Journey Commences

We returned to the town a while later. Master Irwin and Yater waited patiently at the training area, they awaited my answer. "Master Irwin… I'd like to go with you", I said. "Hehe, finally made up your mind? Don't worry, I'll take good care of you", he replied, satisfied. "I'll be going with you guys as well. We can focus on your Art of Stealth a bit", master Yater added.

"Anna, come over here for a minute", mother beckoned to me. "Make sure to wear that leather armour, you'll need it. You are really skinny, so eat properly as well. Listen to Irwin and Yater, they have plenty of experience and should be able to teach you something. Don't try to be stubborn or stupid, they will not ask you for impossible… Mom loves you, please be safe on your journey, and don't make rash decisions", she said. "I have a few things for you as well. Some medicine in case you are injured... and this", father added while handing me a blue orb of some sort.

"This blue orb is called Voltic Orb, and it's something you will use in an emergency. This thing is quite sensitive, so it doesn't require too much energy. Though don't try to play around with it under any circumstance. This Voltic Orb will create a storm of electric energy, zapping and burning the whole area it's in. Use it with caution, even when you have to use it, alright?", he explained.

"I promise to be careful. Hopefully, this will return with me to the North", I replied with a nod. My parents smiled, then hugged me. "We will miss our little daughter…", both of them said. They were reluctant to let me go, but they knew I had to go. There were loads of things I had to learn, and they weren't willing to teach them to me. I wasn't sure whether that journey would change my mind about killing, but I had to try for the sake of my parents.

After changing into my leather armour, I joined the two masters waiting for my. "Heh, you look like a proper adventurer now, Anna", great uncle Finch said. "Yea, that armour really suits you. I'm guessing it's your mother's design, right?", Lana added. "You guessed it", I replied with a smile. "Gee, I want that kind of armour too…", Vick complained to his parents.

Grandpa wished me well too, he even passed me a few objects that could help me out on my journey. Mira and Remi wished me well, and thanked me for arranging the trip to the Academy. My other uncles and Aunts all gave me warm parting words. Everyone wished me well, which made my heart warm up a lot.

"Your father already gave you some medicine, so I'm not going to bother. Instead, I'll give you this. It's a new recipe I came up with. Though use it with caution and in emergencies only. This will increase your fighting potential, making your adrenaline rush. Though the side effects are quite severe. After a period of a few minutes, your body will become extremely weak for a while. Make sure to defeat anything in that time, otherwise you'd be in trouble", Kara said.

That was a nice gesture, and I certainly didn't know what sort of things to expect during my journey. Since father gave me that Voltic Orb, there was a reason he did that. "Thank you, I'll only use it when it's really necessary. Hopefully, that will never happen… Let me give you this as a present too", I said before taking out my bracelet. I didn't really use it, and it just sat there inside my backpack collecting dust.

"You are travelling between the town and villages a lot. I'm sure this will be useful to you. This bracelet has a Formation that will release a blast of wind all around you. This might not harm your attackers, but it will surely give you some breathing time. Moreover, it recharges by itself. You only have to activate it", I explained. "Wouldn't you prefer to keep it then?", she asked. "I don't use it at all, and I'm sure you'll find it useful. Please take it, since you also gave me a gift", I replied.

"Alright, we should leave already. You guys don't worry so much, she'll be with us", master Irwin said a bit impatiently. "That's exactly why I'm worried. Anyway, go already. How long do you intend to stare at us?", mother replied, annoyed. He smiled, then told me to follow him. With a last wave to my family and others, we left the town towards my new adventure.

"So, where are we going?", I asked outside the town. "Everywhere, and nowhere. You will learn how to survive inside the forest, or any other place for that matter", master Irwin replied. That didn't sound too bad, I thought he would ask me to kill people or something. "When it comes to the Art of Stealth, your father told me about your balance and improved senses. That's great news, but it's not enough. You will continue the development of your senses. Moreover, you will try to avoid the light", master Yater added.

"What? Avoid the light? How am I supposed to do that? I mean, if we stand in the shadow, we avoid the light, right?", I asked, confused. "This is what I meant", he replied before disappearing in front of my eyes. "Huh? You are doing the same thing as my mom. Do you want me to develop an Aura or something?", I asked, still confused. "You don't need an Aura to achieve this. Your father certainly didn't. How you achieve this, it's up to you really", he replied. "I'm not sure how, but alright. I'll give it a try", I agreed.

Just before we entered the forest, master Irwin stopped. "You know what to do now, but we will not make it easy for you. A word of caution though. Don't easily trust people, and count on yourself alone. We will not be there to save you from peril. Therefore don't think we will appear to simply solve your problems. When we deem it necessary, you will receive further instructions. You are alone from this point on, and the survival is up to you", master Irwin said, then nothing. Total darkness enveloped my eyes.

I woke up in the middle of the forest, after who knows how long. Both masters were gone, but that wasn't surprising. 'So they simply left me here to fare for myself… Great", I thought before checking myself and my backpack. "..They took my brushes, provisions… Everything besides a few items", I said to myself. Only the dagger, the Voltic Orb, the senses sealing mask, a few rugs probably to clean myself, my father's medicine and Kara's concoction were left. Even grandpa's items were gone. They really didn't want me to use Formations apparently.

"I can't draw Formations, since my energy can't leave my body. That's probably something I should work towards… Maybe that's why they took away my Formation drawing tools… Though they left the Voltic Orb". Survival inside the forest was one thing, they actually told me to improve my skills at the same time. Though a bit disorientated, I walked forwards with no better destination in mind.

'I'll need food, water and somewhere to sleep. Getting food shouldn't be too difficult, cooking it, will. I have nothing that can hold water, except the bottles of medicine… Which I'm not going to sacrifice. I'm no craftsman either, building that shelter will be a chore for sure', I thought. The most important on my list was a river or a body of water. Once a source of clean or rather drinkable water was available to me, a shelter could be made in the vicinity. Food was pretty much last on my list, even though it was as important.

After treading the forest for a while, I encountered some tracks. "From what I know, these are boar tracks", I said to myself. My prediction was spot on, when a few boars appeared in front of my further up ahead. The boars immediately charged at me, since I was alone and perhaps not that intimidating in looks. "Swoosh, swoosh, bam!... Tsum!", utilising my footwork and the rhythms, the three boars fell to the ground lifeless.

That was precisely why I didn't worry so much about food. The Endrosian Empire was rich in animal life, unlike the North. The problem was cooking the meat. "Father was able to start a fire without any tools. He used wood to create hot ash, then used that to start a fire… The question is whether I can repeat that?", I asked myself.

Before attempting anything, I decided to continue my search for a river. Unfortunately for me, no such thing ever appeared in my view. With no other choice and a hungry stomach, I had to make do with whatever was there. "Right… He rotated the stick on a piece of wood, until some hot ash was produced. Fortunately, it's not raining. Otherwise there would be no food for me today", I said to myself, while trying to set up a campfire.

I'm not sure how long it took me to start that fire, but it felt like eternity. Though admittedly, the slowly burning fire gave me a feeling of fulfilment. "Hehe, this is great. That's actually the first time I made fire without any tools, or Formations. To think my father lived like so for years… No wonder mom carries all those tents and whatnot with her. She simply doesn't like such rough living". The fire slowly roasted my meat, while my thoughts drifted towards the training both masters required from me.

The ability to avoid the light was simply preposterous. 'How am I even supposed to achieve that? Mother taught me about my senses and balance, but she never mentioned hiding or stealth to me', I thought. The keyword in that Art was stealth, but how could one actually avoid the light and disappear? 'It's not just disappear, I have to be quiet too… I mean, they were supposed to teach me stuff, not throw me into a forest without a farewell'.

My meal wasn't great either. Without any spices or even salt, the meat was bland and tasteless. 'Why did I agree to that again?', I questioned my own choices. One more task awaited me that day, and it was the shelter. I had no clue how to build one, even though my father accomplished that during our hunting trip. 'He used vines, so that's one thing. I'll need branches too, and something to make my bed. Fortunately my sword and dagger are here with me, otherwise this would've been a nightmare', I thought.

Making even a rubbish shelter took a long time. Not only was it difficult, I had little to no idea what to do really. Before the evening though, my 'shelter' was completed. There was something akin to a roof over my head, albeit moving with each gust of wind. A 'bed' or rather a few cut down trees, packed together just above the ground. For some wind protection, I made two walls from cut down trees and branches. The walls didn't sway with the wind, only because I buried them in the ground.

My temporary home wasn't anything special, but it was the first time I ever tried my hand at making something like that. Due to the lack of a river or body of water, I couldn't wash myself or even have something to drink. Tired, dirty and a bit dejected, I went to sleep on the most uncomfortable piece of 'furniture' ever to exist.