The passage of time, a mere construct of linear perception, coalesced into a rhythmic cycle within Kaelen Varr’s domain. Even Xylar, the Null-Bound, found himself adapting to a regimen fundamentally alien to his prior existence—a testament to the sheer, unyielding force of Kaelen’s imposed reality. The initial apprehension and bewilderment that had characterized his introduction to Kaelen and Lysander gradually receded, replaced by a nascent comprehension of their extraordinary nature.
Indeed, Xylar noted with an almost detached analytical interest that Kaelen Varr treated him with a strikingly similar, if amplified, disinterest as he did Lysander. It was a utilitarian engagement, devoid of conventional emotional weight, yet imbued with an underlying expectation of competence. This unusual dynamic, coupled with Lysander’s pragmatic mentorship, began to effect a subtle transformation in Xylar. Lysander, in his customary efficiency, had requisitioned new sets of tailored, obsidian-hued attire for Xylar, alongside a pair of finely balanced long daggers with molecularly sharpened edges. The physical enhancements, though superficial, imbued Xylar with a discernible increase in self-assuredness, a visible augmentation to his previously constrained demeanor.
Initially, a vestigial pride, a lingering echo of his former self, chafed at the notion of being tutored by Lysander, whose chronological immaturity was self-evident. Yet, the briefest engagement with Lysander’s tutelage quickly dissolved such superficial judgments, revealing a depth of Aetheric comprehension and pragmatic application that utterly eclipsed Xylar’s own hard-won, yet rudimentary, experience garnered from the cosmic fringes. Lysander, despite his youth, possessed an encyclopedic grasp of Aetheric mechanics and an intuitive facility for its manipulation that would have taken Xylar lifetimes to accrue through conventional means.
Most astonishing among Lysander's revelations was the advanced Aetheric Harmonization Protocol he imparted. It was, in Xylar's developing understanding, nothing short of a fundamental re-engineering of his internal energetic architecture. Unlike the laborious, resource-intensive methods of his past, which demanded copious quantities of Resonance Shards or prolonged exposure to high-Aetheric fields, this protocol allowed for accelerated attunement. Simply by assuming a specific meditative posture and initiating the intricate neural-Aetheric sequence, Xylar found he could draw upon ambient Aetherium, refining and integrating it at an unprecedented rate, even without the immediate presence of a high-flux Resonance Shard.
Within a mere span of weeks, a duration that once would have yielded only incremental progress, Xylar found himself on the precipice of attaining the Sixth Harmonic Resonance. For an extended period prior, he had been mired at the Fifth Harmonic, a stagnant plateau in his personal Aetheric journey. This new protocol, however, had amplified his rate of attunement several-fold, propelling him towards a threshold he had once considered distant.
Beyond his daily regimen of seated meditation and the obligatory interrogations of Lysander regarding the finer points of the Harmonization Protocol, Xylar assumed a secondary, less intellectually taxing duty. He periodically inspected Kaelen’s elaborate Aetheric Incandescence arrays, monitoring the fuel sources. As soon as a calibrated organic compound or synthesized biomass brick neared complete exhaustion, Xylar would, without explicit instruction but with an implicit understanding of Kaelen’s preferences, replenish it with an identical sample. He still harbored no profound insight into the grander design of Kaelen’s ceaseless experiments, yet certain observations proved compelling. The sight of Kaelen casually plunging a hand into the heart of a vibrant Aetheric flame to adjust a component, or occasionally reposing atop a pyre of intensely burning substances without so much as singeing his robes, underscored an undeniable truth: Kaelen Varr operated outside the conventional laws of physical reality. Such displays, though bewildering, solidified Xylar’s conviction that Kaelen’s endeavors were far from frivolous. Therefore, he continued his assigned tasks with unquestioning diligence.
The only tangible benefit Xylar currently derived from Kaelen’s perpetual experiments, in his pragmatic estimation, was the effortless provision of sustenance. Kaelen’s relentless pursuit of Aetheric Incandescence produced a constant, low-frequency radiant heat, perfect for the continuous grilling of replicated protein slabs. All Xylar had to do was ensure a supply of molecular salts and synthesized spices was within Kaelen’s reach; the rest, including the precise application of heat, was an automatic byproduct of Kaelen’s work.
Kaelen Varr, meanwhile, was making what he considered significant, if somewhat overdue, progress in his dissection of the Causal Signature of Incandescence. While the isolation of an unadulterated, foundational Aetheric Incandescence proved, as predicted, fundamentally impossible within a fluctuating reality, he had identified a promising avenue of deconstruction. Kaelen’s observations confirmed that a substantial portion of the Aetheric resonance pattern associated with incandescence remained invariant, regardless of the precise composition of the combusted fuel. The mutable, variable components, he theorized, could be meticulously segregated through comparative analysis and subsequently re-synthesized for precise reconstruction.
His methodology was elegant in its simplicity: if a specific probabilistic strand within the Aetheric signature varied across a majority of the test fuels, yet remained identical in two or three distinct samples, Kaelen would designate those identical instances as embodying the ‘original’ or fundamental expression of that particular variable. He had already committed the invariant Aetheric weave of the core Causal Signature of Incandescence – the irreducible pattern manifested in every observed thermal discharge – to his neural archives. He was now systematically filling the lacunae of the mutable probabilistic strands with their newly identified invariant constants. As a mild self-congratulatory mechanism, Kaelen permitted himself a few hours of meditative repose after each successful identification of a consistent variable. This 'repose' was, of course, dedicated to the incidental process of refining his own Aetheric resonance, which had now effortlessly reached the Third Harmonic Resonance.
Lysander, in contrast to Kaelen's detached intellectualism, pursued his own Aetheric refinement with a singular, focused intensity. He rarely departed from his dedicated chamber, his drive to accumulate Aetheric potency as rapidly as possible overriding all other concerns, even the provision of the grilled protein slabs Xylar brought him. His efforts had been unequivocally fruitful; in a mere five cycles (equivalent to five months), Lysander had achieved the Fourth Harmonic Resonance, a feat that would be considered exceptional even for seasoned practitioners.
“Lysander, Xylar, attend me,” Kaelen’s voice, amplified by the ambient Aetherium, reverberated through the central chamber one cycle-day.
Within moments, both stood before him, Lysander addressing his mentor with practiced deference, “What is your directive, Master Kaelen?”
“As my internal chronometer recalls, today marks the commencement of our sixth cycle within this Lumina Citadel. What is the current quantum of our available Mandate Credits?”
“Our expenditures have been minimal, Master. Aside from your experimental fuels and Xylar’s specified daggers, we have procured a few supplementary Resonance Shards. Our current balance stands at approximately 350 Mandate Credits,” Lysander replied with a promptness that indicated ready access to such fiscal data.
“Adequate. Proceed to the Mandate Fiscal Hub and secure the allocated 200 Credits for this current cycle. The combined total should suffice to acquire a suitable weapon for your personal deployment, and thereafter, obtain a Kinetic Aetheric Discipline from the Aetheric Lore Repository that instructs its proper application. Oh, and acquire a comparable Harmonized Combat Protocol specifically for dagger mastery for Xylar as well.”
Lysander’s typical equanimity wavered, a rare display of surprise. “Master, I have never engaged with physical armaments; my Aetherically reinforced fists have always proven…sufficient. Furthermore, Xylar possesses considerable aptitude with daggers from his prior engagements and may not require formal instruction. Would it not be more prudent to conserve these Credits for additional Resonance Shards? As our respective Harmonic Resonances elevate, our Aetheric consumption will only intensify.”
Kaelen regarded Lysander with an expression that bordered on condescension. “You will require an augmented medium to exert precise control over the Causal Signature of Incandescence in the field. Do you envision your engagements perpetually confined to encounters with witless void-beasts? Select a weapon that resonates with your inherent overwhelming combat methodology. The same applies to Xylar. His current pugilistic style, while effective in its own primitive way, verges on the suicidal, relying on a crude exchange of impacts. Is this a sophisticated ‘dagger art’ in your estimation? Ensure he becomes a competent, tactically sound operative. I shall not dedicate temporal resources to his training only for him to immolate himself against some random void-rat.”
Lysander and Xylar exchanged a brief glance, a silent acknowledgment of the unassailable logic, however blunt, of Kaelen’s pronouncement. They then turned back, both nodding in acquiescence, and departed to execute the unexpected but, for Xylar at least, intriguing directive.
This marked the second occasion Lysander and Xylar had embarked upon an excursion together, though like the first, it was devoid of anything resembling recreational joy. They proceeded directly to the Forgeworld Armaments fabrication hub nearest the Lumina Citadel to select Lysander’s new weapon.
Lysander spent roughly half a standard hour perusing the displays, examining various blades of differing configurations and dimensions. Swords, undoubtedly, were the most ubiquitous and ostensibly practical armaments, yet he discerned no specific Aetheric resonance or intuitive connection to any of them. He therefore broadened his search to encompass other weapon archetypes: projectile launchers, energy cleavers, kinetic hammers, and… Aether-imbued gauntlets.
Lysander experienced a fleeting surge of satisfaction upon discovering the gauntlets, their design reminiscent of his preferred unarmored combat style. However, Kaelen’s precise directive—the necessity of a weapon to better channel the Causal Signature of Incandescence in his attacks—reasserted itself. Aether-imbued gauntlets, he reasoned, would offer little functional distinction from his bare, Aether-charged fists in terms of external energy projection. With a faint sigh of displeasure, he dismissed them and continued his systematic search, eventually arriving at the section dedicated to polearms.
In terms of raw kinetic force extraction from the wielder, polearms, specifically spears, were undeniably among the most efficient. Their extended reach offered a distinct advantage for controlling the Causal Signature of Incandescence at a distance. Yet, an inherent characteristic of the spears on display irritated him. “Proprietor,” Lysander addressed the vendor, “these spears possess commendable range but demand a degree of precision for effective wielding that does not entirely align with my operational methodology. Do you possess anything with comparable reach but a greater emphasis on brute force application?” He posed the question, uncertain if such a hybrid armament existed.
“Ah, you speak of the glaive! Not many connoisseurs express interest in those these cycles,” the proprietor responded, his face brightening with the prospect of a high-value transaction. “Come, I will display my curated collection of glaives.” Glaives, he knew, were among his most expensive inventory.
Lysander was unfamiliar with this 'glaive' but followed the proprietor without hesitation. What he beheld pleased him considerably. Possessing the approximate length of a spear, it was surmounted not by a pointed tip, but by a substantial, cleaver-like blade. This, he concluded, was precisely what he sought: extended reach coupled with formidable kinetic impact. It was perfect. After scrutinizing the entire assemblage of glaives, he gestured towards the most massively constructed of them. “I will acquire this unit.”
“Ha! You possess an excellent discernment, young master. This is the paramount glaive in our inventory… and, commensurately, the most costly. It is priced at 120 Mandate Credits!” the proprietor announced, a triumphant smile gracing his features.
“…Excessive, but acceptable. I will take it, provided you present me with the two Aether-imbued gauntlets displayed outside as a complimentary inclusion.”
Lysander exited the Forgeworld Armaments hub, a subtle, almost imperceptible curve to his lips, pleased with his new acquisition. He then guided Xylar towards the Aetheric Lore Repository to procure their respective combat protocols.
However, upon their return to Kaelen’s central chamber, both Lysander and Xylar bore subtle yet unmistakable traces of physical altercation, and Lysander’s newly acquired glaive lay in three meticulously fractured pieces.