A Prince in DC 16: The Parliament of...

"I…am a genius."

Looking at Aiden's punchable face, Mira's veins popped out on both sides of her skull as she battled her innermost desire of throwing that punch. His stupidity aside, it was his healing factor that truly caught her attention.

"How did you do that? Is it also a perk of the Force?" Mira asked as she grabbed his palm to inspect.

"Exactly." Aiden replied and pulled his hand back. "Anyways, what are you doing here?"

"The same thing you are." Mira said and crossed her hands across her chest. "Looking for ways to get stronger."

"That…isn't exactly what I'm doing." Aiden narrowed his eyes. "I was barely trying to understand why…I am a genius." He finished with a furrowed brow. He had intended on telling Mira about his access to other Elemental Magic but decided to just settle for the one he'd already shown her.

"Ha-Ha." Mira laughed sarcastically and rolled her eyes. "If you're that much of a genius, why don't you help me get stronger?" Upon asking that, she stood up and made to walk away.

"Is that all?" Aiden asked softly which caused her to pause. "Is that all you want from me?"

"It'll be a start…" she said, not knowing what Aiden was thinking about now.

In the magic tower, other than the academy teachers, it was rare for magicians of the sorcerer rank and below to share their secrets or knowledge pertaining to the arcane arts.

"Hmm. A minor challenge." Aiden said and stood up from his chair and walked towards a peculiarly designed bookshelf a distance from his initial seating position. "Spirit Magic."

"Spirit Magic? Isn't it that ridiculously hard branch of Magic that's not even taught extensively these days..?" Mira asked while shooting him a confused gaze. "How's that supposed to make me stronger?"

"What do you know about spirit magic?" Aiden asked as he sat back where he was previously.

Mira rolled her eyes in annoyance before sitting down and replying. "It's the branch of magic that deals with the summoning of various spirits from the astral plane of existence."

"Hmm. That's what the Tower has documented from years ago, but due to no significant Mage majoring and bringing out the true potential of the art, it was discarded." Aiden said and flipped the book open.

"Spirit Magic is the practice that involves interacting with spirits, entities that are non-physical and ethereal in nature. It encompasses the ability to summon, communicate with, bind, and harness the powers of spirits for various purposes, such as protection, guidance, healing, or combat."

Aiden looked up and saw that Mira was paying attention, but these were all things that she already knew as they were taught in the Tower. Nonetheless, he continued.

"Spirit Magic can involve a wide range of spirits, including elemental spirits, ancestral spirits, nature spirits, or even the spirits of the dead, depending on the setting."

Mira sighed at this point and asked. "Aren't you just repeating what's on the page of that book?"

"Hmm. But wait, I'm getting at something." Aiden gestured for her to be quiet for a moment and continued. "These spirits are embodiments of natural forces such as earth, fire, water, air, wood, and metal, among many others.

Mira groaned and continued exactly where Aiden was about to continue from. "When a practitioner makes a contract with one or more elemental spirits, they become Elemental Avatars, champions or representatives of the elemental forces."

"Wow. You're right." Aiden rolled his eyes and said sarcastically.

"What are you getting at?" Mira asked.

"Simple." Aiden said and casually waved his hand, causing the book to flip furiously before coming to a stop just as Aiden brought his hand back down on it. "Become an Avatar."

"Haven't you already tried that and failed?" Mira asked to which Aiden shrugged and replied.

"The spirits of the air for some reason found me…unpleasant." Aiden said hesitantly. He didn't know the reason but he had an inkling. "You on the other hand are in luck."

"Why is that?"

"Because of your element, Wood." Aiden said and pushed the book towards Mira. "During my research, I came across various studies into higher dimensions of Elemental Energies and stumbled across - The Parliament."

"The Parliament?" Mira asked curiously. This was the first she was hearing about this…group. And to her question, Aiden nodded.

"There was only a record of this-" he said and pointed at the page where Mira had yet to look. "-The Parliament of Trees, situated in The Green."

"This is the first I'm hearing about this."

"That's because no one has ever been able to come in contact with them without them approving of it." Aiden said and crossed his legs regally which Mira didn't find weird since he was royalty. "The Green is where elementals who have given up everyday speech and mobility, and chosen to settle for communicating through one unified mind."

"And it is the home of all plant Elemental." Mira finished as she read through the page with fervent eyes. "But…this Avatas…"

"There's no need to hesitate. There is no easy way to gain power, you either settle for what you have and hope that your potential sees you through, or you perform the ritual."

"Reverse-summon myself to the Green and undergo a series of tests to prove myself." Mira summarized what was written at the end of the text.

Elemental Avatars are physical manifestations of the primal forces of the Earth, and they act as vessels for these spirits, channeling their immense power.

These avatars draw their strength and abilities from the element they represent and are often chosen or granted their position by one of the Parliaments.

By making contracts with elemental spirits, Elemental Avatars gain extraordinary abilities based on the elemental spirit they have bonded with. These abilities typically include an increased output in the manipulation of said element, shape-shifting to embody their element, healing and regeneration.

There was also an added perk of being able to blend with their element, becoming impervious in an environment dominated by their elemental force.

A fire avatar can thrive in fire, while a water avatar can survive underwater indefinitely. The same was the case for the Plant Avatar.

"So..? What do you think?" Aiden asked with a deep voice which Mira recognised.

This was the tone Aiden always used when he was confident about something that any rational human would see as a potential failure. "There's the risk of death upon failure."

"Keyword being…Failure." Aiden said and sat up. "Do you intend to fail?"

Mira narrowed her eyes at him before resolutely snapping the book shut and picking it up. Placing it under her arm, she stood up and gazed down at Aiden. "Seems like I'll be having that first win after so long."

"You'd have to come back safely to request the match in the first place." Aiden said sarcastically, and just as she was about to leave his voice area, he added. "Please come back."

"...Humph." Mira who heard the last part harrumphed coldly and walked away, her eyes steeled as she reaffirmed herself of her victory. Whatever it may be, she would be sure to come back as an Avatar.

It was only in this way that she could gain an advantage over him.

…

Aiden watched as Mira walked away and let out a deep, almost imperceptible sigh before leaning back in his chair. The sound of the heavy wooden door closing behind her seemed louder than it should have been, and for a moment, the library was eerily quiet.

He stared at the empty space where she had stood, feeling a subtle unease wash over him. "Idiot," he muttered to himself, rubbing the back of his neck. "Please, do take care?"

He did not truly know what The Green had in store for Mira, but he truly hoped that she would try her luck at the chance of a power boost before the coming apocalypse.

With the looming arrival of Darkseid, Aiden could only hope that his friends make it out alive. He already knew they would win. In the movies, it was shown that the Old Gods managed to drive him off.

What was not mentioned however, was the amount of people who died before that could happen.

Aiden was not foolish enough to believe he could survive whatever would come his way on the battlefield, not to mention worrying about others.

Aiden shifted his gaze to the bookshelves lining the walls, thinking about the dangerous path he had just nudged Mira toward. He knew she was capable, but the risks involved with becoming an Elemental Avatar were significant.

Death wasn't just a possibility; it was almost a certainty if the spirits found her unworthy. And yet, something in him refused to stop her. Perhaps he knew that Mira wouldn't listen even if he did.

With a resigned shake of his head, Aiden stood up, pushing his chair back before making his way toward the exit. He had his own goals to focus on, his research into other elemental magic and the mysterious workings of the Force.

Just as Aiden stepped outside the library into the bustling courtyard, a loud chime reverberated through the air, causing him to stop in his tracks.

His head snapped up in alertness at the unfamiliar sound alert that filled the tower grounds. A glowing orb of energy, hovering mid-air, broadcast a single message to all Mages:

"All Mages of the Central Tower, report immediately to the Central Assembly Hall. This is a high-priority command. I repeat, all Mages must report to the Central Assembly Hall without delay."

Aiden's brows furrowed as the message repeated itself. Something was happening. And from the tone of the broadcast, it wasn't good. "Great timing," Aiden muttered, he could already surmise what could have led to such an urgent message and it was a good thing Mira wasn't here for this.

As for Finn and Jaxon…'They will manage.'

He turned toward the direction of the Central Tower, where the assembly hall was located. The courtyard was quickly filled with Mages of varying ranks, all moving with purpose, their robes fluttering as they made their way to the gathering.

Aiden advanced forward, stepping apace as he moved as he moved.