Beyond?

And regarding the different viewpoints, and spending more time on Azir's point of view... that won't change. We already had dehumanized *evildoers* in this story and I want the Draco brothers to be actual characters, not some evil that has to be crushed without thought.... although Jeremiah turned out to hit a bad fate.

They aren't good, but they are certainly not the pure evil which history taught them to be. If people are saying to me that they are becoming too likeable, then that's telling me that I am doing a good job.

Err... and chapter size is at it is. Sometimes I have more time and sometimes less. The chapter length is reflecting that.

“Newly acquired exhibit:

During the archaeological excavation in a village close to the capital we discovered a metallic object. It's a flat square with a black glass screen which can't be seen through. There are two buttons at the side, but they don't activate it. Seems to be broken. No idea what it is. For now we'll file it away. Maybe the artificers will take a look at it when they are bored.”

-Royal Museum Report 3-23-563

***Free City States of Nict, Capital***

***Azir***

“You shouldn't try too hard to acquire your powers. You are simply a little too young. Give your powers a little more time to mature.” I try to console my children.

Zadkiel and Sariel are facing each other with red faces. Since they have no idea what they can do, they are simply trying to will something to happen. It's funny to watch them as long as they don't wet themselves because of straining their muscles too much.

We are inside my lab where they are spending their time while I am working on a magical circuit.

“But you are already teaching Zana to use her ability!” Zadkiel complains and points out of the window where Zana is playing with Ghost... though its more like she's chasing the warcat... which is ten times as big as her... and still running away from her.

She found out about Ghost's existence only three months ago. That's because I taught the warcat to stay away from family members. It seems like Ghost is something akin to a fluffy pet to her, but the warcat isn't exactly eager to be cuddled like a kitten.

Maybe I should ask my father to give me a kitten or two? Or three, then all of the youngsters can have one. Warcats don't grow very fast, so Zana is exactly at the right age for the warcat to mature when she enters university. I'll give one to her as a present for her next birthday.

“Something is happening!” Zadkiel's voice resounds throughout the room. “Somehow I feel very light headed and relieved? Is that my power? Why is everything swirling? Can I fly now?”

“If that's your power, then I don't want to be your sister.” Sariel answers disturbed.

I hurry and grab Zadkiel, placing him on the table at the opened window. “It's more likely that you overused your mana reserves. Try to puke out of the window if possible!”

“I don't feel so good.” He lies down on the table with his head hanging out of the window. “I didn't know that depleting your mana feels like that.”

“Jeez. We just made a little mind exercise. There is no reason to leak your mana into your surroundings for nothing.” Sariel doesn't show any sympathy for her brother. “I would really like to know which ability I have though.”

“I could try to find out, but I have to enter your mind for it to work.” I offer her.

“Really!?” Sariel gets up and toddles over to where I am sitting at my working desk. “Let's find out! Let's find out!”

“But mind magic isn't exactly pleasant. Are you sure that you want to do this? Don't end up crying afterwards.” So I explain the possibilities of what could go wrong. I know that the kids developed a high tolerance to pain due to their games, but the unpleasantness of mind magic is something completely different.

Sariel answers after a moment of hesitation. “Uhm... let's do it. I am too curious.”

I pick her up and place her on my lap, then I concentrate on her mind and close my eyes. “Try to relax as much as possible.”

A few moments later I locate Sariel's clear signal and start searching through her being. But this time it's not the memories which are interesting to me. Her sensory impressions and her perception of reality are what could give me a clue on her capabilities.

As I get to see the world through her eyes and feel through her senses a shiver runs through me. Sariel sees the world the same way I do when I use my ability to its fullest. But there is more. Even physical matter seems to be just another form of energy to her perception. It's as if the physical world around me is just a conglomeration of foggy objects. Is that how Stella perceives the world when she uses her ability? I have to check with her on that point. The fog and it's density could indicate the type of atoms and their density.

I know that I am totally new at this, but I am too curious and use Sariel's senses to prove my theory. Reaching out for a chair in front of me I imagine manipulating the mana around it to change it's form and density. The wooden chair changes shape and crumbles into a perfect small sphere, turning into metal. The metal ball drops to the ground with a thud and dents the wooden floor.

“Whoa! Daddy? Daddy? Was that you? Is that my ability?” Sariel claps her hands while sitting on my lap. “Daddy? Why aren't you saying anything?” She grabs my cheek and pulls forcefully, twisting it.

I didn't even have to touch the chair. Stella has to touch the objects which she wants to transform. And this new perception of physical objects is also strange. It seems like Sariel had her ability all along. She just can't use it. Or better... she could use it, but doesn't know how to apply the knowledge.

Sariel and Zadkiel can cast spells, but they never questioned what they are seeing since they don't know any other form of perception. If it's like this then they can truly see the origin of magic. With enough training they should be able to interpret every spell in existence. Is that the Emperor's ability? My own vision is very close to that and with enough knowledge it is more than enough to understand a spell. But if Sariel and Zadkiel learn enough scientific and magical knowledge they can truly understand the world as it is!

“Daddy?” “Did he lose his consciousness?” “I don't know, Bro.” “He is just staring at the metal ball.” “Did I break him?”

Zadkiel and Sariel are arguing back and forth when I return my attention to them. “Sorry, Sariel. I was just a little baffled. It seems like you have both Stella's and my ability at the same time.”

“I want to be tested too!” Zadkiel fights for a place on my lap and I put Sariel down to take a look at him. Shortly afterwards I put him down on the floor with the same result. “It's the same.”

“Yay! Come Sariel! We have to tell Zana about it!” Zadkiel climbs out of the window, assisting himself with gravity magic. Sariel follows on his heels. “Yes, I wanted to play with Ghost anyway.”

Ohh... so much power in the hands of children! What should I do? Their perception is already at the master stage from my point of view. Should I tell them how to use their ability properly? Should I tell Stella about it? Getting on my knees I crawl closer to metal sphere on the ground. It seems like I turned the chair into a solid lump of lead.

I roll it under my working desk where I store unneeded remains of earlier projects and get up to find Stella. A quick glance with my ability tells me that she is in her laboratory.

Hurrying to the first floor I let myself into her laboratory without asking for permission and enter her working room. “WAAHAaaaaa...” Screaming in surprise at the monster in Stella's room, I barely stop myself at the last moment from blasting it to pieces with my multi-tool. “Stella? Is that you?”

There is a humanoid, scaly, spiky thing with wings and horns. It looks like a real dragon in miniature size.

“Don't scream like that. I was just testing how far I can go with my ability before losing control.” The thing changes back to a naked Stella and she bends down to pick up a bathrobe. “The only problem is the clothes. Somehow I can't manage to concentrate on them while changing my body to this degree.”

“Don't lose control! Don't change your body!” I call out in shock.

“Hahahaha. Don't worry. That was just the all over the top form. It's not any stronger than my perfected version. I just wanted to test the physical limits of change.” She gestures dismissively with her hand.

Thanks! I would abhor being married to a dragon. “Ah, that's not what I am here about. I tested Sariel and Zadkiel for their abilities since they seemed so upset about not having them while Zana is already using hers.”

“And?” Stella arches an eyebrow.

“It seems like they already have yours and mine! On top of it, it seems like they've already mastered their perception skills. I tapped into Sariel's mind and used her senses to change one of my chairs into a solid lump of lead... from a distance. I didn't even have to touch the damn thing.”

“Really!? What's hindering them from using it then?” Stella pulls at her lower lip.

“Apparently nothing more than their lack of knowledge. They lived their whole lives while seeing mana and solid matter as we do when we activate our abilities. They are accepting the world as they know it and didn't get the idea to manipulate what they are seeing. So far they are only casting spells from their inner mana reserves.” I explain. “Could it be that objects turn into something like cloudy shapes which you can compress and expand when touching them?”

She purses her lips. “I guess you could describe it like that, but it only happens when I infuse my mana into something.”

“Well, Sariel could see the whole room as such shades.” I explain. “I asked myself if I should really teach them how to use this ability. That's on a wholly different level.”

“Where are they right now?” Stella asks and I point at the window. “In the garden, playing with Ghost.”

She walks over to the window and takes a look outside. After a few moments she starts speaking. “I said nothing when you started teaching them magic despite their age. Neither did I say anything when you taught Zana a potentially lethal spell.”

“She was bullied!” I defend myself.

“Come here.” Stella gestures for me to join her at the window. “Does this look to you like they are ready for such a power?”

I walk over to her side and take a look outside. Like always the gardener is doing a good job at keeping the green area around our mansion in top condition.

On the middle of the lawn are Sariel, Zadkiel and Zana with Ghost. The warcat is floating in the air and desperately flailing with his legs, but it's hopeless since he can't touch the ground.

The three kids are dancing in circles around Ghost, neither showing mercy, nor comprehending what they are doing to the warcat's pride. “P... probably it's better for them to stay ignorant of their capabilities for a while longer.” I have to save Ghost. “By the way... how does your perfect form look like, Stella?”

She smiles and concentrates. A moment later she is covered in small, perfectly smooth, shimmering scales like the ones on her tail. Two wings sprout from her back and the nails on her fingertip turn into claws.

“The scales are the toughest known material and I enhanced them with rune magic. This armour is able to reflect almost every spell back to the caster. On top I can fly and the claws on my fingers are poisonous. Plus there are a few other nice benefits to this form.”

I sigh in relief. The change is much less dramatic than the one which I encountered before. “Say... are you able to change yourself like you want now?”

Stella shakes her head. “No. There are still certain limits.”

I shrug my shoulders. “Ah, so it's not possible to... you know... have two tails for example?”

Stella smiles and hugs me. “Oh, you are so dirty!”

.