Xaryus didn't have much of a chance to look at the personal analysis the string of words in front of him had provided.
He was more interested in reading what a newly awakened individual was supposed to do after awakening.
Almost as if sensing his disinterest, the glowing words had vanished from his sight.
Now seated at the table in the middle of the shack, Xaryus was flipping through the book to find any useful information.
With every minute movement he could sense a strange energy that flowed within him, but it didn't feel foreign to him.
It felt like it had always been there, he was just never able to perceive it.
Xaryus also noticed a faint energy similar to the one inside his body all around him.
As his hands moved in the air to flip through the pages of the book he could feel the energy move across his body, almost embracing him.
However, its embrace was short-lived.
Before Xaryus could find any information on the necessary steps after awakening, he looked over to Zadius in an attempt to get him to come closer.
The crickets and faint sounds that ran through the clearing around the shack had eerily gone quiet, but Xaryus didn't notice.
"Get over he-" Xaryus' words were cut short.
Zadius' expression was illuminated by the beautiful moonlight, yet his features were twisted in pure horror.
All his attention was focused towards the front door.
Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, Xaryus slowly turned towards the front of the shack.
Standing in the door frame was a tall figure back-lit by the bright moonlight.
Through the darkness, Xaryus recognised the man's long coat.
Andrew's sudden appearance shook Xaryus to his very core, maybe it was his ragged and heavy breaths or the fact that he couldn't see Andrew's face against the stark moonlight.
However, Xaryus would have regretted seeing his face.
Zadius was sure of it because he could see his face in all its mad glory.
It seemed that Zadius' [Kin of Shadows] ability had granted him some level of dark vision, letting him see Andrew with clarity.
Andrew's chest was quickly rising and falling as if he had rushed to the edge of the clearing with all his might and a disgustingly wide smile was stretched across his face.
One so wide it pressed his eyes together yet Zadius could still see the pervertedly satisfied look resting in each of his delighted eyes.
"Hello, my dear awakened!" He exclaimed in utter joy.
Andrew's voice echoed through the shack like a debilitating wave.
Frozen, neither Xaryus nor Zadius had the will to move under Andrew's frightful presence.
Only when Andrew took a step within their home did they act.
Feeling their backs against the wall, they had both decided to fight instead of flee. Using the knowledge their father had left them, they moved in strange unison.
Andrew looked at their movements like a teacher observing their students.
He was weirdly impressed.
In a moment, fueled by the strange power running through his body, Xaryus grabbed the table at the center of the shack and swung it through the air towards Andrew.
For a moment Andrew's gaze fell on the book that was now flying through the air with the table, but he couldn't help but keep his eyes on Xaryus and Zadius.
He wanted to see how they were going to act when their back was against the wall.
Swatting the table to the side, Andrew's gaze had already fallen on Zadius who was trying to get into his blind spot.
Feeling his cold stare, Zadius pushed through the feeling to collapse in fear.
He swung his fist towards the side of Andrew's knee, in an attempt to bring the man down to the ground.
As his hand arced through the air, both Andrew and Zadius were surprised. The force behind Zadius' blow was monstrous, even by the standards of newly awakened.
"The shadows are strengthening me!?" Zadius thought, feeling the once-reluctant shadows embrace him.
Subtly moving his feet backward, Andrew avoided Zadius' empowered blow.
"A spite attuned to the shadows perhaps?" Andrews' words echoed again.
This time it was followed up with controlled carnage. In a single motion he grasped the back of Zadius' shirt whilst keeping a close eye on Xaryus; who was quickly entering the fray.
But before the younger of the two could reach him, Andrew slammed Zadius down and through the old wooden floors of the shack.
Knocking him unconscious.
"Now it's your tur-"
Not allowing Andrew to speak, Xaryus erupted in a rage.
"You bastard!"
Xaryus' blood came to a boil in an instant.
He hated to see harm come upon his brother, he hated it so much that he no longer felt fear towards Andrew.
As he approached him, Xaryus was glad that Andrew did not feel an ounce of danger when confronting them.
Then, almost unconsciously, Xaryus felt a change in the animus that flowed through his body.
Animus flowed all throughout an awakened's body but the majority was centered in their core; A spiritual organ of sorts, one that cannot be accessed through 'physical' or 'mundane' means.
And that was where he felt the change-some of the animus stored in his core was…
…Consumed.
The moment that it did, both Andrew and Xaryus had felt a sudden shift.
Andrew's eyes widened in shock.
Xaryus had made a connection with Law, the medium through which awakened used their abilities.
However, newly awakened individuals did not possess the ability to manipulate their animus or the affinity to make such a connection.
Stigma Trait: [Arcane Medium]
Trait Description: Law and animus have only had a handful of children that they favoured highly. You are now the last of their kin and they treat you as such.
Xaryus felt a warm embrace encompass his body as a bright light began to shine beneath his skin.
Then, his body erupted in a bright light, bright enough to be seen from atop the walls of Rosa.
He had successfully used his [Illuminate] ability.
Spite Ability: [Illuminate]
Ability Description: You are a bright star and you're capable of shining like one.
As the bright light receded, Xaryus had already reached his target.
Not giving Andrew a moment of rest, Xaryus sunk his fists into Andrew's abdomen before reeling back and slamming a left hook into his liver.
His blows were heavier than they were ever before, but they weren't enough.
"That actually hurt a little bit…" Andrew said with a strained smile.
However, unable to contain himself anymore, he erupted.
"... You little shit!" Andrew roared as he slammed his leg into Xaryus' side, dropping his facade for a moment.
The blow reverberated through Xaryus' body, sending him through the brittle wall of the shack and skipping across the small clearing.
Only after he bounced off the ground for the third time did he lose consciousness.
Back in the shack, Andrew looked on at the results of their small battle.
They had put up more of a fight than he had imagined.
"Good… You're gonna at least need some grit for what's ahead" he said to himself as he reached down to grab Zadius' motionless body.