Closing the door behind him, Julius takes an audible gulp before taking a few steps inside the Asura household. Within the front room is a large open area taken up by a kitchen that illuminates with golden light, produced by several lanterns throughout the room.
Placing the doughnut box down on the marble counter beside him, Julius takes a few more steps forward, still being slightly uneasy about the feeling that he shouldn't be here-- that he should have stayed seated like he was told.
[Julius]: "H-Hello? Hikerix?... Um, J-Jiro?"
His unreciprocated voice echoes through the dim room, the silence on the other end further contributing to the sense of guilt.
"Why is it so quiet?... I probably should have just waited, what if he's out looking for me?" Julius thinks, still nervously looking around before something in particular pulls his attention across the room.
--A door, one leading to what appears to be a yard behind the house. The doorway wore a similar decor and design to the rest of the house, culminating in arches and engravings, some even fitted with silver or gold.
Julius approaches the doorway that leads outside, and beyond the slightly frosted glass of the door, he could see an outline beyond the barrier, the outline of a person sitting on the grass. Although small, he was able to make out most colors-- white outfit, blonde hair, a purple cloth around their neck-- this person was definitely the knight that Julius had come searching for.
[Julius]: "A-Ah. Hikerix!"
Julius shouted from behind the door as he gently but firmly swung it open, causing a loud clunking noise that seemed to startle the knight, visibly jolting and turning around.
[Hikerix]: "Ghyah-!"
Now stepping onto the grass himself, Julius slowed his pace until quickly coming to a complete stop, starring ahead at the sight before him.
Before the now confused Julius, was a small garden, emboldened by a large stone pillar in the center that could only be described as some kind of obelisk. This stone pillar had writing engraved into the front of it, but at his current distance, Julius was unable to read any of it.
[Julius]: "Oh, I... Didn't mean to startle you..."
Hikerix looked up at Julius from the ground, sitting cross-legged on the grass in front of the obelisk.
[Hikerix]: "It's fine but... Didn't I tell you to wait back at the field? I was just about to come find you."
[Julius]: "Ah well, yes I know you did but... Well, something happened and... I..."
Now feeling even more guilty, Julius's body betrayed his own intentions, and he struggled to speak any words that carried any meaning at all, most of them just coming out as small exhales instead of words.
His confusion only heightened as he slowly walked closer to Hikerix with his hands against his chest, displaying a visible awareness to his mistake. As if Hikerix could see him struggling, he loosened up a bit, and released his thoughts in the form of a sigh.
[Hikerix]: "Agh, look... You're already here just... Come sit down."
Raising his head from the ground below him, Julius heard a soft clattering noise as Hikerix patted the grass beside him, inviting him to sit down-- an offer that he felt obliged to immediately agree to, most likely due to his guilt of not listening in the first place.
[Julius]: "M-... Mmh..."
Gently lowering himself, Julius sits cautiously next to the knight who has restored some of his usual grin. Now close enough to read the obelisk, Julius feels his eyes widen and his eyebrows distort in confusion and slight shock, reading the countless words that are engraved into the stone.
"Are these... Dates? Memories?..." Julius wonders, feeling another wave of shock wash over his body once more as he lays eyes on the writing that was much larger than the rest-- reading the words "Jiro Asura" written in bold lettering.
[Hikerix]: "Julius..."
[Julius]: "Jiro?.. Is this a..."
[Hikerix]: "- - -"
The knight loses his grin quickly-- or at least whatever small portion of it he had at the time anyway. Looking down at the still closed box of doughnuts beside him, Hikerix seemed to struggle with his words, or lack thereof.
[Hikerix]: "Yeah... It's Jiro's grave."
The words that Hikerix whispers out sends a soft chill down Julius's spine, feeling how the wind seemed to pick up ever so slightly, blowing a calm breeze over the garden.
[Hikerix]: "Agh jeez... Hey, how old are you, Julius?"
Breathing out more words after an audible gulp, Hikerix slightly turned his head to Julius, fully understanding his confusion in this moment, trying his best to find a way to explain the situation.
[Julius]: "I'm... Nineteen."
[Hikerix]: "I see... So, I doubt you've ever been married then, haha..."
The laugh that came from the knight's cracked lips didn't seem genuine at all-- as if he wasn't even trying to make it feel like that anyway, just trying to ease the icy tension that plagued the air.
[Julius]: "N-No..."
[Hikerix]: "Yeah... Thought so... Me and Jiro weren't, you know... We weren't married for very long. Only about two months before..."
Hikerix's voice cracked as he trailed off, starting to fidget with the dirt he sat upon absentmindedly.
[Julius]: "- - -"
Feeling the tension in the air, Julius remained silent and listened-- no matter how badly his kind nature wanted him to smile and speak. This time, he merely listened.
Julius had no experience with this kind of emotion, nothing coming close to it. But he could listen, he knew that. He knew that it might help the knight get his words out if he waited patiently for him, seated upon the grass that shined with a radiant vigor.
[Hikerix]: "I'm sure you've been plenty filled in about the civil war five years ago."
[Julius]: "M-Mmh... Yeah..."
[Hikerix]: "The royal guard was in pieces after Jericho's father died. So many people with conflicting goals and philosophies... The only thing keeping them together was lord Raine. So naturally, when he passed on, everyone had their own ideas about how to fix the place."
[Julius]: "... Who's side... did you take?"
[Hikerix]: "Me and Jiro took Jericho's side, of course.We continued to protect her from the chaos that engulfed the kingdom, a task in which Jiro shined, being blessed with her Commandment. Most of the royal guard fought each other to death. In the end, there were only three of us."
Hearing a more detailed story of Rantari's chaotic history hit Julius harder than he had thought possible, almost as if feeling the grief from their loss himself.
[Julius]: "What happened... To the third knight?"
[Hikerix]: "- - -"
Hikerix's entire body shudders, even visible through the armor. Feeling his lip start to twitch, the knight looks down at the ground to hide his expression, being crushed by the weight of those memories.
[Hikerix]: "Jiro killed him... He was the strongest within the royal guard, and his views differed from Jericho's tremendously."
[Julius]: "- - -"
Julius continued to listen, fighting the urge to speak, already knowing that nothing would come out. No words of encouragement. No attempt at understanding. Nothing. But despite that, he listened.
[Hikerix]: "That man wielded a Commandment. I believe it's name was 'Therma'. He had the ability to produce heat... A lot of it."
[Julius]: "Like... Fire?"
Hikerix shook his head lightly, causing his purple scarf to sway around him, the gentle, frayed fabric being a strong contrast to his hardened armor-- a particular shade of purple that matched his late wife's hair.
[Hikerix]: "Not quite fire. There were no flames, just pure heat, capable of melting stone in seconds. Beyond that Commandment, he was also just generally very powerful."
[Julius]: "- - -"
[Hikerix]: "She won. But that fight cost Jiro her life."
Hearing it so explicitly, Julius flinched ever so slightly, producing another audible gulp and he averts his gaze downwards to the grass.
[Hikerix]: "Julius... Are you aware that Commandments can be passed down?..."
[Julius]: "I-... Yeah, I am."
Confused as to where this is going, Julius looks back up at Hikerix, noticing the wetness of his eyes, and the clear sign of lament and struggle it caused him to speak any further.
--But for a currently unknown reason to Julius, there was a shimmer within Hikerix's eyes, one that shined of determination and faith.
[Hikerix]: "I didn't know about Inheritance until that day. I don't think anyone in Rantari did... I held her in my arms. And... I didn't know what to do, I was so scared of losing her, and the sounds of her pain bore a hole into my heart as she faded. All I could do was kiss her. I just wanted to help soothe her pain, even if just a little."
[Julius]: "- - -"
The story pained Julius, even if he was just listening, only knowing the name of Jiro. Hearing the time between Hikerix's breaths shorten more and more as time went on was crippling, feeling his own tears start to form in his eyes just via connection and sympathy.
He brought his hand up to his chest, grasping at the grey cloth tightly as he continued to listen.
[Hikerix]: "She was so cold... Even the blood on her lips was like ice. And feeling her hand slip from my neck, falling to her side as i cried was the most agony I think I've ever experienced... Even more than what I felt the following seconds..."
The confusion snapped like a lost puzzle piece within Julius's head, clicking together and forcing his eyes to flicker open and lock onto Hikerix-- who only continued to look down at the grass that he gently played with, as if to distract himself somehow as he told the story.
[Julius]: "You inherited Jiro's commandment... Didn't you?..."
Hikerix slowly turned his head to face Julius directly for the first time since their conversation started. A small smile formed on his face, a somewhat eerie smile that had another force behind it-- another consciousness.
[Hikerix]: "I did..."
The smile quickly faded, giving way to his turmoil once more as he sighed. The realization set in for Julius, drawing both of their attention back to the ground.
Julius's eyes flickered between the grass and Hikerix, unsure of what to say.
[Julius]: "So that means that... Jiro is..."
[Hikerix]: "She's never left my side since that day. The confusion and shock hit me harder than pain ever could. I thought I had seen it all... But ghosts? Especially right after such an event. I couldn't even cry any more, I just wanted to... Well... Reach out to her. To feel her warmth again."
[Julius]: "... I can't even imagine what that must be like. I wish I could understand, to try and say something to help you..."
[Hikerix]: "There's no need... You're still young, I'd hate for you to have to go through something like that. You just listening is more than enough for me."
Julius shares an awkward smile with the knight, a silent link of connection-- one that lasts a long time before a shivery thought crosses Julius's mind.
[Julius]: "Does that mean that... Jiro is here? Right now?"
[Hikerix]: "You could say that, yeah... It took a long time to adjust to that part. It's like she never left, but she was still gone. She would be the only reason I got out of bed most days, accompanying me to work and getting me through my training. For five years now... Unseen. But together..."
[Julius]: "I see..."
Watching Hikerix look to his side, as if listening to someone who wasn't there, sent another wave of chills throughout his body. "Is that what Alcard felt then? The thought of someone in my head constantly is bad enough... But that person being such a malicious being. He really is as strong as everyone says." Julius thinks.
Julius looks at the blank space opposite him, his gaze flickering between that spot and Hikerix with a swell in his throat.
[Julius]: "I guess it isn't... All bad, right? I mean... She's still with you, after all..."
His comment seems to reignite the smile that now spreads across Hikerix's face, getting a soft chuckle out of him.
[Hikerix]: "You're right. Honestly... If I could go back to that day knowing that it would all happen the same way. I'd still inherit her Commandment. Just knowing that I can still wake up to her face every morning. Knowing I can hear her voice in rough times. It brings me solace."
Julius smiles again, happy that he didn't further upset him-- actually having the opposite effect.
[Hikerix]: "She thinks you're rather interesting, Julius. Says there's something different about you from back at the dessert store."
Julius feels his saliva hit the back of his throat, suddenly remembering the reason he came to find Hikerix in the first place, but also a little uneasy that Jiro can sense things about him.
[Julius]: "Ah- she can-... that's... Actually why I came here."
[Hikerix]: "Oh? I guess I kinda ruined the mood, huh."
Hikerix chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck as Julius prepares to tell him the news. Once again feeling himself get a little more excited, but not at all letting the sympathy he feels for Hikerix fade.
[Julius]: "No, no... It's okay, I'm... Glad you told me."
[Hikerix]: "... Thank you for listening, Julius ... Also, I'll have to ask that you don't tell anyone about that. About Jiro."
[Julius]: "Mh-... Yeah, I understand."
Releasing a sigh of relief, Hikerix looks back at Julius with a curious grin, now with a deeper meaning-- as if a second person lies behind his eyes.
[Hikerix]: "So. What is it you wanted to tell me?"
[Julius]: "... I honestly don't know how to explain it, but.. I think I... Used magic..."
Now wearing a confused face, there's a slight eyebrow twitch to show that he is indeed clueless to the importance of that fact.
[Hikerix]: "Umm... That's... Cool?"
[Julius]: "N-No I-... Agh. I've never... Done that before. I mean... I've used mana manipulation in the past, but this. It didn't feel the same."
Julius glances down at his hand, finding it hard to form the right words-- trying his best to explain what he needs to, without revealing that he's from an entirely different world, and therefore, not very mana inclined.
[Hikerix]: "Wait. You're only just now growing into your mana? You're nineteen!"
[Julius]: "I- Um... I mean, yeah? I don't know how that works, I'm sorry... It's all very confusing to me."
[Hikerix]: "It is? You're really odd, Julius. I guess if you really don't know, I could explain it."
Julius nods quickly, eager to learn more about how magic works, hoping that his knowledge would give further insight into his new power.
[Hikerix]: "You can think of mana as its own living, breathing being. It's alive, but also... Not, at the same time, if that makes any sense..."
[Julius]: "Mh-... R-Right. I guess I understand."
[Hikerix]: "Good, try to keep following along. Mana is the life force that inhabits everything. But not everything is created with it. When new things are introduced into the mix, such as a baby being born, it takes time for the mana to grasp hold of the foreign life. After a few years, it finally finishes engulfing them, and their pool of mana starts to grow into its mature form. This is the most common period of time for attunements to be awakened, usually through some kind of emotional response. Lets say... Another kid takes your ball, you get mad, you suddenly torch him with flames... May or may not be speaking from experience with that one."
Julius continues to nod, offering his undivided attention, trying his best to understand it all.
[Hikerix]: "Everyone awakens it at different times, but making it all the way to nineteen without anything? That's pretty damn rare... But hey, I guess it can happen clearly."
[Julius]: "Mh... Yeah..."
[Hikerix]: "So tell me. What did it feel like? What attunement do you think it was?"
Julius once again glances down at his hand, opening and closing it a few times-- working his brain hard to try and remember what it felt like.
[Julius]: "It kind of felt like... My hand was on fire. But, in a good way... Strangely. I was running around, chasing after this ball for a group of kids, and it fell into the canal. But, right before it hit the water, I reached for it and... I guess, blew it up?"
[Hikerix]: "You blew it up!?"
Thrashing his head side to side in response, struggling to clarify the true feeling of it, a feeling that had suddenly appeared seemingly out of the blue.
[Julius]: "No, not like that! Um... It shot up, like there was an invisible force between the ball and the water that forced it into the sky. I'm not sure what that part was, but the feeling in my hand was definitely there! It felt like my body built up with pressure, and it all exploded from my arm."
[Hikerix]: "I see... That feeling you're describing is the sensation of mana. Mana isn't normally visible to the naked eye, but it takes the form of flames and threads... No matter what attunement you have, when using mana, it feels like you're body sets ablaze. In the best possible way of course."
Bringing his hand up to his chin, Hikerix thinks about the information Julius had given him, finally coming to a conclusion, taking the form of a snapping noise-- caused by Hikerix's fingers that are now pointing at Julius, accompanied by a proud grin.
[Hikerix]: "Sounds like either water or wind magic. I'm leaning more towards wind, since if it were water, the force in between the ball and the canal wouldn't have happened the way you described it."
Julius's eyes lit up, not at the thought of wind magic itself, but at the thought of using magic at all. Awakening an attunement is a monumental moment in life, and even though Julius was well past the expected age to discover it, he was relieved that he even had one.
[Hikerix]: "My underling in the royal academy, Ray. He's a user of wind magic too, even if he uses it for... Unconventional methods... He could probably teach you a thing or two about the workings of it. I'd be happy to help you with the general tips, but every attunement is different, so you're probably better off just learning it all from him."
[Julius]: "O-... Really!? You'll ask him to teach me?"
[Hikerix]: "Yeah, of course, it's no big deal. You've been a great listener for me, and honestly... I can't help but feel more connected to you somehow. You have a strange charm about you Julius. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but it's a good trait to have."
Julius hums in appreciation, nodding his head gently-- the small gesture allowing his black hair to sway over his eyes in the wind.
[Hikerix]: "Still plenty of daylight left bud, lets go see if we can find him shall we."
[Julius]: "Really? Right now?"
[Hikerix]: "Don't see why not."
After standing up, Hikerix brushes the dirt off of his armor, once again filling the air with the familiar clattering noise. Following his lead, Julius gets back on his feet, watching as Hikerix walks over to the grave, and places his hand on it for a moment, closing his eyes before moving away.
Julius watches Hikerix wave at him, gesturing to follow him back inside and onto the streets again.
[Julius]: "Mmh!... So, how far away do you think he is?"
[Hikerix]: "He lives in this section of the kingdom too, not that far from here. Assuming he's home, that is..."
[Julius]: "Mh. Well lets hope so then, I look forward to meeting him. What's he like? If he's gonna teach me, I'd like to know a bit a bout him."
Hikerix sighs and massages the bridge of his nose, feeling slight embarrassment before even introducing the two.
[Hikerix]: "He's... Intense."
[Julius]: "Intense? Like... Like Okuma? Cataphrania's wolf?..."
[Hikerix]: "God I wish..."
Sensing the cringe in Hikerix's voice, Julius can tell that the person he was about to meet was very unique, but assumed it couldn't be worse than what he had already seen.
"Intense... I mean. Miura was pretty bad..." Julius thought.
Looking ahead, Julius lays his eyes upon a particularly larger building than the ones around it, a building with a small hedge garden that covers the front of the structure.
Further approaching the hedges, a small figure can be seen sitting on a bench reading a book-- sitting in such a way that ensures no one can see what is written or drawn on the pages.
Taking a moment to look around cautiously, the boy sees Hikerix and immediately throws the book back into his inner pocket, almost in a panic-- but his expression quickly shifts to excitement as he jumps up and runs over, shouting happily at the two.
[Ray]: "Captain!!"
An audible grunt is heard from Hikerix, quiet enough to only just be heard. As the boy runs over, Julius gets a better look at his features.
The boy has vibrant green eyes and brown hair that extends to his shoulders. He wears white robes that resemble a hakama, which Julius presumes to be his "Day-off" attire. Equipped on the boys back, is a wooden training sword, a kind of shinai-- and around his neck, is a green scarf, no doubt something that he had copied from Hikerix.
[Ray]: "I assume you're here because I missed training yesterday, but trust me! I have a good reason! Would you believe that 'Destiny of love appraised!' got a sequel? On the day of my training!? There was even a book signing by the author!!"
[Hikerix]: "That's... Not what I'm here for, and I don't need to know about your perverted books."
Now very close to Julius and Hikerix, his student Ray had finally reached them and had a look of confusion on his face, wondering what the visit could be for. This confusion is short lived, as the second he switches his gaze to Julius, he seems to only get closer, until leaning forwards at him, pushing impossibly close to his face.
[Ray]: "And who's this? He a new student, hmm?"
[Julius]: "Ah!- Um... Gh.."
Ray continues to lean forwards, invading Julius's personal space on an unbelievable level, starring at him with an almost... Sultry look, even getting a surprised blush from Julius.
[Ray]: "G-GAH!"
A sudden clunk is heard as Hikerix slaps the top of Ray's head, causing him to back off and cover the spot with both hands, flickering his gaze between the two with a pout.
[Hikerix]: "Lay off him. I'm here to ask you to teach Julius here about wind magic."
[Ray]: "Ehh!? He looks the same age as me though?..."
[Hikerix]: "It's strange, I know, but apparently he's only just awakened his attunement, and judging by the description he gave, it sounds like wind. Think you got a bit of extra time to show him how it's done?"
[Ray]: "Hmmmm."
Ray places his chin between his thumb and index finger, starring hard at Julius with a skeptical face, but quickly smiles widely and nods.
-- so quickly in fact, that one could only assume he was only pretending to think about it.
[Ray]: "Sure! I've got time to kill! I've never met another knight with wind magic before, I'm so excited!!"
[Julius]: "A-Ah... I'm actually... Not a knight."
Ray's face quickly shifts into one of shock, but a shock that he quickly throws away, shaking his head and blinded by the excitement of teaching another person wind magic.
[Hikerix]: "Seeing as there wont be any issues here, I've got some errands to run for Queen Jericho. Bye bye now! You two behave!"
The knight waves at the pair from behind, the wave being reciprocated by Julius who now fully understands what Hikerix meant by "Intense".
Once the knight fades out of view, Ray gestures for Julius to follow him towards the garden, a wide, mischievous smile on his face.
[Ray]: "Come on, lets start immediately! Right now!"
[Julius]: "M-Mmh! Coming!"
---