A New Companion?

Kade stood over a cliff and looked intently at the forest below. His trek was finally over; he has arrived at the adept conclave forest.

Kade looked at the long trail below the cliff. He contemplated then jumped to the ground. Before he hit the floor of the forest, Kade formed a water shield and softly sunk into it. Kade was getting better at controlling his water abilities and could utilize them in more situations.

Kade jumped of the shield and walked into the forest. He squinted into the distance and couldn't believe his eyes. He saw a massive serpent with swords like fangs and beady eyes that could stare into the soul.

It's albino scales contrasted with the green of the forest. It flicked its tongue in the air and abruptly turned its head to look at Kade. Suddenly its colorless scales and eyes turn into impulses of mesmerizing colors. Kade's body stiffens, and his eyes look aimlessly into space.

The snake slowly slithers toward Kade and expertly dodges the forest trees. It begins wrapping its body around him, tighter and tighter.

'Soul chip what's happening!' Kade desperately yelled in his mind. His soul felt separated from his body.

'You have most likely being paralyzed by the dream serpent. A serpent who is a master of mind control and illusions. It is only a quasi-adept level beast as an infant, or you soul would have already been enslaved. Concentrate your spirit and will to break out of its gaze.'

The serpent finally finished coiling its body around kade. It faced its head with his and started opening its mouth. The snake unhinged its jaws with the intent to devour Kade whole. Kade looked at its sword-like teeth in terror, and he focused his spirit.

"Nooo!" He yelled as he broke out if the snakes control. Water formed at the base of his hands and the snake is greeted with a blast of water into its tender mouth.

The snake hissed then jerked its head back, it violently uncoiled its body away from Kade's and slithered back. The angered snake arched its body up and aggressively hissed at Kade about to strike. Kade gulped nervously knowing he was not a match for this quasi-adept level beast.

"Enough, Maaya," A feminine voice said from the treetops.

The snake grudgingly listened to the command and Kade sighed in relief. The girl jumped from the top of a tree branch down to the ground. Kade was shocked, at that height would have broken his legs.

" I am surprised you survived against Maaya, granted it was an unexpected attack, you are the first advanced adept to survive against her. I'm Lille by the way" Lille acted as if her snake wasn't just trying to eat Kade alive, and she responded very kindly.

"My names Kade. How are you controlling that… thing" Kade said carefully.

"MAAYA is my other half; I'm a beast unifier." Kade forgets about his attempted murder and became extremely intrigued. Beast unifiers are specialized beast tamers who have harmonized with their chosen beast. They share their souls and vitality with their animals; if one dies, then it is likely the other will to.

"Anyways why are you here Kade, you are only an apprentice adept don't you know how dangerous the adept conclaves forest is?"

"I am here on a mission, and I don't think you need to worry about me, seeing you were about to let your 'other half' devour me," Kade told her.

Lilian burst out into a fit of giggles. " I going Maaya devour you because you seemed boring. Now I know you're interesting." Kade looked at Lilian weirdly 'It seems most adepts have some form of psychosis' he thought to himself.

"Well I'm also here on the mission, we should join each other! I'm also a quasi-adept so you would be safer with me. There are countless adept grade beast in this forest." Lilian insisted.

Kade looked at her and realized she would force him to come with her no matter what he said. It would be better to agree then anger her enough to force him to come along. And she was right about what she said about him being safer with her. Quasi-adepts are leagues above advanced apprentices as they were almost full-fledged adepts.

"Sure, but I have to kill five stone giants can you help me with that." Kade hesitantly asked.

"I could easily help you kill those weak things; my mission involves investigating their strange disappearance. Even though their population has dwindled, they seem to have disappeared from the forest. If we find some, I will let you take five."

Kade sighed in relief, maybe joining Lilian would be a good thing? He would not have to worry about his safety, and he could complete adept Marvin's mission.

"Maaya come here." the gigantic snake slithered over and bent its head down. Lilian looked over in Kade's direction "What are you waiting for? Get on Maaya's head." Kade gulped and walked over toward the terrifying beast. He looked at its eyes remembering the despair he felt as his body was disconnected from his soul. He then quickly traveled up Maaya's head and sat next to Lilian.

"See that wasn't hard." Lilian laughed. " Are you from an adept school? I'm from the Velnair adept school, one of the top adept school in the entire Eastern region."

"I am not from a school; my master is a rogue adept," Kade said gloomily recalling the ruthless Marvin. "Can you tell me more about the school?"

"As Velnair being one of the top adept schools you could learn almost anything there, for a cost. The school offers classes in the elements, body modification, bloodlines, alchemy, inscriptions, curses, and almost every other adept powers and adept related jobs. There are also competitions among students to improve and gain rewards. If you're lucky, you could gain a master and become a core student like me."

Kade was envious. He needed to be at the Velanir School not trapped by some psychotic adept who was using him as an experiment. He looked forward thinking about his future options. He could not escape from adept Marvin as he knows his location and could easily recapture him. As Kade contemplated his uncertain future, Maaya abruptly stopped then hissed.

"Maaya's is sensing that somebody is stalking us," Lilian whispered to Kade. "Come out we know you're out there" Lilian proceed to yell.

A muscular figure came out then evilly smiled. "You two aren't amateurs like the last ones. They didn't even see me coming, and I added their skulls to my collection. Since you have some skills, I'll warn you. Leave this area; my master is commencing a ritual; it would be a shame for you to die."

Lilian stood there unfazed. "Are you the reason for the stone giant's disappearance. If you are you must come with me, the adept conclave has employed me to investigate."

The hulking man stood there with a dumbfounded expression, then burst into laughter. "Are you sane little girl? I'm am a body refining adept while you are only a quasi-adept beast tamer, with an even weaker advanced apprentice with you. Don't say I didn't give you the opportunity to survive while your begging for mercy later."

He jumped up feets into the air and plummeted toward them. Maaya bolts to the side and the adept smashed a crater where they stood before causing tremors around the surrounding forest.

Lilian and Kade jump of as Maaya engaged the adept. It's body coiled around the adept attempting to squeeze him to death. The adept pried Maayyas body away from his. He picked up the 18-ton beast and threw her by her tail, she crashed into countless trees and looked heavily injured.

"MAAYA!" Lilian yelled in anger as her companion was battered. She ran towards the adept and brought out a spear. Lillian stabbed him, but he dodged to the side and punched the air as she backflips away. He charged at her, and she pointed the spear at him. A beam of light ran through his body and created a hole in his upper chest. The adept kept on charging at her, ignoring his wound. Before he hit her shoulder, a protective light enveloped it. But a bone-crunching sound still arises, ' If it weren't for her protective gear her arm would have been blown away" Kade thought.

Just as the adept was about to smash Lillian's face. A water shield formed around her and took the impact of the blow before shattering. Kade came behind the adept clad in his elemental armor. He rotates his body and throws the water wave. It struck against the adept's body, but he seemed unfazed.

"Is that all you got," he smirked but Kade didn't reply, he had already accomplished his goal to distract him.

Maaya who was using her illusion ability to disguise herself appeared. Her colorless body turned into impulses of light as she stared into the adept's soul. The adept froze, and Lillian used her spear to stab repeatedly into his body. Kade followed up with another water wave and smashed it against the adepts skull. Maaya ferociously constricted and bite the adept with injecting her paralyzing poisons.

The adept threw all of them away from him as they flew dozens of meters. 'That's it, were dead' they all thought.' But the adept unexpectedly collapsed on the ground. They all sighed in relief and rested on the ground. After 15 minutes Kade and Lillian slowly walked up toward him.

"Is he dead yet." Kade asked.

"I'm not sure."

They stood above the adept, and he suddenly opened his eyes, Lillian brutally stabbed her spear at his head and brain matter splattered everywhere. They went back to Maaya and rested on her. Lillian proceeded to drink all kind of potions and feed Maaya with them.

"Drink this; it will heal the fractures and potential internal bleeding." Kade obediently drank the sweet potion, and his fatigue was washed away. His body felt better, and he could easily walk without a problem.

"Let's set up camp here, we still need to find out what happened to the stone giants. Our job isn't over."

Kade didn't let the word 'we' and 'our' escape his mind. In her mind, he included him in this dangerous mission. Kade immediately regretted joining her, but he knew if he backed out she would kill him.

They set up a fire, and Maaya coiled around it to keep the heat from escaping. Kade practiced conjuring the water whip, but it would lose it's from after a few seconds. Kade sighed then laid on the ground. He looked over at Lillian who was comfortably snoring on top of Maaya's head. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. 'Does she know the situation we are in? How can she sleep so easily?' He thought. Kade felt drowsy after a while then sleep took him away.