Shadow of the Abyss

"Get your sword, Altair. And you, little girl, do you need a dagger?" Tebrae asked.

"No. I can conjure a flame dagger."

Altair\'s Mother grinned. "Child, that ignorance will get you killed one day.\' she playfully said, turning for the door and gesturing Syris inside. "Think about it. What\'s stronger? A blade of ergy yet to be condsed to a solid form or a blade forged with Ethereum?"

"But I was able to destroy his G-Weapon!\' She pointed out. "A physical weapon."

"A weapon built to train, not a blade to kill. G-Weapons are built to break. That\'s why True Awaker uses them for training. They\'d rather a weapon break on contact than sever a limb." Tebrae said, glancing a, "Now, where did I put that weapon?\' She tered Altair\'s room, speaking her mind." Syris, how about you try to apply a flame cloak to your dagger instead?

This will grant not only a second layer of protection but offse. Oh, here it is!"

She reached into one of Altair\'s draws, finding a grove of black-tinted weapons scribed in Futhark along the handle and blade\'s edge to help maintain sharpness and durability. She found a dagger and tossed it to Syris.

Syris caught it by the handle, nearly fumbling the blade with utter shock.

\'This… is Grade-C Ethereum.\' Syris exclaimed inwardly, almost staggering to her knees, resisting the urge to drop the blade that cost nearly a million Sol. She shuddered.

Ethereum was a precious Ore naturally formed by condsed Mana over the course of millions, if not billions of cycles, merely to condse. It was a rarety and was predominantly used in the Gisis Military. Their standard revolved a Grade-C Etherium and up.

Few metals could rival Ethereum wh it came to channeling Mana. Much less its intsive durability, said to last for a minimum of a Dao Cycle. Adamantine was stronger regarding durability and similar to manage since it didn\'t have a tier list like Etheruim. But Adamantine Ore would usually be forged for soldiers who used raw strgth attacks or those that had no affinity to the Arcanes.

"What is it? Is the balance off?" Tebrae asked. "I have others if you want to try."

Syris trembled greatly. " No!" She hurriedly said. " I-I It\'s fine. It\'s perfect… thank you." she raised the blade that appeared as though it were a cruelly shaped fang. The blade edge was nearing a foot long, carrying an exotic L-shaped black onyx handle and a spiked shape pummel.

Tebrae smiled, shifting her atttion to her most precious, strapping his longsword, which his Father had gifted him for his fourth year, to his waist: The name blade, Endmyian.

"Are you almost done, Altair?"

"I\'m done, mommy." He answered, tapping his palm over the Ethereum Scabbard lined with Futhark that glowed with the throbbing azure hue of Mana. "But I\'ve never fought using Father\'s sword. Will it be alright?"

"Come now, Altair," Te said in a scolding tone. " Show some dignity. The first time you bring a girl home, are you willing to disrespect her by losing a lesser weapon?"

"I didn\'t mean—"

"I knew what you meant. But Altair, that is not your concern. Wh this girl faced you, she could have pulled her punches but used her Awaked abilities instead. Others might have thought it dishonorable, but this girl showed you the greatest degree of respect. Do not stain the honor your heritage carries with naivety."

At that momt, a realization overcame Altair\'s mind, cutting through the shroud of indecision in a single stroke. He bowed his head towards his mother. " Forgive me, Mother. I will not hold back th."

Syris smiled, unable to hold back the sliver of jealousy. She\'d never known a mother\'s warmth, much less a father\'s love. But seeing the Mother-Son duo, she couldn\'t help but admire their familial ties.

"Let\'s head to the front." Te swiftly said, making her way back outside.

The childr followed, glancing at one another with a better understanding of one another: An understanding built on honor.

"Oh, we have a guest," Tebrae mtioned, the smile on her lips never waning upon exiting her home. She stared at the masked woman.

"Master!" Syris said.

The Reverd Mother leaned against a tree, her long jet-black hair dancing through the winds. And her gaze slid to the Ethereum Blade in Syris\'s hand, to the Sword of Endmyian at Altair\'s waist, and th to Tebrae.

"Please ignore me. Proceed." She said.

Te merely nodded, oping her palm, and spoke: "Spiral Isolation."

As if the world reacted to her words, Mana spiraled through the forest, rising towards the skies and congealing into an invisible dome. Suddly the buzzing of cicadas, the rustling of moving animals through the forest depths, and the cries of the birds vanished.

The Reverd Mother stilled.

"Now th, kiddos, you can fight to your heart\'s contt without worrying about damage to my lovely home," Tebrae said, her ever-prest smile warming the hearts of the coldest m.

\'So she can do it too.\' Syris thought. And placed her full atttion on her oppont. The earlier words of Tebrae flared through her mind: how about you try to apply a flame cloak to your dagger?

Azure-White flames sprang over the dark dagger, lowering the temperature, blazing at such a low temperature a layer of frost gathered a Syris. She nearly dropped the dagger, fearing her death, and her palm loosed.

"Get it together, Syris. Do not fear your power. The dagger is only hancing what you already have." The Reverd Mother said coldly.

There was a pleasingness to her voice wh she spoke. Approval that was drowned by the cold.

Syris clamped down on her blade, calming her mind and the flame cloak a her dagger.

"Wow!" Altair muttered and drew Endmyian. And as if he\'d be tranced by the vast expanse… A darkness... a void of absolute nothingness swelled through his now lifeless eyes, devouring all that tered his sight.

Presce. A dreadful presce bore over Syris so hard, a compulsion to kneel, to look away sunk into her bones: Fear in that single heartbeat of a second tarnished her will.

\'What the hell is this?\' She screamed inwardly, feeling the angel of death scythe upon her neck. She swallowed, noticing the dryness of her throat, the sweat cascading down into her tunic and the quiver of her irregular heartbeat.

"Shall we begin?\' Tebrae asked, cutting through Syris\'s dread, stirring her awake. She, alongside Altair, nodded.

"Do not hold back, Syris. Use it." The Reverd Mother said.

"Begin!"

BANG!!!!

Altair charged, kicking off the g with such force that he covered the distance in a heartbeat and slashed toward his oppont\'s throat. Syris raised her dagger, positioning herself, wh suddly the blade twisted like a strange ethereal shadow.

Grave of Swords: Shadow Blade

Fear prickled her flesh with such dread she hastily pivoted, dodging the blade the best she could wh a popping noise thundered as her porcelain mask snapped in half, hitting the g with a thud.