This story is but a prelude to someone else’s story, but this story must also have a beginning. It begins with the birth of a baby boy. 

in a hut 

in the middle of a frozen tundra.

The baby was quiet at birth and not breathing. His blue skin and raven black hair made him appear dead. He was quiet and unresponsive for far too long as Evelynn the boy’s mother would begin to weep for the death of her son as Mazliu, Evelynn’s husband and the boy's father, cradled them both in his arms.

Mazliu’s mind was rushing trying to think of things to do to save his son. He could leak the tiniest fraction of Aura from himself into the boy in order to jumpstart his system, but this was dangerous as even a hair too much and his power would turn the body into ash.

Though before Mazliu could begin his desperate gambit to save his son, the boy began to cry. Evelynn along with her son cried even harder with happiness this time to see her son alive and cradled the swaddled boy in her arms. Mazliu was confused for multiple reasons. He hadn’t sensed any life from the body and his son’s skin was still tinted blue. Nevertheless he was happy his son lived, and pulled the two in even tighter not wanting to lose either.

The boy would be named Arterus. A legend in the making.

Years would pass as a small community began around the house of the family. Mazliu was a capable man and very kind to everyone, especially those who were kind to him. This resulted in people settling in the area in order to rely on the capable man’s protection. He was very tall, easily taller than anyone in the community, and had a good bit of muscle on him that was powerful despite the fact that his face looked chronically malnourished. But his most striking features were his dark blue hair and the golden eyes of a predator.

Evelynn called Arterus inside as it was time for dinner. Her elegant form and dark brown hair turning away to lead him inside. After the family had finished dinner Evelynn brought out a small piece of fluffy flatbread and placed it in front of Arterus with ten candles on it. As the parents began to sing to the flustered little boy, Mazliu would light the ten candles with his fingers.

Once the singing was over Mazliu walked over to the kitchen and began to wash the dishes and clean and Evelynn poured some syrup over the dish and told Arterus to enjoy it. As soon as Arterus began to eat his spine straightened like a board and began to arch back in pain. He couldn’t let out a scream as his teeth were clamped together too tight. Mazliu was immediately at his side like he teleported, yelling he told Evelynn to get a large blanket and start running the bath now! What's happening she yelled as she did what Mazliu asked. He’s advancing! He yelled as he wrapped the boy up tightly in the blanket to restrain him from hurting himself.

What!? He is only Ten. How can he be advancing now?! I don’t know how but I know that is what is happening. Moments later, Arterus’ body would lie still and slowly begin to move. Why does my whole body hurt? Mazliu after hearing his boy's words scooped him up then rolled him out of the blanket right into the bath. Hey! What was that for!

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You smell bud. Advancement is a …. sticky process. Arterus looked down at himself seeing he was covered in a dark tar like substance. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going outside to burn this blanket now. After his deep scrub bath, Arterus went to his bed and immediately fell asleep exhausted from his advancement.

The next morning Mazliu would take Arterus outside into the woods. I hadn’t planned on teaching you about Aura or advancement until you were fifteen, but this is information you need now that you are copper.

Copper? 

I’ll get to that.

First sit down and cross your legs. Now close your eyes and listen.

Aura is the source of power for everything in this world. The power of trees to grow, the power of rocks to be hard, the power for you to move. This Aura is measured in ranks of advancement. His current rank is copper and he was unranked before this. Now, with copper rank you can sense the aura in your environment but more importantly in yourself. Look inside yourself and try to sense the aura moving through your body.

Arterus with his eyes still closed began to sense thing wisps of clear white power flowing through his body like veins. I can see them! Good, now turn those senses to the outside world. Arterus opened his eyes and began to see many different kinds of energies with massively different colors. When he looked at the trees he saw this green energy flowing up the center of each of the trees like a spine. When looking at the sky he saw blues, reds, and purples all mixed together. Looking directly into the earth was a little overwhelming because of the density of brown looking aura that was so bright he needed to squint his eyes.

The Aura you are seeing now is known as earth aura, while the trees have life aura, and the sky has a mixture of aura such as wind, fire, and if there is a storm coming in then purples. Now look back into yourself, The aura inside of your body is pure. This means it has no flavor for lack of a better term. With this type of aura you can only do simple enforcement of your body like being able to lift heavy things or punch a little harder.

When you reach the rank of Peak Iron you will gain a core and an aura type. These Aura types are broken down into four categories. The first is Green Core which is elemental in nature and the most common, second is Blue Core which are typically unique to a person or family, Third is Purple Core which have a concept intertwined within their aura making it difficult to use sometimes, and last is White Cores have a law of the universe intertwined within their aura making it very difficult to use. Though the more difficult the power is to use typically means the aura is very powerful. But all this won’t affect you for two more ranks. You need to first get to Low Iron after Copper then Peak Iron is after that.

Now using your mind and breathing, form an image in your head of the aura in your body moving towards your fists. Take it slow as it will be very hard since you have never done it before.

Arterus formed the image in his head of him pulling the energy behind himself down a path. Immediately when he started doing this his breathing became ragged and labored. Breathe deeply and slowly, or else the aura will overwhelm you. Arterus began trying to breathe in deeply and slowly and it got a little easier. The Aura began to move towards his fists and he immediately passed out from the excursion.

He would wake up moments later to Mazliu beaming at him. What are you so happy about? I wasn’t able to move it to my fists. That may be true, but you were able to move it. To move it as much as you did on your first try is amazing. Arterus flustered at the praise shyly said thanks. Mazliu laughed and praised the boy while they walked back to the house.