As Maric woke in the morning he felt as if he had broken free of several chains weighing his body internally and externally.
"Did I succeed? I don't recall falling asleep but I feel great!" Maric spoke to himself quietly as he sat up in bed. He flexed his hand and began to circulate the elemental sutra, while circulating the sutra inky black flames began igniting in the air around him silently floating in Maric's bedroom.
"I did it! But what is this fire? It couldn't be Yin-Fire right?" Maric thought to himself in awe. Yin-Fire was the fusion affinity born from Fire and Darkness and burned cold. One touched by Yin-Fire would be burned violently but not be able to feel it due to its being so cold, violently absorbing any light and heat once unleashed and at the highest mastery burning even space distorting it heavily.
Fusion affinities were rare genetic abnormalities where a new element is born, these elements were stronger than their bases and had different effects completely. Maric was stunned that he was so lucky,
As Maric danced around his room in celebration Varys had opened the door and stood in the frame smiling quietly.
"Congratulations Maric, I am extremely proud you worked so hard to achieve what you have. Rank B & an fusion affinity, you would've surpassed your dear father if I were your age." Varys spoke honestly. This thought crossed his mind while they sparred, it was like he was born with great instincts and analytical ability.
"Thank you father! This is the best day I've ever had! My first day as a true mage." Maric happily chimed as he continued excitingly.
"Can we head to the ring and test out my newfound prowess? And if we do, please don't hold back!!" Maric followed up before his father could even speak. As he said this Varys had a wry smile on his face. Varys had long awaited the day when his cub would become a lion.
As the pair walked to the circular construct that resided in the Manor's courtyard Maric noticed that he felt significantly different in his perception, he felt as if he could perceive 300 yards in any direction he felt phenomenal. He grinned as he walked towards the sword rack and grabbed a wooden sword nearly the same time as his father. As the two took their stance Maric mimicked the Wolf from the forest he had encountered 2 days ago, he summoned chains that dashed towards his father.
"Chantless?! The hell is this kids deal? Does he even realize he's doing it?" Varys thought as he evaded and summoned fireballs that incinerated the rest he failed to dodge.
He too was able to silently summon spells but that involved years of understanding the essence of the spell and how the words chosen form it. Varys followed up with Phase Dash and rushed Maric. Maric retaliated by surrounding himself with the same array of inky black flame that he had in his room, Varys sensed danger and reacted by summoning a plume of flame from his blade
"Draconian Slash"
"Dark Sheathe! "
Varys yelled out as he double casted spells that amplified his flaming slash. Darkness intertwined with the flame and made the flames immense.
The flames approaching were immense and Maric had been paralyzed with fear, he had never seen magic of this proportion. He steeled himself and focused as a blue mist emanated from his pores he dug his blade into the ground and gathered the floating flame in front of his body in a circle, rotating with immense speed they took on a pale blue hue. As an inner voice spoke
«Outer Path: Soul Flame Circlet»
As the flames began to spin quickly they became one and it shot out like a bladed disc to meet the incoming flames. When the two collided the bladed disc exploded into black and blue flames and the spell Varys prepared lost a lot of power but prevailed onwards to the boy.
"Shit I went too far. Maric! Dodge!" Varys shouted quickly as he tried to reign in the magic energy of his spell.
Maric was exhausted from the previous spell has had just casted. Nor did he know how he even casted it in the first place. Maric didn't have time to spare a thought to that though. He quickly attempted to verbally cast a spell.
"Yin Flame Body!"
He could not be sure it would work but this was the same spell Ludas had used in the forest, he looked it up in his fathers study after seeing it and it seemed to be a common spell for combat mages with its power limit varying depending on the user's talent.
As Maric's body was transformed into an entity of black flame he crossed his arms in front of himself to soften the blow, in this moment he chose to stand and fight rather than to evade it. This was the first time he had been in actual danger and he sought to relish in it. These thoughts were not commonplace for a 10 year old boy but Maric was different, he was like a quiet storm when fighting. When the flames landed and the dust settled Maric was on the ground but not a scratch on him, Varys ran towards his limp body.
"Maric! Are you okay? Wake up!" Varys shouted as he shook his son. He scanned his body and nothing seemed to be amiss besides his low amount of mana, the feats he performed were truly rare for a new mage.
"Ugh… dad?" Maric awoke feeling very drained but was happy to see his dad leaning over him with Maric's head in his lap. Varys simply stared into Maric's ruby red eyes as if he were looking into a mirror.
"You are my son. You will not lose." He said with a genuine grin.
These words made Maric feel warm inside, he felt true pride shine from his fathers heart like a sun. All he wanted for his father was to cast away the grey sadness that plagued his mind and in this moment he had succeeded by being brave.
"Father, I will not let you down. I will never lose"
Maric said with a smile back as they both embraced in a hug. As the sun was setting another familiar pair approached together on the manor road, Ludas & Ludo.
A couple minutes before the sparring match..
"Come my son! You must rise to the occasion! Today you will challenge the Arelle boy to a duel and experience the passion that is youth!"
Ludas spoke to his son in a fiery passionate manor before patting him on the back a few times as if to reinforce his words with his hands. Ludo looked up towards his father as the two continued to walk the main road through the Amaranthe Pines, he looked up to his father. He was an astounding war hero and a prior Fire-Lord title bearer, which to put in context is a once and a lifetime opportunity.
"Alright.. I think I stand a fair chance, we're the same age and all.."
Ludo's voice trailed off and Ludas instantly knew that his son was feeling inadequate but before he could reassure his son he felt two dense magical signatures coming from the area they were walking in.. the Arelle Manor