Chapter 4

As Tyriel sat there he decided he would practice his meditation while he waited for the food to be done, he wasn’t too worried about being attacked. While his channels haven’t progressed, his awareness of his surroundings had, he could now keep track of what was going on around him without losing concentration. He lost himself in feeling his mana and circulating it through his body trying to gain incite, all the while secure in the knowledge his senses would warn him if something should come near.

Which is why he jumped when he heard a voice right next to him “Well met Young one. I have brought you a bowl of Crorig’s stew.” Opening his eyes he found the Tigra kneeling in front of him with a bowl in one hand and a chunk of bread in the other. “Um. Thank you. My name is Tyriel.” he stuttered out while trying to regain his composer. She smiled, now that the tigress was closer he could tell it was a she, her coloring and markings were very much like an earth tiger though the oranges and blacks were darker. She was wearing simple clothes with piercings on her ears. She nodded at him, “I am called Kasric. Enjoy your meal.” She turned away standing to walk back towards the center of camp, then stopped and turned her head back at him, “You won’t be able to improve your channels till all have been opened. Did your mentor not tell you that?”

Tyriel was taken aback by this statement, “I had no teacher what I know came from a book mentioning only six channels. There are more?” she smiled again this time showing off some impressive fangs “That explains it. The book was for humans who only have six, humanoids like the rest of us can have more. I as a beast-kin have nine channels, elves usually have eight, tho you, I suspect have more than the average elf.” he jerked “Why do you say that, what makes me different?” she leaned forward and in a whisper “Your not an elf. We beast-kin don’t know what you are but your no elf, your smell says predator. But do not worry we will not tell as long as you are no threat to us.” with a pat to his head she walked away before he could respond. They knew he wasn’t really an elf, evidently, the mask didn’t cover smells only image.

The other thing that came to mind was how he was supposed to find out what his other channels were so he could open them. Maybe he could ask her what theirs were, which he could then try to see if his were the same. Otherwise, he would be forced to experiment to find them, which thinking about it he would probably have to do since he could have more than them or different ones.

Shaking his head he left it for later, setting his bowl in his lap he broke off a hunk of bread and dipped it in his stew surprised to find it had a deep hearty flavor after taking a bite. While eating he looked over the camp, noticing the beast-kin ate by themselves, while the elves and dwarf ate with the humans by the fire. Only the humans were sitting on chairs while having the elves fill their drinks and bring them more bread or stew. Watching how they interacted with each other confirmed his suspicion that the humans were the only hired help, the others were indentured servants.

Returning the bowl to a stack he found by the fire he bid them all good night, then spread his blankets under the wagon while using his pack as a pillow. Laying down he pulled the blanket over him to conceal drawing one of his blades, he would sleep lightly tonight with a blade in hand. He closed his eyes, then to calm his mind so he could sleep he sent his senses inside to search out the missing channels if he could.

He tried thinking about where to start, what could there be he already opened all his appendages, wait no he hadn’t he remembered he had a tail. He sent his senses to his lower back, could he detect it if he wasn’t in his real form? Probing around he searched but didn’t find anything, then just to try he grabbed hold of a thread of mana and brought it to the area. As it got closer he got excited he was picking up a similar feeling he got when he did with his other channels. Suddenly he saw it, he quickly threaded the mana through the new channel and back to his core ending with circulating it for awhile. Finally, it started on its own, while he watched it the mental exhaustion took over and he drifted into sleep.

Tyriel was happy to wake up without finding his throat slit or robbed, maybe he was just being paranoid. Although there was still a long night ahead of him, with this world having longer days and nights it just meant they haven't tried anything yet. He hasn’t been around people enough to know how they did things here, he would have to watch and bring his habits to mirror theirs.

Scanning around the camp as he continued to lay still, he found half the camp was awake while the rest had turned in for sleep. Two guards and three of the Lupins were up, the guards walking the perimeter, with the canines working on items around the fire. It appeared they were patching and repairing wagon harnesses, stretching he got up, then packed up all his stuff. Leaving his pack by the wheel he walked over to the fire sitting down so he could get a view of his pack, the canines only reacted with a twitch of their ears and curling of their tails around their waist.

“Hello. Is it okay if I sit with you?” he belatedly asked as he saw the reaction to his sitting. One of them with a little gray on his chin ducked his head “Yes Lord. You may sit where you like. We can move to work somewhere else.” with that, they started picking up their stuff to move. “No, you don’t have to move, I just couldn’t sleep anymore and wished to watch your craft to ease the rest of the night.” he hurriedly told them. Almost reluctantly they sat back down and went back to work, he could tell they weren’t comfortable with him being there.

Trying to ease their fears, he asked if it was alright to ask them questions while they worked. The older one said it was okay as long as they finished before morning. After talking with them for hours asking small unimportant questions they finally relaxed a little, while he had learned they were called Lupins originating from the far north. They worked for Kraim as wagon drivers and stevedores, hauling his goods from place to place in pursuit of business.

They wouldn’t tell him their names, nor use his name preferring to address him as lord or Tachros, which in their language meant hunter. When he asked why they keep calling him hunter all their heads whipped up and stared at him, surprised he knew what it meant. “Sorry, Lord! We meant no disrespect, it means the same as lord in our culture.” the older one was quick to seek forgiveness. “I’m not offended. Just curious why you use it for me, I’m sure there's more to it than just that?”

Quickly looking around he leaned over to Tyriel “You smell like a predator, Lupins only ever smelled prey, our senses tell us we are prey to you.” Tyriel raised his eyebrows at this, clearly, they could tell his true nature just not what it was. “You have nothing to fear from me lest you betray or harm me. Do we have an accord?” Tyriel just as quietly replied. “Yes, Tachros? It will be as you said.” and all of them raised their heads exposing their throats which he decided meant their acknowledgment to his dominance. He then got up leaving them to their work, he went back over to his pack planning to search for more pathways till they were ready to travel. Getting comfortable he decided he would just grab another thread, then move it around his body like earlier and see if he could detect the other paths.

This actually proved beneficial as it not only increased the ease he was able to move his mana, it also helped him find five more pathways. Two surprisingly were near both shoulder blades, the others were his eyes, throat, and ears. He started threading them in, feeding mana through them one at a time till they were all connected becoming more exhausted as he went till he arrived at the last one, his eyes. It took all of his will to force himself to keep going, then suddenly his mana core flashed and all his channels surged with mana washing away his exhaustion.

He marveled at the sight of his channels widening, the feeling coursing through him was intoxicating as his body absorbed the mana from these channels swelling his tissues. Opening his eyes he was greeted by the sight of the Lupins all gazing at him with their ears laid back while Kasric stood beside them with her ears laid back and tail all puffed out.

He sheepishly shrugged his shoulders and mumbled an apology. She took a breath and visibly relaxed “I see you found them. Congratulations now you can grow. Some future advice, it's generally wise not to do that around mana-sensitive people.” She chuffed and went back to her wagon, while the Lupins stared a minute longer then realized what they were doing and spun back to their work.

{Mana sense Level 1, Mana Research Level 1} {+1 to Self-discipline} {Racial bonuses have been activated, You have been awarded 3000 exp successful research award} {Status unavailable till 1st Level}

Nice to know all that was worth it, he roughly figured he was just over halfway to making his level, he either needed to kill more stuff or discover new things. He didn’t like flying blind especially with having to worry that if he asked anyone the wrong question it would give him away. The beast-kin already knew he wasn’t an elf, he got lucky that they wouldn’t tell anyone at least not yet.

After a while the camp started getting more active, the Lupthinians put up their work coming back with swords and medium round shields. Kasric, the last Lupin, and the three elves also came over to the fire. Kasric had a great-sword across her back while the elves awkwardly held spears. Kasric got everyone lined up with the Lupins in the front while the elves stood behind them, then she started running them through drills for all the world reminding him of a drill sergeant in the military. She had the elves stabbing forward between the Lupins into imaginary foes that were being blocked by shields, then the Lupins would angle their shields and stab forward with their swords.

Once some of the guards were up she had them act as attackers for her troops to defend against as the dwarf Crorig made breakfast. Tyriel wandered over next to Crorig asking if he needed help this morning with the cooking. “Awk. Th’t bea right kinda ye Lordship. But nair ye fear, old Crorig gat this.” he knuckled his brow “Ye jus sit ther and watch tha show and I’ll hav fud in a bit.”

It was hard to understand him, but Tyriel got the gist of what he was saying. “What are they doing? Practicing encase we get attacked on the road.?” looking sideways to the dwarf as he worked. “Nah. They bea getting redy for that dair doongeon in Telenburg. They hav’ too roon et when we gat dair. They hope ta power level te pointie ears in et.” suddenly Crorig remembered who he was talking to “Sorry ye Lordship didna mean insoolt to ye! Please forgiv an ole dwarrf?”

Tyriel could hear the fear in the dwarf’s voice and quickly reassured him it was okay, he took no offense. Crorig nodded looking relieved and went back to cooking avoiding any further talk, so Tyriel went back to watching the others practice. The elves were trying to learn, well the two males were, the female kept complaining about why she had to learn. She was saying this all in English so only those from earth understood what she was saying.

She was going on about how barbaric it was to force her to fight or do half the other things she was made to do. she was just waiting to get to the city so she could get someone from the government to punish these people. She just couldn’t accept she wasn’t on earth anymore, her world had changed, she would either cope or perish. Her rant lasted until the other Light elf blew his cool slapping her across the face and screaming at her to shut up before she got them killed.

She fell down and stared at him in surprise then anger as she regrouped her emotions,” Did you see that! He struck me! A woman! punish him!” she yelled in common, directing her gaze at the Lupins. They just stood there cocking their heads at her, Kasric walked over “Of course he did your fucking up training.” she back slapped the male on her way by him, which sent him to the ground to lay still. standing in front of the female elf, “That wasn’t for him hitting you, that was for him taking upon himself to discipline you which is my right.” she reached down yanking her up to her feet only to slap her back to the ground. Kasric then walked over to grab a pale of water, coming back and up-ending it over both of them.

When she saw they were coherent she gave them a steely glare “Fuck up again and you both go back into the box.” this last was delivered in a cold voice, Tyriel saw both elves go pale and stammer out apologies. Kasric told them to quit then addressed all of them, telling them to put up their gear then go get breakfast. They were to eat fast then start packing the camp, if they were late starting there would be punishments dealt out. The elves took off at a run, the Lupins just merely bobbed their heads and walked back to one of the wagons.

Kraim walked up while Tyriel was watching and asked how he slept, he told him it was the best rest he’s had since the ambush. Then he changed the topic asking Kraim why he had them training for a dungeon, he thought Kraim was a merchant. Kraim told him it was to level the elves as they couldn’t grow if they weren’t level one and running them through a dungeon was the fastest way to accomplish that, otherwise, they were worthless and a drain on finances.

Kraim grabbed some food then pulled out his own watch, though unlike Tyriels it was bronze, after looking at it he told Tyriel after the wagons were loaded he could choose one to ride in, Tyriel asked him how his time-piece worked. Holding it out to him with pride he told him that each one of the numbers represented a mark of the turning when they used sand glasses, while the sun or moon told you where in the day it was. then he walked over to his tent. Tyriel went to collect his stuff, then stood out of the way while the loading was done. Once all was packed he made a point of watching where Kasric would ride then made his way to that wagon, his intent being to try and ply her for more information about the dungeons and the system.

She gave him a slight look when he climbed into the wagon, then shook her head, tapping the driver on the shoulder after verifying all wagons were ready, wit a crack of the reins the train got going. He situated himself in a comfortable position as best he could, then once they were on the main road he tried engaging her in conversation. “Hey, Kasric! I was wondering if you would be willing to answer some questions I have about the system and dungeons? I want to be prepared for when I get it, also I’m willing to pay if that is necessary.” he added the paying part as an afterthought, if someone is reluctant money usually gets them over it. She chuffed at him, which he started associating with her way of laughing.

“Keep your money young-ling your going to need it, talking will help pass the time. Though I do have a condition. I’ll answer your questions if you answer some I have deal?” this set him back a minute, while he wanted her knowledge he wasn’t sure if he wanted to trust someone with his secrets. Biting his lip while thinking he decided on a path “I will agree to that if you give your word it stays with you not to be spread to anyone else, If that is acceptable then we have terms.” She cocked her head at him then chuffed again, a few seconds later a contract appeared in front of him. It basically said that she would answer any question to the best of her ability and that he would answer any question put to him, neither of them could pass on the information gained nor use it against the other individual.

He accepted the contract which spurred his first question “First one, How do these contracts work to enforce the terms?” This earned him his first full on belly laugh from her, it was so loud their driver plus the next two wagons all stared at her. She held up her hands indicating him to wait, after everyone went back to what they were doing and she composed herself she answered his question. “Oh young-ling! You do know how to play close to your chest. The system enforces the contracts by binding them to your soul, if you break the terms of a contract you could cause irreparable damage to it if not actually destroying it depending how bad you broke them.”

“The system takes the spirit of the negotiations and puts it into the contract, each person knows what the contract entails and understands it, if you don’t understand what will result from the contract you can not accept it. The system doesn’t allow trickery.” she leaned back getting comfortable as she explained “Your soul determines how you will be reborn in the universe, the more damaged your soul is the worse your rebirth is. If your soul is destroyed you no longer exist in the universe. Understand?”

He nodded, those were some terrifying punishments, he could see why people took them seriously even Kraim when they did his travel contract, basically, there was no hiding things in the fine print to trick people into bad deals. “My turn young-ling. Your not an elf, what are you?” now they were at the crux of it all right off the bat. Taking a deep breath “I am Khuth. I’m keeping it a secret till I find my way in this world, so no one tries to take advantage of, or hurts me since I’m rare.”

Kasric inhaled sharply and growled “You're ancient!” came out in a hiss, she looked around sharply then turned to him “Never divulge that to anyone else ever! Your not rare your extinct! Your cities are heavily sought after for artifacts, if anyone finds out what you are, you would be tortured for your knowledge then cut up into ingredients.” she was visibly distressed, so he waited for her to calm down before asking another question.

“You now know one of my biggest secrets, which is why I need to know how the system works. What can you tell me how the initial step goes? Do I need to worry it will reveal my true self while I go through it?” Getting hold of herself Kasric stared at him, looking like she was about to ask him something but then sighed “No it will not reveal you unless you let someone else see your status voluntarily. As for the awakening itself, you will feel pain, so you will need to be somewhere safe for the two days of the transitioning, you might need more as some have taken four days."

“While you are out the system takes all the learned experience you have acquired and applies it to assigning skill levels, then there is assigning your first stat points how many you get varies based on your race. I have no idea what yours would be or what attributes they would apply to, a lot of knowledge on your race was lost.”

“Where has your race been hiding and why come out now?” she stopped, thought a moment “Wait! You're like the elves. You're from Earth right?” Tyriel nodded “Yes. I’m a little different in that I earned this race somehow along with being given a quest to go with it. I was warned about how Earth people were treated so I’m trying to pass as a native.”

“Before I ask more on the system I‘m changing the subject. Why do you and the Lupins work for Kraim? I know you don’t like him.” Kasric scratches her head then shrugs her shoulders “We were an adventure guild a few years ago, we were trying to get a good start. To do that we decided to get a loan to buy equipment, depending on a good dungeon run to pay it off plus keep us going.” Kasric took a deep breath and her eyes got sorrowful as she recalled a memory that had been buried. “Back then there were eight of us, my two sisters and Rory’s wife. We took a loan from Kraim then went to the dungeon, it was going well till on the fourth level we hit a teleport trap that took us deeper. We were truly out leveled this deep down, being surprised when we appeared we couldn’t hold back the initial attack and the party became separated.”

“Rory’s wife Atacha was the first to fall then Kassandra my sister was next. The boys and I were pinned in a corner by the horde all we could do was watch and try and survive. My other sister Saranda was a rogue, she managed to hide using her Hide in Shadows ability, seeing what was happening she took out a return orb that we didn’t know she had. She leaped out throwing the orb at us as she fell from the air she told us to remember them and live, then the orb smashed in the middle of us and we were suddenly at the entrance to the dungeon.”

Tears were coming from her eyes as she told her tale, making Tyriel regret his asking “Rory’s sons had to restrain him from going back in, later that day Kraim showed up wanting his money but we didn’t have enough to pay him. Thus the contract activated causing us to become indentured to him till we could pay off the debt. We owed 10 ducats, with the interest and the deductions from our pay for upkeep there is no way we can ever hope to buy our freedom. Kraim only lets us run dungeons to the 3rd level because he knows that we will never earn enough to cover the cost, after we have to give him his majority shares plus pay taxes on the loot taken there's not much left. And unless you're fabulously wealthy you cannot help us pay off the debt.”

“I wish to rest now young-ling. Give me a while and I promise we will start again.” she then turned to stare out at the forest while she dealt with her grief that the story brought back up. Rory, the older Lupin that was driving their wagon, heard her crying and started humming a soulful dirge. Tyriel left them to their grief going back over the parts of her story and the info she already gave him, there was much he could glean from what she already said.

The big thing he learned was contracts were to be taken seriously and not entered into lightly, he would watch how he interacted with others, it was good that the system made sure you couldn’t be duped by misunderstandings. But if that were true how did Kraim get the elves to agree to a contract that indentured them to him, he would pursue that when they started talking again later. There was still much for him to learn and Kasric was a font of information he couldn’t afford to pass on.