Chapter 6 - Leaving the plains behind

General Haixo didn't let Kai out of his sight for long, and during the times the general slept or was busy, a constant guard was on Kai.

Kai had left his weapons behind with his parents. As he wouldn't be needing them as a hostage, and didn't want the Rakanshi to know his bows compound technology.

General Haixo didn't act cruel towards Kai. He had orders from the king and queen of Rakanshi to show strength if necessary to acquire and keep the magi who made diamonds, but to try to win Kai's favor. A magi was the rarest of spell masters in every realm, and it was quite normal to only have one magi in a planet for hundreds of years.

None of them had ever made objects of such dazzling majesty as Kai. They had used their magic to call down lightning strikes, cause rivers to rage and spill over their normal channels, violent wind currents to blow armies off cliffs, create earth spears that shoot out from the ground like non explosive artillery.

General Haixo wasn't taking any chances, and kept Kai under heavy guard. Surely there might be assassins who tried to kill such a valuable and potentially lethal asset while the magi was young and inexperienced.

Kai travelled weaponless without fear. He rode upon Blizzard, and wielded his magic, so was not really without weapon. He was given one of the Rakanshi tents, which Kai found to be of a vastly increased quality to his own clans.

Where Kai's clan was definitely in the Stone Age, these Rakanshians seemed to be in the early Iron Age. Their animals had hooves, covered with iron horseshoes which allowed them to cover hard ground easily.

Many padded foot animals get sore feet often, especially over hot arid ground, or bitterly cold snow covered or permafrost land. Thus, if it wasn't a high ranked warriors mount, it was quickly slain for the days meat when it became lame. Between the humans and their predatory mounts, there was never too much food.

Kai marched with the Rakanshians without resistance, and treated it mostly as a new adventure.

Unlike his elf brethren, he was well acquainted with humanity, due to his previous life. Of course, the humans will be a lot more rough around the edges with less civilized behavior than a modern earthling would be able to accept. Still though, Kai knew that humans are driven by greed.

Kai also looked at his level for the first time since battling Blizzard.

Status

Name: Kai

Level: 32 

Race: Black Elf

Titles: None 

Experience 325/107,500

Health: 55/55

Mana: 55/55

Stamina: 55/55

Intelligence: 11

Strength: 11

Endurance: 11

Agility: 5

Speed: 5

Critical hit: 5

Luck: 5

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

Passive Abilities: Recovery. 

Companions: White Tigress Blizzard.

Kai was suprised. He had to look twice to make sure his eyes weren't lying. He had leveled up 7 times from his duel with blizzard, followed by the success of bonding with her.

He then selected white tigress blizzard.

Blizzard is a tigress of the Northern plains. Harsh and unyielding like the environment that births them, white tigers are among the rarest beasts in existence. Their tyrannical ferocity in battle, unyielding stamina in all actions, and unswerving loyalty to their companions make them among the most desired companions in all of Atlantis.

The Black elf Kahn tribe is to date the only recorded people to bond with the tiger race. The Kahn people are few in number, but as hard and unyielding as their companions. The tigers and black elves both are immortal, with lifetimes that end only by violent acts, venoms, poisons or other toxins of sufficient power.

Your tigress will grow in power and skills alongside you.

Kai was quite surprised at the description, as he learned something new about his race.

He was immortal?

It hadnt really seemed odd to Kai that there were no elderly looking people in the tribe. There were elders like his parents, but they mostly just had hard life worn faces, with scars helping to give them aged appearances.

Also, with beasts in the plains, in the air, and water, it had made it so his tribe rarely lived beyond the age of 50. That's just how harsh his lands were. Kai smiled, because he had loved his childhood. He hadn't been allowed to fight against the monsters attacking from air, land or water, but he had spent years training with his people, and watching the battles from the safety of camp.

His people are fierce. Kai supposed that his people would try to grow their populations now that they knew how outnumbered they were. He wished them all the luck in his new world, which he had just learned the name of. Atlantis.

Kai was smiling happily, when general Haixo looked at him, frowning.

"Prince Kai, what has you so happy. I would think that you would be in a dark mood after being taken from your people and homeland?"

The two were at the head of the column, with an advance guard ahead of them beyond the range of dusting them out.

Kai looked at the armored general, and said "none of my people died or I would not be in such a good mood. As to why I am smiling, it is enjoyable to me, seeing new lands for the first time. That forest in the distance is exciting, in its newness."

The general patted the side of his mount, which he calls a horse, but which is far wider and taller. The closest earth animal would be a rhino, but that's not a good description either. The generals horse has thick soft fur, and a long horn like a unicorn, but it isn't a unicorn either, being far heavier and more fearsome.

"Aye, it can be enjoyable seeing new lands. It was sure exhilarating to see you and your people gathered in fighting formation, and that beautiful river behind you. You would have lost, but it would have been a hard battle I'm sure.

Do not be so excited for the forest ahead though. The trees are so tall they create shadows all day and night which fierce beasts hide in. The trees themselves have pollen filled seed cones that can kill you if they explode by attaching to your lungs, and there are many other plants and animals that can kill you without much trouble, and without you needing to trigger them."

Kai grinned and said "ah, well that's still exciting. That beautiful river you mentioned is called the death life river. It gives our people life by its drinking water, bathing, cooking and prey.

It takes life away by its raging currents, many different monsters, and it's incredible coldness that can suck the life of a healthy man in a minute, leaving them unable to move and escape the beautiful blue depths."

The general laughed, and said "it's true indeed then that your lands are dangerous. Well, just be careful of anything new to you in the forest, and doubly so for things that appear familiar.

Even the most beautiful of flowers are deadly , and stay away from the tree trunks. They have acid which can spray out when too close, which will kill you and turn your body into nutrients for the roots."

Kai nodded, and didn't say anything.

The general looked at him, studying the young black elf to see if there was fear. His skin was as dark as a starless moonless night, with vivid blue eyes, which can see at night easily. The young prince looked totally fearless, and feral. He wore a orange and black tiger loincloth, with his torso and lower body uncovered. During the winters the clan would wear cloaks, but Kai hadn't taken one with him. It was summer.

The general considered asking or commanding the youth to dress in the civilized manner of humans, and quickly decided to set about it in the near future. Certainly before the end of the journey over the next 3 months. They were a month out from where they had taken Kai.

The young man was a barbarian black elf, but that didn't mean the general considered him weak, or stupid. The mere fact Kai was a magi meant that the young prince could be more deadly than any threat on Atlantis, if given time to master and grow his powers.

While the general looked at him,

Kai watched as 16 advance guard came galloping out of the forest riding their own horses. They came to the center of the main army formation of Rakanshians where Kai and the general rode.

The horses came to a stop in front of them, the beasts breathing harshly, in the cold air.

"What is it?" Snapped the general professionally.

The scout commander cleared his throat, and said "the path ahead has been mostly cleared sir, however there is near constant contact with the forests beasts. Commander Xidon bade me to come back and ask for battle reinforcements to maintain a strong line of defense."

The general said "I see. Wait here."

He turned his horse back towards the rakanshian army, and called out loudly. "reinforcement group a , b and c ride ahead and reinforce the advance guard. Group d e and f, prepare to reinforce the main army and rearguard."

Around 1,000 mounted warriors quickly came out of the army, moving their horses at a trot.

The scout commander met them, and urged his horse back to the forest a mile ahead of the main army.

They seemed to vanish into its depths instantly.