Chapter 31

  The Path to Auramancy

  "Feel it within the air, my son, do not use your eyes. You must be like a stone, so the rain and wind cannot move you. Stones do not have voices, nor do they feel pain." Xu stands a distance away from his son as he holds the staff in his hands. Wu is blindfolded, sitting in a meditative state. He is relaxed to the best of his ability and is breathing steadily. The air currents subside around him as the sound in his ears are now focused on what's more important, Nothingness. An abyss of darkness seems to surround him in his mind as he sits in this space of blackness. Waves of feint light emanate out of him in bursts, silhouetting him, and the ground, beneath the infinite blackness. Suddenly another outline appears in the darkness, Its waves are incomprehensible and larger than Wu's, but they are steady, like a pebble that broke the stillness of a pond. It is of his fathers', and Wu closed and blindfolded eyes twitch from its pressure. He then hears the muffled words, "Look farther", which then courses him to make the waves shrink as it expands into multiple other waves, even of the insects around in the sands the trees and of the people of the town. It beckons him once more, "Farther", and the waves dissipate to more silhouettes heading towards the vast interconnected towns and cities and towards the one greatest of them all, Nocturnia. There, he finally sees it, a red silhouette out of the many gray and whites of others with in its center. The Aura of the being is immeasurable and without comprehension. But suddenly, as if it sensed it was detected, it disappears within the mass of other Auras, masking itself. Wu lets out a deep exhale and undoes his blindfold and looks at his father. "I did it, Father, I was able to see them. I was able to see the Aura's" Xu nods and stands just a bit straighter, proud of what his son has accomplished in such a short time. He is one of a kind, and as extraordinary as they can be. He is ready.

  As they return home and Wu opens the door, a pop is heard and streamers and confetti fly. Cheers and admiration is heard as the schoolmates townsfolk friends his mother and even his father yell "Happy Birthday" too Wu, For it is his 18th Birthday. Wu Blinks as he is stunned by the sudden surprise as he looks around his mother slithers over and hugs him tightly causing him to tap her back as it's just a bit too tight. "I am so excited to be able to celebrate this day!" Safiya smiles brightly with a shine to her eyes. With an affirmation pat on the back from Xu, Wu steps into the celebratory house of all his familiars he has been with for the past 10 years. From the helping with errands to protecting them from bullies like he once had to deal with when he was a kid, to the odd jobs he had worked for to appease his mother with. All the people that he respected and cared for has showed up for this one special occasion. As they celebrate and converse with one another, the moment arrives with the exchange of gifts to Wu. Hand made figurines, candles, and even letters expressing their thanks and admiration on Wu's Journey thus far. Safiya rewards him with a personal handcrafted cake she made as well Vanilla pound cake drizzled in caramel icing. As all the gift pile up, Wu notices that his father has not said a word nor has he given a gift yet. Sure, he knows his father always tends to keep to himself and is quiet when it is needed. But being adopted by him 10 years ago, this has changed and molded Wu to be the man, he believes, what his father wanted him to be. He wonders if he has a gift for him or some mystic wisdom he usually bestows upon him during training. But as if on cue his father begins to step into the fold of the group, staff in hand he smacks it twice onto the ground for everyone to be silent for he is now going to speak.

  "From the moment I witness this boy, my son, I was at peace with myself. I knew from that point forward, My journey is coming to an end. My journey to the mountain peak was accomplished the moment you two came into my life". He looks to Safiya, then again back to Wu. Safiya holds both her hands to hear chest with tearful glee in her eye. Xu Continues, "You have grown, both physically and mentally, Your prowess is vast, and you still have so much to learn, oh so, so much. But I see that today you are no longer a boy, You are now a man. As tradition to our clan and even to the Lamian traditions, your mother has taught both me and you. You are free to walk your journey how you see fit. You may choose to walk it alone, as I have, or walk it with friends. It is up to you to decide that fate, my son." Xu steps even close and extend his staff arm towards Wu, holding the Legendary Auramancy Staff at arm's length to Wu's gaze. "You are ready to wield it. The staff of the Dragon Clan, Suleykkun, This is my gift to you." Wu takes hold of The Suleykkun eagerly and cautiously the name of the staff intrigued him, his father also spoke that same tongue when he prays as well. He was told that it is the same tongue spoken by the Ancient Dragons themselves, and each word has meaning. Wu has not learned a bit of the language yet and only picks up some words here and there as his fathers repeats them. What he does know is that "Kun" means many things in dragon's tongue. The staff seems to have another name attached to it, Suleyk. That is a word he has never heard before. "This gift to you, sends you on a path I do not know. But with Suleykkun by your side, It will assist you in your path of rightness, by its name alone." Wu nods, now, assuring him that the second part, Kun, means, in this context, The right path. Wu then, without hesitation, embraces his father with a tight and sincere hug. Xu hugs him as well, then pats his son on the back. Giving him a nod in approval as he looks to his wife, and she too nods, wiping a tear from her eye. The room cheers and claps as Wu and Xu bow to one another. For now Wu is no longer a student of Auramancy But a young master. With this, it marks Wu first step into the grand journey to figure out his path, to Auramancy.

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  Several days have passed, and now Wu is seen packing a small rucksack with essentials. He carries the staff, which is also strapped firmly to his back. After now becoming a man, he is able to set his sights on the world to explore freely. Perhaps he can seek out others and maybe be able to learn more about himself and to improve his skills, per his father's wishes. He truly doesn't see him ever surpassing his father in skill. But remembering the moment he gave him his staff. He shakes off that feeling, knowing his father truly believes in him. The journey ahead will take him time. He always wanted to explore beyond the spires and plains. Though his father never seemed to like the cities, he thinks that they are a key thing he should do differently from him. Because he is not his father. He must try to learn new things and embrace the challenges ahead. That is what a true Auramancer strives to achieve. With new-found confidence he sets out passing the pillars of the town's borders, giving them one last pat before he stares out into the distance to the new adventures that await him. He wonders how city life will be and if he can manage with the bit of silver he has in his possession. Maybe he might discover something that his father was not able to achieve. He ventures out through the dunes and plains. Days and weeks go by as he meets many wandering travelers. He assists where he can with what he has. Soon, however, the needs of his rucksack out lived their usefulness, and he gives it away to someone he passes by who seemed down on their luck. With only his coin pouch and staff, he continues his travels in the wilderness using his skills he learned from his training to survive and only take what he requires. He hunts for food by meditating and sensing their aura's he also does the same when a predator tries to ambush him. His skills are sharper than ever. Finally, after almost a few months out he reaches the outskirts of a city, the many small huts and villages that reside before the walls of this vast city are beautiful and abundant. Caravans and merchants enter and exit in droves. As he watches, his stomach slowly growls, and he rubs his stomach and lets out a yawn. He begins to walk into the city's entrance, a large metal fantastical sign hangs from a job and ad board wall just before entering. The language is common, but also has other tongues below it. "Capitol City of Terra Magna, Nocturnia" Is this city's name. He also sees maps of the other major cities on the world map like one for the Seaport of Cordellia, The Desert Lamian City of Thanisia and the Marsh's Silyphania, followed by a College for Magic. Many places he wishes to travel to next. But his hunger is persistent, and he continues to walk into the city. This was his first time ever entering a major city. It is so overwhelming with the smells, the constant sounds of life and people coming and going. To think that there is a system here to manage all this at once.

  He came here for the adventure and to see what it is like but perhaps, this, is a bit too over stimulating. When he was able to sense this place from a distance, the many auras were a bit better to manage. Now that he is here, it is a much different story. He spends most of his time trying to navigate the busy alleys and walking paths of the crowds. It was way too difficult to navigate sometimes. He finally had enough. He crouched as low as he could and leaped to the rooftops of the building to navigate the intense crowds, this is what he needed every day from now on. He did this to go to and from stores and locations within the city, and eventually he manages to find the place of solace. The City of Nocturnia's vast and grand garden. Out of all the places this looks otherworldly placed in the thick of the stone paved jungle. It as if the forest itself took over and vast quanities of fauna plants and vivid colors pepper the garden as if the city envolping it was not even there. He tends to sleep in the tree tops of the garden since he wants to spend as little of his silver as possible, but unfortunately to his suprise, he has fairly little now since he tends to love the almost endless assortment of foods from so many cultures inside the city itself. The night seems to keep the city alive with the glows of biolumenesence and fire. He drifts into his sleep on the branch he resides. For little does he know the next morning will be life changing, for a being in red has had her eye on him ever since he entered her garden.