“This is wonderful news!” Megan danced with joy in the vernal mage botanical garden. “You are finally carrying out the traditions of a true combat mage!”

Koda frowned. “I have more than enough experience in battle to be called a combat mage.”

Megan halted her jig. “Our traditions are more than just fighting. You will learn this as you challenge each school for the right to practice their color.”

“Color?” asked Koda.

“Yes, color,” affirmed Megan. “You see, we are not known as just vernal mages.”

Koda sat down on the lush grass and folded his legs, giving his mentor and friend his undivided attention. “What else could we be, if not just vernal mages?”

Megan pointed to her student. “Look at your robes, Koda.”

Koda examined his sleeves. They were nothing special. Emerald in hue, laced with a golden trim. Nothing that screamed the answer to his question.

“The color of your robe is green. In the mage community, we are called green mages. Red is fire, blue is water, brown is earth, purple is light, white is wind, and black is shadow,” explained Megan.

Koda raised a brow. “Purple for light? Why not gold?”

His instructor gave him a short chuckle. “You will understand when you see the choice spells of a purple mage.”

Koda frowned once more. He hated guessing games.

“Besides, we called the tuners gold mages. They are most commonly known for wearing golden robes as part of their own traditional garb,” said Megan. “As such, in order to not be confused for a tuner, we mages try our best to respect these customs.”

“So I’ve heard. Major Wiccer mentioned them. He has told me they run my Psy-Ops division in our military.”

Megan nodded before steering the conversation back on topic. “If you are traveling to the schools, you will need protection.”

Koda vigorously nodded his head. “I am way ahead of you there. I’ve ordered for a slew of soldiers to provide as an esc—”

“No, I mean in the traditional sense.”

“Tradition again?” sighed Koda.

“When a mage of nobility travels, they take an elemental shroud along with them.”

“Elemental…”

“Yes, an elemental shroud. Warriors or assassins that are gifted with lesser manipulation so that they can forge magical weapons and use minor spells to protect their ward.”

“I need a Mage Bodyguard?” Koda slowly said.

“Yes, this is tra—”

“Tradition.” Koda finished Megan’s sentence. “Fine, I suppose Elucard would make for an excellent elemental shroud or would he be called a green shroud?”

“Actually, funny enough, he would be called a vernal shroud,” Megan said with a giggle.

“This is so confusing,” Koda whined.

“You’ll get it,” assured Megan. “Now, send for Elucard and meet me in the school’s magic arena.”

***

Elucard entered the lower ground level of the Vernal Academy within the city of Lost Dawns on behalf of Koda’s invitation. The magical arena was laid out like a sports field. Two rectangles at either end served as the starting positions for both of the mages. Interlocking trees surrounded the arena like a barricade. Just above the canopy, and before reaching the ceiling, hung a set of bleachers for an audience to watch the battle in safety.

Elucard stopped shy of the two green mages, Megan and his king, Koda. Wildeye the wolven familiar sat next to Koda, coming up waist level to the elf.

Elucard knelt down and lowered his head. “You sent for me, my king?”

Koda glanced at his teacher and then stepped forward. “I am going on a journey, Elucard. Both as a mage and as an emissary around the world.”

Elucard raised his eyes to meet Koda’s.

“I need a bodyguard—an elemental shroud,” Koda finished.

Elucard shifted his sight away. “I am no longer a soldier.”

Nor do I want to be one anymore, echoed in Elucard's cold mind.

Koda gestured for the former assassin to stand.

“If I could suggest my apprentice. Kyzo is a very skilled individual. He wo—”

“I do not want Kyzo. I do not need a soldier,” interrupted Koda.

“I do not understand, my king.”

“I need your skills. I need your instincts,” Koda said.

So Koda wanted the Black Rabbit in him. Born through blood, raised for death. He could not escape his past self, no matter how hard he tried. He was chained and collared by his murderous deeds. Held tight like his blade. He could never be like his master, Legion. He would never find his peace. Not while he was still seen as just another weapon, as another tool for war. A tool. Not an elf—not a person. He was an object to Koda. Something to draw from the shed when called upon. This was his life. Forever alone. Forever a killer.

“I need you, Elucard,” Koda requested once more, now with a stern voice

Elucard hid his sour face.

“Will you be my bodyguard? Can I count on you?” asked the elf king.

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Elucard closed his. His master’s lecture rested lightly on the edge of his mind.

‘You must be like this gentle stream, constantly flowing, constantly moving on with your life’

His stream—no, his life had stopped moving. Stuck in a rut, no longer evolving. How could he find happiness, peace, or love if he did not set out to find it. Perhaps traveling the world and experiencing life in a new light didn’t seem so bad? Maybe he needed a bit of adventure. After all, even during the Dawnedge War he took pleasure in cutting through the clouds alongside Mave. Yes. This is what he needed for his stream; to unclog clutter in his life and let it flow free once more.

Elucard opened his eyes and smiled. “I’ll do it.”

“Excellent!” Koda chirped. “What do we do next, Megan? How does Elucard get his magic?”

“Magic!?” Elucard blinked. Had he heard that correctly?

“You will need to transfer him a portion of your Tamed Magi, Koda.” Megan took hold of Elucard’s hand. “Palm up.”

Although still confused on what he had gotten himself into, Elucard did as asked. He lifted his hand and opened his palm. Megan instructed Koda to keep his hand above Elucard’s.

“Concentrate, my king. Focus your power through your body and use your hand as the focal point.”

Koda closed his eyes and strained his face. The elf looked as if every muscle tightened enough to snap. It took every ounce of Elucard’s courage to not jerk his hand back.

Koda let out a grunt and a jolt of Magi spun into Elucard’s hand. The assassin’s veins froze as if flowing with the icy waters of Stratus.

Koda’s eyes rolled back and his fingers twitched and wriggled with spasms.

“Stop it!” Elucard roared. The Magi rang with a loud hum. “I can’t—I can’t take anymore!”

However there was no response from Koda. Instead the Magi shrieked through Koda’s body and tore into Elucard’s, shredding away his left sleeve. Crystal shards raced from his fingertips up to his shoulder, coating his arm in a sleek emerald glass. Elucard dropped his knees and clutched his new limb. It pulsed with energy that swallowed his mind in a pain he couldn’t describe. More pain than he had ever experienced. His arm could have exploded right there and it would have been a relief he begged for.

Elucard’s tightened his fist and grunted. With every twitch of his tendons came spurt of agony. Rose colored sparks shot underneath his emerald glass flesh. He clenched his teeth. Salive seeped through his teeth and tears rolled his cheeks.

Remember your training. Ignore the pain. Purge it from your mind and quell the burning with concentration.

His short, labored breaths slowly became calm. His suffering subsided.

“What… have you… done?” Elucard gasped with a hoarse tone, worn down and scratched from his continued screaming.

Koda remained dazed. His eyes, glossed over and empty. Soulless and void of life. The king murmured a single question over and over again. “Who are you?”

Megan snapped her fingers in front of Koda's eyes, but the young mage did not flinch.

Elucard clenched his teeth and snarled. With his only good arm he snatched Koda by the collar and dragged him down to meet Elucard’s face. The vernal shroud shook the king ragged. Still nothing.

“Answer me!” Elucard tried to raise his voice as high as he could muster. “What have you done!?”

A laughter rippled through the back of Elucard’s thoughts. At first only a whisper. Just a small taste of the insanity to come. Elucard ignored it and continued to violently shake Koda. The laugh grew louder with each motion. More pronounced with a familiar personality.

Was it the Collector? It sounded toothy, bestial in nature. Harsh and cruel. Not human, nor elven. Elucard froze. His ethereal arm flared with another rush of cold liquid.

Who are you? Elucard questioned the laughter.

“You will find out soon enough, Elucard.”

Elucard collapsed to his knees.

“Elucard?” another familiar voice called to him. A voice he readily recognized. Koda.

Elucard narrowed his eyes. Koda reached to his glowing arm, hesitating to touch it.

“What… have… you…?”

“Fascinating,” Koda whispered. “I wonder.” Koda felt Elucard’s arm and sent a tiny parcel of energy through the magenta-eyed elf’s body. The jolt of magic knocked Elucard on his back.

“What happened, Koda?” Megan assisted Elucard to his feet. “Koda, what is the meaning of this?”

Koda stood and brushed the dust from his lower robes. “I believe I accidently channeled my pure Magi instead of the Tamed Magi,” Koda explained. “Elucard’s lesser magic should be far more potent than that of the average shroud you told me about.”

“Yes, I see. Hmm, interesting.” Megan bent over Elucard’s arm, who gave her a grim sneer. “Elucard, my dear, can you imagine a leaf?”

Elucard rubbed his smooth knuckles. “Imagine a leaf?”

“Yes, yes,” said Koda. “She wants you to start small. Imagine an oak leaf—no, an elm leaf!”

Elucard pursed his lips. He’d had enough of mages and magic to last a lifetime, now they wanted him to perform silly tricks like a trained monkey?

“Oh, come on, Elucard. How else are we to find out what you are capable of if you don’t try?” Koda egged him on.

Elucard stood up. “Fine.” He closed his eyes and drew an elm leaf in his mind. A whirl of brilliant greens, purples, and blues, sparked and flashed in his eyes. In his hand a leaf appeared.

“Fascinating, a leaf!”

“I can see that,” Elucard said with a flat tone. “What does this mean?”

“Well.” Megan pinched the leaf to feel its prickly texture. “Normally an elemental shroud would need the presence of their element to manipulate it, but you actually generated it. We were curious if the arm was more than aesthetic, and so it is!”

Koda attempted to poke Elucard’s arm, but Elucard swatted him away.

“I think my Magi gave him the power of a mage!” said the gleeful Koda.

The green and yellow Magi swirled around together within Elucard’s glowing palm. “Can’t anyone become a mage?”

“No,” Koda said. “Tamed Magi grows from a child at birth. It is how the Mages kept control over magic during the times before and during the Arcana War. Mateo ravaged the Magi, he created a powerful spell that affected the future of Draak’Terra that a small fragment of the Magi would be born in selected children now until the death of the Magi.

“So does this Mateo can control who gets magic then?”

“It's really myths and legends that we are going off of, Elucard,” Koda said. “We don’t even know if Mateo is still ali—”

“Koda!”

Koda turned at Megan’s shout, and his face grew pale as his eyes landed on Wildeye.

The frightened wolf yelped and howled as she hovered six feet off the ground. An awesome rainbow light wrapped around her and grew with every minute.

“What’s happening to her?” Elucard shouted.

“It has to be the Magi,” answered Koda. “Her form grows more and more potent with each overuse of my Magi, but never have I seen it so volatile!”

The three approached steadily, careful not to touch the creature. Finally the Magi lowered her to the ground and the light faded. No longer did an enchanted wolf lay before them, but a wolven humanoid. Not unlike a kanis or a lycanthrope except instead of a natural coat, Wildeye’s fur remained blue with pink tipped bristles, and long locks of hair flowed down the back of her head.

“Wh-what…happened” Wildeye said with a groan as she inspected her hands and legs.

“W-Wildeye, you spoke!” stuttered Koda.

Wildeye looked at her familiar. She pushed herself up, swaying off balance. Koda rushed to catch her.

“No…let me…try,” she said, still exhausted from transformation. She took a weary step forward, steading her hands to keep balance. She took another step, then another.

“And you are walking?” Elucard pointed out.

Wildeye curiously examined the rest of her new form. Her tail remained as did her fur, ears, and muzzle. She took a hold of her head and shook off a faint dizziness. She staggered with each step of her new legs.

“I feel so compelled to walk on all fours, but now that doesn’t seem right,” Wild said with an odd smile.

“Careful, girl,” Koda said in a calm voice. He took her arm to prop up his wolf as she tried to take another step forward. “Don’t over exert yourself.”

“Yes…I—I suppose you are…right,” Wild spoke slowly, finding each word formed a brand new experience.

“You speak so well, Wildeye,” complimented Megan. “How can that be?”

“I—I don’t know,” she said, just as baffled as everyone else. “And yet I can.”

Koda took a long look at her. “The mysteries of the Magi. In any case, let’s get you some clothes.”