Kai closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and letting it out. It was the middle of the afternoon and they had just finished up mana control training. Behind him Tom and Thane were currently practicing. Tom was using his sword and Thane was using his staff. While they were practicing Sarah and Bear were out killing some beast and would be back some time tomorrow. Nixie was off doing something for Tom.

Focusing, Kai muted his senses, something he had started practicing this morning when he had been trying to read and people had gotten too loud.

Focusing inwards Kai started studying his body, more specifically his bones. Kai’s entire body was saturated with small amounts of mana, most of which didn’t have an affinity. Except for 4 exceptions Kai’s heart, blood and marrow had a large amount of blood mana saturated in it. This was to be expected since it was blood mana. The reason that he didn’t have flesh or bone mana in his body was because he did have those affinities and that mana couldn’t safely reside in his body without very special conditions being met.

The fourth place that mana could be found in large amounts was Kai’s bones. The combination of the high amounts of death mana, what had happened the first time Kai had cast end clad and the fact that his bones were now some kind of metal had prompted Kai to investigate yesterday.

The mass of metal hadn’t communicated in anything even close to a language. Instead it had used images and concepts to talk, the message that Kai had gotten from his bones had been the same. It had come not in anything close to words, but instead had been the concept of Kai intentionally directing large amounts of mana, prawna or either into his bones.

Taking control of a small amount of his mana. Kai probed at the bones, Kai’s mana was sucked up as if his bones were a vacuum, consuming his mana. The moment his bones had sucked up all of the mana it sent back the concept of need and hunger to him.

Increasing the mana he was sending to his eyes Kai examined his bones. They looked no different, no matter how he looked at it there was no change. Finally after having spent 10 minutes examining them Kai decided that he was just going to give them mana until something happened or he ran out. After all, what's the worst that could happen?

Grabbing onto his mana Kai started channeling his mana into his bones. His bones grabbed onto the mana that he was feeding it and ripped it out of Kai’s control. It pulled and pulled, it wasn’t until it had consumed around two thirds of his mana that something happened.

His bones finally reacted. They stopped consuming and the still dead death mana inside Kai’s bones took on a vibrancy that definitely wasn’t life but simultaneously wasn’t death. The metal gained the semblances of sapience.

Its mind connected with Kai’s and pain exploded through his body. Liquid metal tore its way out through Kai’s body wrapping him up in a cocoon of writhing liquid metal. The inside of the cocoon was suddenly flooded with pitch black deathly cold water. The black waters clawed their way into Kai’s mouth and down his throat. KaI started choking on the waters of death only to realize that he wasn’t.

Kai hesitantly took in a deep breath of cold black waters and found it easily flowing though his lungs like air. Relief flooded Kai. That relief was instantly squashed as a force bore down on Kai. Seth reached out into Kai, Seth’s mana flooding Kai’s body. Kai felt Arthaya straining to hold Seth back and give Kai the chance to fight back.

Before Kai could act Seth was stopped. Like a parent stopping the tantrum of a toddler mana originating from the black metal in Kai’s bones reached out and stopped Seth. Kai let out a breath of relief.

Closing his eyes, Kai enhanced his senses and focused inwards. Kai saw that his bones had turned absolute black and were releasing a chill that was just as much mental as it was physical. The mana was just as still yet it was vibrant with something new. Reaching out and poking the bones with his mana Kai got a series of thoughts, images and concepts back in return.

Words forced themselves out of Kai’s mouth. “Chill of final death, black waters of stygian depths. You are that which awaits all after their final hour has passed. Warm caress of life's golden radiance. You are that which embarrassed all, before they pass. Cold chill comes after the passing of comforting warmth. Deep black is left behind after the retreat of golden radiance. Life inevitably leads to death. Death is ending, yet nothing can end if nothing existed. This is the discord of existence. I call upon the paradox of the cyclic cycle. Avatar of the eternal cycle’s discord.”

Golden radiance burst out, through Kai’s body and out of the liquid metal cocoon. A comforting warmth spread out embracing everyone. It felt like laying under the sun on a warm summer afternoon. The golden light faded, consumed by vibrant black light. The warmth was replaced by a bone chilling cold. The world seemed to go deathly still.

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Then abruptly the magic was cut off as the liquid metal cocoon collapsed in on Kai. Black stygian water seeped into Kai through his skin and liquid metal disappeared into his mouth. Kai was left lying on the floor only partially conscious.

As the metal and liquid seeped back into Kai information was left behind in his brain and another bond was created.

For a moment Tom and Thane couldn’t move. They were frozen, the feeling of death lingering despite the magic having dissipated. Then at nearly the same time they both ran forward to where Kai was lying on the floor.

Tom propped Kai’s body up while Thane started muttering under his breath. Brown earth mana flowed out of Thane and seeped into Kai. Kai let out a groan as the mana seeped out of him.

Thane glanced up at Tom. “Quickly go find Nixie I’ll take care of him.”

Tom got up and raced for the door.

“I’m fine.” Kai said, his voice hoarse.

“Are you sure? You don’t exactly look like you're ok.” Thane said skeptically.

“Yeah I’m fine. Also I’m unsure if healing magic will really be able to do much to me anymore.” Kai said.

Tom walked back over brows furrowed in confusion. “Why would healing magic not work on you anymore?” He asked

Kai sat up fully on his own. “My bond with Seth was already making it so that it is harder to heal me. But now I have bone made out of awakened death metal and I’m pretty sure there’s some death water lingering in my body. Both of which are going to impede healing magic.” Kai said, explaining one of the things that had been explained with the information left behind.

The other two things that had been explained were the words of the spell along with a little information on the spell itself. From what Kai could tell the spell would create some kind of avatar and weirdly it would use healing magic. Though he was unsure in what way it would do so. The final thing he had learned was nothing truly new. Instead it had impressed upon him how important aether and prawna truly are and how non human beings progressed. From what he could tell their progression required two things. The first and what he already knew about was the need for aether and prawna. The second aspect was the fulfillment of nature. They needed to live out and enforce the nature of their elements. It was like a bowl of water, the bowl was the aether and prawna. While the water was the fulfillment of nature, and getting sufficient prawna at the higher ends of power was extremely difficult.

While it was interesting to have this knowledge Kai was unsure as to why he had been given that last bit but decided not to further question it. He looked back up at Tom and Thane who were carefully watching him to see if he was ok.

“Kai, are you ok?” Tom asked worriedly.

Kai nodded his head. “Yeah I’m fine.” Using the other two as support Kai started pulling himself up.

Tom hurriedly started trying to stop Kai from getting up. “Stay sitting, Kai. You don’t need to push yourself to get up. Not after whatever just happened to you.”

Kai pushed Tom’s arm away and stood up on his own. “It’s fine, I'm alright. Something small like that won’t affect me too much.” Kai finished standing up, his legs only slightly unsteady.

Thane placed his hand on Kai’s shoulder to steady him. “Are you sure?” He asked. “It’s ok if you want to take a moment to rest.”

“Don’t worry like I said I’ll be fine.” Kai said.

“Ok then. Why don’t you tell us what that was just now.” Thane said, accepting Kai’s words that he would be fine.

“That was me gaining another new spell. Though like all the others I don’t think I will be able to use it.” Kai let out a sigh. “I keep on getting all of these new and amazing spells but I can’t use most of them. And the ones that I can use are extremely limited.” Kai said.

Thane patted Kai on the back. “It might be frustrating but be glad that you have those spells. All you need is to train and eventually you will be able to use those spells. Most people that have potential like you but aren’t born into some kind of family can only access those kinds of spells in one of two ways. They will either have to marry into one of the stronger families or they will have to make them. And since making spells is extremely difficult especially without the right training that is extremely impractical. Most that don’t marry into those families have to settle for using weaker spells to take on stronger foes.” Thane said. “All you have to do is train with what you have and eventually you will be able to use them”

Kai nodded at what Thane had said before walking over to the corner and picking up the book that knowledge had left for him. As Kai read he used one hand and his legs to prop up the book while using the other hand to write out lines of mana. The lines were still little more than just pieces of light blue mana, but it was quickly coming along. Like Thane had said the more Kai trained the better he would be. So Kai saw no reason not to do some training as he was reading.

Eventually Nixie came back from whatever it was that she had been doing for Tom. After talking to the others Nixie walked over to Kai and crouched down in front of him.

“Hey Kai, Tom told me about what happened earlier, are you ok?” She asked him.

Kai glanced up and smiled when he saw Nixie. “Yeah I’m fine.”

“Can I check just to make sure.” She asked him. Kai nodded his ascent. Nixie placed hands glowing with blue light onto Kai. “Ripples on a pond, rivers flowing through channels. Examine and map the body. Ripple resonance.” Water mana pulsed throughout Kai’s body like the ripples on a gentle pond. Nixie smiled at Kai. “You’re looking good.” She said while standing up from a crouch and offering Kai a hand up. “Now why don’t we go get something to eat.”

Kai smiled up at Nixie and took her hand. Kai was happy, he was surrounded by people who cared for him and he had the chance to get stronger. He was content for life to continue on like this without change.