Even before the item descriptions appeared, it was clear to me that the two items were linked in some way. The larger orb, the Aspect, glimmered with the same magical power as the Guidance Stone, like a novel and a poem written in the same language. There was a weight to the Aspect, which seemed to grow heavier in my hand by the second. It wasn’t much, but it was noticeable. There was no drain on my mana and I expected now that was due to the magic of the Xaverweave Pouch identifying the item for me. Looking between the item name and the small bag, I raised my estimation of the bag even more.
Inspecting the large ball of magic, I was taken in by the beauty of it. There was a mobile nebula of mana inside, roiling and rolling over itself. Greens, reds, purples and silver ropes of power coiled within like angry snakes. It was almost hard to look away and read the item description.
Item - Aspect of the Dragon (Legendary)
Aspects are formed when ambient mana in an area becomes charged with a specific type of energy. If you have unbound Aspect slots, you may permanently bind an Aspect to an unbound attribute.
Would you like to use the Aspect of the Dragon to bind an unbound Aspect slot?
Permanently bound? That was an intimidating prospect. The word legendary was nice, but my hand was stayed for now. There was no real rush, though I didn’t really doubt that it would be worth doing.
There was a more pressing issue. Aspect of the Dragon. Naeboroseax. No more pretending otherwise for me. That old woman was one hundred percent a dragon. Dragons apparently walked amongst us before the world even fell apart. Wait, were the royal family actually lizard people? Unable to say for sure, I could only shiver at the implications not only to the free will of humanity but to the fact that certain conspiracy theorists might have been correct. “Awful,” I decided, leaving it there to check out the Guidance Stone.
Item - Guidance Stone of Mastery
Guidance stones are sometimes called the lesser variant of Aspects. Each Aspect has a set amount of spaces to absorb a Guidance Stone. They can only be used by Aspect wielders.
Use Guidance Stone of Mastery? This will consume one Guidance slot from your available Aspects.
No Available Aspects to unlock.
So, pay to play for both. It was promising, actually. I had a fairly easy burst of power to walk myself into. Again, the permanence brought me some indecision. The turtle thing had been close because I was basically stunned, but I was quietly confident it wouldn’t have a chance against me now I’d calmed down and practised a little. Did I need to graft alien magic onto myself at this point?
“Sort of a moot point,” I admitted, flicking a Mana Bolt over my knuckles and into the metal fence of the playground. Sighing, I placed the Guidance Stone into the pouch and held the Aspect of The Dragon in both hands. The density within was still increasing, like an internal pressure was rising. “Alright,” I murmured, “calm down.”
I was definitely imagining the tiny growl I heard in response, I was sure. “Aspects?” I vocalised, barely expecting a response. Instead, a new System Window appeared.
Aspects 0/4
Guidance
Unbound
Unbound
Unbound
Unbound
I looked at the mostly blank screen with chagrin. “Yeah, that makes sense.” As was becoming common, I was glad for the information, but lacking in how to apply it. “Screw it.”
Would you like to use the Aspect of the Dragon to bind an unbound Aspect slot?
“Yes.”
The orb in my hand roared in answer. The sound was a combination of an artillery firing, a rocket taking off and a lion’s angriest shout. I flinched away, dropping the Aspect. To my undiluted horror, the crystalline ball shattered on impact with the ground. I dropped to my knees, panicking and trying to collect any of the shards I could. It was useless though, as even the fragments which survived crumbled into dust. Within seconds, the slight breeze had blown most of the Aspect away.
I blinked in shock. I wanted to cry, as the surely valuable magic was swept away. Thankfully, before the emotion could reach my eyes, another roar sounded. I flinched again, but recovered quickly. It wasn’t over! I looked around, seeing now the glitter of colour in the air around me. The Aspect which had turned to dust was now swirling in patterns around me, forming runes. I hesitated, but there was a pull on my core so I began to release mana. Point by point my energy trickled into the reaction in the air.
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Halfway… a quarter left… The drain didn’t stop and I was loath to close the connection. Second after second, the solidity to the runes was increasing, my own mana filling in areas like mortar. It was instinct, but important all the same. As my total mana pool dipped below five points, I started to feel lightheaded and wished I had put more Attribute points into Regeneration. The mana total ticked down to two of fifty before there was a flash of light, a burst of hot air hitting me at the same time as a grunt of acceptance. It was as though the Dragon within the Aspect had said “you’ll do.”
The runes in the air, numbering twelve in total, began to circle around me. Faster and faster they moved, unbound in position but locked at a close distance. Quickly, their speed was quick enough I could see nothing else. Just the colourful runes. I did my best to memorise their shapes as the process continued. My light head cleared as mana slowly returned.
I was at the centre of a magical tornado, crackles and groans echoing all around me from the Aspect impressing itself upon the world. Although it was unexpected, I felt no fear. The shock of its activation aside, the moment was one of pure majesty. There was a connection forming, from me to something larger than myself. Larger than my world, or my plans or my fears, this connection was to a truer part of myself. Like an archaeologist clears away debris, the Aspect questioned portions of my psyche and laid them bare.
Who are you?
I’m Grant Kaeron.
That was all I was. An individual and nothing more or less. Before magic of this type, of this quality, there was nothing more to say. There was a purity to my answer, in the same way there is purity in an untouched slab of stone ready to be carved. The snaps and pops in the air intensified.
What are you?
The answer came to me slower this time, but the magic wasn’t in any hurry. I couldn’t confirm this, as I didn’t want to shatter the illusion, but time felt slower. My movements were as though I were underwater, but I didn’t dwell on it. Instead I tried to answer truthfully. It was an open question, which made me consider my reply carefully. Once it came to me, I realised there was no other response to give.
I am alone.
There was a rumbling thrum all around me, as though the Aspect were taking time to judge my answer. The instinct to fidget nervously crossed through me, but I was left frustrated by my slow fingers. The seconds passed like molasses, the volume of the Aspect’s magical growling increasing. My skin started to buzz, the runes reaching such a speed of revolution that they appeared stationary once more.
I felt the air get sucked before the next roar, but nothing could have prepared me. The full, fiery force of a volcano erupting in my face burned my skin away and scattered my ashes along with it. The world was torn asunder by the power within the thunderclap of the dragon’s cry and I was nothing before its destructive might. I reached desperately for my mana, trying to mount whatever feeble defence I could. Even as ashes, I fought against this immense pressure. Somehow, the crescendo increased. The fabric of existence keened as it was torn apart. Two immense, shadowy eyes stared down at my soul as it was laid bare.
Are you worthy?
I rejected the question outright.
Fuck. You. Worthy? Screw this test. I did nothing more than pressing a button and now I was going to be scattered like confetti? No way. This wasn’t the end for me. My mana was already drained, so I wasn’t working with much, but I created a piecemeal shell of protection around myself all the same. Dropped to the bottom of the deepest trench, I could do nothing more than keep this pressure from crushing me. It felt like hours passed with the weight of the world on my back before the Dragon’s patience buckled.
Are you worthy?
“YOU TELL ME!” I answered defiantly, plugging up the holes in my igloo of mana. I had been forced to abandon my arms and legs to the agony, but they were almost separate entities at this point. What happened to them wasn’t happening to my core, and that was all that mattered. Within the desperate bunker, my soul was protected from the caustic trial of the dragon.
Are. You. WORTHY?
Any purchase I had on solid ground disappeared as I was cast out of my understood perceptions. Galaxies crossed my vision but were obscured by grains of sand, time and space losing all meaning during this duel for my fate. Somehow, impossibly, I held firm on a single strand of myself. Within some imagined place, a version of me continued to frantically hold onto the spark. As long as the spark stayed alight, I was still me.
With an elastic snapping, reality forcibly asserted itself on my surroundings once more. The devastation of my body was undone, if it had ever been real at all. The glimmering runes had formed a cocoon around me, a chrysalis to the changes I had undergone. There was a satisfied huff of approval and the walls of colourful magic closed in on me. A flash of light blinded me as my body filled with energy from the Aspect. I had been accepted, it seemed. Which was good because the alternative seemed to be a complete ego death.
I shuddered as I inspected myself. I expected to see visible markings from what I had just been through but all I saw was the grim clothing I had been forced to wear for the past few hours. It was as though nothing had happened at all. Yet, I could feel the difference immediately within the mana that coursed through my body. There was a change, a promise of power which I couldn’t quite touch. A System prompt jumped into view.
Aspect Quest Unlocked!
Aspect of The Dragon - Legacy
Prove that you are worthy to join the legacy of The Dragon. Step onto the path with certainty.
Defeat five foes at your level or higher.
Reward: Aspect Bound, New Skill Unlocked
Checking my Aspect Window, the Aspect of The Dragon was there, but it was slightly faded with the word unbound in brackets next to it. I frowned, though it explained the distant feeling within my mana. More tests? I could get over the frustration, but the quest itself was so… uninspired. The Aspect’s strangeness had been unexpected, but after catching my breath I faced the forest surrounding the café.
I bounced a Mana Bolt in one hand and gave the Guidance Stone of Mastery the side eye in my eye. I was hesitant, but I still attempted to use it, unsurprised when it was to no avail. I needed to fully bind with the Aspect before I could start adding things to it. I took a deep, calming breath, glancing at the large body of the Attack Animal. I didn’t need to look at my mana pool to know it had been refilled during the Aspect binding ritual. There was no more procrastination to do.
“I can do this,” I told myself, forcing my feet to match my words and taking the first steps forward. “Yeah, I can do this.”
Aspects 1/4
Guidance
Dragon (Unbound)
Unbound
Unbound
Unbound