And It Felt Like This

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POV: Astaros

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I awoke to the obnoxious sounds of a rooster announcing the rising of the sun. The abomination managed to escape the coop when Dryis was collecting eggs yesterday. If someone doesn't catch his donkey (if you get it you get it) I probably will and a chicken dinner may be on the table for today. I rose from the depths of the blanket abyss clawing my way towards freedom. This bed is comfy. Too comfy. In an emergency someone could get hurt if they have to get up quickly.

I finally gave up on getting up and rolled off the side to get the fall damage consciousness buff.

I then landed straight on the sleeping Val Systin who yelped loudly and then sunk into the floor to avoid further injuries.

"My bad, my bad, the bed wasn't letting me up so I had to get up the hard way." {Astaros}

His jaws came out of the floor to bite me but I stood up quickly to prevent that. Dusting myself off, Val Systin jumped into my shadow as I armored up and prepared for the day. Then I heard the rooster again. Nope I won't wait he has got to go.

'Hey Val tell you what as an apology you can have the chicken all for yourself.' {Astaros}

He left my shadow and disappeared through the window instantly. He sure is easy to please.

'Well that solves that.'

I went downstairs to the main floor so I could leave for the front gate.

Fillia and I spent last night in the soul scape discussing what we would do and It was decided that Fillia would wake up early to go to the guild and get an A class request. I would go pay the gate toll and we would head out together.

I went down the stairs and concealed before going outside as Val Systin returned having consumed my newfound enemy.

As I walked out, Dryis was sweeping the large porch of the inn. She swept the dark oak colored floorboards with vigor while occasionally stopping to wipe down a table with a wet rag which she soaked in a small wooden bowl on the handrail.

"Hey Dryis" {Astaros}

She looked up and around and when she couldn't find me she simply looked straight ahead.

"Hello Astaros, what do you need?"

"Just telling you around 2 o'clock we're gonna be training so be ready by then." {Astaros}

I was fairly competent when it came to extermination so I was confident that we could be back before or on time.

"We'll meet on the field on the left side of the gate. From there I'll take you to a clearing so you can do things uninterrupted, alright?" {Astaros}

"Alright I'll be ready." {Dryis}

I said bye and walked off heading to the front gate. I was paying the guards when Fillia came up to me. Without even greeting me she explained todays expedition.

"Wraith Skink Extermination, lets go and kick some scaly butt." {Fillia}

I started to walk beside her as we passed under the massive archway and out onto the dirt path. I then began to ask my questions.

"So what's a Wraith Skink?" {Astaros}

She turned and looked at me like I had been living under a rock for my entire life.

"Every time I begin to think you're smart you hit me with a question about basic common knowledge. Haah a wraith skink is a large black lizard that has ice breath and a form of miasma that corrodes and freezes the body." {Fillia}

I thought back to the lizard I slaughtered for food during my early days. I had come a long way from my days as a magic caveman.

"So why are they so well known? They don't seem hyper dangerous to me." {Astaros}

Fillia sighed and we entered the forest, the long shadows being cast along our bodies by the sun.

"Their miasma has a 67% kill rate against adventurers Astaros. Just because you're powerful doesn't mean everyone is." {Fillia}

"Huh didn't know the guild kept such records. What has the highest kill rate?" {Astaros}

"That's what you're worried about?" Fillia}

I shrugged

"I wanna know." {Astaros}

"Haaah the highest kill rate is dragon's breath. Not one person has survived it apparently."

I turned to look around and the forest seemed kind of empty. Something seems wrong. It also seems to have affected Fillia because she undid her transformation and began to gather small wisps of blue flame around her. Oh and her fourth tail grew back, nice to see.

I activated my mana sense. There was something large a little ways away.

'Fillia down there' {Astaros}

I pointed to a nearby large indent. She looked at me and opened her mouth before stopping and closing it back.

'Got it' {Fillia}

She was still getting used to telepathy. We started towards the large dip, while the closer we got the colder and greyer it seemed to become. Small ice crystals littered the ground as we approached and the trees were all dead and grey. As we peered down we saw only black scales stretched across the entire hole.

It was a massive Wraith Skink. more than twice the size of what I saw before. A massive tail swung up despite the creature showing no signs of waking upon our approach.

'MOVE!!' {Astaros}

We leaped back as the tail slammed down, crashing straight into where we stood. That was no sleepy movement.

The creature lifted itself out of the ground as caked dirt and gravel dropped off the side of the scaly beast. As it lifted it's head and it's sea blue eyes opened, a black film peeling back as they revealed themselves. A miasma like gas seemed to flow from between it's teeth, dropping towards the ground as though it was a form of malevolent drool.

'That's an adult Wraith Skink.' {Fillia}

I stared at the monster as it turned to face us properly.

"How did it get so close to the city?" {Astaros}

Fillia grimaced.

'No one but me was going to take this request.' {Fillia}

The creature reared back it's head and screeched, the sound reverberating through the forest and scaring the birds out of the trees. A white and light blue ball began to gather in it's throat.

We took off in two different directions. The beast targeted me, breathing out it's frost breath.

*FFSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH*

*FWOOOOOOOOOOSSHHHHH*

I blasted out a massive wall of flame in an attempt to counter and the two clashed sending sprays of mist everywhere.

Fillia on the other hand was dealing with the tail, which appeared to be its own entity flailing and attempting to smash into her and turn her bones to dust.

She leaped over a large sweeping strike and landed on it's back.

"IDIOT!!" {Astaros}

I blew her off with my wind element just as the tail swung around to knock her torso off of her legs.

*BAM!!!*

I got hit by a massive swinging claw and smashed into a tree. It splintered and cracked before falling over behind me as the monster turned to blast me with the frost breath again. As it did so several small blue lights gathered around it's head slowly expanding before-

*BOOOOMMMM*

They exploded as Fillia leaped up and swung her long dagger slashing it's scaly throat. A thin red cut now appeared in it's black skin as it roared in pain, the large black spines on it's neck now stabbing out like a porcupine.

Fillia dropped, rolled over, and ran to me as I stood up and shook off the earlier blow.

'Thanks for the push and sorry for not being more careful.' {Fillia}

Her eyes were now glued to the monster as she prepared for it's next move.

It had stopped screaming and now looked at us with vengeful eyes. It's Irises fully contracted in rage.

It reared back it's head but instead of a blue and white light a terrifying black mist with a purple hue began to gather. Miasma.

I began to activate my damage core. No more games. Fillia was about to run but I grabbed her.

'What are you doing? We need to dodge.' {Fillia}

I narrowed my eyes as the miasma came rushing towards us.

'Stab it in the head when I tell you. I got this' {Astaros}

She nodded and looked forward.

And in a flash of brilliant red light I drew The Shattered Star lifting it high above my head.

Then I slammed it down into the ground blasting a massive corridor through the oncoming foul misty miasma.

*BBLLLLAAAAAMMMMM*

"GO FILLLLLIIIAAA!!!" {Astaros}

She blasted past me in a whirl of my wind element and her fire element before crashing her dagger through the skull of the beast.

*GRAAAAHHHHHHHHH*

The battle ended as the beasts eyes glazed over and it fell over dead, blood spilling from the dead center stab wound in it's skull.

I then placed my palm on the ground before using wind element to blow away the remaining miasma.

Fillia walked back over to me staring at my massive great sword which I re-sheathed in my chest.

"What the hell was that?" {Fillia}

I got up and looked at her.

"The Shattered Star, my sword." {Astaros}

She shook her head.

"And where did it come from" {Fillia}

I pointed at my red core implanted in my chest.

"Damage core" {Astaros}

She frowned and tilted her head.

"Are you being vague to annoy me?" {Fillia}

"Of course" {Astaros}

She punched me in the arm and looked back at the massive gash in the earth where I cleaved the area in half.

"But still that's some serious power behind that sword" {Fillia}

I chuckled and walked towards the wraith skink and touching the request orb to the corpse. it then turned green.

"Hey Fillia start clearing a path with your flame I'll drag it." {Astaros}

She shook her head before looking at me.

"No it's fine I'll head down to the guild and they'll send a harvesting party. Just stay here." {Filia}

As she was about to walk off Val Systin leaped out of my shadow and trotted towards the corpse eyeing it oddly.

Suddenly the shadows of the forest seemed to rush towards him. And then he began to grow. The shadows were flooding towards him as the depth of the forest seemed to fluctuate.

I turned around and looked at the agape Fillia and began to laugh. This idiot had not come out to help us and was now about to show off.

Val Systin had grown to the size of a full Fenrir and bit into the monsters head before dragging it towards us.

"This is ridiculous…" {Fillia}

"Oi Val you have anything else I should know?"

He looked at me with his blue eyes and made a low guttural noise. Well that's surprising. I turned to Fillia. And she looked at me before speaking in a soft voice.

"And apparently Lupus grows even bigger" {Fillia}

I placed my hand on Fillia's shoulder as I passed.

"You get used to it." {Astaros}

She simply sighed and followed me away as Val dragged our prey.

…

After we reached the city everyone went into an uproar as I had brought back a high level A class monster.

In my opinion the fire Fenrir was a tougher fight as he had complete elemental control. In all honesty the lizard could only do so much.

The guild staff came out to the front of the city and began to go to the corpse while the Kali the guildmaster, came over to greet us.

"You managed to find and kill an adult Wraith Skink, that's impressive. If another couple days had gone by I would have had to take the request." {Kali}

I turned around and walked away.

"This civilian will leave the discussion of price to the adventurers so see ya Fillia" {Astaros}

I felt Fillia's anger and disappointment towards me but then I said one last thing.

"Oh yeah Fillia you get 50% this time. Good job on the killing strike." {Astaros}

The anger relented a little but remained. Eh good enough.

…

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POV: Dryis

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I watched the commotion at the front gates as Astaros immediately broke away and began to head towards me.

I pulled a locket out of my pocket and looked down at it. He was right on time. I had been preparing for this and had put on my elven armor before he arrived. It was a silver set of gilded plate armor with a green rhinestone in the center. It wasn't like anyone knew what happened with Kamatra so he wouldn't be able to deduce I am a princess.

My sword however if he is observant may give it away. It was a long sword with a gold hilt and green handle. It's long silver blade is more optimized for slashing than stabbing. Along the fuller there were golden embellishments. It was a deadly work of art. And my only memento from the elven forests.

I bowed at a 90 degree angle as he approached.

"Hello master, I will be in your care." {Dryis}

He stopped and looked at me like a one would a clown or jester before shaking his head and sighing.

"If we were going to do the "Master" thing it would be Master Systin but I don't care about that kind of stuff." {Astaros}

He began to walk towards the forest and walked off.

"C'mon we're going to train somewhere you can fight to your fullest. Now let's go."

"Yes Mas- Master Systin." {Dryis}

I heard another sigh as I caught up to him. I was simply treating him with the same respect I had for all my masters and teachers. Why was he annoyed? I'll simply have to adapt, it seems.

Eventually he began to run and I had to stop using my mana charm which exposed my my green hair and long pointy ears as I was putting all the wind element I had into mobility. I had very little mana to begin with and only two elements wind and light.

We arrived at a large clearing and were met with a massive pack of wolves. Although the pack wasn't just massive, its leader was as well. He was a massive red and white wolf with flaming hackles which seemed to make a sort of man. His eyes were a piercing yellow that seemed to drill into me as we arrived. They lifted their heads before standing as Astaros approached.

The large one walked up to Astaros and lowered his head as Astaros put out his hand.

"Val wasn't lying when he said you grew lupus. Anyways I am gonna train this one here so I might need your help. Can you assume a smaller form? Her fighting you like this would be suicide." {Astaros}

It nodded and stepped back as the flames on it's back seemed to billow while he began to shrink.

'He's venting mana to reduce his inflated size.' {Dryis}

I watched on in awe as he reached around the size of his pack mates and then returned to them.

A bright red light flashed in my periphery and I looked over to see Astaros holding a massive great sword. It had strange glowing foreign symbols down the black flat of the blade while the true edge was silver.

He waved for me to follow as we walked to an area empty of wolves.

He stopped and turned, his massive frame now facing me.

"Let us see potential in the place where I slew their forefather and gained my title" {Astaros}

…

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POV: Astaros

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Not a lot. She really didn't have much. Her fighting style consisted of thrusts at range and using the foible of the edge to defend. She would occasionally use the forte to deflect and come in close for a slash but they were so exaggerated it was easy to see through.

Dryis was currently lying in a crater as the third time she tried to deflect and slash I just blew her up with light and fire element. Now that I looked at her she kind of reminded me of that one saiyan… Yamcha was it? I got to watch Dragon ball with the president's son when I was assigned as his personal bodyguard.

I poked her with the point of my blade.

"That's enough being dead, get up." {Astaros}

She groaned and got up slowly. I used some wind element and dusted her off while sheathing the Shattered Star in my chest.

"Alright so I have seen what I needed too today. You seem to have a low raw mana ceiling and while it's pure and powerful you can't integrate it properly for it to become a combination when trying to chain attacks because of your seeming pure swordplay style. You have power and speed but not enough to evade an attack effectively and finally you're simply inflexible." {Astaros}

She winced as she received the crushing report and also from the pain of being thrashed around like a rag doll. But then she looked up at me with a question plastered on her face.

"What is it, you seem confused by my criticism." {Astaros}

"What do you mean by inflexible?" {Dryis}

I wanted to sigh but I didn't. She is learning and that meant sometimes answering questions like this with a straight face. If you just laugh at your student every time they ask a question about something they obviously don't understand, what kind of teacher are you? A stupid one that's what.

"You lack adaptability to change with a situation that's obviously advancing in the opposite way you are. You are too restrained by the proper this and that. Think outside the box when you fight. There are two ways to win against a powerful opponent. Subtlety and a greater raw overwhelming power. You lack the ability at current to overpower your opponents through pure strength. So you require subtlety and that requires creativity and the flexibility to evolve on the spot."

She slowly nodded as her amber eyes flicked about as she processed the information.

"After you can do that I'll teach you how to chain attacks and integrate your light and wind element's alright?" {Astaros}

I turned over and waved to Lupus who now realized he wasn't going to be called on and grew back to his original size.

I kneeled down and put my arms back. Looking over my shoulder at Dryis I spoke my intention.

"Hey Dryis hop on, I'm running back and you aren't really in any position to make it back on your own right now."

She stopped thinking and turned towards me her cheeks now seeming to heat up.

"E-eh Master S-systin its really fine.." {Dryis}

She took two steps forward and nearly fell over.

I came closer and kneeled down again.

"Cmon I did this to you and I have things to do so let's go." {Astaros}

I was not doing this to be annoying or anything by the way. I was really just trying to leave the forest before dark.

She looked up at the orange cloudless sky and closed her eyes before breathing out in defeat.

"O-okay." {Dryis}

I felt a pressure on my back as she climbed on.

"You secure?" {Astaros}

"Yes" {Dryis}

I stood my arms wrapping around her thick thighs as I secured her further.

"Then we're off!" {Astaros}

I then began to run as fast as I could, ripping through the forest to beat the falling sun back.

…

As we returned to the familiar forest edge Dryis began to pump mana into her necklace and I concealed us both. I ran across the grassy clearing towards the old stone walls. I jumped up clearing them and causing Dryis to grip me tighter as we flew through the air. When I hit the ground I took off towards the Hollow as Dryis laughed as the wind whipped in her hair.

When we arrived, however, Fillia was standing at the entrance. I extended my linkage to her and checked her emotional state. She was nervous, a little jealous and had some other warm feeling coursing through her. This was going to be important.

I put down Dryis who staggered like a foal before standing straight.

"Go on inside, I have to deal with this." {Astaros}

She was going to protest but sighed and headed inside greeting Fillia as she passed her by. Now we were alone.

Fillia was wearing a white dress with frills around the neck, arms and flounce. Her green eyes seemed to betray her intentions. I had been a bit too slow.

"Hey Astaros." {Fillia}

"Hey Fillia." {Astaros}

The air seemed to fill with tension as we stood across from each other.

"I've been thinking about this for a while but you've been growing on me. Your annoying teasing, your surprising strength and your small acts of gentleness. All of it." {Fillia}

I deconstructed my helmet. This was not the time to hide my face.

"That's why… I WOULD LIKE TO BECOME YOUR LOVER." {Fillia}

The air held heavy as I walked over to her as silent as the day we first met in the face of her outburst. Tears began to well at the edge of her eyes as I didn't answer.

"I'm sorry for that Astaros I don't know what I was thinking I was moving way to- Mmmph." {Fillia}

I grabbed her and pulled her into my chest. My feelings of happiness blasted out from my soul flowing through my link and into Fillia.

"And I would like to become yours." {Astaros}

Fillia began to cry as I held her.

"Y-you tease *hic* why'd you wait so long to *hic* answer." {Fillia}

I smiled down at her.

"I was just disappointed I didn't get to say it first." {Astaros}

She looked up at me and I wiped her eyes.

"So let me say it now. Fillia I love you." {Astaros

And under the fledgling stars and moon a union was made as we embraced.

However had I been more observant I would have sensed Dryis slinking away into the Hollow.