Over the next six years, much had happened.
Well, not really. All I did was practice.
After Qiyana showed me the confined voidmonster and talked about her past, she started appearing more often at my training sessions.
Which, by the way, the scale of my progression was getting out of hand.
After a single year, Storm didn't know what to teach me anymore. So she started preaching about right and wrong, morals and stuff.
I also had to start looking for isolated places to train. Not because of Qiyana, but because the things I was researching were dangerous enough that I was genuinely concerned they would throw me in jail. Or just straight up get rid of me out of fear.
Yeah. That's the level of "out of hand" I was talking about.
At some point Ixaocan decided I was worth the attention. The room I had been given was quickly replaced by something considerably larger. My family was notified, and Zani moved in not long after–She simply showed up with her things.
Earlier this year, the awaited fight between Qiyana and her sister Inessa finally happened. Different from the lore I knew, Qiyana didn't cripple her, but still brutally humiliated her. Qiyana took the title of youngest Yun at not even seventeen.
Inessa disappeared after that.
And now,
After a full six year went by, it was time to start moving.
Time to leave Ixtal.
"You know," Qiyana said, "Your body shouldn't be able to hold so much energy. People usually perished after a certain point. No mortal body can take it. And you are no god."
We were both on top of a hill. Looking down at the city.
"You know me. I'm that guy."
"Oh yeah? I'm sorry, oh mighty Counselor of Primordial Studies."
My eyes narrowed. "...You know that's an empty title, right?"
"Of course I know. And just so you know, I was there. You called it... Magicon, wasn't it? Something invisibly small that gives instructions to magic. You talked about how we don't harness the elements but something called states of matter."
'They're the same.'
"Uh, something about light being a wave or something and... Darkness bending gravity?" She gazed up in thought.
'Space. Bending space. What's so difficult about that?'
"—I retained what was worth retaining."
"...Your technical understanding is as sharp as ever. You missed enough for one to find it hard to believe you were there."
"I doubt they would have the courage to challenge me anyways. Not in front of me at least."
She looked at me. Her tone melancholic:
"But... are you still obsessed with the Nasiana? Are you really leaving?"
"Yup. It's necessary for the coming war."
"Can't I go with you?"
"You know you can't."
Silence settled between us.
"I'll let you know if I find anything useful. So don't worry."
"...You've got that teleport thing anyway. So you better come see me often."
"Of course."
"Even if you become famous, don't forget you're one of us. Don't forget me."
"..."
"And if I even suspect you have been wasting your precious genes on some whore I'll find you and rip your thing off, then use it to suffocate the bitch to death."
"..."
A while back,
After she found out I was sleeping with Storm–yes, just sleeping–she started to do the same. Because apparently my body channels so much mana that starts to affect the environment around me. So by being close to me, over time, one's mana would increase.
At some point Storm stopped. But Qiyana continued.
One day she suddenly started reading books and asking around about babies and stuff. She became fixated on the idea that we're meant together, that the whole world would be blessed by our rule, that our children would carry mighty genes.
She completely lost it.
'Also, we didn't do it.'
'Don't get me wrong. She's attractive. But the babies turn me off a bit. And I can't use some type of contraceptive magic because she would sense it easily.'
I smiled at her, hiding my thoughts.
.
Afterwards,
Once I felt I was prepared enough, I entered the jungles.
I had to leave fast because people would make a huge deal out of it.
So I chose a time when most were busy. Qiyana was a case apart, of course. For many reasons I judged that it was best to just tell her. So besides her, no one else knew.
Screech!
The wobble sound of roots stretching.
A chaotic shrubbery of roots overlapping each other in numerous swirls. Constant motion.
It was the magical vines that covered a large portion of the jungle.
Back then I used Fang's cutting technique, and afterwards I made Tzeleah spill out the secret about how to manipulate them.
Crunch.
My expression serene. Pace steady. I made no gesture.
Swish!
The vines slipped out of the way so fast one could swear they looked afraid.
And they weren't the only ones.
The trees, the plants, the birds, even small insects ran in fright.
"Ugh, the jungle is so annoying, man."
I was used to it by now, but just pondering for a bit made it clear that it was no good to travel like that. How much unwanted attention would I attract?
So I prepared something. Something I had quite a bit of trouble getting.
Crunch!
Leaves crushed under my weight.
"It's far enough now."
My hand pressed against empty air. WOMP!–The atmosphere bent like elastic tension.
My hand sank deep into the nothingness, the space around bulging and thinning like the rubber skin of a water balloon stretching to its limit.
WOMP!
I pulled out a heavy scaled mantle. Dark. Slipping my hands into the sleeves.
"Now it should be okay."
After wearing it,
I walked for a bit.
I noticed that the animals and the ambient didn't react as much as before. Even though I still caught their attention whenever I passed.
"That's fine."
I exhaled.
My blinking slow.
I looked up through the canopy, to the blue sky above.
My skin glowed as light started to settle and trace my frame. I felt my body turn lighter and lighter until I became weightless. My body rose, my feet lost contact with the ground.
Wind pushed me up in a powerful gust.
Bwoosh!
The tree trunks shortened as the tops approached. Leaves and small sticks grazed my face as I pierced through the jungle's tops.
The jungle's incessant noise lowered to a sudden silence.
Shwash!
When the clearing opened, I was stunned by the view: a suffocating sea of green crowns.
Swish–I kept going up and my amazement only grew. Air stolen from my lungs. From this height, the jungle was endless. An undulating sea made of thousands upon thousands of trees.
Truly a sight to behold.
'Woah.'
I had experienced flight before with Storm, but this was totally different. Doing it myself gave such a thrilling feeling. Such a rush. Such freedom that for the following moment I had simply forgotten everything. About all problems.
'This is insane. I should've done this instead of practicing in that controlled environment.'
I had to, though. People were observing me too much, and I didn't want to show all my cards so easily.
Swish!
I flew forwards. Not going far from the jungle's tops, concerned I was going to fall at some point. I gazed upon the sea of green in silence. My ears adjusted, picking up the low sounds again:
Chirp! Tweet!
Spoosh-gurgle–A waterfall and stream.
Rabbit. Ruffled-ruffled. Ooh-ooh-ah-ah. Hisssss.
I listened to them with a blissful expression.
'It seems that,' a low smile formed, 'the jungle is not as bad as I thought.'
.