Limits.

As I walked through the Wilderness, I played around with my Domineering Aura. I didn"t really have much time to check its new effects before, and it was a good time to do just that. I could control the Aura however I liked. I tried attaching it to my daggers, and the effects were staggering. "Even though the Domineering Aura, is more of a supporting type, I can now use it to attack as well" I thought.

When I threw my dagger at a dead tree, with my Aura attached, the dagger just went through it at first. What happened next, stunned me a bit. The tree stood there with a gaping hole at first, and my Aura didn"t seem to produce any effects, but I was wrong. The tree separated into many pieces, and all of them fell to the ground. "This is amazing!" I exclaimed loudly. I would have never guessed that my Aura could possess such an effect. I also found out, that I couldn"t use my Aura to pick things up. If I could, I wouldn"t even have to use strings, for my Stringed Hidden Weapons skill.

"It"s unfortunate that I can"t pick objects up with it, but the difference in power is still obvious. My Aura infused daggers, can now cause much more damage" I thought. I didn"t practice with my Aura anymore, and instead focused on my Art of Stealth. I wanted to achieve the Avoid the Light part of the Art. "It"s been a long time, since I learned about the Art of Stealth. I think that Aura may be the way to go, but how am I supposed to create an Aura" I thought.

I was lost in my thoughts, and didn"t really pay attention to my surroundings, when I heard "Don"t I know you?". "Huh?" I asked myself. When I looked into the distance, I saw a group of Humans walking towards me. "Oh, it"s you guys. It"s been a while, I guess" I said, and smiled. The group that I encountered, was precisely the group that Fox belonged to. They walked over, and their leader Lares said "So it was you after all. You"ve changed quite a bit". I smiled, and said "Well, you seem more refined yourself".

Fox walked over as well, and said "It"s been a while". I nodded, and said "Yep. How have you been?". She nodded her head, and replied "North was interesting. I learned a lot. By the way, thanks for the medicine back them. It was really good". I smiled, and asked "So you figured out, it was me?". The archer named Alrika b.u.t.ted in, and said "You could"ve been more gentle back then! You have no idea how much it hurt". I turned towards her, and said "I gave you some of that medicine too. Don"t complain, the sword had to be extracted anyway". She was angry, and mumbled "b.a.s.t.a.r.d".

Lares said "You created a lot of mess, after that Arena battle". I replied "They got what they deserved. Are you here to hunt me down too?". He shook his head, and said "We never planned to. Golems can chase you, if they so wish. I don"t want to get involved in those things". "It"s a good choice. If he tried to attack me, he would die" I thought.

I asked "Are you guys leaving the North?". Lares nodded, and said "Pretty much. We stayed for a long time anyway. It"s time to return". I thought about it, and said "Yea, it"s been a long time". I turned towards Fox, and asked "How are your skills? Made any progress?". She nodded her head, and replied "Yes. I learned to use that new dagger you gave me. It really is excellent. The materials used, are also very good. I still wonder, how you managed to create such dagger?". I smiled, and said "I have good imagination".

Lares then said "Alright, it"s time for us to go. Maybe we can have another bout in the future. I improved a lot, I hope you did as well". I replied "Sure, next time we can have a spar". They said farewell, and walked towards the bordering line, that separated the South, from the North. All of them, but Fox.

Lares turned around, and asked "You are not coming?". She shook her head, and said "I want to talk with him a bit more. I will catch up to you guys later. Or we can meet back in Ortava". Lares looked at her, and asked "Are you sure?". She nodded, and said "In case I don"t catch up to you, just tell my father, I will be back later". Lares nodded, and said "Alright, but be careful". I wasn"t sure why Fox wanted to stay, but Lares shouldn"t be worried about her safety, when I was around. They soon left, while I walked over to a dead tree and sat down.

I took out all the stuff needed to make fire, and created one. I asked "Want something to eat?". Fox shook her head, and said "I"m fine". I didn"t mind, and roasted some meat for myself. She asked "What happened to your arm?". I smiled, and replied "It"s a long story. You should already know, that I have "special" powers, which can freeze my opponent". She nodded, and said "Yes. Lares experienced them himself… You are a Human right?".

I smiled, and replied "Of course I"m a Human". I raised my right hand, and said "This was an accident. My arm got severed, when I was chased by someone. When I attached it back, this effect appeared". Although I couldn"t see her face, from her voice, I could hear her shock. She asked "You attached your own arm back? Wasn"t it painful?". I laughed "Painful? I"m telling you, I don"t recommend losing an arm, then going through the process of re-attaching it… It"s something else".

She asked "Can I see it?". I replied "It was a long time ago. It"s fine now". She asked "Then why is it bandaged?". I laughed a bit, and replied "It"s a secret". She nodded her head, and didn"t ask anymore. Fox then recalled something, and said "Oh right, I have a gift for you!". I was a bit confused, and asked "What gift?". She rummaged in her bag for a while, then took out something. "What is this?" I thought.

What she took out, was some sort of green liquid in a bottle. She said "I bought this from someone. This thing can boost your speed for a while, but also permanently increase it by a bit". She handed me the bottle, and said "You gave me your dagger, and medicine, but I can"t make weapons or clothes myself. I bought this for you, so that you could run away from dangerous situations". I laughed, and replied "Thanks for the gesture, but I will not need it. My speed is nothing to scoff at anymore". She replied "It"s a gift from me".

"Well, I guess a gift is a gift, I shouldn"t return it, even if I don"t need it really. Actually! I can study this thing, and maybe come up with something of my own" I thought. I nodded my head, and said "Actually, I found a very good use for it. If I study it, then I may be able to figure out, how to make my own. Thanks, it"s not a bad gift at all". She nodded, and said "You are welcome". I hid the bottle into my storage feather, and said "It"s been bothering me for a while, but why do you always wear that mask? You are not wanted everywhere right?". She replied "It"s… a secret", and she laughed a bit.

My guess would be, that she had bad scars on her face, and just didn"t want to show it. I didn"t care, but if she chose to wear it, and it was more comfortable for her that way, who was I to judge? With my meal taken care off, and the fire extinguished, I said "I think it"s time for me to go. I still have something to take care of". As I stood up, I thought about something, and asked "What stage, are you at?". She asked "Stage?". I clarified "Your limit stage? As in, did you break through that Half Step?". She nodded her head, and said "Yes, not that long ago too".

I took out some Zenith Blood Yarn Extract, and threw it towards her. She caught it, and asked "What is this?". I replied "This is blood purifying medicine. Don"t be fooled by the amount. This is magnitudes stronger, than anything you could find in the North. Maybe even in Great Forest. I have to warn you though. The process is very painful, so take it, when you are sure that you are in a safe environment. Perhaps when you go back home, you can take it. This will help you break through your Inner Limits in the future".