Sadé had been on the run for days.
She had been alone, besides Kazumi but she was still on her own. Not knowing if her friends were safe, she had tried to send out swans. But the enchantments within the forest blocked all communication. She was alone and it was starting to get to her.
“We have to keep going.” Kazumi said to her, yipping as she stretched in her smaller form. They had taken to preserving skills and Mana, so Kazumi kept her small form for managing her Mana output. It seemed as if it was their Mana which was keeping the predators of the forest on them, as if their Mana were a scent they were using to hunt them by.
They had been sleeping in the hollowed husk of a deadened tree, Sadé had slept fitfully, but as she rose. She didn’t forget to thank the tree, with kind words of thanks upon her whispered breath.
“You thank the trees, which is an old way to do things.” A voice that came from everywhere and nowhere spoke to her.
She whirled, suddenly frightful and Kazumi yipped and then growled as her form expanded.
A tiny woman appeared, she couldn’t have been more than five foot tall, and she looked like a child, but her features were mature. She stepped from nothing and gaged Sadé and Kazumi.
Kazumi barked at her and the woman smiled kindly.
On her left and right, a large foxhound appeared, all white with three red dots on either of their foreheads. They growled, a large rumble in their chest. A warning to Kazumi who whimpered.
They are elders of my kind. She explained to Sadé mentally.
“It is customary for an elf, to thank the trees for their efforts and labour, whatever that maybe.” Sadé explained, keeping one hand on her sheathed sabre and another ready to be wreathed in.
“There is no need for battle, you would lose anyway.” She said and in truth, Sadé could tell. She was a master tier, and her Mana was abundant. She felt like a spiritual force of nature. She was almost glowing before her.
Sadé relented and released the Mana she was holding in her hand. The woman smiled a little and nodded with a thanks.
“Thank you.”
“You have done well to survive, but I am sorry to say. You have not learned what you need to learn just yet and that is why the doors are barred to you.” She told her, Sadé didn’t understand what she meant but she could tell that she would be staying in the forest for much longer. She huffed at that, decidedly bothered.
“Or I could speed up your time between now and finding your answer. This is up to you; this is the choice I have come to offer you.” She explained to Sadé.
“What will you do?” she asked.
“I choose the option that you allow me to speed up my path through this enchanted forest.” Sadé said and the woman smiled.
“Well said.” She pulled from her sleeve, a bamboo gourd and yet a tremble of fear ran through Sadé.
“Do not worry, it will simply open your eyes.” The woman said. She took the topper off and immediately the gourd began to pull her and Kazumi in, a vacuum of great strength began to draw her in, and she could do nothing but succumb.
When she came to, she was within another forest. Darker than the previous but the forest had been grown to lead along a path. When she rose up, she realised she had company. Not just Kazumi but the two foxhounds who were next to her, as if they were guardians and they huffed a greeting when she recognised them.
Follow the hounds, they will direct you to your destiny. Follow the path and seek your truth.
A voice said and Sadé recognised it to be the woman in control of the gourd. She stood up and Kazumi enlarged her form, to resemble the other foxhounds. But they were much larger than her still, and in truth she was still quite young.
The foxhounds growled and rumbled, and Kazumi translated.
They say it will be faster if you ride.
So she climbed up onto Kazumi’s back and after that, they were off. Riding at top speed, the foxhounds loping but at a speed almost unimaginable, she had to keep her head low as if she were worried that she might fly off of Kazumi’s back. She had to clutch at her fur and hold on dearly.
They say we are to stop here. she told her after what felt like hours of running and riding.
She climbed from Kazumi and stretched herself like a cat, her legs tender from all the riding. But before them was a well, a deep well that stood in the middle of the path and only had a crank to draw from the well.
Drink and learn the truth of the waters of your soul.
The overbearing and tranquil voice rung around her, and she did as she was bid, drawing the crank, and raising a bucket from deep within the well.
*
A soul is the identity of the spirit and within it you will find sense of self. Look deep within and find out who you are, to you. There is where you will find the difference between ranker and master.
An elfin is a true rarity, once such self who has harkened to the call of the fox is rarer still. Why does your Mana call for thunder and flame when you were born of earth and life? Find these answers and you will find yourself too.
See what rests within you and drink deep from the waters
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
*
Sadé drank and her heart yearned for her soul to waken, it brushed against something foreign within her and she looked inward.
Something nestled there deep within the recesses of her being, it felt like a heart, but it was something else, almost inexplicable. Her mind brushed against it, and she took in its form. Thunder arched across her being and she cried out, suddenly in pain and surprised by the shock of it.
There is something there, something I hadn't noticed before, but how do I reach it. she thought to herself, but before she could think of it. Kazumi was there and she burned away at the tethers shielding the thing from her and pulled both herself and Sadé deeper within.
And there she found herself, standing in the very centre of her being. Flames coiled in large or red and blue pillars and ravaged all around her, they trailed in multiple directions and above rained down continuous lightning. Lightning so big that the flashes of the sparks caused her to shield her own eyes.
There is imbalance here, they coexist but there is no harmony. Kazumi said and though the words were spoken for the first time. Sadé could feel it herself, she was after all within herself. But she decided then, to create harmony and so she did.
She sat and meditated then and there.
She sunk into self, trying to conjure the Mana like she did when she formed her skills and in her mind she felt the pull of her Mana. it was much bigger than usual, they were rebellious here and much stronger, she pulled at the flames, and they burned brighter and hotter. Trying to engulf her very spirit but she pulled them back, reining them in and forcing them to know her as their master.
KRAKOOM!
Thunder braced the skies and lashed down in anger. She flung out a hand and pulled it towards her too. Something was different about this thunder; it had an ego. It was bucking like a stallion beneath her reins, and she struggled to hold both of them together.
Thunder and flame are just the small children of the storm, you hold them apart when they truthfully yearn to merge! Sunder them and make them whole!!
The voice bellowed around, crashing from the flames and thunder as one. She followed the voice, changed her idea, and sundered the flame and thunder as they fought like two writhing snakes in her grasp.
She fought against them and with all her might she quashed their fight and tried wreathing them together. The way she did when she used her Thunderfire skill, but they fought back and continued to attack her grasp independently one felt like water in her hands and the other oil. It was peculiar.
Let me help! Kazumi said and with her head she nudged Sadé’s hand. The one holding fire and pushed it towards the thunder and when Sadé focused on the thunder she did weaken its rebellion. But it was still a struggle, and it took what felt like minutes to connect the two.
DING!
THUNDER AND FLAME EXIST BUT THERE IS NO BALANCE!
DING!
FLAME AND THUNDER BECOME ONE TO FORM STORM!
DING!
FLAME BURNS AND THUNDER BRIGHTENS BUT TOGETHER THEY SCORCH!
DING!
STORM RAGES WHERE FLAME ONLY SEARS
STORM ILLUMINATES WHAT THUNDER FLASHES
…
…
…
CONGRATULATIONS YOUR SOUL HAS AWAKENED TO THE CALL OF THE STORM!
WILL YOU UNDERGO A MASTER TIER TRIBULATION?
Y/N?
We accept! Kazumi huffed and Sadé was shocked she could see her system screen too? But now was not the time to consider this.
SOUL POINT HAS BEEN UNLOCKED!ALL MASTER TIER TRIBULATIONS WILL REQUIRE AN ITEM FOR THE SOUL! REMEMBER THIS ALWAYS!YOU ARE NOW READY TO UNDERGO A TIER TRIBULATION FOR MASTER TIER! WILL YOU BEGIN?
Y/N?
There was no hesitation. Sadé had been preparing for this moment ever since Jazmel and Katie had reached theirs and she had begun to feel like she was lagging behind.
She began to consider he next steps and let the system lead her along, this was the first time she had
DING!MASTER TIER HAS UNLOCKED YOUR SOUL!YOU WILL NEED A TIER TRIBULATION ITEM FOR YOUR SOUL ALSO!
…
…
…
SYSTEM HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT YOUR SOUL ITEM HAS ALREADY BEEN CONFIGURED!
STORMFIRE ICON TABLET
TIER TRIBULATION BEGINS!TIER TRIBULATION INCOMING!TIER TRIBULATION ITEMS PRESENT!WILL YOU USE THEM?
YES.
TIER TRIBULATION OF THE SPIRIT: WHAT WILL YOU USE?
Sadé hadn't planned to prepare for this, but she did have a few items she had been keeping just in case.
The first of this, was a tier IV spirit warden core. She had earned it from the astral domain beneath the tower in the outpost. But now she was using it for her master tier tribulation. But she pulled it into her being, her centre and let the core meld into her. Her spirit seemed hungry or thirsty, it devoured it, and she felt herself enriched, suddenly acutely aware of just how much it meant to upgrade her spirit.
TIER TRIBULATION OF THE SPIRIT COMPLETE.1/4.WHAT WILL YOU USE?
The next item she had thought about preparing was an ancient infinity fan relic. It was shaped like the number eight with a handle made of jade and emerald. It had an aroma and when fanned the fragrance provided tranquil spirits.
She unclasped it and let the system draw it into her mind. She accepted it and with ease it merged and expanded her mental clarity, she was comfortable before it. She even smiled at how soothing it was, it was peaceful and beautiful. It felt like a mental balm for herself, and she took it in, breathing in the clarity.
TIER TRIBULATION OF THE MIND COMPLETE.2/4.WHAT WILL YOU USE?
She didn’t have a physical item for her body, but with the soul unlocking and the new tempered form. She chose another item she had found in the labyrinth. This one she had bought, after all she had not faced one of these just yet.
The storm colossus core burst in a shower of golden sparks and enriched her body. It took to the Stormfire tempered body and supplemented its already advantageous creation. She felt her body grow sturdy and tense even while relaxed, she felt like the night before a storm or the eye of it. She could tell when she fought next, she would be a force unleashed; a storm unleashed.
DING!TIER TRIBULATION OF THE BODY COMPLETE.3/4.
…
…
…
SOUL ITEM ALREADY UNDERGONE THE TIER TRIBULATION!
that felt strange, the system felt hungry but empty. But in truth she had already unlocked her soul with the storm icon tablet. She had formed it from her very own being. She thought to herself.
DING!TIER TRIBULATION OF THE SOUL COMPLETE4/4
…
…
DING!
…CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING YOUR MASTER TIER TRIBULATION!
YOUR COMPANION HAS GAINED ENLIGHTENMENT FROM YOUR STORM ICON!
YOUR COMPANION HAS LEARNED A NEW SKILL!
SPIRIT FOX MASK (tier I)
“What does this do then?” she asked, and the dark forest suddenly grew alight with sunlight, and she realised that the woman had removed the topper of her gourd. The vacuum appeared again and soon she and Kazumi were pulled from the gourd out into the open.
“You did it, you managed to enter master tier. Congratulations.” The woman said, inclining her head with respect.
“Well it wasn’t without your help.” Sadé said, bowing back in gratitude.
“My companion gained a skill.” Sadé said and the woman shrugged, she clearly didn’t know about it.
“Well, would you like to learn what it can do?” She offered, she raised her hand, and two blue fire spirits appeared and with a flash they formed into the two foxhounds from before.
“Shall we spar?”
You need to say the words to the skill. Kazumi said as she barked and nipped at the two other foxhounds as they prowled forward.
“What?”
“Say the skill!”
Spirit Fox Mask
Kazumi burned bright and turned into a fox mask as she appeared in Sadé’s hands. She pulled it on, and everything changed.
