“I see a lot of, i don't know what to call them. There must be billions of them, and they are so incredibly small what are they? Some kind of creature?” Dorian asked excited.
Shun laughed and looked at Dorian with some pride in his eyes. “As expected of my disciple so very talented! You can already see billions of them, as for wat they are. They are fundamentally the building blocks of our body. The specks you can see at least, everything in the world as far as i know is made of those building blocks. There is no real name for it as there are only a few aware of their existence. But we call them Atoms.”
“Atoms...” Dorian mumbled to himself and looked inside again. The atoms really were incredibly small and now that he looked better there was alot of distance between each of the atoms. Compared to an atom atleast, they were after all insanely small. “These atoms have something to do with our internal magic?”
“They have everything to do with our internal magic! Our ability is to manipulate the atoms inside our body. It is not really magic persé but more like a technique of sorts that is only available to us. Hirmanuculius for example could move the atoms on his skin closer together so that his skin became tougher than steel. No blade could penetrate it.” Shun explained with enthusiasm.
Despite looking so much like a cold-blooded assassin, and the fact that he had seemed a lazy person that could not be bothered with anything in particular. When it came to his abilities and passing them on the man was a bundle of energy. The contrast was honestly a bit surprising.
“For instance you know how i just suddenly appeared next to Augustin when we met? I call that 'Shifting' i move all my atoms to one spot in the blink of an eye. It takes some getting used to, and it takes a lot of practice. Which is why i have this room! It's wat i used to train the technique to the point of mastering it.”
Shun disappeared, then suddenly reappeared balancing on one of the wires further away in the air. Standing there with his hands behind his back skillfully balancing on the wire as if it was the easiest thing in the world. Shun raised his voice to continue his lecture.
“This will take some practice from you but before we begin your training we will need to get you an outfit of your own. You need to get used to wearing the same clothes as much as possible. Once you get more familiar with your clothes and weapons you will be able to shift their atoms along with those of your own body. However the process to get that familiarised with an outfit takes alot of time and concentration. That is why i always wear this same outfit.”
Shun Shifted back infront of Dorian. “Come, lets make you look like a true assassin.”
Shun lead the way through another door untill they came to a stop at what almost seemed like a tailor's shop. Except that it really was a tailor, the man however did not sell his items he made them for the organisation. He was paid just the same as the rest of the inhabitants of the facility. The man had a thin curly mustache and held himself as if he was some kind of proud peacock. Honestly a peacock was the perfect way to describe the man in Dorians opinion. It somehow just fit him.
Shun took the man to one side and started whispering in his ear. Shun had a grin on his face and after a while the man started to smile aswell. It seemed both of them enjoyed making whatever outfit they had planned.
It took surprisingly long for the two to finish their conversation. Shun waved Dorian to join them and the man stepped in front of the boy and gave him a good hard look. The man stared at him so intensely in fact that it unsettled Dorian quite a bit. Then he rushed back to his desk and grabbed some of the equipment.
He used said equipment to measure the sizes of all of Dorians limbs, his waist line and neckline, thickness of just about everything. He even snatched down his pants and took a good look at his private bits before nodding to himself. Dorian quickly returned his underwear to its original place glaring at the man. It took several minutes before the man was finally done. He then took a step back and looked at Dorian as if he was imagining something. An eager smile appeared on the mans face.
“Oui! Thies young man wiell do splendidly for wat you have in mind, he has a precariously enchanting face, strong body lines et un magnificént glare! Yes dangerous, beautiful, noble, fearsome. I wiell make you all of these things!” The man proclaimed gesturing dramatically with his arms. The man spoked with some weird kind of accent, some words weren't even the same language. Dorian wondered where the man came from.
After having theatrically proclaimed how beautiful Dorian was, which caused quite the awkward blush on his cheeks, he and Shun were quickly shooed outside so the man could start his work. The man rushed back into his store mumbling some things that Dorian could just make out.
“feathers of the black swan... yes... dark engraved metal.... ooooh yes!.... leather from the hallar, darkened by the....” The words trailed of as the man walked back inside.
Dorian just stared at the man in complete shock. Feathers?! They were going to youse bloody feathers in his outfit? Dorian had a sinking feeling about whatever the two had planned. He looked at Shun real quick and noted his outfit which the man wore proudly. The clothes Shun wore looked really good on him, there was a sense of danger. The feeling of a predator oozed out of the man as he walked. The way he walked, only added to the effect.
Dorian calmed his heart and decided that if this tailor could make Shun look like such a dangerously professional assassin then he would be alright. But still wat would he use the feathers for. Dorian left the tailor with a bit of doubt in his heart.
Shun ended the days lectures and training there. He told him the tailor did fast work and that he would have finished the outfit by morning. So for now they would head to bed, Shun told Dorian to follow him. apparently he had an extra bed moved to the room he slept in so that it would be easier to wake him up in the morning.
Shun's room, which was now also Dorians room, was rather simple really. There had probably been some change but in the middle was a small living room with 2 couches and a table. Behind it was the kitchen. apparently Shun preferred to prepare his own food. No chance of poison that way he said. It was a habit he had since he was young and not one he was going to throw away. Why would one discard a usefull habit.
On both sides of the kitchen separated by walls there were bedrooms. Both had a simple bed, with a wardrobe in on one side and a night stand at the head of the bed. There was a mirror and a sink on the side of the wall. Which he could use to prepare himself in the morning. The wardrobe so far was empty. Since it was already far past night it was time to sleep. It had really been a long, long day.
The next day Dorian woke up to the smell of delicious food, he put on his clothes and entered the kitchen. Only to be greeted by the sight of Shun in the same assassins outfit but now wearing an apron. The contrast between the fully black gear and the belts of knives and the apron was really disconcerting. The apron even had a flower on it? Wat was with that? Seriously it was really, unnerving seeing an assasin happily cooking away like a housewife.
The smell of the food though was delicious, it almost smelled as good as his mother's home cooked meals. Good thing that Shun is going to be training me harshly. Or else id be worried i might get fat. Dorian thought as he looked at the lavish meal set in front of him on the table. Shun stood on the other side with his hands on his hips looking at him proudly.
“Dont just stand there like a donkey, dig in!” Shun said, with wat Dorian assumed was a smile behind that mask.
Dorian sat himself down opposite of Shun and took a bite of the prepared food. The food consisted of eggs, sunny side up naturally. There was no other way to cook eggs! Bacon, and some kind of meaty sausage in a bun with sauce and some fried onions, garlic and mushrooms. It was freakishly delicious, Dorian let out a small moan when he tasted the food.
“You also have to teach me how to cook like this Shun!” Dorian said with his mouth full while was wolfing down his food.
“Young one it would be my genuine pleasure!” Shun said enthusiastically.
Despite having only known each other for a day the 2 had already bonded. Was this because of the rare magical abilities they both shared or for some other reason. Well with the year or more of training they had ahead of them there was plenty of time for the two to bond.
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After finishing every last bit of the lavish breakfast he and Shun headed back for the Tailor. The tailor opened the door excitedly and waved them in.
“Come, Come! Stand over here and put this on!” He said handing Dorian a blindfold. “Would not want to spoil ze surpries!”
Dorian obediently put on the blind fold and awkwardly let the Tailor undress hem and then clad him in the new clothing that had been prepared. There were multiple layers of clothing that he was being dressed in. The first layer felt smooth, soft even to the skin. It was some kind of supple cloth, Dorian noted as he tried moving in it a little. The second layer was a bit heavier, it was a kind of leather unless he missed his guess.
Then the tailor started adding some belts, Dorian could feel the wait of the weapon belts being added to the clothes. He also felt that the knife his father had gotten him was being added to a new sheath that was tied the same trusty place on his back. The tailor was still not done however, he added a pauldron to his right shoulder aswell as something to his upper arm, also he was given some greaves and some vambraces.
Last bot not least came the fourth layer. He felt the heavy cloth of a cloak be added to the rest. The Tailor pulled the hood up and stepped back. He loosened the cloth around Dorians eyes with a wave of his hands. Magic? Dorian had not know that this tailor was a mage. Having the clothes done in one day made more sense now. Seeing as wat kind of place this was he was pretty sure the clothes had been enchanted with spells aswell.
Then Dorian opened his eyes and looked into the tall mirror the tailor had placed infront of him.
“Woaw” Dorian whispered as he stared in shock at the man in the mirror.
The tailor seemed truly delighted by the reaction as he was rubbing his hands in anticipation intensely studying the expression on Dorians face.
The man that stared back at Dorian from the mirror didn't remind Dorian of himself at all. First thing he noticed was the dark cloak, it had inbraided powerful seeming runes running along the edges. The runes were beautifull, there was a sense of nobility in the image just these runes created. The small sense of nobility however was overpowered by the effect the magically runed hood and mask had on his eyes.
Out from under the hood peeked 2 glinting silver shards, the rest of his eyes were not visible just this 2 glistening silver specks stared back at him from beneath the hood. It was like looking into the eyes of a demon it was rather unnerving. The clothing beneath the cloak was every bit as well made as the cloak. He now had a belt of with 4 well sized knives strapped unto his chest. The hilt from his own knife was barely visible underneath the clothes and cloak.
There was a patch in the leather on his left shoulder that had about 10 gleaming metal throwing needles sticking beneath it. On his right shoulder there was an engraved darkened steel pauldron that covered his shoulder, the engravings were done so that they were visible in a slightly lighter tint of steel than the pauldron itself.Attached to the pauldron where some fancy black feathers that stuck our from the sides of the pauldron ever so slightly.
He rolled his shoulder and noted that the feathers actually also had a practical use. The sound he made while rolling his shoulder was minimal. Someone standing further than 5 meters from him wouldn't be able to hear it even if they were listening for it. Beneath the pauldron and the belt of knives was a black leather jacket that on inspection had a couple of hidden compartments were one could hide some items.
While he was inspecting the jacket he felt that his underarms were heavier than they should be because of the vambraces. He felt around and noticed that there was a slender dagger latched to his lower arm that would probably fall into his hands if he was able to unlatch it with his internal magic. He then noticed that there was a cloth band tied to both his pinkies and when he stretched it out he 2 pieces of cloth fell out. At the end of the pieces there was a small thing at what on first glance looked to be a slender adamantine ring attached.
“Aah.” Shun said looking at him, presumably with a grin. “that is something i ordered specifically. Once you will be able to control your own atoms as well as the ones in your armour you will be able to transform those rings. The armour itself will be able to shift with you and you can mildly control the atoms itself but you will not be able to transform it. Strengthen it perhaps but not change it. Those rings however have been given some special bloody juice from yours truly.”
“Which means that you will be able to individually transform those rings and use them for combat or for climbing. Or for any other thing you might be able to think up. They may look like a useless piece of cloth but the enemy will regret underestimating those little rings!”
Dorian looked at himself in the mirror turning and bending to inspect the feel and the look of the armour. It really was a magnificent sight, although he did feel it was a little extravagant for an assassin.
“Yes, yes i can see in your gaze that the outfit might be a little extravagant for an assassin. Its fixed with ease however. All those that get to see you in that armour are either your allies or your enemies. The first you trust, the second won't live to tell the tale. It may look a bit over the top but the enchanting on it is top-notch it is at the same time a masterwork of practicality.” Shun said as if he had heard wat Dorian was thinking.
“Mr.Tailor i should really thank you for making this armour for me, it is truly a magnificent piece of work.” Dorian said bowing his head slightly to the man to show his thanks.
“Nonsense boy, it was a pleasure to work on thies for you! It fits you truly well, i am proud of myself for making something this grandiose! Just do me proud and show the enemies wat kind of fear one of my beautiful works can inflict.” The man said with the same tone of theatricality
“Now dear student, lets finally start training in earnest. The sooner you master shifting the sooner you can work on tricks of your own!” Shun said excited that he could now start training him in earnest.
Shun sped of after thanking the tailor and headed back to the training area at a run. Dorian used to running was able to keep up quite easily. Of course if Shun started shifting he would be left behind in the dust. Now that he thought about it if internal magic did not run on the same kind of mana as other magic than wat was the effect of using it? All abilities had to have some kind of effect to using them, nothing could be used without consequence.
“Wat kind of consequences does using our magic have?” Dorian asked Shun while running.
Shun looked over at him. “Same thing as any other exercise of the body really it tires you out, that is why we will be training stamina along with the use of our abilities. The use of our abilities also generates more stamina for us. Out of all creatures Internal users probably have the most stamina. We can train our stamina pool beyond the limits of wat would be possible for any other being.”
“Depending on the abilities we use they can be extremely powerfull but also extremely exhausting. We are strong, yes, but we are not all powerfull. Magic is our biggest foe, Magic is also wat slew Hirmanuculius. That is why being an assassin, makes us the ebst in the buisness. Who can use magic against you after all if they don't see you coming.”
Dorian thought it through and recognized the ups and downsides of Iternal magic. It would require an immense amount of concentration and training. Dorian thought about how it might be better to instead make the abilities more efficient. But while he was at it why not make it more efficient and train himself just as hard. After all now he had a new goal he set his eyes on, be able to defeat Shun.
Then get Ístril back.
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I noticed that i didn't spellcheck the chapter yesterday, i normally do i swear to god i just miss some mistakes.
Like The WAT and WHAT
I know i make this mistake guys get off my back! :D
Its a mistake that i dont notice when reading because its not a mistake in my language which blinds me to it.
Im getting less wats and more whats as time passes so have some patience with me.