The clang of steel echoed faintly from the distant forges of the Iron Kingdom.
The heat in the air shimmered, turning the horizon into waves of molten light.
Nazeku stood shirtless in the open clearing behind Varric's estate. The marks of his training were clear, bruises fading to pale scars, muscles carved by discipline, not vanity.
A faint ripple of aura shimmered across his skin, bright and unstable, like heat rising from stone.
Inhale. Focus on the flow. Keep it steady.
He pressed his hands together, letting the energy hum between his palms. It trembled wildly at first, too volatile to hold, too alive to obey.
A soft sigh escaped him.
"Still leaking…"
He clenched his fists. Aura flared again, violent this time, like a spark inside a storm. The thin layer of light spread from his shoulders to his wrists, flickering uncontrollably.
Then it collapsed.
The air went still.
Nazeku dropped to one knee, chest heaving. Sweat trickled down his jaw, soaking into the earth below.
"Tch… I can't keep it stable. Every time I push it outward, it shatters."
The dragon's voice stirred in the depths of his consciousness, calm, heavy, and resonant like a forgotten storm.
> You are forcing it outward as if it were a wall, the Dragon murmured. Aura is not a barrier… it is breath. Let it breathe with you.
Nazeku closed his eyes, slowing his breathing.
Breath, not force…
He inhaled, letting the energy pool in his core, the center of his being. He could feel it swirl like liquid fire, warm and sharp. Then, slowly, he exhaled, letting the energy expand.
This time, it didn't explode.
It flowed.
A faint hum resonated in the air around him, not loud, but steady. A thin, transparent veil began to form over his body, distorting the light like a mirage.
Yes… that's it.
The voice of the dragon rumbled again.
Now, give it shape. Not a shield, an extension of yourself. Like a second skin.
Nazeku focused harder. His aura pulsed outward, an expanding layer that rippled through the grass and stones. Tiny pebbles trembled, dust swirling upward in a slow spiral.
Then came the burn.
The energy clawed at his veins, biting through his focus. His teeth clenched as pain shot through his body — but he didn't stop.
It's not pain… it's control.
Blood trickled down his arm, his aura flaring silver-blue, darkening at the edges like molten glass cooling under pressure.
From afar, Varric watched silently. The warrior's arms were crossed, his expression unreadable.
He's pushing beyond his limit again.
The ground beneath Nazeku cracked as his aura reached full expansion — a perfect armor around his body like a second skin, vibrating faintly like the surface of disturbed water.
Nazeku's eyes opened, and for a fleeting second, HIs left pupil slit crimson, the faint trace of draconic power leaking through his control.
The aura flared — then snapped inward, vanishing like a gust of wind.
Nazeku collapsed onto his knees, coughing hard. Steam rose from his body.
"Hah… hah… finally…"
Varric walked closer, looking down at the crater beneath Nazeku's feet.
"You managed to form a full external armor… at Bronze 2? "
Nazeku gave a weak grin.
"Guess I'm a quick learner."
"Quick learners die young if they don't rest."
Nazeku laughed under his breath.
"You sound like someone who did this once."
Varric smirked.
"I did. Once. It took me three months."
Nazeku blinked up at him, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Then… I'm faster."
"Cocky brat," Varric muttered, but there was no anger in his tone, only quiet admiration
That evening, Nazeku sat at the edge of the cliff overlooking towards the glowing Iron city. The night wind was cool, brushing through his hair.
He held his hand out, focusing, and a faint shimmer of aura expanded from his skin, wrapping around his arm like a glove of living energy.
It pulsed faintly with his heartbeat, stable now. Controlled.
A faint rumble echoed in his mind, the dragon's voice, approving yet distant.
You are learning what it means to wield your own strength. Remember this feeling. The flow between life and power, that is your foundation.
Nazeku smirked faintly.
"Yeah… foundation, huh?"
He flexed his hand, watching the light fade.
"Then I'll build something they've never seen before."
The wind carried the faint scent of iron and fire, the scent of the path ahead.