"Jeez, he's so lazy. It's early in the morning, why can't he just start it now?" Lisa questioned.
"Anyways ... since you're new to this world and don't know much, I guess I could try teaching you a bit about it." Lisa said, beginning to exit the plains and heading towards the forest nearby as Jay started following behind.
"Sure." Jay said.
"Don't know much? I don't know anything at all. I don't even know who I am..." He thought to himself.
"The first thing you angels should probably remember is waking up above clouds seeing a bright light in the sky, then suddenly reappearing in an unfamiliar place, is what my father told me. Also, only young spirits like us tend to not know anything about our past. I guess older people are more attached to their memories." Lisa stated as she hopped over a shallow river under the thick covering of the leaves.
"Your father's right; Not entirely, however. I also saw some weird things ... that I don't think I'd be able to explain to you; My vision was hazy.
Anyways, what do you know about these angels? So far, all I know is that I can fly." Jay said.
"Well, an angel is someone that works under Demiurge and is born with a high concentration of his energy. They naturally carry a much greater amount of it than phantoms, along with quicker healing capabilities."
"Spiritual energy...?" Jay asked.
You could just call it blood. It's our essence and power, and if we lose it completely, we disappear completely. Phantoms — or humans — have red blood, and because angels have a much higher concentration of divine energy, their blood is white instead."
"We also have elemental energy, A.K.A mana, that's used for blessings, which are powers gifted to us by a god of gods. We could also use mana for plenty of other handy things. The amount of mana one can have is completely random. In fact, chances are many people don't even have it — as having a blessing, and even any mana itself is rare."
As Lisa continued navigating through the dense vegetation of the forest, she eventually came up to a hollow log in a small, open area bordered by the trees and took a seat on it as Jay prepared to sit next to her.
"Humans lack the potential to become as strong as an angel. Our chances of being given blessings are much lower, and so are our mana pools.
"Compared to an angel, humans are many times more common. I'd guess that by kingdom near us, only five percent of people are angels."
"Angels are that uncommon...?" Jay said as his eyebrows were raised in a calm surprise.
"Because of their rarity, humans revere them — Maybe a bit too much. They might even look at you like a rare piece of treasure!" She giggled.
"If that's the case ... I'd rather stay away from them." Jay said, causing Lisa to continue chuckling.
"My father said the same exact thing once, you two really have the same mindset." She said.
"Anyways, there's also spectres, which are the world's wacky bunch of creatures. They consist of regular animals such as birds, goats, and cows to mythical creatures such as dragons."
"Mythical creatures...?" He said with a raised eyebrow.
"Those exist here?"
"Crazy, I know. You definitely wouldn't wanna meet one, they're all big and scary...!" Said Lisa after slightly raising her arms and curling her fingers in an attempt to intimidate Jay.
After having finished her sentence, her eyes then began to wander as she pressed one of her fingers on her lips.
"Hmm ... I think that's all I can tell you. I know, it was probably a lot to take in, but I hope you were able to understand." Lisa said.
"I was." Said Jay with a nod of his head.
"Speaking of spiritual energy, though ... if we lost that, how would we be able to regain it?" He added.
"Well, unlike humans, angels don't need to eat anything in order to gain energy. They could just bathe in the light." Lisa responded.
"The light...?" Jay questioned.
"Yup. We're all pretty much made of it, so energy from a star invigorates us. It's effects are negligible for humans, but its very useful for angels."
"I see ... thanks for educating me on all of this, I feel like I know a lot already."
"No problem! Let me know if you need anything else, I'd be glad to help!"
"I'll let you know right away." Jay said.
"Should we start heading back?"
"Not yet, we still have quite a bit of time." Said Lisa as she stood up, soon letting out a deep sigh.
"It's been a while since I last talked to a friend."
"Friend...? What's that?" Jay asked.
"You don't know what that is? Hmm ... well, It's someone you would spend time with, and someone you can relate to. Also, they would always be by your side and protect you no matter what, and you'd do anything for them to make them happy." She said.
"When was the last time you've ever had one?"
"Since I finished school a couple of years ago, I spend the rest of my life with my dad selling elixirs in town and living in isolation. But now there's you who I can relate with, thankfully.
I really missed the times I spent with them, we always used to hang around and play games. I probably won't be able to talk to you for long, since you're a visitor and all, but maybe I can relive those moments with you!" She said.
Looking down worriedly, Lisa asked, "That being said, would you like to be my friend?"
Thinking about it, Jay muttered, "Hmm … someone you spend time with…"
Getting ecstatic, Lisa quickly nodded her head and uttered in the sound of agreement.
"...And do anything for them to make them ... happy." Lisa once again agreed with enthusiasm.
Looking back at her, Jay said, "Alright, then I'll be your friend."
Right after he finished speaking, Lisa ran over to him in exhilaration and squeezed him. Having least expected it, Jay's eyes widened.
"Thank you!" Lisa said, smiling cheerfully, and after her moment of happiness, she eventually let go of him and backed a few steps away.
"Would you like to play a game of tag? I know my request might seem a bit childish, but nothing wrong in feeling like a kid again."
"Tag... " He thought to himself.
"...What's that again?"
Almost having completely forgotten the game, It took him a while to remember. But once he did, he soon answered,
"Alright, why not."
"Ok!" Lisa said with a grin.
And a second after speaking, she immediately sarting it off, darting off into the forest and vanishing out of sight. Jay then began sprinting after her as he maneuvered past the thick vegetation. Relying on his ears as he ran, he began following the sounds of rustling in the distance.
With quick reflexes and good observation, he effortlessly traversed past the shrubs, rocks and trees as if the forest was a domain of his own. Eventually, he came closer to the rustling in the distance until he saw a faint shade of purple, which from the sight he could tell was the clothes Lisa had been wearing. Slowly gaining in on her, he put forward one of his arms, soon grasping her right shoulder.
Then, they both came to a full stop.
"Wow" She said, breathing heavily.
"You're pretty fast, not bad! I'm surprised you haven't even tripped or stumbled once. Despite knowing my ways around the forest, you still managed to catch up to me!"
"Guess I'm just a natural." Jay answered, shrugging.
"Well, game over! Thank you for spending time with me, this really takes me back. Guess we could go and head back now."
Then after a while of traversing the forest, they eventually reached the cabin, and after a bit of a chat with Lisa, Jay and the rest headed to their rooms. As he laid on his bed, he went into a muse.
"Lisa really told me a lot about this world, but there's still a lot left I'd yet to experience and find out. As curious and fascinated as I am, I'd like to go exploring; But first, learning to defend myself should be number one priority. Ending up encountering demons or even one of those mythical creatures Lisa had mentioned wouldn't sound too good..."
And after a while of thinking of his future adventures in these new lands, Jay had fallen asleep before he knew it, and the night had passed.
***
Later then, somewhere in a hideout, "Welcome, everyone." Said the dark-suited man.
"Before we begin, as you all should know, an anomaly had just recently been discovered, and after further investigation, we found out it was the descent of an angel."
And afterwards, the dozens of cloaked men began to mutter about in the background.
"Now, now, everyone." The man said.
"I understand your fear and hatred, and I will assure you all that the situation will be handled as soon as possible. As much as some of you, including even me, might not like, the elimination of angels must be done, as they are given by Demiurge himself the role to impede on the goals and beliefs of this organization."
"And now, I'll be assigning some of you as spies. Search for the angel and keep an eye on them. They will have blue hair and blue eyes, not too hard to find. The rest of you will prepare for the summoning in two days." He said, then peering over to one of his men.
"You there, prepare the summoning ritual for us."
"Yes sir." He replied as he began hastily walking away.
***
Morning hit, and Jay woke up.
"Here's to another day. Wonder how this one will go about." He said, stretching as he began to exit the room.
"Oh, right, I'm supposed to meet up with Harry for some training. He looks pretty strong, so hopefully this turns out well."
And as he started speaking, Jay began looking around for Harry. Nobody appeared to be in the living room, so he headed outside, where he then found him standing about in the near distance as he watched the skies, eventually noticing Jay as he calmly turned around.
"Are you ready for your training? I'll have you know, it won't be light."
"I'm ready." Jay said.
"Alright, we're going to head inside the town. This will probably be your first time there, so feel free to look around a bit, but make sure you stay following me.
"Will do." Jay replied.
A while had passed by, and he had been following Harry towards the nearby kingdom. Eventually having gotten close to the entrance, he noticed the vast height of the stone walls that bordered it and a large opening which seemed to be an entrance.
There were many people on horses and carriages or on foot coming in and out of kingdom, and guarding the entrance on both sides was a small, paired group of heavily armoured individuals, all holding shields and halberds.
They then passed through the entrance onto a very large stone-paved road which was crowded with people. The sides of the pathway were lined with many stores and other commercial structures as shop owners sold food, jewelry, and other varieties of wares. Past the end of the road, Jay noticed a very large, complex stone structure in the far distance.
"What's that up ahead?" He asked as he pointed in the direction of his gaze.
"That's Y'vette's castle. Looks majestic, doesn't it? That's where the goddess and the nobles live." Harry replied.
And in an instant, Jay's eyes began to light up as he began to think to himself.
"Oh, now I remember what a castle is. So this place is ruled by a goddess, huh? Not too sure what a goddess is, though."
As time passed, they soon headed to the town's training grounds, which was a large, grassy field bordered by dirt pathways. The area consisted of dummies, arsenals of wooden weapons, and many small groups of armed people that fought against one another as they screamed and yelled.
"The place ain't too packed today; Good time to duke it out. You know how to use weapons? Every angel is given one by Demiurge." Harry asked.
"I forgot I even had one, ever since that voice told me." Jay replied, scratching his head.
"Can't we use the wooden ones over there instead?"
"I just wanted to find out if you were experienced with any weapons. We'll start our first session with close combat."
"And who's Demiurge?"
"I'll tell ya later. Stay there." Harry said, cracking his knuckles as he began walking away.
"I'm putting distance between us. I'll count down to one. and once the countdown is over, we begin."
"Three…" Harry said as Jay narrowed his vision.
"Two..."
"One!"
Right after saying one, Harry began rushing towards Jay, beginning to smirk in a way as if he hadn't had another fight in forever. Jay then positioned himself with an amateur and weak defense as he bent his knees and barely raised his arms to shield his face. Harry soon ran up to his left, and once he got close enough, he quickly shifted to his right and threw a swift punch.
With a fast eye, Jay successfully blocked the attack, but he soon gets plundered to the ground due to the immense force of the punch. Their fight had already attracted a small crowd in no time. Jay then got back on his feet, and before he realized it, he received a blow to the stomach and a swooping kick to the ground.
"Well, shit, you're a complete newbie, aren't you!" Harry said, sighing.
"You have no experience at all. I'd have to start training you from rock bottom. You can end the spar any time." He continued, his eyebrows beginning to sulk as he started to regret going so hard on Jay.
But however, determined as he is, he stood back up, but barely maintained his balance. He then pulled up his guard, but Harry instantly struck him in the back of his leg, tripping him back to the ground.
As he fell again, Harry walked closer to him and said, scratching his head. "Are you sure you want to keep this up? I don't want to keep this scene going any longer."
"Don't worry about me." Jay insisted, his voice gone hoarse as he tried to catch his breath.
He then rose up from the ground once again and prepared to take another beating, although, he looked from his posture as if he had no more energy left. Raising his arms once again, he momentarily charged towards Harry. As he threw a punch, he missed and stumbled past Harry, quickly turning around to face him. Harry then threw a barrage of punches which broke his guard.
He stumbled, however immediately got back on his feet and attacked him again with another punch, but Harry countered by grabbing hold of his arm and plummeted him back to the ground. Not willing to back down, he slowly stood up once again, but this time slowly limping towards Haryy. He then threw a sluggish punch which inevitably missed Harry as he barely had to move.
"Maybe we should end this, it's going too far." He said after Jay had collapsed.
He was at the brim of defeat, with his ears ringing, and the faint hearing of laughs and woos of the gathering. Suddenly, he felt a heavy thump in his body, as if something inside of him unlocked. A few seconds later and Jay began to shout in agony as his head started aching intensely. The pain had soon dispersed, and after a while, Jay sat up and pressed both his hands against his forehead.
"I just went through another recollection...
Every time my head begins to hurt, I start to remember some important things, and the larger the recollection, the stronger the pain.
This time, I think I gained a memory of how I used to fight." He thought to himself.
Jay then calmly rose back up, and this time, his eyes were different as they displayed more confidence. Harrys eyes were then lifted in shock, and his excitement quickly refueled.
"So it was just a bluff, eh? You look a lot more confident. Well then, time to start round 2!"
Soon putting up his guard and moving up to Jay, he threw a quick punch, but Jay stopped it, holding his fist as if the attack was nothing. He then dragged Harry's arm past him and planted his knee in his stomach with a follow-up of a roundhouse kick to the abdomen.
Harry stumbled, and he soon regained his breath and smirked.
"The bluff really was real, eh?"
The crowd grew louder with their shouts and cheers. Harry then ran up to him as he was ready to land another punch. Jay, also charging at him, quickly dodged past Harry's fist and grabbed hold of his arm, plummeting him to the ground.
"Your fighting style is pretty aggressive." He said, coughing as he rose back up.
"You're also quick, yet able to land powerful blows." He remarked.
He stood back up, rubbed his head, and stretched. "Alright, I'll go a little harder on ya, Jay. You've done got me pumped!"
Jay kept his arms up as Harry ran up to him once more. Once he got close enough, Jay performed another roundhouse kick, but he dodged and struck his leg, making him lose footing. However, he recovered his fall with a spinning handstand kick, which Harry dodged as he took a swift step back.
The very moment Jay's feet touched the ground, he sprinted towards Harry with his guard up and threw a barrage of punches and follow-up kicks that pushed him back slightly. Harry then countered Jay with his own wave of attacks. Out of the many that he dodged, just a few strikes made him stumble.
Harry then charged at him the moment Jay lost his balance, not wanting to give him time to rest. As they continued their intense fight, Jay had surprisingly fallen, but he wouldn't stay down. He remained persistent and kept standing, but he was exhausted as he used every last bit of his strength. When Jay got close enough, he inflicted his last hit, but it was so sluggish that Harry hadn't even gotten scathed at this point.
"Alright, we're done here." He said as Jay's vision went black.
"He has so much energy, it's astonishing. Along with that, his speed, strength, and reflexes are very impressive. You're a real damn threat, Jay. You have a lot of potential."
A moment later, Lisa ran out from the crowd, her brows furrowed in intense worry.
"Jay?
...What have you done to him? Were you two fighting?" She said, hastily running up to Jay and grabbing his shoulders.
"He's unconscious..."
"He wanted the fight, he said he needed to get stronger, so I helped him with that. Can't really blame me." Harry said, shrugging.
The crowd then slowly separated, and Lisa's lips quivered as she began to tear up.
"My only friend...!"
Harry sighed with a stressed and somewhat guilty look on his face, "Get back to the house, I'll carry him."
A second later, and his face went stern as he turned his head to the dispersing crowd.
"Why am I sensing malevolence...?" He muttered to himself.
"Is there a demon around?"
Then breaking away from his muse, he walked up to Jay.
"Lisa, hurry on back." He said while picking up Jay and lifting him onto his shoulder.