It Begins (3)

"The mark on your forehead, as well as on the forehead on every other Laen is not just an identifier. It has a couple of uses. First, it can let you pull power from the World Pool, next it can save your life if you ever receive a fatal attack, and finally, should you ever encounter an enemy far stronger than you, if you stimulate the mark then it'll notify every Laen in your vicinity and they'll be able to see everything around you. You don't know about it because the uses are only taught to Pre-protectors who are about to go into the field. Now, the only problem is that every year, a few curious Apprentices usually accidentally discover the function. So if you activate it now, and those who are notified spot nothing in your surroundings, they're most likely not going to come to your aid as they'll assume you just discovered it and are testing it out."

"That's why you said we need to see the Majin." I realize.

"Yes. If we see it and activate the mark, every Wranth and above member of the Order will make their way here. And so will Hugo."

For the first time since I heard the news, I feel myself calm down. Even if I would put myself in a little bit of danger, so long as I see the Majin and activate the mark, it'll be surrounded. If I had known this at the concert maybe things wouldn't have turned out the way they did. Still, better late than never.

Now that my mind isn't so panicky, I finally spare some effort to pay attention to what is going on in my body. It doesn't take long for me to notice something strange, while the Fasurus control over my body is excellent, his handle over my Uua is just not as good. Wanting to help, I try to take control over my Uua from him and immediately meet resistance. Just as panic threatens to rise up again, the resistance fades, leaving my Uua in my control. I begin to control it, releasing it in time with the movement of my body. Once again I pick up speed.

The school is not too far from us now, and soon I can begin to make it out in the distance. It looks safe. Relief floods my heart. It looks like I wasn't too late. Maybe I could get Emily out of there first and then go find the Majin, that way no matter what happens she wouldn't be in-

My body comes to an abrupt stop and a moment later I hear the deer's voice in my head. "Turn on second sight now!"

I immediately do as he asks. The world around me changes, revealing a sight I have become familiar with the past few months, the flow of Eani all around me. Since the deer is in control of my body, I quickly notice that something doesn't seem particularly right with some parts of the Eani.

The next moment my body crouches. Even without speaking, the deer somehow manages to convey to me what it wants me to do next. It jumps, just as I release a large burst of Uua from my feet. I leap over ten feet into the air as my eyes hurriedly scan the area below me. As I begin to fall, once again following the deer's unspoken instructions, I activate the strengthening noer and release a much smaller burst of Uua just as I am about to hit the ground, breaking my fall.

It begins to curse in my head. "What is it?" I ask, worry beginning to rear its ugly head once more.

"You know all those benefits about the mark I just told you about," the deer says, "forget about them. If we take one more step, we're on our own."

"Why?" I am confused.

"The mark's uses are not a secret. During the last war, someone named 'The Master' leaked a formation that could prevent anyone within from using the mark. The formation is laid out here. If you enter it, then you can forget about getting help."

"So what do we do?"

"Give me a few seconds to think."

It stops moving, staring intently at the road ahead. A few seconds later another series of wordless instructions appear in my head. I follow them, rousing my Uua and directing it towards the middle of my forehead, where the mark is. The next moment the mark swallows my Uua and emits a small glow before returning to normal.

"I can sense the Majin nearby," the deer says, "We have three options. Stay back here and keep activating the mark in the hopes that it bugs someone enough to come, head back to get Hugo, or head in and be forced to fight the Majin. Just know this, should you choose the first two options, your sister might not make it out alive. The moment the Majin begins fighting with whoever his target is, that school is most likely coming down."

"Why did you have me activate the mark then?"

"Even if it might be a case of the boy who cried wolf, as the Guardian Hugo is expected to make absolutely sure nothing is wrong. So he's bound to come. When? That's what I do not know. But if he doesn't come and something goes wrong, then he'll be in big trouble."

I consider my options. "If we fight the Majin, and I grant you total control of my body, can we win?"

"No. Leaving aside the fact that I can't optimally control your body unless we merge minds, the Majin is no pushover. In the past, he was known as the Devouring Spirit, and all who understood the meaning of that name feared him. He has grown weaker, but even then I can't contend with the likes of him. The most I can do is stall for time, and hope someone reacts to your broadcast."

"Can we get my sister out first then try something else?"

My head shakes. "He won't let us. If he planned on letting Laen interfere, he wouldn't have laid out that formation. It's as much a warning as it is a defensive mechanism against being swarmed."

Silence. "Then let's go in."

My head nods, then I dash in. Since the conversation happened in my head, it hadn't taken as long a period of time as it seemed.