“Daelous!!” A man turned to face Lucious as the young trainee ran and called his name. Lowered his head as he stopped to catch his breath, Lucious raised his head and caught the nostalgic gaze as it held Lucious with gentle firmness. The man in front of Lucious was taller and broader than the young trainee. Compared to the younger brother, the man was over twenty years old and featured a pair of strong and determined eyes with firm cheek and nose. While he did not possess Jasse’s raw manliness, an unyielding determination coupled with quiet demeanour cast a mysterious modesty on the capable warrior. At his age, Daelous was Grawyrad, the leader of Knights of Sheldon, close assistant. There were voices calling the promising man the next Union leader candidate after Floki and the rumour of him been invited to participate in Trials of Worth never cease.
But to Lucious, the young man cladded in heavy armour with the emblem of three shields carved at both spaulders was his only elder brother and his sole relation in the world. “What’s with the getup?” “You mean this armour? Our Union is really having it well. The Baron is beyond grateful. I think we’re the only Union in the Slavaris region who equipped in heavy armour.” Lucious felt a faint discomfort as if something was wrong, but paid no attention to the feeling as he looked at Daelous who displayed a rare expression of joy and was more talkative. “...Say, Lucious. Do you think we can make it?” Looking at the distant clouded sky, Daelous narrowed his eyebrows slightly to the uncertain weather. Reminded by his brother’s gaze, Lucious looked around and found them standing at the empty training ground of the Union which was unbelievable for their ruthless demon instructors. Assaulted by a blast of chilling wind shaking trees to their baldness, it was somewhere around late fall of the year.
“...What’re you saying now? You’re the one who talked me into it.” Looking at his silent brother, Lucious became frantic over Daelous’s sudden loss of confidence. “...Alright, big mate. First, you’re doing well. Grawyrad and Floki cannot get enough of their praise. Second, the Baron is also keeping an eye on the Union and seems like you caught his eyes. And third, your little brother says it so. So that’s it.” Daelous turned back in response to the brave words and pulled a suspicious face. “...I don’t need the reassurance of a failing trainee.” A wave of insurmountable anger rose inside Lucious as he snapped and rushed at his elder brother with punches. “...How dare you?! Who’s the one sulking here?! Who’s the one so pathetic that he needs a consoling from a failing trainee?!”
Parrying Lucious’s punches with ease, Daelous thrust his arm toward the relentless younger brother and grabbed on his smaller brother’s head. Lucious grabbed his brother’s arm and tried to pry it away from its hold which prevented him from closing the distance in order to strike effectively. The freezing gauntlet and the sheer difference of strength foiled Lucious’s attempt as he struggled helplessly at Daelous’s firm grip. If anyone was looking, it was quite a comical brotherly fight. At the sudden, the grip turned into a rough ruffle as the firm wrist messing up Lucious’s hair. Stopped by the change, Lucious looked up and saw the faint smile carved on his elder brother’s face. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Lucious. You’re growing up as well.” Partially annoyed by the act of affection, Lucious was relieved to see Daelous returned to his senses.
“It’s getting cold...Let’s get inside.” Nodded in agreement, Lucious was following the lead of his elder brother when a noise jolted across his mind. Stunned by the noise, Lucious stopped and closed his ears with his wrists as the shrilling noise returned with the louder and frequent tendency. “Lucious! What happened?...” Frantically, Lucious looked at Daelous, but his vision became blurred and jittered as the sight of his elder brother was distorted and fading toward oblivion. “...Ar...e...yo...u...alri...g...h...t...?” Even Daelous’s urgent shout seemed far and inaudible as Lucious was pulled away forcefully from his reality and fell into nothingness.
It started with discomfort at the throat which gradually escalated into an overwhelming sensation to rid of the content in his belly as his stomach convulsed and forcefully tried to reject something. Faint light started to envelop his vision as he ascended back to his body. Even before opening his eyes, Lucious quickly turned to his side and emptied his stomach with a painful regurgitation. Slowly, the eyes becoming accustomed to the dazzling world of light as Lucious widened his eyes in utter confusion of the sight in front of him. Having no recollection after the darkened figure grabbed his head, Lucious could only look stupefied as the darkened figure trapped Cassian in its corrupting miasma. The young knight leader was kneeling on his right legs as he grabbed on his tattered left arm and maintained his posture desperately. A faint aura of light emitted from Cassian shielded him from the miasma, but the young knight obviously would not hold long with his left chest bleeding profusely.
A pair of firmed arms grabbed on Lucious. The young trainee turned disorientated to Floki as the old Maeist patted lightly on his back and inspected his condition. “...F...Floki. Did I...Did he...?” Lucious did not need the answer to know what happened as Floki returned his cautious gaze to the darkened figure. “We need to get Cassian back from the damned Grimkeeper!!” Eyes widened, Lucious tried to focus his mind on the grave situation but found his body lacking the strength to do so as the young trainee fell to his feet after several attempts to rise. “Easy, boy. You’re not helping.” Hissed firmly with mild impatience, Floki looked weary as the old Maeist trying to come up with a solution to their predicament.
Scanning around, Lucious found the rest of the squad trying to eliminate the abomination of fleshes and entrails, but lacking the definite blow as the monster recovered rapidly from its wounds. The twin knights looked strained slightly which was serious for the otherwise impassive brothers while Pop looked angry as the spear-bearer tried to catch his breath. Even Julian lost his usual sinister smugness as the white-robed Maeist bit his mouth in frustration over their unfavourable situation. Emma looked distracted as she kept on stealing mortifying gaze at Cassian and Cassia, but held to her position. Lucious could not help but feel guilty of his mistake. His capture by the Grimkeeper had turned the situation into the worst scenario. With the leader injured and most of the members fatigued, their chance of surviving had hit the bottom.
“...Don’t lose your mind. Use your mind, Lucious.” Lucious looked up surprisingly at Cassia as the female knight spoke with a serious tone which was unusual for the fun-loving and casual girl. “...From what I know, you’re the scheming type, unlike me...” Lucious did not know whether she was consoling or maligning him. “...Do it for my brother and I will forgive you this time...” Looking at the serious but somehow caring Cassia, Lucious shifted his gaze to Floki who nodded briefly to him. “...Thank you, guys.” Closed his eyes with gratitude, Lucious drew a breath as he rid of his useless franticness with the invoking of his Natura. Feeling the faint force permeated in the world coursed through his veins, Lucious entered into the state of meditation as fatigue was discarded and the time became still for the trainee. Surrounded by intricate veins of pulsing Natura while accepting the flow of large rivers of Natura from the world, Lucious was in deep contemplation.
The situation could not be any worst. One mistake and they snapped like ragged twigs over a storm. Lucious started by appraising the current situation. Looking at the members, it seemed that Lucious was the only one who retained his strength. Cassia was brimming with determination. Going through the current status of the members, Lucious could feel a twinge of despair but quickly dismissed it. The problem was what he could do to help. Lucious started to look at his profile as he tried to find something that he could do to improve their situation. “Aside from basic elemental attacks, wards are out of question and my barrier is a mess...” Dismissing his skills with snorted resignation, Lucious could only look to something he learned in the journey. “Supportive channelling...Group casting...Natura sharing...If only I can become the gate of Natura itself...” Sighed in the painful realisation of his lack of arsenals, Lucious snorted at the absurd proposition when the idea hit him so hard that he stunned with excited joy before pursuing the thought.
It sounded ludicrous even risky, but there was no other way. Concluded with determination, Lucious ended his meditation. Returning to his senses, the world only passed for a second after Cassia’s soft admonishment. “Floki?” Floki motioned Lucious to continue. “I remember you mention something about the limitation our body imposed on the reception of Natura...” “Yes, and?” “I wondered if there is a way to force that limitation off...” Looking at his bewildered instructor, Lucious asked firmly. “Floki...Do you think I can become a gate of Natura?” “W...What’re you thinking, boy? That’s suicide!” Shouting with anger, Floki grabbed a side of Lucious’s robe and pulled him closer with resentment. “But that’s the only way...the only thing I can do...” “It might work out; it might not. Either way, you’re risking death.” “Floki!!” A calmed retort from Cassia silenced the argument. “...I could have done it if I can, but I’m not. The same goes for you, old man. We don’t have any choice.” Biting his tongue with frustration over the situation, Floki released his grip on Lucious’s robe.
“Whatever you do, don’t give up your life so easily. I’m looking forward to seeing you in Jercflosey.” Looking at Cassia who stood in front from her back, Lucious could only nod silently. “Lucious, are you sure?” “Don’t dampen my weak heart, Floki.” Flashing a weak smile, Lucious reaffirmed his decision to gamble with his life. “...Right, breathe and dive within. I will guide you...” Nodded with gratitude, Lucious closed his eyes and returned to his meditation as Floki placed a reassuring hand over his back.
Focusing on his heartbeat and blood flow, Lucious once again in the trance of his Natura, feeling his life-force accepting the torrential Natura from the world. A soft push from Floki carried his will across the veins of his Natura. Instantly, they encountered a larger pulsing of circulating Natura which restricted and regulated the flow of his Natura. “This is the first time I see it...so this is a limiting point...” At Floki’s urge, Lucious approached the first point and tried to force it to open. The instinctive urge to abandon the task floated in his will, but Lucious instantly discarded it as he forced the limiting point to open.
Upon the opening of the first limiting point, Lucious felt the flow of his Natura became faster and more violent as his Natura reserve increased steadily. Again, Floki’s will pushed his mind and urged him to go on and a number appeared instantly in his mind before fading. Another seven points to go. Going on with the task, Lucious’s will flowed across his body and forcefully released the Natura restriction. Each time a point was released, Lucious felt a tremendous boost of his Natura accompanied with increasing headache. Realising that the time was ticking, Lucious went to his task with urgency as he let the Natura momentum broke across his limiting points and felt the overpowering flow of the world’s Natura flowing into him before resurfacing from his inner world.
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