Book 1 Chapter 14: Meeting and a choice

Spectre was sitting cross legged in deep thought currently, tear's long vanished from his face and dried. He was strangely cycling energy in his body at an unprecedented rate. It was flowing through his body; every time it did, a node would shine unseen to the naked eye through his veins and meridians.

He wasn't currently in control of his body, with the sudden outburst at the shop after his master's death he was more in an emotional coma. He actually fell into a black outrage state and when he got back to the nest he only just managed to sit in a crossed legged position before consciousness left him in its entirety.

He had unlocked his potential with his lightning affinity, which was a chaotic energy type inherently, within his clan it was unlocked in battle and thus through chaotic feelings. He however had not entered battle, but rather an intense emotional chaos.

It was crashing through his mind, and thus he couldn't handle it and as it sparked widely across his neurons he passed out. His vessel was the mind, this was where it was utilized as well as manipulated from, if it was a body vessel then he would currently be experiencing a Taser feeling throughout his limbs. The most dangerous, which is soul, would be the awakening and thus be lethal if the soul collapsed.

*Spark*

*sizzle*

*sizzle*

*spark*

Small tiny bolts like static shock were being drawn by the disk in his lap he rode here upon. It was siphoning the chaotic energy as well as stabilizing what was near it. If not for this, he would've had to deal with it on his own. As it built up, the disk slowly rotated and lifted up like it had when he was carried by it. It then sent the concentration back at him, sending him flying at a wall of the nest smashing his body into it.

*GASP* He sucked in a cold wath of air, he awoke like freezing water hit his body causing his heart to race.

The birds in front of his eyes scared off by the sudden upheaval of sound, seemed to slow down. There flaps became slow and arduous to watch. Spectre moved his hands and realized he was moving at a normal pace, but they were not.

'What is this?' Time was a crawl, and he felt full of a vibrant energy like no other before. He looked at his body, which gave off small crackles of electricity that once it leaved the body it would slow down to a crawl before disappearing, he walked to the edge and saw dust being carried up by his footsteps with a pulling force. He saw his brothers meeting at the bottom of the grove, he waved but they didn't see as they seemed to be in slow motion.

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"Bro you will not believe this! My martial teacher wants me to be trained by him!" Apollo shouted happily.

Yuki was surprised! "Me too man! My...uh well I don't know… teacher wants me to train and learn from him too!" They smiled proudly, they felt content with each other and that it wouldn't be a problem if they left because the other would too.

"Wait…what about…" Yuki's voice trailed off as a sudden whirl wind hit their bodies, and a mirage of air was split as Spectre stepped forth and collapsed to the ground.

"Spectre!" They called in unison before dashing forward to grab his arms, each received a small static shock on the hand, before carrying on to pick him up.

"What was that? Are you okay?"

"I uh…I don't know. I uhm…I'm not an apprentice anymore. He's…he's dead." Spectre's eyes contained deep sadness. Yuki and Apollo felt a connection between souls, he saw something bad happen. Real bad.

"Come on bro, let's go up top and talk..."

"O…okay." Spectre's mind was still in daze, any kid his age after seeing what he did and recently feeling what he did, would all be muddled.

They actually tagged teamed the latter as they pulled him by his arm's before lifting him at the top over the edge and onto the roof beside them. They brought him over to the nest, got out a small fire pit they had from inside and lit it outside. It was getting to dusk already, so this was a good way to warm them. It was about 9 inches across, and looked like it used to hold sand for incense burning….which it actually did previously, but Apollo picked it up as it was well sized.

"What happened?" Apollo asked assuredly.

Spectre didn't reply for several minutes before finally telling them of what happened, his eyes gave a bloodlust, an intense hatred welling up in his iris like a black pool of hell. Yuki and Apollo looked at each other, realizing he wanted to kill any and all people related to this group. They also realized the fact that they were still children, and needed to train before that could even conceivably happen. They would have to become geniuses of geniuses before jumping levels like that.

"Spectre…" Yuki told what had happened to him recently, and his awakening. Spectre finally opened his eyes wide, his aura calming completely like a welling tide calming after a storm passes.

"That is amazing! I am so proud of you, smack that bastard for lying to you first before going!"

"But…Apollo is leaving too, what shall you do?" Yuki asked.

"I…intend on comprehending the Dao of forging. I won't break, every day I shall awake and work my heart into the forge. I shant disappoint you." He said with deep resolution, he couldn't hold his brothers back from two amazing trainings. He knew it would be worth it, even if he had to be alone, it would be okay.

"Okay..." Apollo replied.

"Hey uh…wanna see my pet?" Yuki changed the subject.

"Wait you have it with you?" Spectre looked over, and sure enough Yuki pulled a pod out of his big leather bag they thought was a pack. It extended its 6 legs out, and picked itself up and then crawled over.

"That…that's creepy as fuck bro!" Apollo shriveled back.

"Are you calling me ugly? It's my spirit!"

"Yes! You are very ugly indeed yuki, I feel bad since you weren't born beautiful your spirit wasn't either." Apollo said with a smile.

"Oh…I'm losing control!" The plant spider looking pod was crawling sporactically towards Apollo at Yuki's will.

"Oh fuck no!" Apollo shirked and almost fell off the roof, Spectre grabbed him by the leg and dragged him back up with all his might, "Yuki!" Spectre glared at him, but had the largest smirk on his face, ready to let go at any moment.

"nooooo, bring me back Spectre!" He shouted out while still face down to the ground. Seeing death before him.

"Ah…okay." Yuki ran over and grabbed the other leg and pulled him up, the three falling to the ground. They laughed as they lay there, innocent and content. Although Spectre still had that on his mind, his brothers always helped him think straight.

"Go…but when you come back, tell me of what happened."

His brothers nodded resolutely, before each of them leaped off the roof and grabbed the ladder sliding down. They ran off in two separate directions, Spectre sat up at the roof edge laying his head on his arms. It swiveled back and forth as he watched each brother split at the street and go in different directions.

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"What the fuck do I do for a year?" Although Spectre had said that earlier, he still was blank.

"Well uh, actually…." Spectre walked over to the nest, and picked up a satchel, when he had been blasted back earlier this had fallen off his back. He felt the rod inside of it, as well as the container for the 'crystal'. He opened the bag and grabbed both, spinning the staff in his hands, he extended it and shortened it again, before placing it in his back hook which the Hammer at the forge had been for previously.

He looked at the container, it was a cylindrical shape, with a line going from the top to the bottom of it. It looked as if a perfect cylinder had been cut straight through from top to bottom and then somehow kept together again. As his hands begun to move to open it, smoke started to gather around him, as he looked around a hand actually appeared out of the smoke and grabbed his own stopping his movements.

"Ha...boy, now that they are gone. Why not train with this old geezer." An old man condensed from the smoke, and appeared before him on a wooden chair to the side.

"Why do you seem so familiar?" Spectre asked to the amazement of the scene before him, he said it subconsciously rather than specifically.

"I'm a... magician, and an elder of the inner clan here. I knew the forger as he was a friend of mine, he wanted you trained well and spoke of you often. I have the intention of making him happy from wherever he's gone, and continue to train you. You can call me Asher." The old man said with spirit of sincerity and serenity.

"First, you are gonna tell me what this is. As you knew why my master had it, as well as those who killed him earlier for it. I am now its sole protector, and as such I need to know what it can do to utilize it."

The smoke condensed above the old man's hands, turning into a pipe. His finger lit by a flame as the pipe floated in the air, his other hands grabbed at the air, and from below a leaf floated up and smoldered in the pipe. He laughed, "You sure are a smart one…alright but not here, so follow me."

The old man's body began to disperse again in smoke, willowing up into the sky. Spectre ran to the edge of the roof looking up, he ran back into the nest and grabbed an extra shirt putting it in the satchel, as well as a sack of water. He ran at top speed and leaped off the edge. He started to fall.

*whoosh!* He was lifted up by the disk, floating towards the ground.

He couldn't fly, as it seemed to only stay low to the ground. It was far faster than running though, he didn't need reservations as it was the night time. So he flew down alleys as he propelled himself, feeling a faint tingle in the soles of his feet. This was the first time dealing with lightning energies, he surmised this was a form of electromagnetism and was the closest variant to metal manipulation he had. Thus this board was both manipulated mostly by metal, but the carrying force was by the electromagnetic push.

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Yuki carried on until he reached the botany house, a sense of nervousness sank into him yet it was overcome with curiosity to possibility. Like a plant with legs looking upon a sunlit clearing, nervous to go into the light but curious to what growth it could bring.

"Teacher?" He called out down the steps as he proceeded down. He reached the bottom before seeing his teacher asleep on that bush chair from before, "Can't fool me twice!"

"Ah…ah!", "Don't scare me like that hahaha I was actually asleep!" He exclaimed jumping up exaggeredly.

"Pfsh yeah right…I uhm, I've decided with my brothers, that I shall indeed train under you. What's the first step?" He asked

"Well...before we leave out into the deep forests, I want you to train survival knowledge, such as pan brewery for quick potions and regents. This…" He pulled out a map from a pack and layed in on one of the tables, "…is the entire forest at the tip of the southern continent. We may have a great amount of knowledge as one of the great clans of the surrounding areas. However, there are areas in which other great forest clans reside. These regions we will stay out of, but the other 90% of the forest is uninhabited. There is as well…danger zones, or even unknown zones where nobody but powerful elders could enter, they do not though as they must stay at the clan as protection. My role is a scout as well as an assassin, and I will train you correspondingly in the use of a bow as well as that blowgun. The bow for scouting, the blowgun for assassination. You will be tortured by this travel, it shall teach you greatly."

He walked over to a chest on the opposite wall of the one with tools. This wall was sparser but had climbing equipment, ropes, hooks, and other traversing equipment. "Hmm…", he thought for a moment before, " Take this, this…that…maybe that…that's good" He threw things at Yuki without even looking. Who caught it all haphazardly. Then a leather bag smacked him in the face before he finally fell over. He looked at the thin black ropes and the small outfit that lay upon his chest as his head tilted down to look.

"OOooOooH…" He started to rip off his shirt, and before too long had the black sleek outfit on. He could feel the air in the room as if it wasn't even there on his body.

"This is a material that naturally does not shine, or reflect light even a shade at a time as the saying goes... It is tailored to roll up small, and is very light and durable. Watch this…" He walked over, and with a speed Yuki couldn't see snuffed out all but one torch in the room. This room had the least bit of luminescent light plants. He grabbed Yuki and stood him next to the torch.

"When I say, light it." He directed

"Okay" Yuki replied curiously.

He blew the torch out with strong lungs, and then silence befell the room. "Light it" He heard a call around the room, he flashed a piece of metal that ignited the torch and looked around, he didn't see where he went! He looked all around from the light of the torch only to find nothing in his vision. He turned back to the torch about to carry it off, when out of the corner of his eye he noticed a small movement on the wall.

A sillohoute formed out of the wall, and his teacher appeared as his mask was drawn up off his head. "It also is the skin of a chameleon forhu lizard. Which naturally in the night blends in with the colors around it, this however does not work in the day, but in low light, darkness, or before light is casted upon it. It adapts to its surroundings, and blends in. When creatures look upon this, or mortal men with light, they see nothing different even if it's right in front of them. Cool yeah?" He said proudly

"Hell yeah that's cool!" Yuki said with wide eyes.

"Well now that you got something not to die…time to teach you some basics before we set out."

Yuki looked on as his teacher began to grab several books out of hidden nooks in the walls. He gathered them up before bringing them over and with a *slam!* threw them down on the table next to Yuki. "This is a book on the basics like fox holes, tunneling, rope styles, fire igniting, etc…" He pointed to the second book," This one is about plants that we will be seeing specifically, learn their uses as this will be useful later as pertinent knowledge. All in all, this is scouting basics as it is teaching you information on gathering which is just as important in war as it is in travelling or missions. You will study terrains, and how to utilize them to the best of your abilities."

After several hours, Yuki had memorized the books, this had come easy to him as he loved to memorize plant knowledge and alchemy formula.

"Got it?" His teacher turned to look at him.

"Yes! This is actually quite intriguing; I never imagined the depth of what the world can create." Yuki said with deep curiosity.

"That's a good trait to have…but don't be ignorant of adventuring, there are many dangerous places. Now grab that black bag, and let's go. He stood up and picked up a larger bag, and Yuki grabbed the smaller black bag. Throwing it over his shoulder, he also walked by the table and just waved his hands all around and stored many bottles and devices for alchemy. He also…strode back over to the weapon wall, looking around as he heard, "Hey come on!" His teacher yelled from the top of the stairs down.

"Uh…coming!" he looked back to the wall and chose a short bow about his size, as well as a quiver full of arrows. He might as well train in multiple mediums right? He felt a second as close attraction to the bow as he did the blowgun. So thus... he ran up the stairs and out the door following his teacher to 2 horses which they bought from a stable. They hopped on with Yuki on the back of the horse with his teacher in the front. The second horse held supplies.

They rode for hundreds and hundreds of miles. These were powerful horses, which were actually dark wood mares.

A lower quality plant creature which was second in class to the guard horses. They had great vitality so running for long periods was nothing. Before too long after riding south for quite a distance they arrived upon an inconspicuous caravan troupe. His teacher whistled and it stopped, 3 men jumped out of the back caravan cart wearing the same uniform as the two that rode in. Yuki realized that they were from the same group as his teacher. Hopping down from the horse as his teacher looked aghast as his student ran up and swung out his hand shaking each of their hands. "Hello!..." as he strode forward and leapt up into the caravan and plopped down to sleep. The three heard this and then looked back up to the man on the horse.

"Uh…haha….hahaha...AHHHhahahaha" He laughed with a calm-face mouth-unmoving, or in a sense unsettlingly.

"You mean to tell me we have two of these people now?" The man in the middle laughed as the other two kept straight faces. Smiling eyes.

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Apollo reached the outside border of the city before finding his teacher awaiting him on the gate leaning against it. He turned around and smiled at Apollo.

"Ready?" He asked, Apollo simply nodded and walked up to him. The teacher got a pack out and placed it on his shoulders. It was filled with stones!

"Don't give me that look, we have awhile to go, and this is a form of conditioning. You'll quite enjoy the burn after several klicks. Whelp!..." The teacher strode out the gate and towards the north.

"Wait…wait!" Apollo ran after him, keeping a solid pace to reserve his strength. He lightened the load of the rocks by several pounds, making it easier a bit to progress with his teacher. Before too long, the night which was already not too far way came again. Tonight was the night of the fire moon. Around this world were 6 moons, one pertaining towards the water, earth, fire, air, nature and dormant lightning. There was originally 9 moons….The moon of metal, was long lost after in the legends the god 'disappeared'.

The last two light and darkness were said to have gone to war, ripping each other's moons apart. In tempo, a different moon appears at the peak of the sky every 4 hours. Tonight, in with that rhythm, was the night of the fire moon. It showed a deep red like blood in the sky. Giving a crimson color to the things under it. Fire mages would be at their most potent at the time…but that was another thing.

Apollo was sweating profusely, although he could store the weight. He still wanted to have enough to push his limit, after almost 100 klicks and 6 rests. He had gone far into the north, they didn't even go on the main road, and just went straight.

He could see the tree's becoming denser around him rather than the 6 to 10 ft between the trees of the south. Now they had gone to be about 4 to 6 ft apart, he could fit head to toe between some. They arrived at a clearing, and Apollo was being carried by the teacher on his shoulders, rocks included.

About several thousand feet away Apollo had accidentally tripped and actually knocked himself out. The teacher had ran several feet before hearing a *klunk* and looked back to see his student out cold. He laughed so hard he almost pissed himself, and yet he picked up Apollo and carried him the rest of the way.

The clearing was about 30 meters in diameter. In the middle was a hut, which was made from stone magic. The teacher had personally erected this with his earth affinity, which he had instead of plants as commonly found here in the forest. Magic affinity was a sporadic thing, and because it was energy; any anomaly could result in a miracle or mutation.

He had a mother with a plant affinity of a stone chrysanthemum; his father had the affinity for earth. Thus with a majority towards earth he was born with earth affinity… and also the ability to manipulate squarely Stone chrysanthemums. This was called a partial or demi affinity. It was also a common mutation. Even Spectre's teacher had told him about them, and that some with mind vessel could only manipulate the corresponding affinity driven material. For the martial teacher it was stone, as well as the stone chrysanthemum.

This could mean a very powerful level of control of that material however as it was specific. Truly, most with a demi affinity could easily be as powerful was someone with a whole affinity, they were just limited to the material so it was seen as a weaker version.

He lifted his hand and the door slid into the earth creating a 4 foot wide opening, he leapt inside and instead of a room he flew down a large hole that the hut covered. He strode for several hundred feet before reaching an underground chamber that was massive with its own waterfall several hundred feet up, as well as a second hut much more meticulous to the far left wall. In front of him apart from the 5 foot spot of earth he stood upon, the rest of the chamber below the stone hut was water. If one looked up, they would see a large opening completely covered by vines like an artery. They were layered so much; the crimson light from the moon came in pillars. This created quite the beautiful scenery as it hit and sparkled on the waters.

Which were actually warm, as this place sat at a hot springs which the water came from. The columns came from the steam hitting the light.

The martial teacher layed Apollo down upon the ground near the waters and placed his legs inside of it. A calm expression spread across Apollo's face. This was the second property of this place, a natural ability to heal. Water and light were associative of these things. Where light affinity mages could restore energy and the soul, water worked on the blood; Speeding up healing considerably.

He let Apollo sleep for several hours, he would let him rest a good amount before he started training tomorrow.

Apollo after hearing his teacher leave began to smile, rubbing his head. That was so worth it, he never even realized he had faked it albeit mildly! hahaha.

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Spectre was still moving and following the smoke cloud billowing forward and defying physics. This was an incorporative ability into an element. If one had a high enough skill or level, and trained in the transmutation aspect of casting and wielding then they could incorporate part of their bodies or all of it into the element affinities they had... He knew in the future it was possible to recreate it when time had slowed down for himself.

The smoke slowly started to descend, before touching the ground in the middle of an alley. In then reformed into Asher. "I love that feeling of flying…" He laughed, looking back to see Spectre reach him and hop off his board.

"That's new? What is it?" He asked about the disk.

"I don't quite know, but it is a metal and that is…amongst my affinities." Spectre said in retort to his question.

"Ah...a rare thing indeed boyo. Come." He turned and waved his hand at a door which lit with a small black rune before opening. Spectre hesitated, looking around to see no other person, and noted escape routes incase this went wary.

He wasn't being overly cautious, this was his nature. He strode forward only seconds after locking his gaze onto Asher's back stopping, and then continuing forward. The door shut behind them, and Asher turned around casting his sleeve out.

A field was created around the room sealing sound, "Now I can tell you…"

"So be it, I'm ready for the truth." Spectre said with deep certainty.

"You're master was a good friend of mine, as well as the last heir to their clan in the western forest. It was a remote clan, and was well known for crafting some of the greatest plant based weapons. They were murdered off for the crystal you carry. He escaped at the cost of his family delaying the enemy. He had been here under cover for 6 years. Living alone and only gaining the two sentries we left there as guard for protection to not stand out. Sadly…3 days before his assassination, the sentries were killed in the city. They used a secret magic of our clan to kill themselves before revealing anything…Then 3 days following, they attacked and murdered your master. As well as the side descendants of his clan that had escaped as they were outside the clan 6 year's ago. They pinpointed his location merely by the fact of where of which those they killed resided. I am sorry Spectre." He said with solemn expression, which Spectre noticed beyond it was a killing intent and vigilance buried deep in his eyes.

"So that was how it was…then I am the last of his legacy, I knew him all but some days, but what he taught me I must repay. As that is my way, I will do to my ability for those that are gracious, and kill those that which to harm the good and my brothers. I considered him one…So they must die." Spectre effused killing intent, Asher could understand this and wish Spectre hadn't been branded with such a feeling that came from seeing close people die in front of you.

"Spectre…if you are revealed you will die. You're brothers were in fact sent off on their trainings to strengthen themselves, as well as stay distant in secret locations. You should understand this reasoning." Asher said, contemplating something.

"I had guessed that…it was too coincidental for them to leave the day of my masters death. That's why I hadn't stopped them, because it was my way of protecting them. Now I know you were the one doing so, so I must now give you the best of my ability to you in your graciousness. Thank you."

Spectre slowly calmed his breath and the killing intent that was infused within him dissipated.

"You're greatest strength for the future will be your calm mind Spectre…I actually admire it." Asher coalesced the pipe from before from carbon, and began to smoke from it. He walked over to a hay filled bag that was larger than a table and *ploof* sat down in it.

He motioned to Spectre to the bag to his right, and Spectre did it. Feeling himself sink into it deeply.

He felt a weariness pervade his body, and saw the door open in front of him before he slowly fell into a deep sleep.

An old woman walked over after the door shut, and brushed his hair to the side, "Oh my young god son…Be strong." She said with the tone like feathers falling across silk water.