'Interesting; I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before. It would do me well to learn about the powers of this world.' Flux inwardly contemplated. The wind arrow that killed the Dram highly intrigued him; it was a different power from the dark energy Nyzen had used to construct the bow, but was in a way similar in terms of its essence. It was also incredibly fast considering the attack's level, or at least the low level that Flux had perceived it to be. He didn't really know why he felt a similarity between the two energies, but he could say for certain that the two were, in some way or another, connected.
"Awesome!" As Flux inwardly analyzed the arrow that Nyzen used, Elvie excitedly jumped about as she praised the 'coolness' of the attack.
Nyzen smiled proudly as he said, "Make sure to remember this, Elvie. This Technique will be one of many that you will learn on your path as a Warrior. It is Techniques like this that determine your foundation and overall strength." Nyzen lightly ruffled Elvie's head as she exclaimed, "Definitely!"
Nyzen quickly but cautiously made his way to the Dram's body as Elvie, with Flux in hand, closely trailed behind. He hoisted the Dram over his shoulder, saying, "It's time to go back Elvie. As we do so, make sure you practice your footwork. It's incredibly important to be careful in this forest; it may be our home, but that doesn't mean we're invincible in it." Nyzen warned seriously, his expression stern, as the trio began making their way back to town.
Elvie took his sentiment seriously; her mother had also given her similar warnings, and Elvie knew that her parents were only trying to make sure she stayed safe.
As their surroundings became familiar, Elvie took the liberty to tease Flux, poking at his chubby cheeks as she giggled, much to Flux's chagrin.
'Tch, this pesky child doesn't leave me alone. This is going to be a painful couple of years…' Flux inwardly sighed at his predicament once more, for it would be many years before he could truly escape the humiliation of these people's actions. His overreliance on them and inability to resist them truly ashamed him, the once great hero.
…
Finally making it back to the town, Flux, who was able to stay focused during the trip, used Sense as he observed the surrounding town and clearing. Quaint houses heavily integrated with nature were densely packed among each other in an open field consisting of a few hundred metres. The hunt had taken a large amount of time, and so the sun had already begun to dim with the passing of noon. A few people, tall and very similar in appearance to Elvie and Nyzen, roamed the dirt-paved streets of the town. The few street vendors in the town had already begun to pack up for the day as they left their barren stalls. In the middle of the town lay a well that pathed out in four directions, all of which led to important-looking buildings. Flux made the assumption based on the sheer appearance of the buildings that one was a guild, the other a small library, and the third a smithy, with the fourth being out of his sense range. The town was by no means big, consisting of maybe a little under 1000 people if Flux's assumptions were correct. It was a quaint, quiet, and inconspicuous town.
'As I thought, this world is one of extremely primitive culture. The science, technology, medicine, and infrastructure here are a millennia apart in comparison to Earth. This world might be at a stage of development comparable to the 13th or 16th centuries of middle-age Europe.' Flux originally had his suspicions right from when he first entered this world; he considered the possibility of him being in a different era of advancement, and this was only reinforced when he was taken in by the woman who was acting as his mother, a strange race of people similar to humans. When she took care of him, he noticed his surroundings were vastly different from normal modern-day infrastructure on Earth. However, this did not affect Flux, for this revelation would not impede his path and would only make his quality of life worse. However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that it might be better than the quality of life on Earth.
'I need to get some control over this,' Flux shook his head. He had lost control of his Sense after losing focus. He determined that Sense was the most useful and important aspect of his life at the moment: 'If I can attain a degree of mastery over Sense, I won't need to be bothered by my current inability to see. If I'm able to use Sense passively, sight will no longer be a necessity. I can only acquire knowledge about this world if I'm able to determine my surroundings and absorb it through reading. However, this is currently impossible as I can't understand what these people are saying, and I don't even know where I am half the time, never mind reading...' Flux inwardly lamented.
Language acquisition was extremely important if he wanted to passively learn more about this race and the world around him. Also, without having a comprehensive understanding of the humanoid race's language, he wouldn't be able to gather sufficient knowledge anyway, as his only potential source came from a small library of books that he couldn't read.
'These thoughts are useless. I can only focus on improving my mastery over Sense, and gaining a degree of control over it that surpasses even my previous life. For without it, I am stuck.' Flux inwardly concluded as he felt the warm summer wind graze his body. A door creaked open as a voice he recognized greeted them: "You had me worried for a while, dear; it took you longer than usual?" Angela was dressed in a simple brown gown with a rugged black apron wrapped around her figure. Concern filled her eyes as she looked at the three.
"Yes, I'm sorry. It took a little longer today to find dinner, for I had to make sure these two didn't fall behind." Nyzen smiled as he kissed Angela, tickling both Elvie and Flux's heads. Much to Flux's dismay and Elvie's annoyance as she pouted. He had to admit that the human child was quite cute; he even felt somewhat envious when he saw Elvie teasing Flux on their way back. 'Maybe it isn't so bad after all.' Nyzen inwardly thought.
The three entered the house as Nyzen went out back to prepare the Dram. The arduous process of butchery was slow and required precision, but Nyzen was confident in his ability to quickly and skillfully dress it.
…
Angela lightly hummed as she rocked Flux back and forth whilst listening to the telling of Nyzen's amazing Technique, which Elvie was more than ecstatic to divulge. Angela smiled as she watched Elvie, in her brutish way, use hand signs and sound effects to depict the scene.
"Pft! You're so silly, Elvie. Can you go ask Daddy how much longer until he finishes with the Dram?" Angela lightly laughed as Elvie quickly rose from her chair. "K' but I'm not done with the story yet, so can I finish it during dinner?" Elvie asked seriously, "Of course, child." Angela lightly replied, her eyes peacefully following Elvie outside as she continued to hum. She peered out an open shutter as the warm summer air wafted into the house. The sun had nearly set on the horizon as she looked at Flux. He breathed rhythmically, and his eyes peacefully shut as his small chest rose and fell.
"The child still has yet to use his eyes. However, no matter what, I promise to take care of you." Angela was a little concerned about Flux's vision. However, she did not let that bother her as she planted a deep kiss on his forehead. Though she had only very recently found Flux, Angela undoubtedly had engraved him in her heart as her own son.
She got up and walked down a narrow wooden hallway. It was barren and short, with a door on each side. Opening the door on the left, Angela entered a room with a small hide-bed, slightly elevated off the floor. A few small outfits lay in a pile, neatly folded amongst a wooden desk near the bed, as a shutter just left of the desk stood closed and locked. On the far left of the room sat a small wooden cradle, unrefined and handily crafted years ago by a carpenter from when Angela first had Elvie. A bundle of warm wool padded the cradle as a small wool blanket lay on the floor next to it, neatly folded up. Angela bent down and gently put Flux in the cradle as she put the blanket over him and left the room as quietly as possible.
'Hah, she's finally gone. Now that I am alone, it is best that I practice my Sense…" Flux, who was actually awake, began to focus as he activated his Sense.