Letting her fingers dance through the winter breeze. Two golden runes hung in the air. Blistering with a vibrant light, a ripple of Arcana shook the brittle snow at Aurelia's feet.
"Protection and Lightning," Aurelia muttered off the runes she drew, shooting Zariel a confirming stare.
It had been three hours since they started, and Aurelia and Ella had not had a single successful rune. Zariel had warned them that Wards needed accuracy, or you risk death.
"Good, now no matter how many runes there are, I want you to combine them into a single one. I cannot help you with this part. You must do it yourself." Zariel calmly declared, scanning Aurelia rune with his piercing eyes.
'But the more runes one has, the harder it is to form," Aurelia bitterly grunted.
"These are the basics, Aurelia, and this is the process of runes making. You build the rune, and I will show you the inner mechanics that allow the magic to occur." Said Zariel, studying the two runes in Aurelia's sights. He then turned to Ella, who was in the same boat as Aurelia. Yet her runes were a bit different.
Covered in sweat that stung like needles in the frigid winter, Zariel released a sharp breath, "Let's call it a day; you all can practice in your free time. Once an original rune is formed, you will feel a presence in your soul. Almost like a resonance, and that rune will forever be yours to command."
"But could they not copy yours?" Sionn lazily pointed out.
Unable to help himself, Zariel rolled his eyes."Yes, but this way, they will be able to instantly cast a Ward instead of drawing it like I just did. Now shall we commence with the second part of your lesson?"
Dropping their runes, a sea of golden embers covered Aurelia lie fireflies fading into the ether. Biting her lips, she glanced down a bit helplessly. Failure was very common, but it always stung.
"Chin up, Girls," Flaye cheered, 'Duke Blackwater, if I may. How long does it usually take to learn these wards like so?"
Tensing his brow, Zariel thought for a moment, "Ten years, for the average man, kids pick up faster, while genius will take a year or a few months. But you two, it may take a week, maybe less. It's like art; I am trying to stop you from copying and actually show me your own creation."
"So we are not dumb?" Ella muttered, casting her head low in shame.
"Did I do it again?" Said Zariel, confused by the reaction. It had always baffled him how sometimes his students would be depressed at his words.
"Cheer up!" Flaye roared with a smile. "Why not challenge yourself! Prove to Duke Blackwater that you are better than most geniuses. Lift your head, and look ahead!"
Sparking a bit of fire in the two girls' young hearts, a radiant fire shone like stars through their eyes.
Glaring with combative flare. Zariels brow shot up, "Oh? Guess this part is going to be even better. Before in the stages of Arcane Refinement, you had to cycle Arcana around your body; now, you can cycle it in your veins without dying. "
Grabbing the attention of both adult and child, a magical silver shape of a man appeared just above Zariel's head, "However, before you do that, you need to create an Arcane Core in your heart or two fingers below your navel.
To do so, many will simply condense the Arcana for the air into their bodies, but we are doing something different."
Pointing to the image of a childlike avatar above his head, Zariel's words grew a bit profound, "You must think of an object or creature. To me, it was myself, my little sister was a truck, and my brother, it was a blazing mist of Darkness."
"Whatever the object or creature is, make sure it matches you! And only you, do not copy, just believe. Thing of the strongest thing you can, and devour the Arcana for the air."
"Can it be a dragon?" Sionn fired off, having already begun studying in their draconic arts.
"If it must be a dragon, then make it of your own imagination, do not follow after that dragon statue we saw. Less you wish to be her thrall." Zariel patiently warned, having heard tales of those that wished to capture the heavens themself in their cores, only to fall under their thralls.
Hesitant to speak, Aurelia eyed the silver image, "so, the thing you believe most in is yourself? That is the strongest creature to you?" She said, yet her words sounded a bit off to Zariels ear.
"What else could there be? The Heavens rejected me, so there can only be me." He replied in a bit of a riddle. Zariel was without a home, a family, or friends and had been cast into the very Hells. He believed in none, as it was his strength that allowed himself to claw his way out from the depts.
Breaking her gaze away, a sense of understanding buzzed into the corner of her mind. Holding onto her chest, she felt the thumping of her heavy heart.
"A being of power, or object," Aurelia murmured.
Shutting their eyes to the outside world, a faint pulse fluttered through the breeze, pushing the snow at their feet away.
Lost in their world, Zariel somehow found a smile upon his face as he recalled his own mother doing the same for him. "Just think and believe," He said softly.
A magical circle soon appeared, passing his fingers through the air, pulling Arcana from the heavens, twisting and turning like a weave; it grew in size, covering Ella, Sionn, and Aurelia. Flashing a few hand signs, a solemn grimace marred his lips. "Sigil of Power," He chanted, turning a bit pale.
Star-struck by the domain buzzing with a thunderous force capable of decimating mountains, Flaye and Kest approached.
"What is this?" Said Kest grimly.
"It's known by many as the mark of power. It's a way of enhancing the younger generation. By building a focus in their mind. It grants a more powerful use of spells and enhancement to one's body."Said the young Lord. "They will have faster response times, their Qi will be able to react with their mind instantly, and most of all, they will gain properties of the beast or object they chose."
The wind had begun to stir, bringing with it a sheet of snow. Storming the skies, the capital of Seigram was blanketed on the eve of night.
Countless hours had passed since Zariel had drawn the Sigil of Power for the young children. He had remained calm regarding the situation, but Earl Kest and Flaye were not as calm.
"My Lord, do you not think it's time we put them inside?" Kest responded after a moment of silence. Having seen war and the carnage of snow, he stared at the silver-white snow cracking the skin of his grandaughter's fingers. "they are risking frostbite being out here."
With his brow covered in a bit of sweat, Zariel's cold gaze skimmed across the small bodies of his allies. "Are you saying that you do not have anything to treat such injuries?"
Pulling upon the cloak on his body, he had to retrieve Kest, brow pressed against one another, "That is not the point. This could kill them; at least let us use a fire."
"Kest is right. Snow is like a silent killer; it leaves no traces of footsteps in the snow, no inkling of death, only a chill. It moves freely, caressing your cheeks, touching your eyes; the next moment, all that will remain will be the frosted carcass of your remains."
"Poetic," Said Zariel, glancing towards the dark skies, "But they will be done soon."
"But--"
Arching his hand, Flaye fell silent. "Just believe in them."
Gritting their teeth till the taste of blood filled their mouth, Kest and Flaye tried to contain the rage building. However, all they could do was watch as their Granddaughter, Ella, shuddered under the blanket of snow.
Bringing an empty silence to the Earls Estate, only the sounds of the winds could be heard, passing through the manner.
Standing still in what seemed like a grave to the young children, Aurelia, with her eyes shut, stood just outside a massive gate within her mind. The gate itself was towering; the strange unidentified material used to craft these gates held complex Enochian inscriptions carved into them.
Aurelia approached, touching the gate; she pushed her gaze past the opening, allowing them to fall upon a woman with two large silver wings. She had long jet black hair, a sharp jaw, and two sword-like eyes. The Angel before Aurelia's eye was a goddess. As she even felt a strange aura compelling her to fall to her knee and be made to grovel.
'Beauty, radiance, and power. Is this my sigil of power?" She whispered hesitantly.
Pulling away from the silver gates, the fallen turned her gaze towards the massive chasm below her feet beneath the clouds under them.
There she saw a sea of flames, the screams of humanity, the cries of torment, and a woman with long silver hair to match hers. Like the Angel she just saw, this one seemed different with wings that looked more to be a raging river of black blood rushing on each end. There was a sinister air to them, but somehow there existed an elegance, a calling to her.
"What should I choose?" She asked, shaking where she stood.
An icy chill ran through her body she simply didn't understand. Wishing to sleep, Aurelia bit her tongue, regaining a bit of focus.
Kicking the clouds beneath her feet. Her finger passed through her hair, cold to the touch. "I am freezing. I need to choose now and head inside. Knowing dumb-Dumb, we are properly outside freezing our asses off."
Pursing her lips, a sweet smile oddly enough found its way upon her lips, "He is so stupid." Turning towards the Angel, untouched and sacred, she shook her head. "To pure, Zariel burned that away."
Shifting towards the burning infernal below her and the woman standing with large black wings, Aurelia also shook her head, "To evil. But one day, I will probably be like you, but not today. Today, I will have both on my side."
As if her words were like natural law, the clouds of heaven and flames of hell all vanished, leaving only a void of darkness and a golden-black flame resting by itself. A little deterred as she didn't know where to walk, Aurelia hesitated. She felt if she fell, it would be a fall that may last forever.
Gulping down and eyeing the darkness with her golden eyes, she gritted her teeth, taking a step forward. Witnessing a ripple pass through the darkness, like a mirrored lake, a gleam of surprise flashed through her heart.
"What is this place?"
Having a bit of weight off her shoulders, Aurelia giggled and pushed ahead towards the Golden-Black flame. However, as she moved closer, she felt like she was also feeling the Golden flame itself was moving toward her.
Halting her step a fingers length away from the flame, a word she never knew left her lips, "Soul Flame."
Memorized by the embers of fire flickering back and forth in a never-ending cycle, an enamored glint appeared across her cheeks.
Curling her finger around the flame that did not seem to hold any heat, Aurelia could not help but sense a set of fingers wrapping around her.
"It's my soul." She muttered. "This is my Soul Flame."
She lifted the flame to her eye level. Marveling at the flame that looked so fragile, she closed her eyes, holding the flame to her forehead.
'I hope this is right,' she muttered to herself.
Imagining a single wing of pure darkness, corrupted by the flaming inferno she once saw, and the angelic wings pure and untouched as the heavens. A pulse echoed not just from her mind but from her body.
Blasting the excess snow building from her body flying, gathering the attention of everyone. Zariel's lips curled up. 'Finally," He whispered. "I'm getting cold."
Picking up a storm, the young lord's finger began to flash as he pointed them to the young fallen. Pushing what seemed to be an endless cycle of Arcana down her veins, the frost bight upon her skin began to fade.
Devouring the sea of Arcana rushing into her, the sigil of two wings appeared just above Aurelia's head. Burning with a golden black flame, a world of Heaven and Hell gave rise to everyone who gazed upon the sigil.
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