Life In The Jungle

For the past two months, I have done nothing but train, hunt, and study magic. Every morning, my father and I would train our bodies and condition ourselves. Father would have me doing many exercises that aim to enhance my physical strength and endurance.

He taught me the principles of unarmed combat, as well as how to fight with my hatchet more effectively. His promises proved true, he really is a great teacher!

To train, I would either spar him, or practice my technique on wooden dummies he would set up.

And let me tell you, those dummies hurt!

Aside from training our bodies, father put great emphasis on learning magic. And here is where it gets interesting.

My progress in magic is the most satisfying thing I have achieved. I learned a few spells that rely on magic circles and some principles. These kinds of magical applications require a chant to activate. I did not get far in that area, seeing as it took a lot of time to actually use these spells and the beasts aren't waiting quietly for me to kill them. Each hunt is a struggle and a test of wit and strength. I only learned three spells; {Earth lance}, {Earth bullet} and {Earth shield}

While earth lance and bullet are self explanatory, the "{Earth shield} spell is a tad more complicated.

The shield is a conjuration that manifests a gauntlet over my hand upon which a big circular shield is attached.

I used these spells only when I was sure the fight would end the moment I use them.

Aside from conjuration the most progress I made was in manipulating the earth element. I found that earth manipulation was most versatile ability I could have. Thus it was the easiest to incorporate into my fighting style because It did not require any chanting, just my concentration.

During the magic lessons I tried discovering my affinity, but it is still a work in progress, I still have not discovered any other abilities relating to Terra, but I'm working on it.

Practicing magic all these months allowed me to make great discoveries. Each time I used magic, I would feel it stronger and more potent the last. I was curious, so I went to the books my father brought with him. According to the tomes I read, exhausting your magic continuously would lead to increasing your magic reserve.

JUST LIKE THOSE NOVELS!

Thus, I made it a chore to spend every last drop of magic I had every day. It was hard at first, as one would feel extremely tired after. But as the days went by, it became easier to cope with the exhaustion. Eventually turning into endurance training.

After all that hard work, I would usually meditate. My father insisted I do so as a way to better control my emotions. Well, that and try to get closer to the beacon of light. Ever since that time in the cave, I have been trying to get closer and closer. I made some advancement, but nothing worth mentioning.

###

Deep inside a jungle crawling with beasts, Elias was poised inside a bush waiting for the moose he tracked down hours ago. For the majority of the day, he had been searching for some game to hunt, with little success. The behavior of the animals was unusual, many predators were displaced and out of their marked territories.

"Dammit, a stronger predator from deeper in the jungle must have disturbed the balance."

Thankfully, Elias had not encountered the reason that caused this behavior, but a moose whom he baited.

The moose, according to the bestiary his father gave him, was a D ranked beast capable of small magic feats like augmenting his antlers and hoofs, as well as his legs to boost his charge. Armed with his bow, hatchet and knowledge he acquired all throughout these two grueling months, Elias hatched the perfect plan to subdue the moose.

With the leaves and twigs of aspen and maple trees strewn about, the bait was set. Elias waited for the moose to peak out of the tree line ahead and gorge on the feast he had prepared for it, but it was still vigilant, much to his dismay. After a while, the beast determined it was safe and got out into the open.

The instant the beast lowered its guard, Elias shot his arrow toward one of two ropes holding a heavy log constricted in the air.

The ropes he made of vines, held the log at an angle directed at the moose's predicted position. Severing the right one would allow the log to descend in a certain trajectory thanks to the remaining rope guiding its fall.

The heavy log swung down with great momentum smashing into the moose's leg and breaking it, causing it to collapse. The moose did not have enough time to augment its legs, making it easy prey. With a loud cry the moose tried to stand up, yet the pain was much too intense.

Summoning every last drop of concentration he had, chanting the spell he had in mind.

{Earth Lance}!

Elias waited a few moments as a magic circle materialized in front of his outstretched palm. The magic circle was made of one layer with many Greek runes orbiting its circumference. In front of the magic circle formed a rough looking lance measuring about four feet in length.

The brave hunter hurled it from close range aiming for its heart.

The earthen lance went in one side and out the other leaving a gaping hole in its wake. The moose turned into a bloody mess, as his heart was impaled and blood splattered across the ground. The moose's head flopped lifelessly as it fell with a thud and his tongue lay stuck outside his mouth.

Typically, conjuring the earthen lance and trying to pierce the moose's thick hide would prove quite the challenge. However through practice and wit, Elias was able to use magic creatively, taking advantage of his vast imagination and previous knowledge.

Elias relied on magic to rotate the lance and launch it at a velocity far superior than his strength can achieve. With spin power and speed, the lance impaled the moose with little difficult.

"The power of physics is truly magical."

Elias chuckled and approached the moose with glee, intending to dismantle it and harvest its antlers and hide, along with its meat.

Thinking about having enough food for the next few days was exciting for Elias, that way he would be able to focus on studying the magic tomes and strengthen his magic further.

Closing in on the carcass, Elias suddenly heard a growl when a paw clawed at his side hurling him some distance away.

With blurry vision, Elias stood up and spotted a towering figure feasting on his prey. In a fit of rage and fear Elias readied another lance and spun it wildly before hurling it at his aggressor.

A loud bang dulled his hearing when the lance made contact with the huge silhouette. A thick veil of brown dust impeded his vision, as the lance shattered and crumbled back into pieces of earth as it struck true.

Elias tried to walk forward and make sense of his situation, even with the stinging pain on his side and the ringing in his ears. Out of the smoke, an Ursidae roared as its maw threatened to bite Elias's small head off.

With quick thinking, Elias caved the earth beneath him ducking under the Ursidae's jaws.

"What the hell is a C ranked brown Ourse doing in D rank territory!"

Quickly rushing off into the thick jungle ahead, Elias lost the bear as it was uninterested in a chase, only looking to finish its 'hard' earned feast.

Elias looked at its back, expecting some kind of damage only to see a barely charred mark mar its brown fur.

As the adrenaline washed off, a strong headache assaulted his temple and the claw marks on his right side burned in pain.

"Don't bite off more than you can chew Eli"

###

Turning my head towards the voice, I saw my father with his signature grin adorning his beastly face.

Although his words were provocative, his eyes could not hide his worry, nor his hands that were at the ready to cushion my fall.

"He came out of nowhere, what was I supposed to do?!"

I was peeved, that fur ball stole my prey. I prepared the trap and calculated the risks for hours. Yet that bear stole my kill, and it wasn't even his territory!

"You should not have shot that lance, Eli. You lost control of your emotions. That was what led the bear to attack you further, you should have escaped much earlier. Besides, you lost your composure when you succeeded in felling the moose and did not sense the bear in time."

My father chided me with frustration clear in his voice.

I knew he was right, and as much as I wanted to reflect on what he said, the wound on my side was increasingly getting more painful.

Placing me on his back, my father rushed to our cave and started brewing some medicinal herbs as he explained the process thoroughly. When he was done with his explanation, I closed my eyes trying to get some sleep before I have to wake up again and study more tomes.

###

Some hours later, the jungle quieted down as the nocturnal beasts thrived and hunted in the darkness while the diurnal ones slept in their shelters hiding from the assassins of the night. Inside a cave a five year old boy woke up with large leaves and a green medicine covering his right side.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, my whole right side feels like it's on fire."

The moment I tried moving my torso, a terrible pain assaulted my sense.

"What did you expect? You're lucky your ribs haven't shattered and the skin hasn't completely peeled off."

The large man was sat by the fire, polishing his big axe on a whetstone. Behind him, were a variety of animal carcasses waiting to be harvested.

"Reflect on your actions, study more tomes, meditate and dismantle these carcasses. That is your assignment for the next month, after that you will hunt some more and hone your prowess. That bear will remain in this territory until you finish him off. Each time you go out to hunt, you can make sure that it will target you and become a thorn in your side. This is how nature motivates beasts to get stronger. Those who have reached their limit potential will become a pedestal for others to surpass them."

His tone was authorities and strict. He ground his axe on the whetstone in anger almost cleaving it in half. He was upset about my recklessness and he's right, I should have been more vigilant and composed, but I digress.

With a sigh, I opened the tome with a leaf as a bookmark.

'Introduction to magic theory'

It was a book detailing the basic elements and explaining other types of magic that branch off them. It also briefly mentioned those that are an obscurity like my mother's divination magic. While it was useful at the beginning, helping me gleam more insight into my Terra affinity, towards the end I was unable to discover more about my magic.

It took me roughly another hour before I finished it and began my meditation.

###

Once again I entered a meditative state and began to wander my thoughts in search of that beacon of light. Ever since that night two months ago, I've been visiting my own mind to look for the beacon again. Each time I enter, I not only get closer, but the beacon gets clearer.

This time, I believe I will be close enough to fully see it.

The murky darkness was familiar at this point, and it was easier to navigate. The beacon of light was like a light house, a much too bright one, drawing me in. My thoughts started to surface and my concentration wavered.

Before I was ejected out of my inner world, I caught a glimpse of a gigantic staff with smooth and rounded ends.. The staff had a pale body the same color of volcanic ash and cudgel like ends, bathed in crimson. The ends were wrapped by fierce wave like patterns coming to life and swirling around them. The ashen body contained an unfamiliar runic language that pulsed with golden energy.

Before I could get any closer, I returned to the burrow, yet in my hands was the tall staff I saw in my meditation. It lay horizontally in my hands, it flickered in and out of existence before vanishing.

My father was slack jawed before he let out a laugh.

"BAHAHAHAHAHAH, what a mighty staff! Very well, I'll make a fine warrior out of you. By the looks of it, that staff needs much strength to wield, but don't you worry. By the end of our training you will be able to topple mountains and split rivers with your bare hands."

Father's demeanor quickly changed, the grin on his face turned ferocious and beastly as his mane like visage electrified and blue currents of lightning ran through it. His sadistic smile along with his enthusiasm ensured a world of hurt after I heal.

'God help me'