"Thanks for helping young man."
"Of course." Lucas replied with a smile. Right now he was helping chop up vegetables for the stew they were making. The old lady who thanked him was Miss Anna. Apparently she worked in the kitchen of the academy. Lucas deftly moved vegetables from his board to the pot with his hand and knife. He stoked the flames below the pot a little to make sure the stew was being heated.
After Rua had left to talk with Stephen, Lucas had asked around seeing what he could do. Miss Anna had invited him to help her make the stew she would serve for dinner. She had plenty of knowledge on how to cook it and thanks to Rua, she had the ingredients. She just needed someone to help her.
Lucas lifted the lid and leaned over the pot, catching a whiff of the stew's rich aroma. It was truly coming out well. Miss Anna had informed him that this meal would be the first good one the kids would have in a while so she put extra care into it. Lucas did the same, not wishing to disappoint. Just as he was about finished with chopping, Rua came into the cooking area.
"Lucas, I want to talk to you about something." There was a hint of urgency in her voice.
"What is it?" He asked, still chopping vegetables.
"Come, follow me." She gestured. Lucas set down his knife and followed behind her. She brought him over to her room and led him inside.
Her room was less of a living space and more of a work space. There was a large open area in the center and at the far end was a single desk. Strewn across the desk as well as on the wall above were hand drawn maps and decently done illustrations of certain monsters. The only semblance it held to a bedroom was the small bedroll placed in the far right corner.
As Lucas entered Stephen was also there. He looked at Lucas with a slight frow before turning to Rua.
"Why'd you bring him here?" He asked her.
"Because I want you to tell him what you told me." Stephen looked to Lucas then back to Rua before lowering his head and letting out a long sigh.
"Fine," He turned to Lucas. "I'm sure you don't know since you've only been here maybe half a day but right now a lot of our food comes from hunting those monsters out in the woods. Now it took a little adjusting but right now I'm able to take down the small ones by myself pretty consistently. The problem is the monsters, they seem to be getting stronger. They get too strong and I ain't gonna be able to take them down."
"So where do I come in? You need me to help you hunt?" He asked Stephen. Stephen looked over to Rua. Rua turned to Lucas.
"Lucas, I want you to teach us how to use mana." She asked him sincerely.
*****
The next few days passed pretty quickly for Lucas. During the day he and Rua would watch the children and help with the cooking. Stephen would go out to hunt, sometimes bringing back nothing. It was nice to see the children get excited when he did bring something back however.
When Stephen returned, he and Rua would usually meet up with Lucas and he would attempt to teach them how to use their mana. Despite not exactly being the best teacher, having Lucas, a knight with formal training, was better than having zero guidance. Though it was kind of odd for Lucas, having been asked to teach a teacher.
Rua started out already having a grasp of mana. Lucas knew this. He had seen her use it to strengthen her speed in Carmek. Stephen on the other hand struggled with the limited training Rua had given him. Their application was passable but it could definitely be improved. Over the next few days he worked with them on refining their application of mana to certain body parts. He tried to teach them the same way his instructor had taught him. Surprisingly they both managed it pretty quick. Really quick actually! Lucas knew some folks who took months to learn to even channel their mana where they wanted it to go. Lucas didn't know if it was their talent or the noticeable change in mana density he'd felt. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't his teaching.
"You have to breathe it in and hold it. Like a breath."
"I'm trying!" Stephen complained. His jaw was clenched and sweat beaded off his forehead as he tried in vain to form a basic mana core. Rua, who already managed to do it, set her hand on Stephen's shoulder.
"Stephen, try drawing your mana toward here." She rested her other hand just above his navel. "Just try circulating it there. You'll feel it. It forms like a semi solid ball in your body." Stephen let out a sigh relaxing a little. Then he tried again, this time doing as Rua had said.
Stephen closed his eyes and drew mana in from the tips of his finger as he normally did but this time instead of drawing to a limb, he concentrated it where he felt Rua's hand. Just as she said he felt a strange ball and it drew his mana into it like a cyclone. Suddenly he felt empowered. His whole body felt like it had been strengthened. The mana in his core continued to flow in a swirling motion and he was acutely aware of it. He opened his eyes
"I think I did it." Stephen said, unsure of how to react.
"You did? That's great!" Lucas cheered, somewhat surprised he managed it. After Rua had done it he was amazed but to think that Stephen could do it as well. They were now on the right track.
Really, forming a mana core should've been the first thing he taught. Not only did it generally strengthen the body of those who did so, it also provided a reliable place to draw mana from other than ambient mana. The only thing was, Lucas knew from experience that forming a mana core without any practice moving mana would prove extremely difficult. Breathing in mana like air was something Lucas figured out on his own but some barely even managed to feel the ambient mana around them much less draw it in.
Now that they both had formed mana core the plan was to teach them full body strengthening, but Lucas suddenly thought of something else. He recalled what Lord Brinton had told him the night before the battle.
"Now, both of you, try to bring as much mana as you into your mana core. Keep it till the point that it feels unstable." Overextending his mana core was something his Lucas's instructors taught him never to do. They warned that it put undue strain on the body. The pair in front of him seemed to be doing fine however. Rua shook slightly but stayed strong nonetheless.
"Now," Lucas said hesitating slightly. "Make all your mana expand within your mana core. Let it push the boundaries of what you can handle." Lucas had never actually tried this himself so he was unsure of what the result would be. Rua and Stephen closed their eyes and focused on their mana. They did as he said, expanding the mana contained within their core.
"Argh!" Rua groaned. Stephen also let out slight painful grunts. They were both feeling a burning heat where the core was. As they pushed it only seemed to grow hotter and hotter, burning them up from the inside. They began sweating and their faces turned a shade of red. When it became nearly unbearable, Stephen let go letting his mana wash out onto his body. He took deep breaths. What was this? His mana core felt bigger. He felt stronger. He nearly cheered in enthusiasm but then he noticed Rua next to him. She was still going. Her body was sweating profusely and her face was turning an ugly purple.
"Hey!" Lucas said, getting worried. He could tell she was feeling the pain. He didn't know why she kept pushing it. "STOP!" He yelled, grabbing her by the shoulders. Just then she opened her eyes and her mana wafted out past her body and onto her surroundings. It was like a warm breeze had just come through the cave. She gasped for air, taking large breaths. Lucas let her lie down and soon the color began to return to her face.
"Are you okay?" Stephen asked nervously. After a few more breaths she managed to speak.
"Yeah," She smiled weakly. "You can feel it can't you. You feel stronger."
"Yeah." Stephen agreed. He tested his grip, feeling the strength in each of his fingertips that definitely wasn't there before.
"A little odd coming from you right now." Lucas told Rua. "You probably shouldn't have pushed it that far."
"I'm fine," She said while sitting up slowly. Lucas could only shrug and help her stand.
"C'mon." he said, taking her hand and pulling her up. She wobbled slightly. "Need us to carry you to bed." Lucas joked.
"No." She said shooting him a dirty look.
After that they decided to call things. It was getting pretty late and they all returned to their rooms for the night.
*****
Adrian sat in his bed sketching on a piece of parchment. He was making a map of Carmek. With his mana ability it made it easy to mentally map all the places he'd been to. Right now he was focused on mapping the castle layout. Suddenly he broke focus from the map and looked to the unopened door. Just then the door opened and Lucas came in.
Lucas could see Adrian was making his maps. He'd noticed him doing it the previous nights but didn't talk about it. He could already see Adrian rolling up the map and putting it away. For some reason he was timid around Lucas. He and the other older kids seem to approach him with the same suspicion Stephen did.
"It's getting pretty late, don't you think." Lucas told him. Adrian shrugged and started wrapping up himself in his sheets. He turned facing the wall. Lucas let out a defeated sigh as he walked over. It was hard. He couldn't seem to tell what that kid was thinking.
He grabbed the oil lamp on one of the shelves and put it out. He then took his spot in the bedroll on the other side of the room. He stared out at the cave ceiling in near pitch black darkness. Just him and his thoughts. Suddenly Adrian, still facing the wall, spoke up.
"Hey Lucas, are you a good person?" It was a strange question, especially coming from Adrian. The previous nights he hadn't spoken at all. Still, it was not a question Lucas had trouble answering
"Yes, I am." Lucas said confidently. Adrian didn't speak anymore that night and the two went to sleep in silence.
*****
That morning Lucas was helping out with preparing breakfast. Just then Stephen approached him. Usually now was the time he would go on his hunts but it seemed he had something to tell Lucas.
"What?" Lucas asked, seeing Stephen approached. He took that moment to start explaining right away.
"You're coming with me today." Stephen told him bluntly.
"Where?" Lucas asked curiously.
"Hunting."