Tenebris Renasci: A World of Magic and Gunpowder

"Fine, I'll do it." Alexander said, his tone distant, "I'll fight the war hound."

The demon chief's grin shrunk, his expression becoming more simple and calculating. "Good," he replied, "then let the preparations begin."

Alexander blinked, feeling a mixture of dread and determination. 

He knew his death was coming, and that frightened him, but he was okay with it, he was going to meet this fate with open arms, for it was the only direction he saw forward.

— — —

Walking out of the demon's chief's castle, Alexander and Zara both had determined expressions, but for different reasons.

For Zara, it was to prove that not only was Alexander of importance and could benefit the village, but also to redeem Alexander's name and prove the chief's earlier assertions wrong.

Meanwhile, Alexander was determined to take control of his crumbling life and end it on his own terms. 

Alexander had been given three weeks to train for the fight against the war hound. 

Zara was exempt from her scavenging duties in order to help with his training. 

The duo were to be given access to whatever skills or equipment they deemed necessary to facilitate the training, this included knowledge, personnel, and weapons.

During this training period, a squad of four elite guards would capture a wild war hound, and starve it, so that not only would it be an unpredictable opponent, but a vicious one.

— — —

It wasn't long before the duo returned to Zara's home, where the two sat down to devise a strategy.

"Alexander, what skills… Do you have?" Zara asked him curiously, her tail sawing thoughtfully. 

Alexander sighed as he crossed his arms, "Not many, I'm fine with a sword I guess, but I'm not amazing or anything." He answered honestly.

Zara frowned as she shook her head upon hearing Alexander's answer. "No," she replied, "not with weapons, with… mana… magic." She replied.

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Magic?" He asked curiously, "You mean as in spells?"

Zara nodded.

Ahh, she's referring to world energy.

Alexander sighed as he slouched against the wall, his head turning towards the entrance of the room. "I don't have much mana, if that's what you're asking, and what little I do have, I can barely control it…"

Zara narrowed her eyes as she crossed her arms, "low mana?" She asked, "How… so?"

Alexander leaned up from the wall as he turned to look at Zara. "Uhm, I don't know why, it's just the way it is, for all Hakshi people." He answered.

Zara raised an eyebrow, "all pale conquerors, have low mana?" She asked skeptically, "I don't believe you." 

Alexander tilted his head curiously before a small grin crossed his lips. "You don't believe I have low mana?" He then raised a hand, "You wanna see?"

Zara leaned forward and nodded, "Yes, show me."

"Alright then," Alexander replied, before showing both his palms to Zara. Alexander began to draw his world energy into his palms, and soon a white sphere began forming in each one. 

The spheres were small and misshapen, looking more like ovals that perfect spheres. 

They were barely illuminated and flickered constantly, and after about ten seconds they sputtered out completely.

"That's it," Alexander replied as he looked up to Zara with a smiley grin. "That's all I got, worthless… right?"

Zara frowned, her expression turned confused as her tail flickered with frustration. "That… cannot be right." She stated bluntly, "There is something wrong."

Alexander chuckled as he lowered his hands. "I thought the same thing when I first tried it out." He joked.

But Zara wasn't laughing. "This, this is not enough, you will die… if that is all you have."

Alexander nodded. "Yeah, that's what I expect." He replied with a shrug, "But hey, at least I'm dying my way."

Zara frowned deeply as she quickly slapped her tail against Alexander's cheek. 

Alexander blinked in surprise as he raised a hand to his stinging cheek, confused as to why Zara struck him. "What was that for?" He said with a glare, rubbing his cheek.

Zara's eyes narrowed, "you are treating this… like a joke." She said sternly, "Not much time for pity…. Self-doubt, this is a problem."

Alexander frowned as he lowered his hand, "I didn't say it wasn't," he said with a sigh, "but this is all I have, it's not like anyone can just fix me, you know?"

Besides, I'm pretty sure this is biology… our people weren't made for high amounts of world energy.

Zara raised an eyebrow, "hmm, not a bad idea." She said to herself with a hesitant nod. 

Alexander looked at Zara curiously, "what is?"

"Someone who can fix you, village shaman, she fixes many… illnesses," Zara said with a finger tap to her chin.

"Zara, I told you…" Alexander said with a sigh, I was born this way, you can't just fix that."

Zara ignored Alexander as she already began rising to her feet. "Come, not much time to waste." She said firmly, reaching a hand out towards Alexander.

Alexander stared at Zara with an almost irritated expression, "can you just listen to me?" He asked, "It's biology, I was born like this, my parents were like this, my brothers and sisters, my people as a whole, no shaman is going to fix that." He explained.

Zara narrowed her eyes as her tail swung with a purpose. "Get up." She ordered, "I won't ask again." This time her tone was colder than it had ever been, her usually soft demeanor had faded completely.

Taken aback but her sudden change in attitude, Alexander leaned back. "W-what," he stammered, "are you seriously thinking you can change–"

Zara snatched Alexander by the wrist and pulled him to his feet, her movements swift and barely noticeable to Alexander's eye.

"Wha-" Alexander, now standing on his feet, looking around with a confused expression, "how?"

Zara's tail wrapped around his waist tightly, and she used her tail to push Alexander ahead of her.

"Zara, what are you doing?" Alexander asked as Zara pushed him forward, towards the front door. "You can't change me!"

"Silence yourself, I don't want to hear any pity, shaman will fix you, she's fixed many problems thought… unfixable."

But can she change biology itself, I doubt she's a fucking surgeon!

Zara pushed Alexander out of her home, his lungs filled with the cool air of the evening. 

Zara was behind him, continually pushing and directing him with her tail. 

As the duo walked, Alexander eventually gave up on trying to stop Zara and instead decided to allow her to see it for herself.

"Fine," Alexander said with a defeated sigh, "but what are you going to do when she can't fix me?" Alexander asked, looking around at the demons who passed him by.

"How are you so sure… you are…  ready to give up," Zara replied, "you have power, strength, fire, yet your will… it's fickle."

Alexander rolled his eyes, "All alright demon chief jr, I get it." He groaned, "But do you really think this woman can fix me?"

Zara nodded. "I do, and so should you." She replied, "The shaman can help, she sees what we can't."

Alexander sighed, his head drooping slightly. "But I don't think she can, but even if she could, what more could it accomplish?"

Zara stopped in her tracks, her tail uncoiling from Alexander's waist as she turned him around. 

Alexander looked up to her curiously, and Zara returned his gaze with a fierce intensity. "You never give up Alexander, always fight, even… even if it seems… impossible."

Alexander massaged his wrist as he lowered his head. "But why?" He asked, "Zara I… I don't even know why I agreed to this, I'm… "

Zara placed a finger under Alexander's chin, lifting his head up so that he could meet her gaze. "Because life… it's yours to command, you have spirit Alexander, now you just… you need to wield it, okay?" She said, gently rubbing her thumb against Alexander's cheek.

Alexander's mind went blank monetarily, lost in Zara's eyes as he processed her words. They bound around in his mind, the conviction behind them catching him off guard.

Life was his to command.

It certainly didn't feel that way with everything that had happened so far, but something about Zara's determination stirred something deep within him.

Alexander felt his throat run dry as his emotions stirred within him. 

Gulping audibly, Alexander opened his mouth to speak. "And… and if she can't fix me, Zara?"

Zara simply smiled, her six eyes softening slightly. "Then… we try something new, because anything, is better than nothing."

Alexander nodded, feeling the weight of her conviction settling with him. 

He didn't quite believe her just yet, but he'd be lying if he didn't say he wasn't hopeful. "Alright then, but get mad when I'm proven right." He said with a smile.

Zara giggled, "I will."