Author note: Hello, just a reminder that Drakai is still technically Twelve years old. But mentally, due to how fast the eldrasie people mature, his mental state is that of a 14-15-year-old.

Drakai was sitting in the middle of the room in the house they were staying in for the nobles contest. He had a Golden haze with green hues mixed in and concentrated on his Aura and his fathers' words from earlier that day. Today was his first match in the nobles contest, and he was getting in the right state of mind for the upcoming challenge.

***

After he had woken up several hours after he had passed out trying to mix Dolor-Tas with Aura, his parents had rushed in when they felt his Aura and quickly poured some potions down his throat, forcing his body to heal. They laid him down in his bed, and when he woke up, he had a conversation with his parents about Aura.

***

"Well, my son, you are an anomaly. What you have unlocked is called an aura and is used only by experienced magic-warriors who have been through situations that put their lives at risk. So I'm confused about how you figured out how out how to use it. Now, I'll explain what Aura or Dolor-Aura is.

It is the third form of Dolor-Tas, and the people that have unlocked it don't exactly know how it works. The most mysterious thing is that you don't need to know Dolor-Kai in order for you to find out how to use it. As I said, it just comes out in life and death situations. Which is why we are confused why you unlocked it."

Dov paused. "Yes, you were hurt from the bandit, but it wasn't the first time you had an injury like that. Take the first time you used Dolor-Kai. Then, for example, you were in even worse condition." Drakai sighed to himself. And it looked at the ceiling, he was currently sitting on a couch, and his parents were right across from his sitting on another one. It was the living room, and it had many plates and select pieces of pottery in it, most of them stuffed with flowers.

"Honey. Can you tell us what it is like when you use Aura or how it feels" Saraa looked at her son with a questioning look on her face. Like her husband, she could also use Aura but not to the same extent and also not as well. So it was to be expected she hadn't fought as much as her husband has throughout his life. And the fact that she was a lot younger than him.

The eldrasie people grow up fast, but on top of that, they also live longer. Without becoming a magic-warrior, the average life expectancy was about Two-Hundred years. And with the body of a magic warrior, it keeps going up the higher your level is. Dov had just turned One thousand years old that year, and Sarra was six-hundred and Twelve years old.

Drakai was not their first child. In fact, he had many brothers and sisters; it's just that most are still out exploring the world or are old enough to have their own family and have their own worries.

Drakai paused and looked at his mother. "Well, mother, I feel like a dark claw is trying to rip out of me, but unlikely Dolor-Kai, it travels up my spin and latches into my brain. And I also can instinctively tell the difference between dolor-kai and dolor-aura, as you call it. And when the golden haze surrounds me, I feel even better than dolor-tas at full blast."

"But the way I have to activate scares me. I have to rely on hate and anger." Dov looked sad, that is one-way, son, but the other way is when you have to protect someone, go ahead try it think about someone trying to kill your mother or me, and you needed to save us."

Dov nodded his head and closed his eyes in concentration, and he tried to imagine that one of his parents was being killed or hurt. He tried hard, but he couldn't imagine it. His parents were simply too strong in his eyes he couldn't even imagine it. " I'm sorry, but I can't see myself having to protect you ever. You guys are simply too strong."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Scratching his beard in thought, Dov looked over at his son's pet that was sleeping peacefully in the corner of the room. "Well, then try and think about someone hurting her." He said while pointing at ember.

Drakai closed his eyes and thought about his cute furry companion. At first, he thought about all the times that he had snuggled with her over the past week, and some days, Drakai had become reliant on her for a good night's sleep. He didn't feel ashamed. After all, he might be trying to be the strongest, but even strong men need someone to cuddle with. Like his dad, he didn't like to sleep alone.

During his first year on Jakraa, his mother and father had been in a huge argument. Later that night, she said he could sleep alone. Drakai swore he heard his father crying that night.

After he thought about how cute she was, he thought back to the hobgoblins that were trying to kill her. He imagined them tearing her apart and eating her. Then he felt it, the overwhelming want to protect her, and then the familiar feeling of the claw started to crawl up his spine, only this time it didn't feel evil or dark it felt nice rather lovely.

Screaming out at the top of his lungs. "DONT FUCK WITH MY DEER!!!" As a golden halo broke out around him, the green hue this time we not dark green but rather emerald in color. And then his parents burst out in laughter, leaving him with a red face.

***

After figuring out how to activate his Aura without Hate, he was testing out what it could do, shifting it around his body and arms. He could move it into certain parts of his body by choice, and when he did, instead of the energy being spread out, it would all consolidate into the one limb, making it much more robust.

Ember was watching her friend doing the same weird stuff with the golden halo, last time she had felt it, it felt comforting, but now it felt like she was home. So she walked up and started to rub agents his leg.

Seeing his furry companion, he let the energy go, and the usual exhaustion that comes from using dolor-tas sunk in. It wasn't as bad, though. He figured it must be because Aura must be different from regular dolor-tas in more than just look.

****

Putting on a lighter tunic and a pair of leather shoes. He took a built and wrapped it around his tunic showing his small waist but also his developing shoulders, making him look like a budding warrior.

He kicked up his Kai-do into his hands and left with ember behind him. His mother and father were downstairs in nice dress clothes, his father in an expensive tunic and his mother in a dress made out of enormous wolf skin. "Now, listen, boy, I don't want you using Aura unless you really need to. It would draw to much attention amongst the other nobles. And I would rather not deal with their questions in the first couple of matches. If you must, save it for the last match to make an impression!"

Drakai nodded. "Got it." The walk to the arena took a long time as it was on the other side of the city. And the city was huge. It was about noon, and around this time, many people were supposed to be selling trinkets, but it was quiet with a small number of people walking around.

The city had a vast barrier surrounding it, protecting it from the cold weather and snow. Even though it was relatively warm, the sky was still cloudy and grey. And because of this, the city had many lamp posts around the city, casting a little light.

Then finally, they made it to the arena where the sounds of screaming could be heard. "Shit, hurry up, Drakai!" Sarra exclaimed. Dov rushed up to drakai.

"No time!" He picked Drakai up and put him on his back. Dov pushed off the ground with immense speed breaking the ground and shooting forward like a rocket. He rushed towards the massive coliseum-looking arena. Rushing through the many halls and right to the raised platform where there were many young eldrasie were standing waiting to fight.

A referee saw dov rush in and stoped him. "Family name, and contestants name?" Setting Drakai down, Dov looked up. "Braden family, and his name is Drakai." The referee nodded. "Alright, Drakai, you can wait with the other contestants over there" The ref pointed at the rest of the kids.

Standing with the other kids, many of them looked at him and snickered. It was funny watching him with his father, and the sword he carried was ridiculous. He was obviously stupid and an easy target.

While everybody was laughing at Drakai, a booming voice rippled through the air. A huge man stood on an overhang he was wearing a big golden crown. Drakai was surprised by the man's size. He was massive both height and muscle wise he was bigger than his father.

"Let the games begin!" His voice rippled through the air, causing the ground to shake and everybody to wince in pain. "So that's the king, huh? Just another muscle head." Drakai thought. After the king sat down, a ref walked up on the stage and spoke loudly. "The first contestants will be Drakai from the Braden Family and Hok from the Narnreen family. There was loud cheering the Narnreen family was well respected in the capital.

Drakai was surprised that he was fighting so soon, but he was also pissed, he was having a hard time keeping his bloodlust in while the kids mocked him. Then, stepping on the stage with his Kai-Do, he was greeted by another kid who was much taller than him and was carrying a spear.

"START" The referee shouted. The other kid rushed forward. Drakai slammed his sword into the ground, standing it up by piercing the ground. The other kid stopped and got visibly angry. "Are you mocking me you piece of shit?" Drakai simply smiled.

The other kid grinned. "If you die, then nobody can blame me." Rushing in, he thrust his spear at drakai with glowing eyes. Drakai dodged easily and grabbed the spear while it was going past him he ripped it out of the other's hands. Then, spinning around Hok, he speared him through the thigh.

Then he grabbed Hoks head and slammed it full force into the ground, breaking every bone in his face. All this happened in less than 30 seconds. Drakai was greeted with dead silence. He looked at the other kids on the ground with his eyes glowing at full power and grinned.