Chapter 2

Dirt, dust, and sand spread across the landscape within the walls of the training area. It was much like Ziv's home planet, but he did see some green like weeds growing in areas people were scarce. Dummies on one side, a pool of water in a corner, and areas small enough for a one on one duel. There were many people around and this being the public training in the southern district of Suul. Ziv was thrilled, but maybe he was afraid as well. Just afraid of the unknown. Didn't hinder his excitement over magic though.

They had to sign in and pay a fee to use the grounds. Kear did offer him to do it in private, but he was interested in seeing what other people could do. He would need to see 'real' magic. She had said that her magic 'wasn't the same' or whatever.

So he watched people swinging different weapons around. Ziv observed the different weapons and ways of attacking the dummies that the people training were using. A metallic sword, a hammer made out of stone, swinging a whip made of fire, a ball of pressurized water from another and many others. The training area here was huge and there were a great number of people.

"Amazing!"

"I know right. I was the same when I saw others using magic."

Looking up, the sun looked like it hit the highest point. So possibly mid day? Ziv turned to his techpad, but the time it told him was close to night time. He reset the clock for midday for now as he walked around.

Eventually they came across a crowd of people by the dueling area. The crowd surrounded three people. The one on outside the dueling lines, was acting as a referee. Both combatants were human from what Ziv could tell. They were friendly and respectful of each other with a bow as the match was starting. The referee on the side called out to everyone around. He used his left and right hands, respectfully, for each contestant.

"Best out of three. Eyeral and Niranyll tied. Match point! Ready…Set…Begin!"

Ziv noted that Eyeral and Niranyll weren't too different in body shape. Average build, not too much muscle, but both were fit. Eyeral had sharp emerald eyes and his purple hair, lighter than Kear's streak, was floofy. Niranyll was a little bit taller, a few centimeters. He had dark brown skin and black hair.

The fight began and Ziv watched Eyeral create a barrier. It was thin, rainbow shading, and it was in the shape of a pentagon. Metallic balls hit the barrier and created a small crack. The metallic balls bounced off at an angle hitting a barrier that encompassed the dueling area.

Where Eyeral was shot from was of course from Niranyll. He created a few circles of lightning, like a barrel of a gun and flicked the balls through. It acted like a railgun of sorts with high speeds. That could do permanent damage to Eyeral, is there something to prevent him from getting killed?

All the shots fired were rolling back towards Niranyll on the ground. They crawled up his leg and back and then on to his right arm as an armguard. He used it to block a bunch of shapes from his opponent. Triangles, circles, stars flying at high speeds. It looked like they could cut Niranyll's arm off and that could have been the point. As the shapes were blocked by him, Eyeral started creating some octagons around him that were shining a bright light at Niranyll. As he did that he threw out a bunch of small pyramids on the ground as caltrops.

Ziv was amazed at the fight and the incredible uses that they used. They went on for about three minutes back and forth using different techniques against each other. It was harder to see with the light from Eyeral, but he noticed that Niranyll could freely form the metal in his grasp. He used that to effect as one of metallic shapes had bounced off a barrier and was behind Eyeral. It started moving back towards Niranyll and it under Eyeral's foot, having him lose balance for a second and letting Niranyll win. A small streak of blood came from Eyeral's cheek as a small metal pin hit the barrier behind him.

"Niranyll Wins!" The referee yells as the makeshift crowd goes wild.

"That was so cool!"

Both Kear and Ziv said at the same time. He looked up at Kear. He noticed a few times she was cheering them on loudly with the crowd. He was more or less in the back observing the fight, rather than participating in the crowd of cheers.

---

Through the commotion made by the crowd, more people had come over. Ziv learned that those two were professionals in the dueling scene and popular in the Suul Empire. As more people talked around him, the more he learned. Suul, the capital of The Suul Empire, had a few surrounding territories as their own cities. The empire was ruled by a council of these cities and the districts of Suul. Four districts for the four directions. With that, there will be a tournament that will take place during the Light Festival in a couple months.

In a month's time challengers will start in the territories, like Eyeral and Niranyll, and then once they progress far enough they will be designated a district in Suul. Then once here the main tournament will begin and each district will have four people left and then the finals will start at the last two contestants remaining.

Ziv was interested in the tournament as he heard more of it. Fighting wasn't something he wanted to do, but watching the duel between two of the top people sparked a love within him.

He learned more about the specializations and magic that these people have. Eyeral had a single specialization of light. That allowed him to blind and create shapes to attack his opponents. Niranyll has two specializations of lightning and metal. That was how he could change the metal and fire them at high speeds.

As he listened more he heard a variety of specializations. Not all magic related. Like one was a specialization for plants. It would allow him to control plants and allow him to grow healthier plants. Another had a cooking specialization that all the food he made was much better. Different and unique.

Of course there was a small problem that he didn't like about it. A few people hated their specialization and tried their best at something else. Like that cook, he mentioned that he wanted to be a fighter. Of course he could be, but the specialization held him back and the jobs he could get were the ones he didn't want. People were stuck with what was laid out for them at birth, having trouble with what they really want to do in life. It felt unfair.

---

Kear led Ziv over to a dummy far away from the others. It was quiet and he was excited to give magic a go.

"How do I check my specializations and cast magic?"

"Uhm… Let's just start with casting magic. I'll tell you after."

Ziv was confused, but there wasn't much he could do at this time. So he planned on being patient.

"So just imagine a ball of water in your hand. Don't worry it or anything you cast will hurt you."

So Ziv closes his eyes and imagines a ball of water. He tries holding his breath and forcing it out.

"Good job Ziv!"

The balls fall on the ground and splashes. So he tries again with his eyes open and before he could hold his breath it appears. There is no feeling, no pressure, nothing to give him feedback on if it worked. It's like he just made it with his mind and no effort.

"Why is it so easy? Does this mean I have some water specialization or something?"

He heard from others that they tried to make a ball of fire from the crowd and that was difficult for them. Was there something different about him that made it easier? Possibly because he wasn't from this world?

"Maybe you do."

Ziv looks at her and notices she shifts her eyes away from him. She looks guilty about something. Why would she be?

'Seriously what is wrong?'

"Is something wrong?"

"No! No, not at all. I just was thinking about something crazy. Anyways try something else out and just use your imagination."

'She won't answer then?'

Is the truth worth it? Ziv wasn't sure he wanted the answer after seeing how she looks at him.

---

"This is so crazy. I'm creating matter out of nothing. I know it can't be created or destroyed, so how does it work? Do you know Kear?"

"*Cough* Magic?"

"Well yea, I guess that's right. But maybe there is a reason."

Everything that was happening today was amazing and it made Ziv want to learn more. He was still young and he knew there was always something else to learn. He was excited that he had a chance to learn something new or pioneer new ideas here.

"Ziv. It is getting late. Do you want to stay here?"

Ziv glanced at his tech pad and it was a little past six at night. He was getting hungry too.

"Can I come with you?"

"Of course. That's fine. I was going to get a room at the inn near here."

"Wouldn't that be too much? Your house isn't that far away."

"Well, let's just say that I have been saving money, so I wouldn't mind spending some time at an inn here."

There was a proud smile shown on her face, but it was small.

They left the training ground. Not even five minutes away an inn stood. They got dinner and Kear got two rooms. The last two in the place. He had suggested that if Kear was alright he could sleep on the floor. But she insisted on paying the extra amount for another room. So he was in the room, alone.

Ziv looked around the room and it was decent. A circular round wooden table and matching chair sat in the corner next to the window with a lamp of sorts; the bed was nothing like his own, but it felt comfortable enough; what did surprise him the most was the bathroom. It wasn't something like he had at his home, but it provided a shower, toilet and sink. Compared to how the area looks like a fantasy story, something like, and the car like vehicles on the street, suggest there is much more than he realized.

The dinner he ate was amazing. Judging by the location and the color of the walls, this place receives a lot of money. He was able to eat more than the standard portion that he lived on for most of his life. Even if he wanted to deny Kear and the money she spent for him, he couldn't deny that it was an amazing meal. Plus after almost six hours of magic he was tired. Not from something like a lack of mana, just being out in the mild heat had made him physically exhausted. Of course that didn't help his already drained mental exhaustion. It only happened to provide a wonderful distraction to Ziv.

He only recently came out of a hazy depressive episode of sorts, traveled outside his home to explore the world with the intention that the day would be his last, detonate his home and fall into a building, then find some portal and end up in a new world. Magic is real and he met someone who looks at him with guilt and fear.

He had enough of the day, but his mind couldn't shut off just yet. He needed to go through everything that happened. He resigned himself to death and somehow survived. A new life awaited for him, but it was confusing.

Magic. A normal concept that he has read about in fictional stories. Not real from his past, but in the present provides him with a mystery that he wants to solve. Perhaps he could help people or provide them with tools that could benefit them. Ziv shook his head. He wasn't special like that, even if he wanted to believe it. It did put a smile to his face at least.

Next was Kear. Was there a reason that he landed up at her home? At first she was a little overbearing. Not too extreme, but kind of scary. After her question of 'if he felt powerful' or whatever, she visibly relaxed and deflated. After all during the day he stuck with water and fire types of magic and those were easy, but did try everything else he could think of too and it felt the same. Not any more difficult from water and fire. So was that what she meant by that?

Then the way she looked at him starting after arriving at that restaurant, and for most of the day, was complicated. It was like she was guilty over something the entire time. It was so obvious that even he could see it. However the fear in her eyes as she looked at him was more hidden, but he could still see it. After all he learned his father was afraid of fire and there were a few times he was able to see it clearly on his face. So why was she afraid? He asked her and she stated that 'it was how he appeared in her home' and he did agree that would be scary, but it persisted for the day. He guessed that the feeling could have persisted, but he felt there was more.

Last but not least with her, was her magic. What reason could she have to say that her magic was 'similar, but different'? He watched the fight with Eyeral and Niranyll, also experienced magic himself first hand, but what makes hers different. Could she be some famous person who is hiding with powerful secrets? Well he doubted that as she was young. About ten or fifteen years older than him. Well that might not be right either as she and the people of this world could live longer.

'Oh wait, there was that.'

Kear said that she visited Vera's Meats many times, but said that Ziv and her had arrived from Rhalmunden. Sure he could understand why she would lie for him, but why for herself. She had her own place and it sounded like she spent a lot of time in Suul, so was there more to it? Actually there was a bigger question that Ziv should have asked himself in the first place.

'Why does she trust me?'