Sigil of Power

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."