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Back on the saddle [Training]

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#1Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:24 pm

Sho

The cross breeze danced across Sho’s skin as he was leaning backward on his mount. Almost as if he was laying out on the back of this wyvern as it flew through the sky. A now dark-haired man rested his thoughts and woes as they soared through the sky. Then Sho turned his head to the left as if someone was there. Maybe there was, maybe he was slowly losing his mind but he would speak into the air as if he was talking to someone. Who? You may ask. The audience of course let's listen in. “Where are my manners? My name is Sho Shimura and I am a member of the Rune Knights, well at least I think I still have been out of the picture for a while but that can all be explained very easily. This big boy here is Jimbo or Slim Jim. Don't ask me where I got the name, it just kind of came to me at the moment. Regardless, I will let our narrator continue.” It was as if Sho was breaking the fourth wall speaking to the reader at that very moment.

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#2Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:25 pm

Sho

Some may wonder where this man is going in the middle of the day? Well he is heading west, that was the last message he received from command. He had never been out this far west before so it was to be a treat for him. Rumor has it a dark guild made its home out here in the west. One of the wizard lords resided over the guild so he knew he needed to be extra careful in letting people know who he is. No need to stir anything just yet, Sho had only just woken up out of his coma a couple of days ago. Why was he in a coma? Might as well explain that as well to get it out of the way and explain what exactly our hero was going through.

You see Sho was a hard worker and trained just about every day to get stronger and make his superiors proud. Raise above and beyond what could be normally achieved as a mage. As a Rune Knight it was just a bonus to raise in the ranks he wasn’t too invested in the outside of his superiors. That was the only thing he enjoyed about the job. The people he worked with were cool but there was no telling what all had happened in the two years Sho was sleeping. A lot has no doubt changed. Sho ended up in a coma because of a shady dealing he took part in. It was a ‘get strong quick’ scheme that ended up backfiring on him but ultimately worked out for him in his favor. “Well minus the coma part,” Sho commented. Yes, the coma was unexpected but Sho never felt stronger in his life.

485 WC



#3Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:28 pm

Sho

The deal that took place was an under-the-counter purchase for roughly a million jewels. To some, it’s not a lot of cash but to Sho, he was selling his soul at that very moment. But he knew he had to do something to catch up to the competition and his superiors. Sho was not one to live in the shadows for too long. He wanted to be in the spotlight himself and being strong was a good way to go about it. So Sho snuck away to the black markets in Orchidia. It was hard as hell to get information on the black market due to being a notable Rune knight in the north. Sho’s good deeds put him on the path to fame and fortune and he saved up enough to buy said item. Upon going to the black markets Sho was in disguise and by disguise, he went in his casual attire because no one knew what his eyes looked like at the time. It was genius to go as a common mage to the black market. Sho wandered into the lacrima shop and found a mysterious vendor who was selling all sorts of magic. However, he did not know what lacrima gave.

694 WC



#4Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:29 pm

Sho

It was a lottery, “An expensive lottery.” Sho commented. Yes indeed, expensive in more ways than one. As you can see one lacrima stood out above the rest, a clear yet turbulent lacrima that held the power of gravity itself. Sho did not know that but he found himself drawn to its luster. Upon paying the vendor he picked the lacrima up and found himself engulfed in a torrent of raw energy. He could feel it surge through his body at that very moment. The lacrima seemingly melded with his body sending the energy throughout his body almost killing him on the spot. He passed out for a moment making the vendor very worried. “She wasn’t worried about me, she was worried about cleaning up another body.” Maybe so but the point was Sho did not die that day. He woke up a moment later damn near scaring the vendor half to death. Not saying much else Sho stumbled his way back towards the Rune Knight barracks. He made it back safely but this is where it all began for him.

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#5Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:30 pm

Sho

Sho did not speak to anyone or let anyone know of what he had done. He was unsure himself how this was going to affect him so he fell asleep in his own bed. The problem was he did not wake up for two years. You see the lacrima was changing everything about Sho to be a suitable match for it. When Sho did not wake up for two days the Rune Knights quickly placed him in a local hospital until further notice. The doctors were stumped as to why Sho was in a coma for that long. It was hard to say what was going on at first until his body was enveloped in a dark orb of raw energy. He stayed like this for two years. No one knew what was going on or if Sho was still alive but he quickly became a focal point of scientific study as the doctors wanted to know more about Sho’s affliction and if it could happen to others. Two years of the study yielded no results and the doctors were ready to give up. Until The orb dissipated and revealed Sho’s new body to the world. No longer was he a white-haired, blue-eyed warrior. His hair was now black, his eyes a light green and his facial structure changed. He looked like a different person now. If it wasn’t for his identification no one would have guessed that it was Sho.

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#6Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:31 pm

Sho

This sure was not the Sho from two years ago, clearly, he had changed in more ways than one. However, most of the changes would remain unknown or needed to be discovered The doctors were stunned to see he had lost almost no muscle mass and did not appear malnourished. His muscles did not atrophy and his mind did not deteriorate. The most noticeable change was the markings that appeared across his forehead upon exiting the orb. Small black crosses were now across his forehead no one knew why they appeared. They just wrote it off as a side effect of the changes. Sho regained consciousness and wasn’t too sure about what happened. Naturally, he did not let it weigh down on him that he had been missing for two years. Just wondering what exactly had changed about him as a person. Was this more than just cosmetic changes? Regardless he was a Rune Knight and he had work to do.

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#7Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:32 pm

Sho

To him, it had only been a few hours of sleep. But to the world around him, he had been gone for two years. The doctors wanted to run every single test in the book on him but he quickly escaped the hospital upon hearing the news of his coma. That was a few days ago. He reported back to command things had certainly changed, for better or worse was to be determined. At first, they did not know that it was Sho. He was cornered by several knights at the headquarters in Orchidia. It took some explaining but after several checks of his story it turned out to be true. So he was welcomed back with open arms but things were certainly changed. There was a shortage of Rune Knights. Commander Shichiro had disappeared without a trace, Seika was promoted several times and now a high-ranking member of the Rune Knights, and Jove was off doing his own thing. Sho was unaware of the other members who left the Rune Knights but it was as if no one cared he was gone. At least that's what it appeared to be like to him. But Sho did not let that get him down no, he asked for his next assignment.

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#8Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:33 pm

Sho

They wanted him to take more time off but Sho had been asleep for two years he had rested enough. They insisted that he take time off to grasp the situation. They wanted to know all that he remembered but Sho played stupid for the most part. He just told them he went to sleep one day and didn’t wake up. He wasn’t sure why or how his appearance changed or what else had changed. But it was time for action, but he wasn’t too sure about what exactly was going to happen from here on out. The last thing he remembered was getting the lacrima and stumbling home. Anything else that happened during the coma seemed like a dream that he couldn’t remember. Hopefully, someday he will be able to understand the changes he went through. Now that we are all caught up we can continue on with our current story.

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#9Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:34 pm

Sho

As Sho leaned back on Slim Jim he looked at his hand and just wondered, ‘what did that lacrima do to me?’ He tried not to think too much about it but something definitely felt different about his magic, it wasn’t the normal infinity void he was blessed with. It was something much much more potent than normal wind magic. He needed to test his magic out asap. He tugged on his clothes, he needed a change of clothes asap. He was still wearing his usual all-black attire. Maybe that would be the first thing he would change. He already shaved and trimmed his hair a bit. He left a small beard and matching mustache to look his age. His hair was slicked back with one bang hanging off to the left.

He sat upon Slim Jim, the Wyvern riding the air current through the sky as they headed west. Sho grabbed the reins of the large beast. He kicked once and uttered the words, “Alright we can sit down outside of town boy.” The beast roared in response before they started descending out of the sky. Sho could see the town of Oak Sho knew not to bring a Wyvern into town. He would hate for someone to mistake it for a dragon and attack. They touched down calmly and the beast laid down to let Sho off his back. Sho hopped off and ran his hand along the side of Slim Jim. Sho’s saber dangled at his hip, hanging off his belt on his left side. He got to his face and rubbed him furiously with both hands. “Such a good boy thank you, friend.” Slim Jim responded by licking Sho’s face. Sho laughed as his abrasive tongue tickled and brushed across his face. He wiped the slobber off his face and turned to the wide-open area that sat before them. Due to being outside of town, Sho knew he could really get down to business now.

1986



#10Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:34 pm

Sho

Sho left Slim Jim behind and the beast rested his weary head on the ground. He walked off about five meters before settling down in a clearing. Slim Jim was still within Sho’s vision as he turned around to face the open area. It was roughly 50 meters of open area. There were trees loosely scattered among the area as it wasn’t a completely forested area. One could see the street that lead into Oak Sho made sure to stay away from that path for the moment as he was about to train. He had not tested out his new found abilities just yet it was all foregin to him.

Sho removed the covering on his eyes and placed it in his back pocket. He took a deep breath for a moment and just thought back too how using magic felt. It had been so long it was as if he had forgotten how to use his abilities. Gestures, thoughts, and movements was how he used his magic previously before. It just came to him naturally; this was the first time he felt at a loss. He didn’t know what his magical ability was at that very moment or how potent his magic was now. Sho jumped up and down and stretched a bit to limber up. He bounced on his toes and rolled his neck around while shaking his hands. “Alright get in the zone. You are strong, you are strong, you are the hero.” Sho muttered under his breath as if he was chanting a small mantra to hype himself up for training. Sho took aim at a tree that was five meters away from him off to his left. He stopped for a moment and looked at his hands. He clenched his fists and prepared for action. He took a fighting stance, suddenly stepping forward with his dominant foot. He threw a punch at the tree but nothing happened.

2311



#11Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:35 pm

Sho


That threw him for a loop for a moment, usually, that’s how he activated Infinity void. Common movements that would be perceived as natural but they activated his spells usually. He scratched his head for a moment before looking at both his hands again. “Let's try this again, except with some feeling!” This time Sho didn’t go for the over-exaggerated movements like he usually does. He placed his middle finger on his thumb and aimed it at the tree. He wasn’t too sure as to why he was doing this but something told him in his soul that this was it. He flicked his finger softly causing a small magic circle to appear in front of his right hand. A small dense orb left his fingertip and launched itself at the tree that was roughly five meters away. It whistled through the air and slammed into the tree. There was now a .25 meter hole in the tree. It wasn’t deep but it was noticeable. Sho ran up to the tree to inspect the hole he had just made.

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#12Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:35 pm

Sho

Using his index finger Sho measured the hole he just put in the tree which wasn't much but it was progressing. It was still hard to gauge what exactly Sho’s magic was at that very moment. Because he could do something similar with his previous magic. So this was not a good indicator as to what exactly that lacrima changed about him besides his appearance. He let out a sigh and moved back towards his original position this time. He repeated the same ritual as before as if he was shaking off the rust of being in a coma for two years. This time he would make sure to leave a bigger impact on the tree. With his right hand, he placed his middle finger under his thumb and grabbed his forearm with his left. He flicked much harder than he did before. A white magic circle appeared in front of his hand this time it felt different. Sho could feel the energy swell inside of him and funnel itself through his hand. It made his body tingle all over as a .5 ball of condensed energy flew out of his fingertip as he flicked it moving in a straight line.

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#13Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:36 pm

Sho

The ball was noticeably bigger this time it whizzed through the air at its intended target. This time when it hit the tree it made a loud ‘thump.’ The tree shook violently and the hole was even bigger this time. Like before Sho ran up to it to inspect the damage. The hole was definitely bigger but this time something was different. Energy enveloped the tree as if it was trying to do something more than just damage it. Sho was just trying to understand his magic currently so much to the fact it was starting to frustrate him. So much to the point, his magic was starting to react on its own. The energy was beginning to leak out raw power manifested in the form of emotion. The rocks and leaves around Sho began to lift off the ground ever so slightly he did not notice it at first. He was breathing heavier and the rocks and leaves began to rise even higher, his hair even began to flow wildly. His clothes danced around as energy leaked out even more and more. Unknown to Sho his power was slowly revealing itself but he was so lost in his frustration that he didn’t notice it at first. With his fist clenched he took a step towards the tree and cocked his arm back. This was his frustration-given life. Energy crackled and danced around his body as he took a step forward. With all of his might, he punched the tree with Gravity wrapping around his hand. The initial impact of the attack plus his own strength combined into a terrifying force.

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#14Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:37 pm

Sho

The resulting torrent of emotions and power unleashed itself on the tree trunk causing a chunk of the tree to be blown away in an instant. The chunk of the tree flew out the back leaving a large hole in the middle of the tree. Sho noticed the hole in the tree and the energy dancing around him suddenly. He smiled at this, he was slowly getting a grasp on his own power. He opened both of his hands trying to get a grasp at the power flowing through him at that very moment. He made sure to engrave this feeling in his mind. That rise of emotion, tingling feeling, all of it that went down in that instant. He quickly took another fighting stance, this time cocking his left hand back while making a knife-like hand. Energy welled up in him and focused on his left hand then he swung his left hand at a diagonal fashion across the tree. Nothing happened for a moment before the energy dissipated. Sho stood straight up and shook his left hand as if he was trying to get something off of it or shaking the pain off. A second passed before a slice could be seen through the bottom of the tree causing it to topple over. Sho had cut through the tree using raw energy. “I am really feeling it now.” With a smile, Sho looked at both of his hands wondering what more could he do?

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#15Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:39 pm

Sho

This felt right, it felt natural. Sho was exploring his capabilities and starting to feel himself at that very moment. So much that he looked at a tree that was several meters away from the now cut-down tree. Sho dug into the ground with his feet before taking off. Magic Circles appeared at his feet and he blasted off moving at his top speed in an instant. Now moving at 10 meters a second he covered a large distance in a matter of seconds. His lunge turned into a run as another pair of magic circles appeared under his feet. As if he was beginning to run on the air itself. Moving at his top speed running he was now moving at 20 meters a second. He was laughing as he was having too much fun with his newfound abilities. It was as if he was light as a feather, weightless as if you will.

3376



#16Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:39 pm

Sho

Sho climbed higher to about one meter off the ground moving at his top speeds. He jumped several meters in the air. “Yes!” he said while twirling in the air. Little did Sho know he was effectively altering his own gravity to let himself do this. He touched the ground coming to a sliding halt. While doing this he flexed his fingers creating a claw-like hand. Rocks and leaves floated off the ground and swirled around Sho as he slid across the ground with a motion of his hand forward. A rock flew forward but there was something different about this rock. It was coated in a thick veil of white energy. It slammed into a tree a couple of meters away. Upon impact, the rock seemingly detonated destroying the rock completely and blowing a big ass hole in the tree. A loud booming noise could be heard as the explosion erupted, two meters in diameter to be exact.

3535



#17Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:40 pm

Sho

Sho found himself out of breath as he was casting spells left and right. He stopped for a moment and used his shirt as a means to wipe off the sweat on his face. He caught his breath and untucked his shirt completely. As he was getting hot, he removed his long sleeve shirt all together revealing his toned body to the world. He didn’t care too much because it was just him and Slim Jim out in the outskirts of Oak. Slim jim was soundly asleep without a care in the world while Sho put in the work to train himself to be even stronger. He did think about what he just accomplished moments before. Granted it wasn’t anything to write home about considering he was fighting against things that couldn’t fight back so he made sure to stay humble. He was learning a lot about himself, one noticeable thing was that the magic circles he created were white in nature. So that meant that he was still using wind elemental magic. But it wasn’t his usual magic, it was something more. He felt light on his feet and he noticed the damage he caused was a bit more than normal wind attribute magic. He still couldn’t quite put his finger on what his magic was.

3757



#18Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:41 pm

Sho

As the vendor he bought it from no longer existed when he went back to ask what exactly happened to him. As if they were never there. No one knew who he was talking about so Sho was completely in the dark as far as his abilities were. But that was the fun part of the journey; it was discovering himself in the midst of the training. He ran his hands through his black hair, slicking it back. Sho prepared himself, “I wonder.” With both hands palms up Sho took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was trying to feel his power. He could feel the power well up in him again. This time raising a palm upward a magic circle appeared at his feet. He slowly began to rise into the air. He opened his eyes and looked down with one eye. He noticed he was lifting off the ground ever so slightly. He closed his eyes again to focus once more. He found himself rising higher and higher until he hit about five meters in the air. It wasn’t much but it was something. He opened his eyes and looked down, noticing how high he was up in the air.

3962



#19Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:42 pm

Sho

“One of the naturally occurring forces of the world, Gravity,” he muttered as he levitated in the air, not moving. “I wonder how fast I can go?” He leaned forward causing himself to slowly float forward. He let out a laugh of excitement as he floated forward. He was as happy as a kid with a new toy. “Alright let's push it.” He leaned forward even more causing him to boost forward-moving at his run speed which was 20 meters a second. He blew past trees and flew around in a circle of the large area. He weaved in and out of trees avoiding them trying not to hit anything. He made his way back over to Slim Jim who was still asleep. “Slim Jim look! I can fly! Well, sort of.” The wyvern let out a large yawn, revealing all of his teeth before going back to sleep. He wasn’t entertaining Sho today; they did have a long flight from the west. “You're no fun,” Sho said while he floated down to the ground slowly. His feet touched the ground. He was still happy that he won the lacrima lottery with this magic. Nothing could get in the way of how he was feeling.

4171



#20Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:42 pm

Sho

Sho decided that it was lunch time. He walked over to the sleeping wyvern and reached into the satchel on its back. He pulled out a sandwich and a water pouch. The sandwich was turkey and cheese on white bread with some seasoning and sandwich spread. With both hands full he took a seat next to Slim Jim. he unraveled the sandwich from its paper wrapping. Sho was still shirtless and found himself munching down on the sandwich. He hurriedly scarfed it down and drank a bit from the water pouch. “Whew, that was good.” He placed the water pouch back into the satchel on the wyvern’s back. He turned back around and headed back towards the clearing before clapping his hands clean of the sandwich. His short break was over, He let out a low rumbling burp that came from his soul. This part of training was going to be a combination of swordplay and magic. Now that he was getting a grasp of his magic he could mix things up now.

4345



#21Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:44 pm

Sho

He reached at his left side and unhooked his saber from his belt. It wasn’t live yet as it was a marvel of technology and magic. Sho grasped the hilt of the blade and held it off to the side. “Alright this should be simple,” he said calmly while placing his thumb on the slider to flick it on. A click could be heard followed by the sound of crackling energy as the weapon came to life. A loud humming could be heard as the blade flickered to life. The blade was that of a blue color, Sho could feel the heat coming off the blade he moved it around causing slight humming noises as it moved. He was mesmerized by the shine of the blade. He had seen nothing like it during his time in Fiore. He came from humble beginnings; this was the stuff of dreams. “Worth every penny now, let's give it a try.” Sho looked over at another perfectly good tree he went from standing to a quick sprint into a long stride with the blade in tow. With his free left hand, he could easily cast magic with one hand while swinging the blade with the other.

4549



#22Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:44 pm

Sho

While running Sho raised his left index finger pointing at the tree that waited directly in front of him. Energy welled up and energy crackled around his finger before a magic circle appeared directly in front of his finger, a beam of condensed energy fired out moving in a straight line. The beam blasted right through the tree trunk of the tree before dissipating. As Sho got within striking distance of the tree which was one meter away Sho swung the blade with all of his might swinging from right to left. The blade cut into the tree as if it wasn’t even there. A crackling noise could be heard as the blade cut through the tree trunk. The blade left behind burn marks in the tree. It began to topple over, Sho flexed his left hand, making a claw-like form. The tree was no longer falling. Instead, it was suspended in the air along with surrounding debris, loose rock, leaves, and dirt. It was a spectacular feeling, to say the least. All of this power is at his fingertips with little to no restriction. But Sho felt in his heart that he could push even harder. Go even farther in terms of raw power.

4756



#23Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:45 pm

Sho

With that left hand, Sho motioned his hand launching everything in his grasp across the field. The tree on the other hand blew up, causing a four-diameter explosion to erupt. A loud boom could be heard as the explosion imploded shortly after. The wind from the blast blew outward causing a mass dust cloud. Sho unclenched his hand, releasing the gravity on the area, causing everything to fall to the ground suddenly. He quickly moved his left hand to the side causing the gravity to dispel the dust kicked up by the explosion. Looking at his hand he just thought to himself. ‘I will get stronger.’ He knew that with great power comes great responsibility. That meant as long as he was in the Rune Knights he had to keep damage to a minimum or incur the wrath of his superiors and no one got time for that. Sho was a free spirit and wanted to flex his magical ability now that he had something to boast about. He knew he still had a ways to go in terms of fighting people with more power but this was a great start to something amazing.

4951



#24Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:46 pm

Sho

Sho waved the blade around for a moment, once again mesmerized by the luster and shine of the blade. It was certainly pretty and something to behold. He was amazed at how easy it was to cut through the tree trunk. He was curious how this would fare against a person. He could only imagine the damage this blade could do versus armor and flesh. It was composed of raw magic and built using the most cutting-edge technology. It depleted most of Sho’s savings buying this so he was pretty content with how things were going for him. Now he just needed to do some more missions to rebuild himself back up so he can go shopping again for some more good gear. Sho looked around to check on Slim Jim. The beast was now laying on its side without a care in the world. Sho laughed at the wyvern’s laid-back nature. It’s rare to find a creature and even more rare to tame one. Thankfully Slim Jim was a family pet and passed down the lineage. Sho was now drenched in sweat and covered in dust and dirt. He was starting to get a bit tired and figured he could take another break.

5160



#25Sho 

Back on the saddle [Training] Empty Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:46 pm

Sho

Sho made his way over to the sleeping beast where he would get his water. He flicked the switch on the hilt of the blade to the off position causing the blade to seemingly vanish into nothingness. Once again he was amazed at the technological advancements of this weapon. Hopefully, he would see more like it and it becomes readily available to the public. Sho grabbed his black shirt and wiped himself clean of any sweat and dirt. Thankfully Slim Jim was laying on the side that didn’t have the satchel attached to it. He reached into the satchel and removed the water pouch from the bag. He quickly unscrewed the top and began to drink the water like no one's business. He made sure to save a bit because he still had some training left to do. He wiped his mouth off and threw the water pouch to the ground aggressively. Sho was a man with a mission. Power was taken for one’s self rarely was it given or was someone born with a magical gift. Most of the wizards Sho knew were self-made and he had to follow in their footsteps to become something more than what he was. But he began to think to himself, was the Rune Knights a proper fit for Sho sure he enjoyed the people he worked with but the government had so many rules in how to operate. Not to mention Sho was still a Page even though his skill far outclassed that of a Page.

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