Hoshun
Temple Exterior
Akamori’s body had just reached the top when dark clouds swirled and growled over the temple. On the ground, Amara raised her hands to the sky. “The time of judgement has come.” She bowed her head in prayer.
At the top, lightning struck the flat surface of the step pyramid shaped temple. The strikes picked up on both speed and frequency until they all converged on Akamori’s body. He levitated into the air as the lightning played and danced at his body, but no damage to him physically took place. The lightning devoured the bright pink energy that had been swirling around him as it crackled along his body. It danced around him and poured into his chest. His body lowered to the ground and the lightning around and on him ceased, leaving his body steaming. He gasped and twitched as consciousness returned to him.
“She favors him!” Amara said, unable to keep the relief from spilling into her voice.
Kalenza, Amara and his mother, Noriko, rushed up the steps as the rest of the clan waited silently at the base of the temple, curious and concerned expressions dotting every face of the crowd. Kalenza slid to a halt at Akamori’s prone body and lifted his head up gently, smiling to see Akamori’s eyes crack open. His eyes were unfocused and glazed for a moment. Confusion etched Akamori’s expression as his eyes swept side to side lazily.
“Where am I? What happened?”
Kalenza smiled, slowly pulling Akamori up into a sitting position. “You met the Air Goddess, and she judged you worthy.”
A word pulsed in his mind after his father spoke. Fate. Akamori clutched his head reflexively, expecting pain to accompany the word. But it resonated more like a memory.
Amara kneeled next to him and took his measure closely. “He’s probably disoriented from his soul walk with the air goddess. His confusion is likely because the Air Goddess erased his memories of the experience. Whatever happened was for him and him alone.”
“Then it would seem all he needs is time and rest.” Kalenza rose slowly, pulling Akamori up in tandem, and scooping a big broad arm under the younger man. Akamori swayed for a moment until Kalenza stabilized him. “Easy. I’ve got you. Let’s get you back so you can rest.” As the trio approached the temple steps with Akamori in tow, the clan whooped and cheered. Kalenza beamed proudly. As they neared the bottom of the temple steps, the clan’s people all crowded around Akamori to lay hands on him in support.
Kalenza permitted them the honor for a moment and also allowed Akamori the chance to be the focus of their praise. It was an enormous honor to be judged worthy by their goddess. Noriko gave him a concerned look.
“Kalenza, we should really get him indoors so he can rest. Whatever happened to him, it looks as though it took much out of him.”
Kalenza nodded. “In time, my love. For now, he’s earned his warrior's welcome. Let him have it.”
“But will he even remember it, Kalenza?” Noriko’s face wore her concern openly.
Kalenza resisted the urge to laugh. “Who am I to say? That’s between him and the air goddess. Regardless. He finished his soul march to return a warrior. Tomorrow he will begin his true training.”
Noriko looked unimpressed. “You know he’s going to hate that, Kal.”
Kalenza shrugged. But he was enjoying the idea of the training routine. “Perhaps. But you know how eager he is to learn. All it will take is an appeal to his desire for knowledge and he’ll be hooked.”
“That’s manipulation, Kal,” Noriko said, eying him sidelong. But she wore an amused smirk.
Kalenza wrapped an arm around her, giving her a hearty pleased laugh. “Perhaps, but I also call it good parenting. He’s an odd one, but a good one. You just have to know how to work with him.”
Noriko bit her lip, clearly resisting the urge to retort. “Very well. But his training only begins when he’s up. EVEN if it takes well into the midday. Understand?” She used her clan mother's voice. Kalenza knew the line drawn in the sand when he saw it, or in this case, heard it.
He held up his free hand placatingly. “Alright, alright. You’re the boss.”
“Damn right I am,” she said with a broad grin.
A System prompt appeared much like the missives. All fiery scroll and translucent, cutting the black of his sleep. He took a moment to study it and the details.
System Info: Quest Completed. You finished your soul walk. You learned a little more about yourself. And you had a chat with the dead mind of Anazzi’s daughter, and she thinks you’re related. Still sure you don’t believe in that destiny crap yet?
System Info: Infusion gained. Air: Type Magic. +3 Aetherpool. Spells Learned. Air Bolt. Manifest Air. You’re an Air mage now. Just be sure not to put your eye out on that sword, champ.
System Info: Item gained. Air Crystal. The item glows with a pulse of bluish white wispy air magic.
He frowned. These prompts sounded pretty cheeky. Was that intentional? Or just some kind of quirk he was dealing with exclusively? He took a moment to study the spells. He got a cheap ranged attack in the bolt spell, and the manifest air spell sounded pretty versatile. Whatever he could think up, the spell would conjure, provided he could pay the aetherpool cost. Satisfied, he closed down the menu boxes and resumed play.
The following day, Akamori awoke feeling stiff. He sat up and rolled his shoulders. How long had been laying in bed for? Did he miss his soul walk? He turned to slide out of bed and felt his sword's scabbard resist against the blankets on his bedding. And glanced down in mild surprise. A sword? His father must have given it to him. But when? They did that by tradition just before a soul walk. That way, the spell warrior could die a man even if the air goddess deemed them unworthy, so they could at least have that ultimate honor.
Brushing long crimson bangs out of his eyes, he stood up, stretching out languidly. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he stumbled into the common area of his home. Something tingled in his senses and he whirled around as an air missile flew past him by mere centimeters before smashing into the nearby wall. Immediately, his sword drawn, and he assumed a combat posture.
“KALENZA!” Noriko shouted. “What have I told you?” Air magic swirled violently around his mother. Her hair stood upright and whipped about like possessed vipers. She glared at Kalenza with pure malevolence.
“No magic attacks inside the house?” Kalenza said sheepishly.
“Take it outside if you’re going to blast holes into the house,” his mother commanded. “Or else I’m making you.”
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“Yes, dear,” Kalenza said, wearing an embarrassed grin as he gestured for Akamori to follow him outside.
A quick glance down at himself and Akamori realized they had washed the paint off before they laid him down to sleep last night. He rubbed his head as he followed his father out of their home. Kalenza cut a direct path into the training plains, placed carefully away from where they conducted their farming and herding of grazing animals.
“Today, we begin your true training as a mage.”
Akamori perked up. He could think of about a dozen other things he’d wanted to do until he heard his father mention learning to be a spell warrior.
“With your blade now, and the gift of Anazzi’s touch, you can now harness your air magic. So it’s prime time you learned what you can do with it.”
Kalenza led him to a small marked ring of stones on the ground, drew his large near axe like sword, and showed for Akamori to do so as well. “Now then. You have your spell sword, finally. You have magic now. And you have your skill. It’s time to combine them.”
Akamori drew his blade and felt the hilt thrum in his grip. A greeting? He settled into his comfortable form of choice, drawing an approving nod from his father. Kalenza circled him for a moment, giving him an appraising look.
“Good, it looks like your grasp of the fundamentals remains strong.” He used his blade tip to nudge Akamori’s more horizontal instead of the slight downward tilt it previously held, then nodded with approval once again.
“Now, we’re going to practice channeling your magic. Your spell blade will help with this. Close your eyes and focus internally.”
Akamori did so, reaching inwards. There it was. He could feel a swirling, always moving mass of energy in his chest. A mass of white airy aether that constantly blew around the center of his soul like an ever moving storm. “I found it.”
“Good. Now, reach out and touch it.”
“Touch it?” Akamori asked, uncertainty in his voice.
“Yes. To sense it isn’t enough. You must be able to seize it in order to pull what you need to execute spells. The common vernacular for this mass of energy is your Aetherpool. Starting out, you won’t have much, but as you gain power and gain more infusions, your pool’s size will grow larger, allowing you access to more demanding spells, as well as adding your own… flourishes to them. For warrior’s and soldiers, this is far simpler than weaving, as you won’t need to learn to execute patterns with your hands or draw the runes, merely tap into it and pull what you need. The blade will act as the channel and focus for you. Your will dictates the manner in which your magic executes, and the blade will act as a channel or focus to facilitate this.”
Akamori nodded with his eyes still closed, the mass of energy in his mind's eye focus. He reached out and stroked the mass, and felt a thrill as it surged into him. The energy pulsed outward from him.
“Good. Now that you’ve channeled some. Try to execute a spell. Launch a missile of air energy. You’ve seen me do it several times.”
In his mind, Akamori saw his father gathering air energy around his fist, creating a swirling torrent, and then literally punching it forward in a bolt of air. So Akamori tried to repeat the process himself. He scooped a portion of the energy from the large pool in his chest and felt it resonate and swirl up his shoulder and down his arm.
“Good, now shape it and launch it,” Kalenza said.
Akamori reached back and pushed his hand forward, but the air simply fluttered and dispersed in a lackluster fashion. Akamori sighed, but Kalenza kept his voice supportive.
“It’s ok, very few warriors get it on the first try. Again.”
“You did it the first time,” Akamori complained.
“But you aren’t me. You’re you.”
But you won’t let me be me. You want me to be you, Akamori groused mentally. Akamori could feel the energy in his chest tingle eagerly, and he scooped some more out. Again, it blew up his shoulder and down his hand, where it gathered, awaiting his next command. He thrust his hand out, and the spell fluttered out in a gasp again. Akamori shot his father a frustrated look.
Kalenza remained supportive, “It’s ok. Not everyone masters their energy right out of the gate. It’s why we have spell weapons. You’re trying to control the spell too much while refusing to let go of the energy as well. An impossible feat without training as a weaver.”
“I don’t feel like I know what I’m doing…”
“That’s natural. Uncertainty is a large part of casting. Try again, but this time, try letting your sword take the energy this time, ok? Trust me. It’ll know what to do.”
Akamori pulled another chunk of energy from the pool in his chest, channeling it along his arm, and this time letting the blade claim the energy. The handoff felt natural, easy, and intuitive. The blade instinctively knew to take the energy and exactly what Akamori wanted to do with. He brought his sword around and hurled the gathered energy, which writhed along the length of the blade and projected outwards in a narrow band of air energy that sheered a log in two. Akamori opened his eyes and whooped excitedly when he reviewed his results.
System Info: Unique Trait: Air Bolt. Rather than a normal cast ball of compressed air, your Bolt spell takes the form of a razor-sharp edge capable of slashing at range. Doing so costs 2 AP however.
Kalenza for his part schooled his features into the best neutral expression he could, but Akamori saw the excited glint in the corner of his father's eye. “Well done. I’m not sure I’ve seen a bolt spell cast quite like that. Unique,” Kalenza said, scratching at his chin. Kalenza glanced up to the pink and orange sky with a frown. Dusk was setting in. “Alright son, let’s call it a day for now. You’ve used a good deal of your energy up, so you’ll need to rest a bit before we can continue your lessons, anyway.”
Akamori bowed, sheathing his sword. “Yes, father.”
Kalenza started back to the village ahead of Akamori. As Akamori made his way back, he clasped his hands behind his head with a sigh. He was grappling with his frustration regarding the training. It wasn’t like him to pick things up so slowly, and to be incapable of doing as his father asked. Kalenza had been extraordinarily patient with and he appreciated that, but it had mired the experience for Akamori. More time wasted doing something Kalenza wanted him to do rather than living the life he wanted.
He stopped off at a nearby stream and reclined as the sun fell away completely, giving rise to the ghostly white moon as it climbed the sky in the eternal solar/lunar chase. Akamori sighed, laying down in the grass, looking up to the stars. He was just getting lost in his thoughts when foot steps pulled his awareness back to him. His blade was half drawn when Amara and Kusinaki emerged. Both held their hands up placatingly.
“Same team,” they said as they gathered around him and laid down too.
“Magic training today?” Amara asked, with a glance towards him.
“Yeah,” he said flatly back.
“Went that well, huh?” Kusinaki said.
Akamori merely harrumphed. “Don’t let it get to you. The priests and priestess study magic most of our lives. As a warrior, there’s so much more you have to learn besides just magic.”
He didn’t reply verbally, but he was definitely still pouting. Kusinaki whistled, “Man, you’re really beating yourself up.”
Akamori shrugged. “I guess it just drove home how I’ve been feeling. I’m not sure this is for me.”
“This being what?” Amara asked.
“This life. What my father wants me to become. Training to be a spell warrior. Leading the clan. I don’t know if that’s what I want.” Akamori turned to look at the stream, wondering for a moment if the fish inside ever dreamed of leaving the water, or if they were content with their liquid cage.
Kusinaki’s head cocked to the side as he rolled a thought around. Akamori recognized the look, having seen it on his friend's face several times. “I’m honestly not sure if anyone from the Order asked if I wanted to be an artificer. I was just raised to be one.”
“Haven’t you ever wanted to do something else with your life?” Akamori said.
Kusinaki puzzled over it for a moment. “I’m not sure. I’m a very good artificer, so it never occurred to me to wonder about anything else.” Kusinaki offered Akamori an apologetic shrug.
“Hey speaking of, when are they coming back for you? Isn’t your contract here almost done?” Amara asked.
Kusinaki referred to the chrono on his wrist. It drew a miniscule amount of magic from him to power itself. “Just a few weeks left, and then I’ll return with more supplies.”
“Are you assigned to our colony? Or can you go anywhere else?” Akamori said.
“Assigned? No. I just like coming here because you guys are my friends, and the clan is so friendly to work with. I almost feel like one of you. And the extra money I make being a healer is nice for my pockets.” Kusinaki allowed himself a sheepish grin at that.
Akamori pursed his lips thoughtfully. It must be nice to have options like that. But then, Kusinaki was still bound to the Order of Aeryn as much as they bound him to his clan. “What is it like to travel the stars with the Order?”
Kusinaki pieced his response together then looked to Akamori, “Well, we get to see a lot of strange places and people. Sometimes its dangerous. We try to avoid regions the Suaridius are strong in. It can get really exciting, which is good or bad, depending on how you view excitement, I guess.”
Amara glanced up at the moon, noting its position with a frown. “It’s getting late, we should go home for the night. Catch up later?”
“Always.” Kusinaki and Akamori chorused.
As the trio got up to return to their individual homes, they didn’t notice the flicker of aetheric light high in the sky. It was barely larger than the twinkling of any star around it. Making it easily dismissible.