Chapter 5: Awakening

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The week passed fairly quickly. My aunt was as supportive as ever for some reason, and I really worry for her children when they grow up.

I also tried to join the Delver’s Union here, but apparently, a minor branch like theirs doesn’t have the resources to conduct the test that every delver had to go through. Pretty disappointing really, those market discounts will have to wait.

My room was basically cleaned out at this point too, my aunt was planning on making space for a bigger bath and it looks like she’s more excited for my departure than I am.

I’m really going to miss this town, but I’d have to leave at some point regardless.

A budding mage like myself would have to leave either way as the mana surrounding my core was already beginning to condense into a small multicolored pond that surrounded my core due to my constant usage and practice of magic. In a way, a mage’s magic was like the flesh and bones warriors and knights continuously strengthened; the more it was used, the stronger it became.

As I walked through the streets, I made my way to the stables where the mercenaries were waiting.

It was a bit early in the morning, but there’s really no harm in getting there first.

I bit through a fruit the locals liked to call moonfruit, it apparently glows like the moon in the night when it hasn’t been plucked yet, so the tree it come from looks like it holds the very night sky within it.

I’ve honestly never seen it. I heard there used to be some around here, but over harvesting caused them to only be abundant away from the city where they were earnestly cultivated by countryside folk.

I’ll make sure to see that place as well.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll come visit you every now and then. Ah, there he is,” Albross said, walking towards me with Gwain and another mercenary—Fram, I think, was his name.

Gwain looked tired, I noted a few more white hairs on his head. I guess even a veteran mercenary like him can’t just shrug off an amputation. The four of us conversed for a bit before we headed for the gate. All of the mercenaries came along this time, with the first group that was supposed to arrive at the city early tagging along with the second.

We arrived and the four of us were greeted by the rest of the hired arms. Susanna barked out orders and we each boarded the carriages assigned to us. It was a bit of a tight fit with all the goods it carried, but it was alright.

The carriages began to move.

I really can’t believe it. I’m leaving this place behind.

A bit of sadness welled up within me, but it wasn’t as strong as the anticipation I held for the road ahead of me.

The carriage rocked and swayed in an almost steady beat, the road ahead of me looked like it extended into infinity, a vast expanse limited only by itself. The trees stood tall and strong, their old age evident by the towering trunks that held their leaves and branches aloft.

“…...”

I fell into silence, the mercenaries around me chatted and watched the road’s surroundings vigilantly, but it was all background.

A mere afterthought that faded into the trance I was stuck in.

Unknowingly, I had moved outside of the carriage and used my magic to fly up and stand above the carriage’s roof. I stared blankly at the road in front of me and sat down, unaware of the curious stares I received.

Mana began to circulate within my body, gathering around the tips of my fingers and struggling to get out.

My eyes closed and I raised my hands in front of myself as I let out a breath.

I stayed like this for an amount of time unknown to me, the only sensation filling my conscious was the tugging feeling that originated from my mana and the continuous buzzing my core emitted.

The wind blew and the air felt cool against my skin.

Suddenly, I felt like everything around me was part of a single whole, singing a single melody that existed within everything in the world.

Within this flowing melody was a type of energy. The energy that every living thing in this world relied upon—Mana. There was another within it that I could feel existed, but I couldn’t feel it nearly as intimately as I did mana. It felt like there was a wall that blocked it off from me. This was probably Ki.

I heard that mana existed within everything, but this is the first time I’ve felt it for myself.

The mana in my body churned, and I felt like I could actually influence the foreign elements that existed beyond the core area within my body.

Different types of readings—signatures of mana existed, and when I found out about this, I felt shocked. Mana wasn’t restricted to just the elements, even metal had its own signature. Different types of mana represented the different types of affinities the book about magic talked about.

For some types of mana, I felt a strong pull towards, but the rest either felt like they were too weak to interact with or tried to just outright avoid me.

My mana reached out and poked at what felt like water element mana in the moisture of the air around me. I tried to grab ahold of it and achieve control, but it was like grabbing at a bar of soap underwater while covered in slime.

It was an understatement to call it hard. My control wasn’t good enough to manipulate it yet.

Yet.

Gritting my teeth, I tried again.

I lifted my arm, stopping Albross from disturbing the boy who climbed up the carriage.

He looked at me questioningly, “Captain?”

I stared at the boy for a moment longer, “Let him be, and tell the others not to disturb him,” I said.

A breakthrough at this time? The boy certainly had talent. What is he trying to comprehend I wonder?

Albross sped off to the other carriages to spread the word, looking every bit as indignant as always when he receives orders from me. I watched the boy in silence, barely stopping myself from using my mana to see what he was doing as it might lead to an accident on his part.

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Time passed and the sun was soon high up in the sky, signaling noontime. We stopped the carriages and began to prepare for some food and rest.

The boy still hadn’t moved from his spot, holding his arms outward with sweat dripping down his face.

Occasionally, I would feel the mana surrounding him weaken slightly, but that was the extent of my knowledge.

Any more probing and I might hinder his development, so I stopped at observing from a distance.

Gwain the some of the others asked if he should be woken up, but I told them off. This was a critical moment, he might even advance from being a mage-in-training with this.

Our carriages continued, about a dozen people taking turns to walk as the employer didn’t have enough space to let all of us ride inside the carriages.

In almost no time at all, the sun began to set.

“Hey, captain! Come over here, Drey’s cooking is as good as ever!”

“This soup is amazing! You should try so—Hey! What the fuck are you trying to do!?”

Sally slapped away Al’s hand, who was trying to steal a portion of her soup from her. Soon, it devolved into a small brawl between the two of them.

I sighed, why can’t these guys eat quietly? I gave the boy one last glance before joining the rest of my comrades in their excessively rowdy meals.

…The portion I received had no meat.

I looked at Albross who was stuffing his face and grit my teeth.

He paled, “Nononono, you misunderstand captain, it was Sally who did it. I’m completely—AHH! Stop! Stop! My arm can’t take this much strain! I may be a master archer but—Agh!”

I paused and looked at the boy whose expression suddenly flickered. A flash of light came from his fingers and then faded away.

Smiling, I tossed Albross to the side and drank my stew. We may have just befriended an outstanding mage.

We all slept and the next two days passed quickly, the boy—Ravel, would constantly create things like fire, light, water, and ice from his fingertips with increasing frequency, looking like the mana around him bent to his every beck and call.

“Are you sure he’s going to be alright staying like that Susanna?” Gwain asked, “If I recall correctly, yours only took around a day and a half. He’s been at it for three.”

I looked at my old comrade, “At this state, the mana around him is enough to sustain him. He wouldn’t be in danger even if he stayed like this for a week.”

As I recalled my own Awakening, a smile formed on my face, fond memories of old friends going through my mind.

I wonder what that bastard Ezran is doing now? Fye? How are all of them doing I wonder?

Maybe I’ll retire in a few years too. Going back to the village and settling down doesn’t seem like a bad idea.

With Gwain’s inevitable retirement, I’ll be the last of us seven still working.

I glanced at the boy, I regret not taking the same path he did. If only I met Ezran and the others sooner. I smiled at my childish thoughts and looked at the sky that was a never ending blue.

Albross approached me.

“You better live this life well,” I said.

“What? Captain let's talk about this later, this is serious. We might have some company soon.”

I looked at him and frowned, “What kind?”

“Beasts, giant lizards by the looks of the tracks. This area’s their territory and we just happened to pass during mating season,” He drew his bow and tightened his quiver, “Best we get ready, these things don’t attack alone.”

I grinned, “Gather the carriages and form a half-circle formation around them! Albross, take the archers, you know what to do.”

Al ran off and stood atop the carriages with the rest of the archers, trying not to disturb the boy who was still trying to reach Awakening.

Gwain picked up his axe and slung it atop his shoulder, standing with the rest of the vanguard.

We tensed up and the forest around us was quiet, quiet until a low rumble rang out from in front of us.

First, the leaves shook, then the ground quaked, and finally, the first of the lizards burst through the treeline. A whole three meters long each.

Fram laughed as he and the others let loose arrows that struck the lizards.

His and Al’s arrows in particular managed to kill a lizard each.

I gathered my mana and snapped my fingers, setting my right arm and the sword it held aflame.

“Attack!”

I opened my eyes, my new discovery increasing both the purity and control of the mana I held within my core.

Smiling, I looked out my face turned blank for a few seconds.

Um... what?

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Author's Note: 

                    Hello everyone, sorry about the late release. Here's the fifth chapter! I really need to get rid of that bad habit where I promise a chapter that never comes. Well, I hope you all enjoyed. Please leave a review or comment if you have any advice to give. If you have any cool ideas for locations and places you could give me, that'd be nice too.

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