Eian watched as the second sun began to set. It gave him a distinct sense of dread, they had been running for the last half an hour hoping to be out soon. Eian thought they should be hiding in one of the previous stone mansions. By now they had exited what appeared to be higher-class into what appeared to be the high-middle class. The most buildings here were still stone and well built, but not as extravagant as the ones prior. The road had become flat instead of a slight incline prior.

The exit had been lined by ten skeletal guards, they were not all well armored. Eian and Alex were in full armor, along with Sarah's limited fire-power and some of Jessicas help. They had little trouble killing off the skeletons. Eian killed four, Alex killed three, Sarah caught the only one without a shield and Jessica killed two.

This new area wasn't defended at all and with the vegitation taking over made Eian extremely weirded out. He was sure something would happen the instant the sun completely set.

"Guys I think it's a good idea to hide in one of the stone buildings for the night." Eian.

"We're... half...way... through...city,... hour.. more." Sarah breathing deeply from the run.

"Yeah man." Alex was huffing a bit.

"Let's get out." Jessica was breathing a little hard, as she was carrying the meat.

"I'm not sure you guys can handle an hour." Eian.

"Just..Go!" Sarah prodded him foward.

-'I have a feeling I'm going to say Told you so pretty soon. Then nobody will care.' Eian thought.

They kept running and soon Sarah tripped and fell. Eian helped her up.

"Sarah, we need to stop." Eian.

"No." Sarah.

Ten minutes passed and the light faded, another ten and the last vestiges faded. Eian's was drenched in sweat, he kind of hated this helmet it impaired his sight and hearing which he usually depended on alot. His imagination took surreal qualities and he began to imagine growling from the buildings. Soon he saw movement through the slits of his visor. It came from the door of a stone-building.

"Guys I see something ahead!" Eian.

"Relax it's like ten zombies! Shield-wall!" Sarah.

Eian felt the heat spike up around them, Sarah had clearly summoned fireballs. Through his visors Eian soon saw a blue fire-ball streak foward and strike a random zombie. He and Alex were already in position and they absorbed the impacts, he thought he heard a howl on Alex's side. His spear-axe impaled something and he shoved foward, shield and axe.

He cleaved randomly sighting multiple hands coming at him. He slashed, shoved and even kicked his way foward, he heard screaming behind him and a stream of blue light illuminated the area. Something shoved him partly-stumbling foward, the heat was near unbearable, and uncomfortably close.

He'd lost count of kills when he saw nothing else stood in his way. Turning he saw nothing, thus lifted his visor. Alex was treating Jessica, while Sarah had somehow summoned another blue-fire ball.

"What happened?" Eian.

"Jess got bit bad." Sarah.

Looking closer upon the zombies Eian noticed lots of zombies were burnt and on the floor, what appeared to be six zombies.

"And that?" Eian.

"Fire-hose, effective close up." Sarah was sweating holding up her staff, from exertion he assumed.

"How much juice you got?" Eian.

"One, maybe two." Sarah.

Eian heard something even through the helmet. A heavy pounding on the floor, not enough to vibrate the floor obviously, but it made a loud squishy sound as it moved. Turning Eian saw a fat blob of meaty flesh walking walking quickly towards them, a few zombies were shambling foward as well.

"SHIT!" Eian, slipped his visor down and ignored whatever everyone else was saying.

He charged the fleshy monster full speed and saw it was stitched together from different people. It was as wide as he was tall, a bit taller than him and sported multiple arms and legs all over as well as three heads. He had no idea how to get the heads, they were high up, as it neared he swung the axe and he felt it bite flesh. The thing collided into him with the weight of a car and he went spinning side-ways, he lost his shield and the axe. He had felt it stagger backwards and land on its ass, it must not have good balance. It didn't hurt nearly as much as he'd have thought, definately less than before.

He saw a flash of blue light. Some hands were trying and failing to get to him through his armor. He shoved one away, punched another and kicked the last. He got up and pulled the two-handed sword, his mace wouldn't help right now. He could see a steady stream of blue light coming from the left and the monster-zombie-thing was rolling on the floor mostly aflame and roaring. He saw his axe was stuck on the monster.

Zombies were pouring out from the alley's. Swinging wildly he mowed down the first zombie easily. He kicked another on the floor and spun his sword side-ways crazily like a bat slaming another to the ground, a few paces away. Another he straight-out impaled through the torso, as it ran to him. A zombie collided into him and he grabbed its neck and flung it away even as he withdrew his sword from the others belly, though it wasn't dead.

"Stupid swords." Eian.

He beheaded the one he had kicked as it approached again. A zombie wrapped its arms around his waist from the side and he elbowed its face, shortly another came. Crazily swinging with an over-head he split a zombie's head in two, the sword went down to its chest, he still had the two zombies in tow. Eian felt a zombie quickly grab his right leg and another grab his left almost simultanously.

"EIAN RETREAT! OVER HERE!" Sarah screamed behind him.

He turnt and saw them entering a stone-building a few yards away. By then he felt about five diffrent sets of hands on him, holding him back. He thrashed his body foward, attempting to break free of their grasp. He saw Alex killing anything that got near the entrance with Jessica helping him not to get overwhelmed from behind. Sarah held the long-sword one-handed and the staff on the other. Sarah was in behind both of them.

The zombies were attempting to wrestle him to the ground, but he thrashed like a wild animal, relying solely on instinct. It was hard, but he managed to dislodge an attacker from his waist, with a hard elbow to the face. He pushed another on his waist with both arms sending it reeling backwards, he still held his sword. With moderate freedom, he split the head of one at his feet. Elbowing the last one at his waist he sent it staggering backwards, where he swung at it's head. He took off the upper part of it's face. Noting more zombies coming he quickly shook his foot and yanked it away from the last zombie.

He sprinted over to the group. Sarah unleshed another gout of flames at a few zombies behind him before retreating inwards. Jessica and Alex followed.

"Eian hold the door a while! We'll get something to block it." Sarah.

"Fine!" Eian.

Eian turnt at the entrance and began hacking at the any zombies that neared. He saw other zombies were eating the dead zombies on the floor and the stench was overwhelming. He must have killed at least four zombies, before Alex dragged-over what looked like a heavy-set wooden table-bench. It blocked half the entrance, but still zombies saw them. Eian killed two more before Sarah and Jessica brought another. Eian had to lean against the barracaide to keep it from falling and being overwhelmed. He felt things pushing against the benches.

Eian heard a few growls within the house that made him almost drop the benches, but he kept hold. The howls were quickly cut off. They brought other furniture to block the entrance. Tables, chairs, even a wooden shelf and lastly a king-sized bed frame. All the three others struggled with the last one.

"Alright Eian reinforce it with stone grooves on the floor to hold it in place." Sarah.

"Of course... At once your highness. Oh yeah and I told you so." Eian quipped, he was not having fun.

It took about an hour for Eian to fully reinforce the door till he was happy. Sarah and Alex had blocked the few windows as well. Those windows were small and pretty high up so they didn't expect anything could get in easily anyways.

"Nobody select anything yet. Let's go upstairs." Sarah.

Everyone checked their tattoos, upstairs.

"I selected Mind again and it stopped blinnking." Jessica.

"What number does Mind show?" Sarah

"Seven, Mind's glowing now though." Jessica.

"You just hit your bottleneck." Sarah.

"Cool. By the way good job out there Jess you were amazing." Alex.

"How high does it have to be till she develops one of those cool mutant abilities?" Eian.

"I don't know, but the dragon said humans can have one, so at most it be must be ten." Sarah.

"I hope it's Teleportation." Jessica sounded desperate.

"Same." Eian.

"Don't get your hopes up, there are at least like six or seven abilities." Sarah.

"Don't worry Jess. We won't blame you if it's not." Alex.

The room went silent.

"Mine isn't blinking. I haven't been killing alot apart from these thirteen I got just now." Sarah.

"Mine's blinking though, might as well." Eian, was ready to get it over with.

"Mine too, there were alot of those things out there." Alex

"Wait Eian, ask your guide about Qi energy, also don't forget we'll be here till morning, both of you try to get something useful out of your guides." Sarah.

"Huh? Okay." Eian.

"Roger." Alex.

Appearently downing a partial horde had done wonders for them. Sarah had spied outside from upstairs and the large zombie-monster-thing wasn't dead.

'I hope this goes better, than last time.' Eian sighed

Eian selected spirit again.

******

Eian was once more at the smithy, high up on mountain-side. Ul, the armored dwarf, was waiting patiently. Eian glared at him a bit. He still hadn't forgiven him for sticking him in the stone for hours.

"Oy. Oy. Stop a'fore ye end in der 'gain." Ul said with a different accent, pointing at the floor.

"...sorry..." Eian looked away from the dwarf, he didn't want a repeat.

"S'right boy. Good. Good. Learn to pick your fights wisely. Sand can't break steel, 'n yer neen close to c'pair yer self te me." Ul changed his accent randomly.

"....How strong are you anyways." Eian almost said he didn't look too strong.

"HAHAHA! Ye be a'fore Ul'Falar Worm-slayer boy. I'm much stronger than I look." Ul.

"....Worm-slayer? How big were the worms?" Eian was beginning to question Ul's credentials.

"BIG? WERE?! BOY IT WAS A WORM! A WORM! AS IN A HUGE FIRE-BREATH-IN WORM!" Ul looked at Eian incredulously and had his arms outstretched out to the heavens.

"So...you killed one big worm?" Eian had problems picturing that.

-'A big worm that breathes fire?' Eian thought confused at why the dwarf would brag about that.

".........Ye daft?" Ul.

"What?" Eian was begining to lose track of the conversation.

".....I killed a bloody fire dragon. What ye expected me te kill a god? That it? They ask me te make stuff. Can't be killin clients. Bad for business." Ul.

"A dragon! You said worm!" Eian.

'Wait did he just say he works for gods?' Eian thought even more impressed, his eyebrow rose dramatically.

"PAH! What they be teaching young-ins. Worm. Wyrm. Dragon. Same thing." Ul.

"A worm is not a dragon!" Eian.

"Yes it is. Anyways. Let's begin." Ul motioned a hand.

"Wait! Wait! I have time, can you tell me something?" Eian lifted his arms placatingly.

"Time? I already told ye. It'll be another trip before yer rock-armor." Ul.

"I wanted to ask about Qi. Sarah's guide mentioned it." Eian.

"Oh? Qi? Ye can't use it yet. Also your body can't support more Body infusions till at least another day if you eat A-L-O-T." Ul.

"When can I start using it?" Eian.

".....Ye form a Qi core at seven, but you can't do anything much with it till after." Ul.

"Okay and can you teach me then?" Eian.

"Yeah. I'll guide ye steady. Relax. Rock-armor first though. It's a good ability and Qi won't help you much without alot of practice." Ul.

"What will I get this time again?" Eian.

"...Ye'll be able to mentally control some stone, not alot though Earths hard and doesn't like te move." Ul.

"Okay I'm ready I guess." Eian.

"Right. Ye got time? How much?" Ul gave Eian a pensive look.

"Yeah couple hours at least. What do I do?" Eian.

"Take a stance. Do like me." Ul, got up and took a bare-handed fighting stance, two-feet parted and two closed fists spread apart.

"?? What?" Eian.

"I told ye. I'll teach ye to use what you have to the best. Spirit's not much fer fightin yet, but if yer safe I can give ye some experience." Ul.

"Okay.... What do I fight with?" Eian.

"Hands. What else?" Ul.

"Can't I use a sword? I have a two-handed sword." Eian.

"Ye can lose a sword, can't lose your hands. If ye do, yer buggered." Ul.

"You're fully armored! you can't expect me to fight you." Eian wasn't wearing any armor here.

"I don't have me helm. Ye expect a fight te be fair? Might as well jump off this here cliff." Ul.

"Theres a limit! Thats suicide!" Eian.

"To three. One....Two...." Ul began counting.

"Wait wait!!" Eian backed away.

Ul shot foward and a guantlent punch caught Eian on his balls. Eian fell face first laying flat on the ground.

"UHHHH!!!! UHGGHH......" Eian was on the floor holding his crotch in pain, mouth agape.

"Next time I'll crack em good. Get up." Ul.

"UHHHHHHH..." Eian was tearing up from pain.

It took a good two minutes till he mentally recovered.

"FUCK! YOU!" Eian.

"If ye don't fight I'll give ye another. Told ye boy this is a hard path don't waste our time." Ul.

"You'll make me sterile asshole!" Eian.

"SHET IT! Nothing in here can affect ye, if I don't want it te. Hurry!" Ul.

"THAT DOESN"T MATTER!! IT FUCKING HURTS!" Eian.

Ul shot foward and Eian instinctively protected his crotch. Ul clogged his face hard. He went skipping on bare-stone, leaving skin behind on the floor as he went skidding across it.

"Hurry and hit me." Ul.

"AHH!!!AHH!.." Eian held his shin which had been scrapped raw, his jaw was probably dislocated or probably broken, it felt numb.

Eian lay on the ground and he saw Ul approaching. He struggled and got up favoring one leg. Ul shot foward and Eian punched hard randomly in his direction. A black-metal brace caught it. CRACK!

"AHH!!!" Eian clutched his hand.

"Good thats the spirit. HA! No pun intended. HAHAHA!" Ul held his belly as he laughed.

Ul snapped his fingers and the pain melted from Eian. One second everything hurt. The next he was all better.

"WAIT PLEASE! GIVE ME A SECOND." Eian wasn't ready.

"Okay." Ul.

Eian felt relief.

"One." Ul.

"What?" Eian.

Ul shot foward and kicked his legs under him sending him to the floor. Eian scrambled up at another warning from Ul and swung another fist cautiously at Ul. Ul grabbed his wrist.

"Lousy stance, lousy punch." Ul.

"YOU BROKE MY HAND LAST TIME!" Eian.

"So? Ye never gonna throw another punch cuz of an imaginary broken hand?" Ul.

"URGHH!!!" Eian grit his teeth angry.

"Like me follow." Ul took a stance.

Eian quickly imitated the stance, anything that wasn't pain was better than before.

"No no. Yer legs are too close, bad." Ul corrected his stance.

"....." Eian was sweating from worry.

"Now try these." Ul.

Ul showed him a series of different punches: Upper-cuts, jabs, cross's, overhand's, hook's, chops, double punches. He also showed him different parrys and blocks.

"Now punch these. Relax it's packed sand." Ul.

Ul tapped the floor and a sandish replica of a man appeared.

"Here here here and here. That's where you want to hit. We'll move unto genric-beast-bodies after I deem humans adequate. I'll do a call for something and you follow. Then I'll show you a few kicks to mix er up. Then I'll teach ye about center of gravity." Ul.

-'Fuck...' Eian shut his eyes tight.