17. Auslin

Chapter 17

Auslin

A fter the previous day's confusing aftermath of practice, it was a relief that Kitaro didn't seem to notice Auslin's indiscretion in the bathroom. If he had, the shifter prince at least had the decency to give Auslin the illusion of not being concerned about such things.

As they drew closer to the training room, Auslin sensed an immense presence waiting for them. He shrank back in fear. "Who's waiting for us in there?"

"My father has decided that in order to fully develop your powers, you will also train with his youngest brother, my Uncle Jaega, who is the head general of my father's army," Kitaro explained.

Auslin looked up at Kitaro with a worried expression. A high-ranking royal shifter would probably react poorly to being ordered to train a mage. "But what if he hates humans like your father did when I met him?"

"Uncle Jaega is more even-tempered than Father. My uncle respects hard work and honesty above all else. You have nothing to fear from him."

"If you say so." Auslin sounded far from convinced.

Kitaro gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze. "You have my word that you will be fine. Uncle Jaega is a reasonable man."

Auslin struggled to keep his anxiety in check as they entered the training room. While Jaega wasn't as massive as Tatsuki, he was still an impressively large shifter with a sizable presence that made Auslin feel tiny in comparison. He was bare-chested, showing off his impressively muscled body and the wildest shifter markings Auslin had ever seen. Orange lines intertwined with a rainbow spectrum of shifting colors. It was hard not to stare at the stunning sight.

He had to fight against his natural inclination to be terrified of such a powerful shifter staring at him with an unreadable expression in his amber eyes that seemed to glow orange on the edges with his overflowing power.

"Uncle, this is Vanra," Kitaro introduced Auslin, who bowed nervously to the army general.

"Interesting. You are the human mage my brother has named as clan," Jaega said in a deep, booming voice that rattled Auslin's confidence .

"I am." He was too scared to say anything else.

"You are quite different from what I was expecting." Jaega crossed his powerful arms over his chest.

"I'm sorry," Auslin instinctively apologized, although he wasn't sure what Jaega had been expecting to see instead.

"Is there some reason that you are suppressing your aura?"

"When I travel, failing to do so attracts a lot of attention since I'm an auramancer." Auslin fidgeted under Jaega's unflinching gaze. "There are a lot of shifters who feel that me staying here is problematic, so I suppress it out of habit. I don't want to broadcast my presence any more than I already do."

"I wish to see you unfettered," Jaega ordered.

Before obeying, Auslin glanced over at Kitaro. He received a nod of confirmation, so Auslin dropped his protective shield that hid his immense aura that belied his strong powers.

"I understand now," Jaega said. "You may continue suppressing it if you wish."

Auslin did so and felt better for it. But his relief was short-lived when Jaega told Kitaro, "I will take it from here, thank you." When his nephew didn't comply, Jaega questioningly arched an eyebrow.

"Understood." Kitaro gave a stiff bow before leaving.

Left alone with the shifter general, Auslin tried not to let panic set in as he now had Jaega's full and undivided attention.

"What specific powers do you have?" When Jaega gestured at him, Auslin noticed the jagged scar on the back of the shifter's left hand. His ring and pinky fingers were frozen in an extended position. They were wounds that normally should have easily healed for a shifter with his power, so they must have been made with a Divine weapon that obliterated a shifter's ability to self-heal.

"Healing and purifying."

"How unusual for a human." Jaega hummed with interest. "What is the extent of your healing powers?"

Unsure if he should say anything, Auslin took a chance. "I could…I could heal your hand if you wished."

"Nonsense." Jaega waved away the claim with his damaged hand, making the two paralyzed fingers even more noticeable. "This was done by a Divine weapon. No human or healer can undo this damage."

Auslin bowed his head. "Respectfully, I have healed other shifters and half-shifters with injuries sustained by a Divine weapon that their own bodies couldn't fix."

Jaega gave him a suspicious look. "Divine weapon injuries are beyond even shifter healers. How can a mere human do what they cannot?"

"I don't honestly know, but I have done so in the past." He started to clarify he meant his past in the future, but he wasn't sure what Jaega knew about his arrival in their era.

"How intriguing. Your scent says that you are telling the truth. Very well." Jaega held out his injured hand. "Let me see you heal a Divine weapon injury I received over a century ago, which no shifter healer could cure."

Auslin bowed respectfully before stepping closer to take Jaega's massive hand in his. He rubbed his thumb over the visible scar, then covered it with his hand. Stretching his senses, Auslin could feel the shattered bones that had healed badly. The tendons had been cut, which resulted in the paralyzed ring and pinky fingers.

The mage reached out with his aura to suffuse it to Jaega's as he focused on mending the bones into setting properly. Satisfied that was done, he reconnected the tendons before healing the scars on the warrior's hand from where a Divine weapon had gone clean through over a century ago.

Once he was satisfied the injury had been healed completely, he looked up at Jaega. "How does that feel?" Auslin asked as he released Jaega's hand.

Jaega stared in shock at his unblemished hand. He watched in disbelief as he curled all five of his fingers for the first time in over one hundred years. His ring and pinky fingers now moved as if they had never been injured. He could form a fist without pain, which had been impossible only minutes ago .

" How ?" Jaega questioned in awe.

Auslin shrugged. "I'm not really sure."

Clasping Auslin's smaller hand between both of his, Jaega's eyes were warm with genuine emotions. "Vanra, you have my deepest gratitude. I am in your debt."

"No, no, training me is more than enough." It was always awkward when shifters swore him a debt of gratitude.

"You say your other ability is purifying?" Jaega asked.

"Yes, but I only do it as an absolute last resort." He didn't want Jaega to think he did it on a regular basis. "It's not something I'm proud of, but I have been forced to do so for my safety."

"Show me." Jaega gestured off to the side, causing a wooden rabbit doll to float in midair, buoyed on an orange cloud.

Auslin wasn't entirely sure what he was being asked to do. "You want me to purify that?" When he received a nod in confirmation, he extended his purifying abilities in its direction. It disappeared into a puff of dust that scattered to the floor.

"Remarkable," Jaega praised the human. "Another!"

This time, two wooden rabbit dolls appeared. Auslin purified them both before another three replaced them. It continued until there was a row of seven of them staring Auslin down .

"Can you get rid of them all at once?" Jaega asked.

"All at once? You mean in one blow?"

Jaega nodded. "Precisely."

Auslin had never tried to do such a thing before. He was also tiring from using so much of his powers, but it was too embarrassing to ask for a break.

When Auslin didn't immediately act, Jaega changed topics. "Have you ever channeled your powers through a weapon before?"

"I can infuse them into an arrow that will purify at a distance, but that's still taking them out only one at a time."

Walking over to the wall covered in weapons, Jaega selected two metal swords. He gave one to Auslin. "Channel your power into your blade like this." He demonstrated, causing the sword to glow on the edges with flickering orange dragon fire. "When you swing it, project your powers to the enemies in front of you to take them out in a single blow."

Jaega then swung the sword in front of him, casting the orange fire in a wide arc. All seven of the wooden rabbit dolls bobbing in midair disintegrated. Seven more immediately appeared in their place for Auslin to try next.

Auslin concentrated on channeling his powers into the sword as instructed. It glowed around the edges with wisps of purple smoke emanating off it. He did his best to replicate what Jaega had done by slashing while trying to push his powers out through it toward the seven rabbit dolls.

To Auslin's surprise, they all dissolved into dust. He staggered with the effort.

"Well done, Vanra." Jaega clasped him on the shoulder with a squeeze. "Come, let us rest for a moment."

"Thank you." Auslin sat down on the floor as Jaega did the same. "I'm sure training a human isn't something you were planning on doing, but I appreciate your guidance."

Jaega studied him with curiosity. "I would not have expected a human to be in command of such powers. Who was your teacher?"

"I've never had one," Auslin told him with a shrug. "I've never met anyone with powers like mine, so there was never anyone to train with before. Our temple is primarily scholar mages."

The shifter general arched his eyebrows in surprise. "You are entirely self-trained?"

Auslin nodded. "Yeah, I mostly act on instinct. This is the first time I've ever had anything like a formal lesson."

"Astounding." Jaega shook his head in amazement. "You have these powers, you were raised in a temple, and yet you heal humans and shifters alike."

"And half-shifters," Auslin added, having healed more of them than just Kio.

Jaega huffed in amusement. "If more humans were like you, we would not have had war between our people for so many centuries."

He blushed at the praise. "It would be nice if more people practiced acceptance rather than tolerance or hatred."

"I must say, I was mystified when my brother said he had accepted a human mage into our clan." Jaega studied Auslin with an assessing gaze. "I could not fathom what you must have done to convince him to do such a radical thing, but I think I understand now."

"Oh?"

Jaega rubbed the back of his now unblemished hand. "I have never met another human who was not only capable but willing to heal a shifter of a Divine weapon injury. You are most intriguing, Vanra. Kitaro was right to bring you here."

He bowed his head. "For that, I am most grateful."

"Now that I know the extent of your powers, I can better plan for your training. I suggest we start with twice a week, then build up to three times a week as your powers grow stronger."

"I will do my best." Auslin didn't want to disappoint Jaega or waste his time.

"Of that, I am confident," Jaega replied with a kind look that made Auslin feel better. "I believe your protector is here to collect you."

Kitaro reappeared with a blank look that was ruined by the wrinkle of concern in his eyebrows. His gaze shifted between the two men .

"Worried?" Jaega teased his nephew. When the only response he got was a scowl, Jaega laughed. "Fear not. Vanra did well. We will continue our lessons in the future. You may take Vanra to rest now."

Realizing that was his cue to leave, Auslin stood up and tried not to sway as his head swam a little from being weakened by overusing his powers. "Thank you for today…uhm," Auslin said, although he hesitated at the end because he wasn't entirely sure how to address the shifter who had agreed to be his teacher.

Jaega stood up, clasping Auslin on the shoulder. "You are clan, Vanra. You may call me Uncle Jaega."

"Thank you, Uncle Jaega," he said shyly, causing the older shifter to smile down at the human.

"Go rest now. You've more than earned it."