The forest had slowly become my sanctuary these last few years, a place where I could escape from the prying eyes and the noisy chatter of everyone. It had become a place for my daily training routines and experimentation with magic.
I started exercising, honing my physical body. I swore I would obtain power in this lifetime, but what happened in the forest with Anna had shown to me just how much of a frog in a well I was. I would never let it happen again. How could I barely run away and get exhausted after a few spells, yet say I was in the pursuit of becoming almighty?
My mother and father had gotten worried at first, but eventually, through some convincing, allowed me to venture on my own in the forest. I was older now, stronger, and much taller than a goblin. I was 10 years old and standing tall at around 150 centimetres (1.5m or 4'11 for the stinky winky Americans). I had slowly built my body and my amplitude with the arcane.
My lone adventures started with simple, deeper explorations into the nearby forest, my feet equipped with leather boots carefully treading over moss-covered paths and fallen leaves. I sought out secluded clearings where I could practise my spells on my own, experimenting with new forms of magic and sometimes failing miserably. I still didn't understand what those black tendrils were on that day 4 or 5 years ago, perhaps it was an anomaly? Something that happened with my core? I did not know.
I had learned to cast my own chantless spells using the different elements at my disposal. However, as each spell grew in intensity, size and shape, the amount of mana needed to cast them increased exponentially. The more mana I used, the longer it took me to recover, and the more exhausted I became after using magic, the more my mana core strained. I started to treat it like a muscle, with more use I realised it grew in size, amplified by the mana absorption technique I was using.
In these quiet corners of the forest, I discovered the true but limited extent of my current powers. I could summon flickering flames to dance upon my fingertips, their warmth bringing comfort on cold days. I could weave, pure threads of mana that lingered in the air for a few seconds, making them move, captivating the fluttering wings of butterflies or creating drawings of the creatures I came across.
I felt I had grown stronger, yet I still felt weak and held onto a deep-seated rage in my heart that never seemed to go away.
As the days turned into weeks, my rage only grew stronger. I yearned to test the abilities I had honed against them – the goblins. I needed to overpower them, to best them. Was it my pride? Ego? No. I simply needed to prove to myself I had overcome this foe. And so, I ventured deep into the woods after hearing of a mission to subjugate a goblin nest from one of the drunken adventurers.
***
Hidden among the gnarled roots of trees laid a hidden goblin settlement littered with dozens of goblins. They were a menacing sight to behold with their wiry limbs and sharp claws. Disgust, rage, and perhaps a hint of deep-rooted fear was all I felt.
'I'm scared?' I thought as I noticed my hands trembling slightly.
Clenching my hands into fists, I launched the first attack. A strong gust of wind conjured itself from my hands, blowing dirt and everything in its path towards them. Disoriented and confused, the goblins' cries filled the air.
"RAHHhh Rahh!" They wailed.
Encouraged by my initial success, I decided to continue my assault by casting a spell that would lift spikes of earth from the ground, stabbing them and keeping them still. I lunged at one of the goblins carrying a crude hatchet in its right hand, taking it. Slashing at it with as much force I could muster, I left a deep gash on the side of its neck.
"Tsk. Not deep enough." I thought to myself as green blood gushed from it. I needed more strength to fully decapitate this vile creature's head off in one fell swoop.
Using a different wind spell, I sliced the heads and bodies of goblins that were stuck on the earth spikes with a thin, bladed gust of wind.
As their heads hit the ground and their bodies hung lifeless, more goblins took notice of my assault. Some creeped out of their tents before quickly getting severed in half by one of my wind spells. As the surge of goblins grew more and more intense, I had no choice, I had to use it – 'that' spell.
"Ugh…" I grunted while blocking one of the goblin's blades with the axe I stole from one of its dead brethren.
Stepping back a few metres, away from the mass of goblins, I waved both my hands back in a circular motion before bringing them together. Fire gathered between my hands as it quickly grew larger and larger the more mana I put into it.
"Die." I muttered under my breath, before launching it towards them.
The goblins, angered and confused as they were, were unable to react in time. The fiery spell exploded upon impact, sending a scorching wave of flames through their ranks. Some were burnt to a crisp, their forms reduced to smouldering embers, while others were consumed entirely by the blaze, turning into nothing but a pile of ash.
The power of the spell had bought me a moment to catch my bearings, but it wasn't long before more could be heard rushing from a cave, their nest most likely. I was beginning to get exhausted, the fire spell I cast consumed an immense amount of mana, and I could feel my childish body – despite all my efforts – beginning to grow tired.
My attacks became more sporadic, striking at the goblins and unleashing bursts of flame from the axe I was swinging. I needed to seal off their entrance, I was growing too tired, but at least now I had a clear understanding of where I was.
Casting a spell I decided to call "earth wall" — I realise now that maybe I wasn't really good at naming the spells I had come up with, but it had to do for now, at least until I had any formal magical training.
The ground beneath me trembled as a surge of power coursed through me, manifesting as a series of thick, earthen walls that rose up from the forest floor. The walls took shape rapidly, forming a solid barrier that blocked the goblins' escape route. Layers of soil interlocks, creating a seal. It was probably a temporary solution, but I would be gone by the time they managed to get through.
Running away using mana to strengthen the muscle fibres in my legs, I ran, making my way back through the forest. The adrenaline that had fueled my attack had subsided, leaving behind a dull ache in my body, yet I was happy. The seed of doubt in my mind was no longer there.
'I mean, what 10 year old could do what I just did?' I thought with a grin on my face.
***