Alexander awoke in his bed, feeling groggy and dizzying nausea.
'My head is killing me. What happened last night?" Thought, trying to revive the diluted memories. Kahawai's hand blazing heat and cold water rushing over his body. His hand shot to his left shoulder, feeling nothing but skin and cloth.
"Breakfast is ready, Lex," Seraphina's voice sweetly sounded through his bedroom door. "You've been asleep this whole time. It's twelve o'clock. Didn't you have training with that Akamai guy. You were real serious about it last night. Are you coming down soon?"
'Akamai? Kahawai or Kalani? Why would I train with them? Strange night, I must have been drugged at that bonfire.'
"Alright, I'll be down in a second."
Alexander got dressed as fast as he could. Hurrying down stairs to the table he finished his breakfast, telling his siblings about the strange night he though had happed. Hopeing ot was a dream. They laughed and agreed he was a little wacky when he came home.
A knock at the door paused their conversation. They weren't expecting anyone, and their caretaker was out doing shopping and things. They wouldn't be back for some time.
"Master Mortem?" He spoke through the door clearly and with a gravitas of a well trained butler. "I am Sir, Geralt, from the Akamai household. I have been sent to escort you to the residence. If you would be so kind as to accompany me."
A shocked expression appeared on Alexanders face. He was in no attire to greet a visitor, and his hair was messy from the night. But he stood up, wondering if this was a joke, and opened the door.
A grey haired gentleman with a serious countenance of a seasoned warrior greeted him. A wrinkly smile and kind eyes quickly took over as he recognized the youth. "Good, I had assumed I arrived at the wrong residence. An orphanage was the last thing I expected in the middle of the city."
"We all say the same, Mr, Sir Geralt," Seraphina said, sneaking under Alexanders arm.
"Oh my, aren't you adorable. Those eyes are quite spectacular, young miss. May I take this young man for the day?" He asked particularly for the protective glare in her eyes. He used as much charm as he could.
"How much?" She asked seriously. "If you want my approval, it takes capital."
"My, how, Cute. Extortion at such a young age. Here, it's all I have at the moment."
"Alexander, go with the man, will you. Be safe, and don't stay out too late," She said, shoving him out the door in his shorts and grey shirt, still counting the bills in her hand.
"Family," Alexander spat in exasperation.
"Shall we, Master Mortem? We are, some what, on a deadline." Geralt motioned towards the very expensive vehicle.
They arrived at a large Cliffside manor, built modern, with the latest in Greene Corp security. They drove through the gate, and Alexander was lead to a large dining hall. Five individuals ate a plethora of dishes made for them. Tea was served on silver, and food was served on gold.
Alexander sat, and Geralt excused himself to his duties as head butler.
Alexander had just eaten, but now he was suddenly hungry. Sausages, flapjacks, biscuits, and more sat on his plate. He ate a good portion before he was stuffed. 'Man being rich should be the standard.'
Max Greene watched Alexander with a unique curiosity. As the smartest kid in their class, he was astounded by this small pale kid, shoveling kilograms of food down. His watch beeped as he began inputting notes on Alexanders document.
'Subject has extraordinary stomach elasticity. Flag for further study.'
Kahawai strode in from a backdoor and happily escorted everyone to the open field behind the mansion.
A large training field stretched in front of a well kept forest and looked wide enpugh to fit a couple fields inside. Training gear and weapons sat in nice rows under a dugout for use and had an on call blacksmith for repairs or special accommodations.
"Everyone, this will be our training center for the next three months. For the six of us who has been here for awhile, we will continue our own training. Alexander, I want you to train with the First Elder. He will start your foundation for mana, and then you will train with us after. Let's all remember what we're here for. Let's go!"
Kahawai showed him where the elder would arrive, and Alexander sat down, relaxing himself. 'What happened last night for them to be so happy about helping me? Well, even though everyone is in gym gear. I still feel out of place. At least I'm learning to use Mana from an actual teacher. The school was a great school, but they didn't teach anything Mana related,' He thought.
Technically only thing Alexander learned was the history of Gates, monster types and ways to handle them. The curriculum was diverse like regular school but included electives that he believed hed need as a hunter. "This is my chance.'
"Alexander Mortem, as I live an breath. It's sort of an event destined by the spirits that we meet this day." Kelani, the great Elder of the Akamai, greeted Alexander. His dark long hair flowed with past his shoulders, spruced with grey, bronze skin marked with tattoos dipicting great battles, and symbols covered his body.
"Elder Kelani? It's an honor teacher." He clasped his hand in a respectful greeting and was pulled into a strong unyielding embrace.
"You may call me Kelani, Little one. I've been looking forward to talking to the lad who knocked my grandson out cold. That little so and so needed a peg taken out of him. Ever since he was meant to be crowned King and having it denied him, he's had a Kaokao stick shoved so far up his hidden cove that he's forgotten how to be a kid..."
'What did he say? I knocked who out?' Alexander questioned. His memory was fadded but he could make out a scene after he got out of the water. He remembered a flash of a spell shot forward, dark and smoky, smacking against a shield of fire and light, blowing someone away.
"Well, let's see what we have here. Let's try and focus your energy on your Core. You do know what a Core is, right?" Kelani asked adter the puzzle look on Alexanders face didnt go away. It is the center of your magical abilities. A centering of the gathering of mana within your body, if that makes sense. Just focus on breathing in and visualize the seven elements of mana entering your body and then solidify it."
A short time passed when Alexander felt the first incling of mana. First came Fire, Water, Earth, then Air, and finaly Light and Darkness swilred inside of his center and settled as he breathed out.
He felt a space an empty space within himself. He placed the swirling mana there along with a container the size of a fish bowl. What seemed would take months as he started, felt easier the longer he did it, like a hand was learning with him and setting him on track.
A few hours later, he had created his core.
"Good! Very good. It took Kahawai a week to make one. We may have a natural born Magus. Here, see how I make the wind blow, and this fire spring from my fingertips. This is everyday magic. Everyone uses this like we breathe air and drink water. But when we force mana from our core, the wind turns into a gale, or the spark into a ferocious flame. The amount of ana we use matters, and to get their we need a larger core pr more Mana."
Kelani demonstrated how to fill his Core assuring him he will find his onw way to absorb mana. "It would take years to get a large core, it would have been easier for you had you recieved training early on, years that Kahawai and the rest have been practicing before you."
Kelani watched as Alexander practiced his breathing, giving him a few pointers, then sending him to train with the rest. Physical exercises were just as important to produce strong cores as well as the breathing technique.
Alexanders physique had the tensile strength of paper, failing easily to Nakamuras faints and simple attacks. Over and over again, he ended on the ground.
Nakamura, the ever silent teacher, continued to practice as he got back up again and again. This was a first for Alexander, to get to train like this with professional warriors and my peers. He was happy to train seriously with them, his mind clear as he learned to fight with a sword and even the pain wasn'tan issue, he hardly felt tired as he stood back up and mirrored Nakamura's stance.
'Left then right, block, step, step, and..ouch. I'm getting it, I'm somehow learning his moves like a simulation. The trajectory and angles are clear, and the moves are being engraved into my mind. I must be born for this!'
After around six hours, Kahawai eneded training, "That's it for today guys, good work. Everyone to the team room."
The team made their way to a sauna styled room full of pillows that stayed at a comfortable temperature. As soon as Alexander sat in the room, the mana within him moved and accumulated in his core quicker.
"You feel it, right. That's the enchantments and the wood of the ancient forest. This room accumulates the mana flowing around, creating this effect." Max explained, continuing to type on his device.
The effects were strong, the healing powers of Light, warmth of Fire, coolness of Water, sturdiness of Earth, rejuvenation of Air, and the Darkness's cleansing aura. This harmony allowed his senses to elevate to the extreme.
So strong was the effects of the room that he felt something other than darkness. A consciousness other than his own within his mind scape.
Memories flooded back to him as he reached out with his mind and touched the other. He was shot, fell into the sea, and brought back somehow. He did attack Kahawai and he showed him who he was and then fainted.
He looked at the people around him and realized he was surrounded by lions, and he was as weak as any prey. If he hadnt caught Kahawai off guard he could never have beat him. He had so much to do and such little time to do it.
'I will survive.'