I was stunned at his question, to say the least. There was so much more to the realm of mana manipulation that I simply didn't understand, but after having experienced and gained access to the second stage, I wanted more. I needed to know more.
"I didn't even know that was possible," I said plaintively, trying to hide my evident excitement. "Get into your second stage, and I'll help filter the mana for your augmented vision. If done correctly, you should be able to vaguely see what they're doing in the Ethereal overlapped here in the Real," he said quietly.
I nodded my head and closed my eyes, drawing my own mana from the Ethereal realm, before letting him know I was ready. He saw the mana leakage from my eyes beneath my mask and smiled. "You little monster," he said lightly before putting his hand on my head. I felt his mana surge through my eyes and body to an incredible depiction of what was happening.
I could see Anwill drawing a vast amount of mana, returning a part of his consciousness to infuse the hand that clasped Roburn's. Roburn raised his left hand, and the other that held Anwill's in the Real, completing the connection between them.
Roburn began to forcefully pull on the mana from the Real and send it back into the Ethereal, forming its own, secondary sphere before him. Anwill's consciousness began to be forcefully pulled through the channel Roburn created, and he spat himself out in the Ethereal with Roburn.
"It worked!" Roburn exclaimed. "Yes, it did, but do not lose focus. We need to activate the stone," Anwill said as the pair stretched out their arms, pulling vast amounts of mana.
Anwill condensed the mana to his core, holding it there as compactly as possible. The mana became so bright and dense that it created a mirrored version in the Real. Anwill glanced at Roburn, gave him a nod to sever the connection, and aimed the hyper-dense mana at the large stone.
Bernar immediately undid the spell on my eyes, since it was no longer needed, while I could only watch in awe at Anwill's struggle with the quantity of mana he'd just drawn.
How the hell is he even controlling that much? I thought, feeling my heart begin to race.
"Hera fi Arwydus karuwa," he said through gritted teeth, commanding the mana to do his bidding. The command pulsed out from his core, rapidly enveloping the large runestone in a golden coat of raw mana. The rune in the center began to turn slowly, like it were kicking off the rust and grime of bygone ages.
"Hera fi Arwydus karuwa!" Anwill said again, thrusting another burst of mana into the stone as it spun more quickly in response.
"HERA FI ARWYDUS KARUWA!" he shouted, commanding the mana with as much willpower as he could muster. The spinning rune finally gave in to his command and spun at full speed to the point where the symbol of the rune became one, solid figure.
"You have heard me thrice, O mark of bygone ages. Seethe with my will, and heed my command: Open," he said, his voice imbued with mana. A bright burst of mana suddenly exploded from the stone, nearly knocking Roburn off his feet.
Thorsen quickly stepped in and caught him before he fell, avoiding contact with any bare skin that was showing. Roburn's eyes were still glowing as they had been over time, and sweat began to drip from his brow.
"Hold on just a little longer," Thorsen whispered. We all stood around them, observing the largest display of mana any of us, not including the Master, had ever seen. The swirling mana around the stone glowed brightly, illuminating the dark area that we were in, nearly voiding the need for the masks. Suddenly, a single figure appeared and passed through the open portal.
"Anwill?" the figure asked, though the others could not see his face while Anwill desperately struggled to keep the portal open. "I've summoned you to help us face those who would try to destroy this world. I deeply apologize for the abruptness, but I cannot hold this much longer," he said.
The figure slightly tilted his head and stretched his hand outward behind him, holding the portal stable with only one hand and minimal effort. "What, and I cannot stress this enough, the fuck?" I quietly said to my brother. "Just wait and see, little brother," Bernar replied, watching Anwill nearly collapse to the floor with exhaustion.
Roburn, on the other hand, remained unconscious in Thorsen's arms. "Make sure he wakes up and gets some food in him. He's going to need it," Anwill said through clenched teeth.
The strange figure's silhouette briefly glanced around the surrounding area, then turned back to face Anwill. "It's been a long time since anyone has used this stone. What are you facing, and how many are there?" the figure asked bluntly. "We've surmised there are about ten thousand of all manner of creatures, though our numbers might be off," the Master said.
"If what you say is true, then this situation is not favorable for the ones you have here," the figure said after pausing to consider something no one knew. "It's worse; we believe they're going after the Gwynnleaf," Anwill grunted.
The figure nodded and cast a spell to hold the portal open in his place as he walked back through it. Not a single soul present could even imagine how powerful this person was, let alone what other forms of mana manipulation he might know.
The figure reappeared with a small army that filled the space behind him. He closed his hand as the portal shut down behind him. Roburn's eyes finally returned to normal, and he panted heavily in Thorsen's arms. "We've done it," Thorsen said comfortingly. "Thank fuck," Roburn coughed.
The area grew dark once more as the figure approached Anwill. His features could be seen through the masks' enhancements, which were similar to Anwill's. His ears held the same, ringed earrings, and his large, green eyes glowed in the dark. His armor was thick, and intricate engravings were set in an unknown metal, as was the gently curved sword at his side.
The figure's cloak nearly reached his ankles, secured by two brooches holding viper-like eyes engraved in amethyst and wrapped in pure silver. "Do not fret, children of men, for we mean you no harm," the figure said calmly. The few hundred elves behind him were all clad in the same armor, save for the cape.
Male and female elves composed the army, although due to their fine features, it was difficult to tell which was which. Even their eyes glowed the same yellow as their leader's, though the two by his side stood out, with one having gray eyes and the other a pair of deep scarlet.
"What is your name?" Roburn asked weakly, noticing no one else dared to speak in that moment. "I am called Nenvalur Aralamin of the Arwydus, and I bring with me the aid you and Anwill have sought," the elf replied, gesturing to the ones behind him. "I am at your service," Nenvalur bowed as Thorsen shook his head, trying to wake himself from what he thought to be a dream.
Does he know who Anwill is? That must mean he also knows who the Master is, but why hasn't he said anything? I wondered, noticing the one with scarlet eyes stared at me intensely.
I couldn't figure out why he was staring at me, though my only guess was that I looked like someone he either knew or recognized.