There was a tension in the camp that Killian was enjoying. Outwardly the adventurers had given him congratulations. Their words had mostly been coloured with what Killian could only describe as chagrin. That was only correct, he supposed. He bet that none of them expected him to actually slip through their fingers. Adversity breeds growth, that was what Dack had told him. Let’s all grow together then, Killian thought. If he could push them higher too? All the better.

Mycol, Dack and Twozik the blacksmith all seemed to just feel pride, though. Each of them had taken a conjured flame and taken the scorch marks to prove it. Their bronze adventurer bodies weren’t scarred, but the hair would take a while to return. Mycol looked almost like a different person... if he wasn’t twice the size of that different person. His bear-like pelt of body hair had been stripped mostly away.

Trexa, the huntress with the ability to control her hair, had seemed to take to Jol, expressing interest in having him show her some of the forest.

“Looking a bit patchy there, guys.” Killian had no remorse. He may have healed but each of them had broken bones or come as close to it.

“HaHA!” Mycol’s explosive laugh seemed to send the less interested members of the Fangs away. “I have tasted a magic missile before, but yours impress! Pain is a powerful weapon!” Killian might have thought anyone else was being sarcastic, but Mycol was truly praising him. Killian hoped that Pyre’s ambient glow would hide his blush.

“I didn’t know that you healed so quickly… there’s almost no point for traditional armour…” Twozik wasn’t even really talking to Killian, his mind racing with designs and ideas. Enchanting and smithing had started to seem interesting to Killian, especially with the amazing boost his ring of will had given him. If he could make more items like that himself… well it was worth looking into.

Then again, he did have a way of creating magic items.

Holding the Aspect he had received as a quest reward, he took a deep breath. Again, he wondered whether his Display was biased, not that he would complain. He just wished he knew who to thank. Emotion had welled up inside of him as his Display told him that he held the Aspect of the Arcane. It had only been respect for Lady Syb that he hadn’t used it right away. Killian was surprised when she told him to wait and bolted out of the room, all ceremony gone from the moment as she shoved him aside. She had called Ophana and Killian was reminded of the guild leader’s interest in Aspects.

Ophana had gasped, named it as the Aspect of the Arcane and, after giving it an excited, longing look, sprinted off to see up a ritual circle. She explained quickly that while Killian was able to fuse with the Aspects, the ritual would let him choose which attribute the Aspect would bind to. Killian had greeted the returning adventurers while the circle was set up.

-Item-

|Aspect of the Arcane|

Aspects are created by excess amounts of mana.

Understanding the arcane. A suggestion upon reality.

Effect: Aspect of the Archmage binds to an attribute, granting different skills and effects. As your attribute rises, more abilities will unlock.

You meet the requirements to use this item.

Would you like to use Aspect of the Arcane?

Yes / No?

Having collected everyone who was interested, and being as excited as anyone, Killian sat nervously amongst the 13 carved stones that made up the ritual circle. Each sigil and rune were different, some flowing designs while others were sharp. The stones were different colours, three a dull green, while another was a pale blue, another still the colour of blood. It all felt very magical and wizard-ish to Killian. He approved. Jol and Pyre both cooed from a spot, also impressed.

Killian had decided, with advice from Ophana and Lady Syb, to bind this Aspect to his body attribute.

“While Aspect binding is not an exact art, you can make a few hopeful assumptions. Whatever leanings your abilities do take on will tend to match your own anyway. The Aspect of the Arcane will definitely be focused around using spells in some way, which you’ve said was ideal?” Ophana was a font of knowledge about the entire catalogue of potential Aspects. Apparently the reason the Fangs have so many bronze members is because Ophana loves to see Aspects bind and grow.

“Yes,” Killian replied, eyes closed and hands on the Aspect. It felt both warm, and somehow spiky. As though the magic inside were trying to push his hands away. “It could improve my mana regeneration.” Either way, the Aspect would raise his body attribute to bronze, improving his stamina and durability massively.

“A good guess, we shall have to wait and see.” Ophana agreed. “Right. Ready? Close your eyes, tense all your holes and whatever you do, don’t think about demons.”

Killian instantly pictured a fiery monster, fifty feet tall with wings of shadow.

“Bwu-” was the approximation of the noise he made before the ritual began. The world froze, similar to once before.

“Nice to see you again, my champion.” Killian found he could move and from his seated position exploded, turning to face his Goddess. Resplendent and divine, Genara, the Goddess of New Beginnings gazed around at the frozen faces. “You’ve done so well.”

Killian was kneeling, but raised his face at her words. To his surprise, Pyre had flown to Genara’s shoulder.

“You have found spectacular allies. I recognise this one.” She indicated Dack, his face frozen in time like everyone else. “Wise, confident and strong, leaders.” Genara signalled to Lady Syb, then Mycol, then Ophana. “You are on the right path Killian. Your choices are all the right ones. I could not be more proud of you, my Champion.”

“I… Thank you, my Goddess.” Killian didn’t know what to say. Worries that he didn’t know he had carried faded away, like nightmares he never had. Pyre trilled with jubilance, launching from Genara’s shoulder and soaring in an upwards corkscrew before swooping low and going again. Killian could feel through their connection that the phoenix was overcome with pride and joy, just as he was.

“As your strength grows,” Genara included Pyre in her words, “So shall mine. Our meetings shall not always be so fleeting. Stay on the path Killian. I leave with a gift.” The goddess walked, her grace evident in every movement. Even in this time-locked place, Killian held his breath at her. She noticed, he knew, but She did not chide him. She simply maintained pace, until She was a step from him. Taking his hands, She raised them and kissed the Aspect held within. The kiss Killian had seen children receive when they made their mother smile. The love of nurture, the pride and excitement of seeing potential grow.

A tiny part of Killian’s heart fell away, feeling the truth of that peck. A childish, romantic, desperate, foolish love fell away and the foundation was filled with only adoration and gratitude. Genara had taken him from a place of hunger and fear, She had given him purpose, power and the new beginning that he needed. Killian rose from kneeling and placed a hand over his heart.

“Your will is my will, my Goddess.”

“That is why I chose you, my Champion.”

Killian blinked, and his seated position had returned. As though She had never been here. The smell of wildflowers wafted gently through the field, overpowering the normally somewhat swampy smells. Killian smiled, and looked down at the Aspect in his hand. Ophana had noticed it too, judging by her gasp. The symbols within were flying around the gem. They had been simply appearing and then fading, now they seemed to be charged with energy. There seemed to be many more variations now, the greens and purples joined with electric blues, reds and other vibrant shocks of light.

What had been a quiet nebula of power, was now a supernova of potential.

“I don’t know what you did, Kil, but that’s definitely a different Aspect.” Dack and Ophana were gawking, Mycol was treating it as though it was normal. Lady Syb seemed to be distracted, but she turned back with a smile on her face all the same.

Dack was right. It had changed.

-Item-

|Aspect of the Archmage|

Aspects are created by excess amounts of mana.

Mastery of the arcane. Reality bent to a whim.

Effect: Aspect of the Archmage binds to an attribute, granting different skills and effects. As your attribute rises, more abilities will unlock.

You meet the requirements to use this item.

Would you like to use Aspect of the Archmage?

Yes / No?

Swallowing and mentally stopping himself from just accepting the prompt, Killian thought a quick, thankful prayer to Genara. He also took note of the changed words. This was clearly a much more powerful Aspect. Killian certainly wasn’t going to complain about it.

“My Display says it’s the Aspect of the Archmage.” When Killian’s explanation was met with silence, he looked up from the gem to a confusing collection of emotions.

“Killian,” Dack said slowly, “not all Aspects are equal. That gem in your hand is probably worth more than a castle. You could live comfortably for the rest of your life, and probably ten lives over, if you sold that.”

“I will kill him myself if he doesn’t use that Aspect.” Ophana said flatly. There was a hunger in her eyes, but it wasn’t greed. “The reason it’s expensive is because it sounds like a world-changer. I don’t know what luck you have, kid, but a phoenix familiar and Aspects like yours? I can’t wait to see how that looks fleshed out.”

“The choice is his though.” Dack was being firm. Killian wasn’t upset at the idea, and he knew that Dack was thinking of the hungry nights spent wondering if the doors would keep out predators of Sanctia DaVaux. This wasn’t a decision that he had to think hard about.

“I’m using it.” Killian stated with conviction. Dack looked like he had more arguments, but something he saw in Killian’s face must have been more convincing. “Please, start the ritual.”

The circle of stones seemed to hum with power once Ophana and Lady Syb started to chant. Killian didn’t know whether the words they were saying were important, but there was an energy to them all the same. Each of the stones lit up with luminescence. Pyre performed her corkscrew flight and dive, covering the area in a glittering layer of phoenix mana. Killian could feel this was instinctual, and wondered if it would affect the ritual.

With seemingly every possible advantage available, the ritual was completed. The Aspect in Killian’s grasp was positively shaking with power and a page from his Display appeared.

-Body-

|Aspect of the Archmage|

The Aspect of the Archmage has fused with your body attribute. Your Body grade is now Bronze. Progression to Silver rank is locked until all five attributes have been fused with an Aspect.

Effect:Body attribute bonded to Archmage rank.

Followed by another.

-Ability Unlocked-

Bronze |Arcane Conduit| Body

A wizard’s strongest muscle is their brain. A wizard’s second strongest muscle is wherever they place their mana.

This ability is governed to your Body attribute.

Effect: Mana regeneration is massively increased.

You may absorb mana from your surroundings.

Your body remembers the feeling of magic cast upon it. The rate at which you learn spells is massively increased.

Killian was used to the feeling of it now, slightly. The Aspect of the Archmage didn’t melt like the previous Aspects, instead it seemed to pop, the nebula of power within began flowing out freely before being absorbed into Killian’s body. Every strand of mana inside Killian alighted with energy. It felt like he could sense every loose piece of mana inside of him and collect them now.

With a deep breath, Killian reached his perception out. The magic of the Aspect was understood easily. It was like a limb which had been sat on for too long, now awake. Killian stretched his new sense and felt a small bonfire of spirits. The Fangs of Pryviow glowed a dull brown mostly, with strong sparks of silver. Killian could sense each person within a certain distance, and pick out their strength.

He focused his eyes and shook his head, that would take some getting used to. He looked at the gathered faces who were waiting for the verdict.

“If you thought that I was annoying before,” Killian began to chuckle, “just wait.” Pyre landed on his shoulder and sang a triumphant song.

- Profile -

|Killian|

Attributes

Power - Bronze (Phoenix)

Speed - None

Will - Bronze (Destiny)

Body - Bronze (Archmage)

Charm - None

Skills

Phoenix Magic - Bronze

Destiny Magic - Bronze

Shadow Magic - Bronze

Axe Fighting - Bronze

Abilities

Beginner’s Luck - Bronze

Flame of Rebirth - Bronze

Discerning Eye - Bronze

Arcane Conduit - Bronze