(Jin P.O.V)
"As you are right now, you would be overwhelmed by taint if you channelled more magic through you than your body can handle."
Zoren's smooth voice flowed out, his impassive face looking as unreadable as ever. We were meditating in the garden. Well, at least I was. Zoren was just overseeing me breathe in and out. Apparently there was a risk of taking in more magic than I could handle and from his own words, 'your body might explode, dissolve into a pile of bio-matter or a million other possibilities.
I had of course freaked out and immediately shut off my runic form. Which was what I called the changes my body went through to allow me to use runic magic. As I had said before, I couldn't use magic because of the half divine side and not to mention the system in my soul which ran off the same energy conflicting with magic. So every step I took with magic would have to be a careful one. Yuki wasn't around and I had found myself missing her over the past few days since the ritual.
She was undergoing some changes as well and I couldn't tell when she would wake up from her hibernation. Logan wasn't worried about it so I also chose not to. Besides, it seemed like it would be a good thing for her. Even Zoren had subtly indicated the same. The Grand Master had also changed a bit. He had a sense of urgency these days that had me a little bothered. Before, he had been acting as if he had all the time in the world but now something was up. Ever since that day when I'd finished with the ritual only to stumble upon a battlefield after waking up.
Zoren had refused to tell me what or who he'd been fighting, citing it wouldn't help me out to know and instead would distract me from something he called 'The Harmonization'. Fancy name. I had wondered what it was but Zoren had insisted in me resting for a few days after the ritual. Which had been fine with me. He hadn't been awed when I'd shown him my runic form. Something I had been fully expecting. But I'd seen a little glint in his eyes and caught the ending of the whispered words of, '… won't be expecting this growth.'
"Grand Master? I have a question."
There was something that had been bugging me from the start. I probably knew the answer to it but I just needed some clarification.
"Go on."
Zoren told me. I snuck a peak and saw that he had his eyes closed next to me while gently breathing in and out.
"You probably already know this...but I have another divinity inside me. Albeit weaker than my other one."
This was something I for sure knew he knew. And just as I'd thought he didn't seem all that surprised.
"Yes, the unique presence hiding deep within you."
I nodded.
"And I can't seem to use it when I'm in the ocean."
"There is something known as synergy. In most cases, a god might possess more than one divinities but only if those divinities are compatible. Hela, the goddess of death and war, Zeus the god of lightning and air culminating in his domain being that of the sky.Those are just a few examples. For a demigod however, only one of their parents is a god the other being a mortal. Having 2 divine parents in one person would make that person a god and they would soon acquire their own unique divinity. Your case is different. There are two people in the same body, more or less. So the one with the weaker divinity will not be able to effectively channel that domain of power while in a territory heavily influenced by the stronger divinity."
"So you're saying, I can't channel lightning while in the ocean because there is no synergy between the two divinities due to them belonging to 2 different people inside me. And also that the weaker divinity is suppressed by the stronger one in some places?"
"Yes."
Ok. Do I also have to worry about this...nah, you know what, I'm not doing that again. No more wearing myself out by trying to figure counterplans to everything. I'm doing it the smart way this time. Take things slow and careful.
I dropped the issue and closed my eyes. If I'd looked at Grand Master Zoren at that time, I wouldn't have missed the slight smile that graced his face before quickly disappearing. Settling down, I started breathing in and out following the pattern that Zoren had shown me.
"Harmonization is a process where you attune yourself to the flavor of magic and sync yourself slowly to it's ebb and flow. The enchantments on your body provide you a basic protection from being overwhelmed by its intensity. So all acolytes beginning their journey towards magic need to go through a form of harmonization to better control the power of their spells and how much magic they channel through and from their bodies."
I listened intently while still following the breathing pattern. I had meditated before but this time a form of serenity was slowly overcoming my thought process and I felt calm.
"Harmonize your breath with the flow of magic around us. Follow it as it connects everything together and then gently coax it inside you."
I did as he said. In my mind I could feel a current jumping erratically all over the place. It's pulse was random and I couldn't map out the flow or where it was going. It was like trying to catch mist with your hands. I tried to establish a connection and control it towards me but Zoren's voice cut me off midway.
"Guide it, coax it like a lover. Magic cannot be controlled as you think. You're not it's master but merely a petitioner, borrowing it's power is the way to go."
The me from before would surely have tried to force it even more. However, I now understood what Zoren meant. Finesse was needed where stubbornness and brute strength mattered little. I opened up my emotions of need and not want, of simple acceptance but not greed. Greed for power was especially bad when dealing with dimensions of power. Magic accepted me and I felt a trickle flow through my head. My runic form activated on it's own.
The rush of gentle yet dangerous power coursed through me. Energizing my body, from the tips of my hair to the nails on my toes. I almost felt like laughing out loud in pure bliss but then the magic lost purchase and started flowing out again. I had hoped that maybe through a fluke, I would be able to retain even a sliver but the hope died soon and I was left a little bit disappointed. I didn't let that keep me down however. I mean, I had just felt magic! Somehow it was easier to believe in scientific marvels that almost seemed like magic than the existence of magic itself.
"Well done Jin. Well done."
Zoren's words finally brought a smile to my face.
(General P.O.V)
Dr.Wells and Cisco were intently watching the screens as a blur of yellow streaks of lightning methodically run a course through the particle accelerator tunnel. The blur was getting faster and faster, the numbers in the screen indicating speed itching up almost as fast as the blur ran.
"He's hit mach 2. Two times the speed of sound which is probably Drakon's upper limit. I pulled up the satellite recordings on that day and I can confidently say that Barry is moving at the same speed Drakon was."
Cisco said excitedly.
"Yes. It's impressive that Mr.Allen managed to double his speed in such a short time."
Dr.Wells added.
"Do you think we'll be ready for when he shows up again?"
Cisco asked. Dr.Wells nodded in thought.
"At this point it would be unwise for him to show his head when the authority's are looking for him so fervently. Remember, he's responsible for the death of an army general. No matter how powerful he is, he also understands he can't take on everybody and win. So he's laying low for now."
Cisco shook his head, a questioning gaze apparent on his face.
"I still don't get it. What does he even want?"
"That...is something we'll unfortunately have to wait a long time before knowing."
Cisco wasn't satisfied with that but he didn't let it show just how bothered he was by not knowing what Drakon's motivation was.
"How is Caitlin?"
"Honestly? I don't know. She decided to take a break out of the city for a few days. I still think she's stressed about the whole 'Jin-is-Drakon thing', Dr.Wells."
Wells knew there was something more to it than that. Caitlin hadn't been acting her usual self and it was starting to strain their relationship. Something that Wells had given a lot of effort into creating. It was a relationship where he used his achievements to inspire others to be dependent on him for direction. He took them and gave them a path, purpose and most importantly a feeling of family. But that was now getting unraveled and he felt like he couldn't salvage anything anymore. Caitlin was too far gone. He still had his uses for her but the looks she had been sending his way when she thought he wasn't looking... Caitlin was soon going to go against him.
With a whoosh, Barry abruptly stopped beside them, sending papers flying through the whole lab.
"Goddamit Barry, every time!"
Cisco shouted and Barry scratched his head and apologized.
"Sorry. So how did I do?"
Cisco turned back to the screen and answered.
"Mach 2.8. Almost 3. That's..."
"Still not enough! Argh! I need to be faster."
Barry replied in frustration.
Cisco frowned.
"Barry, a few days ago you were still skirting along the lines of mach 1.6. You're improving at a fast and steady pace."
Dr.Wells raised his hands to try to calm Barry down.
"I understand your frustration."
"Do you? Really?"
"Yes. Remember that everyone in this lab is dedicating their time to help you bring in Drakon. Don't insult us by saying we don't understand."
Barry was shocked. Wells had never talked to him like that before. He reluctantly nodded and calmed down.
"Now that you're calm, Cisco has something to tell you."
Cisco had a wide smile in his face as he started to talk.
"Over the past few weeks, Dr.Wells and I have been doing some research into a lot of stuff to make sure you're ready the next time you face off against Drakon. Every single time we lose sight of him, he comes back stronger and we can't create plans to counter anything he comes up with, without our knowledge. So we decided to take his unique approach. By the time we're done with you, Barry Allen, you won't just be the fastest man in the world. You're be the most powerful."