Awakening

Falling into a routine has always been reassuring. Some might say it's boring, but for me, it was the first symptom of peaceful times.

Two weeks had passed since we sailed from Delos, Odysseus had decided to create his 4th circle and this time he really went for the darkness circle.

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That's what he said, and I honestly approved, not that I had any choice other than nature magic.

Resuming my full regime had also brought big results for me as well, my Archana was steadily improving my body, but there was still something that was constantly bugging me.

Archana was supposedly the perfect blend of mana and aura, something that must be constantly created -even my spell [Ruby Rouge Rose] couldn't create it, it just released mana and aura for me to convert- yet I couldn't use the properties of Aura whatsoever… well except for [intent], but that was just the attribute of my Archana.

"Eurylochus…"

"Yes?"

This is embarrassing…

I wasn't even sure if I could actually use the properties of Aura with my Archana, Merlin said it'll be extremely hard since I'm extremely attuned to mana and even my Archana was basically 90% mana.

It seemed normal, once a mage always a mage, even Odysseus was in my same situation, but his cultivation techniques was taking care of that issue for him.

"Something wrong brother?"

"Yes. I don't understand aura."

The training ground were silenced in a fraction of a second. It seemed my revelation was quite shocking.

"What do you mean? Your aura manifests as lightning, does it not?"

Fuck this shit.

"That's… not aura."

"…"

Eurylochus just stared at me for a second and when realisation hit him, he was beaten in timing by Hali and Xander.

"YOU USE MANA ON YOUR WEAPON?!"

Why did I even bother?

"You know what, let it go. I will find a way myself."

I was not enthusiastic about the situation. After the confrontation with that B rank noble warrior and experiencing the potential of [soul domain] my curiosity about aura had skyrocketed.

Sure, with me working on circles instead of core stages I had precluded myself from the soul domain on itself, but I should at least be able to project my Archana.

The problem about this whole situation was that I had no clue on how to proceed on getting a hold on the aura aspect of my Archana.

The cultivation Father had given me was even weirder. For what I understood, [The Blood of the GodKing] aimed to create Archana with the biggest possible saturation of mana, ideally, my Archana, should be 97% mana and only 3% aura.

Why? No clue.

While I was spiraling in an abyss of self deprecation and confusion, Eurylochus had gotten hold of the situation after beating some sense into Hali and Xander.

"Brother, what do you feel when you try to use Aura?"

At his question, I came back to my senses and memories of when I first became a demigod flooded back to me.

"It's disgusting, viscous and violent. It makes me sick to the stomach."

"What the fuck?"

Everyone was looking at me with confusion, even the unawakened Xander seemed to know something I didn't.

"What's wrong? It's just a feeling… it feels too violent like it was created with the only purpose of taking lives."

"Dimitris, aura is supposed to feel exhilarating… like good wine."

"What the fuck?"

Eurylochus was stunned, Xander was confused and Hali deep in thought.

I started to feel wronged. How was it a problem how I felt about that vicious energy? It didn't feel natural at all. It was nature's exact opposite.

"Hold on a second!!!"

"What? You want to add something to diss my inability to harness your oh so precious aura?"

Hali quickly shook her head.

"No! It's just… Xander, go to Astrea and help her check if everything is ready for her awakening."

"But I want to know…"

A hand raised from the former queen, but I interjected.

"Xander, go stay with Astrea, I'll come later and tell you on my own."

I had a suspicion that what Hali wanted to talk about was me, precisely: old Dimitris.

The boy hurried away excited about possibilities getting to share secrets and I signaled for Hali to proceed.

"Was old Dimitris a mage?"

I know where this is going, but why does it matter?

As if receiving divine enlightenment, Eurylochus and all the other men cursed aloud.

"FUCK! SECOND COMMANDER WAS A B RANK WARRIOR! HIS SOUL DOMAIN WAS TERRIFYING!"

Oh? How fucking weak had I become?

It seemed my transmigration had brought more changes than I imagined.

Wait? A soul domain?

"What… what was my soul domain?"

I was hesitant, after the one sided conversation I had with old Dimitris where he insisted we were one continuously, I was getting scared.

"Broth… Second Commander's [soul domain] was based on the sword, it's law has always been impossible for us to understand, but he called it [decree of taboos]."

"Well… that's foreboding."

"It was, inside his domain nothing held sense, everything was very… well it wasn't what we'd imagine a domain for Brother Dimitris."

Eurylochus and the others nodded seriously and Hali's prior suspicions were dispelled.

"I see what's the problem."

Just when she was about to explain and maybe give me some form of clarification, a cascade of petals erupted in the middle of the training ground.

Odysseus, Melind and Xander were supporting a heavily breathing Astrea.

"It's happening. It's Aura."

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At the center of the training ground lay a motionless Astrea with swirling energies all around her.

Eurylochus, Hali and Polites, in a triangular formation, were infusing their aura into the ground to stabilise the fleeting energies and what I was seeing defied any concept I had formed about aura.

It was still violent, but it was a different kind of violence, not like I expected, not like I knew.

The Aura was rampaging to protect her, forging itself on the "attacks" my three companions were issuing against Astrea.

"Does every awakening require people to assist?"

Odysseus shook his head and grabbed my hand.

"We used to make sacrifices to the constellations a few before awakening, but this time we forbid her from doing so, promising we'd help her instead. When awakening aura, you mind shuts down and instinct take over, this way your aura can synchronise with your body. It is fundamental that you don't know what your doing so that Aura can attune to you."

Well that's interesting, but…

"What if she was alone?"

"It's not impossible to awaken alone, but it needs serious preparation. For Astrea we had Merlin cast a sleeping spell and the guys attacking with enough force to a response. You someone is alone… they need drugs and danger… probably into the woods somewhere you are sure there are threatening beasts but not to strong to actually kill you."

That's cute and all, but what would happen if it failed?

"They'd die."

"What?!"

"Awakening is a gift from the Records, but it's as much as a gift as it is a challenge. If you can't surpass it, the Records claim you."

What the fuck?!

"Dimitris, it hardly ever happens. There are usually clear signs of awakening and the constellations never refuse a possible honor bringer their first step."

"What are the signs of awakening? When I absorbed mana the first time I just did it…"

"Well, your situation is a little different. The signs are two mainly: complete loss of hunger and excessive energy you shouldn't have without food to expel waste from the body if you willl awaken aura. For mana… now that I think of it, you probably didn't notice."

"What?"

"Migraine and heightened emotivity."

"Oh… that's why I cried about everything."

While Odysseus was explaining the ins and outs of awakening, I noticed a shift in the energies around Astrea.

The colorless energy shifted to a rose gold hue and the previous violence changed to a gentle dispelling.

The attacks Hali and the others were all redirected on spaces where they couldn't hurt nobody, it wasn't fighting back, it was redirecting.

"My little princess sure is gentle, isn't she?"

My eyes were filled with pride, that was what Aura should have been from the beginning, not a mean to kill, but a tool to save.

Odysseus squeezed my hand gently and then we heard Astrea's sleep talking.

"Dad… protect…"

Like a knife directly ebbed to my heart, her word were killing me.

An orphan, forced into slavery, abused, stripped of her own innocence, yet… she was dreaming of protecting her father.

What resilience could a child like that have?

I didn't know how to feel. Of course I had developed some kind of affection for these kids.

Both Astrea and Xander had lost their parents simply because Daphne had believed they were a problem.

"I should have killed her myself."

I had left Artemis do her thing with Daphne, but after hearing how my little princess was still dreaming of protecting her father…

"Don't be too hard on yourself Dimitris, just staying by their side is helping more then you realise."

And that was promptly proved.

Xander had rushed to my side when he heard Astrea sleep talk about her father and buried his face on me. Seeing him in this state was hard even for me.

I wish Apollo could do something about this.

Falling to my knees, I hugged Xander tightly and started caressing his head.

"I'm here."

That's all I said, there was no need for promises, nor trying to defy someone's suffering.

These kids had gone through too much for their age. Things that should never happen to anyone, however this world was not as fair as I thought.

Far from it.

Awakening a gift from the Records?

Don't fuck with me. What gift comes with a death warrant upon failure? Who the fuck operates on these conditions?

"I'm here, Xander."

His sobbing started to calm after sometime, my shirt was soaked, but I didn't mind one bit.

Astrea's awakening had succeeded alas, her aura was retreating, forming a core in her heart. Without saying a word, I stood up and after receiving a nod from Odysseus I picked her up.

Xander still glued to me and Astrea in my arms, I left the training ground to go in the garden on the bow of the ship.

The flowers had changed long ago, Merlin had planted some herbs with a spell to resist the sea salt and there we laid.

The kids on my chest, sleeping peacefully.

I didn't know what they were thinking, nor could I try to imagine it.

Losing one's family, especially if it's a loving family, must have been the hardest ordeal one could ever face.

I started to think about Astrea's aura, something that with all the rights of this world to become monstrous and ultraviolent, had instead shifted into a beautiful force that looked not for destruction, but for protection.

"My little princess, I'm here."

"My little shining knight, I'm here."

With those word and the scent of herbs surrounding us, I too shifted into a peaceful slumber, completely forgetting training for once, even delaying Hali's explanations about Aura.

Rest is also part of training.

And that was a universal truth.

The mind.

The body.

The heart.

They all need time to heal, effort alone only burns your will.