In the cold of the early morning, Amiah and Theo built a campfire after escaping the crevice they were in. While Theo rested, his mentor sharpened sticks, crafting arrows for a makeshift bow. When the first ray of sunlight illuminated the forest, the mentor extinguished the fire and gathered all the arrows in one place.
"Wake up, princess," Amiah called, poking Theo.
Grumbling and rubbing his eyes, Theo struggled to get up from the damp ground. Picking up one of the arrows, he asked Amiah:
"What are these for?"
"What was your last mission?" Amiah retorted.
"Hmm..." Theo muttered, trying to remember. He really had to strain his memory. His mind lit up like a clear night. "Ah! Hunting flying beasts."
Amiah stood up, brushing off his clothes, and a small trail of dust spread out.
"I looked for the dagger I gave you, but you either lost it or broke it. So, for hunting birds, there's nothing better for weak people than a bow and arrow."
With every word Amiah spoke, Theo's pride was pricked by imaginary needles.
"How long have you been using the wind attribute?"
"Wind? For five years. I started using fire at eight, but I didn't get used to it and gave up."
"What about mental energy manipulation?"
"You're talking about Wiccas, right? I tried with a grade ten beast, but apparently, it didn't accept me."
"Strange... Wiccas don't reject without reason. Could it be... with the Phoenix in the same house, the others won't accept sharing territory..."
"What is he thinking?" Theo wondered as he watched Amiah's uneasy expression.
"Alright. We'll train your aim. If necessary, use the wind to add more pressure."
Theo picked up the bow and an arrow before standing up. Placing an arrow on the bow, he took a deep breath, searching for a target.
"Hit that big tree over there," Amiah pointed to a giant, thick-trunked tree.
The arrow was fired. Without using any attribute, the arrow veered a few degrees to the left and hit a rock on the ground. Theo clicked his tongue, disappointed with the failure.
"Don't worry. There's a first time for everything," Amiah handed Theo another arrow. "Again."
Taking a deep breath, Theo focused on the target.
A strong breeze swept through the area. Closing his eyes, Theo blocked out any sound or sensation from his mind: feeling only the breeze and the tree in front of him. When the wind ceased, he fired at the same moment.
Again, it was a failed attempt.
"Maybe it's not your specialty."
"Tsk."
☽✪☾
They walked through the forest, now in a more lush and vibrant region. They followed a muddy trail between the spaced-out trees that left the forest exposed, though obscured by a faint mist of rain. From afar, they observed a wild hunt: a falcon cut through the air, descending from the sky and tearing through the leaves to sink its talons into a reptile on the ground.
Struggling against its hunter, the reptile writhed to escape, trying to fight in every way possible. It was in vain. A few seconds of combat passed before the bird finally killed its prey and began its meal.
"That's a kynigos anemus. It can be confused with a falcon, but you can tell them apart by the green crest. It's one of the species that can get closest to the ozone layer without suffering any damage," Amiah explained.
"Do I have to kill it and consume its core?" Theo asked.
"Exactly."
Slapping his own eye and sliding his hand down his face, Theo let out faint grumbles of exhaustion and distrust. Still, he gripped the bow.
Focusing deeply, he fired again. But this time, Theo aimed at a different target: a rock next to the bird.
The arrow shattered the rock into fragments, instantly drawing the animal's attention to the boy.
With a sudden charge, the kynigos anemus lunged at Theo, who leaned back to dodge. Pointing his fingers toward the forest, he fired a gust of wind that intrigued the bird more than its hunter.
Chasing after the projectile, the bird cut through the spell.
"I knew it!" Theo thought. "The name 'Wind Hunter' isn't for nothing. It will always hunt any being with the wind attribute. Is this to show superiority over all others in this element?..."
Theo fired again, this time to the east. The bird tore through the wind toward the spell, and as soon as it reached the wind spell, Theo shot an arrow imbued with the element.
Kynigos got confused, caught in a crossfire, and couldn't decide which spell to attack. Hovering in the air, lost, the arrow struck the bird's back directly, and it fell to the ground lifeless.
"Congratulations," Amiah said sarcastically. "Confusing it was a good strategy."
Amiah led Theo to the animal's body. Pulling the arrow from the corpse, he pointed to the shimmering green crest on the animal's forehead.
"Touch it," he ordered. "And absorb its energy."
"Talk as if it's easy to absorb energy out of nowhere..."
And it was easier than Amiah explained.
When Theo touched the kynigos' crest, a green aura began to seep through his hand. Slowly, the aura entered his skin, as if it weren't part of matter.
Soon, he felt the energy moving toward his solar plexus. Exhaling, a cold and refreshing breeze escaped his mouth.
"See? It's easier than you thought."
"I feel light..." Theo murmured.
"Of course. You just received an abundance of atmospheric energy in your veins."
Theo processed the words, and the facts weighed on him.
"Is this mana?" Theo asked.
"Yes. But probably refined and fused with anemo molecules."
"This sensation... it's similar to Egon's Weltna..." Theo pondered, still feeling the energy coursing through his veins.
"Don't enjoy the good feeling too much. It can become an addiction."
"It's pure."
"Yes. Hand me your journal."
Theo took the notebook from his bag and handed it to Amiah, who immediately began flipping through it. Reaching the end of the content, the mentor closed the journal.
"Ten animals. He's already completed the mission."
"Come on, let's head back to the meeting point. It's the second day; they must have returned to the carriages by now."
☽✪☾
"Sir Paul. Where should we put this animal's body?" one of the coachmen asked.
Paul looked over and saw some men dragging the corpse of the Sirius that Antony and Ivan had killed. Ivan had frozen the body to preserve it, but due to the heat, the effect was already wearing off.
"Put it in the carriage trunk."
Closing his eyes, Paul focused on the forest.
"Theo and Amiah are coming back... The others are near an external energy source..." Paul's eyebrows furrowed. "An arcane crystal..."
"Sir Paul, aren't you..."
"Keep an eye on the carriages," Paul ordered, lighting a cigarette. "If Amiah arrives before me, tell him where I went."
"And where are you... Hey!"
Paul had already entered the forest.
"Idiotic kids... they're going to pick a fight they can't win," Paul thought as he walked through the forest.