Yusef looked Iono deeply in the eyes. He was excited with his son's prowess, but very intimidated by the future that will come to pass. Who knows what kind of sinister, creepy weirdos are hiding in each corner of this world? He was a bit afraid.
"Okay, now, since Aura is easier to control, and given that you already in Flesh tempering, let's start by trying to manifest that. Now sit down, cross your legs, and try and clear your head. "
Yusef said, as he also sat down, cross-legged, waiting for his son.
"Okay dad", Iono sat down and, almost simultaneously, cleared his head. He was used to this, he could do it as easy as lifting a finger. But he had to show some struggling, for apparent reasons. So he faked falling asleep numerous times, only to be scolded by Yusef for not focusing enough.
"Okay, now, one more time. Clear your head. ", Yusef said, sounding agitated.
Iono realized this was enough, and so he cleared his head, waiting for his father's instructions. Seeing Iono succeeding, Yusef was happy, and immediately started explaining.
"Try and visualize every muscle of your body. It doesn't have to be accurate, as long as it's clear. The clearer the picture, the higher the chances of success. "
Iono already had a very clear image, and waited a few minutes, before saying, "Done".
"Now try and see if you can feel something flowing from your Energy Channels, to your muscles. It should look like an ethereal mist."
Iono actually struggled during this step. He had experience, but his body was still young, undeveloped, and the muscles were different from what he remembered. Feeling the energy mist was fine, but the prana lingering around it, now that was a challenge.
Given Iono's ability to control prana in this life, he thought he would try and work only with prana, instead of Aura and Mana. After all the main difference was the addition of Ether. If he could use prana, like he used Aura and Mana he would be many times stronger than simply using the two.
Most prana individuals, only used it as a different energy source. They basically thought, that they possessed four energies, not just three. Iono on the other hand, tried to surpass that, by not just using prana as a secret weapon, but using it all the time, by simply rearranging the ratio of the three energies to match the use.
This was a daring plan, and also very dangerous. One wrong step and it could lead to his core exploding. That's why no one did it before. Nobody likes messing with things they don't completely understand. But Iono was daring enough.
"Being a genius in this small continent is not enough. Even having prana is not enough. I need to surpass everything I know, I need to be stronger, the faster the better. I need more information, so when I reach the end of the lattice, and start my real life, I can overthrow the heavens. The more inspirations I get now, the better it will be. Since I'm not afraid of death, I can experiment all I want.", such were his thoughts.
After a few more minutes Iono exclaimed, "I feel it dad, I feel it! It looks so shiny. ", he said acting excited.
"That was fast. Well, I guess I need to get used to this. Okay, since you can feel it, try and condense the mist inside your muscles. Imagine your muscles are a hungry beast, and the energy is a delicacy. "
Iono not only followed his father's advice, but he took them to another level. Instead of compressing Aura inside his muscles, he guided Aura, Mana and Ether to his core to create Prana, whose ratio was largely favoured Aura. He moved that Aura-dominated Prana to his muscles and condensed it so much, it became a liquid.
After a short amount of time, all the muscles in his body, where coated by some kind of colourless liquid. Outside it looked like the space around his body was disordered. Kind of like his whole body was on fire, but the fire was invisible.
When Yusef felt the change, he opened his eyes abruptly, only for them to almost pop out of his sockets, out of sock.
Prana!
It was really Prana!
Iono though deeply about it, and telling his father was the right choice. After all, eventually the cat would be out of the bag. After all, he would be staying with godfather for a year. So instead, he thought it was better to just be honest with it, act surprised it happened, and gain more freedom. With his acquisition of Prana, he knew his parents would think he was some kind of chosen one. And so they wouldn't restrict his movements as much, so as for him not to miss out on his destiny.
Yusef was trembling. He saw his son's prana engulfing his whole body. Iono still had his eyes closed, the invisible prana swallowing him whole. The pressure he exerted was enough to be called terrifying.
This was the one chosen by the gods.
It wasn't the prana that was exerting the pressure, but his eventual destiny. This was nothing to scoff at. Yusef was thinking about this while trying to come into terms of his sons extraordinary disposition.
After a few moments, he felt his skin prickle, because what he saw was even more astounding to Iono possessing Prana. Iono's Prana had taken the mask of Aura, and was now making his undeveloped muscles bulge, his veins pop, and his skin glow.
Using Prana as Aura? What kind of sick joke was that?
Iono had obviously succeeded in his little experiment, although he didn't mean to show his father, the serene expression never left his face, no matter how his body changed.
Yusef sighed deeply. "I better step up my game, or I won't be able to protect him.", he thought grimly.
Iono opened his eyes, and saw his father's face. He knew he made a booboo and now he has to deal with it.
"Dad, dad I think I did it. There was this purple mist, and then this green mist, and then this colourless one. I know your Aura is purple, and mom's Aura is green. So I thought that the one that had no colour was mine. Did I do well? ", best act like he knows nothing, after all, he is supposed to know nothing.
"You did more than that, well done son. You made the right choice. But I need you to listen to what I am about to say, and I want you to listen well. From now on, you are only going to use that colourless Aura when you are with me, your mom or when you're in grave danger. The rest of the times, you'll pick on of the other two. You'll understand why in a couple of years. For now just do as I say, alright? "
Faking a face of surprise, and a bit of a disappointment, Iono nodded. He made a careless mistake this time that should not be repeated.
"Alright, since we managed to make you manifest your Pra-, *cough*, Aura, you should become familiar with the feeling of it sticking to your muscles. Just repeat the process, as many times as you can.". Yusef didn't want to tell Iono he had Prana, because he thought Iono was still a child and arrogance will do him no good. It would actually bring him down.
Iono on the other hand was racking his brain trying to come up with something to distract his father. He screwed up this time.
"Dad, why does my Aura have no colour? Your Aura is purple, mom's is green, but mine is invisible. Why?.", he asked. "A sensible question. Indeed something a four-year old would ask. Well done Me! Ha-ha", he added inwardly. Some pompous ass this guy was.
His father pondered for a moment before answering, "Well, although you're one of the lucky cases, because you have inherited both of your parents energies, you are even more lucky to get that weird Aura you have. That Aura is very special like I mentioned previously, and it will match your thoughts. After a couple of years, when you grow up, it will grow with you, and change colour to match you. So don't worry about it! ", he said, slightly reluctantly.
"It's about time we return home for dinner. Your mother must be worried. Let's go."
"Ok dad.", he answered, took his father's hand and they both return to the small stone building they call home.