VINCE

Hello everyone, my name is Vince, well its Vincent but even calls me Vince or V. Okay, no one calls me V. I just wish they would. I am heading home after another great day at the Y. I can complain, I am a personal trainer at one of the high end YMCA centers in San Antonio. Not the one you might be familiar with but one two thousand years in the future. Like flying cars and teleportation. Well we have teleportation but no flying cars. Flying mounts if you
e rich or lucky enough to tame or capture one. Flying mounts are pretty strong and big. Me, walking my sweet ass home, just a few miles.

I live with a house full of estrogen, my aunt, mom and older sister when she is home. Aunt and mom both are widows. My Dad died on a mission when I was three and my aunt lost her husband a few years ago during a monster flood outside San Antonio. The capital is fortified by a few big guilds plus a 50 foot towering wall, patrolled by mages. Each major city has similar defenses, some guilds are branched out while other cities have local guilds.

Questions? A little history will help clear up the muddy water. Well we are on Earth. About two thousand years ago the Earth erupted and one thing led to another and elves invaded Earth. Yeah, so the humans nearly destroyed the Earth and obviously the Elves thought their greed was a major issue so the extermination of humans began. Years later demons and a few other races helped the humans fight back. Tanks and planes weren very effective against drakes and griffons. Magic destroyed the old technology. Well after a few hundred years of war finally stopped when Earth was smashed into another planet. The elves had opened a portal and put the planet right in route of Earths rotation. The survivors were more than the Elves expected and unfortunately the elves dropped a ”dead ” planet that was full of mana. After that event, nearly every race condemned the Elves and put an end to the war.

With the help of a few races, Earth ended up nearly seven times larger than the old Earth. Lots of races moved to Earth, even the Elves. Portals between major towns and planets are in every major city. The further the trip, the more resources it will take, making trips to other planets are only for the extremely wealthy. After mana overloaded the Earth, not only did humans mutate but so did the animals. Some became intelligent, eventually becoming human-like and Others became mana beasts. Intelligent beast that could use magic and hated ”humanity ”. Hordes of beasts out of the forest would flood areas killing all sentient life. You would think that after thousands of years sentient creatures would overtake the wild. In theory its easy, in reality its impossible currently. Mana creates ”Dens ” that spawn/breed anything from wildlife to mana beast to orcs and goblins. In higher concentrations of mana regions, dens have spawned dragons. Dragon dens require a small army of high level magicians to destroy. A good army will return with 70% of the army. A bad group won return.

Now for the levels

Magicians

Lvl 0 Non awakened are Individuals and beasts that couldn use mana but bodies still absorb mana. 30% of population

Lvl 1 Awakened but no progress, no sub levels

Lvl 2 Newly awakened who haven formed mana cores

Lvl 3 forms mana core

Lvl 4 mana cores splits in two or more and develops elements

Lvl 5 mana cores harden

Lvl 6 mana cores develop spirits (spirits are intelligent beings) within them. Not every core develops a spirit

Lvl 7 Spirits gain strength increasing the strength of elements (everyone can fly)

Lvl 8 Spirits break their cores, Does not damage the user, cores are absorbed into the body. No longer able to be crippled by damaging the cores

Lvl 9 spirits could form tangible bodies (protectors of large cities)

Each level the magicians body would soak up more mana, strengthening their body and while making the magic more powerful as well. Imagine a balloon filled with air. At level one it can hold 2 lbs of pressure (mana) and at level 9, the same balloon can now hold 20 thousand lbs of pressure. The balloon didn get bigger, just stronger and the pressure/mana on the inside is more dense. Making it stronger.

Each level had three sub levels which were noob, pro, and hacker. Noob you were getting an understanding of your current new level. Pro is you understand the details of what the level can do. Hacker is you completely grasp what your level should be able to do. These intermediate levels were based on ancient writings found in some ruins.

Anyways I think Im going to end up stuck at level 1 the rest of my life. It has been 2 plus years since my ceremony and I still haven made any progress. My awakened ceremony went well in theory. When awakened, a symbol appears in your mind that has to do with your powers or nothing at all, that only you can see. Now symbols change from person to person. One mage may see the ocean while others may see a raindrop. Both will be able to use water magic and either can be powerful, it all depends on the individuals ability to comprehend their own path. The symbols give the hint on how to develop your core. The guilds have a lot of people around the awakening center to help identify your path. This also helps the guilds in recruiting. The more magicians we have the better off the fight against the wild is. Each person is awakened on their 16th birthday.

Well my symbol was the Y. I had over 20 guild members try and help me. The closest thing they could come up with is the YMCA or known as the Y. Its the biggest fitness center on Earth. Well anyways, that is how I got my job two years ago. Am I stronger now? Very much so. Have I formed my core? Not even close.

Finally getting home is relaxing. I went straight to my room to change and shower. Our place is pretty nice. I share a bathroom with my sis while mom has her own room and bathroom on the first floor while aunt Deb has the master bedroom. Its already well past midnight and thankfully I don have to be at work till 4pm.

Laying on the bed I pass out and enter the typical dream I have nearly every night. Me staring at a damn spirit that is telling me the answer is right in my face. Not actually talking to me but making gestures and mocking me during my sleep. What does it look like? Its a floating ball that makes squeaking noises. After so long I have figured out the mocking tone and her high pitch laughter. Even with this happening each night I always wake up well rested.

The smell of food woke me up. Looking at the alarm its 8 in the morning. Getting up and cleaning myself took a few minutes before heading downstairs in my gym shorts. Heading to the kitchen I see mom dressed and Deb in her sports bra and panties. Mom and Deb would both pass for 20 something year old fitness models. Mom has dirty blonde hair and red eyes and a perfect figure. Deb is a blonde with light blue eyes. Her figure is a bit more ”robust ” in the key areas. Both of them were lvl 3 hackers but neither have been able to advance to the 4th stage. 90% of the population that has awakened never make it past the 3rd level. There are meds and herbs that can help you advance but they are extremely expensive. Mom had us two kids, who recently both awakened. Mom and Deb put all of their money towards me and my Sister. Even though Deb isn our mom, she is still our Aunt and moms sister and lives with us. Deb works at the Y with me, well she is one of the managers who run it. That is how I got my job.

”Morning Mom, morning Deb. How was yalls evening? ” Smiled at them as I got into the kitchen.

”Good honey, we just sat around and had a nice dinner and just messed around in the garden. ” Mom gave me a kiss on my cheek and walked back over to the stove.

”Morning Champ, I didn keep you up did I? ” Deb smirked while looking at me. She always enjoyed teasing me but over the years I have grown used to it and it just makes me laugh anymore.

”Nope I didn hear anything, maybe the mana circuits have gone bad on your toy from overuse. Just fyi, Deb, you
e starting to grow outside the lines down there. You might want to trim it up a bit. ” I smiled at her and pointed at her crotch.

”Aww thanks Champ, Im glad you are looking after little ole me. After your run this morning, you can help me out. ” She spread her legs as she looked down, making sure to spread them wide enough to embarrass me, which worked. I left with a red face and ears. As soon as I turned the corner I heard both my mom and Deb bust out laughing.

After a relaxing breakfast I left for my morning workout. I ran a few miles to a public park gym. I would get a workout for an hour here before heading home again. By the time I got home mom would already be at work. Deb leaves at 11 since she works the 12-8 and I work 4-12. Mom works at the Spurs Guild in the finance department. They give out missions issued by citizens, the government, or businesses. The pay was great as all jobs could kill you. Jobs were rated by difficulty level. The request was submitted to the guild and they would approve and rate the request. Most were den extermination quests and resource collection quests, but some were escort and exploration. What could a den change you may ask? Everything

The lands have been known to change overnight. Either naturally changed by mana and nature or wild beast fighting. Dens would appear overnight and the beast that were created would shape the area for them. Goblins & Orcs had their own settlements since they found themselves on the other side of a wild beast feeding table more often than not. Of course they would raid civilized settlements as well to **** and pillage.

So why have settlements? Well the pay was amazing!! You could live in the settlement for a year then move back to the city and not work for 4 or 5 years and not have any worries. Lots or resources to collect for the never ending struggle.

Well enough about random thoughts. I need to get some lunch soon. Headed home to shower and grub. Stripp