The Harbinger's Children (Guardians Of The Arcane Chronicles Vol. 2)

Chapter 9: Personal Missions

Fun Fact: The staff is a magi's essential tool for casting magic, or a weapon to those more inclined to do harm. Since a staff can be materialised and dematerialised at will, the average magi is often seen without it. Materialising it is more than often seen as an act of provocation.

The invention of staves was inevitable, considering man's natural fondness for weapons. A tool borne of necessity, the staff was mainly used to control and channel the turbulent arcani of the early magis. Many materials were used, until the ancient artificers found the simple yet perfect combination that could channel arcani without losing its efficacy.

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"Hey, you! Oi homie, over here!"

It took a while for Felix to realise that the voice was directed at him. He looked around wildly, before spotting the thin man waving in his direction. Felix approached him, flashing an uncertain smile at the stranger. He was sporting a fashionable turquoise undercut and looked slightly familiar, although the boy could not recall where he had seen that man before.

"Hi... do I know you?" Felix asked.

"It'd be a great honour if ya did. But don't sweat it, bruv." The man had a strong accent distinctly reminiscent of the Pollux isles, although a pinch of Siriuan accent was also mixed within it. "I've always wanted to thank you for pulling that metal beam out of the concrete for me back then."

"O-oh!" Felix let loose a small chuckle as the memories returned to him. "You're that shapeshifter meta, right? My pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine. Still can't believe it myself; a fellow meta in the Guardian Council." The man gave him a toothy grin. "Meta-kind Represent!"

"That's very kind of you. Great to see that you're safe too, Mister..."

"Doukas. Nero Doukas," the man replied cheerfully, but a grim look quickly crossed his face. "But my wife and child... the constables couldn't get to them. They're still out there."

"I'm so sorry about that, Doukas. We'll do our best to save every citizen still stranded out there."

"You really are a hero," Nero said. "Please. Call me Nero, homie. I know I'm not the only one who's missing my family, and I don't mean to impose, but-"

Felix held his hand out, gesturing for Nero to touch it.

"What's this?" the man asked as his palm touched the telepath's hand hesitantly.

"Just committing to my memory what your family looks like." The glow in Felix's eyes flickered as he gave the grateful looking man a warm smile. "You have my word. I'll get them back safely. You stay safe too, Nero."

A wall of murmuring crashed into the boy soon after as he walked into the common area. His heart sank at the sight before him. There were way too many people packed into this modestly sized room, and their numbers were only going to increase over the days. But he had no time to think about that now.

"Hey, Aglaia. Need some help?"

The little girl looked up at her mentor. Blue light faded from her palm as she moved it away from her parents' knees. Relief was etched on their faces, though it was obvious they were in some sort of pain just before.

"Thanks Felix, but not at the moment," Aglaia replied. "My parents are terminally ill, you see. They need a constant influx of arcani to keep their motor functions alive. With the arcani in the air now corrupted, they can't draw on it for sustenance anymore. So it's up to me to provide the required arcani."

"You're a kind girl." Felix nodded at her parents, before turning to the girl again. "Will you come outside with me for a short while? We need to discuss some Guardian matters."