MIRA

I sit and follow the instructions to a 'T' meditating on my mana channels, my meridians. I only Awakened to mana three years ago but I am already close to condensing my mana fully into affecting the world around me. Actually manipulate energies with it, the mana of a Magus.

When first my mana channels broke three years ago I felt vitality fill me as I've never before or since, my lungs felt like they expended, my body got lighter, aches and pains I didn't realize I had washed away. My mind expanded into the depth of the universe for a moment and back again a split second later into the unfathomable depth that is the human body, my body.

In a few seconds the rush of heavenly energy funneling through me somehow showed me all the many paths I could follow in pursuit of universal laws or constants, and then it showed me the many ways I could redesign, improve or expand my body beyond the sophisticated sack of meat it then was.

I saw many possibilities yet was left with the knowledge that even the vast array of possibilities where merely the tip of the iceberg to what's possible. An unAwakened cannot imagine the vast difference between a mundane and Awakened human. I have always known the cruelty and depravity that the human being was capable of, but seeing the possibility of power and control a truly powerful Awakened can have over another human I commend them their restraint.

I remember during my training with Master Zhen I had always thought I wanted to be a full blown mage and not waste my precious Awakening Mana on things as trivial as improving my body. Our vast kingdom is built mainly on the backs of mages and wizards, and my father though he was mundane chose the martial path and it left him nothing but dead. I remember scoffing as Master Zhen spoke of the contrast between manipulating heavenly energy to affect the world or to affect myself and the balance I could reach in choosing a little of both paths. Woe to me for my ignorance and pride. I knew nothing.

The moment between seconds that my meridians broke open and I had divine revelations I was scrambling to readjust my priorities and focus mana in places that I had seen had potential even as the knowledge of why they had potential was already lost to the subconscious. Trying to retain it was like trying to catch the oceans with my hands I quickly realized as the Truth was passing through me and being lost forever.

I don't remember why anymore but I remember coming to my senses focusing almost half my Awakening Mana to my stomach and heart. I quickly re-established it to my surroundings and mind, but a lot of that initial very pure heavenly energy was already retained in my stomach and heart and I have no idea what I was thinking. To this day three years later I still sometimes wonder what Truth could I have seen that made me waste pure heavenly energy on something as trivial as my guts? But I had gotten back on track and for the past few years I have been very slowly condensing that mana into a mage's mana and have been practicing manipulation of the elements.

Since my conversation with Crysta a month ago I have learnt a lot more about wizards. Apparently a wizard is a type of mage and any mage could potentially eventually become a wizard, but wizards cast spells by speaking things into being, then manipulating them using mana which is different to how I learnt.

They do this through ‘god-speak’ which drives anyone and everyone who speaks it with even a modicum of understanding completely and utterly insane. Unless specially trained for years and even then it's certain single syllable words that can be safely used without risking madness.

This is why mostly Master Magicians or even Grandmasters usually become wizards, it is easier and safer to focus on mana instead of incantations that threaten to break your mind every time you think of them, let alone speak them. But this doesn't make wizards all-powerful, just gives them a bigger arsenal. To be fair, it's a much bigger arsenal on hand faster than a lot of mages can manage.

But wizards are easily neutralized if you don’t allow them to speak. Yea, I’ll stick with being a mage and not confuse the issue.

Most mages have to specialize and somehow I seem to have become an air mage. I'm not sure how my mana went towards air affinity because I think it's 'fucken' boring but I'm an air mage. The contract I made with the Barathians states that they will provide training and pay for all my reasonable expenses until I either Awaken or my slave soul mark expires. If I had never Awaken then they’d have wasted a substantial amount of money on their slave for nothing. Since I did Awaken then I was contracted as a House guard for 50 years and be a vessel of the House Barathian till the day I die.

Unlike slave marks cobtracts can be made permanent if the wording so stipulates.

At the time of the contract, I was a 16-year-old pretty slave looking at 24 more years of slavery or the possibility of Awakening and becoming powerful in my own right but forever remaining a servant. It is illegal to keep an Awakened as a slave if not outright impossible. Awakened can eventually unravel most bindings placed on them once they become strong enough or learn mana manipulation, which I already have.

This makes it almost useless to soul mark Awakened into slavery as they can undo the binding and usually exact a terrible revenge on whoever tries.

Since I found out I may have fae blood and could potentially live forever I see what a commodity I could be for the House as a vessel over time. The scholars theorize that any and all humans would eventually Awaken naturally if they lived long enough, just like animals naturally Awaken with age. They estimate it would take about 120 years for an average person to naturally Awaken with the amount of ambient ether on Gaia, quicker in one of the worlds with higher ambient ether. But most mundane humans barely reach the age of 80 in Sandersoria.

Just by being alive long enough, I could become a mage with the power to rival legends that Ascended. Legends like Tamiel the Father of Charms, Asael the Teacher of Magic, Urakiba the Watcher. Semyaza the father of civilisation who along with Sariel and Yomiel established the first three human kingdoms, or so the legends go. Just by living long enough, I could become as those legends in time.

I condense the last of my Awakening Mana and feel another threshold break. The air around me becomes a swirling wind, soothing to my skin. The air is alive I realize and it wants to play, so we play.

First, we play to catch the wind, then we play to shape the air, then step on clouds, warm air, cool air, cut stone, knife's edge, breath. We play till my mana pool runs empty and I slump on the ground exhausted, shivering as sweat beads on my overheating skin. I feel a headache coming, try to toucg my forehead but my muscles are shredded.

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Shit, what happened to me? I noticed for the first time I have bruises all over, everything ached down to my the bone. I moaned as I try to get up on trembling arms, tears and snot flowing down my face as I recall the beautiful trance I was in just a moment ago. I felt no pain then yet moments later I can hardly move my arms.

That was fun though, playing with the wind.

That's who I used to be, a playful carefree air spirit that could not be caught nor tamed. But the Graysons caught me, the Barathians tamed me, and as I remember what I've lost I hate them. I hate them with a hot and deep hatred as the extent of the loss I have endured hits me as if for the first time. I have no father, I have no mother, I have no home, I have nothing they haven't given me. I have nothing!

I choke on my despair as I shake from sobbing, sitting alone in master's orchard garden.

Or not so alone as I feel Crysta's delicate arms wrap around me and lift me.

She carries me as though carrying a child into the manor, down the stairs and into an ice bath. I scream as excruciating pain the likes of which I have never felt before. I pee myself as I'm fully submerged, forcing myself to close my mouth to prevent choking any further. I thought Crysta liked me a little bit. To be given this cruel punishment with my nerves raw from mana burnt out.... suddenly I feel better, my raw nerves soothed by the burning cold water. I blow out air bubbles and am suddenly pulled out.

"Drink this," Crysta says shoving a potion into my mouth. I swallow reflexively and breathe deeply after getting it all down.

"What's happening to me?" I ask groggily as I start shivering again but I'm not sure of the cause, it could be the ice water bath. "What are you doing to me?"

"This is why some people who Awaken to magic alone with no one to guide them end up dead. Especially the more powerful Awakened! Why didn't you wait for me or Zhen to get home before nearly killing yourself?!" Crysta shouts or asks.

"I couldn't wait; it's taken so long to get here. I'm a magician Crysta, I'm a proper magician. I did it." I say in a drowsy voice as all my years of effort seem to have been leading to this moment.

*

CRYSTA

"Yes, you did," I say as the silly girl falls asleep. I pull her out of the water and put her on the cold tiles. She has to stay cold for a little while longer to reduce swelling and reduce the sensitivity of her inflamed nerves.

I undress her and wipe her down. The girl has very beautiful naturally tan skin, and breasts that are a reasonable size instead of my two big ones. I send my mana sense over the girl and get nothing from her, which means her mana pool is still empty. The girl is resilient I will give her that much credit, but that could be the result of her upbringing in slavery. Poor thing.

I bring the incense burner in and light it close to her face. It's a herb that quickly enhances mental acuity and helps with meditation. Meditation being the quickest way to increase mana regeneration that is if you don't know some sorcerous arts.

I draw a large circle then I draw three other circles within a said circle that all connect in the middle, making the three sides of mind, body and spirit. The section where they connect symbolizes soul but that's not what I'm focusing on.

Afterwards, I power the basic meditative circle with mana, resulting in a slight golden glow from the drawn lines. I place Mira in the circle naked and concentrate on keeping the incenses burning. 30 minutes into the process and she is breathing deeply and steadily.

"Ahh... the girl finally finished her Awakening hey." Is all Zhen say as he walks in and sees the scene. I'm tempted to admonish him for being so irresponsible as to not properly warn the girl of the dangers and his erratic teaching methods. I stifle my first impulse though 'cause I know he couldn't have stopped her. The girl is bull-headed and stubborn.

"How did it go?" I ask instead.-

"As expected. The boy and his little wife won't release her from her contract or even shorten it. Can you believe it? My first disciple a servant for the next 47 years. Oh, and in two days they leave for the Barbarian Lands. The boy and another general, Arutmus I think are to lead 15 000 thousand troops each. Their legions include 1000 Awakened warriors, 400 magicians, 20 magisters and 6 wizards. Each!" Zhen says as we leave the basement.

"And how do you know all this?"

"I had a whiskey or two with the boy. He wants me to teach his middle son Mayner the magical arts."

"Apparently the boy is a good fighter with the sword but will never be as good as his two brothers will eventually be. Though he may have talent and smart enough to ensure the family's business success, his older brother Mugnus is in a league of his own when it comes to martial talents, and has no end of prospective marriages to old noble Houses at Central."

"You told him 'no' of course," I say as we sit and have tea.

"I said I'd think about it."

"What is there to think about? You don't owe that family anything."

"He was my godson and I let him die," Zhen says grumpily, reminiscing.

"So you will protect his son's family for the rest of your life? Marcus can protect his family without relying on his grandfather's friends. And you didn't let Marcus' father die, you're the only one that was there that thinks that. Enough of this, go put the girl to bed, she should be out of danger now."

*

MIRA

I wake-up in my room in master's manor. It's the night I notice as I stretch and all of the day's memories assail me. I grin as a gust of wind blows the covers off. I'm naked, but I'm used to being naked.

I pull air into the palm of my hand until a small round cyclone the shape and size of an orange are formed. I tie it off and throw it at the wall with both my arm and mana. It hits the far wall with a slapping sound, leaving a very shallow indentation with many deep scratches on the surface. Master Zhen mostly built this manor himself, so for my airball to leave such a mark is a huge testament to its power.

I grin. That ball of aircould have caved in a mundanes chest and left deep cuts. Though I may only now have finished my Awakening I have been studying and training for years under Master Zhen. I know how to use my power. Master Zhen is mostly an airhead but he is a good teacher.

The door first opens and master walk in. I walk to the closet and put on some clothes as I tell him about the experience. It's apparently different for some people. He grunts at the end of the retelling and sits down.

"Your training is at an end, you are a magician now congratulations." He says solemnly.

"What is?" Something is definitely wrong.

"Our time together is at an end. You are to march with the boy and his army tomorrow to conquer the Barbarians. Crysta and I will be leaving a day later on other business. I will leave some servants here and you are welcome to the manor whenever you are in the vicinity."

As he speaks tears threaten to fall from my eyes. This is it then. I will be alone again. Time to be a big girl now.

We leave at first light, me amongst the mages. None of whom respect me or like me, but to be here I had to go through a lot of similar training as them, so they acknowledge me at least. We all know how demanding the road to magical power is.

My horse neighs and prances. Every single person is mounted. Horses can Awaken as well so they are treated with respect and tenderness as some horses Awaken earlier than humans. The horse I'm riding could Awaken to sentience tomorrow for all I know. So all horses are treated with respect and revered, lest the hold a grudge.

There is a direct correlation between horses that are war veterans and early Awakening. She prances like a peacock and I pat her neck gently as the column moves through the city as though on a parade.

People stand at the sides of the streets singing the kingdoms war cry. I'm no patriot but hearing over a thousand voices singing the same song in tune throughout the city causes my chest to puff up and my shoulders to the square.

It's the same for everyone as thoughts of glory and victory are on many a soldiers mind. Especially the mundane that dream of Awakening on the battlefield and change the course of the battle as heroes in the stories. Poor fools.

We leave the city of Sydney behind and increase our pace as the horses move from cobblestone to gravel. The supplies follow at the back with their own light escort while within the empire.

The other army is mainly from Central so that the youth of the safest province in the empire can get some experience.