“. . . currently connected to your mana system the power shall naturally flow into it. When it does so you will synchronize to it, and experience a sudden connection with whatever element or concept your halo is aligned to, so it would be best to brace yourself in preparation.”
All in all, Joan felt things had been progressing well for Adam’s training. They hadn’t been able to move onto the combat portion yet, but they had been able to get him to build a solid base of knowledge on the basics. Mastering his power of flight was a good first step. It was not only preparing him for the more advanced lessons in airborne combat, but also giving him plenty of exercise for his newly developed magic. His difficulty with heights was a complication, but one that could be dealt with over time, with the correct training. He had made decent progress, all said.
She just wasn’t sure if it would be enough.
Almost a quarter of the time that the Hallowed Sanctuary would give them had already been used. In a matter of weeks, the world was going to become his problem, one way or another. The young man’s Awakening had been a demonstration of power that not even the gods themselves could ignore.
That would not sit well with many of them, of that she was certain. The gods were many and varied in their personalities, but there was not one among them that did not possess a certain pride in their status as a divinity. Adam’s demonstration of power could be seen as a challenge, or a declaration, something to be met and crushed. Other gods would look upon him with greed, seeing power that could be harvested or harnessed for their own ends.
Joan had faith in him, but that didn’t change the fact that he wasn’t progressing as fast as he needed to meet such challenges. He’d sparked his magic, and he was showing advancement. That was progress, it was even good progress.
But if Adam was simply ‘good’ then he would fail.
He had to be mighty, he had to be overwhelming! There was no other path for him that would see him thrive. If he was simply good then it was inevitable that he’d end up being dragged along by another, someone more powerful. He might distinguish himself, but he would not be reaching the heights that his task demanded of him, he would not be more than a glorified lackey.
The Almighty had set her to this task, had shown her the destiny that might be, and she would do all she could to see that her charge could reach the heights that she knew he was capable of. All of this was hovering at the back of her mind as she continued her lesson, a driving force and a source of concern.
“Whatever affinity you have should make itself clear to you immediately, it might even swallow up all your awareness when you first connect to it if your compatibility is great enough. As soon as you are ready you sho-”
Her first hint that anything had gone wrong was when the Crown that was Adam’s halo began to sing. It wasn’t words or music, it was just a single note of almost heart-aching purity that rang out across the area that had been serving as a training field. Her words cut off, and the resurrected soul’s eyes snapped to her charge as she realized he was no longer listening to her, in fact, he had not been listening fo some time. He was lost to the world, his mana having connected to his halo and the process of its synchronization having begun.
Joan very deliberately did not curse, though colourful and graphic profanities that she had learnt during her time with the French army did run through her mind. In truth, the situation wasn’t that dangerous, but she had hoped to have had Adam more prepared before he tried this. With some more preparation, the experience could have helped him glean insight into the hidden nature of his power.
There was a rush of displaced air to her side, and with a small turn of her head, she could see that Hadriel had come to hover only a few feet beside her. Her eyes were locked on Adam, or rather on the halo hovering over him.
“I can feel the power flooding through it.”
She spoke the words as a calm statement of the truth. Still, there was a slight frown on her face as the halo continued to sound its single note, as though she was trying to work something out but couldn’t quite make the connection she wanted.
“Does the note mean anything to you, honoured Hadriel?” Joan asked, curious as to whether the clear tone was any clue as what kind of Crown her charge might possess.
“No,” The angelic soldier shook her head. “At first I believed that the note might be part of a song, such as those that serve Lady Bath Kol, but it does not continue. There is something there though, something that I can sense just beyond my ability to recognize it. I am uncertain as to just what, but . . .”
The angel paused, her eyes narrowing more as she looked about herself, as though trying to spot someone invisible who was trying to creep up on her.
“What is that? I can feel . . . something, but I cannot place it. What . . .”
For a moment Joan was perplexed, unsure of just what might have drawn the attention of her ally in such a way, then she felt it as well, something at the very edges of her awareness. It was like a breeze so soft that you were unsure if it was real or imagined, except that this wasn’t something as simple as a change in the air currents, this was . . . Her own eyes narrowed as she tried to grasp what she was sensing.
It was pervasive in a way she’d not experienced before, yet it wasn’t as overt as the vast flood of light that had emerged during Adam’s Awakening. It was as though something that had always been there, still in the background, had started moving. And in doing so . . . everything else was moving as well? The French saint’s eyes widened as she realized this, darting about to take in all the small details. The faint breeze was now more noticeable, the clouds above also moved, but in opposition to the air currents. The stalks of white grass beneath her danced but did so independently of the air’s gusts. Even the soil she stood on seemed to be subtly shifting around, almost vibrating in place.
“Lady Joan, do you know what this is?”
The question came as a surprise to her, given that the angel had better sensory abilities than she did, shouldn’t it be her asking that of Hadriel?
“No! I . . . it is all everywhere, all small, but everywhere! It . . .”
She stumbled over her words as she attempted to divide her focus between answering her ally and trying to discern just what was going on. As she did so she realized that the note from the halo was still ongoing, though despite its insistent pitch it was causing her no discomfort.
The single unending note of the halo should have been having been irritating, grinding upon her nerves, but it wasn’t. Indeed, rather than feeling irritated or vexed she felt refreshed. It was an oddity, one that stuck at the periphery of her thoughts as she continued to try to identify what was going on.
“Everywhere . . . no, it is everyTHING!”
Hadriel was the first to spot it, but as soon as she pointed it out Joan understood. She’d thought that the phenomenon was spread out over a large area, but it wasn’t a large single effect, rather it was uncountable individual effects all merging together. Every pebble, every blade of grass, every tiny air current, each and every one of them was . . . was what? She could now make some sense of it, but she still had no idea as to what was going on.
“It . . . it cannot be. No, but then . . . that does not . . . why . . . ?”
To her side the crimson-winged angel seemed to be every bit as baffled as Joan herself felt, her eyes darting around as she tried to understand what was going on. However, there was something to her words, as though she might have thought of something, but was dismissing it as foolishness.
Then the air suddenly seemed to tear! There was a loud ripping noise, closer to thunder than anything else, and the resurrected soul had to blink her eyes as the afterimage of a blinding line seared itself into her vision. It took her a moment to realize what she’d seen, but by then the air cracked again, this time more softly, and on the other side of her charge.
“Lightning?”
As Joan watched, smaller and smaller bolts of lightning crackled around Adam, none of them ever touching him, but instead forming a corona. In only a few seconds the display ceased, but the air felt charged even after the arcs of wild energy had faded.
Was that the nature of the halo? Thunder and lightning? If so then it would make a certain level of sense. Throughout human history, the wrath of the heavens and storms had always been associated and held in awe by the mortals across the world. The power of lightning was a potent one. It was no coincidence that such gods as Zeus and Jupiter had claimed that power for themselves, nor that the most militant of the angels of heaven were also known as the Thunders of God. If her charge was to be a champion tied to the heavens then to be able to wield the power of lightning was a potent power to possess.
Her mind was already beginning to devise ways in which such a power could be trained and refined when a single sentence from Hadriel scattered her thoughts.
“It is the mana.”
“Mana? Is there something wrong with his mana?”
Thoughts of lightning were abandoned as Joan’s concern flared. Was this to be another hurdle thrown before Adam? Things were already hard enough for him, would magic also be as difficult a path as all his other divine gifts seemed to be?
“What?!” Her question seemed to startle the angel because she turned to look at her, her eyes wide. “No! No, there is nothing wrong with his mana. What I mean is that the feeling we can sense . . . it is the mana in this whole area reacting to his Crown.”
“Ah, I see,” That was good news. “Which mana is it? if we can narrow it down then training him in its use shall be much simpler.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Hadriel blinked, her face blank for a moment, then shook her head.
“No, you do not understand. He is not drawing in a single type of mana, instead, his halo has seized control of all the mana about him! It is all entering him, cycling through his system, becoming a part of him. I am not yet certain as to his range, but within that range, no type of mana seems to be outside of his influence.”
She paused for a moment, then turned to face Joan, her eyes now wide with astonishment.
“That is why his halo is a Crown! It grants him dominion over all . . . mana?”
She sounded somewhat uncertain, but the French saint didn’t focus on that, instead, she was more interested in what had just been suggested.
“So . . . it is the Crown of Mana?”
Joan was uncertain as to the lore of the Crowns. What she knew had come to her while learning other things, so she did not know how many Crowns there were, all who possessed them, or even what all those she knew of did. Still, a Crown that controlled mana, that could be an immense asset.
Mana was the base form of all magic, the original mystic energy from which every form of magic arose, so dominion over it would lead to a staggering number of options. Even if it was simply a case of him being able to draw ambient mana in, then it would mean that his reserves of power would regenerate at a vastly increased rate. If the Crown let him do more . . .
Her thoughts were scattered by Hadriel’s next words though, and thoughts of unlimited magical endurance were cast to the side.
“No . . . it is not just mana that is responding. It is faint, but I can feel . . . chi? The chi of the earth? And . . . and there is something else, I cannot identify it, but there is something else stirring.”
Her eyes went from narrowed to wide open, her face one of astonishment.
“Magic? The Crown is tied to . . . magic? I . . . I do not fully understand, but there is something . . . something tied to the forces that compose magic.”
Joan opened her mouth to question the angel’s words but was cut off by the sudden crackle of flames. Turning back to Adam she saw that he was now sitting in a perfect circle of fire, the red and orange flames dancing in a beautiful but unnatural synchronized pattern. As this happened, snow drifted down from above him, seemingly from nowhere. Tthe heat of the flames was causing the flakes to dance and blow about, even as they came down upon them. The crackle of the fire was joined by the hiss of the flakes evaporating in their heat, the opposing elements existing together for a few brief moments before both faded away.
“So much mana is gathering in a single spot, it is manifesting random elemental changes purely by chance,” Hadriel commented. “But . . . it is so contained. Even a master of the mortal magical arts would have difficulty in replicating such . . . contained power.”
“Another indication of Adam’s potential, and this one does not seem to be as limited as the other divine gifts he possesses.”
“Indeed. He seems to be able to use it more intuitively than his other abilities. Could it be because it is due to the halo rather than his flesh?”
Hadriel’s question was an odd one, and Joan was not ashamed to say as much.
“I do not grasp your meaning.”
“The Crown is a halo, an advanced and enhanced one, but still a halo. It is both a part of our charge and an external artefact. The . . . interruption that disrupted your ritual caused our charge to fail to develop an instinctive mastery of his divine gifts, but the halo is different. As a heavenly construct, it is unaffected by the disruption he has suffered, meaning that this aspect of his power is flawless. He may not be able to use its full power, as with his other divine gifts, but it is less flawed, so he is closer to mastery with his halo than with his other abilities.”
That made sense, and the resurrected soul felt some excitement begin to bubble up in her. This was the first sign of a true advantage for Adam that had been shown since his training began, something that could give him the edge he needed.
There were no more words as the two of them stood guard over the young demigod as the hours ticked by. Various brief effects surrounded him as time passed. Some of them were simple, such as the small gemstone trees that sprang up about him, then crumbled to dust and were reabsorbed by the earth. Others were more inscrutable, such as the mercurial grey shimmer that passed over him for a few moments. Or the time the colours seemed to flash to inversions of themselves, then back to normal fast enough to give Joan a minor headache. The sun was just starting to go down when the note of the halo suddenly stopped, and Adam drew in a sudden breath as his eyes began to flutter. It was still another minute before he fully awoke though, his eyes blinking a few times as they swum back into focus.
“Whoa! Trippy!”
With that informative statement he tipped over backwards and fell flat on his back, his wings spread out gracelessly around him and his limbs splayed out in a vague resemblance to a starfish.
Maybe it was simply a release of tension, maybe it was the sheer absurdity of her charge’s posture, whatever the case Joan suddenly felt laughter bubble up from inside her. Before she knew it she was clutching at her stomach as tears of mirth clouded her vision and her laughter echoed across the field. Hadriel turned a slightly bemused look upon her, but that only served to send the French saint into further gales of laughter.
After a bit, she was able to bring herself under control and gestured to Adam’s prone form.
“L-lets . . . heh heh . . . let’s get him inside. He might be hardier now, but just leaving him there cannot be good for him.”
She was still chuckling when the two of them lifted him. His wings made the action a bit difficult, especially when they kept flexing in an almost spasmodic way, but aside from digging a few groves in the earth, they were of minimal impediment. The sheer absurdity of it made her laugh even more, and there was a cathartic release to it.
Ever since the negative consequences of the interrupted awakening had been learned, Joan had been worried he would not be able to meet his destiny. This, his latest demonstration of power and the renewal of hope it brought, helped to dispel much of the gloom that had been slowly growing around her heart. It gave her a firmer sense of which direction she should be training him in. It was a good feeling, a most welcome one.
“This development, his possessing a Crown, I must report it to the others that are assigned to this realm.”
The red-winged angel’s words were enough to end her cheer, as Joan’s thoughts began to race.
“No!”
“What?” Hadriel was surprised by her sudden response and turned to look at her as they stood on the landing outside of Adam’s room. “Why should I deny my comrades this knowledge? The news that there is a Crown upon the descendant of Bath Kol will kindle many spirits that might be wavering.”
The resurrected saint’s mind raced as she tried to put her feelings into words, as her denial had been more of a gut reaction than a thought-out response.
“Adam . . . Adam is still weak, he has not yet come into his power in any meaningful way, at least as far as his battle strength is concerned. Letting others know that he has a Crown that he cannot yet use to full strength will simply ensure he is a target of greater priority to those that would oppose the powers of the High Heavens.”
“No angel would allow such information to spread to our foes,” Hadriel sounded genuinely offended by the insinuation that her brethren would do anything to aid the forces they fought against or endanger the demigod she was assigned to protect. “They would lay down their lives first!”
“No insult is meant,” Joan assured her, struggling to give voice to her thoughts. “But I fear that the knowledge would not be given willingly. Sad though it is, the forces of the Enemy have succeeded in defeating the soldiers of heaven before, and in their defeat information has been forced from them through the use of torture or compulsion. The knowledge that a demigod possesses a Crown must not be revealed until Adam can defend himself!”
For a moment she feared that she had pushed things too far, as genuine outrage flashed across the face of the angel, but in the next moment, it was gone, replaced by a considering frown.
“I . . . understand what you mean,” She replied, her words coming somewhat reluctantly. “Though I would wish it otherwise it has been known for the secrets of heaven to be taken by force, and I know that his safety is our highest priority until he learns to control his divine powers. Still, it is a hard thing to do, to keep it a secret. I know that for many of my fellow angels, the battle upon the mortal plane has not been as successful as we would have wished.
“Losses have been minimal due to the lack of overt conflict, but the forces of hell are proving . . . troublesome. There are no great wars, but there are personal conflicts. Nuriel continues her feud with Garmarath, and their clashes mean that she is not as attentive to her other duties as she might be. Then there was the injury of Baradael in the battle on the shores of the Great Ice. And though they are more irritating than dangerous the cults that call on demons appear often enough to dishearten my brethren. Some good tidings would be well received and appreciated by all the Hosts.”
Joan could understand where Hadriel was coming from. From what she knew, the campaign upon the mortal plane had so far been mostly quiet, with only one or two moments of frantic activity and battle. Most of the creatures sent from hell had chosen to work in a quiet way, rather than the more destructive ‘burn, despoil, pillage, and burn some more’ approach that the more violent among their number favoured. For the most part, it was low-key, but twice it had resulted in outbreaks that needed pitched battle to put them down.
And, of course, that was just the demonic side of things, there were so many other things to watch out for. There were returned gods that could go mad with power, or rogue elementals going on mindless rampages to propagate their influence. Then there were malicious demigods coming into their might and using it for their own ends, even mortals taking the name of the Lord God and the heavens in vain in some catastrophic manner. So far such events had been mercifully rare, and most had been dealt with, but the deployed forces had to be vigilant.
Still, for all that, the situation was not as bleak as it might sound. Essentially the demons could advance, but only to a certain point, while the angels could always stop them advancing, but not until after many mortals had been hurt. It was a stalemate, but one that was more wearing upon the angels than the demons. They could take pleasure in the mayhem they caused, and by their very natures they had little concern for those of their number that fell. The forces of heaven, however, felt that each innocent life cut short, or each member of their numbers that was slain was a loss, a failure.
The thing was that while angels were spiritual beings that would normally possess utterly unshakable wills and convictions, descending to the mortal realm had left them vulnerable to frustration, dismay, and even despair. Here they inhabited bodies of flesh and bone, superhuman flesh and bone, but flesh and bone nonetheless. The spirit might be willing, but even empowered and enhanced flesh could become weak, worn down by repeated battles without any real sense of victory.
Good tidings, good news of any sort really, were of value to offset the slow grind the situation had on morale, and she understood why Hadriel had immediately thought of sharing the knowledge that the demigod the Lord had sent them to protect had such a clear sign of power as a Crown.
“We can let them know, but not yet, not now,” She disliked it, disliked having to deny the angels such good tidings, but she would remain true to her duty. “When he is stronger, when he has a better grasp upon his powers, then we can inform them, let them know of the strength he can bring to our aid. But not before.”
Joan felt wrong being the one to say ‘no’ to the angel. Her respect for the angels of the High Heavens was immense, but it did not overtake the responsibilities she had towards her charge. And for now, she needed to keep Adam safe.
The red-winged angel did not look happy at her words, but it was the resigned discontent of one who knew that what they wanted to happen was not the best course of action.
“Very well. I would take joy in bolstering my fellow angel’s spirits, but I understand that caution must be exercised.”
Silence reigned between them as they carried their unconscious charge into the farmhouse, each of them occupied with their own thoughts. It was only when they finally got him back up to his room, despite his wings, that Hadriel spoke up.
“Something has just occurred to me. This is the third time that we have had to bring him up to his quarters in this manner. Is it normal for mortals to lose consciousness so frequently? Or should we be concerned for his health?”
The question was asked in total seriousness, but as Joan considered it, she found herself highly amused. Adam seemed to have a rather poor habit of somehow ending up unconscious with almost worrying frequency. After Awakening, he was unconscious, after sparking his magic, after attuning to his halo, far too many times. Perhaps it would be something to watch out for in the future.
As they left Adam her thoughts shifted to more serious matters. Tomorrow was when the serious training would begin, and she had to make plans as to how to get the best out of the time left to them.