A Bored Lich

An icy barrier erupted out of the ground, surrounding both Olpi and Doevm.

Frey leapt away from the pair. A moment later he would have been launched into the clouds.

The journey had been long. They were nearly at their destination, Petal Town, yet the sun would not delay the day's end merely for their convenience. The group bunkered down, and began their nightly routine; sparring session, this time with the newcomer.

"Did I use too much mana?" Olpi asked. She had encased both herself and Doevm in an icy fortress. Her mana pulsed like her rapid heartbeat while Doevm watched apathetically as an observer.

"Very good, Olpi," Doevm said. He stared at his own reflection within the ice. Staring back at him was a pair of brown eyes, as plain and forgettable as his short, black hair. Fifteen years as a human, yet a part of him still expected to see bone instead of flesh. The only thing left of the old days was a forever-lifeless gaze which he could never seem to rid himself of. It made him stand out.

"Do you think I hurt him?" Olpi again repeated her fears.

Doevm shrugged. "The cold doesn't bother him as much." He breathed out a puff of fogged air, and crossed his arms. With a body like his, lean muscle under a bundle of rags, the ice was especially annoying. He turned to Olpi, narrowing his eyes at the warm dagger under her coat with a hint of regret.

Olpi kept the weapon close to her chest to keep herself warm. Her pointed ears however, were pink from the cold, contrasting against her white, wavy hair. Her green eyes locked with Doevm's: "I distanced myself from Frey but now what do I do?"

Doevm shrugged. "Just like with the demons, you should think on your own."

An explosive hammering sent cracks through the quivering ice.

"He's not just any random demon!" Olpi squealed.

"You are stressing yourself out too much to think," Doevm maintained. "Calm down. You have proven more than willing to fight."

"That is different!" Olpi pulled at her hair in a huff before forcing herself to take a breath.

'This is a rough start, but she is displaying signs of potential and drive,' Doevm thought. 'Then again, starting with Frey is a tough introduction.' More cracks formed with a second, third, and final blow to the fortress, opening up a pathway. The pair braced against shards of ice as they flew by.

Storming into the fortress was a muscled-giant of an eighteen year old clad in both armor and copper life essence, Frey Botoman. Heavy boots reverberated through the tunnel. Snow dove out of his way.

Frey could beat his victims with animosity alone. Olpi shrunk before him. Her eyes were barely able to keep up with his increasing momentum. Her prepared magic circle shattered.

"Act, Olpi," Doevm urged her.

"R-right!" Olpi extended her hands out by reflex but by that time Frey was already upon her.

Frey thrusted his hand forward and tapped her lightly on the nose. "My win."

Olpi stepped back, wide-eyed. "Y-you didn't have to be so intimidating."

"But I held back," Frey said. He took off his helm and was smacked by his own brown hair. He cursed, then took a moment to redo his man bun.

"Frey, you looked ready to murder her," Elero's voice drifted through the tunnel.

"Can you even see me from way out there?" Frey asked.

"I don't have to," Elero explained. "I could feel bloodlust from way over here."

Frey was about to roll his eyes but then he noticed how pale Olpi's face was and his gaze went to the ground. "Sorry if I went overboard."

Olpi held up her shaking hands for all to see. "Y-yeah, that was a bit much."

"Haven't you fought demons?" Frey asked.

Olpi alternated her gaze between Frey and Doevm. "I'm sorry. Just because I fought once doesn't mean I can fight like that all the time. I don't like fighting. May I sit down?"

Doevm nodded.

As the group walked through the tunnel that Frey made, Frey frowned. "Again, I'm sorry."

Olpi held out her hands again to show they had stopped shaking. "It's fine. Doevm always smiles when he spars so when you asked to spar with me, I thought it would be fun."

"He's aberrant," Frey said. "A. B. E. R. R. A. N. T. Right?"

Doevm nodded. "Anyway Olpi, would you be willing to try again?"

Olpi let out a nervous laugh. "Maybe tomorrow. I'm a bit tired tonight."

They emerged into the open air. Doevm glanced over his shoulder to find that they had walked out of a several story fortress, not a simple barrier like he had initially thought. "Only a bit tired?" He repeated. "Even after managing the carriage all day, this is…We will have to do this more often."

"Do what now?" Elero called over. She had waited by the carriage while balancing cups on her arms and head. Wobbly as she was, she had adapted quickly to her new legs over the past two weeks of travel. Talking stole her balance, and the cups flew into the snow along with her.

Frey chuckled while Olpi rushed over to help. "Are you ok?" she offered a hand.

Elero stood up, a bit red in the cheeks. She cursed and kicked the snow out of her pant legs. "Frey, shut up. It's these pants. I still can't get used to wearing them again."

"Why not go back to skirts?" Olpi suggested.

Elero raised an eyebrow. "If I did that, my legs would freeze and fall off. Stupid winter. Why can't I just wait in the carriage like Thomas?"

'I should check on him,' Doevm thought as he walked past her.

"Think this'll continue?" Frey whispered to the others as soon as Doevm had his back turned.

"Why are you asking me?" Elero shot back. "Let's just get the fire started. Olpi, can you…"

Their voices trailed off.

Doevm reached for the carriage door's handle, paused, then looked at the horses. 'Again?' he thought. He had tied up the horses further away each day, yet they were still unsteady. He let out a sigh and knocked on the door.

"I am…a little busy," Thomas's voice drifted through the cracks.

"You will not master this overnight," Doevm replied. "Practice is necessary but the group dynamic is suffering. Turn back and come out."

"I think…yeah I should be close," Thomas protested. "Just a few more minutes."

Doevm opened the door. There was Thomas, or at least Thomas's head, as pale as a corpse. His body, on the other hand, was a wolf with blond fur. Two, pitch-black eyes met with Doevm's.

Thomas tucked his tail between his legs and moved towards a corner. "Please don't laugh. I can't turn back."

"I fail to find the humor in this."

"As blunt as always," Thomas lamented. "Do you think I can get a few more minutes? I want to get this down before we arrive at Petal Town tomorrow."

Doevm drummed his fingers on the open door.  He wanted to check if the others were looking, but Frey always kept the others under control. After the academy, Frey rarely questioned him. "You want more time? That depends. Do you think you will try a Shadox transformation like I instructed you to, or continue this recent venture? Lycanthropy is no walk in the park either."

"I wanted to practice more Shadox abilities…" Thomas's voice trailed off. "I managed to get a wing out of my back but I think I hit a wall after that."

Doevm stepped into the carriage and shut the door behind him. Just to be safe, he blocked out the windows with a quick spell. "Show me."

Thomas hesitated: "It takes a lot of concentration…"

"I will be quiet," Doevm reassured him.

Thomas sat like a human, an odd sight paired with his hybrid form. He closed his eyes. Gradually, a bulge expanded out of his back, and his body shook. The skin opened the way for a small, feathered wing to emerge near the shoulder. Once it had emerged Thomas could move it with ease. "I can only manage this much."

"Good," Doevm nodded. "Remember, steady growth means practicing religiously. As long as you continue to do that, you might be able to fly within a month."

Thomas let out a groan. "An entire month of this?"

"Is that not to your liking?" Doevm asked as if Thomas's response would change anything.

Thomas tried to peer out of the blackened window, but even the eyes of the dead could not see through Doevm's small barrier. "This entire situation is odd. That's part of the reason why I don't want the others to know. In the first place, I thought you said I wouldn't be able to control my base instincts through force of will."

Doevm nodded. "Yes, I did say that."

"So what is all of this then?" Thomas snapped, gesturing to himself

"This is what you, Thomas, can do," Doevm explained. "The mind is a different matter. Come, we need to help make camp."

One spell later, both Doevm and Thomas walked out of the carriage. Within an hour, smoke rose out of a small campfire. With their backs against trees, branches to shield them against the snowfall, and a fire to warm them, the long day slowly came to an end.

Olpi worked a needle and thread across one of Frey's shirts.

Thomas, surprisingly enough, shot dozens of questions at Olpi about learning to use magic in the first place. Olpi responded happily to each question.

Frey turned through his book like usual, for about two minutes. He had to set it down and bicker with Elero, who poked fun at him about his "bloodlust".

Doevm stared into the fire with a strange smirk, recounting in his mind the losses he had suffered at the hands of Arthur. 'This time, I'll at least give you a challenge.. No, this time, things will end differently.'