Rowan felt something flowing into his arms.

Mana.

After trying for so long, he was finally able to feel the mana within his body. Not only could he feel it flowing in his body, he could feel it coursing through his arms.

That meant there was hope for his arms yet.

There was still no sensation in his arms right now, but if Rowan could sense mana in his arms that meant his arms were still functioning in their changed state.

Rowan was so excited about this discovery that he immediately sat up and a sense of dizziness overcame him. His body was still not in its best state, but it was getting there. At the same time, the sense of connection he had with the mana in his body instantly snapped.The boy no longer felt anything from within his body, but he wasn’t worried. He had already grasped the feeling once and he will be able to achieve it once again in the future. He laid himself back down, but slowly this time.

The mana in his body felt like a small trickle, which wasn’t a surprise. He was still a child, having  just learned about mana techniques. He never interacted with or trained the mana within his body before.

At this point, he recalled Grandpa Rodan’s words. The next step was to stimulate and accustom himself to the man. Once he achieved that step, then he could learn to use his mana for special techniques like how to cast a fireball like Aaron did. The problem was that he didn’t know when he would be ready for that stage. It was times like these that made him miss his grandfather. His heart ached at the thought, but he decided to  try meditating again once again. He had only achieved the first step and there was still a long way to go before he could manipulate his mana freely.

Maybe if he asks Almar for help, the elf would be willing?

The elf was taciturn, but he had been taking care of Rowan the whole time. From what Rowan saw, Almar was an experienced fighter at the least. He couldn't tell what level of strength the elf had achieved, but he must be quite strong if he lived in the Forest of Death.

Besides there was no one else, but him to ask.

Rowan decided that focusing on meditation would be the goal for the next few days.The second attempt proved successful as Rowan felt his mana, but was unable to do much else. He also found that it took awhile to feel that connection and it was also easily lost once his thoughts wandered.

The next time Almar came into the tent, Rowan asked for help on getting a better feel for his mana.

“There is no ‘easy way’ as you put it. Only by acclimating yourself will you be able to improve yourself. Also, what you are asking about are known as mana control techniques. They are highly sought after and kept secret for many reasons. A good mana control technique can help pave the way for a warrior all the way up to the level of a master.”

“O, I did not know,” Rowan said as his face reddened from embarrassment.

“...if you have any questions, ask. I will impart what knowledge I have. Keep in mind that the physique of humans and elves differ so my knowledge may not be suitable for you.”

Rowan brightened up at those words. “Really? Thank you!”

Almar studied Rowan for a few minutes before continuing. “ The fact that you can feel your mana is a good thing, even if it's your first time.”

“Why is that?”

“I mentioned before how the dragon’s fire contained an erosive property. It drained your lifefore until it was taken care of by… my secret technique. That is why it is taking your body so long to recover. You body's outward appearance was fully healed, but internally? It lacked the means to continue fully functioning. It needed time to recover on its own.”

Rowan paled at those words. He hadn't realized it was so serious. Almar had mentioned the strange properties of the flame, but he never fully explained what the effects on his body were. 

“I think it’s time. Can you stand?” Almar asked.

Rowan felt well enough to try as he sat up. That was easy enough, but what came after turned out to be the hard part. His new arms hung uselessly to the side as he hadn't been able to control them yet. Arms were typically needed to push a person  up and without them, it became an arduous task for Rowan. Not to mention that the wood added a new unaccustomed weight to his body as he struggled to get up. Seeing his challenge, Almar got up beside the boy and aided him. Rowan's legs still felt wobbly, but just the fact that he was standing made him feel a hundred times better. The animal skin blanket slid off his body, showing his body in full view. Rowan could only blush. He was thankful that there were only the two of them in the tent.

“Don't worry, you don't need cloth here.” Almar said after seeing Rowan’s embarrassment as he helped Rowan walk out.

The elf led the human boy through the tent opening. Rowan didn’t know what to expect when leaving the tent, but the result was completely unexpected.

What greeted Rowan was the clear view of scorched earth and devastation.

There were no houses that showed off elven culture, only a darkened ground that showed what once was there. Large gashes scarred the earth as the ground laid barren in front of him. 

All souvenirs left in the wake of the dragon’s destruction. It was a tragic sight that Rowan wished he never saw.

Rowan remembered smelling soot and ash when he woke up some time ago. Now he knew why. Everything had been burned to the ground. Only traces of a great battle were left. Long marks of burnt earth stretched as if someone had painted the ground black. Botches of charred earth spread across his view. Dozens of silhouettes, all different shapes and postures scattered the landscape as the dragon had blasted them with its fire. Some were running. Some were crawling. None escaped the flame. The final testament to the elves' struggle stamped onto the earth. 

While Rowan had no idea what the elves' homes looked like, he could already imagine how the tragic scene ended. 

The burning. 

The death.

It was a scene that was too familiar to him for his taste.

Afterall, Rowan had personally experienced it all himself.

“ As you can see, there is not much left. Once there were a  hundred of us. Now no more The dragon fire left not even the bones of my brethren. All the elves that once lived here have returned to the earth, all except for me,” Almar said somberly. 

Something caught Rowan eye and he pointed. “Whats that over there?” A wall made of thorny vines had caught his attention. Strange how it survived amongst all this destruction. 

“That is the barrier created by the elves' patron.  You can sleep easy knowing no monster dares approach us while we remain here in this area.“ The elf said. Rowan looked around and saw how the vines circulated the whole camp.

“How is the barrier still there? I thought you said everything was destroyed by the dragon?”

“Indeed, tt was destroyed by the dragon. It was much stronger in the past. However, after an intense effort, it was set up again. Be thankful for that or we wouldn't be sleeping here peacefully at night. Now let's go meet your benefactor. It ‘s about time.”