Alaric adjusted his satchel and checked the straps of his traveling cloak, ensuring everything was secure. Stepping out of the guildhall, he took in a deep breath of crisp autumn air. The leaves had started their vibrant transition from green to fiery hues, creating a picturesque scene along the forest's edge. A faint chill teased the air, hinting at the imminent winter as he embarked on his solitary journey to the mountains. The forest enveloped him in its embrace, the rustling of leaves and the occasional chirp of a bird breaking the otherwise serene silence. Alaric navigated the narrow trails, their worn paths a testament to previous travelers seeking adventure or purpose in the wild. The landscape shifted subtly as he progressed further, the forest floor now adorned with an amber carpet of fallen leaves, painting a colorful mosaic beneath his feet. A recent rain has mashed the leaves together, their colors blended in and out giving him the feeling of his own personal road.

As the sunlight filtered through the thinning canopy, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor, Alaric's gaze caught the telltale signs of the impending seasonal change. The trees thinned out gradually, giving way to the naked branches of late fall. He followed a nearby stream, its crystal-clear waters a welcome companion on his trek. The signs of civilization grew sparse, and Alaric found himself amid a wilderness largely untouched by human presence. Scanning his surroundings, he detected the traces of a larger creature, perhaps a beast, imprinted on the forest floor. The ground bore evidence of its passage broken twigs, trampled foliage, and the lingering scent of an untamed presence. He hesitated for a moment, contemplating the potential dangers that might await him. “Maybe a bit of hunting is what I need.” He mused.

Crouching close to a tree with a large gash, Alaric placed his palm on the base. He leaned in and sniffed the tree, searching for a trackable scent. The strong sting of the freshly cut bark was piercing through at first, but then he found what he was looking for. It was subtle. Wet and soggy. Whatever the beast was it liked to be in the water and it had fur. Now that he was up close he saw the small tufts of white fur clinging to the tree truck. ”The hunt is on.”

WC 396

With his senses attuned, Alaric pursued the faint scent trail. The marks on the trees became more apparent, tufts of fur snagged on branches indicating the creature's path. He moved cautiously, every step calculated to minimize noise, tracking the subtle cues left behind by the elusive beast. As he progressed, the forest's atmosphere grew charged with anticipation. The sun dipped lower, casting elongated shadows that stretched across the forest floor. The trail led him deeper into the heart of the woods. His instincts guided him, each step measured to avoid snapping twigs or rustling leaves that might alert the creature to his presence.

The signs of the beast's passage became more frequent. Impressions in the damp earth and broken foliage hinted at the creature’s size. Alaric knew he was getting closer. The woods seemed to come alive with a myriad of sounds—the distant rustle of leaves, the hoot of an owl, and the scampering of small creatures. Among the tangled underbrush, Alaric noticed another set of imprints an assortment of boot marks. Not just one or two but a whole collection. He knelt down and placed an open palm on the marker. The ground was wet and soft. The tracks were recent. He raised himself up and looked around the area.

It was evident that these weren't just ordinary travelers. The scattered remnants of a makeshift camp, empty cans, and discarded gear. A collection of arrowheads near the base of a tree caught his eye. He frowned at the discovery. Looking over the heads, he quickly realized they were not just ordinary arrows but those carved in a manner that would cause bleeding to occur. These were meant to not just wound prey but to weaken them and slowly pursue them. His hand curled around the arrow tip, to the point he felt it pressing against his skin. Within his fist, a burst could be heard and a small tuff of smoke drifted away. His palm opened and where the arrowhead was once now was just a pile of rubble. “Fucking poachers” He muttered.


WC: 346
TWC: 742

The forest grew eerily quiet as Alaric trailed the poachers, each step bringing him closer to the source of the disturbance. The deeper he ventured into the wilderness, the more pronounced the signs of a struggle became. The trail of the poachers led him to a lifeless body splayed across the rocky path. Alaric examined the scene carefully, the man's posture suggesting a fatal fall. However, the way his body lay raised suspicions. It seemed far too staged, too deliberate to be a mere accident. Alaric couldn't shake the feeling that this was no mere mishap. Someone—or something—might have pushed him. His jaw clenched as he contemplated the implications. He looked upwards and noticed a small path from where the body likely fell. The thing that was the most puzzling was the attire of the body. The clothing was familiar to Alaric but not to Fiore. This man was from Bosco. The poachers' intentions were becoming increasingly ominous. Fearing for what or who they were after, Alaric quickened his pace, maneuvering through the rugged terrain with urgency.

Approaching a large ravine nestled within the mountains, Alaric paused at the edge, taking in the sprawling landscape before him. The serenity of the untouched wilderness contrasted sharply with the sense of impending danger that lingered in the air. Carefully inching closer, Alaric's gaze honed in on a cavern tucked within the rugged walls of the ravine. He spotted the figures of three poachers, their menacing presence apparent even from a distance. Their gruff voices echoed, carrying a threatening undertone as they cornered something within the confines of the cave.


WC: 272
TWC: 1014

Alaric stayed put. He knew right now it was not his place to jump in. Whatever the poachers had was not worth his effort in meddling with. Still, the whole forest around him seemed so trashed. If they were just trying to get one of the local wildlife, Alaric severely doubted the commotion would have been so dire it would have caused damage like he had just seen. The pressure of his heel dug into the earth. He gritted his teeth as he watched one of the men come out of the woods with a rather large-looking object. Alaric’s eyebrow raised as he looked onward. “What the fuck is that?” He muttered under his breath. His eyes started to look around for a way to get closer without being seen. He noticed a ledge not too far away that overlooked the cave directly. Without a second thought, Alaric started to make his move closer to the group of poachers.


WC: 162
TWC: 1176

Alaric slid cautiously towards the edge, it was here that he heard the men talking. “Careful with that. One of those bolts costs at least a month’s worth of pay. Now load it up and get in place. We’ll flush that thing out one way or another.” A large black and gold object was being mounted to a nearby stone. From the looks of it, the object looked like a large crossbow but something about it didn’t seem right. The bolts were fat, fatter than they should be. “Boss, we’ve found the other entrance and Rosco has taken Falin with him to get the beast out. We’ve been told to wait for his signal.” Alaric wondered what the signal would be but then a blast of flames roared from the cave. The others outside the cave scurried away for a moment before the boss started yelling at them to get ready. Alaric watched as they moved the bow into position, waiting to fire on whatever left the cave.


WC: 174
TWC: 1350

The flames roared again from the cavern and this time a screech was let out with it. The hairs on the back of his neck rose slightly. Alaric raised his position to get a better view. From the smoke, he could make out a floating creature. Alaric strained his eyes briefly before seeing what appeared to be a baby dragon fluttering out of the cave. “Fire now!” His body moved without him even thinking. A magic circle appeared under his feet, launching Alaric downward from his position and right on the crossbow. As he landed, another magic circle appeared and instantly the bow was covered in explosions. Before the poachers knew what was happening, Alaric spun himself towards them and snapped his fingers. Two small reddish orbs appeared and slammed right into both the poachers that were nearest to him. While the orbs caused explosions to occur, they were not enough to fully take down the men. Alaric stood up awkwardly on the bow and took a fighting stance. “Come and get it you fuckers.”


ECO - Explosive Channeling Orbs Trained and used! 750 words!

Spoiler:

WC 181
TWC 1531

The men were startled, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of this young man who emerged seemingly out of thin air, launching two direct and forceful attacks. Yet, Alaric's unwavering focus remained fixated on their leader, the one barking commands and evidently the most powerful among them. Despite taking a hit earlier, the boss was already getting back on his feet.

With remarkable speed, Alaric extended his hand, a snap of his fingers conjuring a glowing magic circle behind the group's leader. The man turned his head, catching a glimpse of the crimson glow, but it was too late. The resulting explosion sent him hurtling towards Alaric, who stood prepared, arm outstretched, aiming to clothesline the man. The impact was powerful, enough to send Alaric tumbling backward as well. Fortunately, the boss lay on the ground, momentarily dazed and motionless.

Without a moment's pause, Alaric lunged at the second man, aware that one had alerted the boss while another remained behind with the monster in the cave. He knew of at least these four; there could be more lurking nearby. His movements were swift and decisive. As his palm connected with the man, a magic circle emerged Impact Strike activated! The poacher was flung backward, crashing into the rocky cliff, rendering himself unconscious.

Breathing deeply, Alaric stood up, his mind racing with the multiple spells he had activated. Some of these spells had been experimental until this very moment. The poacher who remained, brandishing a crude blade, eyed him with hesitation, uncertain of his next move.

"You heard me, come on," Alaric commanded, exhaling slowly before striding confidently toward the remaining poacher.


WC 278
TWC 1809

CLCB - Come a Little Closer Bomb Trained and used! 750 words!

1500 words total used for training

Spoiler:

They did hear Alaric aright after all. The man charged forward with his blade. His movements were about on par with Alaric’s own in terms of speed. As he swung the blade, Alaric shifted his weight and was able to pivot to the side, just in time to push him aside. The man stumbled but was not pushed strong enough to cause him to fall completely. “Who the fuck are you anyway? Why are you meddling with our business?” Alaric ducked just in time to avoid the next swing from the man. “Don’t worry about it. Asshole.” He snapped his finger an a circle appeared by the man, it blasted at him forcing him to be pushed away from Alaric again. Giving the bomb mage and the swordsman a few feet between each other. Alaric’s breathing was getting heavy with each use of magic. He wasn’t very good at mana conservation and this was causing him to expend quite a bit. If he was going to beat these guys completely, he needed to rely more on his physical strength than magical. His knuckled flexed and contracted to form a tight fist. He charged at the man and swung a right hook.


WC 207
TWC: 2016

Impact Boop Trained and used! 500 words!

2000 words total used for training

Spoiler:

Was he slowing down because he was exhausted? No, this guy was just faster and up until now he had been just holding back. Alaric was in deep shit if this went on longer than another few minutes. Plus, he had not done that much damage to the other two. Chances are they’d wake up within the next thirty. He did not have long. What was he thinking jumping in recklessly like this? As his punch missed the man sliced into Alaric’s leg, causing the boy to wince. He bent downward gripping the wound with one hand. Was this it? Did he make his fatal mistake and was going to pay for it now? No. He would not fall like this. He swung his injured leg around and swept the man off his feet and onto the ground. While the sword was still in his hand, he was now laying there like a turtle.

WC 154
TWC: 2170

Alaric collapsed on top of the man, preventing him from moving his sword hand. “Now, you’re gonna nap.” Alaric mustered his strength and tilted his head back. He quickly snapped it forward, headbutting the man. While it wasn’t the ideal blow for Alaric, it did its part and the man went crossed-eyed and passed out. He fell backwards placing his weight on the man’s stomach. He pushed down and hoisted himself up. “Fuck, that wasn’t as smooth as I thought it’d be.” He still could feel his leg, the wound was throbbing. He could place some weight on it but not much. He took a few breaths as he hobbled his way toward the rock where the shattered mounted weapon sat. He took a moment to take it all in. The three men lay on the ground, groaning slightly but laying still for the most part. He stood himself up and walked over to the group. He outstretched his hand, readying another bomb spell when he nearly shit himself.


WC:175
TWC: 2345

“Fuck!” he screamed as a blast of flames came from the cave. He had totally forgotten about the man on the other side of the caves. His heart was pounding from the sudden burst of flames. He couldn’t win if this continued. Turning his attention back to the men before him, he knew he needed to ensure it was going to be an evenish fight. “Y’all stay put.” He clapped his hands together and the space filled with a red light before hundreds of mini-explosions engulfed the area. Those men, while still alive, would be napping for a bit longer. Sweat was dripping heavily from his brow at this point. He had one maybe two spells left in him before he would collapse. “Bambi better be damn grateful.” He grunted as he headed toward the cave. The sound of a creature screeching could be heard but so could the frustrated words of the last poacher.


WC 163
TWC 2508

He stood at the edge of the cavern, it was not that deep. He could tell from here that the man inside wasn’t too far just based on his scent. The breeze flowed towards Alaric, giving him more information than he needed. There were two of them inside, not just one. Plus one beast. It didn’t smell of fur or foul, a lizard? Not super uncommon to see lizards capable of making messes like the forest had shown but it wasn’t common around these parts. Something wasn’t right. He remained silent but walked slowly into the cave, ready to duck at a moment's notice. Those flames from early were intense, he didn’t want to be on the receiving end of those. Though he hobbled about with a limp due to the injury, he was able to get fully into the cave without being spotted. “Where did it go? I didn’t hear them say it flew out.” “Shut up! It will hear you. We were told to flush it out, they’ll tell us when to stop. Now step back. “Inferno Wave!” A magic circle appeared in the distance and Alaric’s eyes widened. A spell was coming and fast!


WC 204
TWC 2712

The flames came pouring out and Alaric had no choice but to duck into the nearest alcove he could find. The rocks protected him from the blast but he was able to see clearly thanks to it. The flames illuminated the cavern and he finally saw the final two poachers, along with what they were after…a dragon! Well, it looked like a dragon at least but it was small. Smaller than what Alaric had expected from a mythical creature such as a dragon. It was clearly wounded and afraid. While the lighting did not last long, it gave Alaric an idea on how to handle the situation. He just hoped that he could muster the magical power to pull something like this off. He really had to hope that he wouldn’t just pass out from exhaustion from this crazy ass plan. He leaned against the warm rock and closed his eyes for a moment. Using his ears he listened to the men gripping with each other. It seemed the fire mage was feeling like Alaric, tired. This might be the best chance he got.


WC 184
TWC 2896

He took a deep inhale and opened his eyes as he exhaled. He gritted his teeth and pushed himself up, surprisingly fast for an injured man. He tumbled himself over towards the wounded creature and sprang back up. The fire mage seemed to have started his next wave, a magic circle had appeared. Alaric clapped his hands and then held out his palms toward the roaring flames. As they rushed through the cave, Alaric’s magic circle appeared. As the flames crashed into the circle, they exploded, causing a loud echo to ring out throughout the entire cavern. He wasn’t done. Taking in the air as he moved. Alaric shifted his body’s stance. “Y’all hunted in the wrong woods.” He clapped his hands together sending his own echo throughout the cave. Before the men knew it, they were caught. Alaric’s bombs started to go off simultaneously throughout the cave. It began to cause the walls and ceiling to shake and tremor. Dust had started to fall and Alaric knew if he didn’t get out he’d be buried along with them all. He scooped the critter at his feet up into his arms and formed a magic circle under his foot, propelling the two of them out of the cave and towards freedom.



WC214
TWC3110

C-Spell Suicide Trained and used! 750words!

2750 words total used for training

Spoiler:

Alaric and the creature shot out from the cave and tumbled into the rocky entrance. Dust and debris, hot on their trail, erupted from the cave like a sideways volcano. Alaric haunched over the creature and tucked them both into a ball. His hands covered his head. “Hold on buddy.” He gritted his teeth. As the dust settled, he rolled off the creature and onto the rocky ground. His eyes closed and his breathing was deep. He was exhausted and wiped out completely. He really should not have pushed himself back there with the escape but it was the only way out. He probably laid there like that for three maybe even five minutes. He nearly nodded off but the cooing and nudging on his arm caught his attention. Alaric opened his eyes and looked down to see a copperish-colored dragon-like creature nuzzling up to him. He didn’t know what to do or what this was but a smile formed on his face. He knew at the very least, all that he had just gone through was worth it.


WC 182
TWC 3292

“You’re safe now, don’t worry.” Alaric lay there with the nuzzling creature for a few moments. His mind was racing. There were spells used there that he’d never tried before. Maybe that was why his tank was sitting on E right now. His breathing was deep and his body ached. It was everything to keep himself awake and focused right now. The creature must have felt the same. The nuzzling had shifted to a soft coo, almost rhythmic in nature. He cocked his head down to peer and saw the creature had drifted to sleep nested in his arm. A faint smile crossed Alaric’s face. To think that his hike through the woods would lead to a dragon. The forest was actually quite peaceful now that all that mess was over. He could hear the animals scurrying about. No doubt, all those explosions probably made most of them wary to stick around.

WC 155
TWC 3447

The two lay there for what seemed like an hour but in reality might have been ten or so minutes. Alaric finally mustered up the energy to stand. His whole body was aching in pains he never imagined. He groaned with each muscle movement. The little dragon creature sturred as Alaric moved. Its sweet nature seemed to have been replaced with a more timid one. He was wary of Alaric, he could see in its eyes. He crouched down, wincing as the weight shifted to his wounded leg. Out stretching his hand, he tried to coax the critter over to him. “Come on bud, don’t be scared. I’m not one of them.” With a reserved shift, the dragon-looking creature craned its neck out and sniffed at Alaric’s fingers. It tried at several different angles before nuzzling his hand and cooing once more. “That’s it, you’re safe.” The creature fluttered into Alaric’s space and nuzzled his legs and hands, almost like a scaled-covered cat.


WC 169
TWC 3616

”Alright, let’s get you back to the guild. I’m sure somebody there would know what you are.” He seemed to appear like a dragon but he wasn’t one. Even a hatchling is said to have the strength to overwhelm a small group of men. Perhaps it was just one of their relatives. He’d heard of wyrms and drakes. Maybe this creature was like one of those. Still, something is never seen in these parts of the world. As he got up the creature tried to flutter up off the ground completely but seemed to struggle. As it would pull itself up into the air, gravity would take over and bring the poor thing right back to the ground. After watching this twice, Alaric figured it was probably injured or just exhausted from the whole ordeal. It was small enough that he could scoop him up and bring him along with him. The guild wasn’t far and the rest had allowed him to build back up some of his mana.


WC 173
TWC 3789

He tucked the creature under his left arm while he found a stick to help support his right. Slowly, the two started to walk away from the destruction and back up the ravine towards the guild hall. He had not gotten to the tree line when he heard a gruff voice barking towards him. “Stop right there you fucking brat.” Alaric turned around to see the boss standing behind the large crossbow, while it looked damaged he must have confidence it would still fire. Alaric’s eyebrow raised. He didn’t have much mana to sustain in a long fight nor was his body capable of prolonged physical engagements. Alaric faced the man with a stony expression on his face. “Drop the fucking Mindrache and get to the ground.” Alaric gently placed the critter on the ground and got to his knees with his hands in the air. As he crouched down he snickered.


WC 158
TWC 3947

As he went to place his hands on the ground he cocked both hands towards the man and gave a slight twist with each. Two magic circles appeared underneath the poacher. “Fuck off” And with that two loud explosions echoed once more through the peaceful forest. The first circle and second go off right after each other, both designed to cause large bursts of damage. One was something Alaric had thought of just due to him wanting to have a chuckle. The poacher was sent upward into the sky and plummeted back to the ground, smashing into the rocks and debris. The man’s body went limp and still. Alaric couldn’t tell from here but he had to assume that those two plus the fall was likely enough to actually kill the man. His expression went back to a more serious one. “Your own damn fault.” He spat at the ground and slowly got himself back up.

WC 162
TWC: 4109


Upward Thrust Bomb and used! 750words! & Secret Bomb Art: Second Layer Seal and used! 750words!

Spoiler:

Out of the five poachers today, three of them lost their lives. One lived but he was out cold. He scooped up the critter, now known to him as a Mindrache. “Now, we’re really safe.” He gave a faint smile to the Mindrache but his body was failing him. He was worn out. So much magic is used today. Spells of calibers that were not normal for him. He wondered what caused him to be able to push himself like that. Was it due to him having to protect this little fella? No matter, Alaric knew that he did both a good deed today and also gained some personal growth with his magic. Perhaps, he wasn’t so terrible of a person after all, he just didn’t vibe well with others. He snaked his way back through the mountains with the Mindrache huddled close to his body. Once they got to the guild. Alaric was able to take the creature to his room and the two finally got some well-needed rest after a traumatic day.


WC 177
TWC 4286

Following spells trained during topic

• 
  
• Impact Boop - D Rank - 500 Words
  
• Secret Bomb Art: Second Layer Seal - C Rank - 750 Words
  
• C-Spell Suicide - C Rank - 750 Words
  
• CLCB - Come a Little Closer Bomb - C Rank - 750 Words
  
• ECO - Explosive Channeling Orbs - C Rank - 750 Words
  
• Upward Thrust Bomb - C Rank - 750 Words
  

Total words needed 4250+ 10% discount = 3825 needed / 4286 reached!