by Michael Sisa
“Fealgen Grass. You can find this thing in the Green House,” said Yvette. “Just don’t get caught. It’s practically expensive stuff.”
Dan wondered of what would happen once they ran out of grass. “Hey, isn’t this place dangerous? Those things called Vampire Beetles sucks the blood out of its prey.”
Thankfully, the wound had stopped bleeding by now. Das was sure that there were animals back in his previous world more tenacious and dangerous than those insects, with their every bite rendering their prey’s wounds unable to heal.
Still, it did not take away the fact that the place they were currently in was dangerous, especially for mere students.
“We’ll leave before that happens,” she smiled innocently. She stepped into the edge of the cliff and whispered, “So beautiful. It’s really worth every effort to get here~”
Dan sighed in resignation. They both wordlessly gazed beyond the horizon. They watched as the clouds moved past by, with the cities and mountains below unchanging and unmoving. It was such a breathtaking sight that they did not realize that almost half an hour had passed by.
“Ouch,” said Yvette when a large insect, this time a moth, bit her legs. She immediately pulled out another grass and lit it with fire. The smoke instantly made the critters disperse.
She furrowed her brows. “Thank God for healing magic. Otherwise, I would have been ridden with scars all over. I’ve literally been in this place for over a hundred times before.”
Dan’s eyes swiveled left and right. The insects remained a good distance away from the source of smoke. He said, “Those insects actually serve to deter the students from entering this area, right?”
Yvette looked at him with eyes filled with amusement. “Correct. You’re really smart despite being just a kid, know that?”—she once again gazed at the horizon—“One wrong step and you’ll end up dead. There’s no surviving a fall from this height. Of course, you’ll die from colliding against the barrier first.”
The wind blew, and for a second, Dan was worried that it would push Yvette down the cliff. She blew a gust of euphoria. “A really beautiful sight! Sometimes, I regret not being able to share this to anyone. But that in itself is part of its beauty. Alone, desolate. Nature at its course.”
She turned around then walked towards a small boulder. She gestured for Dan to sit beside her, and he did.
“Here,” she said, handing out a sandwich to the first year beside her. “Made it myself. Enjoy.”
“Thank you,” said Dan. After unwrapping the snack, he took a large bite.
It is horror, it was tasted horrible. He would have immediately spat it out if not for the eager eyes looking at him. With conviction, he gulped down everything in a single go.
Yvette burst out laughing. “Hahaha! You didn’t have to force yourself! That’s mugar bread! It’s supposed to taste awful if not heated!”
She grabbed the remaining bread from Dan and heated it using magic. She handed it back then said, “Now, try it.”
Though hesitant, Dan took a small bite. His eyes widened in surprise. He mumbled, “It’s… delicious.”
Yvette smiled, making her dimple sink in response. “See? It tastes different, right?”
She gazed at the horizon, then to Dan. “The problem with you is you’re too serious. You’re too uptight. You’re just a kid. Act like one.”
“You’re just a kid too,” said Dan.
Yvette raised a brow. “What? I’m seven years older than you, Young Man. Seven Years!” the last two words were greatly emphasized.
“Fifteen is still a kid, Lady Yvette,” he retorted. He gazed at the horizon. The sight remained as breathtaking as before.
Yvette sighed. She took a bite from her share. With her mouth partly full, she spoke, “At the age of fourteen, you’re already an adult. Honestly, what are you talking about?”
“Fourteen?” said Dan in disbelief. It was too young an age. Still, he once again reminded himself that it was a different world he was currently in.
“Yes,” said Yvette. She gulped down the lump in her throat. “Fourteen is marrying age. Why else would my grandfather propose that I marry someone from the allied family?”
She noticed that the insects were once again starting to come close to their direction. She pouted. “I’ve only brought two leaves with me. We should leave while the last grass is still in effect.”
“Hey,” said Dan.
“Hmm?” said Yvette as she stood up, getting ready to leave.
“Thank you. Thank you for taking me to this place,” he said.
There was a long pause, and eventually, Yvette broadly smiled. “Again, Welcome to the Sky Academy, Dan.”
Chapter 25: Meditation Arts
After parting ways, Dan immediately went back to his dormitory. He shut the door tight, then opened the envelope handed to him by Lamark.
There was a small magic circle embedded inside, and it glowed the moment Dan touched it. Slowly, particles of light oozed out of the engravings, before eventually fading into obscurity.
A small note appeared at the bottom of the letter.
You have been granted access to the ancient literature of the Byudak.
After he had read the very last word, the letter, along with the envelope, burst into flames, eventually turning into nothing but dust.
Dan grabbed one of the books given to him by the Prochsons.
“I can read it,” he said in amusement. The previously incomprehensible letters from before now seemed a local dialect.
“Meditation Arts of the Byudak,” he said to himself after reading the cover. He flipped through the pages until he found the technique’s history.
Voryudak, as called by the ancients, is one of the five great meditation arts created by the First Humans.
How the ancient tribe got hold of it was unknown, but based on the stories passed down through generations, it was said to have been passed down to them by an ancient God.
Some Elders of the clan retold the tales passed to them by their forefathers. It is said that a God called Voryu once made a pact with a dying warrior of the tribe. Desperate to live, the warrior accepted the God’s offer, giving his soul in exchange.
That very same warrior emerged to be the greatest one in their entire history. He culled their enemies and he destroyed nations.
But time was an enemy even the greatest of warriors could not win against.
When the time of his death loomed in, the warrior readily welcomed the God’s arrival. He knew that his soul would forever perish in the blazing flames of the Underworld, but he had no regrets.
“A promise is a promise,” said the warrior.
Amused, the God called Voryu did not take the soul of the warrior with him back to the underworld. What was given in exchange for the soul was never known, but some said that it was the lifetime of the warrior’s descendants themselves.
After the death of their greatest warrior, the tribe began declining with time. They fought against each other for supremacy, and their brethren were enslaved by their enemies.
The tribe lasted for another three hundred years after the death of that warrior, before their entire existence suddenly vanished without trace.
The Great Magician from Empire of Helgana, Moruvisth Kazan, had explored the Ylvar Labyrinth and found the records of their existence. This book is one of the remaining literatures left behind by the great tribe.
Whether the story behind the great warrior is true or mere folktale, until this day, no one holds the answer…
He flipped through the other pages and was amazed by how preserved they were. The illustrations and instructions were finely printed with what seemed to be silver. If not for the scent of old paper, Dan would have mistaken it for something new.
“Let’s see,” he mumbled. He closed his eyes and began following the instructions written in the book. He went into a state of subconscious, unaware of his immediate surroundings.
Slowly, his breathing receded, a
nd his body became as still as unmoving water. A ripple formed on it, and he broke out his trance.
“This is actually hard, eh?” he said to himself. He noticed that that single instance made his entire body sweat all over. Yet at the same time, he felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment, something that a normal individual would usually feel after a long, strenuous exercise.
He repeated the procedure again and again, until his body could not take it anymore.
“Petty humans really are weird, aren’t they?” a voice spoke through his head. This time, Dan was almost used to it. He knew that the spirit called Karazaan had been watching him all this time.
“Like you’re one to talk,” said Dan. He sniffed his shirt. It was soaking wet. “Why are you still here? You told me I’m unworthy. Is it fun? Watching me doing these things?”
“Indeed. Why am I still lingering in this domain?” said Karazaan. “You will never be worthy of my strength, mortal. You are nothing but dust compared to this King.”
Dan took off his shirt then glanced at the insignia on his chest. It was a spiral mark with an inverted trident at the middle. What those symbols signify, he had no idea.
“Hey, if you disappear from my head, will this mark fade away too?” said Dan. He touched the insignia. It had completely blended with the texture of his skin.
“What, you don’t like it?” said Karazaan, its voice slightly baffled.
“Yes,” Dan simply replied. He went inside the shower and activated the small magic circle that served as source of water. A small cloud immediately formed on top of the bath, and droplets poured down like rain. “I prefer not to have this tattoo. If you’re going to leave, take it with you.”
“And if I don’t?” said Karazaan.
Despite having no one around, Dan shrugged his shoulders. “Can I do anything about it? Then, I’ll just live the rest of my life with an unwanted mark on my chest.”
The insignia surged into blazing heat, but the pouring droplets immediately nullified it.
Karazaan spoke, “Worry not. I have no intention of staying for far too long in this Realm. Despite being formless right now, I am actually one of the nine rulers of the Ethereal Realm, human. I cannot afford to leave the throne vacant for so long.”
“Then do us both a favor and just leave already,” spat Dan. As time went by, he had gotten used to having a voice speaking inside his head, but the idea of someone watching his every move somehow rubbed him the wrong way.
He felt the spirit nodding in agreement. “I will, I will. But not for now. I am still curious how a mere dust like you was able to summon a King like me. Isn’t it worth finding out?”
“I don’t really care,” said Dan. He donned his robe and slumped on the bed. His hair was still wet, but his body was already screaming for sleep. He had no time for trivialities.
“Hey, you’re sleeping already?” said Karazaan. “Damn, this is why I hate mortals.”
Ignoring the complaining spirit in his head, Dan dozed off into dreamland.
Chapter 26: Brewing Concoctions
The entire class stared in silence as Professor Quittle plucked out the leaves of a small vine. Her coarse voice echoed inside the Green House.
“This here, is a Brikelwood! It’s a plant you’ll most likely encounter on your journeys in forests, particularly in deeper areas devoid of much sun!” said the Professor. After plucking the last leaf of the vine, she tossed it into the boiling cauldron beside her. The clear fluid immediately turned vile red. “Now, some of you may be wondering how a green plant like that turned red after boiling! The answer lies with what’s within a Brikelwood!”
She looked at everyone in the eyes. A screeching sound from beyond, which probably originated from one of the numerous carnivorous plants, echoed. She was apathetic to it as she continued, “Inside Brikelwood is what we call Blood Moss. That particular ingredient is responsible for the red color upon boiling of the plant. At the same time, is also the main ingredient for the concoction I am going to teach you today.”
“Concoction? I thought those things are thought only during the second year? During Alchemy Class?” whispered Negi.
Dan gave a nod of approval, but his eyes were elsewhere. He intently stared at the patch of grass not far from him. He was sure that it was the same grass used by Yvette to ward off the insects before.
Professor Quittle was psychic. “This lesson for today will be tackled again once you’ve stepped into second year, particularly during your Alchemy Class. But in Herbalism, it is required of the students to at least know of basic brewing before graduating their first years.”
From her pocket, she pulled out a small leather pouch. She emptied its contents into the cauldron, creating a smoke in effect. The liquid violently bubbled as smoke continued to ooze out relentlessly.
She furrowed her brows when the smoke did not stop. “Now, that’s weird.”
After a few seconds of ponder, she kicked the clay pot, creating small cracks in its exterior. Surprisingly, the smoke that continued to ooze out before stopped.
She wiped the sweat that clung on her forehead. “Now, that’s better.”—She stared at everyone in class—“I need a volunteer.”
All of those present immediately stiffened after the mention of the word ‘volunteer’, particularly Negi. They were once again reminded of how merciless their Martial Arts Class had been many days ago.
Professor Quittle raised a brow. “No one?”
She sighed then pulled out a small blade from her pocket. She said in a firm tone, “Watch. I’ll do it only once, so be attentive.”
Without warning, she cut her fingers using the blade. Large droplets of blood dripped down the ground. Some of the students cringed, while some gave gleeful, excited faces.
“A low grade potion is usually enough for minor cuts like this,” she said as she scooped out some of the blood red concoction using a flask.
“Hey, it’s still boiling right, mate?” whispered Negi. Dan did not reply and instead continued watching.
After Professor Quittle dropped some of the concoction on her injured finger, the small wound slowly closed on its own. Dan was unable to fully see everything given the distance he was in, but he was sure that the wound vanished entirely after a couple of seconds.
“Convenient, isn’t it?” said Professor Quittle. She smiled when she saw some nod in approval. “Brikelwood is a rare material considering the fact that it can only be seen in shady areas, particularly deep inside the forest. But compared to Heozelwood and Silverbost, it is a fair find.”
She cleared her throat. “Once you’ve graduated in this Academy, you’ll surely encounter situations wherein you’ll traverse through forests. It is a must for you students to know the basics of survival, and brewing a lesser healing potion is part of it.”
One of the students asked, “Professor, what is the thing you added to the boiling Brikelwood?”
“Dein Sand. It’s meant to speed up the process of brewing. Even without it, just boiling the vines of Brikelwood is enough. But we can’t wait for an entire hour for the damn thing to finish, no?”
She clapped her hands once. “So, for today, you will work in pairs. Create a lesser healing potion using Brikelwood. Dein Sand’s a bit expensive, so you guys’ll have to wait an hour for the brewing to finish. Oh, also, remember to pluck out all the leaves. The thing will not work if you include even a tiny amount of its leave in it. You can find it at the southern part of the Green House.”—She snorted—“Start!”
Numerous buzzing sounds filled the air as the students immediately broke into pairs. Negi grabbed Dan by the arm as he led him towards where the Brikelwoods were located.
“We’re finally getting a go at creating potions! Isn’t it great?!” Negi said in enthusiasm. “I’m so excited!”
“Same here,” smiled Dan. They passed by the place where Feulgen Grasses were grown. Dan was sure that such amount present here was enough to drive away those insects for an entire week.
Along with the other students, they passed through numerous trees, grasses, and shrubberies. There were occasional small insects flying above everywhere, and an indescribable scent, probably that of decay and stool, filled the area.
They all halted in their tracks upon seeing the source of Brikelwood.
“That’s Brikelwood, right?” said one of the students. “The placard clearly says that it is.”
Confusion arose as everyone stared at the large, bushy plant filled with leaves and flowers. There was not a single hint of vine in it, something that puzzled the students even further.
“That thing isn’t like what the professor showed us!” said another.
Negi broke the commotion. “Try and read the placard first, morons.”
Everyone stared at him with their brows half-raised. Negi furrowed his brows. “Look! It clearly says that Brikelwood is the root itself!”
Now that they had a careful look, it clearly stated at the bottom of the description that Brikelwood was the root of the plant called Brikel. It was not discussed to them by the Professor, but surely, it was their task to find out.
“Let’s dig it out!” the students said in excitement.
After grabbing a small shovel nearby, they began digging into the ground. Numerous cries of disgust were thrown out when worms and maggots squirmed out as they dug deeper. After a few more minutes, they finally found something that resembled the plant shown to them by their professor.
Peculiarly, its roots were filled with leaves despite being underground. The students cut them one after another and began distributing it to the rest of the group.
Negi was surprised by how calm Negi was as he plucked out the leaves from the roots, one after another. There were numerous maggots and worms squirming about, their bodies stuck to the roots themselves, but Negi wordlessly yanked them out of the way.
“Oh, I haven’t told you, eh? My family owns a farm. We’re a family of farmers,” he said as he plucked out the leaves along with the squirming maggots. “These maggots here are harmless. You can even eat them.”