Ambient Mage

Lucas didn't even try to dodge.

Stephen had faith that Lucas would.

But he was sorely mistaken.

I couldn't see it, but he clearly could.

I watched my husbands face turn grim once again before his sword got knocked back to the ground.

It was inhuman.

From what I could tell Lucas knocked backed Stephen's aura sword with a backhand.

This shouldn't have been possible.

What have we let near our daughter and sons?

It terrified me to no ends.

He was out of mana and stamina, yet he pushed away an aura sword like a baby throwing their bib.

He started to gather mana from the surroundings.

I couldn't understand how he did it.

I quickly realized that I was starting to lose track of his presence.

It wasn't a case of him turning invisible, but his body was literally becoming mana around Stephen.

The wind and stars began to howl around him, lashing out like an unpredictable new sword stance.

Curving arcs, long deep stabs, quick slashes in succession.

These were the moves my husband had taught him.

I couldn't see anything, but I could hear a crying child.

Not a literal one, but I could hear the tears of child suffering in silence.

It was unnerving, the sound of the sniffles in the slashes of magic.

The tears running down their face and touching the ground.

I could hear it in the maelstrom.

It was saddening.

I began to walk towards the battlefield.

The mana storm began to retreat.

It really felt like I was communicating with a 12 year old Lucas again.

He was a sad young boy then.

Hidden behind his facade of cheery, arrogant, and joking jester, was an immense sadness I couldn't understand.

I knew the ramifications then, and I still do now.

The thing in there.

It's got my son and by Nyx I'm going to get him back.

I joined Stephen in his side of the arena.

"Alice. What are you doing?"

"I'm fighting for our son."

"It's getting too hairy out here."

"Says you, you haven't even released your advance level aura yet."

"While that's true right now, I can't guarantee it won't exceed the 7th circle."

"That's fine, we just need to bring him back before then right?"

"Right."

Stephen's sword blazed once more and I began to chant.

I started to throw my magic towards the storm, or was it Lucas?

The magic hit the revolving mana like a horse into a wall.

The magic was dispersed back into mana and absorbed.

However, the mana hurricane didn't get stronger.

Instead within the eye of the storm, something was being created.

"You're doing well."

We both looked around wondering where the voice came from.

"Stop looking around and focus."

"You have the right idea, just keep at it."

"We called this: Blackout."

I didn't get it.

Evidently, neither did Stephen.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"From what we observed, when injured to a certain degree, his body automatically returns to this state to heal."

"That doesn't make sense, he had less injuries than 6 years ago, when he disappeared like this."

Another magic slash was sent out at us, which was immediately dismantled.

"Who are you?"

"Inquisitive aren't you."

I could feel eyes on me.

Apocalyptic.

A monster I couldn't begin to fathom.

"Who are you to Lucas?"

"Now you ask the important question."

"But I'll answer your husband's question first."

"I said injury, I never said where. His mind is in immense pain struggling to save that little girl of yours."

"He never had to do so."

"On the contrary, he must."

"What the two of you fail to understand is the two of them carry with them a heavy fate."

"One shall die, one shall fall, one shall cry out, and the last stand tall."

"This is the prophecy laid out for Lucas."

"As for your daughter? Fate was not so charitable to give us a straight answer."

"Whatever. What does that mean for Lucas?"

"Simple, defeat him."

"He'll return back to you."

"You are one of his greatest sadness."

"What does that mean?"

"In his fate, his parent's die."

"But his biological parents are already dead."

"I meant his adopted ones."

Stephen didn't like that answer.

"Who the hell are you to tell us that?"

"We only wish him the best life. If we die in that pursuit, then he should smile, and honor us through his actions."

"We have seen the future, we have rewritten the past."

"I do not care. In fact, if you're so powerful, then why don't you help Lucas?"

"Because, I can't."

"I can't get involved yet."

"The backlash with interfering with his fate directly will cause a severe disaster to the human world."

"Just as you wouldn't trade a child for another, I will not trade the child for the world."

The voice angered me too.

"And what's wrong with choosing my child over the world."

"When the world begins to fall away, and the child begins to roam, where will his happiness lie? Certainly not in your arms."

"Are you telling us that Lucas is ungrateful or something?"

"No I'm telling you sacrificing the world for Lucas is a fruitless endeavor."

"I have watched you try before."

I was shocked to say the least.

But at the same time I felt good.

I felt good that another me sacrificed everything for our children.

I felt good that Lucas was my son in every future.

"Now isn't the time to get complacent. My power is already beginning to dwindle as I have been here for far too long."

"Before you leave, give us a name and someway to contact you."

"My name is..... let's go with Maria."

"As to how to contact me? If you let Lucas' memories spill out of the mana cloud surrounding him, or ask him about his life, you should get clues as to my location."

With that, the heavy pressure lifted, and the magic slashes no longer were ignored.

Together Stephen and I fought the storm.

As the voice said. His memories were contained in the cloud.

"Careful honey, we don't know the ramifications of hitting the cloud, or allowing it to spread."

"It could mean losing his memories of it, or something else horrible."

Stephen looked at me.

"Sorry, I didn't even take that into account."

As the both of us started to throw more mana into the storm, it was clear his body had begun to form in the center.

The wind's wail began to slow and the storm started to clear.

I could see his face, the deep silver in his eyes, and the tears leaving them.

"He certainly doesn't look alright. He looks dead inside."

I smacked my husband's shoulder.

"What?"

"Don't say that."

His eyes gradually began to regain their golden hue, and he began to manifest fully.

He wiped his eyes.

"Sorry."

We didn't let him continue.

We surrounded him and hugged him.

We didn't understand the fate that lied with him, but we were going to protect him with everything we had.

***

After he had woken up we had some questioning to do.

"So, Lucas do you feel like you can tell us what's going on now?"

"I made a promise, to you, to her, all of the family, to protect and keep her happy."

"I failed."

"No you didn't."

"Stop telling me that. It's not comforting."

"If you failed my daughter would be dead right?"

"Show me her dead body."

"What about her happiness?"

"She's at her happiest when she's with you as much as I hate it."

"She's worried you aren't okay."

He looked down.

I could see the remorse on his face.

"We were visited by an apocalyptic monster. Ring any bells?"

"Yes?"

His eyes snapped to attention.

"Describe them to me."

"They were ethereal."

"Their eyes were like a lizard's, the control over mana, makes me suspect a dragon."

"I know only one dragon."

"She's old though and doesn't take kindly to humans."

"Well she wasn't very considerate of us."

"She also told us of a prophecy regarding you."

"Really?"

"We're not going to tell you even if you ask."

"You know the rules of a prophecy, even if it may be fake."

"Don't try to accelerate it, delay it, or mess with the holder of it, otherwise the consequences will be severe."

"All you need to know is that we will always be by your side."

"Now go back to the academy, it's already late at night, and Aura's calling for you again."

"Since I'm here how about I take the pillow?"

I frowned and threw him a gate right into her bed. Serves him right.

"And why didn't you hear him out?"

"You think I'd be okay with a pillow version of you?"

"Never."

He picked me up and took me to our bedroom.

We had a real battle of power.

***

*Lucas' Pov*

I wanted to bury my head in shame after that embarrassing show.

It felt like I stepped closer to my concept though.

Perhaps it lies in that form of me.

It scares me a little.

However that's where the source of my mana belongs.

I really did bury my head deeper in the bed.

It was so embarrassing. It also hurt me to fight with my parents.

I would be devastated if I lost them.

I wish them a long and happy life.

"Fufufu, enjoying my chest I see."

Why am I hearing Aura this early in the morning.

I sat up.

Damnit.

I forgot mom threw me into her bed.

How could she throw a patient like me like that?

"Sure stay silent."

"Sorry for worrying you Aura."

She flicked my forehead.

"It's good you know."

"It was a long day yesterday."

"I know."

"Are you going to be okay for the fight tomorrow?"

"I'll have to be."

"I can cancel it you know?"

"Don't do that, it would stain your honor."

"What do I need that for?"

"To marry."

She punched my shoulder.

"Weirdo."

Fine fine.

I got up and left for my room.

Before I could get out the doors I felt someone hug me from behind.

"I'm glad you thought of my honor."

I turned around to hug her back.

"Now go get ready you weirdo."

With that she turned around and started to get ready for school.

I did the same.

With ourselves ready we set out for Atrevior.

***

"Alright today is the last day of practical testing, and this will decide your dorms for the semester."

Collective groans were let out from the peanut gallery.

"In front of you is the firing range. Those dummies are ready to be destroyed in every manner possible above a certain circle. Therefore we will raise it as it goes on."

"Since this is a placement exam, you will shoot 3 combat magics of the 1st then 2nd then 3rd circle."

"After that you may shoot off one more spell, your special."

"You may also choose to show off a particularly hard spell to cast"

"You will not lose points for doing so."

"Additionally, everyone here has the mana to fire all the way up to the special cast, therefore running out of mana, will lose you points. Mana pills will be provided to let you continue. They will not lower your grade."

"Ready? First three step up."

Naturally Aura did spectacularly.

Her special cast was a double combination cast.

Fifth circle magic >.

Her lightning took on the terrifying purple color, a sign of strong lightning affinity.

As the name implies it freezes too.

Imagine a thunderbolt slowed by subzero ice about to burn you to a crisp before encasing you in ice.

Truly a combat spell.

"Next three."

I was the first in my three, as I was 7th.

I began my first circle casts with fire ball, earth spike, and arc.

Theoretically there is no 1st circle lightning element, but arc lightning was a different story.

Arclightning was a weaker form of lightning found in the environment, not fueled by mana weather.

Naturally it could also be stimulated by it, but nobody would use arclightning over lightning in real combat.

For my second circle casts, I used flame bolt, wind cutter, and water lance.

For my third I used light sword, ice hammer, and dual combination cast of flame cannon and light arrow, first judgement.

As for my special I decided against revealing my strongest trump even if it meant losing points in the evaluation.