(One Month Later)
I was meditating on the floor in my room, it was nice way to calm myself, I felt relaxed and safe here. There was no urge to kill, it was like I was at the beach enjoying life. During this time, I tried to forget about everything that was going on.
I opened my eyes, and stretched out, I've been doing this for a while, it was time to either train or absorb mana. Today, I decided to dig into Uto's horn, and absorb the shit ton of mana inside of it. I knew that it was going to agitate something in me, like my thoughts, but I was going to reach white core.
I activated my mana ring and pulled out one of his horns from inside of it. It felt weird inside of my hand, it had grooves on it, and the point on the end was sharp. This thing grew from Uto's head, that's pretty cool.
Imagine if I had horns, if I was a Dragon or Vritra with my blood magic, I would truly be unstoppable. Jeez, I don't even know what would happen if I introduced my blood magic to aether.
I gripped the horn and began to slowly absorb the mana inside of it, without my ring activated, all of it went to the Acclorite in my palm. I could feel the darkness creeping inside of me, reminding me of Uto's aura, which made sense since this belonged to him.
It was like a dark cloud entered my mind, my eyes started to drift shut, but I dropped the horn out of concern. I knew Arthur had trouble absorbing the mana, but it freaked me out. I picked it up as everything started to clear.
When I absorb this, it may put me in a memory of Uto, I didn't want that. There had to be a way to prevent it, Arthur didn't have my absorption technique. Maybe if I do it and absorb mana to my palm at a steady rate, not as fast as I can. I could prevent my mind from entering into Uto's memories, and in the process get stronger.
"Screw it." I said out loud, then activated "Blood Oath" and the black ring on my finger. I needed to create two paths, one that takes the mana to my palm, and one that goes to my core. I knew if I just absorbed it, all of the mana would go to the Acclorite, which I didn't want.
So, that's what I did, I found two paths I could use to direct the mana coming into me. Hopefully, this way, I won't lose conciseness and will keep my mind at peace. Uto's memories could harm my mental state, which the fact that I comprehend, that I am having issues, pleases me.
Let's do this, I attempted to absorb the mana, I searched for it in the horn, then as the dark clouds formed again in my mind, causing my eyes to shut. I pulled half the mana I found to my palm, and half to my core. I made sure to go slowly, since I was able to control it.
It felt like I was in a dark room, sitting on air, being able to do nothing. It was a cloud of nothingness, that cleansed my mind of everything. I was worried it would make crazier, but it actually stopped me from thinking about everything. I sat there in peace, enjoying being in a prison of darkness.
It didn't feel like anything was happening, but I kept going, I knew it had to be working in some way, because I wasn't entering any memories. My Acclorite, whatever creature or weapon it turned in to, was going to be somewhat like Uto, which didn't really alarm me, knowing about Regis helped, but he did have other factors that made him who he was.
Was it going to be a Wolf, Serpent, a Dragon, who knew, I couldn't wait to find out though. If I had to pick something, I would want a dragon or some bird. It would be nice to fly on something, like I did with Avier in the battle for a short time.
I was getting to white core, no matter what, this was how I was doing it. This horn was going to get me to white core and push me further into it. What was I going to be able to do when I actually got there? My control over mana will skyrocket even more, it will be fun to try things at that level. I'll also be able to fly with ease, something I couldn't do while fighting against Uto.
This state was awesome, I could stay here in darkness forever, thinking about whatever I wanted.
Speaking of Uto, I know during the war, they didn't send someone else after he was defeated, but since he was defeated before the actual battles, I had a feeling they were going to send someone else. I don't know why, or who, I had this feeling, and the thing was, I had no clue who the other Retainers were. They were Retainers, so they are strong, but they won't be as strong at Uto.
"Veer!" I heard someone's voice. "Veer!" I heard it again, and opened my eyes, standing in front of me was my mother. "What are you doing? I called your name four times, and it was like you were in a whole other world." I quickly placed the horn back into my ring, and turned to her, feeling rejuvenated.
"I was absorbing mana." I told her honestly as my eyes adjusted to the light. "Sorry, I was focused." I stood up and smiled at her.
"What were you holding in your hand?" She asked me with a stern voice. I looked down and then back up at her. "I saw it, don't try to act like you didn't have something."
"Haa." I sighed and rubbed my head. "Umm, you know the Retainer I defeated?"
"Yes." My mother said, speaking very seriously.
"It was his horn, which has a lot of mana inside of it, so I started to absorb it." I shrugged. "It's completely safe, mom, trust me." I'm pretty sure it was safe; nothing has happened so far.
"Fine, you've been in here all day, aren't you hungry?" She asked me, I only just woke up like an hour ago. What did she mean all day?
"I am, but what time is it?" My voice had hints of confusion in it.
"It's after dinner." My eyes widened in surprise, it felt like I was in that dark space for minutes, not hours. "Why?"
"N-nothing." I said. "Yeah, I'm hungry, I'll go down to the dining hall now."
"Alright, I'll join you then." My mother smiled as she grabbed my arm, and we began to walk out of the room together. "We can spend some time together."
"That sounds nice." I smiled up at her, and we passed a guard who bowed to us, or me, I don't know, I'm well known around here. Some of the guards even know about me becoming a Lance, they overhear somethings that go on. "What did you do today?" I asked her, still shocked that I missed the whole day.
"Your father and I watched Ellie train on the balcony, she's getting pretty good." I nodded my head at my mother, she was getting pretty good. "When it comes to strength, Ellie looks up to Arthur and you, but I am sure you know that."
"I do." Why wouldn't she? Both of her brothers are monsters, when it came to fighting. "I've been trying to train with her, it's been nice."
"I know, I'm happy you've been here for all this time, I really missed you while you were in the dungeons." My mother released my arm and rubbed my back. I may be strong, but one thing was, I was still short, like jeez.
"I'm also happy I got to spend some more time with you all." I told her. "With everything going on, outside and inside the castle."
"How's your control been?" She placed her hand on my head, she didn't have to reach up that high because we were around the same height. "With your mental state, I mean."
"Perfectly fine, mom, I've been doing all the exercises Elder Virion wants me to do." I assured her. "I'll be fine to go back out in the field, I promise."
"I don't like you fighting already, but now I feel like you shouldn't anymore." I knew she would think that. "If you are going crazy like Elder Virion and you say, and they can't fix it, I don't want to lose my youngest child."
"Mom, you'll never lose me." I leaned my head onto her. "I love you."
"I love you too, Veer." I removed my head as we entered the dining hall, and I got myself a plate of food since my mother ate already and sat down down with her. "It's beef and rice."
"It smells good." I said as I dug in, I was planning on going back to Uto's horn when I finished or maybe a little later, I could use some time on the balcony.
"How is it?" My mother asked as I stuffed my face with another spoon full. "You seem to like it."
"I do, it's tasty." I didn't eat all day, so I was hungry. "Where's dad and Ellie?"
"Ellie is still shooting her bow, and your father is washing up." I picked up a napkin and wiped my face. "He was training today with some of the guards." My dad trained with the guards when I wasn't unavailable.
"Did he say how it went?" I put the napkin in the empty bowl and stood up.
"He said that he's still a little rusty." I handed my bowl to a maid that was standing in front of the door to the kitchen. She bowed toward me as she took it and left the room.
"He's old." I laughed as I walked back over to them.
"Hey, if he is old, then I am too." She stood up and smiled at me.
"I'm only playing, you aren't old, mom." I started to walk out of the room, and she followed me. "Dad and you shouldn't go out in the field. I know that's what's going on with you two."
"Veer, we are going into the field for the same reasons you are." I know that they have every right to fight, but now, being here in this world, them being my parents, I don't want them too.
"Mom, I still don't think you should." I told her as we walked the halls. "There is no need for you to fight."
"That's not for you to decide." I nodded at her, I understood.
"Arthur isn't going to like that." I said his name, and I could her flinch slightly. I'm pretty sure Dad and Mom already accepted the fact that he was from another world, but maybe not completely.
"He'll have to live with that." My mother looked on ahead.
"I don't know if he can." I shrugged and looked at the ground. "Just like how you worry about me out there, I would be worrying about dad and you the same."
"You are going to have to deal with it." She smiled at me. "You'll now know how I feel."
"I suppose I will, mom." I wouldn't let anything happen to them, unlike Arthur, I can create clones, I already had a plan, however, that wasn't my plan for saving my father at the wall. "Let's go see what Ellie is up too, I am sure she'll be happy to see us."
"That sounds good to me." She wrapped her arm around me. "Promise me that you'll always stay my little boy who set things on fire at the Helstea Mansion."
"That happened maybe once or twice." I laughed as I pushed her away. "Don't bring that up."
"Once or twice, don't lie to yourself." She shook her head, and I ran a hand through my hair. "Promise me, Veer."
"I promise, mom, I won't change."
I had no clue if I could keep that promise or not, I've already lost my ability to feel compassion when I killed someone, and I had urges to kill people while fighting, but besides that, I've only matured from the war, I'm sure everything will be fine.