Ilya looked at me with a furrowed brow. She raised her hand. Clenched her fists and then unclenched it. Her simple motions rippled the thick mana laden air. I looked at the snow drifting down ripple in the the with her simple motions left behind and then looked back at my sister’s frustrated expression.

  “Voss, what in the blight do you mean that you don’t know how to cultivate mana?” Ilya finally asked.

  “Just that. Tell me what to do or better yet. Give me a knowledge stone.”

  “A knowledge stone. A knowledge stone?” Ilya laughed sarcastically “Do you think knowledge stones are that easy to grow?”

  “Ahh…”

  “Do you even understand how much one costs?” Ilya looked at me with a furrowed brow. She raised her hand, clenched her fist, and then unclenched it.

  Her simple motions rippled the thick, mana-laden air. I watched the snow drifting down, disrupted by the invisible current her hand had created, and then looked back at my sister’s frustrated expression.

  “Voss, what in the Blight do you mean you don’t know how to cultivate mana?” Ilya finally asked.

  “Just that. Tell me what to do. Or better yet, give me a Knowledge Stone.”

  “A Knowledge Stone? A Knowledge Stone?” Ilya laughed sarcastically. “Do you think Knowledge Stones are that easy to grow?”

  “Ahh…”

  “Do you even understand how much one costs?”

  I gave Ilya a blank look.

  “More than a barony, you imbecile. And for what? For basic breathing techniques? And who do you think will spend their time imparting their knowledge into stones for a Manaborn like you? Should we find a Manaborn and enslave them to do your bidding? Just because you are too lazy?”

  Ilya’s rapid-fire questions made me take a step back. I tried to explain myself. “Father seemed to have a lot of...”

  Ilya made a slashing gesture with her hand and cut me off. “Our father is the Emperor. He spoiled you because he is our father. And he has turned you into a spoiled brat.”

  I nodded. “I see.”

  Ilya snarled. “How did anyone let you leave the capital without a basic meditation technique?”

  “Ilya, we don’t have time for this.”

  Ilya glared at me even harder. “No, what we don’t have time for is me to teach you.”

  “So… I should fight them with essence?” I took in a long breath. “Alright then. I will start preparing.”

  “Oh, shut up.” Ilya huffed. “Explain to me what essence is first.”

  “Essence is what you gain from living. What your soul produces. It makes you what you are,” I explained while pointing at my chest.

  “So, you don’t do anything and you get more of it?” Ilya raised an eyebrow.

  I shook my head. “No. You have to live a fulfilling life. Gather experiences. Make memorable memories, and through those, you gain essence. Or, you can kill creatures and take their essence.”

  Ilya grimaced. “So you really don’t do anything and it comes to you. Sounds bloody convenient.”

  “Or you could also have a brother like me and get essence without doing all those things.” I smiled.

  Ilya narrowed her eyes at me.

  I raised my hands placatingly and tried to change the topic. “Can I check on your soul?”

  Ilya let out an explosive breath and held out her hand. “Do it. And listen while I explain the basics of mana cultivation.”

  I took her wrist and looked at her soul. Oddly, the waters here weren’t so turbulent, and it was easy to look at Ilya’s soul. Her damaged soul had grown a centimeter or two. The injuries in her soul had started to scab over and heal.

  I trickled some essence into her soul for her to heal even faster.

  “Usually, I would ask you to sit in a spot and feel for the mana around you,” Ilya began and let out a noisy breath as essence seeped into her soul. She continued, “Clear your mind, meditate, and connect with the mana all around you. And once you have done that, I would ask you to guide mana to your seeds. Water them with mana until they grow plump. Then rotate them and repeat. Until they begin to sprout. That is how you make a mana core. And if you do it properly and consistently, you will make them bloom. That is how I achieved a blooming mana core.”

  I let Ilya’s hand go and asked, “You used the word 'usually.' Why?”

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “Because we are in a Mana Basin, you dunce. There is mana everywhere here.”

  I looked at Ilya with raised eyebrows. “And?”

  “Just breathe it in and hold that breath until your body consumes all the mana. The seeds will do all the rest.” Ilya shook her head and muttered, “Star-blessed moron.”

  I nodded. “Alright then. I will do that while fighting the Damned.”

  “What do you mean you will fight the Damned?” Ilya asked while waving her hand in a circle. Wind gathered in her palm and bit into the rock, creating a perfect circle on the ground.

  She raised her hand above her head. A ball of wind formed on top of her index finger. It spun on its axis, gaining speed, doubling every second until it started to create a vortex all around us.

  Ilya looked at it and with a final pulse of magic shot it upward.

  I took quick steps away from the newly formed circle and looked at my sister apprehensively.

  “Answer me!” Ilya said in annoyance.

  “Ilya. I will fight them while you keep Grek and the punishers alive.”

  “No.”

  “I know you don’t like this, but think, sister,” I tried to persuade Ilya calmly.

  Ilya responded in a frustrated tone. “Voss. You don’t have a mana core. Your mana seed is in its infancy. And you don’t even know how to cultivate mana.”

  “All true. But so is the fact that their lives are in your hands.”

  “That doesn’t mean I can’t fight.” Ilya threw her hands up.

  “If you do, they will die.” I pointed at the punishers lying on the rocks inside the circle.

  “I am not you, you stubborn fool.” Ilya looked up at the sky and grimaced. “Yes, I can’t face them with my sword and slice them up into ribbons like I prefer, but I will fight. Not from the ground, but from the air.”

  “Air?”

  Ilya pointed up where the ball of air she had thrown had started to pull wind towards itself. “I will be in that, guiding all the mana in my vicinity towards me.”

  “All? What about me?” I frowned. “I will need mana to fight too.”

  “Oh, mister 'I am going to fight with some strange thing called essence' now wants mana to fight?” Ilya deepened her voice until it resembled mine and then continued in her own. “I can’t take all the mana in the basin, you numpty. I am not father. I will be taking all the mana that streams into the circle I have just drawn.”

  “Oh. Umm…” I nodded and started turning around to walk to the cliff edge with the door.

  “Stop.” Ilya grabbed me by the shoulder and looked down at the kilt that had started ruffling in agitation. “And you stop too, death-bonded armor.”

  “His name is Rustle.”

  “Will you stop distracting me and listen?” Ilya asked in an exasperated tone. She continued, “Your death magic darts...”

  “Death bolts,” I corrected her automatically.

  “Yes, those. You can use ice magic like that too. The effect will be different, but they are very close to ice magic I have seen before.”

  I blinked rapidly and contemplated Ilya’s words.

  “Where is your ice seed located in your body?”

  I frowned. “I don’t know.”

  Ilya closed her eyes and took in a long breath. She poked me in the chest. “Voss, this is where your death seed is. It’s hidden under your bones.”

  She grabbed me and turned me around. Her finger poked me in the middle of my spine. “This is where your ice seed is.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I can feel it. When you have a mana core, you will be able to sense a person’s attunement too. Now listen, instead of pulling magic through your heart, pull it through your bones. You will create a new spell. It’s called Snow Flurry. It will freeze the enemy it is targeted towards.”

  Ilya started to give me a lesson and instructed, “Try it.”

  “Ilya, we can’t.”

  “Yes, you can.” Ilya frowned.

  “No, sister.” I turned to look at the cliff with the door. I took in a breath and sniffed at the faint smell of ashes and embers in the distance and explained, “We can’t because they are here.”

  Ilya looked at me and a stream of wind gathered around her eyes. It solidified and made her eyes look bigger. Ilya took in a sharp breath and whispered, “By the stars, there are a lot of them.”

  I bit my lower lip. “How many?”

  Ilya looked from left to right. “A dozen. Maybe more. They look like Drakes. Scaled, clawed, thorny tails. But flightless. Ground hunters.”

  “Drakes?” I asked.

  “Lizard-like creatures. Why don’t they have wings?”

  I sighed. “They will develop them when they grow older.”

  “At least they don’t breathe fire.”

  “No. They shoot rays from their eyes.” I shook my head.

  “I hate you.”

  “How is this my fault?”

  Ilya dropped the magic that let her see the Damned and cursed. “Blight, Voss. You wanted to take them on all alone?”

  “It is what I was made for.” I shrugged.

  “We will need to have a talk about this when we are done with all of this.” Ilya nodded and let out an explosive breath. “For now, brother. Good luck and don’t die on me.”

  “Sister, you shouldn’t be afraid of death. Death is natural.” I looked at the moving figures in the distance and responded distractedly.

  “Voss, I swear, I will punch you if you say that again.”

  I looked back at Ilya's stern expression and decided to keep my mouth shut.

  Ilya nodded and ordered, “Stay away from the boundary of the circle. It will suck all the mana out of your body if you come near it.”

  I looked at the boundary and at the snow-covered land underneath me.

  “I mean it, Voss. Keep away.” Ilya leaned closer to me.

  I nodded.

  “Don’t just nod. Say it!”

  I responded quickly. “Yes. Yes. I will stay away from your circle of wind.”

  “Good.” Ilya nodded and jumped.

  Ilya shot up into the air like an arrow. I walked backwards until I was a handful of paces away from the circle.

  “Further, Voss!” Ilya instructed.

  I did as asked and turned around to walk towards the Damned. I saw an outcropping of rock and began to make my way to it. I decided to take the higher ground. It would help me anticipate the Damned’s moves and shoot magic down at them. It would also make them climb up to get to me. I just hoped that not all of them would be strong enough to vault spells at me.

  I began climbing over the loose stones until I reached a small plateau. I looked back at Ilya just in time to see her touching the spinning ball of wind. It elongated and broadened until it was bigger than her. Ilya looked at me one last time and floated into the ball of wind.

  The gusts ruffling my head stopped for a second.

  Then, with a loud roar, the gusts started again, carrying dust and small rocks towards her.

  The Damned making their way to us stopped and dug their claws into the ground to keep their footing. They looked up at Ilya and snarled. Slowly, one by one, they took their eyes off Ilya and turned their hateful gazes at me.

  I reached for the hilt of my sword and rolled my shoulder. Rustle felt my movements and adjusted my armor to suit my stance. His leather flaps rustled on my legs and pointed at the lizard-like creatures with their pointy ends.

  I drew out my sword and started counting the enemy facing me. “Five, eight, eleven, fourteen… No, sixteen. Is that all, or are some of you camouflaging yourself?”

  In response, three more stopped hiding and the rocks where they had been standing turned into sharp-looking scales with snouts that looked at me with angry red gazes.

  “Nineteen.” I nodded. “Yes. That should be enough…”

  Four more appeared, skittering down from the cliff face. A ripple of hissing laughter erupted from their scaled throats. Spiked tails swayed playfully, and scales flared with a scraping noise.