The first layers of snow had started to fall and many of the creatures of the forest had started to prepare for hibernation. The thin layer of snow crunched under my fur boots as I followed my father who was clad in a fur-woven leather cloak, white tunic, brown trousers, and a pair of fur boots. Holding what seems like a chipped broadsword. As we walked, we approached a small group of Jack O rabbits feasting on the carcass of some bird.

The creatures that stood in front of us were small, about the size of a rabbit. The creature seemed to be semi-bipedal, as it was using its hind legs to stand and move, but it seemed it could easily switch to using all four to get away faster. Its forelegs are made up of four different joints, with its paws being made up of three claws. From what I could tell it looked like the creature could use its arm like a sharp whip if needed. While its hind legs were made more like rabbits. Being able to jump great distances. It had two big ears that seemed to be able to be laid flat with its body. Its face sported a pair of big eyes that quickly darted from side to side, and a giant maw that looked like it ripped out from the creature's flesh with small sharp teeth. All of it was clad in the creature's gray fur, making it look more like something cute than a threat.

As we watch a faint hum starts to echo past the trees and through the howling wind. A hum that slowly got closer and closer until it stopped. From nowhere the heads of the three Jack O Rabbits twist in an unnatural fashion before they lay on the ground lifeless. From between the trees, a scaly and elongated face slowly creeps out. The creature, that my father calls the humming beast, slowly crawls out from the shadows. Its body is long and clad in white scales, with a tail that seems to never end. Almost human-like hands with sharp claws and a face that ends with a needle-like mouth.

My father had told me that this creature only hunted during winter and was known for its horrifying hum. Apparently, the hum that the beast let out right before it killed its prey is eerily like what old executioners would hum right before someone was hung or decapitated.

The humming beast slowly moved towards a Jack O Rabbit's corpse and pierced its flesh with its needle-like mouth. Starting to suck its innards up to feast on.

“Are you ready?” Father asks me.

I reached for the short sword that I had fastened to my side. I then take a deep breath to prepare myself. As I sneak out of the bushes the beast's scarlet red eyes quickly dart towards me. Causing a chill to go down my spine. Then from behind, its tail quickly whips towards me as if it were an axe. The Impact sends me falling to the side. Letting out a pained groan, I try to get back on my feet. Seeing this, the humming beast, still feasting on the first Jack O Rabbit, pulls back its tail again, charging for another strike. I pull up my short sword to use as a shield. Using my left arm to stabilize it.

The humming beast's tail swings towards me. Using my sword as a shield, I step into the attack. As the tail hits I don't fall but the force of the attack still hurts.

"Remember son you have tough skin, but you are not invincible." My father tells me as he watches me fight the beast.

Seeing the tail circle back for another attack, I prepare myself, and when the tail is nearing me, I throw myself to the ground, the tail barely missing me. As the tail passes, I try to get up as quickly as possible, using my sword to help me up from the ground. When I get up, I turn around and raise my sword, striking down on the beast's tail leaving a small gash on its snow-white tail.

A muffled screech is heard from the beast as I strike it. The humming beast quickly drags its tail back towards itself and pulls its needle-shaped mouth out of the now dried-up Jack O Rabbit corpse. Standing up the humming beast stands almost a head taller than me, its gaze still fixated on me. As we stand, I quickly take a stance ready to attack and the beast responds by starting its bloodcurdling hum.

The beast raises its tail and strikes from above. I quickly move my sword to block the attack. After I do the beast circles its tail around to try to hit me from the other side. But I quickly moved my sword down to my right to block its second attack. I push the tail away. Quickly moving my right foot behind my left. Using the momentum to spin around and counterattack. Slashing the beast across its chest.

Releasing another painful screech, the humming beast uses its claws to scratch me. But I managed to back away from the attack just in time.

"Too close..." I let out.

Directly after, the beast jumps forward trying to pierce me with its needle mouth. I duck down and move away from it to dodge it.

As I move away from it, I hear a whooshing sound as its tail whistles towards me. Seemingly going for my legs. I decided to try and jump over it. As I do, I decide to strike down on its tail as I come down. However, the beast seems to have predicted this. As I strike the tail it quickly drags the tail back toward itself. Making it so I miss it and hit the ground instead. I look towards the beast, and I’m greeted with its tail coming towards me, hitting my chest, and throwing me towards a tree.

"That tail is a real pain in my neck."

"I need to stop it from using that tail. But how?"

"Maybe I could use the trees to my advantage. Or maybe I should Just try to keep a closer distance. No, it will have an easier time hitting me if I try to move closer."

My eyes dart across the trees as I try to think of a plan.

"It seems like it's less scaly the closer the tail is to the body so I might be able to cut it off if I'm strong enough."

"Wait. Maybe I can make it get stuck in one of the trees. Its claws aren’t much but they are still sharp."

"But then how do I make its tail stay still..."

Before I can continue to think of my plan, I hear the humming get closer and when I look back towards the beast, I see how it's in range to strike me with its claws. It strikes me, the force of the slash combined with my attempt to doge the attack throws me to the side. Seeing that the beast still has its back turned against me, I move to pick my sword up from the ground.

I quickly look around for something that I can use to trap its tail with. My eyes stop at a big branch of a tree to my left.

"Good enough"

As the humming beast turns around to face me, I slowly move towards the tree to my left. The beast tracing my movements, keeping us standing face to face. Not seeing any action, I decided to pull something risky.

Using the pommel of my sword to hit it in its face.

"Come on then!" I shout.

In retaliation, the beast strikes me with its claws. Dodging to the side, I'm able to make the beast's claw get stuck in the tree. It tries with its other hand but has the same result.

"Now problem two. The branch."

I look around for something that I can use to jump up with. My eyes landed on a big rock just a couple of meters away from the tree.

"Maybe..." I say out loud.

I quickly got back on my feet and started to back away to get some runway.

Moving away about ten meters, I started to run towards the rock. Using it to gain a bit more altitude. When I'm in the air I use my whole body to make a good enough slash on the branch. Feeling my sword cut through the branch, I brace for hitting the ground.  

A loud thud is heard as my body hits the ground, making the air in my lungs leave my body.  

"Come on move! just stand up and get yourself over there!"

Struggling to get up from the ground I decided to look towards the beast.

"It worked! Come on. Move! You just need to get yourself over there and cut its tail off!"

Pushing myself up from the ground I pick up my sword and with a hurried pace I move towards the beast. Seeing the tail struggling under the branch, I realize this is my moment to strike.

Lifting my sword up in the air, I strike it down where the tail and the body start to separate. A pained screech echoes out, but since the tail is still attached, I pay it no mind. Striking it again and again, the screeches only get louder and the hum has now stopped. Pulling my sword back a bit I slash its tail with as much strength as I could muster. A horrifying screech emits from the beast as I have now cut its tail off. Almost as soon as I’ve done that the beast manages to free itself and it pounces on me. Pinning me to the ground. Holding me with its claws tightly. It raises its head to pierce me with its mouth.

Just then the beast is ripped off me as my father steps in and stabs the beast in its side, raising it up to the sky. Skewering it. Then in a flash, he swings his sword down, making the beast fly into a nearby tree. Before the beast can run away, my father cleaves what’s rest of the beast in half. Killing it in one swift blow.

"Are you okay son?" He asks.

"I’m fine...I don’t think it's anything serious." I say as if I wasn’t barely holding myself from falling unconscious.

My father lets out a soft laugh at my response and helps me up to my feet.

My father then moves towards the two remaining Jack O Rabbit corpses and ties them together with a rope. Sheathing his sword.

"You hungry?" He asks, holding up the two dead animals.

"What about the humming beast? There is plenty of meat on it." I ask my father as he starts to lay the two Jack O Rabbits over his shoulder ready to leave.

"Oh no. They are very poisonous to eat." He tells me.

"Then why did we hunt it?" I ask.

"Mainly for your training, but also they are very irritating creatures to have running around. They eat farm animals just for sport and they deliberately poison the local wildlife. They could even harm the young ones in Berkton if they stay around for too long. So, you can almost see it as pest control." My father explains as we start to head home.

We walked close to the forest edge, but not too far out to be easily seen. As I looked out, I saw the silhouette of Berkton stick out in the falling snow. As well as the tops of the gray tents that seem to have risen higher and higher. By eavesdropping to my parents' conversation, I had gotten to know a bit more about this group that apparently hated us. They were called Uranos or the Uranos church. They apparently worshiped something called the Uranos council. They saw giants and even dragons as a sickness to humanity. An evil with no end. They also seemed to be a part of the reason why there aren't many giants or dragons roaming around anymore.

Entering the path to our home I saw my mother pull up a bucket of water from the well behind the house. Walking in through the round oak door to the warm-lit-up house. I take off my boots and hang my coat on a peg sticking out of the wall. I walk up the tiny staircase and enter the common room. My father walks past me and straight to the kitchen.

"I'll call you when dinner is done." He says.

I give him a nod and head towards the study. Sitting down next to the fire to warm up a bit. I cross my legs and decide to focus some more on my training with the principle of pressure.

Ever since the day when I first felt the pressure waves, I could slowly start to feel more and more of them with each day I focused on them. I was told by my father that the more I focus I should soon be able to feel my own waves, and thus start to be able to feel through them as if they were a part of my body. As he said, I was slowly able to start to feel my own pressure waves emitting from me, and if I focused hard enough, they would feel like they were a part of my body.

Apparently, when I was able to start to sense my own pressure waves, I could start to do the basics of pressure wave spells. My father would say.

"Using your own pressure waves you have to alter the existing pressure waves to fit yours. When that is done an Incantation will form in your mind, use that to perform a pressure wave based spell"

I sat there for a while trying to figure out how to manipulate the pressure waves around me to fit mine. I tried to see if the waves would change if I calmed my breathing, but it didn't work. I tried focusing completely on the pressure waves, but it didn't work. I try and try again but can’t find a way to do it. However, I don't give up. I go through the words my father had said again and again to try to come up with a way to do it.

Like if they were a part of my body...

Remembering what my father said, I decided to try something.

I relax my body and think of the motion of flexing a muscle or moving an arm. I try to do the movements without actually moving my body. It takes some tries but eventually, I feel how when my and the surrounding pressure waves collide it affects the surrounding ones for only a moment. Noticing the result, I continue and through trial and error, I eventually make the surrounding Pressure waves, harshly, form to fit mine.

When they do I feel a quick burst of energy rush through me and in my mind, a word pops up.

"Mirage"

Speaking it out loud I feel how my body gets drained. Every ounce of energy that I had left after my fight with the humming beast surges out of me. Making me feel like I just got the air knocked out of me.

Opening my eyes up again I see a form, that seems to be made up of smoke, sitting in front of me. Seemingly mimicking my movements.

"I did it!" I shout out in joy.

Hearing me shout my mother runs up to me in a panic.

"What! Are you okay!?" She asks a bit worried.

Her panic drops as she sees the smokey form in front of me. Just a moment after my mother entered the study the form started to disappear.  

"Well congratulations, not only for your first actual fight but now for this." She says helping me up on my legs and out of the study.

"What happened?" My father asks.

"Well, Arameth here has just performed his first spell." My mother responds.

My father gives me a proud smile and I sit myself down on a chair next to a big rectangular wooden table. In front of me sits a steaming piece of bread.

"It's hot" I say, holding my bread piece.

"Well since I had nothing to do while the two of you were out I decided to try to bake, and it seems that your father isn't the only one who is good in the kitchen." My mother tells me proudly.

"Then maybe you would want to help me out with tonight's dinner?" My dad asks.

"Oh Fendrik, you know I would love to but I'm too tired after all that baking and my visit to Berkton." My mother says, putting down a red glass bottle on the table.

"Hold on, is that..." Father says.

"Lyndhelm jam." Mother says proudly.

"One of Berkton's traveling merchants brought a batch over and sold them for just 12 Oura." She continues.

"12 Oura!" My father yells out surprised.

"Apparently it's a part of last season's stock." Mother tells him, sitting herself down on the chair across from me.

My father then comes to the table with a giant pot of stew. Setting himself down on a chair that looks to be the size of a throne. The smell of fresh food spreads through the house.