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Auron opened his eyes to find a hand and tiny little stubs in place of his fingers. He was once again in his younger body. He was no expert in judging age by the size of limbs, but he could not have been older than four or five. Rather than the hazy recollections one generally has of their youth, this was no memory. He was experiencing another vision.
His tiny eyes squinted closed, bright light from three sources he now recognized as mana made it hard to see. He tried to scream and move, but he was only a passenger experiencing what had already happened.
Purple, Red, and Green mana swirled around inside the red cocoon that held him. Suspended mid-air, his body was immobile. Auron had no time to think about the princess he had just seen in his dreams or what the previous visions meant. He was back in the nightmarish hellscape that had ruled his childhood.
He felt helpless, weightless, and utterly impotent as he sat and watched the magic from these sources flow directly into his body. His younger self must have felt the same because he observed a scream pass through his lips at the sight of the unnatural and magical umbilical cord.
Just as his throat began to tighten from the strain, and his chest was heaving from the lack of steady breathing, the source of purple mana moved toward him.
Still squinting because of the powerful light, his little voice screamed again. "Who are you!" His young self yipped out at the power source. "Mom, help me!" He began to plead as the being floated forward, its outline showing that of a human.
"Its okay, darling. I am here." His mom's voice returned his call for help. As the being now was directly in front of him, the light faded slightly. With the magical shine not eclipsing his vision, he could see his mother's face. Only she did not appear how he remembered. Auron's mind whirled as he looked over the damaged person before him. Arrows, open wounds, and every inch of her covered in blood were not the worst of it. Her arm was cut off above the elbow, and the injury looked freshly burned closed. A verdant green Wind whipped through toward her, but she glared toward the green light as it faded slightly. "Mander, do not change your focus. We all need to continue concentrating for this spell to work. We can heal me later." Though she tried to the contrary, her voice hitched several times. Clearly, the agony of her wounds was even worse than it looked.
The wind stopped at her request, and the green light grew brighter, returning its twisted path into Auron's stomach. He could tell that even though the name was different, she was speaking to Zander. Her mother must have been just as terrible at naming as he was. His stomach flipped with the happiness and sorrow melding together at the thought.
She moved closer, floating through the air, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Auron. Do not be afraid. We will use magic to keep you healthy until we can get out of here, okay? You need to do your best to not struggle. You are more powerful than you know. No matter what, you have to stay alive. Do it for me, your father, and your sister," She spoke with a cheery calming tone that did not match her currently severely wounded body.
Sister? The word sent Auron into a spiral of doubt and concern. He had no memories of a sister. Why did he not have memories of her? Auron thrashed in the cage of his vision. His mother was still speaking.
"That is what is essential. I am going to take some of your memories, which will make this process easier for us. They will come back... Her soothing face changed to one of unfathomable sorrow.
"I am so sorry I did not see the attack coming. I have failed us all," She whispered the final words as she hugged Auron with her remaining arm.
"I love you very much. Never forget that." As she spoke, she moved her hand to his cheek. Before he knew it, she was channeling her magic directly into his head, and his small body blacked out.
Still present in the younger version of himself, he could hear the words his mother said next, not meant for his young ears.
"Red, Zander, I am sorry I failed you both. My blind ideologies served none but our enemies. I picked up my hammers when it was too late," His mother spoke with none of the energy and happiness she had forced for his benefit. The hollowed-out version of her voice further broke his heart. "You two know as well as I do that I will likely not be making it out of here. Unless Bolt can save us somehow." Auron recognized the nickname, but he could not place who it belonged too. Possibly his father.
We will have to hold as long as we can and keep him healthy. I sensed something greater than those traitors. Something targeted our Kingdom. Please keep him safe and alive until he can realize his true strength. Do not allow him to become complacent like my father and me," As she spoke, her voice began to fade.
Auron felt he was moving back to his actual body. Mentally he clawed and scrapped, trying to remain. Just another word, he wanted to hear her for just a little longer.
His pleading went unanswered.
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Opening his eyes, Auron stared up at the large pit that loomed above him as he laid flat on his back. The tiny speck of orange light forcing its way through told him that evening had come.
As in the other dungeon he had been inside, this one also held wisps floating here and there shedding light as they meandered.
He had been out for hours. An unimaginably large presence accompanied his own mind. Looking inward, he felt as if he was on the edge of a cliff staring into an ocean that took the form of a thundercloud. Not only could he see it, when he really looked, but it was also if he felt its energy sending bolts into his nervous system.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew this was the Ancient Pertyon existence that was now a part of him. Feeling the need to turn away and come back later, he felt a hard tug on the embodiment of his psyche. His "body" was dragged into the swirling mass. Shocks ran through him, causing pain, sorrow, and longing. Just as he felt he would be consumed, he was ripped back to his surroundings.
A large flash of green light followed by an airflow so powerful it threatened to steal the air in his lungs stole his attention.
Whipping his head down to see the source, the room blurred. His chin bounced off of his collar bone, and he felt something painful tear deep in his neck. The movement was so quick the blinding pain was all he could process. Moving his hand up to his head had similar results. His arm moved so fast he lost control of it, and his knuckles collided with the bridge of his nose. A gush of blood accompanied a loud snap. The raging pain from his hand signaled to Auron he broke one of the small bones in that same hand. "Zander, what the hell is going on." Auron croaked, forcing his jaw to move slowly. Even with the effort, his words babbled out almost too quickly to understand.
Another whoosh of air accompanied by a flash of green mana occurred before Zander responded. Auron tried to slowly stand, but his legs felt glued together. The light pressure was hard to notice because of all of the pain he was currently in.
[Under attack. You have stat overload. You have to balance before you move. Try to get the appropriate stats to fifty. That is what worked for your mother.] Zander sent out the message. His words seemed strained for some reason. Auron was shocked to hear Zander actually acknowledge his mother for the first time while under the blood magic effects. Unable to look toward his familiar Auron cast Stealth, and pulled up his stat screen. Both actions were done without moving a muscle.
Auron last name. Level 10
Class: Rogue
Secondary Class: Artificer(Close to adept)
Title: Baboon King
Secondary Title: Scholar
Socket points open: 6
Socket points used: 2
Familiar 1/0
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Available stat points: 100
Spiritual stats:
Health: 50
Regen:15(x2)
Mana:25
Wisdom:35
Physical Stats:
Speed: 140
Precision:20
Strength:30
Durability:25 (+15)Armor bonus
If Auron could stand, his jaw would have hit the floor. Though it was more likely to happen as close to the ground as he currently laid. One hundred and forty points in speed thanks to his Mind orb and new yellow gemstone. No wonder his body couldn't take the strain, he thought as he recalled the warning message when he connected the orb. The system did not seem to recognize his armor in terms of the stat requirements. He would need a whopping seventy-five points to bring his other physical stats to fifty. Left without any options, he set the changes.
Zander's wind activated again, causing the air in the cave to move so quickly it was impossible to take a breath. Casting healing wind Auron gathered air allowing breath and healed some of the damage in his neck muscles and ligaments. Auron tentatively moved his head down to look at his feet, and toward the Salamander. His vision blurred as it had before, but he did not further damage the muscles in his neck. His legs were bound together and covered to the knees in a layer of rock. It looked as if someone was trying to make a statue out of him.
Breathing quickly, he began to hyperventilate when he noticed Zander was in a similar predicament but covered all the way up to his snout. Not even his eyes were free. He was sending cyclone after cyclone down the tunnel at his unseen enemy. Auron watched as a hissing creature slithered out in between blasts to add more layers of stone to their bodies. Its scaled snakelike hide presented fluctuations of Red speckled, Grey mana.
Using all of his strength, he tried to break out of the stone layers holding him in place, but the rocks did not even budge. Opting to save his power rune for the fight that may follow escaping, he ran through his other options. His blades would not cut through stone, and his wind blast may free him, but he was so close to the wall he would likely knock himself out.
Pulling up his main screen, he checked to see what he had gained from the Mind orb.
Main:
HP:500/500
MP:250/250
Regen: 30 health point per min
Wisdom: 35 mana point per min
Magic: Wind blast (Limited)3/3, Healing wind (Limited)3/3, Thrust slash, Wind barrier, Inorganic repulse, Organic pull, Magnetize
Ability: Stealth, Inspection(Augmented), Mana Infusion, Mana Manipulation, Rune Script, Strength runes, Speed burst, Reaction, Quick Wit.
Skills: Elavarian language, Back-stab, Cartography, Chart creation.
Special attributes: Will to survive, Indomitable spirit, Lateral thinking, pain resistance
Blessings: Blessing of the Goddess Lombardia, Royal Aura
Focusing on his three new magics and three new abilities, he pulled them up and quickly read them. Another pulse of wind stole his breath as his heart thundered in his chest. The layer of stone crept up to his mid-thigh, further increasing his anxiety. He was starting to lose the feeling in his toes. Prickles of pain indicated a lack of blood flow.
Inorganic repulse:(External)
Your control of organic material stemming from yellow mana's power allows you to push away that which is not compatible with your energy.
Organic pull:(Internal)
Your control of organic material stemming from the power of yellow mana allows you to pull toward you that which is compatible with your energy.
Magnetize:(Soul)
Give magnetic properties to your body. Create space between the organic material that makes up your being and the inorganic material in your surroundings. Increase the flow of mana to add to this space.
Speed burst:(Ability)
A combination of Yellow and Green mana increases the speed of movement drastically for a few moments per activation.
Reaction:(Ability)
Through a combination of Yellow and Red mana, React to the smallest movements perceived in an opponent.
Quick Wit:(Ability)
Through a combination of Yellow and Purple mana, the speed of your thoughts has increased. Along with enhancing your thought process, you also are able to resist the controlling effect of Blood magic that would otherwise harm the mind.
Royal Aura: As a member of an ancient line set into motion by the terms of the agreement, your internal cores are accompanied by another pair. Of the two, the ninth is a bridge between the other mana in the body. When activated, all magic and abilities are half the standard mana cost, and it becomes easier to create new combinations of your internal mana. When shrouded by your aura, the lifeblood of magic will heed your call as one loved by mana.
Tenth core not unlocked. Information blocked.
Finding the new magic that would free him was what he needed to do. He needed more time. Or he needed to use that time wisely. Auron activated quick wit. A shockwave of energy pulsed from the yellow gemstone on his shoulder, running from there to his core the power melded with his abundance of purple mana there. Traveling along his spine, up to his brain, when the two forces arrived, they were something else altogether. Auron felt his mind kick into overdrive. As if three versions of himself existed, he digested the skill and ability information. He lacked the practical knowledge needed to understand the complex magics, but with the increased speed in his thought process, he pulled out the words necessary from the text wall. Specifically "Create space", "Inorganic", and "repulse".
Auron ignored the other descriptions. Looking inward was difficult while avoiding the massive storm cloud that represented the ancient spirit's mind now connected to his own. As he mentally tiptoed around its presence, he felt yellow mana flow into is core. As the magic brought his body to life, his sense of self and the feeling of life around him increased.
Internally he felt a connection with every electrical impulse running through him. Each twitch of a muscle, or involuntary beat of his heart. His lip curled up in disgust at the stagnant lack of life coming from the stone encasing him. This magic was not as simple as his healing wind. There was no response from the repulsion magic when he tried. Mentally picturing his body like a magnet and the stone as its opposite pole, he activated magnetize. A thin film of electrical current spread across his body.
Gauss field engaged.
With great effort, he "Flexed" his new power activating Inorganic repulse. Reacting with the energy pulsing from his body, it connected with the layer of stone surrounding him.
Upon activation, the magic forced itself outward and scattered the cement-like rock creeping up his body. Auron jumped to his feet, blessing his newfound freedom. As his quick wit faded and his thoughts slowed to their usual crawl, he called upon his purple mana to activate Stealth. The customary abundance he carried internally was lessened by his use of mental magic. Auron had to force the remainder to wrap around him and hide his movements. He needed to gain a stone for that color. Another issue on his plate.
Auron looked over to Zander.
He could not free him yet.
He then made the tough decision to leave Zander trapped temporarily. For some reason, the heartless act of using his friend as bait was shockingly easy. As his purple mana continued to sink into the environment, leaving an attractive glow to the area, Auron got into a good position, slipped out a dagger, and waited.
The snake creature popped its head out, flicked its tongue as it looked over the area, and sensed only one prey. Auron's inspection activated.
Gorgon hatchling lvl 11 mana concentrations Grey/Red. This creature, while young and weak, uses its mana to encase its prey in stone. It grows in stages as it levels. The adult form strong enough to topple kingdoms when enough of them gather.
When it locked eyes on Zander and began casting its stone magic, Auron threw his knife and pierced the creature right between its eyes. After the throw, he closed his eyes, but the wet sound of the blade meeting its target, and the thump of its body falling to the ground allowed him no escape from the death. Part of him exulted the noise. He could not deny that he enjoyed smiting the pitiful creature. Shocked at his thoughts, Auron shivered and moved toward his familiar.
Auron urged mana through his luck runes as he walked over to free Zander. The Blue mana responded almost happily to the request; its abundance was evident with its response speed. Another blast of wind summoned from his familiar knocked him off of his feet. Crawling over, Auron hit on the stone covering his friend's eyes. As he touched a part of Zander's exposed skin, Auron felt the invisible electrical reactions running through his body. Using magnetize, then Inorganic repulse, he channeled it through his body first, and then into Zander. The response moved through their connection until he freed him.
Now free from his stone prison, the emerald healer jumped backward and landed on a cyclone of summoned air. Spinning quickly, he scanned the area. Seeing the corpse of the creature responsible, he reluctantly relaxed and ended the call on his mana.
[Good work, Auron! Did you throw a knife at it? Your aim is impressive. I know that must not have been easy.] Zander sent the praise and concern over their link, as he kept watch toward the tunnel leading deeper into the dungeon.
"Thanks," Auron responded simply as he collected an empty gemstone from the creature's rapidly decaying body. He ignored the concern and slipped his dagger back into its sheath.