Juni was up along with her father and Cole's party. All having been escorted to the village's entrance and gate. The sun was just barely starting to creep up over the horizon.
"We're just going to Samantha's house." Juni promised
"I have no problems with where you go." Rin said simply
"I'll make sure to just check on Taiga and her friend. And be back home by nightfall." Juni now added
"I have no qualms of how late you are out." Rin said as well
These statements irritated Juni the most. Last night's conversation still in her mind.
"I'll be sure to tell Tigress the Dawnsythe's send their love." Cole piped up jokingly
Rin's head slowly creaked towards the boy sending a death glare. Juni and Faye immediately pushing Cole and Iris out before they suffered Rin's wrath.
"Have I ever told you how proud of you I am little brother?" Iris asked jokingly as they were now on the beaten path
"You could stand to mention it more." Cole retorted
"Don't get cute, either of you." Faye scolded as Juni couldn't help but smile never imagining she'd get away with saying something like that
They soon arrived at the fishing village. It was alive as ever this time of year. The market alive and full of trade and business. Mages casting spells and taking part in the celebrations. The town truly was alive on a day like this. Juni watched as Cole and his party seemed happy and at ease, watching the festivities and fireworks. She couldn't remember the last time she had enjoyed the fireworks.
"This way. Sam's house isn't far." Juni said guiding them through town
Her house was the same before. A new backyard extension to the side of the house. The wall around it was made with stone like it was a place of prayer. Juni was now knocking on the door as Tanner answered.
Cole and his two friends could tell this man was some kind of monster alone by his aura.
So visceral, chaotic, burning everything, a wickedness that was elusive and slippery but cloaked in smoke and ash, hiding his true power and reasons well.
But the man offered a smile as he hugged Juni both laughing.
"Good to see you kid! Your friends are keeping Samantha and Tigress busy. Finally let's me rest." Tanner joked some
"And here I thought you were the energetic one." Juni retorted "Tanner Fair; this is Cole Kuro, and his companions Iris and Faye Gale." She added
"I've heard plenty in the last forty eight hours by Tigress' recounting." Tanner said as he approached them but offered Faye a hand with a smile "But It's honor to meet one blessed by two gods. Unheard of indeed. Malady." He said formally as he carefully took her hand and knelt
"You seem to be the son of someone wicked indeed. But someone else who cared greatly, and was deeply connected to the nature of the world." Faye replied as she let him be Iris resting a hand on her sword now
As Tanner stood once his gaze now shifted to Cole who continued to eye him up.
"Oh I haven't missed you by mistake boy. You have lot on your shoulders. An immense responsibility. Your destiny keeps slithering along." He said
This immediately made everyone nervous. But Tanner could spot it, a hint of fear in Juni's eyes...
"Come. Sam and Tigress are down by the docks." Tanner said ushering them forward
As they all moved in silence but soon were all amazed by the sight. Samantha and Aaron were seemingly running or skidding across the water while attacking each other with the very same water. Manipulating it to hurl large slashes at each other while also engaging in hand to hand, fighting when they came close to one another while racing across the water.
Meanwhile Tigress and Taiga were on the docks brawling. Tigress always believed in strengthening the body above all things. A strong body ensured one could maintain aura for hours or even days. Though Taiga was indeed scrappy. She never let any of the other rich kids dare speak a word of ill towards her or her brother. Any who did would suffer Taiga's wrath.
Tanner gave a long deep whistle getting Samantha's attention as she blocked an incoming attack with ease and knocking Aaron into the water with ease. She then dipped into the water as she raced over before shooting out of the water and landing on the boardwalk. Tanner chuckling some at the way his partner showed off.
"So these are the ones she spoke of?" Samantha asked, her knuckles resting on her hips, her head tilted back some as she eyed them
"Indeed." Tanner said looking back at the trio as they looked confused as was Juni also
"You've come all this way. It wouldn't be right if I didn't feed you all." Samantha smirked Tanner chuckling as he shook his head
"You're always hungry." He joked as he took her in his arms
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"And you're always too lazy." She teased as she pulled him along towards the market
"Good to see you doing well without my company my lord. Though this one is rather scrappy." Tigress now said approaching Cole as Juni looked annoyed
Cole merely smiled at this. Taiga was nearly passed out lying on the dock as Aaron sat with her and meditated.
"Well I'm glad you can keep yourself entertained." Cole said "I'm sure we'll see some action in no time." He promised
"I'll hold you to it my lord. Now let's hurry before our 'Maiden of the Deep' eats the feast she plans on making." Tigress added as she moved forward the others soon following...
—————————————————————
Meanwhile...
Raiden was up was soon up himself. His hands had more than healed. He wanted to get back to practicing. He was out in the mountains again meditating.
He wanted to be better, be stronger. Do more. He couldn't sit back and watch as everyone else moved forward. He could hear someone approaching him. It was his mother.
"Are you here to lecture me too?" Raiden asked pouting a little now
"No... I was maybe hoping to help a little." She said squatting down next to him "You've been pushing yourself too hard. Magic is rarely something forced. Only in extreme situations should it be forced out. I don't want you to end up like Cole." She said surprising him
Xylia was no fool. She was a mother, and what she saw in Cole she did not like. A life no son or daughter should have to endure. He deserved to live his own life free of whatever path he had been force upon.
"Cole wields a tremendous power. But it comes at a tremendous price. I don't want to see that happen to you. But I know I can't stop you from learning and growing." She explained to him as she held his face
Raiden was in pure awe of his mother. But still too young to fully comprehend what she meant, though understanding to some degree. Xylia now smiling as she now took Raiden's hands into her own
"So how about I I teach you proper ice technique. Your father's magic is one thing itself. But your own element is unique to you. No matter how many may have a similar affinity. Each spell is crafted and kept by the mage. Only a handful of spells have ever been published." Xylia explained to her son
She was using what knowledge she did have. She'd never seen many magic shops in town. Maybe one with basic supplies. Samantha's village had more. The capital was full of them. Even library of Serene had seldom few books on magic. Juni had checked out all she could countless times in her studies.
"But even I can teach you something." Xylia smiled as she manifest a small flurry of snow and ice in the palms of their hand
Raiden watched with amazement. He couldn't believe his mother was this magically gifted.
"Though you can't rush it. You will only get yourself hurt if you force your magic." She said now as she closed their palms and letting go of his hands "I forced my own magic out, and I don't want to see that happen to you. So promise me, you will not overdo it?" She added
Raiden absorbed this information as he looked at her with curious eyes. He still didn't like the idea of sitting around.
"I understand.." he finally said nodding his head
She smiled and ruffled his hair.
"Now for your lesson." She said as she stood still smiling her hands on her hips "Close your eyes. Draw in a slow steady breath. Feel the mountain air in your lungs." She explained
Raiden was confused by what she was saying as she walked slowly back and forth.
"Close them... breathe deeply, and slowly." She encouraged him further nodding her head some
The boy sighed frustrated as this felt like his father's training. He'd tried for months with this simple meditation and couldn't do what was asked. He couldn't understand what this had to do with Ice magic or training in general.
"Feel the cold of the mountain air on your skin. How does it feel? Describe it to me." She instructed him as she watched him standing back
"It feels. Like it surrounds me, enshrouds me. Like a swirling vortex I can't control." He said slowly reaching out and thinking about what he was feeling
"Then you can feel the raw aura that surrounds you. You inherit my power too. There is a reason I'm not fond of my own powers." She said turning away now
"I can feel... emptiness, the cold seems to keep everything away, from getting too close..." Raiden mused now stretching out with his mind and feeling a deeper sense in this magic
"That's how I used to be. I kept everyone and everything away, unintentionally using my magic. I saw the world as nothing but cold for what it took from me. Even now I'm still not comfortable with it. It's too demanding, how I engrained my feelings and emotions into my magic will be the only way of summoning it for me." She explained further now
He absorbed this information. Seeing the complexity and intricacies of learning magic now. His mother too did not like her magic. He still thought they both were amazing and powerful, he always wanted to be as strong as them, able to feel it.
'Aura, Imagination, and Balance. Remember these three rules of magic. They will guide you and keep you from killing yourself or suffering a fate worse than death.'
His father's words coming back to him, this was the first lesson after he had pestered his father enough to teach him. Raiden still couldn't fully understand why he was so adamant about these rules.
"As I said before. We are not all proud of our magic." Xylia said now kneeling before him as his eyes opened "But perhaps you can make something beautiful and that is all your own. A type of ice only you can harness, something only you can make." She told him further
He listened to her words. He still couldn't completely comprehend this, but he could feel some truth in her words. Like he could start to see in his mind what his own magic was. This vortex he could see that enshrouded him could be tamed, it was apart of him. Something he felt deep in his soul.
"Now let's continue your training in your chosen spell." Xylia said now smiling as Raiden looked confused "You want to learn how to summon a sphere like your father. But you're going about all wrong." She chuckled as he now scowled at this judgement
She now carefully took his hands into hers again as she positioned them and closed her eyes. Xylia began to focus her own power. Raiden could feel a bond between them, the very same cold that he felt, she had always known.
He could feel traces of her past, the pain, the heartache, but that quickly vanished being washed away by feelings of love and happiness. But now he could feel more of his father's memories, his aunt's, his grandfather's and both of his grandmother's...
Now he understood his own power a little more. He was part of his own legacy. He was a member of his father's clan. He could feel the imprints of those that had come before. The traces of what they left behind in their descendants and passed onto him.
Xylia couldn't believe what she was seeing. Raiden was tapping into some deep and latent power, but was in complete control, almost as if he was in some sort of trance. The wind between his hands began to manifest a flurry of wind mixing with snow, the water in the air so cool it was freezing, making ice. He was making a sphere just like Rin's only with ice. Just as he had intended. Yet this one seemed brighter, that had to be impossible. She'd never seen a fusion of two elements before. Raiden had somehow combined light magic with his ice magic...
Raiden finally had come to as he was in pure awe at the sphere swirling in the palm of his hand. The snow, ice and wind moving in all directions, yet contained at the center of it was a sphere of yellow light glowing softly.
He couldn't understand it. The light seemed to allow him to stabilize it and hold it without it shattering or hurting him.
"Not the way I would've done it." Rin said making both of them jump
"Rin!" Xylia scolded making him chuckle
"But you accomplished the task nonetheless. Better than I originally had anticipated." Rin explained now as he moved closer as the sphere dissipated from Raiden's hand
"What do you mean?" Raiden asked cautiously
"You have a gift, my son." Rin said kneeling down now "A gift I never thought I could unlock. To see our past lives. I see it in your eyes. But I cannot open my own to see myself. I am a man looking from the outside in." He explained further
Raiden couldn't understand this at this first. But then he started to remember what he'd seen. All those lives before him, his legacy, his family's history. He placed his hand over his heart feeling that connection still strong in him.
"It is the union of our ancestors clan. The sign of the true leader. The Amazoness with their light magic could illuminate their past lives, to be a guide and compass for your soul. To be able to recall the traces of their bloodline in their aura. Feel what they felt for a glimpse of a second. And you wield light magic. But the mark of a true Amazoness is they could summon the light bow. Not for war, but to defend and have the judgment to do so." Rin explained further the history's of their people "Shinobi of the Light sub clan were also seers and healers. But just as well, the mark of any true Shinobi is the sword they carry they themselves forged." He added as well
Xylia the most in shock and awe of these revelation's. She could understand why Rin was so cautious about Raiden, and why he never asked nor forced Xylia herself to join his clan.
"I had a feeling you would bring honor back to our clan. I just didn't want to you to grow up too fast either. Being a full member of the clan is a responsibility and burden. Right now you're still an initiate." Rin explained further resting a hand on his sons shoulder
Raiden felt proud for once, but the weight of what his father had said made him understand a little more, he wasn't ready. In the back of his mind he could feel the gears turning in his head, now comprehending just a little bit of what his parents felt.
"I understand... I'll, keep training. And make you proud." Raiden said slowly as he looked up at his father now, a look of determination but humbleness as well
"You already do. Just by being who you are, my son." Rin said softly but his tone still serious and placed a kiss on top of Raiden's head before returning back to the camp
"It's getting late. And you still need to eat dinner. You haven't eaten all day." Xylia said being a mother once more as she scooped him up taking him back to the house
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