3 Chapter 3

"The night is quite beautiful. Its one of the worlds greatest gifts." I scoffed at the notion of a gift. "If you say so." "Can't you just enjoy it." 

Maybe she was right about the night being beautiful. The blue and purple stars with a weird gas surrounding them.

"They call it the Milky way." 

"Hmph. My people call the world of the spirts." "Really. Does it have a story." "It does. I don't recall much of it. But my mother told me once. It is said that when we die our souls rise into the sky to find the world of spirts to be given a new life."

"A new life. Sounds really fulling filling." "I think I rather just move on." "…Really?" "I would rather live my life as Ivalyo once. Instead of living with another name and another life."

"Even escaping this. Your life as slave." "Yes, it made me stronger. And smart in some ways."

"Are you sure about that?" Her question was messing with my emotion and thinking. "…We should sleep."

The morning was awkward but we were still able to talk to each other but in telepathy.

Telepathy Synch

"How do I use this spell anyway?" "It's like setting things on fire. Use your own mana to activate your mana." Use my mana to activate mana? I was able to see humans as we got closer to the village. I stopped since the smoke was becoming less dense.

 "What about the humans here? I shouldn't reveal myself." "Put on my robe." Her sweet smell lingers on it. It was very intoxicating for me. "The robe suits in a way. Maybe just not the dark green colors."

"Is that so." "Yeah." Her laugh was very teasing. Her bare shoulders were revealed. It's not ladylike in the world of today. Well, we are in a commoner sphere now.

"The smell of that mage is everyone." "I can sense it too. People don't even realize but he has placed a massive mana field around the entire commune."

"What exactly are we going to do?" "Hopefully we won't have to fight. I don't have fighting capabilities to fight a mage from the mages tower."

"But I've seen you tear through the ground before." "That was pure mana concentrated and released. It's not a real attack spell. And a mage from the tower would have a lot more magic in his arsenal than I would."

"You're a spirit? How could you not be stronger?"

"I'm not sure what I am Ivalyo. A spirit is not measured by its own strength but by its users. That goes for all forms of magical creatures when they form contract with a person."

"What does even mean?" "Ivalyo your…weak and because of that I'm not as powerful as you think I am, or I know I can be."

I'm weak. Those words were the first that someone had told me that. I know I was weak, but parish and the others never told me truthfully.

"I'm very weak. I'm not so surprised." "In terms of magic of course." What she says is true though. Magic is a source of power in all aspects of life. Unless you're a noble who can buy power.

 But I'm neither have any of those things. "But if we have to fight maybe we can use something other than magic."

"Swordsmanship? I've never wielded a sword before." "No not swordsmanship. It's like alchemy." "Potions?" "Here." A vial of yellow substance. "What is this?" "Nobles call it hair oil. Very flammable."

"Make sure to use it when you have an opening." "You bought a lot of stuff while you were in the village." 

"I guess I did. I also bought sewing materials." "Why?" "You'll see why soon."

The town is not very lively today. The small wailing of people was unsettling. Alie decided to ask someone that was passing by us about what was going on.

"Excuse me. What is going on?" "They're having a funeral. The family is saying their final goodbyes to the poor girl. Whoever killed her was not human." "Has this happened before?" "No."

She has a strange smell on her. "I see." The women stared at us with smile that easy to see through. "Oh. But I do feel like some certain people have not been around lately."

"But you?" "Sorry I must go. I'm sure the people I just mentioned are out in about somewhere. You should know what young people are like these days. Good day." 

Puzzled by the women words the village had become strange for us now. "Weird." Alie said. "She seems unsure of here words." Her smell is all over the place too. "And that means people are missing then."

"I can only think that the mage has something to do with this." "A mage that kills?" Alie looked concerned and I can understand why. Those who wield magic should never use it for personal gain or to practice evil arts of magic. It's the law in the world of magic.

"We should get going." Are we sure we should not kill this man? "It shouldn't be too far." 

 The knight's headquarters was very underwhelming the first time I saw it. Normally they are given the utmost respect and very fancy things including a sleeping quarter for them, but it looked more like a horse shake instead.

The knights themselves looked less honorable than the ones I have seen. The chainmail and helmets were very dirty. The flags were dirty as well. 

Knights must always clean and keep the flag of whatever country they are serving with great care. So, they are no doubt unworthy of knights. "What do you want? We are busy." "I'm here to see the mage. I would like to trade with him." 

"You hear that? This little whore wants to talk with Sir Servin." The knights chuckled at her for just asking. It was very strange for me. 

I've never seen a human mistreat another in all my life. It angered me. "Servin is busy right now." "I have things to trade." The knight steps forward into the space of Alie. "You're not bad on the eyes." 

"Excuse me?" "The mage is in own little space domain or whatever. We can call him out, but it will cost you." "And I assume you want me to sleep with you." 

"Seems your well trained." "I can tell just by looking at your perverted face." "Hahaha." One of the knights was staring at me with suspicion. He puts his hand on the hilt of his sword. A crowd was gathering around us since now. 

"You should know better than to talk back to me like that outsider. Especially as a man." "I'm only here to trade." 

The knight slowly walks toward me with even more increasing suspicion. Another knight follows from behind also grabbing onto his hilt.

"Hey you, over there." I ignored his confrontation. But he never let up. "I'm talking to you! Pull your cloak back." I'm shaking right now. My fear is settling in. I feel the trauma in my body slowly showing itself.

"Since you refused to serve us. You and your friend there will have to be put in the cell."

"What?" The mage must be trying to protect his image. The tower is watching in some way. They must mean his own space pocket. The mage tower won't be able to see in there at all. It does not fall into the category of any magical attribute. But a blessing from the gods. 

"We are the protecters of this place. We risk our lives to protect it and its people. We should have the right to do whatever we want."

I can hear my heart pounding. I can't feel my hands. Alie speaks to me telepathically. "I can sense the mages own space. There must be away to open it." "What exactly would that be?"

"Portals makes sounds the closer you get to it." "Aren't we just starting a fight with the mage by doing this?" "Trapping us and then having the knights to arrest us on nonsense. He already started this fight. Right now, we must finish it."

She turns to the knight to be chained by them. They aggressively placed the chain cuffs on her wrist and ankles. "Alright then." "Alie what are you doing?" 

"The mage will likely be caught off guard since well be restrained." "Then how are we supposed to get out of the chains." Wait. The spell she gave me. "The spell will break your chains."

"What about you?" The guards placed chained cuffs on me as we spoke to each other telepathically. "I can go back to my small form. The chains will easily fall off. We must be quick."

This is insane. My anxiety was going through the roof. Why am doing this? I understand that we might have to fight the mage but…I'm afraid of death.

Can I do this? I've never fought against them. The sounds of humming were getting louder when we got near a fire pit. The closer we got the louder it was. "The gate to the portal 

Th knight suddenly pulled my hood back revealing my features. "It's a dirty mute. I know it." My face turned pale immediately after the hood was pulled back. 

"Do it Ivalyo. Don't give your attention to them. Just focus on what you need to do." The magic within this is surging with mana. The feeling of magic is almost tranquil in away.

Suddenly the knight that was shouting at me. Forcefully grabbed my chin to face him. "The southern kingdom would love to have you back home mute. So be grateful were not sending you without your balls. Heh well be getting paid real soon." 

"Focus Ivalyo they are not worth the attention." "I'm sorry I'm feeling overwhelmed right now." "I know I can sense your mana going unstable again."

"Alie…I…I don't know if." "Relax yourself ok. Fear is something we need to face our fear to be brave. Right now, you must do it now."

I must relax myself. Relax. Breath in and out. "Alright I'm fine now. I think." "Good now use your mana to activate the spell. Focus your mana into one concentrated point and let it go like you were holding your beath under water."

I feel warmer now. It's like the air around me has gotten warmer. The noises around me were shut out, it was like the world became a dark cavern. "What is this?" My palm is glowing. Small particles of mana were moving like clouds around me.

"Focus, control and let it form." Like whirlpool, the mana circled around my palm. The sizzling of mana was getting louder. 

"What are you doing!?" Then let it go. The mana on my hand glowed like a blue sun. The spell had activated launching the blue projectile into the ground. breaking the shed in half. Alie immediately shrunk to her smaller form as the debris was everywhere now.

"Jump into the fire pit!" The moment I opened my eyes we were in the pocket dimensions of that mage. It was a very strange place to be in. The sky was covered with black and purple vapor. The structure we were on was a temple of sorts. There was nothing around us other than the stairs in front of us.

"Theres nothing here." "No look." Beyond and around the temple were floating rocks and dead bodies as well.

"Is this some sort of hell?" "I don't know. This dimension… I can feel the twisted and sinister energy in it."

The smell in here is messing with my sense of smell. I can't smell the mage anywhere. "Let's go up. The mage should be here." "Yeah. Let's go." Just a few weeks ago I was on a beach wanting to die. But I don't feel like that here.

I don't understand why though why I feel the need to live when I felt like dying all the time. "What are we doing now Alie?" She stood silent not saying a word for a minute. She looks at me with a serious face. "I don't want to kill people Ivalyo. That is not what I am or who I am." 

"Even now? Look around you. This person here. I don't what kind of human he is. But I know that people like that should not be in this world." 

"Perhaps…No your right. But we both are the right people to punish him." "I don't get it." "I think the people here have that right. This village should be the one to judge him."

 "I…think I understand. Just a little." "Well let's begin than." "I've never fought before Alie. I don't know what exactly I should be doing." "A mage is weak when it comes to hand combat or simply strength. Holy magic is another weakness. But we only have one of those two things."

"Me?" "Beast-men are the definition of a mage's weakness. You can simply break a mage mana shield with one punch. Beast-men tend to have resistance to certain magic."

"What your plan Alie?" "We must make him use all of his mana. All mages must follow the natural order magic. If he uses magic without mana he will corrupt and curse his body."

"And you think he will just give up just like that?" "I hope so. If not then." Alie facial expression tells me she is not a killer. She said she is not that kind of person."

"You don't have to Alie. I understand." I have killed someone before or a few times when I was little. I guess it should be easier for me. "Let's go up." 

I am sorry Ivalyo. It's probably what she's thinking right now. It's fine honestly. I was unsure of myself of why I wanted to do the dirty part. Maybe her innocence is something worth protecting.

For now, that is. We made our way to the top of the temple. With no struggle at all. The mage was nowhere to be seen, however. "What is this?" Body parts of human flesh and beast-men was every were. Some even hung like pigs. Just butchers do when sell meat. 

"My god." Alie covered her month to not vomit. She eventually couldn't hold it in. She fell to her knees crying in agony. "Alie!?" "I'm…I'm fine."

A sudden voice from behind caught are attention. On a table was an open body with no head twitching like it was still alive. The man's chest was split open with strange tubes cycling his blood in and out of the body. "No…. more…mother…argh...so much…. pain."

"My god. This is horrible thing to do to a person." This is not magic. Mages don't do these things. "Alie, you need to get up." "Right…where is he?"

 We searched around the area carefully as we could because of traps he could have left behind. The mage was nowhere to be seen. "Where is he?" 

"Maybe he knew we going to do this." "…Focus on your surroundings. Something is not right."

Alie notice a desk near the edge of the temple. "What's wrong?" "Look." She hands a few papers of creature designs and notes of experiments.

We read the notes written by Servin, Mage of the Forgotten. "After a few hundred tests only one was successful in terms of living. Many subjects had died from transformation that would distort the bones, flesh and spirit or simply die from shock." 

"What is he trying to do?"

"I have no idea." I began to read some of the notes as well. Curiosity was the factor. Underneath all the papers was a book of Servins writing.

"Long ago the first monsters were said to have been created by ancient beings long before the mud wall era of humanity. Those very people wield powerful magic of creation."

"I could not find much about the beings' history. But this theory was not proven. Some say the monsters came from the broken eclipse. Monsters had fallen from the sky as punishment from the gods for trying to rebel against."

"But this is all folly. A made up lie to stop those who try to stray from the path that was set by those that want to keep the world from its eternal growth. They don't want to believe that such powerful beings above the gods and magic was the reason we are here."

"But a few of their ancient texts were still around proving that such people existed. I just happen to get my hands on one specifically for monsters. The world is plagued by them. The adventures guild is nowhere near exterminating them."

I translate as much as I could from the text. The source of all living things.

 "The source? What is he talking about?" This is so bizarre. It like he's thinks he has the world figured out. Where is this text at?

"If I can recreate what the ancient ones did, I can be granted a higher position. I could become a arch mage in my field. I need to find the perfect specimen. Luckly this village has tons of young and old folk. And getting my hands on beast-men is easy.

No matter what. I will create a monster. The Southern empire will become the ultimate power in the south once again."

The end of his memoir. 

It doesn't explain the steps of creating a monster. "Creating monsters to use as weapons. All for the glory of the southern empire." I noticed an envelope on the table beneath a book. It is a symbol I know all too well.

"I guess they would entertain the idea of this." "What's wrong?" "This right here. The stamp of the royal house of Sole, The southern empire. Seems they really want to control the entire south even with evil magic."

"I understand the south but." "What is it?" "Look" A letter?

"The Prince of the mountain empire. The Northern eagle of the empire. I understand your reason, but you must be understanding of my origins. If the southern empire finds out about this enticing deal you have given me. They will not be hesitant to turn me in to the mage tower. But I am open to it. But you must promise me asylum if they do find out of our dealing. Please. I hope to hear your answer soon. Prince Reylan of the Northern Empire. Sincerely Servin."

The Northern Empire. Why is such a power that cares about order and image want to be in on this? "Alie we are getting into something that will get us killed for sure." "I know. But we should not just leave this alone."

"Do you hear yourself now?" "Ivalyo, if we don't destroy this place along with these notes. The world could get a lot worse."

"I…sign…" "Plus we could be doing the world a favor. Even for the future." "Future?" "You will understand what I mean in time. Before that we must destroy everything here."

"Doesn't look like he's having much success." "He must have done something right. Only one person has survived this experiment." 

An overpowering voice interrupted us suddenly. "You must be really confident in thinking you can try and destroy my work in front of me now." 

A portal opened near us. Servin stepped out with crab like monster dragging a cage of humans and beast-men. "I didn't think you were strong enough or brave enough to fight against the knights. But I guess I was wrong."

The crab women looked at us with pity. "I was lucky. The prince of the north had wanted to talk to me. And I just couldn't miss it." Explains why he wasn't here.

Telepathy

 "We need destroy the vials. I read one of his notes mention of potions that's turning people into monsters." "Well figure that out later. Right now we have survive this."

"You too are very intriguing." "How so?" Alie asked. "You want to destroy my work. Why?" "What kind of question is that? Your work is killing people." 

"This is necessary for my future but also for the human evolution." "Your selfish." "Hahaha. You read my memoir and notes. What do you think of my theory?" 

"I rather walk my own path…I'm not here to answer your questions." "Seems we are people that will not follow the path set for the world. What a shame."

I tried to shoot a projectile at him but the defense spell around him had snuffed out the spell. "Clairvoyance." My body was frozen. I fell to the floor. My vison had turned white and suddenly my past was coming back to me. "Ivalyo!?"

"Clairvoyance." The spell did not work on Alie. "Huh. I guess it doesn't work on you."

Alie jumps onto me to shield me. The moment she did. She unleashed a light that blinded the entire dimension. "My spell!? What are you doing!?"

The light had disappeared. But we both were in dark world of stars and water. "Alie?" "Ivalyo." "What's going on?" "I'm not sure." "Where, are we?"

"I think they call it the world of your mind. My mana must have messed up Servin's spell. I think…my mana must have made the spell so much stronger that its radius was expanded."

"My son." My body froze. The voice of my mother shook me. "Mother." "My son." "Mother!" It's me when I was young."

Behind her stood a warrior bigger then mother on his horse. He was a warrior brimming with spirit. But something was missing. "This your past."

"Why is this showing up…why is this happening!?" "Your mind. We are locked in here. I think we must go through your past to break this spell."

"Why?" "This spell is a way to immobilize you. Until you go through your most painful memories."

"No…your wrong. How do you even know that." "I not sure."

"You have not given me a clear answer Alie! All this time I've been following you blindly. You just keep adding more suspicion on you everytime."

"I'm sorry." "…If I must go through my past I will. For now…I'll leave this be. But once we get out of here and kill that bastard Servin. We are going back to the place we were."

"Yes…of course." 

"My past…the years of my innocence. Servin…you're going to pay for making me go through this hell again."