Before the sun, before his parents, Asher woke, getting dressed and heading downstairs towards the woods. They were a family of cobblers, other than simple spears and harpoons, of course they had no weapons lying around their house. However that was of a lesser concern than raising his foundations again. Without arm strength, he couldn’t properly wield a sword, and without endurance, how could he even make it through a battle?

Even Evan could pierce beast-hide, but even though it took strength, it was located in an entirely different area than necessary for swordplay. While Asher’s grip wouldn’t relinquish a weapon, it didn’t make much difference if he couldn’t kill with it.

A moderate jog through the forest trained endurance, and reminded one of the limitations of their reactions to obstacles. Damp from morning dew, dead leaves and mossy stones provided slick surfaces to avoid or balance upon. Once Asher recovered some of his ability, he would also return to moving silently as he did so, as well as moving without a trace, but now he could hardly push himself ten minutes without taking a breather.

It’s still fine. We don’t encounter anything life threatening until we get near the festival. Yuviol must be struggling as much as I— No, I can’t think that way. Magic is as much about knowledge as the power you command. While he may not have physical copies of his research, he wouldn’t forget the results he’d gained. We need to keep him from the resources necessary to restart his experiments this time.

Asher bent over with his hands on his knees, trying to regulate his breathing in an efficient manner. At the same time he tried circulating his mana. Except through Mimring, Asher could only use mana to accumulate power in his body; controlling it well enough to cast spells was impossible. Like a muscle, if he activated it frequently without overdrafting, he could gradually increase his capacity. Starting sooner, already having some grasp on the concepts, perhaps he could even learn to cast some minor spells on his own, and those he used through Mimring would be that much more powerful as well.

It used to be thought that by strengthening mana, one necessarily was depriving the body of energy. Magic users were weak of body because they kept mana from mixing with their physical body .Users of internal energy, separated from magical tradition, called it qi, and used it to reinforce their bodies; once locked into their flesh, only those whose body reached a critical mass of mana could draw it out. Martial artists untrained in mana intuitively developed themselves this way for the most part.

Yuviol overturned this idea as a matter of course. A result of necromancy and human experimentation, as a result of learning how to forcibly drain mana from living creatures, he also revealed the secret to recovering bodily invested mana. While Asher didn’t know the specifics, Tireces called it obvious in retrospect. It should only take a little work and a few clues for him to reverse engineer the method, taking away Yuviol’s edge.

If it could be brought back out, Asher didn’t mind enhancing his body with the little mana he possessed. Until he reunited with Mimring, it would be more effective like this.

Straightening himself out, he started running again, repeating the process for the next hour and a half. Going any longer would be overestimating his body’s capabilities. He could sustain channeling his mana for some time yet; it might have been his increase in control, but Asher felt as though his energy was much richer and easier to access. Perhaps he’d gained some affinity after being paired with Mimring for so long.

Even after taking time in that matter, his body again reached its physical limit.

Asher stared down at his body in frustration. He returned to being weak, but wasn’t this too much? Every moment wasted was one Yuviol establish himself. But he couldn’t even attempt to close the gap without injury and setting himself further back.

Now aimlessly wandering, trees softly whispered overhead. Muttering unfavorably, Asher couldn’t make out what they were saying. Nature wasn’t particularly strong in this area, only a normal forest, without any nymphs or dryads as far as anyone knew. That a human could notice they were speaking was a minor accomplishment itself.

Unaware and unable to do much else, he grew curious. Veteran warriors, especially those who faced the unnatural, acquired a feeling for when something was amiss. Not an ability that relied on heightened senses, just an awareness of how things reflected previous experiences of the strange. The unease of mortal trees meant there was something in these woods, something of power, perhaps accidentally left behind.

Return...Reignite…

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

Asher turned, only to see unremarkable forest. Unnatural presences that called for one to wield them were dangerous. Not all were malicious, as Mimring also called for a user, but they had an ego, desiring action, usually with specific goals in mind. A person weak of spirit would succumb to the unnatural presence, becoming a mindless vessel for directing its will.

What happened to this presence the time before? Asher felt as though even he wouldn’t have missed such an ominous presence when he returned, despite being so young. Did a wanderer or hunter acquire it, or did it perish? The ego hadn’t felt like one that would lay low.

Despite the risk, he couldn’t leave it be, it might become a threat to those in Belsfield.

And, gods willing, it could be used against Yuviol.

Return...Reignite...Ignite

Asher was moving towards the source with full deliberation, not because of an exterior mental influence. Even as he approached, the ego’s presence did not greatly increase. It simply called more frequently in a weak, but fervent tone.

Return, Reignite...Return...Ignite...Burn…

It looked strange, but was entirely expected. A lean tongue of flame about three feet in height, but only an inch or two across. The deep red barely cast any illumination on the unburnt detritus that it hovered slightly over. Nor did Asher feel it give off any heat as he approached.

Return!

Asher paused several feet from the dancing flame, trying to investigate it. He’d felt many presences, from ‘proper’ objects with intelligence such as Mimring, to primitive elementals that reflected a strong natural will. However the flame before him seemed a strange combination; it lacked a definitive form like an elemental, yet seemed to possess a clear will like an intelligent object. It just seemed more childlike and unintelligent than any item with a true ego.

The flames reached out for him, but could do little more than flickering in place.

Reignite! Burn...

It pleaded desperately. It needed someone. It couldn’t survive otherwise.

“You’re just a newborn, aren’t you?” Asher spoke aloud in surprise, finally coming up with a theory. Once he met with Tireces again he could ask about the specifics, but he felt relieved. While rare and shrouded in mystery, a newly formed ego wasn’t an unknown to worry over. It might not have been a trump card against Yuviol as he’d hoped, but with some nurturing, and under Mimring’s guidance, it could become a powerful ally.

“Come here. My name is Asher.” Getting down on one knee, he touched his left hand to its base. It wriggled while shrinking down into a ribbon of flame centered on his palm wrapping loosely around his hand and intertwined with his fingers. As it did so, he felt an unprecedented emotion alongside his spirit.

Cold and callous, burning and hungry, desirous. An almost malevolent presence, but perhaps that was just what fire was like. It was nothing like the forward and illuminating presence of Mimring, although it might be unfair to compare anyone to him. A sword can be unyielding, but a fire needs fuel.

And it was still so young and weak. With that in mind, it could hardly be thought of as malicious.

Ignited...Burn?

“Just something small for now.” Picking up a small stone, Asher wondered what the extent of its ability was. Providing no heat it wasn’t a normal flame, so he wished to test it. A stream from his hand linked up to the stone, surrounding it with a similar dark red glow.

Smolder… smolder…

Almost imperceptible flakes sloughed off, before disintegrating into fine ash. So fine were the layers that the stone was unreduced. The flame continued to engulf its target, darkening in color, condensing itself to bring more power to bear. Observing it for long minutes, it finally began showing slight progress in filling his palm with ash.

“I see why natural egos are so rare, so few of you survive. But if you listen to me, then I can guarantee you’ll become stronger.”

Ignite...Join, burn, ignite…

“Hopefully you’ll learn as you age.” It couldn’t communicate anything other than the simplest of ideas at the moment. Asher didn’t know about how egos developed in presences, but he hoped it wasn’t a lengthy process. While many worked through intuition, the most powerful without exception possessed intelligence on par, or surpassing that of a human. “What should I call you in the meantime?”

It didn’t respond in any meaningful way, still focused on attempting to whittle away the stone, crying out about burning and igniting.

“Gerra? No, something more refined… Aelun? Too elvish. Solaire? Something about that feels right. Have you any objection to Solaire?”

Solaire crackled, seemingly in acknowledgement, but perhaps it was just chance. Normally a presence such as this would give their own name; Solaire couldn’t speak, much less give its name. Asher would only hope the small ego would be satisfied with it in the future.Eventually, Solaire finished off the rock, and Asher ordered him to withdraw. Surprisingly obedient, vanishing into his palm leaving only a bruise-colored mark. Solaire did so with shocking ease; it took Asher and Mimring ages to fuse together in such a fashion. Perhaps that was due to Mimring’s physical form, or maybe Solaire was just so weak it was easy for Asher’s body to contain the presence.

With an almost familiar and soothing ease, Asher sat down to meditate and help synchronize their spirits. The bond between an ego and its wielder could always become stronger, and while no connection was perfect, together their strengths would multiply.

Asher smiled, he’d found another partner with whom he could improve at all times. Yuviol—

Burn! Incinerate! Burn!

Yuviol would be hard pressed the next time they first met.