***Hyperion Empire***

***Imperial Academy***

---One Week Later---

“I want to show you something.” Max said suddenly.

Kana used her weapon to hold herself up after the intensive sparring they had just endured. She glanced up at Max’s face. He was a bit red, and Kana could see the tiny droplets of sweat moving down his cheeks. For but a moment she peered straight into the vibrant eyes of her arranged betrothed. The luminescent hue of blue had always kept her attention, and she found herself drawn to them yet again.

Max wrestled a little nervously under Kana’s gaze. He had been practicing and testing one of his new techniques with his light magic, but had yet to actively demonstrate them to anyone else. Now he was alone with the girl, and hoped she would be able to assist him. He would have asked Arthur, but the boy had already left the forest for unknown reasons.

Max didn’t care about many people’s opinions, but Kana was a certain exception. She had been his companion for years, and held more sway over him then he cared to admit. He had learned long ago that Kana was the hardest worker he had ever met. She put all her effort into anything she tried to accomplish, and was often successful because of her unbending resolve. She had qualities to be admired, qualities the boy actively tried to imitate.

Kana blinked a few times and realized she had been staring at him for a bit too long. Breaking out of her revery, she spun her halberd around and staked it into the ground next to her. Fixing the loose strands of hair covering her eyes, she stood straight up in front of him. “And what would that be?”

Max briefly glanced at his own sword. “It’s a new use of my element I have been working on for awhile now.” He then scratched the back of his head absentmindedly, a tick Kana had identified when he was anxious. “I would like your help in testing it… Please.” He finished his sentence with a mumble, but Kana heard him undoubtedly.

The Kumio girl lightly giggled at her friend's apparent agitation. Seeing him so hesitant to ask for help was amusing. She would support Max with anything, yet he was obviously troubled in asking. She practically skipped to stand less than a foot from the boy. He was taller than herself, so she tilted her head back ever so slightly to ensure he was looking directly at eyes.

“I would love too!” Kana replied with giddy. “So what do you want me to do?”

Max tightened his grip on his sword and backed away from her. “Just keep your eyes open and stand there.” He answered. Continuing to back up, he stopped about twenty feet from her and held his sword outstretched in his left hand. The top of the blade reflected the rising sun of the morning, and Kana continued to stand absolutely still as instructed. For a few moments, the duo stood in place and nothing of note occurred. The girl eventually raised a crimson eyebrow, and then her eyes widened in shock.

Max observed Kana’s reaction and realized his the light magic he was currently channeling through his arm was working. Then he shook his head. He hoped it was working. He turned to his sword and everything appeared the same, he then looked back towards Kana for clarification.

“It’s gone!” She exclaimed with unbridled surprise and a bit of panic. Max smiled in satisfaction. He loved his particular affinities. Both air and light magic were extremely versatile, and he could use the elements in an infinite number of ways. So far his imagination was his largest limiter, and he quite enjoyed bending the elements to his will to test new ideas. His family and teachings had given him a start, but there was so much more to magic then the knowledge he currently possessed.

“What exactly is ‘gone’?” He asked. He then noticed that Kana was a little more shaken than he expected. She was biting her lip and even had her eyes closed, as if contemplating something important.

“Kana?” Max said softly.

The girl then opened her eyes again and the previous worry on her face vanished without a trace. “Your sword! I don’t see your hand either! It’s like your arm end’s halfway up your forearm.” She explained.

Max frowned. While his spell did have the desired effect, it was definitely not complete. There were certainly some advantages to his hand being invisible also, but he needed to work on definite control of light manipulation.

“Okay. Now start walking to me and tell me if anything changes.”

Kana nodded and began her approach. Her hair brushed to the side as the wind ran through the trees surrounding the clearing. She moved with a quiet poise and grace, and Max realized she wasn’t just quiet, she was absolutely silent. Leaves scattered the grass yet she deftly avoided them or stepped on them and still made no sound. The boy’s brows furrowed. How did she do that?

She then stood right in front of him, closer than before and looking to her right. Max felt his heart beat a little quicker at her proximity and she glanced back up to him. Even though the closeness made him anxious, he kept channeling mana through his arm and concentrated on her. She eventually shook her head and said, “I still can’t see it. How are you doing that?”

“I am bending the light around my sword and concentrating on your line of sight to ensure you will be unable to see it. This is much more mana efficient than how I used to do it.” He replied.

Kana smiled and hugged the boy. “That’s amazing Max! You made this spell all by yourself?”

Heat rose up his face at her praise. He had been working on light manipulation to trick the eye for a long time. Delusion magic could be just as useful as devastation, and seeing the product of his work payoff swelled him with pride. Being complemented by Kana only served to strengthen the euphoric feeling. He swallowed his saliva and nodded his head. There were other tests to be made. “Yeah, but I still need your help finding my limits.”

Kana released him and backed up a few feet. Max felt just a bit disappointed at the loss of her body’s heat, but perished the thought to continue. “Okay. Now what?” she asked, facing him with her hands behind her back. Max remained steadfast with his outstretched left arm, the heavy sword feeling rather light in his grip.

“I need you to walk around me. If my theory is correct you should be able to see my sword once you are out of my peripheral vision.” She then slowly moved around the boy and he watched her tail without ever moving his head. Once she was out of sight on his left, he completely lost track of her location. He could only guess at where she probably was. Kana then softly called out to him. “You were right. I can see it now. It’s pretty fun to move my body side to side and see it appear and disappear.”

Max chuckled and then craned his neck to the left, making it possible to see her. “What about now?”

She shook her head and smirked. “And there it goes… but it doesn’t matter. Now I know your weakness!” Kana said with a hint of playfulness and lunged to the boy’s back before he could react. She then hugged him again and rested her chin on his shoulder.

Max smiled and drove his sword into the ground. He brought a hand to his face and brushed his hair to the side, electing to play along with her game. “I have given you my greatest secret and you already take advantage of me! You wound me, milady.” He said with mock exasperation. “You owe me a secret!”

Kana nuzzled her head into his neck and whispered in his ear. The action causing him to grow rather anxious and excited. “Very well then, milord. I will share with you a secret of mine.”

Before he could even reply he noticed his hand was translucent. He quickly turned around, holding onto Kana’s arms wrapped around himself. She was also translucent, he could see her body and face, but he could also see the forest directly behind her. Max couldn’t be more confused by current events.

Adrios, who was eating a mouse he had caught and watching the duo started yelping loudly. He quickly swallowed his food whole and ran to where Kana and Max were standing. He passed right through Kana’s legs yet smashed into Max’s opaque outline. The griffin could not see the boy, but recognized that there was something in front of him.

“Calm down you lug.” Max said, looking down at the ball of white. Kana giggled and looked down at the griffin. “He can’t hear you Max. As long as I hold you, he won’t be able to see or hear you.” She then released the boy and picked up the juvenile griffin, softly cooing to him as her translucent body vanished as quickly as it came.

Max peered down at his hands to see them back to normal, and started gaping at the implication of what had just happened. They were invisible! No, they weren’t only invisible but Adrios couldn’t even hear him and the griffin had moved straight through Kana. Said girl held the griffin with one arm and lightly traced her finger below the boy’s jaw. Propping his mouth shut, Kana began scratching the griffin.

“I cannot explain what I had just done, and I’ll let you come to your own conclusions. But, Maximus Soltain, know that I have shown you a secret so great that if my clan found out would have deadly consequences for the both of us.” She then looked back up at the boy’s blue eyes. “You now know more about me than anyone else excluding my immediate family. I trust you Max, and I hope you never speak of this unless I ask.” Kana brought a hand up to his face and rubbed his cheek. “Will you do that for me?” She asked with a soft smile.

Max quickly grabbed her hand and nodded. She was showing a side of herself that Max had never seen before, a true vulnerability. He had always known Kana to be an unstoppable force of fiery passion, but right now she seemed so defenseless. The Kumio Clan were built by their secrets, and she was exposing a long-standing ability of her people, to him. Gazing back into the golden eyes that shone like the sun, he replied with fervor, “I can do that.”

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Max walked into homeroom with a grin. Ever since his conversation with Kana in the forest, he had been rather giddy. She trusted him implicitly, and he trusted her. Arthur had been gone the entire morning, but Max had little doubt his cousin would be in class talking to the princess.

Inside the classroom, Max was surprised to see his guess at his cousin had been wrong. Arthur was currently sitting in his seat near Kathryn. He appeared to be asleep, and Kathryn glanced down towards Max and waved. Waving back at the elven girl, he moved up the steps with a purpose.

He was also bemused to see Juliet, Reann, and Kana, in conversation with three other boys. The three were the heirs of Fafnir, Ryzalon, and Rinehart, and were obviously excited to be speaking to the girls. Though when he looked closer, he noticed Juliet was not quite interested in the talk. She seemed to be distracted by her journal, and Reann was silent and shy as usual. Kana was speaking to the three enthusiastically, keeping them engaged and attentive to her. Adrios was on her head, yelping when he noticed his Soltain companion.

She then glanced to Max as he moved by and smiled to him. “Ah! Max come here for a second!”

Max inwardly grimaced. He did not care to meet these boys. He knew he would have to eventually, but they reminded him too much of how he used to act. They were all a bit pompous in some form or fashion, and they practically radiated arrogance. He was about to say he had to check on Arthur when Kana abruptly stood up and moved past the young heirs.

Grabbing Max by the arm, she brought him past the boys and right into the middle of the entire group. “Max, meet Zane, Clark, and Walter. They saw Adrios and Lord Fuzzyboots and we’ve been talking about magical beasts. I was just telling them about how Adrios is your companion you received when you climbed to the Elotl Summit.”

“Yes your griffin is a fine beast. Lady Kumio was enlightening us on how it is a descendant of the Chieftain itself. But I’m a bit skeptical about the Lady’s claims in which you defeated a wispmother.” the boy then stuck out his hand for a handshake. “It’s a pleasure to be making your acquaintance Lord Soltain. My name is Zane Ryzalon the Third, heir to House Ryzalon.”

The boy’s eyes told him that it was anything but a pleasure to be meeting the young Soltain. Max also grew irritated by Zane referring to Adrios as an ‘it’ over a ‘he’. Yet, Max couldn’t help to compare this red-eyed boy with the one he knocked on his ass in the line after orientation. It appeared to be rather mutual that they didn’t want to be friends. In light of that, the young Soltain ignored formalities and spoke plainly. They shook hands and Max nodded to the boy. “A wispmother is the same as a wisp, heat works best.” Max said with indifference. Kana continued to hold his arm and remained silent, so he assumed she was satisfied with his response. She was pushing him, though allowing him to act as he wanted.

Turning to the two other beastkin Max observed the wolfkin step forward. He glanced at Kana twice before looking in Max’s eyes. He had long grey hair, and pale blue eyes shades different from his own. He reached out for a handshake and said his name. “Walter Fafnir.”

Max grabbed his hand and inwardly sighed at the boy’s pettiness. He actually had the audacity to show off his strength through a handshake in an attempt to embarrass the young Soltain. At the moment, Max was holding strong against the wolfkins grip but remarked that he would need to demonstrate his dominance. Channelling mana through his hands, Max strengthened the muscles in his fingers to tighten his grip on the boy’s own.

The boy outwardly winced, yet continued to pressure the young Soltain. Max realized that they were now taking too long and released his hold from Walter. The boy’s hand was red, but Max would give him credit, he appeared to be his equal in brute strength at least. Walter took a step back and glanced at Kana again without saying a word. Max frowned. Walter also appeared to be quite determined, he could tell the wolfkin would be an annoying pest in the future.

The last boy had his green-eyes narrowed towards the young Soltain. Max could guess that he knew about the little handshake test he had just experienced with the wolfkin. He approached Max and also shook his hand, taking the facade of humble lordling. “It’s truly an honor to meet you Maximus Soltain. I am a great admirer of your family, a House who knows how to rule the people, keep them happy, and hold a strong military presence. Even with so few of the blood, you rule unquestioned. It is truly something to be appreciated. My name is Clark Rinehart.”

They shook hands and Mr. Strain walked through the door. Max replied with a simple ‘Well met’ and excused himself from the conversation. Mr. Strain directed all the students to their seats and began writing on the board.

Max took this chance to exchange quiet greetings with Kathryn and then rustled Arthur awake. Said boy sat up and winked at Max. “Good morning cousin.”

The young Soltain smirked. “I didn’t see you talking to the princess. Giving up already?”

Arthur chuckled and shook his head. “Quite the opposite actually. Juliet is always the first one to arrive to class and settles in quite early. We had stimulating conversation until the bugs came in swarm.” He glanced at Clark. “They travel in a flock like sheep. Even so, I managed to commend Juliet on her knowledge of the studies and excused myself. As long as they keep traveling in a group, she will only get dissuaded by the Rinehart’s need for protection. He appears to be unsure of his own abilities; and Juliet will recognize that. I can only do so much, and my plan has been working quite effectively.” He rubbed his eyes and yawned. “I’m sorry about leaving you two so early, but it was necessary in order to facilitate my intentions towards the princess.”

Max shrugged and kept a grin plastered across his face. “No worries.” He then realized he still needed the Satele’s assistance. “I would like to run something by your eyes though.”

Arthur absentmindely began scratching Zecarth around his neck and the class turned towards the front at the sound of Mr. Strain’s voice. “Everyone settle down it is time to begin.” The group went through attendance and the older teacher pointed to the words on the wall: What is a Spirit?

Max began writing in his journal and finished with a quick four sentence summary on what he was taught about spirits. It was Arthur’s dad who taught them about spirits even though very little was known about them and their existences.

Passing his journal to Kathryn, he observed as the class all worked to move the journals to the front of the room. By the time Mr. Strain finished his own writing, he collected the notebooks and placed them on his desk.

“Now who want’s to tell me what a spirit is?”

The usual duo tossed their hand’s up and Mr. Strain contemplated just calling on someone else. He sighed and gestured to Juliet. “Ms. Granitas.”

“The majority of common knowledge about spirits is provided by the Geotz King Onyxhand who publicly recognized holding a contract with an elemental earth spirit in the year 711 OE. The spirit was a great boon to his people at the time, and aided the Geotz Kingdom to expand its underground cities throughout the land. The King was so proud of his spirit, that he pushed for further expansion in an effort to claim some of the formerly known Beast Lands. That’s where...”

Mr. Strain nodded and waved his hands. “We can discuss history later, just give me the most basic definition of a spirit.”

“A conscious being of mana formed in another plane.” Juliet replied.

“A plane? What is a plane?” Strain asked in feigned ignorance. “Ms. Kumio, please.”

“Plane’s are believed to be by-products of the Origin Theory. All we know for certain is they are another realm of existence created through the evolutions of mana. We know there are parts of the world where planes intersect with the corporeal, and gates manifest. Through these gates spirits can appear, but cannot remain unless they form a unification contract with a strong enough mage. Like Juliet was saying, King Onyxhand believed he was the only mage powerful enough to contract a spirit, so he would be sufficient to unite Mavaos under one banner. His own arrogance and ignorance eventually led to his demise.” Kana answered.

“Right, right. Now tell me, how does one contract a spirit?”

Both girls visibly withered with uncertainty, yet a girl in the back meekly raised her hand.

“Ms. Kissraan.”

“I believe it is up to the spirit? Doesn’t it always have something to do with blood?” She asked softly.

Mr. Strain chuckled at the girl’s ambiguity. “You will learn that the vast majority of mages are hesitant to share their life’s findings to the public, often only passing that knowledge to their own apprentices. Summoning magic is only so rare because the proper method for contracting a spirit is undetermined. Accounts of mages possessing spirits are small, and even fewer of those mages chose to grace others with information about spirits. But, if I am correct, I believe you are citing the instructions of the Archmage Rezine. He claimed to hold a contract with a spirit yet never provided evidence to support his claim. Even so, I have no doubt that there is a possibility for spirits to require the blood of their summoners for a contract, I just can’t say that it is a fact. In theory, it makes sense. Mana is denser in our life-blood, and as spirit's tether to their summoners mana for sustenance, blood may play a pivotal role in a spirit contract.”