If someone is willing to do the proofreading, please send me a pm. It would be a great help.

I have to constantly remind myself not to bore you with too many rules of the world at once.

Enjoy!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Dungeons are the basis of Gewain's power, nevertheless they remain a mystery. The monsters, who inhibit those, are a mystery, too. They are unique, based on something different, ether. After dying their bodies will dissipate, leaving some kind of crystal, called ether core, behind. The core contains solidified ether, proportional to the monsters strength. It's comparable to our life-force. Sometimes the corpses won't dissipate completely, leaving also some gear, they used, or particular body parts behind. Those remnants are crucial for our civilisation and therefore precious.

Dungeons are enormous, subterraneous labyrinths consisting of many corridors and caves, with an unknown amount of floors, interspersed with ether. Growing intenser the deeper you go. Monsters tend to inhabit floors with a comparable density as their ether core.

Viewing someone's life-force is usually obstructed through aura, but the strength of the monster's core, their level, is visible with an identification spell. The level system derives from there. Archetype is the frequently raided dungeon in Altos. The Council established this system to get a standardized unit for strength. Level 1 is adjusted to the ether core of monsters from the first floor, level 2 to the monsters of the second floor, and so on. It was directly implemented into the identification spell to link the strength with a matching level. The same scale is used for all living beings.”

-Beginners Guide, by Nicholas Novi.

***Aeron***

I close the Beginners Guide and take a look at my surroundings. Opposite of me, Lily is teaching Mia how to use aura. I think she progresses well, even I can feel feint traces of aura shifting onto the dagger she's holding, stabilising steadily.

Something Mia and I recognized only today, which was obvious, but we were too distracted. We had much to talk about, after all it was our first real conversation. You couldn't count yesterday or this morning. Something was bugging me since our blackout. While sitting opposite of Mia, it hit me.

Our bond. I tried to concentrate on it, but the usual response was missing. Instead I could sense something enclosing Lily.

When asking Mia if she felt anything, she concentrated, then shook her head looking slightly disappointed, though she could sense the phenomenon, too. She told Lily about our blackout.

Lily wasn't perturbed, instead she told us that we sensed aura and sensing it is the first step to train your aura. It usually takes quite some time to learn it and she added that she got an idea. Then she laughed... creepily... while mumbling: “As expected, it'll be interesting!”

After that I should read some books she prepared, saying that her plan was awesome. Looking serious for once, I decided to trust her... this time. After all, it's just reading, isn't it?

In the meantime she instructed Mia.

It's been about half a day since our journey started. We are still riding the carriage and advance pretty fast. Of course not as fast as cars, but those horses are much faster than their counterpart from my world.

They have the inborn talent to concentrate their aura into their legs, boosting their speed and stamina by a great amount. Very advantageous, will I be able to accomplish a similar feat? According to Lily, I can learn it if I train hard in aura.

She used the opportunity to explain some points about dungeon monsters. They use something more alike to a mana shield than to aura to protect themselves. If a magician deploys a shield, it will wear off after some time.

Monsters in dungeons, though, use the surrounding ether. For example, the shields, being fuelled through ether, will regenerate and adjust to the density automatically if you let them get a rest. Hence a low level monster will have a greater strength if he dwells in greater density and vice versa.

Lily impressed following rule of thumb, add the dungeon floor with the level of the monster and divide it through two and you get their current strength. If we ever engage a level 5 monster on the first floor, despite lower density, he will still have a power equivalent to a level 3 monster. That's why it's crucial for both of us to learn the identification spell..

Slowly but surely it's getting dark outside. One of our guards calls that we are almost there.

After a few minutes we arrive in a very small, rural town. Just a few houses placed around an inn.

“Time to test my assumption. Aeron, please collect the books, I will see if we can get more than one room... but if you insist I could pass on getting another one?”

“Lily!” Luckily Mia intercepted. She looks quite cute while blushing, too bad that I couldn't see it in all those years.

“Just a joke, not before your marriage.” Poking her tongue out she left for the inn. I pretend to look interested at the guards, who dismounted and began to build some tents on the lawn nearby.

“Aeron? Let's check on her, before she schemes something.”

Packing the books swiftly, I follow her into the inn. The name was Three Arrows and it was a cheap, but passably clean looking tavern. We spot Lily standing at the counter talking, she turns to us, gives us a sign to follow, turns again and pounds the stairs, next to the counter, up. She seems angry, whereas the old, but sturdy looking barkeeper pretends that nothing happened, whistling a simple melody.

“We shouldn't keep her waiting.” Mia grabs my hand without thinking and pulls me with her. Strong but tender. What am I thinking! Shaking my head I speed up, so as to not being pulled like a sack of potatoes.

“Calling me little girl... asking if my parents know if I'm here...aargh!”

*cough* Arriving upstairs we see Lily throwing a small tantrum in one of the rooms. After clearing my throat, we went in. Better changing her thoughts quickly. Of course Mia let go of my hand in time.

“I brought you the books. So what's your awesome idea?”

“Ah, thanks Aeron. Yes, this room should be sufficient, but first a test. Both of you, please stand in the middle and hold the dagger, together.”

Looking interrogative at her, we still do as told. Mia takes the dagger, she already used for practice. Then grabs it in a way, which allows me to hold it, too. Her hand, smooth!

Aargh, not again! We both look embarrassed at Lily, who keeps smiling. Is it one of her pranks, again?

“Sweet!” *cough* “I mean, concentrate on your bond. Mia, try to wrap the dagger with your aura. Aeron, try to get a feeling about it.”

I concentrate and feel the aura surrounding Lily, but there's something more, like the bond we shared before. Instead of sharing senses, it's more like getting a feeling on what she's doing. Mia's aura was stabilising around the dagger.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Aeron! Our bond, it's back again?!”

“Yes, though very weak, I could almost feel what you were doing.”

She repeated the step a few times, the feeling got clearer and clearer. Still fuzzy, though.

“As suspected! Aren't I great? Let's swap. Aeron, take the dagger with your right hand. Mia, get behind him and encase the dagger with your right hand, too. Then try it again.”

Imagine someone standing intimately behind you, trying to improve your golf swing, quite embarrassing, but it worked!

It's like concentrating on our bond deep in our minds, but grasping something different and trying to shift it onto your hand, then onto the dagger.

“I think I've got it!”

“Really?! I just thought you two would look cute that way! Now try it! Don't make such a face, it worked, didn't it? Hurry!”

No point in arguing with her... I try to recall the sensation and replicate it. It takes me a few attempts, but it works!

“Aeron, you did it! I could feel it!”

Mia hugged me happily. There's no reason to not be excited, after all I'm able to use aura and our bond is back! I tried to not think about our bond in the carriage, but it was still quite depressing. Mia must have thought about it, too. 

*cough* *cough*

“Ahem, should I leave? Or do we try my great plan?”

“The plan!”

“Try the plan!” We almost exclaim in unison.

“Then it's Aeron's turn. Usually a mana type will convert mana instinctively according to the affiliation. I told you to read the textbook Basic Elements and memorise all four descriptions of converting mana. Ready?”

“Yes.” I answer with a nod.

“Now drop the dagger, open your palms and begin with wind, Mia change position with Aeron and grab his hand from below.”

Doing as told, I begin concentrating. The book says that deep in your mind is a huge pool, try to grab it, then shift it to your palms. Sounds similar to what I did before. I know what to do. Besides the feeling of aura is something different. Something which would have distracted me from the aura pool. Luckily I got Mia's tries as reference and didn't miss it.

I grab it, shift it onto my palms and try to convert it into wind. After very few attempts a puff leaves my hand. Success!

“Not bad, for your first time. Let's try it again, then change with Mia.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.” This time in unison.

After another puff leaves my hand, we switch. She tries it a few times, but to no avail.

“Aeron, try to convert mana into earth.”

“But, he...”

“Psst, just let him do it.”

Hmm? Never mind, there's no reason in arguing against Lily. Concentrating I shift mana onto my palm, then I try to convert it. The feeling is different. Instead of a chaotic dissolving I have to dissolve it, while building regular, dense patterns. Sounds complicated, but after my fifth attempt I succeed. A small pebble appears on my palm. Feeling astonished, I disrupt the mana flow and the pebble disappears again.  This should be normal, the textbook states, that converted elements will disappear if the mana is used up. Still:

“Aeron!”

“Wow! Expecting something and seeing it in real is different...”

“What did you expect? Should the pebble stay?”

“No no, but you shouldn't be able to use earth magic. Then again, you're not an original resident of this world. Mia told me that your world is without magic. When I saw your almost transparent shard, I suspected that your affiliation had no time to stabilise in the short time you spent here. Let's see if Mia can do it.”

Mia fails at earth magic, too. She still tries, but she just gets more and more frustrated.

“Just why? I know what to do, but I can't do it!”

“It's okay. It's just not your element. Think about how the other enhancers have to learn it. Trying much longer just to get a feeling how to do it, but without any success. And if they are unlucky, they have to try it four times over and over again until they know their respective element.”

Luckily we find her Element with our next try. It's water. And I can use it, too. I even succeed with fire, but Lily didn't think it would be a good idea to convert fire, while Mia's hand lays near to mine. Reasonable. Hence I tried it alone, but before, I had to do some difficult training in mana manipulation with her. She said, that I would even burn myself, if I don't succeed, which I did faster than she expected.

Furthermore we discovered, that we can only use something similar to our bond, if we are touching. It's better than nothing, it's even really useful that way. Still saddening, though.

After that Lily tells us another plan. Mages have an advantage in learning magic. Especially if it's concerning their affinity, they will learn it almost instinctively. Given that I can use water magic, I will teach Mia magic, and she will teach me how to use aura in return. There is just one issue, we need to find time and a place to train in secret. We come to the conclusion, that it's best if I keep my ability, as well as my tight relation to Mia secret.

After casting some magic and trying aura, it's time to sleep. I wish them a good night and go to my room next door.

It's a small, tidy room with one bed. Still excited to know magic, I keep trying it, though it gets more and more tiring.

Lily must have sensed it, because after some time she comes over and tells me to get some sleep, or if I need my overseer to watch over me, sleeping. Of course I take the former option and try to sleep.

Next day a knocking wakes me up.

“Wake up, we are leaving soon!”

I poke my tongue out in the direction of the door, thinking 'ha, no master-key for you!'

After a small breakfast with the guards, we leave the Three Arrows and head to our destination Altos.

It's pretty uneventful. Mia practises with the dagger and water magic, while I keep on experimenting with my magic. From time to time, I practise with the dagger, too.

Before the night falls, we eventually arrive. A guard shouts, that the city is in sighting distance. Mia pokes her head curiously out of the cabin. I am curious, too, so I accompany her.

Ahead of us lays an enormous city. It's dim already, but the city is nerved with chains of lights. In it's centre towers a huge castle.

“oO, getting suddenly that close... actually right in front of you overseer... that won't do... let me join!”

While exclaiming, Lily pushes herself right between us. Just now do I realise how close we were. A small glimpse at Mia reveals her blushed state. It's getting a bit clamped, but the fair wind cools me and I don't think it's bad.

“Do you see the castle in the centre? That's the Griffon Academy. Right in front of it is a plaza with the Colosseum. Beneath is the biggest of the seven entrances to the dungeon.”

Currently we are on a small hill to the south of Altos, quite a great view. The city is walled by sturdy looking stonewalls, forming a hexagon. Lily performs the role of a tour guide. “Do you see the large buildings at the corners? Each of them is a academy with an entrance to the dungeon right in front of it. They lie beneath the small towers in the middle of the respective plazas. In the east is the biggest, the Military Academy, opposite of it is the second biggest, the Adventurer Academy. I think you will like your new class there, Aeron.”

“Why?”

“Just wait, I don't want to spoil the party.”