A plan. Yes, that's what she needed, a plan, Elise thought desperately as she flung herself to the left, avoiding the incoming blow. She rolled roughly on the ground, barely evading a follow-up kick that left a small crater on impact. Elise snarled as her opponent moved again, not giving her any time. She was faster than Elise, but everyone was. As her opponent closed in, Elise raised her guard, hoping to retaliate. A rapid flurry of blows pelted her raised arms as she weathered the attacks. Each blow possessed the speed of a crossbow bolt and the power of a sledgehammer. With her vision obscured from shielding her face from the relentless onslaught, Elise completely missed the roundhouse kick that slammed into her side. Her breath exploded out of her as she was flung off the ground. The world spun around several times before she crashed, rolling hard. This time, her fall was not her own control. A moment later, her momentum was extinguished, and she lay looking up into a clear blue sky. Elise thought about getting back up, but between her battered arms and now extremely bruised ribs, she decided against it. The ground was simply too inviting. Her sky gazing was interrupted by a white tiger-kin with red stripes looking down at her.

"Are you okay?" Asami asked, looking concerned.

"I think you broke my everything…" Elise said, not moving.

"Sorry. I got carried away." Asami extended her hand. With a sigh, Elise took it as she was helped out of the sparring circle. Immediately after the pair had left, two more eagerly took their place. They instantly clashed like a pair of rabid hyenas. Their blows sent shockwaves that whipped Elise's long blue hair around like it was caught in a strong wind. A plume of expelled dust lightly coated her pale skin as she limped away. Elise shook her head at the pair. How was she to keep up? She was only human. Heh, only human… She would have laughed at anyone who said that a year ago. She was Elise Coldwell, daughter of Loric Coldwell and granddaughter of Lord Tarwin himself. She was a magical prodigy. But she'd given that up. Her sister, Azura, had shown her that there was something greater. A power far beyond mana. Ki. Oh, how she wanted it. If only she could…

Elise groaned both at the distant dream of ki and at her pain as Asami helped her to a nearby seat. Gingerly, she sat down, trying not to wince.

"You sure you're okay?" Asami asked.

"I never said I was. But seriously, I'm fine." Elise said tiredly as she sent some of her mana to her bruised body parts. The mana worked on restoring her body before it became exhausted and returning to her mana pool. It had been exceptionally tough when she first started controlling mana directly without spells. It had taken a steady month of practice, with Azura's help, to gain decent control over it. She couldn't understand how the kin seemed to do it so naturally. After lengthy discussions with the elf Trenton, the only other non-kin here, she believed she understood. Kin had superb control of their bodies. This control extended to their mana if they had an awakened mana pool.

"Asami!" A voice called out. Elise glanced in the direction of the voice to see Trenton trotting over with a familiar bear-kin beside him. Elise's heart skipped a beat. The elf was cute with his white hair and nearly feminine features, but he was already taken. That was evident when Asami flung herself into his arms. His single hand squeezed her waist. Elise, however, was looking at the brown fur bear-kin.

"Hey," Gerald said, resting his bulk next to Elise.

"Hi…" Elise said, blushing slightly. Gerald. He'd been so kind to her when Azura had taken her in. At first, she had been somewhat afraid of him. Okay, more than slightly. He was huge! With muscles so hard that they could double as the anvil he often worked on. Yet, he was the gentlest person she knew. Many of the kin had tolerated her presence since she was the half-sister of the first cultivator, the Azure Magebane. Coralline had instantly adopted her into the family, treating her like a second daughter. It made her miss her mother at times. Gerald was different. He got to know her before deciding whether to accept her or not. He didn't do it based on her blood relations but on how she treated others. It was humbling. He was more solid than the weapons he forged.

"How'd it go?" Gerald asked.

"Lost again," Elise sighed. He scooped her into a literal bear hug. It significantly reduced the sting of her defeat.

"You'll get there. It just takes time."

"Time," Elise said bitterly. "It's taking a lot of that. I never thought having a large mana pool would have such a drawback. At my current rate, it will take five more years to reach the ki stage. I just have too much mana to fold."

"At least you have much more mana than anyone else, besides maybe Trenton." The pair looked at the elf, then quickly away, blushing. Asami seemed determined to stick her tongue down his throat.

"Err," Gerald coughed. "When a kin would've run out of mana, you'll still have plenty left unexhausted."

"That's true. However, with their denser pools, their power is significantly greater. I can never get to the point where such endurance matters."

They were quiet for a moment. "Azura thinks there might be benefits when I reach the ki stage, but she's only guessing," Elise added.

"That makes sense," Gerald said as he rested his large hands on hers. She gently wove her fingers through his brown fur.

"How about you? Any luck yet?" Elise asked.

"No…" Gerald grumbled. "Azura said she wanted us to try a bit longer before showing us the secret to making ki. She said that now that we have achieved maximum mana density, it's a good idea to hone our control by attempting to fold it more."

Elise trailed a single finger in the fur of his hand as she pondered how to ask this next question.

"How many are there?"

Gerald gave her a confused look.

"I mean, how many are ready to advance to the ki stage. I know Hamal's there. Who else?"

"Tabatha," Gerald said.

"I see," Elise said, trying not to feel jealous. The little white rabbit-kin was adorable, but the fact that she was leaving her so far behind was grating.

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"And Gwen," Gerald added after a moment.

Of course, it would be her, Elise thought darkly. The half badger-kin had been nothing but rude to her. At first, Elise thought she hated mages, but now, after joining the cultivators, she knew it was more than that. She hated all non-kin. It didn't matter if they were mages or not.

A loud cheer erupted, and Elise glanced up.

Well, speak of the bitch…

Gwen was getting onto the largest training ring where three kin were waiting for her. Gwen, Elise had to admit, was beautiful. She had white hair and small, rounded black ears on top, slightly bigger than Gerald's. The fur on her legs and paws was a deep obsidian that matched the color of her short tail. Her human skin was lightly tan with spotted freckles that were now faded from prolonged sun exposure. Unlike most half-kin, she had claws on her fingers with black fur that reached her elbows.

"That one is as dangerous as she is attractive," Trenton said, joining them.

"What about me?!" Asami pouted.

"Your radiance outshines all. I truly think that the sun sets so that it can get a break from your overwhelming beauty."

"Ahhh!" Asami said, leaping into his arms. Elise was spared another blushing moment when the ground shook. She looked at the ring just in time to see all three kin hurled out of bounds. Elise assumed it was from some roundhouse kick, although Gwen's smug expression was equally powerful.

"No surprise there," Elise muttered as Gwen noticed her. The sneer that appeared on her face wasn't a surprise either.

"Well, if it isn't the mages," Gwen said as she stalked toward them.

"What do you want Gwen?" Elise asked. Trenton didn't reply as he put Asami down.

"Me? I don't want anything. I thought I'd be kind and give the Magebane's human pet a chance to spar." Gwen tapped her cheek as if in thought. "I promise I won't break too many of your bones."

"Enough, Gwen," Gerald said, getting up. "If you want to spar, I'll do it."

"Why are you bothering with her?" Gwen asked, irritated. "You're on the verge of gaining ki. You shouldn't waste your time with the likes of her."

"It's none of your business who I spend my time with."

Gwen looked like she wanted to respond. Instead, she gave a dismissive snort before stalking off, her hips swaying.

"Thanks…" Elise said.

"No problem," Gerald said. "Umm… would you like to have dinner tonight? I mean, if you aren't busy cultivating, that is."

Elise suddenly felt very warm. "Uh, sure. I spent all morning cultivating, so I could do something now…"

"Awww," Asami said. "They're so shy!"

"I don't think you pointing that out helped them." Trenton chuckled as the proclaimed shy pair blushed even harder.

Elise was saved from having to reply when Tabatha appeared in a sudden gust of dust. She must have had her mana pool inverted. Elise didn't even see her move. Just how large was the gap between them now?

The rabbit-kin had grown a lot over the past year. She was sixteen now and nearly as tall as Elise. Taller if you counted her ears, which Elise refused to do. Her fur was snow-white, which accentuated her curves. She wore a form-fitting tunic with a small spot for her puffy tail that Elise desperately wanted to touch. Perhaps she could touch Gerald's tail later.

Gods above, she was more like her father than she realized. Elise was saved from more horrific revelations as Tabatha shouted in a booming voice.

"The Magebane has engaged the mists! Cultivators in groups 1, 5, and 13 are to report to Mother Fatania for instructions! I repeat, the mists are active. Cultivators in groups 1, 5, and 13 are…" Tabatha's calling became indistinct as she moved farther away.

"I've got to go," Gerald said, holding her hand again.

"I know. Be careful." Reluctantly, she released his hand as she looked into his dark eyes.

"Gerald, let's go," Asami said, approaching them. Trenton looked conflicted as he watched them.

"Stay safe. Both of you," Elise said. The pair of kin nodded at them before rushing off. Soon, they were out of sight.

"I never thought I would be the one left behind because I wasn't powerful enough," Trenton said bitterly.

"It's hard," Elise agreed. They were both in group 18. One of the lowest groups for cultivators. Neither of them had mana dense enough to rank higher. They weren't given time to regret their situation as the ground trembled. The mist surge had begun.

"Azura…" Elise said, instinctively, she turned west. The mists… She couldn't see it from here, the thick foliage blocking her view, but not far beyond the boundaries of the mana forest was a wall of mist that dominated the horizon. There wasn't much time left for any of them. Hopefully, Azura could buy them some more.

***

Fatania stood before the gathered cultivators with the other Mothers. She suppressed a snort every time she thought about it. What had started as a joke had become the title of the leaders of the cultivators. To her left was her oldest friend, Coralline, a white cat-kin, mother to the Magebane herself. She was in charge of healers and crafters. Alenina, a tall rabbit-kin, was to her right. She handled all the logistics and supplies. As for herself, she coordinated the military along with the spies, the rat-kin. It was their family specialty long before they became cultivators. The final 'Mother' was the mother of all cultivators. The first cultivator, the Azure Magebane, Azura. She was in charge of… well, nothing. The young woman was hopelessly inept in such matters. However, she was a great teacher and the most powerful cultivator.

Fatania waited for the last cultivators to arrive as she looked over the crowd. Some were older, most were younger. She and the other Mothers were in the middle, beside Azura. Fatania's fur was a light gray, like a gentle overcast sky, which matched her long hair on the left side; the right side was an intimidating black, mirroring her eyes. Coralline's fur was pure white, reminding her of fresh snow. Her eyes were the same as her daughters, a vivid green with a slit pupils. Alenina was rather shapely with white and brown fur. She was powerfully built and had a keen mind. Her daughter, Tabatha, was especially noteworthy, as she was one of the few ready to progress to the next stage. She stood in the first rank of cultivators who were missing one member. Then, he was there in a flurry of dust. Her great pride, Hamal.

Hamal wasn't the oldest nor the youngest of her children. Nor was he the largest or smallest of her brood. Even his fur coloring was pretty typical, an ashy gray. Slightly darker than hers but not the glossy black of Tallous. By all accounts, he was unremarkable. That itself was ideal for their profession. Yet his mastery of cultivation made him stand out among all the cultivators. He was only one of four ready to progress to the next stage of advancement. Fatania suppressed a shudder of excitement. She couldn't wait to see what he could do.

Fatania looked over the gathered cultivators. Group one consisted of only four members. Gerald, Hamal, Tabatha, and Gwen. Those ready to advance to the next stage. Group five had nearly fifty members, consisting of a few of her own rat-kin. They had good power and could engage most enemies on the battlefield. The final group, thirteen, would support the others. They would evacuate those injured or perform any other duties assigned to them by the squad leader, Asami. She had advanced quickly, despite having started cultivating only a year ago. Her dedication and effort had earned her the position.

"The Magebane has engaged the mists," Fatania said to ensure everyone knew the stakes. "Her goal will be to destroy the mist seed if possible. If not, she'll be targeting an Eldritch Lord. Your orders are the following. Group one will engage in high-level threats composed of large abominations or any elite mages that attack us. Group five will handle smaller threats and regular mage forces of Deepmere. Group thirteen will engage in low-level threats and provide support. Under no circumstances should anyone engage in combat with an Eldritch Lord or enter the mists. Keep your mana pools inverted at all times to avoid absorbing any corruption. Do not engage in combat with the Deepmere mages unless they attack first. The last thing we need is a three-way battle. Cultivators in groups 3 and 4 will be on standby for emergency support. You have your orders. CULTIVATORS! MOVE OUT!"

"YES, MOTHER FATANIA!" The group shouted in unison. The cultivators inverted their mana pools and sped off toward the mists. She hoped that all of them would come back alive.

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