Master Of None

”Bigger picture? Do you really think that will change things? I can fight them just fine. The more I have studied my ancient bloodline, the more I have grown. We are stronger than ever.” Scylla had listened to everything that Su had to say. While Su had just bumped in to Scylla, it was not surprising that Scylla had wanted to know everything. However, Scylla as a general was wise. She was able to do a great deal of organization and strategy. As a person, Scylla was blunt as they came. She was a clear cut example of what it meant to be a demi-human. She followed the battle forward side of their society very clearly. She also stood for their traditions very often. This being the case, she did not care much that there was a way to look at a bigger picture and alter the system she had. As the holder of a unique ancient bloodline and the Scylla’s inheritor, she was just the inheritor of the blood. She had her leviathans that were a part of her. She had the strength to control the wind and water. She had the power to fight hand in hand with many other powerful warriors. Regardless of any other reason, she did not have plans to try to look from the outside in. to discover true mana or anything like that. Her goals were simple. Eradicate the threats that were causing her people to suffer. Eradicate the threats that would cause her people to potentially perish if it was left alone. She would stand up and lead every army possible to ensure that this happened. ”But it will change more than you think. You are limited because the world is also limited. If you can grasp the right understanding, you will get stronger in general. But you will also be ahead of everyone else. That means you can guide them.” This just received a look of wonder from Scylla. Mostly wonder why Su was bothering her. She did not guide people. That was not what Scylla did. She barely even taught warriors anything unless it was in combat training for her soldiers. That was where she relied on training, not on looking at a bigger picture that would not truly affect the battle that they were planning to have. ”Right now, it is better that I focus on preparing every single soldier for this battle. The aquatic forces with us will need to surround this island to ensure that nothing comes to cause issues. I will also have to use my most powerful mastery skill to ensure that we have victory.” ”So you are fine with everyone getting stronger and leaving you behind? that’s fine.” Su had not wanted to use this method. But she knew Scylla well enough that it would work without a doubt. ”You can just be a general forgotten because you failed to see the entire battle. When we journey in to that chaotic mana, or the elemental planes, you will be unable to do so. Because you won’t understand it. We will have to get a new general.” If looks could kill, then Su would have been on her way to the after life. She saw that Scylla had not been this angry for some time. Whether it was because no one ever chose to push against what Scylla gave as orders, or because Su had a point, didn’t matter. The thing that was clear was that Scylla had changed her mind right then and there. ”And what of you? Will you just sit there and let them grow stronger than you with Walker learning everything necessary to become this all seeing true mana wilding hero, then you will not be strong enough to defend him or the others.” Sylla pointed at Su. her words clearly pushing towards something. ”I guess I will try to understand my body and focus on what it means to be able to sense all the manas that I can now. And move from there. I should be able to better sense whatever true mana is and how it works the more that I work on strengthening my understanding of what the world is as a part of the whole.” ”Then that means you will be training with me and my soldiers. Get ready.” Su didn’t have a choice. She had already been lifted up and dragged. An impressive feat since she was wearing her full armor which was significantly heavy. But Scylla was very strong herself. She also trained much more often than anyone else really. As Su found herself with a surprise training partner, Midnight was finding herself with another random encounter. She had expected to do what Walker had done. Follow his example and meditate for a few days. It was something that she thought would be easy. She could rely on their bond to sense the other manas and see what Walker had felt when he had grasped a new understanding of what might be beyond the world. From there, she could focus on what else she could learn. How she could grow using the other manas that she had yet to comprehend. How she could be able to use true mana as a core aspect of all her attacks and generally in life. That way, she could be a true mana dragon or something like that. The most powerful dragon ever!

While vain, that was still the pride of a dragon. ”Little Midnight, I landed again because you looked like you were not going to focus as much as you should on this task. So come fly with me for a little while.” Ventus didn’t give Midnight a chance to say no. Since Midnight was a little more versed in elemental manas, Ventus also wanted to see how Midnight interpreted these ideas. That there was true mana and an origin to all these manas that made up the world. How the world was just a portion of everything and had been cut off by the actions of a being from years and years ago while the world generally was becoming what is was meant to be. The concept that there was more of a will than just the worlds was hard to understand. But to be fair, Ventus had often wondered a little how the world came to be. What was beyond it. Yet, as a mother, she never wanted to venture to the wind elemental plane that she had heard other dragons mention from time to time. Year to year. As they took flight, Midnight sensed the wind mana move around her. Ventus was guiding her wings to move in a more fluid motion while also creating a slip stream for them to glide in. well above the ships but still safely within eyesight so that they would act if anything happened. It was also easy to see that Terron was flying nearby. Slower, but still flying so that he could have his own thoughts to himself. Remembering that feeling that Walker had when describing the subject of the world only being part of a while, Midnight spoke. ”Brother was excited.” She said each word deliberately. ”He felt small and curious.” ”I would as well. I am a very grown dragon. Even more so now that I have become a wind dominator. I can even grow more if I reach the wind elemental plane one day where the pure wind aman I need exists. What else did he feel? Was there more to what he sensed in the manas?” As Ventus looked at the ship, she was equating the ship and the ocean as the world and the vast space of elemental planes around it. That would be all things not just the world. But it still didn’t click that there was more to it. She felt she was missing the key to all of it. A soft hum escaped Midnight as she flew with Ventus. Her mind trying to pick up on the memory of that moment she had felt Walker grasp the idea completely. The moment that he had gained the new skill true mana researcher. ”Empty. Brother feels empty without everything being right.” The two remind in silent for a few minutes. ”So Walker felt like he discovered everything, was curious and excited. But then he felt empty. It must have been like he found that a part of himself had been locked away. If there is a greater will and the world is only a portion, then it may extend beyond the elemental planes. I would wonder what that is like.” Ventus felt that she was able to sense the wind tremble slightly. Like the world was giving her a hint that her words were in line with the right way to think. Midnight followed her lead. She was glad that she didn’t have to focus on the flying aspect of things. She could just enjoy the calm breeze and think about everything. …

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