"Speak Old Fin. I am listening." In a large and spacious room that had only a desk and two chairs as its occupants of space, two men stood. None of them bothered to sit, with one of them stroking the books that occupied the only shelf in this vast area. The other stood behind the former, his body straight as a spear and his eyes filled with doting for the man before him. Although the speaker didn't orate his command loudly, although it was as silent as a whisper, it didn't hide the fury within. Fin, Butler Fin, didn't think it was unusual. On the contrary, it would be strange if his master wasn't furious with what had happened upon his return.
It just so happens that the night when Mane was ambushed was the night his parents had returned to Zandor. Upon their return the eager parents couldn't wait to see their boy and had been preparing to go to the Academy when they felt his aura. It was dark and cold like the deepest regions of Iracor, a planet filled entirely with ice that so cold that even frost giants were uncomfortable staying there. Their initial plans for a carriage ride was thrown out the window as they rushed towards the Academy. It had taken them just a few seconds to get to their destination and good thing that they did so quickly. Their son was using a glow that belonged to the darkness attribute and had lost control. Maybe if he had any ounce of inner energy in him it wouldn't have happened. But for some reason, their little boy's connection to the edict had been sealed. It was temporary, but enough to allow the darkness attribute to take control.
In order to prevent the rampage of a sealed peak profound realmer, they had quickly knocked him out with speed so swift that even the darkness attribute couldn't prepare for.
"Took you long enough." A voice called out to Ray after he knocked his son out. His wife stood beside him with a worried expression as she lovingly caressed the cheeks of her only child. He looked at Alexis and said, "I'm going to speak to them." She nodded her head in reply, not like he needed her permission anyway. She didn't ask who them was, not because she was too worried to care, but because she knew the ones her husband was referring to.
Ray stood before the nine mountains with his back unbent and a slight frown on his face. He looked towards the first and asked, "You felt our aura, didn't you?" With the certainty he spoke with, the question was more of a declaration, one that didn't need a reply.
"Is that how to say hello to your Uncle?" the 1st replied, not bothered by the harsh tone of his nephew. His nephew hated his family more than he did anything else. Yet he also loved them more than anything else. His hatred was born from his disappointment in them, and yet from this very same hatred his love for them was also made greater.
"What glow is that?" Ray questioned, not paying attention to the 1st's words, only eager to receive answers. The 1st sighed at his nephew's cold reply. It had been several years, yet the little boy he knew from before, the one who called him 'Uncle', had grown cold towards him. He had taught him everything he knew, had treated him like his own son when his own brother didn't dare to accept Ray as his, and he (1st) had named Ray his successor. Yet the events that occurred a decade ago had caused a strain in their relationship, destroying what was before.
"Absolute darkness: Evasive Killing", replied the 3rd, her voice cold and unfeeling, unlike what Mane was used to hearing.
Ray's frown deepened when he heard her answer. "A glow with a name", he thought out loud. Glows didn't usually come with names attached to them. Like with Mane's Basileus glow, which wasn't initially called Basileus. Mane had named the glow so, to honour the great magician Basileus. He hadn't met the great magician personally, but it was his notes that guided him on his path to be a spiritualist. Although the 3rd was his actual teacher, he felt a stronger connection to the way of the great magician, prompting the 3rd to act as his advisor and guide instead of his teacher. In a sense, Basileus was his true teacher, although it was the 3rd that was actually guiding him upon his path.
A glow like 'absolute darkness' was exceedingly rare. Unlike glows that had been given names by families due to their constant appearance in their bloodlines, a glow that appeared with its own name was something else. It didn't make the glow much stronger than others. For instance, Son of Lightning was just as powerful, if not more, than Evasive Killing. However, Evasive Killing signified a glow that was touched by both the edict and chaos.
"A primordial glow" the 1st averred. Ray nodded at his uncle's words. Those were his exact thoughts. Primordial glows were glows that were used by forces that were present even before the formation of the Universe Will. These glows were laws that were comprehended by these forces, and had mostly died out when they disappeared. They always kept their name, never choosing to be known by any other. If called by other names they would go into dormancy, never responding to the call. This was why Mane couldn't access it before. He didn't know its name. Until he called it by its true name, it was never going to heed his summons.
"What can you tell me about his attackers?" Ray enquired once more.
"Your boy realised that they were nothing but hired guns. It is likely that a bounty has been placed upon Mane's head. As for who placed the bounty, Mane is yet to figure that out." The 6th replied this time, his voice nothing like that of the cheerful gossip he was.
"How does Mane know this?" Ray wondered.
"He is his mother's child", the 2nd mocked harshly.
Ray smiled slightly at her supposedly scalding words. He understood that the 2nd meant that Mane was as smart as his wife, Alexis. Ray didn't feel insulted for he knew it was true. He had excellent combat ability, but to be able to neatly derive answers from such a disadvantageous fight was more of his wife's thing. And from the look of things, Mane had picked up this talent too. He was more of a 'rampager'. The kind of guy who fought without worrying much.
*BOOM* *crackle* *BOOM*
Inside the mid space Ray still had that charming smile on his face, yet the thunderous clouds that had gathered and the large bolts of lightning that descended were anything but charming. The flames that melted solid ground and the magma that threatened to destroy the earth showed that the Brute King was anything but calm. Yet with all the destruction going on, the mountains remained untouched. The flames and lightning bolts evaded them as though they were plagues and the magma avoided them as though they were shielded.
"Someone dared place a bounty on my boy."
"Calm down Ray. Do you want to destroy your son's mind?" the voice of the 1st pulled Ray back from the brink of insanity. This was his son's mind space. Anything violet here could harm his kid. His face turned pale as he chanted, "Restituere", causing everything to revert to its former state. Now we know where Mane got his spiritualist abilities from.
Ray bowed slightly to the masters, turned, and proceeded to walk away. When he was far from them, the 1st heard him say, "Thank you Uncle."
"Hahaha. He's also my grandson. I will watch over him no matter what." The boisterous laughter of the 1st resounded in the mind space, acting as the recessional hymn for the departing Brute King.