Draxson pov.

  I stared at the fire while I took the night's watch while Sopheia regained her energy from today's training. Sopheia was lying asleep soundly to my right br,eathing softly, fcand ing the fire. I watched her sleep for a minute, listening to her soft breaths. I reached out my hand and stroked Her soft strawberry-blonde hair. Then I scratched behind her ear, watching it twitch with every scratch. As I rubbed her head, Sopheia made a low, purring noise. I stopped after a minute, looked around our surroundings, and began reading the tome I received from Sopheia’s mother before her unfortunate passing. I opened it up to the most recent entry I was reading.

  (Segala Neyko’s research journal)

  Section: methods to combat frost disease. Entry 13:

  Dear Draxson, this entry contains information that you will find helpful in combating the disease that my darling daughter is bound to develop if she cannot receive the support and manifest the balance of her innate frost majic. I have found in recent years that warm and frost-resistant meals have lowered the disease's hold on me, and I suspect that a stable diet of warm meals and constant exposure to fire can increase the temperature of her core and prevent the disease from forming. In all extreme frost majic exertion cases, lots of rest and warm coverings combat and reduce the first stage of frost developing on skin and fur, making a slightly glossy and slick surface. One thing that has helped extend my life thus far has been constant intake of flame majic and incorporating frost majic to form a secondary majic core to balance the frost core. Frequent and long-term usage of fire from a flame core will leave it weak for a few days as it recharges and grows stronger. Bathing in flames is one of the more dangerous but most straightforward ways to grow in fire core power. If the flames are about 1 and half times body temp and less than 3 times body temp, a frost core will absorb the surrounding heat and flames, increasing average body temperature by a third and increasing power by a quarter for every 3 hours spent in the heat.

  Another helpful method to preserve her life and protect her core is constant frost majic depletion to keep her temperature slightly below freezing.

  Before I closed the book, I read the final entry.

  (Final entry):

  Farewell, Draxson. As I'm writing this, I am in the final hours of my life, and saying goodbye to my loved ones has taken the last of my energy, and I only had enough to write these words before you arrived to see me pass.

  Keep Sopheia safe, Draxson. I am putting all my faith in you and bestowing upon you my blessing on the condition that I know you will fulfill. Don't let my Daughter hold rage in her heart; please resolve issues with her immediately and keep her from tragedy, for it may ignite her frost core and cause suffocating cold temperature throughout, leading to heavy usage of her frost that will, in turn, make her call upon the transformations of our ancestors for enough power to snuff the internal flames. Upon her transformation, she will grow about 5 times in size in the form of a large cat, and the frost unleashed from that form will be catastrophic, shortening her life span by half and inducing stage three, the final curable stage, and stage 4 of the disease within days without treatment. If this ever happens to my girl, you must subdue her and take her to your father immediately for the cure that comes from the flames of his homeland and lineage.

  Farewell, Draxson. Until we meet again, I love you and want you to care for Sopheia and make her happy.

  I have added my blessing below, and it will activate upon your marriage if that happens, and the other half of the spell will come from her father.

  Below was a blue paw print with flowers growing from it and inscribed with runes surrounding it. There were several empty pages in the book for me to make notes and a fire spell at the end to supposedly subdue Sopheia if it ever came to it. I finally closed the book and hid it in my bag again. I once showed it to Sopheia, but she cried when she read her mother's handwriting, and I've been weary of mentioning it or showing it to her except when she wanted the comfort of reading her mom's handwriting. She usually reads the section made for her and some of the spells. She also had a memorial crystal that let Sopheia relive her favorite memories of her mother. On rare occasions, she would be able to reach out to the realm of her ancestors and talk with her mom, but she hasn't told me of any such occurrence.

  I pulled a fist-sized crystal from my bag and started tinkering with a trap idea. I thought of a warning system that would wake us up and hinder anything while we gathered our bearings to retaliate. The idea was to tie some rope around sticks, stake them into the ground, and attach some crystals I infused with power into knots in the rope. The crystals with offensive majic spells would be buried and activated when the lightly buried rope was stepped on or pulled on. The spells I was using were 2 firewall crystals, an ice wall, an ice mist bomb that would obscure us and gather the local frost to support Sopheia's majic, 3 ice shard traps that Sopheia helped me set up, and lastly, 1 flare-up spell that (I got in a scroll from my brother Freildelian and my sister Dralassis gave me some cooking supplies and said she would be sending me some cake later.) before we left that would increase the strength of the fire to give me more fuel to fight with. The flare-up spell crystal was going to be activated by a string being set on fire attached to the spell-infused crystal and the firewall crystals.

  I got the idea when I accidentally activated a majic crystal with fire that shrouded my hand, and it cast a blast-fire spell due to the excess energy. Having the crystal blow up on me wasn't pleasant, but it gave me the idea, so I wasn't too upset. Over the last few days, I've been infusing the crystals with small amounts of majic until they were on the brink of overflowing, which I didn't want to happen, yet I was relying on the tightening ropes to be the final push to unleash its power. I didn't have a lot of crystals left after a few exploded on me or became useless, decreasing my already limited supply. I considered using the crystals as projectiles to clear out distant enemies or assist our escape from conflict. Still, I only had 2 crystals left, and one of them already had an ice spike spell on it. I didn't want to waste any more majic crystals until I got a steady supply. When I got better at making the spell and trap crystals, I would try to sell some for cooking ingredients.

  To do that, I finally decided what class I was going to specialize in, I read from a cat-nye military training guide that listed some of the known classes, and the one that matched what I wanted to do was the all-around physical fighter with spells, trapmaking skills, artifact creation, enchantment, ritual& summons “Enhanchafist.” I would also be working on my cooking to become a battle chef for a secondary class; the only thing I need to receive is a class contract to lock in my class(es) so I could learn the skills/spells faster with some training and grow stronger by advancing my classes and while also trying for the class collector. “Now begins my collection of majic and many skillz,” I thought, staring into the fire. I will avenge you, Sharice; I will find your attacker and destroy them for you and your compatriots. I said, holding Sharcie’s badge in one hand and a frostbitten flower I threw into the fire as a sign of my promise. I felt a tinge of frost gather on my hand as the flower burned in the fire. I was marked now, which was the third honor-bound promise I had made. I examined my hand as swirls of icy blue grew from the blue flower vow mark on the back of my right hand. I noticed 8 flowers grow from the central flower wrapping around my hand, stretching its intricate design, and settling for wrapping around my forearm, twisting this and that until my forearm and hand looked like a garden of blooming chilled vines.

  Sopheia was probably going to ask about it when she saw it tomorrow morning when I cast my spells. Sopheia would probably be oohing and awing over it when she saw it, and then she would demand to examine it while she interrogated me about where it came from and lectured me on the danger of life vows. I breathed slowly, relaxedly, saying, “I’ll deal with the lecture tomorrow. It is time to set up the defenses and finally get some rest.” As I attempted to sleep, I was reminded with the memories of my first and second life vows. I remember years ago as I watched my friend be torn apart by demonic weapons just, and he was just out of my reach. I swore by the forces of life as they stood and continued to bestow upon me daily strength and life within my body that I would avenge my friend and disintegrate the foul, vile, and treacherous invaders of my home and on the dragon blood that flows throughout me, I will take them all down or die. A large flaming black dragon skull tattoo formed with dark red flames tattoo sprouting from it covered the back and front of my left hand and had the additional effect of strengthening my flames at the significant cost of my Majic and my health.

  I summoned a little black flame in my left hand to drain myself to sleep. I dreamed

  About the time my village was raided and tossed and turned all night before I was woken up hours later to Sopheia poking me. “Hey. Hey. Hey, wake up, Draxy.” Sopheia said as she began stepping on me. “I made you breakfast since you’ve been asleep for a few hours after sunrise, and I decided to let you sleep while I cooked, but you’re helping me clean after,” Sopheia stated as she sat on a pillow we use for eating outside. I was glad Sopheia suggested we get a pair of seat pillows since I found sitting on the icy ground very unpleasant that first day. I sat up and stretched, feeling groggy, before sitting beside Sopheia. We were having some crepes with berry jam and the last of the frosting from my dessert reserves. “Oh well, there's still like 14 crepes left so that we would have dessert and rare breakfasts in the day ahead. I hope we find a village or something soon so I can restock, negotiate some recipes, and sell some excess food as a thank-you to the inhabitants. That is if we ever found someplace.” I thought to myself

  “Mmmm, these are delicious Sohpeia. Excellent quality, excellent.” I said, savoring the last of my crepe. It took all my self-control not to eat more than 2 crepes today; they were just so good, and if I let my self-control go, I would eat another crepe and kiss Sopheia because of their excellent quality. In fact, I gently grabbed Sopheias hand and kissed her left hand while gently holding it.

  “Those were excellent crepes, madam; I am very blessed by the forces of life to have you as a friend, malady. Honestly, it took all the self-control I had not to grab another one and eat it before… “Haha, haha, you’re a glutton, Draxson,” Sopheia said, laughing at my statement before I finished what I was saying. “ I was saying it took all I had not to eat another one and kiss the lovely chef in front of me right now because of how expertly they were crafted.” “There is no reason to reiterate that you're a glutton I already know…….” Sopheia said before stopping as she realized and tried to comprehend the last part I said. Bright pink flooded her face upon hearing the kast of my statement, and then she spoke. “Really? Would you do that? they were that good, Draxy?” Sopheia questioned as she messed with the scarf around her neck. “Yes, I would have. They were super good. The best dessert I’ve ever had. It's so close to topping the food of my father's homeland. I think the next time would be even better. In fact, if I get ahold of the right ingredients, we could make this three times better. You're putting me and my 4 years of food education under my masterful mother to shame.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  You obviously paid more attention and got extra lessons. Though I'm not complaining, I wish I could have gotten a few more lessons.” I rambled, but before I could rattle out anymore, Sopheia Spoke up, discontinuing her fidgeting. “Drasxson. Do you mean the things you said? because I want to know before I get myself hurt.” Sopheia Asked with her hands together in front of me, holding eye contact with me. I was in a corner and finally had to confront my feelings for her. I've been putting it off for as long as possible, but now I have to act and finally admit how I feel about her. Scores of memories of Sopheia smiling at me crossed my mind, that beautiful big smile and the way her beautiful hair flowed in the wind, making every moment I looked at her feel like I was viewing a painting. I used those memories to motivate myself, contemplating if today was the day I would confess to Sopheia how I felt and hopefully not come off too strong and make her uncomfortable. "Oh well, what's the worst that could happen? I'm still fortunate to have her as a friend, even if that's all this ever is. I breathed in deeply and exhaled before I entertained the idea of confessing. (“Sopheia,” I said as I reached out for her hands and wrapped my hands gently around hers. “Yes, Sopheia, I meant every word.”

  “It brings me great joy to be your friend for all of these last 7 years, and it has brought much happiness to me being around you, Sopheia,” I said, watching Sopheia look at me silently as her face somehow reached a bright hue of pink I’d never seen before. I looked into her sparkling, lovely eyes and smiled before continuing. “ And I haven’t been honest with myself and have pushed away all of the thoughts and fantasies of your beauty, but I've found it very hard to keep it within for any longer since I've been alone with you for the past couple of weeks. It's time I told you what I've wanted to do for so long. Sopheia Ney-ko, I want to finally admit that you are the most beautiful person I've ever met in this short life of mine, and I want to say that you embody the beauty of character and reflect your mother's loveliness. You are gorgeous, Sopheia, and I just wanted to say I adore you. I dare not say love(for I don't understand these emotions myself) yet, but I really like you, Sopheia, and I sincerely hope I'm not coming off too strong.” I said before Sopheia made a reply.

  “Draxson,” she said before she embraced me and wrapped her arms around my neck. “I never thought you would never leave your shell and tell me how you felt. I Like you too, Draxson. I’m glad to be your friend as well. I always hoped you would finally tell me how you felt one day before I put my heart on the table. I want to be with you forever. You make me happy and bring me more joy than annoyance. I can put up with your silliness for you being my partner.” Sopheia then pulled back with tears rolling down her cheeks, and I realized I, too, was crying with joy.“Draxson,” Sopheia said with yearning in her voice. “Come here,” she said before she leaned in for a kiss. I leaned in as our lips conjoined and pressed together as we kissed for the first time. Sopheia wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed herself against me as she held me tightly around my neck. “I love you, Draxson,” I heard Sopheia whisper in my ear as she pressed herself against me tighter and placed her head on my neck. As we hugged, I wrapped my arms around her.) maybe that's how it would go if I really admitted to having the feelings that plague and torment me.

  The only reason I'm holding myself back is that I thought to myself. "how could someone like her with so much beauty of character rival the most magnificent flower fields written about in books by ancient Friel who claimed such marvelous fields that showing someone its flowers can cure any sadness with just a glance and just by smelling them a dying man could come back to life along with other whimsical effects. And what am I to this Wonderful flower named Sopheia who deserves a class of her own? Could someone so friendly, loving, and empathetic to those around her understand and love me when I have caused so much pain and when everyone around me is at risk of being hurt by my inner powers I can't control? Would she even think of me as a person or as a monster? These are some of the questions I asked myself when I closed my eyes and thought of a response to Sopheia's inquiry. I attempted to open my eyes, but instead of finding Sopheia's face in front of me, as she stared back at me awaiting a response. Instead, I found myself suspended upright in the void of mind.

  I've often Retreated to this secluded realm when I needed to think or meditate. Memories rapidly flashed in front of me like large, ethereal paintings(an allusion to memories like a movie scene of someone witnessing memories on TV). The first and most prominent Memory of the sequence was when I tore apart an invader with my Dragon claws 7 years ago when my home was under attack. I shivered. I remembered the sensation as if I was tearing the invader apart. I still thought about it sometimes and had nightmares of the Memory right after I shredded that man. The Memory was of my ascension into the air and the horrified faces of the invaders and my fleeing neighbors alike when they looked upon me as I transformed into a massive flying red Dragon. The screams that followed resounded through my mind as I watched through the eyes full of the burning desire to destroy those who hurt those I loved. I watched myself destroy my hometown and fight with the Friel Soldiers, who eventually subdued me, causing me to change back as I dropped and plummeted from the sky into a pile of ash and rendered unconscious on landing. I curled up asleep, crying and sleeping for 2 weeks, as was relayed to me by my mother and the commander of the Friel Guard upon my awakening in the frozen village. I met and grew up with Sopehia over the last 7 years. Concluding the sequence, the heartwrenching Memory of Sopheia's mother, Sigala Neyko, who was like a mother to me, lying on her bed waiting to give me a final goodbye as she departed from this realm leaving her body behind for us to bury a week later.

  I felt tears roll down my cheeks as if I was watching her die for the first time. I closed my eyes to hide from the painful memories until Sopheia spoke gently. "Draxson? Are you alright? What's wrong?" I opened my eyes and felt that my cheeks were wet, and my vision was cloudy as I stared back into Sopheia's soft, greenish-blue eyes. Sopheia tilted her head to the side and and asked me “Are you alright Draxson? Is something bothering you?” while looking back at me worriedly. I replied "I don't want to talk about it. I fear you wouldn't understand and come to despise me if you knew the truth about me." "Draxson, what are you talking about? Why would I despise you...." Sopheia said before I interjected with, " Sorry, I just don't want to talk about it right now, Sopheia." I sighed, "Let's just work on putting these dishes away and training.Please." I said, looking back into Sopheia's worried eyes. "I promise I'll tell you about it later." "OK," replied Sopheia. “Can I give you a hug Draxson?” I was about to object but I quietly said “yes” as she reached around me and wrapped her arms around me in a warm embrace. I wisphered softly “I love you Sopheia” as we sat on our knees holding each other for a moment more before separating again.

  Sopheia Pov

  “Draxson do you really mean the things you said?” I asked after Draxsons unexpected confession. I looked him in the eyes and watched as he shut his eyes and thought of what he was going to say. Draxson looked stressed as if fighting off something while he was thinking and a minute later tears poured from his shut eyes and I became worried that soemthing was wrong so I asked him if he was alright."Draxson? Are you alright? What's wrong?" I said gently placing my hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture before draxson opened his watery eyes and looked at me. I tilted my head and asked “Are you alright Draxson? Is something bothering you?” Draxson replied with "I don't want to talk about it. I fear you wouldn't understand and come to despise me if you knew the truth about me." "Draxson, what are you talking about? Why would I despise you...." he interjected " Sorry, I just don't want to talk about it right now, Sopheia." I sighed, "Let's just work on putting these dishes away and training.Please." I said, looking back into my worried eyes "I promise I'll tell you about it later." "OK," I replied. “Can I give you a hug Draxson?” I sensed he was about to object but he quietly said “yes” as I reached around him and wrapped my arms around him pulling him tight to me in my warm embrace.

  Draxson wisphered softly and what i could barely hear was “I love you Sopheia” as we sat on our knees holding each other I smiled inwardly saying “I love you too Draxson” soflty in the conections of our minds as I held him to me and I felt the muscles in my face lift into a smile and I did everything I could to hold my self back from Planting my lips on him and tackling him to the ground and wrapping my legs and arms around Draxson cuddling with him and not letting go until he begged for my mercy as I ferociously kissed his face. I instead kept to those urges to my fantasy and planted a kiss on Draxsons cheek as I pulled back from him and Suprisingly he kissed my cheek opposite to the one I kissed and I felt my face flush bright pink with surprise at the gesture he just made signaling that he’s romantically interested in me. I nearly wrapped my arms around him again and pulled him tightly to me again and tackle him anyways. But I held back thinking to my self that “maybe he wasn’t paying attention to what he was doing and meant to kiss me on the same cheek I kissed him on.

  “Oh I’m hopelessly in love with this helpless glutton. Oh my I wonder why the Forces of life sent me this reckless boy, but I’m thank for him anyways. Why could’nt I have just found a normal boy? Actually scratch that I’m glad to have been friends with him and im happy to share my life with him from now on.” I thought as i closed my eyes and flashed a smile at Draxson before I said “lets get to work Draxson”.

  After cleaning up and getting ready for training we tested our theory about using the training artifacts as support troops for fights. We ordered them to fight against a bear before they were taken down and had to be extracted after healing and leaving the bear, which we later realized was with cubs. So we left them alone. We were now 20 miles or so out from our camp this morning when I pointed out some movement in some bushes. Then purple figures ran by, and when I pointed it out, bright purple and blue fur wolves appeared from the middle of the field. The bigger of the 3 attacked us and bit at my leg. I'm glad I wore pants today because that would have hurt more otherwise. The battle began, and Draxson and I brought forth our weapons. I unsheathed my sword and slashed out, leaving a shallow cut in the wolf attacking me. I jumped back as the nearest wolves lunged at me, and I watched Draxson tackle one of the approaching wolves, smacking them out of the air and pinning them to the ground while he fought with twin rusted and chipped daggers.

  Draxson struggled with the wolf trading slashes until the most enormous wolf chomped down hard on his hand, fussing him to wince and give up the other dagger, and began slashing at the most prominent, fastest, and most colorful wolf. I dodged the wolf attacking me and made a brad cut from its midsection to its front left leg, which caused it to trip. I backed up as the wolf rapidly rose from its prone and swiftly retaliated, ignoring its pain. I tried dodging, but as I lept far to my left, the wolf who was 4 meters to my right appeared in a flash of light and bit at my boot, forcefully removing it. I kicked at it with my other booted foot, kicking it with my left across its head, knocking it back 2 meters and fracturing its jaw from the sound of snapping bones. When I prepared to fetch my boot, I am tackled by the wolf that decided to stop mauling Draxson and shift its focus on me. I struggled to keep its jaws off me while I held its jaws in long enough to grab a dagger. When I finally caught my left dagger, I stabbed the wolf in the neck, striking and breaking a colorful barrier. Thank the forces of life that my blade enchantment pierced through the alpha wolf’s iridescent barrier. When I got the wolf off of me with the shining blade in its neck, colorful blood, and magical fluids flowed from it, similar to when the leading wolf phases out with majic; I scrambled to pick up the artifacts that I had dropped from my bag when I was tackled. I'm glad I decided to stow them where they were easy to reach.

  As I crawled to the nearest artifact, the alpha wolf dragged me away before Draxson clawed his wolf good and then took down my wolf. When the wolf was pulled from my legs, I reached for a training assistance artifact and summoned it at difficulty 7 with a spear, shield, and a set of medium armor before throwing it towards Draxson to activate on top of the wolf. Moments later, the artifact animated and began bashing the wolf with its shield while Draxson slashed at it. I fumbled at the other artifact and attempted to toss it to Draxson before my arm was cut, bit, and pinned to the ground by the previously staggered wolf. “Augh,” I cried out, coughing blood as I was stepped on. A wolf tried for my throat, but luckily, my scarf protected me as the knocked-down artifact finally activated and fought against the wolf.

  With the support construct finally pulled the wolf by its neck and began bashing and slashing the increasingly crippled wolf. The wolf barked many woofs of distress, summoning the second smaller wolf fighting Draxson to attack me. Unlike its brethren, this wolf used small bolts of light to attack and blind me; luckily, I could avoid the blindness because my scarf obstructed my view. I grabbed at the wolf blindly until I grabbed a thick chunk of fur and began pummeling the wolf as it yelped for support from its more prominent ally. I was close to choking the wolf out to avoid killing it before my right shoulder became dislocated as I was bit and violently jerked by the more enormous wolf. As I heard a "Snap" as the wolf jerked its head side to side violently. I felt my arm dislocating with every violent twist, I looked to see the large wolf destroy both artifacts. It bit one of them before disappearing into its armor-set form on the ground for the duration of this battle. I cried in pain after the shock of almost literally having my arm torn off my body. Drasom rushed to relocate my arm by forcing it back into place while I screamed in pain at the procedure.” Hang in there, Sopheia,” Draxson said, lifting her and backing up while the wolf gathered its fallen brothers or sisters, defending them and snarling at us.

  The battle began when the wolf went on the defensive of its kin.

  The dark purple-furred wolf glowed in its presence, and many bright light orbs and rays radiated from it as she snarled back at us, defending her allies. We stood in opposition, shield in my left and sword in my right, and Draxson held two spears and wore the leg portions of armor, along with flames radiating from him.

  Chapter 3 ends.

  Omg, another chapter, whoop whoop. Chapters will later be divided into sub-chapters to make reading the books more straightforward and understandable. For reference, chapter 1 will be split into 3 (2000) word chapters. Chapter 2 will be 3 (3000+) word chapters and 3 (3400+)chapters for chapter 3.

  Anyway, thank you all for your support and reading. By the way, Blazzin is now six months old!!! On May 1st, I plan a one-year in-production celebration for Blazzin. This celebration will include the first merch attempt, art, and other contests and content for readers. OK, once again, thank you all for reading. Now, here is the preview of SECTION 4.

  Here

  We

  Go.

  SECTION 4 preview. It's a new chapter of their adventure. A new party member is added to the team, and a tournament is being held in a local village (Finally Said Draxson). A mysterious elf, human, phantom, and a group of dwarves fight for a spot in the 16 contestant bracket battles. When the qualifiers are won, Sopheia and Draxson face challengers, and as the semi-finals conclude, Sopheia is eliminated by a mysterious elf who seems to be able to come his rivals without any effort over. Does Draxson have What it takes to take down the elf, avenge Sopheia, and win the tournament Finals, or will he fall short?