Son Of The Wild

I covered my body with dirt, feces and the surrounding fauna. I trudged the dense jungle for hours tracking a boar. I was hungry and exhausted, but I knew better than to whine about my misfortune.

'Damn it, I did not even find out what my element was.'

###

After much trekking, I spotted the boar I was tracking, plucking berries from a thick bush. It was much different than all the others I encountered before. It had huge tusks sticking out of its foaming mouth. Ebony spikes were scattered across its back and glowing red lines traveled all over its black body.

I crouched behind a tree, hiding in its shade and drew my bow directed at the boar's position as I eyed its thick black hide.

'There is no way a normal arrow would pierce it!'

A normal arrow would not be able to pierce that thick hide. Finding another prey to hunt would have been Ideal.

But I had no other choice, searching for another prey is not a viable option. If I take another hour or so to find another beast to hunt, then I would be too tired to kill it.

'My only hope of killing that boar is using magic'

I closed my eyes and tried to guide the Aeter I could sense inside my body towards the bow and arrow. I tried doing the same thing I did with the ring, but on a larger scale.

'Come on, come on. You've done this before, you can do it again. JUST FOCUS!'

I waited a few moments and I snapped my eyes open as my hands lit up with a soft golden- green glow. I took a deep breath and then shot my arrow just as the boar plucked another berry from the bush.

The arrow inched closer to its heart, but the boar turned to face it and a burst of flames exited its nostrils, burning the arrow into crisp.

I stared in shock at the turn of events. 'Since when do boars breathe fire?!'

Before I could regain my bearing, the boar charged at me as a spiral of fire materialized around its body. In panic, I hid behind the nearby tree afraid of facing the boar's wrath. I crouched and hid my head between my arms and legs waiting for his attack to pass. With a grunt the boar's charge collided with the tree and sounds of broken wood reached me.

Turning back to peek at the boar from behind the tree, I came face to face with a foaming muzzle and bloodshot eyes looking at me from over the now tree- stump.

'He blew off the tree?!'

Instinctively I grabbed the hatchet off my side and I swung it with all my strength taking advantage of my still glowing arms. I struck the side of his mouth drawing blood and ripping off his skin, only stopping as the hatchet got stuck firmly to his left tusk.

The boar growled and shook his head with my hatchet still stuck to it, flinging me around a good distance. I tumbled and rolled away like a rag doll, hitting different flora and fauna along the way.

Finally coming to a stop, I found myself facing the ground. I gritted my teeth as blood seeped from my gums, my hands clawed at the dirt breaking my nails and dying the ground a shade of crimson.

'Get up, it's coming for you... GET UP!'

I pushed my body off the ground and got myself on both knees as my arms hung loosely on my side. A manic grin appeared on my face as a crazy idea popped into my head. Strangely, in my clouded train of thought, I believed I could do it.

'Come here you pig, I'm gonna slaughter you.'

I gathered Aeter in my hands, which burned in much greater fervor than before, and waited for the boar to come closer. The boar looked at my figure and determined that this was my last stand. It kicked its hoofs at the ground and charged once again.

The more it inched towards me the more my grin grew wider and more crazed. Just as it was an arm's length away, I clenched my fists together and swung them downward.

I waited with bated breath as I watched my fists moved closer and closer to the boar's face… All until I struck the ground.

Listening to the sound of my augmented fists striking the ground, and feeling the pain in my hands, only one thought came to mind.

'…I missed'

Suddenly, an earthen wall rose up, shielding me from the boar's menacing attack. From behind the wall, I heard a huge collision and a snapping sound, before the silence of the forest returned.

'D-Did I raise this wall?'

I looked up, glimpsing the earth beneath me that transformed into a wide wall with rough and jagged edges. I looked at my hands, still clenched, and could see that the wall originated from the impact they made with the ground.

Peeking from behind the wall nervously, I spotted the bastard with bones breaking the skin around his neck area and his spine protruding out of the small of his back.

"WOOO HOOO, take that, you overgrown pig!"

I took my hatchet out of its tusk and waived it around in joy. I then struck its body again and again letting out my frustration, hacking away at its body.

"DAMN YOU!"

"DAMN YOU!"

"D-DAmn…You"

I panted wildly as the hatchet dripped with blood, and my face contorted with disgust as the boar's blood stained my face red. I hunched over and emptied out my stomach as the adrenaline washed over.

Out of the blue, I felt my body weaken and a splitting headache came over me. Light headed, I used the earth wall as a crutch to catch myself from falling down. I was trying to remain conscious and find shelter, but I was unsuccessful, blacking out almost instantly.

###

Day, soon turned night, and Elias found himself opening his eyes in an unfamiliar setting once again.

I opened my eyes slowly, confused as to why I am staring at the ceiling of what looked to be a…Cave?

I brushed my short brown hair with my hand, trying to calm myself down. But, the red stains covering my hands had me staring in wonder.

It took me moments before all my memories came rushing over, bringing back that headache I was having.

"Twice in one day huh? Try not to make a habit out of it Eli."

Sitting across from me I could see my father grinning at me in an attempt to rile me up.

"I believe you forgot to tell mention a couple of things, don't you think." I wanted to sit up and go over to him, but I couldn't move a muscle. The pain I was feeling did not allow me to even move my head easily.

"BAHAHAHAH, it's more fun this way don't you think." Father cracked a smile.

Seeing the hollow expression I gave him, he raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright, alright. Lay it on me, what questions do you have."

"What did mom discover in her divination?! And why was the boar so strong?"

I bombarded him with questions, eager to find out why I struggled so much with such an insignificant foe.

Additionally, even though I had an inkling toward the nature of my element, I had to make sure.

"Alright, listen up Eli. Your mother discovered in the divination that your element is Terra, and before you ask me what it is, just know that I can't completely explain it. All I know is that your element is related to earth and nature, and before you get your hopes up, no. That does not mean that you can use the all the elements of nature."

Although his words were a small upset, the twinkling in my eyes did not lessen. I can only imagine what I could do with such a versatile compatibility.

"As to your to your first question, well Eli, all the beasts in this jungle are Aeter beasts. This is one of this continent's most dangerous jungles, it is filled with beasts from D to A rank crawling all over. This is where you will learn to defend yourself."

I stared at my father in complete silence. I was speechless, having so many emotions all at once. I was nervous and afraid of what challenges are to come, yet at the same time I felt so much excitement. The adventures, the strength, the adrenaline… MAGIC! I've been dying to mess around with magic ever since I discovered it existed.

"Oh, and it's time for you to train in some weapon other than your bow. How about summoning your bounded weapon."

'Huh? Bounded Weapon? Did I actually get some super weapon like mom?'

"How do I do that?" I asked eagerly.

"Well, I should teach you how to meditate first. Sit in a comfortable position and mimic my actions."

###

For the next hour father taught me how to properly meditate and look for the weapon in my thoughts. Although his weapon is not bounded, it seems mother has told him about the process.

Thankfully, my meditation practice from before paid off. It did not take me much to fall into a trance and find myself searching for my weapon among a world of utter darkness.

Much like everything else, time in here was elusive. In the past, I could only see brown lights flickering in this scope of reality, but now I could clearly see threads of Aeter floating about in an endless expanse of space. Trying to delve deeper, I began to feel as though I was trudging through a thick swamp.

I struggled to move further and stay focused, as random thoughts surfaced and threatened to interrupt my meditation. I do not know how much time I spent there, but eventually I found myself staring at a massive beacon of light.

I tried to move further and get closer, I knew the answers all lied there, yet it was no use. I extended my hand in its direction in a last effort of resistance, before I suddenly found myself back in the burrow staring at my father.