The First War Mage: City in the Sky

"Come on Kirin, just focus!" Tulip's words were racking against the back of my head as I continually focused inwards. Trying to 'sense' my mana, which I just couldn't feel.

This had been going on for hours, with Tulip trying to guide me through finding my 'attunement' for my mana. Something she hadn't gone into much detail for, but I could at least figure out from the ideas she had imparted with me what they were actually for. Primarily, it dictated two things for my magic, which 'Category' it sat in, for support, offense, or defense. And what 'element' my mana was. I wasn't really sure what Tulip meant by an element, as from what I could tell her own magic worked from something akin to gravity. Which I didn't think was an element.

"I don't know what I'm doing wrong..." I eventually sighed out as I opened my eyes. It had been hours since we started with this, or, I assumed to be hours. It was hard to keep track of time from anything other than the gentle noise of people walking on the roads above. Taking in a slow breath I fell backwards, letting myself rest for a few moments. It was strange, despite Markus being told to keep a closer eye on us we never saw him outside of food being delivered. Which always tasted awful, with him bringing more food almost every two hours.

"Neither do I... I just... Never had to work hard to find my attunement... But I guess that's since I have similar magic to my family." Tulip sighed deeply, she had hardly moved from her position against the wall, only really shifting around when food was brought in, yet never actually eating anything. "Try and focus on... Something dear to you maybe? Something that gets your heart moving? I'm... Not sure. It's not a feeling I can describe, other than you'll know when you feel your attunement."

"Something dear to me..." I thought for a few moments as I lay in place, watching the ceiling. I let my mind trail, trying to find anything I truly felt, anything but indifference towards. And there wasn't much, Darek was the first one to come to mind. The only reason I was even alive still was because of him, but I didn't feel close to him, as much as I respected him. Tulip I didn't know enough at all to say she was 'dear' to me. Sure, maybe I'd be hurt if something happened to her but I would feel the same for anyone who had given me a chance like she did.

Pushing myself back up I closed my eyes, focusing inwards again. Maybe my father? I couldn't even think of his face, couldn't even begin to try and understand what he did, I was so, curious about him. I wanted to know more, but without even knowing his voice, or face anymore, could I really say he was dear to me?

Then my mind moved towards mother... One of the only things I could even remember of her was simple. She died giving birth to me, I never met her, never saw her face, never knew her. Yet I could feel pain at that statement, at that acknowledgement. Why hadn't I been able to just live a normal life with my family, be able to just live without expectations, obligations, requirements just to earn a basic right to be treated like a human and not livestock.

I felt that same boiling anger in my chest like I did in the mine. But I tried to focus on it this time, instead of letting it out with a burst of incoherent rage again. Why did it feel so, hot? I tried to focus on that feeling of heat, that feeling of charge almost. Slowly it was like I could see through a fog that sat behind my eyes, like I was seeing what shouldn't be seen. It was a strange feeling, like I was just, looking at something that I shouldn't be.

I kept my focus on my mother, on the desperate want to hear her voice. To see her face, to get her recognition. The desperation of know what my father did, the hate I felt towards the situation I was put into because of him. And I felt those emotions reflecting inside of my body, like my blood was moving faster, each pulse of my heart felt like my heart was trying to break out of my chest. Like there was a power sitting in my body that didn't want to be left inside, be left tamed and controlled. It felt wild, almost like a storm swirling and spiraling with rage.

Yet, I couldn't get any further. The concentration broke in a moment as my eyes opened and I let out an annoyed groan. I knew I was close to something in that moment, I knew there was something there, but it was like it was locked behind a door I wasn't ready to open.

"Get anything?..." Tulip asked slowly, her eyes filled with hope and concern all the same. I just let my head shake, I didn't want to tell her that I couldn't.

"Almost... I felt like... A pressure I guess in my chest?" I tried to explain the feeling just to fall silent as the thoughts left me. Like they were retreating away into the furthest reaches of my mind, was this what magic was? I couldn't tell, I couldn't even bring words out to try and explain it towards Tulip while her eyes just looked tired, hopeless. "I don't know... I really don't..."

I felt hope leaving my own body as well, pushing myself back towards the wall I just pulled my legs up to my chest. Leaning my head back against the wall behind me. But as I took in a slow breath I let myself relax. It had only been a few hours since I started trying to learn magic. It wasn't something that would just happen, or so I hoped. I knew by this point every guard in the city would be looking for Tulip, I just had to hope that they would still be searching.

"That's, something at least... Maybe get some rest? Focusing on mana can be exhausting... And you, no offense, look terrible..." Tulip looked at me with concern, and I could feel how I looked. With my head bruised and battered i probably looked like a swollen mess, but I just smiled and let out a soft sigh.

"No worse than you do." I tried to joke a little and lighten the mood however I could. Tulip for her part at least cracked a smile, if only for a moment. I let a smile sit on my face for a few moments before sighing a little. "But fine, I'll get a bit of rest. You should too, I'm not kidding hen I say you look terrible to."

Tulip didn't smile as much at that but she definitely obliged. Laying down slowly she tried to find a comfortable position to rest, which was easier said than done with a hard stone floor. I just opted into resting my head back against the wall once more, I was used to how uncomfortable places like this could be. So it didn't take me long to sleep, or to dream.

I found myself standing in a painfully familiar scene, running. I could hear the shouts, the barking of hounds chasing me. I felt the panic racing through my body as I let out a voiceless scream filled with tears rushing from my eyes. I could hear the pounding of steps, what sounded like a terrible screech of hundreds of thousands of them chasing me down. I couldn't keep running, I could see the cliff in the distance rapidly approaching just for me to slide to a stop, inches away from falling.

I turned around, seeing the hundreds of people and beasts facing me, closing in slowly. Their proportions were wrong, distorted and disgusting as they approached. And I could hear a crack underfoot, ridges forming in the cliff before my eyes snapped open.

I sat up desperately trying to catch my breath, I knew my sudden, jerking motion had woken up Tulip who was groaning a few feet away. The lit torches illuminating the prison were far dimmer now, it had been hours already. I felt dread, fear, hunger, hate, so many horrible feelings and emotions running wild through my body. I felt a horrible pressure in my chest, like a cloud ready to burst free, let its wrath be known to the world.

"Kirin?... Are you... Alri-" Tulip spoke before cutting herself off, her eyes going wide as she was looking at me. "Holy shit..." She spoke quickly, excitement, hope even, sat in her voice.

"W-what?..." I asked slowly looking at her, then slowly down to my now bare arms. How had that happened? The sleeves from my shirt had been covering my arms entirely, yet when I flexed my hand for a moment I could see why. A violent jolt of electricity jumped across my hand, up my forearm, and stopped just at the base of my shoulder. I was left watching this surge for a few moments before the feeling of it left slowly.

"You found your attunement... And its electricity nonetheless!" Tulip seemed genuinely astounded, struggling to keep her voice down low enough to not raise any attention. I was just relieved that her echoed voice left the halls without seemingly anyone hearing.

"Is that... Good?" I asked slowly, now confused as the feeling left me. Yet as I focused inwards, I could feel something was different. Somehow, someway, that attunement left a mark inside my body. Like if I focused upon it, I could call it forth with enough focus.

"That's not just god, that's amazing!" Tulip was slowly lowering her voice as she moved towards me slowly. "Electricity is an incredibly rare attunement element... At least among 'true' elements like, fire, water, earth and more. Though I can't say it's strong its just, versatile in how many ways it can be applied." Tulip spoke in a lower tone as she placed herself to sit beside me. "I, actually have hope now. For this."

"That still doesn't mean I know how to use this... Honestly I just hope that someone can get here before I have to break us out..." I could feel dread and terror returning as my thoughts returned to the dream I just had. How had that been so important for this? And why did it go further than ever before? I couldn't think of a single time that the recurring nightmare ever had the cliff collapsing. I was left to ask myself, why?

"It's still giving us a chance. Now come on, lets go back to sleep... it's late, and you still look exhausted." Tulip didn't give me a choice as she pulled my head over to rest on her shoulder. I was left stunned for a moment, but she didn't look at me as she spoke next. "Don't think too far into it. I'm just sure that it'll be easier to sleep if you have someone close by."

"Thanks, Tulip." I let out a sigh, trying to not think about being next to someone, and how uncomfortable it was. And just let my eyes close again.

"We have multiple leads, Lotus." Lotus looked up from where she was behind her desk, rummaging through mountains of paperwork.

"Give me the most viable one." Lotus replied, she had too many leads already. Thousands of them, with everyone in the area being a suspect until otherwise proven incapable of the crime it was becoming a headache faster than she could possibly keep up.

"Two people, named 'Markus' and 'Andrew'. They have been spotted multiple times with drug rings but we have never had a chance to bring them in, as they always have alibis. We have reason to believe they were in the area the night the two went missing, and haven't been seen since." The guard spoke quickly, handing over a document to Lotus.

"Find me where they were last spotted, and any known hideouts. We're cracking down on them as soon as possible." Lotus replied quickly as she scrolled through the document. She felt dread crawling her spine when she saw the suspected crimes including the deaths of near a dozen trained Arcadians.

"Yes Ma'am!" The guard shouted and quickly got to moving, leaving Lotus alone with her thoughts again.