[Chapter 11 - Sic Vita Est : Such is Life]
After examining the markings we were able to follow a trail until we reached a small clearing nearby. The branches here were conveniently thinner allowing some light to be let through clearly displaying the beast before us.
It was a boar like beast but contrary to the normal 2ft tall ones back at the estate it stood a solid 4 feet tall and was around 2-3 feet wide at the shoulder. It was a unit of pure muscle and at its mouth were incredibly dramatic tusks. They were jagged and layered in a packed and unnatural way causing some of them to protrude from the jaw. Though I couldn't see it perfectly because it had its face buried in something. At first I couldn't tell what, only that I could hear intense sounds of crunching. As we got closer and took cover in the flora I was able to get a new angle and see it clearly.
The dull lifeless eyes of a small elven child no older than 5 or 6. One of his arms was missing and the other was partially eaten with chunks of muscle and tendons dangling where the flesh had been stripped away. The boar had its snout buried in the boy's gouged stomach. It was tearing and biting through his ribs snapping them effortlessly while it plunged deeper into the body in what could only be described as a feeding frenzy.
I began to feel a wave crash over me as yesterday started to repeat itself. My face became flushed with coldness and my stomach warped and tightened. I felt my mind begin it's race of panic.
"Elwen" I felt a firm hand grip onto my shoulder. As I turned I saw my mother staring at me with a serious and determined face "Listen to me" she said in a quiet yet firm voice.
"Such is life. To live is to take from others. You are either strong enough to protect and conquer or you must accept that what is yours will be ripped from you. So make a choice right now! Which will it be!?" she ended with a coldness in her voice
Nevertheless her words poured over and pierced through me. I had hunted plenty of times but it never felt like this. It never felt like there was any stakes, guilt or fear, if anything it was exciting. But after the last two days I realized it was because I was never the one with my life on the line, the one who had something to lose. Slowly, I turned my head back to the boar and lifted my wand trying to focus. Focus on the feeling of mana from yesterday and on the task at hand. I steadily aimed at the boar's head as it continued to tear and scarf down flesh. While crouched down in a sea of brush and trees
"Sphere"
An orb of smooth and flawless water began to form before shooting towards the beast with great speed. Though it wasn't completely on target it wasn't a complete miss either. The orb blasted through the bottom jaw creating a slurry of tusk, blood and chunks of jaw that went flying into the surrounding forest.
I was excited but I wouldn't slip up now, I still hadn't won. As the boar let out a shrill cry it quickly began charging our direction with what remained of its jaw slinging around as it ran. Though it wasn't flawless by focusing on the feeling of a tether I was able to recover and reposition the orb much quicker. By the time the boar began a full charge my sphere was already rising into the air. I snapped my wrist down and the sphere quickly arced down and went slamming into the back right leg sending it flying the boar skidding across the ground in a roll of squeals and blood.
Again I repeated the same process. Once the sphere was raised I sent it flying down a final time at the boar's head. In its weakened and battered state the boar was struggling, falling over repeatedly as it desperately tried to regain its footing. The orb slammed into the top of the boar's skull, thrusting it into the ground below and pulverizing the head into nothing more than a battered pile of pulp.
I slowly lowered my wand causing the sphere to lose its shape and turn into loose water as I breathed heavily. I didn't realize it but I had been holding my breath from the moment I used the skill. As I swallowed and tried to steady my breath staring at the gruesome scene I heard a soft voice from behind me.
"Though it was and will always be the harder of the two choices, it will also always have been the right one to make."
With a soft nod of understanding we both began to make our way to the boar. My mother drew the silver dagger from its sheath before reaching behind her back to retrieve a matching set. With a slight smile she extended it out to me.
"It is yours. Now let us be quick to harvest and head back should anything choose to investigate the noise we just made."
A smile formed and my face and I nodded as I reached out to receive the gift "Understood, thank you!" I gently took the silver dagger in both hands. The blade was long with a slight curve to it. There was no hilt and the handle was wrapped in a deep black leather. As I held it in my hands
< My vision was soon filled with a flurry of pop ups in the typical white text on purple backing. As I was just finishing reading my status appeared except this time it looked different
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Name: Elwen Vinswain
Race: ?!?!/High Elf
Mana: 950/1300
Ki: 100%
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Exp: 125
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Current Class: [Water Mage]
Sub Class: [Hand of the Trickster]
Focus: [Dagger]
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Effects: N/A
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Titles:
[Freyja's Patron]
[Elven Noble]
[Vinswain]
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Not only had my mana and exp increased but I now also had a Focus along with my class and subclass. As I looked over my new Focus and its skill
"I can already tell what has happened" my mother spoke. As she did I lost concentration and the text window faded. I was know looking at her slightly disheartened face "Unfortunately I cannot help you with ki, for now I want you to put it aside and concentrate on your magic. Tell me did your mana increase?"
"Yeah it did actually." I said it kind of dumbfounded. Not because I was surprised at the question but at the immediate breakdown and conclusion of what was happening before I even told her. With everything over the past couple of days I'm starting to wonder just who my mother was.
"Good. Your mana will naturally increase as you grow stronger and hit milestones such as better understanding mana to control your sphere" she had a faint proud smile "You seemed to have a high mana to begin with, but now that it is increasing we can get a grip of what is called your mana potency, what is your maximum mana currently?"
"1300" I spoke
A smile crept across her face "A guaranteed S"
"Guaranteed S?"
"Nothing" her voice regained its firmness "Enough idling around let's get our food and get out. There is more I want to get done today"
"Understood" we then proceeded to harvest the boar as usual. After binding the meat with rope we each took a share and began to haul it back in the direction we started, back to the encampment leaving both the boar and boy behind us.