NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7 – Lani
Talia considered herself a calm and collected person.
However, the events of today had honestly made her doubt all she had known of herself.
When Fiora and Takai had heard about the Kraken, they had looked tense, but they had been reluctant to fully believe her.
It wasn’t just because she said it; no one wanted to actively believe that the Kraken could still be around.
It was just a vision, to be honest. Maybe there’s nothing to it—I was just convincing myself I’m somehow connected to the Kraken, Talia told herself, even though her gut instinct and her intuition were telling her otherwise.
As Lani, Takai’s mother, offered her some soup, she stared into the fishy concoction and silently thanked her.
She studied the middle-aged woman who spent most of her days in a rather isolated hut, a good trek away from the village.
Lani was tall and slender; her arms and legs were tan and toned.
Talia didn’t know what Takai's mother did to get her income, as he was very reluctant to talk about his only remaining parent, but it was clear that the woman kept active.
“Thanks, Mom,” Takai said, taking the bowl of food. “And thanks for letting Talia stay with us until it’s time to go to the Water Riders Academy.”
It had been an eventful day after they had landed ashore.
When they had come back to the island and notified the Elders that they had Initiated, the leaders of the village had been in complete disbelief.
Noelo had looked positively horrified by the quick recounting of what had gone down with the Abyssal Cuda - so much so that the Elders had initially refused to believe them.
Only after Fiora had given a rather poignant demonstration of her just-awakened Sun Water had they swallowed their incredulity.
They had even acknowledged Talia’s and Takai’s Initiation after Fiora had guaranteed for both of them and they showed them a few sparks of their Mana.
Now, they just had to wait three days for the Water Riders' boat that would take the Promises to the Water Riders Academy.
“Lani Alovai,” Talia said, using the formal address for adults, “your son was very valiant today.”
“And he almost died, too,” Lani deadpanned, ignoring the tentative approach from the girl to make conversation.
Lani had been very cold and distant to Talia - it had always been like that for some reason.
“Mom!” Takai complained. “Talia killed the Abyssal Cuda! She’s the reason Fiora and I survived!”
“You wouldn’t have needed saving if you hadn’t followed her, would you?” Lani replied curtly and got up.
“Lani Alovai, I apologize for—” Talia tried to smoothen the waters, but the woman tched in response.
“Drop the formalities. I care not for them,” Lani said.
Talia sighed, “If you don’t want me here, I’ll understand.”
The combative Lani sighed and passed a hand over her face.
“It’s… fine. But do understand that I have only one man left in my life. And now, he’s going away because of you.”
“Mom, I—” Takai started.
“She’s right,” Talia nodded, taking a big breath. “Lani Alovai, would it make your heart lighter if I said I would give my life to save your son’s?”
A hint of a smile crept onto Lani’s face.
“It would.”
***
Talia hadn’t lied to Lani.
She was ready to take responsibility for Takai’s safety at the Water Riders Academy.
The Academy was infamous for being a dangerous place, especially considering the kind of missions one had to complete to reach full graduation.
It’s important to note that each year, up until the fifth year, there was a minor graduation ceremony. This allowed many Water Riders who hadn’t completed the full academic path to still graduate with a smaller credential. Many of these students chose—or were forced to—not to pursue the full academic path but instead decided to focus on completing missions for a living.
In fact, lessons and on-site training were only a small part of the curriculum, which instead included many more hands-on approaches.
So, in order to prepare herself for what was about to come, Talia went into the forest to test her newfound power.
Not a monster, not a monster, she told herself as she tried to examine her powers rationally.
[Name: Talia]
[Age: 16]
[Class: Lifestealer Lv. 2]
[Rank: Novice]
[Primary Mana Channel (Water): Level 0.3 {Dormant}]
[Secondary Mana Channel (Blood): Level 5 {Flowing}]
[Core Skill #1: Blood Siphon Lv. 2]
[Core Skill #2: Hemomancy Lv. 1]
[Core Skill #3: Eyes of the Abyss Lv. 1]
[Auxiliary Skill #1: Missile Swimming Lv. 1]
[Strength: 4]
[Agility: 0.3]
[Constitution: 0]
[Intelligence: 0]
[Wisdom: 0]
[Charisma: 0]
[Free Attributes: 0]
[Talent Trees:
Bloodborne Warrior
Carmine Thunder
Sanguine Guardian
Hemomantic Artisan
Crimson Sage
Life Thief
]
[Free Talent Points: 1]
Her arms strained, but now her mother’s glaive was much lighter than before.
She still had trouble swinging the imposing weapon, which clearly would require Strength to reach its first cornerstone at twenty-five.
Mom was famous for having many points in Strength, even though she was a powerful caster, Talia reflected, straining herself to swing at a tree.
The blade went through the bark and wood like a hot knife through a fisheye.
Not bad at all, she said to herself, admiring the blade of the glaive. This is going to be very useful.
She wondered how Riala would react once she saw her with their mother’s weapon.
She knew it wasn’t going to be a warm welcome, though.
But she decided not to think about it.
I don’t know much about the Academy, she thought. That’s my first order of business as soon as I land—to gather as much information as possible. Riala has had five years to establish herself. I must catch up as quickly as possible.
Talia resisted the temptation of cutting herself to try out her Hemomancy and instead turned to her Talent Trees.
[Talent Trees:
Bloodborne Warrior
Carmine Thunder
Sanguine Guardian
Hemomantic Artisan
Crimson Sage
Life Thief
]
[Free Talent Points: 1]
Talent Trees were the principal way of getting skills from one’s class.
Even within the same class, the endless combinations of skills from Talent Trees made each person unique in their fighting style. The problem with such a weird Class like Talia’s was that she had no idea what to expect from the Talent Trees beyond what their names suggested. Bloodborne Warrior, for example, clearly held offensive skills, and Sanguine Guardian defensive ones, but how was she supposed to choose?
She had always imagined that she would get her mother’s famous class, Starfighter, and she had already made up her mind about how to copy her mother’s build after she had gathered information about her from her sister and the villagers.
But with this new Class, she was completely out of her depth.
Talia sighed, rubbing her face.
“I also need to kill more monsters before the official ceremony at the Academy,” she reasoned.
She had taken the day to rest and formulate a plan, but it was becoming increasingly clearer that she wouldn’t have time to level up after they left the island.
The boat would take them directly to the Academy and there, those who had not been Initiated already would be tested again to determine their Primary Mana Channel Level.
This meant that Talia wouldn’t be admitted into the Academy, as she'd need at least a Level Two.
And so, she was already planning on going back into the Deep Belt.
I wish there was a better option, Talia reasoned. But it doesn’t matter how much I plan for this and how much I prepare. In the water, it will come down to whether I’m strong enough. Plus, there are two skills I can use to gain a substantial advantage.
[Core Skill #3: Eyes of the Abyss Lv. 1]
[Auxiliary Skill #1: Missile Swimming Lv. 1]
She trembled as she thought of the vision she had had on the raft, but she steeled herself.
If I’m going out again, I need to make sure it doesn't paralyze me while I’m fighting for my life.
So, Talia activated [Eyes of the Abyss] and held her breath, bracing herself for another terrifying vision.
To her surprise and relief, nothing material happened.
She turned toward the Deep and saw several extremely fuzzy points moving around.
She kept her eyes on them before turning her eyes at the area around her.
The world around her simply shimmered with an ethereal quality, revealing the life force of plants and small creatures in the forest.
She exhaled slowly, relief washing over her.
Now I know I can use it without being paralyzed, she thought, deactivating the skill and clutching the glaive tightly in her hands.
***
As the sun began to set, casting long shadows along the trees, Talia made her way back to Lani’s hut.
There was a thick scent of medicinal herbs.
She found Lani outside sorting through an assortment of exotic sea plants spread out on a woven mat.
After spending some time with the woman, Talia understood roughly what Lani did for a living.
She dove into the sea to collect Mana-rich herbs.
Solara, being so close to the deep, hosted a variety of relatively potent and exotic sea herbs, many more compared to the islands further away from the Deep.
One could safely dive into Solara's waters without the risk of being attacked by the Abyssal Creatures, making it arguably the best island for scouting sea herbs for the Uninitiated.
Thanks to the residual Mana that partially touched the waters around Solara – not enough though for the Abyssal Creatures to live on – the herbs here grew much stronger than in any other place in the Calm Belt.
Talia looked at the herbs, trying to see if she could recognize them.
Although her knowledge of sea herbs was quite good, as she looked upon them, some appeared unusually exotic.
Now that she was at peace with using [Eyes of the Abyss], she activated the skill to see what the Mana-rich herbs looked like under its effect.
What she saw left her wondering.
Most herbs contained a minute quantity of Mana, nothing outside the realm of normalcy.
However, when Talia gazed upon a bunch of thick, red algae, she saw them throbbing with an impressive quantity of Mana.
Most importantly, Talia, despite being an excellent swimmer and diver, had never seen such herbs in her sixteen years on Solara.
The plant was so powerful that it clearly came from the Deep.
If Talia had been on better terms with Lani, she would have asked where the woman had gotten it, along with a few more suspiciously powerful herbs.
But knowing their relationship wasn't so amicable, Talia decided to keep her mouth shut.
As Talia observed the woman, Lani suddenly looked up, her expression softer than during their previous interactions.
“Come,” Lani said, gesturing to the space beside her, “I need to untangle some of these.”
She pointed at some common algae tangled in a net she used to scoop them up.
Talia nodded, settling down next to her.
They worked in silence for a while, the only sound being the rustling of the net and leaves in the evening breeze.
Trying to make small talk, Talia said, “So, you dive for herbs, right?”
“It's the only way I know how to make a living,” Lani replied, her hands stilling over a bundle of common seaweed. “After what happened to my husband, Takai's father… Let's just say my options became limited.”
“Oh,” Talia said, realizing that people must have made life on Solara hard for her. “It must have been difficult.”
Lani's eyes met hers.
“It was, it still is, but we're both good at enduring difficult situations, apparently.”
As Talia reached for another bundle of herbs, she accidentally nicked her finger on a sharp coral.
Strangely, as a drop of blood welled on the tip of her finger, it started levitating in front of her.
Damn it, Talia thought, trying to reel her magic in.
It wasn’t uncommon for those who had just become Initiated to have their Mana act up.
However, Talia really wasn't looking forward to discussing her powers with anyone as long as she could avoid it.
Even though Blood Magic wasn't inherently evil, it wasn't nearly as well-regarded as Star Water.
And she had been bragging that on the day she would be Initiated, she would have received the same Affinity as her mother.
But seeing her blood rise into the air contradicted all the dreams she had ever had about Star Water and, most importantly, gave her the ominous feeling that she had always tried to avoid.
Her blood twisted in the air like a crimson snake and Talia felt her eyes getting wet.
She willed the blood to stop, but it only writhed more violently.
Come on! Talia gritted her teeth, frustrated.
Lani's hands clasped over hers, firm and still.
“Breathe, Talia,” she instructed calmly. “It’s normal for Mana to act up at this point. Focus on your center, behind your navel. Your Mana flows from there, Primary and Secondary Channels alike. Guide it, do not fight it. Attune to it.”
Talia stared at Lani with lucid eyes, perplexed by her composure.
Nevertheless, she followed the instructions, closing her eyes and concentrating on the spot behind her navel, taking a deep breath.
Finally, she felt the erratic pulse of her Mana subside.
When she opened her eyes, the blood had settled back onto her skin.
Lani studied her with curiosity.
“A Secondary Mana Channel with Blood Affinity is rare. It’s a powerful Affinity, too.”
“Yeah,” Talia said, breathing heavily, still a little shocked.
She hadn't told the Elders about her Secondary Mana Channel Affinity yet.
She found it unnerving that these people would know about it and could somehow infer it was related to the powers of the Kraken.
It was irrational, and Talia knew it, but she couldn't help it.
“Why did you lose control like that?” Lani asked.
“Huh?”
“You might fool the Elders and my son, but I see you, Talia.”
Talia looked confused at the mention of Lani seeing her, but before she could respond, a sharp knock at the door snagged both women's attention.
Lani's demeanor changed instantly.
She quickly gathered up the rarest herbs, concealing them behind a blanket.
“Come in,” she called, her voice carefully neutral.
The door swung open, revealing a woman Talia had only seen a few times before.
She was tall and elegant, with an air of authority that seemed to fill the small hut.
Her eyes, sharp and calculating, swept over the room before settling on Lani.
“Akua,” Lani greeted, her tone polite. “What brings you here?”
Akua's lips curled into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
“Just checking in, Lani. I’ve just landed on Solara. I heard you've had quite the haul recently. When can I expect to sell your wares?”
She’s the merchant, Talia realized.
She had heard about her—Akua, the merchant.
As Lani presented her collection of herbs, Talia noticed some tension in her posture.
Akua examined each bundle, making a few remarks about those she didn't like.
Suddenly, as if just noticing Talia's presence, Akua's piercing gaze turned to the girl.
“And who might this be?”
“Talia,” she answered, fighting the urge to shrink under Akua's scrutiny.
“Ah, yes, Yelena's daughter. Recently Initiated, I've heard,” Akua's eyes glinted with interest. “Might I inquire what powers you've awakened? Are they anything like your mother's Star Water?”
Talia put on a cheeky smile.
“Maybe.”
Akua's smile dimmed, with increasingly less warmth in it.
“I look forward to hearing more about your progress, then,” she said.
As Akua moved to leave, her arm brushed against a small table, knocking over a glass pot where some herbs had been soaking.
The delicate glass shattered as it hit the ground, spilling its contents across the floor.
“Oh, how clumsy of me,” Akua said, not sounding sorry at all. “Be careful cleaning it up, Lani. Some of these herb mixtures can be surprisingly potent.”
Lani just nodded.
“Don't worry, Akua. I've got it.”
After Akua's departure, an awkward silence fell over the hut.
Lani's hands trembled slightly as she began to clean up the broken glass.
“Talia,” Lani said quietly, reaching for her small pouch, “take these.” She pressed the bag into Talia's hands.
Inside were some herbs that, as Talia activated her skill, glowed even brighter than the red algae she had seen before.
“These are—” Talia began.
“For you, my dear. You and my son will need money. There's a large market there. I've included a list of herbs that will be more than enough to sustain you throughout the first year at the Academy.”
Talia was confused. “Why not give this to Takai?”
Lani just stared at her.
Talia reasoned out loud.
“You're afraid he's going to be robbed. So you want to give it to me so I can sell it and give the money to Takai.”
“My son is quite different from my husband,” Lani said. “While my husband was never one to be swindled by scams, Takai has a pure heart... but those with a pure heart are very easily swindled.” She paused, seeing Talia hesitate. “Am I asking too much of you?”
Straightening her back, Talia shook her head.
“No. I am perfectly capable of this.”
Lani smiled.
“One last thing,” she said as she gathered the herbs. “Be careful at the Academy. Look out for Takai, but more importantly, look out for yourself. Not everyone there will have your best interest at heart. Yelena wasn’t as loved as you might imagine.”
With that cryptic statement, Lani retired to her room.
***
Later that night, as Solara slept under the clear sky, something stirred in the waters of the northernmost shore.
Dog-sized, crab-like creatures emerged from the water and began scuttling over the sand.
As they spread out across the island, their eyes glowed with an eerie blue light, the same shade as the eyes of the Kraken in Talia's vision.