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The carriage rolled to a stop and I could already feel 2 people running towards me, Lily and Ellie. I turned to face their approach and they paused as their faces took on various emotions before settling on gleeful. They had seen the little Nightmare Fox I was holding, though it had grown in this year that I kept it and trained it, it was still young. The fox seemed to be apprehensive as the 2 girls grew near and I rubbed its fur to calm it.

"Lilia, this is a nightmare fox, she's still young so take good care of her from now on." Lilia's eyes widened greatly as she took in the form of the fox and held it reverently when I placed it in her grasp. Ellie pouted slightly, and looked ok with envy at the cute and I just patted her head in consolation.

"Sorry Ellie, maybe Art will bring you back something." She didn't seem to pleased with having to wait another year, but her frown lessened as Lily let her pet her new fox. One other thing caught my attention though, Lilia was a light red core mage. She had awakened just a couple months after we began our journey in the Beast Glades, and throughout the past year she has been doing her best to further refine and purify it.

"I see you've kept up with your training. Light red core after one year is nothing to scoff at." She paused in her pettings of the fox and turned to me, handing the fox to Ellie.

"I'm still not as strong as you though, or even Art for that matter. I don't even know my elemental affinity and I'm a conjurer." She said in frustration as she looked at the ground, and I felt my face soften in sympathy. Looking at her core and I see an abundant amount of earth mana in there, I can only sigh at my sister.

"You're focusing too much on me and Arthur and not finding your own strengths. Go back to the basics of your training, and don't let strength cloud your thoughts. Reach out for the thing that is most compatible, that's most in tune with you." I place a hand on her shoulder as shes still just staring at the ground in frustration, and I let off a little chuckle.

"Don't laugh, this is serious!" She stomps on the ground and in accordance with her emotions pillars of earth rise from each side towards me. I grin as she looks at the pillars in disbelief, I tap each with a finger, causing them to crumble.

"Seems you've found your answer, Earth Conjurer Lilia Helstea." I said with a proud smile on my face and she just kept looking on in shock, from her hands to the ground before looking up at me with a bright smile.

"I did it! I used elemental mana!" She cheered for herself and I rubbed her head.

"Good job, sis. Let me know if you need any help with anything. I may not be an Earth mage, but I'll try to help where I can." She nodded her head rapidly at the proposition.

"Then help me right now, while it's still fresh!" I have to chuckle awkwardly as I rub the back of my neck.

"Well, I can't right now. I have to prepare for another journey." I had to hurry and finish as her face began to sadden.

"But. I won't be gone for long, just for a week or so." She seemed to be slightly more accepting of that, though she still had a sad expression on her face.

"Then when you get back you'll have to train me! It wouldn't do if I was seen as weak compared to you at the academy." I chuckle at that and get an elbow in the ribs.

"I'm serious!" I grin wryly at her as she puffs at me in annoyance.

"I think you'll be just fine. You're enrolling this year after all I imagine. I'm just going to be shadowing the current student council President. But don't worry I will help you, and no one will be able to say you're weak after that. For now just continue the self defense training Uncle Reynolds has been putting you through." She looked at me suspiciously at first, but just sighed in acceptance and nodded her head.

"You better hurry back, or I'll learn how to use my Earth mana before you return." She said as she turned back to Ellie and her fox and the trio dashed off elsewhere. I just laughed softly at her action, as I walked the rest of the way to house to let my parents know that I was going to be gone for a bit.

The conversation went much the same with the 2 of them, asking why, where and when I was coming back to prepare for Xyrus. Assuring them that I would only be gone a week as I honestly didn't know if I would even find anything out in the ocean. I knew that somewhere there was the continent of Alacrya, but what else is out there? Is there really only 2 continents and then the land of the Asuras?

I doubt I could search the whole of Dicathen in a week let alone a vast ocean that seemingly only had 2 continents according to the books. However I wasn't particularly worried about the world itself, I wanted to see what was in the ocean. A place untouched by humans, possibly since the the creation of this world. There aren't even that many myths or legends of the ocean either, just a few tales of people who left the continent to explore and all that came back were destroyed ships.

That's why I was currently enchanting a new function on my mask with help from the memories I got from Yvette. The function I was adding was, underwater breathing. I'm sure there is a way to use my wind mana to cycle myself fresh air while down there, but one less thing I need to concentrate on the better.

The mask didn't take long to enchant, as the enchantment just needed some wind mana while being applied and the symbols associated with it did the rest. The enchantment changed nothing outwardly about the mask, but now I would be able to breather underwater at all depths. I wouldn't have to worry about the pressure either, one because of my half Asuran body should be able to handle most of it, but also I can control the pressure on my body with my wind magic.

Quickly stocking up on some food items as well as water, I exited the house and flew up high into the air. There I slipped into my Rez outfit, and sped off towards the Beast Glades where I would fly over and to the ocean in the other side. I honestly don't get much opportunity to just fly since I was traveling with Arthur and Jasmine, but every time I do I get to feel the freeness that comes with it.

It only took about an hour to cross over the Glades, where I was able to pause and just look out over the vast expanse of the ocean. Rippling blue waves crashed against the shore on the edge of the Beast Glades. Well no better place to start than a beach, I shrug to myself as I dive down towards the beach. My adventuring boots meeting the soft sand, sliding on the shifty surface. Putting a wind barrier around my clothes I walk into the water and push myself along with wind magic.

Willing a bright, but heatless flame into my hand as I go deeper into the depths of the water. Because I can influence the properties of the fire, the water did not bubble or even put out my fire as I swam. Once I got to a point that I couldn't see the beach of the beast glades anymore I dove straight down into the darkness.

So far all I had seen were common fish and even a regular mana beast fish that coastal cities catch daily. As I went deeper they started to raise in strength, but none attacked me. It confused me as I was expecting at least some curious looks and approaches by the sea life, but most seemed to be actively avoiding me. Pausing in my exploration I settle down into a meditative position and use my mana radar.

I had increased my effectiveness with this technique as I began including sound mana into the pulses, so that they carried like an actual sonar. Starting close I only felt the same fish I had been seeing, but as I spread it further and further I felt something. And it felt me.

My sonar pinged back with a massive creature that I was able to get the basic details of its size and shape. It's size I could truly only equate to the size of a whale back on Earth, the shape was reminiscent of a Sea Serpent. My sonar wasn't completely accurate, but it was close enough and part of me wished it wasn't.

The length of the this beast was measuring over a couple hundred feet in length and was moving towards me at a speed that did not make me comfortable. It was only a little slower than my usual flying speed. While that's not as fast as I can go, and I have ideas about how I could go faster, it's still faster than anything I've come across so far.

Sound waves came from the beast and I quickly had to cover my ears in protective sound mana, but what came next surprised me. The sound waves turned into words that I could understand, and even though the Serpent wasn't in sight our conversation began.

"What are you?" The deep resounding voice echoed through the continuous sound waves having an almost repeating effect to its syllables. Generating some intent into my voice I decided to see if I could communicate back with the monster.

"I'm a human." My voice carrying through the ocean, and I could now feel the beasts mana signature and slightly staggered at how powerful it was. I no longer had to imagine the beasts any longer either as I could see it's massive draconic head starting to become visible. It's tremendous size dwarfed me and even made the Wyvern that I killed look like a winged lizard.

Spiraling horns came out just above its eyes and grew backwards for about 50 feet before ending it sharp points. Whisker like wisps hung down from below its nostrils, floating in the water. It's head must have been 50 foot from bottom of the jaw to the top of the skull and the same thickness winded behind it in a typical Chinese dragon look. A fin like spine extended from its back, traveling from the base of the head to I'm assuming the end of the tail, though I couldn't see it.

The serpent was even bigger than I could have imagined, it's bright green eyes seemed to glow in the depth and its scales were shaded in various shades of a sapphire blue. They shimmered in the light of my blue white flames. The Serpent opened its mouth a wave of sound came towards me again.

"What- or rather how, has a human entered my domain?" It bared its razor sharp teeth that littered its mouth, each tooth having a slight curve inwards to latch on to prey. Though I don't know of anything that it couldn't eat in one bite.

"You're domain?" I asked in return and it's eyes flashed.

"I asked the question first 'human'." It almost snarled at me and it floated a tad bit closer. I would be lying if I said that this serpent didn't frighten me slightly, so I decided to answer its question.

"I used my wind mana to suppress the pressure of the water and I came to explore and see what's down here." It's eyes narrowed at where my core was and they flashed in surprise before narrowing back in on me. I too had looked for it's core, but strangely I couldn't see it even though I felt this overwhelming magic force from it. Could it be stronger than me and I can't see it's core? Or does it just not have one?

"It's been many years since I've seen humans and those like you, though you're something more aren't you? It's hidden well, but I can sense something else too. It reminds me of times long past." The serpent seemed to trail off and gaze at towards the surface of the ocean.

"How can you tell? From what I was told nobody, not even Asuras should be able to sense it ." It grinned wickedly at me and bared its teeth.

"Asuras! Bah! Those dragons think themselves the strongest, but they forget who they came here with. No the only Asuras that had any sense, were the only ones that didn't want the responsibility of leading." It scoffed at me as it stared off once again before looking closely at me again.

"What do you mean by 'came here with?'" It sneered at me but still responded.

"My kind, the Leviathans, the Dragons and the Phoenixes, were the first to descend to this world."

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Author's Note

Not much happened this chapter, but we did get to meet our first non Phoenix Asura, though it's not really an Asura and that will be explained a little more next chapter.

I honestly don't quite know where I'm going with this whole lore/mythology of the world yet. But don't worry I won't spend too long on it, unless people want more of that.

Also I didn't know this but the Vritra are part of India's mythology as well as Asuras, and even Indra (Indrath clan) Was pretty cool to learn that as I was just looking up what mythological creature I wanted to make the Sea Serpent before I settled on Leviathan.

Also I know there is a lot of text if Leviathans just being whales or even creatures that could walk on land, but I'm going strictly sea serpent for Leviathans.

Thanks for reading.

-SocioPhobia