Astral Flow

Chapter 17

Though their guard was up at all times while they began scouring the cave, it almost seemed unneeded.

While there were enemies seen down paths, yes, there didn't appear to be any traps at all.

No crumbling floors, pressure plates, magic turrets... nothing.

The enemies also seemed surprisingly passive, never going after them unless they walked down the path.

The deeper they walked the more apparent it became that the crystals lined every inch of this place, or perhaps it was simply made out of it?

It was a curious sight to be sure, as they'd seen nothing like it at all, even Yuria seemed surprised the further in they went.

"Someone incredibly powerful must've passed here... that or an impossibly potent spell was cast." Yuria speaks to herself while placing her hand on a crystal jutting out from the wall, her smile fading for a moment.

"Why do you say that? What's with these crystals?" Ryder asks, walking up to her, noticing the crystal glow in reaction to her.

"These aren't just any crystals... they're a magic growth, a reflection of someone's soul... what makes it even rarer is that these are clear crystals." her voice holds a tinge of excitement that she's clearly trying to hide.

"Clear? But these are glowing teal, aren't they?" he asks, a bit confused now, though quickly getting his answer from Lily.

"The reason for that is likely due to Yuria's magic, right?" her answer surprises them, not realizing Lily would actually know the answer.

"Yes, that's correct actually, these crystals glow with the color of whatever mana impacts them... though now I'm curious, what really could've caused this?" Yuria looks around for a moment, still surprised by the cavern filled with them. "Even if it was a death or spell, it would've been something no one has seen in eons..."

"Is it really that impressive?" Lily asks while picking up a fallen crystal that begins to fade its teal color. "I mean, I really don't get it, can't these just be normal crystals-" as she says that the crystal in her hand begins to glow with a colorless light, the ringing returning in full force again, the glow matching it.

Yuria quickly moves over to Lily's side, cautiously examining the crystal in her hand, an excited yet cautious smile forming on her face. "Well, I didn't realize we had a colorless among us... you truly are a rarity Lily."

"Is that special?" Lily asks while holding the crystal a bit higher, though she couldn't figure out the proper location, the unrefined crystal making the noise worse.

Sadly she drops the crystal and looks to Ryder as a glow comes from his waist, quickly she moves to him.

All the while Yuria begins her explanation.

"It is, for you see the color of one's soul denotes the type of magic they can most efficiently wield, their natural state of being if you will... though it is possible for different colors to use different elements they'll be at a disadvantage."

Yuria holds up her hand and creates a teal energy orb again, now more violently resembling a ball of air. "This color is that of the wind, the element I'm linked closest to, though I can still do many other things."

"So, does that mean we're stuck with whatever color our soul is?" Feros asks, picking up a crystal in hopes of seeing his own color. As he does so the crystal slowly begins to bleed into a deep scarlet hue.

"No, it's actually common for a soul to go through many colors and hues before they fully develop. Clear or Colorless souls are rare as that's how a soul begins, able to attune to anything and everything, usually only lasting through infancy... those that carry a clear soul are one in a trillion." Yuria's voice has become calmer, seemingly glad to be with Lily and Ryder more now.