What’s in a circle

Odysseus was right.

Even if one would think that sharing life and death challenges together would bring someone close, that didn't mean everyone would risk on losing potential power for you.

But still…

To have only 15 people stand with us was really infuriating.

Well, there's nothing we can do even if we want.

I looked at everyone around us, even in a situation where rage had completely possessed them, they were able to save the valuable things those bastards traitors left behind and now more then ever we didn't have any issue with food shortage. I was trying to look at the positives.

"Eurylochus, how long before we reach Delos?"

"Just a few more days Second Commander, we would have stopped to a island in the middle of the route, but after… well we went full speed ahead."

"Good, let's all have dinner together. I need to visit the greenhouse now."

Odysseus got back to our cabin after taking out some engineering books from my word, Hali rushed to Eurylochus barely containing her excitement for the clothes she had bought.

I guess we have a warehouse of tracksuits for us now.

Merlin silently followed me into the greenhouse, we had already spoken during the meeting with my parents, but he chose not to inform me of this, it clearly was not important enough for him. All the anger and distress I was feeling, disappeared the moment I stepped into the greenhouse.

All the plants were growing healthy and the sight helped me relax beyond what I would have imagined. It truly was the best feeling.

"It seems they had missed you a lot and the feeling looks mutual."

"Yes."

"Let's go to the study, I'm sure there are a lot of things we need to talk about."

I followed Merlin inside the study/bedroom, he was being serious for once and I didn't dislike this new face he was showing.

As soon as we entered, he plopped down on his bed and I just brought a chair near to him.

Is this gonna be such a long conversation that the bastard needs to lay on his bed?

"Not really, it's just been extremely exhausting keeping Eurylochus and the others from destroying everything."

Oh…

"Now let's begin, why haven't you formed your fourth circle? You have the essence, the ritual formation and enough Archana, right?"

"Oh, the Records said something about enlightenment and gave me a hint: the circle is just a point of view; but I can't think of anything that makes sense."

"You're overthinking Dimitris. It's just that, a point of view."

"What?"

"Can't say anymore, but think of it in simple terms, it really is just that."

If the circle is just that… it means it has to do with the shape…

A point of view that gave the shape of a circle, something that encircled my heart, there weren't many options.

A column or…

"A sphere!"

Something inside my head clicked together, I was subconsciously restricting myself to two dimensional shapes because the circle was such a shape, but it never was just a circle. At that moment, the Archana in my body started to circulate through my elven circuits at high speeds, the circles around my heart that usually just rotated, begun to move more freely, expanding themselves but also moving the Archana in a smoother vortex. They were not just circles that could only follow a straight line.

They transformed in full spheres.

"Fuck. I seem to like over complicating things."

"You sure do, you lucky bastard. Let's make your Nemean Lion circle yes? We can talk about spirit arts later."

"Just tell one thing before."

"What? You ungrateful disciple."

"Why do I have the feeling that Odysseus can also use spirit arts?"

"Hhhhhhaaaaa, he can, but not yet. Now focus, we are gonna make your 4th circle."

The spirit formula of the Nemean lion was indeed part of the circle of nature, but more so than earth, it was related to minerals. It was clear after the fight we had. The issue however, was not the ritual nor the spirit formula itself.

It was the formation of the circle.

Which wasn't a circle.

I prepared the ritual formation to lie upon, runes describing resistance, toughness and earth were etched at the point of a triangle which in itself was in the middle of a circle formed of words describing the existence of the Nemean Lion, its spirit and the transfer of power. Along the sides of the triangle were inscribed more runes invoking the balance of nature, the sheer force of earth and its stability.

With the formation ready I only had to put myself in the middle, consume the spirit essence and form the sphere of Archana.

Something that Merlin couldn't help me with.

For how familiar I was with the formation of a circle, even envisioning a sphere was difficult, but there wasn't much I could do about it.

I went in the middle of the ritual formation and drank the spirit essence, afterwards it was time to cultivate the blood of the GodKing and focused all my Archana around the now 3 spheres encircling my heart. I felt the spirit essence entering the flow of my Archana, changing the quality of my magic.

Wood, Fire and Water were ergerly awaiting earth. I could feel the attraction the elements of nature that were calling for one another and started enveloping those spheres with a new one.

It was hard.

The Archana I had learned to move in a certain way during the formation of my circles, now demanded a new route, a new way of moving and I couldn't wrap my head around what was the right way to circulate it.

I tried a vortex like movement, but the sphere wouldn't form, I tried envisioning a snake wrapping around itself to form a ball, but that too didn't work.

"Dimitris, focus. What did your circles do when you realised what they really were?"

My breath was getting rough and to keep focusing I didn't dare speak, but I knew what he meant.

They expanded.

With this new information at hand I started once again to move my Archana just like I did when creating a normal circle, but this time the speed of rotation was not comparable.

The electric Archana my body had started to naturally produce, attuned itself to the Nemean spirit formula and slowly but surely was taking the form I wanted.

When the speed of my Archana reached height I wasn't sure I could surpass without losing control, I finally willed it to expand, to covere the spheres already around my heart.

The ritual formation started to flow, the runes once etched in the ground started to detach themselves and rotate around me, supplying energy and stabilising the spirit inside the magic circle.

Only when the runes all around me stopped flowing I was sure the process was progressing smoothly, now I only needed to slow the sphere and maintain the form to solidify it and make it permanent.

I tried calming the forces of nature circling inside me. Up until this moment, nature had always been quite submissive to my will, but this, this was something else.

Nature was not always something that just existed in equilibrium. Sometimes, nature was a force to be reckoned with. I tyrant demanding full obedience, a primordial force against none could rebel.

The Nemean Lion was the same. He was a king amongst kings, a tyrant and pride was the thing he was most known for.

A muffled growl echoed from my 4th magic circle. The beast was trying to exert control, not willing to bow to me even after his death. At that moment something inside me snapped.

Thoughts that were not mine started to flood my mind, desires I was not familiar with.

The lion was winning.

He demanded blood, the blood of those all around me and when I opened my eyes I saw Merlin frowning.

Was he disappointed?

I didn't care if I was not able to form a 4th circle. Sure, magic and strength were important, but if the cost was hurting those around me, I would have rather shattered it myself.

I changed my usually soothing method of quelling. My lightning was trying to attack the 4th sphere.

If you want blood, I'll give you blood. Yours.

A primordial roar escaped from my lips. I was getting furious at this lion that even after death dared to threaten the people I loved. He might have been the king of the jungle in another life, but I had already killed his once.

"If you wish to die so much, just say it."

My voice resounded in the studio, cold, unforgiving. Even Merlin felt the chills running down his spine.

"I don't care if you are a king, a tyrant or whatnot. You are barely existing as an essence. I will get rid of you."

Lightning continued to bombard the sphere around my heart and suddenly a beastly cry could be heard in my mind.

I didn't care and continued to barrage it with lightning until eventually the circle slowed down completely.

It was not the effect I wanted, but the lion was completely tamed. He accepted me or feared me. Both worked.

And as scripted from the beginning, Merlin and the Records spoke at the same time, the same words.

"[Congratulation on successfully creating your 4th circle: circle of nature - the Nemean Lion; please be aware that from this moment you are forbidden to divulge the method of creation of magic spheres. To reward your efforts you'll now receive a 3rd circle spell related to your latest circle. Please check your grimoire.]"

"Damn, did you study this shit Master?"

"Oh? Finally being respectful?"

This dipshit.

"And here I thought of starting to really call you master. I guess half incubus is more than respectful enough."

"You bastard. Just check your grimoire and tell me. I may have a better version of it."

I nodded and willed my grimoire to appear. All my spells, the letter old Dimitris wrote, the spirit arts and even my spear art were present, they kept updating on their own with my progress and now a new spell was finally here.

[jade hydrangea: shield type spell of the 2nd circle of crystals and 3rd circle of nature. Summons purple jade to form a beautiful formation resembling hydrangeas to protect you from magic and physical attacks.]

"I don't know Merlin, you sure have something better, but this is quite good and most importantly suits me."

"Jade hydrangea?"

I was momentarily shocked? How many spell existed? Yet this bastard maneged to figure it out immediately?

"Not many spells from the earth domani would suit you, unless you create them yourself, [jade hydrangea] is one of them, at the end of the day-"

We then finished the sentence together.

"It's a flower."

_____________________

Days flew by in a hurry, I continued studying with Merlin and intensified the training with my men to new problematic heights, but I needed all of us to be able to protect ourselves and especially after how they didn't abandon us, I wanted to show them that I cared.

Odysseus had started to experiment with mixing modern engineering with magic formations. Whenever he created something new, even the smallest of things, he'd run to show me his progress. He was quite cute.

Hali however started to feel more and more anxious.

During one of our dinners alone, I couldn't stand the sight of one of the strongest woman I knew being so much in the edge.

"Hali, for fuck sake! What's wrong with you?"

"Dimitris… can we… not go to Delos?"

"No. I have business at the temple there. What are you even afraid of? You are not a half sardine for no reason."

"It's just…"

"Hali, do you honestly think none of us knows by now?"

"What? What would you know?!"

Her eyes flickered, afraid of what I could say or do and I realised that more then everything, she didn't want to confront the situation at home.

"You know what Hali? Whatever it is, I don't care. Before everything you are Hali Damocles. My rightful sister. You even got a stigma to show for it."

My words seemed to calm her down a bit, but I knew.

We can't never catch a break, can we?