Part 2.
Chapter 1.
"Alright, what are five types of ghosts!" Shouted Sahara
Kiba coughed and sputtered water would fill his lungs each time he would try to answer.
"This is Hell," He thought has his head keep sinking below the water.
Kiba and Hana were currently in a lake at Sahara home. Both were holding weighted plates above their heads as they tread water. The area of the lake they were in was deep so they couldn't touch the lakebed. To emphasize the importance of the daily lessons Sahara would administer this "exercise" as a quiz after class.
"Yes an easy one," Kiba thought while frantically trying to stay above water.
"Demonic, deity, shades, losts, and elemental!" Shouted while trying to keep his head above water. His shoulders burned and his kicking legs were growing numb.
"Very good! But you are looking a little tired boy this should be easy by now it's already been a month!" Sahara laughed sadistically.
It had been at least six months since Sahara began his rigorous training program. Although he acted like Kiba and Hana were used to it he also knew it was impossible because every other day the training and lessons given were altered. This would make them on guard for surprises and develop a mindset like those on a battlefield. That might sound a little grandiose but many of the curveballs Sahara would throw them would put their lives into a state of extreme panic and exhaustion.
"Hana what are Elves three biggest weaknesses?" Sahara shouted as he saw her head sink below the water.
With a strong kick she pushed herself back up.
"Cough cough… psychic… gargble… physical attacks…blub…f-fr...blub… f-frost elemental!" She gasped.
"Good get out!" Commanded Sahara
Kiba and Hana swam back to the pier and put the plates on the deck. They climbed out of the lake dripping with water. Kiba was only wearing his gi pants and Hana wore a set of female active gear which is usually worn under chainmail or leather armor.
Sahara picked up one of the plates and said, "alright if y'all are able to find this then you get the rest of the day off!" He then flung the plate like a disc about twenty meters into the lake.
"Start!" Sahara was about say but both Hana and Kiba had already dove in and swam toward the sunken plate.
They got to the approximate spot where the plate hit the water. Hana pointed down and gave him the hand signal to wait. She swam down about four meters and swept her hands across the muddy lakebed. She did this for about two minutes but she needed to come up for air. This was a considerably long time to be underwater for a human but slightly above average for an elf. When she surfaced it was Kiba's turn he did the same sweeping that Hana did but found nothing and returned to the surface. The repeated this routine for fifteen minutes until Hana finally hit something heavy. She was at her limit and swam back up. She motioned to Kiba who was panting heavily that she found it. Kiba then dove down under Hana and after a couple seconds felt the plate which he grabbed. They had found the plate but now they had to get it back to the pier. Hana was still panting heavily from her last sweep so Kiba carried the plate toward the dock. As he got to ten meters out he felt his fingers slipping from the plate. Hana swam up, pressed herself into Kiba and grabbed the plate so it wouldn't fall. She then swam the plate the rest of the way to the pier with Kiba following behind.
They both collapsed on the pier with exhausted panting.
"Very good your teamwork has improved tremendously, however your impatient behavior caused you to miss out on my command. If this had been a real battle I would have your court martialed and tortured." Sahara grinned maliciously
Kiba and Hana gulped.
"But you successfully pulled it off and within the time limit I was going to give you. So enjoy your day off."
Chapter 2
About a kilometer from the lake there rose a massive Yami tree fifty meters tall and forty meters wide. The tree was hollowed out and carved into a massive dwelling. It was a former elfin palace given to Sahara when he saved them from a demon orc. They ended up moving to a new location before the defeat and decided to stay there instead of coming back. So Sahara placed a barrier around this land similar to the Divine Barrier but on a smaller scale. Hana and Kiba walked up the ten steps carved out of the Yami tree. It may have been spring now but the air was still cool and the wetness could potentially get them sick, so Hana decided they should take a bath. Kiba agreed and handed Hana a towel from the wall shelf next to the door.
"Welcome back young masters," a voice came from across the room. Kiba smiled at the cute female beastmen in a maid outfit. It was Yuko Jo an anthropomorphic being with wolf like qualities. She was young only about fifteen in appearance, but she had a neutral attitude that seemed like she had been a maid for a long time. She was no ordinary wolf girl beastman she was a werewolf. Werewolves were undead and powerful ones at that. When Sahara introduced her Hana thought all sorts of terrible things about the Major. Yuko wore a large shackle around her neck fastened like a collar, these items were usually only seen on slaves. Since slavery was banned in Saga these shackles were hard to obtain.
Her calm and emotionless attitude made Hana think she was here against her will. Hana ignored this as she knew that slavery was legal outside Saga, and she would be staying with the Major for a long time. She did not want to upset her beloved War Chief by continuing to butt heads with the Major. She had already been pushed to a breaking point with the orc argument on the trek here. She did apologize and explained everything to her superior that she told to Kiba. He had forgiven her, but told her that if she ever behaved like that again he would report it to Inzai.
"I sensed your return, and could smell your dampness," Yuko started with a charm that only a skilled maid could possess . "I drew two baths for you."
Yuko lead to pair to the large restroom which lead to three different bathhouse style bathrooms. The restroom had a partition which allowed Hana and Kiba to strip without exposing themselves. Yuko collected the damp outfits and offered additional services such as body and hair checks to messages.
Hana sighed as Yuko combed through her hair to look for any lice or other hair dwelling critters.
It had been a moment like this when Hana inquired about Yuko's history a couple months ago. Yuko was an unusually emotionless person, but when asked she wrapped her arms around the naked Hana in a soft a soft embrace.
"Why don't we take a bath together and talk about it? It's been a long time since I have had another lady to talk to."
Hana was caught off guard she wasn't surprised about bathing together in fact that was a cultural norm nor was she thrown off by the hug. It was the way she said it. It carried a tone of familiar sadness however she seemed to have a cheerful inflection. It was an indescribable emotion to Hana.
"O-ok sure!" Hana responded enthusiastically though it had an edge of uncertainty. At this time Hana just assumed it was a regular wolf girl who had been purchased from a slave trader so that someone could tend to the palace while the Major was away.
Chapter 3
Hana was soaking in the large bath which was adorned with large boulders and plants to give it a hot spring feeling. She continued to reminisce about her conversation with Yuko.
She had been soaking in the bath as Yuko prepared to enter. A minute or two passed and Hana heard to door to the bath slide open and shut. The steam hid the person entering, and if Hana not expected someone it would have been disconcerting. The nude figure emerged from the steam. Hana was blown away by the majestic beauty of the beast girl. She was not very tall but has an imposing build for a female. Her muscles were tone but not grotesque. Gray and black fur ran narrowly down her spine to her bushy tail which stuck out about half a meter from the lower lumbar just above her. Yuko's head was bizarre but that was the most well seen part of her body to Hana. The fur on the head was spiky but soft and styled like a human's. Two fluffy ears poked out starting at the temporal part of the head to the parietal section on each side. The ears would often twitch when a noise was made. Hana thought that was the cutest part about her mannerisms. Her torso, arms and legs were bare with a soft barely visible baby like hair similar to a peach. Her breasts were petite and perky. Underneath her breasts ran two symmetric columns of perfectly circular birthmarks numbering six in total.
"Wow Yuko you are beautiful!" Hana complemented in awe. "Yuko is still in the shackle but she seems to not notice," thought Hana as she looked at Yuko whose almost perfectly human face blushed. The only difference was her irises had a dull red to them and were fairly large in the pupils. She also had long canine teeth like a wolf. Yuko bashfully got into the bath and sat next Hana studying her body.
Yuko pointed her finger at Hana suddenly almost touching her nose.
"Elf"
Hana turned red, "yes yes half elf to be exact."
"Um Yuko what are those spots on your belly for?" Hana asked she had heard about how different criminal organizations would perform a ritual called tattooing where ink would be embedded into the skin for a permanent marking. Hana was wondering if that was a slave trader seal.
Yuko looked down her face slightly perturbed.
Hana put up her hands in an apologetic manner, "Sorry I shouldn't have asked!"
Yuko cleared her throat, "um well these are birthmarks that all Wolfmen have. Ancient mages and witches had a much harder time making human like demi-humans, so we mostly were deformed animals. Eventually through breeding and additional magic we became more and more human like. These we call wolf marks, they are a body part similar to the human's coccyx. In other words it's a part of our body that no longer has any use but once did. These marks are the remnants of when we had litters of children instead of the average one per pregnancy. They are um nipples."
"Eh… EHH?" Hana reacted shocked.
"Fufufu cute face!" Yuko grinned as she thought
"So that yes." Hana responded nodding her head as if she wasn't surprised.
"Well if you want to know my history. It is pretty typical of a wolf girl, I was born into slavery. My parents were selectively bred breeders who had many children. I have numerous siblings and half siblings. There were dozens of wolfmen slaves in our caravan. We would be carted from town to town. Some of us would be bought permanently as laborers, maids, and concubines. Some of us would work as prostitutes or temporary laborers it all depended on how we looked and performed. Fufufu we even had boys doing some of the typical girl positions because they were cute." Yuko laughed at this, but it kind of made Hana uncomfortable. "Of course I was used for many things and worked all manner of professions. The slave master took a liking to me and I was his personal slave so he wouldn't sell me. I didn't care much for him at first and he would force himself on me and degrade me. That was not too bad and he was actually a decent looking man. After a while he had me broken in and I thoroughly enjoyed our physical relationship and a part of me longed for more. However je didn't much care for that, he liked seeing me tormented and would come up with unique ways of violating me…."
Hana felt light headed from all this sex talk. She had held a boy's hand once in the Academy, but her nerves and PTSD made her throw up.
"... I was beginning to think he fell for me. I stopped seeing clients and making money..."
"Was that better?" Hana trying to carry on a conversation like a mature adult.
"Well being a prostitute was not that bad. It might seem bad from the outside, but We were living better than most of the peasants and laborers. In fact most of my clients were boys who used us as a way to learn about sex or to lose their virginity before a big hunt. Sometimes you'd get an incredible man who knew his way around in the bed and those who didn't. I also had a large supportive family to go home to as well. The master was mean sometimes but it was more of a teasing mean. I could tell he cared about us in his own way especially me but…." Yuko trailed off
Hana, who never considered this perspective before and heavily valued her virginity, was left speechless.
"Master indeed fell in love with me." Yuko sighed. "His tormenting had just been what he did to his concubines but he began to calm down and enjoy me more passionately. One day he confessed his love and I couldn't say I wasn't in love with him. I accepted and stopped taking precautions with him. I ended up pregnant. Move forward a few months and we were on a journey to Fuji in Fujiwara to pick up a beast tamer for Pacas. We had recently gained ten of them in exchange for a cousin of mine who was a laborer. Master was the happiest I had ever seen him. He let the slaves keep more of the money they earned and would let us act more like merchant caravan than a slave caravan. We actually were making more money this way. The more freedom he gave the slaves the more they reciprocated by making and selling equipment. This brought a huge surplus. We still had to deal with the peasants who didn't understand slaves were meant to be taken care of not abused. Master would be much more caring in his dealing with potential customers by explaining slaves full value would be exposed through proper training and treatment.
It had been six months into my pregnancy when we headed to Fuji…."
Hana was captivated by Yuko's story and listen intensely. It was finally sounding wholesome… well for a slave's life. She looked at Yuko who looked really downcast all of a sudden.
"Umm this part of the story is harder to tell than I thought," she said her ears were drooping.
"If you don't want to talk about it I understand. My history isn't a very happy one either." She murmured.
"No you are the first girl I've gotten to talk to in eight years!" She said clearly and strong through a face of tears. "I have to tell you. Master Sahara is the only one who knows. I need a girl to tell."
Hana did not understand this but she accepted her and held Yuko's trembling hand.
Hana thought, "This is how Kiba must have felt… when I told him about Mom."
Yuko placed her hand on Hana's slender abdomen, "Such a pure body you have. You would look amazing with a little one inside." Yuko smiled. Hana felt that it was weird how a girl that looked the same age if not younger than her seemed so motherly and mature.
"Eh?" Was all she could respond with.
Yuko continued, "When we were heading to Fuji, I woke up early one more to use the lavatories. I remember kissing master on the cheek and threw on a silk robe before I left. When I arrived at the bathroom I was tackled from behind. I panicked and turned over to see someone of my own race attacking me. The eyes were filled with an anger I had never seen before, and I was shocked because I realized I had never been hurt by someone of my own race before. I had been raped a few times as a slave, but never assaulted like so. In the assault realized that it was a dire wolfman. They are a primitive part of our demi-human race that acts more on instinct and they are much larger and stronger. They are often hunted down like goblins or ogres. I remember crying for the first time in years. I didn't know what happened, but he began to punch my stomach... He killed the baby…." Yuko was delivering line after line through her tears. She was spilling it all out like a black cloud in a thunderstorm.
"He killed the baby ...," she stopped, searching for the correct way to say it.
"He killed my baby…"
Hana was miserable. She was sickened and miserable. She never thought she would be shocked by a story, any story, after losing her mother.
The monster of a wolfman was dominating me in front of the master who heard my cries. Thankfully, Master did save me from my attacker and slew him on the spot, but the damage was done."
Hana remembered how her mother screamed in pain and terror. She couldn't grasp how anyone could commit that abuse. Hana was shaking and unsteady.
Yuko got up, the water dripping from her naked body. "I'm sorry I'll tell you the rest another time. You can probably only stand to be around filth for a short time." She hugged her slender waist with self-conscious loathing. Her body looked like the weight of the world was crushing her.
"Stop!" Hana shouted angrily.
Yuko's ears folded downward in response. Her shackle looked like it was weighing her down even more. Hana wrapped herself around the nude demi-human. "When I said you were beautiful I meant it. I am not a person who would carelessly discard someone because of a tragedy that happened to them."
"B-but I failed as a mother." Yuko was crying into Hana's bosom. Hana stroked Yuko's hair and shushed her down. She could feel Yuko's sobs as she held her.
*Hana was still thinking about this. She got out of the bath and sat down on a stool in front of a facet used for washing. She began to wash her hair. When she finished she then decided to get back in the bath a little bit longer.*
After the wolfgirl finished crying Hana had walked her over to the lounge area of the bath where she kneeled down into a seiza. She placed the worn down wolf girl's head in her lap and stroked her head, the area was more like human hair than fur.
Yuko relaxed a bit and said, "The worst part was that he forgave me… I never understood why. It would have been better if he left me or killed me. No, he picked me up and wrapped me in a blanket and apologized for not being there to stop it. He then buried our boy under a Yew tree. After that day nothing was the same it was like a storm cloud was consuming our relationship. We were still affectionate and we tried to conceive but it was unsuccessful. I began to get sick a lot and still frequently bled from my womanhood. It got so bad I went into a coma and when I finally woke up I saw Master took me to a village doctor who was an expert in healing magic. The doctor said that I had a severe uterine rupture and that to save my life they had to remove my uterus. In other words that monster utterly destroyed our child but also ruined any chance of future recovery. My husband and master changed for the worse. He looked at my constantly with sad dead eyes and was hitting the drink. I finally decided that I was not going to let him destroy himself because of my destruction. I found my two most beautiful and loving sisters and sent them to him one night. I had put an aphrodisiac in their perfume and in the incense in his tent. I wrote a letter explaining that he needed to let me go and save himself. I pinned it to the outside tent flap and then left. For months I struggled, begged, and trained my resolve. I couldn't figure out what I could do in life so I would just wander. I became strong and fought many Demi-humans and bandits. I assumed this was my calling. I would stop the actions that I suffered from. I did this for a long time until one day I met a youthful girl in a black sorcerers hat and robe with a beautiful green trim. She had curly green hair to match and a freckled face. She invited me to her camp where two other girls with the same outfits were setting a camp. They said they were recently graduated mages from Fujiwara Academy and they were outside the Divine Barrier on an expedition to find a rare herb. They had been attacked by some goblins earlier and the mages were able to just slightly overpower them. They ended up hiring me for protection…. it ended up being a rouse."
Yuko sat up and Hana noticed that she seemed less heartbroken. "She must have gotten through the hardest parts," Hana had thought. "But her story has just been one disaster after another…"
Sensing Hana's concern Yuko said, "Don't worry about me, I got through the hard part."
Hana had to choke back a sigh of relief. She was not sure how much more of this tale she could take. It reminded her too much of her own mother's fate. Hana knew something was wrong with the Mage's story because a Mage who graduates from Fujiwara is conscripted due to there being so few in the district.
"Anyway I helped the girls for a few days and when we got to the area they had been looking for they ended up drugging my food. I remember feeling woozy and the girls laughing at me as I fell out. I woke up in a cave where I had been shackled down. It felt weird being in shackles again." Yuko laughed at this. "I was surrounded by the three girls who were chanting some weird mantra. I looked around and could tell that there were several large candles surrounding me and I was stuck in the middle of a faint green glow in a weird design. The girl each cut their hands and placed them in the green light causing a seal to form. A massive jolt of energy shot through my body and a series of images began to flash before my eyes. They were images of my life, a story of a wolf girl slave whose life was starting to look wonderful but ending in despair. I remember a tightness in my chest as my heart stopped. I stopped breathing and everything went black. I remember seeing red and more images of things I could not comprehend. The images weren't memories and the only thing I recognized in those images were those three girls. The images were red and then depicted a series of dismembered and headless bodies. The heads that appeared in the next image were those mage girls again. Their heads, bloody and torsoless, depicted terror not laughter like I remembered them. Those were the only things I saw for a long time. I just saw red, those dismembered mages, and walls made of stone. I don't know how long it lasted but after what felt like a lifetime I saw something else. A man with white hair, tall and powerful, he shattered the red. It was like waking from a dream. Everything was normal again, I was in a cave there was a makeshift altar and three corpses on the ground. The man in front of me grabbed the shackle around my neck and shouted something I did not understand. I felt my body had changed. I looked at my hands which were large and muscular covered with thick fur my hands were the same as my arms and had large monstrous claws. I looked down and saw a torso that was also muscular and hair. My animalistic breasts had formed and were erect. My legs were massive and powerful. I immediately jumped back in shock. I knew what I was immediately. I had grown up hearing stories about this happening to wolfmen. I had been transformed into a Werewolf. The man's previous shout caused me to revert into my normal body. I stood naked and afraid wondering why my life was such a burden. The man as if reading my mind said, ``Sorry to trouble you miss, my name is Sahara, I am an Imperial Mage it seems you've come down with a case of being a werewolf. You have two options you can come to my home and be bonded to it as a servant or I can kill you. Which shall you pick?'
I was flustered by the rashness of the question and answered to my shock that I would be his servant. For the longest time I wanted to die and now that the choice was presented I chose the one where I lived…" Yuko smiled and then put her maid uniform on leaving Hana kneeling on the floor to process Yuko's tale as she walked to the door she said on last thing. "I made the right decision and was born again."
Chapter 4
Hana woke with a splash as her head sunk into the bath. She had been thinking about that time Yuko and her took a bath together so long she fell asleep. Hana sighed and got out. Since then Yuko and Hana would bath together on occasion when they both had some free time. Yuko was very happy with the new residents especially Kiba who was close to the age her deceased child would have been. Hana would watch as she would baby him. It was cute because Yuko hid her emotions extremely well. She seemed apathetic but her eyes sparkled. Kiba liked her a lot as well. He would often try to get Yuko to help him with things so they could spend time with each other.
Hana stood in front of the mirror in the dressing room and looked at herself. She saw the dark features of her skin and her unstyled purple hair which just touched her shoulders. Her breasts looked firm and full above her slender waist which from the training looked more toned than it ever did. She placed her hand on her belly and thought, "I want a baby…but I'm so nervous around men. I get so worried I start to hate men. I wonder if Chief would?"
"Hahaha don't be stupid he is at least twenty years older than me!" She said out loud embarrassed. The truth was she had a massive crush on War Chief Inzai and she knew why. The way he saved her from the orcs left a lasting impression that had captivated her.
She got dressed trying to get rid of her embarrassing desires.
It was still mid afternoon and her day off was going to be much more productive that it had been last time. They had only one previous day off and she slept the entire thing. This time she was going to the study/lounge room where there was a massive library. She passed through the dining area where she saw Yuko working in the kitchen. "She seems to be kneading dough." Hana thought. She continued onward until she got a large staircase that lead into a massive open room where furniture and statues were placed in an aesthetic manner. Bookshelves made up the walls of this room and there were no empty shelves all of them were filled with books and busts. She saw Kiba at a table off to her right as she descended the staircase. Kiba was looking intensely at a disassembled short short that had a single blade edge. It was a specialized cave sword. It was designed for forward thrusts and allowed the user to slash in more cramped spaces. Kiba was on the cusp of puberty and would barely be able to wield a bastard sword or even a long sword. He was holding the blade by the tang which he was checking for damage. It was always important to inspect and clean a weapon after every use to determine the integrity. Kiba heard a sound coming from the stairs and glanced up. It was Hana, she was wearing a loose matte nightgown that was a tangerine color with a matching silk robe with lace frills. Kiba could not help but feel a pinning sensation that had been churning in his stomach. He found himself gazing awkwardly at Hana for long periods of time for this reason. She caught his eyes and he smiled with a blush. "Hi, Hana how was your bath?"
"It was wonderful," said Hana with a laugh. "I fell asleep because of how relaxed I was!"
"Oh is that the short sword Major recommended for close quarters combat?" Hana asked.
"Yes!" Kiba replied enthusiastically. "I noticed a few areas that had dulled from practice so I decided to sharpen it."
Hana thought about the dagger she got from War Chief Inzai. It was the only bladed item she carried and it was more of a last resort keepsake. She relied mostly on magic and if she did carry a weapon it would be a staff. "You seem to like blade weapons and from watching you practice you seem to have a natural gift for it." Hana said watching Kiba apply oil to a piece of woven fabric. Kiba wiped the blade with the oiled cloth and said, "when I fought that monster by myself, I never experienced such pain before. It was a different pain from the Tormentor which was like a really bad headache mixed with despair. The wolf hurt me so bad I thought I died. It was scary and I lost myself. I began acting not on my own and was able to kill the beast. I want to be stronger and a better fighter to protect myself and those I care about."
Hana was stunned at the words the young Kiba spoke they matched how she felt. "I want to be strong too. Kiba, let's get stronger!"
"Yes mam," the boy nodded.
"I am going to see what I can discover in these books the elves lefts."
Hana scoured through the titles until she got to a book called "On Elven Abilities and Adaptations" it was a heavy volume with a thick cover and hundreds of pages. She thumbed through it and saw detailed sketches and legible text. She took the book to a table across the room from Kiba so she could study uninterrupted. She looked at the first section and was surprised to discover this was written by a human. The section was a cross examination of elfin anatomy and human anatomy. Elves were typically shorter and had less muscle mass than human but had great range of mobility and speed. She noticed that the drawings of the nude elves versus humans were indeed similar to the described differences that the Major told them in the conference. She read that elfin senses were more sensitive in all aspects compared to humans due to their ranger/hunter style of living. The intelligence quotient between the two were very similar with humans having a slightly higher average score. She read through the text and bit her nail as she read something that made her feel woozy. That was because she read about how elves have a sixth sense of fear induction. The sense was developed due to a pheromone in elf sweat. Many Demi-humans and beasts picked up this pheromones due to evolved smelling abilities. For most of these predators it is so they can find and consume elves. There was a side note stating, "orcs are an anomaly in response to these pheromones because the pheromones trigger their reproductive and their hunting senses. Regardless Elves have had a long history of being used for breeding by numerous species due to their natural magic abilities. These abilities are especially potent in female elves reproductive organs. Their magic infused organs make it easier to produce offspring regardless of mate. Many scholars believe that the majority of Demi-humans are actually demi-elves."
Hana kept reading for a while noticing how accurate the details of the book were to her own body and abilities. Her senses were definitely more developed than her peers, and fear induction must be why she gets so nervous around affectionate men. In fact Kiba was the first male she could touch without worry. It was like he radiated a purity that comes with youth. She was surprised at how short the average elf was considering she was taller than most people. She closed the book and leaned back in her chair. She felt surprisingly relieved that her behavior was sort of natural and she wasn't being paranoid.
Chapter 5
The next day Sahara woke the two trainees up at 0300 for a rigorous run. It was at the top of the tall hill to the north of the palace.
Kiba was panting hard as he ran at top speed down the hill trying to avoid the hazards his Sensei hid along the route. He felt great as running was something he had done long before he knew anything about secret arts or his call to adventure. He moved swiftly and effortlessly around a felled tree and jumped over a snare placed in the blind spot behind the tree. He could hear Hana behind him moving very rapidly with a dexterity that could match his own. She nimble vaulted over the tree but landed in the snare getting caught.
"Gaahhh!" She shouted in surprise. Kiba slowed for a moment and looked back. Hana looked incredibly goofy with an exasperated face as she was suspended upside down. Kiba was about to turn back when he saw nimbly cut through the rope that bound her. She fell to the ground and pivoted landing gracefully on her feet.
"Wow, that happened so smoothly and quickly as expected of a Captain!" Kiba thought and he continued his sprint down the mountain. It was daybreak as Kiba and Hana reached the finish line. The sun was glowing massive and orange lighting the sky up with a radiant beauty. Kiba and Hana were panting heavily and gave each other gestures of positivity.
*crash*
A massive sound echoed from a tree that exploded into splinters in front them. Kiba and Hana recoiled as they heard a thunderous guttural roar. Two more trees exploded sending dust and debris clouding our. As the air clearly Hana's eyes grew wide in panic. Her warrior instincts kicked in as she grabbed Kiba and bolted up the hill. Kiba's eyes widen as he saw the beast in front of him. It was about four meters tall and had a mass like that of a fortress. It had thick leathery skin which was protected by thick bone plates. It's face was like a boar with two massive tusks growing out of its mouth. Its eyes were small and had a full ranged position on the front of its face like most carnivores. It's body was round and the muscular like the rare beast called an elephant. Kiba's father once showed him a drawing of one. The major difference between the two was that this monster looked comfortable standing on its hind legs much like a bear. It's body was mostly bald with a patch of Brillo like hair running along the spine. It's skin was grey with strange black patterns.
Hana pulled Kiba down behind a ditch out of view of the monster.
"Kiba that's Behemoth a level five demon. It is way out of our league."
"What are we going to do?" Kiba asked with concern.
"I am not sure but the Major has to know it's here."
A pause in the conversation happened as the monster located the duo and began to close in on their position.
"We will just have to fight!" Kiba said with determination
Hana hummed in agreement.
Hana and Kiba both jumped in opposite directions as the Behemoth slammed its forearms down in to the place they were crouching. Kiba was not carrying any weapons on him, so he proceeded to grab a rock and hurtled it as hard as he could. He then used a skill he learned from Sensei called "acceleration" which was spell that accelerates the speed of an object giving it more power. The rock slammed into the side of the creature with a tremendous impact. The Behemoth let out a monsterous bellow and charged at Kiba. Hana who had flanked the creature used a spell called glare. Which would temporarily obstruct the opposition's vision with a blinding glare. The creature ran straight into a massive oak tree, and blasted right through. Kiba had long changed his position and both he and Hana were at the rear.
It had been revealed on the first week of training that Kiba was special. He was the first person in two hundred years that was born with the ability to use all eight of the Secret Art categories. The people who were able to use all the arts were called: tenshi. Since a Tenshi was able to use all the non-living arts they are given the ability to use a special perk called "Grimoire." Grimoire gives the user access to six books: the Divine Opus, Demonica, Magnus Mage, Necro, Ghost Monogatari, and Book of the Living Arts. Sahara's reference to the Grimoire Nuit was a special book created from the information gathered from the last Tenshi two hundred years ago. Kiba had recently gained this ability after two weeks of Sensei's intense training. One would expect vast quantities of information to be available but all the pages were mostly empty in each book. The Divine Opus was gold and only had a divine healing spell. The Demonica was black and contained dark possession which Kiba obtained for defeating the witch familiar. The Magnus Mage was red and contained a series of spells that he learned from Sensei and Hana. The Necro was a dark grey and contained a bog body fear induction spell. The Book of the Living Arts was green and only contained basic information on each class but were empty when it came to useable abilities. The last and most full Grimoire was the Ghost Monogatari, a lavender book, which was full of different arts and spells. Sahara had explained to Kiba that this was due to Ghost arts being his base ability. A base ability is the ability a user of multiple arts is most naturally gifted in. Since Kiba was of the Yūrei bloodline that was to be expected. Although Kiba had gained all this information he still was unable to use it because he would have to first learn HOW to use it. That being said every now and then Kiba would accidentally perform one of the skills without realizing or meaning to. He once released a series of low tier ghosts out in the Palace which scared Yuko who ran through the place in a panic.
Kiba positioned himself behind the Behemoth and called the Grimoires out since he had no weapons. The books appeared and flew around him in an orbit. The books were not physical so the debris from the exploded oak tree would not damage them. Hana casted a massive fireball at the Behemoth. The flaming ball crackled and burned in a raging inferno as it flew out from Hana's hands. The ball struck the Behemoth's back searing the exterior flesh and bone plates. The monster wailed with agony as Hana smirked. Kiba at this time casted two non attack spells: Encyclopedia of Tenshi and Karada encryption. He casted these spells, because the Grimoires were visually distracting in the orbit around him. He was annoyed by this in training so he looked through all the Grimoires to see if there was a way to use their powers without having them fly around him. The Ghost Monogatari gave him his answer by explaining the Grimoires could be fused together. This spell was called Book of Tenshi. Once this was completed he could use another spell called Karada encryption to absorb the Opus to his body.
A surge of light emitted from the ring Grimoires then they froze. They then all shot above Kiba's head and a massive white book with luxurious gold trim formed. The book then dispersed into a million shimmering crystals and swirled around Kiba in a vortex of reflected light. The crystals sunk into Kiba's body and black lines of text began to form all over him. This was the nature of Karada Encryption of The Book of Tenshi.
Kiba could feel the power of the Grimoires surging through his body and used a special ability called float which allowed him to fly up in the air.
Kiba then casted a spell he learned from Hana, Fireball. He shot the flaming ball down from his position in the sky. The Behemoth was surprisingly agile and dodged the attack. The monster countered by swinging his titanic fist toward Kiba.
Kiba could not dodge while using float because it was not a mobility spell but a spell for better vantage. Kiba raised his guard which subconsciously triggered his Intangible Spectre skill. This made it to where physical objects could pass through him.
*smack*
The monsters fist collided with Kiba in a tremendous impact. That crumpled Kiba and sent him flying into the ground.
Hana cried out to Kiba but he was dizzy. Kiba began to vomit as his head felt like it had been split open. His ears rang as he faded in and out of consciousness. The monster began to swing his fist again when brilliant flash blinded his eyes. This caused him to reflexively cover them. Hana tackled Kiba into the brush out of the range of the monster. She always carried a healing potion for emergencies and poured it into Kiba's unconscious mouth. He was able to swallow it through labored breaths. She then left him there to contend with the Behemoth.
"Where is the Major?" She frantically thought. "If only I could use the binding spell Eye of Horus. It was my trump card."
She glanced up at the monster who had uncovered his eyes and began to blind rapidly to focus them.
"THAT'S IT!" she cried out.
She ran out to the left of the monster and used the spell "Flaming Spear." She launched the burning pole of fire through an opening in the creature's guard and hit her target. The Behemoth bellowed as the spear lodged into his left eye.
She dodged the monster enraged charge as he collided with the trees behind her. She cast two fireballs in rapid session both hit the mark. The creature fell to its more comfortable four legged stance and a yellow ball of energy began to form in between its tusks.
Chapter 6
Sahara watched from a tree top at the battle below. Hana had used a defensive barrier spell made of fire to stop the Behemoth's radiant blast. A radiant blast was a powerful energy beam spell that all Behemoths can use. It is typically the most powerful move. The beam hit Hana's wall of embers barrier, but the beam still managed to break through. Hana flew back about ten meters and rolled on the ground unconscious.
"Well not too bad for their first attempt," thought Sahara as he was about to jump down.
"Oh?" Sahara paused as he felt an intense pressure coming from the rear of the battle area. A boy in a tattered gi was walking slowly toward the Behemoth. The aura that surrounded him as a black and purple flame.
"This should be interesting…"
The silence of this environment was deafening, not a single creature remained in this area. Any instincts an animal had would have told them to flee with the two enormous pressures rivaling each other.
Sahara blinked and felt a shift in the air. The Behemoth that was below him was consumed by a swirling grey sphere that extended a few dozen meters. In the next moment it was gone along with everything inside of it. All that remained was a bowl shaped crater.
Sahara was momentarily dumbfounded and then broke out into laughter. "To think he already figured out how to use a Tenshi art... that's amazing!"
Chapter 7
Kiba was on his knees in front of a massive hole when he regained consciousness. He looked around trying to place himself with his last memory. He remembered using the spells to bind the Grimoires with his body but not anything after.
"Hana!" He thought in a panic as he shot up from his knees. He fell face toward into the ground.
"My energy is at zero?" He thought. He tried to kip up but could only manage to get a knee and his right arm in a position to push up. He toppled over but he could feel his energy coming back. This time he was able to brace himself in a tabletop position. He paused to catch his breath and managed to push up to a standing position. He stumbled as he started walking but managed to say up. On the far side of the bowl shaped hole he saw a lumpy figure that did not match the surrounding environment.
"Hana!" he called out but due to his lack of energy a hoarse voice just croaked the exclamation.
He forced himself to walk the perimeter of the hole where he collapsed beside the young half elf lady. He shook her body with tears in his eyes. She looked dead. Her body was burned badly and she wasn't moving. He pressed his face into her belly and began to cry.
"What are you crying for?" A voice behind the troubled Kiba asked.
"That voice!" Kiba thought, as he turned around.
"Sensei, Hana needs help… s-she's hurt real bad…"
"Then help her." Sahara said bluntly
"W-what this is an emergency she really needs help I don't k-"
"Then she will die." Sahara stared at the boy with a piercing cold glare.
"S-Sensei…" Kiba said as he watch his master walk away.
Kiba was in a state of shock as he looked back to Hana.
"Oh no oh no what am I going to do?"
A idea crossed his mind and he called the Grimoires out. He grabbed the gold book of divine magic and flipped to the page with a single line of text.
*Spell of Divine Healing - Mother's embrace
Kiba placed his hands over Hana and prayed. "Mother's Embrace!" He shouted
A glow of light blue energy surrounded each of his hands. The light shot out in a double helix pattern from his hands and encased Hana's body. A couple seconds passed and he could see what looked like steam rise from Hana's wounds. Where the steam appeared fresh healthy skin emerged.
"A-amazing…" Kiba mumbled as he watched.
As Hana was being healed he notice if he focused on it he could feel her energy levels increasing. The healing magic was exhausting the already weakened Kiba but he felt like there was an endless chain of energy to pull from.
"Is this the power of being a Tenshi?" Kiba wondered.
Sahara and Hana had on several occasions talked about an energy supply that the secret arts used had called Vis. Vis was different than natural body energy production as it has to be activated and awakened. This is why Kiba was so surprised when he discovered how powerful he was. He had always just imagined himself as a kid who could be hurt by anything. Sensei referred to Vis as energy the body stores and it must be drawn out like water from a well. The more you use it the easier becomes. The major difference Sensei claims is that instead of the usual wear and tear a well would develop over time the Vis well would evolve into a Vis pump. The reason Sensei's training was so difficult was so that it could hone the body and mind which are the key to unlocking the dormant Vis abilities so that the secret arts could be used. Everyone has a Vis storage but the Vis is usually basic and low in quantity and quality. This is due to genetics and/or a lack in the will to develop stronger more potent Vis.
Hana's eyes twitched and the cracked open. They were cloud and discolored, but after a few seconds they cleared to a healthy amber.
"H-hey Kiba what happen?"
Kiba burst into tears as he hugged Hana.
"It was so scary…" he sobbed as he squeezed her.
"Oh?" Hana could sense the monster was no longer present. She hugged the boy back. "There there big sis is here." She cooed.
"I'm proud of you two." Sahara stated boldly out of nowhere.
Chapter 8
Back at the luxurious tree mansion Hana, who had fully recovered, was punching Sahara and whining about how mean he was. Kiba who had expended an incredible about of his Vis was asleep on a couch.
"So you really were the one that summoned that Behemoth?" Hana sighed
"Yes, although I didn't mean to summon one of that level. You did very well all things considered."
"Major I nearly died and only landed a few attacks."
"Yes but you managed to make the Behemoth use it's trump card by yourself. Also you managed to protect someone in the process."
Hana looked over at the sleeping youth drooling on a throw pillow.
"He was the one who defeated him…"
"Yes, he is truly worthy of the title Tenshi. The way he came up with the body encryption was genius as well as his ability to learn that divine healing spell. That's an expert level casting… the move he use to defeat the Behemoth though… I have never seen before but it yielded an incredible might."
Hana frowned, "don't you think this might be dangerous?"
"With Kiba's parents not around…. I am the safest option."
"I see," said Hana.
The next day Kiba and Hana were sitting in one of the many rooms inside of Tree Palace. They had notebooks out and were looking at their respective textbooks. Hana was reading the text on elves that she found in the library and Kiba was studying one of the Grimoires. This one had a lavender cover with a white flower in the cover. Inside the bloom was a red center. It was a strange cover.
Kiba was reading about the Vadera spell. It was a spell that required the coordination of all the Grimoires to achieve. He had not seen this in the Ghost Monogatari until today. "It must have something to do with yesterday's fight," Kiba thought as he rubbed cheek. As he was lost in thought Sahara entered the room carrying a rolled up giant woven fabric.
"Alright put your books way and etch this chart into your minds." Sahara commanded as he unfurled the massive cloth. On the fabric was a sketching of a landmass. "This is the Island we live on," Sahara started as the two students began to write. "This is Saga Island!"
Hana and Kiba looked slightly disappointed at the name.
The landmass was indeed an island given it was surrounded by ocean. The island was huge though at approximately 8000 kilometers across and 5000 kilometers vertically in the shape that could loosely be described as an Island.
"Saga takes up these region of the east. He started in the middle of the northeastern portion of the diamond shaped Island and brought his finger down southwest and to the middle of the map. Then he changed to southeast finishing one third northeast of the southern most tip of the island. That is the Divine Barrier line that protects Saga. These quadrants in the barrier are as followed: The western region is Fujiwara, the southern region is Minamoto, the northern region is Tachibana, and the eastern region is Taira."
Sahara paused to let them finish writing and absorb the map.
"Saga takes up approximately one third of the total land area on Saga Island. The area outside of the Divine Barrier is often referred to as Saga Wild even though there are fully developed cities and towns on the outside. We will break down each district now. First is SEC which is the small 100 km circle in the center of Saga. Each district is almost equivalent in size due to the Treaty of Genopai. It is often disputed and argued about in the political world today. That's a topic for another time.
Tachibana, the district we just left has this mountain range going through the middle of the region. This mountain range goes from the northeast coastline to north west coast line in a wide V shape. He pointed to an area on the map in the northern part of the mountain. "This is Hiro Village about ten kilometers away from Kiba's home."
Kiba felt a slight unease as he thought about his home, but ignored it. "We travelled north west into the rolling hills where we met you, Captain, at the Divine Barrier." Sahara said as he pointed to the line slightly above the mountain range. We the continued northwest until we got here. He pointed to blank area to the northwest of the Divine Barrier. To the southwest of Tachibana is Fujiwara. To the far west part is the city of Fuji and the Divine Barrier. Fuji is the westernmost city in Saga and acts as a look-out and trade city for Saga and Saga Wild. To the Southeast of Fujiwara is Minamoto. This is where Captain Hana and War Chief Inzai are from. Then lastly to the East is Taira where Emperor Seto resides. That's a very general overview and eventually we will go to each one of these districts, but currently we have a mission to complete. We must go to the Northern tip of Saga Island and defeat the Witch horde before they summon the Devil Witch of the Northern Forest, Lemuria.