Chapter 2 – Pyra Lunaris

A young lady who looks no more than sixteen years of age walked towards Cain.

"Congratulations on your victory against the demons my lord"

"Ally, did I not tell you to watch from afar?" he asked.

Ally jokingly pouted, "I apologize, my lord, I wanted to see the fight up close and learn more from it."

Ally Cruze is an apprentice of Cain. She has a stature of 152cm paired with a petite body. Her black wolf-cut hair is highlighted by subtle strands of light blue shade. Her aloof aura comes from her sharp eyes seeming to be teeming with cold determination.

These features, combined with her knight armour that embraces her natural curves, create a balanced, powerful aesthetic. This adds to her intimidating presence, embodying a perfect blend of strength and femininity.

"You are only at Apprentice rank, what would you do if the demon went for you?" Cain asked.

"I know my Lord will not let anything happen to his lovely apprentice." Ally said in a playful tone while looking at Cain confidently.

Sigh… "Any insights then?"

"Yes." Ally's tone became serious as she looked back at the events that occurred.

"I noticed that you broke her jaw and sliced her hands so she could not cast or do an incantation. Making her useless in the fight."

"I also noticed that your skill called rend is more connected to the lightning affinity than your shadow affinity."

"but…" she paused. "Why did you just not kill her right away when you could have?"

Cain looked at her with a playful smile, "Because I wanted to see how the guy would react when her supposed 'lover' gets hurt."

This is one of the personalities of her lord, he is too playful! She sighed inwardly.

"Anyways, we must report back to the guild. There is an important matter that I must tell the Guild Master regarding this situation." Cain said.

Ally pulled a whistle and blew on it, making a very low-frequency sound. Soon, two drakes appeared.

Demi, a feminine drake belonging to Cain. Deep scales of black can be seen combined with muscles in its sleek interior. Her eyes reveal intelligence and confidence that commands respect from other drakes.

Draggy, a masculine drake that Ally owns exudes a calm aura displaying a softer scale, creating an inviting appearance. This drake might not be in the same hierarchy compared to Demi, but it still imposes a dominant standing compared to other mounts.

"Draggy!" Ally screamed in joy running towards her mount.

In turn, Draggy excitedly went to lick Ally's face like a dog.

Drakes are one of the direct descendants of dragons. Although grounded and has a lack of wings, they inhibit dragon blood which makes them a perfect mount to be brought to battle. They are around 243cm, durable, agile, intimidating, and best of all, they are proven to be equal to Adept rank fighters.

Cain and Ally mounted their drakes and began to move in the direction of their home base.

In the realm of Gaia, elves dance through enchanted forests, dwarves forge mighty weapons, demons wield power in the shadows, angels soar, dragons fly, and humans live. This delicate balance is kept by Authorities, the gods that govern Gaia.

Chaosfall Guild and Lunaris Guild. These two main guilds are responsible for defending and killing chaos beasts that come from Gehenna, the mainland of the chaos creatures.

They are situated at the southwest borders of the Kingdom of Astera, a landscape filled with towering mountains and an expansive forest. Although beautiful, it is filled with dangerous creatures.

Chaosfall Guild consists of body practitioners which mainly uses their physical strength to finish objectives such as knights and assassins. Lunaris Guild, however, utilizes mana practitioners to take on tasks such as mages.

Since it is past midnight, the master and apprentice have their hearing senses heightened to compensate for their lack of sight while travelling using the moonlight.

As they were trudging the mountainous landscape, fresh blood wafted through the air and low sounds of incantations were heard.

Cain and Ally jumped down from their mounts and assumed a semi-crouching stance to hide their presence. As a member of the ChaosFall Guild, training to hide their auras is mandatory to be regarded even as the lowest member.

As they approached a boulder, making it a cover, they noticed a clearing with four people in a group. Two male mages that are in the Novice rank are supporting the other two with their wands.

One of the mages that are getting supported is a skinny male with normal black hair, George Berg. He is equipped with a staff, and the clothing of a middle-class nobility, Apprentice rank.

The man's eyes, filled with softness and affection are staring at the person in front of the formation. Pyra Lunaris, Adept minor rank.

Adorned with red hair reminiscent of flames that she wields falls around her back, with a fiery temperament that mirrors her strict auburn eyes. She is wearing a travel mage outfit that despite its attempts at modesty, failed to hide her generous curves. A perfect mix of danger and charm.

Equipped with high-quality staff in a battle stance, keeping what seems to be a chaos beast away, just enough for her magic spells to reach without being in danger.

Chaos wolves. One of the most common chaos beasts known in the border of the southwest region of Astera Kingdom. They hunt in packs of no less than ten, with sensitive scent and bloodlust, they will devour anything they can. Every pack consists of the members and only one leader.

The mage party found themselves under attack, seemingly not expecting the ambush. However, Pyra responded quickly, seamlessly transitioning the party into a defence formation.

With her at the front, dealing damage and stopping attacks, George aims for the blind spots that Pyra could not focus on. The two novice-rank mages offer support incantation since they only have limited mana.

She raised her staff, and the wolf leader hesitated to lunge at her, sensing the imminent danger.

"Fireball." She chanted

Two fireballs the size of cannonballs crackled and burst into existence with intense heat. The fireballs hovered at her shoulders, waiting for the command to be shot.

"Damn, I guess even her fireballs are big," Cain said to Ally.

"Pshhh! Wait! My lord, that's dual casting!" she said as she kept her eyes on the battle that was happening.

"What the hell, she's a genius how old is she?" Ally said in surprise to which Cain replied, "She should be a year younger than me."

"My lord, is she someone special?" she asked.

Cain replied jokingly, "You will find out later."

The chaos wolves separated into two groups of five while the leader of the pack stayed in the middle, ready to intercept Pyra's moves.

"Shield." Magic that forms a shield that blocks some attacks.

"Haste." Magic that makes the individual move faster than normal.

"Focus." Magic that makes the reaction of the individual faster than normal.

The three men that are behind her cast support magic that is directed at Pyra.

The wolves started to move separately in unison. One going to the left and one going to the other side, wanting to surround the mage party.

Pyra moved her staff towards the pack. The fireballs that were cast shot through the air like meteors, crashing through the two groups simultaneously.

The collision illuminated the dark clearing as fire overtook the ground. The pack leader sprinted towards Pyra but before the wolf could reach her.

"Embers!" Pyra confidently said, summoning a floor of thick fire that can burn steel.

'Shit, I cannot divert my focus away from this wolf leader, one wrong move and my party will suffer.' Pyra thought as she assessed her situation.

The rest of the pack, what's left of it, surrounded the party. Without panic, George waved his staff, "Scorched burst!" a wide cone range of fire started spewing out of his staff like a flamethrower.

Some wolves caught fire and got their skin burnt, while some stayed back.

One wolf pounced on the nearest novice rank mage catching him by surprise.

Fear gripped the novice rank mage, panicking, he clutched his wand, muttering "FIREBALL! FIREBALL! FIREBALL!" hoping to kill as much as he could to ward off the danger.

As Pyra continued her attempt to mitigate damage, the repeated incantation of the novice mage reached a breaking point. One of the fireballs was launched near her, causing her shield to be damaged.

The turn of events left Pyra stunned momentarily, smoke swirled around her vicinity.

While watching the battle unfold, Cain said, "Hey, show me how much you improved."

"Yes, my lord!" Ally replied enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, the wolf leader emerged from the smoke, running towards Pyra. Unfazed by the chaos, it locked into Pyra's eyes, unwilling to let this chance go.

Pyra snapping out of her stupor, brandished her staff, turning it into a flame whip, its tendrils cracking with energy.

The wolf lunged forward undeterred, teeth bared, and claws extended, ready to tear her apart.

Instinctively, she lashed out the whip at the oncoming assailant, but before she could even damage the wolf, A thunderous sound could be heard behind a giant boulder, a strong flash of light followed, revealing a light blue hue shooting towards the wolf leader.

SLASH

Ally, who emerged flashily slashed the wolf's hide precisely.

Fortunately, this attack stopped the wolf leader from its assault.

Unfortunately, the attack only grazed the wolf, and a light wound appeared.

"Hello, big sister," Ally called out, a confident smirk showing on her lips. "My lord says hi."

Ally's dynamic entry caused a stir within the mage's party, causing surprise and curiosity.

The novice rank mage stared at Pyra, his leader, and the weird woman who came and attacked the wolf leader.

As the novice tried to make sense of what was happening, Cain appeared beside him silently. Not seeming to notice that someone is arm's length apart.

SLAP!

A resounding slap woke the novice up in his stupor. He looked beside him and saw a young man with dark eyes and dark hair with a sculpted face.

'I can't see his rank! He is a higher rank than me!' he thought.

"What's your name?" Cain asked nonchalantly.

"Ryan, sir." He replied while brushing his red cheeks with his palms.

"Well Ryan, you almost made trouble for that pretty lady." Cain said as he pointed at Pyra. "Didn't you get taught not to panic when you're in a pinch? Especially that you are a mage that needs to keep their mental state in check. You also wasted all your mana." Cain added.

"I will keep it in mind, sir." Ryan replied with a repeating nod.

"Hehe, now come, let's have a seat and watch the fight! My apprentice needs some training!" Cain said as he summoned a seat from his storage ring. He then sat down in a relaxed manner without a care in the world.

Storage rings are expensive rings that can be accessed through the mana of the owner. Using the unique intricacies of void magic, these rings boast expansive storage spanning multiple volumes. Owners can summon whatever item that is stored, and it will materialize in front of them, hence why they are very expensive, yet almost all high-tier practitioners have this as a necessity.

'Who the hell is this person? He even has a storage ring. Wait, the wolves!'

Ryan looked around and found that the remaining members of the pack had been taken care of. All ten wolves lay still, not uttering a move.

"Good evening, Sir Cain." George greeted Cain as he gave him a light nod, ending the conversation.

'What a quiet guy' Cain thought.

"Shouldn't we help Miss Pyra?" The other novice rank mage asked the relaxed party.

"Her? Nah she doesn't need any help." Cain replied to the question.

"I already have my apprentice assisting her, and besides, the only reason why she couldn't focus is because you guys are surrounded. Now that problem is gone, watch how strong she is, maybe you'll get some enlightenment." He grinned

Returning to the fight between Pyra and Ally against the wolf leader.

Pyra looked at her party which was sitting with Cain, then looked back at Ally.

"Does your master not teach his dogs not to ruin other people's business?" she coldly said as she stared at Ally.

Unfazed, "My lord wanted to see how much I've grown stronger." Ally replied, not giving any respect to the ranking difference.

"Puppy, you better be thankful since I know who your master is. Consider this a warning from someone who has known him since childhood." She replied with cold eyes and a playful smile.

"Jealous I get to stay near him more than you?" Ally retorted.

"What?" Pyra felt her eye twitch at the response, but before she could say something back, the wolf leader howled, causing the earth it was standing on to crack.

With renewed vigour, the wolf's eyes turned red, showing the rage that it was exuding, steam coming out from its mouth as it breathed raggedly.

"Well, someone's mad." Ally said.

When monsters get enraged, they get tired faster, but in exchange for stamina, they gain speed and strength beyond their normal means. A last attempt for survival.

"I'll deal with you later, for now, get the hell out of my way!" Pyra commandingly said to Ally, giving her no choice, but.

"I'll fight with you, big sister!"

'So, I'm her big sister now? What a cute kid. At least she has some courage, Cain got a confident apprentice.' Pyra's inner thoughts were amused by the kid that was in front of her.

Pyra looked at Ally, and with a smirk, she said "Fine, I will just ask your master for a favour later for babysitting you."

The enraged wolf leader lunged forward with a newfound speed, Pyra and Ally adjusted their stances. Ally with her great sword, almost as tall as her, held the hilt with her right and placed her left hand on the edge of the blade.

"THUNDER PULSE!" Ally invoked.

Her hair's blue highlights were now seen clearer as her mana exploded within her body. Her eyes glowed blue with electricity, a low crackling hum resonated within her body and the air around her seemed charged with static electricity that arced everywhere sporadically.

Thunder pulse is an incantation reserved for body practitioners attuned to the element of lightning. It charges the user with enhanced strength and speed in exchange for stamina and control. This spell charges the user with electricity, forcing their blood to overclock and muscles to gain a temporary numbness.

The wolf leader unleashed a strike, and its powerful arms broke the air to strike Ally.

Ally, surged with electricity, intercepted the attack with her great sword.

TANG!

A low bass came from the impact executed by the two, sending a small shockwave that originated from the strike. The earth underneath Ally crumbled into cracks as it could not support the strong attack of the wolf.

Ally, though successfully halted the attack, blood trickled from the side of her mouth.

"Are you stupid?!" Pyra screamed, "You could have dodged that!"

Ally with the same chaotic smile, "I'm limit testing."

"I swear both of you and your master are crazy!" Pyra replied.

The wolf, not wanting to accept his attack being stopped, descended into a rampage. The clearing became a battleground once more. In a split-second, Ally, fueled by her speed, gracefully dodged the assault. With fluid movements, she evaded the creature's strikes that could probably kill her in one hit.

"Bind!" Ethereal chains made of flame appeared from the ground, stopping the wolf from moving erratically. It gripped the wolf's ankles, momentarily stopping it in its tracks while lightly burning the chained body parts.

Seizing the opportunity, Ally went behind the wolf, targeting its vulnerable tendons with a precise attack. Her great sword moved in a blur, striking to slow down this chaos creature.

Pyra then started to channel her mana to her right hand. Raising it above her head. Air seemingly makes a vacuum as all the sounds in the surroundings turn silent.

"Inferno Lance!"

She said in a commanding gesture. Pyra summoned a fire lance. A blazing manifestation of concentrated fire magic, enough to make it look like its a solid object of white, yellow, orange glow.

She grabbed this manifestation of fire magic with her bare hand, then assumed the position of a javelin thrower.

With a her balanced stance, she planted her foot firmly into the ground. Serving as a pivot to the throwing position.

BOOM!

With an explosive release of the lance, breaking the sound barrier, and creating a low boom while aiming to destroy the wolf in one hit. The projectile crackled through the air, illuminating everything in the clearing with a warm orange tint.

The lance connected with dead accurate precision, hitting its head cleanly, penetrating its tough hide with a searing impact. The lance infused with a concentrated fire magic erupted upon impact, bathing the wolf in flames.

A burnt, headless, twitching beast is now charred, with no future whatsoever.

The battle reached its peak, each member of the mage party has their jaws open, surprise can be seen on their faces.

"Sheesh, thank god I was not near there!" Ally said with wide eyes.

With the wolf defeated, the mage party took a collective breath.

"Well fought, both of you." Cain, who observed the fight approached his apprentice with a pat on the head. "You can't do what you just did earlier okay?" he said with a smile.

"Now go thank your big sister for helping you with your training."

"Thank you, big sister!" Ally said enthusiastically.

Sigh… "Such a pain," She muttered under her breath while her hand was resting on her forehead.

Cain chuckled and replied, "Let's set up a small camp and have a little bit of rest. This beautiful lady will be treated with food, made by your one and only."

"Hmph, if you weren't a sweet talker, I would have pierced a lance in you." Although said with protest, Cain found a small smirk on her lips.

Pyra attempting to put on a stoic demeanour, karate-chopped Ally's head. "Make sure you don't keep limit testing every single time you battle." She teased.

The camp nestled far away from the battle, just enough to not attract nocturnal animals looking for a quick snack. A small fire crackled at the center, casting a warm glow on the makeshift seating arrangement of logs.

George can be seen with the two novices, seemingly teaching them something. "Now, just like we practiced."

"Barrier."

"Barrier."

The two Novice rank mages cast simultaneously with their wands, weaving intricate patterns through the air, causing the camp to have a low, warm glow that encases their camp in a protective thin bubble.

George slightly nods his head towards the novices. "Good. Now remember, this does not form a shield to stop attacks, this barrier only provides a warning to animals. This spell taps into their instinct, serving as a signal to retreat." The novices absorbed George's instruction with rapt attention.

Amidst the moon and the stars, Cain, masterfully tending to the campfire illuminated the surroundings. "You guys are not even set up to embark outside the border. Why?" Cain asked with curiosity.

"Oh? How do you even know that we aren't meant to go outside the border?" Pyra asked back.

Cain, while setting up his tools, "Simple, you are wearing a traveller outfit. Not even battle mage outfit." He replied. "It's also weird how you only have two novices and one apprentice rank."

Pyra nodded. "We were just sent for a training mission. To give experience to these two Novice ranks, which as you saw, they badly need."

"Training mission, huh?" Cain mused. "They are sending the princess out for training missions?"

"Huh? Princess?" Ally exclaimed, glancing between Pyra and Cain with excitement.

"Oh yeah! I forgot!" Cain chuckled, "Meet my apprentice, Ally Cruze." He said with pride.

Cain introduced his apprentice to the four mages. "-and this big sister of yours, is Pyra Lunaris, the adopted eldest daughter of lady Crimson Lunaris, the guild master of Lunaris Guild, stationed here in the border like us."

"As you saw, she is attuned to the arcane magic of fire, which shows how hot-headed she can be! Hahaha!" he said with a laugh.

Pyra not being annoyed, "What about you? You disappeared for four months only to come back with an apprentice and two drakes. Your guild will go mad."

"Am I not welcome in my lord's guild?" Ally asked.

"Not welcome? Hah! More like you're going to be welcomed with open arms." Pyra answered. "You see, your 'lord' is actually one of the twelve Adept knights of Chaosfall Guild. Not only that but he is also known as their one and only Spellblade."