First Seal

"Sorry." Lucian said as his wound suddenly began to heal, "Had to." 

Lunaris widened her eyes, "W-What?" She said, "Regeneration?" 

She felt a shift in Lucian's Ether, the power surging through the Cursed One's body as he gave Lunaris a slight smirk. 

The Paladin Knight noticed a dark aura manifesting around him, "The Calamity..." she said, "It's been activated. But only one Seal was undone, the whole of it's power is not out yet. You can always-" 

Lucian kicked the ground sending a wave of silver flames at Lunaris who waved her hand in reflex immediately dispersing them and causing steam to explode everywhere. 

"Okay." Lucian said as he jumped away and took off into a sprint

"What?!" Lunaris exclaimed as Lucian ran through the bushes and the trees, "Where are you going?!" 

"Getting the hell out of here!!!" Lucian shouted as he sprinted through the rain with tremendous speed

He has never felt an energy like this, his entire body surging with an overwhelming power. Even right now, he could feel a change in his body; he had more Ether unlocked and there was a different power dwelling in the back of his mind. The voice was silent for now, a hushed and distorted one that told him about the Ether Vein. 

The Ether Vein is a metaphysical part of a Traversed's body, if one were to strike through it, it would create a serious disruption in the body, whether physical or magical. On Lucian's case, it was able to disrupt the First Seal which was already weakened due to his sudden improvement of his Sorcery, which was a surprise to Lunaris herself.

As he ran, he couldn't help but smile with joy, "I can't believe it." He said, "I am not going to let some fanatics get me into a war I didn't start!" 

He then felt a creeping feeling on the back of his neck, as if someone was looking at him from a distance. 

He glanced back, seeing a figure flashing towards him with tremendous speed. 

"What?" He said, "Shit! It's her!" 

A few dozen meters behind him, Lunaris flew at him with rapid speeds, engulfed in a dark purple light. 

"You're not getting away, Lucian!" She yelled, "Stop this at once! There is nowhere to run!" 

"Shut up!" Lucian exclaimed, "I don't want any of this!" 

Lucian jumped above and around several obstacles, surprised at his own agility. Lunaris merely maneuvered herself through the trees and avoided any serious obstacles. 

"Lucian, please stop!" Lunaris called for him, "I'm serious! Nobody will keep you safe like we would! You won't last long out there!" 

"I'll be the judge of that!" Lucian replied as he burst through a treeline

He suddenly slid down a steep slope that led to a flowing river. The slope of dirt was turned into mud as the pouring rain caused more water to slide down it and towards the river. 

Lunaris flew over Lucian as he slid down and looked at him, "I don't want to hurt you!" She pleaded

"You won't!" Lucian said as he jumped away and towards the river

As he flew downwards, Lunaris swooped down with ease and caught Lucian by the arm, holding him place. 

"Got you!" She said as he hair flowed in the wind, her wings flapping as her entire body was covered in purple light, "Do not resist!" 

Lucian somehow threw a kicked up to her face, which Lunaris blocked with ease, "I'll resist!" He exclaimed

"Stop it!" Lunaris said, "You're being diffi-" 

She was cut off by Lucian's foot being engulfed with flames and combusting, creating an explosion that pushed Lunaris off and caused her to let Lucian go. 

Lucian fell down towards the river, falling into the water with a big splash. 

Lunaris shook her hand as it emitted a bit of smoke, "Dammit." She said with a scowl, "That little...." 

Lucian then burst out of the water as he jumped towards the other side of the bank, "I'm outta here!" He yelled

Lunaris sighed, "You're a fucking idiot..." She growled, "Those cuffs are going to be tracked, Lucian!!" 

Lucian landed on the bank and turned around, releasing silver flames in a circle around him on the ground. 

He then reared both his hands up as he had his palms opened. 

"What? What is he doing?" Lunaris thought to herself

"Firebolt barrage!" Lucian shouted, "I think!" 

He then fired off a volley of silver firebolts that flew straight at Lunaris, striking his open palms at her. 

"Wha?" Lunaris said as she deflected each and every one of the firebolts, "Good accuracy and speed...Impressive, Lucian! But this is a true Firebolt!" 

"Darklight Firebolt!"

Lunaris swung her hand at Lucian, firing off a firebolt of red flames surrounded by a glow of purple light. 

"Huh?" Lucian said as he watched the firebolt curve to his right and pick up speed, "The hell?" 

The Firebolt then shot right at Lucian's face, hitting him hard and causing him to stagger. The explosion detonated was a potent one, damaging him slightly. 

"Holy shit! The damned thing curved and shot right at me with such speed at end of the curve..." He thought to himself, "And it packed a punch! This lady is no joke! But..." 

Lucian planted his foot on the ground as he gave Lunaris a scowl, "Oh, here it comes..." He said seriously

Lunaris, with her wings flapping to keep her in the air, raised her eyebrow, "What do you intend to do?" 

Lucian then surrounded himself with Black-Ether as he assumed a karate stance, focusing his vision on Lunaris. Suddenly, he got memory flashes of him doing a bit of Karate as a kid, assuming this stance while his instructor, whose face was covered with a white patch, was watching him and clapping. 

The Black-Ether was manifested as a pure swirling black mass that engulfed the entirety of Lucian's body, shaking the ground and causing every rain drop to evaporate. 

Lunaris widened her eyes, "That amount of Ether...." She said softly, "It's denser and more potent than normal..this isn't good. His Calamity has dug itself into him!" 

Lucian then clenched his fists as he took a deep breath, "Okay..." He said, "This lady is pretty and got a nice pair of wings. I'll scorch them and have her fall to the ground, this way we'll fight on even footing." 

Lucian's fists then burst into flames as he swung his left fist at Lunaris, firing off a massive firebolt right at her with tremendous speed. 

"Oh no!" Lunaris said as she dodged the attack and watched as the firebolt singed into the air and detonated, "That speed and power." 

"Fuck it." Lucian said as he launched himself onto the air and at Lunaris

He swung his right fist at her who blocked it, the flames burning her slightly as she grimaced. 

"You..." she said with an angry scowl, "Enough of this!" 

She pushed Lucian off of her and within a split second, she hit his chest with a vicious kick that sent him crashing into the ground. 

Lucian hit the ground hard, "Gah!!" He yelled in pain

The impact caused a shockwave that cracked the earth. 

Lunaris rubbed her forearms, a bit charred from Lucian's attack, "This boy..." She said to herself, "He's so easily adapted a fighting style using his flames....he's quite prodigal...I can understand why he's so suddenly rebellious and defiant. I don't blame him. But he has to understand that this is for a greater cause than the both of us...." 

"I can hear you!" Lucian stood up as he scowled, "And I don't give a damn! I don't know this world, I don't know any of you! I wanna go home, that's all!"

"I told you!" Lunaris exclaimed, "There is no way home! Traversed are fated to live the rest of their life here!" 

"Fuck that! There's gotta be a way!" Lucian say, "If something brought me here, it can take me back! I didn't ask for this, I just want my life back!" 

"There is no life for you to return, Lucian!" Lunaris replied, "That life is gone!" 

"How the fuck do you know?! Are you a Traversed?!" Lucian asked

"No, but-" Lunaris said

"Then shut the fuck up!" Lucian said with an angry scowl, "You can't tell me what I can or can't do just because you're some bigshot in some dumb faction. I'm my own person, I can't be controlled!!" 

Suddenly, Lucian felt a tingle on the back of his neck and had a slight buzzing in his ear. 

"Use those emotions....those frustrations..." a calm and distorted voice said, "Think....form your Ether into what you command. Think of a single word...Dragon.." 

"Huh?" Lucian said with a bit of confusion, "What?" 

Lunaris widened her eyes, "Oh no. His Calamity is talking to him again?" She said, "Lucian! Don't listen to the voice! It's merely trying to influence you to break the seals, that's all! You can't trust it! It is the malice incarnate, the manifestation of the Calamity's ill-intent." 

"Okay..." Lucian said as he began to think hard

"Dragon...." He thought to himself, "Dragon.....Dragon.....Dragon....?" 

Suddenly, the Ether around him began to swirl more violently, emitting several shockwaves as Lucian stumbled slightly. 

Lunaris then waved her arm at him, "No!" She exclaimed

She fired off several arrows made out of purple light at Lucian in an attempt to disrupt whatever he was doing. 

The swirling black mass formed black tendrils as it deflected them with ease, shocking the Paladin Knight. 

Lunaris then heard a loud shriek coming from a black mass that began to form on Lucian's shoulder. 

"What?" She said as she looked at this

She then saw as two dark silver wings extended from the black mass. 

Lucian widened his eyes, "N-No fucking way..." He said

The mass then fully manifested itself, a small baby dragon with silver scales stood on Lucian's shoulder that had bright blue eyes. It was more of a Wyvern than Dragon, since Wyverns are strong descendants of Dragons. But nevertheless, there was a small one sitting on the shoulder of Lucian as it flapped its wings. 

"A wyvern....?" Lunaris said, "A baby wyvern...is this what the Dragon Calamity is capable of? Impossible..." 

"What? A little dragon?" Lucian said as he raised his left hand to try to touch it

In an instant, the wyvern hatchling bit at Lucian's wrist, ripping off the stone cuffs with ease and gulping them down slowly as both Lunaris and Lucian watched in pure shock. 

"No!" Lunaris swooped down at Lucian

The wyvern then extended his wings and shrieked, glaring at Lunaris as a powerful force was emitted outwards, slowing down the Paladin Knight, which surprised her. 

"This power....I shouldn't be overwhelmed by this....it's still the First Seal that was broken!" She thought to herself

Lucian then raised his right wrist at the baby wyvern and without a second thought, the wyvern stopped its shrieking and bit at the cuffs, ripping them off and gulping them down with ease. 

"Nice!" Lucian grinned, "This power is awesome!" 

"I got my own dragon!"