The Wolf Mage

The Town Of Estras

The train ride went on through the morning, and most of the afternoon. The sun was setting, but there was still some light to enjoy.

“I’m heading to base. I hear they’re doing some sparring there with some swordsmen” Brad said.

“What about you?” I asked Erza. I noticed he was carrying a bag.

“I’ve got a pretty good collection of daggers I want to put up” he told me.

“I’m going out for a walk” I said as I left my friends. I put my arms up behind my neck as I walked down a trail into the woods. If I was remembering the map that Dale had in the library correctly, these woods grew up right next to the base camp. I sighed, nothing was better than going away from the village for a while. Clear air, less noise, and more to see. The bushes rustle as a few squirrels dashed by. I could smell flowers nearby. The air was clear out here. I let my nails extend into claws, and ran forward. I jumped up high, reaching a low tree branch, and sung myself up to a higher tree branch. The branch swayed up and down under my weight becoming still. I could see above the lower trees as well as the base came a good distance away. There was also a clearing in the midst of the trees, and part of the river that branched out away from the main river. It was beginning to get dark, but a brief jump in the river wouldn’t hurt. I jumped down from the tree branch, and headed out to the river.

I tilted my head, listening carefully. I could hear a girls voice, someone was singing. Something nearby in the darkness, something small with a white striped tail darted away into the shadows of the night. I continued forward, my foot stepping on a few twigs.

“And if you come, when all the flowers are dying” the voice sang. It was a beautiful voice too. I pushed aside the bushes, and peered out. Away from the cover of the trees moonlight shone on the river and the river bank. There was a girl with dark brown hair standing in the middle of the river. I started to step out towards her, ‘What the heck am I doing? I should just head back to base’ I started to think. The girl turned slightly, and I could see her face under the short hair.

“And I am dead, as dead I well may be.You'll come and find the place where I am lying” she sang. Under the gently moonlight I could see her face a bit more clearly, but then I saw her true hair color under the light. It was brown, but I could see the reddish color to it. Not the mention that she was erm- not dressed out in the river. I couldn’t help but gasp, and I stumbled backwards falling into the bushes.

“Hello, is someone there?” she- or he called. I quickly stood up, and stumbled backwards. I covered my mouth in shock. That girl, or guy, no that was definitely a girl, but it was Erza! ‘Erza is a girl!’  I thought in realization. I leaned against a tree, and slumped down to the ground. ‘Do I tell him that I know- errr I mean or her, but then that would mean admitting I just saw her naked... Oh my gosh I saw Erza naked’ I realized. ‘Do I tell Brad, or would he report her to Dale? How has she not been discovered to be a girl?’ I wondered. I couldn’t get the image of Erza out of my mind. Her hips weren’t very wide, and her chest wasn’t very noticeable... I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts of Erza out of my mind. I reached into my back pocket, and pulled out the fur covered book. The touch of the book made my fingertips tingle. I opened the page, and to my surprise I could see the illegible writings quite clear under the dim light of the moon. I could still read the title, Wolf Spell. I flipped the page, and found one page full of writings, and the other a picture. It was a picture of a blond woman in a warrior-like dress. She had beautiful blue eyes. Her nails were long, thick, and black. In small writings below the picture I could read it. ‘Asena’ it read, it was the woman’s name.

“Hey Jeremy” I heard someone call. Down the trail Erza was walking this way. Without meaning to my eyes drifted down. Maybe her hips weren’t that narrow- I looked back up to her.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“I’m heading back to base camp, its getting dark out” she replied. Her voice was deeper, but after hearing her sing I knew it was fake. ‘I wonder how long she’s been using that fake voice’ I thought.

“I might as well head back too” I agreed. We started walking down the trail towards base camp. I was beginning to wonder what the camp would look like. I’d heard of the base camp out here, and that it was better, too. ‘Still... Maradius has always been my home’ I thought sadly.

“What’s wrong?” Erza asked.

“I just miss Maradius already, I grew up there” I replied.

“Really? I grew up in Anor” she replied. Anor was a town closer to the capital across the river. It was east of Estras, and farther away from the coast line.

“Don’t you ever miss home?” I asked curiously. Erza shook her head. I frowned curiously,

“You don’t miss home, what about family or friends?” I questioned her. Erza laughed at this questioned,

“I went to school, didn’t have any friends though” she admitted, “I’ve been able to use magic for years, and the others feared me for it” he added. Erza laughed again,

“I got bashed in the head once when I was practicing outside at recess with a knife!” she laughed, as if it were some funny memory now. She withdrew a dagger from her back pocket,

“ I grew up in an orphanage. I have no fond memories of Anor” she said. I didn’t say anything in response to this. I clenched my fists tightly, remembering the argument between Dale vs Edgar and Ryder. ‘Despite you doubting me, I guess if I could say anyone was like a father it was you Helton’ I thought. I thought of Eleanor and Dale. If I considered anyone the most like family it was them. Erza suddenly hit my shoulder with her fist.

“Ow, jeez what was that for?” I demanded to know.

“The look on your face! I don’t need you pitying me” she complained, still speaking with a deeper voice.

“I wasn’t pitying you” I shot back, “Man that was uncalled for” I complained. ‘I guess for now I’ll play along with her act’ I decided. Just up the trail was a huge fenced in area. Around the fences were five foot wide trenches. The transmutation circle on the fence caught my eye though immediately. ‘There’s probably magic running through the metal. I bet if you get too close it’ll electrocute you’ I thought. I shuddered at the thought of that being my death. We entered the camp, and I followed Erza towards four cabins. One was labeled A, B, and O

“What does that stand for?” I asked.

“A, alpha; B, beta, O, Omega” she informed me, “We’re staying in B cabin” she told me. We headed into the cabin. The walls were made of a light wood, and the inside was painted a light blue color. There were five beds, and on one of them was Brad. I looked around the cabin. It had a pine sort of smell. There were two others I didn’t know, they had unfamiliar face. I jumped up into the top of a bunk bed. It didn’t rock back and forth like I expected it to when I realized it was nailed to the wall. I could still remember every word Dale said in that argument. ‘I hope signing up was the right thing to do’ I hoped. Things would be easy.  The training would only be rougher. The coaches would only be scarier. The missions were only to become harder, and the stakes much higher. I had a few goals in mind, like showing Dale I could be focused, and figuring out how to read the Wolf Spell.