The morning started with an eerie silence followed by…
“BANG!”
“Jacob!” Averisa growled from her sleep hearing Cheryl’s screams.
It was yet another busy morning. She wasn’t even that long at her new ‘home’ and already she was at ease with how this make-shift family acted.
Jacob was a trouble maker, Cheryl his guardian. They joined the Adventure guild when they were twelve even though legally one could only join once sixteen, but they had special circumstances. Their parents had been Adventures and had since their infancy taken their babies with them everywhere. Some would call that ‘irresponsible’, but their parents where legends, their deaths having come to them by their children’s own awakening magical abilities. Yes they were Dusk Mages under the Hex Clan. The first sibling to born, both with magic, in over a thousand years. Their parents had kept them a secret not wanting their children to be hated within their own Clan, having known that the two had magic and having kept it sealed with their curses… It just wasn’t strong enough to last forever.
They could use fire and lightning elemental magic which was the strangest for her… According to Stryker the twins’ mother’s father was a Dawn’s Clan’s-men who had not known his little fling on the side had born him a child. Their mother was a second child and from her father’s side was able to use very weak elemental magic, Fire and Lightning specifically…
“Rise and shine, little demon!” Stryker barged into her room.
“Didn’t you hear? Jacob and Cheryl already made the wake-up call!” Her snarky remark didn’t bode well as Ryker pulled out of bed and without getting changed flung her over his shoulders straight to the garden.
“I’ve no time to waste, seeing as Foster’s back!” His words surprised her… Since when did Ryker actually care for doing anything? Though it did make some sense; if Foster was just a fifth the man she figured him to be then he was the only man to have any kind of influence over Ryker… Which meant…?
She gulped back her thoughts. Foster was perhaps far more of a ‘monster’ than any one of the other members, perhaps even Ryker stood no chance… She pondered but then… Shouldn’t Foster pose enough ‘fun’ for Ryker during sparing sessions?
Just then another load explosion came from somewhere in the forest.
“Ignore them! Foster will stop them when he thinks they’re getting out of hands! Jacob pestered his sis a bit too much this morning, the explosions are her not him this time!” Ryker bellowed as laughter escaped him.
“I didn’t figure Cheryl to lose her temper as this.”
“It happens at least once every month. If Jacob learns to stop pulling pranks on her then things will finally be able to calm down around here!” Averisa could help laugh at his remark, quiet? Never not when everyone besides the twins are causing trouble in some way, especially Ryker!
“So what’s your new plan since you finally know I can’t manipulate my aura at all?” She asked.
“Seeing as your aura acts as armor more than ‘energy’ try commanding your aura at your feet to boost strength and speed, instead of gather its flow ‘all’ at your feet and then having it enhance your physical skills. Your aura will automatically resupply, mend the dissipating energy you expel, so no need to manipulate its flow.” He instructed.
“Only one problem. Since I’ve never come as far as controlling aura flow I have no idea how to ‘command’ it.”
“Just focus on what you want, and focus on the aura itself, without trying to control the flow for now. It should come naturally.”
She did as he told her, envisioning the energy strengthening her feet and legs, with the sole purpose of speed…
“I don’t know about this. I don’t feel anything happening.” She told the man.
“You won’t know until you try. No be prepared, if you did have your aura feeding into your legs then the moment you take a step you’ll be propelled either forward, upward or wherever! Don’t lose focus, stay alert and think carefully how you want to move, it’ll be like learning how to walk all over again!” His grin told her that she was going to be in a world of hell and pain trying to learn this ‘magic’ of his.
Keeping her focus she leaned ever so gentle forward and step forward… Nothing…
“Nothing! I told you this wasn’t going to work!”
“Well you’ll just have to keep practicing then! You keep that up and I’m going to go find Meryl!” He left before she could say anything more of the matter.
“Fine!” She spat with fiery!
Focusing in her unshakable aura she willed it to ‘feed’ her legs, to strengthen it; taking another step nothing happened so she tried again!
“Meryl! There you are!” Ryker threw his arm around her shoulder pulling her to his side.
“I need a favor; how do you teach someone to ‘feed’ their aura into them, command it or what not? The girl has zero talent, and since you’re the best teacher, having taught the devilish twins all they know I’d like you to help out with Averisa.”
“Sir, please remove yourself from me, this is the last time I’m to warn you!”
“You hurt me, Meryl!” He pouted as he did as instructed.
“There’s not much to explain, it’s more of a feeling than actually telling ‘aura’ what to do. Mages can though by using spells as their own aura will respond to the language, skilled mages though can ‘command’ their aura and do magic with simple gestures, having learned this ‘feeling’ only difference they use it outwardly on their surroundings and can’t do the same inwardly on themselves. Except for the Mon Clan, their inward magical abilities such as foresight happens naturally, it’s more like their surrounding influencing their aura than then influencing anything with their own energy. Mages spend their whole lives perfecting their ‘sense’ of this ‘feeling’ and though I’m not a Mage, I have spent every moment of my life awake and asleep to sense my aura and learn how to disrupt others, same as you I presume learning how to use it for your enhanced physical abilities and same with Master Foster.” She spoke as she continued her work hanging laundry.
“Why do you even bother doing house work? I’ll call one of the maids to take over from you. You come help me with Averisa.” He stepped in front of her.
“Sorry, Sir, but Master Foster made it clear, did he not? You alone are responsible for her since you let her live after she challenged you, challenged us! Unless she can prove herself to him, she’s of no use to Ophiuchus.
“And I’m telling you she’s worth the effort!”
“She’s stubborn, cocky and naïve! I’ve no respect for her and so too Master Foster! She might have proven herself to you, and perhaps even to Gerrard. The Twins don’t really care and Sophia’s motherly nature won’t allow her to send someone to their death beds just because of lack of knowledge when she challenged you. As for Remy & Vincent, well they’re still on their mission so who knows what they’ll think about her, but it’s clear she doesn’t belong here, with us! You should have killed her, you know who her mother is, you knew very well that she can’t be trusted, for all we know she’s a spy from one of the other Factions! Maybe that’s why so idiotically challenged you!”
“All makes sense if not for one small detail; she’s being hunted down as we speak by the Swallows, and by my own Shadow Clan. Her mother set them on her, to keep an eye on her and because of our dual back at the colosseum, all the Clans know about her ‘Demon’ magic now. I had Gerrard track down an informant in Libra in the guise of an escort mission for some nobleman who can tell us if she has any kind of affiliation with the other Factions. I’m making sure my tracks are clean, but I know it is, so what’s the harm in training her so long?”
“Do you think giving her safe havens with us will keep the assassins from getting to her?”
“No, but I have some margin of influence in the Shadow Clan spite my position, if you recall. If I can get them to agree to deal, a deal where I prove to them what they saw was not ‘Demon’ magic, they’ll be able to confine the Swallow Clan as well. Her learning to use my ‘magic’ could help her learn a method to use Dawn & Moon Clan magic as well, which would then prove how she was able to cast those ‘spells’ without aura flow control.” His eyes shone bright as he informed her of his plans.
“Didn’t figure you as a thinking man.” She gave him a smug grin.
“Of course, we never leave anyone alive unless they can be of use to us!”
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