Chapter 11: A brief Exercise

         While Kiri was being escorted off, other Magi came to the cells to call for other prisoners to complete tasks. The waiting to be called or be left alone keeps everyone on edge. Fion, Cyon, and Ion murmur to themselves about what they will do once they are free. Igan continues a routine of meditation and what seems like martial arts stances then back to the meditation. Eribella laying down rolled to her side facing the wall seems like she is trying to sleep. As for Rowan still sits in the corner observing everyone in the dark.

Rowan's eyesight was always pretty decent in observing in the dark, either from a his worlds misconception of a diet, or just good enough genes. Regardless of any aspects, Rowan is noticing that since being sent here his natural dark vision has improved. From seeing just outlines to more details like style of clothing, to almost facial features in the distance. If he could stay like this for awhile more, he wonders if he would be able to see as well in the dark as he does in the light.

He looks at Igan that is slowly standing up, almost too slow. Rowan checks his surroundings and twists his torso to look around, everyone else is moving slowly. I must control my perception again. He begins to adjust his breathing, to himself he is hyperventilating, but to everyone else he seems fine. He manages to return the world to its appropriate speed.

Footsteps are heard as the door is open and torch light enters the room, there is a slight sigh of disappointment in Rowan's breath as this messed up with his dark vision. Kiri walks back in the cell then the guards close the metal door, Rowan and Igan get up and rush towards Kiri. Fion lights his palms to see Kiri better, "Are you alright!? Nothing bad happened to you? Do you nee-" Kiri waves at everyone to give her a little more space as she tries to maintain composure, "Thank you, I, I will be fine, I just got very angry at the man is all."

Igan gives a concerning look, "You uhh, teach him lesson?" Kiri chuckles, "Yeah, I taught him a lesson." Rowan asks, "I take it that you and that guy know each other?" She sighs, "We were acquainted in the past. There would be parties for the nobility here and there." Kiri looks on recalling memories, "That would be the 1st prince of the Zechs royal family, Karr'sa. We formally met before, but only started talking to each other after his sister married the king, Fordwith Ardbak of Pneumaria."

"King of Pneumaria? Are you a princess or of royalty?" Rowan questioned, and Kiri gives a sorry look,"No I am not a princess. I come from a small barony on the outskirts of Pneumaria bordering the Zechs empire." She looks down and fidgets with her hands, "My father is the baron of a small town called Syptim, we are a simple logging and mining town. But we didn't have much industry to offer to the kingdoms outside of some common metals and forestry."

Kiri frustrated about the subject, "I'm afraid that there might be more merit in what you said Rowan, I think the empire is looking to go to war with Pneumaria." She looks up at everyone, "And they are going after the border towns starting with Syptim!" Kiri begins to cry, "Then why em I here!? I came here so they would leave our home alone! That was the deal!" Eribella walks up to the group, "Was that deal done by the Magi?" Kiri looks up with fresh tears in her eyes, "What?" Eribella repeated, "Was that deal done by the Magi?" Kiri grips the ends of her shirt, "They were present, but Karr'sa was who came to me."

Kiri elaborates further, "This was part of the land restoration effort, after the Magus wars nearly a hundred years ago. It left the world nearly manaless the life blood of our world was draining as kingdoms had to pick up the pieces parts of this broken world. Karr'sa came to me for a means to expand our individual mana wells so we can help infuse the world with mana." Rowan is slowly understanding but feels like he is missing context. "Wait the planet has mana as well?"

Kiri wanting to stay on track, "Yes, a war broke out so long ago that it drained the world of its mana, when that happened everything turned to a colorless ash unable to support life." She explains further, "Our town focused its efforts to infuse the area with Mana so that the mountains could have metals and minerals, the trees growing, the land once again able to breathe life." Frustrated just saying it out now, "And we wanted to some assurances that whatever the Zechs empire was scheming we would be left out of it!"

Kiri pounding the stone floor as her anger reaches a boiling point, "But that tool of a prince betrayed me at every angle!" Igan with a confident nod, "I must break him." Rowan wanting to agree, "If the guy is royalty then that would mean he would have you killed along with the rest of us." He thinks on it some more, "Unless there's a really dark alleyway with no one around..." The group continues to comfort Kiri, Igan offers to help train her in hand to hand combat. Feeling motivated Rowan and the others jump in and join in for the free lesson.

As the lessons and working out goes on they would be interrupted with people returning to the cell. Most would come back with new runes that Kiri looks over, others with no new runes but are completely drained. Eribella would look on those people with a familiar sense of dread then forged resolve as she continues working out with Igan and others. Then they reach the meditation stage in their training, "We calm minds, silence thoughts, then we conquer fears." Igan believes since the first run in with people coming back as beast that they could not retain their sense of self. That they reverted to a primal animal, with this meditation he hopes that this will steel his sense of self so in the case he does transform he can control himself.

He clarifies, "This theory, not sure it will work no?" Igan looks at his students, "Am sure now, if I turn. You can stop me, I believe in you." A silent look is shared amongst everyone, they all nod in what is expected of them, but pray for that day to never come. Before they could begin the next lesson a bizarre sound is heard. Quick knocks are heard on the metal cell door, a tired voice that could be described as a scraggly cat yelling at a bystanders are heard. "I am looking for 24," It pauses for a bit. "Ah yeah 24601, is this the right cell?"

Everyone has a confused look as they look at Rowan, Rowan decides to pull a prank. "I think that's the next one over, not this one." An audible ding is heard from the side of the door, the door sighs. Then a figure steps out of thin air in the center of the group, it raises a finger with a flame popping out of the tip of its finger. In the light Rowan sees a person in the same decorative robes as a Magi, but it seems like the robes are a size larger as they drag on the floor. This person with dirty blonde layered bob haircut stares down at Rowan with their bright green eyes with heavy bags under them.

"24 whatever?" The petite Magi confirms, Rowan and everyone else surprised on how the Magi got in without the door. "Uh yeah, its Rowan." The tired looking Magi extends their hand, "Sure, great, I have a task for you, may I use some of your mana?" Rowan is taken aback, he has not experience consent from a Magi yet. He takes their hand to rise up from his sitting position, "I mean I guess otherwis-" The dirty blonde Magi interrupts, "Great! I hate walking here!"

Without a noise or fanfare they disappeared as quickly as the darkness returned to the cell.