It had been two days now since Katla and Gottfrid had joined us, and we had just about reached the end of the great Berkton forest. We had traveled past the giant trees and into open planes with flowers and hills. On the horizon, one could start to see the giant mountains that go through Koporia. We traveled on a dirt path that lay side by side with a river.

"I still don't understand. So, for you to gain access to arcana you must sacrifice parts of your body. But how do you know what to sacrifice? And what organ represents what?" I ask Katla, scratching my head.

"Well for example, if you want access to the elements of fire and wind, then you must give up your liver, for poison it would be your lungs and if you could handle necromancy, it would be parts of your brain. Then there is some magic you could only get with the gods’ help. Like us speakers we sacrifice our eyes after gaining the trust of Lunare, making us able to speak and see the dead and heal wounds." Katla says.

"There are of course people who don’t have to sacrifice. Like the world king Ezikil who was given permission to wield magic without sacrifice by the gods. Or people who are born geniuses, meaning that they were born with magic without the need to sacrifice. But they are one in a million." Katla says.

"And for who made this discovery, well it was Bertrum who did it. In his principle, it explains what organ represents what. But how he did almost none knows." Katla continues.

"Then why don’t you just sacrifice as much as possible to gain more power?" I ask.

"Well first it takes time to study the elements and second when you sacrifice parts of your body you may gain power, but your body will still act like that piece is gone. So, when in battle your body will be more at risk since if you get attacked where you sacrificed you will experience pain like no other." Katla tells me.

"And there is also a risk of losing yourself." Sebastian butts in.

"Losing yourself?" I ask.

Katla gives Sebastian a worried look, but Sebastian keeps going.

"When sacrificing too much at once or too much in general you will be struggling to stay human. Since you will have a constant battle against arcana from taking over your body making you a mound of living mutated flesh." Sebastian explains.

"And how much is too much?" I ask casually.

"The human body is able to handle two sacrifices before the struggle begins. For dragons it’s four and for giants it’s one." Sebastian tells me.

"But why would it be like that? Is it that we are not supposed to have access to arcana?" I ask.

"No one knows. Some say it's the gods’ way of keeping us in line. Some say arcana is something that’s alive while others say we forced ourselves on arcana and that’s why it's bad for us." Katla explains.

As we traveled on, the planes grew bigger and bigger and the river next to us started to fall down a ravine, creating a waterfall.

Further down the road stood a broken down wagon with a plump little man standing next to it in dismay.

"Is everything alright?" Sebastian asked the plump man as we got closer to him.

The plump little man’s body reminded me of a beetroot. The man looked like he was in his forties he wasn’t much taller than an average child. He had black slicked hair, he wore a red and violet vest with a dark green shirt underneath.

"Oh, you see my carriage is broken and I'm supposed to deliver my goods to Merwick by the end of the week." The plumb little man said.

"Could you be so kind to help me?" The man asked.

Before anyone even said anything Gottfrid griped his claymore and poked his head out.

"What exactly is the problem?" Gottfrid asked.

The plumb little man seemed a bit taken a back with seeing him.

"W-w-well y-you see my horse is hurt and....MY WHEELS! erm, my wheels are damaged." The plump man said, seemingly making it up.

This situation didn't feel good. Either way Gottfrid stepped out, still holding his hand on the sword as he checks on the horse lying on the ground. The man seemed to look towards our wagon to see if there where anyone else but Gottfrid in it. I quickly ducked down to make sure he wouldn't see me. When Gottfrid got to where the horse was supposed to be I saw a second pair of arms come out of the carriage window holding a knife. As they were going to slash down at Gottfrid’s nape I shout.

"Gottfrid above!"

Gottfrid reacts just in time to catch the arm and in one swift move breaks it making the arms drop the knife. A painful screech erupts from the plump man's wagon and out from it jumps a gang of bandits. Eight and counting.

Me and Katla quickly jumped out of our wagon as we saw the bandits. I quickly take my sword out of its scabbard and prepare myself for a fight.

Gottfrid quickly backs towards us to protect Katla.

"Now, now everyone, calm down. No need for violence. I think a bit of a compensation is in order for so violently breaking my friend’s arm there" A bandit with a red bandanna looking like their leader said as he walked out of the wagon.

"He was going to attack him. I think it was a more than reasonable action to take" Katla said defending Gottfrid.

"What? I don’t know what you mean. My friend here only wanted to help you and then you attacked him out of nowhere. Ain’t that right bud?" The bandit leader said patting the bandit with a broken left arm on the back.

"And we have witnesses to back me up. Ain’t that right boys." The bandit leader said looking around.

"Or am I wrong Reginold?" The leader said to the plump little man.

"Indeed sir. I saw it all. He just wanted to help, and that barbarian snapped his arm like a twig! I believe you deserve more than an apology for that." The plump little man named Reginold said.

I was about to protest but Gottfrid stopped me.

"Maybe we can just give them something and leave" he whispered to me.

The bandit leader thought for a second before pointing at me and Katla.

"As compensation, I want that sword and that woman." The bandit leader said.

"No, I will not allow you to take a human being, and she is a speaker and on her pilgrimage. If you do you will have Lunare against you." Gottfrid said, his voice full of anger from hearing their offer.

I hold my sword tight showing that I won't let them have it.

"A speaker you say. Then what if this is a part of her pilgrimage? why don’t you just come here we won’t harm you." The bandit leader said with an ugly grin.

His grin made me sick.

How could they even think of stealing another human. disgusting.

Katla simply gave him the middle finger in response.

"Well, I guess we just have to play the hard game today. At them boys!" The leader said.

As the bandits jumped forward ready for action Gottfrid quickly, yet swiftly bashed the first two away with his claymore. Slashing the first in half and badly damaging the second.

Gottfrid then took a low stance that spread his legs out and had him holding his swords pommel up to his chin pointing the blade away from him.

"So how many steps?" Gottfrid asked looking at me.

"Huh?" I say deflecting the sword of the third bandit. kicking him back to gain distance.

"Sorry, it’s just an old game we used to play in my order when out in battle. Meaning how many steps are you giving yourself to move during the battle." Gottfrid explained returning his look to the bandits.

"Eh, I don’t know... as many as you?" I said.

"Well good luck then, because I’m only taking one step in this entire fight." Gottfrid said his thick breaking through more and more as he speaks.

Taking that as a challenge and as something to learn from I decide to not take any more steps during this fight.

The bandits kept on coming with no end in sight. However, with every bandit that went for the offense Gottfrid kept on standing his place. He just kept moving that giant claymore around like he was swatting flies. No care in the world for how they were attacking him. Like if he didn’t care from where they came from, or more like he was already expecting them to attack like that. Like if he was forcing them to attack in a way that would benefit him.

"Templar" is all I could say as the memory of Mother going through the different fighting styles returns to me as I watch Gottfrid fight.

I try to mimic what Gottfrid does as the bandits attack me but not to the same effect as him.

As the bandit leader sneaked up behind me, I try to circle my sword behind me like Gottfrid but instead of having the bandit move with the motion I just end up badly deflecting the sword and getting a small cut on my back. I quickly spin around to face my opponent.

"Just give us what we want. It's just a sword and a woman." The bandit hissed as his blade clashed with mine.

The comment angered me, I let out an angered roar as I pushed the bandit away from me.

I took a step forward readying myself for my next attack. However, the bandit took my anger for granted and swiftly stepped away from my swing. He then ran at me at high speed. Aiming for my legs I felt how his snake curved sword slashed down my thigh barely missing my calcaneal tendon. Fortunately, the cut didn't seem deep enough to cause much damage. I jump back to gather more distance, but the bandit leader just ran up to me as fast as I got away.

He swung his sword at me and jumped back just as quick. Leaving me no opportunity to attack.

He is just out of reach. If only I could reach. If only this damn sword was just a bit longer.

As I raised my sword to swing at him again, he simply moved just out of reach. However, this time something felt weird. Like I was being watched, and suddenly I heard a low laugh echo with the wind. Suddenly I felt How my body moved on its own. It felt like my body was moving like a puppet on strings. I felt how my body moved the sword up for another strike. The low laugh grew louder and louder until it stopped as my body moved down to strike.

The bandit leader jumped back like before but this time something was different. Because I felt my lips move but out of my mouth was not my voice.

"Form"

My mouth spoke but with the voice of someone else. Someone I've heard before. It was the voice of the mountain king.

As my sword moved down it also appeared to grow simultaneously. Growing in length it reached the bandit leader and cut through his arm. In a flash, he went from being in the air to laying on the ground crying in pain with his right arm lying a few meters away from him.

Just as that I felt how I got control over my body yet again. However, as fast as I felt the strange presence leave, I felt a sharp pain in my head. It was as if a mountain of information was poured into my brain and burning everything down to make space for this new information.

The pain makes me fall to my knees grasping my head.

The bandit leader quickly looked around to assess the situation.

"Fuck! Take what you can, we can’t win!" The leader said.

The leader went to grab my sword away from me, but I quickly grabbed hold of it.  Glaring at him. The leader only smiled a wicked smile at me as he ran away taking his severed arm with him.

Just like that, all the bandits, including the plump little man had run away.

I took this time to breath. I felt how Sebastian helped me up.

"Adam, did you do that?" He asked, his voice was full of excitement and joy.

"You mean my sword. I-I’m not sure, a lot happened, and I remember saying something and it just grew." I said, still grasping my head.

"That wasn’t just any normal incantation. That was Form!" Sebastian said in excitement.

"Form?" I ask.

"It's an incantation only some pressure wave users can perform. It usually develops when the user is young. Basically, it allows you to alter an object. Imagine that every object has a set number. With Form, you can change the object’s number to make it look different or have a new effect, but that is only if you train for years." Sebastian explains.

I try to sit down and focus on everything Sebastian just told me as my headache starts to fade. However, this peace is short lived as Gottfrid shouts.

"Fuck!"

"What’s going on?" Sebastian asked.

"They Took her! They took Katla!"