Within a few moments, I felt a shift in my connection to them coming from her. It was subtle at first, but her bated breath and almost tired expression, highlighted by slitted pupils, told me she'd followed my instructions to the letter and succeeded.
I couldn't have been more proud of her at that moment.
That… sucked, she sent me privately, her pupils now turned to slits, while her mismatched irises glowed brightly. I know. I'm sorry, but you did splendidly, my love! Well done, I said encouragingly with a warm smile. Th-Thank you, love, she replied with a tired smile as sweat beaded down the small crease in her cheek.
I felt a sudden tug on my core, realizing that both Mom and Bernar were looking into my memories as they followed closely behind with their progress. Although if I'm recalling this correctly, it was Bernar who actually managed it just half a second before Mom did.
But I could never bring myself to tell her that.
"Haaaah, fuck! My body feels like I just got trampled by a herd of addias," she exhaled heavily with her eyes tightly shut. "H-Hey, Mom? Do me a favor and open your eyes," Bernar said, his jaw hanging loosely as he looked at our surroundings.
"What? Why would I need… to…" she trailed off, her jaw growing slack just like his. "Whoa," she hardly managed to say as she looked around. She saw Vauv with a proud expression on her face, while Kanarin pinched the bridge of her nose, likely due to her use of profanity.
I don't think Mom gave much of a shit about using profanity at that moment. Although, in her defense, it was unlike anything I knew she'd experienced.
When the two of them turned in my direction, I noticed they'd both succeeded in reaching the same state Ysevel and I were in. There was a sense of warmth that flowed over me, likely their collective joy and excitement coming through our connection, or perhaps it was coming from the sheer amount of mana I now had in my body.
Either way, it felt incredible.
"Welcome to seeing the world through the eyes of a dragon," Vauv said with a bright smile. "Th-This is amazing!" Mom chuckled in disbelief as she and Bernar continuously turned to look at everything. "Indeed, it is," Kanarin said with a nod, having recovered from Mom's swearing.
"This is only the first part of achieving the sixth stage. In order to see another's intent, you have to become even more vigilant of your own. The fact that you've all reached this point in only half a decade should be almost impossible," she said, putting her hand to her chin in consideration. "It almost makes me wonder if you had any outside help," she suggested, returning her focus to the four of us.
She figured that one out quickly, I mentally sighed as I raised my hand.
"You?" Her eyes widened, followed closely by Vauv's raised eyebrows. "B-But how? Did someone speak to you directly?" she asked, taking a step toward us. "I-It's not the first time she's done that," I chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of my neck. "Not the first time who's done that?" Vauv asked, giving me a scrutinous look.
"Essentia," I said, causing both of their jaws to drop immediately. "You can speak to her d-directly?" Kanarin asked with a surprised scoff. "I mean, she's the one who chooses when to appear. Usually, it's whenever I need her the most. It's kind of comforting, really," I said a little too casually, apparently shocking them even further.
"She not only seeks you out, but also offers you advice? Well, that's not even fair, is it?" Vauv chuckled in disbelief, but when none of us joined in, she looked at us with confusion. "You do realize what that means, correct?" she asked, but I could only upturn my lip and shake my head.
"A Realmlord is one of the most powerful beings in the Twilight Sea, being the one who tends to all of that particular realm's needs and helps to maintain the balance therein. Each one of the eight types of mana has its own Realmlord, but that doesn't mean that level of power isn't without its own share of sacrifices," she went on to explain while we listened intently.
"The fact that she's able to reach out to you directly is astounding. The reason being that they only speak with those who are in tune enough with that realm's mana to the point they might consider them to be a potential successor, and even then, they could still choose not to. Does that help you understand why we're so dumbfounded?" Vauv asked.
"It does, but uh… Ysevel? Anything to share?" I asked with a wry grin, knowing that bit of information would really send them for a loop. "I can talk to her, as well," she said with a nod, causing the two of them to blink rapidly and twitch their heads as if they hadn't heard her correctly.
Sure enough, I grinned, watching the color begin to drain from Vauv's features the moment realization set in.
"I think I might need a minute. Not one, but two of them?" Vauv said, throwing her arms up in a gesture that made her look like she'd given up, but Kanarin had managed to maintain her composure, save for the fact that her eyes were widened to their limits.
"I might have expected as much from Ryfon's granddaughter, but the fact that you're able to as well is another matter entirely," she said, forcing herself to blink a handful of times.
Is it really that serious, then? Maybe that's why Ryfon reacted the way he did, I thought, recalling the first time I'd mentioned her name.
"Well, I suppose that will be the subject of conversation for another time. Right now, however, there is one final thing I want to show you," Kanarin said, holding out her hand toward Mom. "May I borrow your blade for a moment?" she asked. "Y-Yes, of course," Mom replied, still in awe at her newly found senses.
After handing her the blade, Kanarin grabbed her by the wrist and held the edge up to her hand. "Watch carefully, as this is one of the things that makes a dragon such a formidable ally, or enemy," she said, slicing into the palm of her hand.
"Ow! W-What are you…?" Mom asked, but when she saw that the cut had practically healed before her question was even finished, she immediately stopped talking.
"That's similar to what was happening to Meliss when she was possessed by Mideia," Ysevel noted with a quick glance aimed at me. "That would explain part of why her wounds were healing so quickly, but how does it work?" I nodded, asking Kanarin my question directly, while Mom flexed her hand the moment it was free of her grasp.
"Remember what I told you about your body telling you what it needs without you even realizing it? This is what I meant. Now that you've reached this stage in your dragonhood, for lack of a better word, you can heal small wounds rather quickly without much effort or thought. That instinct your body naturally has is now fully coupled with mana," Kanarin explained.
"However, please note that this ability only applies to small wounds in your current state," she added, but Bernar raised his hand. "What about a dragon such as yourself? How effective is this ability?" he asked, causing her features to fall slightly.
"Let's just say the most effective way to kill a dragon is to crush their core; something many of mine and Vauv's comrades have suffered over the millennia in our service to the Twilight Sea," she said, making me realize the gravity of her words.
Ardrin had once told Athar that a body without a core is little more than a mindless vessel, but something about that statement didn't seem to be the exact case for dragons.
That's because their cores help manifest their very beings. If they don't have a way to control their mana, then they would likely turn into little more than dust, if my understanding of it is correct, Ysevel answered, having likely heard something similar from Aurae.
That's when the memory of Erumon's wristband came to the forefront of my mind.
Is that his way of keeping them alive? Is there even a way they can regain their bodies? Were they all fallen Wardens, or are there a few comrades mixed in? I wondered, but there were too many variables for me to consider at that moment.
"In any case, now that you have all attained this state, it's time to start training you to erase your intent. You are all swift enough to match Vauv's speed, but that does not mean we can't still see you," Kanarin said, taking a few steps back.
Just as she was about to open her mouth to explain the next part of our training, there was a sudden shift in the air, one that I doubt I would have sensed without my newly enhanced senses. A trio of presences had entered the dome unannounced. Two of them I recognized, but there was a third that was unlike anything I'd felt before.
Just behind Kanarin, I sensed what I can only describe as the most peaceful presence, one who was void of any sort of internal turmoil or strife, but as profound as the deepest regions of the sea. A being that simply was; weighty, powerful, and with a sense of self so strong that I felt I might drown in it.
Mom, Bernar, Ysevel, and I immediately turned our attention to the newcomer. "Who, better yet, what is that?" Bernar asked with a deep sense of awe in his tone. "Your guess is as good as mine, but does anyone else feel… reverent?" Mom asked us.
"I think that's probably the best word for it," Ysevel added, her eyes widening in apparent shock, but I could tell there was a deeper sensation flooding her core. "Should we kneel?" Mom asked Kanarin quietly, who wore a smirk but didn't immediately answer. Instead, she turned to greet the newcomers.
"Welcome, my old apprentices, Ryfon and Karthus. Oh, and what a pleasure it is to have you here, as well, Mediator," she said with a nod of her head.
Mediator? I repeated the name in my head, but the moment I finished saying the word, she was already standing right in front of us.
"We meet again, Dauthridem," she said, her pale, glowing eyes boring directly into mine as she towered over me.