Niss was standing looking at everyone who had turned their heads to him.
"Sorry… I just can't believe it."
Niss managed to get the words out but none of the party members answered him. Gerard simply looked at Niss with what he thought was a strange expression, it wasn't exactly sad anymore but Gerard quickly turned his eyes back to the thick blanket holding his twin sister Gia.
"There's a town nearby… Mourne town. I'll bring Gia there and send word too…" he stopped as a lump of pain got stuck in his throat.
"I'll go with you."
Niss interjected in time to help him from breaking down again but Gerard without looking at anyone scooped up Gia and started walking back the way they came.
"I will bring her alone." He said in a flat and empty tone.
'The way he stated it…. He needs to be alone.' Niss thought.
….
The party quietly passed around supplies near the lift and gave Gerard what he would need to get to Mourne town. Luckily Mourne town was very close only a half days trip from the mine. Since the group had come from a smaller town in Niss's territory Rivenwood, initially their trip here was longer.
The three remaining party members watched as Gerard carried Gia until he reached the lift and then gave their quiet and sorrowful goodbyes.
…..
Magic and the ability to harness mana was within every living creature, but it was dormant until an aura, the manifestation of ones inner power and control was formed. Although all creatures were affected by mana, only those with developed auras could actually control it.
In this world every being draws in mana, it surrounds and entangles their world mixing in everything and everywhere. There are two kinds of mana that one can draw into their aura once it is formed, ambient mana which is ambiguous, every mage can use it and elemental mana.
Although both types of mana are purified and stored inside the aura, you must have an affinity for the element in order to draw it in initially. Mages with two elements were especially strong because they could refill their auras supply of mana much more quickly and were more versatile than a mage with only one affinity.
The different types of elemental mana were more or less condensed in the area depending on the environment, or maybe it could be argued that the environment is that way because its respective mana is dense there.
Every creature binds to specific elements, dictated by their natural habitat and ancestral lineage. Among humans, this affinity is almost always with a singular element like Siarra and her fire affinity. However exceptions do exist, Gia possessed affinity with ice/water and air, and Gerard has the affinity for earth and fire.
For humans, the process of aura formation was a long journey, usually taking a full eighteen years before the aura was cemented enough to be considered formed.
Niss had to wait until he reached this age to set off on his adventure. He had been preparing regardless though, hunting small beasts with his father and training with various weapons. Even though Niss was F-Rank, that was not quite and accurate measure of his power.
Due to his exceptional weapon skills and his rare mastery over both fire and ice affinities, he was at the peak of F-rank, only held back by the fact that his aura just recently formed.
Auras, once created, varied widely in their development, they were unique to each species as far as when they formed and what rank they were. However once created, they could be nurtured and fortified, expanding both in capacity and potency.
The importance of cultivating a strong aura could not be overstated. Cultivating increased the mana capacity and power of one's aura allowing the ability to cast more complex spells, and increase the duration and strength they could infuse into their bodies and weapons.
For example the burst of ice Niss used in his fight with the goblins, it was fast and it cost only a small fraction of his mana. It was too weak to cause any real damage and the mana cost reflected that.
Using magic consumed the mana within your aura and there was no real measure of the cost of certain magic or spells, people relied on intuition and experience to gauge their spell's cost and their aura's limit it is something that can just naturally be felt and does not need measurement. Even so there were accounts of mages collapsing mid-battle, their thirst for power driving them beyond the limit of their aura, overdrawing mana from your aura causes backlash and is extremely dangerous. Backlash always lead to passing out, and in the heat of combat it was a quick way to lose your life.
….
Niss was focusing his mind as he drew ambient mana and earth mana into his aura. It had been about an hour and the three of them had recharged their auras. Luckily Trevor has an earth affinity which made his mana recovery much easier, since earth mana was abundant in this underground mine.
'I have to match my recovery to Siarra. I hate having to hide things, but it is necessary.'
From his earliest memories, Niss's father had always told him he must reveal only two of his four elemental affinities, concealing the rare truth that he possessed all affinities.
For Niss, this wasn't just a strategic choice, it was a matter of survival. His father's words echoed through his mind, a constant reminder that his unique affinity for all mana could make him a target, a subject of manipulation or experimentation.
Someone having all elemental affinities was a phenomenon, it had never really been documented in history. Although it did happen once every couple thousand years or so, no book or document would have recorded it as the person was likely killed in fear of them becoming too strong or simply because the person never awakened their aura.
So, Niss was patiently waiting for the day when he would have enough strength to safeguard not only himself but also his beloved mother and sister. He was going to harness the full extent of his powers and embrace all of his affinities openly, but only once he possessed the necessary power to shield his family and those he cared about from any threat that dared to cast a shadow upon their lives.
….
The trio had united their strengths with a shared goal. To conquer the rest of this dungeon, to ensure that Gia's sacrifice wouldn't be in vain. With determination, they pressed forward, vowing to complete this dungeon.
Success meant more than personal triumph. It meant honoring Gia's memory and solidifying their place within the ranks of the adventurer's guild upon their return.