Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9: Adaptation

"This act is called Resonance, when identical frequencies of magic amplify or cancel one another out depending on how their wavelengths align. Usually the chances of finding two mages capable of performing that kind of act is a trillion to one.

Although there were recorded instances somewhere that said identical twins are capable of performing resonance because they were split from the same embryo originally. I don't actually know if the research is sound and proven but it hypothetically would make sense."

Kresha took her red pipe off the drawing table and relit the still smouldering end from her earlier burn.

"See, magic mainly follows a cycle, it starts distributed equally amongst the space it's given to occupy before anything else. That is the natural mana of the physical plane."

After taking a couple puffs, she stifled a cough and continued.

"Then it is absorbed by the natural mana circuit of any and every living creature on this plane. Though in particular settings, a large load of pressure and heat to minerals can create mana crystals, the inorganic version of a circuit."

"Does a mana circuit appear as multiple rivers of colour and energy flowing inside the body?" Arkyn asked, thinking back to everything he sees when in his nonhuman form.

"Assuming you are referring to how mana is seen through certain spectrums of light, yes. A mana circuit will project colours based on the type of elemental energies that flow within it. If someone were to look at me, they'd mainly see a circuit of yellow and blue energy, respectfully air and water magic."

"But if you are only capable of performing magic involving the two elements, how are you able to cast the fire just now?" Arkyn asked while trying to produce an element on each finger of his recently reattached arm.

The ice and fire came quickly to his index and middle finger, but the air magic only managed to form a tiny gust around his ring finger while the earth made his pinky turn jagged and dark grey.

He had managed to cause a physical change in his body from the air and earth element, but they were nowhere near as potent as the water and fire.

"Ahh, well that was something that eluded me for a while, but Silvesh once explained that the energy our bodies produce from our minds and heart will manipulate not only our mana circuits, but also the surrounding energies.

Now because the surrounding energies don't run at the same frequency as the wielder and they are not in such close proximity to our internal forces, a medium or focus can be used to help collect the elemental energies easier. Even if it's not what your body naturally produces."

"I see, so your attuned elements do not necessarily limit your abilities, it is just something you have a greater affinity towards."

"Yes, but don't ask me the biological reasons for it. It is most likely a genetics and race thing, but so many overthinking, philosophical asses have been trying to confirm which came first; the affinity or the biology. A real hatchling or the dragon egg kind of situation."

"I see, were my original elemental affinities fire and water magic? I still seem incapable of using air and earth efficiently."

Kresha looked at the four elements drifting off Arkyn's fingers, but shook her head in disagreement.

"You have mana crystals constantly circulating all four elements into your body. My guess, it has to do with the way the alloy is composed of reacts to the elements when not being made of flesh and blood. The runes I used factor in every element, which should give you certain control when using your mind to manipulate."

Arkyn dropped the elements from his hand and seemed to stop moving for a second. He processed the information quietly for a moment before asking the question Kresha knew was coming next.

"What alloy did you use to make this body?"

Kresha didn't answer at first, seeming to recall a lot of aggravating memories involving the process before eventually figuring out what to say.

"I'll be honest with you, I am not a hundred percent certain what the alloy is. It somehow has the same weight class as aluminum; an identical density to iron; and the melting point that is close enough to beat tungsten."

"Its physical properties make absolutely no sense, defying a lot of natural laws of science that can only be explained through magic I have not yet discovered."

"So you invented a magic metal of your own?" Arkyn was shocked to think such a material wouldn't be mass produced for every golem in the keep, especially those down in the extreme heat of the crucibles.

"No, much like electrum, a gold and silver alloy, it naturally forms under rare circumstances in nature. It forms in small veins in random regions of the world. Biggest the Afflicted ever found was about some half mile in the arctic."

Kresha twirled the wand between her fingers before holding it back out in front of Arkyn.

"Normally it is very brittle and dull, but if you manage to cycle a little spark of all four elemental energies into the alloy, this happens."

When circulating her pure mana through the wand, it turned shiny and reflective like Arkyn's metal form, reshaping to a large ring that sat perfectly on her wrist like a bracelet.

"There have been recordings of it before, but there's no name for it other than lengthy old scriptures translating it to, 'Holy Water of the Righteous.' Personally, I think that's incredibly stupid and call it 'Mimicry Steel' instead."

The name fitted better in her mind since injecting it with the mana of a person, it started replicating said person until making an exact image of their mana circuit. The main reason she used the alloy was because it would replicate a body and give Arkyn a suitable form to work in.

"As much as I would like to take credit for your ability to reform, that's just a byproduct to the way your mana, the mana crystals, and six hundred runes networked to your brain."

Arkyn looked at his own body with a great deal of confliction, his face showing concern for the first time about what he has become.

Was he still a man if he had such little trace left? What was he truly made of at this point, if all that was left was a hollow mind encased in metal?

Not of that concern escaped Kresha's gaze. Realizing that it was actually causing him distress, she quickly added what she thought was helpful.

"Look, all I know is it has the properties of a metal alloy that forms naturally in rare quantities around the world. If it has a true name, I don't know it. Don't think too much about it, you're five hundred pounds of something rare, shiny, and perfect for magic conduction. If it was dangerous, I would've figured that out by now."