Deus Didymus: Rend

Pt2Ch51: Dragonforge VI

Riwon, Minho, and Daeun stood just outside the Dragonforge. Dim light from the room seeped through the door's openings, illuminating the burn marks from the pseudo-hydra's flames. Minho stepped into the middle of the room, taking a deep breath. He claimed the entire room under Distortion, prompting Daeun to press her hand against his back.

"Do you want to die?" Daeun asked.

"I knew you'd have my back," Minho grinned.

Slowly, the room transformed from an ordinary cave to a training camp with torches spaced out evenly to light the large room. Training mats, weapon stands and various other additions filled the room, giving it a heartier look.

"I've been thinking," Daeun started as she removed her hand from Minho's back. "Aetherial arts are the Yang version of runic inscriptions. That means it should be possible to use it with the body as the runes are just using your mind. Riwon unnie did something like that when we went to the capital, but I think it can do more."

"What are these aetherial arts?" Minho questioned.

Daeun gestured to the tall man, "Reinforce your body with energy."

Just as Minho wrapped his body with energy, Daeun inscribed a sigil into the air. It turned from the white hue indicative of energy to black, heavily dampening Minho's reinforcement. With wide eyes, both Riwon and Minho turned to the young girl.

"We can do that?" they said in tandem.

"Sadly no--probably," Daeun said. She dismissed the sigil, creating another. "I think everyone has their own type. Riwon unnie can make water with it, and I can make not water."

"The properties don't seem to correlate with a person's allele," Minho mumbled. "What determines it?"

"It doesn't?" Daeun tilted her head. She inscribed a sigil, watching as it grew a third dimension. Imagery of galaxies and nebulas filled the sigil, moving as if it were a window into space itself. "I have this one, and my allele has to do with space."

The space around the sigil distorted under its power, prompting Daeun to dismiss it. "Try it Minho ssi."

"I... don't know how to do it," Minho trailed.

"Oh... yeah," Daeun said under her breath. "Put your energy in your finger and try to draw with it. It sounds weird, but it works."

Minho did as told, dragging his finger through the air. He swiped his hand over and over, furrowing his eyebrows as the energy remained in his fingertip. "I don't think I'm doing it right."

"Let me try." Riwon grabbed Minho's wrist. She pulled it through the air pouting as she failed.

"How'd you learn how to do it?" Minho asked.

"My conduit gives me the experiences of everyone who's wielded it before. I just know how to use it," Riwon explained.

"I learned it from watching her do it," Daeun said in response to Minho's glance.

Minho sighed, rubbing the back of his head, "So that's how it is..."

"You need to expel your energy as you draw. It works like a paintbrush," Kami said while he stepped into the room. "I'd show you, but I can't."

Minho's eyes turned to the former instructor. Despite Kami's appearance not changing since he last saw him, it would be foolish for him to not acknowledge the man had changed. Kami exuded pressure he could equate only to Ji Hoon's, and his wellspring was more refined, but also far darker than anyone Minho had profiled before.

"Mr. Shin, Bae has been looking for you," Minho said.

"He's more than welcome to stop by," Kami replied. The man crossed his arms. "Try 'painting' with your energy."