The Princes had been gathered together, Ho took his time making it to the meeting but he wasn't late. Sitting before the Matriarch and Elders, all four of the Princes stared at each other with astoundment. They had only been separated for a short time but it was like seeing a completely different person. All of them had grown personalities during their training.
"Do you all know why you're here?" Calistown looked down at her children.
"Yes. You said we are getting professions today." Ho was first to say something, always eager and full of pep.
"Do any of you even know what Profession means? Calistown asked the Quartet but the looks were not encouraging.
"I don't know." Tiancho was honest to a fault, it didn't help that he was around the Cheng Twins who had a compulsive desire to shout whatever was on their mind at the moment.
"Well, that's one step. Abi and the Elders will explain." Matriarch Calistown sat on a plush chair and stared down her children's teachers.
They were suppose to have been informed about the need for a profession beforehand.
"Well, A Profession isn't like a Job. Its something you do besides fighting. Its something you do besides training. It could be an interest in plants, or animals, or riding or flying or swimming." Abi tried to explain, when she started to stumble Genba took over for a moment.
"You could be a blacksmith like me and Abi, or an Alchemist like Harris. ... even if you go out on adventures, adventures eventually come to an end. What then?" Genba gave a good example and handed the reins over to William.
"I'm a little better at explaining this. How about this. Think about stuff you like to do when no one's making you train or fight. What is the first thing that comes to mind?" William started questioning their concepts of reality and it didn't take long to get a response.
"Statues." Ho was first to answer again.
Guzhe walked up and asked gently, "What do you mean by statues?"
"I've seen a bunch of artwork left by the prisoners who cleared the western mountain and forging area, I like how they shaped the stone. I want to do that." Zao Ho pounded his own fists and looked like he had made a decision that he wasn't going to back away from.
"Wang, What do you think of when I ask you that question? What's the first thing that comes to mind when I ask you. What stuff do you like?" Guzhe thought he had a grasp on the situation, the Quartet had become very close to the Stealth Corp before they ever got private teachers.
"I want to learn every technique. I know that Fighting isn't what we're suppose to focus on, but I want to make my own fighting style. The Mi family has been teaching many things." Wang bowed graciously.
"I want to meet lots of fun people. Is there a profession for that?" Tiancho didn't know what else to say, so he just asked outright.
The Matriarch laughed at her son's innocence and said "Politics"
"Politics?" Tiancho was lost, and somehow felt like he had made a bad decision.
"Can I change my mind later?" In a fit of confusion he asked a simple question but no one responded.
Tiancho drew circles.
"And you, Han?"
"I want to be like Mike. He's a Beast in the Forge! I want to be a disciple of Gefest. Did you see the armor he made last week?" Han started fawning like a school girl over the idea of getting what he already wanted.
"Kwahahahat." Abi snickered like a demented babysitter.
"Abi, We have some things to discuss. Can I ask you to stay? Genba, Guzhe, William. Will you please take the boys to their destinations, take Tiancho to Master Jiang. Ho, I'm going to assume you know where you want to go? You better come find me and let me see some of your creations soon." Calistown dusted off her dress and stood to leave with Abi by her side.
"Abi, you're an Elder; So I suppose now is as good a time as any to tell you a bit more than some of the others. I'd like for you to come visit the Palace. Khan Ni and Rachael have some questions as well." The Matriarch asked another question and then motioned for them to enter the Castle.
The walk back was a bit quiet, the women didn't speak a word. The atmosphere was a bit tense, but Abi never felt unease around the Zao Family.
"There is someone you should meet.." The Matriarch opened another door at the castle and Khan Ni was sitting there with a Compass in her hand.
Puzzled, Abi only had one question. "Meet Who?"
By the time the words had left her mouth, Erinle materialized and flew towards her with enthusiasm.
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-{"What have I told you about slicing too hard when the removing cores from Corpses. Now look at what you've done, we'll have to start over."} Ferser was unable to keep his calm.
A few mistakes during their training had left some animosity between Zhan and his tenant. Zhan was quick to learn, but a bit sloppy in practice.
"You told me to slice right after the blade enters the chest, So I did. Can you really expect me to know that I would knick a bone? That thing had over 500 bones!, also.. why can't I just store the corpse until I need a piece from it?" It was a good question and Zhan knew.
Ferser wasn't just anyone, he quickly knew what to say. -{"Humans. No matter the world they enhabit, they always refuse to take advice from their Elders. I have traveled the Void between worlds, have you? Listen to what I've been telling you. All life, has a core. The quicker the Core is removed from the bodies, the souls are isolated."}
Tap. Tap.
Zhan fell over and grabbed at his waist.
Ferser was in another one of his moods, -{"See, you felt the pain. Human's have their core here. Although, they have evolved to a point where they are unable to use it, its turned into a soft vestigial organ. Every human I've encountered has them, that is why humans lives are so short. You are able to strengthen your core permanently, I need these cores to strengthen your own. Do you understand? Next time, follow my instructions."}
"Stop touching it, that hurts. Okay. Okay. Perhaps the mistake is mine, perhaps not. Training takes time. I did not hit the bullseye on a target the first time or even the hundredth time I held a bow." Zhan plead with the being attached to his soul.
-{"Good. Let us continue} Ferser released his constraint on Zhan's Appendix.
Coughing a few times and catching his breath, Zhan could see a settlement in the distance.
-{Next is this village, I can sense a Vampire nearby. We cannot allow them to spread, they are a plague on every world. Vampires do not require breeding to populate an area, as you know. Their Cores are destroyed when the bodies are purified, the Parasites within them hold the cores. Although the cores themselves are fairly small, they are quite easy to find. most of the vampire parasites take up residence on the spinal cords of their victims and consuming the original cores on their arrival. This is why some vampires are significantly stronger than others.} Ferser felt annoyed having to explain.
Zhan's sense of direction was turned around for a moment after Ferser released him. Catching his breath and standing upright again, he took out the bow from his storage and moved into the treeline to avoid detection.
"How many villages do we have to go through? This is the seventh." he asked.
-{Hundreds, now.. stop playing around. He's in the 5th house on the left, he's not alone.} Ferser warned Zhan one more time before Zhan ran up to kick down the door.
With a strong kick, the door was shattered through the doorway.
It was daylight, most of the time when Zhan would attack it was still during the Sunlight. Vampires couldn't survive under the Sun, their escape was impossible.
An attendant stood near a coffin in the back room, he rushed out with a sword in his hand. Zhan saw every movement like it was in slow motion, dodging the first lunge was a joke. a Swift slice through the chest and the Doberamon-Poocha attendant was laying on the floor with its heart cut out.
-{"Good. Now, before you open the casket remember that each species has its own core location. I don't want you to miss out on something I can use later to help you. We have many, many more Vampires to eliminate. Vampiric Cores can take the life sources of others, they have many uses.} Ferser once again started to chide Zhan while he was operating.
It had become a normal occurance, Zhan was sure that after the first fifty cores that Ferser would be a little happier but it didn't seem like the case. Ferser was gaining momentum instead of slowing down.
Resting in the coffin, the Vampire could already sense his familiar's life force vanish. A banging had started to come from inside.
-{"Hurry now, he's alerted.} Zhan was getting tired of hearing the same messages again and again.
He walked up to the Coffin and produced a Dodona branch that was sharp at one end. Unlocked, the coffin was tomb. If Zhan was interested in just eliminating the Vampire, he could drag the coffin outside and open it.
However, Ferser wanted the Cores and Zhan couldn't disagree.
-{"Quit fooling around and open it."} Ferser's voice boomed inside of Zhan's head.
The noise almost caused him to drop the stake. The Coffin lid was being held shut from inside, the Vampire knew it was about to be slain but there were no shadows for it to hide and there was no where for it to run. Throwing open the Lid, Zhan noticed a woman with an orange scarf wrapped around her neck. She was pulling on the lid.
Zao Zhan didn't know who she was, where she had come from or even why he hesitated but it was long enough for her to shut the coffin once again and start screaming.
-{See now look at what you've done. The whole village is going to know what's going on. You had better hurry before they arrive. I don't care if you kill everyone here, but you seem to care a great deal. Stop playing with beings who treat you like food.} Ferser made an excellent point.
Zhan reclaimed his calm and pulled out his sword.
"Lets see her hold onto the lid now." Cleaving his sword across the top of the casket, the lid was removed and fell to the floor.
The Vampiric-Poocha Woman bore fangs and lunged toward Zhan. It was too late, her core was resting gently within his hands and then stored into his ring. The lifeless body of the Poocha Woman collapsed like a wet doll to the floor. Storing her corpse in the storage ring until they could make use of it or destroy it seemed fitting. Soon nothing much was left inside the house except for the Casket.
-{Search the resting place} Ferser wanted to know what else they would find.
"Yeah, got it." Zhan waved his hand and collected the Casket as well.
"I will need more storage eventually, or we'll have to start disposing of these corpses." Zhan already had more than fifty corpses in his ring, all vampires.
-{In time, I want you to create a seven toes walking ficus. When you're done, uproot it and sharpen it into a stake. Keep the leaves in storage, they will come in handy when we meet the Elder Vampires. These small fries are just target practice, but all vampires must be eliminated. If we miss even one, they will multiply again."} Ferser's voice seemed to crack and change pitch while he discussed Vampires.
Zhan needed something else to do besides walking silently, eventually he had some questions for Ferser. "So, you've traveled the void. Is that the same as how the Vishnan's came to this world? How many other worlds have you seen?"
-{"Hundreds of Thousands of Worlds exist, dare I say Millions. Each has its own value for life. When I saw this world forming, It was utterly impossible to look away and I would never do such a thing. This world was destroyed twice during its creation and for a long time, no life existed. Your Worlds Creator was an interesting sight, I had never seen so many strange beings placed in one world.} Ferser felt like he gave enough information without revealing everything and then stopped suddenly.
-{we're being watched} Ferser was surprisingly relaxed as he said it.
Lunging into the woods outside of the village, Zhan created a grove of trees behind him to block their path.
"Why? Why are they following us, and who?" Prince Zhan asked a rhetorical question and slipped into the brush to let them pass.
-{I'm not sure, It feels stronger than that female we just killed. Perhaps its her mate."}
"That doesn't sound like a Male." Zhan had been hearing canine howls and mating rituals for most of his adult life, the noise from before definitely came from a Female.
"Here it comes." Zhan braced himself, the movement through the trees was quick and headed straight for him.
scanning the trees that surrounded him, Zhan tried to lock in on the movement.
It was much faster than the vampire he had just eliminated, and then it flew parallel to the ground at full speed to tackle Prince Zhan. Trumbling backward, Zhan took the opportunity to pull his sword from storage once again and lash it across the raging females chest. There was a cutting action, but no blood fell from the wound.
-{"Werespur, they are drained Vampires. Their Cores are much smaller and refined for strength. This one will not lost long, its burning its life energy for revenge. } Ferser explained while Zhan dodged.
Zao Zhan noticed her appearance, "I think this female is the other ones mother. That would explain a lot, I don't know if I can get her core without destroying it"
thrusting his sword into her chest a few times didn't seem to carve the Core out. The Prince broke the sword tip when it struck the spine, the metal was quickly spat out by the Vampires' natural healing abilities. Despite burning her life energy the Mother Vampire was still coming at Zhan strongly. Her Claws nearly reached his skin a few times, however whenever she struck the metal shirt, a bright light would appear.
Each time the light appeared it would blind her momentarily. Five flashes later and her movements had slowed significantly.
"NO! I will.." Before she could finish her regrets, the Vampire Mother's Core was carved from her chest and stored away.
Like a dead wet rat, she slid across the floor to a stop.
-{Don't leave the corpses, and if we ever must do so.. make sure to burn them} Ferser was enjoying himself, probably a lot more than he should have been.
A Devil could do the driving, but Zhan was making it fun for him.
Ferser gave directions, -{"Keep heading North. The Mountain is large, we must reach the summit."}
"What's at the Summit? Zhan wanted to know, but Ferser kept quiet.
"Hey, just remember that i'm your ride. If you lead me to death, how long will it be until you find another?" Zhan finally knew what button to press.
-{"Something that I cannot use myself."} Ferser's voice sounded like it was gritting his teeth.
Zhan paid no mind to it and put one foot in front of the other to make his way up the mountain.
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Sitting in a room of the Castle, Zao Calistown, Zao Rachael, and Zao Khan Ni.
"As I said before there is someone I think you should meet in person. Erinle is a special existence, you'll find out soon enough. Allow me to explain." Rachael and Calistown held their hands out and sat Abi down at the table.
There was a look of solemness in their mannerisms, Abi couldn't deny that something strange seemed to be happening.
A Green Compass sat on the table.
"Pick it up" Rachael nudged the compass in Abi's direction.
"Huh?" Abi was confused.
A figure had rushed up when she entered the room earlier, it seemed to examine her thoroughly.
"I am Erinle. You can call me the Guardian Spirit of the Compass." Erinle started to introduce himself.
His figure gradually came into focus and clarity.
"My dear, I have heard some things from Khan Ni. Know that I have blessed each of their unions." Erinle smiled, crossed his fingers and pulled them up to his chin as he hovered around Abi.
"?eh? Suspicious. Matriarch, what exactly is going on?" Abi seemed all the more confused.
There was laughter throughout the room, Rachael was quick to respond.
"All the women of the Zao Clan have picked this Compass up. It was originally something that Wu Hai had discovered as a child, it wasn't until many years later that Erinle decided to show himself. The Osumare, Erinle.. He is a Guardian of Fertility." Rachael's face reddened.
"Do you think I had 'FOUR' of them by chance? No, that was a funny joke Wu Hai played. I got exactly what I wanted, Ooran doesn't want any more sons. That's what these compasses generally do, they help you find what you want. In the case of Erinle.. women who've come into contact with its vessel are blessed by its overwhelming control over fertility." Calistown grabbed a napkin and pushed it over a bit closer to Abi.
"What are you talking about? You can't be serious. You're telling me that you... have complete control of Fertility?" Abi was about to cry when Erinle stopped her.
"There is a problem, You're going to need to be prepared. Dragonkin children, are among the most ferocious of children and require intense oversight. Dragons themselves never had much luck breeding because of their inherent racial shortcomings. You are a Dragonkin Human Hybrid. For all intents and purposes, you're past such major issues but there is a problem with your human aspects of your bloodline. Your human bloodline will reject anything that doesn't match exactly. I can change that, but it comes at a cost." Erinle took what looked like a deep breath and continued.
"Dragons lay Eggs. The number will be .." The Osumare came up to Abi and placed its webbed hand across her belly.
"Eggs?" Abi shirked a moment and then surprise filled her eyes.
"Yes dear, how else are Dragons suppose to reproduce?" Khan Ni smiled, and nudged the compass forward using the Matriarchs napkin.
Abi swiped the compass off of the table and bowed graciously to the other Elders and then back to the Matriarch. Crying she said, "I won't forget this. When I was on Earth they told me I couldn't have children. I never.. I never expected this to be possible."
Tears rolled down Abi's face.
Erinle was pleased with her gratefulness but there were other things to contend with, "There are some things you should know. The rate of fertilization for Dragon Eggs is low. Your Husband must also wield the Compass, but you should know that siring too many children can be.. problematic to balance in an area and children need guidance. No one will dare interfere, but you should be mindful. A life brought into the world can end many others."
"Oh? Exactly how many Eggs are we talking about?" Abi wasn't bothered so much as confused.
Rachael came up and said, "I had two children and I only held the Campass for a moment. The matriarch had four, but before that she only wanted a Daughter. Khan Ni only picked it up once. The Compass gives what you want, You'll have to decide for yourself. You're to keep the Compass in the Western Mountain."
Erinle was unable to keep himself quiet he turned to Rachael and added, "I require a place to exist that isn't hot, the forge warms the mountain. Its a bit too hot, I will require a pond or at least some sort of water to feel at home. You'll have to make arrangements, as a Spirit I'm incapable of physical interaction.
Abi's face flushed again.
"Thank you. Thank You." Abi got down on the ground and thanked the Matriarch sincerely.
"Come on now, get up. You're going to be a Mother." Calistown helped Abi up and showed her to the door.