"Whatcha eatin'?" Sandy came up behind Ares, wrapped her arms around him, and leant on his shoulder as she spied the food goods she heard him chomping on. "... Is that what I think it is?" Sandy's eyes narrowed but she wasn't as disgusted by the stepper arm as Aejaz was at least.
"Mhm. Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are but these things aren't just edible, they taste real good. I was going to stockpile some before leaving Xasca, actually, it's worth rounding up steppers and farming their limbs."
"They're worth the hassle?... Ah screw it, let me try too." Ares handed her an arm and she bit into it without any hesitation. She shut her eyes and savoured the taste as one of her eyebrows raised in pleasant surprise. "Holy crap... They're actually pretty sweet... You could sell this as a local delicacy for sure. Damn, I would have been eating them all these years if I'd known better... It's a shame we're leaving Xasca behind because I don't know if steppers exist in the wider world. Here's hoping Sevorus created more or something, I guess. Wouldn't wanna miss out on this flavour forever after we're gone."
"You two are actually crazy and I want no part in this!" Aejaz backed up another step with a sickened expression as he wagged his finger at the deluded couple. "Also, since when did you two get this close? Ah whatever, I don't care! Ten wives or a hundred, you do you..."
"By the way..." Sandy finished eating the stepper arm and turned her face towards Ares'. "... Why wasn't the arm invisible?"
Ares shrugged. "Apparently steppers have invisibility cores."
"Really?... I don't think so." Sandy shook her head. " That doesn't sound right. Though we've never seen their true body, the fellahin have dismantled a good many steppers before. I feel like we would have found such a thing at least once in all these years. I think its more likely this stepper specifically had a core because it was touching upon the weaponised core realm somehow."
"It hadn't even finished the transition realm though. It wasn't even at the peak..." Ares looked pensive. "Unless in all its time stalking the black market it stole a rare treasure that enabled it to develop a partial core or something similar... That would make sense, actually. It becoming visible was just a backlash from having its core destroyed."
"Weaponised core realm... You mentioned that a long time ago when we were kids..." Aejaz thought back and remembered the conversation. He still liked the sound of it, because it sounded cool to him, but learning you could have backlashes from a destroyed core was worrisome for a coward like him. Ares wasn't even in bloodline awakening yet but Aejaz was nearing the transition realm and cultivating at blistering speed so he was getting ever closer to the weaponised core realm.
Ares understood his apprehension and shook his head. "It's really not too big a deal. Weaponised cores are pretty simple once they've been created as they only really exist in one of three states. Passively active, in which case they just make you stronger in some way depending on the type of core. Active, in which case you're using it in an art to attack a person. Or destroyed, in which case the owner will suffer some manner of painful or inconvenient repercussion. Cores will come back on their own after a while once they've been destroyed or lost, and you can't usually die from losing it, so it's not that bad. They're tough and resilient too so you can be quite rough with them... Although you really shouldn't as there's no benefit to such a thing. As long as you keep it inside you it will be no different to any other organ so having one is a net positive overall, just be careful with when and where you expose it to attack with."
Sandy nodded in agreeance. "In the clan we have records of an ancestor fellahin who broke his core during an accident in training. He was sparring with a friend and attempted to use his weaponised core art but a nearby monster sniped it as he summoned it. The fellahin turned into a puddle of sand for a week straight before he recovered in full form. Of course his friend killed the monster and saved him, storing the fellahin sand in a jar until the core reforged and he could be let out, but it's a good cautionary tale. Every peak transition realm fellahin that leaves the clan to continue their cultivation journey in Vraizon is told it for their own safety. Ours is a pretty rough backlash for losing our sand cores but most are relatively harmless in comparison. Again, it depends on your race and the type of core, amongst a few other small factors. Most humans have relatively simple cores so I doubt you need to be too concerned about the drawbacks of yours getting broken."
"Ah." Aejaz seemed a bit more accepting of the idea of forming a core, now that he knew more, but he was still going to need to come to terms with it due to his extremely cautious nature. Then again he'd probably forget all about it by the time he actually reached the realm and just go back to being hyped up over the existence of a cool new weapon he could play with. "Oh! Shoot! The Prowler... Ares I..."
"Save it..." Ares raised the Prowler and waggled it in front of his brother. "I resummoned it for the fight with the stepper. Relax."
"Phew... Thank God." Aejaz was genuinely relieved down to his soul. No bullying from Ares, as payback, was necessary. "... So what exactly happened yesterday then? Whatever it was you covered the city in it wasn't the usual pressure stuff. If you're gonna be spooking me in the dead of the night with all these crazy auras the least you can do is tell me about them in advance so I don't keep crapping myself!"
"Ha, well this time it is literally an aura."
"You have an aura?!" Sandy was shocked because she was somewhat in the know thanks to her clan's extensive records passed down like sacred texts. None of her ancestors ever developed an aura but they were aware of them and noted down some loose descriptions about them based on what little they knew from second hand experience. The fact that they were so rare not a single powerhouse in her entire clan's history had ever earned one made it pretty clear Ares' coming into possession of one was a miraculous occurrence. "Dang. That's impressive. I'm jealous. What aura is it anyway?"
"War!" Dominus sprouted out from Ares' chest as a little blood blob and joined in because this was his time to shine. He knew a good deal about auras, more than anyone else here, so he found a perfect opportunity to talk everyone's ear off and ran with it. "Auras are a pretty simple subject but it can get kinda complicated depending on the type of aura. Let me start from the beginning though just ot make sure we're all on the same page, yeah?" This was much appreciated because Ares and Sandy had only heard about auras indirectly from ancient records and old books whereas Aejaz knew nothing about them at all. "Ok, so first up, a standard aura is like a kind of presence. If you've ever come across real tough cookie, you've probably seen or felt an aura around them before. Everyone in the world can develop a standard aura bar none. There are no exceptions, it can be accomplished by just being strong or imposing enough and training yourself to be assertive.
Killing a lot of people will give you a slightly murderous aura, being kind might give you a more benevolent aura, etc... A standard aura does little other than give you presence. It can suffocate people, make them feel warm and welcome, or anything between. They don't do anything else, though, but that's where most people sit as not everybody can get a special aura. Gods also, by default, have an aura. Ares, you've come across Astraeus and Terros, right? You know how they made you feel the first time you came across them? All Gods do that. They all have an aura tailored around their specialty / element that gives them a very unique presence that can't be matched by any non-Godly being. It's still just a regular aura usually, though, and won't actually do anything to you for the most part. All Gods will have this sort of Godly aura regardless of whether they have a standard or special aura, it's just an added extra effect on top of what they already have like bells and whistles to signify they're great beings. The aesthetic perks of being a deity, basically. One day, when you apotheosise, your war aura will have a hint of destruction God in there too so you can look forward to that kind of oppressive atmosphere becoming yours to wield freely if you care.
Anyway, moving on. Special auras. The aura of madness, the aura of fear, and the aura of mastery are all examples of special auras that come with bonuses that standard auras do not have. I can leave mastery aura wherever I strike so long as I do so in 'perfect' form, setting up a sharp trap in the air that eviscerates anyone who touches it. That might not sound impressive but when you're half as talented as I am, and can slice through entire domains with enough effort, it becomes pretty scary to fight against as I can leave impenetrable walls of lingering weapon mastery the size of planets with every attack. Of course there are other things I can do with the mastery aura but there's no real point in discussing it because everyone's approach to aura is radically different. Special auras are based off of comprehension and my comprehension of weapon mastery is drastically different to anybody else's. Another exemplar's aura of mastery might summon millions of weapons form the sky or melt down opposing weapons and make them unusable. The former may think the pinnacle of mastery is to overwhelm an opponent whereas the latter may believe the pinnacle of mastery is simply to deny others their own skill so that they cannot compete with you. Even the difference between viewing yourself as the strongest, or everyone else as weaker than you, will reflect in the way your aura comes alive and from there it evolves on its own as you do.
Auras have multiple abilities and it's really impossible for me to list them because its like a complex art unique to the individual that cannot be copied by anyone else even if they share the same foundation. Sure some special aura wielders may have similarities with one another, those flags of yours, Ares, aren't necessarily new, and quite infamous if anything, but the way they operate and the purpose they serve changes from wielder to wielder. Special auras do have backlashes, though, so you need to be careful about that. In my case, with the aura of mastery, if I activate it carelessly, I get punished any time a strike of mine is 'subpar' or 'imperfect'. If the actual attack I launch does not live up to result I envisioned of it then my hands will shake, the attack will falter, and I will suffer some pain in my wrist. The severity of this can vary depending on the power of the attack but it's worth the risk usually as it naturally makes the attack stronger if I get it right. In your case, if you fight an opponent who isn't worth your aura's time, Ares, you'll receive a backlash. That might not sound too bad but it means you can't really grandstand with the full might of your aura or threaten people with it without actually picking a fight. For what it's worth, if you reach a degree of mastery with your aura, and train it religiously, I've heard tales of people being able to prevent and negate their backlashes entirely... I've never met such a person but I wouldn't doubt it, anything's possible. I've never really trained my aura, though, so I wouldn't know the first thing about developing it to that degree. Still, developing a special aura is pretty straightforward and something that should be obvious to the owner of said aura. In my case I just needed to get more proficient with weapons. Simple, right? In your case, I'm guessing you just need to win fights. The larger the scale of the skirmish, and the more outnumbered or outclassed you are, the more you'll improve your aura when you emerge victorious. There's a reason all your predecessors kept randomly throwing themselves into wars that had noting to do with them and that's probably the cause of it all if I were to hazard a guess.
Ah but your aura is different from other special auras. You see there are ten 'unique' auras that can only exist in one individual at a time and are never shared. Yes, they're quite similar to unique pillars, or the fundamentals, so I guess you could call them fundamental auras if you really wanted to? Anyway, these ten auras are considered the strongest auras of them all and overshadow the others but the chances of wielding one are slim to none due to their scarcity. It's said that if a unique aura is up for grabs, and you're eligible but aren't picked, you'll never get a chance again. If you live through one of these auras being picked once, you might as well give up all hope of ever developing a unique aura in the future even if it becomes available again as you aren't a candidate any longer. These auras have incredibly strict requirements to own and develop and, without fail, every single wielder of a unique aura becomes a feared being no matter who they were previously. Auras are no joke when they get up there in terms of strength and the unique ones, especially, are incredibly dangerous. Imagine an extremely strong art, permanently active and even fighting by your side all on its own as well as offering you abundant options to come out on top of every situation. Auras don't take mana, they evolve as you do so require no time to train at the bare minimum, and can only really be stopped or stifled by other auras. Being an expert in aura is not the same as being an expert in pressure but both are pretty important abilities the top cultivators all strive to perfect. Aura is more useful in combat, typically, whereas pressure has a lot of other uses; that's generally how it's seen in the upper domains. Naturally down here you haven't had many opportunities to use pressure for anything other than fighting but that will change as it becomes an excellent puzzle solver in a variety of different situations. Combined with your Omniscience means you'll getting into a lot of places you really shouldn't be able to thanks to your pressure. Of course there's also annihilation pressure, telekinesis, and annihilation enhancement and those three techniques will never be anything less than incredible so its a bit different for you. Pressure is more niche compared to aura but it's well respected all the same so don't give up training in it just because you have an aura now. That's like throwing away twenty gold nuggets for a single gold bar. Both valuable for the same reason but different products entirely.
I'm getting sidetracked. Your war aura is very special in the same way the destruction pillar is special even amongst other fundamental pillars. Both were designed with combat supremacy in mind so, in a fight at least, you couldn't ask for a better aura. Its quite literally as good as it gets. You won't be able to use it to the same extent as last night for a good while, so don't even think about it as that was more of a demonstration if anything, but you ought to still be able to pull the aura out a little now. You can use it a low strength without suffering backlash, it's only if you go overboard and all out that you'll need to meet its demands or pay a price. You should instinctively feel that barrier locking away your restricted power when you summon your aura so just don't tap into it unless you absolutely have to. Other than that, you're free to play around with the aura and experiment with the ways you can control it. If I were you, I'd use it in basically every fight from here on out until you become proficient with it. It's more important than practicing the scythe anyway, even if you are a reaper candidate, I think... That about covers everything as far as I can remember... I might be missing some smaller details but there shouldn't be anything you can't figure out yourself with the information I've given you. Feel free to ask, though, if there's anything you want to know. I'm not an aura expert but I know the basics and intermediate level stuff at least."
Ares tapped his finger against his chin a few times as he went over all the information, "Can you have multiple auras?"
"No. It's never happened before... Though I guess saying such a thing to you, of all people, means nothing but I really don't think this is the kinda universal law you'll be able to just ignore even if you are a fundamental champion. Speaking of which, the other fundamental champions could very well get unique auras too. It wouldn't surprise me, honestly. Not at this point. They might also not get them, though, as auras are not so easily handed out and you really can't force them no matter how much fate pampers you. It is strictly a coincidence you got the aura of war, it has nothing to do with your fundamental champion status or Garmr... Of all the many billions of people in the universe, it just had to be you who got it?... Kid, never call yourself unlucky again or I'll personally make it my life's mission to find a way to beat you up..."
"Point taken..." Ares gave a wry smile before turning to Aejaz. "Can you do me a favour and go call over Rox and Lara? Now that Rox doesn't need to dupe Diggers anymore he can ride around in the Blade some more. A reward is long overdue to for all the effort he's put in as of late."
"Do I get a reward?" Aejaz moaned as he already knew the answer before he even asked.
"No. Besides, it's not that kind of reward. You wouldn't want what I'm offering even I let you have it... The only reward I can really offer you is more training... And he's gone..." Ares watched on as Aejaz turned invisible and began Shifting away at Mach ten. Though Ares looked somewhat spry it was clear to anyone who knew him well enough that he was tired and in no condition to go anywhere today so, long story short, Aejaz had a day off. The last thing he wanted to do on a day off was train! He was running away to go hide in the Oasis sect and follow his brother's request. Ares turned to Sandy who was standing around and seemingly expectant. "You wanna see the aura?" She nodded and took a seat on the sand but Ares could tell there was something else she wanted... "... And breakfast?" Sandy's nod was a lot more spirited this time and a brilliant smile reminded Ares that she was a glutton first and foremost above all else. "Ok, well let's wait for Lara to get here and then us four can have a meal before I practice."
"Four?" Sandy only counted herself, Ares, and Lara. Ares could have been referring to Rox but he didn't mention him so she assumed he wasn't part of the equation.
"Yeah... Right, you don't know about Arla..."
"Arla? What happened to her?!" Sandy looked worried but she managed to maintain her calm. If Ares was insinuating she was well enough to eat then she must still be alive... But he didn't look too happy about whatever it was he remembering from presumably yesterday night. Sandy didn't like the way Ares sighed with a frown but he sent over a small ball of light filled with memories of his fight with the stepper that cleared things up. Sandy's eyes were red and her nails scraped through the sand when she was forced to come to terms with the gruesome deaths of her clansmen. She cared deeply about the hunters so for them to have met such a fate... The one solace here was that Arla was still alive and for that she was eternally grateful to Ares for what he had to go through to make sure she lived. In hindsight, him eating the stepper arm wasn't so 'innocent' anymore and a lot had happened regarding his stance on the 'food' for things to get to this point. She was still speechless, though, so she just got up and hugged him silently in appreciation for doing the best he could given the circumstances.
"... I'm sorry. I know you don't blame me but I still feel like it's at least somewhat my fault. Worse still, I couldn't even save the hunters' bodies and had to blow them up with my magic in order to defend myself... It's shameful but I was too weak to save anyone other than Arla in the heat of the moment so, for that, I'm deeply sorry." Sandy shook her head on his chest and he knew what she wanted to say without her having to say it. She was definitely not angry with him in the slightest and just relieved that Arla was still in one piece. It wasn't much but it was the best she could possibly ask for given the situation and her childhood friend living was a relief. Ares had done all he could and saved everyone that was alive when he arrived, his own performance couldn't have possibly been better. On the flipside, Sandy blamed herself too. She stayed with Ares because of a selfish desire to hang around with him and have fun. If she'd gone with Arla back to the base, though she wouldn't have been able to beat the stepper necessarily, the number of casualties would have been far lower and many would have been able to flee safely. Losing those hunters... was a terrible and grim revelation that had put her in a miserable mood. Everything seemed to be going perfect up until now. She'd confessed to Ares, her shackling duties were coming to an end in this place, and Ares returning meant the stepper haunting Xasca was dead... But not everything had gone as was planned and this would gnaw away at her happiness for a while. She'd get over it, lamenting this eternally was silly and she knew it, but for the next few days she would be a bit more mournful and despondent than usual as she came to terms with it all. She knew that and couldn't avoid it but Ares didn't expect her to either as she could take this time to grieve properly. The hunters weren't exactly her 'close friends' but they were the closest thing she had to compatriots aside from Bala and Arla and she'd worked with them often enough to care.
Lara and Rox eventually arrived and the latter was placed inside the Blade, where he was promised he would find his reward waiting for him with open arms, and the former was brought inside the caravan alongside Sandy. Arla was eventually fished out of the Blade and woken up by her sister and then Ares once more shared memories so that everyone was caught up. The atmosphere was understandable somber for a while, and Ares felt even more guilty because now both Arla and Sandy were thankful to him even though he hadn't done as much as he wanted to, but things calmed down somewhat when Ares brought out food. Everyone dug in and took their minds off yesterday night thanks to the pleasant meal. Ares wasn't sure if offering the limbs of the stepper would make Arla or Sandy feel better or worse but he assumed the latter so he held onto them and didn't bring out the forbidden goods... He was still considering making a desert out of them, though, and sending it to Enyo and Bellona... He'd let them know about it in the next letter he sent them and see if they were interested. At the end of the day, creepy though steppers were, this was hardly any different than eating wild animal or monster meat. Orcs were eaten frequently and bumblesharks made some of the sweetest honey around, eating a stepper wasn't really too farfetched at all when viewed through this lens.