Neil 

 

As soon as I had agreed to go into the underground, I had thought that the Lamia might relax a little, this was not the case.  Instead they seemed even more insistent on getting me in the mountain and they tried to simply bull rush me into the mountain immediately. 

 

“Why are you stalling?” Hallice demanded. 

 

“Are you joking? I need to pack my things, gather food and supplies. I’ve already said I’m going, so slow down, what’s the rush?” 

 

Once I had agreed to go down however the guards did at least relax a little and even Hallice switched gears from having me killed to just getting rid of me. 

 

Standing up from the small fire I had started I ignored the shocked looks on everyone's faces as I walked back to my camp, Shassala following me after a few moments. 

 

Once I entered my camp I started packing all of my things as quickly as I could. 

 

“Neil you can’t go, there are stories.” She said panic lacing her voice causing her to stop and start her sentence several times.  “No one has ever come back from there, the things we fought are just the beginning.” 

 

“What choice do I have? If I run your people would find me, even if they didn’t I still have nowhere to go, and besides you and I went down there and were just fine.” 
 

“We went down to the entrance. There are things down there that would kill an Onca Parda easily.” 

 

Kissing Shassala I silenced her mid-sentence, after a moment she returned the kiss wrapping her arms around my neck. I had intended it to be a small kiss, just enough to calm us both down, but slowly we both deepened it until our tongues were exploring each other's mouths. Breaking it after a moment I saw a few unfallen tears in Shassalas eyes.  

 

 
“The stories are all bullshit ok? If no one has ever come back then where did the stories come from hmm? Yeah, it’ll be dangerous I know that, but still safer than the jungle out there on my own.” 

 

“The guards won’t stay on the mountain for very long, a few days at most. If you stay near the entrance for a few days you can wait for them to leave. When they do leave the mountain you can go to the Veil of the Gods, if you cross it there are Outlander settlements on the other side. You don’t have to go down there.” Shassala pleaded with me. 

 

Shit, that was actually a really good plan. “I’ll go down there and see how dangerous it is, if it’s too much then I’ll try that, but I think the jungle might actually be more dangerous.” 

 

Both of us heard someone approaching at the same time, I stepped back while Shassala moved back a little. Putting the last of my clothes into my pack just as Jax came into view. 

 

“How much longer will it take for you to get ready? Hallice is getting impatient.” 

 

“I’m almost done here. Shassala, can you do me a favor? I’m not going to bring my tent or sleeping bag so I’d like you to hold onto them for me?” I asked as I took out the poles and began folding them up. 

 

“Neil... Of course I’ll hold onto it for you.” She said sounding stunned. “Are you sure you won’t need it?” 

 

“The tent I shouldn’t, I’ll be underground so I’m not expecting too much rain, and my sleeping bag is a little too bulky. I’ll leave it behind and use the space for other things. Actually.” I said putting down the now closed tent bag and picking up an empty garbage bag. “Can you fill this with potion ingredients? Everything I’d need for healing potions, and the night eye grass are the most important.”  

 

Agreeing Shassala took the bag and headed out to the garden. 

 

This left just Jax and I alone in my campsite. I had a lot of questions to ask, and there was literally no other time for me to ask them otherwise I would have beaten around the bush a little more. “Why does Hallice want me to die?” 

 

If Jax was surprised by the question he didn’t show it. 

 

“Actually, that’s not important right now,” I said cutting off any answer he could have given. “Do you want me to die?” 

 

Jax took his time in considering me before answering. I tried not to let my impatience show but I really only had a few minutes and I couldn’t give him all day to think of his answer. 

 

“No, I do not. I’m not sure if I believe who you say you are, but I do believe that you should not die for simply camping on a mountaintop that we cannot use.” 

 

“Can you help me then? When I arrived here I gained an affinity to water magic from the rift, but so far everything that I’ve tried, I just can’t do anything with it.” 

 

“What makes you think I can help you?” 

 

“Because I know you can, it’s in your description. You’re the historian and you also use Magic with an Earth Element Affinity.” 

 

At this Jax actually looked somewhat pained. “There would be no time teach you, first you must gain mana sense which can take years of study and meditation, then...” 

 

“I have mana sense.” At this Jax looked shocked. “I learned that from drinking potions. Just give me the basics as quickly as you can, I can get the rest myself. What is Mana? What’s unrefined Mana? How do you use it?” 

 

With a sigh the elder began speaking slowly and steadily “Mana is an energy that suffuses everything, it comes from Gaia. When it comes from Gaia it is in its most pure and unrefined form, at that time it is almost completely useless and even dangerous to people. All beings naturally draw Mana into themselves and their souls refine the Mana inside of themselves into something they can us. When you use Mana your body takes in more unrefined Mana and must refine it before you can use it. Any Mana that has not been refined by your soul is as a poison. Having too much unrefined Mana at once will kill you or make you sick and is the cause of Mana sickness.” 

 

“Ok. How do you use Mana then?” 

 

“First you must learn to sense the Mana outside and then inside of yourself. Once you can do that you must practice moving it from the inside of your soul to the outside.” He said clutching his stomach and then extending his arms out. “When it is in the world you can shape it and use your elemental affinities to create spells.” At that a small ball of dirt appeared on his hands and then started moving on its own into different shapes. 

 

“I see. Can you have more than one Elemental Affinity?” 

 

“Yes, an affinity is just how much natural talent you have with that element, there is nothing stopping me from using wind magic, I am just not as good at it with earth magic. It is unintuitive and learning spells that use it is extremely challenging. I also must use more magic to get the same effect than someone who had that affinity. It is always best to use the elements you have the highest affinity for. Although that may not be the case for you.” 

 

“What about..” 

 

“I’m sorry there is no more time. Even the explanation I have given you is far from complete, but if you are an ancient, it should be enough to help you begin.” 

 

Well I hadn’t gotten a blue box yet regarding Mana manipulation yet, but hopefully this would be enough to get me started.  “Thank you. I hope that in a few days I will see you again.” 

 

Jax looked entirely unconvinced but he nodded anyways. Putting my pack on my back I walked back to the garden. Stopping at the campfire I put the rest of my glassware in my bag on top of the carefully packed potions and picked up my spear. Shassala slithered back over carrying a now comically overfilled garbage bag. Putting it in my bag I saw in the opening that it was full of different fruits and root vegetables as well. Basically anything and everything that was useful. 

 

With my pack on my back there was no more stalling, which was good because Hallice looked like she was getting more impatient by the second.  

 

“Well Renther, Khallax, it was nice to meet you both. Shassala, I left my tent and sleeping bag in my little room, please hold onto them ok? I promise I’ll see you soon.” 

 

If it was possible Shassala looked even more miserable than a moment ago. “Neil, the elders have decided that the Kroklocks mating season is over. I’ll be leaving the village tomorrow.” 

 

Feeling my stomach sink I said. “Oh. I didn’t think it would be so soon.” Walking forwards I gave Shassala a hug. When my arms wrapped around her she tensed up for a moment and I worried that I made a mistake in starting to hug her, but after a second she returned the hug, and almost crushed me in her arms. Damn that girl was strong. 

 

Keeping my arms around her but breaking the hug I looked into her eyes “I hope we get to see each other again sometime, but listen to me.” I said making sure she was looking back at me. “You’re one of my best friends so I want you to have fun in your new home ok? You’re going on your adventure and I’ll be going on mine so make sure you enjoy it ok?” 

 

“Thank you, Neil. You’re my friend too, be safe.” 

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll finish up here as soon as I can and come visit you ok?” 

 

Cracking a smile Shassala agreed and I set out towards the three-story building.  Entering the building flanked by Hallice, Khallax and Renther I checked the ceiling and corners. All too soon I was standing at the top of the stairs, trying to stop my heart from pounding out of my chest. 

 

Looking at Hallice I saw a nasty smirk on her face, deciding to not give her the satisfaction of seeing me uncomfortable I put a big grin on my face looked at her and said. “Hey Hallice, it was great meeting you today! When I get back to the village is it ok if I stay at your place?” 

 

Hallice’s expression changed from a smirk to looking like she had bit into a lemon. 

 

“You’ll never live through this, greater Lamia than you have tried to seal this.” 

 

“Greater Lamia than me? That’s every Lamia cause I ain’t any kind of Lamia you silly goose!” I said booping her on the nose, if I had thought she hated me before, now if looks could kill I’d already be dead. “Well see you in a few.” I said walking down the stairs waving goodbye, ignoring whatever Hallice was saying behind me. 

 

The click of my flashlight turning on and my footsteps were the only sounds as I descended into the darkness. Before long I found myself standing on the rooftop in the pale light of the flickering post illuminating the roof. The roof was fortunately deserted, at least so far. Putting my bag down in the stairwell I quickly checked the roof top and the insides of the building. Seeing the store room and the office were empty of any monsters I moved my bag inside the office and laid out some of potion making equipment. I figured I could use this place as a base of operations to push forwards into the mountain. 

 

Despite my words to Shassala I had no idea how long it would take to stop the Taint. The quest notification seemed to at least indicate that it was possible. I would just have to explore whatever was down here step by step, and the first step is a base camp.  

 

Taking the chair and the corpse was in I dragged the chair over to the roof and flung the corpse over the edge, not really respectable of the dead, but I really didn’t want that sitting there. Leaving the chair there I collected the pieces of the fence that I could and brought those back to the room as well. I now had another thirty fence posts in case the one I was using broke or bent. 

 

Entering the storage room I ransacked the rest of the boxes there but only found more glassware, although a large amount of it was broken what had survived seemed to be in excellent condition. The last box actually had a mortar and pestle rounding out my potion making supplies. Taking it back to the office along with the pieces of boxes themselves I stacked the wood in a pile by the door and the glassware along the side of the room. 

 

Moved in I had one last thing that I wanted to try before I began exploring this place in earnest. 

 

Sitting down I felt for the Mana I now knew was in me. Now that I had an idea of what I should be feeling I was able to sense my own Mana a little easier. It was still hard to sense, almost a little ephemeral, like trying to hold fog. But slowly and surly I was able to get a better idea of my own Mana. 

 

DING 

 

 

 

With a smile I now had a much better feeling of the Mana inside of me, how it seemed to pool in my stomach and flow throughout my body from there. Spending a few more hours I was able to get a few more blue boxes bringing my Mana Sense skill up a few more times. 

 

Now the next step, controlling it. Sitting there in the dark with just a sliver of light coming in from the rooftop I’m not sure how long it took. Fairly quickly I was able to move the Mana but only an incredibly small amount. It was like trying to move fog with a small fan. I almost gave up a half a dozen times, but I pushed through and was eventually rewarded with a DING when I actually managed to cause the mana pooling in my stomach to move to my palms and leave my body. 

 

 

Thinking about water I was shocked out of my meditation when water splashed all over my hands and jeans. 

 

DING 

 

DING 

 

 

  

“YES! MAGIC!” Honest to god real magic. Even after everything I was still a little worried that I would never actually be able to do this. I still needed to practice with this to make it into something useful, but given what Jax had said this probably took most people years to learn. Not bad for my first days practice. 

 

Standing up I picked up my spear, coated the tip with poison and grasped a night eye potion. If I wanted to get out of here I had work to do, it was time to start exploring.