Traverse The Fog

The two remained frozen, transfixed by the flickering, radiant, and fiery elements on Cyrus' chest.

"'...Has has no prior training?'" O'Kane recovered first, pointedly glaring at Dílis. "Very funny, Lilie. I'm sure you both had a good laugh while I played the fool."

Dílis broke from her reverie and bitterly smiled. "That wasn't our intention, trust me."

The two fell back into a stupor, gazing back at Cyrus, who strolled through the open doors, rubbing the back of his head. Despite the embarrassed pose, his expression was anything but.

"Uh, could someone help with the fire? Cyrus said, offering a grand and charming smile shining through his ragged hair. "That's my shirt."

"I got it," O'Kane muttered.

The two strode past each other, Cyrus catching O'Kane's incoherent muttering as she cast a momentary, spiteful glance his way. Meanwhile, Dílis' gaze remained stuck on the man walking before her.

"Cyrus, did you create a fire rune?" she questioned, her gaze intense.

"Not just fire, but also light." His smile reached his eyes as he scratched through his beard. "And with life, that makes three."

"Fire and light?!" echoed O'Kane. She hurried back with his soaked and ruined shirt. "Wow, kid," she muttered, scrutinizing him. "I don't know if you're incredibly lucky or terribly unfortunate."

"What do you mean?"

Dílis interjected. "The laws people are born with depend on many factors, but a main one is the environment." She scanned him, searching for clues. "And it's been like that for millennia. Ever since the fog appeared, the number of mages born with fire and light domains had been minimal."

O'Kane patted his bare shoulder with an apologetic hand. "That also means less fire and light runic crystals for insights."

Please. Don't touch me...

Mistaking Cyrus' furrowing brow for something else, Dílis shook her head. "But it's not all bad news. It just so happens that light and fire are incredibly useful against wraiths and beasts."

That was reassuring, but fighting did not appeal to him. No, he wanted to explore.

"So there are fewer teachers, fewer resources, and opportunities?"

"There are some fire users in Avalorn but no photomancers." O'Kane tsked, slapping another hand on his shoulder, compelling Cyrus to flinch. "At least, none that registered."

"As for resources," Dílis added, voice soft. "Avalorn had stockpiled fire and light crystals throughout its existence. So you don't need to worry."

"But good luck finding some out in the wild and inspiration, for that matter." O'Kane then shrugged at Dílis' disapproving glare. "What? It's the truth." She swept her fingers across her messy, graying hair. "Better to tell him now than later. A water mage can improve their strength near or in the ocean, while a terramancer can in the mountains. But unless Cyrus hangs out in a volcano, he's sorta out of luck."

Dílis slumped her shoulders, her voice subdued, "You're right. If the stories are telling the truth, then fire and light had it easier back then."

Cyrus sighed. Of course, they were. The sun must have influenced that...

What should have been an incredible moment of his life was subdued by a cold facet of reality—no. He would not let this information bring him down. And Cyrus breathed deeply to calm his nerves.

"Wait," he said, recalling the massive purple sphere. "I forgot to mention that I have another domain."

The two Wayfarers' eyes widened in surprise, with O'Kane shaking him in response. "Well, out with it, kid!"

Cyrus nonchalantly shrugged despite the unwanted touch. "I don't know. It was, uh, purple."

Dílis rubbed her chin, lost in contemplation. "White or yellow for light, red for fire, blue for water, cyan for wind, green for life, brown for earth, black for dark, gray for order..." Her verdant gaze widened in recollection. "...And purple for space."

Mystified, both she and O'Kane regarded Cyrus as if he were a magical unicorn before them. One that was throwing up magic crystals onto their feet.

O'Kane broke from the spell first, whistling. "Another rare domain? You part of some ancient lineage or something? There's only been a handful of those in the past thousand years!"

Cyrus froze still. Another rare domain? One with few in its midsts? And he was stuck in a city where even its lord himself stated, 'A few generations behind?'

Should he leave for greener pastures? If only. What happened back then was proof enough of the consequences.

"Cyrus," Dílis called, bringing him back to reality. "I thought you had no prior studying and training..."

She rubbed her temples as if relieving a headache. How did a clueless guy like him suddenly awaken his powers in a single day? Could it really be...

Meanwhile, Cyrus simply shrugged. How was he supposed to explain all of this?

"Once in the mana chamber, my life rune quickly awoken, along with my mana sense." He rubbed the back of his head. "And... I recalled your earlier words about introspection and coalescence. So, I thought, 'why not give it a shot?' Then... a whole bunch of stuff happened afterward." His eyes then lit up with expectation. "Does this mean I'm talented?"

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

However, Cyrus did not believe in his own nonsense.

O'Kane snorted into laughter, her gaze flickering between the two young adults. "You're trying to act serious, aren't you? Fine, I'll play along." She portrayed a serious Wayfarer, back straight and gaze narrowed. "Yeah, there are talented mages, but it's like a baby learning to walk. Even mages from long-standing lines have to 'train their muscles,' so to speak." Unable to keep the charade going, O'Kane broke into another snicker. "Alright, guys, you had fun, and it did help bring my mood up. So, Cyrus, are you from the academy or one of the trashy noble families?"

Yet Cyrus remained silent. It's been around two weeks since he discovered the notion of magic. If only she knew that he came from a world bereft of mana, let alone magic. At least, he thought it was. Now, he wasn't too sure, not after everything that's happened. Still, he had no excuse. Should he tell O'Kane that a few weeks ago, to him, magic and mana were only found in the sentences of a book or on a movie screen?

Searching for help, his gaze flickered onto the only other person in the room.

"You caught us, Miss O'Kane," Dílis said, breaking into a smile. "Cyrus and I were having some fun."

Cyrus stiffened from her words but smiled nonetheless. "It wasn't my idea."

"Traitor." Gaze snapping at him, Dílis huffed at him. Yet her gaze carried a different meaning—one of cooperation.

Smiling, O'Kane playfully rolled her eyes. "I'm old, damn it. You two should respect your elders!" She began walking away, twirling her revolver and yelling, "Bah. Meet me in the lobby for your certificate and stipend!"

Then, the doors clunked open and then closed. And the two were finally alone.

Cyrus sighed, crossing his arms. "When it all began, I was simply testing the waters. But my domains sort of ripped something from my memories."

Dílis frowned, her gaze lingering toward the doors in case of movement. "Your homeworld had mana crystals? Elemental insights?"

"Uh.. if you call insights, 'classes,' then sure," he replied. "We had courses about how the world works—fire, water, earth, light, anything really." A pause. "Except darkness. I never believed it was anything more than the lack of light."

Dílis shook her head, almost scoffing in response. "It doesn't work exactly like that." With a wave, she gestured for him to follow. "Come, Let's go to the lobby—" she paused, her embarrassed gaze flickering onto his chest and the door. "Before that... let's find you a shirt."

Embarrassed, Cyrus could only thank the stars for sticking to his gym regimen.

"Let's go then."

Forward they went. The walk back was mired in silence, with the two lost in their thoughts until they passed a supplies room for some spare clothing. As Cyurs fitted himself with a white dress shirt, he thought about the orange sigil. Were there more elements? If so, then what would that one be? Still, maybe not asking questions was the better idea. If Cyrus played dumb enough, whoever wanted that rune, domain—whatever—would ignore him. Brilliant. Better yet, he carried no orange domains. That meant he was now worthless, right?

Cyrus shook his head and buttoned himself. Just follow Dílis. You have better things to do.

Once ready, they continued their trek. Along the way, Cyrus focused on the runes within, mesmerized by the simple yet enigmatic sigils in his heart. Only once the two entered the lobby did Dílis break the silence.

"There's a problem," She began, an apologetic gaze flashed momentarily. "There are no pyromancers in The Wayfarer department, but when I speak to Father, he'll probably get one from another."

"That's not so bad." Cyrus shrugged. "Anything else?"

Dílis hesitated. "There is..." She sighed. "Not only do we not have any spatial or luminous mages, but it'll be almost impossible to bring one from another city-state. Nobody will join a backwoods city like Avalorn."

"So, I'm on my own?" Cyrus' shoulders slacked despite his efforts to repress his emotions.

Dílis placed a tentative hand on his shoulder, her voice soft-spoken, "I'm sorry, Cyrus, but Avalorn is behind the times. We're lacking in resources, experts, and time. But it's not just here; you would be hard-pressed to find mages in the same elements anywhere. They're that rare."

To say that Cyrus was conflicted was mildly putting it. He was grateful for the Dílis Family and all they've done for him so far. But the more important, impatient part of his mind yearned for instant gratification. Thankfully, such thoughts were quickly tempered. Besides, even if he survived the trek, who would take in a random rookie like him?

"Well, there are runic crystals, correct?" He said, hiding his thoughts with a smile. "And I could learn a thing or two from experts mages from different domains, right?"

Dílis pinched her brows yet smiled at his cluelessness. "I think there is a pyromancer in the guard's department. So, maybe we can work something out."

"Perfect. Will we return to the manor after speaking with O'Kane?"

After shaking her head, she then glanced at the few lingering Wayfarers who kept to themselves. "Today's plans are lost in the mists now that you've somehow magically become a mage." She let the awful joke hang in the air. "And I don't want to stop your progress now." She then scrutinized him. "I have an idea where we're heading next. But first: have you ever fired a gun?"

Cyrus froze, his gaze widening. "Uh, no?"

"Swung a sword?"

"No."

"Twang a bow?"

"No."

"Anything?"

"Well, I've practiced... using my fists."

And even that was for 'just in case.' In truth, Cyrus never expected to use his fists in his entire life.

"That's not good enough," She responded, dismayed with his answer. "You'll need every advantage you can get. So," she clapped her hands, "get excited. As we'll start training you on both range and melee combat from now on."

Cyrus nodded reluctantly. Such was the way of the world. Wayfarers are expected to head into danger. And among the cacophony of quiet murmurs, no one bothered to speak with the two. There were gazes of Wayfarers that landed on him, but they quickly grew disinterested. Cyrus considered the reason why. Was there a high dropout rate among new recruits?

But these questions drifted away as the sound of O'Kane walking through the doors, with a leather bag and folder, no less.

"Here's your training certificate," she said, handing it over. "And be grateful. This usually takes weeks to approve. Moreover, we'd have the department head assign you your teachers, but" —She glanced at Dílis— "I have a feeling that His Lordship will handle it."

Nodding, Cyrus opened the bag. His gaze reflected the colorful sight of the small pile of runic crystals within. Apparently, this was his 'stipend.' That and a small bundle of yellow notes—cash depicting some old man. After explaining his weekly pay, O'Kane could not move as quickly if she tried even harder, taking her leave.

Once alone, a smile graced Dílis' lips. She gestured for his attention and leading him to another path.

"Come on, we're heading to the memory room."

"What's that?"

"It's to teach you how to use your domains properly, "She patiently answered. "A mage requires hundreds of runes and knowledge to utilize their abilities."

Hundreds of runes?! Cyrus nearly choked. "Is that why I can only light my chest on fire?"

Dílis nodded. "But the room is meant for teaching the basics." A smile tugged her lips. "Better than 'feeling' your way, right?"

"Yeah, it is. Let's go then."