Marked Ones: Advent of the Demon Prince

Rena cast a simple healing spell on him so they did not have to waste any of their potions. Potions were usually reserved for really serious injuries or even near-death injuries when combined with healing magic. Lucius was thankful that the spines had not penetrated a major artery, or the potion and magic combination might have been necessary.

He then looked down at his hand and noticed a residual amount of mana flickering like lightning down his fingertips. It was only at the last minute, but it sounded like Luz granted him enough strength to finally activate his Thunder magic.

That was great and all… but why was Luz able to do that in the first place? It did not sound like the first time he used power from Luz, the time that made him lose permanent access to the Beast Arts.

Luz would have told him if there was a price, right? Also, he still could feel his connection to his spells. The connection to his Forsaken Arts was still there too. How was Luz able to give him power without a price? What changed…

"Hey! Cat-boy! Look alive!" Jen shouted while gently slapping his cheek repeatedly.

"Huh, oh, sorry. Did you need something?"

"We've been trying to talk to you for the past minute, did you hear anything we said?"

"No."

Jen covered her face with her hand and sighed. Rena put her hand over his head with a worried look on her face. Paul and Lethen had stepped away to talk plans with the caravan guards and the merchants.

"We asked about your magic. How were you able to use it? Can you still use it? What about the red mana? Lucius, did you increase your Rank?" Rena pummeled him with questions and from the look on Jen's face, if she hadn't then Jen would have done it for her.

"I don't know. I was just suddenly able to. As for the mana, that attack always does that. How much do you know about the Forsaken Arts?" Lucius asked.

"Um, well nothing? That's kind of the point. They are 'forsaken' meaning no one is using them or should be using them. So what's with the red mana."

"Some attacks in my arts have different colors of mana. Usually my strongest ones. That is the only one I can use right now. Mutilation. It causes bleeding damage to an opponent and hinders the healing process of the wounds I inflict."

"Nasty stuff. Well, spill. More please." The strong warrior woman urged.

"I'm not going to divulge all my secrets you know… but I'll give you a little… some skills within the Forsaken Arts overlap with other Arts… however, they can only used under specific circumstances."

"Circumstances like?" Rena pushed. She was extremely interested and he could not reject the pleading look in her eyes. He grunted as he sat up and reached for one of the smaller quills that had been in his leg. He then asked for one a dagger, which Jen happily provided.

"[Forsaken Arts: Pierce]!" The quill glowed with the golden color of mana and rocketed out of his hand as he threw it at a nearby tree. It simply shot through the trunk of the tree as if it were made of paper.

"That was a Dagger Arts skill!" Lethen shouted as he ran over. He was interested now in their conversation as he had overheard some of the best parts.

"Now watch this." Lucius said. "[Forsaken Arts: Pierce]!"

This time there was a flicker of mana, but it quickly disappeared and when he threw the dagger, it simply smacked against the tree before falling to the ground.

"Why didn't it work this time?" Jen seemed both confused and surprised. Which made a lot of sense.

"The Forsaken Arts are filled with skills deemed dishonorable. Like my Sand Veil. Really, its just a mana powered version of throwing sand into someone's face. Goring Rush, Severing Slash, all things designed to specifically maim your opponents, causing immense damage and pain. Mutilation also is designed in such a way, but adds in that the wounds it creates are hard to heal.

Many see these things as 'disgusting' ways to fight.

"However, the Forsaken Arts also provides a lot of options when you have none. No weapon in a bar fight? Shatter a bottle of booze and you can use the Forsaken Arts version of Dagger Arts. Or like I used here, one of these quills was used for a throwing attack from the Dagger Arts. Or maybe all I can find is a large rock or a large stick. I could use bludgeoning attacks from the Hammer Arts.

Of course, there is a lot more to it than that, but that is what I am willing to share." Lucius informed them

"Others see them as 'disgusting ways to fight' but how do you see them, kid?" Jen was eying Lucius carefully, expecting the truth. Not that he had any reason to lie about his feelings. They were rather plain and simple.

"Whether some view fighting as 'disgusting' or 'honorable' or 'dishonorable' the result is the same isn't it? Someone dies? Why does it matter how they die, or how you kill? The end is the same, so what is the point in caring?" He answered plainly.

It was the truth. Death was death and it was final. Everyone reached that end at some point and when your time came, after you are dead, would you really care how it happened?

"That's a bleak way to look at it, kid." Jen answered finally.

"I don't think so at all. I think it is a realistic way of looking at it. Regardless of if Paul hunts a deer and shoots an arrow through its heart or I hunt the deer and slash through its neck, the result is we have dinner. Nothing more, nothing less. Fighting is just fighting and the Arts and magic are simply tools to do that. Same with marks."

"You make a valid point, but I don't necessarily agree with you. There's an order to things. Gods, you even worried about exposing these skills before, so clearly it matters to you." Lethen argued. He was completely invested in the conversation now.

"Not true. I did not care what people thought of my skills. I only cared about how their thoughts affected Rena. But since she no longer seemed concerned, I don't have to think about that."

Lucius stood his ground on the issue. He did not see what the problem was. His skills had their uses like any other, to pretend something isn't useful just for the sake of appearances was pointless. The group continued to argue their points, but he simply tuned it out and refused to engage in the conversation. Rena wrapped her arms around him from behind and hugged him, quietly.

"I am always on your side, Lucius. You do what you think is right, and I will follow it." She whispered.

He patted her arm in affirmation. It was comforting to know she stood with him in this. Honestly, over the past few years, and especially these past few weeks being adventurers… Lucius was starting to feel even more attached to Rena. Not as her attendant or thanks to some promise made by his father. Somehow, those reasons did not seem to matter. It was simply because he wanted to.

He needed to.

As he reveled in those thoughts about her, a sinister voice whispered in his ear, 'He's hiding more from you…' and then vanished.

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