright, you will learn to move past this. It is part of what we do now. We have all gone through something like this, and we will probably again in the future."

Danny accepted her words without question, as he was too horrified by her statement. Brooke pulled her pallet over next to his and held him. "I'm going to sleep next to Danny." He assumed she said this to Ivy.

"I will sleep on his other side then," Ivy spoke from the darkness as another pallet moved next to his. A hand reached out and held his.

***

The goblins had left in the night. Jade returned early the next morning, to report what she had found. She had stalked through the camp, but didn't go into the cave in case there was a trap. The tents were gone, but the cages and their occupants were left in the rush.

"The man in the cage is still alive, but I don't think he has long," Jade urged them.

They quickly traveled to the camp. Danny was grateful no one brought up what had happened last night. Danny rushed over to the cage with the man. The cage was made of thick branches of wood tied together. The whole area stunk. Goblins were obviously not big on hygiene and they didn't bother to keep their prisoners clean either. Danny almost protested when Ivy insisted on going in first, but then he remembered their previous conversation. Ivy cut through the vines holding the cage's door together. She walked in and gently inspected the man inside, before motioning Danny in. The man smelled worse up close. His breathing was shallow and his face was a ruined mess. It looked as if he had received repeated blows and lacerations to his face and someone had cut off his ears. Danny could not guess the age of the man but he was definitely an adult.

Turning to Ivy he said, "I can heal him but he looks emaciated. If I heal him too much his body could go into shock from trying to use his own energy reserves to heal. If he had some fat on him I would feel better. After I get him to a point where he won't die, I will try and create something with my alchemy kit to help speed the recovery."

Ivy nodded her understanding, "Then let's heal him a little at a time. Just try and get him stable so we can clean and move him."

Danny turned to the man and started closing any wounds he found. Some looked infected, but Danny hadn't dealt with disease yet. This was more than likely a bacterial infection, he hoped. He focused on fortifying the angry-looking areas and pictured expelling bacteria. After he was done, the skin still looked irritated and red. Danny figured he would wait to see if it got any better before trying something else.

Danny hadn't been idle over the past five years and had had to fix many a wound or broken limb. He had picked up on a nifty trick, through trial and error. Danny put his hand on the man, spreading a thin layer of mana throughout the stranger's body, then cast heal with the desire to see the man's insides. Danny was pleased to receive an image similar to his earth or Air scan he had developed. It took him another casting to get a better idea of what he was looking at. The man's flesh appeared in an image that Danny's brain could interpret. Areas of damage were helpfully highlighted. Danny's first thought was that something was a lot worse than just internal bleeding in his chest and brain. The man's organs were not where they should be exactly. Then it hit Danny, this man wasn't human. There was also mana flowing out of his source, just like his! Whoever this man was, he was a sorcerer like Danny. Danny was dumbfounded for a moment, before the state of his new patient forced him to continue.

Danny healed the internal bleeding, especially making sure the bleeding around the man's brain wasn't due to any bone fragments that may have broken off. Speaking of broken bones, there were quite a few. Danny began healing them. These would use a lot of resources so he only patched them up. They would be prone to breaking again, so they would have to be careful with him. The bones in the man's face were a mess and took a while to push and fix in the right places. Danny knew this had to be excruciatingly painful but the man was unconscious and didn't make a sound. A bone in the man's leg had to be set before he could heal it. That break he risked healing all the way. They might need to run if the goblins returned.

Danny wiped the sweat from his brow, "We need to get food in him. Also, help me get the rest of his clothes off. You were right Ivy, he can't stay healthy being this filthy."

Ivy didn't say a word and just started helping Danny. Once they had the man stripped, they saw before them a painfully thin man with an assortment of black and blue bruises all over his body. Danny had only sealed up the man's body and fixed his bones; he would wait to try healing the bruising when the man had more strength. Looking around for a clean area to move him Danny used earth magic to pull a slab of stone from the earth the same size as the man. Danny condensed the water from the air and soil around them into a shower above the man's body. They covered his mouth and nose while they cleaned near his face.

Danny laid back against the side of the ravine, exhausted. Ivy checked the area before moving in front of the cave to call to the others. Brooke came out and spoke quietly with Ivy for a minute before Ivy walked quickly into the cave. Brooke came over, checking their surroundings before sitting down next to Danny. She asked, "Is he going to make it?"

"I think so, he's not going to die anytime soon, but if we don't get food in him soon that will change. I also want to make something for him with my alchemy kit. Could you gather some wood to start a fire?"

Brooke nodded and asked, "Sure, we can use that abandoned fire pit over there. How you doing on mana?"

"I should be back to full in a couple of hours. I don't believe this man is human... maybe elven. He took a lot out of me just to heal."

"Based on the other bodies we found in the cave, I would guess he is an elf too."

Danny looked up at her quickly, "Other bodies?"

"Yes, there are at least two elven bodies in the back of the cave, we found their ears nearby. Our guess is they were female, but they had been cut up too much to tell for sure. Looks like they had been that way for more than a few days..."

Danny winced, "They tortured them?"

Brooke sighed and nodded with a grimace, "Best guess is they also fed parts of them to the animals, at least I hope it was the animals that ate them." She said the last nodding towards the cages.

"So no more survivors?"

"No..."

Brooke had collected enough wood and started a fire in the pit. Danny conjured water into a small pot and set it on top of the coals near the fire. Raising another shelf of stone, he made himself a worktable. Unfortunately, if an elixir or compound didn't call for an ingredient that acted as a preservative, it had a very short shelf-life. So Danny ground up a few plants and pulled out some vials containing previously-prepared ingredients. Using a varied array of equipment, Danny got to work. He filtered some ingredients from a common flower through a specially-made cloth with hot water. Two different mushrooms were blended together and steeped, before he allowed most of their liquid contents to boil off. The remaining paste was left to dry. The process was time-intensive, but his previous practice paid off and he successfully created a few vials of a healing aid. He really wanted some of his specialty equipment he had made but there hadn’t been enough room in his backpack to bring it. These elixirs wouldn't heal anyone, but instead would help provide someone with the nutrients needed for healing. They also contained plants with natural regenerative properties.

After sitting the stranger up in his lap, Danny slowly gave the man the entire contents of one of the vials. Too much and the man's body wouldn't be able to absorb it all. Then his body would just pass the majority of it. Finished, Danny hauled himself up and went over to the cages. Brooke moved to follow him closely, "Don't get too close, Danny. Some of them look half-starved."

The rest of the occupied cages held beasts. The majority were wolves, with a boar and some sort of cat as well. They were all young. The goblins either couldn't capture the large beasts or they planned to tame them, and young ones would be easier. Danny nodded to Brooke and sat down cross-legged in front of the first cage with a wolf. He reached into a bag and pulled out some jerky he had brought. With the smell of the camp, Danny didn't figure he would be too hungry until they left. He tossed it to the wolf and watched as it ate the meat. It wasn't much for the starving animal. Danny then reached out with nature affinity and entered the wolf's mind. The wolf responded like the last. He rejected Danny's intrusion and after getting a few images of the wolf's capture, then Danny was kicked out.

Danny went down the next three cages of wolves with similar responses. He did experience an arm being thrown into his cage when he was in the last wolf's mind. Shuddering, he looked between the cat and the boar. He tried the boar first, and quickly left having viewed the things it was willing to consume. Last was the cat. It looked like a leopard except it didn't have the small black splotches on orange and white fur. Instead, it had all-white fur, except where it had really large black splotches with various shades of brown on the inside. It was the size of a very small pony. It would probably be really pretty if it weren't so dirty. When he threw in a bit of jerky the cat just stared at it and looked back at him. This didn't make sense to Danny so he tried reaching out with his nature affinity and touched the leopard's mind.

The cat's mind was more powerful than the other animals. While she at first balked at his intrusion, she also attempted to probe Danny's thoughts in return. Danny had never had a conversation like this before. With just feelings, impressions, and memories, they communicated. After a while, Danny started to feel comfortable 'talking' with the leopard. He learned the leopard's mother was trapped in a net and that it almost caught the leopard in the cage too. The cat shared how she had waited, trying to help get her mother out. The goblins came and were only able to kill its mother after losing three of their tribe. They had little trouble capturing the cub. A few nights previously, a small goblin female wandered too close to the cage. The leopard had finished grieving and her hunger found her having a quick meal before the other goblins could take the body away. Danny was surprised the leopard was not killed on the spot. Danny shared his childhood with the cat and he sensed the leopard enjoyed the ride-along in his memories. Danny managed to ask if the leopard wanted to be set free. The leopard showed excitement. Danny pictured the girls and himself, then meshed them with memories of the leopard and its mother. Hopefully, conveying a sense of family and not people you should attack. The leopard showed contentment with this.

Awaking from his connection with the leopard, Danny found Brooke staring at him worriedly. "Danny, you were gone at lot longer than the others, are you alright?"

"Yeah, this leopard is really smart. She ate a goblin before we came and isn't as hungry as the others. I agreed to let her go if she didn't attack us. I think she agreed."

Brooke had been watching his back and glancing back at the animals he was working with. She suddenly looked shocked and moved closer to get a better look at the cat, "Danny, that's a ghost leopard. They are smart, and extremely deadly. We haven't seen any because they don't go near humans intentionally... thank the elements. They are called ghost leopards because rarely does anyone ever see them."

"Oh this one's mother was caught in a trap, and this little one wouldn't leave her side. The goblins killed the mother then captured her."

Brooke looked like she was trying her best not to haul Danny farther away from the cage. "Well, I would like to wait for the others before we let the nice ghost leopard out to maim and kill us."

"Sure, I will go and get them!"

Brooke grabbed his arm and yelled, "Ivy, Jade, get out here!"

Danny looked back at Brooke before looking towards the cave. It finally dawned on him that they were protecting him from seeing what happened in the cave again. He realized he hadn’t tried to go in there himself.

Ivy and Jade came rushing out of the cave. Ivy looked around with her sword drawn, "What's the matter!" Jade had her bow out and an arrow at the ready.

Brooke smiled and explained, "Ivy, Danny wants to let this nice ghost leopard out..."

Ivy's eyes got big and walked over to the cage, "A ghost leopard!"

Jade moved closer to the cage, not letting go of her bow. "Wow, I couldn't tell with all the dirt on it."

Danny said, "She just ate recently and wants to be set free. I believe I got her to understand that you three are my family, so she won't hurt us." Danny turned to the girls, trying to use his most persuasive smile.

Jade looked excited, but Ivy looked like she would rather kill it right there.

Danny decided to try a different tactic, "Look, the wolves will kill and eat us the second we open the cage. I have no clue what the boar will do... probably eat us. The cat though is very smart and I spoke with her for a long time."

Ivy looked at him doubtfully, "You speak leopard now?"

"No, through our minds," Danny tried to explain. He really didn't want to have to do this. He brought out the puppy-dog eyes and pouting lip. That seemed to work on his mother and most women.

Ivy looked at him for a few seconds and rolled her eyes, sighing, "Alright, you stand over there with Brooke and Jade. I will open the cage and hope it doesn't eat me. Jade get your bow ready."

Instead of quickly cutting through the vines tying the cage, Ivy slowly sawed through them with her blade. The cat watched her silently, only occasionally licking its lips and nose. The vines came free and she stepped back. When the leopard hadn't moved she grabbed one of the vines attached to the makeshift door and pulled it open slowly. The leopard stood up and walked out of the cage. Ivy moved carefully back towards the others with slow, deliberate steps, never turning her back. Danny started to move forward but Brooke's arm got in his way.

The leopard looked around and, spotting Danny being pushed by Brooke behind her back, walked toward him. The girls tensed and readied their weapons. Danny, on the other hand, started talking to the cat while connecting with her through nature magic. "Hey, there pretty girl. You sure you don't want some jerky?"

Ivy looked quickly over at Danny before turning her eyes back to the cat, "Danny, what are you doing?! You said it wanted to go back the forest."

Danny stopped waving the jerky at the cat and said, "No, I said she wanted to be free. See, she is purring. That means she is happy... or she could be in pain, or hungry, or possibly angry."

Ivy whispered loudly, "Danny!"

Brooke complained, "Danny you aren't helping!"

Danny connected mentally with the leopard and imagined petting a cat from his past life. The leopard's purring got louder. Danny smiled and tricked Brooke into which way he was going and slipped around her arm. Brooke whispered, "No, Danny!"

Before they could get to him he reached the leopard and held out his hand. The leopard went up to his hand and rubbed itself under it. Through the loud purring, Danny could hear the girls making noises of protest and frustration. "See! She is a sweet girl, you wouldn't eat me would you? Humans are yucky, that's why you don't eat us."

Ivy lowered her blade and walked slowly toward the boy and cat. "Danny, remind me after this to kill you. If the cat doesn't eat you first."

"Ivy, just hold your hand out and let her rub under your hand. Beside the dirt, she is very soft."

Ivy did as he said and the cat rubbed under her hand, purring loudly again. Eventually everyone was petting the cat, and she was loving the attention.

Unfortunately, they had to kill the rest of the animals. Danny opened the cage with the now dead boar. The leopard went inside and started eating.

Ivy pointed at the cat, "You... you said she wasn't hungry, then what's that?"

"I said she had eaten recently, so she wouldn't eat us. She is still very hungry."

Ivy looked angry, "Danny, we need to work on your communication skills. I have recently come to find them very lacking in crucial information."

After searching the cave, the girls found a small box full of valuables. They had probably belonged to the elves. The cat went over to the wounded man and Danny conveyed that the elf wasn't food. The cat then became bored and sat on a nearby rock in the sun. Danny noticed the man was in the sun and grew an apple tree to shade the man. The leopard jumped up when he grew the tree and came over to inspect it. Then she climbed into the tree and laid down.

Jade came up next to Danny, "Why isn't she going away now that she has eaten?"

Danny shrugged, "I don't know, maybe she will leave after we do. Maybe she wants to stay and finish off the wolves after it's digested the boar."

"Can't you just ask it?"

"It doesn't work that way. I can give impressions of things and actions to weigh her reactions to them. Unfortunately, I can't tell what she wants except what she is thinking at the moment."

"Well what is she thinking at the moment?"

Danny looked up at the cat for a second, "She is happy and is sleeping. She isn't dreaming yet."

Jade seemed to think about that a moment, then walked away smiling.

Ivy came over and looked at the wounded man, "What should we do with him?"

Danny asked, "Does anyone know what we could feed him? He still needs food and water, maybe a broth?"

"What about the cooking pot, it's back at the tree house?" Brooke offered.

"I'll go get it," Jade left for the tree house.

They used the fire pit that was still going to boil some water Danny conjured. Then they added some of the dried meat they had. Once the meat had cooked for a while the water darkened. They then slowly fed this to the man.

They stayed there for the rest of the day, and as it was getting close to nightfall, Ivy spoke up, "We need to get back to the tree house. It isn't safe here, and goblins could return at any moment."

Danny reached over and created a stretcher out of the apple tree, making it easy to snap off. He was getting better at manipulating plants this way. The stretcher wasn't as comfortable as one with cloth, but better than dragging or carrying him by hand. Being the strongest, Brooke and Jade carried him back to the tree. Danny thought about raising him with vines into the tree but hadn't tried that before so he created another earth slab, but with sides. The slab slowly rose upward with the stranger and stopped right next to the platform.

"That's not conspicuous," Brooke said sarcastically.

"We can take him off and I will put the earth back like it was," Danny said defensively.

Brooke just smiled at him.

After getting the wounded man off the stone, Danny put the slab back into the ground and regrew the grass that had been there before. He sat down, out of breath. Using so much mana at once was taxing, and nothing did that like earth magic.

"Good job, go eat, you have first watch," Ivy said as she passed by him.

Nodding, Danny got up and went to go eat.

CHAPTER 32

"Ivy, Danny, I think he is waking up," Jade whispered excitedly. It was the second night since they’d brought the man back with them to the tree house.

Danny got up with Ivy and they left Brooke sleeping on her pallet. Jade stood over the man who lay sleeping in the far corner. They had placed some extra blankets, that they'd brought, on him. He was groaning and speaking in a language Danny guessed was Elven. Going back, Danny grabbed a cup from his pack and filled it with conjured water. He squatted down next to Ivy, who was trying to talk to the man. She seemed to know a few words in the same language.

Danny asked, "Ivy, you know the Elven language?"

"Yes, they make sure every team leader knows enough Elven and Dwarf to be able to communicate fluently."

Jade asked, "What's he saying?"

Ivy shook her head, "I think he is saying someone’s name, but the rest doesn't make sense to me."

Danny said, "I want to learn how to speak the Elven language, I only know how to write in it."

Ivy looked back at Danny like she didn't know who he was, "You know how to write in Elven? How?"

"There was a book in the academy library. I guess it was there in case someone needed to read some Elven texts, though I never found any of those."

"That's strange..."

“Why would an Academy having books be strange?”

Ivy looked away for a second before responding, “I was told that Wizards at the academy are only given what is needed to learn magic, and there isn’t a need for them to learn other skills.”

Danny looked confused, “I looked all over for anything other than magic there. My book on potions had to be purchased. Why do they not want wizards to gain knowledge in other fields?”

Ivy sighed, “I asked the same thing when I learned about it. Since we have so few wizards, we can’t afford for them to get sidetracked into other subjects.”

“Do they actively stop some wizards from pursuing other things?”

Ivy shook her head, “Not that I have heard.”

Danny wasn’t sure what to make of this new knowledge. It didn’t sit well with him.

The elf opened his eyes and started speaking again. Ivy replied, but stopped in the conversation and turned to Danny, "He wants to know about the other elves that were with him."

Danny shook his head, "Just tell him to drink this water and I will make him something to eat. We can talk about that later. Oh, ask him if he eats meat. Oh, and if he says no, don't tell him about the broth we have been feeding him the past two days."

Ivy stared hard at Danny for a second before talking with the elf again. The elf started to get agitated and tried to get up, but he was too weak. Ivy gently pushed him back down. "When I avoided telling him about the other elves he tried to get up."

Danny looked over at the elf and asked, "Do you speak human?"

The elf nodded, "Yes."

Ivy looked a little embarrassed for not asking this already.

Danny said, "My name is Danny, what's your name?"

"The-leaf-that-falls-on-the-first-day-of-Autumn."

Danny paused at this and then, acting as if it never happened, said, "Nice to meet you Leaf! Now, I need to get you some food so that I can eventually heal you properly. I did not spend all that mana on you, bringing you back from the brink of death, just so you could starve."

Leaf nodded at this, "Thank you for saving me."

"You are welcome, now is there anything you don't eat, like meat?"

"Why wouldn't I eat meat?"

"I don't know why, but there are some truly odd people in this world. I just wish not eating meat was the weirdest thing people did."

Ivy stayed with the elf while Danny went around to the other side of the platform to grab some fruit. He didn't have anything clean to put them in, so he quickly grew a bowl. He took the fruits over to the elf.

"Here, these should tide you over 'til we can get you something more substantial to eat."

The elf dug around in the bowl and looked surprised, "Where did you find fresh apples out here in the forest? Are these grapes?!"

"Oh, I just grew an apple tree and grape vine into the side of the tree here."

The elf looked around as if he just now noticed where he was, "Did you grow all this out of the tree?"

Danny looked around, "Oh, yes, you will have to tell me if I did alright or not. I am sure you’re used to nicer-looking structures. I usually rush these as we only stay in them one night."

The elf looked around in shock as he raised an apple to his mouth, absentmindedly taking a bite.

Danny looked upset, "Did I do something wrong or can you tell me if there is a way to do it better?"

The elf stopped eating, "Danny, only the oldest druids of our people know how to do this! They take hundreds of years, living in solitude in the forests, to learn to bend the trees to their will. They observe the very nature of the forest to unravel its secrets. While not as aesthetically pleasing as the buildings of my people, this is very well done! Then you have Water and Earth affinities above five?"

Smiling, Danny said, "Oh, thanks! Yes, I have Water and Earth, along with Nature affinity."

Danny hadn't seen her leave, but Jade came back into the living room with a plate of jerky, "Danny, this is the last of the jerky. I could have sworn we had plenty a few days ago. I will go hunting and get us some more meat. Maybe we can cure some more before we leave. I don't want to have to hunt every night on the way back."

Danny quickly grabbed the plate and didn't turn to look at Jade, "Oh that's awful, I hope I didn't eat more than my share. Yes, please go get more when you can. I will be happy to help you make more... No, I insist I help you!"

Jade looked oddly at Danny's back before grabbing her bow and heading off into the woods.

Leaf looked between the retreating back of Jade and Danny looking at the plate in his hands. "What was that about?"

Danny looked up at Leaf and handed him the plate. "So, Leaf. What affinities do you have?”

Leaf looked at Danny like he knew something was up, “I have Earth and Water like most elves, but they are only level two each. I don’t spend much time on magic, as I prefer a bow and sword.”

Danny nodded, then a few minutes later asked, “Can you teach me the Elven language? I only know how to write in it."

Leaf finished the jerky he was chewing on, "Sure, Danny."

In between eating, Leaf taught Danny some of the Elven language.

***

Danny looked up from the fire they had set up a short distance from their tree house. He had been drying meat over the fire all day. His back started to ache from leaning over the fire so he made himself a chair with Earth affinity. Dried strips of bacon were hidden in an earthen jar he made. He only made that after something small and black made off with a few of his finished products. Sitting nearby, Jade had managed to fire off a few arrows at the intruder, but it was too fast, even for her. Brooke kept coming up with reasons to come by and sneak off with some of the bacon herself.

Having rested a bit more, they had the newly-awakened elf recount how he got captured by the goblins.

It turned out that Leaf had known about his fellow elves being tortured but not their deaths. The elves had been scouting in the area based on rumors of increased goblin activity. They had discovered a single goblin that had been gathering different clans under one banner. They found a goblin city had sprung up at the eastern base of the great dwarven mountains, around the ruins of an ancient fortress.

Taking the initiative, the elven scouts attempted to assassinate the new war-chief. The elves had learned long ago to quell any nearby goblin cities, after they lost an entire village and part of their forest centuries ago.

Leaf and his group stealthily entered the fortress at night, but before they could reach the war-chief they were detected by the goblins' wolves that littered the fortress. The elves found themselves in even worse shape when numerous goblin shamans appeared from the depths of the ruins. Outnumbered, some stayed behind to draw their attack while Leaf and the others fled to bring word to their people.

Unfortunately they were attacked again as they tried to escape, by a goblin male wearing a duster. This was a style normally only worn by human wizards. He did not dress like the other shamans. He used magic they had never seen before. Then they were shocked to find he even knew the Elven language, for he taunted them as he started to kill them one by one. One elf threw himself at the strange goblin so that Leaf and the other two elves could escape.

Wounded, they fled through the forest as the goblins gave chase. The goblins were able to keep up by riding the captured beast wolves. The elves found themselves herded away from the elven woods to the north and were turned southeast into the Great Forest. They were eventually captured by the goblins and imprisoned.

The goblins demanded to know a large number of things, including the locations and numbers of elven cities and troops. Leaf noted that this was a strange and advanced list of things to request by the usually dim-witted goblins. Leaf had then watched them beat and torture his fellow elves. The hardest part was not telling them what they wanted to know when they made him watch as they systematically chopped up his current mate. They always took the other elves away before they could die and refused to tell him if they still lived. They eventually beat him until he could speak no more, leaving him to die.

Ivy had questioned where the wolf riders were, as they had not seen any since arriving. Leaf figured they had left to report their capture. Danny wondered if one of the other elves had spoken, but he kept this to himself. He didn't know how Leaf could be so calm when faced with what he had gone through.

Danny finished drying what he could of the meat that day and returned to the tree house. Jade went to check the lookout where Ivy was keeping watch, while Brooke stood guard on the way up. As he stepped into the living room, Danny added more mana to the light spell inside.

Danny noticed Leaf touching the remains of his ears. He placed the meats in a container they used to keep foods and went over to sit by the elf. Danny leaned against the wall, "I'm sorry about your ears..."

Leaf jerked his hands away as if he didn't realize what he had been doing, "It's alright Danny, you have done what you can and I have you to thank for my life."

"I can mend flesh, fix bones, and now I know I can remove diseases. I just wish I could help you grow..." Danny stopped, looking thoughtfully at one of the elf's ruined ears.

The elf looked worriedly at Danny, "Danny, what's wrong?"

Danny broke from whatever trance he was in, "I think I can do it.'

"What can you do?"

"I can grow back your ears-well no, that's not right, I can tell your body to grow back your ears. Well at least I think I can."

The elf looked at Danny like the boy had just claimed he could fly. "Danny, if you had the pieces of my ears and they had been ripped off only an hour or so ago, then maybe you could possibly heal them back on. Healing my ears from nothing is not possible. They fed them to the boar!"

"I think I could also get arms and legs to regrow," Danny said distractedly, as if Leaf had never spoken. "Here, I should be able to convert your cells to what is needed. This isn't a limb so it technically should be easier. I just hope they don't become tumorous..."

Leaf looked at him worriedly, "Danny, what are you talking about?"

Danny raised his hands to the elf's ears and used Life affinity, willing some of the cells in his ears to change to an undifferentiated state. If correct, they would use different chemical signals from the surrounding cells to quickly grow and fill in the missing ears. Or possibly they would become a giant tumorous mass.

"Danny, do you really think this could work?" Instructor Meadow had asked.

"I believe so, but I will probably need to observe him for a few days to ensure it is taking effect like I believe it will. He will probably have an increased appetite, but that is just a guess."

Leaf looked lost, "Danny who is this woman?"

"That's Instructor Meadow, she sent us here to drive off th-Instructor Meadow! What are you doing here?!"

Meadow smiled, "I have been here the whole time with another member of the order, observing your first mission. Good job finding an alternate way to scare the goblins off without giving away your identities. Fear of the unknown spreads easier than fear of human teenagers."

"Where is your partner then?"

"When you rescued the man in the cage and he turned out to be an elf, we were about to step in. The one that left is a skilled healer. Then you were able to heal him effectively and get information from him that we needed. The one that left will alert the government about the growing goblin threat. We will help Leaf here get back to Diadem, where we can send him back home with a proper escort," Meadow explained.

Leaf said, "Instructor Meadow I thank you for sending your people here, and for any assistance you can provide me in warning my people."

Meadow smiled at Leaf, "I am just sorry I didn't know about this issue sooner. We will be sending our own courier to your people as soon as we can."

Leaf bowed to her from his seated position.

Meadow continued, "It looks like we will be here until Leaf is able to walk. Danny how is his condition?"

Danny replied, "Leaf here still has multiple contusions across his body. I was able to effectively treat his wounds, broken bones, internal bleeding, and hopefully soon we will be growing him some new ears. I suspect his strength has returned enough to travel, though we may take it easy the first couple of days. I should be able to remove the bruising now. He wasn't complaining about them and I figured it wouldn't hurt to let him recover some more fat before I started that. Then I got distracted and started him growing new ears... I hope."

Meadow sighed, "Danny, next time just say his condition is good and he should be able to start off with light travel."

Danny looked embarrassed and Meadow patted his shoulder before heading back out.

Leaf asked from behind Danny, "Do you really think my ears will grow back?"

Danny turned to Leaf and just smiled.

CHAPTER 33

An early morning fog moved through the forest and obscured everything more than a few feet away. The five humans and the elf steadily traveled back to Diadem. Danny wasn't a big fan of the fog. His Air scan was all but useless in the thick soup. He could step in a hole or crevasse and wouldn't even notice before it was too late. Instructor Meadow traveled with them, as Leaf was important to the elves and might be able to provide additional information on the goblins.

At their current pace they were about a week away from home. Fortunately, Leaf grew stronger each day and Danny was able to help heal him further as the elf gained more weight. Danny watched closely over Leaf's newly-growing ears. He expected tiny ears that would get bigger and bigger. Instead they just started at the bottom and grew at a full size towards the tips. Danny wondered how long elves' ears were. Did males have different sizes like the goblins? He thought about asking the elf, but given recent events that might be considered insensitive.

They had just moved around a ridge when something large could be heard moving towards them. As it loomed out of the fog to their left it smashed into Instructor Meadow. She dodged to the side at the last second and only received a glancing blow, though this was still enough for her to send her flying into a nearby tree. Danny was shocked to see the fog part with the speed she traveled through the air. The tree had cracked when the woman hit and splinters broke off to scatter over her.

The large creature ignored the downed figure and turned back towards the rest of them. It was slow to move its bulk, but they could now see it was a beast bear. Danny couldn’t help but think something was off about it.

“Danny, get Leaf out of here,” Ivy yelled, “and do something about this fog!”

Danny grabbed Leaf and quickly lost sight of the girls as the fog moved back in to replace what was dispersed by the bear. Danny had learned over the years that he couldn’t just blow the fog away with some wind, as it would just come back. Instead, he used something similar to Air scan, but with Fire affinity.

Stretching his mana out as wide as he could, he made sure to place it at ground level. Then he activated the Fire rune. For around 15 meters in every direction, the ground visibly grew hot. Lava affinity was too mana-intensive and wouldn’t activate unless there was enough to create lava. The fog in the area quickly dispersed and this effect started to spread outwards. As the girls were revealed, Danny could only watch as the bear swatted at Brooke’s shield. To Brooke’s credit, she was only pushed backwards, but Danny could tell by the way she now held the shield that something wasn’t right.

As Brooke was being attacked, Ivy fired her crossbow and Jade her bow. While the arrow bounced off harmlessly the bolt only took off a small chunk of hair. Both girls paused, before pulling out their swords.

Too far away for direct contact, Danny fired off a Fireball at the bear and watched with dismay as it dispersed, only annoying the bear further.

Ivy turned her head slightly back towards him, “Danny, stone variant!”

Danny nodded and realized why the girls put down their ranged weapons, “Right, dispersing the fog took more mana than I thought it would, try and hold him still.”

Ivy’s reply came back incredulously, “You're kidding right?”

Ivy and Jade circled the bear, dodging its attacks. Now that the fog had cleared it was easier to read its movements. Danny prepared his mana in both hands before casting them towards the bear. As the bear took swipes at the girls, Danny moved his arms around trying to get his mana where he needed it.

Frustrated, Danny yelled out, “I can’t tell where its heart is in all of that flab. If you can get it to hold its head still for a second, that would be a surefire way to kill it.” Ivy yelled out her own frustration as she dodged a swipe to her head.

Jade paused and finally spoke up, “Danny, get ready, I am going low.”

Not sure what she was intending, Danny moved his mana towards the bear's lower region. *Now there’s an idea,* thought Danny. Before he could go too far down that path, Jade yelled out at the bear, drawing its attention. Then she dived under its legs. As she expected the bear followed her actions and looked between its furry thighs at her.

Danny unleashed his Water magic on the bear's head, and its movements immediately became sluggish and uncoordinated. Unfortunately, the bear started to recover quickly.

Jade looked towards Danny, “It didn’t work!”

Panicked, Danny released his other saved spell on the bear's head. The bear had been shaking its head as if to clear it when the spell went off, and it missed. It did happen to freeze one of the bear’s front legs. Both of the girls rushed to attack the weakened bear when it made a reckless swipe at the both of them. This move was born of desperation and the bear was able to hit both of the girls.

The bear’s frozen leg shattered halfway through the swipe and it lost power. Both of the girls were thrown a few meters, but they only had the wind knocked out of them and claw marks scored their leather armor.

Then another roar came from the trees above and something landed on the bear's back. Thrashing and clawing at the bear's head was the leopard from the goblin camp. The already-weakened bear was easily no match for the cat, but the surprising thing was how her claws effortlessly tore through the bear's stone-infused fur and skin. Once she was finished, the cat jumped off and went to rub up against Danny, who was more than happy to scratch behind her ears.

Seeing Brooke struggling to stay upright, Danny quickly started towards her, but she waved to him, indicating that she was alright. Turning towards a dangerously damaged and bent tree, Danny ran over toward his fallen instructor. She was bleeding from her head and one of her arms was bent at a weird angle. She was breathing heavily and Danny suspected she might have some broken ribs. That bear hit like a train. After scanning her he discovered she did have a few broken ribs, but more importantly, a punctured lung. Because he had spent most of his mana already, Danny had to spend half an hour putting her back together.

When he finished he looked up to find Meadow looking up at him with a weak smile, "Thank you Danny. You didn't have to grow anything back, did you?"

Danny laughed, "Only the horns and forked tail."

Instructor Meadows looked at him confused, “What?”

"Danny, what is that doing here?" Danny could tell Ivy was using her angry voice.

Danny turned to see the ghost leopard had gotten bored of waiting for him and started eating the bear, "Hey, Phantom! You get tired of jerky?"

The leopard looked up at him and licked the blood off her lips before going back to eating.

It was apparently Brooke's turn to yell at him, "You mean you have been feeding that thing my food?! Ow ow ow, my arm…"

Jade just gave him that look that made Danny feel like running. He knew that would only encourage her to reach for her bow. Danny quickly walked over and started healing Brooke's arm. He made sure to put her between him and Jade.

"She is just a baby. They took away her mother, and now we are all she has," Danny pleaded.

Ivy wasn't even listening to him, "And you named it already!"

"Oh, yeah. Do you like it? A ghost leopard named Phantom. Pretty creative, huh?"

Leaf walked carefully out of the trees and with a shocked expression on his face, pointing at the leopard, "You have an [unknown] familiar!"

Everyone else stopped to stare at Leaf.

Ivy finally asked, "What's an [unknown]?"

Leaf did that thing where you open your mouth, then close it, only to open it again. "It is the sacred beast of the elven people. They are one of the few creatures that can match my people in speed and stealth. We believe them to be the sacred rulers of the forests. Only druids of royal descent have been able to acquire them as familiars."

Phantom, having eaten her fill, wandered over to Danny and started rubbing up against him. Danny spoke to the cat, "Did you hear that, princess Phantom? How did you like your bear, your majesty?"

Phantom looked at him as if she understood his question, then licked her nose and turned over for him to rub her belly.

Leaf looked like he was going to pee himself.

Danny asked Leaf, "How do elves get a familiar?"

Leaf replied, "I'm not a Druid, but they somehow adopt them into their family. I have been told it's as if you claim the creature as a brother or sister."

Danny thought for a moment then nodded his head, "Yeah, I might have accidentally done that."

Leaf looked frustrated, "You're human... that's not supposed to be possible!"

Meadow smirked at Leaf's statement, "That's what we keep telling him, but he doesn't listen."

Meadow walked over to the half-eaten bear and exclaimed, "It's an earth variant beast bear!"

Everyone gathered around to look closer at what remained of it. The bear's fur looked to be made of hard stone instead of hair. There were chunks missing where Brooke must have hit it with her mace before she was knocked back.

Brooke shook her head, "No wonder it felt like I was hitting a wall with my mace!"

"My arrows didn't do a thing," Jade mentioned in wonder.

"My Fire didn't really do much either," sympathized Danny.

"I'm impressed Phantom was able to eat any of that," exclaimed Ivy.

Turning to Danny, Meadow asked, "When were you feeding it? I was watching you all like a hawk and never saw it..."

"Oh, I would drop some jerky while walking around and she would find them and eat them."

Ivy asked, "How did you know it was her and not some other creature?"

"I used my Air scan. Unless there was another large cat running around, it was Phantom. Helped me practice using it to find people. I did think I sensed someone once but then they were gone. Where were you hiding?"

Meadow pulled out a collapsible spy glass, "I was in a tree on the other side of the ravine where you didn't try blocking the view of your tree house from."

Brooke said, "I knew you wouldn't send us out on our first mission alone. I was looking for you too."

Jade looked dejected, saying, "I failed to detect you too, that's not good."

Meadow waved their complaints away, "My stealth is almost maxed. If you had detected me then it would be because I allowed it. Now let’s get moving before another earth variant shows up." The last was said while massaging her newly-healed arm.

Danny decided to wait for a few minutes of walking, before inquiring, “So, I was wondering if I could move my room near the exit to the Great Forest so I could visit Phantom?”

Meadow did not look happy, “You’re serious about keeping the death cat?”

Leaf looked at her like she had just insulted his entire race. Meadow looked properly embarrassed and apologized. Leaf seemed to forgive her.

Danny replied, "Yes, she doesn't have a home. I don't want her out here alone, to get caught in some trapper's net."

Meadow looked to the girls, "What do you three think about this?"

Jade replied, "I like her but I am not feeding her, knowingly or otherwise. She can obviously hunt on her own."

Brooke waved her hand dismissively, "I don't care as long as she doesn't hurt Danny. She just protected him so I would say she's a keeper."

Ivy was silent while looking at the cat. She turned away and said, "Do what you want."

Meadow shrugged and said, "Alright, you can move near the exit. You will have to build the room. I’m not wasting another earth wizard's time with it. That goes double for your uncle Jade."

Jade shook her head, "My uncle would probably try to rearrange the entire headquarters..."

***

On the fifth day of their journey they arrived back near the hidden entrance to the Order’s headquarters. Tired from the slow pace, the only upside of the trip back was that Phantom's presence seemed to scare off most of the unwanted guests. Not wanting to give away the hidden entrance's location, Meadow left with Leaf for the Council Chambers, but not before Ivy had him look through the box of valuables they had found. Leaf teared up as he pulled a few items from the box and placed them in a bag he had been given. When he pulled out a ribbon made of a shimmering red material, Leaf fell to the ground and lost all composure. The girls were quick to gather around to comfort him. Danny, not sure what to do, made some stone chairs for them.

After calming down, Leaf apologized for his outburst and thanked them again for saving him. He asked that they visit him if they ever journeyed to the elven forests where he lived. Meadow then gave them orders to take the next couple of days off, in part so Danny could get his new room in order.

Danny was excited to make his room. He had been told not to mess with his dorm room, but no one gave any restrictions on his new room. He made a large hall with some stone couches, chairs, and a table. He would need to replace the chairs with real ones once he had time. Then he made a bedroom with a desk, chair, and shelves to put his clothes in. He made his own private bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower. An empty space he created in the rock above his bathroom held the needed water, which he had conjured. Of course, everything was made from stone. He was only given one light crystal, so he put that in the hall. He would have to cast a light spell whenever he had to use the other rooms.

Danny enlisted Brooke's help to move his bed into his new room.

"Which way are you turning it, my way or yours?" Brooke asked Danny impatiently.

"How does that question even make sense? I'm halfway tempted to just create a hole right here and fill it in after we get the bed through."

"That will take too long, just turn it to your left. Why didn't you make a light in here before we started this?"

“Why didn’t you think to remind me to do that?!”

They finally got the bed through the door with only a single broken bed post. Danny considered it a win. Walking back into the hall they found Ivy trying to get comfortable on the stone couch.

Ivy frowned asked him, "Now, why did you ask Brooke and not me?"

Brooke smiled from the doorway, "Because I actually help instead of barking orders."

Ivy uncharacteristically stuck out her tongue at Brooke.

Jade spoke up from another side of the room, "I could have helped too."

Danny sighed, and mumbled, "I should have just asked one of the other boys."

Danny saw Ivy smile mischievously at the other two girls from the corner of his eye. He could never tell if they were actually upset with him or just trying to drive him crazy.

Danny decided some things never changed, regardless of what world you were on.

Danny called out from the entrance to his room, "I am going out to check on Phantom and train."

"Danny, we are supposed to be resting, not training," Ivy reminded him.

Danny looked at her through hooded eyes, "Yes, well then I am going out to 'play' with Phantom and relax in the trees. Thanks for the help Brooke!"

"Sure, have fun," Brooke waved.

Jade moved to follow him, "Wait Danny, I am coming with you!"

***

Jade followed Danny out into the Great Forest. Danny called out to Phantom then walked over to the nearest tree. He knew Jade had come to make sure he didn't get eaten or kill himself. Part of him wished he could come out here alone, but he understood the girls' reasoning. Reaching out with his mana, he used nature affinity on a vine wrapped around a tree. The vine grew and stretched out towards him, then wrapped around his body and under his arms. Danny then attempted to pull himself up into the tree. The vines grew upwards but didn't have the support to lift him. He then tried growing a vine down from above but that had similar results. Stumped, Danny turned to Jade and asked in his best game show host voice, "My lovely assistant, could I get you to show me how you move through the trees so easily?"

Jade blushed at Danny's words. Nodding she ran to the nearest tree with the lowest branch. The branch was near the height of her head, and she grabbed a hold of it, swinging herself up. She looked like a gymnast. Getting on top of that branch, she began to jump or swing between the trees. Danny was especially impressed with how silent she was in the whole process. He would take a lot of time to do the same… but with magic he could improvise!

Danny went towards the same tree she had used first and sent nature affinity towards the trunk. Branches grew at various points that led up to the first branch she used. This took a few moments to happen. Then he walked up them to the original branch Jade had first used. With nature affinity he started to subtly grow and twist the branches in his path. He was nowhere near as fast as Jade, but with practice he made decent time and discovered ways to keep the process silent. He had just reached the trunk of a tree to move to the next branch, when the one he was on started to shake violently. Turning, worriedly, Danny saw Phantom balancing on the other end of the large branch. Danny walked over to Phantom to give her a hug. After rubbing her head, he looked down to see the branch had become a platform. Danny was shocked, realizing he had done it subconsciously with his split concentration, while focused on reaching Phantom. He had known the branch was not strong enough to hold both of them. Especially with how big Phantom was growing. Why had he walked out if he knew that?

Danny looked around for Jade, and not seeing her, he used Air scan to search the area. He found her watching him from a distance above and behind him. She had circled him while he had been distracted by Phantom. Walking towards Jade, Danny focused only on reaching her and kept his pace at a speed he knew his magic could maintain. Branches and vines crossed and crisscrossed his path. Some grew from trunks or large branches to fill gaps.

At a slow walk Danny had no trouble getting to Jade. He did try to keep a specific distance from the trees, so it wasn't an exact straight line. Jade appeared to have noticed the change in Danny's movement and stood transfixed as he causally walked up to her. Looking back, Danny saw Phantom following in his wake. Smiling while reaching out his hand, Danny bopped Jade on the nose with one finger, "Gotcha!"

This seemed to shatter Jade from her frozen state. Blushing again, she smiled, turned, and took off. Phantom seemed to like this game and quickly took off after her. Danny walked after the two at his slow pace. While Danny was remarkably slower, Jade started to get tired. Moving branches didn't use too much mana but having to grow new branches where there weren’t already any tended to cause a significant drop.

Phantom would show off her superior physical prowess by moving back and forth between the two of them. Danny attempted to block Jade's path with nature affinity by manipulating branches. He discovered that with this act he had reached his limit of things to concentrate on simultaneously. He could not subconsciously move branches to where he was about to walk, then walk, and manipulate the foliage in Jade's path at the same time. Danny stumbled and fell to the ground but was stopped by branches and vines reaching out to catch him. Apparently, he had tapped into his unconscious mind's ability to act with his mana. Danny found himself bouncing a foot above the ground while supported by numerous branches, and decided now was a great time to stop screaming.

Jade landed on the ground next to him, "Danny, are you alright?!"

"Yes, I was just trying something new."

Danny was grateful for his split concentration saving him from crashing onto the forest floor.

Grabbing him and pulling him from the branches Jade hugged him tightly, "How about you don't try that again for a while?"

Hugging her back he agreed, "Yes, that was not really what I was trying to do."

"I know. I think we should head back inside, it is almost time for Dinner."

Danny nodded into her shoulder and shuddered, remembering the sudden fall just then, "Sure."

CHAPTER 34

A few weeks later, Danny awoke in his new room and realized he hadn’t visited his sanctuary in a while. Since leveling his primary skills so high, gaining new levels seemed to happen less often. Entering his sanctuary, he looked to the attribute triangle and noticed there had been some slight movement in intelligence and agility recently. Over in his bookshelves he found three new books for “Elven (spoken)” had appeared on the “Speech” bookshelf. Having a native speaker teach you a language was always helpful. Thanks to training with Jade, his “Sneak” was now level five. Taking care of Phantom helped him reach level three in “Cooking” and gain three new books for “Animal Husbandry.” Treating Leaf raised his “First Aid” to level six, gave him two new books called “Surgery”, and another new book called “Care-giving”. Confused, Danny assumed from looking at the knowledge within them that Care-giving had to do with taking care of the patient and Surgery was for using knowledge to treat internal damage.

Moving into his mana room he found “Air Affinity” and “Mana Manipulation” reached level seven, and “Life Affinity” level six. The experience from their first mission was turning out to be a huge boon for him.

Moving out into the hallway, he was about to go back to look at some of the new books in the first room when he noticed a strange flickering coming from the crystal room. Frowning, Danny hesitated a moment before going toward the newest room. Before he had even made it to the doorway he noticed that the crystal previously holding his dual concentration in the form of his old body, Cranny, was missing. Fragments of crystal were scattered all over the floor. Looking back down the hallway, Danny suddenly felt like he had just stepped into one of those low budget horror films.

The strange flickering light seemed to come from one side of the room as it reflected off all the crystal fragments. Moving into the room proper, Danny found what could only be described as a building security station set up on one side of the room. The plain room even morphed on that side to have generic carpet flooring, mauve colored walls, and popcorn ceiling. Danny grimaced at the visually-offensive addition. A dozen monitors were arrayed along the far wall and sitting at a desk beneath them was Cranny. He now wore a security guard's uniform and was typing away at an 80’s desktop computer. Next to him was a half-eaten donut on a plate and a steaming cup of coffee. Danny looked around and seemed to hesitate to interrupt his former self. Cranny seeming to finally notice his presence stopped typing and turned around with a big smile, “Danny! Thank you for finally letting me out, it was getting really cramped in there. Oh, and I got a new job, but the pay stinks. Gotta start somewhere though…”

Danny didn’t respond at first, but was finally able to form a coherent sentence, “Wha…?” ...Well, there was an attempt.

“You finally let go and allowed the other half of your dual consciousness-that’s me to handle things on my own. Now I get to monitor your surroundings and respond to external threats. These monitors in the middle show me what you can see through your eyes.

“The ones on this side show me what comes up on the Air and Earth scans. I use those now on a regular basis. I don’t use earth scan as much unless we figure out something really useful for it to detect. But hey, if you don’t use it you lose it, am I right?

“Then over on the other side are your vitals and general condition. I wish I could use the mana eyes but that would get in the way of your ability to function, so that one’s up to you to use.”

Danny looked over the monitors for a moment before he really focused on what he was seeing. “Are my eyes open right now?”

Cranny looked up, “Yep, I block your perception of them and barely open them every now and then when you are asleep. Can’t keep them open too much or they can’t rest. Oh, want to see me make them blink?”

Cranny reached over and tapped a key on a console that stretched along part of the desk. Danny watched as his barely open eyes blinked over and over.

Cranny focused on the controls, “See, I can even send out messages in Morse code. Please… send… help… can’t… get… out... Ha! Just kidding, we don’t know Morse code!”

Danny sighed and considered leaving right then, but asked another question instead, “So, were you the one that sent the vines and branches to grab me a few days ago when I suddenly fell?”

Cranny nodded seriously, “Yes, I have access here to all your abilities and spells. If it looks like you are in trouble and can’t properly focus for some reason, I will step in. You thought the dual consciousness was meant for dual casting, but this was its intended purpose. Your own mind was fighting for control with itself as this was a new experience for you. Took you long enough…”

Danny wanted to lay ground rules, “This is good, but I don’t want you eating up all my mana…”

Cranny interrupted him, “We are the same person, and I know what you’re going to say. In fact, it’s written on the monitor below your vitals right there, see. Don’t worry, I will manage things fine from here, so you go play.”

Danny looked one last time at the monitors and saw his eyes were barely open again and Ivy walked into his bedroom. She paused when she saw he was sitting up, but relaxed when she realized he was meditating.

A smile appeared on her face and she went and sat down in front of him on the bed. She apparently couldn’t tell his eyes were barely open, even from this distance. She craned her head and inspected his face from one side to the other. Her hand reached out towards the top of his head as if she was going to run it through his hair, but she stopped herself.

Cranny turned to him and smiled, “Since I was released, I have seen the three of them all come in every night to check on you. I don’t know if it’s because your new room is out here by itself, or if they did it before as well. I think they do a rotation, but Jade sometimes checks on you on the same night as the others. She’s sweet… for a stalker.”

Danny was blown away by this revelation. His heart-rate increased and a fast beeping sounded from his vitals monitor before Cranny casually reached over and pressed a button to silence it.

Ivy’s mouth started moving and Danny thought he heard something before Cranny turned a dial on one of the two speakers right beside his computer. He could suddenly hear her loud and clear.

“…tiful. I don’t know what I am going to do with you, Danny Creek. You drive me crazy one moment then do the impossible the next… I wish they would let us take you into the city to train, so I could have an excuse to take you out and do something fun. I guess I will have to wait just a little bit longer…”

Ivy started to lean in towards his face and closed her eyes.

“Wait, how many times have I been kissed in my sleep!”

Cranny had a bag in his lap and was about to eat a fistful of popcorn, “This has never happened since I have been watching. Shhh, it’s about to get to the good part.”

Danny couldn’t control his reaction and ejected himself from the sanctuary with a jerk. Ivy must have noticed his reaction, paused, and quickly opened her eyes. Smiling she played off what she was about to do by laughing and announcing, “Surprise, Meadows wants our team to meet her and some others in the dining room.”

Danny noticed a blush on her face as she turned and quickly left the room. His left hand involuntarily reached out and pinched his leg. Realizing what happened Danny fiercely whispered, “Owww, don’t do that, this is my body!”

Ivy leaned her head back into his room, “Sorry, were you calling after me?”

Danny forced a smile and gripped his left hand with his right, “No, I have to do some stuff and I will be there shortly.”

“Alright,” Ivy nodded and left.

Danny just sat there for a long while, staring at the doorway to his room.

CHAPTER 35

Danny was standing with his team in the dining hall. A number of other shadows were waiting there as well. It wasn't during a meal time so no one else was there. Instructor Meadow walked in and unceremoniously turned to face them, "Congratulations teams, you are now officially no longer trainees, but apprentice Shadows. When you have successfully completed enough missions you will be advanced to a journeyman shadow, and given a name. You will no longer bunk in the trainee dorms. While here, you will stay in the assigned rooms that all shadows stay in. You will be working alongside an experienced shadow until your team reaches the rank of journeyman. With that out of the way, I have some more news to share with you.

“As of this morning, the military has begun mobilizing to address a goblin threat discovered on the eastern ranges of the dwarven mountains. Additional troops will be stationed at the towns and villages nearest to this latest threat. The elven ambassador has assured us her people can be ready to mobilize quickly and will be with us in this fight. Since issuing military orders is outside the dwarf ambassador's authority, she has sent word to her people for their response. It is likely that your missions will revolve around addressing the goblin threat. I will now hand out your next assignments. Report to your assigned senior shadow, at the location listed, as soon as possible. You are dismissed."

With that, Instructor Meadow left the room. New trainees could be heard through the open door going through their morning drills.

Ivy looked at the paper and smiled, turning to Jade, "Looks like we are going to get to spend some time with your family."

Jade's eyes lit up and she smiled.

Ivy read the rest of their orders, "We are to wait for them in the town of Crossbark. There is a map included. Looks like it is on the edge of the Great forest along the main path to the elven forest. Let's meet up here for lunch with our things, then head out. I don't want to keep shadow Basalt waiting."

***

Shortly after the meeting Danny peeked into Instructor Meadow's office through her open door, "Instructor Meadow, you asked to see me?"

Looking up from some papers she had been busily writing on her desk, Meadows waved him in and gestured towards the vacant chairs in front of her desk.

She finished writing something down and looked across her desks at him, "Danny, thank you for coming in. How are you doing?"

Smiling, Danny replied, "Good, and you?"

Meadows smirked, "I would be better if your first mission didn't result in a mountain of paperwork and more headaches than I care to mention."

"My apologies, I will try to be less conspicuous in the future."

Meadows barked a laugh, "I would appreciate that. Now, onto why I brought you here. You are the last person in our graduating shadows for me to speak with. This is because I had to wait for some final approvals and decisions to be made before meeting with you.

“As you know our organization is a known entity to the public, but we don't go around openly broadcasting who our members are. The black uniform you wear is to be worn only when here at the headquarters. I will talk about that more in a bit. Once you step outside of the walls, you are not to mention anything about us, even in private conversation to your shadow."

Danny looked confused, "But what about Leaf?"

Meadows sighed, "Yes, seeing our uniforms, he might have suspected who we were. What was even more unfortunate was that he saw your... special abilities. Plans have been moved forward and others tossed aside. I wish we had had more time to train you in the more… urbane skills of our order.

“The elves have requested to meet you. They have always been exceptional at earth and Water magics, but their proudest achievements are in nature magic. Just having a human with nature magic alone would interest them, but you being so young has them all but demanding your presence. Then Leaf saw you at least using Fire and Ice... Fortunately for Leaf, those in charge decided he was worth more alive than silent."

Meadows got up and went over to a small table next to her desk. The table held a tray with a decanter and couple of glasses. Pouring herself a drink, she downed it, before turning back to Danny.

"Danny, I don't know what the elves will want from you. You will need to be on your guard at all times. Listen to your superiors in the other shadow. Our relationship with the elves is of the utmost importance, especially at times like these. We hope showing your abilities to them will help close the gap between our two nations even further."

Meadows sat back down at her desk and, in her distraction, placed her empty glass on top of the papers she had been writing. Running a hand through her short hair, she finally looked Danny in the eyes, "I have been asked to relay a personal message to you from the Umbra... ‘Make sure you come back. If not for your shadow, then at least do it for your family.’”

Danny rocked back as if physically slapped. All he could do was sit there wide-eyed, as he processed what he had just heard.

Meadows looked down and nodded her head slowly. Pulling out a drawer, Meadows slapped down onto the desk a duster with an alternating pattern of red, grey, and white colors.

“Congratulations on your appointment to wizard rank, Wizard Creek. You chose these elements in the academy and you will have to stick with them. Wizards with three affinities are rare. So don’t let anyone, in the public or military, see you use a spell other than from these three affinities. Away from prying eyes and then once you reach the elves, you can do as you please.”

Standing, Danny numbly grabbed the duster off the desk and turned to leave.

“Danny…” Meadows' voice called out behind him.

Seeing him stop and look back at her, Meadows looked like she wanted to say more, a lot more. After a few moments, she frowned, “Good luck, Danny.”

Danny stared at her for a few seconds then left silently.

***

Danny’s shadow made good time south through the edge of the Great Forest. Phantom ranged alongside them, running off to chase after something, only to return to Danny's side later. Having known Danny for over five years now, the girls easily picked up on Danny’s strange mood. They each tried to cheer him up and find out what was wrong but couldn’t get anything out of him. Danny figured what he was told was meant to stay with him, or else.

It took two days for them to reach the small town of Crossbark, named so because it was the last village on the main road, separating the rest of the human lands from the Great Forest.

The town was surrounded by a large stone wall. Danny could tell it was a major trade hub for merchants traveling to and from the elven lands. Brooke informed him that elves didn't come often to the human lands but welcomed human traders into their borders. The town looked prosperous but on high alert.

Danny's group was stopped at the entrance by military personnel before being allowed in the city. The soldiers posted there asked Danny a lot of questions. He was worried as they were all about his background, and he thought they might suspect who he worked for. Finally, Ivy rushed them along, explaining that they were late for a meeting. He was confused as to why the military was stopping humans, especially wizards. Maybe it was just to instill a sense of security.

They made their way to an inn that was listed in their orders. The inn itself was nothing fancy, but also not a hole-in-the-wall. The ground floor housed a tavern and the two floors above that held the rooms for rent. As they entered the inn there were only a few patrons in the tavern. Everyone in the room stopped and stared at the new arrivals, like something out of a bad western movie. They didn't seem threatening, just curious. Danny could only assume they were wondering why a group of young people would be coming in to the tavern.

The woman behind the bar greeted them as they entered, introducing herself as the owner. They inquired after a room with two beds, baths, and meals. Nodding, the woman haggled with Ivy briefly over the price and they made their way upstairs. Danny said he would be fine paying for a room of his own. He received a monthly wage from the Order and had developed quite some savings over the years. The girls wouldn't hear anything about it. He tried to argue again, but they said it wasn't safe to be alone anywhere in these border towns.

They asked about a group waiting for them and was told no one matching that description had arrived, so they went upstairs and dropped off their things. Locking the door, they left to visit the town’s marketplace.

***

The marketplace was packed. Stalls were crammed in every available free space and stores lined the outskirts. There seemed to be no order to what type of stall went where. Everyone was either talking or yelling to be heard above the yelling and talking.

As he was walking next to Brooke, people in the crowd kept brushing up against Danny, and he couldn’t figure out why. He had a death-grip on his coin purse, as he had only read about these kinds of situations. Strangely, no one was running into the girls. Without anyone saying anything, the girls took up positions around him. Danny couldn’t help but feel perturbed by this.

They visited a few weapon and armor vendors, but nothing in their price range could match the equipment they received from the Order. The girls started looking at clothing and Danny felt a strong case of déjà vu. A memory of his former life as a child, holding his mother’s purse while she looked through racks of clothing. Then another memory, him as an adult, holding his girlfriend’s purse while she looked through racks of under…clothing. Danny looked down at his empty hands and smiled. At least this world didn’t require purse holding.

They were on the edge of the market, and Danny saw a book store. If it wasn’t for the symbol of the book on the sign over the door, he would have thought it was a pawn shop back on Earth. Metal bars covered the windows and the door looked like it was made to withstand a siege. Confused, Danny didn’t see any of the other store fronts receiving the same treatment. The girls were still distracted, arguing over which garment looked better on Jade. Danny really wanted to get out of the crowd and get some time to himself.

Quickly ducking into the store he found himself one of only a few customers. An impressively-muscled woman stood right inside the door and sized him up before giving him a creepy smile. Not having to question why she was not put in charge of sales, Danny quickly walked farther into the store. Expecting it to look like a library, he was surprised to find all the books behind long glass cases in the center of the room. The walls held glass cabinets filled with even more books. Every book in the store was turned so their covers faced outward.

One book was not under glass, but on a podium. When he walked over to it and started reading, he quickly realized it was a catalog of all the books the store sold. Reading through the lists, he quickly found his two alchemy books, but was confused because that was all there was.

An older woman who appeared in her fifties walked over and greeted him, “Hello young wizard, can I help you find anything today?”

Danny smiled up at the woman, “Yes, I was looking for the other volumes to these two alchemy books.”

The woman frowned, “I am so sorry, those books are not in public circulation and can only be read by joining the alchemist’s guild. Though, I suspect there are some influential families that have managed to grab them for their own private collections. Again, my apologies.”

Wishing he had gone in a bookstore before, he thank the woman before walking around the store and just looking at what was available. This was one of those moments where a lot of useless jumbled up information all came together in Danny’s brain to form insight.

In this world, knowledge was literally power. Just by reading something, one could later use it whenever they wanted to. Of course, they had to comprehend it, but still. His knowledge of the elements alone would be priceless. Was it merely a case of the powerful wanting to stay in power?

Danny asked about some of the prices for the books and instantly felt guilty. He swore to save up enough of his wages to pay his family back for the fortune they spent on his two books of alchemy.

Unfortunately, they had nothing else that was useful to him, not that he could have afforded it if they had. Thanking the woman, he left the store.

He hadn’t thought he had been inside long, but the girls were gone. At first he questioned why they didn’t think to look in a bookstore for him. Then he remembered the prices and started looking around. He decided the best course of action would be to go back to the inn and wait for one of them to show up. He started using Air scan, thinking he could pick up the girls’ location.

As he weaved his way through the crowds he was constantly stopped by different women asking if he needed help, or if he wanted them to help him look for something to buy. At first, he was polite and begged off, but then by the fifth interruption he just started ignoring them. As he got closer to the inn, his Air scan, which was seriously hampered by the crowd, had managed to pick up a few people consistently following him. If it had just been one person, he probably wouldn’t have been able to tell, but there were four of them.

Looking back, he saw four women. None of them he recognized. Three of them were nothing to write home about, rough looking, but one of them was very pretty. Ms. Pretty, as he dubbed her, saw him looking and smiled and waved at him. Something about it seemed off and his left hand jerked towards the inn making him turn back around.

His Air scan told him they were now moving faster to catch up to him, so Danny started trying to lose them. He was almost as tall as most of the women in the market and ducked down as he moved. He slowly made his way back towards the inn, but stopped short at the edge of the market. Two of the four that were following him were waiting on the street leaving the market, towards his inn. Not sure where the other streets led, he turned back to try and see what his best option was.

Danny was passing by a man and (what he assumed to be) two of his wives haggling with a vegetable merchant, when Danny was yanked back by the arm.

Ms. Pretty loomed in front of him. He tried to jerk his arm away but could instantly tell from how her grip didn't budge that she was definitely augmented for strength. She pulled Danny closer into her personal space and he had to look up but found it a little difficult due to the size of her chest.

A smile crossed her full lips and Danny found himself looking into her big brown eyes. “Hello there cutie, you look a little lost. How about I help you out? Maybe I could take you out for some dinner first?”

Danny's tried to wiggle out of her grasp, but that only seemed to settle him further into her embrace, "Please, let me go..."

The hand holding him started rubbing his arm as the woman tried to sooth him, "Shhh, don't be like that, we can have a little fun if you want."

Danny couldn’t deny part of him was enjoying everything he was feeling. By the extreme degree of his body's reaction, Danny thought she must have used some sort of lust magic on him. He never remembered having it this bad... wait. Then it hit him. It wasn’t that long ago that he hit puberty… stupid teenage hormones!

Danny’s left hand snaked out and grabbed somewhere highly inappropriate for such a public space. The woman’s eyes opened a little annoyed and shocked at this, but then she smiled like the cat that had just caught the canary. Danny wasn’t sure if what he had just done had been Cranny or not, but he was going to go down swearing it had been his former self’s fault.

Remembering what he had been told, he used a spell normally meant for lighting candles or fireplaces. Danny found he couldn’t help himself, “Damn girl, is it hot out here or just you?”

The beautiful woman's face lost some of its confidence, as the phrase apparently didn't translate well to this world's language.

Suddenly small flames erupted around his hand and caught her shirt on fire.

A wicked grin spread across Danny's face, "Yep, it's just you..."

A scream of panic erupted behind him, and Danny turned to face one of the women he had seen with the beauty before. He hadn't noticed her, and suspected she had been sneaking up on him. He was caught a little off guard when the sneaky woman ran past, completely ignoring him. Danny stood there dumbly for a few seconds, watching the two panicked women try and put out the fire. It had been a little much given the spell he used. Maybe his hormones affected his control over his magic.

Shrugging, Danny laughed as he took off running down the closest side street. His laughter stopped when his Air scan told him it was a dead end up ahead. Turning around he could sense four people approaching. Looking about, there was nothing but residences, tightly packed next to each other. There were no yards or small gardens he could use nature affinity on. He didn’t want to fight them and decided to escape further down the alley to buy himself enough time to use earth affinity to escape. He really should find a way to safely fly without fear of breaking something.

He sensed someone new moving on top of the roofs of the homes far behind him. Then the new arrival intercepted the four following him.

Air scan showed the five people moving around erratically and then they all stopped. A lone figure moved quickly towards Danny, and he could immediately tell he didn’t have enough time to flee.

Preparing a Fireball, he didn’t have to wait long for Jade to come into view. Seeing him, her face lit up with relief and a huge smile. Danny sighed in relief and smiled back. Then Jade’s relieved look fell and she stopped smiling. Danny debated whether he should cancel his Fireball just yet.

CHAPTER 36

Danny and Jade made it back to their inn without incident. Ivy and Brooke were waiting outside nervously by the entrance. When they spotted him, the two other girls looked relieved and hurried over to him.

Hugging Danny after Brooke, Ivy asked, “Where were you? We turned around and you were gone.”

“I was in the book store looking for the third volume to my alchemy books. After finding out that I would have to join the alchemist guild, I left to get back before you noticed. Then you three were nowhere in sight, so I headed back to the inn. That’s when I ran into them…”

Brooke’s eyes narrowed, “Who were they?”

Jade answered, “Boynappers…”

Brooke and Ivy both tensed up, before Brooke moved over, grabbed Danny into a hug he couldn’t escape if he wanted to. Danny’s waved around what parts of his arms were not being crushed under Brooke’s hug as a sense of déjà vu overcame him.

Pushing himself away, Danny straightened his duster, “Dare I ask what ‘boynappers’ are?”

All three girls looked at Danny with shock.

Danny sighed, “Just tell me already.”

Ivy, “Did your parents ever take you outside when you were growing up?”

Danny nodded.

Ivy continued, “Did they ever let you go out by yourself?”

Danny thought back before answering, “I went shopping once while at the Academy… Sarah was surprised when I came alone.”
Ivy shook her head, “Well it’s not that bad in the capital, what about when you left the city?”

Danny shook his head, “We never left the capital. My first time out was with you three.”

Ivy looked around to see who was nearby, “Boynappers target young boys not old enough to be married yet. A young wizard, such as yourself, would make them a lot of money.”

Danny asked, “Do their families usually pay the ransom?”

Ivy frowned, “They don’t ransom them back to their families. They sell them to undesirable trios. For an example, a wealthy merchant family who has fallen out of public favor would pay large sums to acquire a wizard, especially one with three affinities.”

Danny shook his head, “Then how do they get away with it? Won’t the boys be able to tell someone or escape? Then the ones who purchased them would be imprisoned.”

Brooke shook her head, “They take them out to the countryside, Danny. Wait 'til they get a child or two off of him, then go back to civilization. The boy’s family will either be forced to disown him or accept the marriage. The boy’s family could accuse his wives - who are now legal - but that would bring public shame to his family and leave him being viewed as soiled.”

Danny couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was appalled and in shock.

Turning to Jade, Danny asked, "I wasn't sure if I could hold back my magic and tried to avoid them rather than killing them. Did you tie them up for the local constabulary to find?"

Jade wore a small sad smile, as she grabbed his hand, “C'mon Danny, let’s go inside. There is someone who just arrived that wants to see you.”

***

As the group walked in they could see the tavern was busy that evening, but no one was louder than Wizard Basalt. He was obviously in his element as he was in the middle of telling a story. Women in the tavern gathered around to listen to his adventures that usually ended with one of his wives saving his behind from some horrible fate. His wives spent the whole time rolling their eyes and denying the whole thing happened. This would result in the wizard professing his undying love to whoever was the current savior in each of the stories. The crowd laughed raucously as they followed his every word.

Danny and his shadow had taken a seat at a table nearby and ordered dinner while they waited for the large wizard to finish his tales.

Arya, leader of the Basalt shadow, eventually called it a night and, against the tavern-goers’ wishes, dragged the storyteller upstairs. Danny’s shadow followed shortly after them. They all retreated to Basalt's room to discuss business. Danny's team sat on one bed while the Basalt ladies sat on the other. They made Wizard Basalt sit in the only chair in the room, as he took up too much space. Danny took a spot standing by the older wizard.

Wizard Basalt turned to Danny, slapping him on the back, "How is my niece treating you, Danny?"

Danny recovered from almost being knocked into the floor, "She is a very nice girl, I am lucky to have her in my Shadow."

"Good, good! How goes your training? I heard rumors that you regrew a missing appendage."

"Just a couple of ears. I figured they would have had me going around Diadem fixing missing body parts after finding that one out."

"Well, they have more pressing issues, and getting you up to fighting strength is more important to them."

Danny got defensive, "Well, my mana regeneration and flow increase daily. I am sure it has increased by at least fifty percent since the last time we saw each other. I would have tried to train more if I had known that was an issue. Wizard Pebble didn't ever suggest that I was still too weak."

"Danny, Wizard Pebble has less mana flow than you. He is just in charge of making sure the wizard trainees actually train. Though he was made aware of what you can do, he doesn't share the level of knowledge that the Archwizard or I have on your special condition."

"So what do you suggest?"

Wizard Basalt sighed, "I would love to be able to increase my regeneration and flow rate by just practicing. Boy, you need to come up with a way to use magic constantly and with large amounts of it. Without causing a disaster, of course."

Danny only had to think for a few seconds, "I have an idea, it's really simple for me. I just eject massive amounts of mana. Though that does seem wasteful. Especially if we come up on a situation where I need to use the magic. I wonder if I could just store it outside my body?"

The large man laughed and slapped him on the back, "I'm sure you will figure it out. If you are going to store it outside your body, just remember the 'no disasters' part I mentioned before."

Arya cleared her throat getting everyone’s attention, "We have been tasked with escorting the elf known as Leaf back to the elven homelands. He is currently staying in this city under a full military escort. We are using our regular cover as representatives of the Basalt family who happen to be also traveling on business to the elven lands. Since the Great Forest is dangerous this will not appear an odd arrangement. Danny will continue his cover as my husband’s wizard apprentice and you three girls will be his contractually bound Trio, with our connection being that our niece is part of that Trio. Changing our back stories could only backfire on us. Any questions?"

Ivy asked, "We know Leaf, won't they find it weird that we are familiar with him?"

"The military escort consists of a platoon of over fifty of Diadem’s finest soldiers and around twelve wizards. Leaf is being transported by carriage with the Elven Ambassador. There is a contingent of nine mounted troops while the rest of them, including us, will be walking. They will not allow us anywhere near him during this trip," Arya explained.

"What about Phantom, can she travel with us?" Danny asked.

Arya asked, "Danny's ghost leopard familiar?"

"We haven't taken her into a group as large as this, but she is very protective of Danny," Jade answered.

Arya looked at Danny, "Yes, Jade told us downstairs about your new friend. She will draw a lot of unwanted attention." Arya debated for a minute, "If you are going to bring her, then make sure she is there when we meet with the caravan. I don't want to deal with an entire platoon coming down on us when she suddenly shows up to protect you from something halfway through the trip. Make sure she behaves herself."

Danny nodded, "Yes ma'am, it will be like she isn't even there."

Wizard Basalt spoke up from the corner of the room, "Danny, remember to not use your sorcerer abilities or leave any evidence around the other military wizards. That includes healing."

"Yes, Wizard Basalt."

"We arrived with them tonight and they plan to continue on tomorrow after dawn. They see us as simple merchant family and will not wait on us, so be ready to leave at dawn. Now, everyone go get some sleep," Arya ordered.

Danny and his group said their goodnights and left for their room. That’s when Danny realized something he hadn’t when they had left their bags there earlier. Both of the beds had been pushed together to make one large bed.

Danny went back to the door, “I will grab some extra blankets and sleep over here on the floor. You girls take the bed.”

Brooke looked at him like he was crazy, “No you won’t, there will probably be rats crawling around down there all night.”

Danny’s hand paused on the door handle.

“Danny, don’t tell me you are nervous about sleeping in the same room as us. We have been doing that for over five years now,” Ivy was having a hard time pretending not to smile.

Staring daggers at her, Danny said, “This is not the same and you know it.”

Jade jumped on the bed and looked up excitedly, “You can sleep next to me, Danny!”

Ivy looked back at Danny and mimicked Jade’s enthusiasm, with a smug smile only he could see, “Oh and I get the other side! You don’t mind, do you Brooke?”

Brooke shook her head, “Fine by me, but I get the side next to the window.”

Danny’s jaw had fallen at some point and wouldn’t shut.

***

The next morning found Danny still awake, trying to focus on anything other than the two girls seemingly glued to him.

The previous night, after everyone changed behind the room’s dressing screen, they all climbed into the bed. The two beds together were large enough that they didn’t touch one another and it soon almost felt like sleeping with them out in the forest. After the novelty wore off he actually fell asleep. Only to be woken up shortly after by Ivy draping a leg across his and snuggling up next to him.

Wide-eyed, he turned to her to see if she was doing it on purpose, but only saw a sleeping, young… impossibly perfect young woman…

Danny barely managed to hold back a groan, as he turned to look up at the ceiling. He knew he wasn’t going to get any sleep now. Then Jade mumbled something about being quiet or he would wake Danny Jr, and then proceeded to use Danny’s arm as a body pillow. Danny looked at the willowy girl with more than a little worry.

After a few awkward moments when the girls first woke up, well awkward for Danny, they had breakfast and headed out. His team traveled to an isolated area on the edge of the Great Forest, calling for Phantom. Danny was starting to stress that she had been caught by a trap, or went ranging out too far to hunt, and wouldn't hear him. Then she suddenly leaped out of nowhere to tackle him. The girls screamed in surprise and started to reach for their weapons before they noticed who Danny's attacker was. Danny was laughing and trying to wrestle the now large pony-sized cat, with little to show for it.

"I hate it when she does that," Jade complained.

Brooke laughed, "What does he think he is doing, besides getting his clothes dirty?"

Ivy looked up at the sun peeking over the horizon and yelled at the two wrestlers, "Come on you two, we are going to be late!"

Danny got up from the ground, but not before Phantom swatted him playfully in the back, almost knocking him down again. Danny turned and connected with the cat mentally while talking to her. He tried to explain where they were going and who would be with them. The cat looked at him and moved forward to rub her head against his chest, knocking him backwards a step. He decided to take that as a, "Yes Danny, I will be a perfect angel at all times."

They moved back towards the side of the town where they would be meeting up with the caravan. Danny was worried about the military's reaction to Phantom, "Hey, can you think of a way to make Phantom look less threatening when we walk up? I assume a lot of wizards do not have familiars."

Ivy looked over at him and the cat, "No, it sounds like only the elven druids have familiars."

Brooke looked thoughtful, "What about if you put a collar on her?"

Danny shook his head, "She won't take one. Rips it off within seconds. Plus I am worried she is still growing."

Ivy hesitated for a second, "She wouldn't appear threatening if you showed up on her back. Have you tried riding her since she got so big?"

Danny slowly turned his head to look at Ivy with a big smile on his face. He looked like she had just told him today was Christmas.

Ivy had instant regret written all over her face, "Oh no..."

Danny looked over at Phantom and sent her a mental image of him riding on her back, as they quickly raced through the field they were in. He could tell that she was always frustrated with how slow he was when they played. The cat stopped, then went over to Danny, nudging him. With the aid of her mental cues, he was starting to figure out her body language quickly. This one meant yes. Otherwise she would have just simply run away into the forest.

Danny tried climbing on Phantom's back, but her skin was very loose and he ended up just pawing at her back. He eventually got her to lay down so he could just step across her back. Then she stood up, and Danny almost toppled over.

Ivy piped up next to them, "Danny, we need to hurry. I know I suggested this but we don't have much..."

Phantom must have sensed Ivy’s urgency or decided it was playtime, because she took off like a bullet. Danny had just barely grabbed the scruff of her neck and avoided falling off. When the cat had taken off, Danny could only think about hanging on for dear life. He had never ridden a horse, in this life or the last. He did remember all the advice he had heard on television and movies saying to not fight the animal's gait. He found he didn't have time to focus on his body position as he was only attached to the leopard by his hands. The cat raced around the three girls in a wide circle.

The Trio started walking again towards their destination while Danny did his best impression of a human-shaped cape. As they made their first pass of the girls he could hear Brooke and Jade laughing, while Ivy yelled something at him. He was getting a little better at staying on. Instead of being afraid of falling off, he now was just trying to stop slipping constantly from one side to the other.

Danny could see the town gate ahead and the caravan waiting nearby. The military platoon was lined up and looked ready to set out. Danny could see the Basalts standing over to the side. Danny noted there were multiple carriages and a few carts. That was all the view Danny got before Phantom decided it was time to leave the field.

Trees suddenly appeared around him as they flew by. He could hear all three of the girls yell from behind him this time. Phantom leapt up to a lower branch and Danny fell sideways. She stopped once she got on the branch, and he shakily managed to finish slipping off from the leopard's side. Phantom gently pushed her head into his chest questioningly and Danny rubbed it, reassuring her. He decided that riding the cat was fun but he was probably going about it the wrong way. He doubted he could get a saddle on her.

Then Danny had an idea and felt stupid for not considering it earlier. Well, he wasn't too upset with himself, as his first experience at riding hadn't exactly been a leisurely stroll through the field. He connected mentally with the cat and just left the connection on in the background for Cranny to deal with. He had her lie down so he could climb back on, then he asked her to start moving through the forest again. Phantom hesitated for a second before leaping down from the branch and gaining speed. She then began leaping from branch to branch. Danny's connection allowed him to know when she was about to jump. He started to recognize the muscles under him bunching in a familiar way before each jump. He hadn't been one for extreme sports before, but this was exhilarating! Through his connection he shared his experience with Phantom, which he could tell she enjoyed.

Phantom jumped to the highest branch of a tree overlooking the Great Forest. The wind blew through Danny’s hair and he took in as much air as he could in a deep breath. Turning, the town of Crossbark didn’t look so big from up here. Danny realized he was alone up here and with a single request, Phantom would take him far away from here. He could go visit the elves on his own, or go see the dwarfs in their mountain.

Looking back, he thought about his family back in the capital and the three girls waiting for him below. Danny sighed and looked once more into the vast distance of the forest before him. The peaceful moment lasted for a few minutes. Patting the cat's head below him he sent her a request to head toward the caravan as he was sure they were late.

As they came out of the forest at full speed, Danny could see his Trio standing next to the Basalts. As Phantom approached the caravan, soldiers turned in alarm and raised their weapons. A handful of nearby wizards began preparing spells. Danny finally got Phantom to slow and stop at distance. He could see the soldiers' shock at recognizing Danny riding on the beast. Danny looked over to see the Basalts and his Trio conversing loudly with a tall woman in a military uniform. Finally, the tall woman yelled some orders and weapons were lowered and spells snuffed out.

Arya reached up and motioned for Danny to head over. It took some convincing to get Phantom to move towards a group she now considered a threat. With Danny's soothing thoughts, she relented. They moved through the ranks of the platoon surrounding the caravan and stepped up to the Basalts and the tall woman.

Arya spoke up first, "Danny, when I agreed to let you bring Phantom and you said we wouldn't even know she was here. I didn't think that would mean because you planned for the two of you to die in a blaze of Fireballs thrown by a dozen startled military wizards."

Danny smiled uncertainly, "Sorry ma'am, I thought that riding up on her would look less threatening, and Phantom took to the role a little more enthusiastically than I would have thought."

"Mrs. Basalt, my apologies, it was my idea at the last moment for him to try riding the animal. I should have foreseen him sowing chaos with such a simple suggestion," Ivy apologized to Arya while frowning at Danny.

The tall woman in the military uniform Danny had seen before stepped up, desperate to ask, "Is that really a ghost leopard?"

Arya turned to the woman, "Yes it is, Lieutenant Cove, and I apologize again for my husband’s apprentice. He has acquired this... pet recently and the creature refuses to be separated from him. It is very protective of him, so we have allowed him to keep it. I hope this doesn't affect our ability to stay with the caravan?"

Lieutenant Cove turned to Danny, "Boy, what is your name?"

"Danny, Ma'am."

"How exactly did you come about getting the most dangerous animal in the great forest as a pet?"

"I found it as a cub, all alone, and raised it."

Lieutenant Cove looked suspiciously at him for a second, "I don't know, your animal will only scare our horses and we don’t have ti..."

A woman appeared from behind the Lieutenant and approached Danny and Phantom. Danny was shocked to see it was an elven woman. As expected, her beauty seemed to have come from another world and she moved with an unnatural grace he hadn't seen with the injured Leaf.

"Ambassador, please do not get near the leopard. It is very dangerous, and I cannot ensure your safety so close," Lieutenant Cove pleaded.

The ambassador ignored the lieutenant and looked from the leopard to Danny. Reaching out, she smiled while extending her hand, "Young man, I am pleased to make your acquaintance. I am the Elven Ambassador to your people and am pleased to find one amongst you who has won the favor of one of the forest’s sacred beasts." The woman reached out with her other hand to pet Phantom, who began to immediately purr and push into her hand.

Danny was a little overwhelmed by the elven woman's enchanting smile and sudden appearance. It took him a moment before he could reply, "It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Lady Ambassador. Please, call me Danny."

The elven woman's smile brightened, "Danny, I would very much like to speak with you more during our trip. I especially would like to get to know more about your "pet" here."

"Of course, Lady Ambassador, I would like that as well."

"Ambassador, please we must get going," The Lieutenant urged.

Nodding her head, she turned to smile one last time at Danny and Phantom before retreating to a carriage not too far away.

Watching her go, the lieutenant turned back to Danny and huffed, "Fine, your animal can stay as it apparently would offend the Ambassador to banish it. Just keep it away from the carriages and carts. I don't want it spooking the horses!"

Danny sat up straighter and replied sharply, "Yes, ma'am!"

Watching Danny and the leopard for a second longer she stalked away towards the front of the Caravan.

Arya walked up to Danny, "That was close, your pet there almost jeopardized our mission..."

Danny looked down, "Sorry."

Ivy stepped closer to Danny, "Ma'am, it really was my idea for him to try riding the leopard to make her seem less threatening. I shouldn't have asked him to try something new at that moment."

Arya looked between the two of them, "Let's try and not make any more major disturbances for the rest of the trip. Danny you stay outside the platoon formation when you are with Phantom. That should keep you far enough away from the horses to please the lieutenant."

Ivy and Danny both said, "Yes, ma'am!"

Lieutenant Cove’s voice called out and the caravan started moving. Riding Phantom, Danny moved outside the formation. No one seemed to want to get too close to the two. Danny's Trio moved over to walk next to him.

Danny started to wonder if Jade could read minds after she spoke up from his side, "Please don't wander off into the forest again, Danny. I don't have the speed or my own ghost leopard to follow you on."

"Don't worry, Phantom will keep me safe."

Ivy shook her head, "Danny, I'm sure she can keep you safe from anything in the forest, but I don't want to take that chance. Please."

Danny was really starting to get put off by their over-protective nature. He understood their concern, but he had just been given a mount that could move through the forest as silent as death. He sent Phantom a thought and turned to speak to Ivy.

"I will do my best to rein in Phantom's impulses, but you know how she really like-" Danny's words were cut off as the cat leapt into the forest.

He could once again hear the girls' cries of frustration. He opened his connection to the ghost leopard and they started climbing through the forest. They moved through the trees with ease. Even with Danny on her back, Phantom had no trouble remaining silent. At one point they had climbed high in the canopy, only to jump across an open space to another tree. Danny got but a glimpse of the caravan as they flew over them. Spotting them, some of the troops pointed up at them, Danny just laughed. The trees of the Great Forest stretched high above and across the well-worn trade route to the elven forest.

***

It was only mid-day and he was starting to get tired of hanging on. Danny was preparing to have her drop him off near the girls when Phantom suddenly began to slow down and move low, in a crouched position. There before them was a small herd of seven beast boars. Danny knew that the pigs would only become hostile if they felt their territory was threatened. They were too close to the road and the advance of the caravan would more than likely cause these boars to charge. Danny could just imagine them charging from the dense underbrush and taking the caravan by surprise.

Getting down from the leopard, Danny instantly felt his legs and arms protest from staying clenched for so long. Fighting back the groan that wanted to escape his lips, Danny turned to Phantom and pictured the two of them scaring the boars away. Phantom sent back that she was hungry and, of course, fixated on the largest one. Danny sent Phantom ahead to ambush the larger beast. Danny knew there was one surefire way to scare them and not have them recognize it as a direct attack.

As Danny watched, the pigs rooted around the base of the trees. Using Fire affinity, a wall of flames sprang up, surrounding the pigs, between them and the road. This was also opposite where Phantom was waiting. The pigs, seeing only a sudden forest fire, ran away from the road. The largest boar took up the rear, between the threat and the rest of the herd. Phantom pounced as they ran past, taking down the largest boar with a bite to the back of its neck and a final twist.

Danny had followed through the trees, and got there in time to erect another Fire wall between Phantom and the retreating boars, before they could realize the largest boar was gone. After the herd of beast boars had fled far enough, Danny killed the flames before they got out of control. Then Danny collapsed on the forest floor to rest while Phantom ate her fill.

CHAPTER 37

The caravan had halted for the day in a previously-cleared area beside the road. Years of use by other travelers kept this area from being reclaimed by the forest. They still had light left to travel by, but these clearings were placed a day’s walk apart. Danny and Phantom appeared at the edge of the area, near where his Trio and the Basalts had set up their tents. Danny tumbled exhaustedly off of Phantom and into the grass. She gave him a lick on his face, and he didn't have the strength to push her away. Phantom suddenly stopped and started licking her paw somehow managing to look as if she had been doing that all day. Confused, Danny sat up only to find himself surrounded by three angry teenage girls.

"Where have you been all day, and what was that loud noise a while ago? Did you have something to do with that?" Ivy demanded, her arms raised while looking around.

"Just playing in the forest, getting Phantom lunch... stopping beasts from attacking the caravan." Danny mumbled the last part, but all three girls heard and immediately lost it.

Brooke looked baffled, “Why?!”

Ivy walked closer menacingly, "You didn't!"

Jade reached over her shoulder, mumbling, "I'm going to kill him myself… Wait, where's my bow?"

A red-faced Lieutenant Cove appeared behind them, "You! Where have you been all day? My scouts have been spotting you flitting around the forest all around us! Then there would be reports of noises or smoke in a similar direction! Do you know that you could have attracted all manner of beasts to our caravan?! If something happens to the Elven Ambassador we could find ourselves without a crucial ally. Now, if the Elven Ambassador was not specifically asking for you all day, I would kick your whole group out of this caravan right now!"

The girls turned wide eyes on the military leader and remained silent during her tirade. Arya led the other Basalts hurriedly over and stood by the girls. She did not look pleased.

"Excuse me lieutenant, but Phantom and I were doing the exact opposite. We diverted most of the beasts in the area away from the caravan. Phantom has some sort of uncanny sense of smell or sixth sense that allows her to find other creatures. I was using Fire to drive them away instead of engaging them in a fight. Since I did it without them noticing me, they just thought it was a forest fire and not an attack," Danny explained.

The lieutenant just stared at him in disbelief, before asking. "If that is true then what did you drive away today?"

Danny rubbed his hand through his hair as he thought, "Let's see, first there was the herd of beast boars. Phantom ate the largest, of course. Then there was a rather large bear with cubs, I'm guessing it was their mother. Then a pack of wolves, who must have smelled the caravan, were rushing this way. We almost didn't intercept them in time. The fire I created also might have gotten a little out of hand trying to deal with the wolves, but there were a lot of them. Then lastly there was a giant lizard thing in the road ahead that just ignored any magic I threw at it, so I had to get inventive."

The lieutenant looked at everyone that had gathered around and rolled her eyes dramatically. She called over the nearby sergeant in charge of their mounted unit and had her send a detachment to determine if there was a dead “lizard thing” in the road ahead or not.

Arya used the lull to casually walk up to Danny and fiercely whisper in his ear, “We are going to have a serious discussion later about you going off to chase every beast within a kilometer of our position. Wait until…” Arya suddenly fingered the material of his duster, “Why are your clothes burnt like this?! Was it from when you said the fire got away from the wolves?"

Lieutenant Cove heard Arya’s outburst and snidely stated, "The boy was probably out starting fires in the woods for fun. As I already told him, if your apprentice’s story doesn't check out, your group will not be continuing on with us in the morning."

Arya turned from the lieutenant to just stare daggers at Danny.

A pair of women rode up at a fast clip. They both hopped off and walked over to the waiting group, before stopping to salute the lieutenant.

Obviously annoyed by the whole situation, Lieutenant Cove barked, "Report specialist!"

"Ma'am, I think there is a large, dead drake in the road ahead. Its head was missing.”

“Just the head?”

“Yes, Ma’am, there was blood and bits of flesh everywhere, but we never found the head.”

The lieutenant's eyes widened in surprise, looking briefly at Danny before turning back to the specialist, "Well, why didn’t you tie it up and drag it back here? We cannot leave it out there and attract every scavenger downwind of us."

The specialist looked torn, before replying, "Even without the head, it was too large to move with just our two horses, Ma'am. I would suggest sending a team up there before it gets too dark and processing it."

The lieutenant looked over at Danny and Phantom shrewdly before turning back to the specialist, "Were you able to determine what killed it?"

"Ma'am, the corpse was surrounded by a burned-out area. There were claw marks all over its back. All in all, it was too damaged to tell exactly how it was killed."

The lieutenant turned away to scoff at Danny, "That's not enough evidence to prove anything. I want you and your people gone after you go speak-"

"Lieutenant, Ma'am, one more thing, there was something odd about part of the burned-out area."

Turning back to the specialist the lieutenant asked, exasperated, "What?"

"There was an unburned area outlined, in the shape of a person, on the trunk of a nearby tree. There was also a half-melted stone wall in front of the unburned outline, Ma'am."

The lieutenant frowned, and reluctantly nodded toward Danny, "Would he have fit into that outlined area?"

Looking over at Danny the specialist took in his height and quickly nodded.

The lieutenant sent the specialist off with orders to arrange the drake's removal from the road. She stood there for a few minutes before finally turning to Danny, "Looks like I owe you an apology. I had found it odd that we didn't get attacked by a single beast today. Most merchants hire teams of mercenaries to take them up and down this path."

Danny smiled at her, "I understand, it is a little hard to believe myself. If it wasn't for Phantom here I never would have gotten around so quickly or been able to locate them all. So that was a drake? The thing breathed fire. Luckily, I was able to counter the flames with a wall of earth at the last moment. The wall, unfortunately, didn’t stop everything."

Danny took that moment to brush more of the ash off of his duster.

Jade, at a very uncharacteristic volume, screeched, "That's it, where is my bow?!" She stormed off toward their tent.

Danny suddenly looked panicked, whipping his head around searching for a quick escape. The lieutenant and Wizard Basalt started laughing at the look on Danny’s face. Arya looked shrewdly at her husband who quickly quieted down, pretending to cough. The lieutenant walked off, chuckling, seemingly satisfied that Danny was going to get his just desserts.

Fury was the only way to describe Ivy's face, "You took on a drake?! What were you even thinking?!"

Danny suddenly held up a finger towards her and bent down to whisper in Phantom’s ear. The cat bounded off after Jade.

When Danny stood up Ivy was in his face, "You are intentionally trying to scare us half to death, aren't you?!"

Danny held up his hands defensively, "No, it's not like that. I saw a chance to help the caravan and I took it. Then... I found a few other chances."

Jade's voice could be heard in the distance, "Danny! Get this cat off me this instant! Danny!"

Brooke moved up next to him, her arms crossed over her chest. Danny didn’t know she was able to pull off the sad puppy look so well. She didn't yell, instead she quietly said, "Did you even think for a second that it might not be your responsibility to scare off every beast that comes close? You didn’t… especially if you didn’t know what it was. A drake, Danny... I thought you were smarter than this?"

Danny had the decency to look abashed. "I'm sorry, it just seems so stupid to not help. If I hadn't scared some of them away, the soldiers might get hurt. The beasts would be jumping out of the forest that's just a few feet away from the road. The drake was headed right down the road, apparently it was easier to move down that than through the dense forest. It wasn't that far away, so there wasn't enough time to run for help. Also, I have never seen a drake before, so I was surprised when it spat fire at me and then shrugged off my Fireballs.”

Danny leaned in and whispered, “Fortunately I already had a Fire shield up in case my fire got out of control. Did you know those things are magic-resistant?"

Everyone around immediately nodded, while Basalt just grinned like it was one of his own stories.

Frowning, Danny continued, “Well, when fire and freezing didn’t work on it, I tried a rock spike, but that just pushed it around. Its hide is ridiculously tough. Then, I went with my backup plan and tried messing with it internally. I started to freak out when I couldn’t get my mana past its skin. Then Phantom jumped on its back and distracted it for a while. I erected the stone wall and started infusing water into some rocks as tightly as I could, making sure it couldn’t get out. I told Phantom to run far away and taunted the lizard. It took me a few tries, but I managed to throw some of the rocks into its mouth right before it breathed fire on me. The super-heated rocks exploded a little better than I thought!”

Danny was laughing at the last bit until he realized Wizard Basalt and he were the only ones. Glancing between the scowling Basalt Trio and the two girls in front of him, Danny could only think of one way to defuse the situation. He walked over and pulled Ivy and Brooke into a hug. "I'm sorry."

Brooke reluctantly hugged him back, but Ivy was not so easily swayed. Behind the girls, Arya had a look that said this conversation wasn’t over.

In the distance they could barely hear Jade yelling weakly, "Danny…"

***

The Elven Ambassador called out from within the carriage, "Come in please, Danny."

Danny pushed open the door to find Leaf and the ambassador drinking tea. A small table had been set up in between the two benches of the carriage. An assortment of finger foods was laid out on plates. Leaf smiled at Danny, "Have you had supper yet, Danny?"

Smiling, Danny sat down next to Leaf and grabbed a couple of sandwiches, "No, and I missed lunch!"

Laughing at the enthusiasm with which Danny ate, Leaf asked, "Did your wives forget to feed you?"

Danny looked at Leaf with confusion, "I am not married. I am just contractually bound to marry them. Doesn't that sound romantic…?"

Leaf and the ambassadors laughed at his sarcasm.

Danny asked, “I forgot to ask Leaf before, is it true elves don’t get married?”

The ambassador primly set down her tea cup and placed her hands in her lap, “Yes and no, marriage is only reserved for nobles marrying for political alliance. The reason why the rest of our people don’t marry is that whilst we elves are a long-lived race, we are not as prolific as you humans. Relationships that last longer than three decades without producing offspring are generally frowned upon.”

Danny looked confused, “Wouldn’t it make more sense then for male elves to have as many partners as possible? Something similar to how the humans do it.”

The ambassador looked uncomfortable, looking unsure of what to say, then Leaf came to her rescue, “Danny, you are right, and there are other aspects to our culture that make up for this. Just know that elven women are very territorial and do not like to share… except under special circumstances.” Leaf had leaned over and whispered the last to him with a grin on his face.

“Leaf, you have said more than you should have!” The ambassador seemed startled by her own outburst and quickly pushed another plate of sandwiches over to Danny and asked, "So the whole caravan was talking about the boy riding the ghost leopard through the trees. What were you up to today?"

Danny looked over at Leaf with a raised eyebrow. Leaf smiled at him and nodded his head, "She already knows about you."

Danny took an offered cup of tea and, after washing down what food was left in his mouth, he retold the events of the day. As he progressed through his day the ambassador's fine eyebrows rose higher and higher, until he reached the end of the fight with the drake.

The ambassador asked, unbelieving, "You took on an adolescent drake, by yourself, and won?! That is exceptional for one your age."

"Don't forget Phantom, she is very good at distracting enemies, what with the maiming and biting."

The ambassador just shook her head, "Danny when we get to the elven capital, you must speak with our druids!"

"I would love to… as long as the Basalts approve, that is." Danny said the last with more than a little bitterness.

Danny, not wanting to overstay his welcome, bade the two good night. Danny returned to his tent to find all three girls awake and sitting up in their pallets.

Ivy's voice was cold, "Did you have a good time with the beautiful eleven Ambassador?"

"Ivy, Leaf was there too! They were very impressed with what I accomplished today. They also want me to meet the druids once we get to the elven capital," Danny tried to change the subject.

Ivy didn’t take the bait, crossing her arms, "So is that what you were doing today… trying to impress people?"

"No, I...," Danny paused, looking for the right words. "If I find myself in the position where I have the ability to help, I am going to. Despite what you think, I do consider whether the situation is safe. I spoke with Arya and will not be venturing far from the caravan anymore."

Ivy sighed and looked toward the other two girls. Brooke shrugged her shoulders, and Jade just looked sad. Ivy turned back to Danny, "Arya also reprimanded us for not keeping a better eye on you. We convinced her to let you continue venturing out with Phantom if you want. You will only scout and not engage. We want to see you at least three times before noon, and three more before nightfall. Can you agree to that at least?"

Danny was shocked and just nodded.

"Danny, please don't go off by yourself like that, not without talking it through with us. We are in this together now. We will try not to hold you back, but at least give us a chance to make something that works for us all. Towards the end of today, no one had seen you for a while... we didn't know what to think." Ivy's words trailed off and a heaviness hung in the air.

Danny looked over to see Jade's downturned face streaked with tears, and her bright green eyes looking up at him. Danny couldn’t resist and opened his arms. She immediately lunged at him. As Jade hugged him as tight as she could, Danny rubbed her back and repeated, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Over the next couple of weeks, as they steadily moved through the Great Forest, their days consisted of Danny and Phantom rushing around during the day and collapsing into his bedroll at night.

As promised, he scouted ahead and kept the caravan notified of nearby threats. When Danny watched the soldiers fight he realized how far he and his Trio still had to go. He also realized why they didn't bother having scouts run very far through the forest ahead. Those women chosen for active military duty had trained high levels in multiple weapons and armor skills. This gave them unreal amounts of strength and speed. Only the drake, with its fire breath, would cause a single one of them any trouble. Then the military wizards stepped forward. Their spells flew like machine-gun-fire and they were by no means low level. Danny knew they were picked for their high regeneration and flow rates. Their affinities must be fairly high not just to use such high level spells, but to use them so rapidly. The platoon ripped through any beasts that crossed from the forest onto the road. Danny realized now how unnecessary his efforts on the first day were.

***

Danny took to visiting his sanctuary more often to talk with Cranny. Appearing directly in the crystal room, he decided to start calling it the bridge. He called it that because its appearance went from that of an office building’s security room to the bridge of a science fiction spaceship from a cheesy B-movie.

Appearing in the captain’s chair, Danny shouted, “Status report!”

Cranny turned around in front of Danny, where he was sitting in the pilot’s chair. Cranny was holding a steaming cup of coffee in one hand. He acted surprised that Danny was there, “Oh, hey Danny, we still doing this bit?”

“Are you still mad about your uniform? I thought you looked good in red.” Danny tried, but he couldn’t keep the laughter out of his voice.

Cranny just looked annoyed, “…Fine. You have gained level six in sneak, congratulations on journeyman rank.” Cranny sarcastically waved his unoccupied hand in the air, while taking a sip of coffee. He started tapping on the console in front of him and diagrams appeared on the large screen up in front, “I think I got a handle on what the skills actually do, and only your agility augmentation goes up with the sneak skill. I still can’t tell if it is some sort of modification of your body through your genetic material, or a magical enchantment. When you leveled, there was a brief, faint burst of magic from your source that covered your body and instantly faded.

Your new skill “Riding” is up to level three. That one’s a straight split between strength and agility. I don’t know who decided the attribute distribution, but we seriously need to find you some pure strength skills you can level…”

“Agreed, but more importantly right now, how is the mana bomb?”

Cranny had been taking another sip of coffee and spit it out all over his legs. “Ahhhh, I told you not to call it that! Seriously, we need to jettison that thing as far away from us as we can. That crazy giant of an earth wizard should never have put that idea into your head. Of course, instead of just releasing it, you decided it would be a brilliant idea to store all the extra mana outside… I was lucky to find a way to put it on autopilot…

“It creeps me out, Danny! Just sitting there, growing. Hey, let’s just release it and start a new one! I know, we could just reset it every night!”

Danny ignored his complaints and suggestion, “Has it had a noticeable effect on our mana regeneration rates?”

Cranny sighed, defeated, and shook his head, “I don’t know, it’s too soon to tell. I need more time to get enough data.”

“Well, I want to keep it for a bit longer. Some people hoard cats or grudges, I hoard mana. Anything else before I head back out?”

Cranny gave up trying to get the stains out of his pants and looked up at him, “Yeah, last night I sensed something on the edge of our scanners. It wasn’t a known beast or an animal. Keep an eye out and I will let you know if I spot anything.”

***

By the second week of their journey they had progressed through three quarters of the Great Forest road when Phantom took Danny to stalk a new enemy. Danny tried to stop her a few times, as she kept wanting to go further from the caravan than he felt comfortable. Phantom settled on a branch and stayed crouched as Danny slowly got off. He knew from the past few weeks that this was her sign that there was something dangerous nearby. Crouching down, he looked around, but didn't see anything at first. Then a small hill walked into the clearing they were observing.

The creature looked like a giant goblin. It was a few heads taller than wizard Basalt and twice as large. It was covered in muscles and had a thick skin, like an elephant's. Its ears were human-like and it had a serious under-bite. Then something else new walked out from behind it.

A goblin as tall as an adult human. It was gangly-looking, as if someone had stretched it out to get it that height. It was wearing a loose robe made of black fur, probably wolf. Danny was grossed out when he realized it wasn’t wearing anything else.

The larger creature started to slow down and the tall goblin screamed and began kicking it. Giving up its attack, black energies whipped out of the tall goblin and wrapped around the hulking… orc? As the dark energy stopped swirling around the orc it coalesced into its eyes. The next few steps it took were faster and filled with more energy.

Danny didn’t know what to make of this until more goblins flooded around the taller goblin and orc. Here and there more of the tall goblins could be seen. Every now and then dark energies flowed out of the taller goblins and struck any stragglers, speeding them up. It was strange because there were no screams of pain when this happened. The only sounds came from their movement through the brush and occasional vocalizations of the taller goblins. Then more of the orcs entered the clearing, each with their own tall goblin handler. Danny made a last note that all of the taller goblins were male. Danny jumped back onto Phantom and they raced towards the caravan.

***

Lieutenant Cove swore, "Those were not orcs, those were ogres. The tall goblins were hobgoblins, or goblin shamans. Strange, they are usually female and rarely work together.”

Wizard Basalt piped in, “Hobgoblins are what happens when they gain access to their mana. Why human wizards don’t physically change, I don’t know. Now, I am more concerned with this dark energy you described. I have never heard of this..."

The lieutenant started barking orders to her subordinates and requested aid from the Basalts. Danny was allowed to scout but not engage, as he had been doing. Danny agreed and started to take off, but Arya stopped him by grabbing his arm.

“Danny, do not engage them, and if things take a turn for the worse, you run. Do not come back to save us. You are of more importance to our people, and we did not expect to run into this kind of trouble. If it comes to it, run back to the headquarters. If they somehow block you from going that way, then head north towards the elven forest.”

Danny nodded his head and Arya released his arm with a nod of her own.

Danny leaped on Phantom to begin scouting. Phantom almost immediately went into stealth mode. Confused, Danny saw a handful of ogres with shamans heading for the caravan. Not wasting any time, Danny shot a gout of flames high into the air.

Spells immediately flew through the trees, in Danny and Phantom’s general direction, but Phantom was fortunately already moving. After a few heart beats, Danny heard the sounds of battle in the distance. Hiding high up, in the topmost boughs of the trees, Danny waited. A group of goblins on beast wolves ran under the tree. One wolf paused briefly to sniff the trees below him, before moving on. Danny had Phantom creep their way back towards the battle.

Earth wizards, probably wizard Basalt included, had erected a surprising amount of stone walls and fortifications at short notice. The walls were not tall enough to stop anyone from climbing over them but would definitely slow the goblins down. Ogres moved forward into a sea of human soldiers in front of the fortifications. Each ogre swung thick tree branches like clubs, and one was even using a human body as a weapon. The ogres' hides were so tough that even the augmented strength of the soldiers had trouble piercing them. Magic and arrows flew from the humans' fortifications and across the field. In one location, Danny could see an ogre fall, but only from a multitude of burns and cuts.

The goblins on foot raced into the field, attacking with swords, knives, and clubs. Danny realized something was definitely off about them. When one goblin's arm was removed and it kept fighting unperturbed, his suspicions were rewarded. When another goblin was cut in half and kept crawling towards the defenders, no blood gushing from its wounds, Danny knew what was wrong with them.

“Undead…” Danny whispered to himself.

Then something easily twice as large as the ogres stepped out of the forest. Trees were pushed aside as it entered the battlefield. Danny heard multiple people scream out something and managed to make out, “Mountain Troll!” It wielded a massive bone like a club. Multiple human and goblin bodies were knocked into the air with each swing of the bone club. Danny hoped to never meet the creature the bone had come from.

Danny recognized wizard Basalt, who hid behind the fortifications with his wives and the rest of Danny’s shadow, and now gestured towards the massive creature. A spike of stone as black as night shot up from the ground, impaling the troll right through its lower stomach. The troll fell, breaking the spike, and stood up again, unfazed, only to keep wreaking destruction all around.

Wizard Basalt pulled a massive hammer from behind his back and stepped out of the fortification towards the troll. The wizard’s wives ducked and weaved through the approaching goblins. The three women easily removed heads and limbs, letting nothing touch their husband. Once Basalt reached the edge of the defending line of soldiers, he stomped twice on the ground and two spikes broke through the ground, piercing the zombie mountain troll and pinning it in place. Another stomp and a pillar of stone shot high into the air. On top of the pillar, Wizard Basalt jumped after it stopped, using the growing pillar's momentum to give him an added boost.

Danny couldn’t believe what he was seeing, as the large bulk that was Wizard Basalt flew through the air and brought the hammer down on the troll's head. The spikes had thrown the troll off-balance and, unable to defend itself, the troll took the full brunt of Basalt’s attack on its head. Bone and brain matter ejected out across the battlefield as the headless mountain troll fell to the ground, crushing friend and foe alike.

Wizard Basalt landed on the troll’s corpse and retreated back to the fortifications with his wives. Those defenders still in front of the walls began retreating as well. There seemed to be no end to the waves of undead goblins and ogres.

That’s when Danny realized he hadn’t seen to many hobgoblins join the fight since it started. He searched the rear of the enemy to see something odd. Phantom, hearing his mental request, raced through the trees towards a group of shaman hobgoblins all in a circle. They were down the road and in view of the human fortifications.

Danny knew from school that a team of wizards could work together to cast a large spell. Each wizard added their mana to power a specific piece of the rune in the spell. Seeing as there were six shamans, Danny was very concerned. He needed to stop them, and after looking back at the trapped defenders, realized he was their only chance to stop this.

He debated if using his collected mass of mana was a good idea, but all he needed to do was interrupt their casting. He probably only had one chance at this given the shamans were being defended.

Phantom crept up on the edge of the tree line, overlooking the shamans. There were beast wolf riders and more hobgoblin shamans surrounding the circle. They were on high alert, ready to strike as quickly as possible. They had not spotted Phantom and Danny, so he sent half of the mana stored in his body into the circle of shamans. Deciding it wasn't the right time to experiment, Danny thought he would use his new explosive trick with Air affinity.

Danny could now see a large, dark orb forming in the center of the shaman circle. Danny didn’t know why this magic could be seen when the others only showed up when activated. Concentrating, Danny started condensing the oxygen towards the center of the orb. Danny kept condensing the oxygen in the air expecting a random ignition source to trigger it like last time, but it never came. Tired of waiting, Danny threw a Fireball and the shamans’ defenders all looked up to his location in alarm.

They didn’t have a chance to retaliate, as the fire hit the condensed air, an explosion expanded outward from the center of the shaman circle. A concussion of air and dark energy hit Danny and Phantom, flinging them through the trees behind them. Danny could feel the trees ripping at his skin and clothes before he hit something and blacked out.

***

Danny came to, hanging from a broken tree branch. The branch was pierced through his chest near his left shoulder. Blood oozed around the tree branch from the wound to drip down his badly-burned body and clothes. Danny looked around and couldn’t see Phantom anywhere. Then his vision started to fade.

Danny slammed into the familiar captain’s chair in the sanctuary. Cranny was busy at the controls.

Shaking his head Cranny pushed a button on the console. In what was supposed to be a Scottish accent but sounded more like a pirate, Cranny shouted, “I’ve given her everything you’ve got, cap’n! I was only able to give us a wee bit of thrust so that the branch didn’t pierce your heart.”

Danny could see through his eyes, shown on the screens, that his body was slowly sliding down the branch. His body unceremoniously fell to the ground on his back, with his face looking up to the sky. Danny could only scream in pain.

Cranny looked back at him apologetically and gave up on his accent, “Sorry, I know you can still feel all this. Fortunately for you I only feel what I want to.”

Cranny got up and walked over to the captain’s chair and squatted down in front of it, “Danny, do you think you can focus enough to help me separate some of the mana from the mana bomb to heal you? I don’t know what using all that mana will do to you and I can’t manipulate that much on my own.”

Danny’s only response was to moan in pain.

Cranny frowned and nodded his head, “We don’t have any more time. All I can do is move and try and then condense it. Worst case, this explodes and puts us out of our misery.”

Manipulating the controls for a minute, Cranny reached over to hesitate above a button on the control panel.

Looking down at the button, Cranny smiled sadly closing his eyes, “Here goes nothing,” and pressed the button.

A bright flash of light washed over everything and eventually receded.

Cranny finally opened his eyes and looked around at the screens, only to start laughing.

“We did it, Danny!” Cranny looked around to find Danny’s presence gone from the sanctuary.

Looking up, Cranny could see through Danny’s eyes that the boy was desperately trying to sit up. Danny was making strained sounds and his breathing was heavily labored. Danny screamed out as he grasped at where the tree branch had pierced his shoulder. As he desperately wiped away the blood covering the area, it was revealed to be completely healed. There were only a few seconds for him to sigh in relief when Danny let out another strangled scream as he began to writhe uncontrollably on the ground.

Confused, Cranny tapped into Danny’s senses and could feel a burning sensation at the location Danny had been healed, where the largest wound had been. He desperately searched the screens for what was happening, only to realize the areas that had just been healed didn’t show any damage, internal or otherwise. What they did reveal was a spreading white light. Damage was usually shown in shades of red and infections in green, but this whiteness was something new. Cranny could only sit there uselessly as Danny screamed at the pain that was slowly engulfing his entire body.

EPILOGUE

Across a large and expansive room, the futuristic workstations lining its perimeter have all gone dark, save for the largest one found on the far side. A lone man can be seen, hunched over a long console. Sitting in one of the two chairs in front of the console, he occasionally looks up at the multitude of windows that illuminate his face. The man frantically attacks the buttons and knobs before him, fighting some unseen battle. A muted and eerie light begins to seep through large cracks and fractures that sporadically appear and mar the once pristine surfaces of the room.

Cranny looks over at a side screen displaying the outline of a human body. Seeing something positive, he sighs in relief, “Finally, it’s made it past the heart… Wait, it’s about to reach the connection… Shit, it’s spreading faster!”

The room suddenly shakes violently, and Cranny swears again as he steadies himself while, at the same time, reaching out in time to catch a half empty cup of coffee from spilling across the console. Lifting the cup to his mouth, his movement is arrested as he squints, seeing something in a far window to one side. Reaching out across the console he turns a dial so that the sounds from outside can be heard. The expected forest sounds are missing and instead it is deathly silent. That is except for the whimpering cries of a being who has long past lost the energy to scream. The image of the outside is marred by a clear but wavy film. Muttering can be heard as Cranny presses another button. The image in the screen goes dark then returns, clearer.

What is revealed is the view of a tranquil forest glade. Only it is displayed at an odd angle. Trees grow from the bottom left side of the screen up to the top right towards the sky.

There is movement and a small shadow can be seen, pushing its way out of the brush of the forest floor. When it steps into the light, filtering between the leaves of the canopy, it is clearly a creature that has seen better days. One arm is missing below the shoulder and its grey and long-eared head is slightly caved in on one side. The short creature makes barely any noise as it shambles its way over towards the screen. As it gets closer, it is obvious to the man watching, that the shadows that hide the creature’s eyes are unnatural. It stumbles and a jerk of its head angles it high, the light of the sun touching everything but the dark orbs, and the smoky black clouds that orbit them in its skull.

Cranny mutters to himself again and tries a few new buttons, “No, no, no magic… Where is it all going!”

His head jerks around and suddenly he lunges for a chair in the center of the room. Quickly grabbing hold of the two joysticks embedded in the armrests. With frantic movements he manipulates the controls. As seconds pass, nothing happens, and his movements become more and more desperate. The decrepit creature falls down just feet away and begins crawling forward, filling the screen with its gapping maw. Cranny slams his fists into the armrests and screams as he realizes he is helpless to change the fate of what lies before him.

Futility and anger waged a war in his cry, “This can’t be happening! No not again! Damn it, Danny! Not again!”