The Burning Fiend

On the room that was originally reserved for him at the Dowson Conglomerate Headquarters, Linley was seated on the floor with soulless eyes and lost in his own thoughts. The three brothers were distressed watching him and tried to talk him out of his current condition, but nothing seemed to work. They could only took turns accompanying him, but that would not work for so long as the time to leave the City of Hess was approaching.

After two days, the day before departure, the three brothers were facing Linley making one last attempt to wake him up or they would be left with no other choise but to take him along by force. Finally George managed to arise his thirst for vengeance by making him focus on the enemy and reminding him that he still had a blood brother within the O'Brien Empire.

Linley had left the day before with renewed determination and Reynolds knew that he would manage to move on with time until he was strong enough to take revenge. Reynolds released a sigh and prepared himself for his own adventure.

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Reynolds and Windsor made their way to the peripheral area of the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts, they found no human ambushes as people were trying to escape to north of the Holy Union. They have prepared a few things but they would get most of what they need from the jungle as they travel through it.

Reynolds's plan was to avoid the central areas as it will be dangerous for Windsor, they would spend the next year making their way leisurely through the outer areas while training and enjoying the feeling of been close to nature.

Every morning they would find a boulder for Windsor to practice meditation through sculpting while Reynolds would practice his spear trying to consolidate the second realm of wielding weapons and integrate it to his fighting style. Later they would have a light breakfast and rest for a while enjoying the morning, Reynolds would usually made Windsor seat on his l.a.p at times like this.

Then Reynolds would practice his qi method while Windsor would practice her spells until lunch time. After lunch they would travel leisurely for two or three hours to make camp again, Reynolds practiced with the spear again while Windsor would do normal meditation and finally after dinner they would engage themselves in happy activities that would made Yale proud.

After half a year of their peaceful routine, Reynolds had already integrated the second realm of wielding weapons into his battle style making him able to fight rank 7 magical beasts without danger, he also managed to reach the fourth rank of a warrior in qi.

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Windsor was resting her back against a three while the wind danced with her dark red hair and made her clothes tight against her body showing her perfect curves, she was not aware of the seductive image she was producing as all her attention was placed on a black haired young man who was fighting a rank 7 velocidragon.

Reynolds was only wearing gray pants as he had not bothered to change clothes every time they would break while training or battling. His muscles were well defined but not bulky making him look agile and strong, he seemed to be dancing with the velocidragon as its tail and his spear counted each other.

He had been smiling the whole time and laughed occasionally as he enjoyed the battle. The velocidragon was enraged as it could do nothing to the small human and the worst part was that it had the feeling that the small human had not been serious at all. Suddenly Reynolds jumped back stopping the fight and say. "Velocidragon you are not my match, the next attack would be the end of the battle but I would spare your life if you submit to me". The velocidragon roared in anger and charged at the hateful human.

At this time Reynolds seemed to move slowly as the 'weightless' spear touched gently the flank of the charging beast. He had avoided the charge and tail attack effortlessly, and a moment later the velocidragon screamed in pain as it felt its body going limp and found itself unable to move.

Reynolds walked slowly to the dying beast and said. "If you submit to me I will save your life". The velocidragon was unwilling to submit but was more unwilling to die, so after a moment it gathered whatever strength remained within its body and lifted its head to make a bow to Reynolds. He smiled and started to depict the runes that would form the slave contract with his new servant.

A moment later he felt he had full control on the life of the dying beast and the forced complete submission the contract provided, he was curiously comparing this feeling to what he had felt when he used the 'slaving' spell on Windsor for a short time as they first met. He was brough out of his study as he felt that the velocidragon was close to death and he started chanting the life style magic, 'healing' spell. After completing the chant the wounds on his new servant started healing at a visible rate garanting its survival, but not managing a full recovery. It will take a few days to return to its full health and peak power.

'Do you have a name?' The velocidragon took a short moment to duel on its lost freedom before responding with a feminine trait through the telepathic link. "Master, my name its Koral." Reynolds smiled and started walking towards Windsor while Koral was following a couple of meters behind. Reynolds spoke aloud. "Well Koral, you will be traveling with us from now on. This woman is Windsor, your job will be protecting her, help us keeping magical beast away and warning us if you find a powerful magical beast or human present near us". Koral bowed its head while transmitting her thoughts. 'Yes Master'.

He then looked at Windsor and say playfully. "My little pet, this is our new companion Koral. She would be traveling with us from now on". Windsor smiled making her even more dazzling and said. "Yes master, your slave understands".

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It had been close to a year since Reynolds started his journey through the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts, he had enjoyed every day of it and the time had been productive. Windsor had reached the fourth rank as an earth magus and she still seemed like a 18 year-old girl, she was seating on Koral's back next to the lake where they had camped today, as they both watched Reynolds dancing with his spear a little distance away. Fire seemed to move along with the spear as it moved... some times warm and gentle, and burning and fierce at others.

Reynolds death and life magic had reached the 5th rank a month ago and he felt he was close to reach the 5th rank on qi on the following days. His fire magic had made improvements but it will take another 2 years at least to start attacking the 8th rank.

His most important breakthrough during this half a year was that he had started touching the third realm of wielding weapons, this was described by Linley's ancestors as the 'impose' realm. Reynolds had figured that while the second realm of wielding weapons used the energy and space around it to reduce or increase the weight of the weapon, the third realm used the weapon to press the energy and space around the attacked target compressing it to the maximum at the moment the weapon made contact.

This reasoning may not be entirely correct but it did provide entry to the realm, and he was close of been able to reproduce the d.e.s.i.r.ed effect. He smiled as he ended his spear training and made his way slowly towards his companions.

'Master has become stronger again' thought Koral, she had been trying to reproduce the effect of 'wielding something heavy as if it were light' through her tail after her Master explained the principle but she had not make much progress yet.

Windsor smiled and jumped from Koral's back as she ran to Reynolds and bowed to him. "Master, lets take a bath together!" her melodious voice made the temptation reach another level and he smiled mischievously as he carried her on his shoulder making his way towards the lake.