The Beginning After the End - A Second Legacy

Chapter 11 - Bestowal?

Remington Leywin

We sat around a circular wooden table, its center carved into a basin full of water.

[So. What kind of magic does she use exactly?]

{She's a diviner. Someone who gets visions of circumstances in the future at random. Or chooses to trader their own life force to see into people or events willingly. Or as Virion so lovingly put it an old witch.}

[Ohh.]

Art and I looked at each other as Elder Rinia offered the ability to talk to our parents. I considered for a moment, but conceded as I knew it would benefit Art more than I. While we waited and listened to Art pour his heart out, Sylv brought up another question to me.

[Hey Remi, this doesn't relate to this current situation but, have you felt those two mana signatures that are present whenever we are near the royal family?]

'It's likely Alea and Aya, the Elven Lances. It makes sense that they would be standing guard but against children?'

I do hope to train with them however. Maybe I could get a head start on them so that when the war arrives they have a better chance of survival. I already have a couple ideas I want to bring up to them.

{I have been yes, I suppose we'll have to ask Virion about it. Let's do so when we go train tomorrow. But I also have something I've been wondering about.} I said looking at Sylv. {I've been noticing that no one is asking about your horns. So, when your horns were sealed did that also include some sort of invisibility spell?}

[I was thinking the same thing.] She said as we broke our contact and returned our gazes to the basin. Art had begun to tear up likely nearing the end of his speech. [I'm not quite sure yet, but it does seem likely. You, however, somehow still see them. Though that could be due to the bond we hold. But then again Art hasn't asked why they've disappeared.]

{Maybe it only applies when someone has no knowledge of them?}

We let the question linger as we agreed to talk on it later when Art was free with us.

Once finished ,Virion guided us out, Rinia standing by the door. She stopped Sylv and I just as we were about to exit.

"You two. Come back soon I have a lot to discuss with you." She said quiet enough as to not have anyone else hear. "It is of grave importance."

Sylv and I looked at each other somewhat skeptical of how important it actually was. Well, she is a diviner. But she wouldn't be able to tell us any major detail due to the possibility of said event changing as a result.

———

Late at night, Sylv and I snuck out to do some training. Going against the suggestion Virion had made on getting rest for his training the next day. As we made our way to the training grounds we stumbled into Alea Triscan, who stood at the center of the field. We watched as she began to conjure plants from the ground. Vines soared into the air, sprouting oversized red flowers at random.

Sylv began to clap next to me as I followed suite. Alea perked up at our presence. She flew over, landing in front of us. "Hello there!" She exclaimed. "You two are Virion's new disciples, correct?"

We nodded in unison as she offered her hands to us. "Well, how about training with me. I'll go easy on you two. Well, easier than Virion will."

—

We had sat down in a triangle as she was explaining elemental affinities. "Ma'am, if it's alright with you could I ask what elements you're capable of using."

"No need for formalities, call me Alea." She placed a finger on her cheek as she feigned contemplation. "Well, I can manipulate Water and Earth. With a Plant deviancy."

'That lines up due to her deviancy.'

I continued to listen to her lessons as I drew in the dirt below us. A symbol depicting a gust of wind. Encapsulating the symbol was two rhombus.

{Do you think we could artificially give someone the ability to manipulate an element?}

[With that symbol? Wind mana?]

I nodded

[It wouldn't hurt to try. What do you have in mind?]

—

After I explained my plan to Sylv, we both turned to Alea. "Alea, would you let us try something. And please bear with us." She looked at us puzzled, but she agreed. Grabbing my dagger, I cut open the pointer finger on my right hand. Sylv walked behind Alea and asked for her permission to lift up her shirt ever so slightly. When Alea's cheeks went pink as she hesitated, we informed her not to worry as I would never dream of peaking.

"This may hurt a little bit. But you're going to have to trust me."

With Sylv holding up Alea's shirt I moved my blade to the small of her back. I gave her a cut small enough to draw blood.

'I believe the Mana Core should be somewhere below the solar plexus. So this shouldn't be far off.'

I replicated the symbol I drew earlier with my blood and Alea's. Controlling the blood to embed itself, I poured in wind mana as I went. Looking at Sylv, she nodded as she manipulated pure mana into the blood as well. Using it as a transition between my mana and Alea's. After three minutes, we let off as I withdrew my blood. A phantom of my symbol stained her back.

"Alea, can you check your affinities again?"

"I already told yo-" she cut off. "Wait a second. What did you two do."

Sylv and I gave each other toothy, knowing smiles. Alea imbued mana into her hand and caused a small ball of wind to form before it cut in and out. Having expected this Sylv used some pure mana to help Alea get used to controlling her new affinity. The time for training and testing was running to a close however as Sylv and I struggled to keep our eyes open due to the day's fatigue.

We began to fall asleep while Alea began practicing her wind attribute on her own, the sputtering of wind mana lessening ever so slightly every time, a gleeful grin of her face.