(Tyler)

Colt is fucking crazy.

But now I understand a little bit of his insanity. He did all of that just so that the Frost Giants would be wary of us. He didn't know if he'd actually kill or not – he wanted to make sure they knew we weren't just kids – but we were kids who could do some serious damage, even to nigh-immortal beings.

That, alone, would guarantee us an audience with their King, out of fear that we were hiding our real power. Once he openly declared we could cast those spells again, the Frost Giants knew that if we were closer, to where they were all in the range of the full power of the spells, then they would all die.

Colt first, to burn away their flesh and expose their insides, allowing my own spell to pierce them and freeze their insides without their fat and skin protecting them from it.

We approach the Frost Giants, standing about ten feet away from them.

They could probably reach us quickly, if they wanted to, but we're also fast enough that we could probably escape.

"You wish to speak with our King?" The Frost Giant who called out to use asks.

"I am Tyler zul Kielv," I introduce myself. "Heir to Kielv. I am on my Quest of Heirs, and my dreams showed me your people and your King. It would be much easier to get to your King if we didn't have to kill your people every time a party came across us and tried to kill us, like your party did, after seeing humans in your territory."

"Why do you want to speak with your King?" The Frost Giant asks, and I'm about to tell him that I have no fucking clue why the Quest wants me to meet their King, just that I'm supposed to, when Colt speaks up.

"That is the business of a prince and a King," Colt states simply. "Now are you gonna lead us to your King? Or are we going to just make our way there and have to kill more Frost Giants until we come across a party that will lead us there, or until we reach your King ourselves?"

"First demons," the Frost Giant 'mutters'. "Now kids," he then raises his voice. "Very well. We will lead you to our King. If you attempt to kill him, we will kill you."

"Yeah, yeah," Colt waves a hand, as if dismissing the statements. "It's not like we can't just kill you, and whatever other Frost Giants aren't around. That spell can't be blocked or decreased in power by putting yourself in front of others – it rises from the ground. We'd just wipe out all of you."

"If you ride on our shoulders," the Frost Giant says. "We can reach the castle in an hour. However, I doubt you could handle staying on us at such speeds."

"I can manipulate gravity," Colt states. What's that? "If I'm touching Tyler, I can extend my protection to him, and he'll be able to stay on as well. I thought Frost Giants were slow beings?"

"I am Kuri," the Frost Giant introduces himself. "I have lived for three hundred years, and have gained many Skills since the System was implemented."

"I thought only your King was that old?" Colt asks.

"Hahahahahahaha!" The Frost Giant laughs, and the others chuckle. "We live for hundreds of years, human! Most Frost Giants are older than the System! Those of us in this party can accelerate our speed to a great degree."

"Why didn't you do it when you attacked us?"

"From that short of a distance?" Kuri asks, then laughs. "We'd run right past you! We were going to allow the wolves to devour you, as they'd gain more Experience, but it seems that wasn't a possibility. It has been quite a long time since I last knew of a Kielvarn who could use Rising Frost, and once again, and I have been reminded of its frightening powers. If you two can stay on us, then we will utilize that Skill."

Colt nods, so Kuri lifts us up onto his shoulders, and I as I wonder what gravity is (is it the force that binds us to this world?), Colt reaches around the Frost Giant's head and puts a hand on my shoulder. When he does, I feel a strange power flowing around me, the air around me suddenly feeling weaker as I feel myself almost cemented on the Frost Giant.

Kuri puts his hands up and grabs us, holding us, and then speaks something in his language, and then we're off.

He's moving so fast that I can't even register anything passing by – it's all a blur to me.

As we move, Colt keeps a firm grip on my shoulder, his face scrunched in concentration as he wields the spell for a full hour. When we finally stop at the wooden walls of their city, a collection of huts arranged within, Colt releases the spell, and then falls off Kuri's shoulder.

Kuri catches him, looking at him carefully.

"He's passed out," Kuri comments. "I'm not surprised, with how long he sustained that spell. To think he still had the Mana to do so for an hour is impressive. Gravity magic is a myth among our legends."

"So you know it?" I ask, and he nods. "What is it?"

"Gravity," the Frost Giant looks up. "Is the force that keeps us from floating off this planet. It causes anything that goes up to come back down. Gravity is also what draws our moons into their orbit around the world, and the world's orbit around the sun's. Gravity Mages are but stories to our people. Come, let us seek our King. I will carry your companion."

Kuri leads me deep into the city, past curious Frost Giants and Frost Wolves and Snow Wolves. They all want to know why humans were brought into their city.

We reach the castle at the other end of the city, set into a cliff in the mountain, and Kuri speaks with the guards, who begin to argue with him. Kuri then says something firmly, and then allow us to enter.

Kuri takes us deep into the castle, until we enter the throne room I saw in my dreams, a Frost Giant probably thirty feet in height sitting upon the throne, a massive crown woven of stone and ice atop his head, rich furs draped across his shoulders and legs, his muscular torso bare.

"Why have you brought humans into my castle?" The King asks in Common, sounding thoroughly annoyed.

"This is Tyler zul Kielv," Kuri drops to one knee, picking me up and setting me down on the ground. "Prince of Kielv. The sleeping boy is his companion. As old and wise as you are, you have Appraisal few can resist. Before you seek further questions, I request, as your Chief General, that you use it on them."

The King looks at me, then at Colt, then at Kuri.

"They have slain our kind, and you bring them to us?"

"We attacked first, Your Majesty," Kuri responds. "I was spared damage from the companion's Rising Flames from being out of range, but most of our party was wiped out or burned from it. The boy then killed Nal, who stood closest to them. Prince Tyler than used Rising Frost, focusing into a single target, and killed Tila. Nal and Tila had been ravaged badly by the flames of the boy's spell, and were unable to defend. It appears that they are on a Quest of Heirs, and their goal was to see you."

"And you didn't kill them after?"

"I could have cast it a second time," I speak up. "And Colt, the monster that he is, probably could have used Rising Flames twice more. He learned new magics just in that fight, specifically to fight against Nal. He even learned to use the magic that binds us to the world-"

"A Gravity Mage?" The King interrupts me, looking at Colt. "To think another would appear."

"Appear?" I ask, and the King's gaze turns thoughtful, and he doesn't respond. I look at Kuri, who shrugs, then back to the King. "Sir, I have no idea why my Quest of Heirs required me to come here, and am hoping you could shed some insight, if you had it."

"A Gravity Mage," the King repeats himself, stroking his chin. "It has been nearly six hundred years since one came to this world."

Came to this world?

"I was but a boy," the King states. "When he appeared in this world. He lived here for nearly twenty years before he came to our village. He was the first and last human we had been friends with in a very long time. Your friend appears to have some of his characteristics. If he is your companion, then I will listen, until you give me cause to view you as an enemy. The fire swirling within him matches the last Gravity Mage's."

"As I said," Inwardly, I sigh at the fact that he didn't pay attention to what I said. "I don't know why I'm here – the dreams only showed me you and your people, nothing more. If you had any insight on what I'm supposed to do here, that would be welcome."

"Put the Mage in a room," the King orders another Frost Giant, and I feel like I'm being ignored. I'm a prince, and Colt is paid more attention. "Notify me when he wakes."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the Frost Giant bows, then approaches Kuri.

"Make sure he is unharmed," the King orders. "I will not have a Gravity Mage injured. They are terrifying beings, and there is a reason I have ensured the legend has passed down, even if I am the only one left alive to remember him."

The Frost Giant nods, then takes Colt from Kuri and leaves the throne room. I look back to the King, wondering if he will finally speak with me.

"As for your reason," the King looks at me. "I have been thinking, and cannot think of one. Our people are enemies, and I see no reason why that should change, and nor do your people. We have come to a mutual agreement to remain within our own territories, and save each other the hassle of battle. The only reason you still live, human, is because of your Title, and your friend."

Then why else could we be here?

A Frost Giant enters the throne room and approaches the King, bowing before stepping beside him and saying something in their language. The King looks irritated, then snarls something. The other Frost King bows, then leaves.

"It appears," the King looks back to me. "That danger lurks outside. Once the threat is clear, and your friend has recovered, I will have you seen back to your territory, human."

"Demons?" I ask, and he frowns at me, clearly not happy at being interrupted. I realize something. "You're dealing with demons, too. Kielv is struggling under demonic attacks, and Colt and I will eventually be needed. Our Instinct Spells, Rising Frost and Rising Flames, are powerful enough to wipe out massive numbers of them at a time. In addition to that, the two of us are capable of casting a large number of weaker spells. Judging by your expression earlier, you're having quite the time with them – worse than we humans are. If you'd be willing to accept the aid of your enemies, then Colt and I will assist you for a short time."

"The demons," he says. "Come from a series of caves not far from here. As we go within them, we feel our power beginning to drain, our Aura growing weak. The few Frost Giants who use magics say the same thing happens to their magic and Mana. If you and the Gravity Mage can assist us in clearing those in our next raid, then I will forgive your trespassing and murders."

Your people attacked us first.

"Caves?" I ask.

The Dreams. They led me to him, so that he'd tell me about the caves. There's a threat rising against our people – both of our peoples – and they know where it's coming from. They don't know all of the information, though.

"How far have you gotten into the caves?" I ask. "And have the numbers of demons appearing been greater as time passes?"

"We can't make it far in," he responds. "Our Aura and magic becomes too weak too fast. However, a large force of us will be entering in two weeks' time. We will attempt to brute-force our way through the caves, and hope that we don't lose too many to the demons' magics."

So the demons aren't affected by the drain, then.

"Do you know something?" He asks. "Your tone implied that you did."

"I do," I nod. "Though Colt knows it better than I do. According to him, the mountain said that, deep within the mountain, a sealed demon is waiting, his seal fading away. The rise in demonic presences is likely a result of that. We were going to do my Quest of Heirs, then seek out that seal and fill it with more magic, to seal it back up. Supposedly, the two of us, together, could make it more permanent."

"Then the seal," the King says. "Is likely within those caves."

"Indeed," I nod. "What do you say to a joint force where the two of us assist you in going as far into the caves as possible, killing as many demons as possible, and getting us to the Seal, so that Colt and I can bind it up."

At least, I think that's my understanding. Or maybe it's just a bunch of demons being bound up, and the seal weakening?

I'm not entirely sure. Colt knows best, but he's currently unconscious.

"Very well," the King says. "We have an agreement, though I do believe you two will need to train physically, before you can go in. In two weeks, the two of you should gain a fair bit more strength and endurance, as your magic and Aura won't be able to protect you."

Knowing Colt, he'll find a way to ignore the dampener.

After the agreement, the King orders a Frost Giant to give me a room, and I'm led away. The room is massive, and instead of a bed, there's a nest of straw covered in furs. As I'm settling in, finding it more comfortable than I expected, a servant brings in a platter of food.

The King doesn't fully trust me, but he'll work with me, as we're both working against the demons, and it's a threat that affects us heavily, unlike the Frost Ogres, which are mostly just stupid creatures.

We can both kill Frost Ogres without too much hassle. While we humans can only chase off the Frost Giants, the same team that would do that could kill a Frost Ogre. Colt and I could probably kill them by ourselves, and if not, as a team, just the two of us.

A Frost Giant enters the room.

"What melee Classes do you posses?" He asks.

I give him all of the ones I posses.

"Do you have Lance Mastery or Shields Mastery?" He asks, and I shake my head. "If you want to survive without magic or Aura, you'll need more combat-based Classes. Knight will be a boon."

"You need Lance Mastery and Shields Mastery for it?" I ask, and he nods. "That explains why we haven't gotten it yet, then – we have Swords, Knife, and Martial Arts, but not those two."

"I'll bring a lance and shield of human proportions," he says. "So that you may begin to work on learning their Skills."

"Can you bring two sets?" I try to ignore how they gained human gear. "I will train with Colt when he wakes."

"Magic exhaustion," the Frost Giant says. "Will knock a human out for at least eight hours. The higher their Mana Pool, the longer they will be out. Your companion will likely be out for a full day."

"Hey, Tyler!" Colt walks in with impeccable timing. "I woke up on this giant next, and YOU HAVE ONE, TOO!"

"Hey, Colt," I wave to him. "Looks like we need Lance Mastery and Shields Mastery to gain Knight. They'll be supplying us with lances and shields to train with."

"How are you awake?" The Frost Giant asks Colt. "And don't expect to gain Knight immediately. You'll need to work hard to gain it, and-"

"Yeah, yeah," Colt waves a hand dismissively again, keeping his eyes on me. "We'll probably gain it quickly. So, so, so! What did the Frost Giant King say? What do we have to do here?"

"He doesn't know, either," I answer. "But it appears that there are caves nearby that the demons are coming from. I'm guessing the big one we're supposed to seal back up is deep within."

"Seal back up?" Colt looks confused. "We were supposed to exterminate the hordes of demons, Tyler. There were armies of them sealed within the mountain, and as it's grown weaker, the seal has, too. These demons are probably just the weaker ones, the seal around them fading sooner. The stronger ones are probably all bound up, too, but we're not sealing them back up or anything. Once we clear the threat, we need to locate the mountain's Deity Core and cleanse it with our magic, since it's been poisoned by the presence of the demons. Though I guess that it's probably deep within those caves, past or near the seals. There probably are going to be some pretty big, powerful demons for us to fight, too."

"Oh," I say. "I had it all wrong, then."

"Yup!" He nods. "Wanna race to see who can gain Knight first?"

Colt holds up a hand, and fire swirls around it, a lance forming from the flames. A shield of fire forms on his other arm, and I look at the Frost Giant.

"Colt and I are going to spar, now," I say. "Thanks for the offer of the equipment."

(Colt)

That was so much fun! Tyler and I sparred for probably twenty minutes before we were exhausted, and that's a lot! I know most combat doesn't last that long, especially in melee fights, so that was incredible! Plus, neither of us ran out of Mana, despite sustaining those spells for so long!

Not only did I unlock Knight, but I unlocked something even cooler!

Burning Knight: A knight of fiery power, you draw your strength and honor from the fires within

+5 STR, +3 END, +3 INT, +2 VIT

That's so cool! It gives way more stats than any of my other Classes so far have! I really, really hope I can use it on my next Tier! That would be an amazing boost!

Tyler got Frost Knight, which gives the same stats!

Oh, right! We're going rogue next time! But at least we can grab the Knight Classes when we hit Level 30!

"Hey, Tyler!" I grin at him. "Want to see if we can unlock a magic-based rogue Class?"

"We already have," he tells me.

"We have?" I ask, and he nods.

I pull up the menu.

Flame Rogue: A rogue initiated in flames, your prowess is to be feared

+5 AGI, +3 INT, +3 STR, +2 WIL

"Let's take that at Level 40!" I tell him.

"Yeah!" He nods. "And if we can get its next Level or two, we can hopefully take that on for our Third Tier!"

A Frost Giant knocks on the door, then enters the room.

"If you two would like to train some more," he says. "And would like to gain Levels while you're at it, and have some energy leftover from your sparring, a hunting party is going out to slaughter some Frost Ogres. For humans, a kill grants a sizable amount of Experience. The two of you might gain a few Levels from a single kill, even in your Second Tier."

"I've got plenty of Mana left!" I nod.

"Same!" Tyler nods.