Levi and the team spent the next couple of days showing Trixie the way to be a proper magic-user. It consisted of time spent training her aura, developing a combat fighting style, learning to cast spells, and more. Trixie would tag along as the team cleared notice after notice, each time giving her important information. Trixie didn’t squander her opportunity by being silent. She asked any question that came to mind.

  Trixie understood that her time with the team was coming to an end. She had no idea when she would see them again, if at all. She hoped that she would, but she understood they were going to a very far place. Something Trixie had expressed her appreciation for was the fact that she had a taste of each guild, with members of the team representing each guild: Rogue, Ranger, Sorcerer, Summoner, and Warrior. She and her father had been spending time each night discussing in more detail what guild she should go for.

  Each time, they had always differed. Preston wanted his daughter to choose a safe path or even a guild that would allow her to stand in the back and heal others. Naturally, Trixie wanted the exact opposite. She wanted to be the damage dealer. Trixie wanted to do anything but stay in the back; her whole life, she had been without power. Now? Now she had it, and she was intoxicated by it. She envied people who were from big cities and had wealth. They had power and freedom, and now, she had the opportunity to experience some of them on her own.

  It was the night before the team was preparing to leave. After a couple of weeks, they finally cleared all the notices on the board. Trixie was on her way towards the Tavern as they had invited her for one last meal. Her posture was straight, her strut a little more confident.

  “Hey Trixie,” a male voice called. “You’re looking extra fine in the moonlight. How about you come over here and make my day.”

  “No thanks Turner,” Trixie said.

  “Come on, I’ll only bite where you want me to…” the man had run to catch up to her. He grabbed her arm and held her tight.

  “I said,” Trixie said, anger rising. “NO!” she shouted. With the word of power, a force field erupted out of Trixie, smashing against Turner. The force sent him flying a few meters backward. Trixie looked at her hands, but they were not the cause of the force field. Turner’s face turned pale, and he looked at Trixie as if she were a monster. She smirked. “Boo,” she flinched. Turner yelped and turned the other way, scrambling off scared.

  Trixie chuckled, “I love having magic.” Then, she continued her journey to the Tavern. Inside the Tavern, Levi and company continued a conversation.

  “It shouldn’t matter at what point the leaves are added they are still soaking the hot water up,” Bradley said.

  “But if you pour hot water onto the loose leaves or the tea bag it could singe them. Placing the tea leaves into the pot of hot water is the way to go,” Levi said. The team had been discussing the proper way to make the perfect cup of tea.

  “But them the tea is all at the top then what?” Bradley challenged.

  “The water should make the teas heavier and drag them to the bottom,” Levi said. “That’s amateur stuff; come on, Bradley!” The argument ceased as Trixie entered the Tavern and made her way to the table.

  “Happy last night,” she greeted. “Any chance you all don’t leave?”

  “There is a chance,” Anna said. “Not a high chance, but a chance nonetheless.”

  “Not helpful, Anna,” Trixie said with a flat look. Anna grinned in return.

  “Did you use your aura?” Levi asked.

  “I did,” Trixie responded. “How did you know?”

  “I have good aura senses,” Levi responded. “How? And on who?”

  “How do you know it was on someone?”

  “I am just assuming,” Levi admitted. “But I’m right.”

  “You are right,” she said sadly. “It was this creep named Turner. If I am being honest, I have no idea how I did it. He was trying to seduce me, and he grabbed my arm. I told him no sternly, and then a wave of force shot out of me and blasted him backward. I’m sorry,” she said, putting her head down. “I know you told me to be careful and that I shouldn’t just attack because I could seriously hurt someone.”

  “Was he hurt?” Levi asked.

  “No,” Trixie answered. “He was just scared.”

  “I honestly have no idea how she did that, Levi,” Anna said. “That is not a spell.”

  “Probably something to do with her aura affinity and abilities,” Levi responded. “Just be careful as you care gaining control okay?”

  “You’re not mad?”

  “No, we’re not mad,” Levi responded. Trixie and Levi had gotten close over the last few days. She had started to see him as the older brother that she never had. He was strict but loving, and she knew he was the one who gave her the essence to become a magic-user. She thought very highly of both Levi and Anna so much so that she wanted to make them proud every step of the way. “Just be careful, that’s why we trained you.”

  “We are leaving and will try to come back in a year,” Anna said. "That means a lot of the protection of the village falls on your shoulders. We understand that this is heavy responsibility, but we believe in you.” Trixie looked back with sadness in her eyes. She blinked, and determination flashed. She nodded as Anna continued, “My suggestion is to make the journey to Capital City, join a guild, and form a team.”

  “Any suggestions on finding the right teammates?” Trixie asked. Anna paused and looked at her friends.

  “Choose people that you can trust and ultimately choose your friends; it makes the journey much more enjoyable,” Anna said. This team was formed because I trusted Piper, and because of that, I have been able to travel much further and be pushed much harder than I ever thought. I am grateful for her,” she looked over at her best friend. Piper gave a small smile, uncomfortable from Anna's praise.

  Trixie nodded, “I will, thank you!”

  “Thank you for bringing some joy to our small village,” Frieda said. "You lot were great to host and be around. Thanks for giving Trixie a magic essence. This town will do what we can to make her a great adventurer.”

  “Thanks for the hospitality,” Anna said.

  “No need to thank us, you all cleared every single notice!” After a few more goodbyes from the people they had met in the village the team finally made their way out of the town and on to the next one. The map showed that they had five of those towns that they needed to go to. At first, Levi thought that this trip would be quick back to the Onyx kingdom; however, if every town was just like the first, then it would be some time before they made their way back.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “How far until the next town?” Izzy asked.

  “A hundred km or so,” Levi said.

  “I’m guessing we’re running there?” Izzy asked.

  “No,” Levi chuckled. “We’ll run about the same distance we did last time and then rest up for the day.”

  “Oh?”

  “We’re not in a big rush to get back home,” Piper said. “Our first priority is to train and that is what we plan to do. There is a good chance you become a 2-star before you get a guild.”

  “Will that be a problem?” Izzy asked.

  “Nope,” Levi said.

  “I did not attend a guild,” Tycen said. “By the time I was able to get to one I was far into 2-star and my class evolution was near, I felt it would not be worthwhile to spend a year learning basics.”

  “So you’re going to teach me basics?” Izzy asked.

  “That’s the plan,” Levi said. “Maybe on your way back you could connect with Trixie, I’d be curious to see what class she’d choose.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Izzy said. She looked at Bradley, “Maybe you and I could form a team with her?”

  “You want to be on a team with me?” Bradley asked.

  “If you work as hard as you have now, yes.”

  “That is not a bad idea,” Bradley nodded. “I’d consider it. She is going to be a sorcerer, like Anna.”

  “Why do you say that?” Anna asked. “What?” every single one of them turned their head to give Anna a flat look. “What are all the looks for?”

  “Anna she idolized you,” Piper said.

  “No she didn’t,” Anna said.

  “You didn’t see how she looked at you every time you spoke,” Bradley said. “It was like watching a priest hear the words of their god. You saved her life so it is only natural that she looks up to you.”

  “Take it as a compliment,” Levi said. He began stretching his slightly. "And let's talk while we run, Tycen. We’re on your pace.” Tycen nodded and began running. Levi chuckled at the absurdity of seeing someone with wings run. The environment they ran through went from hilly plains to a dense forest. Pine needles layered the ground, with scattered berry bushes and tall evergreen trees.

  As they were running, Serenity notified Levi that something was approaching. He stopped his run and the rest of the group paused and turned.

  “What’s wrong?” Tycen said. He was sweaty and slightly out of breath.

  “We’re being followed,” Levi said. “Delta, take a group of drones and survey the area, alert Anza of what you find.” The mimic manifested next to Levi along with four drones. His green light brightened and dimmed communicating to the drones what to do. Delta looked at Levi and nodded. The mimics all took off in different directions. Levi stood still and pulled out his summoning wall. He created a ritual circle made of shadow stuff.

  In the middle of the circle, three shadowy figures appeared. “I need you to back up the mimics in the forest. Provide extra support, but do it stealthy.” The figures nodded and disappeared without a trace.

  “What were those?” Izzy asked.

  “Shadow Creeps,” Levi responded. “They don’t do any physical damage but they can siphon mana and stamina from enemies. I often give them lesser stamina potions as their reward.”

  “Do you always give the summons a gift?” Bradley asked.

  “I do,” Levi said. “It’s no different then hiring a mercenary or a scout.”

  “I guess that’s a good point. Is that a common practice?”

  “It is not,” Anna said. “Summoners are not like Levi typically. They demand and summon, that’s all, they are not the giving type. At least that’s what my family had told me about summoners.”

  “I have heard much the same,” Piper said. As she went to speak more, a shadow creep appeared in front of Levi. The creature was humanoid but half Levi's height. It dripped ethereal shadows from its arms and head. Its yellow eyes were sharp and attentive, but it had no mouth.

  “Trouble?” Levi asked. It nodded. “Show me,” Levi said. The shadow creep turned its head and made its way through the dense forest, seeking the spot it came from. As they got closer, Levi could sense powers on full display; it was clear that his drones were engaged in some type of combat. They pushed their way through the clearing, and what Levi saw next made his blood boil.

  Three of his drones were attacking a group of bandit warriors. They were clad in leather armor and wielded various iron weapons. Nothing could truly harm the drones. Besides, they outnumbered Levi’s drones 7 to 1.

  “Get back, you vile beasts,” one of the bandits. He was standing in the front, wielding a nasty-looking whip and wearing slightly different armor. Levi assumed he was the leader.

  “What are you doing with these people?” Levi shouted as he joined the fight. He had his smoke staff, conjured by Vapor, out, and he stood in an attacking position. Levi gestured behind the warriors. There was a small caravan of cages on wheels. The cages were not very spacious, but they were full of gross, grimy, and bloody people—primarily women and children.

  “It’s none of your concern stranger. Do you command these beasts?” the bandit asked.

  “I do,” Levi said.

  “Then it would be in your best interest to call them back and hit the road. Our leader will not be happy with the delay, they may show up to right the…”

  “Why have you stopped?” A loud booming voice, clearly enhanced by magic, asked. From the area that the caravan was heading a man flew in. He flew in like a superhero, one arm out in front. He hovered in the air looking at the scenes in front of him. “Oh,” he said. He flew down to be face-to-face with Levi. He was human, shorter than Levi with dark wavy black hair. His skin was pale, his eyes were golden orbs.

  Levi felt his aura the second he entered into his considerable range. He looked at the man who had gotten way too close.

  “Who are you,” the man asked. “And what are you doing delaying my business?”

  “I am Levi Winters,” Levi said. “Why are taking these woman and children?”

  “That is none of your concerns, Mr. Winters. All that matters is your survival,” he claimed. The man reached out an arm and placed his hand on Levi’s shoulder. He got in close and whispered, “This is your last chance to leave before I put you in the ground, chaos user.” Levi pushed his senses out a bit more and tried to probe the man in front of him—the only thing he got made him feel a bit nervous.

  This man was a 4-star sorcerer who had had a class evolution twice, although Levi had no idea what the evolutions were. There was something else about him that made Levi linger. His mind wandered to that feeling, but he couldn’t place it. "What is your name?” Levi asked.

  “Bishop Fawn,” Bishop said proudly.

  “Yeah I’m not letting you take these people,” Levi said. As he did, Bishop punched Levi in the gut, a move that was obvious in Levi’s eyes. Levi was able to block most of it. However, this opponent was stronger than anything or anyone he had ever fought before. Even the blocked attack did significant damage to Levi’s abdomen.

  Levi grimaced under the stinging pain. Bishop tried to knee the doubled-over Levi, but a metal tendril wrapped around the knee and twisted, sending Bishop a few inches backward, giving Levi and his team enough time to attack. Piper seized the opportunity to make her way around the other guards. She conjured her shadow blade and pressed the attack. She lashed her sword out over and over as Bishop easily dodged, countered, and parried the attacks. He had yet to draw a weapon.

  Bishop raised his arm and went to backhand Piper. Right as his hand was making its way toward her face, several metallic tentacles grabbed it and held it down. Three drones had grabbed his arm to prevent him from attacking Piper. Before he could make his next move, he was struck by a blast of icy wind. He shielded his face as the icy wind pelted his body. Once it subsided, he turned to see Anna. She was chanting another spell.

  In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Anna, kicking her in the core. She managed to see it at the last second, getting up a soft block. Anna was sent flying backward until she collided with a tree. Bishop began his move once again toward Anna. Anna looked up with semi-dazed eyes; she coughed up blood. As Bishop approached, Tycen intercepted the path to Anna. He swung his morning star narrowly. Bishop narrowly avoided the attack.

  “Oh, you have speed,” Bishop said. “Good. I need a challenge.”

  Tycen didn’t reply. Instead, he grew the ball on the morning star to be larger, slower, but much bigger. The ball was now double its previous size. He swung and made contact with Bishop, who had to protect himself. The attack landed, and Bishop's arm took all of the damage. Unfortunately, it was still a 4-star defense against a 3-star attack. Rank disparity played a huge role in fights between magic users.

  Bishop stood up and looked suitably impressed at the attack. " Adequate,” he murmured. You would be an excellent addition to my rag-tag team.”

  “No thank you,” Tycen said.

  Bishop shrugged, “what a pity. It is a shame that all of your potential will be wasted. Oh well, I guess some people can’t help fate.” Bishop clenched his fist and turned on Tycen. He released a fury of combos, punches, knees, and elbows at lightning-fast speed. Tycen was able to protect himself from all of it. Several wisps appeared around Bishop as he was attacking. They started electrocuting him.

  For the first time in this fight, Bishop was hurt. Electrical currents ran through his body like blood in veins. Typically, 3-star attacks would take a long time for there to be any lasting damage; it could be done; it just took longer. Due to the sheer amount of team wisp, the length was significantly lowered. Bishop bit his tongue as he felt the overwhelming power surge through his body. He started to twitch and succumb to the pain; it was never-ending and intense.

  Tycen took this opportunity to strike back. With a few swings of his morning star, he connected with Bishop all over. His body went flying into a tree, splintering it. Tycen rushed and continued his assault. Team Wisp followed Bishop around to maintain the paralysis damage. Tycen kept the pressure blow after blow.