Light from the early morning sun had barely begun to illuminate the forest floor where a group of vultures had gathered for a feast. Ripping and tearing into the flesh they fought over the choicest pieces. Not having been able to get to the crowded corpse, the smallest vulture turned as it smelled fresh drying blood nearby. Hopping over to the other body, the scrawny bird could tell it was still alive but with all the blood, it was sure to be dead soon. Pecking at the area with the most dried blood the bird was surprised when it was abruptly knocked away.

“I'm not dead! Get off of me! I'm not food!”

Danny shot up waving his arms and legs around without aim. Birds flew into the air and feathers fell to the ground like black snow. He took a minute to look around and gain his bearings.

Cupping his hands to his mouth he yelled, “Phantom!”

Danny waited a few moments for the cat before he noticed the smell coming from the half eating rotten goblin.

“Gross… Cranny, was kicking me out really necessary?”

*No, but morning was coming and we need to check on the caravan. Plus that one vulture was about to kick you out anyway, so I did you a favor before he really went to town.*

“….so, you’re not really part of me?”

*Nope, I am apparently a construct of the source. Two personalities can’t occupy one mind without serious psychological ramifications. Think of your sanctuary and, by extension, me as part of a remote magical server enhancing you.*

“So if I lose my connection to the source…”

*You will lose me. But don't worry, as you will be dead anyway, since you now run off of mana.*

“Cranny, you really missed your calling as a motivational speaker.”

Cranny chuckled and then there was a brief moment of silence. Small birds flew above the canopy, calling out to the morning.

Danny, scratched his arm and asked, “Do you think I have enough power now?”

Danny was starting to wonder if Cranny had heard him.

*I think we are almost there? Let's see how strong these elves are. They are all born with their mana unlocked already. Maybe they have knowledge that will give us the edge we need.*

Danny nodded, “Let's go see back. I hope they survived.”

Cranny didn't have to ask him who “they” were.

*I’m sure they are fine, don't worry. Don’t tell them about your upgrade. I don't know if that Arya will let us go to the elves if they find out. If you want to try anything, I would suggest experimenting a bit now before you go back.*

Danny really wanted to head back and check on his friends, but he needed to figure out what changes occurred before doing that. Who know what trouble he could cause?

“What's first, Cranny?”

*Try and use your magic like you have been. I will monitor what's happening on this end.”

Danny nodded and cast a fireball, stone spike, air blade, and grew a small tree from a sapling.

Putting his hands on his hips, Danny pondered as the mana used seemed to go a bit further but he couldn't tell how much of his mana he had used. He still wasn't used to the changes to his body.

*That’s interesting, try writing your name with flames in the air about two meters away.*

“Whaaaa? Ok, I will try, but you know that I have never managed to make anything more complex than simple shapes…”

Danny gathered mana and started to manipulate it into a “D” and then tried to make an “A”. Danny was shocked how easily it was.

*Danny, stop what you’re doing. I want you to try something else. Draw a dotted line with mana and continuously cast light on each dot outwards as far as you can.*

Danny didn't question him and did as he was told. The dots of light started popping briefly into existence in a long chain that suddenly started wobbling around as they traveled out into the distance.

"I couldn't see through the trees any further to cast, but I can tell that I can cast farther away, can't I?"

*It's better than that. You now have an area of around five meters where you can cast with little to no focus. After that the distance increases to somewhere around 500 meters, but at that range your spells would require massive amounts of mana to be effective. You would also have to be able to see that far, so it would not be very accurate. It is perfect for our scanning magic, though.*

"Wow, that’s crazy! Can you sense the caravan? I can sense what the scanning spells pick up but there is too much for me to focus on."

*Yes, I see them but there doesn't seem to be much movement. They appear to be staying put.*

"Alright, I want to test things out further, but we need to get back. Where is Phantom? Are you picking her up anywhere?"

*Nope, maybe she got tired of the stinking corpse... and that dead goblin over there.*

Danny ignored him and started calling out, but the cat must have wandered off too far to hear.

"Cranny, can you point me in the right direction for the caravan?"

*Here let me try something. Keeping you alive during the upgrade gave me the idea for being able to communicate with you by hacking into your ear's sensory cells. I am going to try the same to your eyes."

"What are you going... Ahhhhh!" Danny covered his eyes with his hands.

*Sorry! Sorry… I had that turned up to high. Try it now.*

Danny cautiously blinked and finally opened his eyes to look around, "What am I supposed to be seeing?"

*Turn your head until you see a faint flashing light. That will be in the direction you need to go."

Danny turned his head in the direction he thought he had flown from and noticed what Cranny was talking about.

"Thanks!" Danny took off in a jog towards the faint light that appeared in the distance.

Allowing his worries about the girls to surface, he took off at a fast pace. He had used a lot of his reserves to heal himself and was worried about how far he could make it in his current state. He was surprised after five minutes of jogging that he wasn't getting tired. His muscles had a slight ache but there wasn’t the burn he was used to feeling when pushing himself. He wasn't even breathing very hard.

Speaking without strain, Danny asked, "How far did I exactly fly?"

*You flew pretty far, but you had traveled a ways down the road to stop the group spell the goblin shamans were casting. I am taking you right back to the caravans location. Looks like they moved further back down the road.*

"Why am I not tired, or needing to breathe hard. This is kind of freaking me out."

*Remember, you are not getting tired because you are using mana instead of chemical energy. On top of that you don't really need oxygen anymore. There might be a few processes that require it, but your lungs are not very useful now except for when you want to talk or smell.*

Being distracted by what he was just told Danny almost tripped over something.

"Wait, so how much of my mana am I using right now?"

*Right now, you are only cutting into the amount of mana you regenerate, and not taking out of your reserves. When resting your body eats about a quarter of the regeneration, right now it’s getting near half.*

"So, I now have super speed!"

*No, you have super endurance. Stop trying to run and think. While you are puttering along for the marathon, your enemies are going to catch you before the 200 meter dash is even finished.*

Danny shrugged and mumbled defensively, "It’s still super."

Danny took off at a run and burst from the forest onto the road. The other side of the road was a vast clearing, filled with burned trees and underbrush. Dead bodies were littered everywhere.

This wasn't the merchant clearing the caravan had started in day before. Looking back to the north, Danny could make out the merchant clearing, filled with more corpses and the remains of the earthen fortifications the wizards had hastily put up. Past that, Danny thought he saw a massive crater in the ground. Large forest trees had been blown backwards away from the center of a large explosion of force.

Turning to the South, the remnants of the caravan were huddled behind a new earthen fortification. Looking like a small square fort, the wizards had obviously had more time to work on this one. Figures could be seen watching from stone towers erected at each corner.

As he approached he was hailed to by a soldier watching from the northwest tower. Word was passed, or shouted, down and part of the western wall opened to eject the Basalt trio, followed by Ivy and Brooke.

The large wizard opened his arms wide, "Danny! We thought you escaped back to Diadem. It got crazy there for a bit, but it wasn't anything me and my little ladies couldn’t handle.”

Arya stopped a distance away, eyes boring into Danny', "Yes, why are you back and why are you covered in dried blood and scorch marks?"

"Oh, these? Crazy story, you see I was..."

Arya interrupted him, "Danny, not long after the beginning of the battle there was a large explosion near the rear of the enemy formation. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

Danny, sighed. He had had enough of this farce. He didn’t know if it was the almost dying that was pushing him over the edge, but he was tired of playing the complacent fool he had grown accustomed too.

Cranny tried to interject and prevent what was about to happen, *Danny, don't forget what we talked about...*

Danny wasn't listening, "Fine! I was going to lie, and make this easy, but apparently you want to get me in trouble for saving your asses. Yes, I stopped the goblin shamans from releasing some dark ritual spell they were cooking up to kill you all. Then I was ejected into the forest and hit my head on a tree and woke up only a few minutes ago. Scream at me all you want, but all I care about is where they keep the food is around here? I had to heal quite a bit and I am starving!"

As he stomped away he glanced out of the corner of his eye. They were all staring at him in different states of shock.

Arya seemed to be recovering the fastest, her eyes squinting dangerously.

Danny, quickly walked back up to the woman. Jabbing his finger repeatedly into her chest, he fiercely whispered, "Oh, and before you begin. Go ahead, threaten me or my family again and I am out of here. I am sure after I show the elves what I am capable of, they will be able to help me get my family safely out of Diadem."

Wizard Basalt looked angry when Danny started jabbing his wife with his finger but then looked over at his wife in confusion at Danny's accusation."

Arya looked confused as well, "Threaten your family? Who threatened your family?"

Danny lost some of his bluster, "The Umbra... through instructor Meadows..."

Arya looked at her husband, who shook his head, "Danny, we never heard about this. We were just told to keep you safe at all costs and to do our best to not let the elven queen lure you away. What did Meadows say to you exactly?"

Danny went over the conversation he had with Meadows.

Arya, looked at him with concern in her eyes, "Danny, of course they don't want you to try and stay with the elves. We know they are sorcerers like you. Why wouldn't you want to stay with them?"

Danny looked around, "Bu... but then why did Meadows take a drink and act like what she was saying was really hard to do?"

Wizard Basalt scoffed, "Danny, everyone knows how Meadows gets when a new batch of recruits graduates. Can't go near her for days while she mopes. You were the last one for her to see off. So there at the end she probably really wanted to jump across the desk and give you a hug. I was told she had orders to pay special attention to you. She may have seem strict but she secretly is a big softy."

The wizard reached out and patty Danny affectionately on the back. Which meant Danny almost fell forward on his face.

Arya steadied him by grabbing hold of Danny's shoulder, "Danny, you are going to become an even more powerful sorcerer one day... Well, if you don't kill yourself first. What good would it do us to make you an enemy by threatening you or your family...? Come on Danny, let’s go get you some food. We can't have you wasting away.

Danny was numbly led into the fort. The opening in the wall closing behind them.