The Fearless War

Rare And Fluffy Rides

After leaving the thunder deer carcasses with my Uncle Miles, I returned to hunting for dinner and found a stew that was apparently to celebrate a successful hunt, something I for one had not accomplished until that day. In the middle of dinner some neighbors arrived with bows and crossbows looking for my father and sister.

"Did either of you hear an explosion near the bear habitat?" My father returned to the table with an expression of despair and stress.

"Uh-uh, I was on the opposite side, Oz mentioned he went to that area to hunt his deer."

When I heard my sister's response, I tensed my face and noticed I had no escape from answering my father's questioning.

"Oz ...?"

"Well to tell you the truth, I might have gone a little overboard hunting deer."

"I noticed that you decapitated the necks of the ones you left here in the cleanest way."

"Yes ... It looks like the lightning bolts they cast as their last breath came together when I hunted in the bear area."

"Ahh, I'll go tell the neighbors to call off the hunt for another 'mutant'."

Aside from the moment of awkwardness after my father returned from calming down the neighbors, my sister was still talking about what had happened at the hunt and my mother was still in a calm attitude as if she was no longer surprised at what she could accomplish with loose reins. That was how the night ended and I started my preparations to be away from home.

It was daylight again when I started to pack everything, I would take with me, I started with a few pairs of necessary clothes and my grandfather's boots that I still wore since I was a child. I also kept with everything else half of the money I received from the first hunt and finally the notebook with the stories, on the trip I would need to review a few techniques to defend myself, because the style I had chosen initially, was to kill.

I came out of my room to find my family waiting at the door. My sister and mother were carrying something in their hands and out of everyone my sister looked the most unwell.

"Well, it's time for me to go."

"We know Oz, we just want to see you off, my brother is already outside."

"Well, Oz... Here!"

My sister pushed towards me a leather wrapped package that felt light as I held it tight. Opening it I saw that it was throwing knives made of boar tusk, it looked too detailed for my sister alone to have made it.

"Dad helped me with the carving, I took the tusks out."

"Thanks Eve, just watch your image while I'm not here to cover for you."

Before she could respond with a scream my sister was dragged with her mouth covered by my father, outside. My father being of few words in goodbyes, distanced himself to control my sister's outburst.

"Don't worry about her Oz, just concentrate on being better to yesterday's you so you can be better every day. For my part, I was able to find my old books on magic, hopefully they will help you a little to prepare you, from what you mentioned a few nights ago, Miles wants you to learn as much magic as possible so you can get into an academy smoothly right?"

"Yes, in short he told me that the more I knew the easier it would be for me to get in without a background or household."

"Alright, take care Oz, don't forget to put your life first."

After my goodbyes were over, I walked out of my house and found Uncle Miles with a slightly forced smile also carrying over his shoulder a black leather backpack, a little small for his height but what caught my attention the most was that he was carrying a sword strapped to the backpack.

"Can you stop smiling like that Uncle Miles...it's not like you're a prisoner about to be hanged."

"Don't judge me, if you only knew that last night, I got a visit from your father because a certain someone caused a damn hole in a mountain."

"Yup...about that, I didn't know thunder deer lightning could accumulate."

"Well, it's time to go, we have to make the last preparations to the carriage and hopefully before nightfall our mounts will arrive."

He had already started walking when the conversation with Uncle Miles had taken a turn for a mess.

"How? Didn't you already have the mounts for the carriage?"

"Not exactly Oz, I charged a certain favor to the local baron, today his representative should bring two mounts from the north."

"From the north?! Uncle, what the f**k did you do for him like to give you two mounts from the richest duchy?"

"Well not much, at a hunting event he needed his son to win so I made a spear that was easy to use."

"How easy?"

"Well, a baby could use it without a problem, I made it by tempering the lightest metal I could make for several days."

"Why don't you surprise me anymore?"

We had already finished walking the path to the workshop when I had to swallow my earlier words, in front of the workshop was a carriage that could be compared to a masterpiece if it had been created by anyone other than my Uncle. The carriage with a wooden base, had metal panels on the structure and beams on the roof, despite not being with an open roof, the square structure gave a certain image of authority, it also seemed to be able to travel on various terrains as it was of a closed structure covering even part of the driver. The wheels were wider than what was commonly seen even in noble carriages.

"Uncle, can you tell me again what kind of mount will be sufficient to move this carriage?"

" What, don't you want it to be a surprise?"

"You know I don't, but what other choice do I have."

"You say that like it's torture Oz."

"I don't think it could have any other name. Still what else is left to prepare?"

"Well, not much, all that would be left would be to pack what was needed, take out the meat and coat the inside with the leftover bearskin."

"Okay, while we're working can you tell me more about the wild magic? I just understand that I won't be able to use other elements, but how is it activated or used?"

"Ugh, no wonder I felt like I missed telling you something..."

"I'm not going to answer that."

I entered the workshop without paying attention and just as I was about to pass between the doors, I raised my hand as I felt something approaching behind me. I was able to catch it without seeing and as I brought my hand close to me again, I discovered that it was the backpack my uncle was carrying in the morning.

"I forgot to give you that Oz, the backpack should last quite a while for how it is made of mutant skin, it was hard to process. And unfortunately, your swords were too damaged to restore them to their normal state."

"So, there was only enough left for one?"

"Not exactly, bring out the sword, or rather swords."

"Now what did you do? ..."

I unsheathed the sword from the sheath strapped to the backpack, only to reveal a double-edged sword with a unique looking guard and grip, when I looked closely at the guard, I saw that it appeared to be split into two parts.

"Try to pull one guard while pushing the hilt out. You'll be surprised Oz."

Following my uncle's instructions, I was able to do something that didn't seem possible, the blades of the sword split despite looking like a single structure and when I finished separating them, I was left with two unique single edged blades. The metal was still dark, but the shape was straight and without any groove. They were two metal bars with a lethal edge and point. As for the hilt, the sword on my left had a guard that reminded me of a rapier and the sword on my right had a hilt thicker than the blade, fitting perfectly in my hand.

"Well, that's not bad at all, how did you know I stab with my left uncle?"

"That's what impresses you?! How about my weapon masterpiece?"

"Uncle Miles, I think your metal work hasn't reached its limit yet."

"Don't start alluding Oz, and for your question, anyone could tell by looking at the attacks on the mutant and deer necks."

"And the anyone you're referring to should have your ability, right?"

"Obviously and leaving that apart, we need to hurry before the mounts arrive."

After leaving the backpack and swords at the side of the door, I accompanied my uncle to arrange everything else in the carriage. Starting by taking out the cured and smoked meat, as we were arranging the food with other supplies Uncle Miles began to talk about wild magic.

"Oz, as I mentioned the other time, those people who absorb pure mana from beasts or monsters due to their spirit body reacting their desires will not be able to use various elements like other people. Commonly a person can use the four basic elements, but their mastery among the four will vary. For example, your mother, she uses wind magic at a level that allows her to be at the vanguard in a battle, but if she were to try to use water in any case, she would not even be able to create a sphere."

"Okay, in short, a person will be more attuned to one element than the others, right? And as for the magic I will be able to use, it will only be that which is in accordance with my veins, no?"

"In your case, I commented to you that it would be fire as a complete element and its variations, but your left side is very concentrated. I discovered that this element came undoubtedly from the mutant, its hind legs and claws were covered with compressed stone."

"So how does wild magic work, it won't be with chants I guess."

"Nope, the chanting is a visualization aid to prevent the magic from exploding at the face of the user. But you, you should be able to move the mana into your veins and use it to cast the magic without even thinking too much. It would be like an instinct just like breathing. Just as someone uses chanting to develop the 'image' and purpose of their magic, you would do it without speaking and without spending time, because you would only have to figure out what to do and how much mana to use."

Analyzing what had happened in the past few days, I remembered that without thinking I had thrown myself directly into the magic my mother had cast on me and without knowing it, I absorbed the mana it was composed of, but was unable to use it properly. While I was in my thoughts, I heard someone moving things in the door of the workshop, and I pointed to my uncle who had also started to listen. Without hesitation we headed in silence and as I lost Uncle Miles from my sight I only listened as he closed the doors completely. and with one of the knives my sister had given me I prepared to attack only to have my attack bounced off my swords that I had left behind.

"Oz Hold on!"

I recoiled at Uncle Miles' shout and after standing on guard for a few moments and relaxing my tension, I saw that the person who was swinging and holding my sword was dressed in a suit and his appearance was not like that of a commoner.

"Master Wolfric, what's going on?!"

"That I should ask you damn you, who in their right mind comes in unannounced and grabs other people's stuff."

"I only came to deliver the mounts you asked from my lord. And I also came to request another weapon for his second son."

"Uncle Miles, can you explain?" I tried to interject into the discussion as I snatched my sword and backpack from the hands of the intruder, who showed an expression of disbelief as he stood there empty-handed.

"Oz, this old man is Melech, a butler for the baron I made the spear for."

"Master Wolfric I ask that you at least state my lord's name correctly."

"Why should I? Besides you seemed to want to steal my nephew's sword."

"No! I would never try, I just wanted to see if you would be willing to sell it to me for the baron's second son."

"I believe I mentioned that the weapon already has an owner and is not like the defective ones I sell. Therefore, unless you want your lord or whoever it is to no longer be able to buy from me, I suggest you back off."

Uncle Miles' attitude completely turned around the moment he saw himself in front of a representative of a nobleman, even his eyes that were calm by nature had a look of hatred and annoyance in them. The butler rushed out after declaring that the mounts were tied up outside. I approached my uncle who was silent and I was reassured to see that his eyes had returned to normal.

"Sorry Oz, I didn't want you to see that, but I can't control myself with nobles and everything to do with them. I know they're not all the same, but my body doesn't forget."

I knew better than to press the issue, so I tried to distract Uncle Miles. "How about showing me the mounts, you ordered uncle?"

"Ah, yes, I think you'll like them."

We left the workshop with the remaining stuff, and I carried my backpack now filled with my luggage into the carriage and as I circled it, I saw an animal I had never met before. They were an animal with a long neck and very thick red and black fur and a small tail. Its thin body highlighted its small head that ended with two horns that formed an arc almost closing a circle.

"So, Oz, what do you think of the northern vocats?"