After the revelation that their savior was Helo the two girls went to Alli’s room to sleep. The parents stayed awake talking about what happened. “What now?” Akira says while looking at the other men.

  “It seems pretty simple to me. We go grab that Helo kid and figure what the hell is going on.” Graham says while getting up.

  Quickly moving to his friend and placing a hand on his shoulder Bernard interjects. “Leave Helo to me. You don’t have the softest touch and this kid knows me. I’ll ask him if he heard or knows anyone that might be involved.”

  “What we’re not going to wring out that kid’s secrets!” Graham says while getting upset.

  “Honey is that the kind of man you want to be. Pressuring a child that rescued your daughter.” Cheyenne grabs his arm pulling him back onto the couch.

  Micah speaks up now looking between the two couples. “One of you should be preparing to induct the kid into your clan. The other families will hear about what happened. Luca will tell everyone his side of the story and his identity will end up getting out.”

  Yuki speaks up now with a soft but firm voice. She doesn’t speak much but it isn’t her being weak or timid. She just prefers to listen. “He would make a good retainer for our girls. We have been considering for a long time officially joining our families. We still need to work out how it will work, but we could have him join them. His stature is very muscular, but he isn’t very tall and his quite nature will make many people underestimate him.”

  At this all the others in the room nob, even Graham who doesn’t look happy about how things are going. Micah looking at Bernard speaks up. “Bernard and I already discussed this. The kid has already found a path even if it is new. We no longer must leave the kid to his own devices and could take him in. But… we decided to leave him be. If Bernard took him in, then we couldn’t due to the clan laws. I still want to see how the child develops on his own at least for a little longer. Bernard and I gave him some tips and I want to see what he makes of it.”

  “Yes. Clan laws give teenagers more responsibility at 15. He is only 12 so let’s give him two more years.” Bernard says. “I’ll keep an eye on him and make sure he stays safe. Even if I can’t get directly involved.”

  Sighing Cheyenne is worried about how that will affect him. “Are we sure that isn’t too late. Both Alli and Hinata-chan will start forming their parties when we go home. Even if their parties mix once they go to school or we merge our families after the final initiation. Adding him in two years late will cause drama.”

  Graham waves his hand dismissingly. “It will be fine. If the kid doesn’t make it then it wasn’t meant to be.” Getting a glare from the ladies he looks away. “I mean. I agree with my brother. Let’s see how he develops.”

  Yuki being more perceptive is looking between Micah and Bernard. “There is something going on that you aren’t telling the rest of us. I won’t push but eventually I expect to know.” Both men smile at one another and agree.

  Akira after finishing his tea he speaks, “Let us make a portion of our alliance official. Two years from now our daughters will be going to the school funded by the four neutral families. They will be going with all the other kids from the 16 clans. Traveling between each clan’s dungeon and staying at the four resorts. Let us officially make them a part of one another’s retinue. Your daughter is a skilled mage and ours is a swordswoman. They will need to fill out their party with scouts, archers, ritualists, rouges, and backups for each position.”

  Nodding his head Graham agrees, “We will have to be careful about how the other clans view our interaction. We are two of the most powerful clans. They might see it as a threat. Next clan conference we will have to have good reasons for this.”

  Cheyenne adds her opinion, “Maybe, before they as we send out a letter, we make it seem like a response from what happened tonight. Our other children are not as close as our daughters. We can put the spotlight on our other kids for a while. They don’t interact as much. So, instead of it being a political alliance. It is us as parents showing support about what happened.”

  Agreeing they decide that Graham will tell their daughters in the morning.

  That same night Helo finally gets home. His body feels amazing and like he could run forever, but his mind is a tired and jumbled mess. Did I just kill those four. I know they have bullied me for years. But I haven’t seen them since they tried to catch Fuzzball. But… I just killed them.

  Rationally Helo knows that for what they were doing they probably deserved it. But he still is having trouble wrapping his mind around the fact he just killed them… easily. Dry heaving onto the ground he doesn’t remember much about the actions he took. But he does remember feeling fury then pain and only calming down after feeling his body awakened.

  Lying in bed Helo finally falls asleep with Lelai curled up on his chest. His dreams are plagued by blood, death, and an ever-present worry that he is going to be locked up like an animal, while a white-haired girl and her black-haired friend call him a monster.

  The next morning Alli wakes up cuddling with Hinata. As she lies in bed she is worried about Helo. She wants to talk to him about what happened and thank him. He saved them from something terrible.

  Finally getting out of bed she walks to the dining room to find her parents and uncle. “Well, don’t you look like shit.” Her uncle says in jest.

  “Oh, you be nice.” Cheyenne tossing a piece of bread at her brother-in-law.

  Sitting down Alli waits for Hinata to wake up and come to eat before asking for food herself. Once they are all sitting down her father speaks up. “This is something we should have discussed in the past. But it is about time you officially find a party. You’re about to reach level ten. That means you are getting a class. If you had a party last night never would have happened.”

  Cheyenne looks at Hinata, “It is the same for you Hinata-chan. You both are getting older having retinue/party is important. Growing your bonds when your young will make you much safer in the future.” The parents decided not to tell their children about the decision they made last night, pertaining to the girls teaming up or about Helo joining.

  While quietly eating the girls’ minds are racing. Looking at one another they both know what they want but their families have expectations for them both. After finishing their meal, the door swings open and Yuki enters with her husband close behind. Kissing them both on the forehead they say good morning and Yuki asks, “Did you tell them?”

  “Tell is what?” Alli asks looking at her father.

  Sighing he says, “Well last night after you went to bed, we stayed up talking. A portion of that conversation had to do with you both needing to form a party. In response.”

  “I want Hinata in my party.” Alli says grabbing her hand.

  “I as well would like to team up with Alli.” Hinata politely states bowing to her parents. “We apologize if this is unprecedented. But our elder siblings can take political roles, and we will be free to do as we like.” Looking back up, she sees the mirth in her parents’ eyes. “Ah. You already decided that.”

  Jumping up Alli screams, “What! This is amazing!” Hugging her parents, she looks up and sees Yuki smiling at her. Standing straight and blushing she coughs lightly. “Ahem. I mean. I find this arrangement acceptable.”

  Laughing while shaking his head Graham continues, “Anyway, yes, we decided that we will play it as a response to last night. But in truth this is something we have considered for a long time. But it will be a cover up. Truthfully a political alliance after integration starts is something we have always considered. So, to the world this will look like us going soft and lessoning our expectation of the both of you, while in truth, it is the start of our alliance that will become official after the integration,”

  Bernard is enjoying himself while riding toward Helo’s den. Normally he wouldn’t call it a den but after hearing about what happened last night the term seemed fitting. Riding on the back of his massive friend Twigs, Bernard admires the fawns following behind them. The little nubs they have in place of horns reminds him of the day he found Twigs. He had these tiny antlers that looked like twigs. That name isn’t very fitting now. Twigs is a 3500lbs Crystal Stag. He stands over eight feet tall and his antlers add another three. He sheds his antlers every five years now and as he grows in strength so does the size and time it takes for his antlers to shed. Bernard has books about a tier five Crystal Stag that hasn’t shed for 100 years.

  Twigs is a fire, earth and water aligned Magical Beast. It is hard to find creatures with more than one natural affinity. But Twigs is a Crystal Stag. His natural affinity is Crystal, which is incredibly rare. The Crystal affinity is a precise balance of those three elements.

  While riding toward Helo’s den the fawns run around them and play together, but as they draw closer, they start to mellow down. Once they are within 50 yards of Helo’s den they stay behind Twigs and make little movement. Snorting and tossing his massive head Twigs’ aura pushes out to cover the fawns and they mellow down. This is one thing that Bernard is jealous of. Animals embody their element and instincts much closer than Human’s do. For a Magical Beast to reach tier three all they require is enough energy and time. Their bottleneck doesn’t start until tier four. This is where they gain true sentience. Even if they are intelligent and smart, they don’t develop true sentience until tier four without specific and unique circumstances. An animal born from a parent past tier six will be born with sentience or if they eat a Fruit of Mind Awakening, they might gain enough intelligence to become sentient. From the books Bernard has learned that by tier five animals can develop a human body but it usually happens at tier six.

  Hopping off Twigs’ back Bernard lets him know that he is okay to leave. He has to explain to his friend that nothing here can hurt him and the animal in the cave is a friend. Snorting and sending out an aura pulse with the idea of frail human bodies, Twigs is still worried about Bernard.

  “Twigs my body isn’t that frail. Plus, he was attacked yesterday. That is why the aura is so violent right now. I’m checking up on him.” Bernard has to say while pushing the stag away.

  Twigs finally admits defeat although with reluctance. Leaving with his kids he disappears into the woods. Bernard can’t help but marvel at the massive stag that effortlessly maneuvers his massive bulk and horns through the trees.

  Slowly entering Helo’s den Bernard uses a technique he learned and developed alongside his plants and animals. His aura is called ‘Aura of Nature’s Touch’. Infusing his aura with his will and using its unique manifestation he can feel through the plants and animals near him.

  Everyone can feel using their aura. When Micah and Graham do it, they send their aura around them, it is like actively using their perception but with their whole being. This helps with knowing if people are around you, even detecting attacks. But others can feel your aura when it is done like this. When you are in public it is polite to keep one’s aura contained to their body. If they focus enough and infuse it with some magic they can even lift and touch things. With training everyone can do things like that with their aura. Which is basically a manifestation of one’s cumulative strength and soul, being controlled by their will.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Bernard can do those things as well but by using what is unique to his ‘Nature’s Touch’ aura, he can send his aura through nature to discreetly see. His pseudo-domain is set up like this. By using plants and animals used to and grown with his skills, he can essentially feel what they do within his home. Using a natural treasure grown to share his mana’s signature, it emits his mana into an area creating a zone where he has more control without reaching tier five and creating a true domain.

  He feels Helo sitting on the ground in front of a small underground stream. Walking around the bend he can see Lelai sprawled in Helo’s lap napping as he meditates. Once he enters, Lelai lifts her head. Looks at him before deciding that he is harmless and laying back down.

  Taking that as acceptance Bernard steps in and takes a look around. The cave is large, ten feet tall and 20 by 15 feet at the base. In one corner is a stuffed mattress with blankets and pillows. There are bins filled with things like food or clothes. There is even a makeshift shower connected to the stream. It is still very dark, but Bernard can only assume that Helo prefers it this way. He has heard about his incredible night vision.

  Sitting on the ground he can feel the turbulent and violent aura is receding and in its place is the feeling of a lazy sleeping predator. Nodding his head in acknowledgement of whoever taught Helo that meditation technique. Bernard reaffirms that Helo isn’t normal.

  “So. Are you hear to take me away.” Turning to look at him, Bernard sees softly glowing red eyes.

  “No. First I came to give you some cash. It is your payment for working the weekend. There is a little extra as a reward for your help last night.” Bernard hands over the cash and watches Helo look through it.

  “Second, I came to check up on you. I told you this area is my domain. The animals in the area were getting worried about the violent angry beast.” Bernard says while looking at Helo with a serious expression. “I’m not here to take you away. Nor am I here to force you to talk. Hah. Graham wanted to but Micah and I talked him out of it.”

  Bernard sees some worries in Helo’s features. “Am I a monster…” Helo looks up at him with a little hope in his eyes.

  “No kid. You’re just a wild child.” Bernard says it with a smirk. “In all seriousness, you could be very dangerous.” Seeing Helo flinch he reassures him. “That isn’t a bad thing. You were dangerous to some bad men. That is a good thing. You see that right. As long as your violence is put to use, doing good things. Then… Well… People might see you as a monster. But you’re not a bad monster.”

  Seeing Helo’s features calm he waits for the kid to speak. “So, what now.”

  “Good question. It’s up to you. The 16 families and the wider world are big and dangerous. The 16 families pair their kids up in groups called parties to keep another safe. These parties act as retinues for the person with the highest political importance. But Alli and Hinata’s fathers choose to let their daughter’s pair together. This is going to make a larger party than most but it will allow them to stay together. Both girls were interested in having you join them. Once they learned that they were going to be a team. They no longer had to ask you to choose.” Bernard says explaining everything to Helo that he didn’t understand.

  “So… Am I leaving. What about Lelai?” Helo asks not sure about how he feels yet.

  “No. You still have a choice. You could join me as well. My faction is neutral. You wouldn’t be allowed to help them openly. But it gives you options. I’m not going to tell you what I want you to do. But I think you understand. Oh. Also, it’s again your choice. But you have over a year to decide.”

  “The tips Micah and I gave you on Friday are important.” Bernard says. “We told them to give you a while to get used to what happened yesterday and practice these now idea. So, I’m going to leave. You have time to decide.” Getting up Bernard leaves the den and goes home.

  Three months have gone by and it is getting colder out. Helo feels like he is about to make a breakthrough in his training. Using the money Mr. Bernard gave him, Helo has focused most of his time on training while taking breaks to visit Wendy. After two weeks of meditating constantly, Lelai seemed to join in his practice. She sits in his lap while he practices and sometimes when Helo breaks focus, he notices that she isn’t sleeping like he assumed but she is training as well.

  This is the actual proof that he needed to learn that Lelai truly was a magic beast. Not sure how to move forward, he went to Mr. Bernard to get advice. While he was visiting, he also learned that the bussing he can feel within the walls of the Resort is the flow of magical energy. Somehow without him realizing it Helo’s senses have been picking up on unconsciously. Thinking back, Helo realized that he also felt that external flow when Alli and Mr. Bernard used magic. While visiting Mr. Bernard he learned that Lelai doesn’t really need anything, but, if she wants to progress past what Mr. Bernard called early tier 1 then she would need to live near a magically rich environment or eat the energy enhanced bodies of other beings.

  Helo learned those things over a month ago and now through his meditation Helo can feel the magical energy flowing through the stream. It is feint but still there. Once he learned this, he showed it to Lelai and now she spends most of her time near the stream.

  Sitting on the ground with a fox in his lap Helo is going through his practice. He starts by calming his body then mind. Taking deep breaths, he focuses on his heartbeat. For the last few days whenever he does this, he can consistently feel an energy flowing through his body. It follows the same system as his blood. The thing is it is separate from his blood, but oddly enough it is the same. It’s like a metaphysical manifestation of his blood and the power in it.

  Focusing on that feeling, Helo thinks back to that day three months ago. Once he had bitten Jared’s neck he had felt this same energy. But at that point it was different. It felt overflowing and powerful. Like he was the king of the world. Like he could take on anything.

  Right now, he gets that same sense of power, but it is being smothered by this other energy that’s made of darkness. Like it wants to smother everything out. The darker energy makes the golden energy seem meaningless.

  The only conclusion he could make is that there are two facets to whatever this aura Bernard talked about is. When he felt the more ‘Golden’ power-inducing-energy it overpowers the more corruptive ‘Dark’ energy Helo has. It gained strength when he drained Jared. Something about that draining empowered his Golden energy. Trying to grasp that feeling again it slips from his mental grasp. Like a memory fading away. Unknown to Helo he is actually touching on the manifestation of his bloodline.

  “Huhhh.” Sighing Helo decided to focus on that other energy. Trying to recreate what happened in those videos Helo restarts his meditation. Reaching what he started calling his core. Which is his heartbeat Helo grasps at the flowing power with his mental strength and begins willing it to cover him. Starting to feel something happen, Helo gets excited only for the feeling to break away. A slight pain goes through his mind and Helo must stop.

  Thinking back to what happened Helo decides that he needs to keep focused. Retrying a while later the same thing happens but when the energy starts flowing along his mental hands, instead of flowing into what he wants it all fades away. Trying to grab at the fading energy Helo drains himself. Opening his eyes he begins to feel drowsy. Staggering up Lelai yips at him in anger as he staggers to bed and falls. Lelai jumps and his back and curls up on him. But Helo is already asleep.

  Waking up the next morning his whole body is tired and sore. “Owww, why does it hurt so much.” Deciding to take the day off, Helo eats from his food supply and goes to check on his traps.

  After getting some fresh air he feels a lot better. So, sitting down near the stream again. Helo takes the lotus position and tries again. Thinking about what happened, the only thing that stood out is the fact that grabbing at the whisps tired him out. Like he was using a mental muscle at 110% and overworked himself. Deciding to try a lighter approach he finds his center and coaxes the energy out slowly. Trying for an hour the energy slowly spreads from his center.

  For another week all he does is focus on trying to coax out the dark energy. Finally, after a week of trying he falls deeper into his meditation than normal. He fell into a trace while listening to his heartbeat. Within that beat he can feel something like a sleeping beast.

  “Badum-badum-badum-badum” Timing his mental energy to the beat of his heart Helo consciously pulls forth the darkness sleeping in his blood. It isn’t fully awake, it’s just enough to grab at the shadows around his body and create whisps reaching his legs.

  “I DID IT!” Helo screams while waking up a sleeping Lelai. Grabbing her he tosses the fox into the air and starts running from her as she chases after him.

  Falling onto his back after getting his leg bitten Helo tries again. This time focusing on his heartbeat first. He gets pulled into his center far faster than normal meditation and his mind isn’t blank like usual. The increase in tempo his running caused to his heart is an increase in the flow of energy in his body. With a faster flex of his mental will he calls forth the darkness within his body and mixes it with his mental desire.

  Willing it to coat his body shadows burst forth from his body and wrap him in a cloak. Lelai, who was lying nearby jumps up and circles where he once was. It isn’t perfect camouflage. He is in a zone of darkness, but his presence has started to disappear from the senses including magic ones.

  “This is so cool.” As Helo says this, he can feel his mental grasp slipping. He is having trouble staying focused on the cloak while also trying to do anything else. After his third attempt, Helo is so tired that he decides to sleep.

  Three more months have gone by, and winter has come for Grass Valley, CA. Thankfully for Helo the winters here are mild. He turned 13 this month and he hasn’t grown much taller, but his body has filled out. His features have also started to sharpen. He is running through the woods with light jacket on and the hood pulled up with his sense spread as far as he can.

  After learning how to consciously focus his aura Helo practiced daily. He would practice in the morning after eating. After practice he would fall back asleep from the strain. At night he would do it before bed. As time went on the time that he could use his will to manipulate his energy and aura increased. His ability to multitask hasn’t grown much though. That is why Helo is now running through the woods looking for prey to hunt. Lelai is back at the den. She has been moving from the spring less and less lately. Helo got worried a few weeks about and went to ask Bernard. But all the Druid said was that she might be having a breakthrough.

  Following his nose Helo catches the scent of a boar. It’s a musty smell like a bear but more earthy, less predatory and equal parts anger. His plan is to get a drop on the boar and kill it with a single strike using his daggers. Helo has taken to carrying them everywhere.

  With Helo tracking the scent of the boar his heart rate starts to quicken. Something about his instinct loves the idea of a good hunt. One thing he noticed actively and not in a fury and blood-filled killing spree is that sometimes when his heart rate is elevated and he is hunting, his finger nails will elongate a half inch into claws and his canine teeth will sharpen.

  Smiling as he feels his teeth push into his lower lip Helo takes off after the boar. Drawing closer Helo quickly climbs a tree by digging his nails into the bark and sits on a branch. Doing his best to focus on the location of the boar and his own heartbeat Helo starts pulling forth the energy hidden within that beat and will it to coat himself. It happens much slower than normal because he is also focusing on the boar, but he is capable of the task.

  Now one with the shadows within the trees, the only part visible from Helo is the glowing red slitted eyes and the red light reflected off his fangs. As quite as an owl in flight Helo moves from branch to branch getting closer to the boar. He is moving carefully to be quiet but also so that he can keep his focus. As he slowly reaches one hand over another, claws piercing into the bark Helo moves from the truck of the tree to the branch directly over the boar. Feeling his heart rate elevate Helo draws his knives. One in each hand he allows himself to fall off the tree into the air.

  As Helo is falling his excitement breaks through his concentration and the world around Helo by 50 meters falls silent. As his killing intent and fledgling aura flare out his will oveer darkness stops covering him. The boar flinches toward where the aura comes from. This flinch causes the boar’s tusk to catch Helo’s right sleeve causing his knife to only scratch its snout. This action draws him over the boar’s head. He crashes on his back in front of the boar. Letting out a loud, “Ampffff

  Thankfully his left hand wasn’t redirected, and the dagger is lodged into the boar’s neck. It isn’t a quick kill, but it is a killing strike on a tier 0 boar. Hearing the boar’s loud, “Screeeee” from over his head Helo tosses his knife over his left side, rolling his body to follow the knife. He hears the ground where he just was getting trampled. Quickly grabbing the blade and climbing to his feet. Helo looks up directly into the eyes of a furious boar as it starts charging.

  Sheathing his knife, he dives to the right, dodging out of the boars tracks again. Quickly trying to think of a plan he watches the boar charge past where he was by ten feet. Getting an idea, Helo grabs a rock from the ground and waits for the boar to start charging again. As it runs at him, he turns around while tossing the rock. The rock hits its eye and he can hear it squeal in anger from behind.

  Angling toward a small tree, Helo places a foot on the trunk and jumps into the air. Flipping over in the air he can feel the boar charging underneath him. Its tusk grazes his back causing his jacket to rip and a cut on his back. He hits the ground with a thud and looks up smiling. The boar who was already weakened by the knife in its neck is on the ground dazed. Getting up and drawing his second knife, Helo presses it in between the boar’s ribs piercing its heart. “You will feed me and my family for weeks. Thank you.” He says baring his teeth with a smile.

  Getting off the boar he can feel his back aching and the blood dripping down his back. Pulling his knife free he takes off his jacket with some regret and uses it to clean his blade. The back already has a large hole, and it is all bloody.

  Going for his first knife, he pulls it out and looks down at the wound. He can’t help but lick his lips. While cleaning the blade Helo loses the battle of will to himself. Feeling the blood seeping from his back, he remembers how Jared stabbed him but there was no wound.

  Bending down he bites the boar’s neck and feels refreshing energy through his body. It isn’t as powerful and intoxicating as Jared’s, but it does heal his wounds and refresh his tired muscles. Sitting down Helo follows his heartbeat and finds that the ‘Dark’ has been pushed back and the ‘Gold’ has taken its place. The ‘Dark’ energy feels like it wants to erase and is meaningless. While the ‘Gold’ feels more like it wants to control and… “Huh this one also wants to consume.” Helo says. Both energies seem like they are reaching somewhere. Flowing back to a point where the ‘Dark’ is dragging the ‘Gold’. With the ‘Dark’ pushed back Helo reaches for it and tries to coat himself again. Nothing happens, freaking out a little Helo tries with more Will only tiring himself out. Unknown to him while he was meditating, eyes flashed golden.