I Miss The Forest

''Yes, me and your father Alderic were childhood friends in Eryndor City when we were both commoners decades ago,'' Elara revealed with a smile. ''You and he are nothing alike. The old fox was more outspoken and would flirt with every woman he saw.''

Raegar chuckled, a confident glint in his eye.''I don't have time for girls—well, except for Yuki. But she gets it. She knows I'm focused on getting stronger and mastering my magic,'' he said, his voice laced with determination.

The tiger woman started laughing when hearing that before teasing, ''Wait until you start an academy. I bet you'll have a gaggle of girlfriends by the end of the year.''

He felt his cheeks go red at the thought of a having a girlfriend let alone more than one, causing him to shake his head before replying, ''We'll see what happens.The only person I like is Yuki and haven't had the chance to meet many girls my age.''

''That's understandable,'' Elara said, stirring the fire as they sat around it, the flames casting a warm glow over them. ''Your mother told me a few years ago that you love to study and spend most of your time training.''

She paused, looking at him thoughtfully. ''Not much has changed, I assume?''

Raegar shook his head, ''No. I still love it but come to a roadblock and need to attend an academy to increase my powers,'' he revealed.

''Well, you could do without going to one, but it will be hard to gain access to the dungeons and Aether Gateways that dot the continent,'' Elara answered, causing him to contemplate.

He knew about the dungeons as he read a book about them back at home, but the Aether Gateways caught his interest. Raegar asked in a curious voice, ''Can you tell me about these gateways?''

Elara looked at him with a surprised expression as she giggled, ''I thought you'd know about it. Most young ones want to join the Gatekeeper's tournament these days, which is dangerous but also worth it if you can find a rare treasure.''

Raegar's eyebrows shot up at the mention of the tournament. A spark of interest flickered in his eyes. ''A tournament, huh?'' he muttered, his mind already racing. ''I'll look into it when I get back home,'' he said, his tone filled with excitement.

''You should,'' Elara said, her gaze steady as pulled out some rations. ''The gateways have birthed many noble families that are still around, though most fade away once the wealth dries up.''

She paused, eyeing him with a knowing smile. ''But I can see the treasure is secondary to you. It's the fighting that really interests you, isn't it?''

Raegar looked at the tiger woman and nodded, ''Yes, I've seen my grandfather's power and want to grow even stronger so I can finally beat him in a fight.''

Elara started laughing when hearing that which caught him off guard before she asked in an interested voice, ''So you just want to beat the Lion of Dawnfire in a fight? What other goals have you got?''

He took a moment, his thoughts gathering before he spoke with unwavering determination. ''Well, I want to explore Kaldorra... maybe even the other continents. And, of course, I plan to become the strongest Aether Mage in Sylvara.''

His voice was resolute, the fire of ambition igniting within him, burning brighter with each word. Elara beamed at him, her eyes sparkling with approval. She nodded thoughtfully and reached for her pack, pulling out some salted meat.

With a smile, the mature woman offered it to him, and Raegar gratefully accepted, ''Thank you,'' he thanked her.

''Don't worry about Raegar,'' she answered.

Following that, the two of them continued talking until Elara got tired and said her farewells as she stood up and stretched. ''Goodnight, make sure you get some rest as I won't be here to protect you tomorrow.''

''Shut up,'' he retorted with a smile while throwing a ball of water at the tiger woman.

Elara smoothly dodged the attack, a sly smile crossing her face as she stepped inside the tent, leaving him alone. Raegar didn't hesitate. He quickly retrieved his own gear, setting up beside the water's edge.

Once his tent was in place, he sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes and entering a deep meditative state. As his breath slowed and his focus sharpened, the peaceful rhythm of the water lapping up against the shore nearby.

The Aether seemed to aid with his recovery as it seeped into his body before flowing toward his inner pools and started filling them up. Following that, Raegar continued gathering until stopped when he felt tired.

'Why can I only do it for an hour before getting tired?' he pondered while staring at the calm lake as a flock of birds flew above.

Raegar let out a tired yawn before crawling into his tent, wrapping himself in blankets. Exhaustion overwhelmed him, and he drifted into a deep sleep. The following morning, he stirred with another yawn, blinking awake as the sounds of a bustling camp filled the air.

Voices, clanking metal, and rustling tents shattered the peaceful silence he was used to. ''So loud... I miss the forest,'' he muttered groggily, pushing himself up and stepping out of the tent.

He shook his head before taking in the scene around him as adventurers and caravan guards went about their business. While standing there, a booming voice rang out, which made him jump out of his skin.

''Morning, my new friend Blackwood!'' Ranthar greeted him in a cheerful tone.

Raegar turned around to see the giant tiger man smiling down at him. ''I see you prefer the quietness of the forest. Are you sure you're not a demi human boy?''

''Nope, I'm human,'' he replied while scratching his head. ''You know my parents are as well.''

The older man chuckled before giving Raegar a hearty slap on the back. ''I saw your fight yesterday, and then your spar with my sister,'' he said with a grin. ''You move like those leopard tribesmen that roam the southern deserts, always ready to strike at any moment.''

He glanced up at the giant man, about to respond, but before he could, Elara's voice called out from behind them. ''Morning, you two. Ranthar, can you check the treeline? I thought I heard some Howlers watching us last night.''

Raegar's gaze shifted to his new friend, noticing how Ranthar's tail stiffened at her words. His expression darkened as he rumbled, ''They're here too? I thought we lost them in the woods further south.''

''Unfortunately they are migrating north for their usual hunting periods,'' Elara revealed with a worried expression. ''And you've heard the reports of the constant attacks against travelers that the guild master told us back in the last city.''

After speaking, Ranthar strode off to scout the perimeter, his heavy steps fading into the distance. Elara turned to him, her expression serious. ''Do you know what Howlers are? You shouldn't. They're beasts the Guilds put bounties on, reserved for only the strongest warriors.''

Raegar's curiosity flared. ''Are they strong?'' he asked, his eyes gleaming with interest.

''Tier Twos and Threes,'' the tiger woman answered, but quickly noticed his excited smile, causing her to continue. ''Try not to fight them, they can become overwhelming.''

''Okay,'' he replied before the caravan started packing up to head for Dreadshade as the tiger woman went to help.

Half an hour later, Ranthar and Elara returned, their footsteps crunching against the earth. The older woman looked at him with a knowing smile. ''Are you sure you don't want to join us? We're heading toward Southwood City,'' she offered.

Raegar shook his head, a confident grin on his face. ''No, I'm going deeper into Bloodfang. I want to fight more monsters and push myself. I need to expand my Aether Pools.''

Ranthar chuckled, his deep voice filled with warmth before he reached out and ruffled Raegar's hair. ''Well, Little Blackwood, I hope our paths cross again. It was good meeting you.''

''I'm sure we will,'' he replied to the tiger man, who walked off seconds later.

As the caravan rumbled forward, Elara cast one last smile his way. ''Take care of yourself, Raegar,'' she said, her voice carrying both warmth and confidence. ''I hope we meet again.''

''I do too,'' Raegar answered before dashing into the treeline as the caravan vanished.

Following that, he was rushing through the underbrush and was heading for his previous camp when he had to come to a halt when seeing a swarm of Forest Widows and other creatures were all over the tree.

He gulped when seeing this while thinking, 'Oh fuck! They have allies and their Tier Two Deathstingers!'

They were massive scorpions with a dark carapace to help it hide among the underbrush. Raegar knew this monster as he read a lot about it, but that's when a loud chittering noise echoed out as the scorpions spun to face him with their beady little eyes.

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