"Sarah, just watch them, but don't help. We'll corral groups of 5 into the earth pen for now until everyone is used to fighting outnumbered. Just throw out any monsters we don't want and we'll save them for later. Got it?" Drake said, summoning a wall of earth to section off some of the pasture.
"I understand. I am not a child…" Sah Ul' frowned.
"I know, I know. I'm just saying we need to start them all slow for now."
"You do know we've fought against more than five at a time before right?" Landin scoffed.
"You are a healer. The fact that you have been up against that many at once is a problem… Well actually? That kind of makes sense… You have sustain and you have an attack spell. Did I mess up not picking cleric for my second class?" Drake mumbled, then shook his head, "Never mind, it's all just experience and it will ramp up quickly. I trust that Sarah can tell if five will be too easy for you and she will increase the amount you fight against how she sees fit."
He moved to give Sah Ul' a squeeze on her arm and a smile. But it seemed to have the opposite effect as she turned around and huffed. However, despite herself, her ears began to turn scarlet-tipped, poking through her braids.
Drake pursed his lips then turned to the remaining two teens, "Okay then… Atropos, Clotho, let's get started then shall we?"
While Sah Ul' moved the others to the opposite end of the wall Drake had made, Drake and the remaining two began going over some things.
"Where will we be starting, Lord Drake?" Atropos asked, fiddling with her hands.
"Don't be so nervous, we're just getting started," Drake chuckled, "First let's see how your skills work. You can both take turns hitting me with them so we can get a sense of them."
Clotho grinned and stepped forward.
"Good, an enthusiastic one today huh?"
Clotho didn't speak but began manipulating the strings of metal around his forearms as they twisted and slithered to life.
It was slow, but the wires moved with purpose and shot forward for Drake in a concerted effort.
Drake didn't move to dodge but instead held up a hand catching the bundle of metal threads.
"That's a good start and your control has already improved a lot, but I've seen this before. What about your second skill?" he asked.
Clotho froze, the threads of metal going limp in Drake's hand as Clotho's ears dropped and his hand lightly gripped his own throat.
Drake raised a brow, "What's the matter? Have you still not used your voice since it's been healed? Or is it something else?"
Atropos stepped forward this time.
"I believe it is just… If I may. I also wish to have some more privacy with our skills. It is not as if we do not trust the others, Lord Drake, they are your confidants. It is just after having his voice taken and my vision… They have become something we do not wish to share with others lightly…" she explained.
"Ah… I get it. Don't worry, just take it one step at a time. I'll create some privacy but don't expect to get any sympathy from me while training, if you choose not to use your skills for any reason, it will be by your own choice. And against what I advise," Drake sighed, waving his hand and another wall appeared sectioning them off from the rest.
Drake made sure to not place a ceiling on either of the partitions. He needed to make sure his aura could access the area and keep watch, even if he couldn't see in great detail yet. His aura could surprisingly penetrate the walls he made but not regular ground.
Was that because I made them? Or because they were made with magic? I'll have to test that later. He thought in passing, then refocused on the two.
"Better?" he asked.
"Yes, thank you greatly, Lord Drake," Atropos said, bowing her head slightly.
"Then Clotho. Let's see the skill."
Clotho still hesitated, his mouth opening and closing in an attempt to speak but only a crackled groan escaped his lips fueling his frustrated look.
Atropos gently grabbed his hand in hers, "It's alright brother. You may not approve of Lord Drake yet, but he is the man who saved us and I have trusted with my life. There is nothing to fear here and he will help us grow stronger so that we may make our parents proud, hunting great prey with the name of the Wolf God."
Clotho furrowed his brows gripping his sister's hand in his, but nodded.
"A-ah…"
Clotho's voice came out crackled and strained as if a withered plant trying to move. But soon his voice cleared and a smooth baritone that made Drake's ears twitch in delight surprised him as he chanted his skill.
"Losing yourself in the strings of fate leads to a mortal end…"
Instantly the metal threads brimmed to life and hummed with a purple hue. As if finding a mind of their own they shot forward with speed even Drake would consider fast.
"Cat's Cradle."
Drake stayed still as he allowed the wires to wrap around his body. Some of the wire gripped his neck, upper arms, waist, and ankles with a final last wire trying to pierce his chest where his heart was. Only to be stopped dead in its tracks by his chest armor, small sparks flying against the metal.
He didn't have his defensives up and he could feel a small warm bead of liquid roll down his neck, forcing a smile from him.
Drake whistled, "That's some skill. Even with the level difference you still drew blood… I can only imagine what would happen if you had the stacks up. And you still have so many free points available," he muttered.
The wires strained for a few more seconds, then fell lax as Clotho dropped to his knees, his face white, and face dripping in sweat.
Drake quickly pulled the wires from his body, careful not to tear them.
"If I remember right, your skill scales off Dexterity. But looking at how exhausted you are after using that skill just once and it doesn't have a refund. We may need to either funnel stats into your Wisdom and Stamina, or find equipment to compensate," Drake hummed, "For now you have around a hundred points left right? Let's have you put 70 into Dexterity and 15 into Wisdom and Stamina. Save the rest for now and once we get you filled out with skills when we know more," he nodded.
"Now, Atropos. Ready? You have a lot to live up to after your brother's display," Drake smiled.
Atropos nodded, pulling a staff from her inventory. It looked just like the same novice wooden staves that Drake had used in the tutorial.
She held the staff in front of her with both hands, her eyes still closed.
"The shadows come for all, Scythe of Shadows!"
Atropos's brows knitted together, a pitch-black magic circle forming at her feet. Soon a midnight-black fire twisted and snaked up her legs and body, finally ending with covering her entire staff in a black flame with purplish edges flickering back and forth.
Drake once again whistled as he watched the flames condense and congeal into a pitch-black weapon with a serrated burning flame of deep purple.
"Isn't that more of a sickle than a scythe?" Drake scoffed looking at the weapon.
Atropos's cheeks flushed, "I am not sure… This is the first I've used this spell, perhaps it will get larger or smaller depending on the weapon it is cast on?" she said hesitantly.
"It's possible… Damn, you have black flames… Ah, I'm so jealous!" Drake grumbled, "Alright, hit me with it."
Atropos looked at Drake pensively, her hands shaking slightly.
"Don't worry about me, we have to know what the spell does and practical use is the fastest way."
She nodded just as hesitantly as before, but eventually steeled herself and swung with the sickle like she was swinging a bat.
The weapon struck Drake in the side and he immediately backed away grimacing.
"W-what the…" he winced touching the wound.
"A-are you hurt?! I'm so sorry!" Atropos shouted her spell canceling.
Drake held up a hand, "No, no you're fine. That just. That just surprised me…"
He gingerly touched his side, there was no wound but it felt as if he had set himself on fire again.
Drake glanced at his status, his health had dropped by 1%. But the pain he felt made it seem as if he had just lost an arm.
Is it the magic school? He thought confused.
"Use the next skill," Drake said abruptly.
Atropos shook her head, "I…"
"It will be fine. I'm fine. See? No wound. It just surprised me like I said," Drake reassured ruffling her hair, "Now let's continue."
Atropos pursed her lips but nodded.
"The night is all-consuming, Shadow Flame."
Sticking her hands out palms out, another dark magic circle formed and sparked to life a black flame that crackled there like an evil wisp.
Atropos's brows rose as she saw it manifest mesmerized.
"Now throw it here," Drake instructed, pointing at his chest.
She broke from her staring at the fire and nodded back. Rearing her arm backwards she threw it forward like throwing a rock, but put too much force into it as she slightly stumbled forward nearly tripping and falling over.
The fire somehow still found its mark as it flew forward, zipping through the air straight for Drake.
He followed the fire with his eyes, honestly a little hesitant about letting it hit him after the last spell, but steeled himself for the impact.
The fire blew against him cascading across his chest and sputtering out, but not before the damage was done.
Drake felt as if a truck had slammed into his chest, knocking out a lungful of air as his face twisted in pain.
He tried his best not to show it and focus on the feeling of the magic.
Looking at his status, he once again saw that his health had dropped from 100% to 99% but this time his mana had also done the same.
He coughed before speaking, "That is… That is one potent spell… I'm not sure if it is the mana-burning effect or just shadow magic in general but it is very strong. Can you do it again? This time aim for the wall. I want to see it more closely."
Atropos beamed and nodded, "Surely!"
She once again chanted, the small flame blooming to life in her hand.
Drake had already moved next to her, his face inches away from the magic circle as his brows knit in concentration.
"Damn. My Mage Sight skill still isn't strong enough I think. I was hoping to get some understanding on how the mana is turned to shadow magic, but it's lost on me…" Drake grumbled, "I was really hoping for an anime protagonist's epiphany moment there."
"So…so close…" Atropos stammered.
"What was that?" Drake asked, stepping backward.
"N-nothing!"
Drake cocked his head but moved on.
"Okay, last skill. You have a future sight-type skill, right? We don't really need to test the other one for now since it won't have any impact on our current situation but remember. And this goes for you two Clotho. When you get your skills, make sure to train and practice with them regularly. The higher the proficiency the better the effects and the more comfortable you will be with them. Now let's see it," he instructed.
Atropos's flustered face quickly turned crestfallen but she nodded nonetheless.
Her face scrunched in effort for a moment before her eyes slowly began to open. She blinked several times as if clearing them and Drake was again taken aback by the pristine deep sapphire they were.
"Damned glamor twins…" Drake cursed under his breath.
Atropos continued on to her spell ignorant of Drake's cursing.
"Your fate has already been decided. I have foreseen it."
Instantly, Atropos's deep blue eyes gleaned and shown to a deep violet but the next second she swayed and her hand went to her head.
Both Clotho and Drake moved to catch her, but Drake was faster, holding her up gently by the shoulder as she leaned against him.
"You alright?" he asked.
"Y-yes.. The skill just overwhelmed my senses… I saw several images of everything all at once."
Drake nodded and slowly let her get back on her own two feet, but she fell backward again.
"Was it that overwhelming…?" he asked.
"Y-yes… I think I may need a few more moments…" Atropos said.
Clotho scoffed from the side.
"I think you're fine," Drake chuckled, letting her go.
Atropos puffed out her cheeks but got to her feet.
"Okay let's try that again, yeah?"
Atropos nodded and repeated her chant, a moment later her eyes becoming a striking violet once again. She was slightly unsteady on her feet again but held out long enough to stay upright this time.
She nodded to Drake, "Alright…"
Drake nodded back, "Alright, it gives one second into the future right? Let's try this then. Try to dodge my hand."
Atropos nodded again, her brows quivering in concentration.
Drake moved forward slowly and got in front of her. Then stretched out his hand quickly.
And in the next moment, his hand rested on the top of her head.
"Couldn't dodge?" Drake asked.
But Atropos didn't answer a small ecstatic grin on her face.
Drake gave her a quick chop to the forehead, "Take this seriously."
She used both her hands to nurse the strike and nodded reluctantly.
After she chanted her skill for the third time, Drake again aimed for her head, this time using a finger to poke her forehead.
Thankfully or more like, excruciatingly reluctantly, Atropos dipped her head to the side.
"Ohhhh!" Drake smiled, "Now that's cool!"
Atropos canceled her skill and gave a slightly labored breath, but was nowhere as exhausted as Clotho had been after using his skills. She beamed back at him, her tail wagging uncontrollably.
"Alright, now onto the really fun part," Drake smiled back.
Atropos nodded enthusiastically at him, still on her high. Clotho only moved next to his sister and looked suspiciously at Drake.
"Time for me to beat some experience into you both!" Drake laughed, his hair flaring to a bright red, as he cracked his knuckles.
Atropos's entire body went stiff. Clotho frowned deeply and shook his head at his sister.