Tara was bored, her and Akash's birthday had passed not too long ago and their ascension had been just as grandiose as her brothers. Even more so actually as word of their blessing had spread a few months before it. Right now Tara and her brother were starting their basic medication opening their mind space to start their paths as mages.

Tara was bored because just sitting meditating and pulling in the ambient mana the way her mother taught her. She barely had the patience to sit still on regular days let alone now. The only reason she bothered anyway was because the obstacles course her brother set up for himself would be used by them as well. Magic targets flying everywhere and even at them. Forcing them to move to avoid being hit. This was clearly a battle mage sort of training but now it was even more intensive because of the guards using their own powers to make the targets move in erratic ways. When Tara first watched her brother do the course she fell in love. The way he used his magic to defend, while simultaneously attacking.

She wanted to do that not this boring meditation.

"Focus your mind."

"I'm trying mom, but I don't think mediation is for me," Tara pouted.

Tara opened her eyes. She could see the amusement in her mother's gaze.

"How are you suppose to 'catch up' to your big brother knight Tara?" Her mother gazed at her warmly and Tara turned her eyes away blushing before returning to her mediation.

…

"Tara… Tara… TARA!" With a start, Tara woke up from her sleep. Her eyes slowly adjusted. It was pitch black inside her room with only the starlight to see by. That was more than enough for the twins as they looked at one another. One of the abilities unlocked by their blessing.

Akash was dressed and ready to go. Tara quickly got up and Akash helped by packing her gear. They were sneaking out to go on an adventure! Staying in the castle was so boring so Tara hashed a plan with Akash to sneak outside the castle to the city. He was against it originally but with enough fake tears and whining Tara eventually got him to come around.

"We need to wait 5 minutes for the guard shift to change."Akash closed his eyes and concentrated. He could sense the guards on patrol when he focused. Another gift from his blessing. Any living creature under starlight could be sensed by him.

That ability was the main reason Tara included Akash in her escapade. She finished strapping her dagger to her waist. A gift from her older brother. He prepared gifts for all the years he is gone for and the dagger had become her favorite. It was a slightly curved blade with a ruby embedded at the end of its hilt. Inside the ruby was her initials as fire forever burning. Akash had the same except his jewel was blue.

Tara put her hands together and said a small prayer to the Star God. As she prayed starlight started to accumulate within her body. She reached out and grabbed Akash's hand turning them both incorporeal. This was her second ability. Under starlight, none shall be aware of her presence.

They slowly crept along the hallways and corridors avoiding the guards all throughout. Using a side doorway they slipped outside. The easy part was done. Now they need to sneak past the wall surrounding the castle. Fortunately, there were side doors for guards and other servants to use when leaving.

As they crept towards the wall Akash suddenly spoke up.

"I think we should turn back… I… I don't think this is a good idea anymore."

Tara rolled her eyes before responding to her brother.

"We are literally 10ft away from the wall. Of all times to chicken out why now? Come on let's just go!"

"I really don't think we should go. What if… what if someone attacks us? Besides what do you want to see out there anyway?

Tara took a long look at her brother. Her face showed surprise while her eyes showed disdain.

"Don't be a coward! No Kan is a coward."

At those words, Akash straightens up. They heard too many stories of their relatives to not be proud of who they were. A door slammed shut startling the both of them and Akash false bravado was gone.

"You still haven't said why you wanted to go outside."

"Because we've never seen the city by ourselves. I want to see what the commoners are really like with no guards surrounding us. I heard stories from Alex but unless I see it personally I won't believe it," Tara said with finality in her tone.

She then dragged Akash and entered the wall. Only to be greeted by their two personal maids.

"Good evening young lady Tara," Rose, Tara's personal maid said.

"Good evening young master Akash," Lily, Akash's personal maid said.

Tara stared daggers at the two of them. They were both twins just like Tara and Akash.

"Gods, how did my father manage to find two of the most annoying maids and how did they manage to come out as twins."

The half-elven girl Lily's ears dropped a bit while Rose pointed straighter. One seems to take it as a compliment and the other as an insult.

"Young lady watch your language least I report it to your mother. You are late by roughly 6 minutes 23 seconds. I expected better with the utilization of your abilities." Rose sent a glare in Tara's direction as if they should have snuck out faster.

"Thank you young master for speaking up."

Tara shot daggers through her eyes and let Akash's hand go revealing the both of them.

"You betrayed me?"

"It wasn't on purpose. I swear!"

Tara looked at the maids, who in turn, were looking at her then she looked at Akash.

Akash gave out a sheepish grin.

"I accidentally said something and Lily overheard but I made her promise not to tell anyone! I swear it!" Akash now sent a pointed glance in Lily's direction hoping to change the target of his sister's ire.

"You can't blame Lily I'm not just 'anyone' I'm her twin!" Rose spoke up to defend her sister.

By now a small crowd of guards gathered to watch the spectacle. Tara sighed in defeat more and more people were arriving making their escape impossible. No wonder it was too easy to get here. Now that she looked back on their journey so far it was like the guards were purposely moving out of their way.

Tara threw her hands up in frustration before turning around to leave. She took a few steps then seeming to remember something she turns around again and grabs Akash's hand before returning to the castle. She saw her mother standing in the very doorway they used to leave. Tara let out a groan and went to face the fire.

><>

Shadow Bolt observed the young boy as they walked further into the Catacombs. She barely spoke to him and in return, he chose to ignore her as well. His guard was constantly up, in fact, Shadow Bolt was surprised at how well he kept paying attention to his surroundings. With all that being said she did notice how sometimes the boy's eyes would glaze over and his attention drawn to something else. It was almost like he was reading something. Shadow Bolt noted this down. She would report it to the Duke later.

Shadow Bolt thought back on how she ended up as a guard for the Duke in the first place. She thought of her home and the tradition of elves to send their coming-of-age children out into the wider world after gaining their Title. Most choose to stay within their forest satisfied with the lifestyle they've to know for over 50 years. The rare few like her choose to go out into the wider world and explore. This was her second year of employment for the Duke. Serving as one of his eyes and ears. You would think as someone entirely new to the wider world and the Dukedom she wouldn't be hired as a spy. Yet amongst the things, the elves were known for betrayal was not one of them. Bonds and Covenants are scared to the elven society and Bond Breakers or Covenants Crackers are dealt with the harsher of punishments. If the bond or covenant is worth a life then the criminal would pay with life. If not they are branded on the forehead for all to see. No elf would solicitude with one who is considered beneath a bug, they are all but outcast. So the elven people were trusted. Shadow Bolt was trusted as a spy for the Dukedom as she created a Bond with the Duke himself.

Her mission was to accompany the Young Master and make sure he doesn't get into too deep of a shit to pull himself out of. She was a rank 4 powerhouse on the verge of promoting herself to rank 5. She took the path of magic reinforcement as most of the elven society venturing outside does and could cast devastating range spells through her crossbow.

"Why do you not speak?" Shadow Bolt opened her mouth to ask the young man.

"I am plenty knowledgeable about the currents of the Catacombs. If you have questions, now is the time to ask them."

The boy took a long look at her before opening his mouth to speak.

"Why speak when you have nothing to say? Although I haven't received a full rundown of the Catacombs. What you've told me and what I have is enough. I have a mission that I need to complete no matter the cost."

"Very well, we're about 2 days away from the city of Comb. In a day's time period we will begin to run into guards and other delvers. I will take the lead in any interactions. Is that fine?"

"Do as you must."

Shadow Bolt internally shook her head either the Young Master was unsociable or he was keeping up a facade to outsiders. Either way, Shadow Bolt planned on doing her duty and keeping the Young Master safe from threats too big for him to handle.

><>

A.K. studied the elven lady in front of him. They had stopped to set up camp and were currently grilling food. When they first started traveling A.K. was wary of her and didn't show he had a spacial bag. However, after she pulled out a few items from her satchel that were more than enough to take all the room in a regular bag A.K. did the same. He had pots and pans but hadn't used them preferring to grill his meat. A.K. snickered. He had been doing that a lot lately. So he recalled jokes from Earth to help the time go by.

The Catacombs were dangerous having an entire ecosystem of strange plants and creatures. Just 2 days ago A.K. and Shadow Bolt ran into a field of wildflowers all emitting a blue glow. They avoided the pursuit of a pack of ghouls. The creatures seemed to be more and more active within the area as of late. A.K. had picked some of the wildflowers before Shadow Bolt pointed out a flower that was smaller than the rest but glowed the brightest. When A.K. attempted to pull that one out its roots wrapped around a skull came loose as well. Deskull Flowers. Each one held potent life energy growing from the skull of a stained being. A.K. had discovered plenty of strange objects throughout it all.

"Whats the eleven societies like?"

Shadow Bolt looked up at him in surprise then suspicion almost as if she expected him to stay quiet all the time. A.K. stayed quiet because he was studying the woman. She was too skilled in the way she walked, her steps made no noise.

Her eyes turned into crescents and A.K. assumed she was smiling. As she never removed her face covering. She even turned away to eat.

"Well, what is it like growing up, being an elf, or what exactly? Your question covers a broad range of topics to talk about."

"Whats the surroundings like. All my life I have known nothing but stone and walls. The only times I was outside was either to practice or to be shipped away from one castle to another."

"It's beautiful… Trees as tall as mountains the further you go into the elven empire. We don't live on the ground or hide within stone like men. We live free from tree to tree forest to forest. The sun always shines upon the elven lands."

A.K. snacked on his grilled meat as he pondered what the elf said. He wondered how their society would react to System his mission that hadn't bothered to enforce itself. Before he left he did commission several nodes to be built.

"If you had a being able to categorize and help you build and understand your power better would you use it?"

Shadow Bolt cocked her head to the side ears slightly flopping along with her. She was silent for a few moments before, thinking about the question.

"Would this being be harmful to me or anyone of my kin?"

"No, at least I don't think so. It more or less wants to assist you on how to better utilize your power and increase it."

"Then I would take it. Outside of your walls, there are monsters and beasts. Although the Empire has done its best to slay most of the higher ranking monsters within its boards there are many between the rank 2-10 available. The same goes for the elven society. The same goes for most of the races struggling for survival on this continent. Have you heard of the Dark Forest?"

A.K. shook his head he read upon the Dark Forest but truly didn't know what it entailed.

"It's the other half of our continent. On the borders of the Gnome Proprietaries. It constantly spews out monsters and beasts. Most rank 6-8, if a hoard has gathered a rank 10 would be behind it with a few rank 9s as generals. Every so often a rank 15 or higher beast will appear. If the gnomes didn't defend our borders with their technologies the elven society would've long fallen. Once an incursion made it deep past the Gnome Proprietaries roughly 40 years prior. Half a million of my people died fighting most civilians. I watched my parents die to protect me. So yes, yes I would take it."

A.K. watched the elf carefully she was no longer staring at him but off into the distance eyes hollow as she remembered her past.

'Initiate Induction'

It came on a whim. A.K. hoped he wouldn't come to regret his brash decision.