The next day had went by fairly quick. The students had their usual training throughout the day. Though, thanks to their teacher's efforts, there seemed to be more progress. Grula and Zen started to become mightily impressed with the effort that Rael and Lylas put forward. Olicia and Ventrix actually sparred with other people, and Bif was even using a slight bit of magic. Albeit, it was slight Enhancement magic, but enough to help him leverage his physicality against everyone else better. Avures could be seen making better decisions, though doing them slower. This was no problem to Grula and Zen, as it meant that he was practicing something right.
In the end, it was a great day for the entire class. Eventually, they were all dismissed for dinner, and had the rest of the day to themselves. Everyone packed up and left the arena, that is, except for Avures.
Something had stuck with Avures recently. When Zen had pumped him full of Flow, it had made that black-like color spread to the rest of his hand. It also gave him a terrible vision. But, curiously, he started to remember these other visions that he encountered in a dream. Before he wasn't able to recall anything, but when Zen had mentioned dreams yesterday...they were the first things he recalled. And with it, a clue to what exactly was going on.
"Mister Zen, can you help me out for a second?" Avures walked up to his two teachers.
"Sure. What's up?" Zen asked.
"Well, do you remember the other day? When you filled me with Flow?" Avures grabbed his right hand's wrist with his left.
"Of course. Miss Grula won't let me forget." Zen joked.
"Why the hell would I? You could have killed him!" Grula punched Zen in the arm.
"Ouch! Darn!" Zen rubbed his arm.
"You asked me if I happened to know my last name. I-...I don't know if it's my last name, but something came to mind. A word that sounded like a name, that is..." Avures struggled to word himself properly.
"I imagine you still don't understand what exactly your ability is. And frankly, I can't either. But, if you do have that name...it'll clear it up a lot." Zen looked at Avures's hand.
"Okay...does..."Kovar" sound familiar in any way?" Avures looked Zen in the eyes.
"Huh?! Kovar?" Zen was wide eyed.
"Sweetheart...are you sure that's right?" Grula put her hand on Avures's shoulder.
"Am I missing something?" Avures's eyes darted between the two teachers.
"Avures...Kovar, as in the Kovar family line...they were all massacred around fifteen years ago." Zen stared at the black hand.
"There was a group of bastard Ozix cultists who raided the village they all lived in. As far as everyone knows, they killed everyone and then burned the place to the ground." Grula's tone lowered.
"Supposedly, and this is just a theory I had, they were looking for a single Kovar family member to use for their special abilities in order to find their dead god's death site." Zen looked back into Avures's eyes.
"I thought Ozix was a myth...and what sort of special abilities?" Avures kept looking between his two teachers.
"Ozix is no myth. That goes doubly the same for the Witch of Woe. We've been very lucky that they haven't been around for a long while." Grula shook her head.
"The Kovar family was renown for having special innate powers over time. There's a multitude of ways those cultists could have used that to locate Ozix's site...but come to think of it. Your age, the time at which it happened. It certainly lines up." Zen rubbed his chin.
"He would have had to be an infant. No more than a year old. And as far as we know, all the villagers were murdered. So, someone would have had to taken him away either before or after the attack. Very small odds..." Grula lifted her hand off of Avures's shoulder.
"Avures, this is definitely worth you spending time to investigate it. Though I can't allow you to leave Palmenae at the moment...Do yourself a favor, try to channel magic or Flow into that hand yourself. You've been exposed to it in both a light and heavy dosage, so you should be able to manipulate it by a slight bit now. But, don't rush yourself. Take it slow." Zen explained, looking over at Grula.
"Alright sweetie...we have to go. Heed great caution with anything Zen tells you to do." Grula began to walk away.
"Hey! C'mon!" Zen followed closely behind.
Avures stood there, looking at his hand. Kovar...was that right? He remembered that dream of himself saying it. There was only one thing he could do...but that would have to wait until after dinner.
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Avures sat down with his food at the table with the rest of his classmates. Because of his conversation with his teachers, he was the only one eating. Everyone else had already finished and were just talking instead.
"Hey, Avures, since you're here now...we were talking about our plans after the Academy. Do you have any?" Olicia looked over to Avures as he chewed his food.
"Mm...After? Didn't we just start?" Avures shook his head.
"Well, sure we've only been here a few months...but it's about goals...you know?" Olicia rebutted.
"Isn't the "goal" to become a Lancer? To do contracts?" Avures raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, but like, what are you gonna do with all that free time and money?" Olicia rolled her eyes.
"Uh...I'm not really sure..." Avures looked at his plate. What did he want to do after all of this? Before even coming here, he had no aspirations. He was content with letting life drag him along. It wasn't to say he was nihilistic, but that he saw no point in doing anything. There wasn't anything to enjoy. Thinking on it, he still mostly felt the same. But, his love of magic made him want to shoot higher. But, was there anything past that? Did he want to do Lancer work? What did he want to do?...
"Well...supposedly, there are really lucrative contracts out there. If you manage to do it, you probably wouldn't have to work ever. Still, either way...I said I would probably open a crafts shop!" Rael's face beamed as she put her elbows on the table and held her head up. "I could make jewelry, or cute knick-knacks, or pottery-Which I still know how to do from when Misses Greene showed us!"
"I don't think you have the patience to do that, Rael." Avures looked over at her.
"Which is why you'll be my "do it all" assistant!" Rael put her hands on Avures's shoulders and shook him.
"Pf. Not his girlfriend." Bif lowered his tone and elbowed Lylas. The two of them giggled.
"Ah! I-Doubt it!" Avures stiffened up, trying to get Rael to stop shaking him.
"Sorry, I forgot you're no fun." Rael took her hands off of Avures and rolled her eyes.
"I, personally, want to delve into archeology once I'm out of here. It'd go along well with my hobby I think. Either that, or get a bunch of cool animals and parade them around like a carny." Olicia tapped the side of her cheek.
"I said I would most likely open up a school for fencing and sword play. A relaxing affair." Ventrix tapped the table with his fingers.
"Lame!..." Bif yawned.
"Well, it's either that or become a general I suppose. As much as my dad would love it, it's really not for me." Ventrix shook his head. "What about you then, Bif? You never told us what you had planned."
"Hm Hm...see, you guys aren't ready for this. You're not thinking big enough." Bif sat forward in his seat. "After I become the greatest and strongest warrior ever...I'm gonna get ownership of the coliseum in the capital. And I-"
"Hey, dumb-ass...doesn't that belong to the king?" Lylas snapped his fingers in Bif's face.
"Actually, you stupid-ass motherfucker, if you knew anything...and I mean anything!...about that coliseum, you'd know it's owned by the Koldo family. A nobility close to the throne, sure, however, they're currently looking to sell it. Imma strike it rich as a Lancer and buy it." Bif poked Lylas in the head repeatedly as he explained.
"Aight mister big-head, what makes you think the king ain't gonna buy it or out bid ya? Or anyone else for that matter?" Lylas pushed Bif's finger away.
"One. He doesn't have to. King's authority let's him use the place however he wants when he wants." Bif raised his right index finger.
"And ya are gonna be okay with that?"
"I have to be." Bif chuckled. He then raised his middle finger with the other one. "Two. No one has made a bid on it since they announced the sale two years ago. Who here can tell me why?"
"Me me me me!" Rael raised her hand and practically jumped out of her seat.
"Red-head, go." Bif pointed to her.
"Big investment, little payoff and big risk." Rael lowered her hand and sat back down.
"Bingo. The taxes would be rough, and if they don't make real big use out of it, it's just a waste of gold. On the flip-side, running events is expensive, and if it isn't entertaining. Boom, huge waste of hard-earned gold. Why is it you think that the Koldo family only runs events there during the Festival of Fall?" Bif had gone through a series of gestures.
"Aight aight...so what would you even do with it then?" Lylas tilted his head and glared at Bif.
"Imma bring back blood-sport. Gladiatorial combat." Bif's face formed a wide grin. "See, the Koldo family doesn't do it anymore because you gotta be able to keep a strong, firm hold on it. Brave through the backlash and all. Anymore, they're just a bunch of frail, cowardly nobles. Yell at em on the street and they'll fall apart."
"You know...you're very surprisingly well-versed and studied on all of this." Avures looked perplexed at Bif.
"It's my one true dream...what can I say?" Bif sat back and put his arms behind his head. "Anyways, now that you've heard my whole thing, get a load of what Lylas has planned..."
"Ha...I was just plannin' on getting a real cozy job as a King's guard...either that, or taggin' along with one of ya." Lylas shrugged with a smile on his face.
"No ambition...honestly you and Avures sound the same when put to the question." Olicia shook her head.
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"Rael? Rael?" A loud and gruff voice could be heard calling out. Besides the six of them, the room was mostly vacated. Only a few people remained otherwise. A few people looked over to see who was calling out the name, but quickly turned back to whatever they were doing. The six of them did look over, wondering who was calling one of them out.
A bald-headed and tanned man had his hands around his mouth calling out for Rael. Past his hands, his face could be seen as having a few scars. One across his left eye, one on his right cheek, and another going across the bridge of his nose. His eyes were a dark blue. He seemed to have a very minimal amount of wrinkles, and had "circle" style facial hair which was trimmed short with a few amount of gray hairs. Going down, he wore a silver necklace with a cross on it. He was seen as wearing a black leather armored vest with a multitude of pockets. Overtop of the vest was a metallic pauldron, and underneath it a chain-mail garb could be seen extending down his arms and the rest of his body. Lower down, he wore a similar set of leather armor pants that were black as well. And on his feet were a pair of beaten brown boots.
"Georgie!" Rael almost fell over as she jumped up from the table and ran over to the man. She almost tackled him down as she hugged him.
"Is that her dad or something? I thought you guys were orphans..." Olicia scratched her head.
"We are orphans. That's not her dad. It's-" Avures was cut off.
"Oh I get it. No wonder she's not your girlfriend. She's into older men." Bif lightly hit himself in the forehead and shook his head. "Tough break, bro."
"No, it's-" Avures was cut off again.
"Sorry to hear that, bud. Unfortunate, really..." Lylas put his hand on Avures's shoulder and shook his head.
"It's not that either." Avures shoved Lylas's hand off of him. "George is the one who actually brought her to the orphanage as an infant after her parents abandoned her. He visits occasionally."
"Yeah, come on you guys. Why do you have to assume weird stuff like that?" Olicia rubbed her temple.
"Look, it just kinda looked like that was the case, so I said what was on my mind." Bif threw his hands up.
"Hey, Avures! It's been a while since I've seen you too. How's it been?" George walked over behind him and put his hand on Avures's shoulder.
"I've been okay." Avures stood up and faced him, George's hand still on his shoulder. The stench of alcohol and tobacco smoke emanated from George.
"Ya know, when I heard Rael was going here, I decided I'd visit once I got the time. I certainly didn't expect you to be here of your own volition...unless she dragged you along by force." George's tone lowered.
"She did..." Avures whispered. It wasn't quite enough though. Rael jumped to Avures's side and smacked him upside the head.
"Hmm..." George looked Avures dead in the eye for a few seconds...then at his hand, and back at his eye. "You definitely seem to have grown into it though. Good work, lad."
"Anyways, Georgie...these are all my..." Rael looked at all of them and thought about it. She nodded her head and turned back to George. "They're my friends!"
"Alright. Let's see..." George rubbed his chin as he eyed up the other four of them. "I can pick out you...you're the Felsta kid...that's right! You look a lot like your father."
"You know my father?" Ventrix looked at the man.
"Course. I worked with him for a short time. As for the rest of you, I can't really pick ya apart." George shrugged. "My nose ain't what it used to be I suppose."
"Georgie, how long are you staying in the capital?" Rael tugged on George's chain-mail sleeve.
"For the week, sweetheart...I've got some business 'ere, and of course, I wouldn't dare leave without celebrating your birthday." George explained.
"Woo!" Rael jumped in the air. Avures cursed in his mind. He was hoping to play dumb, but it wouldn't work now.
"Well, good meeting you all...nice seeing you again, Avures. And Rael, make sure you behave, okay?" George pointed his finger at Rael.
"Of course! Bye Georgie!" Rael waved as George made his way out of the room...
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As they all went back to their rooms for the night, Avures couldn't help but feel an immense amount of pressure now. The game that he usually played wouldn't work this time. Rael now knew that Avures knew of her birthday coming up. He knew that, and he also knew that Rael knows that Avures doesn't usually forget small details like that. A sort of silent game started between them, and they both knew it. As everyone said their good-nights, Rael and Avures crept into their rooms and changed into their pajamas. Afterwards, Avures sat at his desk. He opened that volume four technique book, and mostly pretended to study it. As far as techniques went, Avures had mentally mastered most, if not all, of them. However, he used it as a cover to avoid any sort of talk with Rael that might bring up her birthday.
At the same time, Rael also happened to sit on her bed and pull out a book she grabbed from the library as well. She had made an observation on Avures's own progress, and copied him. She nabbed a copy of every single Fire Magic Technique book she could find. And though it helped her make progress, she was much slower at it, mainly to do with her general attitude and sporadic mentality.
As Avures lightly skimmed through the words and thought of what he was going to do, he felt a sort of staring. Avures looked out the corner of his eye at Rael...she was reading the book. He looked back. He didn't really have money to spend, not that Rael was really ever big into expensive things as far as he could tell...he looked again...she was reading. He looked back. So, it really left it up to making something for her. His thoughts drifted to an art-piece, or a poem...but he immediately shut that idea out of his head. The only reason it came up in the first place being-...well...that.
However, that brought up the next idea. Making something like jewelry. After all, he noted the idea on the knick-knack shop. Although it would definitely be cheesy, it would be the best option. But, where would he even begin on that? A necklace?...it could be an easy craft. All he needed was some string, and then whatever he'd put on it. But then what would he do...Avures looked at Rael from the corner of his eyes again. She was staring straight at him, unashamedly.
"Okay. I'm going to do something else." Avures slammed his book shut and sat it down on the desk.
"You weren't studying..." Rael closed her book as well.
"You weren't either..." Avures got up from his desk and sat on his bed instead.
"How could I? I'm simply too excited..." Rael stared Avures dead in the eyes.
"Excited? About what?" Avures stared back.
"Oh...you know..." Rael's face was deadpan.
"I don't. Inform me." Avures knew she'd give in eventually.
"Humph...you're either ignorant, or lying." Rael crossed her arms, still looking at him.
"Don't be silly. After all, you could end this right now and simply tell me what it is you're referring to." Avures put his hands on his legs.
"Well I shouldn't have to tell you. Honestly, I'm not mad. Just disappointed." Rael tilted her head to the side.
"I've got a lot on my plate, what can I say?" Avures shrugged, not breaking eye contact.
"Clearly. And apparently whatever that is must be more important than me..."
"Oh? Do you know that for sure?"
"I don't need to-...oh forget it! You're too good at these types of games." Rael threw her book to the side and threw her covers over herself as she laid down.
"Games?" Avures quietly sighed in relief.
"Look...you always forget my birthday, and you never give me a gift...I don't mind the "no gift" part...but, I at least wish you would remember my birthday when the day comes...instead of like, having to be reminded by me or someone else." Rael turned away from Avures, looking at the wall now.
"She has no clue...was that something that really bothered her?" Avures's mind and thoughts made him feel physically weak. He didn't respond. He had nothing to say. To him, it was always just a way to get around the awkwardness of not having anything for her.
"It's in six days...Goodnight, Avures..." Rael's voice grew quiet.
"Goodnight, Rael." Avures still watched her.
Avures needed to shake this guilty feeling. It was eating away at him and he needed a distraction. He wasn't tired yet, so he quickly brainstormed...then he remembered.
"Do yourself a favor, try to channel magic or Flow into that hand yourself."
He brought his dark hand up to his face. Come to think of it, those dreams...they had no place in his real memory.
"The Kovar family was renown for having special innate powers over time."
If that was the case, and he was actually a Kovar...what exactly was he seeing? How was it relevant to time in any way? The future? The past? A different timeline? The current time?...
Avures shook his head and cleared those thoughts. He'd figure this out now. Slowly, Avures channeled his mana...like a flowing river, straight into his hand. Holding it in front of his face, Avures saw the empty like blackness start to shimmer. Waves and lines of light glimmered on his hand, slowly coursing from his fingertips down to his wrist. The blackness was accentuated by the purple tearing lines lighting up around it. Avures...felt nothing...it was incomplete. He needed Flow.
Avures thought back to the first time he could remember experiencing it with Zen. Although it was instant, and pain overtook him...there was a slight feeling of...power. That moment...that pure moment... Avures had been filled with an untamed feeling of power. Something that elevated his senses, something that felt truly unique and primal. That power had coursed through him in a second. Faster than mana, faster than any sort of feeling or emotion he could muster as a human. Something that he could feel pulling at him, trying to lure him in to corrupt him. Avures could understand what Zen meant when he thought back on those feelings. Flow was dangerous...and yet, it was everywhere. Avures took a deep breath, readying his body, as he pulled forth from the world itself...The Flow, entered through him, and he channeled it forth into his hand...
The blackness in his hand slowly faded out as a wave of new colors and objects seemed to fade in. Avures could feel his vision being completely pulled in...
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Avures felt his perspective go loose, as if he wasn't attached to his own body. He looked down at himself...nothing...there was nothing at all. Panicked, he looked around to see where exactly he was. Stone streets...buildings...he was in the capital. Or at least, that was the only city-like-scape he knew of. It was nightfall, and it was raining. Avures felt a strange pull. He turned around and saw a back alley, scarcely lit by some lamps hanging off of the stone buildings. But most importantly, he saw...himself?
Standing in front of him was his own body. Avures could hardly even believe what he was seeing. It invoked a strange sort of existential dread within him...what was going on? His question would be soon answered as that version of him moved forward into the alley. Avures knew he had no choice but to follow. It was strange. He could feel every drop of rain, but he had no form himself. It was as if he was feeling what this version of him was feeling. Slowly moving ahead, Avures saw multiple intersecting alley-ways. But, this version of him kept moving ahead. Eventually, he stopped. Avures walked ahead of himself and looked at him. His face was frozen. Is this what he really looked like?...that version of him...his lips and hands were trembling. He took a few more steps forward...before falling onto his knees. The puddle below him splashed out. Avures looked to where this version of him was looking. He watched on...
"George...George..." That version of him reached his hand out. A body laid face down in a large puddle of water right in front of him...it was, in-fact, George.
"George!..." He used that hand to shake the body...to no avail. It was motionless. There were large gashes all around his body that seemed to penetrate straight through his armor.
"Who-what-why? I-..." The Avures on his knees froze as the lightning from the storm illuminated the scene in front of him. He slowly rose to his feet as his legs weakly carried him forward. Walking around the body in front of him, this Avures slowly got down on his knees in front of another body.
"N-...N-..."
The body in front of the other him was stabbed in the back with a long knife right around where the heart would be. It was laying on it's side, it's face halfway in a puddle of water itself which had turned into a deep red. He slowly touched his hand to their shoulder.
"R-Rael?..." Avures slowly pulled them onto their back. Their lips were slightly agape, their skin a sickly pale white, and their warm red eyes were devoid of any light and life.
"Rael..." He put his hand under the back of her head. "Rael...Rael!...please!..."
Avures watched on as this version of him pleaded to no one.
"No!...Rael!..." He pulled her face in close to his own. The cold skin grazed his own, setting in the cold, hard truth...
Avures watched on...his friend was dead...George was dead...why?...why were they dead...his only friend was dead. The more he watched himself coddle the corpse of Rael, the more a sickly and horrified feeling crawled up his spine. He kept watching...kept listening as his own voice called out for his friend...the only person who had made him ever feel anything...
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Avures frantically pulled his hand away from his face, feeling all the motion of his physical form once again. An overwhelming dread and queasiness took hold. Avures put his hand over his mouth and shot up from his bed. He rushed out, pushing the door of his room open with his free hand and rushing to the window at the end of the hall next to their room. Thrusting the window up, Avures frantically shoved his head out the window as it all came flowing out. A stream of vomit cascaded from his throat, out his mouth, and down onto the ground a story below. As the final bits trickled out, Avures felt the strength fade from his system. He pulled his head back in and shut the window. He slowly slid down the wall and turned around, sitting against the wall on the ground. His head hit the wall behind him as he couldn't muster the power to straighten his neck. He felt his eyes glaze over and tear up. He couldn't tell what was going on. His vision was blurring everything around him. His head lightly swayed back and forth.
Avures sat there for what felt like forever. As his senses slowly came back to him, he could only wonder...was that real? The urge to know surpassed his weakness. Avures forced himself back onto his feet. He crept to the door. Each footstep felt like it's own journey. Slowly entering the room, he silently closed the door behind him. His heart started beating faster and faster as he approached Rael's bed. He saw her laying there. At the edge of his bed, Avures moved his left hand closer and closer to her. He made contact with her shoulder. Her body rose...and slowly fell. He could feel an ever-so-slight thump, and could even hear her breath.
He pulled his hand away, and backed up to his bed. He fell back and sat onto his bed. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Avures brought his hands up to the sides of his face and touched his temples with his palms. He trembled. He shook. Avures's hands slowly slid downward and inward His index fingers rested at the outer edge of his eyes. His middle fingers rested at the inner edge of his eyes. His ring and pinky fingers touched overtop of his nose, and his thumbs rested on his cheeks. The palms of his hands sat in front of his mouth, his rushed and erratic breaths warming the his cold hands.
She was alive...Rael was alive...