Chapter 4: Learning Arts

The following morning they wake-up, once again entwined in each other’s arms and legs, with Brandon up moments before Tracy. He is again watching her as she comes up out of sleep and opens her eyes. Seeing him there, looking at her with a smile, Tracy cannot help but to kiss him deeply, followed by her grinding herself against him, as he is covering her with his body as he supports himself on his elbows. Though aroused and full of desire, they quickly get out of bed, get dressed and head to breakfast.

Breakfast is porridge and fruit, again. The aroma of old ale, mead, and other smells lingers in the room, but with the windows open and a soft breeze blowing through it is quickly forgotten. Once they finish they make their way to the Magi’s house. They were told to be there within an hour of sunrise and that time is fast approaching, so they rush to make it with a moment to spare. They will make arrangements to be awaken in the mornings so that they are not rushing in the future.

When they arrive, the Magi lets them in and has them join the other three students in her training room while she retrieves the manuscripts she intends for them to study. Inside the indicated room, they find two young males and one female, all three of whom were already reading the provided manuscripts, while seated on zafus, and an assistant with a capable look about him. A moment later, Magi Noragami brings the manuscripts to Brandon and Tracy and instructs them to read the first chapter.

In the time it takes for a standard incense stick to burn, all of the students, including Brandon and Tracy, indicate that they have completed the reading. Magi begins asking and answering questions of the three other students on the material they read. Each of the students has read something different, so the questions and answers vary from one to the other. All through this, Brandon is listening closely and paying attention in an attempt to learn from the questions the other students ask, and their answers to the Magi.

When the Magi finishes her the knowledge assessment of the first three students, she asks Brandon and Tracy what questions they have for her. After some consideration, Tracy asked about learning healing spells. The Magi responds that there are spells she can teach her, but if Tracy wants to become a healer, she would need to seek out a Shaman or other type of healing expert.

Tracy lets out a small sigh, thanks the Magi, and informs her that she will stay on to learn the basics of magic and what healing spell she can here.

When the Magi looks at Brandon, his eyes are sparkling with excitement. You can see the interest and enthusiasm within his eyes.

“You seem quite excited and ready to begin,” says the Magi to Brandon.

“Yes, Magi, I am. This chapter has opened my eyes and I have learned a lot that I was unaware of. It makes me hunger to learn even more,” says Brandon.

To the other three members of the class of student Magi, Magi Noragami says, “continue with your reading. Mage Tsing answer any questions and when it is time, take them to the practice pavilion and test them on their new knowledge.” Mage Tsing and the three students give a respectful salute to indicate compliance.

Magi Noragami then takes Brandon aside and has him sit within a distinctive formation embroidered on a unique rug situated in a corner of the room. She instructs him to sit there, calm himself, and begin to begin circulating his mana. Minutes later, as his mana is properly circulating, Magi begins to utter mystical phrases and performing intricate hand seals. As she does this, a glowing shell begins to encircle Brandon. At first, this shell is transparent; then, as she continues the chant and hand seals, color begins to suffuse the shell. Each color starts out very transparent but slowly becomes more and more opaque. It soon becomes apparent to Tracy that the shell is going through the colors of the rainbow. By the time that Magi Noragami finishes and the chant ends, the shell surrounding Brandon has taken on the appearance of an opaque but bright rainbow.

With a word of power, the test concludes, and the shell vanishes without a sound. Speaking his name, the Magi brings Brandon out of his meditative state. The first thing he notices when he looks up into the Magi’s eyes is a look of wonder and excitement.

“Brandon, it is going to be a great pleasure and honor to teach you the ways of the Magi. You are like a hatchling Wyrm. You are full of promise and greatness if you strive hard and grow into your powers,” says the Magi.

Magi Noragami can see that he has questions and heads him off by asking him to return to his seat and continue reading while she tests Tracy. As Brandon returns to his position, Tracy can see the excitement in his eyes. She wants to ask him what happened, but the Magi calls her to take her place in the formation, and begins the same test she performed with Brandon, but this time with Tracy as the subject.

The test seems to transpire in much the same way as it did with Brandon as the subject. Only somebody like Magi Noragami’s skills and experience would be able to see the differences between Brandon and Tracy’s tests. With the test done, she can only shake her head in wonder at the unbelievable opportunity that has landed in her lap. Fate and fortune seem to be smiling down upon her.

Bringing Tracy up out of her meditative state, the Magi leads her back to the same space with Brandon and instructs her to continue reading as well. She then does a quick check on the the other three students. Mage Tsing is answering questions based on their most recent reading. After that is done, he will take them to the pavilion to test them on their ability to make use of the new knowledge. That will take up the rest of their time for the day.

Returning to her newest students, she tells them, “Both of you are exceptional in your prospects as future Magi. Someone like myself can only dream of finding a single student like yourself. Yet, here I am, with two unique individuals with clean slates and strong affinities with most, if not all, of the elements. Most people have only one or two elements that they are attuned to. Even fewer have three, and it’s a rarity to have an affinity for four elements. To not only have an affinity for so many elements but to have them balanced and with incredible depth is unheard of.

“Therefore, the good news is that I am delighted to be your instructor. The less than good news is that I will have to charge you double of what I originally stated it would cost,” says Magi Noragami, which causes Brandon and Tracy to frown.

Cutting off before they can say anything further, she tells him that the reason for this is due to the extra time and effort she will have to invest in them, as well as materials that will be needed that go beyond the original price she quoted them.

Tracy and Brandon look at each other and soon come to an agreement without saying a word. Tracy looks at the Magi and states, “If that is how it must be, then we accept. However, does this mean that we will be training separately from the other students?”

“Yes, it means that I will be instructing the two of you separately, on what would normally be the off days for training. This will allow me to give you my full attention as is befitting of two hatchling Wyrms such as yourselves.”

Tracy gets an odd look on her face, but before she can say anything, Brandon lays a hand on her shoulder and waits for her to look at him. When she does, he tells her that she’s not speaking of earthworms or other invertebrates, but instead that she is using the term that means grand dragons, spelled Wyrm. Hearing this, Tracy’s face takes on a different look. One that is slightly confused but at the same time noticeably excited.

“Today, I will have you continue to read. I will answer any pertinent questions that arise from the material. After that, we will engage in some rudimentary spell-casting techniques. At the end of this day, you will return three mornings from now. That’s when three of us will embark on a very intense training program,” Magi Noragami tells them.

For the next few hours, Brandon and Tracy are deeply into the reading and are frequently asking questions to improve their understanding of the material.

“Now, I need to know what your attributes are. Tracy, let’s begin with you,” Magi Noragami says,

~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Tracy pulls up her screen, it shows the following:

Name: Tracy Forrester

Rank: Novice

Race: Terran Human

~ Strength: 15

~ Agility: 15

~ Constitution: 15

~ Intelligence: 17

~ Wisdom: 18

~ Perception: 12

^ Dexterity: 18

^ Charisma: 12

^ AC: 10

Classes: Null

Crafting Class: Null

Physical Recovery Rate 10 percent per hour for minor wounds, 10% per day for serious wounds, and 1% for critical wounds.

Cultivation

Qi Cultivation: Imperial - Stage: White Purity of Merit (Half-step Flourishing Red Modifier) Modifier: 2

Soul-Well: 552 Mana-Well: 276

Mana/Qi Regeneration: 55 per minute.

~~~~~~~~~~

Brandon’s attributes are slightly different. Where Tracy is stronger in the physical side, Brandon is stronger on the mental side. Still, their numbers are such that it causes a flutter in Magi Noragami’s heart, which she conceals. These are not the attributes of man, but something much more.

When they ask Magi Noragami about their scores, she shrugs and tells them, “Your scores are truly exceptional. They should definitely have a very strong effect on your studies and progress. Now, back to today’s studies.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The initial reading they are assigned covers cultivation, meridians, apertures, the two wells, and similar introductory knowledge used as a foundation to build upon. When they finish the reading, Magi Noragami tests them on their understanding, which is even more detailed than what she provided in the materials that Tracy and Brandon read. She isn’t aware of the knowledge that had already been imparted to them upon their arrival in Heaven’s Reach.

Once they complete answering her questions, she begins teaching them Fire Spark, which is a cantrip (instant-cast without hand seals). Brandon has no problem perfecting the use of this cantrip due to his experience with his self created “Spark” which has a fire attribute. Thus he can prove his proficiency with it by lighting a candle within minutes. Tracy, on the other hand, does not have any experience casting any spell before this; so, she practices until she, too, can light the candle. As she practices it feels as if there’s a force guiding her to perform it properly. It feels familiar and safe, so she follows its direction and soon is able to achieve the task of lighting the candle.

With this task completed, the Magi sends them home with the reading material and instructions to read the next couple of sections. She will answer questions in three days when they return, and then she will test them on their understanding of the new information. They pay Magi Noragami the six gold for 18 days of training over the next thirty days.

With their training for the day out of the way, they decide to head to the Inn. Breakfast was about six hours ago, and supper won’t be for a few hours, so there is no hurry. As they are walking, they discuss the day’s training, their curious attributes pages, the test they went through in the morning, and soon find themselves about to walk out the outpost’s gate. As they realize this, they nearly trip over themselves as they come to an abrupt stop.

“How’d we end up here? The Inn is that way,” says Tracy as she points in the direction of the Inn.

“No idea. Let’s turn around. We must have been too caught up in our conversation,” responds Brandon.

With that, they start walking back towards the Inn. Minutes later, they are again at the gate.

“Bran, what the fuck is going on?”

“I don’t know. Let’s turn around again, but this time let’s stay silent and watch where we’re going.”

Turning around for the second time, they start walking to the Inn only to find themselves back at the gate. This time, they can feel something pulling at them.

“Tracy, something tells me we should follow whatever is guiding us. Just be ready in case it’s a trap of some kind.”

“If you say so. This is just too damned freaky,” Tracy says in response as she takes her baton in hand and passes through the gate with Brandon.

Doing their best to be aware of their surroundings, they follow the force that is guiding them like an invisible hand. An hour later, the two of them find themselves coming to an old dried-up riverbed.

This place has been dry for ages, and the soft mud long since dried into a rock hard substance. There are signs of water-worn stones all over the place, though only a few peek out here and there. It is to one such cluster of stones towards which they are drawn.

“I don’t know what’s behind this, but something here seems to be our goal. Would you keep watch while I see about digging some of this up,” Brandon asks Tracy.

“Sure. I’ve got your back,” she tells him.

With that, he begins to carefully work the debris loose with his hands. Slowly, Brandon gets frustrated and begins scrabbling at the rock and dried up mud with his nails and fingers the way a dog or badger would. He does this without thinking and soon is up to his wrists below the surface. Slowly, he widens the hole until it is half a meter in diameter and close to thirty centimeters deep.

“There’s something here. I can feel it,” he tells Tracy, who looks down for a moment to see what kind of progress he has made.

“You dug that out with your hands?”

“Well, yeah. I don’t have any tools,” he says, wondering why she’s asking such a silly question.

“Bran, that’s dried up mud. It’s almost as hard as rock and stones,” she says as she bends down and picks up a piece of the dried mud and slowly breaks it apart with difficulty.

“See, it doesn’t come apart easily, but you’ve just dug out quite a hole with just your hands,” she continues.

This causes Brandon to stand up and take a look at what he has achieved in the last half hour or so. His eyes go wide when he realizes what he’s done. Looking at his hands, he doesn’t find a single injury. Not even a bruise is evident. His nails are also in good condition, where they should be torn up from the abuse.

“This is a very strange place. You know that, right? Anyway, something is just a little deeper. I just know it,” he tells her.

Tracy is already back to watching for trouble and doesn’t bother to look at him when she tells him, “Well, hurry up. I don’t want to be late for dinner, or to be out here at night if I can avoid it.”

Immediately, the sound of digging resumes. It continues for another five minutes when Brandon lets out a surprised yelp.

“What’s wrong, Tracy asks as she turns to see what’s going on. What greets her eyes is a hole that is now a meter in diameter and nearly as deep, and while that is surprising in itself, the real surprise is what is inside the freshly dug hole.

Carefully lifting it out, Brandon hands Tracy a dirt encrusted box and then climbs out. With care, they clean the ages of debris away to slowly reveal a beautifully crafted wooden box inlaid with fine jade and gold. Each piece of jade has been carved into a different symbol, but they aren’t any language they know.

Once they finish cleaning it, and washing it off with some of their water, a pulsing energy begins to emanate from within the box. It feels like it’s calling to them, telling them to open it. This places them in a quandary. On the one hand, there could be unbelievable riches within this item. On the other, it could be a dangerous force that was captured and put away for eternity.

What finally helps them decide is the way the pulses resonate with their bodies. Their hearts begin to beat in time with the pulses and their minds become still and serene. There is no hint of malice that they can detect.

Carefully breaking the seals, with the box faced away from them, they open the cover. When nothing happens, they turn it around and look in side. What they find is a set of Jade pieces like the ones they were provided with upon arrival. It is some kind of treasure!

Taking a look at the position of the sun, they realize that they should be heading back to the outpost. Closing the box and placing it into his ring, they begin the journey home. Unseen behind them, the excavated dirt and rocks slowly returns to the hole leaving barely a trace of being disturbed.

Back at the Inn, they discuss what they learned at the Magi’s place. Tracy tells Brandon about the feeling of being guided by some kind and familiar force. This makes Brandon’s eyes go wide.

“I was thinking as you were attempting to light the candle as if whispering in your ear, telling you how to do it properly. It can’t be a coincidence, can it?”

Tracy looks at him and a moment later he leans over and kisses her on the edge of her mouth.

“Well, I think I just proved that we may be telepathic, at least with one another,” Tracy tells him with a grin.

Brandon just smiles at her and shakes his head as he rolls his eyes in a silly way as he thinks to her, “This could be very useful.”

Tracy looks at him questioningly. “Did you try to send me a message?”

“Yeah. Something wrong?”

“I could tell you were trying to do something, but whatever it was, it didn’t come through,” she tells him.

“Hmm, I guess we can’t speak telepathically,” he says with a frown.

“Not yet, at least,” she responds.

Dinner is a pleasant meal and Serina is a graceful presence as her duties permit. Again, she manages to lightly touch them without seeming to be doing it on purpose as she thinks about how she wants to watch them fuck again.

~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, they go to the dojo, and, as it was with Magi Noragami, they are tested before anything else. The tests are to evaluate their strength, speed, and endurance and take three hours. Master Wong does not run the tests. He is too important to do that. Instead, one of his students, a young man close to their own ages, put them through the paces.

The first test seems simple when they are told what to do. Standing in a shallow depression with intricate formations etched all around it, the trial begins. For the first five minutes, they feel nothing. Then they can feel weight slowly increasing across their bodies. It isn’t anything to worry about, so they stand there and wait. By the time a half-hour has passed, the two of them are sweating from the exertion of staying upright. Still, it is manageable. When the test ends at the end of an hour, they are trembling. Their muscles feel as if they’ve been through the hardest workouts of their lives.

“Here, drink this,” Tran tells them as he hands them each a cup of refreshing tea. The tea is quite good, and soon, they are feeling energized, and the pain in their bodies vanishes.

The next test is a bit different in that they go through a unique obstacle course where they must complete it as quickly as possible. There is no walk-through to give them a feel for the layout, not that one would help as the entire course is continually changing. One moment it might be dry sand, the next, it could be a swamp. They could be going up a hill one moment and dropping down a steep mountainside the next. Everything tests their reactions and speed. This test ends an hour later with both Brandon and Tracy sweating and exhausted, again.

Once again, Tran offers them a cup of tea to rejuvenate them. Once they are ready, he takes them to the final stage of the test. This one is even worse than the first two combined.

Though it is similar to the first test, in that they are standing in a shallow depression with formations etched around its border, that is where the similarity ends.

For an hour, the couple experiences a variety of pains. The pain ranges from minor aches in their joints, to shattered bones and cracked teeth. It feels as if their entire bodies are being ground to dust only to reform and continue. The pain starts out at a manageable level. However, by the time it ends, it is so excruciating that most would have passed out or quit. No one informed them that they could quit any of the tests. Because of that, they were under the impression that they had to endure each one to the end.

With the final test complete, Tran offers them one last cup of restorative tea and then takes them to Master Wong and tells him of their standing in each trial. While he considers their scores, the two of them wait patiently.

Master Wong is surprised, not so much by their scores (he’s seen better), but by the fact that they endured each test to the bitter end. Not once did they indicate a desire to quit, or give up. Many make it through the strength trials and the agility test, but it is maybe one in one million who endure all three tests to their conclusion.

“The trials indicate that you both did very well. You both have great foundations in strength, agility, and constitution. I will be happy to take you on as my students,” Master Wong tells them.

In unison, Tracy and Brandon offer Master Wong a Bao Quan. This is the salute mentioned previously and consists of the cupping of the right hand in the left fist, and it is used to show respect. Master Wong returns it but with a nod of the head instead of bowing.

They discuss when they will be able to train, explaining that they will be in training three days a week with Magi Noragami starting in two days. This ends up working out for them to be able to train six days a week, as one of their days with Magi Noragami is the day he does not open the dojo for training. They pay the ten silver for the day, as even the trials count as part of their training. Before they take their leave, Master Wong provides them each with a manuscript he wishes for them to study before they return in the morning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

After all the stress of the three trials, they stop and get some roasted meat and vegetables (at a cost of six copper) before heading out the gates for a walk. The path they take is different from the day before. They are hoping to find a place where they can inspect the treasure they found the day before.

It doesn’t take long before they find a good spot that isn’t too far from the gate, but is away from prying eyes. It’s a little grass filled depression that could have been an impact site by the way it has a nearly even ridge around the perimeter and slowly slopes down to three meters below the top of the ridge. It’s actually quite a nice spot to have a picnic, if one were so inclined.

Retrieving the box from his ring, Brandon hands it to Tracy who opens it. Closing her eyes, she reaches in and touches one of the jade pieces and pulls it out. Brandon follows her example and does the same. Each piece of jade has a symbol engraved upon its surface. As with those symbols on the box, they cannot read them.

Without a word, they each place the jade pieces against their foreheads and their worlds go black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

They awaken in a different land where they experience history in fast forward. They witness mountains and seas raise and fall, cities being built and then crumbling in the vastness of time. The population is ever ebbing and flowing and no particular race ever seems to become dominant over the others, though the wars they witness prove that they do make the attempt, often. They also witness many joyous and devastating occasions. The beasts evolve over the ages, but the sentient species seem to hardly change.

One thing that stands out to them is the appearance of giant winged reptiles that can only be dragons from the stories back home. These creatures are so mighty that they can tear a mountain in half with a single swipe of their claws, or dig trenches to rival the Grand Canyon with a casual raking of their talons across the land. There are tens of thousands of them in the beginning, but their numbers seem to gradually decline. There is no indication that they have been killed, died of old age, or disease. Eventually, not a one appears in eons.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Waking up from being transported across history and witnessing it in fast forward, while still being able to see and understand all of it, Brandon and Tracy suffer from headaches. They look up and realize that they need to get moving and fast. The sun will set in minutes. Putting the jade back in the box, they head back at a sprint. Brandon, once again, stores the box in his ring. In less than a tenth of the time it took them to find the spot that is like an impact crater, they are back at the gate and paying their 10 copper to enter.

“Brandon, this is really eating into our funds. It’s only 10 copper, but it adds up,” Tracy complains as they slow down and walk the rest of the way to the Songbird Inn.

At the inn, they are greeted by a smiling Serina who quickly brings them their evening meal. Tonight it is a roasted bird with vegetables cooked in a spicy broth and something like a sweat potato.

The meal is delicious and they are too engrossed with eating and ruminating over what they saw that Serina’s touches continue to go unnoticed, even when she leans forward and ‘accidentally’ shows Brandon her tits with arm reaching around Tracy’s shoulder for just a moment.

Serina doesn’t know why they haven’t taken notice. They’ve not shown interest or become upset with her, but they treat her well and seem to enjoy her company. And, she knows it isn’t a lack of interest in sex. Not with the way those two go at it.

After they finish eating, they head out for a walk to help with digestion. An hour later, they are back in their room, trying to wear each other out in their bed. Unknown to them, they have an audience, who was drawn by the sounds of their lovemaking.

In a dark closet that shares a wall with the room occupied by Brandon and Tracy, Serina and a stout young man are watching through a concealed hole in the wall put there to spy on the occupants. Serina’s mouth is filled with a clean rag to quiet the sounds of pleasure she makes as the young man plows her from behind with hard thrusts as his hands maul her tits. Before long, he finishes inside her but leaves her without satisfaction. Later, she will give herself a good cum in her bed. In the meantime, she watches and plays with herself while the couple in the room go on endlessly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, after being awakened by a knock on the door, Brandon and Tracy leave their room, their bed partially made, and head to breakfast. Once they finish breakfast, they head to the dojo to begin training.

Almost as soon as they are out the door, Serina enters their room, locks the door behind her and strips before climbing into the bed where she buries her face in the sheets as she brings herself to a most satisfying orgasm while her head is filled with the scent of last night’s sexual escapades. When she is finally satisfied, she changes the sheets, makes the bed, and cleans the room before leaving.

“It’s fun to watch them fuck. Now, if only I could find a way to join them just once,” Serina thinks to herself as she goes through her day taking care of the chores at the Inn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the dojo, Brandon and Tracy prove their comprehension of the materials they were tasked with reading and comprehending. Once they do this to Master Wong’s satisfaction, he hands them off to one of his assistant trainers. Over the next six hours, they are pushed to their limits. They learn proper techniques for falling, horse stance, simple alternating punches, and blocks. Once they are up to speed, they will join the other students. Until then, Master Jin will be their individual instructor working with them and no one else.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day is much the same for Brandon and Tracy. They train endlessly to become proficient according to Master Wang’s requirements. At the end of the day’s training session, they are tired and dragging ass. What looks easy from the view of a spectator without experience is quite grueling in actuality. In spite of being tired, they still take their walk because they use the time to discuss what they’ve learned and how they are feeling. One thing Brandon brings up is how he wishes, like in many of the MMORPGs they’ve played, is that there were stamina potions, or meals that provide various buffs and such. After all, this world is quite game like with the visual interface and the progress notifications.

As they are walking out the gate they are being tailed by someone who believes that they are well hidden and unobserved. What this person doesn’t know is that Brandon and Tracy have learned to use their skills of perception well enough to be well aware of this person’s presence without setting an eye on them.

Knowing they are being followed, they continue to walk as if they are on nothing more than a lovers’ stroll. Though they would like to return to the lovely place they discovered, they don’t want to lead this person there. This being the case, they detour and continue to walk without a care, or so it seems. Their walk is taking them around a large area to the east of the gate. An area they have not traversed before. They should be paying attention to their surroundings, but they’ve been focusing on their unwanted guest instead.