Liam groaned as he opened his eyes, pushing Michail off himself. He lay there for a while contemplating whether to get up or not. After spending who knows how long just laying with his eyes open, he finally sat up. His legs were covered in blanket, the rest kicked off the bed by Michail.
He yawned looking around, seeing Juno and Michail still asleep. Juno's dark blue hair entangled with Michail's. Michail's rabbit ears had appeared again, the control on his shift got weaker when he was sleeping so it was something really common. He was a little shy about it but when Liam and Juno assured him that they had no problem with his ears, he kinda let go and was no longer so adamant about hiding them.
Michail looking unhappy without something to squeeze, turned and hugged Juno, with his arms and legs kinda reminding Liam of an octopus. Liam gloated inside at Juno's misfortune seeing him frown in his sleep and got off the bed. He walked to the door, opened the treatment cabin and left. He stopped when he saw Ethan outside. He was asleep in Lucien's arm, Liam could see the red puffyness around his eyes from crying. He closed his eyes thinking. His body suddenly expanded and scales appeared everywhere. A few seconds later, a slender serpentile creature appeared where he stood before, it was nearly two meters in length.
It slowly floated to the bed, tilting it's head like contemplating something before squeezing with difficulty between the two men. Ethan made an annoyed sound when he felt something pushing him in his sleep, he slightly opened his eyes. He blinked looking confusedly at the serpentile face in front of him. It touched his cheek with it's nose and the cold touch instantly swept away all of Ethan's sleepiness. He sat up on the bed sofa thing he was on and grabbed the dragon.
The dragon immediately coiled the tip of it's tail around Ethan's hand with it's head infront of Ethan's. He smiled softly at Liam "Hey Lulu. Up so early?" He nodded before growling softly at the nickname. Lucien groaned at the noise and faced away with a gruff "Go somewhere else.". Ethan giggled quietly as Liam made a face at his Uncle's back. Ethan was probably the only one who understood what he did. Lucien said something in a muffled voice his face buried in the pillow.
Liam rubbed his head against Ethan's neck and he squeaked at the cold touch. Lucien annoyed at the constant noise tackled them both. There was a bit of a scuffle with Lucien tickling Ethan and Liam wrapping his tail around Lucien trying to save him. During the struggle Ethan accidentally kicked Lucien's stomach while laughed and all of them rolled off the bed, it was quite high off the floor. Lucien hugged Ethan above him as he used his magic and they just floated a few centimeters above the ground.
Liam was worried and floated around them growling. Ethan sat up on Lucien's stomach trying to catch him. He quickly floated away and taunted him.
Ethan pleaded with Lucien who looked unconvinced. Finally, Ethan pecked his lips and said something in his ears, probably signing slave contract with a greedy dragon. Finally began a game of Liam floating away while Ethan tried to catch him and directed Lucien to float in his direction. Lucien pinched his cheek tightly when he tried to stand up on his stomach.
He was floating away fastly when something small jumped on him from below. Liam turned back to look and saw a rabbit hanging from his tail. It made a chi chi sound and Liam looked at it unimpressed while Ethan roared with laughter. Liam twisted around to shake off the persistent rabbit. He spotted Juno standing at the cabin door looking bored. He quickly floated towards him and signaled him to help. Juno looked indifferent but finally wore down under his persistence and also transformed. He didn't have a complete transformation form like Michail and Liam. He still looked human like except that there was a pair of horns peaking from his navy blue hair and a scaly tail with a pointed triangle at the end of his spine.
Liam floated around him in fascination, this was the first time he had seen Juno's succubus form. Ethan called them back, and announced a new game. Lucien also turned into a dragon but shorter then usual otherwise it would be impossible to fit him in the room. Now Liam, Juno and Michail all ran while Ethan sitting on Lucien tried to catch them.
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After a morning full of childish games, Liam achieved his original purpose of improving Ethan's mood. Lucien probably realized that it was the reason he agreed to Ethan's crazy requests. He got out of the bathroom after getting ready. They were already back home. He still needed to stay in the treatment cabin at night but Lucien simply bought one instead of staying in the hospital according to him staying in the hospital was too much of a hussle.
He walked towards Lucien's study, it was a room that was only accessible from the inside of his and Ethan's bedroom. You couldn't even see where it was from the outside. He knocked on the door just to be polite knowing there was no one in there and slipped into the study. Ethan was busy doing their laundry and stuff around the house, he wanted to help but Lucien stopped him saying that cleaning was Ethan's way of calming down.
Liam saw that Juno and Michail were already inside and quickly sat down beside them. Lucien had told them to come see him after cleaning up. He was busy writing something on his terminal. They talked to each other with their eyes for a while. Finally Lucien closed the terminal and leaned back on the chair he was sitting on.
"Father told me that you guys had a lack of general information. He did say that he explained it to you, but I can imagine that he left a lot out so, ask any questions you have. Usually you would study this later but I think you guys are old enough to know at least this stuff."
They looked at each other, Michail thought deeply his face scrunching. Surprisingly, it was Juno who asked the question.
"I was always a little confused about the spell and skill thing. Is there a difference between them or are they just different names for the same thing? And can everyone use spells or skills whatever it is as long as they have the element affinity or is there something that someone can do and others can't?" Liam nodded along with Juno, although he was more clear because he had read about it in the book but it was a little confusing still.
"Good question. They are a different but it is rather confusing so, it might take you guys a while to understand. Spells in general can be copied as long as you know how the other person does it and you have affinity for the element needed. Skills on the other hand are more complex. Some are race specific, some depend on bloodline purity. They have more... rules and restrictions around their use. Skills are generally unique to the individual especially high level ones."
"You'll see as you grow up that race and bloodline is really important because of skills especially for warriors. If everyone could use the spells and skills they wanted to, why would dragons be considered more powerful than humans and other races. Of course it's also because dragons live longer and can reach higher levels. But it's also because races that are more powerful can not only access more spells but they inherite skills as well. However which race is powerful isn't actually easy to determine. Some races are really good at spells while they can't use skills like humans. While some powerful races prefer using and developing just their skills. As focusing on one of the two is better than having to focus on two different things."
"Like Liam's floating is a skill, spells require more magic and generally are done with the help of incantation or hand signs. It's a bloodline skill, as the only dragons in our Clan capable of it are above a certain level of bloodline purity. The rest can also do it as it's our race's speciality but they can only do it once they reached the required level." Lucien stopped to sip his coffee and Liam absorbed the information. It was explained better than in the books.
"There are different types of skills as well. There are Bloodline skills you get due to bloodline purity then Racial skills that are only available to your race. Like fog manipulation, it's a racial skill and everyone in our Clan can do it. Magic is different from technology, you can have some sort of measure of the latter. You can know what can exist and what can not. While magic is not measurable. We have levels and stuff but to be honest, there isn't actually a complete system for this stuff. There are new types of skills appearing every once in a while."
"With different restrictions like only people born in a certain temperature can be born with it or something. Spells and skills can be confusing because while they are a little different, they are inherently from the same origin. You will often find them overlapping like a spell that requires incantation and element affinity but has restrictions like skills and vice versa."
"So, don't overthink stuff. Magic is really complex and everyone has their own understanding of it. This is something you can't just learn by reading, it takes time and experience."
They all nodded when Lucien looked at them, Michail looked like his brain short circuited a little.
"So does that mean I can awaken more skills in the future since I'm a hybrid I can have skills from both the races?" Liam asked.
"From your other race? Yes. From your dragon one? You can do it right now." Lucien smirked.
"Wait! Really?" Liam exclaimed ignoring Lucien's annoying expression.
"Yeah. I believe you have a few skills that you haven't realized right now. Which is another reason why I called you all here. I think it's time you realized the skills you have awakened."
"Yay!" Michail and Liam high-fived. Liam had taught that to Michail.
"Do you guys have your cultivation manuals?"
They all nodded, Michail had just received one from his father last week. "But we haven't actually started yet. Grandpa said that you'll help us." Liam added.
"That old man running from his responsibilities. Typical." Lucien sighed as he saw them all looking at him without blinking. "Fine. Start meditating accordingly, I'll help you."
They all sat down on the carpeted floor and meditated according to their respective manuals. The first chapters were really simple to understand. Liam took a deep breath and tried sensing the magic qi around. He tried to focus as hard as he could.
He felt the magic qi around him, it was like small dots of light. He tried to absorb it but sensing it took all he had. He had no idea how to absorb it much less follow the path in the manual. Just as he was contemplating opening his eyes and asking Lucien, he felt something push him to absorb a small dot infront of him. Liam followed the force and was successful in absorbing it. It was probably Lucien helping like he said. Liam then focused on moving it along the paths in the manual.
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Ethan opened the door to the study and peeked in, seeing that everyone was cultivating he quietly closed the door. He walked back to the living room and told Ralph.
"Then I'll pick him up tomorrow. Just let him stay here today."
"That would be lovely." Ethan smiled.
"And thank Lucien for taking care of him. I've been really busy so, I had no time to train him. Besides I'm not really that good at it." Ralph said as he walked to the door with Ethan.
"You know there's no need for that. You are family to me, to us. Besides Michail is Liam's friend and if everything goes well in the future..." Ethan grinned at him, Ralph laughed as well.
"Well I sure hope so. It would make me so relieved to have Liam beside Michail when they're leaving."
He stopped infront of the door, patted Ethan's head then opened the door and headed back home. Ethan stared at his back for a while then smiled and closed the door. He turned around and walked into the kitchen.