It happened almost every night. The same memory would be repeated in his mind. He had gotten used to it at this point, but after the relatively happy evening he had, he completely forgot about it. 

Ruith sat up on the edge of the bed. Despite the nightmare, he felt the most rested he had in his life. Looking outside, it was very early morning, the sun having just come over the horizon.

‘I should train a bit before Teran takes me back to the Bastion…’

Ruith stood, stretched, and then exited the room. He tried to be quiet so as to not disturb the father and daughter, assuming them to be sleeping.

Stepping outside, the cool morning air filled his lungs. It actually smelled a bit better than closer to the Bastion. 

About 50 feet from the house the trees rose from the ground, and Ruith sat cross legged under a shorter one.

He spotted some small animals hopping and running around, this area was truly peaceful. There was no sign that the Voidborne even existed. This place almost seemed to melt away his worries.

After enjoying the feeling for a moment, Ruith began his training. His mana flowed down from his fingers and into the ground, searching for a root to practice on. There was one with the size of his pinky finger only about a foot under the ground.

His mana was absorbed into it, and he used everything he had to grow it out of the ground.

But of course, it only moved about three inches before his mana ran out.

‘Ugh, there must be a better way to do this…I know I’m only a black core, but holy shit.’

Ruith decided to ask Teran once he came outside, the man must know something being so powerful. For now though, this was the best way he knew to use his ability.

After exhausting and restoring his mana for a little while, he decided to test something else. Instead of inserting his mana into the ground to search for a root, he let it flow directly into the tree next to himself.

Immediately he could tell that doing anything to the actual tree would require much more mana than he currently possessed. However, he could ‘feel’ the entire thing with his mana. Ruith directed his mana to flow down into the roots of the tree, and soon an image of the entire root system of the tree was created in his mind.

‘This will make things much easier!’

However, while he was doing this, he noticed something strange about the tree. He could feel mana that was not his own running through it, and yet it also felt slightly different than the mana he absorbed from out in the open.

‘Do trees actually store and absorb mana?’ Ruith wondered. If they did, perhaps he could use it to his advantage. Yet another thing to ask Teran about.

He resumed his cycle of expending and absorbing mana for a while, until he heard the front door of the house open.

Glancing over, he saw Vaeri exiting with her sword. She quickly noticed him.

“Oh, Ruith. What are you doing out here?”

“I’m just training with my ability. Are you going to practice with your sword?”

Vaeri nodded.

“I forgot you have your ability, how about a spar?”

“Well I can’t really use my ability for fighting yet, so…”

“Oh. Well, is it a warrior or mage type of ability?”

Ruith thought for a moment. Technically he could use it for either close or long range.

“It could be used for both I think, but I’m going for more of a mage approach.”

Ruith decided on the mage path for now, after all his body, though above average for a normal human, wasn’t yet strong enough to give and take powerful blows against humans with abilities and especially not Voidborne.

“Then let’s have a spar with just our fists, even if you’ll be a mage there may be times when an enemy gets too close.”

“Alright, fine.”

Vaeri leaned her sword against a tree, and the two of them moved into a more open area. 

Ruith had been in several fights that he won, but that was all thanks to his strength. He never learned how to fight and would be pitiful in the eyes of someone who did.

Vaeri seemed short and not very strong at first glance, but Ruith had seen what she did to those two men, so did not underestimate her.

“Ok, go.” She spoke.

Ruith made the first move. He quickly approached her, throwing a wild punch. Vaeri slightly moved her head to the right, and the punch blew past harmlessly, though she could tell it had a decent amount of power behind it.

She countered with a hook, its speed shocking Ruith. He was barely able to move lean back, the tip of his nose being grazed by the punch. However, he stumbled and was now off balance.

Before Ruith was able to react, Vaeri kicked the side of his right leg. 

“Agh!”

He immediately crumpled to the ground, pain radiating through his knee. The power behind that kick was several times higher than he could output, and he could tell she didn’t put her all into it.

“Ugh, shit…” Ruith rolled around on the ground, clutching his knee.

Vaeri looked down at him, frowning.

“You’re really weak. Did you know that?”