《Aspects of Heaven and Earth》


 Chapter 1

    ¡°Hey, hurry it up. I¡¯m freezing here,¡± after a long pause the nagging voice continued, ¡°C¡¯mon! Ugh¡± his teeth chattered between each word. With the setting sun nearing the horizon, the forest was bathed in a soft orange light. ¡°I swear by the Father, Gaius if you don¡¯t hurry up, I¡¯m going to leave you!¡± the voice cursed.


    Finally through the thick golden forest Gaius responded, ¡°I¡¯m going to tell mom that you cursed,¡± a high-pitched voice of a child sounded through the tree trunks seemingly unaffected by the cold. A young child with jet black hair and eyes carrying a basket full of plants and herbs approached the first voice. ¡°Okay you baby, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the weird one okay? It¡¯s normal to be cold in this weather. So, good harvest today?¡± The first voice asked while looking at his brother¡¯s basket.


    ¡°Mmm, just the usual, nothing special. What about you, I don¡¯t see a limp so that must mean you¡¯re getting better,¡± Gaius chuckled.


    ¡°Ha ha . . . ha, not funny. You think mom is all warm and nice at home, but wait till you condense an Aspect and start your training, you won¡¯t be laughing then,¡± the first voice muttered solemnly.


    At the mention of condensing an Aspect, Gaius turned a bit somber. Noticing his brother¡¯s mood, the first voice said, ¡°Hey, race you home.¡± Immediately after, a flash of light erupted from the body of the first voice accelerating him greatly. Gaius saw his younger brother bolt forward in a flash of light and his competitiveness burst forth. While trying to maintain all of the herbs and plants within his basket, Gaius sprinted after his brother. His brother maintained the Aspect of Light throughout his body to enhance his speed, and Gaius felt the aura around his brother like a soft pillow, palpable and almost touchable. The sensation surrounded him like water around a rock, avoiding him completely¡ªnever truly touching him, but always around him. Regardless of his brother¡¯s Aspect, Gaius still beat him home.


    Gaius waited triumphantly for his younger brother at the porch of their home, with a grin on his face he said, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for all of that sweat, I would have assumed you were taking it easy on me, wutcha gonna give me this time?¡±


    ¡°Why do you even ask, you always want the same thing,¡± his brother complained while catching his breath.


    They both entered their home to the smell of roasted meat mixed in with the sweet smell of honeyed bread filled with a thick jam. Gaius heard his younger brother¡¯s groan.


    ¡°We¡¯re home!¡± they both shouted as they push open the rough bark skin door.


    ¡°Go clean up and get your mother, dinner is almost ready,¡± the boys heard their father¡¯s reply.


    The two boys had split up. While his younger brother went to the bathroom to wash up, Gaius entered his father¡¯s workshop to drop off the basket of herbs. Seeing the washbasin at the corner of the room free of clutter, Gaius decided to wash his hands and face there. After freshening up, Gaius and his brother went out back to find their mother. As they reached their backyard they heard a constant rhythmic thwack thwack thwack. The boys found their sweating mother¡ªunfazed by the chill in her usual leather jerkin covering her entire upper body and her upper legs striking the wooden post in front of her.


    ¡°Mom, dinner¡¯s ready!¡± the younger brother called.


    ¡°Alright,¡± their mother replied. She took in a deep breath and finally brought up her shield while lowering her stance. There was an instant flash of light. Gaius could feel an eruption of power, and unlike his brother¡¯s use of the Aspect, his mother¡¯s aura was sharp almost like the edge of a sword. His brother¡¯s display of the Aspect bathed Gaius in a sea of white soft power, but his mother¡¯s was like the power of a hurricane contained within a pinpoint. The two boys had to cover their eyes with their hands as the light seared through their eyelids, but they could still hear the splintering crack of the wooden post as it shattered into splinters. Letting out a breath of relief, their mother turned around and smiled at her two sons. ¡°Mm, dinner smells great. Go set the table while I wash up.¡± Their mother walked past them and into the house and stowed away her gear. Although the two boys had seen their mother train since they were children, they could not stop their jaws from dropping at her might. Another night, another shattered wooden post.


    The two boys offered their parents to eat first as custom dictates before they filled their own plates. ¡°So Gaius, I didn¡¯t take a look at your harvest yet, anything good today?¡±


    ¡°Nada. Just 2 kilograms of Golden Bark and 30 grams of Frost Leaf, the rest is nothing special. Hmm, might be able to harvest another Barbed Eye tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, another Barbed Eye, you¡¯re quite a lucky one aren¡¯t you. Remember to bring your gloves.¡±


    Gaius nodded.


    ¡°What about you Gen? How¡¯d your training go?¡± Their father asked both his son and his wife.


    ¡°His control over Light is getting better, but is still quite lacking,¡± their mother responded to the chagrin of Gen. Losing to Gaius in a straight sprint home every time wasn¡¯t enough of a blow to his confidence, now his mother was pointing out his shortcomings. Gaius chimed in, ¡°Sumi and her daughter wanted to know if you could help them tomorrow, dad.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Oh right, it¡¯s Kim and Ken¡¯s wedding tomorrow huh? Wow, I remember when they were both knee-high. I¡¯ll visit her first thing tomorrow.¡± After a bit of silence passed, their father grins widely, ¡°Speaking of Sumi¡¯s daughter, how is Kumi?¡±


    At the mention of her name, Gen perked up and looked at his brother intently. Gaius, unaware of the small glances shifting around the table, tried to recall his conversation he had with Kumi earlier that day. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know, she is working with her mom on a new project, but I don¡¯t remember what it is. She was really excited about it though.¡±


    Their mother asked Gen with a smile, ¡°What do you think about Kumi? She¡¯s pretty isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Caught off guard, Gen stammered for a response while his face was slowly turned red.


    Both of their parents laughed as they teased their youngest son, and before Gen stormed off from the dinner table from embarrassment, their mother continued, ¡°Your father and I have been talking to Sumi about a betrothal between you two. What do you think, Gen?¡±


    Before he could utter a word, Gen¡¯s face already had a wide grin. He clarified, ¡°Do you mean that she¡¯s going to be my wife?¡±


    ¡°Well, if Sumi consents, then yes. When the two of you grow up, you¡¯ll be married like Ken and Kim tomorrow,¡± their mother responded with a smile.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Gen finally blurted out as he could not contain his excitement. He picked up the honeyed bread and was about to bite into it when he saw his brother¡¯s knowing gaze. Remembering their usual bet, Gen reluctantly gave him the dessert.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good match, but that means you have to train hard and master your Aspects, you hear?¡± their mother sternly said to Gen.


    After a slight nod, their mother continued, ¡°Good. She just had her Awakening this year, so don¡¯t fall behind.¡±


    The dinner table turned quite at the mention of Sumi¡¯s Awakening. The air was a bit uncomfortable as the parents quietly looked at Gaius with sad disappointing eyes. Before his father could change the subject to something more lively, Gaius spoke up, ¡°Mom, dad. Why can¡¯t I condense an Aspect yet? I¡¯m already 10 years old.¡±


    The two let out involuntary sighs, this was the same question they had been asking themselves these past 4 years. Although the two parents did not let their concern appear on their face, they have tested their firstborn son discreetly over the years, so as to not alarm the boy. During the middle of the night, they would sneak into the boy¡¯s room with an elder, doctor, shaman, priest, or expert from some corner of the kingdom to check him out, and by all summation he appeared to have Awoken, but he can¡¯t condense an Aspect. It was the most maddening thing. ¡°We had a few doctors look you over, son. But by their observation you have Awoken already. You probably had your Awakening early in fact, probably when you were really young, which is why you think seeing the auras of others is normal, when it is not.¡±


    ¡°Then why can¡¯t I condense an Aspect? Any Aspect?¡± Gaius muttered under his breath as he looks down at his plate.


    ¡°During an Awakening son, the person gains a new sense. Like being blinded for the first 6 years of your life and all of a sudden you get to see for the first time. We know you can see the auras of others, but we don¡¯t know why you can see so many different Aspects. Theoretically only Light Mages can see the aura or essence of other Light Mages, but you¡¯re able to see your mom condense her Aspect, yes?¡±


    Gaius slowly nodded.


    ¡°Then by all logic, you should be able to condense the Aspect of Light, but we don¡¯t really know why you can¡¯t,¡± his father continued.


    Gaius choked as he held back tears. After calming down a bit, he asks ¡°May I be excused?¡±


    Gen looked at his brother with sadness, while trying to understand how it would feel if he was not able to condense his Aspect.


    Gaius fell onto his bed as he buried his face in his pillow, ¡°Ah! Everyone in this world can condense an Aspect, but the Father has cursed me to be the only one who can¡¯t. It¡¯s so unfair.¡± Tears begun to dampen his pillows. Gaius was the only person out of the several thousand in the village to not be able to condense Aspect.


    The next morning after he grabbed some food, Gaius made his way into the Golden Bark Forest, the sadness and disappointment of last night forgotten. After 4 years of struggling to figure out why he cannot condense an Aspect, Gaius has gotten used to the momentary bouts of sadness. As he made his way to the forest, he saw other children around his age helping their parents or other adults around the village.


    There was Lyle, another boy in the village that¡¯s 10 years-old, helping some adults fix the roads. Lyle would listen intently as the adults demonstrated the Aspect of the Earth, smoothening cracks and flattening bumps along the road as they found them. With Lyle¡¯s lack of experience and control over his Aspect, a large crack erupted from the middle of the road. The adults laughed and jested with the boy merrily as they guided him in repairing the road correctly. Even from a distance, Gaius could feel the soft thrumming of the earthen power that emanated from the adults as they guided Lyle¡¯s aura.


    There was Kim, the 16 years-old bride-to-be, helping some of the adults clear away the ceremonial dais with controlled gusts of wind. Many small tornadoes swept through the village, gathering up dust, leaves, vines, twigs, and small debris. With another thought, Kim gathered all of the small tornadoes together and ejected all of the trash to the side of the village. Upon seeing her control her Aspect, Gaius was comforted with the refreshing breeze that pulsed from Kim and the other adults. As Kim gathered the trash to the side of the village, she met Gaius¡¯s gaze and smiled. With a waving motion, she beckoned Gaius over.


    No longer wallowing in self-pity, Gaius complied and marched over to Kim to wish her a happy day. While being mindful and respectful of others was one of Gaius¡¯s habits, he also liked standing around others as they condense their Aspect, it felt good. Some Aspects made him feel warm and safe, and others¡ªlike Kim¡¯s, made him feel free and fresh.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his father with Sumi and Kumi. He made his way over to say hello before he began his morning chore.


    ¡°Morning Gaius!¡± Sumi and Kumi shouted as they saw him approach.


    Turning his head to see his smiling son, ¡°Morning son,¡± he said.


    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Gaius inquired.


    ¡°Preparing for the ceremony. Is this your first wedding? Hmm, guess the last one was . . . between Hugh and Dan, and that was more than 10 years ago. Oh boy, you¡¯re in for a treat.¡± Sumi said.


    As if realizing it for the first time, Gaius¡¯s father also said, ¡°Oh right. It will be the first wedding you¡¯ve been to, how exciting.¡±

 Chapter 2

    Gaius looked at the two of them with anticipation. Wondering to himself what they had planned to do with these Golden Bark saplings in the ground. He could feel the saplings pulse through the soil with their earthly might. ¡°Oh, how odd,¡± Gaius thought to himself, ¡°the saplings seem to be arranged into a pattern?¡± He observed the layout for a while before he gave up on discerning their secret and then he made his way to the edge of the village and prepared to enter the forest. At the borderline he saw a few people surrounding a pyre.


    Village Chief Hemuk and his two sons controlled a huge bonfire. Above the roaring flame a twisting column of wind was dumping all kinds of leaves, twigs, and other trash into the fire. Gaius was overwhelmed by the ferocity of the flame and how Chief Hemuk expertly directed its fierceness inwards and upwards rapidly consuming everything in it¡ªhungrily eating the trash.


    Gaius finally made his way into the familiar forest. Gaius had made this forest his second home for the past 4 years, every nook and cranny explored and well documented within his mind. He kept track of where all the herbs, plants, fruits, stems, and flowers were located within his mind¡¯s eye. He was constantly checking which section of the forest he was at, as to not overharvest a particular region. In a remote section of the forest, Gaius put down his basket and took off his shoes. He dug his toes into the soft fertile soil and closed his eyes. He immediately felt the thrum of the earth. Gaius double checked its location like a blind man groping the darkness, and he walked a few dozen meters until he felt what he was looking for. Upon an open field, there was an eyeball that seemed to be growing from the ground. The stem was made up of the optic nerve while thorny protrusions were growing on its side. Next to this eyeball was a seemingly benign amber-colored stone pulsing a soft warm earthen aura. ¡°Ah, looks like you bloomed today. Right on schedule if I do say so myself.¡± Although his father did warn him to bring his gloves to harvest prickly herbs and plants, Gaius had never needed them. With his bare hands, Gaius tenderly wrapped his hands around the stem and thorns. Unbeknownst to him, a soft layer of amber spewed from the grotesque flower and cushioned his hands, preventing him from bleeding. Gaius quickly bent over and expertly extracted the Barbed Eye with its root system intact. Again, unknown to him, a soft layer of amber encased the Barbed Eye¡ªroot and all, as he pulled the plant from the ground. For as long as he could remember, Gaius had never needed to wear gloves to harvest any plant, and was always able to easily extract them with their roots intact.


    Gaius looked at the familiar amber-colored stone and smiled. He sat by it and allowed the earthen aura wash over him and fill him with a warm safe embrace. The air was so thick that Gaius could probably reach his hands out and touch the aura as if it was a real blanket. Unknown to him, as he sat with his eyes closed, the earthen aura started to circulate around him. Long ago he noticed the peculiarity of the amber stone and decided to take it home with him so that he may bask in its aura, only to find that after a few days the earthen warmth would disappear. To his dismay and curious mind he took the stone back into the forest and sure enough it began to pulse that same warm aura. As he sat within the earthen embrace, small bits of it started to disappear until eventually he was left with a depleted amber stone next to him. Feeling refreshed, Gaius continued on.


    Gaius continued merrily as he searched for other ripe herbs and plants. He suddenly stopped as a new scent wafted through the air. He curiously thought to himself, ¡°I don¡¯t remember this smell from last time.¡±


    An acrid scent drifted within the air, making Gaius scrunch his nose and face at the new smell. He followed the scent until a sharp aura bombarded him¡ªhard and cold. Gaius saw several dozen meters in front of him a rocky outcropping, and upon its side hung many thin shiny vines which made the wall of rock look like it¡¯s been covered by a large spider¡¯s web. Sprouting from one of the vines was a daisy. Except this daisy had metallic petals and stem all the while hanging upside-down. Gaius slowly approached with excitement, ¡°Whoa! I¡¯ve never seen this before. I wonder why it smells so bad.¡±


    He looked at the vines intently, trying to figure out their secrets but to no avail. He gave up and focused his attention on the upside-down flower. He could feel the hard cold aura emanating from this daisy. The aura was palpable, as it thickly surrounded Gaius. Feeling this profound heaviness in the air, he knew that the flower was ripe for harvesting. Gaius reached out to pluck the daisy and to his surprise he dropped it as it probably weighed 20 kilograms. Staring at the small crater, Gaius pulled the flower off the ground.


    ¡°Whoa, so heavy!¡± Gaius cradled the metallic daisy in both hands as he made his way back to his basket and shoes. Gaius laid the metal herb down onto the ground and observed it a bit more. Without sensing anything else he went off to find more herbs. With Ken and Kim¡¯s wedding today he was told to finish up his chores early so that the whole village can celebrate together. As the sun climbed to its zenith, Gaius finished up his harvest. Nodding to himself in approval he made his way back to the village with the basket in one hand and the cuff to his shirt in another. The metallic flower was too heavy for him to reliably carry back, so he decided to place it atop his shirt and dragged the flower back to the village.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Gaius attracted several chuckles and glares as he made his way home shirtless. He went through the backyard and entered his father¡¯s workshop to find him mumbling to himself as he milled several herbs together in his mortar.


    ¡°Hey dad.¡±


    ¡°Oh, back so soon. What happened to your shirt?¡±


    ¡°I have it here. This thing is really heavy.¡±


    At the mention of ¡°heavy¡± Gaius¡¯s father¡¯s ears perked up and immediately rushed over to help his son and also to observe this ¡°heavy object¡±.


    A wide smile and with a look of delight in his eyes, Gaius¡¯s father bent over to make sure the herb was in good condition. ¡°You found this at the rocky outcropping towards the center of the forest, yes?¡± his father inquired.


    With a nod, Gaius asked, ¡°Do you know what it is? I¡¯ve never seen it before.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s called Iron Mother. It¡¯s one of the key components into making our shields. It was not supposed to bloom for another 2 years though.¡± His father rambled as he examined the flower in front of him with great scrutiny.


    Waiting for his father to elaborate only to be left in silence, Gaius finally asked, ¡°Well, what does it do?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yes. Um, if you plant the Iron Mother in iron-rich soil or plant the flower directly over iron ingots or ores, it will soak up the iron and condense it into small high-density balls of steel.¡±


    Gaius stared in awe as he watched his father¡¯s fingers move gently over the Iron Mother, caressing it as if afraid of breaking it. Gaius wondered whether or not to tell his father, who is currently obsessed with the physical condition of the flower, that he dropped the thing when he first harvested it ¡ª he decided against it.


    After several minutes, his father straightened himself with a satisfied grunt while nodding his head vigorously, ¡°Seems like there are no deficiencies for blooming earlier than expected. I have to reevaluate my calculations for the next bloom,¡± he muttered to himself before looking at his son. ¡°Ah, right. Besides the Iron Mother, did you find anything else worthy of note?¡± his father asked while rummaging through the basket.


    Before Gaius could tell him about the Barbed Eye, his father found it first at the top of the basket and excitedly says, ¡°This has to be the 30<sup>th</sup> Barbed Eye that you¡¯ve brought me. Are you tending to a secret Barbed Eye garden somewhere?¡± his father joked.


    Gaius knew that tending to a garden of Barbed Eyes was way above his abilities as it required the slaying of a magical beast and then encasing their eyes with the Aspect of the Earth, before finally it was transformed. His father stared at his son intently. Two years ago, when his son brought him the 4<sup>th</sup> Barbed Eye, he decided to accompany his son on his harvesting trips to see if his son had some magical abilities in finding rare herbs. He and his son would just meander through the forest talking about mundane things, trying to avoid the topic of his lack of an Aspect, and they would just stumble upon these rare herbs. When he asked his son about it directly, the boy told him that he was able to see and feel their aura. At the mention of this, he grew excited for his son, perhaps he can finally condense an Aspect after all. Though his wife had mentioned that he was able to discern her aura, the boy was still unable to condense her Aspect, so perhaps he has an affinity for another Aspect. The first step is to figure out which affinity someone is bound to, the next is to have them condense that Aspect. To his chagrin and confusion, the boy further claimed to be able to see all different sorts of Aspects: from Wood, Earth, Metal, to even Water, and Fire. This spurred him to recruit as many experts, doctors, priests, and shamans as possible to look at his son¡¯s condition but to no avail.


    ¡°Go wash up for the wedding while I pack all of these things away,¡± his father suddenly shooed him.


    Meanwhile 500 kilometers northeast of the village at Fort Winter:


    ¡°Sir, reporting!¡±


    ¡°Go on soldier,¡± a middle-aged man hoarsely replied while barely looking up from his desk.


    ¡°The kwach¡¯a outbreak is being successfully culled by the city of Bav. With the enlistment of the city guards and mages along with mercenaries and adventurers, the kwach¡¯a have dwindled down to acceptable levels. However, the city governor and our scouts report that a small remnant herd of 300 had broken off from the plains and are headed westward. They are expected to reach Fort Winter and the surrounding villages within the next few days,¡± the messenger relayed.


    ¡°Send missives to warn the local villages, and if there are any villagers that need aid, have them make an official request to their messengers. On your way out, tell Markus that I want to speak with him, and then go get yourself a hot meal and a soft bed. Dismissed.¡±


    After a few minutes, a large stout man donned with full battle equipment and a full clean black beard walked in. ¡°Sir,¡± was all Markus said, but that single word exuded confidence and strength.


    ¡°300 kwach¡¯a are heading westwards. Take 2,000 men with you and stop them before they reach the surrounding villages,¡± the middle-aged man said with his raspy tired voice.


    ¡°Sir, many of our soldiers are new recruits. I request to bring them along to temper their training,¡± Markus replied sternly.


    ¡°Granted. Bring 5,000 troops, of which 2,000 are new recruits. Bring them home safe. Dying in this cold north is no way to go,¡± the middle-aged man replied.

 Chapter 3

    Markus sat atop his war-bred kwach¡¯a while looking at the column of soldiers behind him. It was only yesterday that he received the order to chase the rampant herd, but in that single day they made good time. Silently nodding to himself in approval, he saw the new recruits keep up with the pace, he peered at the horizon half-expecting the kwach¡¯a herd to suddenly manifest. The kwach¡¯a, like many other magical beasts, were tamable. They were big creatures, perfect for the northern taiga of Alir. At 2 meters tall, 3 meters long, and 500 kilogram the lizards were cold-blooded by nature, yet they had an inherent affinity for the Aspect of Metal, which allowed them to live in the cold northern taiga. Their two front arms did not form talons or claws but into scythes that allowed them to slash into their prey; which allowed their beaks to eat in small chunks. Their strong bi-pedal legs were short, wide, and strong, it allowed them to traverse the taiga easily. Their tail tapered into a sharp needle-point that was covered in a metallic sheen and it allowed them to skewer their opponents. The older the kwach¡¯a was the more powerful it became; as the number of tails denoted this fact. The kwach¡¯a that Markus was riding had been with him for his whole military career, its 3 needle-point tails swayed menacingly behind its rider¡ªready to strike.


    Because of the remote location of Fort Winter and its relatively safe conditions, the garrison troops only had 500 cavalry units riding on kwach¡¯as.


    With a simple order, the troops stopped atop a hill with some rocky outcroppings nearby and had setup camp for the night. An easily defensible area against a kwach¡¯a attack also meant that his own kwach¡¯a cavalry was less effective, as their short stout powerful legs were not known to make them jumpers. While normal lizards were least active at night, this was not true for a kwach¡¯a. As the Aspect of Metal coursed through the body and soul, it had allowed them to live comfortably within the northern taiga. This meant that an attack upon the camp during the night was quite feasible. After Markus observed the new recruits awkwardly and inefficiently go about their campground duties, he instructed his lieutenants and captains to oversee their training.


    The next morning, Markus got up with the rising sun and mounted his trusty steed while keeping a keen eye on how quickly these new recruits struck camp. After a short period of time, Markus nodded in approval and the column of garrison troops made their way ever eastward.


    After several hours of slowly marching, one of his advance kwach¡¯a scouts rushed back towards the column. From the back of his kwach¡¯a the scout reported, ¡°Sir. The 300 remnant herd has been spotted southeast of our current position, about 20 kilometers. They¡¯re moving directly westward sir.¡±


    With a nod, the scout was dismissed and Markus turned to his 2<sup>nd</sup> in-command and after what seemed like a few hand signs, the whole column adjusted their position and began to intercept the kwach¡¯a herd.


    Off in the distance a haze of dust could be seen as the low rumble of the herd could also be felt, the garrison column directly barred its path and began to assemble into formation. Markus yelled and barked at the slow moving new recruits. Unlike bracing an attack from another standing army, when fighting against magical beasts there were not that many maneuvers Markus needed to consider. The kwach¡¯a were quite limited in their abilities, and being that his trusted mount was also one, Markus was very familiar with their capabilities. Even if a magical beast could rival human intelligence¡ªif powerful enough, their arsenal of attacks were well-documented.


    As the herd was finally within sight of the garrison troops, a few of the new recruits felt like a heavy stone resided within their stomach, unsure of their safety while the veterans smirked at their shaking legs. Just as the herd approached within 500 meters, Markus gave a command and his order was relayed expertly along his battle lines.


    The archers within his troops that practice the Aspect of the Bow imbued their arrows with power, allowing them to strike a few kwach¡¯a at such great distances. Although strong in their own rights, there were only about three dozen archers with such capabilities. As the kwach¡¯a herd continued to barrel towards the troops, a few collapsed while shrieking in death throes, more and more archers began to fire as the kwach¡¯a enter their range. Finally within 100 meters, the first volley of magic erupted beside Markus. While blades of wind sheared through the herd alongside balls of fire and lances of ice, Markus noted that very little damage was actually done to the herd¡ªwhich was to be expected. It wasn¡¯t actually until he heard the crackle of lightening and the clap of thunder that a smile spread across his face. Because of their close affinity to metal, the kwach¡¯as were extremely susceptible to the charged electricity of lightning. The arcs of lightning stunned a great many kwach¡¯a for the archers to aim at, while other kwach¡¯a were instantly dead upon impact.


    When the herd was within 50 meters, Markus gave another order and his cavalry unit approached from the flanks. The tails of the kwach¡¯a started to shimmer as their tail tips were now encased in hard iron spikes. After a few seconds the 500 kwach¡¯a released these tail tips in unison. Each iron spike was about the 1 meter long and 10 kilograms, all flying towards the herd like a small ballista volley. The wild kwach¡¯a herd acted on instinct and retaliated with their own iron spike volley, though not as coordinated and effective.


    Before a second kwach¡¯a volley could be exchanged, Markus was surprised to hear a loud SQUACK, then all of a sudden the remaining 100 or so kwach¡¯a made an abrupt shift and headed directly south towards his cavalry unit, towards Markus himself. Readying himself for a melee, Markus gave the order for his troops to surround the herd while the southern cavalry unit engages. To his surprise, the kwach¡¯a directly in front of him¡ªapparently their leader, had 3 menacing tail spikes swaying behind it. ¡°Ah, no wonder they seem so organized. None of the reports thus far mentioned an elder kwach¡¯a,¡± Markus cursed.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Markus rode towards the herd with his double-edged battle axe shouting a battle cry. With his axe held high, he swung and cleaved the nearest kwach¡¯a in half. While his master was killing, the kwach¡¯a mount did not idle. It fiercely barraged a nearby kwach¡¯a with its needle-like tail, looking for openings. The kwach¡¯a tail strikes were relentless as they continuously struck the wild kwach¡¯a nearby. The initial clash was one-sided. While the wild kwach¡¯a herd was a force to be reckoned with, the battle-trained mounts could not be compared to their sylvatic counterparts. The battle mounts were well-fed, trained and equipped to handle a melee clash.


    In the middle of the herd was a tall aged kwach¡¯a with 3 menacing tails quickly striking at the soldiers while using its scythe to cut into as many men as possible. Many of the veterans around this kwach¡¯a were bleeding and haggard as they tried to block its tail strikes. One veteran soldier was barely able to keep one of the tails in check while the other two were striking at one other soldier. The soldier fighting against two tails eventually got skewered as they approached him from two blind spots. After quickly killing the soldier, the kwach¡¯a focused all 3 tails on the veteran. After gaining the attention of all 3 tails, the veteran quickly succumbed to the barrage and was killed. Seeing his soldiers die, Markus grit his teeth and charged headlong into the elder kwach¡¯a.


    Markus met the elder kwach¡¯a within the melee, his own mount¡¯s tails striking and defending against the other. While his mount defended him from some of the tail strikes, Markus cleaved and swung his battle axe at its head only to be met with the ringing of its scythes. Seeing his commander¡¯s situation, Rubio the leader of the cadre of mages, gave the order to focus on the elder kwach¡¯a.


    Earthen spikes erupted from the ground to impale the kwach¡¯a, but it broke and crumbled upon striking its skin. Shields of ice condensed within the air to block an errant tail strike, shattering upon impact while successfully blocking the strike. Two mages, friends from the same village, worked together and one of them formed a metal spike from a dead kwach¡¯a body nearby, while the other condensed a miasma of poison within the air. After a few breaths the miasma further condensed into a liquid and coated the metal spike before it was thrusted into the stomach of the elder kwach¡¯a. With a shriek and its attention distracted, Markus summoned the Aspect of the Axe and buried his weapon halfway into the kwach¡¯a, from shoulder to stomach.


    While still barely alive and poison coursing through its veins, the elder kwach¡¯a struck at Markus in its death throes. With his axe buried deep within the kwach¡¯a Markus could only bring up his arms to defend himself. Luckily, his mount was able to defend against two of the incoming tail attacks, while the third was blocked by a sudden formation of an ice shield. Without skipping a beat, Markus reclaimed his axe and turned away from the dead elder kwach¡¯a to chase down the dispersing herd. With their leader dead, the kwach¡¯a were running away in all direction.


    Markus looked out at the battlefield and cursed the new recruits for their slow response, as there were still openings in their formation that allowed a few kwach¡¯a to escape their encirclement. While most of his garrison troops were engaged in cleaning up the kwach¡¯a in the middle of the formation, Markus dispatched small groups of riders to chase down errant kwach¡¯a packs.


    Two days prior, back at Golden Bark Village.


    The wedding ceremony was well underway. Gaius was sitting next to his brother and parents as they watched the two families unite. The bride and her parents were up on the dais along with the groom and his parents.


    Ken¡¯s mother, Mary Hemuk said with a happy smile, ¡°Kim has fulfilled her duty, and my husband and I will be honored to accept her as our daughter.¡±


    Hugh and Dan Ogata, Kim¡¯s fathers said, ¡°Ken has fulfilled his duty, and my husband and I will be honored to accept him as our son.¡±


    With the exchange of the two blessings from the families, Ken and Kim exchanged their personal vows to each other under the witness of the village and most importantly under their parents¡¯ blessing. The ceremony came to an end quickly and the feast began. Immediately, loud upbeat music was playing to accompany eager dancers. Having starved themselves for this feast, Gaius and Gen bolted out of their seats to pile food onto their plates, while their parents snuggled in each other¡¯s embrace whispering and giggling to each other. As the night wore on, Gaius found himself overfed and bursting with food, while his brother¡ªafter breaking out of his shy shell, tired himself from all of the dancing. Right as the feast was coming to a close, Sumi Loti the town shieldsmith roared, ¡°Alright everyone! Time for the finale!¡±


    Village Chief Hemuk, who was also the father of the groom, approached an empty plot of land with Sumi, Kumi, and Gaius¡¯s father Duncan. Chief Hemuk shouted merrily, ¡°As a new family within this village, we would like to bestow upon you a time-honored tradition. May this home serve you for many years to come!¡± and with that Chief Hemuk gave a slight nod.


    Immediately afterwards, Duncan, Kumi, and Sumi began to wrap themselves in the Aspect of Wood. After a few minutes, the three of them projected their aura towards the Golden Bark saplings planted into the ground. Gaius, upon seeing this for the first time was in awe. The saplings were planted in a very specific pattern and as they were bathed in the Aspect of Wood, they started to germinate and grow rapidly before his eyes.


    After several breaths, the saplings erupted quickly out of the ground but was molded by the aura of the three into odd angles and shapes. Instead of growing straight into the sky like a normal tree, the saplings bent at right angles and twisted into each other. After several minutes, the three of them stopped with sweat on their brow and heavy breaths. Within the empty lot now stood a house, which looked like every other home within the village¡ªcovered with a thick golden bark skin, seamless and organic as if the structure had existed for eons. It was then that Gaius and Gen realized that their home too, was built this way.


    The home did lack for some furniture, but it had the essentials of beds, tables, chairs, stools, cabinets, and countertops that grew from the ground or the walls. It looked a bit different from their own home, but was still quite similar. With the house completed and their bedroom constructed, the villagers began to whoop and holler for the two to consummate, ¡°Bed her! Bed her!¡± some chanted as others yelled, ¡°Bed him! Bed him!¡± With that display of magic, the wedding ceremony came to a close.

 Chapter 4

    Just as Gaius and his family made their way home, a member of the village guard ran up to his mother to make a report. Gaius, Gen, and Duncan turned to look at her questioningly. They could see the look of worry and concern on her face and before they could ask her what was wrong, she said reassuringly, ¡°Something important came up, nothing to worry about though. Go on home without me.¡± Tulia gave her two boys a hug and kissed her husband.


    Without a second thought, Duncan corralled the two home to rest from the night¡¯s festivities. It was several hours later that Duncan heard his wife enter their home. Sitting within the dining room, he looked upon his wife¡¯s face and a bleak smile escaped her lips as she settled down onto a chair.


    Without waiting for her husband, she began, ¡°There¡¯s a herd of wild kwach¡¯a heading our way. That was a messenger from Fort Winter notifying all nearby villages to be careful. The fort sent out a regiment to deal with the herd but it¡¯s always good to be cautious. How are the boys?¡±


    ¡°Fell asleep as soon as their heads touched the pillows. So we don¡¯t have anything to worry about?¡± Duncan asked.


    ¡°The herd isn¡¯t more than 300 strong, with our defenses we should be able to hold them off if they slip through. We¡¯ll have some casualties, but nothing we can¡¯t recover from.¡±


    ¡°Did Fort Winter send aid?¡±


    ¡°No. Chief Hemuk would need to make a formal request. And our taxes only cover ¡®defense against the villainy of men¡¯, so aid against a herd of wild beasts will bump our taxes up for the next quarter.¡±


    Duncan let out a sigh as he listened to his wife, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get some sleep. It¡¯ll be at least another day before the herd can get here right? Assuming they get through the garrison guards.¡±


    ¡°Yes, two days at most. I¡¯ll wash up and join you in a bit.¡±


    With a sly smile Duncan replied, ¡°Or we can wash up together.¡±


    The next morning, most of the villagers were excused from their chores as they recovered from a night of merrymaking. The mood was quiet and a bit lethargic as Gaius observed the adults slowly trod around the village groaning. Remembering what his father told him last night during the feast, Gaius entered his father¡¯s workshop looking for the Iron Mother. To his surprise even his father had yet to wake, as he was usually the first one up making breakfast or distilling some tonic. Gaius found the Iron Mother and picked it up and put it on the cart nearby. He rolled it out through the back gate while going through the village.


    Gaius greeted each adult he saw with enthusiasm and childish cheer, but to his astonishment he was greeted with muffled groans and barely-veiled annoyance as they returned his salutation. Some of them covered their eyes or cradled their heads as they made their way through the village. To his surprise there seemed to be a large gathering at one of the water wells as they gorged themselves on water and sat on the ground. Without even realizing it, Gaius appeared before Sumi¡¯s workshop.


    As the village¡¯s only shieldsmith, her status was just as high as his own father. Her house was one of the largest among the villagers not because of any special status, but because of the forge attached to her home. Much like how his own home had an alchemist¡¯s workshop attachment.


    Gaius waited patiently as he knocked on the door. After several breaths, Gaius knocked again. Before he attempted to knock a third time, he could hear light footsteps approaching him from the other side. Kumi opened the door with an apprehensive look and she spoke in low whispers, ¡°Not so loud! You¡¯re going to wake up mommy. And . . .¡±


    Before she could finish what she was saying a loud roar could be heard in the back of the house and Kumi¡¯s face instantly paled, ¡°Forsaken Father! Who¡¯s here so early in the morning!?¡±


    Not knowing how to respond as Kumi suddenly disappeared from the door, Gaius stumbled, ¡°Um, i-it-it¡¯s me ma¡¯am. G-Gai-Gaius Wyn. M-My father told me to bring you the Iron Mother today. . .¡±


    ¡°Quit your stuttering and lower your voice,¡± Sumi shouted while holding her head with both hands.


    ¡°Y-yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. It¡¯s so bright out. Go fetch Mr. Ogata for me, be quick about it. Well, what are you still standing there for?!¡±


    ¡°Um, which Ogata ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°The water one, um¡ªwhat his name. The one that can cure this splitting headache. The other one. Dan, that¡¯s it. Dan Ogata. Bring him here.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if they ate something bad,¡± Gaius thought to himself as he saw all of the adults in the village complaining about their sensitivity to light and loud noises. Gaius quickly made his way through the village to find the Ogata residence. Learning from his first mistake, Gaius lightly rapped on the door and patiently waited for a response. Unlike Sumi, Gaius was answered by Dan himself with a cheerful disposition. ¡°Uh, hello Mr. Ogata. Miss Loti would like for you to visit her whenever it is convenient for you.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Dan¡¯s smile grew wider as he silently chuckled to himself and shook his head, ¡°Guess the shows over. Okay. Lead the way, Gaius.¡± Gaius turned to lead him back to Sumi¡¯s house, as he left he noticed that there was a chair and blanket behind the window of Mr. Ogata¡¯s house. As Gaius and Dan made their way through the village, Gaius could feel the sudden soothing chill of an aura. He turned behind him to look at Mr. Ogata in awe. ¡°So refreshing!¡± Gaius thought to himself as he relaxed in the soothing chill of the Water Aspect. The villagers groaned in discomfort, but Gaius could see how the aura permeated through their body and cleansed them of their lethargy. The now-refreshed villagers greeted, smiled, and gave thanks to Mr. Ogata as they were cleansed. Through Sumi¡¯s door, Gaius could see Mr. Ogata¡¯s aura cleanse her too.


    Just as they approached the doorstep, the door swung open with a smiling Sumi greeting them. ¡°Thanks a ton Dan!¡± Sumi bellowed as she slapped the man on his back with such force that Gaius winced in pain for the man.


    ¡°Ah, ha. Yes. No problem. I¡¯m going to go around and see if I can help out,¡± Dan responded with a sheepish smile as he retreated with a slower and more methodical gait, as if he was suppressing an injury.


    Sumi took in a breath of fresh air and smiled, ¡°Ah! This feels good. Alright boy, down to business. C¡¯mon back.¡± They walked through the parlor and living room to finally enter the forge at the back of their house. ¡°Your father says that you¡¯re interested in seeing the Iron Mother work her magic, eh?¡±


    Gaius nodded vigorously. Gaius saw the forge, a colossal thing with a large billow to its side and a small opening at its center. Around the forge was an anvil and large vats of water, and along the side of the smithy was a large workbench. Sumi danced through her smithy expertly and arrived at a corner where she tucked the Iron Mother away. Gaius could see that the Iron Mother was resting peacefully in a clay pot filled with fertile soil, but the bottom of the clay pot is cut off and it was submerged in a tray filled with iron ingots. Sumi was watching Gaius¡¯s fascinated gaze and smiled, she explained, ¡°While the Iron Mother has an affinity for metal, the root system is still within the realm of my Aspect, which is wood. Here watch this.¡± Sumi concentrated and a robust and ancient aura of brown was tightly directed towards the Iron Mother¡¯s fertile soil. Slowly but surely, Gaius could see small tendrils of a root system spreading out of the clay pot and lodging itself around and in between the iron ingots. After a few breaths she examined the root system herself and smiled, nodding in satisfaction at the healthy roots. Sumi off-handedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s your affinity? You don¡¯t happen to practice the Aspect of Metal do you? It¡¯d be nice to see this Iron Mother go to work.¡± A period of silence brought her back to reality and she examined whether or not she was alone in her smithy, only to find a downcast-looking Gaius. She then immediately recalled that the 10 year-old boy still has yet to condense an Aspect. To get out of this awkwardness she decided to double-down on her mistake, she was never known to retreat and asked the boy, ¡°Sorry, I forgot that you haven¡¯t condense an Aspect yet, huh.¡±


    Gaius shook his head solemnly.


    Sumi recalled something form her past, ¡°You know. When I was a kid, I remember there was a boy in my village that had his Awakening when he was 2 years-old. Yeah, it¡¯s rare, but it happens,¡± she said as she looks at the incredulous look the boy was giving her. She continued, ¡°He had it at such a young age, that he thought it was normal to be able to see the embers of the Fire Aspect, as if everyone could see the essence of Fire. It wasn¡¯t until later that the boy and the village realized that he had his Awakening much earlier and could condense an Aspect at the age of 2. Do you think you¡¯re like that?¡±


    ¡°Well, my mom and dad said that I¡¯ve already had my Awakening, but I am unable to condense an Aspect. I don¡¯t really know though, we¡¯ve tried everything.¡±


    To her surprise, she learned that the boy has already has his Awakening, so she inquired, ¡°So, what do you see? Brown dots? Red dots? Green, white, amber, or perhaps blue?¡±


    ¡°Mom and dad said that I¡¯m a bit abnormal, I don¡¯t see dots. I see bright dense colors. Like an ocean of brown, white, or blue. I just can¡¯t condense them.¡±


    ¡°Wait. You can see an ocean of colors?¡±


    Gaius nodded.


    Sumi studied him and she emitted her Aspect of Wood to test the boy. His face changed from sad contemplation to relaxed elation. She controlled her aura and asked the boy, ¡°What do you see?¡±


    Her question brought him out of his reverie and he looked at her. On top of her head was a silhouette of a tree. The comical sight brought a smile to his face and Gaius tells her, ¡°You have a very big tree growing on top of your head.¡±


    Stunned at the revelation, she changed the configuration of her aura multiple times and asked him what he saw. Every time she changed her aura she used more and more control and established more and more details, like how many leaves the tree had or how many branches; and to her surprise the boy answered each question easily and quickly. ¡°You are a weird one. You have such fine control over your senses. Normally, only another Wood Mages would be able to see the essence of another, and even then they¡¯re more like dots that are pieced together. But for some reason you¡¯re able to see my aura very clearly. Hmm¡±


    Gaius stood there sheepishly.


    ¡°And I assume your parents have coaxed you into condensing one of the Aspects?¡±


    Gaius nodded.


    ¡°And you couldn¡¯t condense anything?¡±


    He nodded again.


    ¡°Odd.¡±


    After his visit to Sumi¡¯s workshop, Gaius departed to the village barracks. Although most of the villagers earned a day off, the news of a kwach¡¯a attack put the village guard on alert. As Gaius approached the barrack¡¯s training ground, he could hear the grunts and thwacks of their spars. On the ground panting heavily was Gen, ¡°Ha. I think. Ha. I need. Ha. To take. Ha ha. A break,¡± he spoke through each breath. Towering over him was his mother dressed in her usual leather with not a single mark on her armor or bead of sweat upon her brow.


    ¡°A kwach¡¯a isn¡¯t going to give you a break. Up!¡± she roared.


    Gen reluctantly tried to get up, only to fall onto his knees again panting for breath. Seeing this, Dan got up from his spot in the shade and headed over to the fallen Gen. It was at this time that Gaius entered the training ground. Seeing Mr. Ogata spread his refreshing blue aura towards his brother caught Gaius by surprise as he took in the scene before him. With his fatigue gone, Gen got up reluctantly and stared at his mother, readying himself for another bout. Luckily for him, Gen¡¯s mother spotted Gaius at the other side of the yard and gave him a break while she beckoned her firstborn over.

 Chapter 5

    ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to be around these parts, what do you have planned for today, Gaius?¡± his mother asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just came from Miss Loti¡¯s forge. And I wanted to see what you two were up to, seeing that the village guard is the only ones working.¡±


    A smile spread across her face as she asked, ¡°Want to practice? Oh, don¡¯t give me that face. You use to be so diligent,¡± she faked a sad sigh.


    Around the age of 6, his parents tried to help him condense an Aspect by exposing him to many fighting styles. If he couldn¡¯t condense an elemental Aspect and become a mage like his parents, then perhaps he could condense a martial Aspect and become a warrior. So they taught him how to fight with the sword, spear, bow, knife, shield, hammer, axe, and even tried more exotic weapons like blow-darts and throwing stars and knives. This went on for a year until the boy finally gave up and retreated to the forest. Fortunately for him he found his role as he had a knack for finding rare herbs and flowers.


    Seeing his mother¡¯s sad face, Gaius gave in and decided to pick up a wooden spear. In that year of training, he always felt the most comfortable using the spear. To Gen¡¯s surprise, his brother entered the training ground. This was the first time he has seen his brother pick up a weapon, as he was much too young to remember that year of training.


    Although Gaius doesn¡¯t want to be reminded of his failures at condensing a martial Aspect, he had to agree that there was a nice calming effect as he gripped the wooden spear in his hands and settled into his stance.


    Seeing her son seriously and calmly prepare brought a twinge of joy into her heart. Looking at his eyes she saw that he was ready and she sprung forth striking with her wooden sword only to be blocked by shaft of the spear. She smiled inwardly as she felt the strong unyielding defense of her firstborn, as well as a bit of pride.


    Gaius spent a lot of time struggling to learn these weapons in the vain hopes of condensing one of them. He remembered one particular day when his mother would beat him silly into the ground, berating him for not putting up a proper defense. It was then that he told his mother, ¡°I can¡¯t concentrate with your aura washing over me! Every time you attack I wraps around your sword, then when you defend it condenses around your shield, it¡¯s very hard to concentrate¡±.


    At the mention of being able to see her aura, she was delighted; perhaps he will be able to condense the Aspect of Light just like her. After that, she spent several hours lecturing him on how to condense an Aspect of Light, to just manifest the essences into the body, but the boy just said that he can¡¯t summon the Aspects, and could only see them. Although he failed at condensing an Aspect, he was able to stumble upon a surprise. The boy found that, instead of fighting and focusing on his mother¡¯s aura, if he just let it wash over him he would able to keep up his energy. Another thing he slowly found out was that he¡¯s able to tell when his mother would attack or defend depending on the ebb and flow of her aura, so it was easy for him to know when to dodge or strike.


    In the barrack courtyard a surprising scene unfolded. The captain of the guard was sparring against her son with a flurry of attacks and blocks, yet the boy was able to keep up with her, not showing any signs of fatigue. Seconds turns into minutes, then into tens of minutes. Although Gaius¡¯s body was drenched in sweat, he felt invigorated as he bathed in the aura that his mother exuded, as if he was stealing some of her strength. Slowly but surely, his mother¡¯s attacks became sharper and sharper. Her attacks were not the half-hearted swings from earlier strikes, each one contained a dense sharp aura. Lost in her spar and in the delight of her son holding up against her attacks she didn¡¯t realize that his wooden spear was near breaking point. Unlike her own wooden sword that was reinforced with her Aspect, the wooden spear in Gaius¡¯s hand was beginning to splinter.


    His mother¡¯s next attack contained the same sharp aura, but her wooden sword strike broke through his spear block, shattering the training weapon and the sharp Aspect of Light was about to collide into him. In a moment of panic, Gaius lost control and fell to the ground, he stared at the impeding Aspect with dread. Gaius frantically reached his hand out to block the sharp aura, trying to will the attack from cleaving him in two. All of a sudden, the sharp aura disappeared and a surge of energy filled his body. His vision turned black and he immediately fainted.


    His mother stood there in complete shock. First at herself for almost harming her own child! How carless. She should have paid more attention to the wooden spear in his hands, but she was too engrossed in her pride as she watched her son deftly dodge and counter her attacks. Secondly, at her aura. It just disappeared. Although she didn¡¯t control much of the aura as she only imbued her wooden sword with it, it should not have disappeared like that. It should have, to her dismay, killed her son, or at least severely wounded him. Shocked back to reality, she saw her son immediately faint as the aura vanished, perhaps the aura did strike him and now he¡¯s dead! She dropped everything and rushed towards her son with tears in her eyes. She thanked the Mother that he was still breathing, calm deep breaths. She would have never been able to live with herself if she was the cause of harming her own son.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Dan immediately ran towards Tulia, the captain of the guard, as she cradled her son. He pulsed his Aspect of Water to probe the boy¡¯s body and to his delight, he could see that he was still alive. Having witnessed their spar earlier, and being one of the older veterans of the guard, he was one of the few present that knew how dangerous the errant aura was. He calmly whispered, ¡°The boy is sleeping, probably due to shock. He¡¯s perfectly healthy. Come, let¡¯s get him on a proper bed.¡±


    After finding an empty bed in the infirmary, Dan left to give Tulia some privacy with her infirmed son.


    Tulia directed Gen to bring his father while she waited and looked at her sleeping baby. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she began to sob. Through her teary eyes she noticed that the boy was releasing a white aura. She perked up at this discovery and examined him more closely with her own Aspect. She encased him with a soft white aura, and to her surprise he was indeed releasing an Aspect of Light. This wasn¡¯t the same as condensing an Aspect, but it seemed to her that he was leaking aura? Before she could ponder on it more, she could hear the arrival of her husband and her second son. She softly told him what transpired, how she almost maimed their son.


    ¡°And before I knew it, his wooden spear broke and the aura almost cleaved him in half, then it just disappeared. Now he¡¯s sleeping, but the odd thing is that the boy is releasing the Aspect of Light. Gen, look at your brother and tell me what you see,¡± she directed.


    To his surprise, Gen does as he¡¯s told and a gasp escaped his breath and he looked at his mother and nodded.


    Before Duncan could rejoice about Gaius finally condensing an aura, Tulia said, ¡°He isn¡¯t condensing an aura though, it is like he¡¯s leaking it. Have you ever heard of such a thing?¡±


    Puzzled, Duncan shook his head.


    It wasn¡¯t until later that night that Gaius woke up. Feeling invigorated Gaius jumped from his bed and stretched to his heart¡¯s content. His abrupt action surprised his parents and his brother, as they were huddled together talking softly about the nearby kwach¡¯a herd.


    ¡°Honey!¡± Tulia rushed to her son and embraced him fiercely, her eyes immediately started to water while she tried to hold back her sobs, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Mother was foolish and almost hurt you.¡±


    Gaius was entirely surprised by his mother¡¯s behavior, ¡°Mom? What happened? Why are you crying?¡±


    Tulia calmed down a bit and held back hers sobs long enough to look in her son¡¯s eyes and noticed that there was only concern, ¡°You don¡¯t remember what happened?¡±


    Now that she mentioned it, Gaius tried to recall the last thing he remembered. A shiver ran down his spine as he remembered the sharp aura of her Aspect barreling towards him. He remembered being afraid of death and then how the aura suddenly disappeared. Before he passed out though, he remembered how he felt full of energy, like white hot water pouring into his body. It overwhelmed him and before he could do anything, darkness took him.


    With his crestfallen face, Gaius looked at his mother and barely nodded, ¡°I remember. I was really scared.¡±


    Seeing his son¡¯s face, Duncan¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but shudder. Thinking of ways to cheer him up, Duncan recalled the leaking aura, ¡°Gaius. Do you know what happened to your mother¡¯s aura? Why it disappeared?¡±


    Gaius was still shaken by how close he was to death that he didn¡¯t fully understand what his father just asked him, so it took him a while to finally ponder the question. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t really know. One second I thought it was going to kill me, and the next it just disappeared.¡±


    Hearing her son say ¡®I thought it was going to kill me¡¯ is just as bad as saying ¡®I thought mom was going to kill me¡¯, her heart ached at the thought of he son being fearful of her.


    Duncan, wanting to cheer his son up, didn¡¯t really know what his wife was currently thinking so he told Tulia to condense her Aspect; to see if they could recreate the phenomenon.


    Tulia was about to object whole-heartedly but she saw the eager expression on Gaius¡¯s face, a curious glint flashed deep within his eyes, as if he too wanted to find these answers. At that moment she realized how worked up she was. Gaius didn¡¯t seem to fear her aura any more or less than before, and with an apprehensive nod she condensed her Aspect.


    A soft white aura permeated throughout the infirmary. Gaius let the aura bathe him in the warm familiar light. Duncan looked at his son expectedly, not knowing really what to expect. ¡°So, do you feel anything different?¡± his father asks.


    ¡°Hmm, no, not really. It¡¯s a lot softer than usual, but it still makes me feel warm and safe,¡± Gaius absentmindedly responded.


    Tulia breathed a sigh of relief that her son didn¡¯t scorn her for the near-death experience.


    ¡°When you were sleeping earlier, your mother and brother was able to see traces of the Light Aspect leak from your body. I had hoped that this accident would allow you to condense an Aspect.¡±


    Gaius looked at his father oddly, along with his mother and brother.


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t stare at me like that. I¡¯ve heard plenty of stories where people discover amazing abilities through near-death experiences,¡± Duncan defended himself.


    The three of them looked at Duncan¡¯s serious expression, and Tulia let out a chuckle. Gaius and Gen smiled and as if their mother¡¯s laugh was contagious, they began chuckling too. Soon the three of them laughed for no apparent reason. Eventually Duncan joined in and laughed too. As if by some magic, the family of four felt like the gloomy atmosphere lifted form their shoulders; life returning to their eyes as they sat in the infirmary laughing for no reason.

 Chapter 6

    The next morning the village was seen in its usual hustle and bustle with the exception to selected groups. Gaius was told that he also had a ¡°day off¡± from his chores today, either from the looming threat of the kwach¡¯a herd or from yesterday¡¯s ordeal, he did not know. Although Gaius was one of the more skilled harvesters in terms of finding rare ingredients he was not the only one; the other laborers that usually ventured outside the village were also told to stay within its area of protection. Hunters were seen restlessly meandering around the streets as idle hands make them uncomfortable. Gaius did not share their disposition as he was a 10 year-old child, so with unexpected free-time on his hands, he decided to accompany his father for the day.


    ¡°How about this one?¡± Gaius asked his father as he raised a small vibrant crimson vial for inspection.


    ¡°Ah, very good. I have to say son,¡± Duncan said merrily, ¡°Aspect or no Aspect, you¡¯ve inherited my talents in alchemy.¡± Duncan beamed as he inspected the small vial before him, gauging the color and transparency of the viscous liquid, ¡°How many Bleeding Heart petals did you use to get such a rich color?¡± Duncan asked while opening the stopper to inspect the scent. His eyes widen at the full aroma.


    ¡°Mm. I used 3, like you said.¡± Gaius smiled at his father¡¯s praise.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Duncan was shocked to hear that his son only used 3 petals, even he would have a tough time producing such a rich vial with 3 petals, so without trying to alarm his son with his peculiar vial Duncan asked, ¡°Would you mind making another so that I may watch? Just to make sure you¡¯re not developing any bad habits,¡± Duncan shamelessly added.


    Gaius nodded and he looked around to find another 3 Bleeding Heart petals, along with the other necessary ingredients¡ªa couple of stalks, seeds, and water. Observing up to this point, Duncan nodded in approval as everything his son grabbed was appropriate for his signature flesh tonic. Suddenly, Gaius grabbed some red powder and blue crystals from separate bowls. ¡°Oh? Did he use Nong¡¯s Fury and Baltos¡¯ crystals too?¡± Duncan asked himself while watching his son concentrate on measuring each ingredient as precisely as possible.


    To his surprise, Duncan noticed that Gaius began with grinding the blue crystals into a fine powder, then he combined both the red and blue powder into a cauldron of water over a flame. While letting it boil, Gaius returned to the stalks, seeds, and petals. Although Duncan could see that his son was using the same ingredients that was required of the recipe with the exception of the two powders, the proportion that his son was using for the stalks and seeds were wrong. Trying his best not to correct his son, as he wanted to see how he was able to produce such a fine tonic, Duncan tried his best to remain silent.


    Gaius was fully concentrating on the stalks, seeds, and petals in his hand. He momentarily looked at the recipe his father gave him earlier and frowned. Although the recipe required 2 stalks, 1 spoon of seeds, and 3 petals, the ingredients in his hands didn¡¯t feel like they would mesh well together. The stalks had an inflexible brittle aura, like they were going to break and dissipate at any moment. They needed to be mixed in with seeds to balance each other out, as the seed¡¯s aura was too flexible by nature and was susceptible from being easily masked by another¡¯s aura. So with a good combination of healthy stalks and seeds, he was able to find a good balance between the two and have them benefit each other for his first tonic.


    However, the stalks in his hands lacked the abundance of aura the first two stalks had. At a loss, Gaius turned to his father ready to ask him a question, until an idea popped into his mind. Gaius merely sat there locking eyes with his father, but his mind was elsewhere trying to puzzle out this new idea.


    Duncan saw his son¡¯s head turn towards him and was excited to see what is going on within his son¡¯s mind, but to his dismay Gaius¡¯s eyes became unfocused as he concentrated on something. Duncan patiently waited.


    Gaius suddenly smiled and looked around the room for more ingredients. After a few breaths, Gaius returned with 2 more stalks and 2 more spoonful of seeds.


    ¡°Instead of finding perfect stalks, why not just get more stalks? And if their aura overpowers the seeds, then just get more seeds until a balance is struck!¡± Gaius thought to himself at his new discovery. With that in mind, he combined a total of 4 stalks¡ªwhich happened to be young and therefore not have the refined and rich aura he had seen from his first pair, and 3 spoonful of seeds to balance the new aura. After inspecting the stalks and seeds for a brief moment, Gaius nodded and began chopping and crushing the two until they become a paste. Looking at his paste, Gaius nodded in approval as their two subtle auras were now perfectly combined and they reinforced each other.


    Gaius checked on his boiling cauldron and smiled while he picked up his last ingredient, the Bleeding Hear petals. ¡°The aura from these petals will combine perfectly with the aura from the paste,¡± he thought to himself. If one was stronger than the other, then it will diminish each other as opposed to reinforce each other. With the paste in one hand and the 3 petals in another, Gaius began to combine them, all under the observing eye of his father.


    Unlike the common pedigree of the stalks and seeds, the Bleeding Heart flower was a bit less common. So their stock on such supplies are generally limited, and with that being said Gaius was told earlier that day that he was not to waste too many petals. His father thought to let his son have some fun in his workshop while the kwach¡¯a threat loomed overhead. Duncan was all smiles as he gave his son a handful of petals as he recalled fond memories of teaching his son the basics of milling and distilling a couple of years ago.


    To Duncan¡¯s confusion, his son did not place the petals in the mortar but instead laid the 3 petals atop his outstretched palm.


    Gaius, trying not to waste a bit of the aura from the petals coaxed the aura to leave its physical confines and enter the paste. The aura of the 3 petals immediately flew out of his palm and straight into the paste and like a sponge, it greedily soaked the petals¡¯ aura. With a brief smile and nod, Gaius looked over to his cauldron. He noticed that the water was almost gone, leaving behind a white-blue powdery residue stuck to the sides and bottom. Unknown to Gaius, his father¡¯s mind was in a state of panic and confusion, not willing to believe what he had just witnessed. ¡°Did his son just manipulate the Aspect of Wood?!¡±


    Gaius continued in ignorance to his father¡¯s turmoil, and he scraped the cauldron ensuring that he got every last gram of powder. After inspecting the aura of the white-blue powder, Gaius smiled and threw the paste and powder together and started to mix them. With the cauldron clean, Gaius carefully measured 3 cups of water into the cauldron and placed the mixed-paste into it¡ªensuring that it fully dissolved. He then placed the cauldron over the flame and let out a sigh of relief. All that was left for him to do was monitor the water level. With a smile-filled face, Gaius turned to his father expecting praise but was instead met with a distorted and frowning face.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± Gaius thought to himself.


    Duncan lost in his thoughts, saw his son¡¯s worried expression and realized that he was the cause. He immediately smiled and said, ¡°Well done son!¡± although he only has an idea of what his son just accomplished he knew it to be monumental.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious. Why did you use 4 stalks and 3 spoonful of seeds?¡±


    ¡°Well, at first, I wanted to follow the recipe, but not all of the stalks have the same aura. Some are richer, but most are weak and brittle. So instead of trying to find two stalks that have a good enough aura, I decided to use 4. Was I wrong to do so?¡± Gaius asked worriedly.


    ¡°Ah, no, no. You did well, I was just curious is all,¡± Duncan¡¯s mind churned vigorously as he tried to digest what his son was saying. ¡°How did you know 4 stalks would be enough? What if the aura is too strong?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I had to think about that for a while. And I realized that it doesn¡¯t matter how strong the stalks¡¯ aura is, so long as I balance it out with the aura of the seeds, right?¡± Gaius sought affirmation to his original idea.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Yes, very good son. Have you been practicing without my knowledge?¡±


    ¡°No, not really.¡±


    ¡°Then how did you know to seek balance in their auras?¡± Duncan probed.


    ¡°Well, I just felt like the auras of the stalks and seeds should complement each other and not fight each other.¡±


    Duncan barely heard his son¡¯s response as he already guessed what it was, his son¡¯s ability to sense and discern auras was frightening. Duncan was trying to figure out how to best ask how his son was able to manipulate the aura of the petals when another question popped into his mind, ¡°Why did you use Nong¡¯s Fury and Baltos¡¯ crystals?¡± though all of the other methods his son performed were within his realm of understanding, this was a curiosity.


    Gaius answered sheepishly, ¡°Oh. With the stalks, seeds, and even the petals being filled with the Aspect of the Wood, I thought using the Aspect of Water from the Baltos¡¯ crystals would be a good idea. It felt like a good one anyways.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a new concept to supplement reagents in the refining process with complementary Aspects, it was just extremely hard to find the right measurements. What he was curious about was why his son used Nong¡¯s Fury, since it had an element of fire. ¡°What I mean is, why did you use the Fury powder?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Um, if I used a pinch or a single grain of Baltos¡¯ crystals it would have been too much water, and it would have overpowered the paste. So I decided to negate the aura of water by mixing it with a bit of the powder. That way, there is only a tiny bit of water aura left, which will combine perfectly with the paste.¡±


    Stunned by his son¡¯s reasoning and tremendous intuition, Duncan found the nerve to ask the one question he cared most about, ¡°How were you able to extract the petals¡¯ aura?¡±


    ¡°I pulled it out,¡± Gaius immediately answered as if it was the most obvious statement in the world.


    Duncan almost fell to the ground as his son answered him. Trying his best not to be alarmed, he clarified, ¡°Who taught you how to do it?¡±


    ¡°You did.¡±


    This time Duncan couldn¡¯t stop his shaking legs and immediately dropped on his butt. Seemingly unfazed by his father¡¯s antics, Gaius continued to monitor the water level in the cauldron.


    ¡°What do you mean I taught you? I never taught you how to extract auras.¡±


    ¡°Well, when you¡¯re busy distilling, I sometimes watch you. And I can see the aura flow from one place to another. So I thought I could give it a try, and it worked.¡±


    . . .


    If Gaius knew that he could only manipulate auras pertaining to the Aspect of Wood and only small amounts, and more importantly¡ªonly after years of training, then he would be as shocked, confused, happy, and sad as he was feeling now. Trying to calm down, Duncan asked, ¡°How often did you practice extracting aura before today?¡±


    ¡°Today was my first time.¡±


    . . .


    . . . . . .


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± the proverbial straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. Despite his son¡¯s ability to detect, sense, and discern auras as finely as he could, Duncan could overlook such an amazing ability because his son wasn¡¯t able to condense an Aspect; so he thought the universe was fair¡ªcrippling his son in one area while allowing him to excel in another.


    But being able to extract as much Bleeding Heart aura as he did, and on his second try, that was too much for him to handle and Duncan was lost in turmoil.


    Gaius was startled at his father¡¯s outburst. Staring at his father¡¯s bulging eyes, Gaius sat there dazed and confused, unsure of what he did wrong. All of a sudden his father grabbed a single Bleeding Heart petal and presented it in front of his face, ¡°Extract the aura from this petal,¡± his father commanded.


    Almost on instinct, Gaius pulled all of the aura from the petal expertly. With nowhere for the aura to go, it dissipated. ¡°That is the 3<sup>rd</sup> time in ALL OF YOUR LIFE, that you¡¯ve done something like that?¡±


    Gaius meekly nodded. Unknown to Gaius, he had been subconsciously extracting auras from the amber stones within the forest. The only time besides today that he had been able to actively manipulate aura was during yesterday¡¯s spar. But what happened yesterday and what he could do today in the workshop were two separate things, or so Gaius believed, but his father knew better.


    Duncan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he was deep in thought.


    Gaius noticed the cauldron¡¯s water level and immediately tended to it while his father sat to the side like a statue. Gaius then poured the concoction through a sieve and into a small glass vial. After inspecting his creation for a bit, he grinned widely and nodded in satisfaction.


    Without even inspecting the vial in front of him, Duncan immediately condensed his Aspect and a soft bright brown orb hovered above his outstretched palm, ¡°Son. I want you to make this orb go away.¡±


    Surprised at his father¡¯s sudden request, Gaius went along. He concentrated on the orb in front of him, trying to make it ¡®go away¡¯¡ªwhatever that meant.


    Duncan was concentrating with his senses open, trying to notice anything. Then all of a sudden he felt it, a small tug. ¡°Was that my imagination?¡± with that in mind, Duncan loosened his control over the orb, and it began to lose shape but it still maintained a loose spherical form. ¡°There! I felt it again, stronger this time. There¡¯s no doubt.¡± Duncan stared at his son in awe. He then quickly dismissed the orb and stood up while grabbing Gaius by the wrist and walked out the workshop.


    ¡°This is weird. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen father like this,¡± he thought to himself, he began to worry. After a few awkward minutes of silence the father-son pair finally stopped at the edge of the village. At the eastern part of the village and before a watchtower, Duncan shouted for his wife. Although she was the captain of the guard and did not necessarily need to personally be on patrol duty, she always felt that the best way to set an example for the troops is by doing it yourself¡ªas the commander.


    Over the edge of the watchtower, a beautiful but confused face peered over the edge. After a few muffled words, Tulia jumped from the top of the watchtower and appeared before the two with a worried face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you two okay?¡± Tulia asked, she knew her husband wouldn¡¯t carelessly bring their son outdoors with the looming kwach¡¯a threat.


    ¡°Honey, I know this is weird, but I need you to condense an orb.¡± Duncan stated while opening up his own palm and condensing an orb himself, as if to show her what he meant.


    Tulia looked at her husband¡¯s expecting face in confusion and decided to trust her husband and condensed an orb.


    ¡°Son, I want you to try to disp¡ªer to make it go away.¡± Duncan hurriedly told his son.


    Gaius was just as confused as his mother, and he looked at her for clarification only to see a confused face staring back at him. So he decided to comply and tried to make the orb ¡®go away¡¯ again. While Gaius was concentrating on his odd task he didn¡¯t notice the change in his mother¡¯s face, going from confusion to shock, then to delight.


    Duncan and Tulia look at each other. Duncan wanting to find out if his guess is wrong, but looking at his wife¡¯s face, he knew that he was right. His son was an Antimage.

 Chapter 7

    ¡°Phew, I can¡¯t do it dad. It¡¯s too hard,¡± Gaius confessed as he gave up on trying to make the orb ¡®go away¡¯.


    Through their excited grins and discovery they both forgot about their son for a moment. An Antimage¡ª was a rare breed throughout the kingdom, perhaps even the world. Duncan and Tulia didn¡¯t know much about them, their origin a mystery; but the two of them have dealt with a few antimages in the past when they were both in the Alirian Army.


    ¡°Captain! Scout Si is here to make a report,¡± someone yelled beside the watchtower. The two married couple was shaken back to reality and before Tulia broke away from her husband and son, she smiled and nodded vigorously at her husband low whispers. Duncan and Gaius stayed around for a while to listen to the report as well.


    Tulia reverted back to her commanding air, although not so different from her ¡®stern-mother air¡¯.


    ¡°Report,¡± she curtly said.


    ¡°8 kwach¡¯a approach us ma¡¯am. They¡¯ll be here in less than an hour. It seems that most of them are battered and worn, most likely a remnant from the main herd. I¡¯ve also spotted Alirian banners giving chase, most likely the garrison troops from Fort Winter,¡± scout Armeta Si reported.


    ¡°Dismissed.¡± Tulia turned to the soldier atop the watchtower and ordered him, ¡°At first sight, sound the alarm. I¡¯m going to report to the chief.¡±


    Tulia turned around and headed to the center of the village with her husband and son in tow. Upon arriving at the chief¡¯s home, Tulia loudly banged on the door twice. A middle-aged man with a tan face and a medium frame answered the door. ¡°Ah, captain, what news?¡±


    ¡°Armeta reports 8 kwach¡¯a heading our way, they¡¯ll be here in less than an hour. Also garrison troops giving them chase. I advise you to have the villagers take refuge within the community center or within their homes, but preferably the former,¡± Tulia concisely reported.


    ¡°Hmm, alright. Let¡¯s do as you say,¡± the chief responded while eyeing Duncan and Gaius, ¡°I assume you two will be coming with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Duncan said.


    Tens of minutes later, a steady stream of people were still filtering into the community center¡ªa large building built for many functions, one of which was to provide refuge for situations like this. Duncan was helping the chief and others file people through the doors in an orderly fashion while other adults ensured that the villagers would have enough space to sit. Gaius, lost in the sea of people coincidently bumped into his brother.


    ¡°Gen!¡±


    ¡°Gaius!¡±


    They both yelled at each other. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± they both asked. With a chuckle, Gaius responded first, ¡°I was with dad the whole day, and we ended up here to help the chief out. What about you? The barracks isn¡¯t safe enough for you?¡±


    Gen laughed and shook his head, ¡°the barracks is empty. All of the adults are with mom guarding the village, the rest of the trainee kids like me were sent here. I heard some of the adults talk about a kwach¡¯a? They¡¯re gigantic lizards with metal scythes and a metal tail, and they¡¯re as big as our houses!¡±


    A slight shriek was heard by the side of the two boys, and they turned to look at whatever made that sound to find Kumi with her hands covering her mouth. Her eyes wide in fear she muttered softly, ¡°Are they really that big?¡± The two boys are stunned that she was standing by their side, and they both wondered how long she had been standing there.


    Gen forgot about his shyness and answered her question with enthusiasm, ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s what all of the soldiers say. The kwach¡¯a use their tails to spear their prey and eat with it like forks! Also, they said that if the kwach¡¯a is powerful enough, they can grow 10-15 tails!¡±


    ¡°What? Really? I hope mom will be okay,¡± Gaius sadly said. As if Gaius had just uttered a magic spell, a low hum crescendos into a roaring blast that can be felt and heard throughout the village. The kwach¡¯a have finally been spotted.


    On the watchtower bordering the town, Tulia stood tall amidst her sergeants staring at the approaching kwach¡¯a. She and a few of her more seasoned veterans devised a plan to survive this attack to the best of their abilities. Because the kwach¡¯a were not violent in nature and don¡¯t usually feast on human flesh, they¡¯ve decided to hunker down within their buildings and wait for this attack to pass. With any luck they will be unscathed. While she and her sergeants stood atop the watchtower, the rest of the village guard¡ªabout 500 in total, was scattered throughout the village but concentrated around the community center. The village guard stood tall and ready atop the buildings in the village¡ªhomes, shops, the community center, or other public facilities, using it as a natural tower. Relying on the tough, yet absorbent nature of the Golden Bark trees, the plan was to watch the kwach¡¯a enter the village and run through without engaging a single one in combat.


    Tulia also augmented this plan to help the garrison guards capture or kill the remnant by blockading certain streets within the village, hoping to corral them into a kill-zone. Kwach¡¯a are not known for their jumping abilities, so Tulia stood there hoping the height of each barricade is enough to funnel them through to dead ends.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    As the horn blared those within the vicinity of the community center rush into it, while the others further moved into nearby homes as their doors swung open accepting anyone on the streets to capacity. From her vantage point, Tulia smiled and breathed a sigh of relief as the streets were now perfectly empty. At this time, the kwach¡¯a finally reached the watchtower. Being so close, Tulia could see the wounds, cuts, and missing limbs of the kwach¡¯a herd, ¡°Perhaps we didn¡¯t need to plan so cautiously,¡± she thought to herself.


    The kwach¡¯a remnant rushed into the village at several entry points and Tulia could see them scurry and scatter. Two of the kwach¡¯a halted at a dead end, while they screeched and squawked at their displeasure. One began to slash at the empty houses in front of it, while Golden Bark is a tough and sturdy material¡ªcomparable to light weight iron, its main ability is to regenerate. Without a mage tapping into its unique properties however, the bark skin stayed inert. The other nearby kwach¡¯a joined and also began slashing at the home. The other 6 kwach¡¯a were scattered across the village but they all eventually met dead ends, both groups contained only 3 kwach¡¯a each.


    When all of the kwach¡¯a were successfully corralled into dead ends, Tulia thought to herself, ¡°Should I give the command to open fire? No, no reason to put them in danger. We can sit and wait till the garrison troops arrive.¡± She shifted her gaze to the horizon and saw the approaching regiment.


    ¡°Villager! Have the kwach¡¯a herd run through your village or are you engaging them?¡± a tattered soldier shouted.


    Tulia replied, ¡°We have trapped the kwach¡¯a within our village, but none of my guards have engaged them. Come.¡±


    At her beckoning, the soldier created a pillar of earth under his feet and it shot up the length of the watchtower. He easily walked off his earthen pillar and onto the watchtower.


    He immediately saw the maze-like village layout and smiled at their ingenuity. He began to order his men to appropriate cul-de-sacs. The garrison mages began to condense their Aspect and hurl elemental fury upon the trapped kwach¡¯a. Seeing the garrison mages, the village guards also tried to lend a helping hand by firing arrows or condensing elemental Aspects of their own. Compared to the thick, rich, and dense aura of the garrison mages however, the spells thrown by the village guards paled in comparison, some of their spells even sputtered and faded away before reaching the kwach¡¯a pack. The condensation of so many auras bloomed within the city and just like that, in a matter of seconds, 8 of the kwach¡¯a laid dead in their streets.


    The soldier turned to Tulia and said, ¡°Ah, where are my manners. I am Rubio Song, Captain of the Mages stationed at Fort Winter. Is this your handiwork?¡± he gestured to the maze-like village below them.


    ¡°I¡¯m Tulia Wyn, Captain of the Guard. With the effort of all of my guardsmen, we were able to come up with this plan. Early reports and sightings also help tremendously. Also, your riders provided adequate warning 2 days prior,¡± she flatly reported.


    Rubio nodded with a smile, ¡°Well, you all have certainly done us a service. Your actions have allowed us to further minimize our losses, and for that we¡¯re thankful. To reciprocate, we¡¯ll leave behind 3 of the dead kwach¡¯a of your choosing. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°You honor us with your words Captain Song, I will relay your message to the village chief. I am sure he will want to speak with you,¡± Tulia replied.


    Back at the community center, Gaius was surprised to feel the eruption of so many densely rich auras wash over him, but in another few seconds they disappeared leaving him craving for more. Soon the doors of the community center swung open, although Gaius could not see his mother, he can feel her familiar aura and knew that she was near.


    ¡°Chief Hemuk, this is Captain Rubio Song of the Mages stationed within Fort Winter. He came to our rescue and eliminated the kwach¡¯a threat,¡± Tulia reported with respect as she and Rubio made their way to the chief.


    ¡°Our village is in your debt, great captain. If there is anything my village can do for you, all you need to do is ask,¡± Hemuk humbly replied.


    Seeing their deferential attitude, Rubio nodded in approval and returned the face that he had been given, ¡°It is actually the genius of your Captain of the Guard here. Funneling the kwach¡¯a into cul-de-sacs allowed my mages to easily kill the pack without so much as a scratch. To show you my gratitude, you may choose any 3 kwach¡¯a corpses.¡±


    Delighted at the prospect of harvesting the abundant iron materials from the kwach¡¯a bones, the chief smiled and graciously accepted the token of gratitude. ¡°You and your men must be tired from chasing the kwach¡¯a across the taiga, please stay and enjoy our hospitality.¡±


    ¡°If it will not be too much of a bother, I will accept,¡± Rubio replied.


    ¡°Nonsense! It will be our honor to hosts such esteemed guests,¡± the chief said.


    With the presence of the garrison troops and the death of the kwach¡¯a pack, the gloomy atmosphere finally lifted as if a physical weight disappeared from the shoulders of all villagers. The community center began an orderly evacuation. Most of the villagers started on their day-to-day chores while others prepared for the banquet.


    The two boys finally made it home with their father. Tulia accompanied the chief in showing Captain Song around the village. Gaius was leisurely stretching across one of the sofas when Duncan said, ¡°Gaius. I have good news.¡± Catching both of the boys¡¯ attention, Duncan smiled and continued, ¡°Your mother and I were able to figure out why you aren¡¯t able to condense an Aspect.¡±


    If a bolt of lightning struck down in the middle of their living room, Gaius and Gen could not possibly be more surprised than they are now. The one singular thing that Gaius wanted the most in the world was to not be different and just fit in like the rest of his family, and now his father just spoke the magic words. If they were able to finally understand what ailed him, then perhaps they could also find a cure for his malady.


    With expecting eyes from the two boys, Duncan said, ¡°You¡¯re an Antimage.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Gaius was a bit confused. His father could have said, ¡®You¡¯re a flimflam¡¯, and it would have made as much sense. ¡°Antimage. Antimage¡­ hmm. Anti-mage.¡± Gaius juggled the word within his mind trying to understand what it meant. ¡°Does this mean that I don¡¯t have magic? Anti . . . mage.¡± Looking at his son¡¯s concentrated face brought a smile to Duncan and he alleviated his son¡¯s problem, ¡°An Antimage is a practitioner that is skilled at fighting other mages. They are very strong, and besides knowing that they can control all Aspects not much else is known about them.¡±


    ¡°So, there are other people out there like me?¡± Gaius, to his surprise, didn¡¯t realize how much of a relief that single nugget of knowledge would bring him¡ªhe was not alone, there were others. If the death of the kwach¡¯a pack brought relief to him earlier, then learning this piece of knowledge was like growing wings and soaring above the clouds. Gaius was elated, for the first time in his life he didn¡¯t feel so lost, as if his life now had a goal or purpose¡ªto learn as much as he could about what it means to be an ¡®Antimage¡¯.

 Chapter 8

    ¡°Unfortunately, your mother and I don¡¯t know what it really means to be an antimage, so we¡¯ll have to contact our old friends within the Alirian military, and see what comes back. Okay?¡± Duncan told his two sons.


    ¡°So what can big brother do?¡± Gen asked.


    ¡°Well, from what your mother and I have experienced on the field, an antimage can dispel the magic of another mage, rendering them incapable of condensing an Aspect. The two of you should try it.¡± Duncan suggested off-handedly.


    Looking at each other with renewed vigor, Gen started to condense the Aspect of Light within his body. The soft glow enveloped the room and Gaius sat there with a concentrated look. Realizing that nothing was happening, Duncan offered advice from what little knowledge he had pertaining to antimages, ¡°Try to . . .¡± was all of the advice he was able to give before Gen suddenly dropped to his knees panting, while Gaius was once again knocked unconscious.


    Surprised and panicked, Duncan rushed over to both of his sons. Checking on Gen first as he was still awake and then moving onto Gaius. ¡°Mm, he¡¯s just sleeping like he did before,¡± Duncan thought to himself. ¡°Gen, how do you feel? What happened?¡±


    ¡°It felt terrible. I don¡¯t know what happened. All of a sudden I felt exhausted. My aura just ripped from my body, I feel so tired,¡± Gen eventually succumbed and fell asleep.


    Meanwhile, Tulia, Chief Hemuk, and Rubio were touring the village¡¯s facilities. Even though Fort Winter was only 500 km northeast of this village¡ªa single day journey, he had never been to the village personally. Only a few select messenger riders that were suited for the hard journey had ever been to these remote villages, and even then to only deliver a message and move on.


    ¡°And here, we have our village¡¯s pride and joy, our shieldsmith Sumi Loti and her daughter Kumi,¡± the chief beamed with pride.


    ¡°Ah, yes. I have heard of the famous Golden Bark shields that you manufacture for the cities of Calet. One of my good friends, an old squad-mate in fact, is a logistics officer stationed at Southern Calet, and even he wasn¡¯t eligible for one. Tell me, what makes your shields so sought after?¡± Rubio inquired.


    With a slight smirk on her face, Tulia answered, ¡°It¡¯s a lot easier to demonstrate than it is to speak of its merits. Here.¡± Tulia threw her own personal Golden Bark shield at the captain. Gracefully catching it, Rubio was barely able to admire the design and its surprising lightness before Tulia charged at him with a full over-head swing of her sword.


    Rubio raised the shield to block her incoming swing while silently cursing the mad barbarian woman. To his surprise, he only felt a slight reverberation before he realized that the feet under the shield¡¯s view had retreated. He lowered the shield and was shocked to see her sword deeply lodged into the shield, showing the kind of force she exerted. Tulia gripped the pommel and with a smile dislodged her sword from the shield. ¡°Condense your Aspect into the shield, and watch,¡± she suddenly told him.


    Looking at the huge gash within the shield, Rubio does as he was told and was stunned. Right before his eyes, the shield began to knit over the gash, and in a few breaths the shield was as good as new.


    ¡°These shields are lightweight, sturdy, flexible, and absorbent. But the most important thing however, is that the shield is able to regenerate itself from any damage. Even if the shield was sundered,¡± she informed.


    ¡°Remarkable. No wonder your shields are sought after so highly,¡± Rubio softly spoke.


    ¡°The unfortunate caveat though, is that the creation of each shield requires an immense amount of Golden Bark from our forest and other materials. We are only able to produce a dozen a year,¡± Sumi chimed in.


    Finally realizing what had been bothering him since Tulia struck at the shield he asked, ¡°Tulia, what Aspect do you practice?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Tulia was a bit reluctant to tell these outsiders because it may bring unwarranted attention, but complied anyways because it wasn¡¯t an easy secret to keep, ¡°I practice the Aspect of Light.¡±


    ¡°A Heavenly Aspect!¡± Rubio exclaimed.


    The village chief besides the two was a bit confused, ¡°Heavenly Aspect?¡± he asked aloud.


    Rubio looked at the chief in surprise as well. ¡°Uh, yes. I did not know there was a practitioner of a Heavenly Aspect out here in the countryside. That¡¯s mind-boggling.¡±


    ¡°Er, at the risk of sounding ignorant. May I ask what a Heavenly Aspect is?¡± the chief stammered.


    Tulia gave a caring smile and explained, ¡°It is nothing worthy of distinction, Chief. There are 8 Heavenly Aspects and an infinite amount of Earthly Aspects. Heaven transcends earth, so it is said that the 8 Heavenly Aspects govern the laws of the heaven and earth, while the Earthly Aspects only govern the laws of this planet. The Aspect of Light which I practice just falls under the realm of Heavenly Aspects, nothing to fret over.¡±


    ¡°Nothing to fret over?! A practitioner of a Heavenly Aspect is so rare, that so long as they serve the king they can be instantly elevated to the status of noble! And even if the king made all practitioners of a Heavenly Aspects nobles, there would still be less than a 100!¡± Rubio shouted.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Chief Hemuk, upon hearing this news, reevaluated the captain of his guard with a more discerning eye. ¡°Why are they so rare?¡± the chief asked, seemingly to no one in particular.


    ¡°Although the amount of people with Heavenly Aspects do not exceed 100 within our kingdom, the limiting factor is that Heavenly Aspects tend to follow strict bloodlines. That is it say that there are only perhaps 8 or 9 families within our kingdom that make up all of our Heavenly Aspect practitioners,¡± Rubio explained further. Rubio eyed the captain of the guard more closely, trying to figure out which family heritage she belonged to. ¡°There is no way some country bumpkin family would give birth to a random Heavenly Aspect practitioner, she must be a descendent of a family,¡± Rubio thought to himself, and made a mental note to ask his commander up returning to the fort.


    ¡°Alright, enough of this useless talk. Again, Captain Son, we are extremely thankful for your assistance today. I¡¯d like to retire and rest before tonight¡¯s banquet,¡± Tulia said as she excused herself.


    ¡°If I may be so bold, Captain Wyn. May I have a private word with you for a moment?¡±


    Tulia eyed the captain while trying to repress this surging headache she felt coming, ¡°Certainly, I¡¯ll show you to my home.¡± Upon opening the door to her house, Tulia did not expect to see her two sons on the ground with her husband checking over one of them.


    Gen sleeping on the floor as his mother entered the door. Duncan was still determining whether or not Gaius was safe or if he suffered from some sort of backlash when Tulia entered the home. Tulia immediately rushed over to her husband to check up on her sons, while Rubio was standing in a daze at the doorway. Rubio shouted something incoherent to the two parents as they were busy monitoring their kids. Tulia breathed a sigh of relief when Gen showed symptoms of exhaustion, but Gaius seems to be unconscious and leaking an aura. She glared at her husband waiting for an explanation. ¡°I told him about his abilities,¡± Duncan whispered to his wife, ¡°and I wanted him to practice dispelling with Gen, and then they just both collapsed,¡± he recounted with a tinge of defeat in his voice.


    Suddenly a commotion was heard from the door and the two parents turned to see Rubio accompanied by another mage. Rubio said to the both of them, ¡°I called one of my healers over to examine the two boys, I hope I did not overstep my bounds.¡±


    ¡°Oh no. Please, examine them,¡± Tulia got out of the healer¡¯s way while pulling her husband beside her. The healer quickly bent over to Gen, who appears to be sleeping fitfully. The healer emitted a cool refreshing blue aura over Gen and quietly nodded his head, and after a few breaths Gen¡¯s breathing becomes stable and calm as his face was more relaxed. The healer then turned his attention towards Gaius.


    Just like Gen, a cool refreshing blue aura wrapped around Gaius as it probed and prodded the sleeping boy. To the healer¡¯s surprise however, his aura didn¡¯t penetrate Gaius but was actually repelled away. ¡°Oh?¡± the puzzled healer tried again, only to find his aura being rebuffed. ¡°How odd,¡± the healer spoke aloud.


    ¡°What is it? Is my son okay?¡± Tulia asked nervously.


    ¡°Hmm? Ah, yes. Actually he¡¯s more than ¡®okay¡¯. He seems to be so full of energy that he¡¯s leaking aura. It seems that his body couldn¡¯t handle the shock and he just fainted. If I may inquire, how did the boy gorge himself on so much aura?¡± the healer asked.


    The husband and wife pair looked at each other first with relief in their faces, but at the healer¡¯s question became a bit concerned. Duncan smiled and completely avoided the question, ¡°Ah. Well we thank you for looking after him.¡±


    At the man¡¯s obvious avoidance to the topic, the healer couldn¡¯t help but become more suspicious, but before the man could do anything, ¡°Alright. Thanks for your help Conrad. Let¡¯s leave them to rest a while, huh?¡± Rubio said. He glanced at Tulia and gave a nod before he said, ¡°perhaps we¡¯ll have that talk another time.¡±


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Duncan asked his wife.


    ¡°He made a big deal earlier about my Heavenly Aspect,¡± Tulia responded.


    ¡°Ah,¡± after a bit of time Duncan gained the courage to speak his mind, ¡°speaking of it,¡± was all he could say before he was interrupted by his wife.


    ¡°No. I won¡¯t ask them for help. I don¡¯t want their help,¡± Tulia said through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Perhaps, and that¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t mean for you to make up with your parents, but Gaius needs their help. If not your parents¡¯, then definitely your brother¡¯s,¡± Duncan replied.


    Thinking about her younger brother filled her with regret, ¡°Perhaps I could have been more careful with my words when I left,¡± Tulia thought to herself. Sigh. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll contact my brother, but only him! I will not have them butt into my affairs.¡±


    Duncan gave a curt nod.


    Gen woke up in time to quietly listen to his parents¡¯ conversation, ¡°I wonder what grandpa and grandma are like,¡± he thought to himself. ¡°Mom, dad. What¡¯s grandpa and grandma like?¡± Gen and Gaius have asked about their grandparents before but they were always met with the same response, a scowl and a grunt from their mother. Gen hoped to strike while the iron was hot and get as much information from them as possible this time.


    Without even asking about her son was feeling, she went off saying ¡°The only thing your grandmother cares about in this world, is how other people think of her. She¡¯s would rather. . .¡± Tulia was interrupted by her husband. ¡°Ah, ah. They¡¯re not so bad though, right honey?¡± With that, Tulia gave her normal grunt and scowl as she stormed off into their bedroom. Shortly after she came out with a small wooden box in her hands. The box seemed ordinary enough, perhaps a bit too glossy. But the most discerning factor about the box was that there was no seam. At first glance, Gen thought that the box was actually a block of wood, but when he was younger and played with it, their mother would admonish him to be careful with the ¡®box¡¯, so he and his brother always viewed it as such since.


    Tulia injected a bit of her aura into the box, and all of a sudden a seam formed and with a click the box lid flew open. Inside it laid a ring with a black smooth gemstone. The gemstone was so black that it seems that the light within the room was being absorbed by it. Tulia grabbed the ring and placed it upon her finger, then she closed her eyes while injecting her aura within it as well. Tulia¡¯s face was first calm, then she smiled. After a while she opened her eyes and looked at her family before her, then closed them again and let out a sigh of relief. She placed the ring back within the box and resealed it¡ªlooking like an ordinary glossy block of wood. With the box sealed once more, the light within the room seemed to have gone back to its usual level.


    ¡°Go get some rest, dear. And look after your brother. Your father and I have something to discuss,¡± Tulia said with a tired voice.


    At the same time 3,000 km southeast of Golden Bark village an identical ring hummed with power. Its wearer was surprised and told those around him to give him a moment. After closing his eyes and concentrating on the ring, a look of delight and surprise was seen on his face. Afterwards, those around him couldn¡¯t help but notice a perpetual smile that lasted for days.

 Chapter 9

    A week had passed since the kwach¡¯a attack, and the Wyn family was gathering at the edge of the town with their bags and luggage atop a wagon.


    ¡°I know it would be selfish of me to try to convince you to stay, but I must look out for the village, is there anything I can do to change your mind?¡±


    Tulia and Duncan gave Chief Hemuk a smile and shook their heads, ¡°Sorry Chief. My family seeks answers and we cannot find them here. This past week, we¡¯ve been preparing you all a gift to soften our departure.¡± Duncan held three wooden crates, two of which were filled with a dark red vial and the other filled with a cool blue. The chief¡¯s eyes widen at the three crates and absentmindedly accepted them while Duncan just smiled. ¡°My son and I have been working this past week on a parting gift, and we¡¯ve been only able to make this much. I hope this helps,¡± Duncan said.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Yes. This is more than enough, it¡¯ll last us for nearly half the year. How were you able to produce so many tonics and tinctures within a week, if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°My son is quite handy as an assistant,¡± Duncan gave a cryptic response with a smile. Only he knew about his son¡¯s seemingly-miraculous ability with alchemy.


    While their two parents were bidding their farewells, Gaius was filled with excitement and enthusiasm. For the first time in his life, he felt like his steps had purpose, however the same could not be said for his brother. This should be a period of excitement for both boys as they were venturing outside of their village for the first time in their lives, but Gen could not get into the mood while he was thinking of parting from Kumi. Seeing them off, the village guard saluted their former captain as the Wyn family left the village.


    ¡°Huff. Ha. What I, ha. Don¡¯t get. Huh, ha, is why. Ah, ack, ha. My boulder is bigger than yours,¡± Gaius complained through each breath as the wagon besides him finally stopped¡ª signaling time for a break. Looking over to his brother, who was equally in pain, Gaius noticed that the rock he was carrying was significantly smaller than his own, by at least half its size.


    ¡°If you have enough energy to complain, then you don¡¯t need a break, yes?¡± Tulia shouted from the wagon seat, and seated beside her was Duncan. The wagon was gifted to them by the chief along with two of their best horses, it was one of the ways the chief expressed his gratitude for their contributions to the village.


    ¡°C¡¯mon you two, quit playing around. It¡¯s only been two days since we left the village. And South Calet is still three more days away,¡± Tulia shouted. After thinking for a bit she continued, ¡°How about this, if you two are able to carry those boulders for two days without a break, then the two of you may rest in the wagon for the last day. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, two straight days without a break. But man, how sweet it would be to lay down on the wagon,¡± the two boys thought to themselves along the same lines. Reinvigorated by the promise for a whole day of rest the two boys gave it their all.


    Duncan looked wryly at his wife and decided not to say anything to the boys.


    To leave the boys to their own devices while carrying 100 kg rocks would be too cruel, so Tulia maintained her aura to wash over the boys and refresh them. Although Gen did condense his own Aspect, his control was nowhere near as great as his mother. As for Gaius, so long as there was an aura around he could draw some of it into himself to restore his lacking stamina.


    Their physical training only lasted for the day, while they were on the move. At night however, was a different world altogether. The four of them were sitting around a campfire with some small game roasting on a spit, while Tulia told them stories about her childhood¡ªa mystery that had only been recently unveiled.


    ¡°When your Uncle Viktor and I were kids, we would always spend our time in the city. This one day . . .¡±


    ¡°Where did you and Uncle Viktor grow up?¡± Gaius interrupted.


    ¡°In the capital, Alir. So one day, while your uncle and I were walking down the streets, we spotted a pickpocket. I was about to bind him with my Aspect, but your uncle¡ªthe righteous person that he is, decided to give him fair warning, so he shouted ¡®Stop! Thief, give back what was stolen and you may pass judgement!¡¯ Remember, we were only 9 or 10 years-old or so. So the thief stops and looks back at the high pitched voice of a child and grins. I had just finished condensing my Aspect and bound his feet together just as he lunged at us. Good thing the pickpocket wasn¡¯t a mage or warrior, then who knows what would have happened,¡± Tulia chuckled at the memory. They camped under the starry sky chatting and laughing like any other normal family, but that only lasted until sunrise.


    ¡°Up, up, up!¡± Tulia yelled from her wagon seat. ¡°The longer it takes for you two to get moving the faster the wagon will move! You two better hurry it up.¡±


    Gaius woke up to his mother¡¯s ferocious roar, still half asleep and in a daze he looked around to see all of the bedrolls and utensils from last night¡¯s meal stored away. The only thing in sight was his brother¡¯s bedroll next to his, otherwise their campsite had already been cleared. Next to the road laid two boulders, the bigger of the two was obviously for him and with a grunt Gaius quickly kicked his brother awake, tucked his bedroll under his arm, and sprinted towards the boulder as the wagon began to pick up speed. This day was much like the day before, but what drove the two boys was that after tomorrow, they would be able to relax for the rest of the trip. Hope, it was a powerful unknown force.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The next night the two boys plopped down onto their bedrolls with bellies full of a hearty stew filled with wild vegetables and small game, sleep quickly overtook them. Their parents smiled lovingly at their sons, hoping that Unle Viktor will provide their family with answers, and though they were in a hurry to reach the capital it didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t enjoy the trip. After a few whispered laughs and suppressed chuckles, the couple¡¯s loving smile turned mischievous.


    ¡°Up, up, up!¡± Tulia shouted like every other morning. The boys groaned in protest, their body and minds on the brink of exhaustion. ¡°Wakey-wakey! It¡¯s only been 4 days, quit acting like a bunch of old men. C¡¯mon, your father and I will leave without you.¡±


    ¡°This is our day off! You promised!¡± they both yelled from their bedrolls, their heads still under a blanket.


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to carry the boulders, but that doesn¡¯t mean you get to sleep in. C¡¯mon we need to beat the morning traffic,¡± she urged.


    ¡°Morning traffic?¡± the two boys thought to themselves, and with stiff aching muscles the two finally pulled themselves up eager to plop right back down again onto the wagon.


    As the two boys tucked their bedrolls in the back of the wagon and began to climb into it, a shrill voice stunned them, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Get over here and walk besides the wagon. Front and center.¡±


    ¡°But you said that we get to relax on the last day before we get to South Calet. You promised!¡± the two boys shouted indignant.


    ¡°Yes. I did. But it seems that you two were so focused on your training and walked so fast that I miscalculated, because we¡¯re already here,¡± Tulia responded with a smile.


    The boys couldn¡¯t believe their ears and they turned to look over their mother¡¯s shoulder and saw the city walls rising above the horizon. With watery eyes, Gaius and Gen plopped to the ground and started crying. The pain that their bodies had to endure these past 4 days could only be cured with the hope of a day¡¯s respite, but that was taken away just as they were about to taste it. Tulia¡¯s and Duncan¡¯s heart almost broke from the sorry state that their sons were in, and in a bout of softness the two allowed their sons to rest in the wagon for the rest of the trip; although it wouldn''t be a full day¡¯s rest it was infinitely better than none.


    The wagon meandered slowly and steadily towards the city of South Calet. Even with an early departure, the wagon was lost into the sea of people making their way into the city. Gaius and Gen propped themselves onto the seats in the back of the wagon, happily enjoying the slight breeze in their face and the gentle sway of the slow wagon. He was surprised by the sheer number of people within eyesight. Being born and raised in a small village of 4,000, Gaius could definitely say that he had never seen this many people before. If the sea of people were not enough, the walls that he had spotted earlier now loomed enormously over him. Like a beautifully carved mountain the walls stretch for dozens of kilometers in both direction. To top it all off, the gate opened to the whole height of the wall, as if a gigantic mouth was swallowing all of the people.


    ¡°She¡¯s a beaut¡¯ ain¡¯t she? First time seeing her eh?¡± A grinning old man with missing teeth carrying a basket of vegetables walked besides the wagon while attempting to talk to Gaius.


    Speechless and unperturbed by the man¡¯s comment, Gaius could only slowly nod his head.


    The old man chuckled, ¡°I remember when I first laid my eyes on her. Love at first sight it was!¡± To the old man¡¯s side, an equally old and frail woman with a sunhat and a basket of crops elbowed him playfully, ¡°Always admiring the wall, you never save such sweet words for me!¡± she jested. ¡°Ah, that is because my love for you cannot be described in words by the best poets, so I do not even attempt such a frivolous endeavor,¡± the old man playfully replied.


    After admiring the wall Gaius asked the old couple, ¡°Would you like to sit within our wagon?¡±


    ¡°Oh! What a courteous young fellow. I believe that you should have asked your parents beforehand, hmm. Yes?¡± the old man glowed.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Gaius was embarrassed at such an oversight and turned to his parents who had been listening all along, ¡°Mom, dad. Can they join us? It¡¯d be a waste of space if it were to remain empty.¡±


    Her loving smirk was quickly replaced by a mischievous grin, Tulia replied ¡°Well, of course! But it would not be proper to have these two squeeze within our small wagon, how about you and your brother trade places with them?¡±


    Gaius, stared at the near-crying face of his brother and could only mouth the words ¡®sorry¡¯ before he said, ¡°Of course that will be okay.¡± Since it was his idea to let the two old folks onto the wagon, he couldn¡¯t very well backtrack, so much to his dismay the two elderly couple graciously accepted their seats with much room to spare. If the two elderly couple had known how the two boys fought for the privilege of the wagon ride they might not have been so eager to accept, or perhaps maybe it would have made it even better.


    The two boys were walking besides the wagon and Gen angrily glared at his brother and elbowed him in the ribs, while pinching his arms, and stomping on his foot. Gaius, full of guilt, took it all in silence.


    Smiling at themselves, Duncan and Tulia shared a married-couple-telepathic moment and nodded at each other. Soon Duncan got up from his seat and sat in the back with the elderly couple while making small talk. Tulia whistled at her boys for their attention and signaled with her head while patting the empty seat beside her. With a smile, the two boys clamored up the wagon¡¯s driver seat. Tulia adjusted so that she was in the middle of them. Gaius couldn¡¯t seem to understand just how something so mundane like sitting can feel so pleasurable. The two boys relished in their comfort as the wagon slowly swayed back and forth while occasionally hearing laughter from the elderly couple.


    ¡°Wow! Mom, what¡¯s that!¡± Gen yelled as he pointed to a man sitting upon a large beast. The man stuck out like a sore thumb, as he was a full meter above everyone else while sitting on the beast.


    Tulia smiled and said, ¡°Well, why not ask the man yourself?¡±

 Chapter 10

    Spurred by the idea, Gen shouted, ¡°Mister! Mister! Sir!¡± Gen shouted from the top of his lungs at the poor man who probably just wanted to be left alone. Gen continued for several seconds until the man slowly turned his head around with a confused look, then he locked his eyes with Gen¡¯s focused and excited stare. The man upon the beast slowly came to a halt, and before the man could pose his question Gen shouted, ¡°What¡¯s that!¡± as he pointed to the large beast¡ªcompletely forgetting his manners.


    Tulia interrupted with a slight chuckle, ¡°pardon my son, I believe he¡¯s lost all of his manners in his excitement,¡± she said with a nudge.


    ¡°Ah, apologies. My name is Gen Wyn, and I¡¯m very curious about the beast you¡¯re sitting on.¡± Gen shyly said.


    The giant white luminescent panther with fiery red eyes gave him a displeasing ¡®grr¡¯ and the man chuckled as he said, ¡°my friend here does not like to be referred to as a ¡®beast¡¯. She is a moonsaber, a proud and noble race that normally resides within Three Peaks. My name is Sylus Buch.¡±


    ¡°May I pet her?¡± Gen shameless asked.


    The man let out a hearty laugh, ¡°You aren¡¯t afraid of getting your hands bitten off?¡±


    Startled at the question, ¡°should I be?¡± Gen replied meekly, some of his enthusiasm waned.


    ¡°Well, if you want to pet her, you¡¯ll have to ask her directly,¡± the man said with a smile.


    Not fazed about having to ask a moonsaber permission, Gen looked pleadingly at the beast and said, ¡°May I pet you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. She says ¡®no¡¯. Haha, don¡¯t be discouraged boy, Lei¡¯ai here takes a bit of time to warm up to,¡± the man said.


    Gaius interrupted, ¡°Sir, do you mean to tell me that you two can communicate?¡±


    The man looked at the lad as if he was daft and bellowed, ¡°Of course! Can¡¯t very well bind a moonsaber without being able to talk to it, can you?¡±


    The two boys were still confused but at the same time astonished. To clarify, Tulia chimed in, ¡°What Sir Buch is saying . . .¡±


    ¡°Please Miss, Sylus is fine,¡± he interrupted.


    ¡°What Sylus is saying is that he practices the Aspect of the Beast, which enables him to communicate to his companion here.¡±


    Just like that, the two boys realized how big the world was outside of their small countryside village. With a nod and a smile, Sylus bade them farewell and a safe journey as he trotted forward.


    ¡°Wow! Mom, do you think I can get a moonsaber like his? Her fur looked sooooooooooooooo soft and shiny!¡± Gen said.


    ¡°Haha, maybe not a moonsaber. Even in the Three Peaks they are fairly rare. But if you condense the Aspect of the Beast, you might be able to,¡± Tulia suggested. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take up after your mother? And condense the Aspect of the Shield?¡± she asked curiously.


    Embarrassed by his indecision Gen bowed his head deep in thought and whispered, ¡°Hmm. Since I also practice a Heavenly Aspect like you, that means I can only condense one Earthly Aspect, right?¡±


    Tulia smiled and nodded at her son. She was cherishing every moment his child-like face was concentrated in thought she said, ¡°Haha, it¡¯s okay son. If you want to condense the Aspect of the Beast, then it is your choosing. I was only teasing you before. But, you should study all of the other Aspects out there before you make your decision. Who knows, perhaps you¡¯ll find something more enticing than the Aspect of the Beast.¡±


    Excitement gleamed within his eyes as he could not possibly think of anything more exciting than riding on a majestic steed. The talk of condensing an Aspect, which always bogged Gaius down, now filled him with anticipated.


    ¡°I wonder what an antimage actually does. Dad said that they are best suited to fight other mages, but outside of that what can they do? I don¡¯t want to fight mages for the rest of my life,¡± he thinks to himself. ¡°Ah, guess I can only wait for Uncle Viktor to tell me.¡±


    For the rest of the trip to the city walls, Gaius and Gen were fascinated by all the things around them. Behind them, their father and the two elderly couple smiled warmly at the genuine curiosity and pure innocence of the two boys as the world unfolded before them.


    ¡°Mom! Mom! Why does that carriage have a thingy on top of it?¡± Gaius and Gen both shouted.


    Several meters behind them was a horseless carriage. The odd thing about this carriage however was that it had a sail attached to the top.


    ¡°The thing attached to the top of the carriage is called a sail. It catches wind and allows the carriage to propel forward. There¡¯s probably a strong mage inside that practices the Aspect of the Wind, or several weaker mages that take turns condensing wind.¡±


    The two boys¡¯ face was filled with awe and their eyes widen to their limits trying to absorb everything in their sights, as if too afraid to blink and miss something spectacular.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Gaius looked to the side of the road and saw a man with a booth selling something, ¡°Mom, what is that man selling?¡±


    ¡°Water,¡± Tulia answered easily.


    ¡°But . . .¡± Gaius was flabbergasted, ¡°isn¡¯t 1 square coin for a cup of water too expensive?¡± Gaius asked.


    It should be noted that metal coins are the standard form of currency where 10 copper coins were worth 1 bronze coins, 10 bronze coins were worth 1 silver, and 10 silver coins were worth 1 gold. But each coin also had a shaped hole in its center. The copper coin had a circular hole taken out of its center, the bronze coin had a square-shaped hole, and the silver coin had a triangle-shaped hole cut out from its center, and the gold coin was a pure whole coin. The more sides the hole in the center had, the less valuable it is. Because of this, coins were often referred to by the layman by their shaped hole.


    ¡°It is, there are free fountains within the city and at some farmsteads. But out here on the road where water is a necessity and a luxury at once, what do you do when you run out? Would you rather remain thirsty than pay a bronze coin?¡± Tulia instructed.


    Gaius pondered about this conundrum.


    Tulia continued, ¡°Only those who train in the Aspect of Water are able to conjure water. And I assume that peddler can barely condense enough to sell a cup an hour. It is very difficult to condense deluges without training and time.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t most spend their time training in the Aspects? Won¡¯t it make their lives easier?¡± Gaius astutely asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a loaded question son,¡± Tulia smiled and continued, ¡°The first problem is that it requires a lot of knowledge and time, and you need an affinity for it. The second problem. . . Well, perhaps we can asks our guests to clarify this one?¡±


    The chatter within the wagon stopped and the two elderly couple looked up at the questioning gaze of Gaius. The old man smiled at him. ¡°Kind sir,¡± Tulia began, ¡°to which Aspect do you practice?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see ¡®ere. Hmm, I don¡¯t quite remember, honey do you remember what Aspect I use to practice?¡± he asked his wife.


    ¡°Earth, dear. At least I think so, it¡¯s been so long,¡± she replied.


    ¡°May I ask how come you have stopped practicing it?¡± Tulia asked.


    ¡°Was never any good at it, and it takes too much time to get it right. ¡®sides if I spent all of my time trying to make the ground shake or what-not, who¡¯s going to work the fields?¡± he answered.


    ¡°That son, is the essence of it. People must work to feed themselves and live. They cannot spend the time required to focus on their training,¡± Tulia said with a calm face.


    The old man nodded as he approved of her methods. ¡°Hope the boys will value the chance they have to learn the Aspects, Mother knew I wanted to when I was younger,¡± the old man somberly thought to himself.


    Gaius thought hard about what he had heard and before he knew it, they were at the gates of South Calet. He still could not help but gawk at the massive stone gate looming all around him, and Gaius suddenly noticed a sign posted on the side of the gate reading: ¡°By Imperial Order, all must pay a tax upon entry¡±. Now that he realized the sign he also noted that the wagon he was on was currently stopped to one side while the left side of the road had freely flowing pedestrians. ¡°Why are we stopped mom?¡±


    ¡°The line we¡¯re currently in is for merchants to sell their wares, the other line is for everyone else,¡± she absentmindedly replied.


    Gaius was a bit confused and decided to look back into the wagon and noticed at the back were leftover crates of their vials, then understanding dawned.


    A rotund man wearing the black colors of the city guard came towards their wagon. Even though it was early morning he swaggered over with a sweaty face with an abacus. As he approached the wagon he called out in a tired voice, ¡°What are you all selling?¡±


    ¡°Alchemical supplies,¡± Duncan hollered from the back.


    The old man also said, ¡°And crops.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Reed! Come ¡®ere, some alchemy shit for you to appraise,¡± the rotund man yelled to the side. He continued on to the old couple¡¯s baskets and scoffed at the paltry sum, and without inspecting it he said, ¡°3 square coins.¡±


    Surprised at the cost the old man replied, ¡°But sir, my crops are not worth that much! 3 square coins is a 50% tax! We won¡¯t have enough money.¡±


    The rotund man winced, ¡°Father curse them. Their crops aren¡¯t even worth more than 6 square coins?¡± the man thought to himself. The rotund man turned around and glared at the old couple and finally relented. He approached them and inspected their goods and true to their words, their crops were probably ONLY worth 6 square coins. ¡°2 circle coins for entry,¡± he said sternly as he stretches out his hand. Though he may be extremely lazy in his duties, he wasn¡¯t a bad person.


    The old man paid and thanked the man profusely. At this time another man approached while the rotund one went to the next merchant. The old man said, ¡°We thank you for the ride and company. If you ever find yourself east of the city and near my farm, you¡¯re welcome anytime.¡± With that the old couple disembarked and went about their day.


    The man presumed to be Reed walked up to the wagon and began to inspect the 2 crates. One of which was filled with rich dark red vials and the other with clear blue vials. He randomly pulled out a vial from each crate and studied the color, and after a bit opened the stopper and smelled the aroma. His tired indifferent eyes opened up in shock as he quickly closed the stopper trying not to let the aroma escape. He looked at the vials in his hands and quickly placed his fingers upon his abacus, and they danced. His fingers moved quickly and methodically, and soon he stopped and let out a breath he didn¡¯t know he was holding in.


    ¡°50 gold pieces for entry,¡± was the only thing the man said as he looked at these bumpkins before him.


    ¡°Ah, I almost forgot. Here,¡± Duncan said as he handed the man a token of some kind.


    Reed¡¯s eyes widen and nodded in understanding and returned the token before saying, ¡°You are exempt from taxes.¡± The man quickly scurried back into the room built within the gate¡ªmost likely a guard post.


    The wagon began to roll through the gate and before Gaius could ask about what his father just did, Tulia spoke up, ¡°You know, they¡¯re going to make you work for lost time, we should have just paid the 50 gold.¡±


    ¡°Haha, yeah. But I also want to register Gaius into the guild,¡± Duncan replied with a smile.


    ¡°Brother? What guild is brother going to join, dad?¡± Gen asked by the side.


    ¡°The Alchemists Guild of course, just like your old man! You may have taken after your mother¡¯s Aspect, but your brother has taken after me, and he¡¯s a lot more promising than I was at his age,¡± Duncan beamed.


    Gen smiled for his brother and then frowned as he heard his father¡¯s praise, ¡°Why can¡¯t mother praise me the way dad praises brother, it¡¯s so unfair,¡± Gen thought to himself, ¡°ah, I shouldn¡¯t think that. Brother can¡¯t condense an Aspect.¡± Gen perked up after his gloomy thoughts as his mind drifted to the possibility of him being able to tame a majestic steed.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    Tulia spoke up, ¡°Boys, what do you want to do. Spend some time here and explore city life? Or should I book a passage south today?¡± Though she didn¡¯t need to ask she just wanted to see the excitement in their faces as they both shouted, ¡°Explore!¡±


    ¡°Should we go to the Alchemists Guild? They have good housing for members,¡± Duncan asked his wife.


    ¡°Nah, let¡¯s find an inn so they can the average experience. They won¡¯t always have guild housing to rely on,¡± Tulia thought aloud. ¡°Gen. Remember what I said back at the village, do not condense your Aspect if you can help it. Okay?¡±


    Gen nodded in understanding as he recalled her serious face at the time.


    The wagon slowly pulled up through the crowded street to an unimpressive inn; but through the eyes of the boys, it may as well be a castle. The houses within Golden Bark village were all made from the growth of saplings and seldom did they have homes taller than 2-stories. The inn in front of them has 4 whole levels, they had to crane their neck upwards just to see the top.


    Upon handing their wagon to the stable boy, the family of four walked up to the counter where a scrawny pale man met them. ¡°What can I do for you fine folks,¡± the innkeeper asked.


    ¡°Two large beds please,¡± Tulia said.


    ¡°How long will you folks be staying? Two large beds for 3 days is 3 square coins, 1 triangle for a week,¡± the innkeeper said trying to upsell.


    Tulia turned around to look at her sons and she¡¯s met with eager eyes. ¡°A week please,¡± Tulia said while placing a silver coin on the counter. ¡°Go unload the wagon and store our belongings into the rooms, I¡¯ll go get us a table,¡± she said to her sons and husband. Tulia looked at the innkeeper, ¡°a meal for four please.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Right this way,¡± the man led her through a set of doors and into the dining area. The layout of the inn was quite simple, as the entry opened up into the parlor and it branched out into the upstairs bedroom and the dining room. The bedrooms at the bottom floor of the inn spanned from the dining room. ¡°Here we are ma¡¯am, what would you like to eat?¡± the innkeeper asked as he personally saw her to a table.


    ¡°Mm, give me 4 servings of whatever you have roasting, and 4 hearty stews.¡± Tulia casually demands. The boys found her easily within the dining area and arrived just as the food was being served. ¡°Mm, looks delicious honey.¡± Duncan comments. Just as the serving girl began to retreat back into the kitchen, Duncan grabs her attention, ¡°Uh. Miss,¡± he said as he raised a square coin, ¡°Do you know of anything fun to do in this city?¡±


    Seeing her potential tip, the serving girl racked her brain for an answer. ¡°Towards sunset there is a magical display near the docks at the south side of the city. Our markets also have many fascinating things to purchase. Oh! Though it isn¡¯t as big as the arena within the capital, we do have a fighting pit where you can watch some duels,¡± the girl said, and with that she walked away with an extra bronze coin.


    Looking at their sons Tulia asked, ¡°So, what do you two boys want to do first?¡±


    Without even thinking about it, ¡°I want to watch the duels!¡± Gaius responded while his brother said, ¡°I want to go to the markets!¡±


    The two boys looked at each other to see if the other would relent, and then Duncan said, ¡°We can go to the markets after eat, then we¡¯ll just go to the fighting pits after. How does that sound?¡±


    After they finished eating and walked out of the inn, the sun had yet to reach the middle of the sky and the early morning mist had already evaporated. The family of four began to walk randomly through the city streets, following the large crowd of people.


    ¡°Wow, these streets are so hard,¡± Gaius thought to himself and actually spent some time observing the surface, ¡°I wonder if the whole city¡¯s streets are made of stone?¡± Gaius eventually looked up to the wonder of the city streets. People went about their day in a mishmash or chaotic order. The sides, though not officially within the market district, had stalls lined up hawking snacks and tchotchkes. The thing that was the most assaulting to his senses were not the loud noise of travel or the voices of vendors, but the scent of so many unwashed people.


    Seeing his son pull his shirt to cover his nose, Duncan chuckled and began to condense his aura around his body. ¡°Oh, hey. That¡¯s strange, it doesn¡¯t smell anymore?¡± Gaius thought to himself as he cautiously lowered his shirt and took a small sniff. ¡°Ah, I wonder where what happened,¡± Gaius looked around to see if anyone noticed his behavior only to meet the cheerful, almost playful smile of his father.


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s a common trick. It is probably one of the first things people learn to do in these cities. Since everyone uses aura to cover themselves, they don¡¯t get dirty as often and also can¡¯t smell each other which makes them less inclined to wash themselves,¡± Duncan clarified.


    Gaius was astonished about that behavior, ¡°Why not just wash yourself? So you don¡¯t have to condense auras?¡± he thought.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Gaius let out a sigh, ¡°Man, there seem to be no limit to the wonderful things you can with aura. I wish I could do some of this stuff,¡± he thought. ¡°Dad,¡± Gaius said ¡°if you can condense an aura to cover your body, could you do that to someone else to trap them?¡±


    ¡°No, perhaps if an expert tried it on a baby, then maybe. However, aura has no substance. That is to say that they do not affect the material world unless you condense a lot of it and channel it into a spell or something. Watch my hand,¡± Duncan instructed. Suddenly a thick dense rich cluster of brown aura of Wood Aspect surrounded a pebble atop his hand. Then Duncan flipped his hand over and the pebble fell right through. Duncan again picked the pebble up and said, ¡°Now watch how much aura I use this time.¡± Soon a small sliver of brown aura slipped and slid around the pebble until it condensed into brown thin vines wrapped around it. When his father flipped his hand over this time, the pebble remained constricted within the vines in midair.


    ¡°Oh, so the aura itself cannot affect the pebble because it¡¯s a physical object. So does that mean smells are non-physical?¡± Gaius astutely asked.


    While father and son were busy discussing the finer points of aura effects, Tulia and Gen were off to the side¡ªnot too far away, looking at the knickknacks each stall had to offer.


    ¡°Actually, some sages have found that smells are actually really small physical dust-like particles. It¡¯s just so small that a bit of aura is enough to block them, even if they¡¯re not condensed into a spell,¡± Duncan instructed.


    ¡°What about light? Is light a non-physical thing, can aura block someone¡¯s eyesight?¡± Gaius kept asking questions.


    ¡°Hmm, what do you think?¡± Duncan turned the question back at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s why I asked you,¡± Gaius said.


    Laughing at his son, Duncan said, ¡°Well, think it through. If light is a physical object, then . . . ? Or, if light is a non-physical object, then . . .? Answer those questions and try out your answers.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Gaius thought to himself, ¡°If light was a physical object, then aura should not be able to block eyesight.¡± After a bit of thought, Gaius told his dad, ¡°Can you condense your aura in front of my eyes?¡±


    Up ahead of Gaius and Duncan, Tulia and Gen picked up a curious clear stone that had a purple star within its center. It was quite a pretty stone to look at, but without sensing an aura it was just another mundane stone. The mother-son pair placed it back onto the stall and continued ahead.


    A sudden dense thick aura appeared before Gaius¡¯s eyes blocking his vision before him. ¡°So light is a non-physical object,¡± Gaius triumphantly replied.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Duncan asked.


    ¡°Yes, my eyesight is blocked. So light was distorted, blocked, or reflected by your dense aura,¡± he replied.


    Duncan looked ahead at Gen and Tulia and asked his son, ¡°How about your brother, Gen. What happens if I condense a thick dense aura around his eyes? Do you think he¡¯ll be able to see normally or no?¡±


    Gaius was stunned, he forgot that he could see all Aspects and that¡¯s why his vision was blocked. If his father was to condense his aura in front of someone that couldn¡¯t sense the Aspect of Wood, then he wouldn¡¯t be blinded at all. Gaius slumped into confusion as he didn¡¯t even need his father to condense his Aspect to know of the outcome.


    With a smile Duncan said, ¡°Light is an odd thing, some of the sages say it is physical while others say it is not. Most believe that it is both.¡±


    ¡°How can something be both physical and non-physical?¡± Gaius asked.


    ¡°One of the Heavenly mysterious. If you find out one day, let me know. I¡¯d like to know the answer,¡± Duncan said with a smile.


    The father-son pair finally caught up with their counterparts and continued down the streets until they finally reached the heart of the market district. Unlike the stalls at the side of the road that led up to here, these vendors had actual store-front buildings and sold things of real value and not just trinkets. The center of the market district was located at the northern end of the city, not too far from the gate where the Wyn family entered the city.


    At the center of the district was a tall grandiose building about 3,000 square meters, and a wide street encircled the building. Atop the building stood a flag with a pile of coins as the image, the same image was used as banners hung on the side of the building flapping in the wind.


    ¡°Whoa! How big!¡± Gaius thought to himself. ¡°I don¡¯t think you can build a building any higher. Hmm. Why is there a picture of money on the flags?¡±


    Seeing his son¡¯s wonder, Tulia smiled and said, ¡°This is the Merchant¡¯s Guild, this small building is only a branch. Most of the guilds are headquartered within the capital.¡±


    ¡°What? This is a small building?¡± Gaius shouted.


    ¡°Mom, why would anyone join a guild?¡± Gen asked.


    ¡°Hmm, well. There are a lot of reasons to join and not to join, it¡¯s quite complicated. But one of the easier reasons to join is that they have perks. Like, if you join the Merchant Guild here, you can use their vaults to store your money so that you don¡¯t have to worry about being robbed at home,¡± Tulia answered. ¡°Let¡¯s go in, yeah?¡±


    Upon entering through the massive ornate double doors, Gaius was surprised to see the hustle and bustle. Shelves covered the entirety of every wall around the whole room, and before each was a counter to segregate customers and workers. And behind the counter every few meters, was a worker talking to a customer. Gaius and his family slowly made their way to the closest counter, which was to their left. He looked up and noticed a colorful and decorated board depicting a parchment, quill, and inkwell. Looking behind the counter, Gaius noticed that scrolls, books, pens, and quills lined several shelves. ¡°Boards separate and identify which counter is in charge of which service or tradable goods. This one here is the sign for the scribe,¡± Tulia answered an unasked question.


    ¡°What do they do?¡± Gen asked his parents.


    ¡°Well, not a lot of mercenaries or farmers know letters or numbers. So they seek out a scribe to forge a contract they can use for services rendered. Let¡¯s pretend you¡¯re a mercenary,¡± Tulia said to Gen, the boy perks up at his heroic image fighting monsters as a mercenary and she smiles at his childish dreams, ¡°And you want to sign onto a caravan for a few years, but don¡¯t want to be cheated out of your wages and working conditions. So you come here to have a scribe write a contract for you. Most of the time the contract is written in front of the two parties to save going back and forth amending the thing.¡±


    ¡°So, if we know letters and numbers, then we don¡¯t ever need a scribe¡¯s work?¡± Gaius asked from the side.


    ¡°Well, you can write your own contract, yes. But only the Merchant Guild¡¯s scribes have the power to imprint the Alirian seal onto a contract. Without the seal, the contract is not enforceable by the Alirian kingdom and its supported guilds. So you can write your own contract to save some money, and then just pay for the seal imprint separately, it¡¯s a lot cheaper that way,¡± Duncan finished explaining.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    ¡°What does he do?¡± Gaius pointed to the man sitting off to the side behind the counter. While most of the people he observed had a weak aura, the man had a vibrant roaring color of silver that was properly contained within his body.


    ¡°Mm. He doesn¡¯t seem busy, why don¡¯t you ask him?¡± Duncan said. He was no longer stunned by his son¡¯s ability to detect strong auras.


    Gaius and Gen, both filled with curiosity at this wonderful place approached the man behind the counter. Seeing the two earnest gazes of the boys¡¯ eyes, the man put his book down and approached them.


    ¡°How may I help you two youngsters,¡± the man¡¯s deep voice boomed.


    Gaius was shaken by the man¡¯s deep voice and finally asked, ¡°Sir, I was merely curious as this is my first time within the city, but what is it that you do?¡±


    The man looked at the boy for a while, he considered his response until he finally spoke, ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m a scribe like everyone else here.¡±


    The other workers, upon hearing the man¡¯s comment couldn¡¯t help but smile and shake their heads¡ªDuncan and Tulia smiled too.


    Confused but undeterred, Gaius pressed on, ¡°You¡¯re different from them. You¡¯re much stronger than the other scribes.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyebrows raised at the boy¡¯s comment, ¡°Oh? And how would you know how strong I am?¡±


    Gaius opened his mouth and was about to say something until he decided against it. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t let him know I can see his aura,¡± he thought to himself. He opened his mouth again with a reply and suddenly closed it again.


    Seeing the boy¡¯s antics made the man smile and he relented, ¡°Either way. You are right, I am a bit different, but I¡¯m also a scribe of the Merchant¡¯s Guild. I am a word-binder. I condense the Aspect of the Letters.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± though the boys had no clue what that meant, it was still fascinating to discover a new Aspect. ¡°What do you do with the Aspect of Letters?¡± Gen asked by the side.


    Looking at the other boy the man smiled and replied, ¡°Hmm, the newest practitioner can usually record the voices of others onto parchment. It¡¯s useful for carrying out official decrees or something of the sort. If they¡¯re good enough with it, they usually record singers and bards and are able to sell their songs to people all over the kingdom¡ªquite the lucrative business. If you¡¯re stronger like me,¡± the man beamed, ¡°then you can create soul-binding contracts.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Gaius asked with his interest piqued.


    ¡°Well, a normal contract is only binding on word of promise. If that promise is broken then a person may seek recompense through the Alirian kingdom. But a soul-binding contract is different. Depending on the clause, the person that breaks their promise can be subject to anything like: being forced to dance in the street, slavery, or even death. And I can make these bindings by condensing letters of power onto parchment and through the Alirian seal.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± was the only word the boys could let out. ¡°You could die from breaking a promise?!¡± Gaius thought to himself, ¡°that is powerful.¡±


    Thanking the man for his time, Gaius and Gen left the counter in a daze. The man was quite interested in how the young man was able to gauge his strength, ¡°Perhaps I need to lose some weight. Scaring these youngsters won¡¯t be good for business,¡± the man thought to himself.


    Gaius and his family walked away from the counters at the side of the building and into the center. There Gaius spotted an island-counter with a sign above. ¡°Hmm. It looks like some type of lens. Maybe it has something to do with looking at something?¡± he thought to himself.


    ¡°What does that lens mean?¡± Gen asked his parents.


    ¡°It¡¯s a magnifying glass,¡± Tulia answered. ¡°This is an appraiser¡¯s counter. They look at any item you bring in and help you identify their value. If they cannot, then they usually tell you which other counter to visit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s boring¡± Gen thought to himself.


    ¡°They help you identify things and direct you to other counters if they don¡¯t know,¡± Gaius repeated in his mind. He suddenly approached the counter. His family surprised by his abrupt direction, followed him curiously.


    ¡°Excuse me sir,¡± Gaius said as he approached the counter.


    ¡°Uh, yes. How may I help you,¡± he replied as he eyed the boy¡¯s parents behind him.


    ¡°Do you provide information on subjects, or at least direct me to where I might be able to find it?¡± Gaius asked quickly.


    ¡°Though our main role is to appraise, we can provide a bit of information. But if we cannot, then you should go to the information broker. They actually deal with information of any kind, if they don¡¯t have it, no one does,¡± the man said.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Oh, well do you have any information regarding to antimages?¡± Gaius asked innocently.


    The man¡¯s eyes widen in shock, ¡°Ah, a bunch of country bumpkins. No wonder,¡± the man thought to himself. ¡°Ah, actually. It is very taboo to talk about . . . them. All information about them are prohibited. So I would not look further into it, if I were you. You can be thrown into prison,¡± the man warned.


    Tulia and Duncan were stunned by the revelation, ¡°no wonder I know so little. I suppose it was by design,¡± they both thought along the same lines. ¡°Thank you for your warning, we will refrain from asking in the future,¡± Tulia said while pushing Gaius along.


    ¡°Mom, why can¡¯t we ask about ant . . .?¡± Gaius was interrupted by his mother¡¯s whisper.


    ¡°Do not speak of it. We¡¯ll wait until we meet your uncle. Trust me okay?¡± she said sternly.


    Gaius nodded while they continued on their sight-seeing tour. Along the same side of the wall as the scribe¡¯s counter was another group of workers.


    Above them hung a sign, there were eight dots split in half with a horizontal line¡ª4 dots above the line and 4 dots below. At the center of these 8 dots and the bisecting line was an empty circle. Like a clock without 12, 3, 6, and 9 labeled, and where the hour and minute hands read 9:15 or 3:45. At the center of this diagram was an empty circle¡ªnot even the bisecting line cutting through it. Curious at this sign, Gaius asked, ¡°What does this sign mean?¡±


    Duncan responded, ¡°This is the sign of the runeweavers.¡± And without even pausing to ask his parents, Gaius continued to the counter to find an idle worker.


    ¡°Excuse me Miss. I am curious at the kinds of services you offer,¡± Gaius politely asked.


    Looking at the polite young man in front of her the lady behind the counter smiled and professionally responded, ¡°As a runeweaver, our services have many applications and a wide range. We can create runes to strengthen weapons and armor, and we may also create runic formations that can condense auras and form many things like: a water sigil that fills a well, a fire sigil to warm homes in the winter, or a wind sigil to keep sails full. But those are difficult runes to weave, most of our work within the city is more domestic, like creating sigils to keep floors clean, sigils to purify water, and the like.¡±


    Gaius asked with great enthusiasm, ¡°How long does it take to become a proficient runeweaver?¡±


    Seeing the boy¡¯s genuine interest the lady said, ¡°Well, if you wanted to learn a specific sigil, it would probably take one or two years to learn how to control the aura to write one. But the bulk of the time learning runeweaving is actually learning the individual runes. To date, the Runeweavers Guild has discovered about 210,000 different runes. Complete mastery over these runes will take decades, but it will equip you with the tools necessary to create any sigil you can think of.¡±


    ¡°By the Father!¡± Gaius cursed inwardly. ¡°210,000 different runes to memorize? Is that even possible?¡± he thought. Looking at the lady with newfound respect he asked, ¡°Why do you need to learn so many different types? Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to just learn sigils?¡±


    The lady wearily smiled as if hearing this question asked a hundred times a day, ¡°Most believe that learning the sigils themselves is enough to be a runeweaver, but a true weaver would learn as many runes as possible, because combining different runes together will have drastically different results. Say for example, there¡¯s a water sigil that can purify water. If you remove one rune and replace it with another, it can instead do nothing or perhaps start a fire.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s amazing,¡± Gaius said to the lady. Without wanting to take any more of the lady¡¯s time and with most of his curiosity sated, Gaius said, ¡°Thank you for your time,¡± and left the counter.


    Upon entering the building the family of four had been moving clockwise, apart from visiting the appraiser at the center, the family now found themselves at the back of the building. Above the counter at the back was an obvious sign, an anvil. Gaius and Gen thought along the same line, ¡°A smith! I wonder how much better their weapons and armors are.¡± Without waiting for their parents or even asking what the workers did, the two boys ran up to the counter to get a good look at the merchandise on the shelves. They ran through the crowd of customers until they reached the counter and just gawked.


    Seeing the two boys barge their way in, the front customer angrily yelled, ¡°Hey kid, best leave if you ain¡¯t buying nothing.¡±


    Though most of the workers at the counters were polite and courteous, this one did not refute or reprimand the customer¡¯s demand. The smithing counters were their busiest spot all year long. The two boys were not dispirited as they were rebuffed, but they did hang farthest back from the crowd of customers while still staring at the armaments as they saw them.


    ¡°They have everything!¡± Gaius whispered lowly for his brother to hear as they were both in awe.


    ¡°Yeah! Look at that sword, it has a golden hilt with a red gemstone.¡± Gen said.


    ¡°Wow, see that armor on the 3<sup>rd</sup> shelf? What animal do you think they made that from? It has so many spikes!¡± Gaius commented.


    ¡°By the Father,¡± the two boys whispered, ¡°Look at that axe,¡± they both said upon looking at the same thing. Hanging from mounts nailed into the wall was an axe 2 meters in length, with its double-bladed sides making up about 1.25 meters.


    ¡°Hey, hey! No swearing,¡± Tulia reprimanded as she heard their hushed words.


    ¡°Who can swing that?¡± Gen asked in wonder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t want to find out,¡± replied Gaius.


    ¡°Whoa! How do you wield that?¡± Gen asked pointed to an exotic weapon he¡¯s never seen before.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It looks just like a chain with a ball at the end and a sickle at the other. That seems cumbersome to use in a fight,¡± Gaius said while his brother nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Oh! Over there, what¡¯s that?¡± Gen pointed for his brother to see.


    ¡°Oh, that looks like a blow dart, but it¡¯s a lot bigger than the one I trained in,¡± Gaius told his brother.


    ¡°How do you use it? What does it do?¡± Gen inquired.


    ¡°It does as it sounds, you place your mouth on one end and use your lungs to blow darts through it. It¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Gaius said.


    ¡°How many weapons did mom and dad teach you?¡± Gen asked a question he had always wondered about after seeing him spar against their mother.


    ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t real training. They just taught me the basics to a few of them, to see if I resonated with the weapon to condense an Aspect. But it was around 8 or 9. I eventually gave up because none of the weapons helped me condense an Aspect,¡± Gaius said as he thought back to his year of training.


    ¡°How were you so fast and agile when you sparred against mom?¡± Gen asked another question he always had.


    ¡°It¡¯s her aura. I see it like an ocean, sometimes it drowns me and other times it recedes back. I know you probably see her aura like grains of sand floating around. But if you watch it closely enough, you can tell when she attacks, defends, or feints. But don¡¯t focus on it too intently or else you won¡¯t be able to react properly. It gets easier the more you practice condensing your aura I think,¡± Gaius said.

 Chapter 13

    Gen ruminates over what he¡¯s just been told. Before Gaius stood a counter at the far side of the building, they walked past the smithing counters. ¡°Oh, that looks like silver leaf,¡± Gaius thought to himself as he saw the sign, ¡°Oh wow. There are so many different auras.¡± The plants and herbs along the shelf pulsed their rich auras but were mostly contained within their respective boxes. Seeing the young man¡¯s elated face the worker behind the counter said, ¡°How may I help you today? Do you need a tonic or tincture of some sort? We have many remedies and concoctions.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think I need anything, I was just curious. Why does the Merchant¡¯s Guild have a section for selling alchemical supplies, tonics, and tinctures?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± the worker was a bit surprised by the obvious question, ¡°Ah,¡± he finally said as realization dawned upon him. ¡°I am part of the Alchemy Guild. The Merchant¡¯s Guild¡¯s first floor is for the myriad of other guilds to sell their wares, so that it is convenient for the customer to go to one place for everyday needs. The Alchemist Guild that I belong to rent out this section from the Merchant¡¯s Guild so that we may peddle our everyday tonics and tinctures. If you needed a more demanding or custom potion, then you¡¯d need to head to the guild directly,¡± the man said patiently. ¡°I take it this is your first time in a city, lad?¡± after Gaius gave an affirming nod the man continued, ¡°Look around, have you noticed that the Scribe¡¯s Guild, Runeweaver Guild, and even the Smithing Guild have rented sections of the first floor? If you wanted a shieldsmith or a jewel smith to forge you a custom piece then you¡¯d need to visit their branch directly, here they just sell everyday armaments and trinkets.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thank you for enlightening me,¡± Gaius and his family continued to the last section of the first floor. Off to the side there was a man yelling and berating a docile-looking boy. The boy lowered his head meekly and nodded at the man¡¯s words. ¡°Hmm, city people are a lot meaner,¡± Gaius thought as he saw the two. Without looking back, he continued to the last section.


    ¡°What an odd sign. It just has a hand,¡± Gaius thought to himself. ¡°Mom, dad. What does this guild do?¡± he asked as he now knows all first floor signs represent a separate guild.


    ¡°Ah, this is the most important and powerful guild, the Labor Guild. They make their living by scavenging, harvesting, mining, skinning, farming, and extracting all manners of materials that all of the other guilds use. It boasts the most members out of all of the guilds, even if you combined all of the other guilds together, the Labor Guild would still be more populated. I¡¯m sure the old couple we ran into this morning were members of the Labor Guild. They purchase crops at a steady price, which makes it easier for families to budget their finances,¡± Duncan said.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really convenient,¡± Gaius couldn¡¯t help but think to himself. Gaius walked past the Labor Guild without talking to any of their workers and came upon a set of wide stairs that led to the second floor. At the foot of the staircase were guards barring its passage. ¡°The second floor is for members of the Merchant Guild only. Do you have a token of identification?¡± one of the guards told Gaius as he approached them. With that, Gaius and his family walked back out of the Merchant¡¯s Guild.


    ¡°Are you boys hungry?¡± Tulia asked as she marked the time of day.


    ¡°No,¡± they both said.


    ¡°Well, where do you two want to go next?¡± Duncan asked.


    ¡°Can we look at some of these stores nearby?¡± Gaius asked while Gen said, ¡°Can we go see the fighting pit?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s browse some stores first and maybe grab a snack or two, then we¡¯ll head to the fighting pits,¡± Tulia suggested.


    Gaius and his family went from store to store looking at their wares with a cursory glance. A few stores offered several delectable snacks, a lightly caramelized piece of meat on a stick with a refreshing cold fruit juice served from its hollowed out shell. Besides the street an area devoid of pedestrians were performers.


    Gaius noticed the crowd and slowly approached, ¡°Whoa!¡± Gaius thought to himself as he saw two performers throwing knives at each other, but instead of impaling each other they would catch the knives mid-air, all while moving, jumping, and flipping around the streets. Gaius turned his head to the opposite side of the street where another group of performers were slinging condensed Aspects at each other. ¡°Hmm, doesn¡¯t seem as exciting as the knife throwers,¡± Gaius thought to himself. Their Golden Bark village had displays of magic on a daily basis, so their performance was a bit lackluster when compared to martial prowess.


    Gaius and his family meandered throughout the market district slowly. Gen was attracted to this particular store that sold weapons and armors. Gen led his family through the front door, and upon seeing customers, the shopkeeper said ¡°You folks lookin¡¯ for anything in particular?¡±


    ¡°No, just browsing your wares,¡± Gen replied. His fingers lightly caressing the armor plates on the displaying stand. He imagined how heroic he would look fully dressed in a full suit of armor, while riding a roaring tiger.


    At the other end of the store, Gaius said, ¡°Oh! Shopkeeper, what is this weapon here? I saw one earlier today and was wondering what it was,¡± as he pointed to an exotic weapon.


    Seeing the weapon in question the shopkeeper said, ¡°That¡¯s a stone-sickle, at least that¡¯s what we call it here. The weapon originally came from Besk¡¯lok.¡±


    Gaius was lost in thought as he tried to figure out how someone would use this weapon effectively. At the sight of her confused son, Tulia said, ¡°the stone on one end is usually used to entangle the opponent¡¯s limb, and when they achieve that the person will run in with the sickle. It¡¯s a very difficult weapon to master.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he thought to himself as he continued to walk around the shop. Gaius eventually made his way up to the counter, as there were weapons and armors displayed behind the shopkeeper. One of the weapons caught his eye and Gaius stared at it intently, upon noticing this the shopkeeper followed the boy¡¯s eyes and smiled. ¡°Ah, you have a good eye boy. This here is the best bastard sword I¡¯ve ever made. I even got a runeweaver to craft a sigil on it for me. It¡¯ll never rust or lose its edge,¡± the man beamed.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s what it is then. The sigil,¡± Gaius thought to himself. On the blade¡¯s surface were small scribbles that exuded a dense aura, but unlike every aura he had seen before the one on the blade was a mixture of many types. He felt the Aspect of Metal, Aspect of Fire, and even an Aspect of Earth. Gaius wondered about this until he noticed that Gen and his parents were making their way to the door, he decided that he¡¯ll think about it later and followed his family.


    The front door of the shop suddenly swung open. A young girl with dirt and grime staining her cheeks and forehead barged in panting and out of breath. She was dragging a wagon behind her. Gaius observed the girl closely when the shopkeeper bellowed, ¡°How many times do I have to tell you girl! Bring the ores through the back, not the front! Are you daft?¡± She shirked at his reprimand and slowly pushed the wagon out of the door. Gaius made a slight move forward to help her, but was stopped by his father.


    Upon leaving the store, Gaius asked his father about the poor girl. ¡°She¡¯s a Novitiate,¡± was all he said, and they continued on with their day. While ruminating on what his father was said, he could see his brother and parents talking to a stranger. He approached just as the stranger left and his family turned around, his father said, ¡°Well, apparently the fighting pits are on the other side of the city. From here, the man earlier said that it¡¯d take a couple of hours to reach it.¡±


    Gaius noticed his brother¡¯s disappointed face, and Duncan continued, ¡°Good news though, the man said that there¡¯s a special duel tomorrow between the Calet family members. So, how about we return to the inn for the night and go there first thing tomorrow?¡±


    Though disappointed, Gen perked up when he heard that there was a special duel and that he wouldn¡¯t miss anything special by not going today. The family made their way back into the inn, and while the parents were ordering dinner the boys were washing up in the bathing rooms.


    The two brothers were bathing with each other and talking about the day¡¯s discoveries. ¡°Remember that huge axe at the guild?! Oh man, can you imagine someone wielding that?¡± Gen asked as he pantomimed swinging the axe overhead at his brother.


    Gaius then pretends to wield the stone-sickle and gestures twirling the stone chain above his head, and with an exaggerated throw around Gen¡¯s legs, and Gen pretends to be caught and falls into the water. Both of the boys laughing. ¡°How can someone actually fall for that in real combat? Isn¡¯t it obvious where the stone will go?¡± Gaius asked his brother as he floated within the bath.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe it¡¯s harder to dodge it when you¡¯re in full armor,¡± Gen said as he pictured himself in one.


    ¡°Remember that old guy from the Scribe¡¯s Guild?¡± Gaius asked his brother.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Do you think someone can really die if they break their promise?¡± Gaius asked.


    ¡°No way! How could that even happen. What if it was by accident, like if you just forgot the promise and then all of a sudden you drop to the floor dead?¡± Gen laughed at the idea.


    ¡°Yeah, like I tell you I¡¯m going to buy you candy, and I forget. Then when I get home I just drop to the ground dead!¡± Gaius joked with his brother. They continued to laugh as they bathed.


    The two boys soon joined their parents within the inn¡¯s dining area and as they sat down Tulia asked, ¡°Did you two have fun today?¡± She was met with enthusiastic nods. ¡°What was the most interesting thing you learned today?¡± she asked as they began eating.


    ¡°Someone could die from just breaking their promise!¡± Gaius said immediately while also stuffing his face.


    ¡°Sigils can prevent a weapon from rusting,¡± Gen said.


    Tulia and Duncan smiled at their innocent responses. ¡°Good, what was the least interesting thing you learned today?¡± Tulia asked after swallowing her food.


    Gaius thought about it for a minute while his brother blurted out, ¡°That the fighting pits are at the southern part of town.¡±


    His parents stifled a laughter and looked at Gaius expectedly. He finally decided to say, ¡°Not only can I not condense an Aspect, I can¡¯t even ask for information about anti¡­m¡± he stopped and didn¡¯t continue with a sullen look on his face.


    Tulia tried to cheer him up, ¡°Son, don¡¯t worry about it. Though the information is restricted by the Alirian Kingdom, your uncle will definitely have answers for you. All the answers you can ask him, okay? I promise.¡±


    Gaius perked up as his mother promised him the only thing he had ever wanted, so he tried to be more cheerful but it took a while for him to come around. After dinner, the boys climbed onto their bed tired from the day¡¯s festivities while their parents went to bathe.


    ¡°Do you think someone will die from the duel tomorrow?¡± Gen whispered.


    ¡°Maybe, but won¡¯t the killer go to jail? So probably not,¡± Gaius answered in hushed tones.


    ¡°I wonder what we¡¯ll see tomorrow,¡± Gen said before he slowly fell asleep, and his brother soon joined him.


    Gaius woke with sleepy eyes. ¡°Ah, I wonder if all rooms at an inn are so cozy. I¡¯m usually shivering every morning when I wake up,¡± he thought to himself. ¡°Oh, where¡¯s mom and dad?¡± Gaius thought as he walked to the window and opened the blinds, ¡°It¡¯s not too early, maybe they¡¯re downstairs for breakfast.¡±


    Gaius went downstairs and went through the double doors to see his parents eating and chatting, 4 plates filled with food sitting on the table with steam still emitting from the eggs, sausages, and golden biscuits. Gaius hungrily joined them.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your brother?¡± Duncan asked as his son plopped down and started eating.


    ¡°Shtill ashleep,¡± he said with his mouth full.


    Tulia smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get him before his food gets cold.¡±


    With just the two of them at the table Duncan asked, ¡°Son, do you want to take a look at the Alchemist Guild sometime?¡±


    Gaius nodded vigorously while his mouth was occupied.


    Duncan smiled at his antic and saw his wife and other son walk into the room. Upon seeing the plate of food, Gen rushed over and sat down¡ªgobbling just as much food and just as quickly as his brother. Tulia sat down and smiled at the barbaric display, ¡°So, are you excited for the duel today?¡± she asked Gen.


    Unlike his brother Gen tried to answer with his mouth full, ¡°Yesh! I hope we get to shee really cool fights,¡± spittle and food flew out of his mouth. As endearing as her son was, Tulia reprimanded him for his lack of table manners. ¡°Bad enough you two didn¡¯t thank us for getting you two food, now you¡¯re spitting food in my face?¡± Tulia rebuked.


    Gaius and Gen looked sheepishly as they said, ¡°Sorry.¡±

 Chapter 14

    After they finished eating the family headed out of the inn and stared walking south towards the docks and the fighting pits. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s that!¡± Gaius yelled as he pointed to a fierce looking hawk perched upon a man¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s quite rare to see one of those here. That¡¯s a singing hawk. It has an inherent affinity for the Aspect of Sound,¡± Duncan informed his son, and before Gaius could ask, Duncan continued, ¡°The Aspect of Sound allows the hawk to hear its prey from many kilometers away, and most importantly it allows the hawk to hunt without making a single bit of noise. It is one of the best stalking predators.¡±


    Gaius and Gen stared in awe as their father explained the mysterious creature in front of them. Even though the man with the hawk had long passed them, the boys were still filled with wonder¡ªimagining the bird flying above the clouds soundlessly as it hones in on its prey and the hawk abruptly swoops down in one fell motion to eat. Two wide grins were plastered on the boys¡¯ face.


    Suddenly Tulia grabbed the wrist of a small girl after she had bumped into her. Though Tulia did not condense her aura, her threatening tone was impressive by itself. She coldly said to the small girl, ¡°I¡¯ll make it easy on you, since I am with my family. Drop the pouch and I will not call for the city guards.¡± Tulia¡¯s hazel eyes had no warmth in them, and the small girl could only feel the icy gaze as she trembled and unconsciously released the pouch. With that, Tulia released her iron-grip upon the girl¡¯s wrist and she bolted away.


    She turned back to find her family, luckily her two boys did not see the pickpocket but the incident did not go unnoticed by her husband. With a smile and a nod Tulia returned to his side and walked in-step behind the boys as they were still basking in their wonder lust.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised she actually got to your purse, she looked so young,¡± Duncan whispered.


    ¡°Her control of the Aspects was nothing to scoff at, unlike those who tried before. I only caught her because I had condensed a bit of aura around my purse, else even I wouldn¡¯t have been able to notice,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Do you know which Aspect she practices?¡± Duncan curiously inquired.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe the Aspect of Wind? She had really fine control over it,¡± Tulia pondered, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it anymore.¡±


    ¡°By the Father!¡± Gen accidently whispered aloud, which earned him a stern smack on the head.


    ¡°No swearing young man, or else we¡¯re going to head back to the inn,¡± Tulia reprimanded, though she herself said the same curse in her mind.


    Ahead of the family was a tower giant of a woman. Gen whispered to his brother, ¡°She could definitely be able to wield that axe!¡±


    Gaius was just as dumbstruck as his brother when they slowly approached the giant woman. ¡°She must be at least 3 meters tall! Do you think she can wield two of those big axes?¡± Gaius whispered to his brother.


    Gen only nodded to his brother¡¯s question as he was still trying to comprehend that someone could be that big. Then a realization occurred, ¡°Do you think she¡¯s going to duel within the fighting pits!?¡± Gen nearly shouted aloud.


    Gaius tried to imagine fighting a woman that large and was briefly struck with panic. He calmed himself down with deep breaths, ¡°By the Father, the thought of fighting her already scares me,¡± he thought to himself.


    The giant woman stopped and turned around to look at Gen. She smiled at the scared look and said, ¡°You bet your ass! I am Matilda Calbar! And I will represent the honored Governor Hem Calet, rightful ruler of the twin cities!¡± she roared to no one in particular. Around the woman, some cheered but most booed. She gave Gen a quick smile as if the surrounding boos fueled her and turned around to continue to the fighting pits.


    Gaius looked around him and noticed that there were more and more people heading the same direction, and regardless how far Matilda¡¯s was she was easy to spot within the crowd. With his vision blocked by the throng before him, Gaius held onto his brother¡¯s and mother¡¯s hand to not get separated. And then he finally saw it.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Gaius thought to himself. ¡°It¡¯s huge!¡± Though the waitress at the inn said that their fighting pits were not as big as the arena in the capital, she didn¡¯t convey that the pits themselves were so massive. In front of Gaius and his family, as the crowd parted before them to find seats, was a giant hole in the ground. The hole had smooth stone all around it, the walls and floor were expertly carved. The whole pit had a 50 meter diameter. It was also carved into the ground with a depth of 30 meters, where the sides of the pit had seats carved into the walls.


    Gaius and his family, though they could have sat within the free seats up top, decided to pay for seats closer to the bottom so that they can see the fights more clearly. The 10 rows of seats that were built within the walls of the pit offered a better view of the fights, whereas the upper area had no designated seats and the area was tapered outwards to accommodate more people which made it difficult to see through the crowd before you.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Gaius and his family orderly followed the line before them to find seats to their liking, they sat within the middle area, at the 4<sup>th</sup> level from the ground¡ªnot at the ground floor nor at the upper sections. The sweet spot.


    After being seated, Gaius asked his mother, ¡°Is it always this crowded, mom?¡± and before she could answer another patron besides them replied, ¡°Oh heavens no. Though most fights have a fair amount of spectators, today¡¯s duel is special!¡±


    Gaius turned to the new voice and curiously looked at the woman, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Today is the duel between the two cities of Calet! It¡¯s always an impressive fight,¡± the woman said with a large smile.


    ¡°What are they fighting over?¡± Gen curiously asked.


    ¡°Oh, newcomers eh? Let me enlighten you then! Hmm, where to begin. You know of our norther sister city, North Calet?¡± she asked the two boys. Blank stares were seen upon their faces. ¡°Oh, well the two cities, South Calet and North Calet, were once ruled by late Governor Mathem Calet. But before he could name a successor, he died in his prime about 9 years ago. Since then, his two sons fought over control of the two cities when the king eventually gave a city to each of them to rule over.¡± She narrated the well-known story to the two boys. ¡°North Calet has access to the oceans which allow it to trade with many other cities and kingdoms as it lies upon the coast, but South Calet has Lake Bant and Bant River which allows us to trade with the cities inland. With these two cities the Calet family has been prosperous, but only if they are united. See boys, with the two cities ruled by two different governors they started to impose heavy taxes on goods that passed through their port cities. To unify the two cities¡¯ trade policy, the two brothers decided that three duels would be held every year and whoever wins 2/3 of the duels will have full access to the ports of both cities for the following year. And today is the day last duel of the year!¡±


    Gaius and Gen digested as much information as they could. ¡°What a weird way to settle disputes,¡± Gaius thought to himself, ¡°Odd, it seems that most people here are wearing the same sets of colors? And what is that on their shirt?¡± Gaius then looked at the woman and asked her, ¡°Miss, what is . . .¡± was the only thing he said. As the woman looked at Gaius¡¯s inquiring gaze, he could see the design upon her shirt, and it was a shield with two parallel stripes through it.


    Seeing the boy¡¯s gaze she smiled, ¡°This is the crest of the Calet family. A shield to protect its people and the two stripes representing the two cities. Though the original crest had a black shield upon a blue sky. The two brothers decided to color their crest in opposite schemes. The white shield upon a black sky is the North Calet crest, while the black shield upon the white sky is the South Calet crest.¡±


    Gaius looked upon the fighting pits again with a new understanding. It seemed that spectators were divided equally in half. All of a sudden a man appeared within the center of the pits and his voiced boomed so all could hear him, ¡°Greetings everyone! I am Ambassador Rorick Sten, sent by the king¡¯s court to oversee this duel and ensure its fairness under the king¡¯s law. The winner of this duel shall inherit exclusive trade rights, granting full access to the ports of North Calet and the docks of South Calet. This duel is comprised of three parts: the first being a melee, the second being a group bout, and the third being solo duels with 3 fighters from each side. Do you agree upon these terms, governors?¡±


    From the opposite sides, the two brothers stood from their viewing platform and said, ¡°I agree!¡± with an amplified voice.


    ¡°I hereby declare the duels to commence!¡± the ambassador said as he continued to stand there.


    Loud drums blasted and, according to tradition, dozens of men equipped in battle-gear jumped down from the edges and into the pits. Each man and woman that made their way into the pits were powerful warriors that were part of their factions fighting force. A total of 50 warriors entered the pit from each side, totaling to 100.


    Before Gaius and Gen could absorb the scene before them and mentally prepare themselves for the first time in their lives to see death, the melee began.


    Each group of 50 warriors were already in formation of some sort, the North Calet warriors on the left formed into a tight circle with shields all around them, like a turtle. The South Calet warriors on the right formed a shielded line with a few men and women in the back with bows. As the turtle formation slowly approached, the archers on the right fired arrows with great power. Though the arrows cracked and splintered upon striking the front shield-bearers, they stumbled upon the impact¡ªshowing how powerful each arrow was. The archers began to concentrate their fire upon one shield-bearer at a time after the first volley, as if they were probing the front line to find the weakest one; and sure enough the drew first blood as the unlucky shield-bearer died screaming¡ªas much from the arrows as the trample from his brethren¡¯s.


    The formation of shields slowly made their way to their enemies as one or two of their soldiers died from the barrage of arrows. Within the shield, the commander said, ¡°Almost there. Keep it tight. They¡¯ve brought 10 archers to kill only 3 of our men. Once we engage, I want you five to swing left, and you five to swing right after we punch a hole through, got it?¡± the man pointed to several men.


    The South Calet commander also rallied his men, ¡°Keep on picking them off. The fewer they have before we engage, the better our chances are. Watch for our flanks. Archers, when we engage, I want you to form on the center and pick as many of them off as you can.¡±


    The turtle formation suddenly stopped several meters away from the enemy¡¯s line. Realization dawned upon the commander on the right side. But it was too late.


    The warriors of the North Calet troops were chosen specifically because of the way they trained their bodies with the Aspects. About 30 of the troops close to the front condensed their martial Aspect within their feet to help them charge through enemy line. They were trained and selected for the precise situation in front of them. When the commander and Governor Hem Calet saw the thin line their opponents used, they couldn¡¯t help but smile. As the right line was trying to adjust, the 30 troops from the shield formation burst forth with extreme speed and power. A hole was immediately created as several men were pushed back from the charge. Upon seeing the hole, the designated men charged out and branched from the center to the left and right to engage the archers in the back. With their line divided, the South Calet troops were surrounded and too weak to effectively fight back in any meaningful resistance.


    Though these duels were a fight to the death, there was no animosity between the two cities, so the commander of the South Calet force immediately yielded to reduce further deaths.

 Chapter 15

    The woman next to Gaius let out a low sigh while shaking her head. ¡°What?¡± Gaius thought to himself as his mind was in a daze.


    Gen had a different experience. ¡°Did you see that? Mom, how did they break through the line so quickly?¡±


    Not disturbed by his son lack of empathy for the dead soldiers, she replied, ¡°They condensed their aura into the legs and feet which helped them burst through the line.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s all they did?¡± Gen said as he compared what he just saw to the results he had when he did the same thing. ¡°But, when I do it. It¡¯s not nearly as fast as them. They just zoomed!¡±


    Tulia smiled and said, ¡°Their control over their Aspects are better than yours, that¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t be so lazy in your training.¡± She looked over to Gaius and saw his confused face and worried over her son.


    ¡°Mom, why does this duel have to be a fight to the death? Aren¡¯t they just throwing lives away?¡± Gaius finally asked.


    Before Tulia could answer him, the woman next to them shrieked, ¡°Throw their lives away?! They fight . . .¡± was the only thing she could say as the cold gaze of Tulia¡¯s hazel eyes shut her up.


    ¡°What she means to say son,¡± Tulia began seemingly undisturbed by the woman¡¯s outburst, ¡°is that what they are fighting for is between life and death. Whoever wins this duel will gain full exclusive access to the docks and ports of both cities. They will be able to sell their goods anywhere, which will allow trade to flourish. A poor family can rise up in wealth and not worry about their next meal. It is an important duel, one worthy of their lives.¡±


    The woman next to them silently approved of Tulia¡¯s explanation. Her mind was distraught at her city¡¯s first loss in the melee. Though South Calet rarely wins the melee, it was still painful to see. She berated herself for almost screaming at the boy for asking a question.


    Gaius thought back to the old couple that shared their wagon, ¡°I wonder how long it took them to grow the vegetables to sell at the market, and it only amounted to 6 bronze coins.¡± Gaius tried to weigh and understand something he had no idea about¡ªpoverty. What it would mean to work until your bones broke just for your next meal, it was a foreign concept to the child. ¡°If wining this duel could allow the old couple to sell their crops for more coin, then that¡¯s a good thing. But I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s something worth dying for,¡± he still naively pondered.


    As tradition was followed, the losers¡ªdead or alive, were carried out of the pit in shame, while the victors could leave through the stairs imbedded into the walls and not have to bare the shame of being carried out. With the pit cleared, another group jumped down eagerness, vigor, and fighting spirit.


    Five fighters jumped down from each side and faced each other. The ambassador shouted, ¡°Begin!¡± and soon after different auras filled the pit as they condensed their Aspects. Lances of ice shot from the left directed at a charging warrior, and before the lances could pierce him an earthen pillar erupted from the ground completely blocking them. The warrior sidestepped the pillar of earth to continue charging. His Aspect of the Sword condensed within his body help him rush swiftly to his opponent. He was immediately met with another warrior brandishing a spear. They quickly exchanged blows and the ice mage on the left would attack the sword-wielding warrior whenever she had a moment¡¯s respite from the earth mage¡¯s attack. Lances of ice would shoot from odd angles to either meet the warrior¡¯s shield or an eruption of an earthen pillar. The two warriors danced within the storm of magic. The spear-wielding warrior would thrust and block quickly as he also avoided earthen spikes that would erupt from below his feet.


    Though the two boys had seen marital and magical prowess on display before, this is the first true battle that they¡¯ve witnessed. Their eyes were wide and unblinking as they stared at the marvelous fight before them.


    The right side had a total of 3 mages and 2 warriors, while the left side only had 1 warrior¡ªtheir spear-wielding one. Four combatants were already engaged from the start of the fight, with two warriors fighting amid the flurry of ice and earth that their fellow mages were condensing at each other.


    The 2 mages on the right started to reinforce the warrior in front of them with their auras, reinforcing the strength of his armor while reducing its weight. Seeing this, the 3 mages from the left immediately condensed all of their Aspects and tried to impale the warrior as quickly as possible. Gouts of flame surrounded by wind was funneled into a tight beam of fire and it shot at the warrior. The third mage conjured and beast made of pure water as it bounded towards the warrior. Preparing to dodge the incoming spell and beast, the warrior began to condense the Aspect of the Shield within his body¡ªreinforcing his skin. His two mages that were supporting him both condensed the Aspect of Metal, and suddenly a metallic sword and shield formed around him hovering in midair. The shield took the beam head on and deflected it towards the viewing seats. Luckily the walls of the pit were reinforced with protective sigils to absorb the errant spell, else it would have friend the spectators instantly. With the spell deflected, the warrior charged at the mages while the metallic hovering sword engaged the water beast.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Seeing their fellow mages in trouble, the ice mage that was supporting the spear-wielder diverted her attention and created another lance to impale the shield-bearing warrior. In that moment of distraction, the earthen mage opened up a hole beneath her feet and swallowed her within the ground. She instantly disappeared, and her lance of ice completely shattered as it almost impaled the shield-bearing warrior. With the balance of the fight shifting towards the warriors from South Calet, the shield-bearing warrior finally engaged the three unprotected mages. Though strong in their own right in close-combat, they still required time to condense their auras while the warrior merely channeled his Aspect within his body and within his weapons¡ªlike a conduit, and swung his one-handed axe quickly. The axe was met with a shield of fire as it formed around the mage, though it was weakened the axe still bit into the forearms of the fire mage. The fire mage cursed as his fire shield did little to slow the warrior down.


    Seeing their companion in dire straits, the water and wind mage began condensing a blizzard over the warrior, but before the blizzard could fully form it dissipated as a metallic shield rammed into the water mage.


    As the water mage was knocked unconscious, the water beast he conjured also dissipated, now a hovering metal sword and shield assisted the shield-bearing warrior against a wounded fire mage and a frightened wind mage.


    After the ice mage was swallowed up by the hole, the spear-wielding warrior had a much harder time defending himself as he now had the undivided attention of the sword-wielding warrior and the earth mage. He knew that it was only a matter of time before he was overwhelmed and he would be skewered from an earthen pillar or a sword strike. He quickly swept his spear in front of him in a wide arc as he disengaged the warrior and the earthen mage. The wind and fire mage also retreated to regroup with the spear-wielding warrior. With gloomy faces the nodded and immediately bent the knee and yelled, ¡°We yield!¡±


    The 5 from South Calet let out a sigh of relief as they had fought with their lives on the line and finally came out the victor. Surprising to the warriors of North Calet and the viewers, a hole suddenly opened up and the body of the ice mage that was swallowed emerge lying unconscious. The ambassador quickly went to assess her health and nodded towards the warriors from the northern city. The spear-wielding warrior looked at the earthen mage with respect and nodded at him in thanks for sparing his comrade.


    Gen exclaimed in excitement as the fight came to a close, ¡°That was awesome! That beam of fire was really scary! And did you see those spears of ice? How about when the hole swallowed the ice mage?¡± he rambled.


    While Gen was still excited with the display of power, Gaius was still basking in its aura. Though their control over their respective Aspects did not leave much to leak out, the pit was so dense with it that it was still overwhelming to his senses. Gaius couldn¡¯t clearly see the warriors and mages fight, he merely saw their condensed auras erupt and recede, and it filled him with energy. He was not the least bit surprised that the ice mage was still alive as he could still sense her weak aura beneath the floor. It was an odd sensation for Gaius, this was the first time he had ever witnessed true warriors and mages fighting to the death, so the dense aura that they emitted was nothing he had ever seen before. It literally blinded him, his normal sight could physically see the warriors and mages, but his aura-sight superimposed over their figures. With their eruption of power and collision of their auras, it was hard for Gaius to really see with his normal sight. It was a very disorienting experience.


    The losers were subject to the humiliating practice of being carried away while the victors stood tall and exited the pit on their own strength. Soon the ambassador came down and said, ¡°North Calet has won the melee, while South Calet has won the group fight. Whoever wins the last category shall inherit exclusive trading rights! The solo duels are determined by total elimination, until one side has exhausted all of their fighters. A fighter may not leave the duel once they enter the pit unless they die or forfeit.¡±


    Two men immediately enter the fighting pit, the left man was tall and skinny with a bow in his hand while the one from the right was short and stout with a spear in his.


    The skinny man shouted, ¡°I am Tak Ditet. Be honored to die by my bow!¡±


    The short stout man gave a snort and yelled, ¡°Quit your jabbering and come!¡±


    The skinny man was enraged by his opponent¡¯s lack of curtesy. He immediately drew his bow and released a probing arrow. The short man didn¡¯t move one centimeter as the arrow struck his chest and shattered. The short man gave a wry smile as he stood still as a statue. Eyes wide with shock the skinny man immediately condensed the Aspect of the Bow within his next barrage and soon a flurry of arrows flew towards the small man. The man didn¡¯t move again, but this time he threw his spear at his opponent 30 meters away.


    Gaius saw the exchange with his aura-sight and gasped, he wished the ebb and flow of their two auras would go away so that he may see the spear with his normal sight. The faces of the two opponents changed as they felt an imperceptible tug on their auras, but they only reinforced their control over their Aspects as their projectiles flew. The short man raised his arms to cover his face while the arrows, filled with aura, struck and shattered upon his metal armor. Though a bit worse for wear, the short man endured. At the same time, the spear flew towards the skinny man and he easily dodged it. ¡°What a fool, did he really think he could strike me from such a distance?¡± the skinny man condescendingly thought.


    The short man smiled as he controlled his Aspect of the Metal within his spear to change course as the skinny man dodged it. Immediately after, the metal spear erupted from the skinny man¡¯s chest as it struck him from behind. ¡°Ah, damn . . . metal mage,¡± the skinny man thought incredulously as he fell for such an obvious trick.


    ¡°Ah, that fool Tak. Couldn¡¯t even tell the man was a mage. If we lose this duel, I want the Ditet family punished for their stupid son,¡± a man growled. Though his face seemed young it bore the scars of leadership as the weight of governor was a heavy burden to bear and it would leave its mark.


    An attendant to the side nodded vigorously.

 Chapter 16

    Though the short man had an easy first win, he still recalled what the governor said to him earlier. Looking back above the stands the short man saw the luminescent cat staring at him causing shivers to run down his spine.


    The next opponent jumped down from the left after the body of Tak was carried away to his grieving family. The woman had a lithe figure as she gently floated down onto the pit. ¡°Wind mage,¡± thought the short man. As her feet touched upon the ground the short man controlled his spear to fly at her. The woman¡¯s face was calm as it belied her angry at the man¡¯s lack of curtesy. She wrapped herself expertly with very fine control over the Aspect of Wind. As the spear would fly towards her, she would shift ever so slightly and dodge by centimeters. The short man kept manipulating his aura to control the spear that was 30 meters away, it was very taxing. He started walking closer to her to decrease the distance so that he would not have to spend so much effort controlling his spear. Once he got within 10 meters, he took out his sword and dagger to defend himself in she decided to get close and engage him.


    But to his chagrin, she danced and floated to the other side of the pit as if she was toying with him. With the distance back to its original length, he felt his strength falter and the spear came crashing down onto the floor. Without waiting for the short man to bend the knee, she dashed towards him with the speed and grace of the wind. Immediately after she arrived by his side, his head was sent flying as a fountain of blood began to fly into the air where his head had been. ¡°If you had shown me curtesy, then I may have spared you,¡± she thought to herself distastefully.


    Gaius marveled at the woman¡¯s fine control over her aura. Though a bit of it leaked out, none of it reached Gaius. He was enamored with the woman before him, not because of her looks¡ªas he couldn¡¯t see with his normal sight from so far away, but because of her mastery over her Aspect. Though she was incomparable to his mother¡¯s control, she was the closest person he had seen reach his mother¡¯s level.


    Another short but skinny man jumped down from the right side. He was also wielding a spear. The wind mage looked at the new man before her with a discerning eye. As soon as he landed, he bowed to her showing his respect. She returned the favor and they began. Unlike his predecessor, the short skinny man was actually a warrior and not a mage-in-disguise. Though not as fast or graceful as the wind mage, he condensed his aura into his feet helping him catch up to her quickly. Before he could get close, the wind mage summoned shears of wind blades to slice at the warrior. Seeing the blades before him, he jumped in midair and twisted and turned his body in all different angles to dodge each blade. When he landed, it was as if his acrobatic display did not hinder his forward sprint and he continued expertly. ¡°Oh, a skilled one this time,¡± she thought to herself. Just as the warrior was getting close, she summoned a wall of wind around her. The tornado spun rapidly preventing the man from engaging.


    The Aspect of the Wind condensed heavily around her and it allowed Gaius to bathe in its aura. Though her control was great, there are bound to be errant leaks when condensing this much aura. Perhaps it was because the man had a lot of experience fighting against wind mages, but he saw the same vulnerability that Gaius saw.


    The warrior, with aura strengthening his feet, launched himself into the air and came crashing down atop of the wind mage where the aura was the weakest. Matching the man¡¯s expertise, the wind mage released her spell as soon as the man was overhead. Dozens of blades of wind flew upwards cutting the warrior where it found flesh. Though he was expecting a few wind blades to meet him¡ªno more than 6, he did not expect there to be several dozen! He immediately threw his spear towards her with all of his might and she danced gracefully away to avoid the attack. When the man landed he bent the knee and yelled, ¡°I yield!¡±


    The man looked at her with respect and allowed one of the stewards to carry him off the fighting pit.


    ¡°Mom! It¡¯s him! Look!¡± Gen shouted excitedly from his seat. The auras receded back into her body after the fight and he was able to see with his normal sight the man his brother was shouting at. Sylus Buch, the man with the moonsaber Lei¡¯ai, jumped from the ledge as his beast joined him.


    The woman eyes widen in shock as she realized who her opponent was. Though she would much rather prefer to surrender now, to concede now would be just as bad as dying¡ªher governor needed to win this at all costs, even if it was at the expense of a few powerful mages. She became alert as she waited for the man to strike first. Though it looked like she was able to easily defeat two opponents, the amount of energy it took for her to manipulate her Aspect was staggering. She felt too tired now.


    Sylus stood there and smiled as his beast immediately bounded straight for her. While still several meters away, the beast swiped its claws at her and though they physically missed her a trail of black fire erupted from its claws.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°Moonfire!¡± she cursed within her mind, ¡°Damn cat, can¡¯t take it easy on me. Has to go all out.¡±


    Though she knew she was no match for the beast, least of all the man behind it, she knew she had to put on a show of effort so that she does not get punished by her governor. One of the weaknesses of fire was that it was susceptible to the whimsy of wind. She summoned whatever aura she could and a gust of wind surrounded the moonfire and diverted it away from her. With her attention on the moonfire, Lei¡¯ai pounced on her with claws extended raking into her flesh. Defending herself with her arms and legs, she summoned her last remaining strength and quickly flew a few meters away. Though not far, it was enough for her to bend the knee and shout, ¡°I yield!¡±


    Though most of the spectators missed it, Gaius spotted the magnificence of Lei¡¯ai. He turned to his mother and asked, ¡°Mom, does that cat practice a Heavenly Aspect?¡±


    The woman beside the family was curious by the boy¡¯s question and intently listened as much as she could, ¡°A Heavenly Aspect?! If Governor Mathias was able to recruit such an expert, then the duel is as good as ours!¡± she thought.


    Tulia smiled and said, ¡°The saber cat does inherently condense a Heavenly Aspect of the Moon. And it also chose an Earthly Aspect of Fire. Though these two Aspects conflict with each other¡¯s nature, if they¡¯re combined successfully then it is synergistically more powerful.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wait. What do you mean they conflict with each other¡¯s nature?¡± Gaius asked.


    ¡°There are a total of 8 Heavenly Aspects, yes?¡± Tulia asked.


    ¡°Yes, they are the Aspects of: Life & Death, Time & Space, Lightness & Darkness, and Sun & Moon.¡± Gaius recited.


    ¡°Correct, but the Aspect of Life, Time, Lightness, and Sun are considered to be within the same nature. While Death, Space, Darkness, and Moon are considered to be their opposite nature. Some Earthly Aspects also follow these two opposing natures, like how the Aspect of Fire is akin to Lightness and the Sun, which means it is opposite of the Aspect of the Moon. Understand?¡± Tulia asked.


    Gaius pondered upon the new perspective but was jarred to reality when he heard a familiar roar.


    ¡°I am Matilda Calbar, prepare to die beastman!¡± she shouted as she drew a large two-handed sword and immediately condensed the Aspect of Fire around the weapon. The sigils etched upon the sword hungrily devoured the flames and it stayed alight without her constant control over her aura. She rushed the man as he stood there shaking his head while smiling and the moonsaber suddenly charged to meet her head on.


    The giant woman and the cat danced around each other, as they both dodged strikes, slashes, chops, and rakes. Matilda swung heavily with a forward chop, Lei¡¯ai gracefully dodged to the side and the sword bit deeply into the ground. Momentarily immobile, Lei¡¯ai swiped at the woman¡¯s calf trying to disable her movement. Though blood was drawn, it did not cut deep enough to rip tendons. With a grunt, Matilda drew her sword in an upwards arc biting into nothing as Lei¡¯ai dodged.


    In her fury, Matilda charged wantonly towards the cat and Lei¡¯ai swatted at the woman only to be met with fiery steel. Her moonfire aura condensed around her claws and it protected her from the flames, but the steel bit into her paws¡ªblood drawn.


    Sylus communicated with his companion, ¡°Why must you cats be so prideful, do you need my help now?¡± he asked and was responded with a low growl, yet he shook his head while ignoring her protest and joined the fray.


    He condensed the Aspect of the Beast, borrowing some of his companion¡¯s power into his own. Gaius saw the eerie scene with his aura-sight. Unlike most mages or warriors where they condense an Aspect from Heaven or Earth, Sylus drew upon his beast companion. Gaius saw the thick aura of black and red flow from the saber cat towards his body. Sylus erupted with power as his speed and strength exploded, though his companion did not seem to slow or wane in strength.


    It was immediately 2 against 1. Matilda blocked with her sword as the cat tried to rake across her legs, and with an unguarded midsection Sylus also raked across her chest. To her surprise the man¡¯s hands were in the shape of sharp bestial claws. Grunting in dissatisfaction, she bellowed in rage and summoned an inferno around her. It erupted from her body and spewed forth, covering the beast and his companion. Though most would not be able to see past the inferno, Gaius¡¯s aura-sight allowed him to pierce the veil, though he could only make out blurry outlines it was more than what most could see. He could see the combination of slashes as beast and man worked in concert against the giant woman. The two seemed unaffected by the bright geyser of flame that engulfed them. The woman slowed down after a while as she realized her sword was covered in a black flame, slowly eating away at her aura. Matilda was covered in cuts and rent flesh, and in a last ditch effort she threw her two-handed sword towards the cat. Lei¡¯ai swatted the sword aside and realized that the large woman had already sprinted towards Sylus with a dense ball of fire within her palms.


    Grinning, Sylus met her with his own black flames head on. As the two dense balls of fire collided, an explosion erupted from within the inferno. As the swirling flame dissipated, a prone Matilda was seen on the ground while Sylus stood immaculate¡ªappearing unscathed by the whole fight. Bits and pieces of the black flame floated around him like wisps of hair until it slowly dissipated back into Heaven and Earth.


    The woman besides Gaius stood and shouted with glee as her city won the duel, tears of joy and breaths of relief could be seen and heard around him. Quickly, Ambassador Rorick Sten began to officiate, ¡°This concludes the duel! South Calet has won fairly and will have exclusive trading rights beginning this next year! Congratulations.¡±


    Gaius found that it was easy to spot South Calet residence from North Calet residence at this moment.


    ¡°THAT WAS AWESOME!¡± Gen shouted atop his lungs, seemingly overjoyed with glee.

 Chapter 17

    Gaius followed his mother while holding onto her hands, his brother holding onto his other hand forming a chain behind him with Duncan at the end. The many stairways that branched out from the seats led to an easy and hassle-free evacuation. Gaius soon found himself within a sea of people as they discussed the duel with fervent emotions. Gaius looked around him and saw people cheering and hugging each other with eyes filled with tears. They smiled and ate snacks with hope in their eyes and the burden of their hard lives became a bit less heavy.


    ¡°Useless! All of them. Where in the Father¡¯s name did Mathias get a Heavenly practitioner?!¡± a man yelled within the crowd. Gaius saw him and surprised by the elaborate robe the man wore with its pure white color and black embroidered stitching. Though the man was traveling within the dusty road, not a speck of dirt tarnished his robe, shoes, or skin. Gaius shockingly noticed that there was a small subtle aura covering his body. Even with his heightened aura-sight, it was still difficult for him to see it.


    ¡°Sir, the beast man was actually a practitioner of the Aspect of Beasts. It was his companion that had an innate affinity for the Aspect of the Moon. His name is Sylus Buch sir. From the Buch family. Though not very prominent here in the Calet cities or even the capital, his family is headquartered in the City of Bant. His family heritage can be traced back to the Founding,¡± a servant said.


    ¡°Ah! What luck! He easily dominated our sword mage¡ªour trump card! A whole Father¡¯s forsaken year without trade rights,¡± the man angrily said.


    ¡°Mom, who is that man?¡± Gen asked quietly.


    ¡°From the looks of his clothes and anger, he¡¯s probably from North Calet,¡± she replied as she watched the man fume before her, ¡°maybe from a prominent family.¡±


    Governor Hem was already extremely angry with the duel and while he was walking back to his residence within South Calet, he overheard some peasants question his identity. ¡°¡¯Maybe from some prominent family!?¡¯ Do these peasants not know who stands before them?!¡± Governor Hem thought to himself. Looking for an outlet to release his anger, he turned around and glared at Gaius and his family. ¡°I AM GOVERNOR HEM CALET, RULER OF NORTH CALET! You dare to show disrespect to a member of the Calet family within these city walls?!¡± he bellowed in rage.


    Shocked by the sudden turn of events, Tulia¡¯s mind churned to figure out the best course of action. She slightly bowed her head and said, ¡°My apologies my lord, please forgive our ignorance, we hail from a village in the far north and have only recently arrived.¡±


    ¡°I do not tolerate insolence and disrespect!¡± the man yelled as he was in no mood for magnanimity, ¡°the punishment for such crimes is 10 lashings!¡± the man turned to his servant and said, ¡°carry out my judgement!¡±


    Though Governor Hem was not known to be merciful, even his servant thought that his behavior was a bit extreme. He hesitated for a moment which earned him a hateful glare that said ¡®if you don¡¯t lash them, I will lash you along with them¡¯. Bowed into submission the servant approached the family of four. Looking around, the servant saw a bamboo cane and picked it up.


    Seeing the man approach her and her family, Tulia¡¯s anger rose quickly. Through her gritted teeth she said, ¡°Sir, please accept my plea for mercy. My family will pay any fine, just spare us from punishment.¡±


    ¡°You have shown disrespect to the Calet name, to recompense this affront with gold is a mockery as the Calet name is invaluable,¡± the man said with a slight tilt of his head. ¡°This is not something I expect country peasants to understand! It is now 15 lashes each!¡± he commanded to his servant.


    Anger and ferocity started to bubble within her. She used all of her control to keep her fury in check. Gaius stood next to his mother and could feel the roaring aura that simmered within her. He also noticed that the ¡®servant¡¯ in front him had a rich thick aura as well.


    Tulia looked towards the servant and said, ¡°Take one step further and I shall make all of you regret your actions this day.¡± Her gazed pierced the man and he suddenly halted within his steps. Governor Hem was indignant and screamed, ¡°Now you threaten an officer of the king¡¯s court! That is punishable by death!¡± This shook the servant out of his temporary daze and he scolded himself for letting fear wash over him.


    The four bodyguards that were standing near the governor now joined the servant and approached the family of 4 with weapons drawn.


    Duncan took his two sons and pulled them back from the fight, knowing full well the capabilities of his wife, ¡°Don¡¯t worry boys,¡± he reassured them. He then used his hands to cover the boys¡¯ eyes, while he himself closed his tightly.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Tulia shouted. Power erupted from her body. Her aura condensed quickly and she directed it at the 4 bodyguards and the servant blinding them. Gaius watched with his aura-sight as he let the Aspect of Light wash over him.


    Tulia¡¯s figured became hazy and then she was gone. The blinding light that seared the eyesight of the 5 before her also made it difficult for those watching to see what was happening. When their eyes adjusted though, which took a few minutes, the family of 4 was already gone. On the ground were the bodyguards, the servant, and the governor; though all 6 were alive they were knocked unconscious.


    Duncan held onto his two sons while Tulia guided him through the streets and alleyways as he too was blinded by the flash through his eyelids, except for Gaius and Gen. With his aura-sight he was able to see what his mother did. She first directed the flash of light against the 5 before her, and the residual effects of that blast momentarily blinded the spectators.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    What Gaius saw next stunned him. The aura within his mother disappeared and reappeared behind the bodyguards. She struck them with something, he couldn¡¯t see. He only saw her aura ¡°teleport¡± behind the bodyguards and then she ¡°teleported¡± back in front of him to lead them away. It all happened near-instantly. By the time they recovered from their shock, they were nowhere near the incident.


    From wherever they were, they headed north back towards the inn. The family first walked in silence as Tulia¡¯s rage had yet to abate. The first that spoke was Gen, ¡°Are we going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, mother will never let anything happen to you,¡± she quickly replied, perhaps a bit harsh with her anger still lingering.


    ¡°Mom, how did you move so quickly?¡± Gaius asked after his brother broke the ice.


    Even though they were in a hurry, Tulia stopped dead in her tracks and eyed Gaius directly and said, ¡°You were able to see my movements?¡±


    ¡°Um, no. Just your aura. One moment you were here¡± he said while motioning with his hands, ¡°and the next you were here,¡± he moved his hands from right to left.


    ¡°Hmm, your keen senses never cease to amaze me. I wonder if all anti¡­¡± she looked around to ensure no one was listening, ¡°if all antimages have senses like yours,¡± she finished. They began to walk north, slowing their pace down as to not look conspicuous.


    By the time they reached their inn, word had already spread about the attack on the Governor of North Calet.


    ¡°Sorry boys, but I think it would be best that we leave this city for now. Who knows what that crazy governor will do,¡± Tulia said apologetically. ¡°Go pack all of our stuff, I¡¯ll get the wagon.¡±


    Gaius followed his father and brother up the stairs as they entered their room. ¡°Boys, pack up your things, I¡¯ll handle everything else,¡± he instructed.


    Soon, the three left their room in a mess and walked to the side of the inn to find Tulia waiting atop the wagon. ¡°Quickly,¡± she urged them while waving her hands over. As they started to stroll away from the inn, Tulia overheard some gossip, ¡°A warrior family of 4 attacked Governor Hem after the duel earlier! They said that the barbarian family hailed from the deep north. Mother and father went berserk while their two sons disemboweled the guards and servants in an instant.¡±


    ¡°What?! How scary. I hope the city guard catches them,¡± another replied.


    ¡°I hear there are double guards at the gates, and search parties roaming the streets,¡± the first said.


    Tulia thought about their situation for a while. ¡°I could use the token, but . . .¡± her body shook in rage as she considered her first and safest option. She breathed deeply to calm herself, ¡°I¡¯ll use it as a last resort, until then I guess Duncan can take the boys out of the city.¡±


    She turned to her husband and said, ¡°Honey, you need to take the boys out. The guards are looking for a family of 4, it might be easier if I slip out of the city before you. Meet me at the docks at sunset.¡±


    ¡°What about . . .¡± Duncan shut his mouth as he saw the fiery anger burning in her eyes and just nodded.


    Tulia jumped off the wagon and made her way through the crowd, and Duncan climbed atop the driver¡¯s seat and maintained a calm demeanor.


    The wagon slowly made their way south. The two boys were seated within the wagon and though appeared calm, were anything but. ¡°I wonder what will happen to mom. Do you think they¡¯ll let us leave? It was the stupid governor¡¯s fault,¡± the whispered between each other. The boys were tired and hungry from the slow moving wagon, as it was already late in the afternoon. After passing through the fighting pits from earlier that day, the wagon kept on moving ever southward towards the docks.


    They finally reached the southern gate that led to the docks an hour or so before sunset, but to boys¡¯ dismay they were stopped and questioned by the guards.


    ¡°What business did you have in our city?¡± the guard eyed the man and the two boys in the wagon.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡± Duncan roared. Gaius and Gen were surprised by their dad¡¯s sudden behavior.


    The guard took a small step back as he addressed Duncan, ¡°We are on the lookout for a fugitive family of 4. They attacked Governor Hem today. They¡¯re described as a barbaric family with two young boys hailing from the deep north,¡± the soldier calmly reported.


    ¡°I am Duncan Wyn, Craftsman Alchemist. I was selling my wares within your city and now depart for the capital to continue my trade,¡± Duncan said with an air of arrogance.


    ¡°Ah, my apologies for the delay sir. But we must inspect your token and your wares to show proof of identity,¡± the soldier¡¯s face sunk. ¡°Father¡¯s forsaken. A Craftsman, just my luck,¡± he thought to himself.


    ¡°If I miss the next boat out of the city, I will hold you responsible for this!¡± Duncan fumed. He threw the guard a small token. Etched upon the smooth token¡ªof an unknown material, was a picture of 5 flasks and two stars at the bottom. ¡°Novitiates, show these men our leftover stock from today¡¯s trade,¡± he shouted to the back without looking at them.


    Gaius and Gen were ever mindful of the current situation, ¡°Novitiate?¡± they thought to themselves. Then there was a guard standing at the back of the wagon expectedly, and Gaius and Gen fell into step and pushed their two crates to the back and opened their wares. The guard inspecting their vials was a different one than the one Duncan berated.


    Upon opening the stopper of a random vial and wafting the aroma, the guard¡¯s eyes widen in shock and quickly capped the vial. He then carefully placed it back where he found it. Though his inspection job was done, he continued to linger and stared at the crates with eyes wide as he made quick calculations on how much the crate in front of him was worth. He looked at the first guard and nodded.


    ¡°My apologies Craftsman Alchemist, you may be on your way.¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡± Duncan snorted and continued towards the docks.


    Once the wagon rolled away, the two guards stood side-by-side. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with that face?¡±


    After a period of silence the first guard continued, ¡°Hey Maziah, what¡¯s gotten into you?¡±


    ¡°When I inspected those vials, they were the richest and most fragrant tonics I¡¯ve ever seen. Anywhere. Those two crates must be worth hundreds of gold,¡± Maziah said absentmindedly.


    ¡°No kidding? Well, at least we know they aren¡¯t the barbarian family,¡± the first guard said as he turned around.


    ¡°Hey Weck?¡± Maziah said.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Weck replied as he turned back around.


    ¡°It¡¯s odd isn¡¯t it? A traveling alchemist with such valuables and no guards to defend his goods,¡± Maziah said.


    ¡°I suppose it is, but the river is rather safe. I¡¯m sure he isn¡¯t the one we¡¯re looking for,¡± the other replied.


    ¡°Yes, the river is rather safe, but unfortunate things happen to people all the time. Even to those who carry hundreds of gold of tonics,¡± Maziah said with undisguised greed.

 Chapter 18

    ¡°You two boys did a good job,¡± Duncan let out a sigh of relief as they were far enough away from the gate.


    The wagon slowly stopped at the edge of the docks. Before them was a wide lake that stretched as far as the eye could see. Lake Bant, its crystal clear waters are famed throughout the kingdom. ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s so refreshing here. My Mother,¡± Gaius thought to himself.


    Duncan and the boys were silent as they peeled their eyes from the lake and looked around for signs of their mother. Suddenly, Gaius felt a surge of aura from the walls of the city. Though he couldn¡¯t see with his normal sight he recognized the unique aura that belonged to his mother, and in an instant she appeared before them.


    ¡°Took you long enough?¡± she jokingly said.


    ¡°The streets aren¡¯t built to accommodate wagons, it was pretty annoying,¡± Duncan complained. ¡°Did you find us passage while you were waiting?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Traveling alchemist and his bodyguard,¡± Tulia said with a knowing smile. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we last played these roles, huh?¡±


    ¡°Haha, more than 10 years. It felt quite fun,¡± Duncan smiled back.


    ¡°How did you explain our two loving sons?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Ah, both Novitiates with the guild,¡± Duncan said.


    They continued and entered the docks proper. There at the end of an empty port was a large ferry, though not big enough to fit the wagon. ¡°Ah Miss Wyn, you made it. I was beginning to worry,¡± a big portly man with a mustache said. ¡°Welcome Craftsman Alchemist, we are ready to set off whenever you are,¡± the portly captain looked at the wagon and sized it up. With a frown he said, ¡°Unfortunately, my ferry is designed to carry passengers and not cargo. So you must leave your wagon here. If you would like, I may store it within my warehouse until you can arrange for it?¡±


    ¡°No need, you may discard it,¡± Duncan said flatly with an air of superiority.


    ¡°Ah, well. How about this, I¡¯ll buy it off you,¡± the captain said, and after thinking for a bit he continued, ¡°One triangle seems fair, how about it?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not discuss such paltry sums. You may have it for free, think of it as my apologies for making you wait for our arrival,¡± Duncan said with a slight nod.


    ¡°Ah, if that is the case, then I thank you for your generosity,¡± the captain smiled and nodded enthusiastically.


    Each of the boys carried their entire worldly belongings within a single strongbox, while Duncan climbed off the wagon and strolled into the personal quarters of the ferry. Tulia, with the help of her sons, made a few trips to fully unload the wagon. Mother and two sons acted as docile servants as Duncan walked to their living quarters without glancing back.


    The ferry took off shortly after the Wyn family loaded their entire life¡¯s belongings.


    ¡°Anyone else hungry? I¡¯m starving¡± Gaius said aloud as the family gathered within their assigned cabin.


    Tulia smiled and instructed her son, ¡°Go ahead and ask the captain where the galley is, and get enough for your father and me. You too Gen, go with your brother. Remember to try to act as servants to your lazy father,¡± as she eyed her husband.


    Duncan merely shrugged and smiled.


    Gaius and Gen slowly made their way onto the deck of the ferry and sought out the fat captain. ¡°Sir, my master would like to eat, where may I find the galley?¡± Gaius said poignantly.


    The man scowled and look at the two young boys in front of him. ¡°I¡¯ll send for one of my crew to send food to your cabin. Though the fee only covers food for your master and his bodyguard. Not enough for two servants,¡± the man said as he stared.


    Gen and Gaius were startled as the man vehemently told them off. Gen was as hungry as his brother, yet did not have the same restraint. ¡°My fath¡ªMaster! Paid for,¡± was all Gen could say before his brother stopped him.


    ¡°Please excuse my junior apprentice, we will relay your message to our master,¡± Gaius said as he gripped his brother¡¯s forearm. Though Gaius seemed outwardly reserved, he was as angry as his brother.


    ¡°Oh? A little fire in this one,¡± the captain thought to himself. He continued to maintain a scowl and growled at them, ¡°Get out of my sight.¡±


    The two boys made their way back into the cabin empty handed. ¡°Oh? Where¡¯s our food?¡± Tulia said with a smile.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°That fat captain said that he wouldn¡¯t feed us!¡± Gen blurted as his anger erupted.


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re Novitiates now,¡± Duncan smiled and laughed to himself. His mirth was cut short as he saw the sad and indignant eyes of his sons. He began to explain, ¡°Novitiates are the lowest ranks within any guild. To temper their attitude it has become common practice for everyone to treat them curtly. Only after you wear the robes or token of your guild are you an official Initiate, which garners more respect. Every guild member has to go through this¡­ ¡®Rite of passage¡¯.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re not even a part of a guild!¡± Gaius and Gen shouted.


    ¡°Haha, yeah. But you must act the part. Sorry boys, you¡¯ll have to feed and take care of yourselves,¡± Duncan replied. ¡°A Craftsman Alchemist would not indulge a Novitiate. And I can¡¯t break my role,¡± he said with a wink.


    ¡°Think of this as part of your training, you need to eventually provide for yourselves, yes?¡± Tulia said as she tried to encourage her boys.


    Hunger is a powerful thing, the usually calm and respectful Gaius erupted, ¡°No! We haven¡¯t eaten since this morning. We¡¯re both hungry now, and there¡¯s no way to hunt for food now that we¡¯re on this Father¡¯s forsaken boat!¡±


    Seeing his brother enraged scared him and forced Gen to play to responsible role. He reached out and grabbed his brother¡¯s shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.


    Without batting an eye and with an emotionless face, Tulia continued, ¡°Well, you can¡¯t hunt but surely you can fish?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡± Gaius let out a grunt as he saw his mother¡¯s steely expression. He turned around and stormed out of the cabin, almost bumping into a crew member with a tray of food. Seeing the pile of scrumptious food in front of him only fueled him with more anger. ¡°Get out of my way boy!¡± the crewman shouted.


    Turning a deaf ear to the man Gaius continued to the deck. Upon reaching the open air, Gaius was bathed with the cool refreshing aura emanating from the lake. With his current anger, Gaius subconsciously drew in the aura to calm himself and instantly felt better. ¡°Ah, I shouldn¡¯t have cursed in front of mom,¡± was Gaius¡¯s first thought as he calmed down. ¡°Man, what a pretty lake,¡± Gaius observed as the sun was setting over the lake. He moved over to the rail and peered into the deep water. ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that?¡± he thought to himself as he noticed a small aura deep within the waters. Dozens of other blue auras started to appear within the lake within seconds. ¡°Oh!¡± he said as he jumped back surprised. Soon a large fish, the size of the boy¡¯s arm, leapt out of the water and dove back in. Following the first fish, dozens of others started to jump too. They seem to be chasing a few fish to the surface and eventually catapulted themselves out of the water.


    Gaius was amazed by the sheer number and dazzling display the fish were putting on. He slowly made his way to the edge again and reached out his hand, ¡°Whoa, they look so smooth and shiny,¡± he thought to himself. One of the fish opened its mouth to reveal razor sharp teeth ready to bite off Gaius¡¯s whole hand, but a strong grip immediately wrapped around the boy¡¯s wrist and pulled his arm away.


    ¡°Are you stupid boy!? You do not PET a steelteeth!¡± the large captain said.


    Gaius was stunned, still trying to process what almost happened. ¡°The pretty fish looked so scary when it opened its mouth,¡± he thought to himself, ¡°I could have lost my hand?¡±


    ¡°You hear me boy? Where were you raised? Trying to pet a steelteeth like some idiot,¡± the man grumbled as he walked off.


    Gaius finally came to and fell onto the deck. He sat in a daze for a while trying to overcome his hunger and fear. After several minutes he got up and turned to the nearby captain, ¡°Ah sir,¡± he said.


    ¡°What is it now?¡± the man flatly replied.


    ¡°May I borrow a fishing rod? My junior apprentice and I came ill-prepared for travel.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°This Father¡¯s forsaken fat man,¡± Gaius thought to himself. ¡°How about a trade, sir?¡±


    The captain thought carefully and observed the boy in front of him, ¡°what could you possibly have that I would want?¡±


    ¡°Food,¡± Gaius said with a smile, ¡°If you lend me a fishing rod, I will pay you one fish per day. It is better than just having it sit there, I think?¡± he pointed to a nearby fishing rod tied to the railing.


    ¡°Hmm, the boy is bright. That much is apparent. He¡¯d make a fine alchemist someday,¡± the captain thought to himself. He put on an annoyed-face and said, ¡°Five fish per day, and you may use it. If you break or lose the rod then I¡¯ll take this issue to your master.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Gaius said with excitement.


    ¡°Ah, the boy doesn¡¯t know how to haggle, a shame,¡± the captain smiled and thought to himself. He grunted at Gaius and waved his hand towards the fishing rod, a sign for permission.


    Gaius happily untied the fishing rod and appraised it carefully. ¡°Hmm, I wonder what this part does?¡± he thought to himself.


    The captain observed the boy with the fishing rod, ¡°The lad does know how to use one, doesn¡¯t he?¡± he thought to himself as he watched Gaius acquaint himself with his first fishing rod. As Gaius was carefully poking and inspecting the fishing rod, Gen approached him as he made his way to the deck.


    ¡°Hey, I tried. But they won¡¯t give us any food,¡± Gen complained to his brother in a low voice.


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s okay! I got permission to use this fishing rod, we can just eat fish,¡± Gaius said with a smile to his brother.


    Gen¡¯s eyes widen in surprise and happiness, ¡°Cool!¡±


    After a period of silence.


    Gen continued, ¡°Do you know how to use one?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    Hearing the two boys talk, the captain almost fell over. ¡°Mother¡¯s mercy. Going a night without dinner can build character,¡± the captain reassured himself. He turned away from the boys went back into his personal cabin.


    After several hours and many failed attempts to ¡°fish¡±, the two boys were shouting and yelling at each other. ¡°You¡¯re doing it wrong!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already tried that! Give me the rod, I have another idea,¡± Gaius said.


    ¡°Oh, another great idea! You didn¡¯t even get a single bite!¡± Gen retorted.


    ¡°Neither did you!¡±


    ¡°I got a nibble!¡±


    ¡°You were just shaking the rod,¡± Gaius shouted.


    Near the door towards the personal cabins, Tulia and Duncan stood and watched their two sons. ¡°I¡¯ll help them tomorrow. A night of hunger would do them good,¡± Tulia said. Duncan smiled and nodded his head, and the two returned to their room.


    After another hour, the two boys gave up. After carefully stowing the rod away, they made their way back to the room and searched for sleep to steal their hunger away. ¡°I¡¯ve never been so hungry before. It hurts,¡± Gaius thought to himself sadly. The few minutes it took him to fall asleep seemed like hours.

 Chapter 19

    The pain of an empty stomach woke Gaius up, and to make matters worse his parents were feasting on breakfast in front of him. With pleading eyes, Gaius stared at his parents only met with a smile, just a smile¡ªno food. After finishing their meal, Tulia said ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to fish today, how does that sound?¡±


    Gaius was too dispirited and hungry to muster up his regular enthusiasm. ¡°At least Gen was saved from having to watch mom and dad eat,¡± he thought to himself as he saw his sleeping brother next to him.


    ¡°Grab your training weapon. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go,¡± Tulia said as she made her way to the deck with Gaius in tow. She took his training spear into her left hand and in another pulled out her knife. Seeing his mother bore a hole at the end of his training spear, Gaius realized what she was doing, regardless he watched her in silence. She then quickly threaded a piece of rope into the now makeshift harpoon. Tulia turned to look at her son and smiled and edge closer to the rail of the boat. She held the harpoon at the ready with one hand and peered within the crystal clear water.


    Tulia looked at her son and said, ¡°Don¡¯t miss it.¡± She launched the spear gracefully and it hardly made a sound as it pierced the crystal clear lake. Gaius keenly observed what she did, how his mother gripped the spear and her form. He also made a mental note that he couldn¡¯t detect any aura. From the tenseness in her shoulders to the angle of her elbow, he watched. The rope tied to the end of the spear slithered into the waters.


    Tulia held the end of the rope and with a quick tug it became taut. Gaius noticed the erratic movement of the rope as his mother started to pull the fish out of the water. Tulia easily reeled a steelteeth the size of her forearm out of the water with a big splash. Gaius¡¯s training spear pierced directly through the steelteeth¡¯s scales like it was paper. She smiled at her son and tore the fish from the weapon. ¡°Your turn,¡± she said with a smile as she tossed him the harpoon. Tulia turned to the captain beside her and handed him the fish, ¡°This is for letting us borrow your rope.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Thank you,¡± the captain responded meekly while taking his prize.


    Gaius was a bit disheartened when he saw his mother give his potential breakfast to the captain, so he started to focus on the task at hand. He stared at the makeshift harpoon within his hands trying to replay the movements of his mother within his mind. ¡°Her shoulders were tense and coiled, ready to explode with power. Her elbow was like this . . .¡± he thought to himself as he would shift and twist his body ever so slightly to imitate her posture. ¡°Sling the harpoon over my shoulder and grip it around here?¡± he continued to think, ¡°Hmm, which leg did she lean on? Guess I¡¯ll have to just try one.¡±


    He mimicked his mother¡¯s stance as closely as he could recall, putting most of his weight on his front leg and ready to throw his harpoon until he realized, ¡°How did she get her harpoon to go so far down? The steelteeth must be at least two dozen meters below!¡±


    Though the steelteeth were abundant, they mostly stayed within 20 meters of the surface of the lake. Any lower and they may be preyed upon by bigger fish, and any higher made them susceptible to the fisherman of Lake Bant. They eventually evolved to acclimate to the pressure and temperature at 20 meters.


    Without thinking any further, Gaius threw the harpoon as hard as he could. He almost tripped over the railing as it sailed through his grip and splashed into the waters barely going deeper than 4 meters. He saw the strength of his throw diminish quickly as his harpoon started to sink instead of swim to his next meal.


    ¡°Place your weight on your back leg, shift your momentum forward as you throw. That¡¯s a basic fighting stance,¡± Tulia instructed.


    ¡°Ah right, sorry mo--- Ma¡¯am,¡± Gaius said. ¡°Right, this is no different than throwing a spear in a fight. Just gotta focus on the target,¡± he thought to himself.


    ¡°Oh right, also try to aim closer to you. Else you¡¯ll be aiming at ghost fish,¡± she cryptically warned.


    ¡°Ghost fish?¡± he thought to himself a bit confused.


    Tulia gave Gaius a stern look, playing the part of a strict and indifferent bodyguard, and then slowly walked back into her cabin.


    ¡°Okay, shift my weight, just like throwing a normal spear. Only this time if I fail I die from starvation,¡± he thought. Throw after throw, the harpoon barely exceeded 6 meters before it lost all of its force and started to float back up. Because the training spear was entirely made from wood, it would eventually float atop the water. Gaius had to repeatedly retract the wet and heavy harpoon. Finally, after an hour of trial-and-error he gave up and sat on the deck. He breathed laboriously. ¡°This is a lot harder than I thought,¡± as he was thinking this, his brother started to emerge from the cabin with a sleepy expression on his face. ¡°Gen! Come here,¡± he instructed.


    ¡°Ah, mo¡ªCaptain Wyn woke me up and said that I was supposed to help you with something? What are you doing?¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Trying to catch us breakfast. Come help me.¡±


    At the mention of food, Gen¡¯s face became sour as he realized just how hungry he was. After combating the pain of hunger, he walked towards his brother with hope of an easy meal but was disappointed when his brother spoke to him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been at it for an hour, I can¡¯t get this harpoon to go farther than 6 meters. The steelteeth are at least 20 meters,¡± he said solemnly.


    Not caring what his next meal would be called, Gen asked ¡°Why not just aim for fish that are closer to the surface?¡±


    ¡°I tried that. Every time I see a sizeable fish near the surface, one of the steelteeth would swim up quickly and eat it and jump out of the water. It¡¯s really scary, they almost bit my hand off. And then, by the time I throw the harpoon, the forsaken thing would be 10 or so meters down.¡±


    ¡°Here, let me try it,¡± Gen said with an outstretched hand.


    He quickly positioned and stood at the ready. Gaius was surprised at this brother¡¯s form as it was almost identical to their mothers. ¡°Ah, I see he hasn¡¯t been slacking in his training. He looks like a natural,¡± Gaius quietly thought to himself.


    Gen quickly threw the harpoon and it barely made a splash, though not as quiet as their mother¡¯s but definitely better than Gaius¡¯s. The harpoon pierced the waters for 15 meters before it lost its power and started to float back up. Gaius noticed the drastic difference between his throw and his brother¡¯s immediately and was shocked. ¡°Ah! That¡¯s why their throws are so much stronger than mine.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it wasn¡¯t strong enough,¡± Gen said sadly, ¡°I gave that one my all. Let me try a few more times.¡±


    ¡°Gen, did you condense your aura around the harpoon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why? I thought you were able to sense auras from kilometers away?¡± Gen asked.


    Gaius scoffed, ¡°Not kilometers, just a few dozen meters. But I couldn¡¯t detect any aura just now. What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I guess I didn¡¯t technically condense an aura,¡± Gen said as he thought about it.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, mom has been training me to do different things with my aura,¡± he whispered to his brother. ¡°Some of the times she makes me condense them and have it wrap around my weapons, and other times she makes me directly infuse my aura to the weapon.¡±


    ¡°Why? What is the difference between the two?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, she said ¡®One will allow you to attack at a distance, while the other will strengthen your weapon and direct attacks¡¯ is what she told me when I asked,¡± Gen recited his mother.


    As if struck by lightning, Gaius realized what exactly happened. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! Now we won¡¯t go hungry. Gen, you just need to control your aura and make sure that you keep infusing it. If you let it dissipate then it won¡¯t go far enough.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but after 10 meters, I was losing control and could only infuse the harpoon up to 15 meters,¡± he said in defeat.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, just keep practicing. I cannot believe that in a couple of hours, you won¡¯t be able to reach 20 meters!¡± Gaius cheered his brother on.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    The next couple of hours were filled with a mixture of disappointment and happiness. Gen was finally able to pierce the harpoon down to 20 meters, but to the boys¡¯ chagrin the steelteeth would just swim a bit farther down. Gen finally collapsed down onto the deck covered in thick sweat as he labored for each breath. ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore brother. I¡¯m so tired,¡± he barely whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, take a rest. We¡¯ve been at it for a couple of hours now. I wish I could help you,¡± Gaius said as he stared at his exhausted brother.


    ¡°Only if you could condense your own aura,¡± Gen said quietly. Realizing he said something taboo, Gen quickly looked at his brother to apologize, ¡°Ah sorry, I said something I shouldn¡¯t have. Gaius?¡±


    Gen looked at his brother¡¯s unfocused eyes as he apologized and realized that his brother was concentrating on something, so he decided to not say anymore.


    ¡°Hey Gen,¡± he said after a few minutes, ¡°can you condense an aura and let it dissipate?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure.¡± Soon a small orb of bright white light formed above Gen¡¯s open palm and just as quickly started to lose its shape. To Gen¡¯s surprise, as soon as it let go of his aura and it started to dissipate the ball of white light started to reform again.


    Between the both of them and huddled away from the sight of others, an orb of bright white light stood. Gen¡¯s eyes were wide and round while Gaius had a smile of delight. ¡°You can condense an aura?¡± Gen asked quietly, ¡°no wait. That aura feels like it¡¯s mine, how are you doing that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just kind of grabbed it and formed it,¡± Gaius replied absentmindedly as he stared at the orb in front of him. He slowly grabbed the harpoon from his brother¡¯s grip, fearful that any sudden movements might dissipate the orb in front of him. Although he feels like his grip around the orb is firm and sturdy, he was still cautious.


    Gen watched as his brother slowly guided the orb, it began by flattening and twisting into a cylinder, and eventually perfectly shaped into the training spear. Gen watched as his brother slowly merged the aura into the spear. As if it was the Heaven¡¯s way of letting Gaius know he did something right, Gaius felt a slight tremor within the spear and then it calmed down.


    Gaius didn¡¯t know why but he felt like the harpoon within his hands was different, something was bothering him but he couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. Gen was amazed as he stood beside his brother, he could feel his aura within the harpoon, yet it wasn¡¯t his anymore. He couldn¡¯t control this familiar aura within the harpoon anymore. ¡°How did you do infuse my aura so easily? It took me several weeks to learn how to do it, and mom said I was fast,¡± Gen asked in shock.


    ¡°Is that what it is? Why does the spear feel different than when you did it?¡± Gaius asked his brother


    ¡°I can inject my aura into my weapons, which took me a couple of weeks to do. But I was far from perfection. Mom said that true infusion only happens when the aura and the weapon resonate with each other. And I think that¡¯s what you did.¡±


    ¡°Resonate with each other? Is that why the spear trembled a bit?¡±


    ¡°You felt it shake? Then there¡¯s no doubt about it. That¡¯s what mom said would happen when you reach perfect infusion. But how did you infuse the spear with MY aura? I¡¯ve never heard of anyone doing that.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s because of what dad called me. Something about being an antimage. I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s really easy for me to control natural aura. I can¡¯t control someone else¡¯s unless they let go of it,¡± Gaius thought aloud.


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter how. Let¡¯s just get some breakfast!¡± Gen shouted.

 Chapter 20

    Gaius nodded at his brother and prepared himself for another throw. He eyeballed the nearest steelteeth, ¡°Okay. Breathe, mom said to aim closer to me so. There are so many, it shouldn¡¯t be so hard,¡± he thought. After a moment of concentration, Gaius released his spear and to his surprise it made no noise as it shot through the water. The captain¡¯s eyes widened as he observed the two boys, ¡°Ah, they finally got the hang of it huh. A lot faster than I would have thought,¡± he thought to himself.


    The spear swam through the water with no signs of slowing down, as if the water was parting before it allowing it to glide without resistance. Though the spear missed the original steelteeth Gaius was aiming for it eventually hit another as they swam in a dense school. ¡°Got one!¡± Gaius cheered as he and his brother started to reel in their catch. Once the fish emerged from the water and plopped onto the deck, the boys were surprised to find three steelteeth pierced through by the throw.


    ¡°Whoa! You caught 3!¡± Gen smiled gleefully.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s make sure they¡¯re dead before we trade them to the captain,¡± Gaius said.


    ¡°Trade them to the captain? We¡¯re aren¡¯t eating it?¡± Gen hesitantly asked.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take too long for us to descale and gut the fish, especially such a sturdy one. So I told him that we can trade him the fish we catch for food that¡¯s already prepared.¡±


    ¡°Ah, good idea.¡±


    The captain walked over as the boys finished discussing what to do with their catch, ¡°Nice haul. 7 more and I¡¯ll trade whatever fish you catch for food,¡± he said to the boys as he approached them.


    ¡°7 more? What do you mean,¡± Gaius asked as he had a bad feeling about what was happening.


    ¡°Surely, you haven¡¯t forgotten the bargain we struck last night? For use of the fishing rod, you will pay me 5 fish per day. You used it last night and early this morning, that¡¯s 10 fish. With the three lying in front of me, that means you owe me 7,¡± the captain said with a calm smile.


    ¡°What?! We didn¡¯t even use your fishing rod to catch this fish,¡± Gen shouted indignantly.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± anger and frustration were boiling within Gaius and Gen, but Gaius thought about it further and was eventually only upset with himself for making such a hasty deal with the man. ¡°Gen, the captain¡¯s right. That was the bargain we struck, regardless of whether or not I used it to catch the fish. However, we never discussed the terms of payment.¡± Gaius eyed the captain with a steely resolve.


    ¡°Oh hoh, the boy¡¯s got a bit of fire in him too,¡± the captain thought to himself. ¡°Well, we can discuss them now if you¡¯d like,¡± he said to Gaius.


    ¡°Payment should logically be done on a per day instance. Since we used your fishing rod yesterday, then we owe you 5 fish. As for using it this morning, we¡¯ll pay another 5 before the day¡¯s end. Is that fair to you captain?¡± Gaius asked after calming himself down.


    ¡°Fine by me, 2 more steelteeth and we¡¯ll call your payment for the day square. Anymore fish you bring me and I¡¯ll have my cooks make equivalent food.¡±


    With that, Gaius turned around and removed the spear quickly from the dead steelteeth. Tulia observed the exchange from the door leading into the personal cabins. ¡°Oh, it looks like Gaius is developing his antimagic abilities,¡± she thought to herself as she saw the three strung fish. ¡°Should probably teach him how to barter too. How in the Mother¡¯s mercy did he agree to 5 fish per day for using a fishing rod?¡±


    Just as easily as the first three steelteeth, Gaius¡¯s second throw pierced through two more. After tossing them onto the deck he said to the captain, ¡°I believe we are paid out for today?¡±


    ¡°Sure, every fish you bring my cooks they¡¯ll make you an equivalent meal,¡± the captain said as he scooped up the 5 steelteeth. ¡°What a haul! These two young saplings don¡¯t know their true worth,¡± the captain thought to himself.


    Giddy with happiness, the two boys immersed themselves in spearfishing all morning and afternoon. After catching their 6<sup>th</sup> and 7<sup>th</sup> fish, the boys traded it in for several bowls of soup and hard bread. ¡°Mother¡¯s mercy! Have you ever had better tasting soup?¡± Gaius asked his brother while stuffing his face. ¡°Best. Soup. Ever,¡± were the only words Gen could get out in between bites. ¡°All right, let¡¯s fish enough for dinner and tomorrow¡¯s meal!¡± Gaius said with energy as he stood up.


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    It was only by midday, after several hours of fishing that the boys stopped. ¡°Brother, I can¡¯t condense anymore aura. I¡¯m so tired.¡±


    ¡°Mm, go rest and replenish your energy. Trade another steelteeth for more food,¡± Gaius instructed his brother. By now, they had a small mountain of steelteeth to their name. Gen went to the nearby cook that had been assigned to them after they showed their proficiency in hunting steelteeth and traded another dozen of their catch for a meal.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe the two little rascals up top,¡± the assigned cook said to others as he went to the galley below.


    ¡°They traded another steelteeth?¡± one replied with dismay.


    ¡°How much can these two little bastards eat, we can¡¯t keep up with their orders.¡±


    ¡°Plus, the captain ain¡¯t helping. We must ¡®trade them an equal value of food for each steelteeth¡¯ he says,¡± another complained.


    ¡°I bet the boys don¡¯t even know the worth of each steelteeth,¡± one grumbled.


    ¡°Sigh, don¡¯t matter none,¡± the assigned cook said. ¡°Orders are orders.¡±


    Without Gen¡¯s aura, Gaius stopped spearfishing and sat there as he let the aura within the lake refresh him. ¡°I wonder . . .¡± Gaius began to ruminate over something.


    ¡°Gen! C¡¯mere. You feel tired, right?¡±


    Gen nodded without moving closer to his brother, trying to conserve his energy by not speaking or moving.


    ¡°Do you feel the Aspect of Water nearby refresh you?¡±


    Surprised by his brother¡¯s question, Gen didn¡¯t even take a second to think about it before he replied, ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Gaius started to consciously pull the aura of water nearby and channel it through to his brother¡¯s body. As he did, he looked for any signs of change on his brother¡¯s face and when he saw none he asked, ¡°how about now? Do you feel different?¡±


    Gen shook his head.


    Gaius was puzzled because as soon as he directed the aura to his own body, he felt full of energy immediately. If he had just basked in the aura¡¯s embrace than it might have taken him an hour or so to feel this invigorated, but as he directed a dense cluster of it into himself it instantly filled him with energy. As soon as he directed it within himself, he would feel it vanish and a sudden burst of energy would fill him, as if his body was a black hole¡ªdevouring everything he sent it.


    ¡°Hmm, maybe he can only absorb the Aspect of Light? I¡¯ll have to give it a try when mom¡¯s around next,¡± Gaius pondered. As Gaius controlled the flow of the aura of the lake, another idea formed within his mind. He quickly tried to shape the Aspect of Water nearby into the shape of his training spear and tried to merge the two together. But he found it impossible to shape it. ¡°That¡¯s odd. I can move the aura around and direct it anywhere but I can¡¯t seem to shape it unless someone condenses enough for me. I don¡¯t like this feeling. It¡¯s like trying to grasp smoke.¡± After nearly 2 hours Gen felt refreshed.


    ¡°Bro, condense another orb for me,¡± Gaius curiously instructed.


    The orb of light above Gen¡¯s hands felt like an actual ball of tangible energy, he could grab it like it was a ball of snow; it felt firm and malleable. When he consciously tried the same with the natural aura of the lake, it felt like he was grasping at nothing¡ªjust air. ¡°Ah, what a frustrating feeling. I guess this is why I can¡¯t condense an Aspect, I just can¡¯t do it.¡± Gaius felt a bit disheartened as he slowly unveiled some of the secrets within his body, but that only lasted for a moment as he infused the spear with another strand of his brother¡¯s aura and continued to fish.


    Unbeknownst to the both of them, Gen¡¯s ability to condense more and more aura had dramatically increased while Gaius¡¯s ability to delicately manipulate aura was being slowly refined. Though Tulia had hoped Gen¡¯s proficiency with his aura would increase, and they had, she did not expect Gaius to reap the benefits he had, even she did not know the specific abilities Gaius was slowly refining.


    It took the ferry 3 days from South Calet, which resided on the northern side of Lake Bant, to reach Bant City which lay on the southern side. On the southern side of the kingdom lay a mountain range which births the Bant River. It snakes its way through the country passing through several major cities, including the capital before it feeds into Lake Bant. The ferry Gaius and his family was on hoped to reach the capital in another 7 days as it winds through the lazy river. In the three days it took to cross Lake Bant, Gaius and his brother fished enough fish for the ferry to be classified as a fishing barge, which puts it into the merchant vessel¡¯s tax range as opposed to a ferry.


    In the afternoon on the 3<sup>rd</sup> day as they approached Bant City, the captain was politely talking to Duncan¡ªthe reclusive Craftsman Alchemist that barely left his cabin was out and about on the deck. ¡°Craftsman Alchemist, there is a matter that I need to discuss with you. It pertains to your two servants,¡± the captain said with deference.


    ¡°Oh, what trouble have they caused you? I will quickly see to their discipline,¡± Duncan said coldly.


    ¡°Oh no, nothing of the sort. It is actually quite the opposite. You see your servants have been fishing for their own meals these past couple days,¡± the captain said as Duncan only nodded in understanding. ¡°However, they¡¯ve caught so much fish that the guards within Bant City will classify my ship as a fishing barge¡ªa merchant vessel, which is susceptible to a higher entry fee. I¡¯d like to discuss what you would like to do pertaining the small fortune of steelteeth your servants have caught.¡±


    ¡°Ah, quite the troublesome servants I have. How much is their catch worth?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve fished an excess of 200 steelteeth that they couldn¡¯t eat. At market price if sold in bulk is around 8-11 gold pieces.¡±


    ¡°Oh, such a small amount for 3 days of hard work. Bant City¡¯s entry fee for a merchant vessel should be 25% of goods or a minimum of 1 gold. You can use a gold piece for the fee and take another gold coin for yourself and crew.¡±


    ¡°Ah . . .¡± the captain was speechless, he sought to cover the difference in the entry fee from the Craftsman Alchemist, he had no idea that the man would pay for the fee entirely, which means that everything he gained this trip was pure profit, ¡°and a single gold on top, Mother¡¯s mercy, is this man made of money?¡± he thought to himself.


    ¡°On one condition of course,¡± Duncan said slowly while eyeing the captain.


    ¡°Of course, name it Craftsman Alchemist,¡± the fat man replied.


    ¡°Take my two Novitiates and let them observe the transaction of the sale of steelteeth. I hear they have struck a deal to use a fishing rod for 5 fish a day? Such lack of skill is due to my negligence in training them,¡± Duncan orated.


    After a bit of silence the captain regained his composure and couldn¡¯t help but smile as he said, ¡°That is no problem at all, though they are strong in their own right, no one is ever born with the silver tongue in trade. It is already their great fortune that a Craftsman Alchemist is overseeing their training.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I¡¯d like to be alone for a while.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your time,¡± the captain said as he quickly and quietly retreated while slowly calculating his profits this run.

 Chapter 21

    Duncan silently stood there as he pretended to be observing the approaching city of Bant, but his thoughts were elsewhere. ¡°The boys are progressing much faster than we could have hoped. I wonder if it¡¯s because he¡¯s an antimage. No, no. He hasn¡¯t had any formal training. Hmm, I wonder if his control is better,¡± Duncan thought to himself as he slowly made his way to the boys as they were standing at the prow. Excitement and giddy at the looming lake-city, Gaius and Gen were talking about what marvelous wonders they could find here.


    ¡°Do you think they have an arena here to?!¡± Gen shouted at his brother.


    ¡°Definitely! It¡¯ll probably be a lot bigger too! Do you think the merchant¡¯s guild has a branch here too?¡±


    ¡°They have to!¡± Gen said.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Duncan lightly coughed as he stood behind his two sons. The two boys turned around and immediately put on their servile and respectful mask as they have gotten used to it. ¡°Let me see the progress of your training. Gaius make this orb go away,¡± Duncan commanded in a flat tone. Tulia had to be careful not to expose herself or her two sons within the walls of South Calet because she was afraid of being discovered by some expert. The ferryman on the boat were an entirely different story since they did not truly understand the meaning behind possessing a Heavenly Aspect, much less identifying one. Because of this, she allowed her sons to be less restrained while they trained.


    Upon the deck, Duncan immediately summoned a dense cluster of wood aura. Just as quickly as it condensed above his hand, it disappeared. Duncan¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he could see the aura of wood fly directly into his son¡¯s body where it disappeared without a trace. Duncan had a somewhat uncomfortable feeling as his son ripped the aura away from him. ¡°Whoa, I feel so dizzy all of a sudden, and nauseous. Can¡¯t fall, don¡¯t fall,¡± Duncan encouraged himself to remain steady.


    Without further delay Duncan looked at his son and said, ¡°Acceptable,¡± he then quietly and quickly turned away to retire in his cabin, trying to maintain his aloofness.


    Gaius and Gen stared at each other in confusion, ¡°Hey did dad seem a bit weird to you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, even posing as an esteemed alchemist he would have at least given us a smile, maybe he ate something bad,¡± Gen said


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°What did you do anyway? I didn¡¯t see anything,¡± Gen asked.


    ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary, I just took the aura he condensed into myself. I feel good, better than normal actually,¡± Gaius said after a bit of introspection.


    ¡°You¡¯re a weird one. Taking someone else¡¯s aura like THAT¡¯S normal. . .¡± Gen said off-handedly.


    The two boys turned back around and appreciated the scenery as they slowly approached it. Before them was the lake-city of Bant, and from a kilometer out the boys could easily make out the giant stone walls that fully encompass the city. In between the boys and the city was an armada of boats going in and out of the docks. A wide wooden dock ran for kilometers around the lake shore with hundreds of jetties for all types of boats. Some of which were 3x the size of the ferry they were on while others were rafts.


    Upon the stone walls surrounding the city were tall crenellations only interspersed by a turret every dozen or so meters. At the corners or other junctions of the walls were tall watchtowers. ¡°Do all cities look like this?¡± Gaius asked.


    Gen could only slowly shrug as he was also amazed by the sheer size of the city as their ferry meandered towards it. Tulia stepped onto the deck and headed straight for the boys and said to them, ¡°Come.¡±


    With that, the boys followed the bodyguard towards their personal cabins obediently. When inside the cabin they saw their father sitting and waiting for them to arrive. Duncan was still recovering from the effects of his son¡¯s abilities. ¡°How could he have gone from barely being able to move our auras to fully absorbing it in so little time?¡± Duncan wondered to himself as the boys entered the cabin.


    Duncan mustered up his remaining strength and said, ¡°Your mother and I have discussed something, we are going to stay aboard the ship while the captain hauls and sells your catch and we will immediately depart later tonight.¡± The two boys¡¯ faces dropped in sadness for not being able to explore their second city.


    ¡°If you¡¯d like, your father and I agreed that it may be beneficial to you boys to go along with the captain and learn how to trade. At least this way you can explore a little bit of the docks while learning a valuable skill, how about it?¡± Tulia said to her sons.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± they both shouted as excitement bloomed within their faces.


    ¡°Okay, go to the captain and make yourself at his service. Remember to stick with him and look out for each other. Don¡¯t tarry and learn what you can,¡± Duncan said.


    The two boys couldn¡¯t stop smiling as they made their way out of the cabin and up onto the deck. They jostled and pushed each other playfully as they walked. Tulia and Duncan looked at their sons with a warm smile; Tulia then sat down besides her husband. ¡°Remember not to get spotted by them,¡± Duncan warned.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Like I can¡¯t keep myself concealed from two children?¡± Tulia scoffed.


    ¡°If it were any other boys, I¡¯d have no doubt. But Gaius¡¯s abilities have grown considerably. Just now he successfully siphoned my aura from me,¡± Duncan said seriously.


    ¡°What!?¡± Tulia shouted.


    ¡°It seems like the training you¡¯ve been putting them through has been very beneficial to them both. Do you remember when we were dispatched to Mantabo with that antimage?¡±


    ¡°How could I forget, that was the first time we met one. Do you really think Gaius is an antimage, how certain are you?¡± Tulia asked her husband again.


    ¡°You were there at Mantabo and you felt Gaius¡¯s pull on your aura at the village. You remember how the antimage could rip auras away from mages and take it into himself? That¡¯s exactly what Gaius just did to me, I have no doubt he¡¯s an antimage. But I had no idea that they were this strong, imagine what Gaius could do if he was formally trained by another,¡± Duncan pondered aloud.


    ¡°We¡¯ll know more when we ask my brother,¡± Tulia said confidently.


    Duncan slowly nodded.


    Back upon the deck, the captain stopped treating them like every other Novitiate as was custom because the boys that stood in front of him were requested there by his esteemed guest; to say nothing of their enormous fishing abilities. The captain eyed the two boys in front of him with a curious look, gauging them slowly with a new perspective. ¡°How much is a single steelteeth worth, do you think?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t be more than a few coppers,¡± Gen declared seriously as he eyed their catch behind the captain. He observed the giant pulleys and moving crates as they were lifted high above their heads carrying their fish. The captain noticed their rapt attention to the giant crane behind him, ¡°Ah, true country bumpkins these kids are,¡± he thought to himself. He began to explain it to them, ¡°the crane will load up any tradeable cargo onto a crate and then take it there,¡± he pointed to the side. There were several giant pulleys placed throughout the docks, Gaius and Gen observed their fish being dumped into a crate that hung in midair on one end of the pulley. After all of the fish were loaded, workers on the docks began to remove uniform sized rocks and bricks out of the other crate on the ground, until finally the two crates were both suspended. Gaius observed a well-dressed man with a calculating gaze etch something onto the side of the crate, what it said he could not discern from the distance.


    ¡°Sharp eye lad, that¡¯s the foreman of that group and he just labeled the weight and type of cargo,¡± the captain answered an unasked question. ¡°So, back to my first question, how much is a single steelteeth worth?¡±


    ¡°6 coppers,¡± Gen said more assuredly.


    ¡°1 silver,¡± Gaius answered after a bit of time thinking.


    The captain smiled and responded, ¡°You¡¯re both right, the same steelteeth can be worth 6 coppers and 1 silver. Explain to me how that can be.¡±


    ¡°It would depend on the buyer, how much they really want a steelteeth,¡± Gen said after a bit of thought.


    ¡°Very good. That is the essence of a trade. Figuring out how much the other party desires your wares is crucial to good trade. There are many factors that will affect someone¡¯s desire for your goods. Understanding and discovering what these factors are will make you into a true tradesman. Ponder on this,¡± the captain said with a smile. With that, the captain led the boys onto the docks as they made their way through. The captain first led the boys to the foreman that marked their fishing crate, and after a bit of talking the foreman handed the captain a piece of paper.


    The two boys were surrounded by new sights and exotic smells usually found on a trading dock. ¡°How can anyone move around with so many people? It¡¯s so chaotic, but it seems orderly? So weird. Oh, what is that man over there doing?¡± Gaius thought to himself.


    ¡°Ask your questions if you have them, I promised your master to instruct you to the best of my abilities,¡± the captain said as he watched Gaius¡¯s changing expression.


    Gaius quickly pointed to the man in question and asked, ¡°He seems to be looking for fish to buy, why not sell to him?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, they are bulk buyers. Many businesses send representatives to the docks to secure new lines of resources. The price they pay per fish is below their value, but they are consistent in their purchases. So it will only be helpful to those who make their living through such contracts. Though your haul is impressive for two boys, it pales in comparison to what industrial fishers bring in. With that being said, it will benefit us more if we sold these fish directly to vendors. Cutting out the middlemen, so to speak,¡± the captain narrated.


    ¡°Why would anyone purchase our fish when they could buy them for cheaper through these bulk buyers?¡± Gaius asked.


    ¡°Good question boy, bulk fish buyers represent large restaurants with a stable financial foundation because they usually have a scribe on retainer to form all of their new contracts and that can get expensive. So if that is the case then who do you think we sell our fish to?¡±


    ¡°The smaller restaurants?¡± Gen chimed in.


    ¡°Correct. Remember figuring out who best to trade with is already half of the battle,¡± the portly captain said.


    Gen suddenly asked as the thought occurred to him, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be hauling our fish with us?¡±


    The captain couldn¡¯t help but let out a cackle at the question, ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± the captain said after he calmed down. He reached out of his pocket and produced a piece of paper with the Alirian crest. The same one that was given to him by the foreman earlier. ¡°This is trade writ that states that I am the legal seller of the fish where you two are its beneficiaries, the writ also stipulates that I am allocated 2 pieces of gold from the trade as a transaction fee, but it is capped at the amount of the total sale.¡± The captain handed the writ to the boys for them to observe.


    Gaius¡¯s hands gently held the writ, fearful of ruining it. The Alirian imperial seal was exactly the same as the one he saw within the merchant¡¯s guild in South Calet. It composed a singular large white shield with a black silhouette of a sword residing in the center pointing upwards. While Gen was oblivious to it, Gaius was not. He could feel power emanating from the seal as he lightly traced his fingers over it. ¡°I wonder what mom is doing right now?¡± thoughts of his mother suddenly filled his mind as he nestled within the aura radiating from the seal.


    After examining it for a while the two boys handed the writ back to the captain and continued to follow him. The captain quickly led the two boys into the town¡¯s interior where the central trading hub was located. Pungent smells, loud hawkers, jostling crowds, and the cobblestone path underneath Gaius¡¯s feet overwhelmed all of his senses at once. Off into the distance a loud banging could be heard and it grew progressively louder until Gaius and Gen realized that they were headed towards a shieldsmith.

 Chapter 22

    As the trio entered the open-air forge the captain yelled at a nearby worker to get his attention. ¡°Young man!¡±


    The man behind the counter lifted his head in slight annoyance but was immediately covered with a smile as he addressed the portly captain, ¡°how may I help you sir?¡±


    ¡°By your badge, you¡¯re an Initiate Blacksmith, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes I am sir.¡±


    ¡°If your master has allowed you to tend to the front counter, then am I correct to assume that you can broker deals on behalf of his shop?¡±


    The young man nodded.


    ¡°A moment then,¡± the captain said to the man behind the counter as he turned to Gaius and Gen. In a low whisper he said to the two boys, ¡°This will be a good opportunity for you to learn how to trade, seeing as the lad here is only an Initiate, not much higher up than you two. Initiates are usually given such jobs to help them learn how to trade and barter. So that means one of you boys will have to handle this transaction,¡± he winked and continued, ¡°first state that you will sell the 200 steelteeth for 1 silver each, but do not go lower than 4 square coins each, got it?¡±


    Surprised at the sudden need to act, Gaius and Gen tried to absorb the situation as quickly as possible. Gaius quickly approached the young man with enthusiasm as his brother¡¯s timid side showed itself.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Gaius Wyn, Novitiate Alchemist. My brother and I have 200 steelteeth that we personally fished to trade. How much would you give for one?¡±


    ¡°Ah the boy lost the initiative. I¡¯ll have to have him correct that,¡± the captain thought to himself as he watched the boy try to negotiate.


    ¡°We buy steelteeth bones for 1 square coin each,¡± the man quickly replied as he was familiar with this dance.


    A sour expression could be seen on Gaius¡¯s face as he heard the quoted price, but he mustered up the courage to look the young man in the face and said, ¡°I had hoped to sell them to you for 1 silver each.¡±


    The young man¡¯s eyes widen in surprised and chuckled as he said, ¡°sorry, there is no way I am paying 1 silver for 1 set of steelteeth bones.¡±


    ¡°Then how about 5 square coins for one then?¡± Gaius asked hopefully.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll give you 15 circles for 1 set,¡± the young man countered.


    Gaius had to try to recall, ¡°Okay, 10 circle coins are 1 square coin. And 10 square coins are 1 silver¡ªor triangle coin,¡± he thought to himself.


    ¡°35 circles for one set,¡± Gaius replied with little confidence in his voice.


    ¡°25 circles for one,¡± the young man said with a smile.


    After Gaius thought for a moment he turned to the captain and asked him a question, ¡°After this deal, how is the shieldsmith supposed to gather the bones?¡±


    ¡°Shieldsmith?¡± the captain asked surprised.


    ¡°Yes, is this not a shieldsmith¡¯s forge?¡±


    ¡°No, it is a blacksmith¡¯s. Anyways, to your question, the Initiate here would have to go to the docks with a contract of the sale to the foreman in charge of our crate and harvest the bones himself.¡±


    ¡°Would we normally have to pay him for such a service?¡±


    ¡°It is normally negotiated within the terms,¡± the captain said with a smile.


    Gaius nodded and turned back to the young man and said, ¡°33 circles for one set, but you have to go debone the fish.¡±


    ¡°30 and you have a deal,¡± the young man said with a wide grin.


    ¡°33 is the lowest I will go.¡±


    ¡°Okay, 33 then.¡±


    Hearing this, the captain approached the counter and forged a new contract of sales. Then the trio quickly left the forge.


    ¡°So?¡± Gaius asked the portly man as they walked out.


    ¡°Your first mistake was losing the initiative. You asked him how much he would buy your wares, which gives him the chance to set the pace. If you had gone and said 1 silver for each set, then he would have had to counter with an appropriate price, like 3 or 4 square coins. So long as your initial price is not too absurd. But since you let him name the price first at 1 square coin it became harder for you to regain your footing.


    The second mistake you made was that you lacked confidence. You must state your demands, expectations, or prices with gusto! Do not ever ever ever ever say ¡®I had hoped to sell . . .¡¯ Just tell him ¡®I demand 1 silver for each!¡¯ The value of an item is worth more if you¡ªThe Seller believes it to be worth more.¡± The captain instructed Gaius and Gen with great enthusiasm as his arms were flailing about with spit flying everywhere.


    ¡°Think of it this way, if someone approached you to buy your home for a silver coin would you think about his offer, or tell him to bugger off directly? How confident you are in your response can raise or lower the value of an item.¡±


    While Gaius was deep in thought about what he had done wrong, Gen asked the captain, ¡°How is the foreman in charge of our crate supposed to know that we made the sale? Could he not make a fake one?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Ah forgery is a nigh impossible feat when a scribe is involved. The contract of the sale I just made with the Initiate Blacksmith has my signature and handprint. Though the physical signature could be mimicked, the handprint and my signature has a bit of my aura. Enough for the scribe to detect and authenticate.¡±


    Hearing this Gen perked up and asked him, ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t know you were a practitioner!¡±


    ¡°Practitioner? HA! Heavens no. Leaving an imprint of your own personal aura onto a piece of enchanted paper is not the same as manipulating the Aspects of Heaven and Earth. Come we have one more stop.¡±


    After a bit of walking through crowded streets the trio eventually stopped at a small building, though it was probably more accurate to describe it as a shed. Gaius was enthralled by the scent that wafted from the front door as they entered. Like the blacksmith¡¯s shop the portly captain approached the counter inquired about the steelteeth reserves. The young lady at the counter was also an Initiate of her craft. This time however, it was Gen who approached the Initiate Cook.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Gen Wyn, Novitiate Alchemist. My fellow disciple and I are running errands for our master. We have 200 steelteeth fish already deboned for sale. I will part with them for 5 square coins per set. How about it?¡± Gen said with a steely demeanor.


    The young Initiate Cook looked up and brushed her hair aside to reveal a charming smile. ¡°Uh oh,¡± the captain sighed to himself as he observed from the sidelines. Gen¡¯s steely demeanor vanished and was replaced by a childish grin as he returned her smile. It was then that the Initiate Cook continued, ¡°My master would scold me if I were to purchase steelteeth fish for 50 circles each. It would help me out if you could sell them to me for 15 circles instead, how about it?¡±


    Gaius, being an outsider watching in was not affected by the girl¡¯s charm; so he quickly kicked his brother¡¯s butt which jostled him back to reality¡ªonly briefly.


    ¡°Of course, how about I sell them to you for 20 circles for a set?¡± Gen said with the sheepish grin still on his face.


    The Initiate Cook¡¯s giggle was infectious as Gen started to chuckle for no reason as well, ¡°that would be wonderful.¡±


    The captain couldn¡¯t help but cover his face with his hands while he thought to himself, ¡°the boys have a long way to go.¡± He then slowly approached the counter to form another contract of sales with the Initiate Cook. With that, the trio left the shop with two of them in somber moods while the other blissfully smiling for no reason.


    After walking into the street, Gaius smacked his brother¡¯s head. ¡°Hey, what was that for?¡± Gen yelled back.


    ¡°How much were you supposed to sell the fish for?¡± Gaius asked sternly.


    ¡°No less than 30 circles each,¡± Gen replied with equal gusto.


    ¡°How much did you actually sell the fish for?¡±


    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? What do you mean you don¡¯t know?¡± Gaius yelled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t remember how much I was supposed to sell the fish for, and 20 circles seemed like a fair deal. Besides, she would have gotten in trouble if she bought it for any higher!¡±


    ¡°She lied to you! You moron! I bet she and her boss are laughing at you right now for being so dumb!¡± Gaius shouted.


    Gen¡¯s face started to turn slightly red and his eyes were being to water at the surge of embarrassment. Seeing his brother¡¯s face, Gaius couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathy. ¡°Ah, let¡¯s just forget about it. With that, we made 10,600 circles from our fishing. Or 10.6 gold coins. That¡¯s still a lot of money, Gen.¡± Gaius said with a smile.


    Gen slightly nods at his brother.


    The captain places a reassuring hand on Gen¡¯s shoulder and says, ¡°Don¡¯t worry lad, she was a pro. I probably would have given her a discount too if I wasn¡¯t too careful. Okay, let¡¯s head back to the docks.¡±


    As soon as the three started to turn towards the docks, the Initiate Cook came running out of the store but suddenly stopped as she was now fact-to-face with Gen. Upon seeing her face again, Gen overcame his embarrassment as it was now filled with anger and he shouted at her, ¡°You tricked me!¡±


    Her stunned face now turned into a sheepish grin as she said, ¡°Sorry, but it is part of the training. The bigger the discount I can get from sellers the more merits I acquire. You should know, you¡¯re a Novitiate Alchemist, no?¡±


    Before his brother could blow their cover Gaius said, ¡°Not really, our master just has us picking herbs and running errands, he almost never gives us the opportunity to gain merits.¡±


    ¡°What are merits?¡± Gen and Gaius both though to themselves.


    ¡°Ah, well that makes sense. You¡¯ll get more responsibilities when you become an Initiate,¡± she said to Gaius. Then she turned and faced Gen, ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal, actually I don¡¯t think I properly introduced myself. I¡¯m Mary Algren. Initiate Cook here at the Warm Kettle.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve met my brother Gen. I am Gaius Wyn, also Novitiate Alchemist. Are you heading to the docks as well?¡±


    Mary nods.


    ¡°Perfect, let us all go there together,¡± the captain offers.


    While Gen was sulking and turning his attention away from Mary, Gaius asked, ¡°How long have you been an Initiate?¡±


    ¡°Almost 3 years now. What about you?¡± she replied.


    ¡°My brother and I were recently taken in by a Craftsman Alchemist.¡±


    ¡°Wow, no way! You two must be talented to have caught the eye of a Craftsman.¡±


    ¡°Though we may be talented with herbs, we are nowhere as good as you in terms of bartering.¡±


    Mary chuckles and said, ¡°You¡¯ll get the hang of it. You just need to size up your mark.¡±


    After a bit of chatting the four of them finally made it to the foreman in charge of the fishing crate. Mary walked up to the foreman and presented her contract of sale, after a quick check of authenticity the foreman nodded to the girl. Mary approached the crate and popped open the lid with practiced moves to inspect the fish.


    ¡°Oh, and they¡¯re fresh. You should have mentioned that, I would have been pressured to pay more,¡± she said to Gen with a wink. His face turned redder and then he turned away ignoring her.


    ¡°Well, nice doing business with you Gen, Gaius. Stop by the Warm Kettle whenever you¡¯re free next.¡± She then turned around to the dockworkers and instructed them where to load the crate and which direction her shop was.


    The captain turned his attention to the foreman and presented the writ of sales for the crate.


    The foreman said with a monotone and bored voice, ¡°Two transactions. One totaling up 6,600 circles and another for 4,000 circles. For a grand total of 10,600 circles. At a 25% tax rate, your profit is 7,950 circles. Here is 7 gold coins, 9 triangle coins, and 5 square coins. Sign and handprint here.¡± The bored man handed the contract of sales over to the captain while counting the coins and dropping them into a pouch.


    The captain smiled and turned to the boys after concluding the sale. ¡°Here you go boys. I¡¯m going to take 2 gold as per our arrangements. Which leaves a bit less than 6 gold coins for the both of you.¡±


    Back on the ferry in Duncan¡¯s personal chambers, Tulia just closed the door behind her. ¡°Ah, you should have seen them. They were so adorable! Gaius¡¯s first trade went better than I thought it would, but Gen¡¯s first trade was about right.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, a pretty face?¡± Duncan replied with a smile.


    Tulia laughed as she nodded. ¡°An Initiate Cook flashed him such a sweet smile, it was heart wrenching knowing that he was falling for her charm.¡±


    ¡°Better to be wary of a woman¡¯s charm early on, than to . . .¡± Duncan stopped midsentence as he felt a cold chill run down his spine. He looked up to meet his wife¡¯s gaze and smiled meekly.


    ¡°What is it about my charm that you must be wary of, dear?¡± Tulia sweetly inquired.


    ¡°Ah, nothing. Well, did you find anything out of the ordinary?¡± Duncan hurriedly changed topics.


    Tulia kept her smile as she recounted her observation, ¡°There were two men who seemed like they were following the boys. I spotted the two here at the docks from the beginning and they seemed to be interested in the same shops as our boys were. It¡¯s more likely that they¡¯re after the captain.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, probably, but we should still remain vigilant until we¡¯re in your brother¡¯s protection.¡±


    Tulia nodded.

 Chapter 23

    Somewhere within the city of Bant.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Weck asked in a low hushed voice.


    ¡°No doubt about it, I remember those two Novitiates.¡± Maziah answered calmly with a hint of excitement.


    They took note of the ferry that the portly captain got onto before the two men turned around and disappeared within the city¡¯s crowd. They later emerged farther down the street and walked into a tavern. The noise and dim lighting did not seem to affect them as they walked with a singular purpose. Maziah and Weck claimed their seats among others at the corner of the room. A man with a thick clean beard, a scar over his left cheek, and a gruff voice spoke, ¡°What now,¡± as he shoved food unceremoniously into his mouth.


    ¡°I did a bit of scouting and found the alchemist on the The Sparrow, the only ferry in the city¡¯s dock right now,¡± Maziah said with the most confidence he could muster without sounding disrespectful.


    Maziah and Weck sat in uncomfortable silence as they watched the man eat noisily. After several minutes of silence Maziah¡¯s patience wore out and he was about to say something until the man abruptly raised a single finger¡ªsilencing him even before he spoke.


    ¡°You know what I like the most about my city? The food! There¡¯s nothing better than a juicy fried fish with the perfect dressing all followed by a nice cup of cold crisp water,¡± as the man said this his empty cup in his hands quickly filled with sparkling water, then he drained it in one gulp. He continued, ¡°Nothing of interest enters or leaves my city without my knowledge. My men tell me that The Sparrow has a crew of 5 including the captain, and they¡¯re transporting 4 passengers. A man, a woman, and 2 children.¡± The man stopped eating at this point and stared sternly at Maziah for a minute before he continued, ¡°I do not like unknown variables. For a traveling alchemist to go unguarded with crates of valuables as you¡¯ve described is unheard of. So I¡¯ll ask you one last time, are you sure this alchemist is unguarded, who is this woman?¡±


    Maziah cursed his own stupidity for thinking that his scouting mission would be valuable to the crime boss. He started to sweat profusely as he sat under the man¡¯s watchful and calculating gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t know, sir. When we checked the alchemist at the gates we only saw him and his two Novitiates. No woman. If she travels with them then they met up outside of the city. But what could one bodyguard do against your organization, sir?¡±


    ¡°Do not think to understand the world of cultivators!¡± the man grunted. ¡°If this alchemist is rich enough, he may be able to hire an expert warrior or mage. Though I am confident in my Aspect, I am not so stupid to think that I am infallible. If this woman turns out to be a practitioner, then I will be taking 75% of the cut,¡± the man eyes locked onto Maziah¡¯s to look for any signs of contempt and when he found none, he went on to continue eating.


    Maziah and Weck let out a sigh of relief as they finally walked out of the tavern. ¡°Ugh, who the hell does that man think he is?! 75%! All because of ONE bodyguard? He¡¯s cheating us!¡± Maziah yelled when they were far enough away from the tavern.


    ¡°Yeah, but what are we going to do? Go to the authorities?¡± Weck asked quietly.


    Maziah grumbled as they walked into the crowded streets.


    On The Sparrow.


    The captain and the two boys stepped onto the deck and was greeting by a stern-faced bodyguard. ¡°Come make your report to your master,¡± Tulia said coldly. The two boys turned and nodded a sign of thanks to the captain as they followed the taciturn bodyguard.


    Once within the private chambers their facades fell off and were switched with broad smiles. ¡°It was amazing. The docks have this giant crane thing that loads and unloads the ships within the docks! And the city also had something called a blacksmith? They look really similar to Mrs. Loti¡¯s shop. And there were so many people!¡± Gaius and Gen both shouted what they saw in bits and pieces at the same time.


    ¡°So, did you two learn anything valuable in the art of trading?¡± Duncan asked.


    ¡°Mm,¡± both the boys nodded enthusiastically, though Gen was a bit somber at recalling the trickery.


    Soon after their meeting a light knock was heard from the doorway. Tulia approached to answer the door only to find the portly captain standing there.


    ¡°Pardon my intrusion, but do you know how long my crew has been within the city? They usually write in the logs when they leave and plan to return, but when I checked it earlier there were no new entries. So I figured you must know when they left,¡± the captain narrated.


    ¡°Hmm, yes. The foreman of the docks requested their presence earlier and took them into the city, I had thought it a routine check of some sort?¡± Tulia answered as she recalled the incident.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Odd, the foreman does have the power to audit any vessel he pleases, but I have never heard of them inspecting such a small ship as mine. Though there¡¯s really only one reason to check a passenger ferry . . .¡± the captain stopped mid-sentence as he realized what he was about to say.


    ¡°What is it captain, speak,¡± Tulia said with a bit of command.


    ¡°Ah well, like I was saying. The only reason to audit passenger ships is to check for fugitives,¡± the captain¡¯s words hung in the air for a bit before Duncan¡¯s laugh broke the silence.


    ¡°Fugitive? Haha. I assure you captain that there has been some mistake. I am a law abiding citizen and a member of the Alchemist¡¯s Guild.¡±


    All of a sudden there was the sound of footstep upon the deck. The captain, Tulia, and the boys emerged from the cabins to find the 4 crewmen returning.


    ¡°Heya cap, you back from the sale already?¡± one of the crewman asked.


    ¡°What did the foreman want?¡± the captain quickly asked.


    Another crewman spoke up and answered, ¡°He just asked about our destination and cargo.¡±


    ¡°Not sure if he asked you guys the same question as me, but he kept asking about our passengers, specifically you,¡± another crewman said as he pointed to Tulia.


    ¡°Me? What did they ask about,¡± Tulia inquired.


    ¡°Hmm, things like your relationship to the Craftsman Alchemist, where you¡¯re from, and whether or not you¡¯re a cultivator,¡± the last crewman answered while he thought.


    ¡°What happened after they asked their questions?¡± the captain asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. The foreman just let us go after that.¡±


    ¡°Alright, seems like we¡¯re in the clear if the foreman let you go. Prepare to set sail, we leave in 10 minutes,¡± the captain bellowed.


    Several days of lazy sailing down the river passed by and the two boys gave up their usual fishing routine when the captain promised them a share of the food for the rest of the trip. ¡°All right, you two done already?¡± Tulia taunted her sons. ¡°C¡¯mon another round,¡± she said as she kicked, poked, and prodded her two sons lying on the deck.


    If Duncan surprised the captain and his crew with his perceived wealth, and the boys surprised them with their fishing skills, then Tulia surely shocked them with her martial prowess. Gaius slowly got up as his body protested with aches and pains.


    ¡°Only if I could use my aura, I could relieve these aches,¡± Gen thought to himself with frustration. He continued to lay upon the deck as his brother slowly got up.


    Gaius looked over to his brother gasping for breath, sweat pouring down his face. Gaius finally stood up and gripped his wooden training spear, though a bit weakly due to rawness of his palms. He was a bit worn and tired, but he was nowhere near as exhausted as his brother. Unknown to anyone on the ship, except for Gaius, the source of his near-inexhaustible stamina was because he has been siphoning the Aspect of Water from the lake around them. Bursts of energy flowed through his body after the aura of water disappeared within his soul.


    Gaius charged his mother as she was always prepared for them, the sound of their collision could be felt as the air around them reverberated with each strike and block. The flurry of blows that Gaius delivered were effortlessly and causally blocked by his mother and her ease frustrated him. As he moved to deliver another blow, Tulia exploited an opening that he showed and stuck her firmly on the shoulder, THUMP. ¡°It is always better to keep a tight defense and to miss an opportunity than it is to leave yourself open. Though if you must strike and become momentarily defenseless, then make sure you carve a piece of your opponent and make them pay an equal price,¡± Tulia instructed with an even breath as she stood over her fallen son. ¡°Gaius, do you know where your greatest advantage lay?¡±


    Gaius thought for a moment and then suddenly looked to his brother. He saw Gen still recovering from his spar, then the answer came to him. ¡°My stamina,¡± he said confidently.


    ¡°Yes, for some reason or another, you are able to draw upon latent energy. Most likely because of your uniqueness,¡± she said with a wink, ¡°because of that, you need to learn how to fight with that advantage. Focus on defense. Wait for your opponent to exhaust themselves and when they make a mistake strike quickly, accurately, and with power.¡±


    Though the three of them sparred atop the deck within eyesight of the crew and captain, they refrained from using their Aspects. Regardless, it was still a spectacle.


    All of a sudden a massive amount of water aura surged from everywhere with the ferry at the center. This drew the attention of the only other person able to sense the Aspect of Water¡ªGaius. He slowly stood up and stared at the distant dark horizon. The odd behavior did not go unnoticed by his mother and she asked, ¡°What is it, Gaius?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something happening,¡± was all he said as he was still observing the sudden surge of aura.


    ¡°What do you see or feel,¡± she asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of water aura converging around us, what could cause that?¡± Gaius asked his mother as much as he did himself.


    ¡°Cultivators. Get below deck and report back to your master. Hurry!¡± Tulia shouted at the two slow boys.


    She then turned her attention to the captain and his crew, ¡°It seems like we¡¯ve caught the eye of some would-be bandits. They¡¯re closing in.¡±


    The captain¡¯s demeanor did not waver, much to his credit and he asked, ¡°When I accepted the contract to ferry you across, you assured me that you were able to defend this vessel from all forms of attack. It is time you held up your end of the bargain.¡±


    Tulia smiled at the serious captain and nodded, ¡°Get yourself and your crew below deck, and leave the rest to me.¡±


    The captain and his crew entered and barred the galley while Duncan and his two boys were in their private chambers.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go out and help mom?¡± Gen asked with worry.


    ¡°Haha, trust me, she can handle herself. Besides what can the two of you do in real combat?¡± Duncan asked his two sons directly, ¡°you two will hinder her more than help.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you go out and help mom then?¡± Gen continued to ask.


    ¡°Then who would stay and protect the two of you?¡± he laughed, ¡°besides the only way your mother can fight off these bandits is if she knows that the two of you are safe. And that¡¯s my job. Trust in me and your mother.¡±

 Chapter 24

    Tulia stood at the ready, the calm before a battle was a dear and familiar friend. The rush of the upcoming fight surged within her blood, and as she stood there giddy with anticipation she breathed slowly to calm herself. She finally saw the first signs of the bandits and she slowly smiled as a dozen of them were walking atop the water, freezing it solid for others to follow.


    ¡°Cultivators,¡± she mumbled to herself, ¡°it¡¯d be too boring if they didn¡¯t put up a bit of a fight.¡±


    The vanguard formed lances of frozen water from all sides to skewer the ferry. ¡°How impolite!¡± she yelled from atop the deck. A bubble of light erupted covering the ferry and each of the lances instantly broke apart when they collided with the shield.


    ¡°A Heavenly Aspect,¡± a whisper escaped his mouth; one of the bandits with a scar on his left cheek felt a surge of anger at his bad luck. ¡°Stop! Fall back, retreat!¡± the man shouted with his full might.


    ¡°Oh? Leaving already?¡± Tulia replied back to the man, a soft whisper entered his ears. She unsheathed her sword and wrapped her aura around it tightly. She raised her sword and with one swift motion, she spun while slashing her sword out. A razor sharp light emanated in all direction bisecting all of the bandits instantly, except for one.


    Seeing all of his men die instantly would have been enough to mentally break him, but he was too preoccupied with the bindings of light that encased him. With a flick of her wrist, the cage of light floated over to rest atop the ferry¡¯s deck.


    The man knelt there in a daze as he tried to understand the might of the woman before him. After a bit of silence the man finally spoke, ¡°How did you know we were coming, you stood there ready for us.¡±


    ¡°I would have spared you and your ilk if you didn¡¯t intent to kill everyone on this ship, but since that is not the case, your life is mine. And as such, I do not intend to answer any of your questions. Answer me truthfully and I will grant you a swift death,¡± Tulia coldly said as she stomped her foot twice. The ferry shook with two solid THUMP THUMP.


    Duncan opened his cabin door to see the galley door across form him slowly open as well. He locked eyes with the captain and urged him to remain where he was, ¡°the bandits have not been dealt with yet, give us a few more minutes while we question them,¡± he calmly instructed. With that, he brought his two boys onto the deck of the ship.


    Gaius saw his mother standing in front of a big burly man with a clean beard. The bindings of light that radiated from him caused him to catch his breath. The aura was nothing like how it normally was. The aura he felt from the bindings were dangerous and suffocating, as if he stared at it long enough that he himself would be bound.


    Without even looking back to acknowledge the presence of her sons and husband, she began her interrogation. ¡°Let¡¯s start off with something easy, yes? What is your name, and who are you?¡±


    Before the man could open his mouth to speak, a flare of blinding light burst forth from Tulia¡¯s body vanquishing all shadows and half-truths.


    ¡°My birth name is Harold Linnet, though I am known in Bant as Boss, the Lord of the Underground.¡±


    ¡°Why did you attack this vessel?¡±


    ¡°Two men contacted me and said that there were crates of alchemical vials worth a fortune, all the while the traveling alchemist moves unguarded¡ªonly accompanied by two Novitiates,¡± Harold grunted through his teeth as he tried to resist the Aspect of Light.


    ¡°What are the names of these two men?¡±


    ¡°Maizah and Weck; gate guards from South Calet.¡±


    ¡°Mm, I think I have all of my questions answered. Mr. Wyn, would you like to ask anything?¡± Tulia looked back and smiled at her husband and two sons.


    ¡°Hmm, yes. Did you intend to spare anyone on this ferry?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Duncan looked into Tulia¡¯s eyes and they shared a moment of understanding, he slowly nodded to his wife. Tulia bent down onto one knee while looking right into the boys¡¯ eyes and she slowly said, ¡°Listen well boys and remember what I say, ¡®To show mercy to your enemies is to show cruelty to your friends.¡¯¡±


    Gaius and Gen tried to grasp the true meaning of what she just said but could not seem to fully understand it, until Tulia beheaded the bandit in one swift backhanded motion without breaking her gaze on her sons.


    Gaius and Gen were horrified at the immediate grisly death of the stranger in front of them. It was only at this time that the two boys noticed the piles of floating corpses within the water. Seeing her sons in this state was bittersweet in that she was happy that they felt horror in the taking of lives; such a thing should not be taken lightly, and she felt sadness because she personally destroyed a bit of the boys¡¯ pure innocence¡ªtainted them with the world¡¯s inhumanity.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Tulia smiled sweetly at her two sons one last time before she got up and resumed her role of the dutiful bodyguard. She went to the galley and rapped on the door. ¡°The bandits have been dealt with, you may come out now,¡± Tulia said.


    The captain and crew emerged from the galley to find a headless man slumped atop their deck, the head nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Sorry for the mess, couldn¡¯t be helped. May I leave the mess to your crew? I need my rest,¡± Tulia said.


    The portly captain nodded and relayed his orders to this crew to clean up and resume their course. Before Tulia could adjourn to her room the captain spoke, ¡°Thank you for your assistance Miss. Mother¡¯s mercy on us if you were not as able as you claim.¡±


    Without saying a word Tulia nodded and refrained from mentioning that it was her and her family that the bandits were after. Duncan slowly guided, though it was more like pushed the two boys to the cabin after their mother.


    Silence hung in the air within the cabin. Gaius tried to understand what had happened, one moment he was sparring with his mother and the next a bloodbath ensued. ¡°They were after the vials?¡± he asked himself.


    ¡°Why did they want to steal our vials?¡± he asked aloud to no one in particular.


    ¡°It is worth a lot of money, an ordinary family would be able to live the rest of their lives in comfort and security if they sold these vials,¡± Duncan said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°What I mean is, why can¡¯t they make the vials themselves?¡± Gaius pressed.


    ¡°Ah. Well, you may not know this because you probably take your uniqueness for granted, but Alchemy is a difficult profession¡ªrequiring years of study. Not everyone can do it as easily as you. Even I had to practice for years to do what you could learn in an afternoon. Because of this, it is more often easier to steal someone else¡¯s hard work than to learn it yourself,¡± Duncan continued.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, how can these vials be enough for them to die for?¡± Gaius asked in his dazed state.


    ¡°These vials represent opportunity, son. If they could sell them all, it would allow them to live the rest of their lives without worrying about food or shelter,¡± Duncan answered.


    ¡°Worry about food or shelter? Couldn¡¯t they just rely on their neighbors?¡± Gen asked as he recalled the numerous times that their father gave away free alchemical potions and elixirs.


    ¡°The world does not work like that. In our village, we were able to rely on each other because we had trust¡ªtrust that was built over years. Whenever we were short on food, Chief Hemuk would always make sure we had enough, but he did so because he knew that I would supply those in need with the necessary tonics. In larger cities where there are hundreds of thousands of people living together it is harder to form lasting bonds of trust,¡± Duncan continued.


    ¡°Why did that man want to kill us? We didn¡¯t even know who he was,¡± Gaius asked.


    ¡°Greed, son. The two guards that checked our crates at South Calet must have told him that we were an easy mark. So they set out to rob and kill us. Though he could have just robbed us, it is safer for him to ensure no one will lead the city guards to him, which means no witnesses,¡± Duncan said.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired. I think I¡¯m going to sleep for the night,¡± Gaius said weakly.


    The two boys have been exempt from their daily training for the remainder of the way to the capital. Though filled with free time, Gaius spent most of his days staring out onto the serene lake, whereas his brother continued to spar with his mother¡ªseemingly not as affected as his brother.


    On the last morning Duncan approached his somber son and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. ¡°What worries you still, son?¡± he whispered, ¡°you know that if your mother did not kill him, then he would have come back with a vengeance and harmed us, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh. Dad, I understand why she did it. But I can¡¯t seem to understand how he could have come back to defeat mom. There¡¯s no way that he could have hurt her. She¡¯s practically invincible,¡± Gaius spoke his mind.


    ¡°Ah, there are many ways to harm someone. He could have come back and harmed you or your brother. That would definitely devastate me and your mother,¡± Duncan said sadly.


    ¡°Ah,¡± was all Gaius could say as he never thought himself or his brother to be used against his parents. He stood there dazed at the thought of something so horrific. Soon he felt anger at the man; anger that someone he never met would wish him and his family harm and anger at his sympathy for the man. From the railings of the ferry Gaius let a guttural yell, purging all of his frustrations, ¡°Ahhh!!¡±


    The shout startled Duncan, who was standing next to him, Tulia and Gen who were at the center of the deck sparring. The two came to an abrupt stop to look over at Gaius, Duncan locked eyes with them and smiled and nodded¡ªsignaling that all was well.


    Duncan stood there silently for a moment thinking about his next choice of words carefully, ¡°You will find in life that it is difficult to discern between friend and foe, so remember to only trust in those who have earned it.¡±


    Gaius gripped the railings in his residual anger and nodded at his father¡¯s words.


    ¡°Ah, look there, Alir,¡± Duncan said as he pointed to the horizon.


    Gaius and Gen both turned to look at the looming river-city. If the size of South Calet and Bant were comparable to animals, then they would be mice and the capital an elephant.


    ¡°By the Mother¡¯s Tits . . .¡± Gaius gasped.


    ¡°Hey! Hey, no cursing,¡± Duncan reprimanded.


    ¡°Sorry, but, but . . . Look!¡± Gaius shouted incredulous while pointing at the looming river-city ahead of him.


    Duncan smiled and nodded towards his son, ¡°Haha, yeah I had the same reaction when I first came to the capital.¡±


    The Bant River flowed east to west and the ferry was headed towards the rising sun as they approached the capital city Alir. At the center of the large river was an island castle that was dozens of square kilometers. To the north and south side of the island was a bridge that connected to the shores, each being at least two kilometers wide and nearly ten kilometers long. On the river¡¯s north and south shore laid two sprawling cities nearly as large as the island castle.


    As the ferry slowly approached the island castle, Gaius noticed that it was a city in its own right. The ferry docked at one of the many dozen docks.


    ¡°Thank you for your services. Here is a bit extra for the inconvenience I caused,¡± Duncan said with regality as he handed the captain 5 gold coins.


    ¡°Uh, um ah,¡± the captain stammered for a reply at the large windfall, ¡°I cannot accept such a large sum for the level of service I provided.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. You were able to provide my two Novitiates with guidance and the bandit attack was clearly after my wares. I must insist,¡± Duncan said firmly.


    The captain fumbled for a proper reply as he took the money, ¡°Thank you for your kindness Craftsman. My ferry will always be open to you.¡±


    The family of four finally stepped into the capital.

 Chapter 25

    Gaius looked around the harbor district and found its size incredible. ¡°Those cranes are even bigger than the ones in Bant!¡± he spoke aloud thinking it a whisper.


    Duncan smiled and tussled his hair as they moved through the crowded district.


    ¡°Why is this place so much bigger than the other two cities we¡¯ve been at?¡± Gen asked.


    ¡°Well, do you see those buildings over there?¡± Tulia responded as she pointed to several large fortified structures, ¡°those are military barracks. Security here on the island is very important, so almost every normal facility you see also has some form of protection, which takes up more space. Take that building for example, in a normal harbor district that would be a small restaurant. But here, you can see the fortified walls, turrets, and murder holes that enclose that area, protecting the restaurant and other nearby buildings from an attack.¡±


    ¡°This is nothing boys, wait until you see the castle,¡± Duncan said off to the side.


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll be able to see the inside?¡± Gaius and Gen asked at the same time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the royal family will set something up for you all,¡± a voice suddenly spoke nearby.


    The power of the soft cold aura radiated around Gaius but by the time he noticed it the man speaking was very close. This startled Gaius as much as it did Tulia as she had been on alert since they docked.


    ¡°Ah, very sneaky,¡± Tulia said as she let out a sigh of defeat.


    ¡°What is that? My 112 to your 110?¡± the voice continued to speak as he stepped in front of the family of four.


    ¡°Grr, something like that,¡± Tulia grumbled as she embraced the man before her. The man unveiled his hood and looked at Tulia and her family with a warm gaze and smile.


    ¡°Boys, I¡¯d like you to meet your uncle¡ªmy brother Viktor,¡± Tulia said warmly.


    Gaius and Gen stared in surprise at the short tanned bald man before them, his goofy smile taking up his whole face.


    ¡°It is such a pleasure to finally meet my two nephews. Come, give your uncle a hug!¡± the man said joyfully as he approached the two with open arms. Gaius and Gen slowly backed away as they saw his crazed bulging eyes and wide grin coming towards them.


    ¡°Stop it, you¡¯re scaring them,¡± Tulia reprimanded.


    Confused at his sister¡¯s remark, Viktor looked towards the boys and finally noticed their cautious expression, ¡°Ah, forgive me. I was carried away. Haha,¡± he said as he turned to Duncan. ¡°It¡¯s been a while brother-in-law! The last time I saw you, you were taking my sister away to be married far far away.¡± They shook hands but before they released their grips, they began to squeeze tighter and tighter, neither of them relenting.


    Gaius and Gen noticed their father and uncle struggling in some contest and found it amusing. Sweat began to form on their faces as it slowly trickled down.


    ¡°Okay, enough you two. Why is it that the two boys are better behaved than you two? Don¡¯t you two find it embarrassing?¡± Tulia said mockingly.


    ¡°All right, come! The rest of the family is dying to meet you all,¡± Viktor said with great enthusiasm.


    ¡°All of the family?¡± Tulia asked with a hint of iciness.


    ¡°Just my kids. No need to worry, I sent mom and dad out of the country on an errand,¡± Viktor reassured his sister.


    ¡°Err, just mom would have been fine,¡± Tulia said under her breath.


    ¡°Well, you know how they are. Never one without the other,¡± Viktor just smiled as he walked with the family of four.


    ¡°So mister, where do you live? Are we going to stay with you?¡± Gen asked.


    ¡°Oh? Your mother hasn¡¯t told you?¡± Viktor curiously looked over at his sister and smiled, ¡°well, my family and I live here on the island, and you all are welcome to live with me on the condition that you call me Uncle Viktor.¡±


    Gaius eyed the joyful man before him with scrutiny, ¡°I apologize for my brashness, but uncle seems too familiar a word to address someone I just met.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho, a bit distrusting aren¡¯t we. Good, I like it. I just hope to earn your trust one day my nephew,¡± Viktor said with a warm smile. The five of them continued to slowly make their way towards the center of the island while Viktor was making small talk.


    Somewhere within the castle island.


    ¡°What do you think his big secret is?¡± a high-pitched childish voiced asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, keep quiet and we¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± another childish voice responded. ¡°There, I see him. Why is he wearing such raggedy clothes?¡±


    ¡°Who cares, just don¡¯t lose sight of him.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Where did he go? Argh,¡± a sigh escaped.


    ¡°Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Can¡¯t even follow an old man around!?¡± the second voice chided as he slapped and kicked the first voice.


    ¡°So what now? Do you want to look for him?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way you can find him if you can¡¯t even keep track of him. Let¡¯s just go back home.¡±


    As the two little boys made their way up the steps a shrill voice echoed throughout the halls. ¡°Brady! Dante! Where have you two been? You two need to be presentable before His Majesty gets back. Come hurry and don¡¯t tarry.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Bray and Dante follow their housemaid to their rooms to be made presentable, and along the way Bray asked his brother, ¡°So what do you think he¡¯s doing? Do you think he went to get us a present for our birthday?¡±


    ¡°That has to be it, why else does he sneak around with a secret when our birthday is next week. He¡¯s so obvious. The real mystery is what he got us for a present,¡± Dante asked seriously.


    ¡°You think the present this year will be better than last year¡¯s?¡± Dante asked his brother.


    ¡°No way. We had our Awakening party last year so the two swords we got are extra special. To be honest, I somehow don¡¯t think he¡¯s hiding a birthday present from us,¡± Bray thought aloud.


    The housemaid chuckled as she listened to the two boys chatter.


    ¡°Ah! Do you know the secret?!¡± they both shouted.


    Down the hall two girls were sitting within a room, one reading a book while the other polishing a sword.


    ¡°There go the boys again. What do you think they¡¯re excited about this time?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Did you say something Tali?¡± a girl asked while putting down her book.


    ¡°I asked what you think the boys are excited about this time to cause such a ruckus,¡± Tali reiterated.


    ¡°Well, their birthday is around the corner. Maybe they found out where we hid their presents?¡±


    ¡°No way! I hid mine very well this year. There¡¯s no way they could find it, you probably won¡¯t be able to either,¡± Tali said smugly.


    ¡°Oh? Is that a bet?¡±


    Tali¡¯s expression immediately brightened as she thought of a fun game. ¡°Hmm, how about this. We each search for the boys¡¯ presents, and whoever finds the other¡¯s first wins. Kay?¡± Tali said with a grin.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll even give you a head start. I¡¯ll move after I finish this book.¡±


    ¡°UGH! I don¡¯t need a handicap Nyah! But don¡¯t cry that it was unfair when I beat you!¡±


    Nyah sat with a slight grin as she continued reading her book. Tali tied her sword around its familiar place at her waist before she started. Tali began by slowly walking through the current room while emitting a soft pulse of her Aspect¡ªtrying to detect any falsehoods.


    Nyah sat quietly reading her book with a furrowed brow. When the soft Aspect of Light pulsed nearby it caused her a bit of discomfort as it slowly dispersed her own Aspect of Darkness she kept around herself. Though she was earnestly reading her novel, that didn¡¯t mean that she also couldn¡¯t search for the boys¡¯ presents. As she sat there concentrating on repelling the pulses of light, every shadow within the room started to erupt with slender tendrils. These tendrils began to slither around the room. When the occasional pulse of light collided with the tendrils, they began to negate each other¡ªthe tendrils would disappear while the pulse of light grew dim.


    Nyah began to resist the prickly pulses of light while Tali began to resist the feeling of fear and danger lurking within the room. They suddenly eyed each other and Tali said, ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to start until you finished your book?¡±


    ¡°I said I wouldn¡¯t move until I finished my book, doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t do two things at once,¡± Nyah coldly replied.


    A bit of silence passed between the two as they continued to stare at each other, and then all of a sudden Nyah jumped to her feet and bolted to the door. Tali reacted just as quickly and beat her sister to the exit. With the two of them staring at an empty hallway and then back at each other, they split up and began their search in earnest.


    At the entrance of the castle.


    ¡°All right, here we are at last,¡± Viktor said with a wide grin.


    ¡°Do you work here Uncle?¡± Gen asked innocently.


    Gaius¡¯s furrowed his brow in concentration. His early mistrust of this stranger gave him a perspective which allowed him to question his origin. ¡°This isn¡¯t right. Viktor is too strong to be an ordinary staff member of the castle. There¡¯s something not right, something I¡¯m missing,¡± Gaius thought to himself.


    ¡°Ho ho, work here? Don¡¯t be silly. I live here,¡± Viktor said with an even wider grin.


    ¡°Live here? Like the cook?¡± Gen asked confused.


    ¡°Live here?¡± Gaius thought, ¡°only the royal family ¡®lives here¡¯. . .¡± and then that¡¯s when the missing piece fell into place. ¡°If he¡¯s part of the royal family somehow, then he must have bodyguards, they should have been following him since we¡¯ve met.¡± Gaius conjectured and after a bit of thought he decided to test his theory. While the five of them began their ascent, Gaius slowed down his movements to a crawl and eventual standstill with eyes shut. He reached his senses out as far as he could with as much control as he could. He could feel and see the faint auras that reside within everyone, though 12 of these auras were bright and lustrous.


    Gaius concentrated on these 12 auras, the other hundreds of nearby auras disappeared from his mind¡¯s eye. He saw that these 12 were equidistant away from each other while he was at the center. ¡°Guards,¡± he whispered. His mind began to race as he slowly began to accept the stranger in front of him as someone important.


    ¡°Gaius? You okay?¡± Duncan asked as he noticed his absent son. The question caused the rest of the party to turn around and look at Gaius.


    ¡°Who are you truly?¡± Gaius asked as he stared at Viktor with seriousness.


    ¡°I did not realize that I have lied to you, I am your Uncle Viktor,¡± he replied.


    ¡°You are royalty, but I do not know why you would keep that from us,¡± Gaius claimed.


    ¡°Oh ho, royalty eh? What makes you say that?¡± Viktor asked with a smile.


    ¡°You claim to live here, which seems true as you were not stopped nor questioned at the gate. Secondly, if you were a cook, I doubt the guards would allow you to bring guests. Lastly, only the royal family would need bodyguards, though 12 seems excessive especially considering this is your home,¡± Gaius narrated to the surprise of everyone present.


    ¡°So, I ask again. Why hide your identity?¡±


    Viktor smiled and turned to Tulia.


    Suddenly, Tulia narrated, ¡°I forfeited my royal name a long time ago, and your uncle here wishes to honor my decision by keeping things informal between family members, which is why he met us at the docks. He also agreed to hold a small intimate family meal for all of us to get to know each other, instead of the banquet that is required for noble guests.¡±


    Gen¡¯s expression erupted, ¡°Noble guests? We¡¯re royalty? Wait, does that mean you¡¯re a princess, mom?¡±


    A soft chuckle escaped her as she replied, ¡°I was in another life.¡±


    Gaius looked at his mother and noticed her calmness as she finally unveiled a bit of her past with them, though behind that calmness was a torrent of anger that Gaius and Gen did not see.


    ¡°Remarkable,¡± Viktor said, ¡°how were you able to discern my bodyguards? Guess there¡¯s no need to hide their presence anymore.¡±


    Gaius stayed silent as he eyed this strange man that was slowly becoming his uncle. ¡°Mom was a princess? Of Alir? Why has she never spoken about it?¡±


    With the bodyguards out of hiding they all seemed to regard the boy that could spot them with some interest. But what surprised Gaius the most was a 13<sup>th</sup> man approaching the king. Gaius stared as a seemingly-old man with black and white hair took his place besides his uncle.


    Gaius concentrated with all of his might on the old man but could not find any trace of an aura at all. The old man made Gaius feel like he was missing one of his senses¡ªhis aura sight, and it was only now that he realized how heavily he relied upon it. Gaius could physically see the old man, yet was not able to sense him like he could everyone else when he shut his eyes.


    The old man studied Gaius for a bit before he whispered something into Viktor¡¯s ears. ¡°What?! Truly?¡± he shouted.


    The old man nodded.


    Viktor stared at his sister while rubbing his black gemstone-studded ring. Gaius noticed that the ring radiated with a black aura for a moment before it stopped, then he noticed that a similar ring around his mother¡¯s finger radiated with a white aura for an instant. A light but perceptible nod could be seen as Tulia affirmed Viktor¡¯s telepathic question.


    ¡°Wonderful! Let¡¯s all get settled in first before we take care of business first then, shall we?¡± Viktor said with newfound joy and excitement, ¡°Gaius. Gen. You two need to meet your cousins.¡±

 Chapter 26

    The family of five led by Viktor made their way into the enormous hallway of the castle, followed by the 13 guards. Standing before the procession were two boys with a similar height and build.


    ¡°Father!¡± the two boys shouted.


    ¡°Hey, I have a surprise for the two of you!¡± Viktor returned their greeting.


    Happiness and excitement bloomed as their minds raced with what their surprise present could be.


    ¡°Bray. Dante, I¡¯d like you to meet your cousins! Gaius and Gen.¡± Viktor said, ¡°Gaius. Gen, these are my youngest¡ª the twin, Bray and Dante.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, though we just learned of your existence a few moments ago,¡± Gaius said politely.


    Gen greeted the two boys as well, ¡°hey, if you¡¯re twins why don¡¯t you two look-a-like?¡±


    Gaius nudged his brother for being improper.


    Bray and Dante still hadn¡¯t said a word as they were truly surprised.


    ¡°What is this?! Relatives? That¡¯s our birthday surprise? Worst present ever!¡± Dante shouted while Bray was still trying to understand the situation.


    SMACK, Viktor hit Dante on the back of the head while glaring at him.


    Gaius and Gen chuckled softly for a bit while observing the Dante.


    Viktor finally let out a sigh and said, ¡°No these are not your presents. They are your cousins and will be staying with us from now on.¡±


    Hearing his father confirm his guess, Bray let out a sigh of relief, ¡°thank the Mother.¡± Bray approached Gen and shook his hand while saying, ¡°Sorry for my brother¡¯s lack of manners, he and I are paternal twins not identical.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s cool,¡± Gen answered honestly.


    Gaius extended his hand when all of a sudden a bloom of two conflicting auras surged within the palace. Gaius noticed and quickly became alert, drawing his arms into a defensive stance.


    The guards noticed this peculiarity and thought that Gaius was going to strike Bray, and Bray thought the same and retreated quickly. Viktor and the old man next to him however turned their heads towards the source of the bursting auras for a moment and they both let out an audible sigh. When they looked back at the party they were surprised to find Gaius in a fighting stance while the bodyguards drew their weapons at him.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Viktor bellowed.


    When no one spoke to answer him Tulia said, ¡°Gaius sensed a disturbance and was preparing to protect himself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, why are my bodyguards drawing their weapons on my nephew!¡± he roared.


    The captain of the guard answered stoically, ¡°the boy suddenly prepared to fight and we thought he was going to strike at the prince.¡± By this point the guards withdrew their weapons and returned to their original posts, though Gaius was still in a defensive fighting stance.


    ¡°You can relax now Gaius, the guards have withdrawn,¡± Viktor reassured his nephew.


    ¡°It were not the guards that alerted me, but the two within the palace,¡± Gaius answered seriously while still trying to sense the source of the two auras.


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s impressive,¡± Viktor said and then he turned around and took in a deep breath and shouted, ¡°NYAH! TALI! Get over here now!¡± the walls of the hallway shook with a reverberating force.


    Gaius immediately sensed that the two conflicting auras vanished. Now that their auras were contained within their bodies Gaius could now finely sense their location, and he observed that they were quickly approaching his spot.


    Soon two disheveled girls appeared around the corner, they raced each other to their father and when they both noticed that there were guests nearby they slowed their pace to be more appropriate. Nyah and Tali were both sweating through their clothes.


    ¡°Apologies, father. We were competing and forgot ourselves,¡± Nyah said through panted breaths.


    ¡°Guess it¡¯s my fault. I said for you all to not to be so formal today, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d embarrass me with such behavior,¡± Viktor sighed.


    Tulia let out a light chuckle and reassured her brother, ¡°It is okay. I actually prefer to see this side of you and your family, as they are naturally. This is the perfect reception.¡± Tulia approached her brother and gave him a firm hug.


    ¡°Right, so these are my nieces and nephews, huh? Two handsome boys and two beautiful daughters. You truly are the lucky star, my brother.¡±


    At this point another woman appeared around the corner, ¡°Sorry for my children¡¯s behavior. Tulia! It¡¯s been so long.¡± This new woman set Gaius on alert but he relaxed when Tulia shouted, ¡°Gem!¡±


    ¡°Duncan! Come over here and give me a hug!¡± Gem said as she reached out to him too, ¡°It¡¯s been too long. So these are my two nephews, huh? Oh, two handsome boys. Hello there, I¡¯m your aunt Gem,¡± she said with an extended hand.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Gen was first to clasp and introduce himself, ¡°Gen.¡±


    ¡°Gaius,¡± he said as he reluctantly shook her hands.


    ¡°All right! It¡¯s still pretty early, have any of you eaten yet?¡± Gem asked with a bright charming smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving!¡± Bay and Dante both shouted, which earned both of them a smack on the backside of the head.


    Gaius and Gen let out a chuckle at that. Tulia said, ¡°Let¡¯s all catch up over some breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Gem excitedly shouted.


    Everyone sat around the breakfast table.


    ¡°Your mother and I were best friends growing up, and she never mentioned me?!¡± Gem said as breakfast was being served.


    Gaius and Gen both shook their heads, ¡°truthfully, she hadn¡¯t told us anything about her childhood,¡± Gen said, ¡°she only recently told us a few stories about her and uncle. Was it true that you shouted a warning to a pickpocket, Uncle Viktor?¡± Gen asked with a smile.


    ¡°Haha, of course you would tell them that story,¡± Viktor said, ¡°And yes, I did yell at him to stop but that was because I was confident in my Aspect. A detail I¡¯m sure your mother left out.¡±


    Nyah said, ¡°Father practices the Aspect of Darkness, as do I, and with it we are able to instill fear into our enemies. What Aspect do you two practice?¡±


    Gen and Gaius both looked at each other and Gen spoke up, ¡°I practice the Aspect of Light, like my mother, but my brother doesn¡¯t practice any.¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you not like to practice it?¡± Tali asked in between bites of food.


    Gem was observing the conversation with interest, ¡°Gaius, what does your brother mean when he said that you don¡¯t practice an Aspect?¡±


    Gaius remained silent, trying to refrain from divulging his great shame. Then Duncan said flatly, ¡°he cannot condense an Aspect.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a cripple?¡± Dante asked bluntly.


    ¡°Dante! That is a very rude thing to say. Apologize,¡± Viktor said. ¡°And no, Gaius is not a cripple.¡±


    Gaius¡¯s ears and cheeks turned crimson as his father just blurted out his secret to everyone at the table, but when Viktor said that he wasn¡¯t a cripple, Gaius started to remember that his uncle would have answers for him.


    Realizing this, Gaius turned to face his uncle and asked him, ¡°Do you know why I cannot condense an Aspect?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Viktor said calmly, ¡°but let¡¯s save that conversation for later, okay? I promise you that I will answer all of your questions.¡±


    Gaius enthusiastically nodded.


    ¡°If he cannot condense an Aspect and he¡¯s not a cripple, then what is wrong with him?¡± Dante continued.


    ¡°Nothing for you to worry about,¡± Viktor cut his son off.


    Trying to take his mind off the uncomfortable subject Gaius asked Nyah and Tali, ¡°you said that you two were competing earlier?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Tali answered, ¡°my sister and I were racing to see who can find the boys¡¯ birthday present first. We both lost.¡±


    ¡°Our birthday presents?!¡± Dante and Bray shouted at the same time. ¡°Can we go look for them too?¡±


    Nyah laughed and said, ¡°how about this. If you can find your present before your birthday then you get to keep them. If you cannot, then they are forfeited. How¡¯s that sound?¡±


    Bray and Dante looked at each other trying to weigh the pros and cons of such an agreement and before they were going to agree Gen said, ¡°Would it be all right if my brother and I helped you two search for them? Seeing as how we didn¡¯t get you anything this will be our gift.¡±


    ¡°Sure, the more help we can get the better,¡± Bray said.


    ¡°Seeing as how you all are done eating, why don¡¯t you go get started on that search now?¡± Gem said.


    ¡°Though, Gaius should stick around for a bit. The rest of you are excused,¡± Viktor added.


    All of the children enthusiastically got up from their chairs to begin their search, including Nyah and Tali.


    Once the door shut closed behind the kids Viktor said, ¡°Master Ordos, would you come in please.¡±


    The old man with black-and-white hair with no aura came into the room and at the gesture of Viktor took an empty seat.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure your mother and father have an idea as to why you are not able to condense an Aspect, and that is because you¡¯re a Voidwalker. Master Ordos here is also one and he is better equipped to answer all of your questions,¡± Viktor said.


    Gaius felt a thrill of excitement, he was sitting across from someone who is exactly like him. ¡°Voidwalker? My parents said that I was something called an Antimage,¡± he asked.


    ¡°Those born with the affinity to practice the Aspect of the Void are called Voidwalkers, much like how we call fire mages Firewalkers. However, there is a distinct difference between a Voidwalker and an Antimage.¡±


    ¡°What does it mean to be an Antimage?¡± Gaius asked.


    Ordos looked around the room before he looked at his king. Viktor nodded and said, ¡°Everyone here is royalty, as such there shouldn¡¯t be a problem if they know.¡±


    ¡°Do you know your Aspects?¡± Ordos answered with a question.


    ¡°Yes. There are 8 Heavenly Aspects and they come in pairs. Light-Dark; Sun-Moon, Life-Death, and Space-Time. And there are an infinite amount of Earthly Aspects from the Aspect of the Sword to the Aspect of the Word.¡±


    ¡°There are in reality, 9 Heavenly Aspects¡ªthe Aspect of the Void. It is one of the kingdom¡¯s best kept secret and only those of royalty are made aware of its existence. The Aspect of the Void is where Antimages derive their power. Unlike the other 8 Heavenly Aspects, the Void does not create. All of the Heavenly Aspects create something, even the Aspect of Death creates the dead.


    Everything will return to the Void, and we guide them.


    That is our power. ¡°Voidwalker¡± is the general term we use to describe someone who practices the Aspect of the Void, though to be an Antimage you must be a Voidwalker but that is not all. You must be trained. Much like how any blacksmith is like a Voidwalker, but master weapon smith is like being an Antimage.¡±


    ¡°9 Heavenly Aspects?¡± Gaius whispered to himself. He briefly looked at his parents to see that they too were digesting this news. ¡°How come my mother said that there are only 8?¡±


    ¡°Your mother left her Alirian name long before she could be told,¡± Viktor said flatly.


    ¡°How many others are there, like me . . . like us?¡± Gaius asked Ordos.


    ¡°That is a state secret, though you will learn it in time.¡±


    ¡°State secret?¡± Gaius inquired as he remembered the information broker in South Calet that blocked his attempt to inquire further.


    ¡°Of course, the Antimages that serve the crown are essential to the survival of the kingdom. I do not believe you fully grasp the potential that you wield,¡± Ordos said honestly, ¡°let me demonstrate a bit of their power¡±. After a bit of thought, he got up and instructed the 12 guards to enter the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you remember these 12? They are the royal guard that protect the king every second of every day. They are quite literally the best of the best. 6 warriors and 6 mages working in tandem to protect our king.¡±


    Ordos walked to the other side of the room and stood before door and said, ¡°I will demonstrate the three fundamental capabilities of an Antimage, see if you can spot them.¡±


    Viktor nodded as he understood what Ordos was doing, ¡°All right men, form up on me and protect me from Master Ordos as he stretches his legs a bit. If he¡¯s able to land a finger upon my skin, then you all are going to be penalized. Treat this as you would a real threat.¡±


    The 12 of the guardsmen moved in smooth practiced strides as the immediately formed a defensive position around their king. The 6 mages summoned their Aspects, two of the Earth, two of the Metal, Poison, and Water. The warriors unsheathed their weapons and imbued it with their Aspects, three of the Shield, Sword, Spear, and Bow. The sudden dense auras assaulted Gaius¡¯s senses as he watched earnestly.


    ¡°A real Antimage,¡± he thought to himself.

 Chapter 27

    Ordos began his assault, drawing his sword out of nowhere as he dashed forward. The 6 mages at the rear began to form defenses but as soon as they condensed their aura Gaius could see it all immediately fly towards Ordos and then they all disappeared.


    ¡°The mages are faring better than I did,¡± Duncan thought to himself as he recalled the nauseating feeling of being siphoned.


    With the mages being ineffective against Ordos, the warriors began to launch their coordinated attack. The Bow in the back shot first, her arrow guided by her Aspect flew towards Ordos. As the arrow approached within 5 feet it immediately bounced away and shot towards the approaching Spear. With the second it took for the Spear to dodge the incoming arrow, Ordos struck at the Sword in front of him. Their swords clashed for a brief second and the lustrous sword of the royal guard instantly grew dim as the Aspect of the Sword within it disappeared. The second of disorientation caused by the dispelling of her Aspect was all Ordos needed to deal her a lethal blow.


    Because of the nature of this mock battle, the guardswoman grunted as his sword rested on the nape of her neck.


    ¡°One down, and he did it so quickly,¡± Gaius thought to himself, though he was not the only one surprised.


    Tulia and Duncan thought along the same lines, ¡°This is the real power of an Antimage?¡±


    Ordos dodged the immediate spear thrust and countered with his own; he was able to apply pressure to the Spear while dodging arrows. While the two were exchanging blows the three Shields formed a triangle around them. With practiced precision the Spear blocked a strike from Ordos and immediately back-flipped out of the formation.


    With their comrade cleared the three shields began to illuminate and just as a beam of energy left each of the shields and shot towards Ordos, two of them were siphoned while the last was reflected to the Bow. Two of the siphoned Shields fell to the knees as sickness briefly overcame them, and without waiting for them to recover Ordos glided towards them to deliver each a fatal blow. As Ordos made his way to the last Shield, errant ice lances and balls of miasma condensed and flew towards him from the mages.


    The spells quickly filled the room with their overpowering aura, yet just as quickly they vanished, causing the mages to blanch.


    Ordos calmly and casually approached the last Shield with renewed vigor and began his second assault.


    The Shield, Spear, and Bow guards assembled into a formation. Ordos then dashed towards the Shield as arrows whizzed by his face, barely dodging each one. As he got close enough to the Shield, the Spear behind the Shield began to thrust to bar his path. The combination of the whizzing arrows, spear thrusts, and the occasional shield bash kept Ordos busy, though each time the guardsman imbued their weapons with their Aspect Ordos would immediately siphon or dispel it.


    The rhythm of the fight started to shift. The guardsman started to shows signs of fatigue as each dispel or siphon would cause a severe drain on their energy. Though fighting without their auras were an even tougher order when confronting this master-at-arms. Ordos finally was able to land a killing blow on the Shield after he dodged two swift spear thrusts. With their vanguard down, the Spear and Bow behind quickly fell.


    Throughout the whole fight the 6 mages were useless against a master Antimage, so when the 6 warriors were defeated the 6 mages relented. Ordos slowly and lightly landed a finger upon his liege.


    ¡°Valiant effort, go rest up while we finish breakfast,¡± Viktor instructed his royal guard, ¡°I¡¯ll think of a suitable punishment later.¡±


    Master Ordos calmly moved towards his seat at the table in a relaxed manner. ¡°I merely displayed the 3 fundamental abilities of an Antimage, do you know what they are?¡± he asked as he slowly sat down.


    Gaius studied the fight within his mind¡¯s eye as he replayed it to the best of his abilities. ¡°Each time an Aspect, martial or elemental approached him something happened. One time he absorbed it, another it just disappeared, and another time he reflected it?¡± Gaius thought to himself. He asked himself questions and answered them by observing the fight.


    ¡°3 abilities,¡± Gaius said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you call it but you draw their Aspect within you, another is completely making the Aspects disappear, and the last way you manipulate their Aspects is to bend it.¡±


    ¡°Very observant. Siphon. Dispel. Reflect are the three fundamental Antimage abilities. But these three are just a small portion of what we can do,¡± Ordos said cryptically. ¡°Any other questions?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve tried to use the Siphon ability before, but both times, I was knocked unconscious. My mother and father even said that I was leaking the aura that I Siphoned?¡± Gaius asked as he remembered the two incidents within the Golden Bark Village.


    ¡°Ah yes, it is a natural desire to Siphon auras, but it is very important to ensure that you do not Siphon and absorb more than you can handle. The body and soul of person can be compared to a cauldron, it can overflow. Though the body of a Voidwalker is akin to a cauldron their souls are not. The soul of a Voidwalker is different, it is more like a window. Auras can go through the window to return to the void and in doing so will Dispel the Aspect.¡±


    ¡°How hard are they to train in?¡± Duncan asked.


    ¡°Hmm, the easiest and most natural ability is Siphon. Unguided Voidwalkers often take from their natural surroundings into themselves without their knowledge. Usually such a thing is driven by the comforting sensation of absorbing essences. Dispel is the second toughest as it requires one to concentrate and guide the essences through the soul and into the Void. The last and most difficult by far is Reflect, though redirecting errant spells are hard enough it is even more difficult when you attempt to aim them at moving targets.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Gaius contemplated for a while before he asked, ¡°Earlier, you said ¡®antimages that serve the crown¡¯ what do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°The Aspect of the Void is unique to other Aspects of Heaven or Earth, in that it allows one to completely negate and return the essences of Aspects back into the void. Imagine the destructive forces of mages¡ªtheir powerful spells that can destroy cities instantly vanish because of one Antimage. With such power, the Kingdom of Alir has been cultivating strong Antimages since the Founding. Though other countries have their own versions, our techniques and methodologies are second to none. So you may see a rogue Voidwalker, but they would be no match for an Alirian Antimage.¡±


    ¡°I see, you mentioned that there are other things Voidwalkers are capable of?¡± Duncan continued to ask as he had an inkling of an idea what he meant.


    ¡°Yes, though I am not at liberty to expand on this topic to the uninitiated,¡± Ordos said.


    ¡°When can I begin?¡± Gaius asked with a grin, his first real smile filled with happiness since his parents were able to identify him as an Antimage.


    ¡°When you turn 12,¡± Ordos said flatly.


    Just as easily as Gaius was filled with happiness he was instantly filled with dread, ¡°two years?¡± he said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Tulia asked.


    Ordos shifted his gaze towards her as he answered a question with a question, ¡°Is it possible for someone to train in an Aspect before their Awakening?¡±


    ¡°Obviously not,¡± Tulia replied with a bit of annoyance.


    ¡°Same principle applies to Antimagic training,¡± he curtly said.


    ¡°But he clearly is attuned to the void, you cannot train him in that?¡± Duncan asked.


    ¡°The boy can train as a Voidwalker anytime, though it won¡¯t take long to master two of the abilities. It is his training as an Antimage that must wait,¡± Ordos corrected.


    ¡°Why the discrepancy?¡± Duncan pressed.


    ¡°Boy,¡± Ordos said to Gaius as he shifted his gaze to the young man, ¡°what is an Antimage¡¯s strength?¡±


    ¡°Your stamina. Energy, you¡¯re able to fight without exhaustion,¡± Gaius said.


    ¡°Yes, that is one of them. What is our weakness?¡± he continued


    ¡°Hmm, your lack of long ranged attacks?¡± Gaius guessed.


    ¡°Not a bad answer, though easily remedied with the correct choice of weapon. No, our weakness is martial prowess. Mages have magic to defend themselves from attack, warriors have their Aspects imbued into their weapons to defend themselves, what do Antimages have?


    We are able to negate all magical spells, but what of an arrow with no Aspect imbuing it, a sword slash, or a spear thrust? That is our weakness, expert warriors are the bane of Antimages, which is why martial prowess is the core of all Antimage training.¡±


    ¡°But, earlier you were able to deflect the oncoming arrow of that royal guard?¡± Gaius inquired as he recalled the resplendent fight.


    ¡°Yes, that is because the guard was not adept in fighting Antimages and imbued his arrows with his Aspect. But what if he shot the arrow at me without his Aspect, what could I do then but dodge? One arrow is doable, but what of 10? 100?


    Now another secret that you may not know is that though Heavenly Aspects have two Awakenings, Voidwalkers have three,¡± Ordos said calmly.


    ¡°Three? Wait, two Awakenings?¡± Gaius asked surprised.


    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t even know ordinary Heavenly Aspects have two Awakenings?¡± Ordos asked surprised.


    ¡°Ever since he was unable to condense an Aspect, we did not discuss cultivation techniques with him,¡± Tulia confessed, ¡°though looking back it may be been an oversight.¡±


    ¡°Ah, understandable. Heavenly Aspects have two Awakenings, first at the age of 6 where you discover your affinity as your soul ¡®Awakens¡¯. The second Awakening is at the age of 12 where you are able to choose a 2<sup>nd</sup> affinity to train in. By that age, your soul has matured enough to be able to handle manipulating two Aspects. A Voidwalker also has a 3<sup>rd</sup> at the age of 18.


    A Voidwalker¡¯s Awakenings are different. When you turn 12, you¡¯ll unlock true aura-sight, which you will need during your training,¡± Ordos said openly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gaius asked with his interest piqued.


    ¡°Right now when you look with your eyes you see the physical form, and it is only when you concentrate that you are able to sense the auras of others, yes? That can be considered the basic form of aura-sight, but it can be very disorienting as auras are superimposed on the physical sight. Though it has its uses it is very limited when compared to true aura-sight in real combat, I bet you are able to see me physically with your eyes, but are not able to see my aura with your current aura-sight.¡±


    Gaius nodded.


    ¡°True aura-sight will allow you to see through all things without needing to focus, you will be able to see every aura around you completely, and since everything has aura within it, no matter how small that means you¡¯ll have omnidirectional sight.¡±


    ¡°What about the 3<sup>rd</sup> Awakening?¡± Gaius asked excitedly.


    ¡°I cannot divulge that to the uninitiated,¡± Ordos calmly replied.


    ¡°Then ¡®initiate¡¯ me!¡± Gaius practically yelled.


    ¡°Haha, seems like someone is a bit excited,¡± Viktor said. ¡°You cannot be initiated until you are at least 12 years old. Though I believe that the Antimage¡¯s Guild allows Novitiates, yes?¡±


    ¡°A Guild?¡± Gaius asked.


    ¡°Although the kingdom pays for the tutelage of Antimages, they are actually they¡¯re own guild. Which is why Master Ordos here cannot divulge certain secrets even to me. Though the guild and its members must swear a blood oath to serve Alir.¡±


    ¡°To answer your question, yes. The guild does accept Novitiates. I was planning to invite you after you¡¯d settled in, though we can do it now if you¡¯d like?¡± Ordos said.


    The sparkle within Gaius¡¯s eyes was all the affirmation Ordos needed. He got up and beckoned for Gaius to follow. Gaius looked at his parents for permission before he followed the old man, his distrust for strangers was outweighed by his desire to learn who he is.


    With the little Voidwalker in tow Ordos began to guide him through the palace as they made their way to the guildhall.


    ¡°The center of the castle is the throne room, which resides behind these doors. It is where the king meets with his audience. The west and east wings are private quarters for when the king hosts esteemed guests. Each wing has its own kitchen, armory, guardhouse, library, garden, mediation room, training rooms, and bathrooms. The northern wing is where the royal family resides, which is where we have set up your rooms. Someone will take you to them later,¡± Ordos narrated nonchalantly as they walked through the hallways to the southern courtyard.


    ¡°You may have already noticed, but the river-city of Alir spans across Bant River. Because the guild is crucial to the stability of the kingdom, our guild headquarters is located within the castle island right here. Always ready to defend the capital,¡± Ordos said as he pointed to doorway within the outer castle walls.


    ¡°That is the guild headquarters?¡± Gaius asked incredulous.


    ¡°¡¯Rule 3¡ªSight is the most misleading sense. Though it¡¯ll be easier when you unlock your true aura-sight, even so¡ªif you can help it, never fully depend on one sense. In this case, ¡®there¡¯s more to the wall than meets the eye¡¯, as it were.¡±


    As the the pair entered through the door within the wall, Gaius saw a narrow hallway that seemed to span throughout the whole length of the wall to his left and right.


    ¡°There are many secret entrances, exits, and pathways throughout the castle island that the guild utilizes to move unseen. This is just one of them, come,¡± Ordos said as he came to a stop at an unmarked wall.


    With a palm upon a random stone, Gaius could not hear, feel, or smell anything out of the ordinary, even when a section of the wall parted for them. ¡°Come, and do not let go of my hand,¡± he said as he firmly held Gaius¡¯s hand. ¡°Even if people were to follow you, they would surely get lost within this labyrinth without aura-sight. And here is our last line of defense against intruders,¡± Ordos said as he pointed to the giant statues that guarded the last door.

 Chapter 28

    ¡°Greetings Master Ordos,¡± a middle-aged man said as the two stepped into the guildhall.


    ¡°Hello Jahani.¡±


    ¡°Oh, who is this? We don¡¯t get many guests,¡± Jahani asked.


    ¡°A new Novitiate,¡± Ordos said flatly as he and Gaius continued to walk.


    Jahani followed behind, ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s great news! This is cause for a celebration, I¡¯ll go inform the others.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s n¡ªah, he left. Oh well, I suppose it¡¯s a good opportunity for you to meet the others,¡± Ordos thought aloud.


    Gaius was barely listening to the other two as he was overwhelmed by the myriad of auras that permeated throughout the guildhall. There were many auras that were familiar yet a great number of them were new. He closed his eyes as he walked, still holding onto Ordos¡¯s hands. He could see sharp deep lines of aura etched into the walls, ground, pillars, ceiling, and doors. As he was focused on observing the guildhall he did not noticed that Ordos stopped and so he bumped into the Master Antimage.


    ¡°Ah sorry,¡± Gaius said as he looked up to find a new pair of eyes studying him.


    ¡°Guild Master, this is the new Novitiate I spoke of earlier. He is rather eager to join,¡± Ordos said with reverence.


    ¡°Mm, not bad not bad,¡± was all the old man said before he started to poke and prod Gaius to observe his physique. ¡°You¡¯re 10 years-old, eh?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes sir,¡± Gaius stammered as he tried to remain calm as the old man squeezed, pulled, and poked his arms, shoulders, neck, cheeks, and torso.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t been training long have you?¡± the old man said as he studied Gaius¡¯s palm. ¡°Hmm, you favor the spear? Good weapon. Okay, you ready?¡±


    ¡°For what sir?¡± Gaius asked with uncertainty.


    ¡°The ritual of course. Come, you may return to your post Ordos,¡± the old man said as he turned around expecting Gaius to follow.


    Ordos lightly pushed Gaius to signal that he should follow.


    The old man was quicker than he appeared to be, gliding through the hallway like a ghost. He turned corners quickly and kept on moving, never looking back to see whether or not Gaius was keeping up. After a few minutes of light jogging Gaius was finally able to catch up to the sly old man as he was standing still waiting for him.


    The old man did not wait as soon as Gaius caught up and quickly opened the door before them. Within the dark room was a floating crimson stone with jagged edges. Beneath it laid several markings of an unknown language, though it hummed with power that pervaded through every molecule of Gaius¡¯s body.


    ¡°This is an Oathstone, a blood one in fact. I assume you¡¯ve never seen one?¡± the old man asked and continued without waiting for a reply, ¡°Oathstones are ancient powerful objects from antiquity. The premise is quite simple: you make an oath with this present, and if you should break your oath then you die. There are only two oaths you need to make before you can be an official Novitiate.


    The first, swear fealty to the Alirian lineage.


    The second, swear loyalty to the Guild.


    Understand that when you make these two oaths, you must earnestly commit yourself. The Oathstone will scour your soul through a drop of your blood to find any falsehoods, if all goes well it will resonate and the oath complete. Though if it finds any fluctuations then it will turn black, notifying me of deceit. Ready?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. Wait, I have questions,¡± Gaius said quickly.


    ¡°Oh? All right, speak them. It¡¯s not every day we get new blood. If we¡¯re going to do this, then we should do it right, ask your questions.¡±


    ¡°What does it mean to swear fealty to the Alirian lineage?¡±


    ¡°You will swear to protect and serve them.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean I cannot harm them? What if I accidently hit my cousin? Does that count as breaking the oath?¡±


    ¡°Haha, no. It is very simple, the Oathstone will scour your soul. Do you know what that means boy? Your true essence, it will be able to see it. And as you swear your oath it will be able to see whether or not your true essence resonates with your words or fluctuates. Even if you wished your cousin harm and even thought of murdering him the Oathstone will tell me whether or not that is within your nature, your true essence. That Oathstone will absorb a drop of your blood and in that a connection is formed with your soul which will allow it to kill you if you break your oath, but you will be warned.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°How will I be warned?¡±


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯ll know it if it comes to pass. Any other questions?¡±


    ¡°Why is the oath phrased to swear fealty to the Alirian lineage and not the Alirian kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that is a long story. Though the short version is that the creator of this guild and the first Alirian king were siblings. Our first Guild Master established this guild to support her brother. I suppose you embody that relationship the most since our founding, considering the royal blood that flows within you.¡±


    ¡°Must I make both oaths at once?¡±


    ¡°Oh? What a curious question. You may make them separately, though you will not be a Novitiate until both are made.¡±


    ¡°All right, I¡¯d like to take the first oath¡±


    ¡°Step within the runes and cut your palm along the shards of the Oathstone and let it drink your blood, though not too much,¡± the old man said with a wink.


    Gaius slowly stepped within the runic circle and he could instantly feel the dense cluster of power the emanated within the space. Just by merely placing his palms upon the Oathstone was enough to deeply cut him.


    ¡°I swear my fealty to the Alirian lineage. I swear to protect and serve them to the best of my abilities.¡±


    The Oathstone softly hummed a beautifully tone as it resonated. Gaius felt naked and defenseless in the true sense of the word. His soul was bare before the Oathstone, and though he should feel scared at the vulnerability he only felt comfort. For some reason he knew that the Oathstone would not harm him. The crimson color of the Oathstone pulsed once before it grew dim again. The cut within his palm somehow closed, leaving no evidence of the cut.


    ¡°The first oath is complete. You sure you don¡¯t want to do the 2<sup>nd</sup> one right now?¡±


    ¡°I . . . don¡¯t know. To be honest, I¡¯m fearful that the Oathstone will reject my 2<sup>nd</sup> oath,¡± Gaius said with unease as he thought about what would happen to his soul if the Oathstone discovered deceit.


    ¡°Oh, quite the honest fellow, eh? Though I suppose it is within your best interest, with the Oathstone here and all.¡±


    ¡°Before I take the 2<sup>nd</sup> oath, is it possible to observe the guild a bit more?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. You¡¯d like to know what kind of guild this is before you swear your life to it, eh? Can¡¯t say I blame you, but the answer is no. There are many secrets within these walls that must only be revealed to those who will not betray the guild.¡±


    Gaius thought to himself, ¡°I do not want to swear my life to a guild that is evil, though I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do with my life without this guild.¡± Gaius did not even realize how important the guild was to him until this very moment. It was part of his identity, without the Aspect of the Void, he was no one; he was just a boy who couldn¡¯t condense an Aspect. As Gaius mulled over his dilemma, the old man approached and pushed him out of the circle.


    ¡°Listen up boy. If you tell anyone what I am about to do, I¡¯ll make you regret it. You hear?¡± the old man said to Gaius¡ªmuch to his confusion.


    Then the old man placed his hands upon the Oathstone and said, ¡°I swear that my words ring true. The Antimage¡¯s Guild is sworn to protect the Alirian Kingdom from those who wish to harm it. We do not commit fratricide. We do not intentionally harm innocents, though collateral damage is inevitable in any conflict. Ask me your questions to dispel any concerns you may have.¡±


    Gaius was stunned by the display of trust, though he did not fully realize what it meant for a Guild Master to be bound by an Oathstone and given the opportunity to ask him anything, though part of the old man¡¯s plan was reliant on this fact.


    ¡°I have no questions for you. You have shown me a measure of trust I did not deserve, so I will return the favor,¡± Gaius said as he listened to the beautiful hum of the Oathstone. He slowly approached it again as the old man left the runic circle.


    ¡°I swear my loyalty to the Antimage¡¯s Guild and in their mission to defend the Alirian Kingdom from those who wish to harm it. I swear to not commit fratricide, and I swear to not willfully harm innocents.¡±


    The Oathstone pulsed with a bright crimson light before it grew dim, once again letting out a hauntingly beautiful hum.


    ¡°Good. The ritual is complete. You are now officially a member of the Antimage¡¯s Guild, even if you are a Novitiate. As a Novitiate you are accorded very few privileges as is common within every other guild. Novitiates, if you did not already know, are viewed with little respect. They are errand workers, laborers, grunts that do menial tasks within a guild to learn how it functions. This is also true within our guild. 2 years boy. You will not be initiated until you turn 12. In this time, you will learn how this guild functions by helping out wherever you are called, understood?¡±


    Gaius nodded as he felt excitement for the coming days. He finally had what he desired: an identity. He was now on his way to become an Antimage.


    ¡°You have the rest of the day to yourself. We will arrange for your tutelage so come back tomorrow. Though you will need to have someone walk with you through the labyrinth. If you¡¯d like to get to the palace that door over there is the quickest way,¡± the old man said as he pointed to an unsuspecting door.


    Gaius bowed as he said, ¡°Thank you Guild Master.¡±


    Back within the palace grounds, Gaius emerged through a door within the inner walls of the castle. He stepped into the afternoon sunlight as a cascade of aromas assailed him. The royal gardens were currently filled with his two cousins. Nyah and Bray were sitting and chatting nearby from where Gaius exited.


    ¡°Gaius?¡± Nyah was the first to notice.


    ¡°Ah, hello. Nyah was it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What are you doing within the gardens?¡± Bray asked as he noticed him too.


    ¡°I got lost,¡± Gaius softly chuckled, ¡°how did your competition go? Did my brother help any?¡±


    ¡°We actually haven¡¯t started yet, seeing as how the teams were uneven. Your brother joined Tali and Dante as all of them practice the Aspect of Light, they won¡¯t interfere with each other. So we told them that you¡¯d join us when you were ready, to balance it out,¡± Nyah said.


    ¡°Are you sure? I don¡¯t have an Aspect,¡± Gaius lied confidently.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, besides your brother told us that you have a knack for sensing auras,¡± Nyah said.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go,¡± Bray said as he couldn¡¯t wait to find his presents.

 Chapter 29

    The three walked and talked along the way to the training room where the other three were. Before they entered the training room, they could hear the rhythmic strikes of wooden weapons. Upon opening the door to the training room, Gaius could see his brother, two other cousins, and the adults sitting and watching the children spar.


    ¡°Ah, Gaius. You¡¯ve returned, I hope you found what you were looking for?¡± Viktor said with a smile.


    Gaius smiled and nodded as he sat next to his mother and father watching his brother spar. Nyah and Bray sat next to their father and mother.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    THWACK


    ¡°Huh!¡±


    THWACK


    Tali and Gen grunted as they struck and blocked each other, flares of bright light spontaneously erupting every so often.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well in his training, sister,¡± Viktor said as he watched the two spar.


    ¡°So have you, considering your handicap,¡± Tulia returned smugly.


    ¡°HA. I assure you she is more adequate at suppressing the Dark than your boy is,¡± Viktor bragged.


    ¡°Perhaps. Should we find out?¡± Tulia teased.


    Viktor immediately got up and told the two to stop, ¡°You both are quite even in martial prowess. Ordos would you be so kind to help them replenish?¡±


    Ordos got up from his position in the corner and pulled out a milky white moonstone and began to extract the aura within it, but before he could Tulia said, ¡°No need to waste a moonstone.¡±


    Tulia condensed a dense cluster of her Aspect and propelled it towards Tali and Gen. Their bodies greedily soaked the aura up like a dry sponge in water. Their countenance improved greatly as their breaths evened out and they stood taller.


    ¡°Ah, old habits die hard,¡± Viktor smiled. ¡°Okay, this next test is a measure of how well you can endure your counter, the Aspect of Darkness. Ready?¡±


    Viktor first summoned a shadowy tendril from the lurking shadows within the room and it twisted into human form that stood before the two children. As the two stared at the shadowy human figures, their breathing became more rapid and their heartrate sped up.


    ¡°Mom, what is uncle doing?¡± Gaius whispered.


    ¡°The Aspect of Light and the Aspect of Darkness are counters of each other. They are each other¡¯s weaknesses. If light is akin to truth, then darkness is akin to deceit. Where my Aspect burns away falsehoods, the Darkness embraces it. The two are currently stuck within an illusion to test their abilities in resisting the Dark,¡± Tulia said.


    Viktor walked back to his seat as his two shadowy figures locked the two children in some sort of illusion. ¡°Did I mishear, or did you finally accept me as your uncle?¡± Viktor teased.


    Gaius looked at the tan bald man and nodded confidently, ¡°I took a Blood Oath to serve the Alirian Lineage.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Tulia and Duncan both yelled.


    ¡°Ah . . .¡± Viktor said somewhat awkwardly.


    In the corner of the room, Ordos couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh.


    Gaius was shocked by the reaction and was taken aback as his mother and father stared at him incredulous.


    ¡°You did what?!¡± Tulia demanded.


    ¡°I took a Blood Oath,¡± Gaius said with wavering confidence.


    ¡°Do you . . . Why would . . . When?¡± Tulia stammered.


    Gaius became evermore fearful as he had never seen his mother lose his composure. ¡°Just now at the Antimage¡¯s Guildhall.


    Tulia turned to stare daggers at Ordos, ¡°You knew about this?¡± she accused him. ¡°And you?¡± she asked her brother.


    ¡°The practices of the Antimages are kept secret even from me, however I did know about the Blood Oath,¡± Viktor said.


    Ordos kept silent as Tulia¡¯s gaze pierced him.


    ¡°What is the big deal?¡± Gaius asked quietly.


    ¡°The big deal?! Your life! That¡¯s the big deal!¡± Tulia responded. ¡°Well, at least the Blood Oath was to serve your family, so at least that¡¯s okay. But listen, son! You must not make Blood Oaths lightly, do you understand? You must discuss such a thing with us beforehand. Got it?¡±


    Gaius remained silent as he was unsure of how to tell her about the 2<sup>nd</sup> Blood Oath, and Tulia noticed.


    ¡°What is it . . .¡± she asked with dread.


    ¡°I made a 2<sup>nd</sup> Blood Oath,¡± Gaius said after he found the courage.


    ¡°What was the oath?¡± Tulia asked through gritted teeth as she tried to quell her anger at Ordos.


    ¡°Loyalty to the Guild.¡±


    . . .


    . . . . . .


    . . . . . . . . .


    ¡°Why would you make such an oath to a guild you¡¯ve never heard or seen of before?¡± Tulia said with quivering rage. ¡°Why were you so reckless? I did not know that you were so trusting! I thought I raised a son with more sense than that! What if the guild ordered you to kill women and children, what would you do then? Why didn¡¯t you think!?¡±


    Gaius was tearful as he was being berated by his mother, and after a bit of silence Tulia pressed, ¡°Why?!¡±


    ¡°I trust the Guild Master,¡± Gaius said flatly.


    Ordos¡¯s ears perked up as he heard the boy¡¯s response.


    ¡°You trust him? You barely know him,¡± Tulia said as her rage was rising again.


    ¡°He bound himself to the same Oathstone and told me about the guild¡ªthey protect the kingdom. I did not detect any falsehoods, and he also gave me the chance to interrogate him,¡± Gaius blurted out.


    ¡°He did what?!¡± Duncan and Ordos erupted out of surprise.


    Those who do not belong to a guild do not know the full weight of what it means to have a Guild Master under an Oathstone. Guild Masters are the leaders of any guild and as such they have intimate knowledge about every secret the guild holds, from techniques to shady dealings. For one to voluntarily put himself under an Oathstone to recruit a Novitiate is unheard of. Either the recruit is extremely promising or the Guild Master is a fool¡ªwhich is why the old man asked him to not speak of it to anyone.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Ordos silently shook his head, ¡°the Guild Master is too reckless,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Tulia, if the Guild Master bound himself to an Oathstone to establish trust with Gaius, then it shows a great deal about his character. I think Gaius did the right thing,¡± Duncan reassured his wife.


    She turned and stared daggers at him too before she said, ¡°The right thing would have been to come tell us about it. It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if you took the oath tomorrow or next week. You should have brought the issue back to us so we could discuss it. Son, you do not know how dangerous Oathstones can be. You were lucky this time that they were oaths to your family and guild, but do not be so reckless in the future, okay?¡± Tulia started with a furious voice but it became softer and softer as she looked up on her tearful son.


    She pulled Gaius close and embraced him and she said, ¡°Oh, it is also taboo to talk about Oaths, so do not let anyone else know okay? Everyone in this room is trustworthy but others may not be so,¡± Gaius nodded, and it was at this moment that Tali woke from her illusion.


    ¡°Wonderful Tali!¡± Viktor said as he smiled at his daughter. Tulia did not seem to care that Gen lost.


    ¡°Well, I suppose Gen will need more training to defeat illusions,¡± Tulia sighed, ¡°release him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s almost done though, he¡¯s still fighting. In a few minutes he should be out of it, do you still want me to release him?¡± Viktor asked.


    ¡°I suppose not, this can serve as an introduction,¡± she replied.


    Tali placed her hands on her knees as she bent over gasping for air. ¡°Ugh, I hate that feeling. Stupid, gross, ugly Darkness,¡± she said through panted breaths. She stared with disgust as the shadowy figure in front of her melted and merged with the other shadows in the room.


    Soon Gen opened his eyes and gasped for breath as he finally broke through. ¡°What in the Father¡¯s cock was that?¡± Gen cursed as he broke free.


    Viktor and Gem chuckled softly as Tulia and Duncan¡¯s face turned red from embarrassment.


    ¡°An illusion, you did well to get out of it at all. Though you two need more practice. Being stuck in an illusion for that long in a real fight without protection is fatal,¡± Viktor said seriously. ¡°What about you two? Care for a bit of sparring?¡± Viktor asked as his eyes gleamed.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be nice to stretch my legs a bit,¡± Nyah said as she stood up.


    ¡°Gaius?¡± Viktor asked as Nyah stood alone at the center of the training room.


    ¡°Me?¡± Gaius asked surprised.


    ¡°Of course. You two are both 10 years-old, it¡¯ll be a good match,¡± Viktor said with a smile.


    Gaius was a bit concerned about sparring with his cousin so he looked towards Master Ordos for a bit of guidance, but what he saw was an emotionless stare.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Gaius said as he approached the center. ¡°Do we spar unarmed?¡±


    ¡°You may use a weapon, but I do not need one,¡± Nyah said.


    ¡°Oh? Then I shall not use one either,¡± Gaius said.


    ¡°Do not misunderstand, it is not that I do not think I need one but rather that my fighting style does not require a physical weapon,¡± Nyah clarified.


    ¡°I see, it¡¯ll be alright. I won¡¯t need one either. I¡¯d like to work one a few new techniques if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Gaius said.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t get yourself hurt.¡±


    Gaius stood still as a statue as he waited for Nyah to begin her assault. She instantly summoned a shadowy tendril from a corner of the room. It struck quickly as it tapered into a sharp point. Gaius moved his leg slightly to the left as the shadow spear pierced through empty space, a bit of blood drawn from his calf.


    ¡°How fascinating, it can manifest into physical form?¡± Gaius thought to himself.


    The shadow spear snaked around and launched into another attack, for the first time Gaius concentrated on Siphoning the aura. He watched closely as the aura of the spear disintegrated and was drawn within his body, he also noticed that small strands of aura were being drawn directly from Nyah. He was amazed as this was the first time he¡¯s ever consciously seen it happen, then a burst of energy erupted from every fiber of his being giving him newfound strength.


    Nyah on the other hand, experienced her first Siphoning and it was the most unpleasant feeling she¡¯s ever endured. She fell to her knees as she gasped for breath and then vomited. Seeing the sorry state of his cousin, Gaius felt extreme guilt and alarm as he rushed over to help her up.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Gaius said as he placed his hand upon her back. When his hand rested on her back he could feel her aura, weak and flickering. Shocked, Gaius called out to Viktor, ¡°Uncle, condense me your aura!¡±


    Without skipping a beat a dense cluster of Darkness laid within Gaius¡¯s hands as he slowly fed the aura to Nyah, slowly replenishing it. Her breathing came in even breaths as she slowly regained her strength. ¡°What, ha huh, was that?¡± she said through panted breaths.


    ¡°Sorry, it was one of my new abilities I wanted to learn how to control it. I didn¡¯t think it would be like this. Forgive me, I was reckless,¡± Gaius said as tears started to slide down his cheeks.


    Upon seeing his crying face Nyah couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, just don¡¯t do it again.¡±


    Gaius nodded.


    ¡°An unpolished jade,¡± Ordos thought to himself as he saw the amount of aura being siphoned, ¡°maybe the Guild Master knows something.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Bray asked. ¡°I saw the tendrils that Nyah conjured but then they just crumbled and flew into Gaius. What technique is that?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± was all Gaius said, as he was unsure how to answer his cousin.


    ¡°Well, I think that¡¯s a good place to take a break,¡± Gem said as she reigned in her fury and glared daggers at her husband as she walked her daughter to her bed.


    Though Gem¡¯s fury was mainly directed at her husband for paring the two up, she still couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit resentful towards Gaius as well. Unlike his wife however, Viktor often spars with Ordos as a way to train himself against Antimages, so he knows better than most how his daughter is feel. She may be a bit nauseated but her life is in no danger, or so he believed when he paired the two up.


    ¡°He has little control over his Antimagic abilities, and though that is not a problem by itself. It seems that his abilities are a magnitude stronger than normal, leading to Nyah¡¯s current condition,¡± Ordos answered Viktor¡¯s unspoken question.


    ¡°How bad was it?¡± Viktor asked though he was afraid of the answer.


    ¡°He could have killed her,¡± Ordos said flatly.


    It was as if he was doused with cold water, ¡°how?¡± was all he was able to say.


    ¡°It was a combination of his lack of control, his abnormal strength, and Nyah¡¯s lack of training. His siphon ability ripped her aura from her control, causing a slight shockwave to ripple throughout her soul. Any fluctuations to the soul, no matter how slight, could cause irreparable damage. Luckily there was no permanent damage from what I can tell. Her soul seems stable, albeit weak.¡±


    Nyah was quickly taken to her room with the help of her mother. After Ordos explained the close-call to Viktor, he immediately ordered the court physician to attend to his daughter.


    Meanwhile, Gaius and Gen were ushered to their rooms by their parents.


    ¡°What did you do to her?¡± Gen asked a little scared at his brother¡¯s newfound strength.


    ¡°Master Ordos, the other Antimage, showed me a few things and I wanted to try them out,¡± Gaius said dejectedly.


    ¡°Well, whatever it was, just don¡¯t do it to me,¡± Gen said as he shivered.


    Gen didn¡¯t realize that to test his antimagic abilities before, Duncan had Gaius siphon him when they were in Golden Bark Village. He just immediately passed out and didn¡¯t realize he was in an equally sorry state as his cousin. Though at that time the siphon ability was nowhere near as concentrated as now, since he did not really understand what he was doing.


    Duncan also felt his skin tingle as he recalled the nauseating feeling of being siphoned. ¡°I¡¯m sure after a bit of rest, Nyah will be fine. You two had a long day already. Rest up until lunch,¡± he continued.


    After a few hours of rest, the family gathered together again for lunch¡ªNyah included, though her complexion seemed a bit pale. Viktor spared no expense and had personally given her a plethora of high-grade medicinal pills to strengthen her soul, it was only a matter of time before she made a full recovery. With that being said, she was still currently weak and only nit-picked her food as the rest of the family ate voraciously.


    Gaius looked a bit despondent as he realized that Nyah was still recovering from his recklessness. He quickly stood from his chair which drew the attention of the rest of his family, they quieted down as Gaius stared straight into Nyah¡¯s eyes and quickly bowed. With his head down he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for earlier, I was not thinking of my actions and have caused you harm. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Gaius remained bowed.


    Viktor¡¯s eyes gleamed and Gem¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but soften at the innocence displayed. Nyah was flabbergasted and was unsure of how to respond and quickly came to her senses after Gem¡¯s gentle nudge. ¡°Ah, oh it is alright. Accidents happen during spars, I could only blame myself for being too weak,¡± Nyah humbly responded.


    Gaius straightened his body and sharply nodded his head before he sat down again, his eyes ablaze with resoluteness as if telling Nyah that he would make it up to her.


    Seeing her cousin¡¯s care for her health, Nyah¡¯s spirit calmed and she let out a gentle smile. With her spirits lifted she began eating with a healthy appetite. After everyone¡¯s plate was emptied Nyah stood and said, ¡°I feel a lot better now, how about we begin the present hunt?¡± with her eyes staring at Tali, a spark of challenged sparked between the two.


    ¡°All right! I¡¯m not going to take it easy on you even if you¡¯re injured! Dante, Gen, let¡¯s begin!¡± Tali shouted as she bolted for the door.


    Gaius and Gen was surprised at the volume their little cousin could produce, but the others seemed accustomed to it. Nyah glanced quickly at Bray and Gaius before she nodded with a smile.


    After a day of hunting for presents, Gaius slept restlessly as he would begin his real antimagic training tomorrow.

 Chapter 30

    After waking and finishing breakfast, Gaius was led by Ordos to the guildhall. The morning was crisp and rowdy as Gaius and Ordos saw Gen, Dante, and Bray playing with their newfound presents. The three boys were firing crossbows at fruits that exploded when struck. The childish laughter and glee brought a smile to Gaius¡¯s face as he saw his brother get along with their cousins.


    Upon entering the guildhall Ordos abruptly left Gaius to the care of Jahani.


    ¡°Good morning Senior Jahani,¡± Gaius said politely as he gave a short bow.


    ¡°Hello there Gaius. Seems like I¡¯ll be overseeing your assimilation to the guild,¡± Jahani said with a slight laugh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be I your hands,¡± Gaius replied.


    ¡°Well, first off. What do you know about Novitiates in the guilds?¡±


    ¡°My father had my brother and me pretend to be Novitiates as we made our way here. He said that Novitiates are treated with no respect as a way to temper them,¡± Gaius recalled.


    ¡°Quite so, and our guild is no different. Since you cannot be Initiated until you are 12, you have 2 whole years of being a Novitiate. Are you ready?¡± Jahani said with a devilish smile.


    Gaius enthusiastically nodded and was immediately handed a broom and a dustpan.


    ¡°Here you go. Start sweeping this room and move to adjacent rooms. Any rooms that are locked are obviously off limits,¡± Jahani said as he smiled and walked off.


    Like a bucket of cold water being dumped on him, Gaius stood there shocked as his enthusiasm at joining the Antimage¡¯s Guild declined to zero.


    Gaius stood there dazed as his mind slowly churned. ¡°Sweep? I¡¯m not going to learn how to fight?¡± Gaius thought to himself as he recalled the fight with the royal guards and how amazing Ordos looked. His mind reeled and he plopped to the ground as he realized, ¡°2 years? I have to do this for 2 years? No that cannot be right, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll learn something,¡± he continued to console himself.


    To his dismay the whole day went by without seeing another person. It wasn¡¯t until late at night that Jahani came to show him the way out, and even then he told Gaius that from today on he will not be escorting him anymore.


    ¡°Oh before you leave. Master Farai fashioned this for you,¡± Jahani said.


    Excitement bubbled from his heart as Gaius heard that he was given something, ¡°At least this day won¡¯t be a total waste,¡± he thought.


    Jahani gave him a small black stone and said, ¡°This is a kind of key that will allow you to enter and leave the guildhall as you please, it¡¯ll guide you through the labyrinth. Just bind it with a drop of your blood. Okay that¡¯s it,¡± Jahani said as he threw him the small stone.


    Gaius looked at the small rock in his hand and sighed. He bit his finger and squeezed a drop of blood onto the stone and felt an immediate connection to it, as if his hand grew a lump¡ªit felt like it was a part of his body. And with a thought the small stone melded into his body which greatly shocked Gaius. ¡°Whoa!? Where did it go? It was in my hand earlier,¡± and with that thought the small stone reappeared in his palm. After several more moments of surprise, Gaius finally allowed the stone to meld into his body as it was more convenient this way.


    That night at dinner, Duncan had a mischievous smile upon his face throughout dinner as he recalled his days being an Alchemist Novitiate. He was stuck sweeping floors, cleaning windows, tidying up experiment laboratories, and sorting out their storage closets. Looking at his son, he knew that Gaius¡¯s spirit was greatly dampened and Duncan couldn¡¯t let out a nostalgic smile.


    The days passed excruciatingly slow as Gaius arrived early and left late as sweeping the whole guildhall took an absurd amount of time. A week since he became a Novitiate, Gaius¡¯s mundane days had a surprising development.


    Upon exiting his laboratory, Farai heaved an exhausted sigh, though his eyes had a tinge of excitement to them. Noticing the diligent, yet bored Novitiate sweeping the empty corridors Farai barked at him.


    ¡°Hey boy!¡± Farai yelled.


    Startled at the sudden noise, Gaius gave out a yelp and jump. Noticing a middle-aged man with brown hair and a domineering demeanor, Gaius tried to hide his fear as he responded, ¡°Yes Master?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Master Farai, Artificer. Come sweep my lab, and be sure not to touch anything on the tables!¡± Farai yelled as he strode down the corridor.


    Gaius immediately bowed and replied, ¡°Yes Master Farai!¡± Gaius let out a breath he didn¡¯t know he was holding as he saw Farai leave.


    When he immediately entered the room his senses were assaulted with a myriad of different sensations. He could smell something acrid as if something was burning metal. The room was well lit with many sources of light some of which he could identify and others were too mystical.


    But the first thing he noticed was how big the room was. ¡°Wow, this is his lab? It¡¯s bigger than the dining hall,¡± Gaius gasped. The imperial dining hall was designed to be able to host spectacular events and parties, it could fit at least 2,000 people with plenty of room to spare. After his shocked subsided Gaius realized that the large room was partitioned, as each corner of the room had its own set of tables, strange devices, and odd structures. At one corner of the room Gaius was able to identify a forge, and at another corner he was able to discern alchemical equipment, but the sheer amount of glassware shocked him. The other two corners of the room had too many alien tools and devices for Gaius to identify what they were, but he slowly made his way towards the alchemical table and observed the ongoing experiment with interest.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The smells and colors of the alchemical table gave Gaius a mesmerizing feeling as he stood and stared at the bubbling tonics and tinctures.


    Suddenly a booming yelled shook Gaius out of his reverie, ¡°What are you doing!? Did you touch anything!?!¡± Farai said as he rushed from the doorway. After he observed his experiment was safe he glared dangerously at the shocked boy.


    ¡°I¡ªuh¡± Gaius said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been gone for 4 hours and you have yet to even begin? What have you been doing all this time!?¡± Farai screamed.


    Startled that that much time has passed, Gaius started to pale as he wasn¡¯t able to respond.


    ¡°Get out!¡±


    Like an arrow launched from a bow, Gaius bolted out of the room as fast as possible. When he arrived at the main hall he thought to himself, ¡°What happened? I was standing there for 4 hours? How is that possible, it only seemed like a minute?¡± As he made his way back into the palace, Gaius thought back to the primal fear he felt as Farai glared at him dangerously.


    Somewhere within the guildhall.


    Farai and the guild master were sitting and chatting over a cup of tea.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gone a bit too far Farai? The boy was as pale as a ghost,¡± the Guild Master asked.


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s been too long since we had a Novitiate. Loosen up Elric, Novitiates need to know their place. You know how it is,¡± Farai replied.


    ¡°Yes, but to use Dream Gas to mesmerize the boy, remind me to not get on your bad side,¡± Elric chuckled.


    ¡°It was heavily diluted. I just wanted the boy to lose track of time,¡± Farai smiled as he took a sip of tea.


    ¡°Then why not just put him to sleep with Sleeping Gas?¡± Elric asked.


    ¡°When you¡¯re at my level, Sleeping Gas, Dream Gas, Nightmare Gas they¡¯re all the same to concoct,¡± Farai nonchalantly replied.


    Elric smiled at that statement and nodded knowingly.


    ¡°So do you really plan to have him go through the Novitiate¡¯s Hazing for 2 years?¡± Farai finally asked the question in his mind.


    ¡°Hmm, what do you think?¡± Elric mysteriously answered.


    ¡°He¡¯s young,¡± Farai stated suddenly, ¡°and laying a good foundation is extremely important at his age. I don¡¯t think we should waste time with hazing him. And I hear that he has the royal blood flowing within him.¡±


    ¡°I agree, and yes he is her descendent. Our first Guild Master¡ªJailyn Alir. His Antimagic abilities are stronger than normal as well, Ordos reported the sparring match he had with the Princess Nyah,¡± Elric said.


    ¡°Then all the more reason to begin his training,¡± Farai urged.


    ¡°Yes, but you know as well as I do that the demise of all geniuses is arrogance,¡± Elric sighed.


    Farai sighed knowingly.


    There are always prodigies and geniuses in every generation, yet very few of them mature to fulfill their potential. Through the path of cultivation, many meet their end and that is usually because they believe themselves to be immune danger. Arrogance in their abilities lead them to overestimate themselves. And it was this conundrum that led to today¡¯s practice of Novitiate¡¯s Hazing, a way to curb their arrogance and instill within them a sense of humility.


    However, the other extreme is equally detrimental. If these prodigies and geniuses do not have confidence in their abilities then they may never push themselves along the path of cultivation, stagnating and never improving. Striking a balance is every mentor¡¯s struggle.


    Farai continued, ¡°There are ways to begin his training and ensure that he doesn¡¯t become arrogant.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You have a plan?¡± Elric asked excitedly. The last Novitiate they had join their ranks was Jahani, but that was several centuries ago and the world was a different time then. Elric has been struggling to find the most efficient way to instruct his newfound Novitiate.


    ¡°I hear he¡¯s quite talented in Alchemy, why not let me tutor him personally?¡± Farai asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s your plan? How will that help him fulfill his Antimagic potential?¡± Elric asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Okay, fine,¡± Farai acquiesced under the Guild Master¡¯s gaze. ¡°I just wanted a personal disciple to boss around,¡± he relented. Farai suddenly blurted out, ¡°we could make him enter the pits?¡±


    ¡°The pits?! Are you nuts, he¡¯ll be slaughtered in his debut,¡± Elric said incredulously, ¡°but you¡¯ve given me an idea.¡±


    The next day upon arriving at the guildhall, Gaius found the Guild Master waiting for him with a curious glint in his eyes.


    ¡°So Novitiate Wyn, how has your first week been?¡± Elric asked coyly.


    Gaius was unsure how to answer and eventually decided to be truthful, ¡°It¡¯s boring. I thought I¡¯d be able to learn something.¡±


    ¡°Oh but you are,¡± Elric replied cryptically, ¡°though I suppose it is a rather dull lesson. How about we spice things up a bit, eh?¡±


    Gaius¡¯s eyes lit up as he listened as he enthusiastically nodded.


    ¡°Great. Though we cannot begin your Antimagic training, it doesn¡¯t mean we cannot begin other aspects of it. Starting from today, you will begin your weapon training with me. How about it?¡± Elric asked.


    Excitement bubbled forth as he blurted out, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Good. We¡¯ll begin your training today. Though to give your body a rest, every Sunday you¡¯ll spend the day sweeping the guildhall, alright?¡± Elric asked.


    Excited and giddy about finally learning how to become an Antimage, Gaius followed the Guild Master to the training room. Though he¡¯s been in here before to sweep, this is the first time he¡¯s actually touched any of the wooden training weapons on the racks. The room was large, about the size of a basketball court.


    Elric went to a weapons rack and selected a wooden training sword for himself and a wooden training spear for Gaius. After throwing the spear to the boy Elric had a devilish smile.


    ¡°Antimages must be formidable with all martial weapons. We will begin your training in spears since that is your preferred weapon if I recall correctly. And the most common weapon you¡¯ll encounter is the sword, so that is my weapon. We will spar 6 days out of the week for 18 hours a day. When you get used to the training conditions we will spar for 24 hours a day for 6 days straight, ready?¡±


    Gaius slightly gasped as he felt shocked. Gaius immediately shook his head as he asked, ¡°Wait, how am I supposed to spar for such a long time without a sleep?¡±


    Elric was a bit startled by the question, and then his confused face showed signs of realization. ¡°Oh right, you don¡¯t know how to siphon innate essences do you?¡±


    Elric stared at Gaius¡¯s confused face and continued, ¡°Right, so the greatest combat advantage of an Antimage is that we are able to siphon innate essences in our surroundings so that we never exhaust ourselves. Take a look at the corner of his training room. Do you see those 4 braziers and the fire within each one?¡±


    Gaius had always been curious about these bizarre braziers. Each corner of the room had a different color flame dancing within the brazier: a red, blue, green, and amber colored fire.


    ¡°These are the 4 Prime Aspects: Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth. Do you know why they are called the 4 Prime Aspects?¡± Elric asked.


    Gaius shook his head.


    ¡°All living creatures need these 4 essences to survive. For humans, we need Fire for warmth, Water for thirst, Wind for breathing, and Earth for sustenance. As Antimages, we can siphon these 4 Prime Aspects from our surroundings so that we never need to sleep, drink, breathe, or eat respectively from each essence.¡±


    As if struck by lightning, Gaius stood shocked at the revelation.


    Elric continued, ¡°Furthermore, we are able to siphon these essence in combat to replenish our energy. So when we begin you will need to be able to concentrate on the spar while simultaneously siphon these essences to keep your energy up. It takes a while to get used to it, so you will be permitted to take breaks for the first 2 weeks. After that, we will begin in earnest. Okay?¡±


    Gaius dumbly nodded as he tried to process what it would be like to never need to eat, sleep, drink, or breathe.


    Elric charged with a sword strike that brought Gaius out of his reverie.

 Chapter 31

    ¡°Gaius are you okay?¡± Bray and Dante asked simultaneously as they observed their cousin.


    Regardless of not needing to sleep as an Antimage, he had never been so tired in his life. He has not slept in 5 days since he began training with the Guild Master, and it has been brutal to say the least. Thankfully the twins¡¯ birthday party was held on a Sunday, as it was his day of rest from training. He smiled meekly as he replied to his cousins, ¡°Yeah I¡¯m fine. Just a bit tired lately from guild stuff.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool that you¡¯re in a guild! I can¡¯t wait until I can join one when I grow up!¡± Bray said with enthusiasm.


    Gaius smiled sadly at his cousin¡¯s impending disappointment when he becomes a Novitiate. ¡°What guild do you want to join?¡± Gaius asked to make conversation.


    ¡°The Artificer¡¯s Guild!¡± Bray responded with glee.


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯ve never heard of them, what do they do?¡± Dante asked from the side.


    ¡°Artificers are master tinkers, they create things by combining their knowledge of alchemy, blacksmithing, or even runeweaving. I guess they¡¯re like a jack-of-all trades!¡± Bray responded.


    ¡°Wow, that sounds pretty cool,¡± Gaius said while suppressing a yawn.


    ¡°Ah if it isn¡¯t the Princes of Mischief,¡± a voice sounded nearby.


    Two teenagers strolled over to the three cousins.


    A boy with dark brown hair smiled and said, ¡°Hello Prince Dante, Prince Bray. Happy 7<sup>th</sup> birthday.¡±


    A teenage girl with blonde hair besides him also gave her congratulations.


    ¡°Hello, Loris. Cecille. Thank you for coming,¡± Bray recited.


    ¡°This is my friend, Gaius,¡± Dante introduced the strangers to each other.


    ¡°Ah, pleasure to make your acquaintance,¡± Loris said as he struck a handshake.


    ¡°Gaius, this is Loris Copeland and Cecille Burton. Their noble houses have supported the crown since its Founding,¡± Dante explained.


    Cecille smiled as she also shook Gaius¡¯s hand, ¡°Did I hear correctly, that you wish to join the Artificer¡¯s Guild, Bray?¡±


    ¡°Yup, they¡¯re the only guild that interests me,¡± Bray replied confidently.


    ¡°One of my friends just became their Initiate not too long ago. She brings such curious trinkets. Take a look at one she just gave me,¡± Cecille said while taking out a small flat metallic disk.


    Bray¡¯s and Dante¡¯s eyes gleamed as they eyed the strange metallic disk, one of them whispers, ¡°What does it do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called an Echo, and she said that it can store messages, and¡± . . . suddenly her voice was projected from the metallic disk and it continued her explanation, ¡°You just need to condense a bit of aspect into. Here try it out,¡± she said while she handed the disk over to them.


    After holding the disk within his palms and concentrating for a bit, Bray¡¯s voice was projected from the disk and said, ¡°Hello. Hello. This is Bray Alir. Hello.¡± Bray¡¯s and Dante¡¯s eyes and face lit up as they heard the projection.


    ¡°Let me try it,¡± Dante said as he took the disk from his brother¡¯s hand. Laughter and giggling can be heard from the group of 5 as they played around with the Echo.


    In another part of the palace.


    ¡°Sorry to pull you away from your sons¡¯ party, but this is urgent,¡± a calm voice sounded.


    Viktor¡¯s and Gem¡¯s face turned solemn at the severe tone. ¡°Well, don¡¯t keep us in suspense any longer,¡± Viktor barked.


    Two middle-aged people gave each other a short look before one of them continued, ¡°Our Farseer predicts a world-level calamity.¡±


    After a few moments of shock, Viktor gathered his composure and asked, ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know but within the next century,¡± a man replied.


    ¡°What is the nature of the calamity?¡± Gem asked from the side.


    ¡°Though the specifics elude her, she said that the wheel of fate is churning in the south,¡± the same man replied.


    ¡°Is there anything else that she saw?¡± Viktor asked seriously.


    ¡°No, but she believes as time passes she will have a better glimpse. But the more time passes the harder it will be to prevent or change this calamity,¡± the man softly spoke.


    ¡°Thank you Volmar, Bodin. Your two houses have always safe-guarded the kingdom. I just hope that it is not already too late. Let us prepare the best we can,¡± Viktor said as he nodded at the two men standing before him.


    Volmar and Bodin nodded. They both bowed slightly and turned to leave the king and queen alone.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Master Ordos, please inform your master of what you¡¯ve heard here tonight,¡± Viktor instructed after they were alone. It was not that he did not trust Volmar and Bodin with Ordos¡¯s identity, but the fewer people who know the existence of the Antimage¡¯s Guild the better.


    The next day within the training room of the Antimage¡¯s Guild.


    Gaius stood across Jahani, his frame was average as well as his height. ¡°Guild Master Elric had some matters to attend to, so he instructed me to train you,¡± Jahani said with an exasperated sigh.


    Earlier when Guild Master Elric informed him of Gaius¡¯s special training regimen, Jahani was shocked.


    ¡°I remember them being pretty tough on me during my training,¡± he thought to himself, ¡°but this is a bit overboard. I¡¯m sorry Gaius, I hope you can one day forgive me,¡± Jahani continued his silent prayer before he charged with a sword strike.


    Training with Guild Master Elric during the past week couldn¡¯t even be considered training through the eyes of many. It was more accurate to describe Gaius as Elric¡¯s punching bag. Each sword strike knocked Gaius to the floor as he tried to resist the force. 18 hours a day, Elric would casually swing his sword at Gaius and he would be sent flying to the ground or the wall. Over and over.


    Elric came up with the training program after his discussion with Farai about instilling humility while improving his Antimagic abilities.


    And now it was up to Jahani to carry out this sacred duty. Days and weeks passed as Gaius continued to be a punching bag for Jahani. He came to deeply cherish his Sundays as his day of rest. Autumn turned into winter and the New Year came and went. There was a lavish party thrown within the capital. Streets were filled with food stalls and crowded with all shapes of people and animals.


    The main event however, was the New Year¡¯s Competition. A batch of warriors and mages from each noble house, school, guild, or random citizen entered to earn glory and riches. The competition was open to all. The royal family hosted the competition each year to identify talented youths that may one day serve the kingdom. Gaius and his family, to conceal their noble bloodline, were given the status of being foreign wards. Many thought them to be nothing better than political prisoners sent as bargaining chips from foreign lands, though they were still treated with a modicum of respect that their position accords them.


    One day after the New Year and the exciting competition, Gen brought up a peculiar topic at the breakfast table.


    ¡°Mom, Dad. When will I start going to school?¡± Gen asked innocently.


    ¡°Oh? Why do you want to go to school?¡± Duncan asked in between bites.


    ¡°Lauren¡¯s school goes on camping trips and have huge competitions like the New Year¡¯s fight, it sounds like a lot of fun!¡± Gen said in one breath.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Lauren?¡± Tulia asked with a curious smile.


    ¡°She¡¯s one of my friends, we met her during the New Year¡¯s festival,¡± Dante replied. ¡°She was telling us how her first year at the Academy was.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it would be a good experience for the lad. You should consider it sister,¡± Viktor said with a smile.


    ¡°What about you? Are you going to let your kids attend the Royal Academy?¡± Tulia rebutted.


    ¡°You know how it is, bunch of sycophants when they see my kids. The tutors we provide are more than adequate,¡± Gem said while looking at her childhood friend. ¡°You remember how it was when we were kids, all of those brown-nosers,¡± she added.


    ¡°Haha, yes that is true I suppose. Good thing Gen and Gaius are rather innocuous. Let me discuss it with your father,¡± Tulia answered her son and then turned her gaze to Gaius. ¡°What about you? Do you want to attend the academy too?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, no. From what Lauren described you have a lot of responsibilities as a student. You have to attend classes and pass tests. And since can¡¯t condense an Aspect, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll pass any of the courses¡ªeven the beginner ones,¡± Gaius quickly analyzed aloud.


    ¡°If you want to join the academy, Gaius. You can enter the Warrior¡¯s Wing. The Royal Academy is split in two. The Warrior¡¯s Wing and the Mage¡¯s Branch. The Wing is all about martial prowess and the studying of all weapon styles. Though I don¡¯t believe you¡¯d gain as much as what your guild is currently providing you,¡± Viktor replied.


    ¡°Thanks uncle, but the guild is already taking up so much of my time. I cannot fathom taking on the responsibilities that comes with being a student,¡± Gaius replied.


    ¡°Hmm. Well put, how are things within the guild? You haven¡¯t been eating much these past few weeks.¡± Duncan changed the subject.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s part of my training. I¡¯m trying to ¡®ween myself off earthly sustenance¡¯,¡± Gaius recited.


    ¡°Not eating is part of your training? How will you grow properly?!¡± Tulia asked surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the guild supplies him with alternative methods,¡± Duncan interjected, saving Gaius from lying to his mother.


    Within the training room.


    ¡°You know Gaius, your improvement is quite decent. You can take up to 100 strikes now before you need a break,¡± Jahani complimented. Though it isn¡¯t 100 consecutive sword strikes, but rather 100 single-knockout sword strikes.


    Sweat was dripping from his face like a steady stream. After 100 strikes, Gaius needed to specifically concentrate on siphoning the surrounding essences to replenish his strength. After a few breaths of time he recovered completely. He stood up with renewed vigor as he readied his stance for the inevitable sword strike. At this point of his training his mind was completely blank as he relentlessly took each strike.


    Jahani smiled as he saw his junior¡¯s blank eyes stare back at him, ¡°It didn¡¯t take him too long, not bad,¡± he thought to himself. With the wooden training sword in his hands he dashed forward delivering an immense amount of force. Gaius deflected the sword strike and remained steady as Mt. Tai.


    With a devilish smile, Jahani did not miss a step and followed up with another sword strike, but this one was also deflected. Jahani exerted 100% control over each and every sword strike, sometimes pulling his punches¡ªand each one was expertly deflected. ¡°I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d reach the state of no-mind so quickly. This is a rare chance,¡± Jahani thought to himself.


    Gaius¡¯s eyes still remained empty as his body moved subconsciously expertly deflecting all of Jahani¡¯s strike. This continued for several dozen exchanges, when suddenly Gaius fluidly countered after a deflection, Jahani unconsciously also countered and unleashed more of his power. As the sword clashed with the spear, Gaius was sent flying to the other side of the training hall. The impact shook the whole room. Gaius fell unconscious as he slumped to the floor.


    ¡°Well, I guess I went a bit overboard,¡± a smile appeared on his face, ¡°it¡¯ll be okay for him to rest.¡± Jahani sat down in a meditative posture as he waited for his junior to regain consciousness.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Gaius woke up after several minutes.


    ¡°You got knocked out,¡± Jahani responded flatly.


    ¡°Ugh. Not only am I not getting better, but I¡¯m getting worse?¡± Gaius thought to himself. It has been a point of pride with him that this past week he has not been knocked unconscious, now he has to restart his streak.


    Seeing his junior¡¯s face slump with disappointment, Jahani had a sudden impulse to reassure him about his no-mind state. Jahani suppressed the urge by recalling the Guild Master¡¯s stern instruction, so he kept a stoic face as he waited for his junior to ready himself.


    ¡°What do you remember before you took a rest?¡± Jahani ask.


    ¡°Um, nothing. I don¡¯t even remember getting struck,¡± Gaius answered after trying to recall.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, hurry up and get ready. I¡¯m going to take it up a notch,¡± Jahani said. ¡°The more often he enters the state of no-mind the more beneficial,¡± he thought to himself, ¡°and Master said that the best way to enter that state is from the brink of death.¡±