Chapter 4 - A childhood to remember

While Codi's caravan made its slow journey to Rakanshi, Kai's parents put him off to bed, lying in their family tent in his tiger fur blanket. His parents gathered the 7 most powerful leaders in the tribe, other than themselves. Kai was pretending to be asleep, so could overhear the conversation.

His mother spoke up after they finished settling down. "I'm sure you are all curious why Kahn and I have gathered you here today. My son Kai has awakened his magic."

Several voices spoke up at once, making them all hard to hear. Kai heard his father make a coughing sound that quickly quieted down the 7. Then a female voice coming from the tribes best archer, a fairly young elf woman named Su su. "Can you tell which of the magics he has awakened? Or is it still too early?"

Kai heard his fathers voice now. "He has all of the magics. He showed Akaishi and I his power for the first time, by creating the 3 gems we showed you all; before giving the jewels to the merchant Codi to trade to the humans.

It was incredible to watch Kai. He made them from nothing, using his magics to create objects that will surely be worth much to the Rakanshi."

A elderly male voice Kai didn't recognize quickly said "What?! It's been centuries since we had a Magi. Can you wake him up now and have him make something again, so that we can see it? Can he control his power to move the earth alone, or use the wind or gravity or both to fly? Has he" -

Kai's mothers voice cut in. "we have only seen him make the three diamonds as of now. Rest assured that we will begin his training tomorrow at dawn. He needs his rest for it."

The voices quieted down and then said "what does it mean Chiefess Akaishi? It is rare indeed for us to have a Magi born to us, but for one to be born in the ruling family, it seems like an omen of change, and troubled times to come that require a great magi."

Kai didn't know that was his mothers name before that, but he liked it, and he saw where his name came from. He was comfortable in his bedding, so it was easy to pretend to be sleeping. He made sure to keep breathing steadily.

Chiefess Akashi spoke after a few moments of thought. "Our people have been growing larger in population size, as have our herds. The common ways to be in danger are disease, whether it's us,or or our herds, or even both. Perhaps our tigers get sick. There can be War with the Rakanshi, as they often raid into our lands even in peaceful times.The ever present beast attacks can be much worse if they are fleeing from an area ravaged by forest fire, a lack of rain that dries out rivers, or fooods us and the plains beyond the normal. Grass fires, as well as strong monsters causing lesser beasts to flee. With the Rakanshan new human settlements ever growing..

There are individual monsters that are ancient and powerful, as well as any number of other dangers I haven't thought nor spoken of. It's impossible for us to know this moment why a Magi has been born to us. What can be deducted is that danger approaches, and he will be in the center of the storm."

"That's true enough Chiefess.."

Kai didn't hear anything else from the conversation that went on for hours longer. He was only 2 after all, and his bed was very comfortable. His eyes got heavy, and sleep welcomed him warmly. In sleep Kai recalled his past life's memories, as vivid dreams. In particular, dreams of the Great War.

Shortly before dawn, Kai's mother woke him up. "Quickly get dressed Kai. You will start training today."

She waited impatiently for him to rise and dress. Kai didn't grumble or anything like that. Waking up early was something he was used to. After dressing he left the tent, following behind his hurried mother.

He was taken to a semi secluded area of the busy camp. There his mom told him his tasks. The training consisted of using his powers individually,so calling down thunder repeatedly, calling rain, calling snow, calling fire, and holding it until magical black out. He then meditated while it recovered or was lectured until it was full again. All the tribe elders taught him, as they each had skills they were superb in.

He was made to fly, create campfires for many of the people after a days march, dig out defensive ditches, clean water so it could be used to take showers, and drink. The amount of things he did with his training became more and more complex, but staying within the bounds of the peoples knowledge.

There were lots of long distance jogging during the daily marches as well, or flying/gliding.

Days turned into weeks. The four seasons came and went. Bitter snow filled winters, muddy spring and falls, and sweltering hot summers.

Kai grew like a weed. His level increased as well.

At 16 years old Kai was a great warrior in the eyes of his people. His skill with the spear, bow and arrow, sling, and in wrestling were all the best among the clan.

He was easily the strongest magician of the people, and it's only Magi.

Kai looked at his status, as it had been a while.

Status

Name: Kai

Level: 25 

Race: Black Elf

Titles: None 

Experience 49,989/50,000

Health: 50/50

Mana: 50/50

Stamina: 50/50

Intelligence: 10

Strength: 10

Endurance: 10

Agility: 4

Speed: 4

Critical hit: 4

Luck: 4

Active Abilities: True scholar, Martial Artist, Fundamental Force wielder. 

Passive Abilities: Recovery. 

Today was an important day for Kai. He would be going to the tiger fields, and would have to tame an adult tiger, in order to become an adult among the people, and to be recognized as an adult warrior.

He put on his loincloth with great familiarity, not wasting any motions.

He left his parents tent behind with the quiet sound of a tent flap slowly moving . Settling himself into a ground eating jog, Kai left the center of the camp behind in minutes. The tiger fields are set close to the camp, as the tigers follow the clan and its livestock, for the bountiful food.

Without spear or bow, Kai walked into the tigers lair. He saw tigers lifting their head up, looking at him, while laying down, or standing up. Mostly laying down though.

They made growling noises if kai got too close to them, but didn't attack him. They were well used to the people among them, and recognized his scent from being brought amongst them often since he was a baby.

In time, Kai made his way to the center of the tigers den, within the tiger fields.

A young female adult white and orange striped tiger caught his scent, and visually spotted Kai seconds later. She came running up to him without hesitation.

The dangerous cat stopped within easy leaping distance of Kai, crouching down, and emitting a rumbling defiant roar.

Kai's fear was powerful, telling him to turn his back and run. He knew that would be the worst decision he could make. All Predators love to chase after fleeing prey after all. Kai was no prey, so running was out of the question.

Kai put his hands out, palms open towards the tiger. He spoke quietly to the white tiger.

"Hello white tigress. I am Prince Kai, of the black elf people. What is your name?"

The tiger scratched its right paw into the ground a bit, her claws piercing the earth, and said "Greetings.. Prince Kai. I am Blizzard. are you here to challenge me to a companion duel? It would be a shame to slay one I have heard much about."

Kai raised his left shoulder, rolling it, then lowering it and raising his right. After limbering up, he said "yes. I would. Do you accept mighty blizzard?"

The tiger coughed out another roar and said "I accept, but you won't win. I am the strongest of the tigers."

Kai grinned fiercely and said "it's only right that the strongest tigress should be companion to the strongest magi and fighter of the black elf."

Blizzard snorted, and said "maybe."

With a twitch of her powerful muscles, blizzard launched herself forward. Kai dove to his left at an angle, watching as blizzards right claw swiped at the spot he had just been.

If he hadn't moved, his guts would be spilling out of his torso by now onto the grass.

Kai landed from his dive already rolling, quickly coming to his feet again. In a duel such as this, the only option was to wear the tiger down in the challenge, until you can climb upon its back and stop its head or paws from slicing you to shreds more easily.

After missing him, blizzard quickly reset herself smoothly, and Kai had to continually leap and dodge, using his fundamental powers in microbursts to move fast enough. She was as fast as a lightning bolt, and totally relentless. Besides her wicked sharp and fast claws, she used her razor blade teeth to try to bite Kai.

Seconds turned into minutes, with Kai's stamina declining by1 per minute, as he was using martial arts ability and physically demanding art at that, to continually evade the constantly lethal slices and snaps.

Kai watched the tigers eyes, seeing her frustration at not being able to make the smallest of contact with his flesh. He grinned fiercely at Blizzard, showing the beautiful tiger his own canines.

And so minute after minute passed. Kai knew that blizzard would surely have quite high stamina, so it was a matter of who was the highest level.

Fear began running in his mind after hitting 10/50 stamina. When he hit 0 stamina ten minutes later, blizzard showed no signs of letting up. At that point, Kai had only one choice.

He had to rely on his mana, which was at 45/50. It used up one mana per second, but Kai learned during his evasion efforts; that he could use multiple microsecond bursts before a second would run out.

Using bursts of wind and gravity flight, Kai continued to avoid Blizzard by a hair's breadth.

Kai started taking glancing hits, which accumulated into steady blood loss.

Blizzards coat grew wet with her exertions, and her breathing went from as calm as a windless day to that of a raging hurricane as time danced with the elf and tiger in battle..

Being at 0 stamina meant that Kai's strength, agility and other stats were reduced by half, with the exception of mana and health.

Hours passed. The sun rose in the sky, until it was towering around them.

Kai's parents gathered at the edge of the tiger fields, and more and more of the people stopped their daily tasks to come and watch, until the entire clan was watching. All of them felt the thrill of battle. Kai continued to escape deadly paw swipes and nimble snaps of blizzards sharp teeth, though taking some glancing hits..

Finally, the tiger ran out of stamina as well, slowing down her attacks by half.

Kai's eyes glinted in the afternoon light at the chance he had been waiting for arrived. Quickly using air blasts to propel himself, he launched forwards, somersaulting over another of blizzards maw attacks.

He put his hands in blizzards small mane as he flew above her, and pulled himself down onto the rider supporting spot on her back, where she would naturally have a harder time attacking Kai.

Holding onto blizzards mane fiercely with both hands, Kai held on for life in preparation for what was sure to come.

Blizzard roared, and began bucking wildly like the wildest bull or bronco ride from his old world. After a few moments the tigress jumped several meters up in the air, letting herself land on her side with a crash, and then rolled over, taking the breath out of Kai, and breaking his leg in the impact. It definitely did some major damage. Kai screamed out loudly, but stayed on Blizzards back. When she finished her roll she looked back at Kai before Kai's hands stoppped her with the help of increasing his bodies gravity and thus mass. Some of the wounds had congealed and stopped bleeding, but most hadn't, so blizzards back was turning red slowly.

They now also had mud pushed into the cuts and blizzards fur, from the now muddy grass, which actually worked to slow the bleeding down in many of Kai's wounds.

Kai said passionately to Blizzard "you are marvelous blizzard. Please Stop your struggling and agree to ride with me into battle. You won't find another more worthy than I."

Looking back at him without being able to bite him again, blizzard came to a stop for the first time. She said "you want me to give in? Hah!"

She then started running at full sprint, and then came to a rapid stop, locking her paws up and digging through the earth to rapidly stop herself. She thrust her head down hard, and threw up her backside.

Letting go of her fur so he didn't cause her injury by rubbing chunks of fur out, Kai hurtled through space, before landing on the ground with a smack that knocked all the air out of his lungs.

Wheezing at the harsh pain and his leg tho harshest of them all, Kai rolled to his right quickly, avoiding blizzards next attack mostly, being swiped a bit in his back.

Even as he rolled, he coughed, trying to breathe after having the wind knocked out of him. With his cough, dirt and grass came out of his motuth, and he snorted out dirt plugging his nose up after standing up. No time to do anything else.

After dodging numerous more attacks with his mana, Kai climbed back onto blizzard deftly.

The next time that blizzard ran into a sprint and tried to dead throw him, Kai used magic to stop himself from hurtling off. As evening approached, the fight slowly went out of blizzard, at the same rate as her respect for Kai grew. Her movements grew sluggish and half hearted.

Finally Kai was totally out of mana, his health was low, and his stamina was long since empty. He no longer had the energy to stop himself with magic or his own strength and was thus thrown again over Blizzards head when she did yet another run stop. When he landed on the hard ground this time, on a rock outcropping; unconcsciousness claimed him in an instant.

Kai's parents, alongside the people and all the companion tigers, had watched the companionship challenge with ever growing respect, and even awe. Never in recorded history had a challenge lasted half as long as this, nor been as incredibly fierce.

They witnessed as Kai finally ran out of all energy to fight, and was thrown again off the tigers back. He hit the rocky ground hard, and didn't move.

A gasp of shock and sadness came out as the people all thought Kai had lost, and was about to be eaten. That was what had always happened when one of the people couldn't tame a tiger.

They watched without interfering, as the white tigress walked with clear exhaustion up to their prince. Huffing out a steamy breath, placing a paw on Kai's chest, the tiger lifted her head and roared out fiercely, and then all of the tigers, bonded and unbonded lifted their heads and roared out loudly with her.

After the stunning community roar ended, the elf people and other tigers watched as blizzard bent her head down towards Kai's face and throat.

She opened her mouth.. and.. her tongue lapped out and licked Kai's neck and face, before she fell onto her side in exhaustion and laid next to the young unconscious prince.

Kahn and Akaishi looked on in stunned silence. A gasp of relief came from the crowd.

The archer su su was the first to speak among the peoples shocked silence.

"Wow. Kai lost physically even as he won the white tigresses respect and loyalty. Should we go and bring Kai back to the tents to clean and bind his wounds?"

Kahn looked towards where the tiger lay, and said with sage words "no. If we were to try to take Kai away from the tiger now, before their bond is complete she would surely attack any of us. We must wait for Kai to wake up and finish the bond, or for him to fail, and likely die."

The relief they all felt at the Tiger not killing Kai exploded back into anxiety.

Kahn said "we can't do anything now, but prepare a healing tent, with clean wool wraps, and some food and drink, if you would please."

Several of the people with healing skills left the semi circle of watching people and tigers, and made the healing tent ready.

Kai came to hours later, and opened his eyes. He was greeted by large and round blue tiger eyes, locked onto him.

Pain was all over his body. The impact had definitely broken his right leg if it wasn't before, his right arm, probably all of his ribs, and his right wrist. She had violently thrown him off with the most effort yet.

Blizzard said "ah good, you didn't die. I have decided that you are indeed worthy of battle beside me. I, Blizzard, accept you as my companion, Prince Kai of the Black elf people. Can you get on my back and complete the bond?"

Kai's health hadn't regenerated because his broken bones couldn't just auto restore, and were acting like he was still in combat, but his stamina and mana had. His regeneration ability could restore health, but only to a certain point; like non bone breaking or internal injury hp loss. Any of the recovered health was lost again quickly so it's like there's no recovery as he was far more hurt than his abilities could heal.

He sighed in pain and said "thanks for accepting me Blizzard, and not eating me. I will need your help to climb on. The right side of my body is broken."

Nodding, blizzard came to her feet, and put her head down low, saying "you are probably way too stubborn for me to eat, I would have gotten bad indigestion I'm sure."

Kai chuckled. Next he put his left hand onto her mane, and she slowly pushed forward while raising her head, helping him to get onto her back.

Once onto her back, Kai sent ancient bonding magic into blizzard, which could only be done once a sentient beast is open to it. It was the beasts magic really, not Kai's.

Blizzard accepted his magic bond, and Kai felt the bond solidify in his mind like a bridge, and he knew they could now communicate mentally at great distance, and while in battle.

None of the people have barbarous things like bridles in their tigers mounts to guide them, or even having to use their knees to guide direction. They merely think commands, like walking, and their beasts move with them, and the connection is dual sided, increasing the black elf's own abilities. Many elf talk to their companions aloud most of the time tho.

Still exhausted herself but not wounded at all, Blizzard walked slowly towards the people, and companion tigers.

Meeting them was Kai's parents.

Kahn said "greetings, companion of my son. I am Chief Kahn, father of Kai , and this is my life companion Akaishi, Kai's mother. Our battle brothers and sisters are Kanshi, and Mashi."

Blizzard greeted them all, then said "Kai is hurt. He needs one of your healers."

Akaishi said "of course, please follow us."

After carrying Kai to the healers tent, Blizzard reluctantly let them take Kai off her back, and afterwards she laid outside the tent, falling asleep quickly.

The Magi and his White Tiger had been united; and the peoples prince was now a black Elf adult in their eyes, with all the duties and responsibilities that came with it.