"You are intelligent." Kellian complimented Tyson as she attacked clones of him.
"Well, I've been around for a long time, so I have a lot of knowledge. But I wouldn't call myself intelligent but thank you," Tyson replied as he started attacking Kellian more. Why? Because he noticed she was getting used to his previous attack patterns.
"Right, how long have you been around?" Kellian asked out of curiosity.
"I stopped counting after a hundred years." He replied honestly after thinking a little.
"So, you're an old man?"
"Absolutely not!" He seemed offended by her question.
"Haha. How old are you then?"
"Eighteen."
"But—"
"I stopped ageing when I was eighteen, and I was never interested in changing my appearance."
"I see."
"Any other questions?"
"Actually, yes. In books, I saw werewolves referred to as both werewolves and Lycans. However, both differ from the werewolves I know. Can you explain why that is to me?" She asked.
"Well, firstly, those books must have been written by humans, but I'll try my best to explain them to you." The real Tyson, who was floating in the air, summoned a bowl of apples and began eating them.
"A Lycan is a human that can voluntarily transform at any time into a full-fledged wolf of gigantic size. It is said silver causes weakness. While a Werewolf is a human that involuntarily transforms on a full moon into a wolf-like creature that stands on two legs. It is said silver causes death. That is the difference, but it seems humans fail to stay consistent with even their definitions, so Werewolves and Lycans may vary from source to source."
"Okay, but why?"
"Well, humans have been exposed to werewolves a couple of times, and they came up with those two theories based on what they saw. However, in this world, it is quite different. First, I shall debunk their theories."
"Alright," She said as she dodged an attack.
"When a Lycan bites a person, the person feels excruciating pain in his body, as if his body is on fire. But the pain will only last for a few minutes. Immediately after being bitten, the person transforms into a wolf. And can come back to his human form only after receiving his maker's encouragement.
Here it seems they are referring to an Ultima or an Alpha King. Both have the power to turn humans into Werewolves as it is necessary in case a pack is near extinction. However, being stuck as a wolf is false. It does happen, but that is due to the sudden change. They become unstable, and only a King can stabilize them. However, this is quite rare, and you can get stuck in any of the transformations. It does not have to be a full-fledged wolf.
The term for this created by humans is lycanthropy. Their definition is the mental disease of fantasising about being a wolf. We use it as a werewolf who is unstable. Since an unstable werewolf that knows they are a werewolf could get stuck in human form. And they would have an identity crisis hence causing the mental illness. Some humans also use the term to describe being a werewolf. This completely contradicts everything else, so we ignore that. I'm not sure if there is an equivalent term but it didn't matter before, so it shouldn't matter now."
"Interesting,"
"Actually, now that I think about it, this is more likely referring to a King. Ultimas usually cause excruciating pain that lasts anywhere from a day to weeks. Whoever they turn will most likely wish to die during the process because of the pain."
"So, being turned by an ultima is very dangerous?"
"Yes. There have been a couple of cases of people dying from being turned by an Ultima's bite. Not to mention an Ultima's gaze, there is probably only a 1% survival chance if you turn from their gaze and a 20% survival chance from a bite."
"How does that work?"
"Not sure. All I know is that Ultima's are extremely dangerous when their emotions are unstable because one of two things can happen. Their eyes start glowing red, which is referred to as an Ultima's gaze, and they become a danger to everyone around them. Or they completely lose control and become an even bigger danger to those around them. Oh, I forgot to mention Ultimas work both ways. They can turn Werewolves Human too. Kings can't do this."
"Scary."
"Well, one of them is your friend." Tyson teased.
"Hmm, he's the exception. Not scary at all." Kellian giggled.
"Haha, let's continue." Tyson laughed with her. "Lycans are smart, muscular and difficult to kill. They look like a real wolf but bigger and with deadly claws. They symbolize a religious practice. The only weakness that a Lycan has is silver. However, it cannot kill them. They can be killed only if someone causes damage to their spine or separates their skull from their spine."
"What? That's definitely a lie!" Kellian stopped fighting.
"Well, I was debating whether to tell you or not. Silver cannot kill Kings or Ultimas." Tyson stopped as well so he could explain to her.
"So, dad wasn't a king?" She questioned.
"He was."
"Then, he isn't dead."
"I am not sure. I still refuse to believe Kian died that easy, but where would he be? He probably lost consciousness and they killed him after or his spine was severely damaged by the bullets."
"Are you saying there's a chance he's alive!?" That was all Kellian could hear.
"And this is why I didn't tell you. There is no way to confirm." Tyson was honest.
"Would a spirit know?" Kellian asked after being silent for a second.
"Only if they knew him, was there or have met his spirit after he passed," Tyson replied.
"Would mom know?" Kellian asked.
"What?" Tyson froze.
"Mom visited me the night before I put you on," Kellian explained.
"Lady Lily... visited... you?" Tyson was stunned.
"Yes." She nodded.
"It wouldn't hurt to ask. If you see her again, can you... tell her I miss her?" Tyson asked with melancholy hanging off the words of his question.
"I will." kellian could feel how much he cared about her birth mother.
"Thank you... That's it on werewolves, I think. I could tell you more about Earth while you train, though. Would you like to continue?"
"Yes, please." She got ready to fight again.
"Let's start with Humans, also known as mankind. They started as the smallest and weakest species. Babies that knew nothing. Then got smart and took over 55% of Earth. Being all spread out and invading on other species' territories. They even broke away from the Kingdom rule thing every species had, first. They have the shortest Lifespan out of the seven major kingdoms but somehow have the most population."
"So they're superior?"
"Not really. But they are smart. They found out that they're weak so they made weapons and armour to protect themselves. Then the other species stole and even improved upon some of them. Man kind's major flaw is that they can't get along with each other. They always find some reason to fight and kill each other. It's kind of sad honestly maybe they would be more superior if they learned to get along but it seems that won't happen anytime soon. At least that's what it was like when I was last in the Human Kingdom. It might have changed a little by now."
"I see."
"In the Human Kingdom there used to be vampires that hide among them but I think they're extinct now. Or they learnt how to stay hidden like the rest of us. As for animals, their animals are all relatively harmless... for us. A lot of them can still hurt humans though."
"The Werewolves live closest to humans and are separated by a forest that has been enchanted to confuse the humans so that they don't wander into the werewolf kingdom. Sometimes an unlucky human makes it through and the werewolves decide what to do with them. But you already know about werewolves, so let's move on to the Fairy Kingdom."
"Okay. How can you even focus on remembering all this stuff while fighting me?" Kellian paused and asked out of curiosity.
"Practise. Like what I've been training you to do. Getting distracted in a fight can only end horribly. It's actually more useful than you might think. Bad guys love to monologue, so being able to fight while listening to their monologue is a great thing." Tyson explained.
"Why do you need to listen to their story?" Kellian asked.
"Plot reasons."
"What?" Kellian was thoroughly confused.
"You just need to. Anyway, It's also useful for arguing while you fight."
"Okay, continue."
"Unlike most other Kingdoms, the Fairy Kingdoms is not the least bit connected. Where there is Nature there will be fairies and they consider it all to be part of their Kingdom. But there is the heart of the Fairy Kingdom. The Heart is located near the Werewolf Kingdom, Human Kingdom. Other than that there are unclaimed or unoccupied territories and oceans, which mostly belong to the two water kingdoms."
"Wait, so that's all the Kingdoms?"
"Nope that's all the kingdoms on this landmass. You can either cross the Ocean to get to the old Dragon Kingdom or find the many different territories stray species from any kingdom have claimed as their own all over the world."
"So if a species can live anywhere why have kingdoms?"
"The Kingdom is the main concentration of any specific species. It is also used as a home for all the species that have left to return to if need be. Out in the world, no territory belongs to one species. If they can't protect it they lose it. Meanwhile, the Kingdoms are well protected and make sure that the species does not go extinct."
"Then Fairies are no different from any other Kingdom."
"Nope. Fairies live anywhere there is nature including in other kingdoms. Except for the Werewolf Kingdom and the Water Kingdoms."
"Oh."
"Anyway now that you know the layout, let me continue. The Fairy Kingdom is known to be the smallest and weakest Kingdom. Their Kingdom is home to Fairies, Fae, Pixies, Elves and Gnomes."
"Fairies are known to be protectors of nature. In their Fairy form, they can grow to 6 inches and in their more human form, they can grow to 4'2 or 4'8 if they are part of the royal family. Most can use magic to protect the nature they love so much. Some have a very low affinity for magic and are given more common jobs like maids, cooks and so on."
"Eek." Kellian sword suddenly became weak and failed to block Tyson's attack. She just barely managed to dodge the attack and fell on her bottom.
"Are you okay?" Tyson got rid of all his clones but became one of the clones close to her and ran up to her.
"Yeah, I just wanted to ask what is an affinity for magic? But I got distracted and almost got hurt." Kellian explain what she thought happened.
"I see." Tyson reached out a bottle of clear liquid to Kellian. She took it then looked up at him. He got rid of all his clones then sat on the ground and motioned for Kellian to sit next to him. She sat then began drinking the contents of the bottle. It tasted like water but slightly sweeter. He smiled, pleased, then began to explain.
"Affinity for magic can be described as your natural ability to learn magic. People with a low affinity for magic then to find it a lot harder to learn magic than those with higher affinities. That is not to say those with low affinities are weaker. Not at all, it just means they have to work harder. People with low affinities usually end up stronger than those with average and sometimes even high affinities."
"How?"
"Because they have to work hard to become strong. Those with average and higher affinities tend to become relaxed when they realize they don't have to work as hard and often get surpassed by those who spent their entire life working hard. There are two main components in learning magic. Affinity and Proficiency. The affinity you are born with and cannot change and the proficiency that can be worked upon and honed. A person with low affinity can surpass a person with high affinity only if their proficiency is higher."
"I understand that but can you explain to me how you became the clone I was fighting just now?"
"Oh, they're all me. Since I made these clones with pieces of my soul instead of fire, I am all of the clones. It's like having multiple bodies all sharing one brain. It's really freaky at first but it's fun once you get used to it. Controlling them feels like moving a limb or a finger."
"Can I do it too?"
"Probably but I wouldn't recommend it. If the clone is severely injured that part of your soul dies permanently."
"Then why are you using them?"
"Because they're stronger and can take hits better. By the way, the sword you wield is also part of my soul since the ring isn't in here to turn into my weapon form. Plus I wanted to fight you myself. And although you are an amateur you did not disappoint." His smile felt eery to Kellian.
"That's a creepy look," Kellian commented as she scooted away from him.
"Whatever do you mean, m'lady?" His smile now felt friendly.
"Umm, never mind. But umm sword got lighter" Kellian stated, confused.
"So the potion worked! That's good to know! I get heavier the more drained you are."
"Potion?"
"Yeah, I'm not sure how to explain. It was a potion created by Lady Lily, your mother. How do I explain? She said that everyone has a limit. She noticed that some people could only do so much magic before being depleted of energy or being unable to use magic. And each person had a different duration of time before they fully regained their ability to use magic. I don't know if I am explaining this well but she called it a mana limit. Each person has a mana limit and recovery rate and time."
"Okay?"
"Mana is the measure of units used when using magic. A mana limit is the most mana you can possibly use. A recovery rate is a rate at which mana naturally recovers. And a recovery time is how long it takes for the mana to naturally recover. You don't really need to know much because the only people that can calculate those things are Lady Lily and Aariv. But the potion I gave you was a mana potion. A potent one. It recovers a person's mana fully in a matter of seconds. So far only Lady Lily has had the ability to make a potent mana potion."
"Oh. Then you shouldn't waste it on me that means there aren't many left and once they run out they're gone forever."
"I know. But you are my lady now. And it's not like you would listen if I told you to rest."
"True... Fine, let's get back to training."
"You got it." Tyson smiles as he summoned his clones again.
He floated up into the sky, summoned apples then began eating them, "Where was I? Ah Faires are the most common species in the Fairy Kingdom, hence the name. Those who are proficient in magic protect The True Heart, also known as, The Tree of Life. It is home to the Royal family. Fairies live inside trees, mushrooms etc. The Royal family however has a gigantic castle that surrounds the Tree of Life and Lake of Rejuvenation. Faires tend to prefer to stay in their true fairy form because they hate that humans look extremely similar to them in their larger forms."
"Why?"
"All species in the Fairy Kingdom despise humans. They have a deep seethed hate for humans because some humans can be a bit selfish and disregard the nature around them. Deforestation and pollution are two results of that and the Fairy kingdom despise all humans because of what those bad few have done. They also hate that humans have destroyed nature to make room for their ever-expanding society."
"Oh."
"There is one that pushes aside her hate. The tooth fairy. She will collect the tooths of children no matter the species because it is her job. Sometimes she leaves behind a gold coin or currency of that species she stole from an adult of that species. She only does that for children she likes though."
"That's interesting."
"Mhm. There is also the fae. The Fae are tiny creatures with humanoid forms and beautiful, bright and colourful wings as large as their bodies. Their wings are unique in the sense that they have a thin, delicate frame with webby, membraneous skin coverings similar to that of fairies. The only difference is that the fae stay small and are exceptionally cute. They also have brightly coloured skin. The fae may be small but they are known to be unusually strong. They sometimes kidnap lonely, nice elderly people that have lived a pure life. They carry them to the Fairy Kingdom and allow them to live there for the remainder of their lives."
The fae love two things. One, they love having things. They are known to steal things because of this. Have you ever noticed that something went missing and you can never seem to find it? A fae has probably visited you. Two, they adore children. So much so they are known to steal them. Children are known to be pure of heart and innocent and they like that. Babies are usually the best target. They will steal them for small periods, return them, visit to play now and then and watch over them. If that child is still innocent when they grow up they will watch over their children. However, they give that child a punishment they deem worthy if they grow up bad. They hate bad children and people."
"So there are humans who know that the fae exist?" Kellian asked.
"No. They place a spell on humans in particular. That spell makes it so that as soon as the child loses their childlike innocence they forget the fae's existence but they fae may still watch over them if they are good." Tyson replied.
"Okay."
"However, if the fae fall in love with that child they might steal them permanently and replace them with a fairy child if they think the parents are worthy of a replacement. They will raise and play with that child if they stay pure and good. But if they find out that child is bad they either erase their memories and abandon them or simply kill them. If they're special, for example, mixed, they might make them a slave for all eternity or at least until they die."
"That's oddly cruel for such cute creatures."
"It is, but you have to remember that they hate impure people and more than that they hate humans. That's right they mostly kill humans. It is racially targeted but no one really cares about the humans so no one stops them. Except for Lady Lily... she convinced them to kidnap fewer human children since they still insisted on kidnapping children no matter what Lady Lily did. And the other two are nice compared to death."
"Okay. Enough about the fae. It's not like we'll ever meet one."
"Pixies are like faires but they do not have wings. Instead of flying with wings, they use magic. Most like to wear green, all wear pointy hats and they all have pointy ears. They are generally smaller than fairies standing at 4 inches tall. They are known to be pranksters playing tricks on all species. Although pranks on members of the Fairy Kingdom tend to be on the harmless side, pranks on humans tend to be harsher. Some can grow to a maximum height of 2'5(76cm) with magic."
"Next we have elves. Elves are all extremely beautiful and known for their pointy ears. They tend to be more beautiful than humans and they take pride in that. Elves mature at the ripe age of 210 they then stop ageing and can live up to 2100 years or more if they so choose but most prefer to die at that age and have their crystal heart made into a weapon for an elf of the younger generation. However, they start looking old at the age of 1500. Unsurprisingly they also hate humans. They have an additional reason though. Since they are beautiful many humans have known to be attracted to elves. The elves hate this because they that humans are unworthy of having those feelings towards them. So similar to pixies they like playing pranks on humans except their pranks tend to be crueller than that of pixies. Most pranks result in harm to the targeted human and most times even death."
"Oh. Well, I hope I never meet one."
"I do as well. Or else I'll have to dirty my blade with the filthy blood of an elf who dared to lay a hand on my lady."
"Oh my. Would you really?"
"It depends on how hurt you are. They would have to be a fool to dare lay a hand on you." Tyson said as he crushed the apple he was holding.
"Huff. Pant. Huff." Kellian struggled to keep up with Tyson's strikes.
"Oh, I'm sorry M'lady. I got so angry I didn't even notice that I was fighting with emotion. Anyway, I'll move on."
"Gnomes are dwarfish creatures that guard the treasure of the earth. They resemble short old men. There are also Gnomides which are their female counterpart. They tend to look like young women. Gnomes tend to be between 3'(91cm) and 3'5(107cm)."
"I see."
"You look tired. Rest now." Tyson once again made his clones disappear.
"No." Kellian shook her head.
"Your mana may be recovered but you're still tired." He insisted.
"What do you mean? I feel great!" She complained.
"Your body looks tired. I don't have a potion for that so you have to rest. It's getting too long people won't read for this long– I mean– For your health, please just rest." Tyson pleaded.
"But I don't want to." Kellian frowned.
"Rest. At least 2 hours. Then we will continue."
"Fine," Kellian pouted.