For Her Hand

Chapter Fourteen

All was quiet within the depths of the Santalune Forest. It was late in the evening and the sun was setting over the horizon, its final rays just barely shining through the treetops, prompting the inhabitants thereof to prepare themselves for bedtime whilst others rouse themselves from their daytime slumber. Sitting in the midst of a clearing was a woman clad in a crimson tank with black shorts that fit her like a glove. She seemed to be in deep concentration.

The forest was silent, save for the sound of the wind rustling through the trees. As she concentrated, a bright blue aura began to outline her frame, sending out steady pulses of energy that disrupted the grass beneath her, pressing it flat from the wind that expelled from her body. Sitting not too far away from her was a young Seth who was watching with wide eyes. The ten year old was amazed at what he was seeing. As Mathilde held her concentration, the aura seemed to get brighter until it finally erupted fully, enveloping her body in what looked to be bright azure flames.

Mathilde opened her eyes which were now glowing a sky blue hue. Maintaining her focus, she brought the flames down to what appeared to be a thick outline around her frame. A smile curved onto her features as she watched her pupil's expression. He'd been waiting a long time to see her aura, and he'd more than earned it. It was now time to teach him all about the ki that flowed through his veins. The aura soon dispersed, leaving Seth completely flabbergasted.

"What's the matter Seth? Purrloin got your tongue?" Mathilde grinned, getting a silent nod from Seth.

Mathilde giggled and shook her head.

"What you've just seen is but a taste of what I'm going to teach you. You've come pretty far with your sword training and Savate De Rue. Now I think it's time I started teaching you about aura," Mathilde stated with a bright smile.

"Wait...you mean, I could do that?" Seth sputtered.

"Well, not right away. It'll take quite a while before you can even tap into yours," Mathilde replied with a soft laugh.

"What do you mean?" Seth asked with a raised brow.

Mathilde sighed and stood up, Seth following her actions, dusting himself off as he did.

"You see, every human has a certain amount of ki, or aura in this case. The more it's exercised, the stronger it becomes. But it must first be awakened in order to be used properly. With you, it might not take as long as others," she explained, earning a confused look from her pupil.

"And it won't take me as long as others because-"

"Because you have been unconsciously tapping into it during training, meaning it's been going back and forth from being dormant and not dormant. Something that is pretty common among those with a significant amount of aura," Mathilde added.

Seth knitted his brows in confusion. He couldn't recall any time in which he'd used anything like what he'd just witnessed. If it was normal, he wouldn't know. But what he did know, was that he was getting better. Mathilde had even promised to make him a special sword if he progressed far enough. Excited was just a fraction of how he felt.

"So, are you ready to begin?" Mathilde asked firmly.

"What-now?" Seth replied, sweat-dropping.

Mathilde nodded, showing she was serious about the matter. Seth looked into his teacher's eyes and thought for a moment. Was he really ready? Sure, he'd progressed pretty far in his training, but to be moving to this after two years wasn't something he was expecting. Not wishing to disappoint his mentor, he nodded, showing he was ready and willing.

"Good. Let's begin..."

Seth's eyes snapped open as he broke his meditation, his sapphire orbs glowing with ethereal light. He could feel small traces of aura flowing through his body. It was progress at least. Slow progress, but it was better than nothing. Across from him, also in a meditative state, was Pawniard. Rising to a stand, Seth stretched for the ceiling and sighed. It was mid-morning and he'd been meditating for the past hour. The sound of his holocaster caught his attention. Making for the night stand, Seth picked up his holocaster and checked the call.