Night Stalkers

Using his mana to heal himself Marcus takes out another bottle he filled with mana water and drinks it restoring his energy. Looking at Iesha he could tell she wanted an explanation for what exactly happened since his clothes were torn up. "I found an open clearing and started training for using my powers. I happened to get attacked by one of those cheetas so I used that oppurtunity to practice fighting. I managed to kill it and before deciding to come back I wanted to look around some more.

Coming in this direction i saw a few trees that were marked with claw marks but i didn't think I'd run into a lot of them so i went past the trees. Seeing the red grass and the height of it I felt i was being watched so I decided to leave but two of them were already behind me so I rushed to this clearing hoping to get away. But as u can probably tell I got entrapped before signalling for help then fighting for my life until you got here." he explains to her before standing up again.

"You should've come back seeing the claw marks. We were taught that if you see a marked territory to not go in alone and what do you do, you go in alone." Iesha says in an annoyed tone. "You could have died if you were any further in the forrest." Marcus doesn't answer and just goes to the cheetas and puts the bodies all in one spot. "What are you doing?" she asks. "You will see." Marcus says with a slight smile as he holds his hand out. 'Mana absorbtion.'

His mana envelopes all the bodies before turning red and going in a reverse flow entering his palm. Absorbing the crimson energy he feels a boost in his mana as it gathers in his heart. "I can absorb the mana from other creatures that have mana and add it to my own. I can also use some of the innate skills that they have to some extent." he explains to her as she stands there looking shocked. "That is so cool. I wish we could find another mana pool to study it."

"I don't see any of those cheetas but I think we should head back as soon as possible." said a soldier. Everyone got on the jet and proceded to head back to their new living center. Iesha piloted the jet while Marcus sat in the co-pilot seat. It took them half an hour to get back. Looking out the window Marcus looked at all the buildings that were set up looking for a specific one. Seeing the building he was looking for upon landing he left the ship and headed that way followed by Iesha.

Going to the research center he dropped of the plants he wanted to use for personal experiments before leaving. Wanting to check in with Steph his asks, "Where is Steph's new office?" "Top floor of the medical center." Iesha answers him while pointing at the med-center. On his way there he speaks to a few of the people around seeing how everyone is settling in. So far everyone likes the place. Most people are in awe of the multitude of colors of every tree or flowers they have seen while others are amazed with the low amount of animals they have seen.

Going in the medical center Marcus gets in the elevator and heads to the top floor. He goes into Steph's office where he sees him standing staring out the window. "I'm back Steph. How has the set up gone?" Marcus asks him. "It has been good. Everyone has settled in and research is going well." Steph turns around answering him. "We gotta make sure to tell everyone about the danger zone you have found too." Marcus nods his head sending the info from his Halo-Pad.

"You didn't tell me about anything that happened during the four days I was in the mana pool. Did anything attack the place or anything strange happen?" Marcus asks Steph. "During the night on the third day there was some creature that skulked around for a while observing us but it didn't do much besides that. People started calling it a Night Stalker." he answers with a weird look on his face. "Why are you making that face Steph?"

"The people that have seen this Night Stalker say that it has a humanoid shape. I was just thinking there may be another intelligent race on this planet." he tells Marcus. "You worried if they are like the Moguls?" Marcus asks him. Steph doesn't answer but its clear that is what he worried about. "Don't worry about so much. If they are an intelligent race then hopefully we can keep our relations civil. If not then we will let them know we will do anything to protect our people."

Steph just nods. They talk about other things for a while such as expansion and using the plants for different things medical an non medical. Marcus leaves heading back outside. Noticing the light he sees that it will be dark soon so he heads to the perimeter walls to make sure the gaurds are prepared. Going around from each direction he ends on the West wall where Iesha and her friends are gaurding.

"Hey Marcus. What are you doing here?" Iesha asked him. "Just been going around checking on all the gaurds making sure they are well prepared." he tells her. "You don't mind if i stay here do you?" he asks. "Not at all. You can do what you like you know Head Commander." she says with a smile. He smiles a bit but doesn't say anything. Looking around out in the distance there isn't anything to visible. Deciding to use his mana sense he sends it out in a small pulse feeling the surroundings in a thirty five mile radius.

As the pulse reaches twenty miles his heart glows slightly. 'Looks like we're being watched tonight. Is it the so called Night Stalker or something else?' He wonders while staring out in the distance. "We are being watched so stay alert. I don't know if its a Night Stalker or something else." He says to Iesha and the group. "How far is it?" Iesha asks. "About twenty miles ahead of us." Marcus answers.

"It seems that the boy has some control. The others will want to know how much control he has so maybe I should test him." A hooded figure says as it uses mana to enhance its vision to look at Marcus. Leaving the tree the hooded figure makes its way to the West gate of the compound that was recently made. Getting fourteen meters away from the gate Marcus enhances his mana with the crimson mana and creates his dual blades in dark crimson color.

"Who are you and what do you want here?" Marcus asks. "I would like to test your mana skills." the hooded figure responded. Looking at Iesha, Marcus nods to her letting her know to report the situation to Steph and the other leaders. Walking out to the hooded figure Marcus gets in his dual blade fighting position. "You ready for your lil test?"