Balasik

It had been a few days since the start of the new academic session at the base, news of those with special affinities had spread to the ears of those who had clout and authority. Chuck and Charles had quickly become a house hold name among the nobles, their affinities were simply too dazzling to be ignored. But the two organizations that had them in their sights were mostly the assassin guild and the order high fates.

The only issue with that was no one was going to seat by and watch their competitors get more powerful, therefore the saying 'a dead genius is not a genius' became a well-known saying amongst the nobility and organizations. A file on all the promising new Mysterys had already been compiled and a lot of the organizations were already keeping an eye out for those with affinities compatible with them.

The halo of so many geniuses had over shadowed Chris making most who kept an eye on him lose interest in him, they had more interesting subjects of observation. Recently there had been rumors flying around about a hidden genius of high affinities of water and fate, there was another with an affinity for luck… so a commoner cadet with conflicting affinities of darkness and light was not on anyone's list of top priorities, well, except people like Delphi of the order high fates.

~

In a combat training room Naliaki could be seen shirtless sprawled on the floor and breathing hard trying to catch his breath. "Hold o-- hold- hold on. What does instructor Marcus mean by yours are a conflicting match up. This is too much, I need to have a word with him. We've had a few bouts and the only way I can even force a draw is to expend all my essence in a wide area attack."

Chris whose breathing was only mildly jagged was seated on the floor of the combat training room, he just silently reflected on the fight as he felt his current state. Even if he could not yet carry out introspection which was going to have to wait till he was at organ refinement tier, he could get feed-back on the state of his body by meditation. 'Yes, that confirms it, my affinities are conflicting. It seems that the only solution is going to be to merge them, but not now… something tells me I would get the greatest benefit from waiting for a while, it's like multiple refinements.'

"If I wasn't plagued by a debilitating effect, do you think our sparring sessions would end this way?"

"That's true, your forte looks to be close combat. Maybe we should ask instructor Marcus about it, your actual affinity may just be combat… if there's any such affinity that is." Naliaki could only console him this way. The good thing about these torturing sparring sessions with Chris is the fact that his own close combat abilities were improving very fast, the only issue he was having was the unnatural battle instincts Chris seemed to possess. 

"I think we should stop our sparring sessions, don't you think so?" Naliaki had a look on his face that said he was guilty of something.

"Why is that? You tired or scared?"

"No, I just feel like I'm the only beneficiary of this arrangement we've got going. My close combat skills are improving crazily and I can now have a decent battle with you where I don't go down after one or two exchanges. Look your breath is even slightly unsettled, that means I must be doing something right." Naliaki explained his rationale for wanting to stop their sessions.

"No, no no no. that's no it at all, I don't use my aspect abilities only because I don't how to do so appropriately, yet. And you give yourself too little credit, in a life and death battle the probability of death is equal for the both of us." Chris said not being proud of his close combat abilities for a second. And he was right, he knew for a fact that when they ascended higher levels than the martial Mystery rank close combat no longer dictated strength. "I've been working on aspects of my ability since our third sparring session when you told me about your newly comprehended aspect that could leverage the weather in an attack. I just haven't felt like using it, most of my aspects are currently on enhancement. Also you know about the debilitating effect of my conflicting affinities, that's what I've been focused on for the past three months that's why I've been mostly at the library researching."

"That's why you are looking for a library pass to the city center's library, the library here hasn't yielded any result on your search yet?" Naliaki asked with a concern laced voice, wondering what he could do to help. "How about you come with me to the library?"

Chris thought about it, he wasn't really interested in finding an answer in the city center library. If he couldn't find it here he probably won't be able to find it there either, but he knew someone he could ask for answers and she would probably have them. But he wasn't sure she would appear if he went with Naliaki. "I already asked a friend to help me get a pass, I am scheduled to go this weekend."

Naliaki was surprised that Chris had a friend that could get him access to the city archives, that was usually reserved for nobles and higher members of those big organizations and sects. "Wow… you have friends in high places, it would have been hard, even a clan head of an untitled clan would find it difficult to arrange that for you."

"Nah, it's just the first floor pass, not the second floor."

"Even still, not just anyone could procure access to the city archives, there are other archives that they could go to you know... that's by the way, there's an auction coming up on Saturday held by the diamond tooth association. A big mercenary crew led by a grand Mystery had a massive haul, they put treasure up for auction... want to broaden your horizon?"

"Broaden my horizon? Of course Hassel, I wou-- " Chris began in a sweet tone but was quickly cut off by a pissed Naliaki.

"Don't call me that. I would not bear that name for now"

With a raised brow at the statement he was hearing, Chris finished his statement. "Love to broaden my narrow horizons. I just don't have any money to participate."

"I'm going back to sleep, I think I'm done for the day." While leaving, Naliaki said not responding to Chris's attempt at exploiting him. "The auction would be held in the morning of Saturday."

"I'm hopeful, after all you're my benefactor." Chris trailed after him, on his way to the library as was his usual place to be at this time of the day. He felt that no knowledge was a wasted knowledge, so he planned to amass as much knowledge as he could… it may just save him some day. In actual fact, the truth of the matter was that he only chased after knowledge this much because of his missing memories, being a blank slate wasn't a good feeling to experience.

"Hassel Stein from the house fallen storm, I Tenniel Viole challenge you to a balaski."