Magia: The Council (BxB)

Chapter 2- Nature/Nuture

"What's your name?"

"My name?" It seemed to get lost in its thoughts for a moment, staring up at the clear sky with a pensive look in it's brilliant blue eyes. "I don't remember."

"You don't remember?"

"That is what I said." Eli huffed. He felt something tug at his arm and he looked down to see Aurum looking up at him with a smile that showed off his right fang.

"I think you need a name."

"Call me what you want."

"Okay reflecti-"

"Finish that and I'll give you a headache that will make you cry for weeks." Eli gulped. That would be just a tad problematic so he'd refrain from teasing the mirror image of himself that was before him which could actually inflict harm on him if it so wished to.

"How about..." Eli trailed off in thought of a name.

"Tactus. You may call me Tact." Tactus filled in for the mage.

"Tactus? Pretty odd, where'd that come from?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Okay... Tact." Eli said as if trying the name on his tongue.

"I'll be seeing you soon Elijah, we have much to prepare for, you and I."

The familiar waves covered Eli, submerging him but this time it wasn't as aggressive as before. It was almost as if he could breath under water and he smiled to himself lightly, perhaps he had no reason to fear Tact.

***

"Let's begin."

"Do we have to do this tonight dad?"

"Yes. You have to be prepared, both of you." Aurum groaned loudly and Eli patted his back reassuringly.

Their consciousness had taken to training in Tact's dimension. They had been doing so in secret for 2 years without anyone's knowledge. Tact had said that it was 'to prepare them for what's to come.'

But Eli was beginning to doubt the Fidem was still even a threat, 2 years had passed afterall. If they hadn't struck yet, when would they, that is, if they would at all.

"I don't like-"

"Repeating yourself. We know." Tact glared but took his stance.

In the 2 years of training, Eli nor Aurum had been able to land one hit on the foe. Eli still remembered the day he had begun training with him. He'd have thought the training to be easier as he wouldn't have any fatigue when he woke up in the morning.

He had been mistaking however, his body was coated in bruises and he had to hide them from Javier for a week.

Eli and Aurum rushed Tact, trying to land a hit on the thing but it just wasn't possible. It was reading their moves expertly and it had the agility to dodge the attacks along with the enhanced mental processing speed to plot a counterattack.

In a matter of moments Tact had them both on their backs panting heavily.

"Well this was disappointing."

Aurum growled, and his pupils narrowed into slits as his leathery wings erupted from his back, blood splattering and sinking into the depths of the ocean below them.