Mona stood before the watching gazes of the audience. His eyes creaked open, the light of the lit great hall steadily entering his view. He could hear the sound of the mana obelisk behind him, the hum it emitted as it casted the floor and ceiling ever so slightly in a blanket of pale gray. The smoke seemed to glimmer occasionally, reflecting like a sheet of newly forged steel, before the radiance disappeared as soon as it appeared. He raised one of his hands, the sight before him new. An ever so slight coating found itself attached to his body, a translucent yet irregular dull grey shape seemed to encompass him. Looking around he could see this fabric-like miasma seemed to be all over him, and only then did he feel the aura in his blood gently reducing, before disappearing completely. The feeling of exhaustion hit him, albeit slightly, but otherwise he seemed fine.
Mona's father stood up in one go, his steps steady and rapid. The sound of his footsteps shook the ears of the guests, the room long brought to a silence. They had seen plenty of Feasts, and were curious if the next lord of Aurum had anything special to share. Was a dragon rising in this house once more, or was the Aurum line continuing without a successor to their founder's skill? This question plagued them.
Signor took a look at Mona's face. Their eyes connected, each able to see the spirit of Metal aura dance in their pupils. In fact, Mona could feel a resonance, a connection with the metal that surrounded all over. The links of his cuffs, the buttons on his clothes, even the small metal holders for the candles around the hall. Although he couldn't sense far, he could tell roughly where all was located. Was this Metal aura? He thought. His curiosity had found a new ball of yarn to play with.
"Mona, my son," Signor finally spoke, bringing Mona back to the world of the living. A trace of joy embed his voice. "Welcome to the world of Aura? How does it feel?" Signor could barely contain his happiness, but he had to check on his son. He placed a hand on the young man's shoulder, his own aura, that of an advanced Master, flowing steadily into Mona's blood, checking for any flaws.
"I feel fine, Father. It's just been all too sudden." The words quietly left Mona's lips. Standing before his father, he could see the old man's Aura all too fine now. Unlike his own, Signor's aura seemed to be darker, fuller, less translucent, and more firm. His experience at managing the power was evident, as he could feel his father's presence as it checked if there were any mistakes in his body.
"Thankfully, nothing seems wrong. Oh Aleah, thank you." Signor felt the little fears he had wash away.
"Father, how do I use this power?"
"Settle down, Mona. In time, we will go through Aura. But first..." Signor's eyes redirected Mona to the guests, upon when their eye's matched a few offered greeting glances, their curiosity peaking at the new Aura wielder.
Signor guided his son away from the mana obelisk. It had grown quiet when the two were busy talking returning to the appearance it retained before it connected with Mona. When he got close enough, Signor empowered his voice once more.
"Everyone, my son has successfully completed his transition into the ranks of Aura. Let us all thank Goddess Aleah, Watcher of Aura, for her kindness."
"Oh Aleah! Thank you."
"Yes Aleah, thank you."
"Aleah."
The crowd gave their thanks to the god overseeing the development of Aura power in the world. Signor gestured to one of the staff to once again return the obelisk to storage, the man quietly nodding before making haste.
"Now then, let us begin the festivities." Signor gave his final words, almost dragging his son to the head table thereafter. The audience returned to their previous hubbub, and the servants began to steadily dash about, dishes and condiments being relayed to whoever asked.
*****
Mona sat down next to his father, giving his last appreciations to the latest guest. A man from the Northwinter seaside, way distant, had come to give his thanks. The old man, his beard whiter than snow itself, cheekily introduced his nearby daughter, equally as shy as Mona.
"...Remember Aleista, Lord Aurum? From after Kartus? Here she is now, all grown and as beautiful as her mother. Don't you agree?" The man, Evasse, began to wax heavily about his daughter's qualities, her cheeks gaining a trace of scarlet.
"...Anyway, I was wondering, hmm, by any chance..." The man was greeted with a raised hand.
"Evasse, I understand. I will consider your offer, with all the others, when the time is right." Signor had a thick smile as well. He wasn't dumb enough to not know what was going on here.
The old man laughed heartily, before guiding the shy snow lily to give her greetings to Signor and Mona, the latter only catching on to what happened after the pair returned back to their table.
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"Hahaha, they're already moving, Mona. Have you found any to be your fancy?" Signor teased his son a little. His gaze soon grew distant, his eyes a tad dark. "I'm sure your mother would have enjoyed this..." Signor twirled the glass of drink a little, watching the liquid swish in the metal cup before setting it back down. His heart grew heavy.
Not just his heart. Mona sighed. The cherry atmosphere took on a bitter taste. If his mother was alive, what would she say about the event, the hall, how he dressed for the day. Mother would fuss over how lacking I look, even after all this. A thin smile crossed his face, his right hand gently prodding the piece of Warmuck meet plated before him. It's flavorful aroma couldn't budge his mind.
Seeing the situation, Signor's friend Andrey came to the gloomy pair. "Greetings Signor. It's been a while." Andrey, a stickler of things, gave the most formal greeting a citizen of Steel could possibly give anyone.
Signor looked up, his face a bit twisted. Haaah, Andrey. Make yourself scarce.
"Andrey of Winerun, I return your greetings." Signor returned a short greeting to Andrey's sophistication, but the man seemed to not mind.
"You, you must be Mona, I take it" The man named Andrey turned his careful eyes to look him. "Young Lord of Aurum, tell me. How did the Feast of Flames proceed?" Andrey was interested in Mona's time in the Other Realm.
"What do you mean?" Mona let the words leave his mind through his lips.
"I mean, how was it? The Other Realm was created by the Goddess Aleah eons ago, all to allow all sentient beings a unique chance to sense Aura. As a Mage, its only natural I would have interest in the progression of anyone's Feast of Flames. By any chance, was there anything particular?"
"Hmm." Mona thought back to the events that had transpired in the Other Realm, that mysterious place. The words took time to leave his lips, the guest and Signor listened to Mona's words.
"I see. That was interesting. A void? That's quite something." Andrey grew lost in thought.
"It was surprising. Seeing that bell, it seemed to be rather ancient. I couldn't tell why it seemed to float so high." Mona spoke the last thing he remembered before passing out.
"A bell? Was it not the flash of a sword?" Signor sharpened his eyes. He clearly remembered that each son of the Aurum line would witness a sword on the other side, a sword of Metal aura. What is this bell?
"Yes, father. I saw a bell. An old bell. One that looked as old as time, and it glowed bright as the sun in its etchings as I developed the power of Metal aura." Mona reiterated his memories. He could see the worry on his father's face.
"That's...concerning." Signor frowned at the mention of a bell. A bell that could call attention to the viewer, and insert Metal aura into the viewer. The fainting effect was troublesome as well. When Signor went through his Feast, he remembered standing in a desert. The powers brushed past him as well, before a phantom sword of Metal aura pierced him, inflaming his body with power. When Signor returned back, he had clutched his chest in a panic, his own father dashing in fear he had an Aura Denial--where the body rejects the power of Aura. Rare, it led to the suffer dying by explosion, implosion, or reality melting, their body melting into the equivalent of the aura the wielder was trying to attain. A pool of mercurial fluid would have been the last of Signor.
Signor raised his palm, the power of Metal aura once again coating his hand. This time he would check Mona's heart carefully, examining the Mana circle he had attained to make sure nothing was amiss. He couldn't stand the idea of losing his son. But before he could continue, the sounds of rushed footsteps came to him.
The man, the very same man taking the obelisk away, had come back running. His pose was awkward, his face marred by pain. Blood coated his robes, a few slash marks all over. One hand covered his face, clearly a cut had reached there. He wailed, "My lord, please escape!"
The trio's eyes widened at the scene. The audience away, with their various energies, could also see the heaving man. Not a word he had said escaped them. Forks and spoons, knives and joy, all clattered to the ground at this uneasy arrival.
"Alexander, what's going on?" Signor looked at the man he knew, his eyes crisscrossing each mark on his aide's flesh. The blood refused to cease churning out.
"My Lord, we've been attacked. They...the Falkners, those bastards...they're on their way here. My Lord...please leave us...they are close..." The man's last words took the last of his strength, before he collapsed on the floor, the blood gathering into a pond around him.
Signor and the others watched grimly as the great doors of the hall shuddered. From outside, screams and wails, shouts of pain and woe came in from all directions. The House of Aurum was under attack, and his guards were dying to protect the estate.
"Everyone! The Faulkners are invading the manor! We need to work together to resist them! Anyone Expert aura or Expert mana must work together! Don't hold anything back, lest the filthy dogs take us down." Signor shouted to the guests, the panic had nearly set in their faces. Hearing the words of the lord, a bit of resoluteness returned, the skilled coming together, preparing their personal cards.
Explosions growing louder, it was obvious the Faulkners were closing in on the great hall. The smoke and flames outside hid away the glistening moon, the atmosphere of the event sinking to its absolute worst. At long last came a thud. A heavy thud. The doors of the great hall were shattered off their hinges by a great force, the carefully built stone shattered to crumbles all about. A heavy dust coated the entranceway, figures making their way in.
An army, a set of men, draped in black night and yellow gold leaf, weapons in one hand, and aura shields in the other. The faded Eaglon glowed with the strength of the wielder, the horrific beast of eagle and draconic lineage spied at the guarded guests, its eye hungry for slaughter.
"Lord Aurum of Steel, it's been too long." A laughter presided the newest arrival. He launched over the heavily armed battalion, landing without a sound before fearlessly standing before Signore, right between the guests and the table Mona sat with his father and their guests.
The man's eyes darted around, taking in the sights and smells. Behind him, the sounds of death and destruction calmed, as the last of the Faulkner's mission joined the rest from before, their eyes trained ahead, ready to do battle.
Signor rose mightily, his hands already around his sword. He accelerated with each step, bringing the full force of his Master ranked aura down on the smirking man, who blocked Signor's strike with his own sword.
"Ragthar, you bastard! How dare you invade my territory!"
"How dare I, you say? I dare!" The man's mockery left his voice, only cold viciousness remaining. "I dare, Signor Aurum, to erase you from this world."