A very warm sweet liquid drains down Adrian's throat filling him with energy. He struggled to lift his eyelids but through a blurry vision, he saw a red and pink blurb hovering over him. Adrian was a little dizzy trying to make it out.
"Hello, little cub you seemed to have bitten off too much." Adrian thought the voice sounded similar to a female lion if it could speak human words. In normal society, it would be terrifying to hear this voice but in a magical city, it wasn't worth a second thought.
Adrian was lifted upright and then a cold dose of water sprayed over his face. He finally forced his eyes open and saw who was supposedly helping him. The person was a pink-skinned woman with big fluffy red hair. She was holding a glass bottle with the label "mana" on it.
Adrian looked at her and his hair stood up. His body started shaking from just her presence. Adrian was both afraid and confused and he was confused because he was afraid. He didn't know this woman but everything about her from her pointy claws to her sharp teeth spelled out one word predator. He was hoping that he wouldn't end up as this creature's prey.
She got really close to his face and talked in a deep voice, "Ask me my name."
Stuttering he spoke, "Wha- wha- what is your name?"
Her mouth curled into a smile, "Strength."
"Wha- what is that supposed to mean is your name just strength?" Adrian started supporting himself with his hands.
"I don't know is your hair just black?" She retracted her claws and started licking the back of her hand.
"So Strength I am glad you saved me but I think I will be heading back to my friend." Adrian found the power within him to stand up and started staggering back to the street.
Strength followed him closely, while Adrian wobbled his way down the walkway.
"Why are you following me?" Adrian glanced behind him to see she wasn't too far away. The look of her was less menacing now and more playful but Adrian still felt nervous.
"I'm interested," she purred.
"Interested, in what way?" He started panting and his legs started to feel heavy.
"I wanna see how strong you can get." She got even closer behind him.
"I would like to see that too." He missed a step and started plummeting to the ground.
She grabbed his arms before he hit the ground and lifted him back to his feet.
"Thanks," he mumbled feeling very exhausted.
"OK if I bring you to your home?" She then put him on his back and started walking in the same direction he was going.
"Don't think I have a choice." Adrian dropped his head on Strength's shoulder.
"Btw what is a normal human like you doing here?"
"I'm working for a goddess as her champion."
"Interesting so my assumption was correct."
"What assumption?" He was pointing with his hand directions back to the inn.
"That you were special and strong."
"I'm not that different from regular people."
"You're not magical but you're very gifted in other ways."
Adrian wasn't sure if what Strength said was true but it would explain why Regalia chose him to be champion.
"Hey, Strength."
"Yes, cubling?"
"How do I get stronger?"
They then talked a bit about how Adrian would go about that. They talked all the way up to dropping Adrian off at the inn where he would do nothing but rest for the next few days.
…
Adrian had bandages wrapped around his arms and legs and was just finishing his left arm. Adrian's face was stern as if he was preparing for something. Adrian had light clothing on with a sleeveless shirt and shorts on. The only thing he was gonna bring with him was his sword.
Adrian then left the room he had at the inn and went all the way outside to where Regalia and her sisters were.
"Hey Adrian, so before you leave let me give you this transportation bubble that will allow me to track you." Regalia then scowled and said, "Because I can't trust you to not get yourself killed." A bubble formed in Regalia's right hand and started floating towards Adrian.
"Hey, how was I supposed to know it was a cursed sword?" As soon as the bubble touched Adrien it grew bigger and enveloped him entirely.
"Maybe don't go down an alley filled with discarded weaponry then?" Regalia flicked her finger while pointing at the bubble which floated up and away to a far-off location.
Sceptia kept patting Regalia on the back. "It's Monday we have to get to class!"
Regalia grunted and they all summoned water to make a winged beast of water and they all rode it to their destination.
…
Adrian's bubble floated down into front of a white building. The building was massive. On top of the building were big stone letters spelling out power forge.
When the bubble touched the ground Adrian stepped out. He then rubbed the bubble and it shrunk to pocket size allowing him to put it in his pocket.
Adrian went inside where he was met by Strength wearing light flexible clothing.
"Welcome to my gym, where do you want to begin?" She gestured to all the equipment with some being magical and others mundane.
Adrian paused and perused the area. "I wanna build my arm strength and stamina so what would be best for that?"
Strength took Adrian out behind the building where there was a large grassy field and told him to run into the middle of the field and not stop.
Adrian thought this was sorta inadequate training but complied anyway. As soon as he reached the middle of the grass a dark shroud formed behind him and out stepped a wolf three times the size of a man. The wolf had massive teeth able to tear apart a bear and burning red eyes that saw the weakness in a man's soul.
Adrian took one look and started sprinting for his life. The wolf ran after him with its tongue out.
…
Regalia stood behind a long desk in front of her classroom. The desks were ordered in rows and had a holder under them where kids could put their books and things.
She was standing up straight with her hands modestly clasped together and her eyes actively watching the door. She had made sure her clothes were in top condition using magic. This was all to make sure her class respected her, and she wouldn't even mind if they adored her.
She was expecting her students to be naive and inexperienced seeds that she would need to work hard to make sprout.
Soon her first student came in. It was a green-haired teen with round circular glasses. He went directly to Regalia and introduced himself.
"Hello Ms.Regalia, I just wanna say I am really excited about your class my name is Newt."
Regalia observed him and then looked at his spirit. It was a long thin green string that rapped itself around him. When Regalia's spirit went to touch it the string grew eyes and tightened.
"Umm, Ms.Regalia I think I'll get to my desk." He was obviously uneasy since his spirit was interacted with.
Regalia cast a refreshment spell on him making him feel rejuvenated. "Do you know your own spirit?"
Newt now looking better said, "No, I just happened to have one attached to me but I never met it."
Regalia sighed, it seemed her assumptions were correct.
Soon her class filled up with students all with their own spirits and unique physical traits.
Then finally class started.
Regalia pointed to the board. "First things first my name is Regalia Riveria." On the board was her name. Then she scanned her classroom and asked, "Can anyone tell me what is the absolute necessity of doing magic?"
A girl with crimson red hair said, "A spirit."
"Yes." Regalia clapped and then said, "Magic is cast by spirits not people in the physical world since all magic comes from the spirit world." She then asked another question, "Where are spirits located I want everyone to talk this time in unison."
"The spirit world."
Regalia clapped again. "Now for our first lesson, we will connect with our spirits."
Regalia then held up one finger. "One method is to call the name of the spirit which will be easy as the spirit will respond to the name that most resonates with you the holder of the spirit."
One student with blue hair raised his hand. "So we are basically naming our spirits?"
"Yes, now everyone has 5 minutes to unlock their connection with their spirit say whatever you gotta say."
The class started juggling names and random words. As weird and chaotic as it was it still worked. The spirits reacted to it and connected with the students. Once they connected the students could see all that was spiritual and ethereal even Regalia's true form.
"Wow this is amazing it's like I'm dreaming while awake," said one girl who could now see through her spirit.
"Ahhh it's like I have double vision," exclaimed another male student.
Regalia scanned the room and noticed that someone hadn't achieved a connection.
"Newt, I noticed you haven't unlocked your connection yet." Regalia walked over to him.
"I'm trying but it seems I'm not good enough is there another way?"
"Try doing something that gives you a great amount of joy that can cause you to connect to your spirit."
Newt took out a scratch book and started drawing however he was uneasy and anxious and couldn't properly create any art.
"Ok, time for the third method and the objectively worst one." Regalia summoned a bubble of water and encapsulated Newt's head.
Newt was quickly losing air and gawking but only in a quick few seconds did an explosion of air burst the bubble and he was free.
"I'm sorry I had to do it but I must get through this part quickly before we even begin to be able to do magic."
Newt put his hand on his own throat and then air went through his body relaxing and relieving any stress that was caused. While this seemed a natural effect of breathing it actually was due to his own spirit's magic.
Regalia went to the front of the classroom. "Ok now that everyone has a connection with a spirit I want us all to convene in the spirit world."
Regalia's true form started talking and her voice was soothing and melodic and felt like a warm bath. "This is the spirit world, everything in here is a reflection of the real world albeit perceived differently."
The students in their spirit form felt it hard to move. Well, moving wasn't the hard part, but controlling where they went. One spirit was floating aimlessly asking, "How do you control this thing?"
"Different spirits move differently depending on what they are." Regalia herself moved by drifting.
"How we figure this out?" One of the student spirits was zapping in lines from place to place.
"The less force will you put into it the more control you will get, be calm."
It took awhile but the spirits soon found their control and managed to stay still albeit some were angled the wrong way and positioned upside down.
"Ok, so our first spell is going to be a bulb spell where we create light it is the easiest spell I know."
Around them were specks of different colored sparkles. These sparkles were called etherite and they were what made up everything in the magical world. Regalia drifted her hands and gathered a bunch of etherite into a ball she then clenched her hands together and the etherite in her hands burst.
Back in the physical world a ball of light formed on Regalia's desk.
"Now you try and make sure you get only the light Etherite."
They all began gathering Etherite and trying to crush them to make a bulb of light.
Few got the spell correctly most gathered the wrong etherite and started lighting and fire which Regalia had to put out. Regalia sighed.
…
Adrian had been running the equivalent of the diameter of the city and was close to falling down and just letting the wolf eat him.
"That's enough Severe," said Strength.
The wolf went over and started licking Strength's face.
"Down boy," said Strength. She patted his head and then the wolf rolled itself into a ball and popped like a dandelion into black dust.
Adrian flopped on the ground with his chest heaving heavily and sweat drizzling down his body.
Strength asked, "How do you feel?"
Adrian coughed and then said, "I taste blood."
Strength clapped. "Good I'll give you an hour's rest and then we work on your arm strength."
Adrian asked, "Are all the workouts going to be this… intense?"
Strength laughed and then said, "Don't worry about intensity worry about progress."
Adrian wheezed, "Really?"
Strength smiled, "Think of it this way stopping is the same as death, and growing is the meaning of life."
Adrian thought about it for a moment and then said, "I disagree."
Strength said, "so be it." Than left.
Adrian fell into a deep sleep and started dreaming. In the dream, he was on a ship in a great powerful storm. The ship was rocking uncontrollably and people were falling off from both sides of the ship. Adrian was fiercely steering the ship to safety however it was futile. The ship started breaking down and shattering beneath Adrian's feet. Then finally it collapsed.
Adrian yelled and as he was descending he looked into the sky. There was nothing but darkness and shadow hovering over him. A bleak and uncaring world he was in. Then he looked down and saw a whirlpool… with teeth. A hideous monster was under the waters causing the destruction of the ship and the deaths of everyone who was on it. Its tongue could be seen at the center.
Adrian was falling into the mouth of a monster that was wide enough to swallow 10 galleons. The fall felt slow in the dream so what should have taken seconds was stretched into minutes and more. Adrian felt he could count every drop of rain falling from the sky in these moments. The world felt so big and small at the same time. This gave Adrian time to think and wonder. What did he do with his life? Actually, that wasn't the question that bothered him really. What really bothered him was what could he do? In the future what might happen if he survived this? Oddly enough he was not in the mood for accepting death. From his heart, a light showed and the fear of death died. He looked at the monster and thought to himself I will conquer you.