Chapter 14 - Shock

  Mirium flew down from the frosted tree, a graceful fall next to Sirius. With a loud clap and a blinding flash of lightning, each of them turned into human variants of their original animalistic form. Sirius, still a man who was seven feet tall, had long blue hair and a contrasting midnight cloak. Silver jewelry adorned his hands, and a silver-rimmed bifocal covered his left eye, amplifying his already entrancing facial features. His attire was casual for the biting cold. His head turned to look at Mirium. She stood a few inches shorter, tall and slender, with her skin a beautiful snow white. Her hair flowed naturally with hints of blue and green, and she wore casual attire as well, with a long white overcoat draped over her shoulders.

  “This form should make them feel a little more comfortable, don’t you think, Mirium?” Sirius spoke once more, his tone playful as he ran his newfound fingers through his hair. Mirium chose to ignore him and instead addressed my father.

  “Baron Lars, I take it you didn’t make this trip for no reason... well... out with it!” She fluttered her right hand, gesturing for Father to speak.

  “My original goal was to seek assistance in guiding my son's path. He has not even taken the Ascension Ceremony but has claimed to have seen the System, and I have witnessed him use mana on several accounts at levels that shouldn't be possible. While his usage is elementary and instinctual at best, it shouldn’t be possible before being being blessed by the system and creating his Mana Core.!” My father began explaining my situation, which put me in an awkward position, as I had plans of my own. Regardless, seeing as these were clearly ancient beings, I was sure they had answers for us both.

  “While very rare, it’s not unheard of. The Emperor usually keeps these cases under wraps and forbids documentation, as it goes against the current power structure. The Lascara family has ruled this land for years, and they have done a good job making sure anomalies like your son either side with the crown or have something put in place to keep them in check. Your boy is called a Prime. Even beings such as myself and Sirius can’t disclose how the System will favor the boy, but one thing is certain: all Primes are notoriously powerful, with potential to rival beings like myself and beyond. You have done the right thing keeping him a secret, although he can’t stay one for long if he wants to grow.”

  Mirium gave a brief excerpt on what I was, an apparent Prime. Sounds cool.

  “Yes, but while they are powerful, they are also extremely coveted. There isn’t a pattern to their arrival; you could have one in a hundred years, or twenty. Without fail they are all Powerhouses, blessed they be to live long enough to become powerful that is, You did the right thing hiding your son's powers like Mirium said, but even if you didn’t, when the day of his Ascension comes, the System itself will announce it. Not literally, but his Ascension ceremony will be grand. All Primes have a few things in Common. Indescribable mana manipulation and compatibility, a blessed affinity with an element, and a Legendary class.

  Ominous. I didn’t like the sound of that. I’d only be a ten-year-old boy, and all the powerhouses would instantly be after me? What’s up with that! I could see the panic in my father’s eyes, the helplessness. Legendary class though.. pretty awesome.

  With the brief pause, I chimed in, “I know I am special based on the abilities I can display, especially after learning what is considered normal from reading the tomes in our family’s library. I’ve used magic in duels before and use my Mana sense, or lightning lens, frequently, but I had my own reason for coming along…”

  I let the statement hang in the air, my father giving me a questioning gaze.

  “I aim to form my Core without the System's help. I want to handle Mana naturally, as I can feel you two doing right now. I know I can do it; I’ve practiced manipulating mana on my own when I meditate in our garden. I believe this will give me a big step ahead my peers during the ascension ceremo-.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Father was shocked, rightfully so; after all, I had never told him this before.

  “Lance, do you even understand what you are say,” Sirius cut him off with booming laughter.

  “Quite the lofty goal, my dear boy. Well, I would expect no less from someone I had my eye on. I sensed you, not long ago, the day you dared to try and perceive me with your Mana sense. The day I came back to this mountain, I felt your gaze. I reckon it gave you quite the pair of sore eyes, no?”

  So it was him. It was the Guardian. I had my suspicions. Seems like things may work out better than I expected if he already could tell I was an odd one out.

  “You see,” he continued, “when a Prime goes through an Ascension, everyone of sufficient power can tell. But when an existence is blessed by an element, we Guardians can tell. All of us are progenitors to a specific element. Take me, for example; I am the Progenitor of Lightning and Snow. Mirium, Snow and Wind. Nobody else in the world can wield our elements better than we can, even if they carry an affinity for them, for we are born from those elements. When an element marks a soul, it becomes part of its essence, shaping instincts, emotions, and even fate itself. That is what being blessed means, a soul intertwined with an element’s ancient will. Someone blessed by an element can call upon its ancient power; they are connected to all things related to it. That is why I sensed you, sensed your power, my dear boy.”

  Sirius rattled off more information than I expected, but what he said answered my question, what exactly made me special. Turns out I'm lightning-touched and a Prime. Pretty cool if I say so myself.

  “Until then, to answer your father’s earlier question, Sirius and I will train you and help you form your mana core early. While we cant say for sure this will work, we can give it a try. I have a theory that if we can form your mana core, if will help your Ascension ceremony greatly. While being a prime isn't a specific title, or ability, it is an identifier. A being of great power. There is no way to stop that from being revealed within your Ascension ceremony.

  Sirius leaned back slightly, a flicker of curiosity in his sharp eyes. “It’s been centuries since anything truly unexpected happened to us, boy. You’re a mystery, and mysteries are worth studying.” Mirium smirked faintly, saying nothing, but her silence said enough, they were both intrigued, maybe even excited.

  For such exalted beings, they were awfully helpful. Well, I’m sure they had their own motives, but I wasn’t in a position to negotiate or ask questions. I had my answer; they agreed to help, and I couldn’t be happier.

  “I can’t thank you enough!” I said with a genuine smile.

  “Don’t thank us yet, boy. It’s your father’s choice.”

  Oh, damn. I looked over at Father.

  “How long would this process take? His Ascension Ceremony is just under a month. Besides, have you even done this before?” He spoke with a curious tone, still on his knees.

  “Well, obviously not. Nobody has ever been crazy enough to try forming a Core before their Ascension. That’s why we are agreeing to help. This could open new paths for us to explore, and best of all, it should be exciting! Though I must warn you, what takes others years, we’ll attempt in mere weeks, and if your will falters, you’ll lose more than your Core.”

  Mirium added softly, “Time moves differently within our domain, Baron. What feels like weeks here may only be days beyond these mountains.”

  Father spoke again, “I will have to agree, then. If we can keep prying eyes off my son for a few more years, then by all means, do what you must.”

  Sirius and Mirium both nodded.

  “I came here with something else to say as well. During our ascent, we came across a [CORRUPTED]. As a Keeper, my duty tells me to inform you, the Guardian of the North, if we ever come across one. It was called a Bilespitter, a worm-like creature that dug its way toward us within the Dwarven tunnels.”

  Sirius just stared at my father. His voice rumbled. “Anything else?”

  My father shook his head. “No, Guardian.”

  “Very well. I will send you and your retainer back down to your estate, Baron Lars. As for your boy, he will be staying with us for a bit, until he can control his Mana and create his own Core he will stay with us while we practice.

  Well, that didn’t sound half bad to me. Spending a few weeks with beings that were basically demigods sounded nothing short of exhilarating.

  Father replied, “Very well. Thank you for heeding my concerns, and please do mind my son. He’s clearly lacking in the manners department.”

  Mirium gave a chuckle. “No worries, Baron Lars. What you should focus on is explaining this to his mother. Elven mothers are rarely calm when it comes to their kin. Farewell, Baron.”

  With that closing statement, another clap of lightning struck, and my father and Sir Darvish were gone, leaving behind only a charred mark where the strike had connected with the snow.