About a week later, in an abandoned villa on the outskirts of the forest.
“Nana.” Ewan shook her. “Wake up,” he said.
She groaned and rolled to the other side, wrapping the blanket around.
“Nana, its morning.” He shook her again.
“Five more….,” she mumbled.
“We have things to do, wake up already,” he said and rattled her. Her groans and moans oscillated with her, and she growled. “Nana!”
She turned towards him, her eyes still closed, and chomped his hand.
“It’s bleeding! Let go! Let go!!” Ewan yelled and slapped her forehead, pushing her away. Her bite left a deep teeth mark on his hand, and it stung.
The escalated outburst that night loosened her shackles, and the revenge freed her of her chains, it must’ve taken a huge burden off her shoulders. Her steps were now lighter, and she smiled more with occasional giggles. His childhood Nana, her past self, trickled back in. But with it came all the habits she had back then. She still bit like a dog…
Ewan blew on the marks, easing the burning sensation. The pain triggered nostalgia. But he couldn’t indulge and waste time, he’d planned his breakthrough this morning. His spirit brimmed and peaked and it was time for the fifth awakening, time for ‘Sindra’.
He sat on the porch gulping lungfuls of petrichor, the rained earth’s breath. The untimely rain hurried the arrival of Greenbirth, the forest woke up overnight. The leaves were ever so vibrant, the air glided with fresh breeze, and the birds cheered the dawn. The insects sang in harmony, the animals roared their calls. Yet they all dimmed and hushed when Ewan cut himself off from his surroundings and started his attempt, leaving his and Nana’s safety in his Astylinds’ hands.
…
…
…
Sindra—Ice Favored.
Ice-Anima danced around him, swirling into a torrent, exciting his ice rune. Ewan reined them in and they moved like his fingers. They saturated his body and soul, comforting him with an icy hug filled with warmth. He was the child of ice and snow right now, and they heeded all his commands. This was the level of affinity Frost enjoyed each day, a common occurrence for him yet an envious prospect for Ewan.
Soon the burden wore out his soul, and he had to stop. The receding Ice-Anima left him and his ice rune hungered for more. He craved that level of control again, but he was a Human, his forte lay somewhere else. ‘Wisdom rules all’—he couldn’t revel, and let his own skill dictate him.
Rested and a calming walk in the serene woods later, Ewan tried again. As a spellcaster, ‘Grein’ suited him more, permanently engraved spell circuits were a better fit for him. It could remove his dependence on the Spellbook and increase his efficiency in battles. But he was a Severynth, not a Cerade. This was the bed he made, he had to lie in it.
Sindra—Heal.
The skill sucked his Blood-Anima and healed the bleeding wound he created with a sharp stick. It took longer to heal than Iris, but the result satisfied him. Once he was proficient enough, he could use it mid-battle, Iris wouldn’t need to come out in dangerous situations anymore.
“Food’s ready,” Nana hollered from inside the villa as Ewan finished his tests. So, he grabbed all his Astylinds and went in. After breakfast, he had to visit the hub once. If his refreshed balance after selling the cores allowed him, Orange would be the next to grade up.
…..
Ewan succeeded in eight tries and Orange did in one, saving him some Novas. The process went the same as Frost. Orange also suffered through the upgrade, worrying Ewan, but came out the victor in the end, gaining a dormant skill and meeting his rival’s strides. The flickering fire on his forehead burned brighter, and his fur adopted a glossy glaze as the Fire-Anima calmed down around him.
Identify.
[Astylind Name: Fire Monkey (Mutant)]
[Astylind Level: Level-5]
[Astylind Grade: Grade-B]
[Anima Affinity: Fire]
[Skills: Fire-Recipient | Wrath-Inferno (Dormant)]
[Gender: Male]
[Description: Natives of Airadia. They are blessed with decent fire-element affinity (Recipient) but lack the skill to make use of it.]
[Grade-Exalt Requirements: Noble Rite (Zik Aroig)—A toast to fire, feast on slumbering lava for one month.]
[Remark 1: Can be trained as a vanguard but require more attention with the elemental skills.]
[Remark 2: They look cool, so can make them your mascot.]
[Remark 3: I agree with the second remark, lol.]
Unless he ventured out of the colony and expanded his reach, Grade-B looked to be the limit for his Astylinds. He couldn’t perform either of the Noble Rites here. And the successive pattern dictated that Iris’s rite would also follow the same concept. Getting out was already on top of his priority list, this only added to the motivations behind it.
“How’s your progress? When can you break through?” Ewan asked, lounging on the sofa after bringing a drained Orange inside the rune.
“Another week maybe,” Nana said, playing with Lime, the Wood Squirrel, on another sofa.
“Do you want to try for Grade-B?”
“Should I?” She looked at Ewan.
“It’ll be helpful.” Ewan nodded. “Your ‘Spirit’ will increase faster.”
“When can you make the potion then?”
“Gather the ingredients, I’ll try tonight before we leave,” he said. “I’ll take my service charge.”
Nana pouted. “Discount,” she said.
Ewan sunk in the sofa deeper. “Twenty percent, family discount,” he said.
Nana put Lime on her lap and showed him nine fingers, barely keeping the tenth down halfway. “Ninety-five,” she said.
“Just rob me!” Ewan barked.
Spoiler| Status: Healthy | |
| Step-0 [5th Awakening] | |
| Name: Ewan Ayres | Species: Human |
| Vitality: 1.6 | Spirit: 9.2 |
| Anima: [Fire – 9.2 | Ice – 9.2 | Blood – 9.2] | |
| Astylinds: 4 [Potential: 0] | |
|
Rolling Cat [Toast]: Step-0 [5th Awakening] Fire Monkey [Orange]: Step-0 [Level-5] [Grade-B] Imp [Frost]: Step-0 [Level-5] [Grade-B]
| |
| Equipment: Common Clothes; Yurn [Neck Gaiter]. | |
| Storage: Journal; Elementalist—The Path of Anima [Subtype-Book]; Spellbook; Bloodlust [Spell]; Transmute [Spell]; Anima-Crystals; Obsidian Dagger; Hub-Connector; Ingredients. | |
| Novas: 43 | Crelith: 4984 |
Aleth08
Please rate, comment, and leave a review if you are liking the story and haven't done so already [You can leave a rating without leaving a review, just click submit after clicking the stars]. It will really help me out if you can take some time out for this.
Also, if you would like to read ahead, I have a Patreon account, a total of 40 chapters for early access right now [Volume-1 is now complete on Patreon]. I'll also be releasing a free chapter or two on patreon soon when the schedule settles into the sustainable form, you can read that by joining my patreon for free.
Note: Members are charged on the day they join, and then monthly on that same date. For example, if you join on the 10th, you'll be charged on that day, and then monthly on the 10th.
And if u would like to join, this is my discord server The Magicians.
Thanks for reading my story as always. Appreciate it.
About a week later, in an abandoned villa on the outskirts of the forest.
“Nana.” Ewan shook her. “Wake up,” he said.
She groaned and rolled to the other side, wrapping the blanket around.
“Nana, its morning.” He shook her again.
“Five more….,” she mumbled.
“We have things to do, wake up already,” he said and rattled her. Her groans and moans oscillated with her, and she growled. “Nana!”
She turned towards him, her eyes still closed, and chomped his hand.
“It’s bleeding! Let go! Let go!!” Ewan yelled and slapped her forehead, pushing her away. Her bite left a deep teeth mark on his hand, and it stung.
The escalated outburst that night loosened her shackles, and the revenge freed her of her chains, it must’ve taken a huge burden off her shoulders. Her steps were now lighter, and she smiled more with occasional giggles. His childhood Nana, her past self, trickled back in. But with it came all the habits she had back then. She still bit like a dog…
Ewan blew on the marks, easing the burning sensation. The pain triggered nostalgia. But he couldn’t indulge and waste time, he’d planned his breakthrough this morning. His spirit brimmed and peaked and it was time for the fifth awakening, time for ‘Sindra’.
He sat on the porch gulping lungfuls of petrichor, the rained earth’s breath. The untimely rain hurried the arrival of Greenbirth, the forest woke up overnight. The leaves were ever so vibrant, the air glided with fresh breeze, and the birds cheered the dawn. The insects sang in harmony, the animals roared their calls. Yet they all dimmed and hushed when Ewan cut himself off from his surroundings and started his attempt, leaving his and Nana’s safety in his Astylinds’ hands.
…
…
…
Sindra—Ice Favored.
Ice-Anima danced around him, swirling into a torrent, exciting his ice rune. Ewan reined them in and they moved like his fingers. They saturated his body and soul, comforting him with an icy hug filled with warmth. He was the child of ice and snow right now, and they heeded all his commands. This was the level of affinity Frost enjoyed each day, a common occurrence for him yet an envious prospect for Ewan.
Soon the burden wore out his soul, and he had to stop. The receding Ice-Anima left him and his ice rune hungered for more. He craved that level of control again, but he was a Human, his forte lay somewhere else. ‘Wisdom rules all’—he couldn’t revel, and let his own skill dictate him.
Rested and a calming walk in the serene woods later, Ewan tried again. As a spellcaster, ‘Grein’ suited him more, permanently engraved spell circuits were a better fit for him. It could remove his dependence on the Spellbook and increase his efficiency in battles. But he was a Severynth, not a Cerade. This was the bed he made, he had to lie in it.
Sindra—Heal.
The skill sucked his Blood-Anima and healed the bleeding wound he created with a sharp stick. It took longer to heal than Iris, but the result satisfied him. Once he was proficient enough, he could use it mid-battle, Iris wouldn’t need to come out in dangerous situations anymore.
“Food’s ready,” Nana hollered from inside the villa as Ewan finished his tests. So, he grabbed all his Astylinds and went in. After breakfast, he had to visit the hub once. If his refreshed balance after selling the cores allowed him, Orange would be the next to grade up.
…..
Ewan succeeded in eight tries and Orange did in one, saving him some Novas. The process went the same as Frost. Orange also suffered through the upgrade, worrying Ewan, but came out the victor in the end, gaining a dormant skill and meeting his rival’s strides. The flickering fire on his forehead burned brighter, and his fur adopted a glossy glaze as the Fire-Anima calmed down around him.
Identify.
[Astylind Name: Fire Monkey (Mutant)]
[Astylind Level: Level-5]
[Astylind Grade: Grade-B]
[Anima Affinity: Fire]
[Skills: Fire-Recipient | Wrath-Inferno (Dormant)]
[Gender: Male]
[Description: Natives of Airadia. They are blessed with decent fire-element affinity (Recipient) but lack the skill to make use of it.]
[Grade-Exalt Requirements: Noble Rite (Zik Aroig)—A toast to fire, feast on slumbering lava for one month.]
[Remark 1: Can be trained as a vanguard but require more attention with the elemental skills.]
[Remark 2: They look cool, so can make them your mascot.]
[Remark 3: I agree with the second remark, lol.]
Unless he ventured out of the colony and expanded his reach, Grade-B looked to be the limit for his Astylinds. He couldn’t perform either of the Noble Rites here. And the successive pattern dictated that Iris’s rite would also follow the same concept. Getting out was already on top of his priority list, this only added to the motivations behind it.
“How’s your progress? When can you break through?” Ewan asked, lounging on the sofa after bringing a drained Orange inside the rune.
“Another week maybe,” Nana said, playing with Lime, the Wood Squirrel, on another sofa.
“Do you want to try for Grade-B?”
“Should I?” She looked at Ewan.
“It’ll be helpful.” Ewan nodded. “Your ‘Spirit’ will increase faster.”
“When can you make the potion then?”
“Gather the ingredients, I’ll try tonight before we leave,” he said. “I’ll take my service charge.”
Nana pouted. “Discount,” she said.
Ewan sunk in the sofa deeper. “Twenty percent, family discount,” he said.
Nana put Lime on her lap and showed him nine fingers, barely keeping the tenth down halfway. “Ninety-five,” she said.
“Just rob me!” Ewan barked.
Spoiler| Status: Healthy | |
| Step-0 [5th Awakening] | |
| Name: Ewan Ayres | Species: Human |
| Vitality: 1.6 | Spirit: 9.2 |
| Anima: [Fire – 9.2 | Ice – 9.2 | Blood – 9.2] | |
| Astylinds: 4 [Potential: 0] | |
|
Rolling Cat [Toast]: Step-0 [5th Awakening] Fire Monkey [Orange]: Step-0 [Level-5] [Grade-B] Imp [Frost]: Step-0 [Level-5] [Grade-B]
| |
| Equipment: Common Clothes; Yurn [Neck Gaiter]. | |
| Storage: Journal; Elementalist—The Path of Anima [Subtype-Book]; Spellbook; Bloodlust [Spell]; Transmute [Spell]; Anima-Crystals; Obsidian Dagger; Hub-Connector; Ingredients. | |
| Novas: 43 | Crelith: 4984 |
Aleth08
Please rate, comment, and leave a review if you are liking the story and haven't done so already [You can leave a rating without leaving a review, just click submit after clicking the stars]. It will really help me out if you can take some time out for this.
Also, if you would like to read ahead, I have a Patreon account, a total of 40 chapters for early access right now [Volume-1 is now complete on Patreon]. I'll also be releasing a free chapter or two on patreon soon when the schedule settles into the sustainable form, you can read that by joining my patreon for free.
Note: Members are charged on the day they join, and then monthly on that same date. For example, if you join on the 10th, you'll be charged on that day, and then monthly on the 10th.
And if u would like to join, this is my discord server The Magicians.
Thanks for reading my story as always. Appreciate it.
