As the days passed into months, Lanthim would always remember the day when all he had worked for fell into nothing. Every morning he would rise from sleep and feel only a small remnant, of what had once been a great sea of mana that dwelt within himself.
The lack of mana, which had been his primary means of confronting this new world. Meant he now had nothing but the people around him to keep him safe.
Now unlike before, he would not spend unnatural hours awake meditating, then returning early in the morning. Almost, like the curtain in a play raising and lowing to end a scene. So had a short but significant part of his life come to a close. Slowly things began to become stable again, however, Lanthim still would not let go completely of his lack of power.
"My lady I am concerned about the young masters current condition." [Melty]
Lanthim's caretaker Milty spoke calmly to her mistress both walking together in the estates large garden.
"He eats and sleeps as any child should, however, since that morning six months ago his lack of energy and desire to do anything productive, is causing both Felyma and me to worry."
Litralia listened intently to what Milty had to say. That day had been one of panic and fear for her, just remembering sent shivers down her spine. It had been Lanhou that had found Lanthim, unconscious barely breathing and the massive seal carved into his back.
Though she was on the other side of the estate, at that moment both Milty and Lanhou see with the same eyes. With a scream that brought every person that could hear it running. It took Litralia and six other high-level witches four days to stabilize him. When he awoke on the fifth day opening his eye, looked his mother who was sitting next to him waiting for him to wake.
"Mother I.....I am alive?" [Lanthim]
He could barely speak.
"Yes, Lanthim you are alive." [Litralia]
Answering Litralia held his little hand weeping tears of joy. Slowly he moved only to stop, the pain was still there and also the seals.
"I feel nothing." [Lanthim]
He said tears streaming down his face.
"Everything is gone all I have worked for gone." [Lanthim]
A painful memory, it was but months ago since that time and still he was not getting past the loss. Still Litralia was confident that he would recover from this ordeal.
"I worry more about the seals on his back and wrist's." [Litralia]
Still in the garden, as Litralia spoke both mistress and servant overlooked the lowlands from their position.
"The sequence used to form them is unknown to me, I have asked the Academy in Alistri to inquire concerning them, but I have heard nothing from them in months." [Litralia]
The complexity of the seals, used to block Lanthim's access to purified mana. Were on a level she could not understand. They seemed to allow the purification of mana naturally, but once mana got to that state. The seals would just consume it leaving only small amounts that could be used.
From a more detailed observation, It was found that the seals where as time went by. Were slowly intensifying the purity of the mana being drawn into them. In the end, Litralia halted her own search and left it to others.
"My lady, there must be someone who can explain to us the meaning of these seals." [Milty]
Milty spoke still admiring the view.
"Who exactly do you have in mind Milty? There are few people in this world that can use such complex magic." [Litralia]
Litralia turned looking to Milty who was standing to her left.
"Lady Mynrea, your husband's third wife, will likely have the information that we require." [Milty]
Just what she needed an answer that made sense. However, dealing with that woman was infuriating. In total Nedral Frenost had four wives, litralia being fourth with Mynrea ahead of her. That, however, was not the issue, the order of marriage, or that she happened to be fourth meant nothing to her.
What made dealing with Mynrea so difficult was that she was a dragon, and not half-blood, like most dragons that lived in the world at this time. That look like humans with some dragon traits. She was pure blood over four thousand years old, with her being a second order being she would make sure everyone would remember their place below her.
Litralia looked towards the mountain, at its peak was Mynrea's home. She had only been there once before to meet her senior, and was told very bluntly. That if she wished to visit, she would have to ask permission before entering the upper regions of the mountain.
Letters would be sent and refused on an almost yearly basis, Mynrea would never come off the mountain. Nor would she allow any to come up.
"Since we have no other course presently open to us. I will prepare a letter for Mynrea, we will see if this will interest her enough to allow us to see her."
As she spoke looking now towards the estate, Litralia could see a little person, walking in the direction that she and Milty were standing. He looked uneasy, as if he was coming to report something he had done. In his hand, there was a piece of paper. Stopping just in front of both of them he presented the paper to Litralia.
Looking at the paper, she could not believe her eye's or contain her anger.
-Litralia you are to be here tomorrow without any delay. To think a lower order being, such as yourself would think to find these answers amongst your own people.-
That was all the message read, that is all that was needed a dragon never spoke or wrote without being completely condescending.
"Mother what does it mean." [Lanthim]
Lanthim looked confused and a little afraid. His mother's reaction to this note was one of outrage.
"It is nothing my son just an old dragon giving orders." [Litralia]
Litralia calmed herself, she had remembered that unlike mana manipulation, walking, and talking. Lanthim had not showed any interest in learning to read the language. It was strange to her that he would forgo such study. But a lot of things that he did at that time were strange and made little sense.
"Milty make sure that lanthim is ready to leave first thing, I want to leave before dawn." [Litralia]
The order Litralia gave was answered, by Milty with a nod so she made her way to the estate. The only persons left were litralia and Lanthim both looking at the mountain.
"Mother what will happen tomorrow?" [lanthim]
Asked Lanthim still confused.
"Tomorrow we will go up the mountain." [Litralia]
This is all that Litralia answered, looking down at him with a calm smile.