(Guys I am so sorry. I wanted to post this sooner but I got hooked on a simple text based RPG game that is called 'a dark room'. It is just so addicting and even more so to somebody with an avid imagination like me. I can only tell you guys to try it out, its for free after all. Surely some of you will find it boring but I can't get enough of it.... GAAAWWWD! I still hope you enjoy this chapter and maybe I will add another extra chapter to go in-depth in how magic works. I already got it all figured out, with ki, magic and soul force and stuff. Just don't know where I should start with the explanations. Anyway, enjoy! :D )
"Ehm... So... What am I supposed to do now?", I asked innocently as a blazing explosion of light drowned the room in the colours of the rainbow.
Let's skip back a bit, shall we?
The whole situation escalated shortly after I entered the building with the oh so loquacious Born.
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Born ushered me over a flight of stairs, leading into the dantesque building made of cobblestone and brick. The whole complex was supported by massive wooden pillars stationed inside, those massive rods were likewise supported by crossbars and anchored onto the ground via crude and simple bolts and various metal plates.
For some it might have looked plain, maybe laughable but all I could see was the great effort the architect put into building this structure; it oozed with the alacrity of hundreds to build, to create with their own hands. What a wonderful air it had to it.
Alas beauty and all aside I had to give my trusty cane away as a security measure, I hated to admit it but it ached my heart to see my good 'ol friend being taken away so roughly. I am just jesting of course.
I liked the sobriety with which the guards executed their job and although they could use a smile from time to time their job was done excellently. Applause for the mentor of these lads, he taught them good.
Born guided me through winding paths and oblong halls until I reached a certain room with a hint of magic to it. Before even entering, standing in front of the menacious ebonwood door, I caught onto the scent of the supernatural, the mystical, the outlandish. It was a faint layer of magical runes atop the doorknob, pulsing with invisible sheen.
Born stepped aside and waved me into the room.
"You enter first.", he grunted in his same old voice, his tessitura was confined only to the lowest of notes it seemed.
As if I hadn't seen through the ploy already?! It was a test on whether I had any magical properties or not, the runes would react on the signals every magician radiates and then unlock the door. This was all done just because I said I was somewhat proficient in healing magic? I am flattered.
We didn't even get to the main reason of my stay here, to register me as a citizen. I somehow felt they had their priorities all wrong. Whatever.
I unlocked the door without the slightest pause or change in my facial expression and stepped inside. I was greeted by a frugally clothed man in his seventies at the very least, and I am being generous here.
The man teetered back and forth inside his rocker, a pipe stuck between his creased lips and milky spectacles set on his hooknose he emanated age and wisdom. Grey hairs peeked from his nostrils with each sleepy breath he took and I had to fight the urge to smack him down on the table and pluck them out one by one.
Born closed the door behind me, a click and surge of mana notifying that the test was once again remade for the next person to enter.
"Ehem!", Born coughed to get the attention of the soundly sleeping crock. The dodderer moved in his seat, the robes, drenched in a pungent smell, swayed from side to side, but to our dismay the man didn't wake up.
Born grunted, approached the table the manw as seated behind and smacked his thick hand onto the wood.
*BOOM! CRACK!*
One could hear wood slightly splinter from this guard's massive amount of strength he put behind that smack.
"W-What? Huh! Who?!", the old coot exxclaimed and nearly fell dwon from his chair. Still somewhat tipsy from the deep slumber and rough awakening the man welcomed us with half opened eyes and droll rolling down his ajar mouth.
"Oh. Oh! Born who is this lad?", the old man asked whilst under the murderous glare of my guard guide.
Born crossed his arms over his broad chest pointed with his stout chin at me and grunted one of his rare full sentences. "That guy is called Nilen. Wants to start off as a healer. I came to check on his affinity. Prepare that for me, will ya Mirer?", Born told and the old man nodded in response.
"Sure, sure, wait a moment.", Mirer complied and stood up from the dark brown chair. His body lurched back and forth and I feared he would just topple over from decrepitude but in the last moments he managed his posture to stand upright and move towards a single shelf behind him. Inside of the grained rack, behind sheets of glass, stood many kinds of magical devices and instruments, the most prominent though was a sheer plethora of sparkling white orbs, all meticulously ordered and cleaned from dust and other filth.
Mirer's old and wrinkled hands reached for a pouch in his robe and with a bit of fiddling he pulled out an assortment of keys. Trembling he reached for the keyhole, inserted one of the many aerose keys and opened one of the compartements. He grabbed inside and turned back with one of those white orbs. He placed it on the table, shut the cabinet and sat down.
"Placed your hand here.", he illustrated with his own hand. "And then wait for me to activate the mechanism inside.", his raspy voice instructed.
I did as I was told and cupped my hand atop the smooth surface of the ball. I waited a few seconds before Mirer whispered some odd incantation whereupon the ball began to glow in a faint gold.
The mechanism behind it was extremely simple. One infused the globe with runes that reacted upon the presence of mana. Then to hinder the orbs from self-activating all the time and eroding the quality of the runes one had to cast a spell on them so that they may only activate once this certain spell is cast. As long as one programmed the runes to react with the display of certain colours to certain affinities one had created a device that was essentail for any magician.
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Now for those that wonder, how does the device pick up the mana without even anyone doing anything.
For that I should explain firstly how magic works.
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Magic is a product created by an energy called 'mana', it is spread out through whole dimensions and universes but not all are born with what is known as a 'Manalytix'. The Manalytix is an organ, or rather a kind of tissue, composed of two parts. The first part is a thin membrane of two kinds wrapped around the otherwise ordinary nerves and the second part is a central knot directly inside the brain. Much like ordinary nerves the 'Primary mana nerves' send pulses of mana from the outside towards the 'Mana core' where it can be stored, refined and once again transmitted to the outside by the 'Secondary mana nerves'. The affinity one has depends on the genetic makeup and cannot be acquired through training.
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Back to the question at hand. The Manalytix is unable to store all the mana inside without bits and pieces of it leaking, meaning that those traces of mana can be picked up.
The construct though was flawled since it only determined which affinity you had but not how high it was since that in itself was an impossibility. Whatever affinity you have is already mastered, it only depends on your talent and how you use it. The light only shows how much mana you got in store since the more you have the more you radiate it to the outside. Now I could talk all day about mana and one's mana pool but let's leave that for later.
"Truly, you have affinity. But it doesn't seem to be much.", he concluded and was about to pull the orb away with slight dissatisfaction visible on his old face.
My pride was, let's say, a bit scratched by this old man's bold statement. I willed the mana I kept bottled up inside of me to leave, undid the self-imposed bindings that kept it all in check. At a crawling pace I controlled the leakage of mana and ever so slowly I allowed my true potential to show.
"Strange... Your affinity keeps growing.", Mirer muttered and began to re-inspect the orb.
The golden sheen turned into a small light and then into a blinding radiance.
"Impossible!", Mirer shouted and even Born's interest was peaked by the light that was ever growing in intensity. I stopped the smirk that was about to form on my lips.
But I was not finished yet. I added to the mix all affinities and colours I could came up with at the moment until a swirling spiral of glistening lights enveloped the whole room.
"Fire! Water! Earth! Wind! Lightning! Ice! D-Darkness?! Wh- What? I can't- What are those affinities?", Mirer began shouting as to the burning light a shrill peep was added.
From a low screech it turned into an ominous howl accompanied by the sound of breaking glass.
I myself was astounded by the sudden development and forced the orb in my hands to calm down. As the light settled my hand was fuming and my palm was burned red. The ball was now grey and a spiderweb of cracks ran down its once smooth surface. In the far off right corner was a huddling Mirer and sometime I hadn't paid attention Born followed suit and was now seated on his behind, on the ground of course.
Seems I overdid it.
I summoned a gust of wind, picking up from the ground it rose upwards and the draft pulled the two grown men onto their legs.
Cheekily I scratched my head. "Welp. That was surprising.", I added, emphasizing my overall sloppy and careless attitude.
"That was surprising my ass! Boy, how did ya do that?", Mirer was the first of the two to begin a symbolical bombardment of questions. Born only stood to the far side with a look that said: "You are just a healer, huh?! Healer my ass!", it was an enjoyable experience in sum but I saw no point in taking this any further.
"I will tell you how we will proceed now, and you two will listen carefully.", I grinned a menacing smile. "None of this has happened, you have seen nothing. I am but a simple healer that looks for work in the capital. After all humanity is currently at war with the demons, a healer should find some work with all the wounded, right? Secondly, you will give me any information you have concerning Saint Jourinas, books and all. You will tell me everything about the government and the 'war' that is under way. And no, this is not a simple request, this is an order.", for once I let myself loose, coupled my aura of domination with lingering bloodlust and the result was just as expected. Even Born was scared to the core. My true colours ain't all that nice, right fellas?
"W-what are you really?", the old man Mirer managed to stutter. What would be an appropriate answer to this generic question?
I questioned how to handle the situation but in the end reached the conclusion that whatever I did now I would have messed up anyway. So as to train my future role as a great menace looming above this world and forcing it to unite under one banner I tried to let loose the throttle that assuaged my varying spectrum of emotions I could freely display. I picked out, naturally, bloodlust. A roaring bloodlust that tampered even with the physical world.
"It doesn't matter who or what I am, but if you want to delve deeper into the matter let me give you a bit of advice. The abyss shows no remorse and the void doesn't let you scream, you and nor your family. Let it settle for now. Born, I think my registration is not yet finished, right?", my wonderfully charming smile seemed to send shivers down their spines.
Ok, enough of the bad guy act. I can't stand to mentally torture what could be considered my children.
I gestured for the trembling Born to leave and so he did. While we were at it I added: "Oh yes, the walk will be long and boring, right? How about you tell me all about this world. I just need a quick refresher of knowledge."
Born shuddered as I addressed him and, after a while of what I perceived to be some kind of inner struggle, he reluctantly openned his mouth and revealed to me all he knew.
Behind me I felt Mirer relax, his mind rejoicing that he was able to shirk whatever I was about to do with Born.
"Hehe... Interesting.", I muttered for only me to hear.