21 Chapter 15: The Principle of Flowing Energy - Part IV Meditation (1/2)

Do you know that feeling when you are so tired, it seems impossible to fall asleep?

That happened last night, after jogging I went to bed, yet it took hours to fall asleep... maybe because I went earlier than normal?

Today too... I arose earlier than yesterday, deciding to take Yami with me this time. I leaned over looking at her sleeping face. She laid so peacefully I almost felt guilty waking her from grace.

Poking a little above her right check and gently caressing her ears. She awoke blushing from cheek to cheek.

”Master... it is early... can't we stay in bed longer?

And... those are my precious ears... they are really sensitive. Nggghhh.”

”You're cute when you sleep Yami, makes me want to cuddle with you. I woke you up because I'm going to start training now and wanted to ask if you liked to join.”

”Mooaah, you're responsible for what happens to me, don't forget that!”

Yami said teasingly.

”I'll join, Yami wants to join master on the morning stroll! Let me get ready, I'll see you outside.”

”Don't take to long, or I'll leave you behind.”

I said jokingly leaving the room.

The Guildhall had such a different feeling to it early morning, few workers were awake as not many adventurers ventured out during this time.

All across the building crystals illuminated the darkness attracting fireflies making the glow all the more magical. Few Adventurers came in exchanging their crystals to make ends meet.

At the entrance, the fresh air blew past me, when shortly after I heard Yami from a distance. My shadow expanded as she jumped out, ready to start the exercise.

Following the usual route past the field of the beginning, I just couldn't forget what had happened a few days ago. Thinking what I did could have given some a grudge I asked Yami about this.

”Yami, if you don't mind me asking, did you hate me for killing Garou?”

Yami looked up all surprised as she grabbed my arm.

”It was rather shocking what happened, but to be honest Yami feels she is better off with her new master than with Garou... to me, I have nothing but respect for you master, please let's be partners for a long, long time.”

Her tail began wagging up and down as she proudly pulled my arm.

”We're done, finally breakfast!!”

Entering the Guildhall Michael stumbled on an assembly poster for the rumored expedition, as this piqued his curiosity, Michael couldn't care less about breakfast right now.

”You go on ahead if you want, I'll be preparing for this.”

Michael grabbed the poster, walking straight for the help desk. There Amaris and a few colleagues were enjoying their coffee break. Slamming the poster on the desk in excitement barely able to contain his enthusiasm Michael called Amaris for aid on the matter.

Barely able to finish her coffee Amaris walked to the desk.

”Morning Michael, something piqued your interest? What you have here?”

Looking closer at the poster Amaris could see a small portion was cut out to sign in if interested.

”Wanting to go on your first expedition? Sounds like a good idea, I'll approve of this, you could use some experience before entering the examination site. It seems they are recruiting for the fallen ruins expedition in the forest east-west from here. It also says they require multiple groups covering most fields.”

The date for the expedition was there as well, two weeks from now. This would give me enough time to prepare.

I signed my name on the poster and proudly put it back on the bulletin board. Unaware of my growling stomach, I went to the dining hall to meet up with the others.

Chiara couldn't be found, meaning she either already finished or wasn't awake yet. Taking our time finishing breakfast we directly head towards the training quarters to meet up with Chiara afterward.

Knowing the main hall would be too crowded for our lessons I went straight towards the room we had our previous lesson, surely after entering there, Chiara was waiting for our arrival.

”Goodmorning to you both, I take it you have already prepared yourself for today? Come sit close to me, so our hands can stay connected.”

We did as Chiara instructed sitting down, creating a small circle like yesterday, Yami jumped out of my shadow and joined mine and Chiara's hands together.

”Let me inform you before we begin... we will be doing this for the remainder of the day having three different exercises, al to understand the importance, dangers, and benefits of the lesson today.

Know it will be similar to what we did yesterday, today we will venture further into our souls, exploring our being, finding our demons and learning to communicate with them. You see, as the Mages Ember undoubtedly explained to you during their visit, there are different ways of using magic, but for the sake of it, let me explain the different ways to you in more detail.”

Yami her ears turned upwards as she focused on what Chiara was about to tell us. Excited her tail wagged the ground even squeezing my hand.

”Knowing the Mages Ember, they told you about three different ways of using magic. Being able to use magic from birth, either by being naturally gifted or by inheriting the magical abilities of their families, for example let's say a family of natural fire magic-users had a child, they would surely be able to use this magic as well, yet if the person in question was also naturally gifted he or she could also even learn other magics, bond them to their being and pass them on to their offspring. This also tends to be one of the reasons why mages are mostly Royal by blood and elitist.

Then there is a way how everyone could use magic,

The Mages guild and Magic Research Tower in the capital work together with the Alchemist Association to use the Crystal's obtained by adventures and Drifters to infuse them with magic essence.

Allowing them to glow, become warmer or even summer the elements. This technology allowed our country to flourish and evolve above others.

Even if this allows every single person to use magic, it still is expansive, seeing as they all need to be manufactured. Giving the Royals in the Capital even more power. A drawback of these crystals is that they will break after a certain amount of uses.

Before I keep rambling on, I have to say one last thing about the artificial magic crystals, if naturally gifted users would use higher grate ones and allow the essence inside to bond they would even be able to use these abilities without the stones, which is why even the Dark Guilds target these crystals as they could get insane amounts of money with them.

Now here's the thing, I'm sure The Mages Ember didn't explain about all the natural gifted ways to use magic. As one of them is exclusively used for people who understand the flow of energy.

This also has a direct influence on today's lesson so listen closely.”

Our interest got piqued as she continued her explanation.

”During our Journey here on Arganthes or even during meditation, these natural gifted can hear voices around and inside of them. Voices to guide them, warn them or even instruct them...

These voices could represent your inner self, higher being or spirits in general. Naturally, as we have good and bad spirits even Demons could try and contact you this way. Shadows of the past and present or even evil entities as a whole. There are even cases where we could leave our bodies behind to venture the spiritual dimension, known to be rare only ones with high enough developed spiritual souls can do this.

Doing this allows them to contact the spirits creating soul bonds, some kind of contract that allows the use of the powers of the spirit in question, we in spiritualism believe the power to use magic even come from these spirits themselves as they are a lifeform form a higher being.

But be warned, if a dark element or evil one wants too, they can take over your body when you use this Astral Projection, taking your body for themselves and leaving you in the Spiritual Dimension to venture for yourself.”

Shivers went down my spine as Chiara told us about this. Realizing I had experienced this exact phenomenon before I was shocked... my eyes widened as I felt my body suddenly break out in a cold sweat. My hands like my body became sweaty and gave off the slightest vibration.

Chiara noticed the sudden change in my being stopping her explanation. She turned to me with worry in her eyes and asked;

”Are you okay Michael? Did this scare you?”

She noticed I was completely lost in thought as panic had taken over my body. The shivers grew intense as the sweat dripped from my face.

”Michael? Answer me, Michael!”

Chiara let go of both our hands, now completely turned to me, her hands connected with my head as she tried to catch my attention. As our eyes locked to one another, the sight was absolute blank... nothing...

Nothing but the sheer terror of what Michael realized at that moment.

Inside my head in the distance, dark... a voice lingered.

”This woman is wise... keep her close, make sure she becomes one of us... In due time, she might be needed...”

The moment the voice ebbed away slowly leaving me in a pale white state, instantly snapping me out of the trance, leaving me to collect my thoughts.

I slowly looked up towards Chiara as my eyes filled with life once again.

Relieved Chiara put her head against mine.

”I have never... experienced this with anyone before, please... never scare me like that again.

Shall we continue?”

She asked implying we should hold each other's hands again. Hesitant at first, I held on to her and Yami her hand. I couldn't fathom how she did it,

yet at the touch, we instantly found ourselves in a state of trance again.

”Having to find our most inner demons and confront them, can be challenging, to say the least, still to come out stronger and better, there is no other way.

As they are ultimately our Primal being they will confront us as well, telling us about our innermost desires, ambitions, and emotions. One too weak to confront them will find themselves consumed by madness, leaving but a shell of the man we once knew. Yes... fear can both be powerful yet gives one greater strength and courage when overcome.

One can even bond with these primal selves coming out as a reborn person, stronger than before.”

As Chiara continued her spiritual lecture the state of being brought me back to the soul sea, this time as the void was filled with my soul flame a familiar face showed itself. Yami was there... waiting for me to approach the flame as the dim light cast a large shadow beneath her feet.

It appeared Chiara had brought her in as support for the journey we had to go on inside of my mind.

Closing in I became hesitant knowing the darkness was close, it felt like eyes burned into my back when Yami snapped me out of it. She stayed silent as she supported me towards the flame.

It felt like the shadows crept closer ever so slightly step by step. Feeling the warmth of the flame eased my worries began slowly disappearing as it's dark void-like essence filled the nothingness. Just when I wanted to touch the flames feeling like home, shadows arose from beneath the flame.

The shadows oozed together creating one entity,

Different than before, now the entity appeared more humanoid than ever. A perfect silhouette... something didn't feel right... was this me? No... it couldn't be...

The dark shadow stood there motionless, head tilted as its thick mucous-like body kept flowing to the ground. Its head had horns forming from the front where its forehead should have been. We stood there for what felt like an eternity when it formed a smile...

A smile from side to side, wider than I had ever seen, when suddenly it spoke in a dark and calm voice filling the nothingness of the void.

”We... finally... meet... getting... stronger... soon... we.... will... be... one...”

I sheer terror froze me in place.

Agony filled my vibe as it became clear, this entity...

This creature was me, yet not entirely...

A million questions filled my head; Who are you? Stronger? What does it feed on? Where did it come from? Was it me I saw?

The creature uttered one last word as it's being splattered to the ground and faded away into nothingness.

”Together...”

At that time I awoke from the trance state to see Chiara had finished meditating. Relieved I opened and closed my hands, feeling refreshed for some reason. Power was surging through my veins as a glimpse of darkness sparked a tiny bolt in my palm.

I quickly put away my hands and stood up.

Having a quick lunch break we all took a little breather. As we all got used to the way food was ordered we quickly took our place and enjoyed our meal. But today, things were different.

One of the men we had encountered in the public bath the other day was bothering another woman.

I rolled my eyes thinking back at what had happened in the bath. The woman had light brown skin was wearing clothes to accentuate her figure

.

A maroon sleeveless top and brown short jeans making it easier to move around in. A headband sharing the same color as her top covered her head as her short brown hair fell over it. She was well trained and probably had just come back from her training, seeing as she still had her gloves and boots on sharing the same color of her jeans, although a little lighter. A buckle belt loosely hangs around her waist covering part of her shorts.

Annoyed she looked away allowing her short brown hair to wave past her ears. Revealing her dark red ruby eyes.

Still, something looked different as I took a second look at her gloves and boots. Both had parted at her wrists and the top of the boots.

”weights.”

The woman stood up annoyed by the man, who was bothering her. Glaring at him she answered.

”Can't you leave me be? This place is to recover, replenish energy and collect one's thoughts. I can't do any of them because of you.”

”Doll, you don't need any of that... can't we spar together after this? I would want to hit that.”

The man said hitting her ass.

Startled the woman jumped up and chalked a cute high pitched scream.

”Kya.”