Effect

*Niam Henka*

We talked while we ran.

"Did you really have to go that far?" Tsuki asked, her face as pale as a sheet of paper.

"I follow the concept of empathy. If someone doesn't know what another person feels, he should get the chance to experience it. He tortured me and probably many more. I simply made him experience that pain. Maybe he came to his senses and regretted his actions." I lied. I don't follow anything, I simply wished for him to suffer.

"What led to all of this? Salan, Mana the relationship of the 5 Lands. Did the leadership change in any of the 5 Lands? Tell me all I need to know." I asked Tsuki.

"99% of the population died by the Mana wave that Salan released at impact. In the next few days, politicians and royals from other countries, who survived the wave of Mana, became the new leader of their respective Land. Corpses were collected and buried in the first 2 weeks, not being able to use technology set us back in time. Only guns stayed somewhat reliable until humans started to form Mana-Cores, and slowly, Bearers were born. But guns will be useless after a while. You can't imbue a bullet with Mana and shoot it. You need to make the projectile accelerate yourself. So bullets only break bones or tear muscles if the place of impact on the body isn't reinforced with enough with Mana. You should know, your ribs were broken." She explained.

I nodded and let her continue.

"After cleaning up, the real conflict started. Instead of making a truce, the Lands waged war on each-other in hopes to be able to conquer all of Superio. At this point, every 10th person had a Mana-Core and it was discovered that if you use diamonds or any kind of gems, you could form a Mana-Core by simply making them swallow a small gem. The gems store Mana and they are the most important thing on the planet now." She paused a bit and then continued. "A month later, almost everybody had a Mana-Core. Many independent settlements started to appear in the European Union. The hospital was a settlement like that. Controlling the Central Superio bridge wasn't that important, but the information we gathered there got us paid in gems. We are, or were, one of the weakest settlements."

I listened with great interest, my hunger for knowledge finally satisfied. 20 years ago when the 3rd World-War ended, all the countries in each region joined a bigger government. Hundreds of smaller countries had to join a Land to be safe under their rule. Japan joined the Asian Empire as it's 2nd biggest contributor. And Lebanon joined the Arabic Empire to be with others that had a similar culture as them. To conquer everything was now the goal of the new age, the age of Mana and Salan abilities.

"What does your intuition tell you know?"I asked after processing all the information.

"It tells me to follow you." She answered.

"Are you sure that's going to happen?"

"I'm positive."

"Will you trust your intuition fully from now on?"

"Yes."

"From now on, your intuition will be a tool for me to use then."

I waited for her answer and noticed her using more Mana than usual to fuel her ability.

"You can use it as you like." She answered.

"Then it's decided. You'll be my moon from today on."

Her cheeks and ears turned red, embarrassed by my words. She smiled softly and nodded. 'This girl had finally found someone she can rely on. Months spent with people she hated made her stiff and always on edge.'

"We should arrive in 40 minutes." She said.

"How did you end up in the European Union anyway?" I asked.

"When the Mana wave killed my family, I tried to cross the bridge to the Asian Empire but the bridge had collapsed. Leaving me no other choice but to flee to the European Union because I knew more about it than other Lands. After moving refugee camps a lot, I was given the chance to build my Mana-Core by eating a gem and work for Commander Reus as a scout. And you know the rest."

"I see."

"So what's our next move?" She asked, curious about what kind of lifestyle we would now have.

"Old Japan is our goal. But we'll take a shortcut trough the Arabic Empire. We stop in Lebanon, my father's hometown, to see if anyone in my family survived. There, we'll also get ourselves horses and ride to old China and take a boat from there to old Japan."

Tsuki was surprised by my plan, her eyes wide in surprise.

"How long will it take us?" She asked, curious if I knew any number.

"A week of walking to get to old Lebanon. We'll stay in Lebanon until we learn how to ride a horse, another week maybe. Then, depending on the horses 4 or 5 months to get to old China. I know it sounds stupid, but I am 100% sure we'll be safe in Japan. I'm member of Clan Henka, a Clan of swordsmen. Even if all my relatives were dead, I would be the rightful Heir to Clan Henka." I revealed.

Tsuki was dumbfounded again. She didn't expect a long journey like that. A journey where she had to ride a horse daily for multiple months.

She nodded but was still curious about my background.

***

We arrived back in Central Superio.

"Do you know if anyone even lives in the city?" I asked her.

"Yes, a gang of ex-criminals. Their leader is a Bearer and Com-... Reus told us, that he met him once. The one leading that gang has the ability to control and create water.." She answered.

I laughed "Exactly what I wanted to hear. We'll make him give us provisions, that can last for a week. We'll take a few members of his gang as hostages and extort some provisions. Anything to say against it? I said and asked for any sign of her intuition being against that decision.

"My intuition tells me, that it isn't a bad decision." She replied.

"Lets go find this gangster trash!"

***

We walked around, searching for any signs of people, but we couldn't find anything. When we were about to go look for shelter, we stumbled upon a burned-out campfire with tens of fish-bones around it.

"A lead, finally. I got sick of just walking and looking around. This damn city isn't even that big. We'll stay here and wait for your intuition to alarm us." I said.

Tsuki nodded and we went into the building next to the campfire.

"Until something happens, I'll teach you my Clan's mediation-method. Come close and sit."

Tsuki was a bit shy at first, but she eventually sat down and I taught her how to mediate.

"I did this for 3 months, under the rubble. Drinking water and meditating was the only thing I could do there." I said, not sure why.

"It must have been hard.." She said, not knowing what to say after my revelation.

***

A few hours passed mediating.

Tsuki's intuition never gave a warning so we just kept on meditating until it was around midnight.

I laid on the floor to sleep, Tsuki did the same. We were 4 meters apart but we could still clearly hear each-other's breathing.

"I never thanked you for rescuing me." I said.

"I met you only recently, but I know that that's a lie." She said back, assuming I was lying.

"You.." My words were cut off as Tsuki jumped up and warned that trouble was coming.