2 Primeval Dream

In this world, Mana isn't a passive energy form. It constantly fluctuates, transforms, and affects the numerous ecosystems it encompasses. While many of the factors responsible for these changes remain a mystery, one of them has been known for some time: intelligent life.

Creatures with complex neurological functions, ranging from humans to other lifeforms capable of thoughts, can indirectly meddle with the atmospheric Mana through their subconscious. While the details are still unknown, it's a fact that phenomena such as Nightmare or Primeval Dream apparitions are indeed products of conscious minds…

- Codex Memoria, vol. 1, ch. 1, p. 6

As the three travelers went on, Aeden kept looking at one of them in particular. The oldest, he sensed, had tried to inspect his Mana but immediately stopped when noticed. Decima picked on his troubled expression and naturally inquired:

"Aeden? Something wrong with them?"

"Nothing, I guess." he nimbly evaded her back-pat before replying.

"The older one was a little too scrutinizing, but it's normal, isn't it? Spellcasters who journeyed this far from the Central Continent must be quite prudent."

Just then, two figures slowly showed up from the surrounding vegetation. One of them was a boy around fourteen, with unkempt black hair and dark grey Numidean warrior garments, though far less armored than the others. His most distinguishing feature was his deep blue eyes, an absolute contrast with his plain-colored clothes.

Next to him was a mesmerizing young woman in her twenties, with strange white hair styled in a long braid, fair skin, and blinding golden eyes. They shone like two little suns through the clearing. Her dress resembled the boy's, though far more elaborate with pale and yellow ornaments as well as a similar lack of armor.

Her name was Megissa, while the boy's name was Nihil.

Aeden immediately went to them, followed by Decima. Those two were the last members of their party of four.

"Megi! Nihil! So, did you notice anything strange?" said Aeden while approaching.

"Nothing of note. They don't seem to be threats, though we can't be sure." Nihil was the one who answered, but Megissa quickly added.

"It's not our problem anymore, is it? You shouldn't have revealed yourself, Aeden. That was dangerous." she tapped him gently on the shoulders, then continued. "The old one is a Mathematician. You felt his sensing abilities, didn't you? He could've realized who you were, and all of our precautions would've been for naught."

"Don't be such a nag, Megi. Worst case scenario, we'd bury them somewhere around here." interrupted Decima, coming to Aeden's defense.

"A nag! Me? Sorry for following the plan, you meathead! If you hadn't chased that Nightmare like a madwoman, we wouldn't have taken any risk!"

"What? Who're you calling a meathead? I'll shove you in this trunk and throw you in the sea you pest!"

"Try it, we'll see where I'll bury your remains, you useless junk."

Aeden saw Nihil sigh as the two went on, but he could only smile. After all, this was his party. The only ones he could have and the friends with whom he'll share his journey. Yes, His journey. He had dreamed of that moment for so long.

"Say something, lil' brother! She wants to feed your precious big sister to the Nightmares." Decima pleaded to Nihil, wanting to squeeze out some compassion from her usually emotionless sibling.

"If it makes the fighting stop, please proceed Megi." he said in a flat tone.

"HA! Even he knows you're a pain in the ass!" Megissa's bearing was more triumphant than ever.

Decima mimicked a pained expression while turning towards Aeden for help. She saw him smiling and grinned back.

"Hm? You seem awfully happy for someone who's gonna get nagged to death," added Megissa while smiling herself.

"See! You just admitted that you're a nagging wench!" Decima jumped on the occasion while laughing.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Also, who did you call a wench?"

That continued for a while, but Aeden couldn't be happier. It was this sort of interaction, this warm sense of belonging that he had longed for. After all, not many people were keen on befriending the son of a Sorceress.

_

"So, let's review our current route.." started Megissa as they exited the clearing. "If we keep going straight ahead we'll reach the Sibylline Peaks in about two or three days. Though, we'll be avoiding that as crossing it is too dangerous."

"Why? Afraid of a little mountain climbing?" asked Decima.

"If only, but the peaks are inhabited by murderous tribes. I doubt we'll be able to fight our way through it easily."

"Then, we'll have to head towards the port city, right?" said Nihil.

Megissa paused for a moment, her eyes flickering, though Aeden couldn't read what it meant. She answered after a few seconds:

"I don't think Laon is a good place for Homunculi. Aeden would attract a lot of attention, and it wouldn't be a pleasant experience for you and Decima."

"Then how are we going to exit the Numidean Region? Doesn't Laon have the only port?" inquired Aeden in a perplexed tone.

"Well, I was getting to it. The Triscelus sent a formal request to the Ombres a few weeks ago. They'll grant us passage through their territory, but in exchange, we'll have to do something for them."

"The Ombres, huh? It pays to have Sorcerers watch over us." joked Decima.

"Mother said she wouldn't interfere in any way with my journey…." Aeden didn't like that. His expression shifted ever so slightly.

"Well, don't take it like that, Aeden." Nihil tried to reassure him, tapping his shoulder while smiling. "Consider it a parting gift, since it'll be difficult to exit Numidea any other way."

He then turned towards Megissa before asking:

"Right, so, what do we have to do for them?"

"It's a little bit odd, but they want us to visit Le Chateau des Ombres."

"They want to host us?"

"Not really, they only specified a 'visit', nothing else. What's bizarre to me is the fact that the Triscelus accepted the terms."

"Why? Are they that dangerous?" inquired Decima.

"The Ombres are Le Roi du Crepuscule's attendants. They're part of a Sorcerer's court; I doubt they'll seek trouble with us." replied Aeden.

"I still don't want to go there. They're unlikely to harm Aeden, but we're unsure if they'll show the same kind of restraint towards the rest of us." Megissa whispered, seemingly terrified by the prospect of approaching them.

Aeden also knew these infamous creatures were very fickle, yet he couldn't help but be at ease. It's common knowledge not to trust an Ombre, but this was a formal request from the Triscelus, the ruling council that governs Numidea. Also, they were dealing with him, a Sorcerer, so he didn't think they would try something.

'Oh,' he thought, 'is it how I see myself now? A Sorcerer… I'm the child of one of them, after all.'

Preoccupied with his mind, Aeden didn't realize that his party had stopped before Nihil took his arm. When he looked up again, he saw a little creature seated between two trees, too busy munching on a plant to notice them. It closely resembled a sloth, though its pitch-black fur and long claws were brimming with Mana. The long lines of glyphs glittering on its body, as well as its rainbow-colored eyes, left no doubt about what kind of lifeform it was.

"A Primeval Dream..." whispered Nihil, instinctively beginning to channel Mana through his hands.

Primeval Dreams are similar to Nightmares because they spawned naturally from the atmospheric Mana. Still, compared to their feared counterparts, they're usually harmless and tend to avoid contact with other creatures. This one was called a Desidia, and albeit peaceful, was shunned by most travelers.

Decima's armor suddenly hit a nearby tree as she was trying to get away, alerting the Primeval Dream. It looked up their way, and its eyes began shining almost immediately.

"Megi! Prepare the counterspell!" yelled Aeden as he was reaching for the giant trunk Decima was carrying.

"Already on it! Nihil, don't forget-.." Megissa was interrupted in the middle of her shout by a dreadful wave of Mana, coming directly from the Desidia.

Its irises twirled rapidly as they mimicked the shape of a clock, and the forest itself seemed to lose its colors. Time froze around the creature, painting the world in gloomy shades of grey.

Although halted in a single, fleeting moment, Aeden was still conscious, and so were his companions. Typically, a spell like that wouldn't be a problem as the Primeval Dream would retreat, and its effects would stop. However, Desidias were infamous for always being shadowed by Nightmares since they were unaffected by its powers. They learned to always stay near one for easy prey and made the harmless creature one of the most feared beings in Numidea.

The Primeval Dream began its slow retreat while the ground rumbled, announcing the approach of a massive Nightmare. Aeden didn't like this one bit but trusted his friends enough to keep his calm.

Mana suddenly shot out from Megissa's position, branching out in numerous golden tendrils that shattered the Desidia's frozen world and returning time to its normal flow. He recognized the perfectly executed Sealing counterspell, In Closteria, one of his friend's specialties.

"Ul Harpe!"

Megissa's Mana tendrils immediately fused, taking the shape of a single light blade that hurled itself towards the fleeing Primeval Dream. Recycling residual Mana from one's previous spells is a feat that only Mathematicians such as her are capable of.

The creature seemed to sense it, leaping in time to avoid getting skewered, though the action threw it off balance. Decima took advantage of that slight delay, intercepting the Desidia's head with a powerful punch. The impact shattered its skull, but she continued, sending another jab towards its belly. This time, the strike cracked the ground as the Primeval Dream breathed its last.

It was an easy kill, but the least of their problems at that moment.

The Nightmare finally showed up, appearing from nowhere behind Megissa and almost beheading her. Fortunately, she was expecting it and ducked in time, though losing a few streaks of blond hair in the process.

That one was a rare type, with a shrunken head sprouting two extremely long black arms. They kept the rest of its humanoid body, equipped with another set of bizarre limbs and a pair of twisted legs, suspended above the ground.

Its shorter arms changed shape, producing two ominous blades that tried to lacerate Aeden. He rolled to his left as quickly as he could but got a nasty cut to his arm anyway. It seemed he was still dizzy from the Desidia's spell.

Blood spilt from his wound, but it didn't scare him; it was all too familiar. The warmth, the metallic scent helped him wake up as he reached for the giant trunk. The contact with his hand activated the glyph formation inscribed on it, and it finally opened, revealing its pitch-black interior. Without a moment's hesitation, he plunged his arm in the nothingness, searching for something.

"Decima, keep it busy while Aeden's retrieving his weapon! Nihil, charged yet?" yelled Megissa as she retreated a few steps away.

Being this close to the enemy was a death sentence for spellcasters like her; she was lucky to have evaded that last attack in time.

"Not fully, but I have enough Mana for a few spells though. Don't worry about me," he answered hastily.

"Right, I'll slow its movements!" she added while weaving her next spell.

Decima had long since blocked the Nightmare's path; her Mana-enhanced fists deflected each of its blades' strikes, though the giant pair of arms were a problem on their own. One of them grabbed Decima's leg in a swift movement, crushing it instantly. The Homunculi sucked in her breath and seized the creature's gigantic limb, channeling significant quantities of Mana across her hands:

"An Potentia !"

Explosive strength ran through Decima's arms as she ripped the Nightmare's appendage from its skeletal head, leaving it screeching in pain. Landing on the ground, the monster tried to skewer her with one of its blades but was surprised when she leaped away. Her leg should've been crushed, but it appeared to be as healthy as one's limb could be.

One of the Homunculi's advantages was instantaneous regeneration as long as their core wasn't damaged and their Mana permitted it.

"Il Lurae." Megissa spoke the incantation, liquefying the ground beneath the Nightmare. It stopped its movements since its giant arm was stuck, and earth tendrils sprouted up to slow its blades.

Seeing itself in a desperate position, the Nightmare started screeching again, this time in a slightly different tone.

"I'm ready!" Aeden shouted from the rear, an exquisite-looking silver spear in hand.

A shockwave nearly drove him back as Decima struck the Nightmare's head with a Mana-powered blow, but it didn't silence it. Instead, both blades impaled her through the chest and throat. Her body dangled above the ground, unable to move away.

"Damn it, die, die, die!" Decima spat as blood trickled from her mouth, continuously hitting the creature in vain.

"It's calling its friends, I see..." Nihil muttered with a nervous smile.

A swarm of ethereal Nightmares, like the one Decima killed before, tore through the trees' foliage, descending on them.

Each of them sprouted a new pair of blackish arms, using them to open their jagged maws. They condensed Mana behind their endless teeth before firing them in an infinite rain of murderous beams. The world became white for a second, as Aeden couldn't see past their attacks.

"Aeden! Nihil!" he could hear Megissa's cry behind him, still not registering the impending doom falling on them.

"In.. Obice!"

The forest went blue the next moment, and the sound of shattering glass rang all around him. Nihil's barrier spell activated right on time, and he couldn't waste that opportunity.

He gripped his spear tightly and leaped towards the Nightmare, still wrestling with Decima. In his hands, the weapon twirled and danced, brimming with Mana as it cut the monster limb by limb, finally piercing his heavily cracked skull in a concluding blow.

"Aeden, I'll regroup them together, you finish it in one strike," said Nihil, his deep blue eyes shining with a spectral glow. Aeden answered him with a grunt.

He and Decima were from the same collection, which meant they were crafted to work together. More precisely, she was part of the ten Homunculi specially created to go along with Nihil. Unlike his other Numidean counterparts, he didn't possess their signature monstrous strength. However, he was unmatched in pure Mana output, and one of his strengths lay with the feared Destruction spells.

His siblings' cores were all connected to his, and their bodies acted as Mana batteries, constantly generating and transmitting it to him - explaining why he took so long to be ready for the fight.

"Alright, I'm deactivating the barrier!"

The blue translucent protection, filled with cracks, faded as the Nightmares came into view. They tried to channel their Mana again for another ray, but Nihil wouldn't let them. His chant echoed through the damaged forest, and the wind began to pick up, summoning a vortex right in the middle of the swarm.

"Ul Euria..!"

The air currents pinned them in one place as they struggled to get out, unable to escape the wind's hold.

"An Impensia," Megissa elegantly pointed her left hand towards Aeden as blue light filled him with strength. "Make sure you end this quickly, we've attracted too much attention."

Thanks to her Enhancement spell, he was overflowing with power and could go all out without repercussions. That simple thought excited him as he took a throwing stance with his silver spear, channeling Mana through his weapon while his covered eyes locked on the Nightmares.

Then, he felt it again. The gripping insanity that took over him in moments like these. It hollowed his thoughts, broadened his senses, and strengthened his resolve. He knew what he had to do, and his body moved as if it remembered these gestures. It felt like seeing through the eyes of someone else, borrowing his might for a fleeting, decisive moment.

In Numidea, thaumaturgical and philosophical principles go hand in hand. Three foundations represent their vision of a perfect warrior, and one of them is the understanding of one's call for duty, a crystallization of their individuality. It is called Praes, the proof of their existence and the weapon with which they will realize their ambitions.

"Argentea Tripudio!" yelled Aeden as he threw the shining Praes, brimming with a hostile glow. It hit the swarm in a resounding roar, twisting reality itself during the impact. It tore the Nightmares apart and ripped the atmospheric Mana before ending in a glorious explosion, bathing the forest with silver light.