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Grandmother Milana was not aware of Max's thoughts. She continued with her story, "It might be because you are a high-rank light magus that you survived the spell the demon used on you, but since we do not know what exactly it was, we decided to ask help from Verdi. I suppose you remember her?"
His grandmother's question woke Max from his reverie, "Yes, I remember." Max answered while reminiscing the first elf woman he has seen in this world. She was a breath-taking beautiful lady, it threw his expectations over the roof. He thought that every other elf he would see would be the same otherworldly existence as Verdi but he was gravely mistaken.
She was different. She had a special aura that surrounded her body. Max could not feel the same special feeling with the other elves that he has encountered so he decided to ask his grandmother, "Grandmother is Verdi different from other elves?"
Milana looked at Max with squinting eyes wondering what her grandson means by different.
Max seeing his grandmother's expression, he became puzzled after which he realized that his grandmother might have misunderstood his words. "She feels different compared to other elves. She seems to be giving off a different aura. I have not seen any other elf with the same kind of ability. I do not know how to explain it myself because I had met her once but her presence had left a huge impact." Max wondered if he was able to explain into words what he means as he looked at his grandmother.
Milana nodded once she hears Max's explanation. Although it may have sounded vague, what he felt cannot be perceived by normal individuals. One must have a high sensitivity to mana in the environment, to be able to perceive Verdi's aura. If Max was asking her if Verdi is special, then she cannot deny that fact.
"Verdi is special as she is a high elf. High elves are the epitome of what a perfect elf would be. The tree of life has accepted their existence and shares their aura as a form of blessing. It means they are connected with the tree of life. I believe you understand how important and mystical the tree of life is."
Max nodded his head.
Watching Max's action, Milana continued, "Most people believe that high elves are born as one but that is far from the truth. Their existence changes once they are given the blessing from the tree of life. The tree of life picks them because of their attributes and ability to perceive mana. Mainly, their body should be able to absorb the blessing the tree of life offers in order to become a high elf."
Milana gazed at her grandson with a smile while saying, "I hope that answers your question as to why she is special. However Max, why do you feel that she is special? Are you also able to perceive the same mana the tree of life provided them? Did your body feel a resonance with her aura?"
Max tried to recall his encounter with Verdi, in fact, it was not hard as he still remembers her slight movements and gesture which made him follow her movements with his eyes. It felt like it was yesterday that he had met her. That was how big the impact Verdi left on him but he never thought it was a resonance with her aura. Now that his grandmother asked him, he did feel that there was something in Verdi that was somewhat beckoning his consciousness.
His consciousness…
That was it. Deep down inside something was calling from the very depths of his soul as if asking him, beckoning him to do something. Max faced his grandmother and explained what he had felt at the time. Milana gave a knowing smile and did not ask more from Max instead she said, "You will find out more about it. Verdi should be able to explain it to you more clearly."
"What is more important now is to figure out what the demon did to you. Demon's from different planes are scary existence as they have their own incantations, systems and spells. It is shrouded in mystery, even with all the books we have collected through the passage of time."
Max nodded his head, he agreed on this matter.
"For now, I want you to help the infirmary by healing the wounded soldiers. Train the other light magicians if you will. I know you have not interacted with other mages but your level is far superior compared to them. But remember to use spells because it is not known that you have a familiar spirit." Milana gave this as her last piece of advice before letting Max go to the infirmary.
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Three days have passed and the tension between the human soldiers and the demons are in an all-time high. They continue to move forward little by little and started to organize their ranks as more demons appear. Their movements became brazen as they started to taunt the soldiers in the fortress.
However, his grandfather did not want to attack outside of the fortress because of the recent reports by their scouts. More demons are arriving at the southeast side from their location. The numbers are now close to 30,000 while the soldiers in the fortress are totaled at merely 15,000 soldiers.
Naturally, the humans took it upon themselves to prepare the magic canons and barriers to work at any moment. Other artilleries are prepared while prompting the soldiers to be prepared for battle at any time.
Milana visited Max frequently to teach him the original magic she created. Max had been ardent in finding out how she was able to create it. She was proud of her own creation and willingly shared the fine points in order to cast the spell.
Little by little, Max was able to grasp the magic construct but he needs more time to be able to cast it properly which made him work harder.
...
The infirmary has accepted Max's existence.
At first, they were prejudiced as they thought he was a pampered young master from a noble family. However, they saw Max was not slacking with work in the infirmary. The past 2 days the infirmary had been busier as they had to move and prepare anything that might seem necessary. They were few in numbers and there were some heavy lifting to be done. Most of the light mages who have frail constitutions could be seen having a hard time but Max took it upon himself to finish and move everything to take up the slack. They felt apologetic with their actions after which they started conversing with Max.
They soon found out that his understanding of light magic was profound and his mana reserves were huge. Looking at how young Max was, they could see his limitless potential as he grows further as a mage. They were very curious about how this young mage developed his magic when he was younger, so they asked him a lot of questions. Max shared how he learned from his mother while his grandmother would send him books. However, he did not share his training with his Master as that was training for aura and body control.
Max and his fellow light mages started exchanging conversations and knowledge while they were not busy in the infirmary. The other light mages learned that Max's way is different from theirs. He was able to alter the incantation but still manage to produce a stronger effect for the spell which made them curious.
The usual way in incantations and spells were to follow it word for word in order to have the best results. It is written in the books that they have read and from the lessons at the school of magic they attended. They wondered if it was a matter of talent or if he was not restricted with his learning process since he was given free reign by his mother and grandmother to learn on his own.
Although the people were curious and wanted to ask more questions, the sudden noise from outside the fortress made everyone stop what they were doing. It was not the regular sound of bugles for the war but the noise from the people outside was loud to reach the far ends of the infirmary which made them curious. They all hurriedly went to the doors to take a glimpse of the reason behind all the fanfare.
Max thought differently and climbed at a tall tree near the infirmary. He looked at the people at the infirmary, seeing everyone was busy. He leaped with mana imbued on his feet, and with a couple of steps, he reached the highest peak. From there he could finally see what was happening.
In the middle of a sea of people, there stood a lone figure covered in a green cloak. The soldiers used their shields as they gathered in formation to lock the figure inside the barricade. Max did not see what happened from the beginning, but he assumed the person suddenly appeared in the middle of the grounds without any sign.
Max's eyes glittered in expectation.
Teleportation!
Someone was able to teleport within the fortress even with all of the barriers installed. How high must his magic be to be able to infiltrate by using his pure magic power alone.
The person in the cloak kept still, he did not look hostile as he waited in the middle of the soldier's formation. The soldiers did not move from their spot as if awaiting orders from their officers.
It did not take long for his grandmother to arrive and commanded the soldiers to disperse. The soldiers did not question her orders and gave her a salute as they left in order.
Her grandmother welcomed the stranger with a welcoming smile as they walk towards the infirmary together.
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The three finished their food in a quiet mood. It might have been due to the previous discussion for the atmosphere felt gloomy. Even the monkey understood that something was wrong and did not cause a ruckus.
His Master stood up and declared. "Change of plans Max. We need to reach the frontlines in a faster pace."
Max started packing the equipment he used with a swipe of his hand, "Did you figure out something Master?"
His Master started to run and share his ideas at the same time. He maintained his speed which was not difficult for Max to follow. This time their purpose was to reach their destination without stopping, it would be far more difficult if Max will faint halfway there.
"It is so. We need to inform your grandfather about the matters at the borders. During that time, 15 years ago there was a noble family who looked after these lands before the attacks. They were the Caldine Family, a small yet upstanding noble family that provided their people with assistance when necessary. They were also a family who highly supported your grandfather and grandmother's ideals." His Master gave Max a profound look, Max did not understand what it meant at the time.
His Master Evander continued, "No one expected the sudden attack of the demon race in our borders which was highly suspicious. The Caldine family might not be one of the bigger families in the kingdom but they are definitely not weak and lax. The Caldine head at the time was also a great warrior and a general that once served the kingdom. He was given these lands due to his years of merit and loyalty to the crown."
"However, you do not have to worry about these things Max. Let your grandparents take care of these matters, don't let your mind wander about those conspiracies. You will head to the elven forest once their envoy arrives." His Master stated as matter of fact.
"I still worry Master. It seems this is something that involves my family." Max thought to himself as his master did not want him to have any thoughts on the matter.
It took them one and a half days to reach their destination. They had to stop once for Max to eat and take an hour of rest before continuing their journey. Once they reached their destination, they were welcomed by a fully armed garrison of soldiers. They saluted his Master when they saw him and continued on their way to patrol.
Max was tired and weary from their travel. Although he was young and full of vigor, it still drained his energy as he had to keep up with his Master. Luckily enough, the monkey Preya did not cause him any trouble.
The gates were opened once and were immediately closed when Max and his master had entered, the patrol continued on their way. It seems there was a strict protocol that the soldiers had to follow.
Someone from inside the gates came out to welcome them with a salute. He had clean-cut hair that fit a military man, a stone facial structure, a beard and a stocky build. He looked like he was in his mid-30s with an aura of a soldier who faced many tribulations in the battlefield.
"The Marquis has been waiting for your arrival in his headquarters Sir. Please follow me." The man led them to his Grandfather's location. He did not talk along the way and kept a dignified appearance while walking.
The people inside the fortress saluted the man and his Master once they saw them. Their eyes were filled with respect and adoration. Everyone took the time to greet the man and his Master.
Once they reached a building with two stories, the man stopped and said, "The Marquis is in the drawing room. Please go on ahead." He made a respectful bow towards Max's Master.
It seems his directive was to only lead them to his grandfather's location and nothing more.
He gave a nod to the two soldiers standing as guard at the front entrance. The two soldiers gave a salute in a return. He then retreated in a fast pace and left.
His Master did not dally in front of the building and continued to head inside. He seemed familiar with the building and went for the second floor, then turned a right. He opened the door without knocking and they were faced with two figures inside.
One was someone Max was fairly familiar with, which was his grandmother Milana.
Milana approached Max without delay and gave him a hug. "You've grown so much," she said with melancholy. She looked at his grandson's condition while asking how he was. She recited an incantation and a bright warm light surrounded Max's body.
Max's eyes opened wide as he felt the effects of the spell. His fatigue disappeared. He had been researching ways since he was young on how to make a spell with the same effect but to no avail. He looked at his grandmother in awe and amazement.
His grandmother chuckled at Max's expression and said, "I have been researching and experimenting on this spell for almost all my life. I have finally gotten some results in the past years." She gave a gentle smile and touched Max's hair.
Max was savoring his grandmother's touch when he felt two big hands surround his waist and lifted him high on the air.
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Max came back with a boar-like beast on his back. This type of beast can be regularly found in large forested areas. They are similar to the wild boars found on earth, only bigger and more robust. It has the ability to ram its enemies with its tusk to death with one hit using its full body's momentum and dash skill.
Max put down the boar and started to remove the blood from its body, he hanged the boar with a rope on a branch of a thick tree to drain its blood before cleaning the intestines and removing the parts that cannot be eaten. He stood up and began to make a bonfire that he would use to barbecue the boar. Max had some spices and salt to season the boar in his ring and took them out.
While he was traversing the forest to find his prey, he noticed an abandoned village not far from where he was standing. It was full of wreckage and destruction like a bandit group attacked the place. He checked the houses to find it filled with dust which means the people have been gone for a long time.
The premises were without monsters as there was a perimeter to keep the villagers safe. There were high concrete walls and a gate with a watchtower. Although it was not as tough as the capitals, they should be able to survive beasts and monster attacks before they can breach the village inside.
Though Max was having these thoughts, he kept his vigilance around the monkey who was staring at him from the corner of its eyes. He learned his lesson and did not want to suffer from its hands. He did not stay idle and continued to make preparations for their food.
Max pierced the boar with a stick and placed it over the fire, there was a crackling sound coming from the skin once it had contact with the fire, it made the air filled with the scent of seasoning and meat being cooked.
His Master stood up from his mediation and approached Max. Max glanced at his Master and started to serve him with tea that he had prepared earlier.
Once his Master reached for the tea, Max asked his question. "Master, what happened to the village near us?"
Evander began his spiel, "That place used to be a small village, it was used as a relay point by merchants passing by which made commerce and tourism flourish for some time."
His master paused for a bit to sip his hot tea and said, "However the demon race was able to bypass the checkpoints of the kingdom and killed most of the people and villagers in its wake. The ones that they did not kill was taken in as slaves, while some were used for their rituals. It was around 15 years ago, this was the reason your grandfather was given the task to be the protector of this kingdom. He was known as a righteous man who did not hesitate to accept the job knowing how hard it will be for him and his family. Since he was assigned to the frontlines, the demons were not able to breach the defenses of your grandfather. However, it is unknown how many demons single-handedly entered stealthily at the borders."
"Although the King offered up the lands to the nobles, most of them did not want to leave their luxurious lifestyles in the capital for a location which could be attacked by the demon race any moment. This location is only 2 days away from the capital with a flying beast, it should not be considered too near or too far but unfortunately the news that these villages have been ravaged by demon's frightened the nobles and citizens to travel using this route. Since commerce was dead, the merchants did not want to take over these lands." His Master lamented on these facts as though he can see everything like it was yesterday.
Max finally understood why there were no people by passing the roads, though they were moving fast they should be able to come across some carriages or travelers.
"The soldiers of the kingdom are the only ones who use this road to travel. Their necessities are brought to them by flying beasts with the help of storage rings so the army does not go hungry at the frontlines." His Master added. "This place has always been known as a war zone but no one had ever imagined that the demon race would attack stealthily and kill most of the people."
Max thought that there was a flaw in his Master's story, "Master, how are they able to take the people from the villagers as slaves to their own territory without passing the checkpoints of the army. Although it may lack in defense compared to what grandfather is doing now, there should still be enough manpower to guard the frontlines. The number of people that they took should have been detected by the army scouts. It is impossible to move quietly even if it was in the dark with regular people who are unorganized and untrained people. There are dozens of villages surrounding this area till the frontlines it should be hundreds of people walking together as a group. Who reported this information 15 years ago?"
His Master, Max and the monkey all ate in silence after their discussion.
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Max was suddenly lifted high up in the air like a child. He looked down on the person who suddenly grabbed him. The person had gray hair, thick eye-brows with amber eyes, his nose was prominent with a crooked bridge, overall he had a strong square shaped face. His body could be compared to a young man's physique with his bulging muscles and sturdy body that can put any man to shame.
The person was having a laughing fit while playfully lifting Max. "You've grown so much. I can't believe my grandson is so big now," He finally put Max down while ruffling the hair on his head.
Max never thought that this energetic and enthusiastic person was his grandfather. He always thought his grandfather as a wise old man who led the people on the frontlines to protect the kingdom. Looking at him, he looked more like a warrior than an advisor.
Evander approached Max and his grandfather, "Domas my friend."
Domas, Max's grandfather approached Evander and gave him a big hug. "It's good to see that you are safe from your journey. I can't thank you enough for looking after my grandchild for all those years." Domas smile was one of appreciation.
"No need to thank me, my friend. It was my pleasure," Evander said with a smile.
"Once you two are done talking. We should all sit down and discuss our plans." Milana said to the side to remind the two of their purpose.
"That's right. We shall continue the family reunion later." Domas changed his expression into a serious one after hearing his wife's statement.
They all sat at the drawing table, on top was a map with details on attack and defense. Max found the map fascinating due to how huge and detailed it was compared to the ones he had seen.
"Domas discuss the important details for now. Look at Max, the poor thing is tired and looks haggard." Milana looked at Max with a doting gaze.
Domas gave his wife a nod and continued his speech, "The demons are currently positioned at the old Kertu Village just across the planes of Bien," he pointed on the location at the map. "The scouts have found approximately 50 demons but they haven't made any moves. They are the ones closest to our location. The demons' stopped their attacks two days ago and are only defending their current location. Another batch of demon platoons with their tamed monsters was found south of the village, judging from the scout's reports they are around thousands and will arrive in 3 days at their current pace." Domas looked at Evander as if trying to confirm something.
Evander gave a nod and left the meeting.
Milana stood up and took Max by the hand, "That's it for now. Let's go Max, I'll take you to your resting place."
"If there's anything you need, you can tell any of the soldiers." Milana would nod and smile at the soldiers who bowed and smile as they walk past them.
They continue to walk at the fortress while Milana, Max's grandmother gave him a tour around the fortress. There were thick walls that surrounded the whole fortress, the gates are sturdy with a mixture of wood and metals. There are designated locations where you can see barrier matrix placed strategically. There are watchtowers and soldiers that are stationed to keep an eye at the surrounding.
Across the walls, they placed magic cannons. These compact cannons use monster cores to be fired and are equivalent to a master class mage's attack.
Max could now comprehend how this fortress survived even with the relentless attacks of the demon race. The soldiers are all prepared and organized, they look ready to move out at any moment.
Compared to the soldiers that are being trained at the mansion in the capital, they were worlds apart. This was his first time seeing a war zone, even in his prior life he had not experienced firsthand what the frontlines looked like. He might have seen some records from the news or the internet, but nothing up close and personal like this.
Max was brought to one of the buildings that's near the infirmary. "This is where you will temporarily stay. We have prepared this place to be your lodging while waiting for the elven envoy." His grandmother kissed Max's cheek's and said, "You can rest easy here. There some food on the table and water to clean up. Come look for me when you wake up."
Max looked out the window after his grandmother left. This place was tight with security which makes the atmosphere intense. There are no young children wandering around the streets playing, nor the sounds of the busy streets filled with merchants and vendors. Instead, there are only the serious faces of the soldiers as they make their way to the battlefields.
Max ate some food and took a bath. It has been 3 and half days of travel without the chance of taking a bath. Taking a look at his body filled with grime, he decided to take a bath even though all he wanted to do is rest and sleep.
He touched the tub of clean water with his hand and felt it was cold. Unfortunately, he did not have the fire attribute. He could not heat up the tub of water to take a warm bath.
He removed all his clothes while dragging his exhausted body to the tub. Finally, he could relax and take a breather. The grueling journey reminded him of the transportation earth had. They were comfortable, relaxing and had air-conditioned. He gave a sigh while washing his body clean.
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Max started to stand up when he heard Lumi's thoughts.
[Max. I can't stay in the dagger for long. The mana around the dungeon is not enough to support the rate of absorption of the dagger.]
Max was surprised when he heard Lumi's explanation. He always thought that there was an infinite amount of mana in the environment, not once did he experience the lack of mana from his surroundings. The times when he felt his body as a vessel was not enough to absorb the mana in the surrounding was more than he could count.
Lumi broke Max's thoughts when Lumi suddenly spoke [You only have one more chance to attack the demon. That's all the support I can give your right now.]
As I heard this, I once again moved my body with immense speed and agility. In front of the demon, I dodged, parry, evade until I found the perfect position to attack the same spot that I stabbed it.
Not good!
The demon is starting to get used to my speed and pace. Unlike before, the demon looked clumsy and uncoordinated, but with the passage of time it seems to have adjusted its movements. I could not delay this any longer, I prepared to thrust the dagger at his chest with all the mana I could muster. However, at the same time of movement, he also made his move.
The demon started making unknown sounds with his mouth. His language is different from this worlds but it did not take long to concur that it was an incantation. His body was covered in a dark mist, it was a sinister aura. However, I could not back out from my attack as it was my only chance left. I do not know what the effects of his magic were as it spreads in the surroundings.
I was able to approach him and with a swift stabbing motion, I stabbed him in the same location where his demon core was located, with a roar the demon held on to my hand that was stabbing his core. His breathing became haggard, he was losing energy in his hands while he was holding my hand.
Oddly enough, his face had a malevolent smile plastered on it as if he had won in our encounter. That was the last thing I remembered from the demon as it disappeared completely from my sight, what was left was a cracked demon core that rang in the empty room as it fell.
It was a weird sight for a demon, not a dungeon monster to disappear completely. The bodies of the humans used in the ritual did not disappear, however, his did. Dungeons appeared from time to time, did it have something to do with the demon race. Max was also wondering if that demon was from the same world as this, it was different compared to the normal demons that exist in this world.
He was not denying this possibility as he too was an outsider, who was an existence from another world.
He fell on the floor with a thud as he sprawled on the floor. The smile from the demon's face still bothered him. The mist that it produced was also a mystery, what were its effects he wondered. He looked at the dagger that was still in his hands, it started to dim down and returned to its previous color.
[Max, I'll need to rest for a bit. You better…]
Before Lumi could finish her speech, her transmitted thoughts ended and the core at the hilt of the dagger dimmed back to its usual color. Silence once again fell in the dungeon, the monsters have not returned. The surrounding felt like an abandoned building with an eerie atmosphere.
Max sat down and moved his limbs to check o his body's condition. He felt fine, he could still use aura and mana without a problem. He stood up and picked up the cracked demon core on the floor, there were some black mist like energy swirling inside the cracked demon core.
After checking himself, he moved quickly to the place where he left Lyla.
Max did not notice that his emerald eyes had black dots in the middle of his iris. That is similar to the mist that spread from the demon's body when they fought.
Max ran without any obstructions in his way. It did not take long for him to reach Lyla's location with his speed. Max could see Lyla on the other side of the barrier with a worried expression on her face. She was standing there while holding her sword in attention, waiting for Max's return.
Once Lyla saw Max's figure, she hastily left the barrier and ran straight at Max like a bullet. She full forced hit Max's chest and hugged his body while sobbing. Max's cloak looked like something a beggar would wear, it was full of holes that exposed parts of his body, his mask had cracks on it. It was a testament to how difficult the fight he had encountered.
"Ugh," Max made a sound as he did not expect Lyla will not stop when she was in front of him. His fatigued body absorbed the full brunt of Lyla's "attack."
Max patted Lyla's back to calm her down and said, "We need to make a report to the adventurer's guild and my parents. There is something brewing in this kingdom ad we are stuck in the middle of it."
Lyla dried her tears and nodded at Max words.
Both of them touched the pillar to go back to the lower floor, Max was not sure if the pillar with the destroyed barrier still worked. However, they could still use this pillar to go back and leave the dungeon.
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Max woke up feeling refreshed after his sleep. Once he stretched his body, he noticed the monkey sitting on a rock while eating soup with a spoon.
The monkey with its prominent golden crown looked at Max noticing someone was observing it. The monkey gave a "huf" then continued to eat its soup, its human-like behavior makes you wonder if it was a human in its past life.
Max observed the monkey while it ate with a spoonful of soup, eating with its legs crossed like a proper lady while enjoying its meal. He was fascinated by how this monkey could turn into a gorilla if it wanted to, it has the speed and power that can rival a master swordsman and the behavior of a human being.
Max got a waft of what the monkey was eating and his stomach grumbled, he remembered that he has not eaten anything since yesterday. Looking up, it seems like daybreak was upon them.
Once the monkey heard the grumbling noise of Max's stomach, it made a "ki ki" sound and with a huff and puff ignored Max once again while showing off her food. Max was salivating from the smell of the soup and stood up to get some, however, the monkey suddenly turned into her gorilla form and stopped Max from stepping forward towards the pot of hot soup.
"Step aside monkey," Max said to the Gorilla monkey, hearing this Preya looked at Max and frowned.
Max did not want to deal with the temperamental monkey as they might move out any minute.
Once the monkey heard Max's tone of voice, her fur bristled and she started to show her fangs. Max was confused by the monkey's attitude, as he had only woken up. The only thing that came to his mind was this is his Master's doing. Taking a fighting stance as he checked his surroundings, it was instinctual or habitual.
Once the monkey named Preya saw Max's stance she instantly attacks with all her strength. She used her hands to throw punches and jabs while adding some feints into the mix.
This was the first time Preya used this attack pattern on Max which caused him to be surprised and show some openings. Preya did not hesitate to attack the openings from her faints and used her full force to hit Max. She succeeded in hitting Max's body but Max was able to avoid and parry some.
Max took a couple of steps back to calm himself. He had underestimated the enemy, he thought he knew the enemy well due to their previous sparring's but that was a mistake.
Preya seemed proud of herself as she huffed while hitting her chest.
Max fixed his position and was about to head straight for the trees in their surroundings. He wanted to use the trees and use the same tactic that he used at the forest. However, before he could step out, he heard his Master's voice.
"That is enough for today, we will be heading out soon. Eat some food as I will only give you a couple of minutes." His master said while going back to his meditation.
The monkey Preya turned back into her small stature with a "ki ki" sound as if telling Max that it was his loss.
Max ignored the small monkey and made sure to eat his fill. He was not sure when is the next time they will stop. Once he finished eating, his master stood up and with a swipe of his hand kept all of the things in his ring.
"Pretty convenient," Max thought as he watched his Master's action. It still felt surreal when he see's other people use it. Though he had one himself, he still felt that he was lucky he ended up in this magical world.
His Master ran without a word while the monkey was still on his Master's shoulder looking at him with a hint of disdain. He could not do anything to the arrogant monkey in front of him so he decided to run after his Master instead.
He thought back to the attack pattern of the monkey, it was fast and precise. If he used his dagger while using that attack pattern, he was sure he would be able to improve a lot. Add stealth to that, and then he should be able to defeat enemies in quick succession.
Max was moving further and further away from being a swordsman.
...
Max did not know exactly where their position was, were they half-way there?
Two-thirds?
One-thirds?
He had no clue as the surrounding once again turned into a blur.
"This must be how little kids get caught by kidnappers on earth. Give them some candies then ride them in a fast moving vehicle so they won't be familiar with the place." He thought.
Max was fine with maps and finding his bearing like in the dungeon. However, it was different now as he could only feel his body moving forward without being able to identify his surroundings. He studied the map heading for the frontlines himself, there are some landmarks that one can use. But he passed out and only found himself in what seems to be a forest.
Half-way through Max was only focused on running.
Max was from a world that uses GPS to help with finding locations. Although they were not rich, he was familiar with it. How he wished he was able to use something similar to that so he would never get lost. He suddenly thought of Lumi, "are they able to provide assistance with locations and bearings?" He thought to himself and decided to ask Lumi once they reached the frontlines. Since Lumi was able to transmit her thoughts now, he wondered if there are other ways he could use to his advantage.
|
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Max and Lyla were able to pass the second floor with ease, it took them approximately 2 hours to reach the teleportation matrix. The two touched the pillar and were directly transported to the 3rd floor. Max checked their surroundings, making sure that only monsters are in the vicinity. The 3rd floor has 2 kinds of monsters, sonic bats and jumping spiders.
From the name itself, one can deduce that sonic bats give out a sonic wave that stuns the people within its area of effect. One bat can cause disorientation, however, once a group attack at the same time an adventurer can be stunned or paralyzed for a couple of seconds. The sonic bats are not deadly, what is dangerous in the 3rd floor is the sudden attack from the jumping spiders. They wait for their prey to be stunned or paralyzed before shooting their webs and biting the victims. The spider's fangs have venoms that will paralyze adventurers for a maximum of one hour, but one hour is more than enough for them to cause some serious damage. There are potions that can cure these effects, but one needs the assistance of another person.
A group of bats consists of 5 to 10, and luckily there is only 1 jumping spider that accompanies it.
Once a jumping spider paralyzes its victim, it spins its web and puts it in a cocoon.
Jumping around while waiting for their victims to die in the process before eating them.
Max and Lyla both know this information. Max still watches Lyla from behind while he detects the monsters in the surrounding. He can sense 7 bats that are hanging in the walls, while a jumping spider was lurking in the shadows. There are no covers for the spider to hide to, it uses it the shadows and the color of its body which is the same as the granite floor as camouflage.
Max knows that this might be more difficult for Lyla if she is not able to notice the jumping spiders location, or if she was not able to dodge the sonic attack of the bats.
While Max was scouting the environment, he scrunched up his eyebrows as there is a cocoon hanging on the side of the wall. He focused his attention on the cocoon and to his surprise, there is another one just beside it. Judging from its size, they look small, an adult male might not be able to fit there. Either it is a young male or a female. There is a small chance that the people inside are still alive, once a person inside the cocoon is dead, the jumping spiders devours it, and the sonic bats eats the leftovers.
Lyla was now carefully approaching the location of the bats, from her movement, one can see that she has not found the location of the spider. But her reaction is the best way to deal with the bats, It is common knowledge that adventurers should deal with the bats without being paralyzed and the spiders will not attack once they do not have the opportunity.
This might sound simple on paper, but one must have the agility and reflex to be able to dodge the sonic bats' attacks. With the usual party composition for adventurers, this is not difficult to accomplish. A shield bearer or defender can use his skill to attract all the aggro on him, while the healer casts cure, and the damage dealers stays behind to attack using long rage magic or archery.
But Lyla is acting as a solo adventurer diving in a dungeon. Unless one is confident in his skills, even with this, it is not common for people to enter dungeons solo, people prefer to party up to lighten the load by designating roles in the party.
The sonic bats eye can be considered blind, however, its senses are superb, as it can use the vibrations from the walls to identify the exact location of the enemies.
Once Lyla moved her body, her movement created waves that alerted the bats hanging on the wall, with a "scree" sound, 3 of the bats attack simultaneously in one direction and used a sonic wave attack.
Lyla expecting the attack to come, she covered her feet with aura, with a sudden boost she was able to avoid a direct hit by moving to the side, thus avoiding the full impact of the sonic attack.
However, she was still somewhat affected as it dulls her step for a second. This gave the other remaining 4 bats to simultaneously attack, Lyla because of a one second delay was not able to avoid most of the attack. She was disorientated, this was the sign the jumping spider was waiting for, it suddenly leaped from the shadows and attacked decisively towards Lyla.
Lyla could only watch in horror as she waits for her demise. But before the jumping spider could approach her, a phantom suddenly appeared behind it, it was still hidden in the shadows when a dagger stabbed into its body. It directly hit its monster core, with this the jumping spider disintegrated whilst in mid-attack. Before the bats could react, the phantom moved without a sound and killed all of the bats in a couple of moves. It was purely slashing with only his arm strength without the use of aura.
A monster usually needs to be decapitated to kill it completely, however, another method is destroying its monster core, this is not commonly used as the core will be destroyed, and it is very difficult to locate a marble size core in a monster's body.
Max approached Lyla making sure that nobody is around. He chanted a high level cure spell, making sure that all the negative effects are removed from her body. Checking Lyla's body once more, and making sure she was alright, Max moved to the two cocoons in the corner.
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Max felt that he was watching himself in a movie, as his consciousness was not inside his body. "My compatibility with succubus must be really high as they keep on approaching me." Max laughed dryly as he had these thoughts in his sub-conscious.
He could see everything that was happening outside of his body but he did not have control of it. He was wondering what kind of special skill this beautiful succubus have that he was unable to control his actions once he stared into her eyes. "It might be hypnotism." Max was oddly calm even when the succubus removed her hair ornament ready to pierce through his heart.
The succubus chanted something as dark energy started to fluctuate around her body, once she was finished chanting the dark energy gathered at the hair ornament. She motioned her hand to stab his heart.
Sfx *thwack*
The succubus was surprised how Max was able to hold her hand before she was able to stab his heart. It was unimaginable how a mage at his level would be able to remove her control. She was sent to assassinate Max as her skill was the most appropriate. They have been monitoring Max since he moved from the dungeons to the frontlines and they knew it was their biggest chance to attack.
They knew that Orville arrived earlier and if they wanted to attack, this was the only chance they had. They knew there would be at risk but never in her mind, never in her wildest thoughts something like this would happen.
It was not only the succubus who was startled with the situation. Max who was watching by the side was also surprised as he looked at his immaterial body. He was not the one who controlled his body which made him more curious than the succubus. They were both staring at the unconscious body of Max which suddenly opened his eyes.
The succubus gasped as she stared into the eyes of Max. She felt she was staring at the never-ending universe. His piercing gaze jolted her body as she felt every fiber of her being was being suppressed by his stare. She felt her body losing control as her mind continued to delve deeper into his eyes. She could not remove her gaze even though alarm bells are ringing in her mind.
Max was staring at his body and he felt the sudden change was incomprehensible. His body then looks at the space where he was, Max was able to see the eyes of his body change. The pupil turned pitch black, dark with no light in them. The next moment, constellations seemed to sparkle in them as his body continued to stare at his immaterial body. It was mystical as he felt absorbed with the way his eyes moved.
"#$@@@** #& &@@ *&^&!." His mouth moved and words were spoken.
However, Max could not understand what his body said. The words spoken were unknown but he felt they were familiar. Everything felt surreal as there was still a connection to his body even without his control.
Sfx*clang ding*
Once his body finished his words, the succubus was so surprised that she let her hair ornament go. It fell to the floor with a clanging sound and the dark energy fluctuated and dissipated. Yet the succubus did not seem to care as she continued staring at Max's body. Her eyes were as big as saucers as her mouth was open wide. She removed her tail that was on Max's waist and her hand which was holding his chin. Max's body stood on its own two feet while he stood majestically with an aura which was surely not Max's own.
Her body was trembling and she could not help herself as she kneeled down on the floor, prostrating herself.
Max was baffled by the sudden change of attitude from the succubus. She was acting haughty and full of herself a minute ago. He was sure the change happened when his eyes opened and he stared at the succubus. He wanted to know what the words his body said which made the succubus tremble and prostrate herself in fear.
"@*&^^#% @**#&!" His body said something once more and the succubus was finally able to lift her head. She looked at Max's body, but this time her expression was filled with adoration. Although Max wanted to know more, he had a bigger problem with his current situation.
"Will I be able to take my body back."
When he uttered those in his sub-conscious his body suddenly stared at him. He felt a sudden chill crept up his immaterial body. He did not know how his spirit separated from his body in the first place. When everything started, he felt something inside his body kick his consciousness. It happened so fast that he was also unaware himself how everything happened in detail.
"*&&#^ ^##@**&@!" His body uttered more words at the succubus.
The succubus as if realizing something looked at my body and nodded. She stood up as black smoke covered her body, picking up her ornament and looking at my body filled with devotion before disappearing with the dissipating smoke in the air.
Once the succubus was gone, my body made a grabbing motion to my conscious and everything turned black.
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Today will be the second day of my training. I was not excited as yesterday, all I feel is trepidation as I have a bad feeling that today will be harder than yesterday. I walked the same route, I headed for the training grounds, however, this time I did not have the leisure to look at the other soldiers training. I did not have the time to watch their stances and behavior in sword fighting.
It seems masters' way of thinking and teaching is beyond common sense so learning from the soldiers will only become a hindrance to my current way of learning. I arrived earlier than my master so I decided to sit in a corner and meditate to calm myself.
A couple of minutes passed and my master came, he once again stood in front of me and told me to "Follow him".
We walked for 20 minutes at the same pace as yesterday. We passed by the forest, huge trees and as the familiar sight of the river came into view, I slumped my shoulders knowing what to do next. I removed my outerwear, shirt, and pants before going in the water. I would like to have some dry clothes after everything is over. I did it slowly to catch my breath from all the running I did.
My master did not say anything. he kept looking at the logs as if there were some hidden knowledge that can be seen through. I still did not have the slightest clue on how I will be able to balance myself while running on one log. So like a man, I grabbed hold on a log and got on while trying to stand. I was barefoot this time as I thought it would be more helpful, maybe it will be less slippery. However, my thoughts were incorrect as I still fell on the water countless of times that day.
If I was slow in getting back or my pace on the log did not satisfy my master, my body would receive a sword slash. Maybe this was a profound way to let my body develop immunity to attacks. As my brain stopped working for being too tired, I lost my focus and could not grab on a log. The current once again carried me to the edge of the waterfall and inevitably fell. This time though, I did not faint by some luck.
I was washed away to the shore, and lo and behold I saw my master's foot in front of me.
He nodded his head once and said. "Good, now stand up and go back up to the logs." He walked away while I was trying hard to stand up and follow him. This demon did not even give me a couple of minutes to rest, I thought to myself.
I dragged my tired and aching body towards the river. The sun was shining brightly, and the time barely passed noon. I did not have the excess energy to think of anything else but the logs in front of me. I concentrated on the limit, focusing every fiber of my being just to jump to the next log. I built my momentum by running on the log with all my strength, the burst from my momentum helped my leap up and I could see the log closest to me. I was elated to find that it was possible, however before I could celebrate, the water current suddenly affected the speed of the rotation of the log and my foot slipped while stepping on to the next one.
I could not control my body anymore because of my staggering position and went head first on the log. With a thump and bump, my head hit the log heavily and I was seeing stars. I was bobbing my head out of the water. I tried to grab hold of any floating wood. However, I lost some precious time when I was dizzy from hitting my head and all the wood planks are too far away from me. The inevitable came again and I was swept by the river current once more, onto the edge and then the waterfall.
I had more time to think now as this was my third time. I wondered how high this waterfall was, I thought to myself as there seem to be some seconds more before I hit the bottom. I was not as scared as the other times as I knew that I could survive the fall. The more frightening thing was the demon waiting at the bottom of the waterfalls.
He does not let me rest, the second day and there is no food for lunch. Given that I fainted the first time, but this time I am wide awake and the food was not even offered. My body is growing and I need the nutrients. Ah, the fall is taking too long as random thoughts keep popping in my head.
With a boom and a splash I fell to the bottom, I did not struggle this time and let the current take me to the shore. I did not have the excess energy to paddle my way to the shore. I knew how to float so that was enough. As I slowly arrived to the shore like a floating dead animal, I saw the same foot in front of my face. I was too tired to look up this time so I kept lying there pretending to be dead.
"Stand up." Master commanded me.
My body felt like it was electrocuted and I suddenly had the energy to stand up. He walked away, back to the trails to go back to the river up ahead. I could only drag my battered and bruised body to follow my demon master.
The day only ended when I fainted with another fall.
I woke up the same as yesterday, on my bed with a body which was battered, bruised and aching.
I really need to practice a healing magic that can help me with my suffering. I sighed as I was thinking of ways to overcome my training.
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The towering figure grabbed the nearest cloaked person he could get. He lifted the person like a toy, the cloaked person was flailing his feet on the air, trying to get rid of the vice grip of the demon. The demon did not even move an inch from all the flailing of the said person. Using his other hand, he removed the mask that was covering the face of the cloaked person.
Max had an astonished look on his face, as the person behind the mask was a human, he thought that the demon race has infiltrated the kingdom, and used their minions to summon this figure.
Judging from his appearance, he was one high leveled demon that was summoned from the demon world. Max did not know what was going on, or who the person who betrayed the human race, but he had only one thought in his mind, "escape". He could feel the aura of the demon seeping out of its body, its strength was nothing to scoff at. His master has the same bearing as the demon in front of him.
The towering figure looked at the person and grinned, His grin added to his malevolent face and made him look like a truly terrifying monster that you can find in your nightmares, like the story that's used for kids to follow their parents. The person tried to speak words but the demon did not give him any time. With one twist, there was a sudden "pop", and his head was removed from his body. Blood was pouring from the neck of the "human" like a fountain. The demon seemed to enjoy the sight of blood and destruction as he threw away the decapitated body and grabbed the next person closest to him.
Max was still left standing at the corner watching the demon massacre the people cruelly, he wanted to escape, his hands were sweating from aura that the demon was emitting, However, even if he wanted to run, he could not.
Judging from the demon's action, he was summoned to cause a commotion in the kingdom. There was a purpose in him coming here, and Max did not know what that main purpose was. The demon was different from the common demons of the demon race, although the demon race was considered brutal, they know how to differentiate their friends from foe. This demon had a primal feeling like the demons of the olden eras.
Max knew that he could not fight this demon head on, but if he escapes right now. Lyla, who is surely waiting for him in the teleportation matrix, will also be in trouble. He might be able to escape by himself, but Lyla will surely become a burden.
He decided to wait and see how the demon would take action after this. They are at the lower levels of the dungeon, He did not know if the barrier would be able to protect them, but he did not want to take that risk. So he watched in the darkness while waiting for his chance.
The demon was laughing with madness, he was enjoying himself as he decapitated the people wearing the cloaks, and he painted a bloody figure in the middle of the room. The people range from young to old, women to men, the sight of the freshly decapitated bodies with the other bodies earlier, made the bloody stench ominous, as if it was only the beginning of something more terrible to come.
Max decided to observe the matrix underneath the demon's feet, he was not as knowledgeable as his grandmother when it comes to matrix and its functions, but he still wanted to find a clue. But nothing comes to mind at the moment. It was at this moment in time that he realized, having a way to communicate like a cellphone would be really helpful in this kind of situation. Most crystals can only be used to record a message. Something as valuable as two-way communication has not been made in this world.
It did not take long for the demon to finish killing all of the people around him. The demon looked around and paused at Max's location. Max flinched as the eyes of the demon stopped at his hiding spot. Once he flinched, the demon grinned, without any signs of movement, then suddenly the Demon appeared in front of Max.
Max did not have time to think as his body moved on its own, like an arrow released from a bow, he shot through and moved away from his hiding spot to the opposite direction. Once again the demon paused for a second, as this was the first time one of its preys was able to escape. With another grin, he moved like an apparition to the spot Max was standing at.
Max did not have time to think, he moved away from Lyla's location and headed for the next level's teleportation matrix. He wanted to find out if this demon would be able to destroy the barrier that each teleportation matrix had. Max ran like a leopard, using his stealth and movement to be one with his environment that he had learned from his master.
The demon was able to perceive his location at once, but once Max used his stealth, it gave him a second to move to another spot before the demon could reach him. This game of tag continued as they ran in the dungeon. The demon had the same perception and speed as the monkey he trained with, however, its senses must be one level lower than his former training partner which was a blessing in disguise.
Although his speed was faster than the demon, he could not guarantee that his strength is its equal. And he did not want to take that risk. He continued to run without looking back, he only needs to feel its aura to know that its presence is a hairs length away from him. He could only use his stealth from time to time as it consumes a lot of energy. Max used it as an opportunity to give him a second to drag out this game of cat and mouse.
Sfx*GRAAAAAAAAAAAAWR*
One can hear the continuous growling of the demon in the dungeon.
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Once Max and Lyla left the dungeon, they looked for someone they can report to at the sub-guild building. They found the same lady at the front desk who assisted them yesterday.
Max approached the lady at the front desk and said, "Excuse me, we would like to report something about the dungeon." The lady looked at Max's appearance and knew that something must have happened considering the two did not suffer in yesterday's dungeon diving.
"Come with me," the lady said as they walked into a room behind the counter. Once the three people entered, the lady closed the door and offered the two to sit down while getting something for them to drink.
Max explained everything that had happened in the dungeon. He did not leave anything out from the monsters to the ritual to the demon that was summoned. Lyla was listening attentively along with the lady from the counter as both of them did not know what happened with Max from the time he disappeared from her sight. The lady, on the other hand, was scrunching her eyebrows after listening to Max's account, especially the part where it was able to destroy the barrier in the dungeon. This was a case that needed to be reported to the higher up as soon as possible.
Once Max was finished speaking the lady thanked him for the information and rushed outside the room to make her report.
Max did not remain in the sub-guild office, as they too decided to go back to the mansion to report to his parents. He did not mind how the guild would handle the situation as something happened under their noses. The grave repercussions that might affect the capital if they do not get this situation under control will be disastrous.
"Lyla, we have to make haste. This might be related to the continuous demon attacks on the border and the capital. They have been attacking without any rest for a while. I am a bit worried about grandmother and grandfather at the frontline." Max said while they were traveling at fast speeds.
Lyla was trying her best to keep up with Max's speed, she knows how dire the situation is after hearing Max's experience in the dungeon. Only a couple of hours have passed but the people behind this incident have no idea that they have failed. This could be a chance for them to figure out the people behind this attack.
Lyla did not speak but continued to follow Max with her fastest speed. Once they reached the high walls of the capitals, they stopped to enter the gates. They have identifications as adventurers, thus they did not have to worry about being stopped at the gates. Proving how useful the identification cards were, they went in without a problem and walked towards the center, they used the crowd to blend in and not stand out as they continued their journey to the mansion.
Before they reached the upper districts for nobles, they had to discard their disguise and wear proper attire to enter. They went into a dark and vacant alley. Max might be able to enter unrecognized using his stealthy footwork, but it won't be able to work with Lyla around. He thought that he should probably teach Lyla a better footwork if he decided to take her with him.
They both wore proper noble attire, they did not want to catch unwanted attention in the noble district as they move along to the mansion. Once again they moved unobstructed, the guards saw the crest he had on his vest. Max did not like wearing their family crest as it stands out a lot, but this time he had no choice but to do so.
It was something the noblemen do to show their prominence in the noblemen district. This is also to show who has a higher position and who should concede once a disturbance happens, which was not a lot. However, there are overbearing families that tend to cause troubles.
"Hey you, the brat from the Astor family," a burly young man said with his goonies behind him as they formed a semi-circle around Max and Lyla.
Sfx *whistle*
"Oy, oy, look at this beauty with this brat." The young men started to approach Max and Lyla while making whistle noises as they checked Lyla out.
Lyla went behind Max, trying to avoid the disgusting faces of the young men as they look at her appearance.
Max started to feel annoyed at the young men in front of him as they were in a hurry. He did not want to cause a commotion in the streets. He was aware that the noblemen did not look kindly at his status as they took him for a disabled or retarded person. He did not think that someone would be able to recognize him just by wearing the crest of the family.
He did not know who the person is but judging from the crest on his chest, he was sure it was the family crest of the second largest and influential family in the kingdom. They were overbearing and always against their family's way of doing things. They were the Blackett family, his mother had told him that these people are far from trustworthy and kind. They were a huge supporter of the slave industry especially the ones that capture other races. They own a large percentage of brothels in the capitals, it was one of the main reasons why the Blackett family had a large support from the other noble houses.
"Hey brat, why don't you give this girl to me. I have more uses with her than someone like you." The man from the Blackett family said while he looked at Max with disdain. He, who thinks that anything and everyone was beneath him, could get whatever he wanted as long as he wanted something.
His goonies were preparing to take Lyla when they heard a loud thud.
The burly young man from the Blackett family suddenly fell straight, face first on the floor. He did not stand up as if he had fainted. The goonies were surprised to find their leader not moving. Before they could help him, they realized that the two people who were standing in front of them a moment ago just disappeared.
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Two fleeting shadows were running in the forests with speeds as fast as lightning. One person was huge and bulky while the other was tall and lean. The one in front was using the terrain to his advantage while the other was right behind his tail, even with the bulky figures fast speed the tall and lean person was able to follow his movements. Like a shadow, the tall and lean man was just behind the huge and bulky figure.
The huge and bulky figure is the gorilla monkey while the tall and lean man is Max. Four years had passed since he has started his training. He is now 14 years old, his body has developed and his muscles have been lean. His body was not bulky in any way but each muscle and fiber of his body is packed with power from all the training he has been doing since his childhood. He continued running on the training fields in the morning until he was able to carry weights. He added more and more as time passed by. Even without the assist of aura, he is able to outrun master swordsmen. This goes to show how much his body's power is against aura wielding people. He can run circles against normal grandmaster swordsmen.
His agility, speed, and perception have reached a realm that normal human beings cannot compare to. He learned how to mimic the movements of the gorilla monkey, its actions, and habits, he studied them all. Max was able to integrate the movements of the gorilla monkey and improve it using his own understanding. He made a set of footwork that works best for him and his body. He can now react to the slightest changes from his opponent or even the environment, using his senses to the limit by using the aura in his body as support.
He can now dodge any sudden attacks made by the gorilla monkey that comes his way. He continued dodging left and right, as they were running on top of the trees, Max grabbed a vine and used the periphery of the ancient trees as cover to covertly move his body in an angle that will be hard for the gorilla monkey to predict his next actions. He maintained his breathing and actions for a split second and he was able to hide his presence as if becoming one with nature. Max has seen his master do this while he was training. His master seemed to be standing in front of him yet feeling non-existent at the same time. It took him years to be able to understand and execute the same feat. To the gorilla monkey's surprise, the sudden appearance of Max at his blind spot has given him a second of hesitation that caused his body to halt.
Max was able to wrap around the vine on the body of gorilla monkey, the gorilla monkey struggled and was outraged at the sudden entanglement of his body. He tried moving and resisting the vines to get out but it only caused the vines to tighten. Max was elated by the fact that he was able to capture his target at long last. Before Max could celebrate a loud growl was heard by Max. He looked at the gorilla monkey in surprise at its continuous struggle. The golden crown on its head shined and its body was now covered in a golden light. The sudden explosion of power from the gorilla monkey was terrifying as Max was swept away by the explosion from the golden light that surrounded its monkey.
The gorilla monkey followed suit to the flying Max in the air and was about to use his golden covered fists when his master took Max in one hand and stopped the incoming fist at the other. You can see the aura spreading out of Master's hand enveloping the golden lights of the monkey till it subsided. The gorilla monkey finally calmed down as it saw its master appearing out of nowhere. The golden lights shimmered down and the shiny crown on its head dimmed down at once. The gorilla monkey was shrinking.
Max was surprised as this was the first time he saw something like this. The gorilla monkey was now the size of a regular monkey as it climbed its way on his Master's shoulders. It embraced master's arms in content while happily swinging its body. The golden crown on its head was more prominent as it changed its size.
"Come," Master said to me as he walked and found a boulder to sit on.
"Sit." He said as he pointed at the spot beside him.
I sat beside Master without uttering a word.
"Your grandfather told me to train you as per your grandmother's request. I am your grandfather's friend and companion a long time ago as we adventured the continents." His Master was looking at the horizon as if remembering the past.
"Your grandmother, Milana told me that you are a light magician and said that her only requirement is for you to be able to survive against magic and aura users. However, light magic is a non-fighting attribute." Master looked at me while he said this.
"So I let you focus on mana manipulation from beginning to end. You need to master aura manipulation better than others as your attribute will not help you in any way when it comes to fighting. Now you have the agility, speed, and perception to anticipate any physical attacks. The logs the waterfall has helped you with that, you now have the advantage in using the terrain as you see fit by assimilating yourself to the minute changes of the environment and the surrounding. As you train more, you can now use the state of being one with nature. It is what most grandmaster swordsmen hope to achieve in their life." Master looked at me seriously.
"However, you are not considered a grandmaster swordsman in any way." Master saw the doubt in my eyes as I kept listening to his words.
"Your grandmother said that I only give you a way to survive so I did what I was told." Master put his hand over his ring and with that, a dagger appeared in his hand. He held it out and said, "Your grandmother wanted you to have this." He then placed the dagger on my hand.
"What is this?" I asked as I gently removed it from its sheath. There was no shine to it as it was the color of midnight black and it was about 12 inches. It looked like a normal dagger, however, the hilt's design had a weird pattern that encircled the hilt of the dagger. The only distinguishing trait was the patterns and at the center, there seemed to be a core embedded.
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The Adventurers guild is located at the center of the capital, they are on the same street as the Magic towers. These two forces were known to have a good relationship as many mages prefer to work as adventurers to train themselves. The streets were filled with people, hawkers, vendors, and people passing by looking at wares could be found.
There were two people walking on the street. The people were giving them strange looks as they passed by. Some even pointed their fingers at them and whispered at one another. These two people were wearing noh masks, the type used in Japanese theatre. Black cloaks covered their entire bodies. To top it all off, they were wearing hoods that covered everything aside from their eerie masks.
They look like unscrupulous people that some of the kids even cry as they see them walk by. These weird looking people who are heading for the Adventurers guild were Max and Lyla.
"Max, I don't think this disguise was a good idea," Lyla said in a whisper.
"It took me a lot of time to make these masks. I think they are perfect to hide our identities, and call me Mark, remember we are hiding our identities." Max said to Lyla in a whisper. His tone sounded excited.
"Yes, they hide our identities, but now, we are the center of attention," Lyla said with a sigh. This was not the kind of disguise she had in mind. Max told her that his mother wanted him to experience living a life as an adventurer, however, they are forbidden from exposing their identities. It was fine to put on the masks but the cloaks were over the top, they have similarities of a certain cult that were known for being extremists.
The two continued walking and found the location of the guild. It was not hard to find, as it was surrounded by a lot of ruffian and wild looking people. Their bodies were filled with muscles and their air was akin to a predator.
Max did not have any misgivings about walking inside the dilapidated building that was known as the adventurers' guild. It was a far cry compared to the magic tower which maintained its pristine look. The Adventurers guild looked more like a remnant from a previous war. Although it was still considered whole, there were parts with cracks and holes. It was unknown if it was from a fight or due to an attack.
"This is weird, I thought the adventurer's guild in the capital would be well-maintained or perhaps comparable to the magic tower," Max said out loud.
The people around did a double take when they heard the voice under the cloak. It sounded young and energetic.
"Mark, please don't speak so loud. The people are looking at us. We should not act conspicuously." Lyla said in hushed tones.
The two approached the counter that was free and stood in front of the desk, waiting for the guild assistant to appear.
The lady who was supposed to attend to their needs faltered a bit when she saw them. The smile on her face crumpled, her look was filled with apprehension when looking at the two gloomy figures standing in front of her. The masks looked sinister, unlike anything she has ever seen. One even had horns carved into the mask. She was about to pass the two people to someone else when she heard the voice under the masks.
"Excuse me, Miss we would like to join and become adventurers." The voice sounded cheerful and brimming with energy. The lady was able to calm herself once she heard the voice. It did not sound sinister compared to the mask that was showing under the hood.
The lady was finally able to make an awkward smile as she scrutinized the two people under the hood. Unfortunately, no part of their skins could be seen, even their hands have been covered in gloves. The only thing that was identifiable was the other person has a sword on the waist while the person who spoke sounded like a boy.
"The processing fee is 5 silver coins. This includes the guild identification card that you must have with you at all times, a guideline of our rules and regulations and the rights to sell the materials you have gathered in the guild." The lady spoke with a bit more confidence compared to earlier.
"I see. I and my partner would like to register." Max said in his usual tone.
"Hold on for a minute." The lady left her seat and went to the back.
"This is very easy," Max said to his companion.
"You should pay more attention. The people are giving us the looks since we entered." Lyla reprimanded Max who was like a little kid who entered a candy store. Although his skills are first class, she did not know if Max would be able to act accordingly when dealing with other people. He's been surrounded by weird people all his life, he might think that they are normal, Lyla thought to herself.
The lady came back to the counter and handed them two crystal cards, she then explained, "You only need to drop your blood and it will register your information. In case you do not want others to know your identity, all you have to do is use your mana or aura to manipulate the crystal card. The only information that you can see is your name or alias and rank. We believe that adventurers have the right to keep their identities hidden if they want to." The lady added the last information specifically for them she believed that they did not want to their true identities be known.
The two removed their gloves and pricked their fingers to drop blood ion the crystal card, the process was fast and they did as the lady said, they used their aura to hide the information that they did not want others to see. The card showed their alias, Mark and Lisa with the lowest rank, bronze.
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Orville and Max continued walking with leisure. While Orville was observing Max, the warriors were doing the same with cautious eyes. They could not believe the human who was walking ahead of them. Although he looked harmless and have the aura of a scholar, they were still doubtful as it may all be a façade to trick them that he was a nice person. If they considered the age of the human, then he was only an immature child, but when they looked at him, although he had eyes that sparkled like a child with curiosity, his demeanor seemed more of a refined adult. This baffled them as the contrast was a bit contradicting to two sides of a spectrum.
Max, on the other hand, saw the big tree that was towering like a skyscraper in the middle of the forest. It was surrounded by other old trees but it was incomparable to the mere size of the others.
They are still far away but just standing from afar, the aura of life that was oozing out of it can be felt being that far.
Considering the bridges that the elves use atop of the trees, he was now beginning to wonder how they climb up or even gain access to it.
Max was looking at them full of curiously, as though Orville could read his mind he said, "We do not usually walk using the ground."
He then pointed towards the bridges, and as though it was a command. One of the warriors suddenly sped up along the tree like a ninja climbing up. He was ascending the tree at a fast speed but he was not having a hard time as he reached the bridge. Once he reached the bridge, he showed a proud face befitting of elven features. His pose showed his pride in achieving the feat of climbing the tree with his own strength.
Max observed the warrior and was amazed at the sheer skill he used to climb. Although it looked easy, Max could see the aura emanating at the feet of the elf as he ran at the tree, he used the power of his aura to propel himself and climb using the momentum in one go.
He knew how difficult it was to do that, as he did the same training with his master during his childhood. Though it was at the waterfalls, the process was the same. The difficulty to control the movement of the aura in order to run along a parallel and ascending manner without any footholds and minimal contact was difficult.
Orville nodded as he saw Max's reaction. He knew from his sister that Max was a light magus. However, he did not know that Max was a warrior too. This information was not widespread as Max only began showing his skills when he applied as an adventurer at the adventurer's guild. Basing it from that, it had not been long.
Orville gave a hearty laugh and said, "Although the warriors can do that. Not all can, only the best and well-trained warriors can do so. There are other means to go up, but I will save that for the future."
Suddenly, Max started to doubt something. Although he knew that being able to control aura as precise as that, it was still do-able. He wondered why not all of the elves could do the same thing as they were known for their precision and control. He thought about what he had learned during his childhood were the basics, and every warrior was able to do the same once reaching a certain level.
He now began to wonder if his achievements are more advanced if he considered his age.
Comparing it to the elves who had long life-spans, then it could be considered as him being a mere beginner as a warrior, but basing it from Orville words that only a few warriors can do the same feat, then was he more advance in techniques compared to the older elves?
He thought of how he should discuss more things with his Master once he returns. Maybe his grandfather would be able to answer his questions too as his Master did not like to explain things to him. If he tried, he could count the times his Master spoke or explained the reasons he was being trained.
Max sighed while having these thoughts.
Orville thought that Max was disappointed at his own skills as he patted Max's shoulder and said with a smile, "You are a magus so you may not be able to do the same thing as these warriors. However, we as magus have our own way."
Orville started to gather magic power in his hands and the elements started to surround him. He did not remove the hand that was placed on Max's shoulders. After which the two vanished from where they were standing.
The other warriors stood in place without being able to do anything. Their job was to bring his highness and the visitor to a destination, but all they could do was sag their shoulders in defeat as his highness the prince seemed to have other plans.
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A space magician!
One of the rarest attributes, it was said that space magicians are few in numbers. Although it was also an innate talent that one is born with, the people who are accounted for in the whole kingdom can be counted in one finger. In the kingdom, no one is alive or capable of making a teleportation matrix. The matrix that is left in the dungeons was made from decades ago, by the adventurer's guilds main branch.
This was the reason why spatial items are rare and expensive in the kingdom. They have to get it from an outside source which makes the merchants jack up the price. Now that the kingdom is under unrest, many merchants are using this opportunity to increase the prices of their products, adding the reason that the kingdom does not have its own teleportation matrix, which causes their expenses in traveling and transporting to increase. This might have been reasonable if using a transportation matrix was not expensive in the first place.
Max hurriedly followed after his grandmother who is accompanying the visitor. They were headed for his grandmother's quarters with a normal speed, Max was able to catch up with them in no time. He did not hide his presence and appeared in front of his grandmother with a polite greeting.
"Grandmother." Max bowed his head to his grandmother and the visitor as a sign of respect.
"Come Max." That was all his grandmother said as they continued walking the pathway heading for her quarters.
Max lifted his head and took a glance at the visitor. The face was covered with the cloak which makes it difficult to identify the person. The green cloak was big as it hides the body shape of the person. The only thing he could see was the long strands of platinum silver hair that was fluttering with the blowing of the wind.
They reached his grandmother's quarters and went inside.
Once they were inside, the person removed the hood of the cloak that was covering his face. The person had an androgynous face. Max was not sure if the person was male or female but basing on the structure of the body when removing the cloak, he concluded the person to be male.
He had a tall and lean figure, he was a head taller than Max. Elves had been known for their lithe figures, they are beautiful and stunning which leaves the people in a dazed state. The person standing in front of him was no different, his elegant and graceful figure is incomparable to the nobles living in the kingdom. The nobles in the kingdom usually think that they are high class, but compared to the elf in front of him they are worlds apart.
His face can only be described as perfect. Everything was accentuating the different parts of his face that enhances his beauty and of course, the elven ears that Max has been fascinated by since his past life. He has wondered how sensitive the ears of elves are but without a test subject, we can only wonder until that time came.
"Sit down and make yourself comfortable Orville. You too, Max," Milana said as she took teacups from the cupboard. She was preparing some tea and light snacks for the visitor.
"Thank you, Milana." The elf Orville said as Milana put down the tea and snacks. He was observing Max with interest. His eyes were glistening like stars as he looked at Max with his piercing gaze.
Max felt a sudden chill and became uncomfortable from the piercing eyes of Orville. He was wondering why the elf was looking at him intently.
"This is your grandson, Max?" Orville said while nodding his head a few times as if finding Max to his liking.
"Yes, like what I have mentioned in the letter. All the important details had been sent to Verdi. I believe you have all the information necessary to make a judgment." Milana said.
Orville was sipping some tea when his face suddenly became serious." There is something which concerns me." He looked at Max when he said this.
"What is it Orville?" Milana asked. Max was sitting still at the corner not interrupting the discussion of the two adults.
"Where is your spirit partner?" Orville asked this question at Max.
Max looked at his grandmother. His grandmother gave him a nod to show that he can trust Orville to tell the story.
It was something that involved the dagger her grandmother gave him so he does not know if he could share such information, but given his grandmother's approval, he unhesitatingly said the story in the dungeon.
"Lumi is currently recuperating as she cannot materialize herself in the material world at the moment." Max said with a bit of sadness in his tone.
"I see. No wonder. This might be more complicated than it seems Milana. I am glad I was the one who came." Orville said this which made Milana surprised.
"I was also wondering why you were the one who came." Milana has had some doubt due to Orville's arrival. Max might not be aware of Orville's status but he has a high standing in the elven forest. Only a few people can request Orville to move.
Orville gave a charming smile as he gazes at Max." It was Verdi's request so I cannot decline." Orville swirled the remaining tea in his cup and smiled mischievously. "I am also curious as to whom my younger sister gave her pact too."
Max was jolted from his seat when he heard this. He felt electricity started to course his body. The sudden mention of the pact that happened when he was young was something that he had been curious about. Hearing it was a request from Verdi and Orville's reaction, the pact might have a deeper meaning aside from being a friend to the elves.
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Outside of his consciousness
There was a commotion outside of the mansion. The people saw a huge shadow on the horizon. They were trying to figure out what it was as its speed was unimaginable. It was a speck from afar at first but in just a couple of seconds, it had become a blurred shadow. With a *swoosh* a giant majestic bird was seen landing at the big lawn of the mansion. The big bird made a chirp as it stomped its feet while circling a couple of rounds before calming down.
The back and the long pointed wings of this majestic falcon was bluish black with a slate of grey and the wind tips are jet black. The white to rusty underparts are barred with thin clean bands of dark brown or black. The tail colored like the back but with thin clean bars, is long, narrow, and rounded at the end with a black tip and a white band at the very end. The upper beak is notched near the tip, an adaptation which enables falcons to kill prey by severing the spinal column at the neck.
Although the falcon was majestic it was not enough to cover the aura that was spreading from the person riding it. She had the aura of a grandmaster magus, the white emanating from her was like a shining sun brightly covering the earth. The aura was grand but it felt refreshing and calming, the people who were able to feel this aura around them felt relaxed as if their bodies have been cleansed. The people watched in awe and respect as the said person went down and walked as fast as lightning. Her steps were fast as if she was floating as the gravity did not do anything to hinder her steps.
The door of the room flew open and a person was seen standing in front. She was dressed in white mage clothes, her staff was made of wood but the power containing within it was explosive. There was a gem stuck right in the middle reflecting a violet light.
The woman looked like she was in her early 40's, she had brunette hair that was tied in a bun. Her height was not so tall and yet not short at the same time. Her figure cannot be seen clearly because of the robe she was wearing, it was fluttering still as she was in a hurry when she entered.
"How is Max?" that was the first question the lady asked. Her eyes were filled with worry, and fatigue can be seen on her face. She had traveled nonstop to be able to come at the fastest speed possible. She then approached the bed was Max was laid and check on his body. Sensing that nothing was wrong physically, she used her own aura to examine Max's constitution and mana flow within the body. She was surprised to see that the mana revolving in his body was continuous like a stream. There were no blockages that can be seen, it had come as a surprise since children at the age of three even for those gifted do not have meridians as clear and wide as his.
She gave a sigh of relief when she found out nothing was wrong.
"Do not worry, it is just a matter of mana overuse. He is in a state of unconsciousness since he has not learned the proper meditation practice to control his spirit when the body experiences this." She said this with confidence.
Both parents were so happy to hear this while Anna could not stop the tears from falling. Her nerves had been in a state of constant highs and lows from everything that happened. She was happy that her son could be considered a genius magician and has a lot of potential, however, she was extremely worried as she does not know if Max will be able to wake up anytime soon.
"Thank you for coming, mother. I know you are very busy and we had to trouble you." Robert felt ashamed of himself as he was the head of the family. He felt that it was his responsibility as a father to protect his children.
"What nonsense are you saying, Robert. He is my grandson, I have not seen him when he was born. Just take this as an apology for not being able to be there when you gave birth to him." She was smiling while looking around she asked. "Where is Alicia? How come I have not seen her?"
"She locked herself up in her room since the incident happened. She is blaming herself for what happened. I did explain in the magic crystal the whole situation, I told her she was not to blame but she would not believe me." Robert sighed, he investigated the matter and found some clues on what the real circumstances were, however, he does not any definite proof so that the person will be punished. If he reports this incident without anything to support his findings then it might be fixed in underhanded ways.
The Kingdom has been experiencing some turmoil from the attack from the neighboring kingdom and constant barrages and assassinations from the demon country. If it wasn't from the great pillars of their kingdom then they would have been in a precarious state.
"I see, do not worry, there is a spell to awaken Max from his state of unconsciousness. I will need the prepare. I have gathered the materials necessary, I just need to install formations to maximize the effects of the spell and materials. Everything should be ready before midnight." She said.
"I am also worried about Alicia but when Max wakes up, I bet she would appreciate it more if it's Max who would say that it was not her fault."
The parents both nod their head as confirmation since they have tried to talk to Alicia with no avail. They both know how Alicia adored and cherished her brother, she would surely get back to her old self once Max wakes up.
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Max sat silently in his chair waiting for the explanation. One by one he looked at the people seated in the conference table, in front was a complete map with signs, divided with markers and colors representing the two sides; demons and humans. He was more curious at the 4 people and what were their positions in the fortress, especially the middle-aged man with the grey mustache, he seemed to disagree with him being there while the other people did not care once they figured out who he was.
The people inside the room were focused at the map, while his grandmother explained some of the details Max had missed out on, "As you can see from the changes in the map from the previous days. The demon's movements as they retreated fast were made in haste. From all side, it did not take them the whole night. Some of the scouts have not yet returned so we can only surmise that we have right now."
His grandmother continued her explanation while pointing at parts of the map which made it easier for Max to identify the locations. Comparing the previous ones, he saw a lot of big red marks spreading all around the fortress which is the assigned colored for the demons. Green is designated on allies that have been designated to some advantageous locations. There are troops spread out on the map that can easily retreat if they left in a precarious situation.
However, the map in front of them was filled with green markers all around. There are no red marks left aside from the farthest one's which the scouts have not reported the situation.
"They even left the heavy supplies, which took days before they were able to assemble them." One of the middle-aged man said while touching his beard. His expression was filled with concern as they do not know what the demons are up to. Most of the people were concerned with the same thing, there was no reason for the demons to suddenly give up on their attacks.
On the other hand, Max was starting to realize that the retreat of the demons was aligned almost at the same time the succubus left his room. Basing it from the first demon troops that retreated which was closest to his location, it might have been a good proof. Starting from there, it spread one by one to the troops as if the information was rapidly shared to their commanders in a swift action.
From one location, it spread to another as it divided to three, then to seven camps, then so on till most of the demon camps where abandoned. Like a tree branching out more and more till it reached the tips of the leaves. He did not have to wait for the scouts as he was sure they have all retreated.
His question now is what kind of being was inside him to be able to order the succubus to fully retreat. What did it say to her and why did she believe its words.
Max was silently pondering his questions in his corner as the people in the room continued with their discussions, they made assumptions basing on the current situation but was unable to come up with a reasonable explanation.
"Let's not discuss their reason. Whatever it may be, we will not be able to know what it is, unless we can capture someone at the commander level to get answers, but that is impossible." His grandfather said while looking at his compatriots surrounding him.
This made the people quiet down. What he said was right, there was nothing for them to gain from discussing something that they do not have any clues and knowledge of.
"Since that is the case, I would like to take Max to the elven forest as we have delayed our travel," Orville said with the same playful smile on his face.
His grandmother and grandfather looked at each other and both nodded to assent to his request.
"It is true that Max does not need to be here for this and if anything else the elven forest is much safer than the fortress." His grandfather said.
Although they wanted to solve the current situation, there's nothing they could do instead they are hindering the examination of Max's health.
His grandmother stood up and approached Max. "I'd like to speak to my grandson before he leaves. Excuse me."
She gave a small bow to the people inside the room while leading Orville and Max outside the room. His grandfather did not accompany them outside as they had much to discuss.
"Let's go to my house as that place is much safer to be used as a teleportation point." It was known that before teleportation, a space magician needs a couple of seconds before they are able to completely teleport away to their destination. This might be considered as fast for normal people, but experts can use this short interval to kill the space magician casting the spell. This couple of seconds leaves the space magician open to attacks.
Orville looked at Milana with appreciation as he continued to walk side by side with her. Max was a couple of steps away from them, it was customary in their world to give priority to elders. Their positions are higher, therefore, giving them space and not walking in front or beside them shows respect to the elders.
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|
Alicia stood outside the door just waiting for the right moment to enter. She was preparing her heart which was full of disarray after what happened. She woke up in her room with all her wounds healed. The first thing she did was getting up and ran to her brothers' room. She saw him lying in his bed sleeping soundly so she was finally able to calm her heart.
He seemed fine so Alicia walked slowly towards his bed. She did not notice the atmosphere as she was so focused on her little brother. She did not notice the worried look of the people around Max. Her Mother was also crying when he held Max's hand. Alicia halted her steps when she saw this, something was wrong and she felt everything was her fault. Her father's face looks as if he was full of disappointment. She could not utter a word as she bolted out the room.
"It was my fault."
"If I was not too hasty going out without anyone knowing then things would not have ended up this way."
"It should have been me instead of my baby brother."
"I promised him that I'll protect him and yet I failed at the one thing that I told him I'll do." These thoughts kept repeating inside her head like a broken record drowning her in sorrow.
She then locked herself in her room not listening to the people calling and saying everything will be alright because deep down inside she knows it was her fault.
Back to the present time
"What should we do about Alicia, Robert? She hasn't shown her face for 3 days and she is blaming herself for what happened with Max." Anna said.
"It's not her fault. We all know something is wrong with this whole situation. After Max was born a lot of the other nobles have been creating troubles for us. However, once I found out who is responsible, they should make sure that I don't find them or else." Robert said full of killing intent.
"Mother said she will be coming to check on Max's situation." Anna was full of hope when Robert said this. "Don't worry, mother has her ways, we just need to believe in her. If it wasn't because the Crimson Kingdom has been attacking our southern domain then she would have arrived sooner. Father can't leave the enemy front lines but mother rode a Peregrine Falcon so we just have to wait patiently." Robert said to her wife while he held her hands.
While I was staying inside my consciousness unaware of what was happening outside I tried experimenting. I focused my mind on myself, I did try to reach for them with my non-existing arms but that was a failure on my first try however when I focus my mind I was able to form a shadow body here in my consciousness. I call it a shadow as it only has a shape of a "body" as it still felt immaterial and hazy. I could not make the body look like me. I wondered if it was because I could not decide if I should make my current body as my past life or the one which I reincarnated with.
Since I was able to make a shadow body in my consciousness, I decided to experiment with the stars all around me. First I tried to summon all the stars around me like the last time where they all came and surround me before they all went up to the sky. However, that did not work and it put a huge toll on my mind. This time I'm trying to use all my concentration on one of the stars. I was beginning to give up as it was hurting my head, but before I was about to give up there was a sudden change that happened.
I beckoned that one twinkling star and it suddenly came near me like a meteor, as it got close it became as small as a firefly dancing on top of my palm. As it swirled and rotated like a fairy, I looked at it intently trying to figure out what exactly it was.
"This is amazing, how mysterious and marvelous." I couldn't help myself as I exclaimed. I wondered what this little firefly light could do. It was warm to the touch and the feeling of light enveloping me was calming and relaxing. I tried asking it to move from one hand to the other and it followed my requests as if it understood me.
I tried talking with the firefly-like light however it does not respond with words. It does, however, move and rotate as if trying to answer my questions. Time was spent like this as I was fascinated with the little light around me. I did not feel like I was alone in this place.
Since I was bored and had nothing else to do, I decided to name the firefly-like light. As it was "light" I decided to call it "Lumi" short for luminescence. When I asked it if it liked the name the response was a buzzing light that kept rotating around my head. I believe that it liked its new name Lumi.
I felt like I started to form a connection with Lumi when I named her. I do not know if it was my imagination but there was a feeling of closeness. I am now considering her gender as female since if I was to be stuck in a world or realm, I would prefer my companion to be a beautiful fairylike woman. Fairies in my memories are very beautiful and elegant creatures. They look like the miniature version of an elf.
Though I just keep these thoughts in my head because I am starting to understand that Lumi can understand my words, if she is not really a female then I am sorry if I wronged her. I had plenty of time to think so my thoughts have been going about even the most unnecessary things.
This time I looked at the horizon with the tinge of blue and try to focus on that place.
|
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As I started to accept the fact that I was reincarnated in a different world my mood has started to become better. I started to smile more when my family comes to check up on me. Everything started to fall into place as I've accepted this new home.
However, there are things that are difficult to do in a body such as this. I can't run around as I only started to crawl. I wanted to learn more about this world and see how things go but my family only talks to me about baby talks and gibberish. The only consolation is my older sister who comes and plays with me after which she tells me stories. Most of her stories are about heroic knights and sword masters who save the day and get the beautiful maiden in distress. I guess wherever world you might be girls like the idea of having a knight in shining armor saving them. My sister's eyes would sparkle and she would wave her arms around as if trying to make a picture of her actions and words. I don't mind it as much since she looks adorable doing so. I appreciate the fact that she loves me and spends time with me each and every day. Although the stories she reads me are mostly picture books I also started to learn words and sentences that they use in this world.
Another problem that I encountered was my speech impediment. I do not know if it was a problem with my physical body or a psychological one but since the doctor that checked me said that everything about me physically was alright then I stopped thinking about it too much. My parents don't treat me differently even though I have this disability. As the so-called successor of the family, I thought it would affect my standing but my mother would always murmur gently and tell me everything would be alright no matter what. This made me feel touched, I might have suffered in my past life and have formed distrust against people but I can still feel if people are sincere.
Since I started to learn how to crawl they would always put me inside a crib, I had thoughts that this simple "cage" that they put me in could not impede the marvelous mind of a modern man since the only lock they put was a simple latch. However, I am ashamed to say that a simple latch has become a wall that I cannot surpass.
"Yes, that is right I cannot surpass it."
I did not consider the fact that I cannot reach it and add to my stumbling stance even if I try to climb and hold on to the wooden crib I just slid back down. I tried putting the stuff animals and pillows around me as stepping stones but they were way too soft and fluffy. Funny how things turn out this way, I could just sigh and wait for the day I can get out of here. Another thing that annoys me is how they would always come and pinch my cheeks like there is no tomorrow, you cannot avoid it no matter how much you resist. My mother would tell my father and sister not to do it so much but they would just do it when my mother is not around. I can't wait for the time that I can speak and tell on them, humph.
One last thing, feeding time has become so stressful for me. I was already a teen in my past life and could be considered as a young man so no matter how you put it, I am still not comfortable with breastfeeding. This has become one of my mothers' worries and she even cried when the first time I refused vehemently. I couldn't do anything about it since I don't want to hurt her feelings. I just can't wait for the day when my teeth come out so I can eat solid foods.
"Max look here, I got a new book from the library. I'm sure you will like this one too." My sister Alicia says in an excited voice while holding a picture book. From the looks of it, there is a knight on a white horse holding a sword in one hand and a shield on the other. He looked very valiant and handsome.
"This person here is a grandmaster knight who defeated this monster called basilisk." She put me on her lap as per usual while she flipped the book open. Her eyes were wide and cheeks blushing while talking about grandmaster knight Philip. She must be a fan, is this person still alive? I began to wonder.
"You know this person has been one of the pillars of our kingdoms strength. He is known far and wide with his accomplishments by helping the poor people in despair and protecting our lands from monsters and invaders."
I see, so this person is still protecting our lands. This gives me some understanding of this place. I can deduct that we are living in a place like the middle ages but with swordsmen and knights. I have no idea if this place holds magic but I was always curious since the day I saw those flickering stars in my consciousness. Since I have not been outside and I can only see the things around me then that is all I can think of at the moment. A soft couch with cushions, floor carpeted with an animal fur like feeling, there was no electricity but we do have lamps at night and the clothes look like what noblemen would wear. My family seemed wealthy but I still do not know our standing since my parents do not discuss things like that in front of me.
"Hey Max, when I grow up I'll be a grandmaster swordsman too. You don't worry about the future because big sister here will protect you." She puffed out her chest looking all proud of herself as she made this declaration. I looked at her wide-eyed with disbelief, I thought she would like to be the maiden in distress being saved by a knight but I never imagined that she would be the one who will do the saving. While I was still looking at her perplexed I heard a more ridiculous thing coming out of her.
"I am five now this year and father said that I can start learning the basics. I am so excited since father is getting a good teacher." She said that full of excitement and expectations. Seriously what is that old man thinking? I can't believe how progressive the minds of the people here are since this place looks like the Middle Ages I thought there would be discrimination against females but I was so wrong. On one hand, I was worried about my sister, on the other hand, I was actually relieved because she will not be bullied by other people if she knows how to defend herself in times of danger.
This also made me think of my future plans. I also decided to learn swordsmanship in the future so that I have the ability to protect myself. I promised myself that I would change and become stronger this time. I became excited thinking about the future too.
"So Max be good and sister here would not let anyone bully you." She said that and pinched both my cheeks as she stretched them wide while having that beautiful smile on her face.
It hurts, my cheeks must be as red as s tomato but I did not mind it that much this time. All I can feel were her warm feelings washing away the pain I feel on my cheeks.
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I was a middle of concentration when something came into my consciousness trying to summon me. There was a shadowy figure made of white lights. I could not recognize the person as there is only an outline of the person's body. However, her aura felt familiar, it was just like mother.
I was able to lighten up as she felt not like a suspicious character but family.
"It is time to wake up Max. Take my hand and let's get out of here." The voice said. Her voice was calm and kind. Like how mother talks to me, a child.
I hesitated at first, but when I saw her hands, I had the feeling that everything will be alright once I accept it.
I wanted to see family again, I said to myself.
Before taking her hand I took one final look at the blue colors, I wanted to stay and learn about the other color but if I don't take her hand then I might not be able to get out of here. I called for Lumi as she gently approached me, she was curious at the other light that appeared in our own space but she did not seem hostile towards the figure. She then floated about the figure of light and circled around, as if she was trying to flaunt herself to the figure.
"Oh my how in the world…" the figure was trying to say something but I have already reached out for her hand at the moment as I was not able to hear the next words that she was trying to say. A blinding light surrounded my body and the figure seemed to be leading me to someplace else. I checked if Lumi was still with me and was relieved to find her still beside me.
I opened my eyes, this time what I saw was the familiar setting of my room. My parents are looking at me with eyes filled with happiness. On the other side, there is another person who looked in her 40's with brunette hair tied up in a bun. She was looking at me intently with glittering eyes, it's as if she was looking straight at my soul, that everything was laid bare in front of her eyes. I looked around and I saw that Alicia was not here. I became worried and it must have shown on my face.
"Child are you alright? Are you feeling uncomfortable?" The lady then asked.
My face must have a questioning look when a gazed upon her because my mother said, "She is your grandmother Max, she came all the way here because she was worried."
I then open my eyes wide looking intently at my grandmother. Considering her age, she must have taken good care of herself because she does not look that old. I wanted to ask more but there is a more pressing matter, I then ask my mother, "Alicia?"
My parents both gasped when I spoke, tears welling up my mother's eyes again. I was imagining the worse of situations when she was almost about to cry. I then stood up and bolted out the door. It seems not much time has passed since I was still full of energy. I do not know where to go since I was not allowed to go anywhere, so I shouted at the top of my lungs, "Alicia? Sister where are you?"
It was then that a commotion has started in another room. There I saw Alicia running with tears in her eyes, she was followed by an entourage of servants. She then runs towards me and hugs me.
"Max you are finally awake." She then cried louder while saying "I'm sorry" repeatedly. Like a mantra.
I tried looking at her body trying to see if she was alright but she was hugging me tightly and unable to see clearly since she was larger than me.
I then hugged her back and said, "It's great that you are fine sister."
The people around us were smiling as they saw the warm scene in front of them. Some were even sobbing.
My parents and grandmother are also there but they did not interrupt Alicia and just let her cry it all out. I did not interrupt her too. It took a while for Alicia to calm down after which she fell asleep. My mother introduced my grandmother to me once again and I got so excited when they told me she was a grandmaster mage of light. Her affinity was towards the art of healing so she was trying to hold the fort with my grandfather as the surrounding nation was still attacking. My mother did not explain much, I guess she was thinking that a child would not be able to understand about war. I guess I have to get older to get more information. I also wanted to ask about the aftermath of the forest but I was worried that they will think of me differently.
"Max, your mother will be teaching you about the art of healing and the proper meditation to improve your skills." My grandmother told.
I nod my head to show I understood her.
"Promise me you won't show anyone else when you practice your healing arts." This time she said it seriously so I looked at my parents. They both looked serious so I replied, "Promise."
"Good. Remember your promise child. When you turn 5 years old you have to go to the capital and do the magic affinities test. Do not worry much about it as your grandmother will take care of everything, okay?"
I nodded my head again.
"We must keep this a secret, for now, Robert, enemies are everywhere and we don't know how far their reaches are. " While grandmother said this, I felt a sudden chill, as if what she said was filled with killing intent. It seems things are not as simple as it seems. This safe haven that is our mansion might have been the only way my parents can keep us away from prying eyes. I now started to understand why they did not let me roam around, I did not meet other people aside from the trusted aides that the family have.
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Max continued with his meditation until Lumi was able to appear in front of him. Unfortunately, she could not communicate with Max like when she was inside the dagger. Max wanted to try using the dagger with Lumi however, he was reminded of what her mother told him. If it was seen by other people, he can make an excuse saying it was his light magic. But there was a large difference between the effect of his dagger compared to normal light magic.
While Max was thinking, Lyla slowly approached Max's back and hugged him from behind.
"What's wrong?" Max asked as he felt the slight trembling of Lyla's body. He touched the hand that wrapped around his body.
"Don't do something that reckless anymore," Lyla said one can hear the sobbing sounds echoing in the silent room.
"I did all I could by considering the options I had at the moment. Am I not fine?" Max slowly faced Lyla while wiping away the tears in her eyes. He gave her a warm smile looking as if everything is okay.
"But what you did is dangerous. You might have gotten yourself hurt or worse killed." Lyla continued to sob while Max wrapped her under his embrace.
"There, there…" Max said while trying to calm Lyla's feeling. He did not want to apologize as he thought he did nothing wrong. He did not want to say that if the time comes he would not do something that dangerous again. He was sure that he would do the same thing in the future if it was the best option to get the best result. All he could do was console the young girl who was afraid of losing the person she loves.
Lyla understood from Max's answer, she could only bit her lip from resentment of not being able to help in dire situations. It was the worst feeling, waiting in despair not knowing if the person who left will ever come back. She was filled with worry, but there was nothing she could do. Deep down inside she wanted to stop Max and continue their peaceful life like always. However, times are changing and they are starting to discover that this kingdom is suffering from internal and external strife. Their peaceful days are over, they could not pretend to be naïve little kids who want to stay in a safe haven in order to protect themselves from the scary world outside.
Lyla felt safe in Max's embrace, her breathing calmed and she was able to look at Max sincerely in the eyes.
Max felt the piercing jet black eyes of Lyla looking at him. It was full of love and sincerity. He approached her face while touching her chin and gave her a light kiss on the lips. He smiled while looking at the beautiful face of Lyla.
Lyla's cheek turned red from embarrassment, her body turned hot from just a single kiss and she wanted more from this young man who was in front of her. However, she knew that this was the succubus part of her that was succumbing to the inherent desires of the flesh. After what happened with Max, she was afraid of approaching him. She was afraid of what other powers she might have, that can hurt Max. They were lucky that Max did not suffer any detrimental effects from her powers, but she did not want the same thing to happen once she loses control of herself.
Her body flinched and became stiff while having those thoughts. Max felt how tense Lyla's body was, he decided to give her space and pat her head instead.
"It will be a long day tomorrow so we should rest. I want you to start training your footwork. Evasion, speed, and agility are important when it comes to combat. Proficiency with attacks with the right footwork can be key to one's success in combat." Max said seriously at Lyla.
He stood up and went out of the bedroom. It took all his willpower to leave behind the extremely enticing half succubus girl who was sitting on his bed. Lyla unknowingly released her pheromones as they kissed. This has happened in the past couple of days as well. Max did not mind but it seems Lyla was suffering and worrying about what happened to him. All he could do was wait it out until she feels confident and accepts her succubus heritage.
Max thought to himself that he needs to find a way for Lyla to control her powers or else this young body will not be able to survive.
Max had a wry smile on his face as he walked away, he did not think that he can't pluck away the juicy fruit that was in front of him no matter how he wanted it. His thoughts were simple, it was better to not have a taste rather than tasting it once and not being able to taste it to one's desire. He was a virgin in his past life, and this was the first time he had experienced being intimate with a girl. His body that was going through puberty was not being helpful at all. Max hurried himself to the bathroom to take a cold shower.
|
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Lyla did not have any problems dealing with the red eye rabbits on the first level. Max only observed from afar while watching Lyla deal with the monsters. He continued to asses Lyla's skills and abilities as a swordswoman.
Lyla was able to defeat the monsters with one swing of her sword. Although red eye rabbits are only as big as a small breed of dog, their agility is nothing to scoff at once they attack in droves. The most trouble Lyla had was dealing with 5 at a time.
Having a pace of not too fast or too slow, they were able to reach the teleportation matrix for the second floor. The adventurer's crystal card once again serve as a pass for them to continue on, in the card they need to fill in information for "party members", as people would be transported into a random area, this will prevent people from being ambushed all of a sudden by other people, which has happened in the past.
Both of them were covered by the light from the teleportation matrix in the pillar, one only need to touch the pillar at the same time with your members to be teleported to the next level.
The two arrived at the next level without a problem. They were faced with the same environment as the second floor, the only difference is the type of monsters they would face. The second floor's monsters are known as rabid grey rats, they are as big as medium sized dogs, their teeth have toxins that are poisonous and can cause one's health to be drained. A lot of unprepared adventurers have died for not having cure portions or healer's in their party. They fall victim to these rabid grey rats their bite that is only considered mob quality monsters, or one of the most basic of the mobs.
The teeth and claws are razor sharp, its attack is the basic hack and slash by its claws. It is easy to see the pattern of their attacks, but same with the red eyed rabbits, they prefer to attack in droves. These monsters are faster and are more vicious compared to the red eyed rabbits. They do not retreat in the face of enemies, most of the experienced adventurers pass by the lower 10 floors of the dungeon as they provide the most common monster cores. The quantity cannot make for its quality.
Though that is the case, Max decided to pick up every monster core that dropped in the dungeon to sell at the adventurer's guild. One did not need to provide proof of exterminating monsters inside the dungeons as the crystal card records it. The cards counter will then reset once the information has been processed by the adventurers guild. This process has made the lives of the adventurers easier, one cannot lie about their kills. The bodies of the monsters in dungeons disappear a few minutes after it dies, and the monster cores are random drop items which cannot be used to assess one's ability.
On the other hand, the card is able to pick up the mana particles when the monsters disintegrate in the dungeon. The dead monsters mana surrounds the person who killed it, and the card is able to pick up the mana before it disintegrates. The mana signature of monsters in the dungeon is the same depending on its rank and kind.
People, on the other hand, have different mana signatures, this is how the adventurer's crystal card works, only one person can use the card, same as the special ranked artifacts, once they register the mana, the person becomes the only owner of said artifacts. The same principle applies with other artifacts like storage rings, weapons and rare armors. The current owner must first die in order for a different person to take over it.
In the end, Max's mother provided them with a storage ring that has storage as big as a small room.
There are necessities like food, clothing, potions and money inside. A storage ring is considered a luxurious item, most adventurers do not have the money to buy such an item. Some even spend their entire lives as low ranked adventurer's but cannot afford to buy one. This is one of the reasons why Lyla was carefully watching the reaction of the people in the guild.
Stories and tales of nobles being killed due to their belongings is common, the system which randomly transports adventurer's to different locations have lessened such events, but if adventurers are persistent, they would still be able to find them in the dungeon with a good tracker in the party. There are even organizations that do this for a living.
Max picked up the monster cores one by one and placed it in a small bag instead of his storage ring, this is to avoid people of being suspicious of them for having a storage ring. Although Max believes that it will not be troublesome to deal with these people, it was better not to underestimate the crooks.
Max kept watch of their environment to see any possible attacks from people. Up till now, they have not come across with other people in the dungeon. Lyla is still taking care of the rabid grey rats with ease. Max did not help Lyla with scouting the monsters locations this time.
The first 10 floors in the dungeon are known for not having any traps, however, there are some secret rooms that one can possibly encounter, they contain hidden treasures and sometimes dangerous monsters. The first 10 floors are the same with its environment and composition, however, every ten levels the environment changes. Before one can move up to the 11th floor, the adventurer's need to defeat a boss monster from the 10th floor. The same principle applies for every 10 floors.
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They reached Milana's quarters without any problems as they continued heading towards the garden. Before they reached their destination, Milana stopped in her tracks and took out something from her pocket.
It was a simple silver necklace with a pendant made a crescent moon inside a 5 point star.
She reached out her hand and took Max's hands to give the necklace.
Max looked at his grandmother, wondering what was the necklace for?
Milana gave out a small laugh as she said, "This is only a regular necklace, but our family has had it for decades. It works as a good luck charm, or so your great-grandfather, my father believes."
She handed the necklace on Max's hand and with gentle movements gave Max a kiss on his forehead.
"Take care of yourself." She gave a warm smile to Max before letting him go and looked at Orville.
Orville nodded as if understanding Milana's intention and started to chant.
It did not take long before the two were covered with a blinding light and disappeared from Milana's sight.
This was the first time Max was experiencing the feeling of being transported. It was the same feeling as experiencing vertigo. He felt his body suddenly becoming weightless at one moment, but accelerated in one swoop. If he compared it to anything else, it was like a ride from a rollercoaster, when one was at the peak height of the ride and is preparing to drop from that height in a second.
He wanted to vomit everything that was inside his stomach.
In the first place, he did not enjoy the rides from amusement parks.
The light covering his eyes from identifying his surrounding started to disappear as a hint of greenery were starting to appear in his sights.
*thud*
*groan*
Max fell heavily on the floor. He was sprawled with his whole body embracing the ground. The smell of earth and the tickling of grass on his face made him relieved. He was thankful that they finally reached their destination. Comparing it to a rollercoaster was an understatement. He looked to his side and he could see Orville standing tall as he arrived without any difficulties. His posture and demeanor carried the same elegance he always had.
Max took a couple of breaths to relax. His body felt heavy, he had the urge to vomit, but he tried his best not to because he heard footsteps approaching them. They were not hiding the fact that they are approaching to welcome their arrival. Max figured that since this specific spot was used by Orville as his teleportation point, his fellow elven brothers must be protecting it.
He stood up albeit the lingering feeling of vertigo, he tried to focus his eyes on the people who are approaching.
From afar, 3 men with leather armors and bows on their backs appeared. They were all beautiful with silver hair and pointed ears. As much as he wanted to stare at their faces, Max was a bit disappointed that the ones who welcomed them did not include the person which he wanted to see the most.
He decided to look around the surrounding and what he saw took his breath away. The large trees that stood as tall as high rise buildings surrounding one tree, he could feel the true full of vitality as it branches covered the vast sky with its towering figure. Compared to the other trees, it was worlds apart as he could not see the top.
Orville noticed the location Max was looking at and explained, "That is the world tree, although we are far from the center of the village, you can still see its majestic figure and feel its vitality even from this location." There was a hint of pride in Orville's tone as he explained this.
The three people approached Orville and gave a bow. "Welcome back, Prince."
Max was looking with amazement at this wonderful world when he heard a shocking revelation. He looked at Orville once more, his mouth opened in an O shape, forgetting to close it. He could never guess, this mischievous looking elf to be a prince. Although he knew that he had a high standing in the elven forest, he believed it was due to his talent as a magician. His space magic was something rare therefore they gave importance to his status as a magic.
With shock, another thing came to mind. "Wait, Orville is Verdi's bother."
He once again stared at Orville from head to toe, "then Verdi is also part of royalty."
He gasped after realizing this, he could hear someone giggling beside him. Orville was looking at Max with a mischievous face as he could see the expressions Max was showing. It looked as though he found enjoyment in Max's suffering.
"Prince your sister has been waiting for your arrival." One of the men with a bow on his back said. He glanced at Max for a second but ignored him in the end.
"Huh. How come that elf gave me a hostile look?" He could feel that he was not welcomed by everyone and he wondered if it was due to him being human.
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Max walked out of his room and headed to his mother's room to bid his mother goodbye. His mother gave him a big hug and her well wishes before letting him go.
His sister Alicia acted her age when Max bid his goodbye. She did not act like a child and persist to accompany Max.
"Please take care of Lyla. She seemed downhearted when I left," Max said to his sister as she was the only one he could ask this favor.
"Don't worry about Lyla. The mansion is safe so no one will pick any trouble here. You worry about yourself. Make sure to think before you act, don't be too hasty with your decisions." Alicia hugged his brother while giving her advice.
As an older sister, she was still worried about his younger brother going out in the world even though she knew how much her brother had improved his strength.
Max nodded his head as confirmation that he understood what his sister meant. He was not worried about Lyla because he knew his sister will take good care of her. It was one of her traits that Max knew well, she has always treated Lyla as part of the family since they were young, therefore her sister would protect Lyla the same way as she would protect him.
"Let's go Max. Dawn is upon us," His Master Evander spoke.
Max went beside his Master but was a bit lost as his Master did bring out a tamed flying beast that they can ride. Thinking about it, his Master appeared without any signs of a tamed beast with him.
"Don't tell me…" Max had a faint feeling in his heart that this was not going to be one of those sight-seeing and leisurely adventures on the road like what he had always read in his past life.
"Master…" He looked at his Master with hope in his eyes which shattered in an instance when his Master spoke.
"We will be running towards our destination. You will have to move at the same speed as me. I do not like delays." His Master said steadily.
"This is impossible, fast flying beasts take 4-5 days of flying to reach the frontlines from the capital. How in the world will they be able to arrive at their destination with the same speed by running?" These thoughts ran through Max's head.
As experience and common sense from previous mistakes told him, he should never ask, doubt or question his Master's words or he will suffer the consequences. He remembered how his grandmother only took 2 days to fly to him when he was unconscious, but she used a special tamed flying beast who did not take any rest to reach him.
"Don't tell me Master wants to travel with that same speed?" These thoughts once again crossed Max's mind but he never spoke them out loud. He just looked at his Master with pleading eyes.
As if being able to see the pleading gaze of his disciple his Master said, "We will be traveling for three days. Do not worry we will rest at night." His Master looked proud of the decision he had made as if the concession to provide his disciple to be always in peak condition was enough.
Max almost choke on his saliva as he heard this but seeing his Master's proud look, he could only swallow his words and give out a cheerful smile to show how appreciative he is to his Master's decision.
His Master, looking at the smile on Max's face felt that his disciple understood his good intentions and started to run. Once Max saw his Master's speed, he was left agape with his mouth wide open.
However, he did not have the time to gawk at his Master's figure which has already disappeared from his sight. He could not even look back at his family behind him, afraid that once he blinks his Master's silhouette would disappear like a ghost.
He started to run at the fastest speed he could muster. He started to direct his aura to his legs to induce running, it did not fail him as he was able to let him keep up his Master but he did not know how long he could keep up this pace.
Their surroundings turned as fast as a blur, Max was not able to appreciate the greenery as they pass by. He was not even sure of the locations or their bearings as his sole focus was the back of his Master.
Max did not know for how long they have run but his breathing had become haggard. This was the first time in years that he has suffered from lack of oxygen in his lungs. Even when he fought the demon, he did not feel this tired. He felt like he was running out of gas as his feet felt as heavy as lead with every step he takes.
"A couple more steps… Just a couple more steps…" Max kept repeating in his head, trying to motivate himself to take more steps to avoid thinking about the pain he was feeling in his lungs and body.
A couple of minutes later, there was a sudden "thud" as Max's body fell heavily on the ground.
"He lasted longer than expected. What do you think Preya?" His Master was looking at his tamed beast which was standing on his shoulder.
The monkey looked at Max with disdain while making "Huu huu" sounds. It was as if it was saying how he was not to its standard and could have done better.
"Hahaha… It seems my disciple has improved once again," His Master carried him to a nearby tree and sat him while he slept. His Master made a bonfire next to his disciple without fear of any beasts appearing in his surroundings.
Max did not even notice that the surrounding turned dark when he fainted. He had ran for a whole day without rest.
|
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Max was surprised by the sudden magical power that surrounded him. Although he had experienced the feeling of teleportation once, he was still unprepared to the feeling.
He held his breath and tried his best to calm down. Breathing in and out, luckily although the feeling of the transfer felt long, it only took a second to reach their destination. He opened his eyes and wanted to rebuke Orville for suddenly grabbing him and transferring to another place, but he could not do so.
He stood in something covered in green, something pliable as it bounced with every movement. However, it was still tough even though it gave the feeling of being elastic and soft. It was so large that it baffled Max. His facial expression was priceless as Orville can be heard laughing at the side while looking at Max.
Max could not be blamed as the surrounding was covered with dense clouds, the wind blowing was cold, it brought chills to his body every time the wind blows. Large green things can be seen swaying every time a strong breeze blew, but they did not fall. It surprised Max due to the fact that they were standing in a large leaf, he did not want to believe it was a leaf due to the mere size of what he was steeping at. If one wanted to compare the size of objects on Earth, then the size was as big as an auditorium that can seat a thousand people. It was that big and he was surrounded with leaves as big as or even bigger than what he was standing on.
From afar, a sudden roar was heard. He could not help but look at the thing that made the roar, but due to the clouds and leaves covering the surrounding, he could not find what made the sound.
Max knew they were high up but the next words that Orville uttered from his mouth were unbelievable.
"We are currently standing at the middle part of the World Tree. Although you are a guest and sister's…" He paused for a bit as though thinking of the right words to say before continuing. "Friend… You still need the permission of the elders to be able to step on the highest branches of the world tree." He said with a mischievous smile as though it was fun to see the surprised expression of Max.
Max did not bother to clarify Orville's words. He knew Orville had another meaning with his sentence, but he did not want to dwell into it. He thought to himself, "I'll be able to learn more about it sooner or later. For now, I should patiently wait for Verdi to explain everything. In due time."
Max was now able to calm himself as he asked his own question, "Why are we here?"
Although it was fun to experience this fantasy setting, he thought how this sudden leap in difficulty was too much considering he had just arrived in the elven forest. He thought there should be a process or levels on him being introduced to the setting. However, he forgot that he was not in a game and these are real people who have their own will and personality. Max could only smile wryly as he expected too much from the fantasy settings that he knew.
"I know that moving was sudden but sister wanted to meet you. Her residence is close to here, so come, follow me." The clouds suddenly parted when Orville came near them. It felt like the clouds were giving way to him, even the leaves that seem in disorder suddenly arranged themselves as pathways for them to continue on their way.
"It's alive," was Max's thoughts as their way was not obstructed in any way. It felt as though the tree was assisting them to move to their desired location. He now remembered what his grandmother had said, the World Tree which was also known as the Tree of Life by the humans, chose the elves that can contain and handle its power. For it to choose means it has its own will, and its current actions made Max believe his thoughts.
The World Tree was a sentient being, in that case, was it able to materialize itself in order to communicate with the elves. This question and train of thoughts were once again disrupted by the loud roar that once again vibrated all throughout the lands of the elven forest. He once again looked at the place where the sound originated. This time it sounded closer, his body could feel the vibrations from the roar that the being from outside of his sights. He knew it was not close to their location, but for it to be able to affect his body by its mere vibration showed how strong and mighty the being which was hiding behind the thick clouds and leaves was.
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Max felt the same as he looked into the eyes of the being without a form. His aura that was oozing from his immaterial body could be felt from afar. It was able to maintain and build a place covered, and protected by the darkness trait even while it was being oppressed by the lightness trait. This was unimaginable as it shows how powerful the being he is now facing. The force of the many could only restrain the force of one being.
Max looked into its eyes without fear. He has already seen it in the outside world while wearing his body. What baffled Max was, "why did it not take the opportunity to take over his body while his spirit was outside?"
Lumi's body was trembling as they stood in front of the being. She was still standing beside him. However, it might have been their contradicting natures which cause this reaction.
The being looked calmly at the 2 intruders in his abode, but it did not say anything. He was only observing the two's reaction with a hint of playfulness in his eyes. Max could not take it anymore as he started to ask his question. "What are you doing here?"
The being looked at Max with a curious gaze as his eyes started to sparkle like countless stars. "It is good to see you, Son of the Goddess of Light." The being's words were slow, calm and quiet, and yet there was a certain strength that Max and Lumi could feel bombarding their spirits.
Max looked confusedly, "What do you mean?"
"HA HA HA…"
Laughter boomed into the whole palace and the distance. It sounded like thunder. It took a while before the being stopped with his laughter and composed himself. He looked as if he was thinking before continuing with his words.
"This is interesting. I wonder what she is planning at a time like this." His eyes had a new glimmer in them as he looked into Max's soul. His scrutinizing gaze made Max feel that every fiber of his being is being unfolded by the being in front of him.
"Since that is the case, I will watch from here until I can discover the purpose the Goddess has for you." The being suddenly disappeared right before their eyes. A path was suddenly formed for them. It seems the being did not want to continue any discussions as Max was not aware himself.
Max was disappointed as he did not gain much information from the being. However, there are some things that he found out. First, it was the Goddess of Light who called upon his soul to be transferred to his current body. Second, he is safe from the being living inside his consciousness, for now. Lastly, He was sent into this world for a certain purpose.
One thing Max questioned is the title the being had called him. 'Son of the Goddess of Light.'
What is the title for?
Does it have any significance in this world?
How was the being able to find out about this?
Questions kept piling on the back of his head as he and Lumi walked out of the being's abode. Once they were outside, the curtain slowly closed and darkness filled the whole surrounding once more.
"Lumi will you be able to come out of my consciousness?" Max asked.
"The being was restricting my powers, therefore, I was not able to come out even if I wanted to."
Lumi looked sad and defeated as she mentioned this. She did her best to lock the being inside the space but the burden was too big for her to leave the being alone inside by itself.
It was like what happened earlier as the being was able to control Max's body. There was only a slight repose in Max's spirit being controlled but the being was able to use the opportunity to control Max's body. She did her best to control the being and not let it out, but with a sudden surge of its strength, it was able to break free from their control.
Max could see the pain Lumi was feeling as he tried to comfort her, "its fine Lumi, I know you did your best." He smiled and gently patted her head to show affection.
Lumi closed her eyes as she savored the warmth her master was showing her. Max has always been filled with warmth, or better yet with light. It was that beacon which called her from afar to move to his side. It was also the reason which made her form a contract with him as she wanted to accompany him wherever he might go. She did not want to be separated from him as there was light inside him.
This light was spreading all around Max without his notice. Few are able to identify this like Lumi and the being inside his consciousness.
|
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Max slowly opened his eyes, the surrounding still dark. He stretched his body as he fell asleep on the cold hard floor all night. No one seemed to notice the disturbance that happened. Max was wondering if everything that happened was an illusion.
"Did it happen in the real world?"
"It felt so real."
He flexed his hands, opened and closed, stretched his shoulders. His bones cracked as he rotated his joints. His body felt heavy, he continued to stretch his whole body. Once he was done and his body warmed up, he went to the window and observed outside the fortress.
He was surprised as the dense demon army that surrounded the fortress was gone. It was only yesterday that these demons' army had started to form camps, and set formations in preparation for their attacks.
He went outside in a hurry to make sure his eyes were not playing tricks on him. The atmosphere in the camp has changed dramatically. The soldiers who were preparing for the attacks looked haggard and tired as they stared at the horizon. However, there was nothing that can be seen.
Max asked the soldier nearest him.
"What happened?"
The soldier looked at Max for a bit but continued to look afar before saying, "The demons suddenly pulled out their troops late in the evening."
Looking around, Max could see the baffled faces of the soldiers. The soldiers might not have been briefed about the situation. He went straight for his grandmother's quarters to get a detailed confirmation of the situation. He wanted to know the time the demon's pulled out their soldiers. It might be due to his curiosity, but something within him is thinking otherwise. It is impossible for this to be a coincidence.
After he was attacked.
That was his last thoughts realizing that this might have been connected to him.
It did not take long for him to arrive at his grandmother's place.
Sfx *knock knock*
No one answered the door.
"Grandmother I'm coming in," he announced his presence and opened the door.
However, no one was inside. He checked the whole house and the gardens but his grandmother was nowhere to be found. His heartbeat started to palpitate faster as he became nervous. He thought of the meeting room and ran as fast as he could. It did not take long before he arrived. He did not greet the soldiers guarding the door, they did not stop him. He went to the same room he first met his grandfather.
He opened the door without knocking and was surprised to see the people inside.
They all looked at him. Some with reproachful eyes, some with confused eyes while his grandmother looked at him with worried eyes.
Max, however, did not care as he sighed in relief finding his grandmother and grandfather safe from harm.
This time he looked at the people inside the room. His grandfather, grandmother, master and the beautiful elf were the only people he could identify. There were 4 more men inside the room which he did not recognize. Judging from their looks and demeanor, they must be soldiers who have high rankings. They were the ones with reproachful eyes when he suddenly barged into the room.
Max looked apologetically towards these high ranking soldiers and gave a deep bow as he apologized for barging in. The elf, on the other hand, looked at Max amused as he saw Max's flustered look.
The atmosphere in the room started to turn sour. But one sentence from his grandmother calmed the whole situation.
"What's wrong Max?" She said kindly while looking at Max with worried eyes.
"I'm sorry grandmother. I came looking for you at your house but you were nowhere to be found so I got worried." Max looked shy and embarrassed at the same time.
He could not give a better reason at the moment. He could not say in front of everybody that he was attacked and it might be connected to the demon's sudden movements. He knew well that it was something he could not easily share in front of strangers. The content alone is questionable, and with him not having enough information to explain himself might cause bigger troubles in the future. He decided to tell a lie, it was partly a lie as he was truly worried for his grandparent's, at the same time he was omitting some information.
His grandmother's face softened once she heard this. The atmosphere of the people inside the room became better. His grandmother looked at the people inside the room and said, "Stop giving my grandson those scary looks. He was just worried. I almost forgot that he is still a boy as he acts so mature most of the time." She approached Max and gave him a hug.
"Everything is fine Max. We are just discussing the sudden retreat of the demons--"
*cough cough*
One of the old men in the room started to cough to get the attention of his grandmother, but his grandmother only said, "-- It's fine sharing this information to my grandson." She gave the old man a sharp look, the man with a grey mustache could only retreat in defeat as he did not want to offend this woman.
"You can take a seat and just listen with." Max nodded and took a seat at one of the empty chairs which were farthest from the people inside the room.
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Max's mother took out a crystal to put all the information Max shared. After which, she used the fastest messenger bird to send to the frontlines. This will take 2 days of flying without any rest. These special kinds of messenger birds are usually used for emergency messages. This shows how important the situation that occurred in the dungeon was.
After sending out the messenger bird, she looked at Max and said, "You made the right decision in heading home and telling me about the matter."
"Mother, the young man from the Blackett family tried to stop me and Lyla earlier. I did not confront them and decided to run with Lyla. I do not know if they will come here to make trouble," said Max with the same relaxed expression.
"Do not worry about that family. You must have met Romi Blackett, I heard he came back after his visit to the nearby kingdom. Their family has always had issues with ours, so this is nothing new. However Max, there are more important matters that we need to discuss." Her mother said in a more serious tone.
"What is it mother?" Max said.
"You told me about the dagger and how you were able to use it in the dungeon?" His mother asked.
"Do not worry mother. I did not divulge any information in the adventurer's guild about the dagger. I just told them that I defeated the demon using a level 5 holy light magic spell. I think it is not hard for them to get that information at the magic towers." Max said unhurriedly.
"Your grandmother should be able to take care of it. I have already explained it in my message. But we might not be able to keep your light magic a secret onwards. Having a spirit partner is a different matter as only a few people know that information but how you defeated the demon will be discussed. You might be called to give additional information. If that happens, just give the same explanation you have given the adventurer's guild."
"I understand mother," Max replied.
"There is one more thing Max. Although it is only a conjecture, there is a high chance that people in high positions are involved in this attack. Remember what happened to you and your sister when you were children? Your father has found out that your uncle is a supporter of one of the extremist cults of the Goddess of Darkness. They have planned to attack the noble houses that are against their decree and teachings. This was a way to weaken our house power by destroying the future generations of the house." Max's mother continued.
"For years your father has been investigating and finding a link to connect to the people in power in the kingdom that has colluded with the extremists from the demon race but they have been able to disguise themselves and hide their traces. It has been very hard to gather evidence as most of the people who were involved are being disposed of one by one. It seems they have assimilated and hidden deep in the kingdom." Her mother's concern could be seen on her face.
Max then said, "Then Uncle..."
Max's mother interrupted Max and said, "2 years after the incident. You're uncle disappeared without a sign. Everything from his family, people, and land has been destroyed. 5 similar cases have been found by your father, and that is the ones he found. We do not know how many have fallen victim to their plans."
"What is their true purpose?" Max was perplexed.
Their kingdom can only be considered as middle tiered compared to other kingdoms. However, the attack from the demon race has been rigorous through the years. He always wondered what the demon race wanted from this kingdom's lands.
"That… We do not know. This has left us puzzled through the years." His mother shakes her head, also wondering about the same thing as Max. "It has been a long time that they have attacked the kingdom, but it was never this rigorous. It started 30 years ago, we do not know the cause but since then they have never stopped. We also found the Goddess of Darkness believers to multiply and her teachings to have spread more in the kingdom. The kingdom does not allow the propagation of the Goddess of Darkness religion as this kingdom is a firm believer of the Goddess of Light's teachings, but it is still successfully integrating into the kingdom."
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Today will be the start of my basic training in swordsmanship. I excitedly got up on the bed, but I realized the little slave girl was still sleeping beside me. I forgot to ask mother where she should sleep so I told her to sleep with me for the time being. She did not seem to mind, I guess she spent her time was spent mostly with the other children around. I wondered why she does not have a name, so I might as well give her one, it would be a shame if people keep calling her slave in our home. However, I will think about that later as mother agreed on my swordsmanship training.
I hurriedly prepared and dressed myself, I wore a basic training gear that looked exactly like what my sister used to wear when she was training. It's made of light wear material for easy movement. I excitedly went out of the room heading straight for the training grounds. The soldiers have already started with their morning training, which were some basic swordsmanship skills that they keep on repeating. As I look at them, I wondered if I would be doing the same thing today for practice.
While waiting for my teacher to come, I decided to sit in a corner and meditate for a bit so as not to waste time. Practicing swordsmanship is important but it is better to have a balance between my magic and swordsmanship. Improving on both would be the most beneficial to me in the future.
As I was sitting in a corner, a shadow suddenly came and covered the area in front of me, as I came out from my meditation, I looked up. What I saw was a man in his 60's with a body of a bear and a face of a demon, well he was not an actual demon but his expression seems like one. His face looked like one who has overcome the vicissitudes of time. His aura is surely that of a master. With eyes that seem to penetrate your soul, children will definitely cry when they see him at night. I bet he was called a grim reaper when he was on a battlefield.
I stood up immediately and gave a bow. However, before I could speak and introduce myself the man cut me off and said.
"Come with me. I am now your master and you shall do what I say."
He did not look back and he walked at a fast pace, which was already considered as running in my small stature. Although I was confused, I still followed his orders and tried to keep up with the man.
"Excuse me, sir, don't I need a wooden sword?" I asked full of respect in my voice.
"You do not need such toys." He said bluntly.
I was confused by this so I said, "But my sister used to practice with a wooden sword, sir."
He suddenly stopped, turned to me and said, "What did I just say?" His eyes looked cold and penetrating suddenly giving my body the chills.
"That I must do what you say, sir," I said, a bit terrified of this man.
He nodded then walked ahead again, he then added, "You shall call me Master starting today."
"I understand Master," I said loud enough so he could hear me as I was trying my best to catch up.
We went in the forests, going deeper and deeper. The surroundings were filled with ancient trees that a single person would not be able to hug. There were no wild animals trying to appear in front of my so-called master. I thought it must be his aura that must have scared the beasts inside this forest. He has been walking for about 20 minutes while I who was running behind was sweating like a pig.
I guess this was part of the training to build my stamina, I thought to myself trying to cheer up and motivate myself. We still continued on and we reached a place near a river, where there are floating logs scattered all over it. They were covered in moss and moving about because of the continuous movement of the water.
My so-called Master stopped and stood in front of the body of water. He waited for me to arrive while standing straight, looking at the other side of the river. I who just arrived while breathing heavily like a person having an asthma attack wanted to lie on the floor and stay there forever. However, my master then spoke and said, "Starting today you shall be crossing this river back and forth until I say that you stop."
"Excuse me?" I asked again as my wheezing and huffing might have affected my hearing.
"Are you deaf boy? I said you shall be going through this river back and forth till I tell you to stop." He said bluntly as if I was stupid, to begin with for asking again.
"But why?" I could not stop myself from asking.
Before I could even realize that it was again another mistake, my master held me on the collar and threw me on the river. I was surprised but was lucky that I knew how to swim in my past life, so I did not drown. As I bobbed my head out from the water, I saw a log near me and grabbed hold for my dear life.
"Now cross the river using the logs. If you fall and get carried by the waves then I will see you at the end of the waterfalls." He said as if it was all pretty normal.
I looked at the slippery logs that are beside me and wondered how am I going to cross while walking through here? As I tried my best to crawl on the log, a sodden swoosh was heard and with a boom, I was thrown in the water again.
I bobbed my head out of the water again and grabbed on to a log.
My master who threw the wind slash that hit me said, "You shall run not crawl like an ant." He looked at me like what he said was pretty obvious, to begin with.
"I do not understand," I said this to myself as I have learned my lesson from the first time I speak out my thoughts in front of my so-called master.
|
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It was at this moment that Max thought that this kingdom might hold something more than it meets the eye. From what his mother told him, everything changed 30 years ago. Max was mulling over this matter when his mother spoke.
"Max, are you sure that you do not feel any changes in your body after the demon's attack?" Her mother was looking at Max's body carefully, trying to figure out if there is anything different in Max's body. She ran a series of tests for Max to do, she wanted to see if he can still use his magic and aura but there seems to be no problem so far. What bothered Max's mother as to how the demon felt that his purpose was not in vain after he finished his incantation.
Max felt that his mother's worry was reasonable, that there is something inside his body.
"Stay in the mansion for a couple of days. We will wait for your grandmother's reply before doing anything." Max's mother said with gentleness as she touched Max's cheek.
"I understand mother," Max replied without question.
Max mother looked at Max with a concerned face and said, "You can go and rest. It must have been hard on you, these last couple of days."
Max went out of his mother's room before he could take a step further. An arm was already around his neck while hanging like a koala. Max did not need to move and take action. He was able to perceive that someone was waiting outside the door since earlier.
"Why did you not bring me with you when you were going on an adventure in the dungeons," the hanging koala said while dangling at Max's neck, looking with puppy dog eyes as if she was abandoned.
"You have classes' sister. I did not want to bother you with such trivial matters." Max said with a smile looking at his sister.
He started to outgrow his sister he is now half a head taller than her. She might have grown into an adult but she still has some of her childishness when she's with Max.
Pouting her lips in defeat, she removed her arms on his neck and went down, "Next time you should take me with you. Now that you have a girl, you start to forget about your older sister."
Max smiled at her sister's response.
They headed to his room and talked as they walk. Max explained his so-called adventures in the dungeon while her sister listened with an utmost interest in the matter.
"I want to go in the dungeons and test my skills too," Alicia said dejectedly.
"This might not be the best time to go to the dungeons. You should also be careful when you're going out." Max reminded her sister who is known for her adventurous streak.
"What do you mean?" Alicia asked looking perplexed.
"I'll tell you once we reach my room," Max said without giving in to his sister's incessant request to know what happened.
Soon as they entered the door, Alicia found a new person to badger. She went straight for Lyla who started to approach the two of them to great them. Alicia gave Lyla a warm big hug and asked, "How was the dungeon?"
Lyla looked at Max as if confirming if he had told Alicia what happened. Max shook his head as a response. Lyla gave a knowing smile and took Alicia to the receiving area in the room, she prepared snacks and drinks before they started to converse about what happened.
Max, on the other hand, went to his room.
"Lumi are you fine now?" He called out full of concern. Max can still feel their connection but it has gotten thin and weak. Lumi did not appear nor reply. Although Max was worried, there was nothing he could as Lumi expressed that she was tired from assimilating with the dagger.
Max took out his dagger from his storage. He looked at it with interest, from its former jet black color it turned into silver when Lumi assimilated into the core of the dagger. Max thought of what Lumi said, the inside of the core felt the same as his consciousness. What exactly is his consciousness and this core that is embedded in the dagger? The ancient people were able to create such magical artifacts that do not exist at the current time. The creation process was not passed down through generations.
What happened in the past for something this important to not be able to be passed down to the future generations?
|
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The lady at the counter saw the two finishing up with their registration, she explained, "I can see that the two of you are beginner adventurers. I suggest you do not dive too deep in the Kilmor dungeon, although it is a low-rank dungeon, a lot of beginner adventurers have died by overestimating their skills." The lady looked around the surroundings before leaning on the counter and beckoning the two to do the same.
Max and Lyla also leaned in the counter table as they waited for the lady to talk, "You might be hiding your identities, but it would be better to change your disguise, your looks might give the people the misconception that you are members of a terrifying cult." The lady who has finished her speech sat straight back on her seat and looked proud of herself as if she has given her juniors a lifelong lesson that they can use for the rest of their lives.
Max drop his shoulders when he heard the lady's piece of advice, while Lyla was trembling under the cloak, trying her best not to chuckle as to not hurt Max's feelings.
They walked out of the guild building. Max was murmuring, "This looks cool, why can't they see that."
As they were walking away the lady at the front desk thought, "They might be nobles, their hands looked soft and without callouses. I hope they don't die in the dungeon, a lot of nobles have been diving in the dungeons, thinking that it's easy."
A person from behind the counter was also observing the two as they entered. He had a glint in his eyes while the two were having their conversation with the guild assistant. As the two walked away, he disappeared in the shadows at the same time no one was able to notice his presence.
The dungeon that Max and Lyla were going to was well known in the capital. It served as a hunting ground for adventurers since it was discovered. History books would tell tales about how the kingdom formed due to this dungeon. That's how most cities are formed, people gathered near a dungeon as it is a good source of resources. The people living in this world have been highly dependent on the usage of the cores as an energy source that supplies most of their day to day living necessities. They serve as batteries if comparing it with earth's resources.
It would take approximately 15 to 20 minutes by walking. Considering how big the capital is, you can see that it is still located inside the city proper. It was made this way in order for the kingdom to control and keep track of the number of people entering the dungeons.
The kingdom of Aurelia is widely known as the avid believer of the Goddess of Light. The demon race is considered their mortal enemy, hence, Lyla's identity should be kept a secret or they will purge her for the sake of the Goddess of Lights name. Other races have been accepted through time, but any race having darkness as their main attributes are considered evil abominations.
Max knowing this did not want Lyla to accompany him in becoming an adventurer, however, Lyla herself did not want to leave Max's side. Considering Lyla has only awakened her traits and is unable to control it, Max decided that if something happens, they will not take any risks and instead run away.
Although it would have been faster if they ran, they did not want to look conspicuous as the way is filled with people.
Lyla, on the other hand, was surveying the surroundings she had the feeling that they were being followed ever since they left the building. It might have been a feeling but she did not want to risk it.
"Max, there are people following us." Lyla whispered to Max.
"There are 6 people who have been eyeing us, they are hiding in this sea of people. 2 people are further away, one is hiding beside a pillar while the other one is very good at hiding his presence. I can sense his movements but he keeps on changing his location once my senses lock on this place." Max said calmly without any hint of his childish excitement while they were in the adventurer's guild.
Lyla was amazed by how Max was able to determine the locations of their followers. Although she was able to feel some presences, she was not able to determine their exact location. This made her feel that she has underestimated Max's ability.
They continued walking surrounded by the sea of people. They got closer to the dungeon's entrance. It was known as Kilmors dungeon, one need to have their adventurer's identification crystal on their person in order to enter. The entrance has a spell matrix that prevents non-adventurers to enter and in turn blocks the monsters from rampaging outside of the dungeon. It is widely used in this world, it secures the safety of the people living in the vicinity of the dungeons.
They entered unobstructed as they were sent to the first level of the dungeon, as it turns out, although there were a lot of people that entered at the same time, they would be transported to different locations if they do not enter together. The surrounding was dark, the only light source was the moss that covered the walls that give off their own light, and the way was about 2 meters while the ceilings were high.
The first floor of the dungeon was well documented as many people have been able to get pass this level without any problems. Most of the monsters were rabbit like monsters with red eyes, their eyes looked sinister in this dark space, their teeth and claws are razor sharp. Although they are weak when they're alone, these monsters prefer to move in groups.
Max and Lyla's plan was to move ahead to the deeper floors as these monsters will not serve as any experience with their training. One must reach the center of the floor and find the crystal teleportation matrix to move to the next floor. If one wants to leave the dungeon, there are also relay points that are found that directly sends you outside of the dungeon. The guild also made a guild outpost for the safety of the people who exit the dungeon. Healers and appraisers are designated in the outposts to take care of any event that might be necessary for the adventurers.
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Max continued his training
In the mornings he would run on the training grounds
After which his master will get him and they would go to the forests to run some more.
In the evenings he studied light magic and spent time with his family. The process was a repetitive one but it did not mean it was easy.
He still persisted to finish the training course without using his aura. He still practiced using his aura to help his eyesight and he started learning healing magic that could fully recover from fatigue.
The damn gorilla monkey has some impressive movement skills and could slip like an eel. For a gorilla monkey to know how to use feints was definitely an eye opener for Max.
Although he was facing difficulties, he did not bother his master from his meditation and continued on relying on his own understanding.
At Max's room, night time
Alicia suddenly barged into Max's room without knocking.
Max who saw Alicia smiled and said, "How are you sister?" He put down the book he was reading and looked at his sister. She was now considered as an adult in this world, however, to Max she is still a teenager.
Alicia went straight to Max and gave him a hug. She looked straight into Max's eyes and said, "Max, it's about time. I'll be starting to go to school when I turn 15."
"We have to go to a school. Why?" Max asked with a questioning look. He always wondered about schools in this world but since his sister did not go to one, he thought it wasn't necessary. He did hear from Lyla that commoners have schools they go to.
Alicia stared at her cute but ignorant brother and said, "You see Max, we as nobles learn everything at home as we can afford private teachers, however, commoners do not have that option so they go to schools at younger ages. For nobles, it becomes mandatory to go to one when they turn 15. It is a way to build relationships with other nobles. In other words, it's just for the status symbol. You think I want to go to one with the kind of immature bratty nobles around? I'd rather stay at home and train with the soldiers here."
"I see. So where is the school at?" Max asked.
"It's here in the capital," Alicia said with her charming smile.
"So you won't have to go far," Max said.
"Yes," Alicia answered.
"Then why are you telling me this like you have to go to some faraway place?" Max asked with confusion.
Alicia wanted to say something but closed her mouth instead. She then said, "won't you miss me when I'm gone?" with her usual prideful voice.
"Will you be staying there on the weekdays?" Max asked.
"No, I'll still come back after school," Alicia answered. She was starting to feel lonely and defeated as her little brother seems to be pulling away from her. Unlike before who used to follow her like a dog. She looked sad and downcast.
Max noticed her sister's reaction and said, "I'm not going anywhere sister so we can still see each other every day right?" He said with a gentle smile and looked at her with sincere eyes.
Alicia hugged her little brother tightly and said, "That's right."
Max hugged back her sister while patting her back saying, "There, there."
Lyla who was looking at the spectacle couldn't help but smile. She was wondering if Alicia was really the older one with the way they are interacting. She also wondered if Alicia will be able to find a husband for herself. Alicia looked like the child who did not want to go to school and be separated from her brother.
Alicia finally stopped hugging Max and suddenly said, "Don't bother about the people talking things behind your back."
"Huh, what do you mean?" Max looked confused again as if Alicia said something alien.
"Erm, you know." Alicia's eyes were swirling about looking for a way out. She looked at Lyla as if asking for help but Lyla ignored her and giggled. Her eyes as if saying,"You dug your own grave."
"Well, you have been too focused with your training and you haven't been going around the capital right?" Alicia said.
"Yes, I'm too busy and I'd rather spend time with you guys than go out," Max said.
Alicia felt warm in her heart when Max said that, but she was still having a hard time on how to explain what she said. She gave a sigh and continued, "You see there are rumors about you." She looked at Max and from his reaction, it seems he doesn't know about it.
"And you haven't been interacting with the other nobles or even the people so they are saying you are lacking in the head and you have a disability." Alicia tried to say it slowly, carefully even. She was trying to see what Max's reaction would be, but it was still the same calm gaze as if he didn't care.
"Well, grandmother and mother did keep a tight lid on what's going on in the mansion so I guess that's about right," Max said like what he heard was not relevant to him.
It was now Alicia's turn to be confused and said, "and rumors say that you are talentless with no talent in magic since you did not pass at the age of 5." Alicia saw that Max still look calm.
"And you were not betrothed to anyone because of this." This time there was a little reaction from Max.
"You mean because I'm stupid and talentless so I don't have a fiancé?" Max said.
"Yes." Alicia was starting to get bothered at his brother's nonchalance so she asked, "Are you not worried at all? This is your reputation you know."
"I was only wondering why I don't have a fiancé but you already answered the question. I think it is for the best, I'd rather not be betrothed to a superficial woman who only desires my family wealth and status." Max said this without a care in the world while the two ladies were surprised at his answer as he was not even 10 years old.
"You're not worried that you might not be able to marry any noble in this kingdom?" Alicia asked again.
"Don't care, someday someone will still love the stupid and talentless me." Max laugh out loud with his answer. The two saw his reaction and they felt that he was saying the truth about the matter.
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The girl opened her eyes and looked around her surroundings. She found the young boy lying beside her, asleep.
She checked her condition, and to her surprise, she was fine, to be truthful she was feeling better.
Two people in black cloaks can be seen talking in hush tones in a corner. She was afraid to talk with them, not wanting to offend the people that might have saved her life. The boy beside her started to move and open his eyes too. Same as the girl, he tried looking around, he also found the 2 people wearing black cloaks, he hurriedly checked the girl beside him, wondering if she was alright.
Nodding at each other as if confirming themselves, the slowly looked at the two people huddled in the corner, discussing something in hushed tones.
The young boy stood up and cautiously approached the two, he bowed his head and said, "Thank you for saving our lives." He was peeking at the reaction of the two people, however, their faces were covered in masks, which makes it hard for him to see their expressions.
The young girl also appeared near the boy and did the same thing, "Thank you for saving us. My name is Sally and he is Alex, we are bronze ranked adventurers." Sally said.
Max and Lyla looked at the two people when they introduced themselves. They both nodded at each other then Max spoke, "My name is Mark and she is my partner Lisa, we are both bronze ranked adventurers."
Sally and Alex both had a surprised look on their faces when they heard this, they thought the two were higher ranked adventurers, as they were able to handle the sonic bats and the jumping spider without any problems. "Thank you once again for saving us, uhmm, do you happen to have any food you can spare," Alex asked with a wry smile, while Sally tugging at Alex's clothes from behind, trying to stop him from saying more to avoid any unnecessary trouble.
Max tossed two sandwiches and a container of water to the two without any hesitation. Although he was still suspicious of the two people, simply giving them food was simple enough for him. He was not sure if they were bad people in the first place.
Alex fumbled with catching the items, he was not expecting for them to give them food and water easily.
It was known that once you step into the dungeons, you have to look after yourselves. Helpful adventurers are few and far between, most have ulterior motives for helping other adventurers inside the dungeon. But since He and Sally did not have anything with them, he thought of their help as kindness from fellow adventurers, with another bow Alex said, "Thank you very much sir."
Alex drank from the water container before passing it to Sally, he did the same thing with the sandwich. It was still better to be careful, he thought to himself. Although he appreciated their kindness, he could not understand why these two people had to hide their identities, which makes them highly suspicious.
Max was still observing the two peoples action, from how Alex handled the situation it seems that he has a cautious personality. He wondered how these two people got into trouble on the third floor with their cautious attitudes.
Lyla could not help herself and asked a question, "What happened?"
It was a simple question, Sally flinched when she heard the sudden question while Alex calmly looked at the person who asked the question.
Alex looked serious and said, "We carefully entered the third floor by scouting for the monsters. To be honest, this is not the first time that we have entered the third floor. We both used the highly sensitive senses of the bats to our advantage by luring them into a trap. I am a swordsman, so I used myself as bait by making noises, while Sally is a fire attribute magician and waits in ambush not far away."
Lyla was listening to Alex's explanation and thought she might be able to use the same tactic. She was a bit disappointed with herself for not using her knowledge of the monster to her advantage.
Max, on the other hand, nodded his head in agreement and thought to himself, that was the best thing small parties can do, by luring monsters into a trap, it would be easier for them to defeat monsters that way. One can always use one's environment and knowledge to his advantage.
Alex continued and said "While we were doing so, we were able to defeat the bats that were coming our way, however, to our surprise the jumping spider ambushed us without waiting for me and Sally to be paralyzed. It was a known fact that these creatures would only attack if their victims are in a stunned or paralyzed state."
"Using our number to our advantage, I attack in close quarters to cover for Sally's position as she recites her incantation for her attack. It took a lot of time and a few potions but we were able to defeat the jumping spider. While we were both tired from the fighting, another group of sonic bats suddenly appeared and paralyzed us. What is weird is that groups of sonic bats usually have designated areas per group. It was weird to have two groups near each other as the jumping spiders are very dominant and protective of their own areas." Alex was clenching his fists as he told his story.
Lyla was shocked internally but immediately calmed herself and asked again to confirm what Alex said, "Are you saying that there were two groups of sonic bats and jumping spider in the same area?"
"Yes." Alex said with a definitive nod.
Max held his chin, but all he could touch was his mask. He was thinking of a plausible reason why there was a sudden change of the ecosystem in the dungeon. Although it was not conclusive, it was better for them to be careful and look into it themselves.
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Max and Lyla headed out for the dungeons after finishing their breakfast. It took them almost an hour to reach the end of the 3rd-floor teleportation matrix that's headed for the 4th floor. They ignored the monster and headed straight for the teleportation matrix.
Once they arrived at the 4th floor, Max and Lyla did not move out hastily, they observed their surroundings for any monsters near the vicinity. The teleportation matrix have barriers that protect the pillars from monsters, this makes it easier for adventurers to at least scout the area near the teleportation matrix. This vantage point allows parties with good scouts to gain a better position and a better advantage.
As Max was observing the area, he suddenly scrunched up his eyebrows when he first steps out of the barrier. The pungent smell of blood made his nose wrinkle, there are no bodies to be found near them, nor blood stains on the floor, however, as if a mist of bloody smell was surrounding the entire area from where they were standing from, covering them and their senses.
This was not what he was expecting since this floors monsters are only made up venomous tiger snakes, they are called tiger snakes because of the tiger like patterns on their backs.
Their length and size is the same as adult males, they are known to use their venom by spitting it out towards the victim, once it hits the skin of the victim, the poison will have a fast effect that slowly absorbs the victims' vitality. If they are able to bite through a victim's skins, this causes the venom to run through their bloodstream, potions will not be able to cure it, a high leveled heal from a light magician is necessary to survive.
In the 4th level, there are pitfalls and traps that once triggered, a deadly amount of venomous tiger snakes will appear and swamp the people who are caught in the trap. This means that the bodies will be buried underground, the smell should be locked up once the trap closed up.
"Lyla don't move. Stay inside the barrier, something strange is going on. If I don't come back within a couple of hours, go back to the mansion and report to my mother." Max gave Lyla this few instructions and disappeared in an instant.
Lyla followed Max's instructions without any question. She took out the sword from the sheath and held on to it, preparing for whatever monster that might appear. Although there was a barrier to prevented monsters from coming in, it was best to still be prepared.
Max went to scout the surrounding pathways. He did not find anything, yet the smell of blood was still wafting through the air. He followed the smell as it became stronger, the strangest thing was the disappearance of monsters. He was carefully moving about the dungeon, avoiding the traps, left and right. Although he magnificently avoided 95% of the trap, he has still triggered some of it, it was easy to avoid due to his fast reaction and agility, however, the opened traps did not have any venomous tiger snakes in them.
Finally, reaching the end of a corner, there was some activity inside a room. Lower level dungeons, usually do not have any so-called normal rooms, however, there are hidden rooms that pop out suddenly. They contain treasures or monsters, it all depends on one's luck. But, what Max found while lurking in the shadows were a group of cloaked people, covered in a full black attire, their face were covered, however, Max could not see them clearly because of the dim light and cloaks covering their head, the angle did not help as they were facing towards the other side.
They were facing an altar with a matrix beneath their foot, the surroundings were filled with decapitated body parts that were strewn over the whole area. Blood was being absorbed by the matrix under their feet as the people in black cloaks continued to chant words that Max could not identify. The people under the cloaks have not realized that there was an additional person in the room.
Max was able to remove his presence, he continued to watch the ritual. Judging from what he can see, they were definitely up to no good. The body parts on the floor looked like human parts, they must be adventurers that experienced the sudden changes in the dungeon like the two adventurers they have met.
The light on the altar became brighter, the chant became louder, there was a sudden gust of winds that surrounded the room, and there was whizzing sound because of the fast circulating air. The cloaks of the people were flipping and swaying from the wind.
Max who still did not know whether to attack or keep his distance, continued spying on the activities of the group, the soft chanting at first turned to loud shouting, as if they were at the end of the line.
Once the last sounds were made by the cloaked people, some of them fell on the floor with a "thud". Finally, black smoke filled the middle part of the matrix, a silhouette was starting to form as the smoke collates in one spot.
The figure in the middle was standing tall with its maleficent aura, his three horns that are pointing towards the ceiling were sparkling like jade, his body was well-toned as every muscle contained power, and his height was about 4 meters.
The towering figure looked down on the cloaked people standing at the points of the matrix. His face which was colored in a dark shade of blue and black, patterns could be seen all over his body.
From all the features that Max could deduce, he was a high ranking demon that these people have summoned. This must be the reason why the monsters in the dungeon are in disorder, they must have felt the presence of this being who is being summoned.
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Once Max and Lyla were alone in the room. Lyla was disheartened as she was not allowed to accompany Max in his travel. She understood that the elves do not accept humans in their territories. However, it as in her nature to worry about the person she cares for.
"I want you to keep practicing your…" Before Max could finish his words, Lyla hugged him with force as if not wanting to let him go.
"What's wrong?" Max asked Lyla.
"We will be separated, and I don't know for how long," Lyla said while continuing to hug Max's back.
"I won't be gone for long. It's not like we won't see each other in the future." Max said kindly trying to console Lyla while patting her back.
Lyla removed her hands from Max's body and faced Max. She looked deep into his eyes and touched his cheeks, as if trying to imprint his features in her mind. Max did not avoid Lyla's gaze and looked straight into her eyes. He gently touched the hand that was on his face as he slowly held on to it.
He took the hand in front of his lips and kissed it softly. Lyla shuddered and could not contain her emotions from bursting out. Lyla approached Max's face and passionately kissed his lips with every fiber of her being. Two lips kissed gently at the start, but Lyla felt this was not enough as she pried open Max's lips with her tongue, two tongues intertwined with each other as their saliva mixed with each other. Lya's tongue was exploring Max's mouth as if trying to taste each and every part of him.
Max accepted the kiss wholeheartedly as he reciprocated the passionate kiss that Lyla initiated. Two bodies coiling together like snakes as both were caught in the moment of passion. Both had desired each other for a long time, it was only a matter of time before they both reached their tipping points.
The two disentangle from another to catch their breath. Lyla's eyes were gleaming with light as she stared at the man in front of her. She took the initiative to approach Max and position herself on top of Max's lap, as she sat there face to face with him. Lyla was full of determination from her actions, not running away or frightened by their situation. The thought of her separating from Max has turned into a trigger to finally let go of all of her fears and doubts, and just stay true to her feelings.
Max, on the other hand, was more accepting of Lyla's sudden attack. He continued to remain passive to let Lyla relax. He did not talk or say anything, afraid to ruin the moment. He just stared back at the hot gaze of the woman on his lap who was opening her body and heart to him once again.
The two spent a night full of passion, lust and love.
Max hugged the naked body of the woman beside her. He was surprised by her enthusiasm and continuous vigor for the whole night. Their sudden separation caused such a big reaction to Lyla that Max did not expect such a result. He kissed the nape of the sleeping Lya which cause her to stir and wake up.
Lyla was still holding on to his arm, afraid that once she let's go Max will never come back to her. She did not bother with pretenses and just let her body lose all her inhibitions. She did not think of consequences, fears and doubts. She wholeheartedly devoted her body and heart to the man she loves.
She faced Max when she woke up and once again stared into his eyes. She gave him one more passionate kiss before saying with teary eyes, "Be careful out there. Although you won't stay at the frontlines for long, you have to stay safe. Don't act on your own." Lyla said this seriously to Max full of worry.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine." Max said as he gently kissed the tip of Lyla's nose.
"And don't go looking for other girls just because I'm not there." Lyla continued to remind Max.
Max gave Lyla a wide grin and said, "of course I won't."
Lyla did not like Max's reaction as she reached for his side and pinched and twisted his skin with her hand.
Max yelped from the pain and laughed, "I'm sorry. I was joking." He said and lovingly kissed Lyla's lips.
"I have to prepare. Master will probably want to leave before the sunrise," Max said.
Lyla once again looked downcast, but she had no choice in the matter and could only let Max go.
"You have to continue you're training. This way we don't have to be separated in the future." Max reminded Lyla before he had to go.
Lyla nodded her head in affirmation, afraid to speak. She knew that once she starts to speak, she would definitely cry and hold on to Max.
"You don't have to walk out with me." Max kissed Lyla's cheek one more time before leaving the room.
Lyla was left alone in the bed, sitting down and holding on to the blankets that Max slept on. She felt that his warmth and smell was still there as she buried her face on the blanket as tears start to run down her eyes.
|
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The two young adventurers gave their goodbyes. They decided to leave the dungeon before something worse happens.
Max told the two to report to the adventurer's guild. Whatever the reason might be, it is still best to inform the authorities so they can conduct an investigation.
Max and Lyla continued their way to the next floor, they did not encounter any problems with the current floors monsters. Lyla became more efficient with her attacks after listening to the two adventurer's accounts.
Max was still behind Lyla, prepared to assist her if she gets into trouble.
They have spent more than 7 hours in the dungeon, some adventurers prefer to stay in the dungeon and camp there, this way they will not waste their time going in and out of the dungeon.
However, Max decided to leave the dungeon and stay in an inn since this is their first time going in the dungeon it is better to be careful and he is still worried about the anomaly that happened that day.
Once they arrived at the teleportation matrix, they approached the pillar that would lead them out of the dungeon. All exit leads to the sub-station that is overseen by the adventurer's guild.
Max and Lyla touched the pillar, they were surrounded by a bright light. It was the same feeling of being transferred from one floor to another. Once they arrived, there were not a lot of people in the sub-guild building. A couple of tired and haggard looking adventurers can be seen on the counter, while others are resting at a corner.
They approached an available counter and took out the cores from the satchel bag. Small marble like stones can be seen inside the bag.
"Excuse me, can we exchange these monster cores?" Max said to the lady at the counter.
The lady looked at the appearance of the two people and grabbed the satchel bag, "These are all from the lower levels of the dungeon, one monster core is equivalent to 1 copper coin. Let me count them first."
The lady pulled out all the monster cores from the bag and counted them one by one.
(1 silver=100 copper coins, 1 gold=100silver coins)
"You have a total of 37 cores which is equivalent to 37 copper coins." The lady handed 37 pieces of copper coins.
"Thank you." Max said. "Did two young bronze ranked adventurers pass by earlier?"
"Yes, they did. They also report about something unusual happening at the lower levels of the dungeon." The lady said.
"I see. So what do you think about their report." Max probed.
The lady looked at Max neither displeased or amused and said, "They might be a bunch of youngsters who overestimated themselves inside the dungeon. Although that may be the case, it is the adventurer's guild's duty to check on reports made by adventurers, we will be sending a team to check on the situation tomorrow."
"Why do you ask?" The lady asked Max, trying to figure out the intentions of the person under the mask.
Max answered in a calm tone, "We saw them at the 3rd level, they were captured by a jumping spider and trapped in a cocoon when we found them. I have not seen the unusual occurrence that they both speak of, but the two looked like reliable and cautious people."
"Hmm." The lady looked as if she was considering what Max said. Max did not disturb the lady's train of thought. A few moments later Max asked, "Do you know an inn that we can stay at?"
"This building provides accommodations for adventurers. One room is 30 copper coins a day." The lady said while looking at the two people.
Max handed the lady 30 copper coins. "One room please."
The lady grabbed a key from under the counter and gave it to Max. "Here is your key, second floor, to the right." The lady pointed at the stairs with an uncaring attitude.
"We provide a bucket of water, if you want more, its 1 copper per bucket. Hot water is another 1 copper coin. Food is not included but we also have a place here where you can buy food." She pointed at the left side of the building.
Max reached for the key, number 21 was written on it. "Thank you." Both headed for the stairs and rest at their room.
"Not bad for newbies. They look promising for getting 37 cores in one day with only the two of them." The lady said in a soft voice, unknown to others if she was talking to herself.
Max and Lyla opened the door to their room.
It was a normal small sized room with one bed, a table with a single chair, a window with a curtain and a lamp on the on top of the table. Although there are lamps that run with monster cores like in their mansion, it costs money to maintain and to illuminate the whole place. A simple inn would not provide the same kind of luxury that their mansion has.
A few moments later there was a knock on the door.
SFX: *knock knock knock*
Max opened the door and saw a young boy caring a bucket of water, "This is the bucket, sir."
The young boy said with a frightened look on his face. He put the bucket down in a hurry trying to leave at once.
"Wait." Max said.
The boy was perspiring with sweat as he heard the voice. He trembled when he saw the man with the mask walking towards him. The man stretched his hand, the young boy flinched from the man's action as he closed his eyes in fear.
Max stretched his hand and was surprised to see the young boy's reaction. He gently put 2 bronze coins on the boy's hand before saying, "You can go now."
The boy, as if realizing that nothing happened, runs like a startled bunny with all his strength. Max was shaking his head, he never would have thought that a simple looking cloak and mask would scare a child like that.
|
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Lyla noticed the sudden change in Max's attitude once they entered the dungeons. His childish and excited bearing that was filled with curiosity has changed into the same calm and composed demeanor that he always has.
Max was now seriously checking his surroundings while giving brief explanations to Lyla, for them to be prepared for any unforeseen events.
Lyla felt that her worries earlier disappeared. She looked at Max and thought to herself that he looks dependable, she removed her sword from its sheath and prepares herself in a neutral position to allow herself to attack or defend at any moment.
Max spoke in a calm manner, "Don't worry about the people who are after us, I believe that they are only after us since we looked like beginners. It will take a while for them to track us down if they are really adamant in following us."
Truthfully, Max was not worried about the 6 people who used the crowd to follow them as their strengths are almost equal with the training soldiers in his home, while the other 2 people seemed stronger, they are nothing compared to his Master's tamed beast. However, he wanted Lyla to be always on guard considering her background.
Max believes that Lyla became stronger due to her training with his sister, but she lacks experience. He might be acting childish and ignorant in the adventurer's guild, but he was checking the people in the surrounding just like what he had learnt from his master's training. He had learned that being prepared in any given situation will be helpful in his survival.
Max looked at Lyla and said, "We will skip this level and go directly to the next level without stopping."
Lyla followed Max without questions and continued on their way. They both studied the maps of the dungeon, however, since they have been transported into a random area, they will need to define their location first before moving on.
Thankfully, there are pillars that have existed since the dungeon was discovered. These pillars have unique marks in them that are different from each and every pillar found in a dungeon. Historians say that these marks are a language from the ancient era.
The floor and walls which is made up of cobblestones were thick and robust, adventurers had tried making their own marks but it was impossible to even make a dent on it. Although its composition looked like stones, it was still unknown what minerals or materials it is composed of.
"Stop," Max said in a hushed tone.
Lyla was behind Max, she tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword.
Max looked at Lyla with a serious expression, he then said in a hushed tone, "There are 5 red eyed rabbits on the other side of this wall. Once we reach the corner, you will be able to see them. Can you handle them?"
Lyla nodded in consent as she prepared herself to attack the red-eyed rabbits. She slowly approached the corner and silently scouted for the positions of the red-eyed rabbits. Two were at the front about 5 meters away, the other 3 are farther away about 10 meters away. She thought that this gives her a couple more seconds of leeway to attack and kill the 2 in front before the 3 will reach her.
The problem with the first levels of the dungeons is the clearance, there are no objects that can be used to hide oneself, the corners can be used as a blind spot by the adventurers if they have a good scout, however, it goes both ways if the adventurer's party does not have a way to scout their enemies locations they could be easily ambushed by other parties.
Lyla needed to act as fast as possible, using one single blow to each monster to be more efficient. Once Lyla made up her mind, she used her aura to boost her movement speed. It only took 3 steps as she arrived in front of the 2 red-eyed rabbits. With 2 basic horizontal slash, she was able to deal with them easily. However, one of the red-eyed rabbit was quick and alarm the other 3 red-eyed rabbits.
With a "chi chi" sound, the 3 rabbits replied with a "shriek" and attacked simultaneously with perfect coordination with each other. They moved as fast as they could as if the sound the red-eyed rabbit made was a cry for help. One attacked Lyla's left, the other focused on her right side, while the last one went for her eyes.
Lyla took a step back, then made a side step motion to avoid the attack from her right side. She slashed the rabbit to her left, and used her left hand to cover her face.
Sfx*clink*
The red-eyed rabbit on the left died with one slash, while the other red-eyed rabbit that attacked her face was parried with her gauntlet that was hidden under her cloak. The red-eyed rabbit backed off when it saw that its attack was not working.
Sfx*shriek*
As the two red-eyed rabbit saw their disadvantageous state, they decided to give up and run away.
Lyla gave a sigh of relief while carefully assessing her surroundings. Once she was sure that the enemies are not returning, she heaved a sigh of relief.
"Good job." Said Max who was now standing behind Lyla. He caressed her head as he gave his compliment with his usual gentle smile. He can now confirm Lyla's skill with her performance, her level can be considered to be at a master swordsman level. If Lyla can use and control her traits, then she would be able to defend herself in the future. This was the only way to practice her traits without being discovered by other people inside the dungeon filled with monsters. They continued walking and the deeper they went the smaller the number of people they encountered.
This was also one of the reasons why he allowed Lyla to come with him. He had always cared about Lyla since they were children, he saw his younger sister in her in his past life. He always treated her like a younger sister, but once he realized that Lyla was half succubus, it dawned upon him that it was impossible for their relationship to remain the same.
A succubus coming of age is very different from a human, they need to absorb the life force of a partner through a sexual deed. Max did not even hesitate to provide Lyla with his own life force to awaken her traits, even if she was not human. Max considers Lyla as family, he would have done the same to give his life for any of his family members without hesitation. Luckily she did not have that trait which his mother explained.
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"Why did you run away Max?" Lyla asked wondering why Max who should be able to take care of those young men easily. But he chose to run away instead of fighting which puzzled her.
"They are only kids who use their house's influence to bully other people. Even if I talk with them to straighten them out, I would be only wasting my time. There are more important things that we have to take care of and beating up kids is not one of them." Max said while he continued running with his top speed.
Lyla wondered why Max kept calling the young men kids while they look even older than them. Is it their immature nature or was there another reason.
"Once we reach the mansion, there is nothing they can do to us," Max said in a calm manner and without breaking a sweat as he continued to run.
"But Max, this is your chance to show them that you are not an incompetent person," Lyla said this with indignation. She has heard the rumors spreading around the capital. However, no matter how bothered she was with it, his family was letting it be. How could an outsider like her involve herself with the situation.
"Are you that bothered with people calling me incompetent, idiot or useless?" Max looked right at Lyla's face with a calm gaze, he then continued looking forward as he said. "I do not need the affirmation of outsiders to prove my strength. When I was younger, I thought that it was important to show everyone my own strength so I can have my own way in this society, but thinking deeply about it once I grew older I began to realize that true strength does not come from the affirmation of the masses. The people who have true strength are not in the masse, they spend their own time in isolation or roaming the world while doing what they want."
"Do you think the Blackett family is strong?" Max asked.
Lyla was confused by the question, in their kingdom Max's family and the Blackett family are tied in second place, if she put her way of thinking like that, then yes they are strong. But what does Max truly mean by his question?
Max continued and said, "In this kingdom, they might be one of the strongest, but that is the limit of their strength. This kingdom is one of the many around this world. In this world filled with different races and powers, this kingdom is only a tiny part of this world. They might be contented with the strength that they currently have, they might lord at the citizens of the country all they want but once they step out of the confines of this kingdom, they are nothing more than at the bottom of the barrel, so to speak."
"Master, who I thought was one of the strongest people in this world said that there are powers far greater than his and that I'll be able to know that once I start to roam the world. He is considered one of the strongest in the kingdom." Max was still looking straight ahead while they traveled.
He thought back to what he said in his childhood, but now he realized he was being naïve. His experience in the dungeon made him think that he had improved himself greatly but when he faced the demon, he realized that he needed a lot more to be considered strong.
They arrived at the mansion without a problem and obstruction this time. Once they reached the mansion, Max told Lyla to be prepared to head out anytime.
Max headed for his mother's room using the usual route he always used. The usual soldiers training could be heard, the servants bow their head to greet him when he passed them by as he gave them a small nod with his head as a reply.
Once he reached his mother's room, he knocked at the door and spoke, "Mother I'm back."
"Come in Max." His mother said inside the room.
Max opened the door and closed it gently once he was inside. He stood in front of his mother as he waited for her to put down the book she was reading.
Her mother put down the book and looked at Max, "Why are you back so soon?" his mother asked with the same gentle smile on her face.
"Something happened in the dungeon," Max explained the things he experienced in the dungeon to his mother in full detail.
Max's mother was listening attentively to Max report with a serious expression on her face. Her beautiful eyebrows are scrunched up and her forehead was in a frown.
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"What is this?" I asked.
"That is an artifact that we found in one of the dungeons in the Eastern part of the continent, the Maloticks dungeon. These are artifacts that were left behind by the ancient era. Artifacts are weapons that the Ancients used. Nowadays these artifacts have been unearthed one by one but there are only a few people who can wield it as it has a special way to be used." Master said.
"You can see from the artifacts that there is a stone embedded on it. Countless people have experimented with it, the results showed that only people with spirits can be able to maximize and use these kinds of artifacts." Master looked at me with a serious expression in his eyes.
"From the different artifacts that were found, we can deduce that each attribute has a different colored core inside the weapon. As you can see, the core is transparent. Your grandmother, Milana believes that this is an attribute for light magic." As Master finished his explanation, he stood up and said, "We shall be returning for today. Keep the dagger and practice how to integrate your spirit into the dagger to wield its power.
We moved on high speed back to the mansion.
Before leaving master said, "I will be back after a month to see your progress. I need to return to the border and talk with your grandfather." As Master finished his sentence, he disappeared like a gust of wind from my sight.
Walking back to my room, I was staring at the dagger that and trying to have a feel for it with my hands. Although it was made from metal, it's warm to the touch once I held it. It fits in the palm of my hand as if it was an extension of my body. Lumi, who did not experience any growth in this past couple of years, looked at the dagger in my hands with curiosity.
"What do you think Lumi?" I asked Lumi thinking she might be able to figure out something. However, she only tilted her head cutely to the side as if she did not understand what I meant.
I gave a sigh and walked back to my room to study it some more. As I passed by the training grounds, the soldiers were grunting as they run around the field while carrying a boulder on their shoulders. They seem to be full of determination as they ran full of spirit. I glanced at them for a bit then continue on my way without stopping.
I opened my room and to my surprise, there was no one to greet me. Lyla would usually stay put in the room ever since sister started going to school. As I continued walking towards the inner bedroom, I saw Lyla on the floor, hugging herself and shivering while her eyes are closed. I touched her forehead and to my surprise, her body temperature was very hot. I gently leaned over and carried her to the bed. She gave a small moan and held my arm as I walk towards the bed. I then gently laid her on top of the bed and covered her with a blanket. I was about to stand up and heal her when she grabbed my arm strength and said, "Please don't leave me." In a small voice."
"I am not leaving, I was just preparing to cast a spell to heal you. It seems that you are sick." I said while holding her hand.
She gently opened her eyes and her face had a red glow, her eyes were moist while her breathing became haggard. I don't know what kind of sickness she was suffering from, but when I touched her hand it felt like it became hotter. Every time our skin touched she would moan, I did not understand if she was feeling hurt while we touch as she made the sound.
My position was awkward so I changed my position and sat on the headboard of the bed while still holding Lyla's hand with mine. This time she was sweating bullets on her forehead, some hair has started to stick to her skin so I decided to move the hair to the side and wipe her forehead. However, her body suddenly twitched and I could suddenly smell an exquisite aroma drifting from Lyla.
I got my face closer to her to smell the scent that was coming from her but at the exact time that I leaned over her eyes opened. I could see golden streaks now formed on her jet black iris. It was mesmerizing to look at, as I was looking mesmerized by her beautiful eyes, she suddenly let go of my hand and used it to grab the back of my head and pushed it towards her. I did not resist her movement due to my complete trust with Lyla and with that my face closer and closer to hers.
Our lips touched and her eyes were now closed. I was finally able to react once her eyes were not looking into my eyes and I was filled with surprise with her actions. She was still holding my head tightly as she wrapped her arms around the nape of my neck. Her breathing became rougher and her body heat warmer. The intoxicating smell was now spreading more as she took every breath in between her kisses.
My body started to heat up as I continued breathing in her scent. My hands wrapped around her back and my passiveness had turned into aggressiveness. I held her back with both of my hand and hugged her tightly towards mine. We can feel each other's body heat and each other's movement. I started to part my mouth open and she did the same. I invaded her mouth with my tongue and she accepted it with a burning passion doing the same.
I continued to plunge my tongue and explored every inch of her mouth. Our saliva's mixing with our energetic kissing, not one giving in with the others provocation. Once I swallowed her saliva, a sudden heat was felt directly on my belly. My body could not take it anymore as I wanted to experience the warmth of her body. I used one hand to touch her thigh. Her skirt had already risen up from the contact with my leg. Lyla had been rubbing her lower body on my thigh the whole time we were kissing. This added to my enthusiasm as I touched her thigh and slowly moving to her ass.
Her plump and smooth ass felt good to the touch. Her body shivered as I did so and her mouth parted with my mouth for a bit. She suddenly opened her eyes and now her iris had turned gold. As I saw her eyes and her passionate look, my mind had the sudden thought to touch every part of her body.
I used my other hand so I can touch both cheeks of her smooth and plump ass. As I did so she moaned and bit my shoulder as if trying to cover her moaning sound. This added to my enthusiasm as I massaged her ass. However, it felt it wasn't enough as I wanted to touch her skin directly, her panties had been in the way so I pulled it downwards, as I looked with excitement, there was a line of liquid that formed like a string connected to her panties and her private place. My heart was beating wildly at the sight of this.
As I was doing these things, I did not notice the horns that started to form on her hood. It looked like that of a ram that curved towards her hair. It was not too large as to the degree to make it revolting. However, it added to her charm as it only looked like an accessory. Her back had suddenly sprouted small bat-like wings and above her ass, a tail started to appear. These changes were noticed by Max as he was enthusiastically touching and discovering the wonders of the female body.
Max was not contented with just that, he removed Lyla's dress and every inch of clothing off her body to experience the full view. The parts of her body were now open to Max, every inch of her body was spectacular, and awakening any desires men have. Lyla who seemed like in a trance continued looking at Max full with a desire not minding the changes that occurred in her body. It was unknown if Max still did not realize it or he did not mind. Once he saw those 2 huge and perky breasts right in front of his face, he touched them with enthusiasm. Lyla once again moaned with Max's touch and let him do what he desired, however, Lyla also felt the need to touch Max's body as she held his vest and shirt and ripped them open with her nails she was able to manipulate to make it sharp.
She changed her position and sat on top Max's thigh. While Max was enjoying touching Lyla's breast, he took one into his mouth and let his tongue roamed around every part of it. Her perked up nipples did not escape as he gave it a little bite. While his other hand continued to touch Lyla's other breast.
"I can't take it anymore Max," Lyla said with haggard breaths. As she said this she used her knees to lift herself off Max and opened his pants. Max was already ready with his towering rod escaping from his pants as Lyla took it off as fast as she could.
Lyla's eyes focused on Max's towering rod and gulped her saliva. Max was looking at Lyla with a loving gaze, waiting for her to move. Although Max felt that he was intoxicated with the scent that Lyla was giving off, he was able to retain some of his senses in the middle of it. He was able to observe the changes in Lyla's body and he then realized that she was a demi-human, a succubus. Succubus suffers from this event once they turn into adults. The Succubus had found a way to be able to avoid this by means of rituals, however, Max did not have the means to do so as he was human. It was only known in the demon races specifically the Succubus tribes.
He would rather have Lyla and spend her first time with him rather than any other race. Lyla might be in a trance right now but they remember the things they did once the effects of the rite of passage to be adults have passed. He waited for Lyla to take action and he did not have to wait long as he felt a soft and warm sensation enveloping his member.
Lyla with one motion took it all in and made a grunting sound. She stayed still on Max's lap as she took everything in. Max thought it might have hurt as it was her first time even if she was in a trance. Max reached for Lyla's cheek and approached her face with his. He gave Lyla a gentle kiss, passionately, dedicatedly until Lyla's body was able to relax and she moaned again.
Lyla moved slowly as her grunts turned to moans, her clumsy movements had started to have a rhythmic movement that they both enjoyed. Lyla's moaning became louder as different lewd sounds could be heard in the room. Two bodies closely knit together, enjoying themselves with a burning passion for each other's warmth. They changed positions several times enjoying each and every thrusts and stroke of their bodies. Lyla kissed, bit and licked every part of Max's body as if trying to taste every inch of him. This continued on through the night as they never left the room and slept heavily after.
|
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Max woke up with Lyla sleeping on his arms. He looked at Lyla's face that returned back to its human features, he did not move, afraid of waking up Lyla. He just watched and appreciated Lyla's beauty.
Max did not have to wait long as Lyla soon woke up beside him. Her jet black eyes were wide open when he saw Max. Their closeness made her blush, and seeing Max beside her made her calm down.
Lyla who woke up not knowing what Max's reaction would be felt at ease when she saw his calm and gentle smile still looking at her. Realizing that Max accepted her being a half-breed, she could not stop the tears from falling.
"Why are you crying? Does it still hurt?" Max asked full of concern while wiping away the falling tears on her cheeks.
"No." Lyla said in a soft voice.
"I'm just happy that you don't hate me." Lyla looked into Max's clear eyes, there was no hint of derision or anger, his warm gaze made all her doubts fade away.
Lyla explained her life story to Max, while Max, listen attentively. He did not interrupt Lyla until she was finished with her story before speaking, "What do you want to do Lyla? Do you want to get revenge on the people who killed your mother?" Max asked seriously.
Lyla paused for a bit, she was scrunching her eyebrows as if she was thinking. She then said, "I just want to stay by your side master. I don't need revenge or anything else." Lyla then cuddled beside Max and hugged him tightly.
Max caressed her head and said, "From now on you should call me Max." He then reached for her nape and chanted a spell. A bright light spread and Lyla's slave contract was released.
Lyla was surprised with Max's action. She became scared as she thought back to their discussion when they were kids. Max seeing Lyla's reaction spoke, "You're not a slave anymore but my woman. Your status is not any different than my family in my heart, therefore, people should treat you equally. No matter if you are human or succubus. It does not matter." His face was full of determination when he said this.
Lyla could not help herself, all her pent-up emotions were released at once. She cried like a child finding salvation in Max's loving warmth. She could not ask for more as Max recognized her as his woman. She hugged max tightly like she would never let go. The sound of sobbing continued until her breathing became stable, Lyla was once again asleep, however, her face was now filled with content.
Max stood up carefully, he did not want to disturb Lyla's sleep. He cleaned up and wore his clothes as he directly went to his mother's room.
He walked while thinking of the right words to say to his mother. Although he said that he would take responsibility, he still did not know how his mother would react if she finds out Lyla as a half-breed. Humans have despised the demon race since the beginning.
Sfx*knock knock*
"Come in," The same warm and gentle voice was heard in the room.
Max opened the door and saw his mother sitting on a chair while gently closing a book and putting it on one side. She then looked at Max's face and her face beamed with delight. As Max saw this, he approached his mother and gave her a kiss on the cheek before sitting down.
"Mother, I need to tell you something," Max said with a determined tone.
"Go on," His mother said.
Max began to explain Lyla's origin and that he considers Lyla as her woman now. Max was waiting for his mother to scold him but nothing happened. He closely looked at his mothers face, her expression did not change at all. It was Max's turn to be confused, scrunching his eyebrows, trying to figure out if his explanation was not on par with Lyla's. It seems mother has misunderstood something. He was about to start explaining once more when his mother spoke.
"I know son." She then looked at Max with the same gentle gaze. "When she first came in, I used an artifact that can inspect a person's origin and traits," She then showed Max a mirror and placed it on the table.
Max felt awkward asking her. "What were her traits?" Max asked.
Her mother gave a knowing smile and looked into Max's eyes and said, "What do you mean?"
Her inquisitive gaze was making Max uncomfortable. Max blushed and said, " You know what I mean mother."
"If you're asking about the succubus trait of sucking the life force out of their partners, Then no she does not have it, it must be because she is only a half. Her defining succubus traits are leaned into illusions and pheromones." Max's mother replied with a grin.
Max looked with amazement in his face. He then looked at his mother with a questioning look, "Why did you not tell me mother?" Max asked.
"I wanted to see what your reaction would be once you find out." His mother gave a small giggle while saying this. He did not know if he had made the wrong assumption about humans hating demons, but he thought that her mother's reaction would be entirely different.
"You see Max," She paused for a bit, looked at Max with a serious expression before continuing. "Humans have been at war with demons since time immemorial. This was written in history books, as you can see, the library holds that information too." She was looking at the books around them.
Max nodded in agreement with his mother's words.
"It was said that an immortal being once descended in this barren world. He saw a future in this world, therefore he made two figures using his otherworldly power, the goddess of darkness and the goddess of light. Now as you can see, the two sides which are the dark and light wanted to create beings according to their own preference, the other creatures are made in this world accordingly with their own attributes following the goddesses. The goddesses felt that they did a good job with the creatures that they have created and went into slumber as they used a lot of their powers. However, it was said that one day, through the faith of their followers, they will once again awaken into this world." She paused for a bit to see Max's reaction, however, it was one of a listener, as if he was a student learning and absorbing all the information.
"This made the world balance. The world is big, therefore, everyone had a place of their own. But, once the population grew, the people in this world started to change."
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"That is not a fucking monkey. You call that size a monkey in this world?" Max thought to himself as he watched agape at the so-called gorilla monkey running like a gust of wind. Its agile body was swinging from one tree to another. The forest was its playground and the gorilla monkey saw no hindrance in this forest.
The gorilla monkey saw that I was standing there agape, watching it move from one tree to another. He stopped on one of the trees and looked at me, He looked straight at me as if mocking me for not being able to follow him. I swear, I saw him laughing as he showed his grotesque teeth will making "Hi, Hi" sounds which was fucking annoying.
It got me riled up as I surrounded my feet with aura and used it to add power to my steps. I did the same thing from my prior training, and I thought it was easier as I was in dry land. However, every time I was able to approach the gorilla monkey, he would then again increase his speed and mock me.
The stupid gorilla monkey was doing it on purpose. I did not even notice that my aura was almost depleted as I use too much aura in my movements. The gorilla would use branches, rocks, the swinging ropes. The gorilla monkey would use branches, ropes and rocks to throw at me. It became a hindrance when I'm about to get near him. Most of them hit me as he used the trees as cover and it was very cunning while doing so. It was always at an angle that was on my blind side. I tried using this as a clue but the gorilla monkey seems to have the perception that was able to detect when I was waiting for its ambush.
I looked at my master hoping that he would say something to his gorilla monkey as it was not fair, to begin with. However, he only nodded his head to the gorilla monkey as if appreciating its antics and cunningness. The gorilla monkey was elated when he saw my master's nod that he again made a, "HI, HI" sound while thumping his chests.
I pointed at the gorilla monkey with hatred in my eyes while thinking, "See! That is not a trait of a monkey but a gorilla. Who are you trying to trick here." But, it has been years so I knew when to shut up and keep these things to myself.
I was dismayed seeing this, what was I hoping for from my master, I asked myself. All I could do was to meditate and replenish the aura that was spent on chasing the gorilla monkey. I cycled my mana throughout my body. A couple of minutes were all it took to replenish my energy and I felt refreshed.
The gorilla monkey and I continued with our cat and mouse game in the forest. I also tried using the objects lying around the forests but all it would hit was air. And as I did that, it annoyed the monkey gorilla and picked larger stones and branches.
As I was chasing the monkey gorilla while on a branch of a tree during high speed, a shadow suddenly appeared on my blind spot. With one swinging motion, that was full of power, the tree that the gorilla monkey was wielding made a "swoosh" sound and hit me from behind my back. It was a head-on collision with no time to escape. I felt my ribs broke from the impact as it disoriented me and fell flat on the floor. I again fainted but before I was about to close my eyes, the monkey wielding the tree was surrounding it with faint colors of blue.
"Since when did monsters have aura?" I asked myself and blackout.
I woke up in the same familiar bed at home. I guess the training ended with me fainting. I need a way to protect myself from the sudden attacks of that gorilla. It was not enough to keep chasing it, there must be a better way. Master did not give any directions so I am free to try out things.
While I was thinking to myself, Lyla entered the room with a jar of water and a towel. She looked at me when she saw me awake and asked me with her gentle smile, "Are you okay Master?" she poured water into a container and wet the towel with it. She then approached me and started to help me clean my face and hands.
"Yes, I'm fine. This is normal." I smiled as I answered. I did not want others to worry about me so I asked Lumi to heal me before we would arrive home even if I have fainted. The first time they saw me all battered and bruised made them worried and wanted me to stop training. However, I could not do that. I will not give up this chance to be strong. So I act like everything is fine at home.
I changed the subject and ask her instead, "How was your day Lyla?" I said with a gentle and sincere gaze.
She then excitedly told me about her day. How she trained with Alicia and has been improving a lot since then. She is also learning how to read and write. There was so much she wanted to learn, it was the simple things in this life and yet she was deprived of that before.
I remembered something and asked Lyla, "Lyla do you remember your birthday?"
She looked sad for a bit but she changed her facial expression right away and smiled saying, "It does not matter Master."
I looked at her eyes and said, "Then starting today, this day will be the day that we will celebrate your birthday every year." I remembered something and took it out from my pocket. It was a simple river stone that I tied up in a twig. It looked polished so I picked it up. I got this from the edge of the waterfall to keep as a memento but I thought I should at least give her something.
"This is nothing much and I'll give you something more appropriate later on but this is all I have at the moment," I said while giving it to her.
She took the stone from my hand and said in a small voice. "Thank you, master."
"I wish you would stop calling me master and just call me by my name," I said with a gentle smile as I saw her face happy from such a simple gift.
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"I do not understand." I do not know how much I repeated these words today.
My body ached from head to toe.
The logs were too slippery and I would fall as fast as I could get on it. Running was hard so I tried walking but I was only rewarded by another sword slash from my master. I could not even get past from one log to another, then how am I going to cross this river.
"I wanted to be a swordsman, not a ninja," I screamed in my mind. Is this for agility or for balance? Questions just keep piling up in my mind as I try to answer them by myself.
I was getting cold from being wet for a long time, the fatigue kept building up but I tried to continue with this grueling task. This was the first task given to me so I should not fail. I was the one who asked to be trained so I should suck it up and be a man. I tried to encourage myself, thinking that I could do it making it as a support to energize myself to keep trying.
I do not know when I should stop, so I persisted and continued. I was waiting for my master to command me to stop but that never came. It felt like a never-ending punishment as I was swept away by the rushing water from the river. I was not fast enough to hold on to a log and fell straight out of the waterfall at the end of this river. I tried floundering, trying to grab anything, hoping there are protruding rocks that are not slippery. But my hopes vanished as I felt I was inside a washing machine at the strongest spinning level. Instead of holding on a rock, I got hit all over my body.
The inevitable came and I was at the edge of the river heading towards the waterfall.
I was hoping that master was only playing with me and he would rescue me before I fall. However, that was just a wishful thinking because as I was looking while falling down, I saw a silhouette quite similar to the body shape of my master at the bottom of the waterfall.
"Ah, he did not lie. He did say he will wait at the bottom if I fall." I thought to myself as I did not have time to scream anything while falling. I fainted from the fatigue after this, not from the fall or the height but because I was too tired.
I woke up, and I was now comfortably lying on my bed. My body is aching, all my muscles hurt.
"Lumi please heal me," I said.
Lumi can now use heal on me. Without any incantation, she produces a white holy light that surrounded my body. All the muscles that were aching, the wounds and bruises were healed. However, the accumulated mental fatigue could not be removed or rather there is no spell that can. I have been trying and experimenting but I cannot find the right way to do it.
"Thank you," I said to her with a smile. The little fairy was on her favorite spot on my right shoulder. She hugged my cheek as if trying to comfort me.
"How long have I been asleep?" as I said this out loud a voice was heard beside me.
"It's now night time master." Said the little slave girl.
I looked at her and asked her, "Have you eaten yet?"
She moved her head from side to side, expressing she hasn't.
"The whole day?" I asked again.
She moved her head up and down, expressing she hasn't eaten the whole day.
"Next time, you should eat even if I'm not here," I said seriously while looking at her.
She did not reply, instead, she looked down.
"That's an order." She must not be used on acting on her own, so I said this instead. If I wanted her to change her way of thinking then we need baby steps and simple tasks as a start.
"Come, let's go eat first." She looked hesitant to follow me so I grabbed her hand as we walked towards a table filled with food. We ate together and afterward we prepared to sleep. I still not have prepared a room for her to sleep in so she will be sleeping with me again. "Did you see who brought me home?" I asked.
"It was a big burly man with frightening eyes." The little slave girl said.
"I see, did anyone visit while I was unconscious?" I asked again.
"Your mother and sister came worried, but the man said a few words to them while heading out and they did not make a fuss afterward." She said.
"I see," I replied.
As we were lying down, I remembered that I haven't thought of a name for her. So I asked her, "Is there a name you would like for yourself?"
She seemed surprised with my question as her eyes are opened wide like saucers looked at me.
"You don't have any name you like?" I asked again gently.
"No." she answered not even taking the time to think of a name.
I kept quiet for a bit thinking of a good name for her.
"Then from today onwards, your name shall be Lyla," I said with a smile.
"Lyla." She repeated the name.
"Yes, it means night. Your hair and your eyes are as dark as the night sky. But when it comes alive, your eyes have a sudden twinkling in them like the stars in the night sky." I said with a gentle smile. Well Lyla means night in Arabic, but I guess she won't ask me about it, he thought to himself.
"Goodnight Lyla," I said to her while closing my eyes.
She did not reply but her face was looking at Max's while repeating to herself the name that Max gave her. She repeated her name a couple more times and checked Max's breathing. His breathing became stable, a sign that he was already asleep. Lyla who sensed this slide closer to Max's side and found a comfortable place where she did not disturb his sleep but close enough for her to feel his warmth.
She then said softly, "Goodnight Max." she closed her eyes and tried to sleep as well.
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Early morning, Max brought Lyla to the same forest his Master brought him to train for the last couple of years. It was Lyla's turn to be "it" while chasing him in the forest. He wanted to use the same method as his master, but he thought that would take more time if he did not guide Lyla step by step.
Lyla does not have any problems with her aura control. It would be helpful for her movement. However, what Max noticed was the lack of awareness by Lyla. She was not able to perceive her surroundings in a manner to make the environment advantageous to her. She uses her vision and waits for the monsters to make a move. In a sense, this is not incorrect but like a game of chess, the people who are able to take steps ahead of his opponent has a higher chance of winning.
Days and nights pass as the two immerse themselves in rigorous training.
Contrary to what Max and her mother believed, there was no news from the adventurer's guild. He was not called upon to make further explanations with regards to the recent events in the dungeon. There was no news spreading in the capital, this confirmed their deductions that someone is trying to keep everything a secret. Considering that something that big happened in the dungeons and how many lives were lost, this was something the kingdom should have made a move together with the adventurer's guild and the magic towers.
"Was there someone in the adventurer's guild that is controlling the information?" Max had these thoughts when reports from the family intelligence came to them.
They continued to observe the capital and the kingdom regarding any news but the capital continued its lively atmosphere.
His grandmother's reply was simple, "Wait for my instructions, Max's master will be arriving soon in the capital."
Max wondered if it was possible that their message would be intercepted. "Is this why grandmother had to relay her message to master instead of the messenger bird?" Max thought to himself.
There are only a few people that her grandmother trusted. His master was one of those few people. Someone his grandmother and grandfather spent their lives with through their adventuring days. They have experienced things from life to death. They have learned to survive through times with their teamwork and cooperation.
Another thing that Max was waiting for is the Blackett's family's retaliation. Their family was known for taking revenge for whatever grievance they experience. Although Max was not at fault in their encounter, the young man from the Blackett family did suffer from humiliation considering that he fainted with just one swipe of Max's foot. If it was any regular day, the people from the Blackett family would have been parading in the streets asking for "justice" from the King for being "treated unjustly".
Max did not have to wait long to get his answers as his Master arrived in a couple of days.
His Master looked at Max with a penetrating gaze. Max did not flinch from his Master's gaze as he was already used to it since his childhood. On the other hand, Lyla felt that the person in front of her could devour her soul whole just from the way he was looking. Her body became stiff from the aura exuding from Max's Master.
"Welcome back Master," Max said with a small bow to show his respect. Lyla also bowed without saying a word.
"Come, let us meet with your mother and discuss your grandmother's wishes," his master started heading for Max's mother's location without uttering any words or discussions.
Max knocked on his mother's door and introduced their arrival. Once he opened the door, he saw his mother approaching them and gave his Master a curtsy.
"Sir Evander, thank you for taking the time to visit our humble abode. Please sit down and have some tea." His mother served them tea and snacks while they found their seats. The people present in his mother's room were him, his Master and Lyla.
His master took a couple of sip before stating the reason why he was sent, "You're grandmother wants you to come with me to the frontlines. The war has started to become fiercer as the enemies continued their attacks. She cannot leave your grandfather's side at the moment. She is worried about the incantation that the demon used on you." Max's Master, Evander said this while looking at Max.
Max's Master, Evander continued, "If it was from the ancient era's demon language, there is no one who will be able to discern it in the kingdom. However, there is one race that will be able to help you. The Elves that are living deep in the forest with the Tree of Life are the only race that may have any information. Your grandmother has made preparations for you to move from the frontlines to the Elven forests once their envoy arrives."
His mother and Lyla showed surprise in their face as they did not expect anything was serious with Max. "He did not show any difference from his usual routine. He was very healthy in terms of his body's condition," Anna said.
"That may be so but as we do not know the effects of the incantation the demon used, having more information about it would be beneficial to Max for whatever event might occur in the future." His Master said conclusively.
His mother nodded in approval as there was nothing to lose with checking on Max's condition. Once everything was concluded, it was decided that Max will be accompanied by his Master as they journeyed to the frontlines of the battle.
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"Other races began their expansion as their own territories developed. Races have encroached other territories, one reason is resources it may be natural resources or the people they contain. I believe you have heard what had happened with the elves." His mother asked and Max nodded confirming her words.
"As time went on, they used their own beliefs stating that it was the goddesses will that only one religion should rule the lands. Up to this day, there's still a lot of extremists who are under this belief. However, our family has never been one of them. We stayed in a neutral position even with our ranking in the society, that is why we have been in the center of attention. Your grandmother and grandfather have been placed in positions that they did not want to due to the noble's misgivings towards our beliefs." His mother paused for a bit, letting Max digest the information she gave before continuing.
"Our family travels around the world for adventure. Your great-grandparents, grandparents and so did your father and me. We have seen people of different races and experienced a lot. We all found the same truth as we traveled, we should not discriminate people because of their race or belief. We are told that demons are all bad, however, when we traveled, there's a lot of demon races that are kind and caring. They know how to respect when shown respect. It is same with us humans, there are people brimming with righteousness while there are people using righteousness as a reason for massacring the demon race." Her mother's serious face and tone made Max think of his own beliefs.
He now realized that he was lucky to reincarnate in a family where his family's beliefs are same as his.
Is this the goddess will?
He did not know.
His mother touched his cheek and spoke in a tone full of love, "It does not matter who you love son. However, you must be prepared with the decision you make. Not everyone will understand it, and a lot will discriminate you for it."
"Thank you mother," Max said while looking deeply into his mother's clear eyes with a gaze filled with love.
Max wondered about one thing and asked, "Mother, is it the goddess will for her children to fight against the other goddess children?"
His mother held her chin as if in deep thought and said, "It is not known, there are no books that tell the whole story of the events. They are all information passed down from one generation to another, so the message might have been misconstrued due to the passage of time. What do you think Max?" she then asked.
Max without any hesitation stated, "I think the goddess would be sad if she finds out that the children she created are now fighting against her sisters' children."
Her mother's eyes glowed with delight as she heard his answer. She then said, "From now on, Lyla shall be considered as part of the family. Her status will be changed into your fiancé. However, we cannot disclose the information that she is a half." His mother looked at him gravely.
"But you found out that she was a half, so does this not have much meaning in keeping it a secret?" Max asked.
"You do not have to worry. There are not a lot of artifacts like this around." Her mother pointed at the mirror. "It is the same as the dagger that your master passed unto you. Although yours is of a higher quality and this one is simpler in terms of usage. It is still a rare piece of equipment that has been passed down in the family. You have to be more careful in the future Max." She said this as a warning to Max, she wanted Max to be more aware of his actions.
"I understand. Once I have the means to protect our lives from the people against me and Lyla's relationship. We will not mention her background." Max said with a firmness in his tone.
Max was about to head out when his mother added something, "Your master, Evander, will be returning in one months' time, since you have free time, I want you to register as an adventurer and know the workings of the world by experiencing it." Her mother said with a laugh.
He did not know why her mother wanted him to experience being an adventurer but when he heard the story of their family adventuring the world, his spirit got fired up and he wanted to experience it on his own. This was a good chance to learn and observe how other people fight. He wanted to know how much he has improve in terms of fighting, as he did not know if his training with a monkey would show results.
She then continued, "You are not allowed to use the family name or our wealth. You have to earn your keep by surviving in the dungeon using the money you earn from being an adventurer. And one last thing, you cannot use your magic in the dungeons as it will attract a lot of attention to you."
Max once again faced his mother and asked, "What about Lyla?"
"It is fine to take her with you. I suggest you use a disguise because her beauty will cause a lot of troubles with the other men in the guild." She said jokingly with a smirk.
"I understand." Max replied. He walked away, it seems his mother will not be adding anything more. He went directly to his room, filled with excitement with what's to come on his adventure.
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[Lyla's POV]
Ever since I was taken in as Master's slave, my life became better. Everything is provided by Master and I could continue living like this as long as I wanted. However, Master started his training.
I did not care at first as I believe all nobles are the same. They are despicable human beings that use other people for their benefits. They use their power and wealth to bully everyone with a lower status. I looked on with indifference as he continued to suffer every day.
I was sure he will stop his arduous training sooner or later. A pampered child like him will surely give up and cry at his mother's feet asking for an easier way. He does not know the ways of the world and how harsh it can be, that is why he is arrogantly saying that we can change ourselves. It was all wishful thinking.
However, he did not give up. Days turn into weeks, then months and years.
He was still full of determination as he trained in the mornings, studied in the evenings, and still took the time to talk with his family, and me.
It was what I looked forward to each day. The time master spends with me before we sleep and talk about our day.
He did not have any reason to be concerned with my needs, a slave, but he still treated me with kindness. He gave me a name, a home and a place where I experienced the feeling of having a family.
He gave me a stone as a gift for my so called birthday. It was a simple stone but this was the first time that someone gave me something out of consideration. This was the first time, since coming here that I that I felt I truly belong. I felt something within me changing day by day as I looked on my master. His face would always have the same gentle smile filled with kindness.
Because of this, I decided to learn swordsmanship as well. I asked his sister, Alicia, to teach me the basics. Alicia is a good person as well, as she did not decline my requests to learn. We have developed a close relationship due to our continuous training. Our way of training might be different from master but I did not mind as long as I can be useful to him.
I did not want to be a burden to my master, or worse, leave me behind as I was useless. It scared me knowing that each and every day, he was growing, he was leaving me behind, one step at a time, as he became further and further away from me.
I did not want that.
I do not want the only person who acknowledges my existence to leave me behind, all alone.
I had started to have a possessive feeling towards my master and it grew day by day.
I know it was not right to do so, I am but a mere slave, I could not deny my feelings.
I learned how to read, to write, to cook, to sew. Everything that might be necessary for the outside world, I wanted to learn it, so that I can help master in the future. Even with simple things I wanted to be of help. He's way of thinking was different, he wants to go on an adventure once he grows up. He wanted to discover the world, see everything and to experience everything. Most nobles would prefer to stay in their territories and lord over their subjects. However, he felt that the world is big and wondrous, that books are not enough to cover everything about our world.
But this was what I love about him.
I saw him grow up and change, as I too change. My body developed but my feelings only grew stronger.
My love continued to blossom each day.
My master who has become a young adult wanted me to have a different room for myself. He told me that it was not proper for a young lady to be staying in the same room with him. For the first time, in a long while, I cried. I could not hide my emotions, I felt that I was being thrown away because he was tired of me. I held onto master while crying my eyes out while telling him not to throw me away.
Master, seeing my reaction gave in. He told me that people might misunderstand our relationship if this continues.
I do not care if the people misunderstood, it was better.
I wanted him all to myself.
I do not want to part with master.
I wanted to be the closest to him.
It continued this way as we grow up together.
But it all changed one day. I, who thought everything will be fine, fell into despair.
It was when I was about 15 years old when my body started to have changes. This was a sign that my lineage as a succubus has started to appear. A succubus will have to pass through adulthood by devouring a man. Every night when I am near master, the urge became stronger and stronger as it affected my mind.
Since then I stayed inside the room, I was afraid to leave and encounter males outside of this room and devour them. I was torn by the fact that my existence as a half-breed will soon be known by master.
Should I flee?
Will he accept me if he knew I deceived him?
My body started to feel hot, my breathing haggard and my heartbeat was pulsing madly.
I slumped into the floor while shivering and hugging my body that desired warmth.
|
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My mother was getting irritated at the hooligans who were trying to increase the price of the young girl. My mother, whose face was always plastered with a gentle smile, now looked solemn and cold. You can see how much she detests the slave merchants.
"I will give you 50 gold coins." She then looked at the people as if their only reply is accepting the deal. 50 gold coins is a lot of money in this era. A normal slave would normally cost 3-5gold coins. 50 gold coins are considered for high priced merchandise. Young elves are already sold at this price.
The men eyes lit up as they heard the amount my mother was willing to pay. They then removed the child from her shackles and handed us a magic contract. Using a simple incantation and drop of blood the contract was now bound to the owner. My mother was about to prick her own finger when I used the blood that was already flowing from my hands to seal the contract.
My mother looked at me wide-eyed, trying to scrutinize me, as this was the first time I asked for something and was so willful. She did not say anything as she kept the magic contract and threw away a pouch with the gold coins towards the men.
One of the men then hurriedly looked at the contents and made sure it was the right amount. They left as fast as they came, they happily went back to where they came from once they received the large amount of money.
My mother was about to walk away too was suddenly tugged on her robe, I looked up at her with dewy wide eyes and made me request, "please heal her she is hurt." I pointed towards the girl when I said this, the girl tensed up again when I said that, but with a simple, "it's alright." I was able to coax her.
My mother then used the heal spell on the child and called everybody to go back to the mansion. The girl was fidgeting as she does not know what to do, so I held her hand and lead her to where our carriage is. I wanted to heal her myself when I saw her injury, however, with all the secrecy my grandmother went through all the trouble with. I did not want to be the center of attention and put all her hard work and preparations for naught.
As I look at the girl again, I can see that her hair was black, although it was matted with dirt, mud and disheveled, you can still see a glint of black. Her face was covered by dried up mud, sweat, and tears. Her clothing, as if it could be called like that, looks like a much worn out sack of potatoes that you cut out holes for the arms and legs. From her body size, I guessed she was 2-3 years older than me. Her body was covered with scars, although the bleeding has stopped, it takes a higher tier of light magic to remove the scars. We can slowly do that at the mansion.
It was a shame that nobody in the carriage knows water magic as the little girls stink to high heavens. Although she smelled, my mother did not say anything while my sister was only looking full with curiosity. I really admire these two people who are not acting arrogant at all to this poor child. The child was now sitting at the corner of the carriage trying to shrink herself, making herself as little as possible. It's as if she does not want her dirt or smell to spread in the carriage. I who still was holding her hand did not mind her smell and still calmly sit beside her with a gentle smile, I did not try to talk with her but when she tries to look at the side of my face, I would look at her and smile. This seemed to calm her down a lot.
When we finally got to the mansion, my mother said, "Max, she is your responsibility now since you wanted to buy her. Do you understand?" My mother was serious when she said this, it was the first time she talked to me like that as if she was talking to an adult.
"Yes, mother," I replied. I then took her to my room and ask for assistance from two maids who are designated to my room. Hot water was prepared as they helped her clean up all the dirt and stains on her body. It took a while before they were able to get her cleaned up and remove the smell. The environment she was locked up into must be really bad, as I think about other people and races who have become slaves for the sake of the nobles fetishes, it angered me. It doesn't matter what race you are, as long as the nobles put their eyes on you, you will be taken as a slave. The poor and weak people are the ones who suffer first as they do not have any means to fight back.
I went out of the room, it seems it will take a while for her to finish up, so I decided to go to my mother's and ask her about incantations that are appropriate for my current level. Since I was not able to complete the set of tests, I would also like to ask her about her promise on learning swordsmanship. Although learning magic is said to be the most prestigious and respected trade, I still believe that learning hand to hand combat and swordsmanship will also be helpful when fighting. Like today, although I wanted to use magic to help the little girl, I couldn't, because I did not know what the consequences would be if I use any magic, whichever tier it might be.
Another glaring problem that I've realized is that light magic is not effective against other people unless I can come up with a type of magic that can make me immortal. One on one fight between a light mage and another type of element or aura user is impossible as our magic is focused on healing types and dark magic.
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I got dejected when the voluptuous woman called me a dwarf, I am still young and growing. I am only 5 years old so she shouldn't hold my height against me. I looked down at my shoes while fiddling my fingers. I then asked something to Lumi since I was a bit suspicious, "Lumi did you do something earlier? I felt the circulation of my mana was easier. Did you help me?" I asked her softly while looking down so that the people will not notice me.
Lumi nodded while smiling, she then hugged my cheeks with her 2 arms as her face touched the side of my cheeks. Lumi has changed a lot after 2 years. Her form which was like a firefly before was now bigger. She has now an appearance and a material body. Before you can only feel her warmth but there are no body parts, but now she looked cute while looking at me as if trying to comfort me. She looks like a fairy with her long blonde her, her big amber eyes that look innocent and honest. Although she is small her appearance seems to be that of a teenager if we compare to human appearance. I was glad that she was a she, having a female companion that is always beside you is much better than a man.
The changes happened once I was practicing mana control and meditation. The more I practice the more her form had materialized. Although she still can't speak, she can communicate her thoughts with me telepathically. It seems my fast improvement has been caused by her, affecting the mana in the environment and serving as a catalyst to control mana easily and efficiently.
As I was talking with Lumi, it seems one person was looking at me with eyes full of wonder and excitement. Her eyebrows are arched up high and she was looking at me and Lumi like she has found a treasure.
While everyone was lost in their own thoughts my grandmother said, "Ruby get a hold of yourself, you are acting disgracefully for your age and stature." Once this sentence was said by Grandmother, Ruby had finally calmed down, she then said, "I apologize since this was the first time I have seen something like this. Even you, Milana, does not have the same mana level as your grandson, so how can I easily accept this." She said this while grunting.
My grandmother, however, only laughed as if what she said made her happier as it confirmed the results of the tests. "I think you 3 should understand why I want to keep this a secret from people who might want to use Max. This has already happened in the past, children who are still young and are talented suddenly disappears, used against their will or die a horrible death. I would like to avoid that until Max is able to protect himself." My grandmother looked grim while saying this.
"I understand Milana, like what we have discussed beforehand, everything shall be kept a secret and we will help you till the end." The elderly said with a kind smile.
"Thank you, Leonis." My grandmother said to the elderly man.
"Of course we will keep our promise Milana, I was just surprised, that was all. No matter what I have always kept my word." Ruby said.
The only person who was yet to reply suddenly asked a question as she looked at me. "Child, you do not have to be scared. I just want to ask you a question." Her smile was simply amazing, I got lost in her smile and eyes and I did not even understand what she said. She then giggled and asked again while pointing at Lumi who was sitting on my shoulders. "Is she your spirit partner?" she asked curiously.
I could hear gasps from the people around us. The only person who did not react was grandmother. I had felt that she knew when she took me out of my consciousness when I was 3.
I looked straight into her eyes, trying to confirm if this lady was serious and sincere with her words. Does she have an ulterior motive for asking this question? I do not know so I hesitated.
"Child, I do not have any ulterior motive. We elves are trustworthy people, our words are our lives. We exist with the truth behind our words, so I promise you that I will not use the information you will say to hurt you in this lifetime." Another round of gasps could be heard. The room turned quiet all of sudden. It's as if something was said that which is of utmost importance. I looked at my grandmother and she gave me a nod as a sign.
"Yes, she is my partner, Lumi." When I replied this, her laughter rang out as if bells chiming like melody. She then stepped forward and reached for my hand. As I was a lot shorter than her she had to bend her body to reach the same eye level as me. She looked extremely serious while holding my hand, she then said. "Child, you shall be forever a friend to the elves. I Verdi, make this promise to the spirits that surround me, may the goddess of light bless this promise." While she said those words, the wind suddenly twirled around us, a white light descended as if it was the blessing of the goddess. The pin drop silence was making me high strung as I was unaware of what was happening. Please, someone, explain. I wanted to look around and look away but her emerald eyes seem to be shining more intently compared to earlier. As if it was sending light signals to my brain.
The light faded at the same time she has finished her sentence. She then kissed my cheek, stood up and walked away while giggling. I who was standing there like a thousand year frozen ice, I could not move as my mind was still trying to figure out what was happening. Lumi was pouting beside me, she seemed dissatisfied with the whole situation, while the people around us were also shocked. It seems like time stood still for the people in the room aside from the beautiful Verdi who walked away like nothing happened.
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As I got back into my room, I saw the little girl was standing at the side. I do not know if she was instructed to do so by the maids or it was instinctual as a slave. The food I asked the maids to prepare was not touched. So I decided to ask, "Why have you not eaten?"
The girl looked downwards when asked and did not answer, she was clenching her fists. I did not expect my question to be so hard for her to feel intimidated so I said, "Come let's eat." I came near her trying to hold her hand to lead her to sit. As I was about an inch from her hand, she suddenly spoke, "Masters eat first before the slave. Slaves do not have the right to sit down with their masters."
I look at the girl's eyes. It was pitch black, just like the darkness when I was stuck in my consciousness without light. Her eyes did not have any light or even fluctuations as a hint of her emotions. Her face which was now clean was almond shape, her figure looks malnourished, she looked about 6 or 7 years old but I could not tell for sure. Her hair was pure black, it was not silky and smooth even though she was clean, it seems her being malnourished has stinted her growth and the natural luscious hair for children could not be seen.
"I did not want you as a slave," I said to the girl blandly.
When the girl heard what I said, she looked directly at my eyes and teardrops were starting to form in the corner of her eyes. When I saw this I added, "What I meant was, I was not planning to take you in as a slave but I just wanted to help you."
She hesitated for a bit before saying, "Master, you may not know this, but slaves that are sent free does not necessarily get better lives. Slaves will always have that stigma so that they will not be able to integrate into society like a normal person."
"I see." I was not aware of this information. It seems I did not think this through, no wonder mother was so serious earlier. So this was what she meant by responsibility, that I am now responsible for this girl as she is now my slave. I heard the girl sighed when she thought I understand what she meant.
"What is your name?" I asked the girl curiously.
"I have no name master." She said without any emotion.
"Don't you have a name before you were taken as a slave?"
The girl shuddered and she was gripping her hands as if remembering a memory that she has once forgotten. Her breathing became labored. It took a few minutes before she was able to gather herself as she continued to stay silent.
I did not think that my question would have caused her to act this way, I never thought that asking for one's name would be a sensitive topic. It was normal for people to ask for one's name if they are going to introduce and befriend each other.
"I'm sorry if I had reminded you of things." Before I can finish my explanation she suddenly said, "Master should never apologize to a slave, as the master is always right. Your orders will always be my top priority."
"I think that way of thinking is not right in itself." As I said this her eyes opened wide with surprise. Before she could say anything I added. "You see, people have rights, they have their own minds and way of thinking. You might think yourself as a slave right now but you were not a slave before. You had your own life and your own freedom. Tell me, if you think of yourself as a slave, then why did you run away from the slave merchants in the first place?" I asked the young girl seriously.
It took her a while before she answered, "I do not know." She said in a self-depreciating manner.
"So you ran with all your strength without any reason? You ran till you were hurt, bruised and broken, and yet no thoughts crossed your mind?' I asked inquiringly, this time I tried asking in the gentlest way I could.
The tears that she was trying hard not to shed fell like the rain on her cheeks. She then said, "I just wanted to live." While looking at me, she was gripping her hands so tight that her fingernails have scratched her skin that is now seeping with blood.
It might have been a simple idea, the thought of living, she just wanted to survive, however, how many people have taken this for granted as they were given luxurious lives. No suffering as they were fed with silver spoons, they thought it was a privilege. But some people are not even given that privilege, to live, to have freedom.
I held her hand, this time, however, she did not avoid it. "You are safe here, it does not matter who you were in the past if you do not want to say it. What matters is how you are going to live your life now. I will not hinder you as you can do what you want here. If you want a simple and carefree life then so be it. If one day you have become strong enough to want your own freedom and live as not a slave, then I shall release you from your bindings." I said to her while looking at her pitch black eyes that were now starting to have light in them.
"Mother said that people listen to the strong and the weak will have no choice but to follow. However, you can change that. You just have to start with yourself." I then pointed at her heart then smiled. After that, I led her to the table to eat. She did not want to eat at first but her hunger got the better of her, as she started to devour the food in front of her.
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As we walked out of the building, everything felt surreal. Grandmother, mother, and Alicia were proud of the results. Grandmother and mother were making plans for me to learn the more difficult and high leveled light magic. They looked excited while talking about my results, so I did not disturb them. I went in front of the building, but not too far from them. I wanted to check out the sites and things I can see around. We were located near the center, so the streets were bustling with people, going on their way, maybe for business or pleasure. Some are in carriages, others on horses, people walking on the sidewalks. There are some vendors selling items and food, people shouting trying to get the attention of people to buy their products. Even though there's a large gate that separates the streets from the magic tower, I can clearly see the people outside.
From all the commotion outside, there were sudden yells you can hear from afar. A couple of hooligan looking guys were running while yelling at the top of their lungs for someone to stop. I looked around trying to find the person they were shouting at. There, amongst the crowded sea of people, a little girl was running desperately, her hands were in chains, while her feet were bare-naked. Her hair was disheveled and there were tears running down the side on her dirty and muddy cheeks.
"STOP! I said stop right there you imp. If you don't stop I'll kill you." One of the men yelled.
The people gathered and crowded suddenly panicked when the man shouted his words. They began running away, as they did not want trouble for themselves. Some people looked at the men, and they realized that they were from the slave merchants. They did not want to get involved as they stepped aside to let the men seize the said slave from running away.
The little girl who kept running and running suddenly fell on the vendor stall some of the items they were selling fell and rolled on the floor. With a loud thud, her face hit the floor and blood was pouring out of her forehead. The people who were running away had formed a stampede, one person accidentally stepped on the poor girl, while the girl gave a sudden shriek from the pain. Her foot now bent on a weird angle.
I could not help myself from running towards the girl who was crying pitifully on the streets all alone with a bunch of filthy old men ganging up on a single girl. Her look was so pitiful that it reminded me of the bloodied site of my sister through her.
I was able to reach her before the men did but one man suddenly said, "Get away kid, this has nothing to do with you as we are only here for the merchandise." He was trying to intimidate me with his face while touching the hilt of his sword.
I ignored him and looked at the poor child who was crying on the floor. I got on one knee to get a better view of her feet, I could see that it was her ankle that was broken. I was about to hover my hand on her foot to heal her but she suddenly bit me. Blood started to ooze out of my hand as she bit with all her strength, however, I did not retract my other hand instead I used my other hand to touch her hair and pat it. "There, there it's going to be alright. I'll heal you so the pain will go away, okay?" I said gently to the girl. She then looked up at me, and our eyes met. Her jet black eyes that were as clear as the purest gemstones were mesmerizing. I smiled at her, and she gently released my hand from her bite.
"Hey you fucking kid, I am not in the mood for this kind of shit. If you don't get away now then don't blame me for killing you." The man said menacingly to me. The girl's body suddenly became stiff when she heard this, she then reached for my sleeves as if trying ask for help from me, pleading not to leave her alone. I who still had the same gentle smile looked at the man.
"How much is she?" I asked calmly.
"What did you say brat?" He said as if he has misheard me.
"How much is this child's worth?" I asked again in the same calm manner.
"Brat, are you fucking playing with me? I will behead you and feed your head to the dogs if you don't stop this fucking nonsense." The man shouted, he was ready to draw his sword any minute. However, he was not given a chance as a number of robed people can be seen approaching them. The man staggered back and did not continue drawing his sword. The other men started to panic as they did not want trouble from the magic tower.
"Max, what are you doing?" My mother asked me. She saw the commotion from afar and after realizing that Max was not beside her, she found out that Alicia was running out of the gate chasing after someone. There was only one person who could make Alicia panic like that which was his younger brother so they all followed Alicia who was now standing behind Max with a drawn sword.
"Mother, please buy her for me," I said bluntly as I pointed at the young girl beside me. My mother did not ask me any questions, instead looked at the men from the slave merchants.
"How much is she?" Mother asked bluntly.
The man had a sudden glint in his eyes as the woman in front of him looked wealthy. He then said," she is a part of our special merchandise, so she is not for sale." The man was trying to increase the price of the girl by saying a bunch of things. However, my mother was not in the mood to haggle with these people as she did not like their reputation or the way they do things.
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He who was smaller than me.
A child approached me, while all the other adults did not do a thing. He was not scared or disgusted. He had a sad look in his eyes. While I was hurting all over he approached me and tried to put his hand on my foot. I was scared as everyone who approached me, hurt me. I decided to fight and bite him, I thought I would be hit again.
While thinking that, I closed my eyes preparing myself to be hit, but it never came. What I felt was a warm hand gently patting my head, he was saying something but I could not pay attention to his words as this was the first time someone touched me in such a gentle way.
Without hatred or anger, it was warmth. He tried to protect me from the guards of the slave merchants with his small body. He was filled with great courage even though they were all bigger than him. He did not have to act or remain to help someone like me, but he did.
"Why?" I asked myself.
I grabbed hold of him as I did not want to lose the only hope that this world has given me. Please do not leave me. As if knowing what was on my mind he looked at me and smiled gently, it calmed my heart down, it made me feel safe.
I was surprised when he said he wanted to buy me. Was he the same as those detestable nobles who use slaves as a plaything? He did not look like one but I know people hide their disgusting facets to avoid judgment from society.
After that everything was blurry, I was tired and all I wanted to do was sleep. But I never let go of the child who helped me. I was taken to their place which was a luxurious mansion, I was given a bath and proper clothes.
The two maids did not explain anything about the child who will be my master. They only did their job and went away afterward without telling me what to do next, so I just stood in a corner waiting for my new master.
I did not have to wait long for him to return
He looked at me, I thought he was trying to see if I was worth the money they paid for, but it was not the question I was expecting. It was to ask if I have eaten.
It was normal for masters to not care for the well-being of their slaves. I heard many stories from the children that are from the same prison, stories that will give rise to nightmares. However, this child looked different. He looked kind and calm as if he was not a child, to begin with.
It's as if he does not have any common sense for this world, on how the things work. Even the simple information about slaves, he was not aware. Either he was naïve or stupid, he must be one of those rich nobles who does not know of the hardships of the world.
It does not matter if he was naïve, I just wanted a safe place where I can hide, hide who I am.
He said he will keep me safe and I wanted to believe him.
I will hide who I am from the people around me so I can stay here.
I'll keep my secret deeply engraved in my heart so no one will find out.
I have seen how people treat those of my kind. The abuse they received was not any different from how I said mother was treated, it might even be worse.
I am neither a human nor a demon
I am nothing more but an outsider, who will never be accepted no matter where I go.
Looking at this child, I believe he and his family will treat me the same if they find out the truth. Although he treats me kindly now, once they know what I am, they would treat me the same way they treat my mother in her old town.
While having made up this decision, I made up my mind to follow my young master. Whatever he wants I will give him, no matter what he wants me to do, I'll do it.
As long as I can survive
Until the day that I can stand on my own or the day where I can find a place that I can call home
Or until the day that I can trust this master of mine and tell him the truth
But for now, until I can confirm if he can be trusted, I will keep silently watching for the right time.
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Looking at Verdi's back while she walked away, my cheeks felt hot and I blushed when I realized that she kissed me. This otherworldly beauty, who was only described to be a mythical existence in my previous world, was surprising indeed. I wonder if elves in this world are different from the elves that I have read from books. While everyone was lost in their own thoughts a sudden question was asked by someone.
"Mother, what does she mean by Max having a spirit beside him?" mother asked this question towards my grandmother. The people around were awoken by the question and looked at my grandmother too.
"Anna, you know that elves are highly sensitive to the environment which is why they are more superior to humans when it comes to magic. They can also forego incantations and spells with the assistant of spirits. Spirits can serve as catalysts that can influence the mana around us. This is usually, something that elves who are close to nature develop as they have been living in an environment that is filled with the spirit of the earth. However, there are different spirits depending on the elements, and they are all around us. Being able to be acknowledged by spirits is said to be as difficult as becoming a legendary mage from the books of old. No one knows the process on how to be acknowledged by a spirit, however, spirits can feel the intent and feelings of people. You cannot hide your thoughts from them, so they can identify people who are trying to harm them or use them." My grandmother then looked at me as she said this information. The people around also looked at me, as they saw my grandmother looking curiously at me.
"Now there are different levels of spirits and their power to assist the magician. However, spirits that were able to materialize forms are considered higher leveled beings in this world." Grandmother pointed at Lumi who was sitting on my shoulder. Lumi then tilted her head and acted cutely while moving her legs.
"So does that mean Max was acknowledged by the spirit of the light element?" Ruby then asked.
"Yes, that seems to be the case. Verdi has acknowledged that fact as she was able to see Max's spirit Lumi. I was only able to feel the presence of the spirit however elves have better senses than us, so we might feel them but cannot see them. It was also said, that unless said spirits show themselves, they prefer to be immaterial beings who roam around us." Grandmother said to everyone. It seems some people are not even aware of the existence of spirits. It is only high leveled people who have this knowledge as the normal books do not hold this information.
"I can't believe that, that Verdi made a pact. This is huge, and she acknowledges Max as a friend to the elves, for their entire race." Leonis said while holding his chin as if pondering something.
"Why is it that important grandmother?" I asked my grandmother as it was something that has been bothering and making me curious of her actions.
"Max, elves have been very secretive and reserved when it comes to humankind. It was not always that way as elves are a sociable race since the beginning of time. They are hospitable to the lost travelers in the forest while they accommodate them in their homes. However, human greed has changed everything. As you can see, elves are beauties that can cause a city's downfall. The elves have been persecuted, hunted and collected, once word spread out of how this kind natured race is more beautiful than gems. They have been hunted to be made as slaves and to be added as a beauty for their collection. There are a lot of nobles who do this secretly, they have been doing this for decades. The worst came about when humans discovered an elixir that was able to lengthen one's life. This elixir is produced near the tree of life, the water that surrounds the tree of life, it takes a lot of time for it to become an elixir that extends one's life. Since then elves prefer their solemn life away from the prying eyes of humanity." Grandmother said this with a sad look in her eyes as if reminiscing something.
My grandmother looked at me, hesitated for a bit before she said, "Max elves live long lives, although they all look young they might have lived for centuries." I wanted to rebut and say something, however, I just could not seem to find the appropriate words to defend myself as I was only 5 years old.
Ruby giggled while she said, "What's wrong with a child having a crush on an elf. We have all been there, now it's a different matter if they reciprocate that affection. You should be proud that your grandchild has such fine taste in women." She winked at me when she said this. It was better for them to think of me having a crush on Verdi rather than me explaining something to them, which made me feel more relieved.
It seems it does not matter where you are but human greed can cause destruction everywhere. The honest and hospitable nature of the elves had turned their lives into a mess. Their kindness turned into animosity as these corrupt and opportunistic people became demons in their eyes. Now they prefer to live quietly on the outskirts of the forests, well hidden and protected from the greedy humans.
The two great mages left the room after some pleasant words and congratulations towards grandmother. It seems like the other tests were not required when they found out about Lumi. Mine and Lumi's potential seemed limitless, as we both can grow stronger together by diligently practicing and meditating.
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Standing in front of the majestic magic tower, my mother was giving me some last minute tips.
"Remember to be polite to your elders, especially high ranking mages as you do not know how they would react. Some of them have been locked up in their towers doing experiments, they might act aggressively if you say something wrong, so be careful with your words." My mother said worryingly.
I nod my head as to show I understand.
"Some mages have been living for a long time so they can be unique or unusual, to put it in a nicer way." It seems my mother was really worried. Has she experience something like that before, I wondered.
"It's okay mother, Max has always been polite and well-mannered," Alicia said. Mother seemed to want to say more but she stopped as my grandmother was approaching us. She gave me and Alicia a hug, then conversed with mother.
"I prepared everything so that the results will only be known by the people high up. These are people whom I trust, so you do not have to worry." My grandmother said to my mother while we started walking. The area that we will be testing my magic is located at the 8th floor on the magic tower. We stood on a platform, the platform had 15 magic stones mounted on it, I thought the magic tower was only made up of 12 levels. When my grandmother said an incantation it floated up. She said that normal people would not be able to enter as long as they do not have the access to specific floors. The platform then stopped and the 8 stones were shining when we arrived.
We walked a couple of steps when we dismounted from the platform, in the room, there were large pillars with different colors. At the side there are people sitting while having conversations when they saw people approaching, they stopped their discussion and looked at the newly arrived people. As they were looking at us, I was doing the same. The first person looked like he's in his late 50 's, he has a thin frame, pale complexion, black hair and black eyes while wearing glasses. He looked like he was curious, he looked like a nice elderly man from across the streets as he smiled kindly.
The second person was a lady that seems to be in her 30's. It was really hard to tell as she looked young but mature at the same time. Her body was curvaceous which cannot be hidden by the robe that she was wearing. She had long red auburn hair, full red lips, golden eyes that sparkle. She was grinning while inspecting me, I couldn't help but shiver by the way she looked.
The third person was mesmerizing, the second lady was beautiful but the third was out of this world. She was breathtakingly beautiful her hair was platinum blond and super long reaching her buttocks. Her clothes were made of mage robe but that did not hide her curvy body. Her face was so exquisite that you can't find a flaw, it matches well with her pointed ears. Yes, she was an elf, this was the first time I was able to see an Elf. I was staring at her with eyes wide open while she did the same. Her emerald eyes are intently looking at the thing sitting on my shoulder. She was blinking a couple of times as if trying to determine if she was hallucinating or not. It was a marvelous sight to see, I would like to stare at her more but someone tugged my shoulders.
"Everyone this here is my grandson Max. I called everyone today because I wanted his tests to be a complete secret. There are a lot of prying eyes, and our kingdom is in a precarious situation, so I hope everyone will understand why I want to keep this matter a secret." Grandmother said to the 3 people.
The 3 people nodded their head as an approval from her requests.
"The first test will determine the mana level that you currently have. Max, I want you to stay in front of the pillar which is colored white and we will take it from there. All you have to do is touch it and the pillar will activate. It will sense your mana level, as simple as that." Grandmother explained, although mother already gave me an explanation earlier, I still nod my head in understanding and did what grandmother said. As I was about to touch the pillar, I hesitated a bit, grandmother must have noticed because she said, "Don't worry Max, everything that will happen in here will stay in here. There will be no information leaked as I trust the people here with my life."
I stopped hesitating and touched the pillar, the pillar then shined brightly while the height of the light kept increasing slowly at first, however, it suddenly spiked and reached the last level of the pillar as it reached the maximum level."
There was a sudden sound from behind as a chair fell, I was surprised and let go of the pillar. The light started to dim down and I looked at where the sound came from. From there, at the side, the voluptuous red haired lady was pointing at me like she saw something incredulous. The sound came from her chair falling down as she abruptly stood up. It was a sight to behold as her beautiful face was like a fish out of water, her mouth opening and closing. I giggled at the sight and tried to cover my lips when that happened but it was too late. She was now glaring at me, it seems I have done something wrong.
"That is impossible Milana, that kind of mana level is impossible for a young child. You said he was only 5? That's not possible. He must be a dwarf, yes that is the case. He is only posing as your grandchild since you want to prank us." She said as an excuse as what she saw was an impossibility. She started to look crazed as if her life works had been stolen from her.
I could not understand what I did wrong as I was still lacking information from this world. The beautiful elf, however, was looking at me kindly and the thing that is sitting on my shoulder alternately. I am now sure that she can see Lumi, as her eyes are glittering with expectations as she looks at us.
The elderly man looked shocked at first, but he was able to compose himself real quick. Looking at the three people, I think he was the most normal.
|
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Time slowly moved this way
2 weeks have passed but I was only able to leap to the next log without being able to keep a stable footing. I fell countless times in the waterfall, and I was not scared of falling now. I accepted the fact that I could not fight against the strong currents when nearing the edge.
Training in the morning and experimenting on light magic at the evening. I wanted my suffering to end but I did not have the guts to ask for another teacher. I was the one who asked my mother to learn swordsmanship. I begged and now I got what I deserved. The only thing I could do was to suck it up, and be a man.
Men should suffer!
Hardships make a man!
If I don't remind myself of this then I feel like my purpose in learning has become void. I wondered when we will return to our old mansion. We have been staying in the capital for a while but I did not have the time to play around and visit the sites and scenes.
Lyla has started to show signs of opening up a little. She has started to show expressions and communicate with the people in the mansion. I have noticed that Lyla and my sister have been spending some time together, but I did not have the energy to ask what they were up to. I was just glad that she was starting to live like a normal person.
2 months have now passed and I have made some improvements with the logs, I can now run to up to 3 logs. However, before I could reach the fourth one, my momentum and burst from my movement runs out. I have figured out a way to help me with burst movements and that is to focus aura on my foot while jumping. In the final contact of my foot with the log, a sudden release of aura from my foot becomes a boost to my leap forward. It has been 2 days when I have unlocked the skill called aura.
I was surprised at first as I thought proper swordsmanship training was the way to unlock it. This has given me the determination to continue with my harsh training. I did not need explanations as I could see the results myself. During this time, I dare not question my master any longer. I only followed behind him.
Confidence started to sprout in my mind but that was pulverized into smithereens as 8 months have passed and I could never get pass the half mark of the logs from the river. Controlling aura was harder than I thought, you need to be able to use the right amount of aura or else you will run out of gas in the end. I thought this deficiency will solve itself once my aura becomes stronger but proper control of the quantity to be used by each burst was my important than a sudden explosive burst that uses too much energy.
Aura runs out as it is your body's own energy, I have realized this from the trials and errors from all of my mistakes. Focus and concentration is key, this must be how the masters fight longer and preserve their strength till the end. The proper control of aura can also be related to magic as controlling your output is key to surviving till the end.
I have stopped falling from the waterfall, this was the best sign of improvement. This is the result of my training. This time I did not let it get over my head and just continue to learn, grow and exceed my limits.
More than one year passed as I was able to stand at the other side of the river. I shouted like a maniac proud of my success. I looked at my master who was a couple of steps away from me. He gave me a nod as if a sign of approval and walked away.
I followed my master as we walked back down, He did not say anything else and all I did was following silently behind. It was now not difficult to follow him while walking. We stood in front of the waterfall, standing there like a majestic natural phenomenon that was made by Mother Nature itself. While I was looking at the waterfall and appreciating its beauty my master said, "From now on you shall climb the waterfall till you reach the top." He nod once, stood by the side like he was one with the surroundings.
I on the other hand was flabbergasted, looking at the majestic sight once more, I was now filled with trepidation and anxiety rather than appreciation. Like the third time I fell from this waterfall, I was reminded the same question I asked from a year ago. How high is this waterfall?
With no other choice, as I made up my mind to follow my demonic masters command till the end. I took off my clothes and started to swim beside the waterfall, the current was pushing me while tried to get closer. It took a lot of effort just to be able to stand below the waterfall.
As I was looking below, its intimidating height made me wonder how in the world will I be able to reach the top when just standing below the raging waters was taking a toll to my body. The water hitting my body was not like a drizzle from a rainfall. It was much, much worse. With squinting eyes I tried grabbing hold of a rock to climb on to but with a boom and a slash a sword slash hit me.
"Ah, it's been a while." I thought to myself. It has been a long time since I've experienced master's sword slash. It did not hurt as much as before but there is still pain.
"You shall not climb like a turtle." He said like I was an idiot for not knowing his intentions.
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Max had a lot to think about once he got back to his room. The elf Orville wanted to leave as soon as possible. Unfortunately, he had to go back to the elven forest as soon as possible. Traveling will not be difficult as they would be teleporting. However, Max felt disappointed as he would not be able to participate in the upcoming large scale war. His grandmother explained that it was for the best that he would not join, but he was still hesitant.
He heard the soldiers talking, they said that this was one of the most difficult attacks that they would be facing from the recent attacks by the demon race. On the other hand, his grandmother insisted that it was not a big deal since they would be defending inside the fortress which was loaded with defensive barriers, magic cannons and artillery.
This did not bring any comfort to Max as he was about to leave tomorrow morning. But since it was not meant to be, there was nothing else he could do.
As he was preparing to sleep, the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed.
The room's temperature started to drop as he felt a chill in the air.
Black mist started to spread inside the closed room and the sound that was coming from the outside turned deadly silent.
Max could not hear anything aside from his breathing.
His heartbeat started racing, he was not able to perceive any individual inside the room. This was the first time he could not sense an enemy from close quarters. He was looking at every inch of his room but no one appeared. He started to sweat as his tension ran high.
He wondered if there was a high-level assassin that infiltrated the fortress to kill him. He knew light attribute magicians are considered high valued targets by the demon race. Since the information of being a high-level magician should have started to spread, there is a high chance that he was the target.
He tried to find the minuscule connection he had with Lumi but she was still asleep in his consciousness. There was nothing else he could do but to call forth his dagger. However, as he was about to draw his weapon from his space, the black mist that was scattered around the room accumulated at the pot in front of him.
The mist was forming into a silhouette, not long after the silhouette started to materialize in front of Max.
The first thing Max noticed was the piercing black eyes that were staring at him.
There was no sense of hostility rather it was filled with curiosity and a hint of excitement.
Slowly, the appearance of a demon came into shape.
Black hair that was so long it was touching the floor, wings that looked a lot like a bat, piercing black eyes that sparkled like the night sky, luscious red lips that was parting a bit while grinning, a pair of horns that curled like a crown adorning her head, her body was one of men would die for, as her every curve was accentuated by the black tight leather-like outfit covering the parts that were supposed to be covered, but showing skin that made one's blood to boil with lust.
She was a high-level succubus standing provocatively while looking at Max. She licked her lips as she approached Max slowly.
She reached for his chin and gently lifted it, trying to see the boy standing in front of her while examining every inch of him.
Max felt the cold hand touch his skin but he could not move. Any thoughts of fighting back disappear the instant he stared into her eyes. It was the same feeling he had with Lyla, but this time he was losing control of himself. His thoughts started to wander as all he could think of was the depths of the eyes of the woman.
The succubus tail could be seen slowly approaching Max's body as it slithered to his waist, holding him tight to a position. She approached his face and Max felt her warm breath touching the skin of his face. Her breath was intoxicating, melting him inside while calling forth his male desire.
Once the succubus reached Max's mouth she gave him a kiss. It was a light kiss as their lips barely touched one another but Max felt a jolt inside as if electricity ran through his entire body.
The succubus seemed satisfied with Max's reaction as her face had an evil grin.
As her tail was holding Max into position and her one hand was on Max's chin, her other hand reached for something at the back of her head. She reached for the hair ornament that she used for her hair, once it was taken, more of her hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall.
She pointed the hair ornament at Max's heart and yet Max looked at the succubus totally bewitched.
|
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The first time I've tried climbing the waterfall, I used the same technique to overcome the logs. However, I could leap a couple of rocks and that was it. I'd fall and land straight to the bottom. While I was trying to figure out the right way to climb in a fast way, I circulate my mana around my body. I have realized that mana and aura can work together.
When I circulate my mana in my body, the aura replenishes as it absorbs the light element mana in my body. It was something I have discovered while I was meditating after my training. My body's aura was drained from all of the days training but when I meditated with my mana, my body absorbed it like a sponge. This has proven very useful in my training as I can use Lumi as a catalyst to speed up my mana absorption, I then circulate it and let my body absorb it, turning it into aura. This cycle has let me last longer in training.
I let myself float on the water as I meditate and let my body absorb the mana to replenish my aura. A couple of minutes later, I have enough to challenge my task again. Using my feet was not enough so I decided to use my hands. However, before I could start, a sword slash was approaching me really fast.
I did not have the time to properly dodge so I fell into the water again. I looked at my master but he was not looking at me at all. I must not be doing it right or else he would just let me continue. Sending me sword slashes was a way to guide me that what I was doing was wrong.
I once again put aura on one foot to serve as boost, as the rock was getting closer to me. I enveloped one hand with aura to help me catapult myself to another rock. It was successful, and I alternated between my feet and hands, I used my hands to grip the rocks while my foot to boost my momentum.
It seems I was on the right path as master did not stop me and continued standing there like a tree. I kept my focus on my training, I looked like a monkey but that did not bother me as I knew there was a purpose to this training as well.
Days, weeks, months have passed and the currents were still strong enough to crush my momentum when going up. I might have the upper hand in my mana and aura circulation method, however, like a car, the gas can only fill up a designated amount. The problem is my gas tank is not enough to cover the whole way to the top.
"How can I make my tank larger so it can accommodate more gas?" I asked myself.
I am now 7 and a half and grew a little in height. I changed my schedule, at night I would visit my mother to ask about light magic. Grandmother would send her regards by giving me books I can learn. Mother said that grandmother has been so busy lately that she could only send messages and gifts. Father comes and goes as usual, busy as ever.
I also added time to see my sister and talk to her, I have learned that Lyla started approaching her to learn swordsmanship. They have been practicing together ever since I was happy to learn of this since it was the first decision Lyla made by herself. Although we still talk at night, she never did mention anything about training. I do not know the reason for her trying to work hard to learn but it was still growth on her part.
I may be training right now but I realized that it was because of my family, my loved ones. It was the reason why I was working my body so hard to become stronger.
I did not want to lose that sense of purpose and my sense of self by focusing myself entirely on training.
The schedule became more hectic but I felt more fulfilled than ever, it gave me more motivation to learn and exceed my limits.
Lumi, on the other hand, had some drastic changes, she became taller. She used to be able to fit in the palm of my hand, but now she was as big as my head. Her 2 wings have become 4. Her body became more mature and attractive. The childishness on her actions was now gone as she became calmer and collected. I wondered if it was due to my power increase that was why she evolved.
At the age of 8, I was able to climb on top of the waterfall. As I thought, it was a matter of not having enough space for my aura rather than control. I have already mastered the way to use the minimum amount of mana to sustain the maximum boost and momentum of my speed.
Once I have reached the top of the waterfall, I just stood there and stared at the view as I was standing on the edge of a rock. The view was magnificent to behold, the view of the forest, landscape, and surrounding areas. This was the first time I was able to appreciate its beauty after so many years of training.
Before I even have more time to contemplate, the sound of the deep vibrato voice spoke behind me, "Follow me." He said, but before he left, he looked at me then nodded his head once. I will think of that as a sign of approval for my growth as I smiled brightly and thought to myself.
I was proud of myself as I was able to finish 2 tasks that were given by master.
My master stopped at the edge of the forest and whistled, as he did so a monkey looking beast appeared. It was scarier than a monkey because of the huge difference in height, this monkey was huge as a gorilla. The features looked like an agile monkey but the size is intimidating.
The gorilla-like monkey stood in front of my master obediently while awaiting its command.
Master then said, "You shall now chase the monkey in the forest and catch him."
As the last words came out from masters' mouth the monkey disappeared right in front of my eyes like an apparition.
"Begin." Was all he said.
|
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Time passed as I am now 3 years old. I, however, am still stuck in this room ever since I came to this world. The size of this room is nothing to complain about but I would like to experience going out, breathing the fresh air of the outside world and maybe go on an adventure but that was all wishful thinking as I am still stuck here. The room is as big as a one-room apartment in my old world and there is a veranda outside which is the size of a single room apartment. Once in a while my mother will take me to the veranda and watch the fields of flowers below us. Once in a while, a gardener would pass by while tending the flowers and wave at us. My mother would then smile and wave back at them. It seems my mother is good to the servants and people like her. The maidservants that would come to the room to clean would never mention anything bad behind her back.
While I was looking outside all you can see are different colors of flowers. This sea of flowers that were well taken care of was said to be a hobby of my grandmother though I have not met my grandmother yet, my mother keeps telling me that grandmother and grandfather are very busy. She liked to take care of flora and fauna since she said it had a calming effect. I thought it was a wonderful idea since the view is so beautiful. If you look farther ahead you can see large trees covering the vicinity of the area. This must be the reason why the air is so fresh and clean. As I inhale this fresh air it rejuvenates me, comparing to my old world the environment here is worlds apart.
My sister still visits me every day even though she is busy with training and studying. I found out how my older sister can be so mischievous with her antics. There was this one time when she decided to prank the maids, she took all of their clothes while they were all bathing and hid them in the guard's room. That made a commotion all over the mansion. you can see more than 10 ladies with wet hair all burning with fury towards the poor guards that did not do anything. My sister who was watching all the mischief that she made laughed out loud. Her bell-like laughter was heard by all the people and they all knew that this event was caused by the young lady of the house. She was reprimanded by my parents and was not allowed to see me for one week as punishment. I guess she felt down about that because the mansion did not have any mishaps for a couple of months.
There was this one time when my sister was so excited to tell me stories about her training achievements that she went into the room covered in mud and dirt. She was then again reprimanded by my mother for her actions which are unladylike. I felt like my mother's words were incorrect since they let her learn swordsmanship it is bound to happen, but since I still can't speak then I can only keep mum. They should add proper etiquette classes so Alicia can be more conscious of her actions.
Alicia one day came into the room but this time around she did not carry any book with her but even so her eyes were sparkling and her smile looking mischievous. I feel like she is up to something again.
"Max look here, I am now a certified novice swordsman." Her chest puffing out full of pride looked funny to me. And how can even one be considered certified, I wondered.
"So Max do you want to get out of the mansion? Let's go outside and roam the forest for a bit. Don't you feel sad always inside this room? Let's go play outside." My sister brimming with confidence said that. I was a bit apprehensive but the sound of adventure made my eyes sparkle with excitement. My sister saw my reaction and her eyes went crescent with a smile.
"Don't worry Max in the outskirts of the forests there are only goblins and red-eyed rabbits so I can take care of them. That was the last part of our training in order to move up as a novice swordsman. I can protect you."
My apprehension was blown away when she said those words. I felt like the outskirts will be safe enough with my sister around. I nod my head as a confirmation and my sisters' beautiful smile was a sight to behold. She started to dress me in pants and shoes, a jacket and a hat. My sister was wearing pants, a dress shirt, and a leather protector so she must have been prepared. She took me by her arms and we stealthily went out the mansion. I thought more people would be around the mansion but I was surprised when we were not caught because of the lack of people.
"Hehe, I did it, Max. Ain't I the greatest?" she said those words proudly full of happiness. While we were outside she would tell me about the things around us. I was so excited as I look around all over the place. Animals, trees, houses, grass, crops everything looked new to me so my head was spinning all over the place. The vast sky covering the plains was a grand sight. When we were going out and passed the farmlands people would bow to my sister to show respect and she would smile at them in return. We continued to work for a couple more minutes and we have reached the outskirts.
"Uncle Martis did say that you would have fun looking around and look how excited you are." The words my sister said had suddenly put doubts into my mind. I may not know who this Uncle Martis is but I have never heard of his name. I am only a normal 3-year-old boy while my sister might be a novice swordsman but she is only 8 years old.
Naïve
I was too naïve and I did not question the things that I saw around me.
Why were we able to get out the mansion without any obstructions?
Where were all the people in the mansion when it was always brimming with life before?
Suspicion grew in my heart and I started to be afraid of the consequences of me and my sister going out. We are not in the safety of our mansion and we have not told anyone about us going out. Another thing I've noticed is my sister is not carrying her sword. She used to always carry it with her all the time. My mother would even scold her when she forgets to take it off in my room.
What should I do?
I tried to open my mouth and talk to remind my sister that we have to go back but no words escape from my lips.
God damn it not again.
Will I not be able to do anything in this situation?
All I could do was tug at my sister's sleeve to get her attention but suddenly there was a movement behind the bushes not more than 10 meters from us.
|
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Max ran along the hallway of the dungeon at the fastest speed that he could do. He tried to look for any obstacle that he could use, however, the monsters are nowhere to be found. From his recollection of the map, he was a couple of corners away from the barrier and transportation matrix heading for the next floor. This gave him a boost of energy while he kept running for his life.
"Just one more corner," Max said while doing his best to lead the demon to his location. There was only a small gap from his and the demon's speed, the demon was already mad from being unable to catch up to Max.
Max saw the pillar that is used to transport to the next floor, he gathered strength to his legs and dashed all at once to the transportation matrix. His hand paused on top of the pillar, he was not touching it, but he was prepared to transport himself any minute. He wanted to check if the demon would be able to destroy the barrier on this level.
Sfx *BANG*
A loud explosion was heard, like a metal ball hitting cement. Max could feel the floor vibrate for a second. However, the barrier still stood, protecting him from the demon. He was able to stare at the complete figure of the demon with the lights coming from the barrier and the pillar.
The demon was doing the same, he was staring at Max as if wanting to devour him whole. There was saliva dripping from his mouth, smoke was coming out of his mouth each time he breathes.
Sfx *bam bam bam*
The demon used his fists to punch the barrier, you can see spider-like cracks forming while he battered his fists on the barrier, however, it would heal in a couple of seconds. This gave Max hope that he may be able to trap the demon until the higher ranked adventurers came to help.
Although everything seems to take a long time, not more than an hour has passed, from the demon being summoned to him baiting the demon to follow him.
Sfx *bam bam bam bam*
Continuous banging sounds could be heard as the demon did not give up hitting the barrier. Max became confused as the demon seems to lack any rationality, he wondered if something in the summoning went wrong or if the demon from the world that has been summoned from all acted this way.
The demon stopped hitting the barrier and just stood there, standing tall like a tiger, getting ready to pounce any moment.
Sfx *thwack*
Something sounded different the demon attacked the barrier but he only did it once, the attack produced a crack but it was not the same spider web cracks as before, one can see the barrier caved in from that one attack.
Max with wide opened eyes looked at what the demon used.
It was his tail with spikes along the side, the spikes had the same luster as its horns. Its length was one third of its body size. The tail was now lifted up high as if gathering momentum, Black aura was covering its entirety, the demon took its time as if filling and accumulating its tail with energy.
The barrier was not yet done healing when another thunder like sound echoed in the dungeon.
Sfx *thwack*
Max saw that the brightness of the barrier's matrix was dimming down compared to what it was before, this shows how much power the tail attack of the demon was. It was very frightening indeed.
However, Max could not leave this level without the demon behind him, he did not have the answer to the most important question he had.
"Will the demon be able to pass the pillar and leave to the next door." He asked himself. He wanted to retreat and leave the demon behind. But, reason told him that it was not the best action to take. The explanation given to the adventurers said that only adventurers could get pass by the transportation matrix.
"Lumi," Max called out.
Lumi appeared right beside him in her fairy form. She did not have many changes from the last time she had evolved, however, her healing abilities had become stronger compared to before. It put Max's mind in ease knowing that Lumi was beside him.
"Lumi, I'm in a lot of trouble. Please heal me when the time comes that I need it the most." Max said to Lumi who was flying beside him. Lumi gave Max a nod, confirming that she understood his request.
Lumi could feel the frightening aura that was coming from the demon on the other side of the barrier.
Max took out the dagger that his Master gave him, although he was not able to properly practice and understand its uses, this was the only weapon he had at the moment.
Sfx *GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWR, THWACK*
Another thunderous tail swipe attacked the barrier, the barrier looked like a mirror that had cracks on it, and any minute it will fall to pieces. Max's grip on the dagger's handle tightened, he was preparing to attack any minute. From the looks of the barrier, one more attack and it will be completely destroyed.
Max remembered what his Master has told him about the dagger, They believe that it was perfect with his light magic. He accumulated his light magic attribute mana and guided it towards his dagger. However, nothing happened to the dagger. The mana dispersed, while the dagger remained in its blackened colored state like before.
"If it was not his mana, then what is he supposed to do?" He asked himself. He did not have time to think much about the matter when Lumi, on her own, stretched her delicate hands towards the dagger before Max could stop her.
But to his surprise, the dagger accepted Lumi's touch, wherever, Lumi's hand touched, the dagger turned into a silver color, a far cry from its original color. The core which was in the hilt of the dagger started to resonate with Lumi's touch and white lights started to sparkle from it.
Lumi, who was full of curiosity towards the sparkling light of the core, touched the core. When she did, Lumi disappeared from Max's sight while the dagger turned to a complete silver color and its hilt turned white.
"Lumi!" Max shouted as Lumi disappeared from his sight. He was more worried about his partner's disappearance rather than the changes that happened to the dagger.
|
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Everything went back to normal after that event. My sister went back to her cheerful and youthful attitude. She has been smiling a lot lately, she became more mature and hard working. Before, she just followed the instructions of her teacher, but now she is taking the initiative to learn more and improve her skills in sword fighting.
My father seems to be pretty busy because he would be gone for a couple of weeks before returning. He always looked tired and fatigued, but he wasn't sharing his difficulties with his children so we have no idea what was going on. I do think it was about the under handed method that the person called Uncle Martis who used my sister's kind and naïve nature to entrap us in the forest.
My mother has been diligently teaching me meditation and magic. It was simple as I only need to feel the mana and element that has most connection to me. Lumi seemed to be the reason why my mana conversion into spells is more effective. My mother has not mentioned anything about Lumi, it seems she cannot see her but I think my grandmother was able to. I guessed that it was a matter of levels as my mother is a master level mage while my grandmother is a grandmaster mage.
She also thought me how to use the level one Healing Light which is an area of effect spell that heals simple wounds, it is also effective on darkness base monsters like zombies and wraiths which are the lowest level darkness based creatures. Although I was practicing magic, I made sure that no one else was around aside from my mother. I promised my grandmother that I will not tell or use magic in front of other people. It seems that it will cause a big problem in the family if I was discovered to be a genius magician at an early age of 3. Our family might be in a precarious situation since the balance will tip to our side, many nobles have been eyeing and conspiring, they are trying to remove the power we are holding in the kingdom and use them for their own.
It was something that I was not able to do anything about, however, I was still full of determination to learn and improve. I wanted to be strong enough the next time we are in a predicament. Magic aside, I wanted to learn swordsmanship too. When I mentioned this to my mother, she told me I was too young and I should wait for my age to turn 5 then we can talk about it. She promised that she and father will decide after we go to the capital and take the test and the magic tower.
I could not do anything about it as I was too young. I did realize that it would be difficult to wield a sword. But it didn't mean that I could not study the different skills and stances that can be used in fighting. My sister did have a large collection of study materials in swordsmanship.
I can now roam around the entire second floor of the mansion with supervision. It was much better since the library was also located at the second floor. This library was an accumulation of my grandfather and grandmother's adventure together. There's a lot of books here, as my sister told me excitedly, however, as I am used to large libraries in the modern world, it did not excite me as much.
Printing books is expensive, that's what she told me.
I was able to learn about the levels that there is on our continent. The levels are novice, apprentice, master, and grandmaster. There are only four levels known in this continent. It is the same with swordsmen, knights or mages.
Being a novice is the first step. This is where you awaken your affinity with an element or aura. For mages it mostly starts at the age of 5, my case being the only exception in the continent. If it does not show during this age then they are not suitable to be a mage. A swordsman or knight, however, has no age limit, some even develop their aura at later age. There was a known story of a knight who awoken his aura at the of 70, so people do not lose hope as long as they train hard. The blue light that I saw my sister was emitting was the sign that she has broken through to be novice swordsman. The aura is mostly called baby blue.
The next step is being an apprentice which is the transition from being a novice to a master. Apprentices have a basic understanding of skills or magic at this time. Unlike a novice who has only awoken their aura or magic. Apprentices usually start to learn under a teacher or a master. There are schools all over the country that teaches people. The kingdom has been open to the knowledge to proliferate the usage of magic skills or swordsmen skills. Although these are basic skills this still becomes the backbone for the country's strong military. Many soldiers in the front lines who are fighting the enemies are apprentices. My sister's level is currently an apprentice, she is in the middle of integrating her aura into her sword skills. The color of their aura becomes light blue
Master is a person who is able to use incantations that are level 5 or higher, while a master swordsman aura will have a darker shade of blue. These people have already mastered their own specialties. They are skilled practitioners. They have acquired the complete knowledge and skills in their techniques or arts.
Grandmasters are those who are able to make their own specialized skills or set of sword fighting skills.
I believe this explanation is very vague, however, there are no others books to support the levels that are in this library. I should visit the capital's library to gather better information when it comes to levels, skills, and magic.
Going about my everyday life by practicing and studying, time passed by like this. I am now 5 years old and heading to the capital with my mother and sister. My father is already in the capital so we will be meeting him there. We have warriors and magicians who will be our guards while traveling. Unlike my grandmother, we will be moving by carriages and horses. Travelling will take approximately ten days.
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The people in the room started to disperse one by one. You can see from their eyes the worry they had for little Max. Robert my husband was one of them, he wanted to kidnap the doctor and tie him up to check on Max's condition no matter what. It was only through persistent persuasion that we were able to calm him down.
As I look at my son who was just filled with a tear-stained face I started to worry about his well-being, when he was just born he did not cry and utter a sound while when he woke up he was looking left and right with his inquisitive eye. It was as if he was trying to figure out the people around him and when he found himself not to his liking he started to tear up without stopping. Looking at him like that without uttering a single sound I began to wonder if something was wrong with him. Maybe his voice has a disability. Bertha has called for the doctor but the earliest he can arrive is by tomorrow morning.
I promised myself that no matter what disability or how different my son would be from other children that I will love him no differently. I vow to protect him from whatever difficulties that he might face in this world.
Anna had these thoughts in her head as she continually comforts her and her baby. She kissed his still sleeping face gently and started to sing him a lullaby. Her singing voice was solemn and mesmerizing. It was as if angels were singing their hymns in praise. While she was singing flickering lights started to descend around Max. It started as a drizzle like rain but converge into a strong blinding light in the end. The light particles were absorbed in Max's body. It was as if he was a sponge trying to nourish his body with the light particles surrounding him.
In the depths of my consciousness, I started to drift in my sea of thoughts. It was the same darkness filled place when I had no body. I was not as scared as the last time but I can still feel the loneliness in this empty space which was void of anything. While I was lost in my own thoughts I started to feel warmth surrounding me. It felt like the warm embrace of my mother when I was young. It was full of love and concern. This motherly love that started to surround me comforted my soul. I was able to find peace for the first time arriving in this new world. I also noticed that small twinkling lights started to converge in this never-ending darkness. They started to dance around me as if little fireflies attracted to a light. It looked beautiful and I was startled by this sudden change in this space. More and more fireflies arrived as they started to twinkle like stars around me and with one last dance they started to go up as if they were fireworks trying to paint a night sky in this total darkness. How wondrous was the sight when the little fireflies beside suddenly flew up high and became stars. The sight unfolding made me think of a world was starting to form in this space.
I looked up into this new night sky that formed. It brought me warmth and comfort. It made me realize that I was not alone anymore. The vast world that I live in might be big and it can be scary but I am no longer alone. As I saw a big star twinkling in the sky I made a wish. A wish that might not be fulfilled but as my final wish for my past self I prayed solemnly for the lives if my past mother and sister hoping for their bright futures and happy lives.
I looked beyond the distance accepting the fact that this different world will be a start to a new life. After accepting everything my soul became calm as still water. I might not be that naïve and kind-hearted boy in my past life as I know better now but I will still live my new life with the same values but with a better understanding with human's nature. I know now what to do with new life. With unyielding determination and clenched fist, I started to plan for whatever that will come. This time I will strengthen myself so that people will not be able to trample on the things I cherish. Power and strength to do what I want and to protect what I want.
As I was thinking these thoughts I felt my consciousness being called by someone. It was like a lullaby trying to reach me sending me thoughts of encouragement and love. I slowly closed my eyes and let my consciousness follow that pleasing voice.
Opening my eyes the first thing is saw was my mothers' smiling face. Her eyes were shaped like crescent moons as she looked at me lovingly. As I saw this my hearts burden had been lifted. I was able to appreciate now that I was alive again and in a place with a loving family. I could not help myself from forming a smile with my lips while I stretch out my pudgy arms trying to touch my mothers' smiling face. As I did that my mother eyes started to well up with tears. It might have been happiness from seeing his baby boy smile.
"Max you smiled at me for the first time, I'm glad." While Anna said these words she caressed her sons face lovingly and kissed his cheeks gently letting Max touch her face too. The tears that formed were of happiness although her son has not yet spoken a single word his reaction this time was miles better compared to before. He might have the look of inquisitiveness but overall there was a feeling of indifference as well. This made her feel that she was not looking at her son but a stranger.
Max did not know why he still can't utter a single sound but he thought to himself that maybe he needed more time to figure out what was also wrong with his body. The feeling of the flickering lights dancing around his body while he was in his consciousness also reminded him that there are a lot of things that he could discover in this new world. He wanted to research the wonders here and became hopeful that what he felt was magic. Although there were a lot of things that he wanted to do in a baby's body has a lot of limitation. Learning the language was the first thing that he should do.
While Anna embraced Max giving him another lullaby Max was also comfortable in his mother's embrace finally finding a sense of belonging.
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Max was dazzled by the sight of the elven forest. This was his first time visiting something that could only be described in books or depicted in movies, it excited his spirit to be able to experience it on his own.
As a young man in a fantasy-like world, it was his dream…
No, he desired to visit all of the places that were depicted in fantasy settings in his prior world. The first time he had heard the story of how the elves had been treated has left him disappointed. Although he knew that the beauty of the elves could be something that can cause people to become greedy and lustful, the reality still made him unable to accept something as cruel.
However, he knew how greed can make a rational person can become irrational. But he still wanted to see for himself the beauty of their world and how much of it can be compared to the world he knew from stories.
He was not disappointed as he could see the large and towering trees covering the forest. The leaves and branches of the trees covered the skies, which made the surrounding dim, but it did not make the surrounding eerie. The moss that surrounded the aged and old trees had their own glow, which made the surrounding more magical. There were small animals and woodland creatures that have gathered in the area, they were not afraid of the elves as they walked.
Max was looking around in amazement while having fun when he heard Orville's melodious voice.
"Don't be as amazed as we are only on the outskirts of the elven forest. I bet your jaws will drop once you see the village and homes of the elves." Orville laughed as he saw Max's surprise and wide-eyed expression as though he could not believe his words.
The other elven warriors looked in amazement as they heard Orville's kind voice and joking attitude. He was their prince, he had always acted in a dignified manner. They wondered what the human possessed as he was treated in such a friendly manner. Some might even mistake as them having known each other for a long time.
"Come and walk together with me." Orville pointed this out as Max was walking behind him.
It was considered as him walking behind royalty to show his respect. However, since the person himself said that he should walk by his side, he did not question his request and walked beside Orville while still looking around his surroundings.
Once the elven warriors heard this, their ears moved and looked at their princes with a questioning gaze. They were aware of the proper etiquette, but they cannot question his highness even if they do not agree with his actions. It would be considered rude, all they could do was hold their tongue and look at the human with scorn in their eyes.
The elves have a deep-seated grudge with the humans. They believe that humans are nothing more but scums, they are greedy bastards that think only about themselves. They are willing to do anything and everything to get what they want. They are despicable and untrustworthy people, they lie and deceive. This might sound harsh, but time and again, the humans have proven themselves as nothing more than parasites since the time they have met them. Decades passed, but their treatment has been the same. Most elves decided to spend their lives in solitude in their own forest without interacting with the so-called humans. Verdi and Orville are few and far in between who are willing to interact with humans.
Orville knew of this, but he did not care. He could see the eyes of the warriors, but he rather not call out on them for their actions, instead, he walked beside Max while talking with him about their forest.
"This is amazing," Max said in wonder while still observing the forest, as they drew closer to the village, larger trees that cannot be compared to the so-called outskirts. Trees that are interconnected with one another, they have bridges that could be crossed from one tree to another. The trees served as housing for the elves. However, Max could not see clearly from the ground as the openings are too high up.
Although they were close to the village, the elves only peeked from high up but did not welcome them. They only looked from afar and hid inside their trees as though they were scared of him.
Max fell into an awkward situation. He wanted to interact with them but it seemed most of the elves prefer to hide in their lodgings without greeting them. Max felt down-hearted seeing this site. He knew well that there are bad humans, but there are also kind ones.
Orville saw Max's expression. "Do not mind it too much. I bet they will talk with you if your earnestly prove yourself to be worthy to be their friend." His kind voice made Max feel better. He looked at the trees high up and thought of Orville's words. The time that he will spend in the elven forest, he would surely show that not all humans are scums.
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This will be the first time that I am traveling to some other place. I was excited but still remained vigilant at the same time. We are using carriages to travel, this is the normal way for people to travel from one place to another, as there are a lot of people with us. We cannot use other means. Unlike my grandmother that has her own tamed monster, we can only go about our way with this carriage. I thought the couch in the carriages would be bumpy and uncomfortable but it seems magic was able to fix that.
The roads have been developed and well-maintained mother said that earth magicians would use magic to maintain it once in a while. The kingdom has a good relationship with the traveling merchants, so they prioritize the safety and well-being of the travelers. I thought that there would be bandits that will attack our caravan, but that did not happen. However, there were a couple of low level monster attacks.
My sister who used to be the most unruly, mischievous and hyperactive child had also become vigilant. It seems that what happened in the past was a huge blow on her. I have also found out that my sister also took the test when she was 5 years old, however, I was still not around at the time. She was greatly disappointed in finding out that she was unable to become a mage, that was why she was focusing hard to become a swordmaster instead.
We would stop and have intervals for rest and breaks. The horses also needed appropriate rest, while my mother is also worried that I am still not accustomed to long travels. No matter how I imagine magic was, I had never expected that it could be this amazing. The things I've read from books are different when I experienced it firsthand. This world is dangerous and yet exciting at the same time. You can always find something new, some may look similar to the animals on earth but they are worlds apart when it comes to ferociousness.
Just like that 10 days had passed without any hiccups. We are now in front of the gates. Most people would need to show their identification, however, our emblem is on top of the carriage as we were able to bypass the other people without any interruptions and questioning.
When I was looking around there was something that caught my attention, which really surprised me. At an area, there are people, whose hands and feet are tied with chains. I was aware that slaves existed till now in this kingdom, however, knowing and accepting were two different things. Some of them came from foreign soldiers that were captured, others were those who committed crimes, but the worst part was those people who are collected for the sake of earning gold coins. There are different species and races for "people" in this continent. Some species and races are hunted because of their beauty and are sold for a lot of money. I find this disgusting as I looked at those slaves with pitying eyes.
I am not strong enough to change anything. That's what I say to myself before I can change anything. I must first change myself and become stronger. Some things will never change as long as you don't have the means for it. The system is rotten, while the nobles sit on their asses waiting for money to come. They are the ones behind this kind of abuse of power. The King is turning a blind eye to these kinds of transactions. The gazes of the slaves looked empty, they are only a shell of their former selves. I could not tear my eyes off those people until our carriage completely pass them.
The carriage continued to travel without interruptions, people gave way to our carriage when they saw the emblem, and we were able to reach our destination. It was the mansion owned by my Grandparents. It was larger than the mansion that we were living in. They have more staff, the people are giving a different vibe, and I was told that the people staying here are mostly trained by my grandpa. I am now 5 but I have still not seen him. I was told that he will be arriving after the test was concluded.
"Alicia, Max. We will be staying and taking a rest for today. I want you guys to stay in the mansion for now as we will be heading for the magic tower tomorrow, understand?" mother said.
"Yes." I and my sister both replied.
"Especially you Max, take a rest so you're in tip-top shape when having the test. Although it's a simple test to measure your mana and potential, it's still best to meditate for today to recuperate from the fatigue that you've accumulated while traveling." Mother said. My sister looked a bit disappointed, that we were not able to explore and have fun, but when she heard my mothers' reason, she did not pursue the matter. Sister then approach me and ruffled my hair while saying, "Take a good rest, Max, I'll see you later." She said that with a smile and walked away somewhere else. Since she has been here before, there might be a place that she wants to visit.
I am more curious about my grandfather which I have not seen. I wanted to see what kind of training they do as I am now 5 years old. The promise my parents made to learn sword arts was after my exam. I also heard that my grandfathers' way of training is like Spartans. It was hard but effective, the results have shown for decades as we prevail in the war against other neighboring kingdoms. Their exercises start early in the morning, so I will try to peek tomorrow before we go to the magic towers.
I then enter the room that was provided me and cleaned up the dirt from all the traveling, while I sit on the bed and meditate.
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A child bought me today. From the hundreds of people that I begged for help to save me, this child was the only one who approached me. I who was dirty, filthy and a slave. Most people avoided me, while others look on with disdain.
The slave merchants were busy that day as there was an auction for the nobles on the afternoon. While they were busy preparing the "merchandise" that will be shown at the auction, we the lowest kind of merchandise was left unattended. While I was hugging myself at the corner, the other children were planning as they want to escape this shit hole. I who had no place I can return to was not interested in the slightest, however, the other kids were different. Some of them have families, while others have places they called home. I do not have one, a place called home, a place where I can return to, a place filled with love.
I have none.
When the child asked me, what was a name?
I have none.
If asked why? Then I myself do not know. I do not have any memories of my parents, only the ramblings from the people of my old town. As young as I can remember, the people who were supposed to be my kin have detested me. The story of my family was well known in our town as I was considered as an abomination. My mother is from the demon race, she was a succubus. She was a former soldier who fought on the front lines against humankind, however, she was captured and was used as a plaything by her captors. As succubus are known as beautiful, seductive and possess what men like, she was not killed instead was used to relieve their stress.
She then escaped her captors when they were in the midst of an attack and was able to return to her small town and live in peace, away from wars. However, she was already pregnant at the time. The town's people thought that her child was of their race so they accepted her back with open arms like a hero. She did not tell the people what had happened to her, she was scared of the consequences.
Although she kept silent, the time for the baby to be delivered came. And that was where everything fell apart for her and for me. The baby was different, the features were that of a human rather than a succubus. Although succubae look the same as humans, they have horns, wings and a tail. It was a glaring problem as I did not have any of that.
I said to be mother tried to explain but her people did not listen. They had a public execution that same day as they beheaded her, while her remains were burned and nothing remained but ashes. They did not give her a proper burial as that would be considered blasphemy. This is how the demon race view having relations with humankind. They detest the humans, therefore me looking as one was not considered one of their own. They too wanted to kill me however, one of them decided to sell me to the slave merchants telling them I was captured and not one of their own.
While I was waiting for that dreaded day, the demons in that town reminded me of my situation every single day. It was as if it was a daily ritual. They would rain curses at me, throw stones, kick me. As far as I can remember, I was abused by them. They never forget the reason as they would always relay the same story, over, and over, and over again. They hurt me but never to the extent of killing me.
One day the slave merchants came, I was 6 at the time, as much as they detest humankind, once it was for their own benefits, they would accept them with open arms. The merchants and townspeople had an agreement. I was sold for three silver coins.
Yes, that was how much my life was worth.
We traveled away from the borders of the demon race, beyond the dunes of Asynth, to the land of the humans. I did not have any feelings about leaving that place. I was not expecting much from being a slave as everyone was cruel. They were all the same.
And now we are back to where the children in the same situation as me were talking. Our hands were tied but our feet were not shackled. The slave traders wanted the merchandise to be able to move at once when the deals are done.
One of the children was a son of a blacksmith, therefore, he knew where to find the weakness of the chains. This boosted the confidence of the children in escaping.
Sfx*snap clink clink*
Once the chain that was tied to everyone was removed, the children all ran in different directions. I was the last person at the end of the chain, as I saw it fall down the floor, I looked up and saw the backs of the children running everywhere. The light shining on their backs look magnificent, while I was huddled in darkness they were facing the sunlight, trying to regain their freedom.
"Freedom"
It was such an unfamiliar word to me, as I was always a prisoner. The people from that town were my captors, the slave merchants were the same.
How does it feel to be free?
As I was thinking, my body had finally gotten the strength to run towards the light. As I was running, there was already a commotion from the outside. Some children were caught, some killed while a lot were hurt. However, I did not stop my steps as I continue to run.
I was shouting for help.
For the first time in my life, I begged for help from anyone.
I was in despair as I looked at the people full of disdain looking at me. They walked away, moved aside or looked away. As I was losing hope, I fell from all the running, all the strength that was in my body disappeared. The sounds of the angry guards of the merchants were getting nearer while the people were panicking and running away, someone stepped on me and I can't stand and move any further.
It was the end, I thought to myself.
I did my best, but sometimes your best is never enough.
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|
Not long after, Max slowly opened his eyes. The bright light blinded his eyes for a second. It took a couple of seconds before he was able to adjust his line of sight. He woke up in a familiar place, with a familiar face staring back at him. Once he was aware of his surroundings, the person staring at him jumped at his arms and gave hugged him tight.
"Lumi, I'm glad you're alright and full of energy." He smiled at her and patted her head. As he was looking around he was surprised, he was once again in his consciousness. However, there were a lot of changes compared to the last time he was here. The surrounding has turned bright as if a sun was shining brightly. Even though the whole surrounding was bright, there was still the blue lights surrounding the space which looked like clouds in the sky. The twinkling stars were hard too see, as they were over-powered by the bright light from a single source in the sky.
However, something felt different in his surroundings. The whole place seems larger and he was unable to distinguish the extent of the place. Suddenly, he found what was different, on the south side of his consciousness, the whole side was covered in darkness. It looked as if a curtain of darkness was covering the entire southern side. It was conspicuous considering the place was covered in light.
He looked at Lumi, "Lumi what happened here?"
Lumi looked at the surrounding and explained, "It appeared after you defeated the demon in the dungeon. At first, it was only a small dot of darkness, but as time passed it grew bigger and bigger. Now, the entity which was a single blot made that curtain of darkness while trying to expand. I did my best to stop it, but by doing so, I could not get out of your consciousness."
Lumi tried her best to explain what happened for the last couple of days. It was then that Max realized that something was happening inside his consciousness without his notice. He once again patted Lumi's head and said with full of appreciation, "Thank you Lumi. If it wasn't for you then it might have been too late before I've realized it."
Max started to walk while heading to the direction of the curtain of darkness. However, Lumi tried to stop Max.
"Be careful. It is so powerful that it took all the effort I had to control and lock it into one place. The others helped me but I do not know how much we can keep that entity locked up."
Max was confused with what Lumi said, "Who were the others?"
He saw Lumi gazing upwards at the stars that used to twinkle brightly. However, compared to before, the twinkling was dull as their power seemed depleted. Max finally understood that those stars might be the same entity as Lumi. It was possible he could not communicate with them at the moment due to some restrictions.
"I have to check what it is or I won't have any idea on how to solve the problem."
Lumi looked hesitant with Max's request but she knew that it was the case. She was worried for Max's well-being as they will be facing the unknown. But, she still nodded and agreed.
Lumi looked at Max with concern, "Okay. But be careful, that dark entity discharges dark energy around it from time to time. I do not know how that will affect you or your body."
They started to walk to the distance. Max thought it was close but he felt he had been walking for quite some time and yet the curtain of darkness looked so far away.
As they were getting closer to the location, the feeling of the surrounding changed, there were darkness blots that scattered all around the place. The closer they got the more darkness blanketed the land they were stepping on. It looked no different from the first time he arrived at his consciousness when it was covered in total darkness before Lumi arrived at his side.
The surrounding felt eerie with the darkness covering the surrounding. Max felt a sudden chill from his back as they got closer to their destination. He felt someone was looking at him and scrutinizing his every move. Max looked ahead and found that they were only a couple of steps from the curtain of darkness.
"STOP!" Lumi shouted.
Max tried to reach out his hand to the curtain but Lumi stopped him. He surprised himself as he had the sudden urge to touch the film of darkness and enter without him noticing it.
Not long after the curtain of darkness made a path where they can enter. Max was once again surprised as he realized that the feeling he had earlier of being watched by the entity which was hidden inside this place.
They continued walking on the path which leads them inside the place. The curtain returned to its prior appearance once they got in.
Inside the curtain of darkness was a castle.
It was similar to the hunted castles that he saw from his past life.
|
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I slowly opened my eyes and I saw a familiar place. I was back at my consciousness or it was what I called it now. It was still as dark as it was before however the twinkling stars above the night sky were distinctly seen as it covers the entirety of the space. There was also a tinge of blue lights that slowly moves on the horizon. You can see it slightly moving like a wave from the ocean. Wondering what those blue lights were, I stretched my nonexistent hands to get a feel for it but to no avail.
I guess it does not work that way, there must be another way to be able to find out more about this mysterious place. It has been a long time since I came here, I believe it was when I was just born and the realization that I was alone hit me.
I started to think that maybe my minds unstable state might be the cause of me being able to enter this state. I might need to experiment if ever I get back to my body. I am not even sure if I can get back or if my sister is still alive. While having these thoughts the starry sky that was unmoving seemed to have started to form something, I could not recognize what it was but there were some changes that your eyes could not simply tell if I were not staring intently at it.
I am really starting to think how this environment can be beneficial to my body or mind since I keep coming back to this place. I've tried to look at the books my sister kept bringing in my room and see hints but most of the books she brings are about swordsmen, adventures and monster biographies.
This is depressing, I wanted to get out of here but I don't know how. I do not know how long I've been here since there is only darkness, there is no cycle for day to night.
I could only sigh and wait here as my consciousness floats in this environment.
At the mansion
"Honey, it's been 3 days and Max is still asleep, I am getting worried," Anna said sorrowfully to his husband while caressing Max's hand. Her eyes are swollen red and her figure seemed thinner than before.
"Don't worry Anna, the doctor and priest said nothing is wrong with Max. It was only a case of mana overuse." Robert consoled Anna with his words although his figure cut a sorry state too. His sleep-deprived eyes can be a testament that he is also worried but does not want to make matters worse for his wife.
"That is the problem, Robert. There were some cases of people who are not aware of how to control their mana which causes permanent damage to their soul power. It was already a miracle that Max is still alive and breathing. He does not even know how to use magic." Anna was already sobbing while stating those facts to his husband. His husband who was already aware of it could only keep quiet and listen to his wife's sorrows.
"If I knew that he has potential with magic then I would have made preparations but since he was not able to speak I thought that it was going to be impossible." Both had the same thing in their minds. Who would have thought that little Max who does not know incantations and mana control would be able to use a level 2 healing spell cure.
The people in their world would be put to a mana test at the age of 5. It was an old tradition since the time when the great mages and magic towers were first assembled and propagated. It was said that at 5 children will start to develop their soul power which will show if they are compatible with mana or any elemental force. It must be known that the chance of being a mage is 1 out of 1000 people. If by the age of 5 and a child does not develop the body for mana consumption then they do not have any talent for it. On the other hand, aura control can be developed through proper training and hard work, the chances of being an aura master was 1 out of 100. There are also some medicinal pills that can help breakthrough one's aura potential, unlike a mage. People believed that once their children become a mage can help their lives to become better and their standing in society to rise. This, in fact, is true as the magic towers great mages register all children who have potential. The more potential one has the better conditions the magic towers will provide. Even the lowest of the mages are treated better than lower class nobilities.
They were worried since Max consumed all his mana and they do not know the condition of his soul power. When the body does not contain enough mana to support a spell they then start to consume their soul power which is dangerous for the caster. Mana is an external force that when consumed can be replenished through meditation, however, soul power is an internal force which is the basis for a mages 'potential. Up to this day, there are no resources or knowledge that is known to replenish the soul power of a mage.
While the husband and wife were discussing, a soft sound of footsteps can be heard. The steps were unhurried and feels like the steps were undecided. The footsteps stops at the door but there was no knock or sound that can be heard. It had already been a couple minutes as you can see a shadow from the door gap. Both of them looked at the door waiting for the person to enter. They could only sigh at the sight of the door hoping that the other person would open it however, the persons' footsteps were suddenly heard again but this time somewhat hurried. The person ran back to where they came from after standing at the door for some time.
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We both looked at the same time at the movement behind the bushes. I was filled with trepidation wondering what kind of creature and situation will occur. My beating heart could not calm down while my sister held my hand tighter, although it felt long it only took a second for everything to happen and a red-eyed rabbit suddenly jumped out of the bushes.
My sister gave out a hollow laugh while I sighed trying to calm my beating heart. Maybe I was just over thinking things. It was just a split second when a shadow suddenly appeared followed by the red-eyed rabbit.
The size was huge and towering. Its shadowed covered both me and my sister's silhouette. I could not react in time due to the surprise while the big fellow swiped its claw towards me and my sister. My sister who was still grabbing my hand covered my whole body with her body as she did her best to jump out of the way. I could feel the cold sweat running on my back and neck. The claws were so close that some of my sisters' golden locks were cut. When my sister saw the full body of the monster in the shadow she was so surprised and scared at the same time. I could feel her hands were trembling but she still did not let go of me.
"How can a fully matured Black Bear be in the outskirts of the forest." She said this with her trembling voice. It was more of a verification of the situation rather than an explanation to me. I could feel her despair and how a strong girl such as her is so scared at the moment.
I knew that that monster was strong, so strong that even my sister who was so courageous could get frightened. I tried my best to think of a way but my body which was just normal could not do anything at the moment. A 3-year-old can't possibly do anything to a strong and towering monster such as the black bear. It was a hideous monster that has the power to mow down trees with its claws and powerful swipe. Their hind leg though small has enough power to catch up with grey wolves that are known to be fastest in the forests. I knew from then on that we could not outrun this monster.
While I was lost in my own thoughts my sister who was holding my hand suddenly let go. I thought she gave up on the situation that we are currently in but she stood in front of me with her head held up high. Her trembling stopped and her face looked serious.
"Max I want you to run while I bait the Black Bear." She said those words full of confidence with not a hint of doubting herself. I knew she wanted to buy time for me to escape. I wanted to shout no from the top of my lungs but words still not formed from my mouth I could only look at my sisters departing figure. Her back was filled with blue lights that surround her body.
"Argh. Go run now Max don't look back." My sister shouted at me while she faced the Black Bear. I wanted to run but with a tear-stained face I could not move and leave my sister alone to suffer under the Black Bear. No matter what happens I will not leave her alone. I thought to myself, even if I am ordinary I will not leave love ones when they are in trouble.
My sister weaved left to right trying to avoid the swiping motion of the Black Bear. She focused the blue lights to her right hand and punched the Black Bears' stomach with all the power she accumulated but the Black Bears fur was thick and sturdy that the bear did not even feel an itch. My sister tried her best to avoid the incoming swipe but since she just used an attack all she could do was cover her chests with her two arms accumulating blue lights on those areas as a form of protection.
Although she did this she still suffered from the impact and her body was bleeding so is her head. Her beautiful face was now colored in red but her eyes still have a fiery light in them. While she was down she found a rock with a pointed edge to it. It was as big as her head so she held it with both her arms and put blue lights on her hands again. She then runs parallel to the ground so that the bear has less area that he could target.
I was praying in my heart all the time for my sisters' safety. It was all I could do at the time. It seems all I could do on both despairing occasions was to pray and look on since I do not have strength. I was full of despair looking at my sister fighting the bear full of spirit just so she could protect me. She could have run on her own if she was alone but I was a burden to her at this moment. I was choked up with tears thinking of those thoughts.
My sister who was running head on towards the bear full of blue light surrounding her held the rock overhead as if putting all her strength into it and smashed the pointed edge towards the head of the bear. The pointed edge of the rock went straight to the bears' eyes and went deeper in his head with the built up momentum that my sister made. But as if the bear was using his final dying strength he swiped at my sister one last time. My sister devoid of strength from her last attack took the full brunt of the attack head on without being able to defend herself.
Everything looked to be in slow motion.
My sister who was just hit by the bear then looked at me with a gentle smile as if trying to see if I was safe. She then closed her eyes as if she had just accomplished what she was supposed to do then fell to the floor with a thud.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! SISTER!"
My shout was full of despair as I ran with all my strength towards my sister.
I did not notice the bright white light that surrounded my body while I hug my sister's body full of blood and wounds. I did not mind everything, all I could think of was how I can rescue my sister from death's door.
While shouting at the top of my lungs it felt that I was devoid of any energy and strength as I held tightly to my sister's still warm body and started to feel dizzy. There were some rustling noises that were coming towards us but I who was on the verge of fainting tried to look at the incoming people but everything was blurred.
"Please save my sister." That was the last thing I could say before everything turned to darkness.
|
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"I'm sorry, Mr. Richards, but we are not going to move out from this land. Our forefathers have been living in these lands for generations. Please understand that our family is living and surviving here. My children are still young," my mother said.
My mother wasn't even finished explaining when Mr. Richards said. "Dorothy, I don't want to hear any reasons or excuses. As you can see here, we are holding the title of the land. You don't have any right to stay in the premises. I'm giving you one week's time to vacate the premises or else. Stop making things difficult or you will face the consequences."
-----
This was the conversation I heard coming home from school. We have this piece of land at the outskirts of the city. Our lives might be simple but we were content. It has always been peaceful. However, everything changed 2 months ago. A guy name Mr. Richards appeared with a title of the land that we have been living in. We inherited this land from my great-grandparents. The neighbors were the same, but these people from rich backgrounds are now saying that they own the land. The sudden boom in the economy made the progress of the city reach an all-time high. The outskirts of the city have now become viable land for expansion. The lands we are holding right now has always been used for farming. A couple of our neighbors have already moved from their houses due to the fear from the big time corporations that are trying to swallow every piece of land they can get to. I even heard that some were beaten up and were forced through underhanded means.
My neighbor, Arthur, was even taken by the police because of assault. The people from the large corporations threatened his small store by ruining his shop's supplies. They destroyed everything. In the process of stopping those people, his wife, trying her best to stop those fiends, got hurt. Arthur then pushed them aside trying to get to his pregnant wife but the man acted like he got hurt in the process. The police ignored the side of the masses and just took away Arthur to the police station. One week after, he was released all black and blue. He left with his family right then and there and decided to move far away. His face was full of regret and indignation. All that hard work was gone in the blink of an eye.
This was just one event from the many families living here. The people didn't have titles to the land they were living in. Who were they to blame? Were they to blame their forefathers for not getting the rights to the titles? Was it our parents who never thought of what would happen in the future? Or was it the big corporations and rich people trying to get hold of our lands? Was it my bastard of a father who bailed out from my mother when things were getting tough? I have no idea who to blame for what's happening.
A week passed by. The deadline was getting nearer. I can hear my mother's sobs at night. The electricity has been cut off for a couple days now. At this hour of the night, the only sound I can hear was the soft sobbing sounds of my mother. It was then that a large commotion was heard from outside. The sky, shrouded in darkness, was now filled with the hue of orange and red. Smoke was suddenly building up from everywhere. Most of the houses here were made of wood and light materials so the fire was spreading really quickly.
I ran to my mother and sister who were still inside their room. I took my five-year-old sister and held my mother's hand pulling her away from our burning house. As we were trying to get down the stairs my mother slipped and fell.
"Mother, are you alright? Please stand up. We need to get out of here real quick."
"Son, I can't move. I twisted my ankle. Take away Janet and I'll follow after. See if there are neighbors who can help," my mother said.
"No, mother. Just lean on me. I'll carry you out too. We aren't too far away from the door."
Smoke was all around us. The heat was making my body sweat out like a waterfall. The air was suffocating. My little sister was crying in fear. She kept calling my mother's name. I don't know if she understands what's happening but it seems that she knows mother is suffering.
God, what is this?
Why is this happening?
I felt so weak and small not being able to protect my family from this suffering.
"Son, take away your sister, remember to always take care of each other. Be strong and support each other. I'm only a burden to you now if you keep this up. I love you both so much."
Tears were pouring down my mother's face as she said those ominous words. I tried to follow my mother's words. I tried to stand up and let go of my mother's hand but I just couldn't do it. It was then that a pillar fell over. Still holding my little sister in my arms, I felt a weight as if the sky crashed down upon me. Intense heat emanated through my back.
It hurts.
It's pain I've never felt before.
The heat that surrounded me was scary.
Did I faint from the shock? My first action was to look around me searching for my family. That's when my vision caught my mother's silhouette.
I was scared.
I was afraid because deep down inside I might have an inkling of what might have happened.
It was then that I saw my mother's still crying face in front of me was now quiet.
My sister, who I'm still holding in my arms, is as still and quiet as an angel.
Rage, grief, and indignation. All these feelings inside of me were hard to explain. My mind was not able to fully comprehend everything that happened. It felt like my heart was being ripped to pieces. The physical pain disappeared and what was left was a void and emptiness in my heart.
I shouted at the top of my lungs.
No words came out. I only wanted to let everything out.
Why? Why? Why?
This was all I could think of…
Without power you are worthless, everything you hold dear can easily disappear in a blink of an eye. Happiness is just a fleeting moment that you will not be able to grasp if you do not have the ability to hold onto it.
As these thoughts crossed my mind, my body felt so heavy and I was starting to get enveloped in darkness. I closed my eyes as if I have accepted the lost and suffering or maybe I just gave up on life entirely.
|
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|
Darkness
Total darkness
The feeling of being alone in itself is scary. I tried to look around me figuring out where am I. I feel like I have been asleep for a long time. I tried opening my eyes but there's only total darkness. Did I become blind? I tried remembering the last events that happened but I only seem to remember bits and pieces of fragmented memories that pass through my consciousness. Sadness starts to envelop me and it seems my mind just want to forget everything. However, the feeling of someone whispering words of encouragement beside me has given me hope. I must survive and strive hard to live.
I tried moving but it seems I don't have any senses. I tried focusing to the extent that I can just try to move a finger however that was also proven useless. Was I in a vegetative state? I feel like I'm floating in a never-ending abyss. No matter what I should not give up.
Whatever or wherever I might be, as long as I still have my consciousness then I should never give up.
Yes, that is right! That was the last thing my mother has told me.
I don't know how long I've been floating as just my consciousness.
Time seems to elude me but I still persist.
I don't know how long time has passed but I can suddenly feel a small light. It was like a beacon calling my existence so I followed it with all my willpower. I guess this is how fishermen feel when they were stuck at sea from all the stormy weather and finding a beacon of light from a lighthouse. Finally, it seems someone is calling me from the other side and when I reached it I felt warm and comfortable. It was like I was back in my mothers' embrace. I closed my eyes to feel this warmth that I have not felt for a long time.
"Madam, you have given birth to a baby boy."
The madam looked at her baby with warmth and love. She can feel the breath of the baby while sleeping peacefully.
"Bertha how come, my baby, is not crying?" said the Madam.
"Most babies do cry when they have been born however the baby seems fine Madam. I will call Doctor Fern to check and make sure everything is okay. Excuse me." said Bertha.
"Okay Bertha, and do call my husband. He must have been worried" said Madam.
Loud stamps on the floor could be heard. A sudden bang and the door swung open.
"Honey not so loud our baby is sleeping."
"Our baby Maximilian he looks just like you. Where's Alicia?
She should meet her baby brother."
A dashing little girl with blond hair locks and chubby blushing cheeks appeared behind her father peering at his little brother with her inquisitive green eyes.
"Alicia come here." says her Mother.
"Mother why does he look like a wrinkly old man, like grandpa!" said Alicia.
"Hush silly girl your brother has only been born, all babies look like that even you." Madam smiled kindly to the little girl then look at her baby boy with the same love.
The little girl giggled and laughed at her mother's words. Her laughter was like the twinkling of bells. The people around looked at the little girl with smiles on their faces. It can be seen that they have doted on the little girl like family.
"Mother how can you tell father that he looks like Max when you say all babies look the same when they are young." Alicia's laughter was contagious as the elderly around them also smiled at what the mischievous girl has said. Her mother smiled wryly at her words thinking how her little daughter at the age of 5 could be so smart with her arguments.
I who have heard the merry laughter all around woke up from my slumber. Trying to open my eyes but the brightness seems to hurt my eyes so I tried to squint slowly figuring out what the commotion is all about.
"It looks like Max has woken up from all the noise we are making," Father said. He looked proud while looking at Max, his first baby boy.
"Isn't he adorable looking like that, I think he is trying to figure out who we are." Mother said while smiling.
"Madam we are going outside so we don't disturb Max if you need anything we will be staying right by the door." Bertha bowed and slowly left the door with the other maid.
As I heard the people talking with words I am not familiar with I try to move my head slowly from side to side figuring where I was. While looking around I saw an adorable young girl beaming at me full of smiles. She was adorable as a doll with her features. I wonder who she was or if she was related to me. From another side, there is a well-built man looming at me like a giant and his beard covering most of his face. I think he is my father from the way his doting face and soft mutterings are trying to calm my beating heart. Looking at the side is a mature woman who is holding me looking kindly with a soft smile at her face. Her features are similar to the young child beaming with smiles. I guess she will become a beauty like her when she grows up.
I was able to figure out that this was not the same place that I was born with. I don't know if I am still the same world but their outfits seem so different from modern times. Theirs look more of noble people which I've read from fairy tales from my childhood.
As I was looking at them and they looking at me tears suddenly stream down my cheeks. I was not crying out loud however these tears seem to keep coming out from my eyes. Now it was all real, my family that I have loved and cherished is really gone. Mother and Janet are both dead and I have reincarnated in a different place as them. I will not be able to see their smiles, I will not be able to feel their warmth and I will not be able to feel their love. My heart starts to ache with these thoughts. I who is faced with my new family is having a sense of longing for my other family.
My new family seems to be saying something while tears stream down my face but I was not able to pay attention to them right now as I reminisce the last few moments I have spent with my family. I was only a high school student in my past life and I was still very dependent on my doting mother. Her cooking that always fills my heart and soul. My little sister who is used to following me and asking me to read her stories at night before she went to sleep.
Yes, they are now nothing more than memories because never again will I see them. All I can do is pray in my heart, pray to any being or higher power who will listen and tell them to protect my family. May they be reborn into having better lives, may they always be blessed with happiness and may they not suffer any hardship as they did their past life. I was never a devout believer but right now I wanted to believe in a higher power that will be able to answer my wishes. It was all wishful thinking on my part but this was all I can do at the moment. Sadness seeps into my soul and my brain does not seem to want to process the voices that are buzzing in my ears.
I suddenly felt tired, so tired that I closed my half-open crying eyes. I just wanted to sleep and not do anything. I wanted to sleep and not think of anything.
As these thoughts kept repeating inside my head I was finally able to fall asleep.
Hoping and wishing that in my dreams I can see my family one last time and experience happiness with them. I would also like to thank my mother for all the support she gave me and my sister, her never-ending love trying to give me and my sister a better life even though she was alone. These words that I was never able to express will forever be buried in my heart. I always thought I had plenty of time to express everything but it seems my heart will forever be filled with regrets.
My mind was again drifting into darkness and nothingness but this time I did not mind it. Instead, I welcomed it with open arms as it gave me peace and comfort.
|
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|
Sfx * knock knock knock*
"Mother this is Max, may I come in," Max asked after knocking on the door. He straightened his clothes while waiting for his mothers' response.
"Come in."
I walked inside the room as I found her sitting on a chair while holding a magic book of incantations on her hand, she then closes it, put it down on the table and looked at me. "What's wrong Max?" she asked.
"Mother, I would like to learn swordsmanship," I said seriously while looking at my mother.
"Why so sudden Max?" she asked while looking at his sons' expression.
"Today, when I was faced against those people from the slave merchants, I've realized that although I had light magic, it wasn't enough." I've tried to explain myself as much as possible.
"Why do you say that?" Mother asked questioningly.
"I cannot protect myself from their swords if they attack," I said.
"Then do not provoke people who are stronger than you, the strong rule while the weak follow. That is human nature. The strong are looked upon while the weak look down the ground and show respect." Mother said.
"They might be strong, but there will come a time where I need to protect myself or the ones I love. It does not mean that the strong is always right, sometimes they do bad things to the weak." I said full of determination.
"Do you mean like the little girl on the streets that the slave merchants were after?" Mother asked seriously.
"Yes, she is weak, however, she wanted to fight against the strong for her freedom," I said.
"Tell me, Max, what do you think would have happened to the little girl if you did not interfere? Do you think other people will help her if she begs?"
"I do not know, but even if it means death, one should not yield especially if they are not wrong."
"Then Max, if you become strong, are you going to save people like her?"
I wanted to say yes, however, the people have followed the rules of the kingdom for decades. Change is not something that can be done in a moment. It will take simple steps yet the person spearheading this will carry a heavy responsibility. I kept quiet and just look at my mother's eyes full of determination. I thought about my words and said, "Yes, if I have the power. I would have done something."
"But Max if we and the other mages were not around to support you, what do you think would have happened? You might have died without being able to take a stand, do you think the strong will listen to words when they can use their powers to make you obey?" it felt like mother was not asking but implying with her words.
"Son you are still young." Mother sighed, however, her next words surprised me. "I will find a teacher for you who will teach you proper swordsmanship. You're kind Max, however, that kindness might lead you to trouble in the future. You want to meddle in affairs that you should not. Don't you want to live a peaceful life, away from troubles and hardships?" Mother asked once again.
"Is it not hardships that makes a person stronger?" I said while grinning.
"Fine, go back for now and I'll tell your father when he returns." Mother said while shooing me away.
As I left her room and walked down the corridor, I was replaying the words that she had said. I also agree with her when she said that I was a meddlesome person. If I kept my mouth shut and did not move, then no trouble will come to me. If I stay inside the mansion then I will be safe, but that is for now. From what I have heard today, trouble will come my way whether I like it or not. It is not just the little girls' situation that triggered my decision to learn as fast as possible. It was also the way the 3 grand mages looked at me when they have learned my potential and my spirit partner Lumi. It seems my magic will cause big waves once it was found out.
Inside of Anna's room
"You taught your son well Anna." A person suddenly walked out from the shadows.
"Thank you, but he had always been well-mannered inside the mansion. I never expected him to act that way once he gets out of my sight." Anna said.
A hearty laugh was heard from the person and said, "It does not matter if he acts recklessly from time to time, boys are like that, however, I would not have seen him in a better light if he was some spoiled rich kid who does not show compassion to his fellow men." The man said in a dignified tone.
"He has the guts to face hardships and he is willing to learn. Most kids who learn they have potential in magic would tend to focus on magic entirely, however, his situation is different Anna." The person from the shadows looked Anna in the eye seriously and said, "The results from the test will be kept a secret for now, but, we cannot always protect him. Once he grows up and sees the world he will experience dangers. You too have experienced it yourself so you should be aware of this."
"Light magic is different from the attack base styles of the other elements, him learning swordsmanship and self-defense will help him survive." Said the person who was hiding from the shadows.
"That is true, once the demon race finds out Max's ability, they might come to kill him before he develops into a bigger obstruction to their race," Anna replied.
While Max was going back to his room pondering about the words her mother said, the two people talking with each other were making plans on how to make Max improve on both light magic and swordsmanship.
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The next day.
I decided a different approach. I was goaded by the gorilla monkey to keep up with his pace which did not help in the least. Today I will assess the environment first and see his traits and characteristics. There must be some repetitive traits or behavior that I can catch. It will be easier for me to predict his next movement if I do so. I concentrated my eyes on the gorilla monkey, I followed him with my intense gaze while the gorilla monkey was confused as I was only following a safe distance.
The gorilla monkey tried to aggravate me by goading and insulting, by showing his ass and slapping it. He also did the same annoying laugh.
I will not fall for your tricks gorilla monkey.
"Not today," I said to myself.
I thought I was able to outsmart the dumb monkey for once but I was gravely mistaken. The gorilla monkey suddenly appeared in front of me and smacked me right in the face with a "whack" and "thwack". I was sent flying a couple of trees away. The gorilla monkey's movements were so fast that I was not even able to see an after image.
This must be his true speed and he was just playing with me yesterday.
Every time I would stop and focus on him to catch his movements, he will suddenly increase his speed and punch everywhere. I decided this was not productive at the moment so we continued the cat and mouse chase like yesterday.
Gorilla monkey seemed to enjoy being chased instead of being observed. I was not able to touch him, not even a single hair from his body. When I wanted to stop and rest to recuperate my strength, he would hit me harder and obstruct me from my focus. It seems that yesterday was just an introduction and he is becoming more serious today.
If I can't stop to recuperate or replenish my strength, then how will I able to catch him. Is this the same training as before where I need a larger amount of aura and mana?
I need to start somewhere if I can't even catch his movement then how can I catch him, as I thought of this my eyes continually focusing on the gorilla monkey. My aura naturally enveloped my eyes and I was able to catch up with his movement speed for a bit. However, it comes and goes as I was not able to control it properly. It was more difficult than I thought, I need to practice it constantly so I will be able to use it like a reflex.
For the next couple of days, there are times when I was about to touch his fur, but the cunning gorilla monkey never seemed to lose stamina with his running. At the end of the day, I was like a rag doll while he was not even breathing hard from all the running and action he did.
Do I need more stamina? I asked myself this. I thought that aura was enough to cover for my body's deficiencies but it might be far from the truth. The soldiers have been training their physical bodies and not just their aura.
As I was still not allowed to hold a sword and practice the normal stances, I decided to use the exercise that was found on earth. I have always been relying on my aura and mana to move my body. My body has strengthened from continuous training but the muscles might not develop enough.
As I was lacking in stamina, I decided to run laps around the training grounds. I woke up before the break of dawn and started running laps without any aura to support my body. I thought it would be easy as I saw the soldiers running 10 laps with ease every day. I was halfway through the course when my breath started to become haggard. This was harder than I thought.
Without the support of aura, my body felt as heavy as lead. I am only 8, I should be young and energetic enough to finish this course but what is going on. I asked myself, I thought my body has developed more than normal people but it does not feel like it.
The more I ran, the more my body felt heavier.
"This is impossible!" I shouted in my head. I rained curses and complaints but my body still kept moving, I am not giving up. I saw the last few meters ahead of me and I put in all my strength to finish this damnable course. I wanted to cry tears of joy when I finally finished and I fell on the floor. With both my fists clenched, I raised them up as if I won the marathon.
Max was enjoying his imaginary victory while some soldiers were watching at the side, talking.
"Should we tell the young master that there is a gravity field in our training grounds?" a young soldier asked.
"I do not know." The second training soldier did not want to get involved.
"Isn't it common sense? He has been living here for years." Another soldier interjected.
"I heard young master has some problems with his head." One more soldier came and said.
"You probably should tell him since it's on the highest settings in the morning as it is used for our usual training." One of the older soldiers said.
They looked at the older soldier in unison and said, "you're the oldest and stayed the longest here, you should tell him."
The older soldier said seriously, "Are you crazy? You know his grandfather right? This gravity field training ground was made by a grandmaster spatial mage because the duke requested this for his soldiers. Do you think anyone would be able to request that from a grandmaster spatial mage? And his Master is Evander. That crazy man would surely kill you if you do something unnecessary, you know his status right?"
They all then had a serious mood, looked at the young master who was flopped on the floor as they all walked away in silence.
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Max carefully approached the two cocoons that are aligned together. He touched the spun web, it was soft and silky to the touch, but with a simple knock, you can tell that it is tough and sturdy.
He tried to find a spot where the layer was not as tough, he was looking for a vulnerable point to get the bodies out. The part where the web is connected to the ceiling and the top of the cocoon was hanging from had the softest spot, he cut the web line that it was connected from, and the cocoon drops on the floor with a "thud". He did the same with the other one, he laid both of them on the floor.
Max started to use his dagger to tear a hole, starting from the softer part, he carefully removed the web avoiding the person inside, as this was the first time he was doing this. Lyla was standing guard behind him, as this was the dungeon, they could be attacked any moment.
The first thing Max saw was the boots, it seems they were hanged upside down. He continued with his work, from there the figure of the person inside the cocoon could be seen. She had curves in her body, but it seems it was not yet well developed. She had bob cut brown hair, her breathing was shallow and her life force seems dim.
Max grabbed a healing potion from his bag and gave it to the girl, thankfully she drank it, even though she is asleep. Max thought she looked to be the same age as them. He went to the other cocoon and did the same thing. This time the process was faster, inside the cocoon was a delicate looking boy with blonde hair. He had the same condition as the other girl, Max gave him the same potion.
Max and Lyla waited for the two to gain their consciousness. The color on their faces had turned healthier and their breathing became stable.
Max took out some food from his satchel bag which was hidden in his cloak and gave one to Lyla.
"It's best to be always on your best condition. Eat and rest while you can, we don't know when other monsters might appear." Max said calmly as he sat on the granite floor beside Lyla.
Lyla accepted the food and started eating, she still continued to keep watch as she was reminded of her failure earlier. They were at the bottom level of the dungeon, but she is already starting to become a burden to Max. Lyla was aware of Max's' strength, however, she still underestimated him. His movements seemed simple but it was decisive. There was a purpose for every movement, Lyla gritted her teeth as she realized how different their strengths were.
Max took a glimpse of Lyla beside him, although the training is considered harsh, it was the best way to show Lyla that she is greatly lacking in experience when it comes to battles. It was best to have firsthand experience. Max knows that their pace is faster compared to other beginner adventurer's.
Most beginner adventurers would only venture to the first and second floor, and that is composed of a balanced team. However, although this might be harsh, this is the fastest way to get results like what his master did with his training.
While Max and Lyla were resting, there was some slight movement beside them, Max and Lyla looked at the 2 people lying on the floor who made the movement.
The girl started to open her eyes, but before she could fully orient herself, the other person beside her made some noises and shouted, "aaah" while his face was full of panic. The girl beside him sat upright and looked at where the sound came from. Her face also looked panicked and frightened. They were both looking around full of fear.
"Be quiet, your voices will attract more monsters to us," Max said in a cold and calm manner.
The two still looked deathly afraid, but when they heard that more monster might come. They shut their mouths and looked at the person who spoke.
As both looked at the person, the girl fainted on the spot while the young boy backed away until his back was against the wall. His face was now devoid of blood and his finger was pointing at the mask of the person who spoke.
"Who wh wh… who are you pe pe pe… people?" The young boy said in a shaky voice. His face was full of despair, while he tried to grab the arm of the fainted girl, shaking it as hard as he could. He was not sure if they were human, from the way they were dressed and he concluded that they were from the demon race.
The young boy heard a sigh from another place, he followed where the voice came from and a mask more menacing than the other one could be seen from under the hooded cloak, the horns on the mask and the red dripping from the eye holes looked like blood. The young boy could not take it anymore, as he too fainted on the spot.
"I told you this disguise was not a good idea," Lyla said, she was the one who sighed, looking at the two people who fainted once more, she could only look at Max with eyes filled with pity.
Max was touching the mask on his face, he hesitated for a bit before pulling out 2 normal looking cloaks and 2 white masks inside the storage ring and handing one out to Lyla. "We better change while no one is around," Max said in a defeated voice.
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-MY FATHER, CARL WERSCHAT-
Inside the cave, Michelle Werschat has never been so angrier in all her life like now, maybe it was for being 20 times practicing "Erthealle"(1) but even when she was writing all the runes in his arm with the blood of the killed rabbit and saying all the lines that "he" told her to say she could only see a small sphere of light coming out from his hand and exploding a few seconds after without listening Michelle's orders.
After the 21th failure, all of Michelle's wrath was directed to the only reason that she was in this situation but while his brain tried to forget everything that happened a few days ago and stay quiet for her sake and for the coexistence in that island with "him" her heart was telling her to just f*ck everything and just say everything she wanted to say to "he".
All these days this battle happened inside Michelle, while doing this hellish training of only studying runes, surviving and doing exercise all the mornings with "he" she was tempted to follow her heart's advice but, even if she was only 11, she was quite matured and logical thanks to his mom's teachings so she always followed his brain,s advice instead.
But there,s a moment where one just can't endure all this SH*T and Michelle, even knowing that "he" would be near as always, all the despair, sorrow and anger acumulated within her exploded in a phrase that escaped from her mouth....
" Why? "
" You don't succeed because you can,t put in order your emotions and control your thinking"
He, as always, didn't understand the aim of Michelle,s question and she, hearing that phrase being repeated all these days after getting stranded in this island didn't wanted to even explain "he", instead she wanted to throw a punch to the well known owner of that deep voice but she resolved herself to don't move his head to the entrance of the cave and quietly wait for "he" to stay next to herself to move his eyes that were looking to the endless bottom of the cave to those eyes.
Another reason for Michelle not answering to that sentence was that somehow she knew that arguing was a foolish thing to do, instead of that she tried to kept all her fury and sadness inside her while clenching her hands, all this was Michelle's last effort in trying to maintain her composure after all these days of "cohabitation" with "he".
Now "he" was in front of Michelle, and she set her sight on "his" well known black coat with red and yellow lines everywhere that he utilized to cover all his bulky body, this red blanket, even if "he" stated in a dinner that he used it just for the efectiveness Michelle always thought that "he" used it just because "he" was so lazy that "he" didn't have the urge to buy someyhing new that could replaced the deteriorated half sewed black coat.
After that coat the next thing she could saw was the beautiful small sword that "he" carried all these past days, diferent to the black and white swords that Michelle was used to see, after that she wanted to see his face in the shortest time possible so she intentionally stared at the draws on the seath of the smallsword.
Then she finally had to look up to the black hair and beard covering his well pointed face that, even without being cleaned in days, didn't reflect a man in his fifties at all, finally she directed her point of view to those caracteristic cold, yellow eyes devoids of any paternal emotion o emotions at all.
That man that she described right now was called Carl Werschat and, even if she didn't wanted to admit it, "he" was her biological father, of course if someone asked Michelle this question she would strongly negate it, being one of the few reasons the fact that she only saw and talked to him just a few times all these eleven years, enough times for Michelle to qualify Carl as an annoying stranger that lived with her in the house, an stranger that, while he was her father, he never displayed any "parental love", but even if she were to denied it one could easily relate Michelle to Carl because they were like two peads in a pod.
From Michelle's point of view it only took one phrase of Carl after that long enough silence that she used to resolve her "composure" and that Carl used to draw the knife hanging up in his leather belt hided by the red blanket to move it into his left hand.
" You will never improve if you continue like this, like I said before, you are very impulsive and let your emotions affect your rationality" while Carls was saying that Michelle could see how Carl moved the blanket covering his right arm, showing an arm covered with runes everywhere carved into Carl,s right arm skin.
"Ethra (2) is something very necessary to cast what you want, even if runes (3) and Il´rai (4)are efficient to lead the Ethra to whatever you want to accomplish you have to be very careful" , Carl cut rapidly some of the dozens of little runes that where all over his right arm with the tip of the knife while saying a few words in Il´rai, in just a few seconds Michelle saw a small sphere of light appearing in Carl's hands.
" But the Ethra is something that is also emotionally intelligent, the enchantment can change greatly if, for example, a person is having an strong emotion like wrath", Michelle was still angry but she wasn't stupid so she listened carefully to what her father said, in that moment the small white sphere of light turned slowly into a bright red one and Michelle started to feel an unexpected heat coming from the sphere and also a big sense of danger that made Michelle not wanting to hear or even know what that small red ball could do.
" Many people far strongert than you or me have died because of this" while Carl was saying that Michelle could see gloom, sadness and wrath appearing in Carl's expressionless face, a new discovery for the angry Michelle , but Carl continued speaking "even the most experienced in this area of manipulating Ethra have to be very carefull when controling all those strong emotions and thoughts" After saying that Carl let loose the red ball, that stayed near him, Michelle thought that he wanted to make the red ball a reminder to Michelle of all that he said before.
But what Michelle didn't see was that Carl, while "teaching" Michelle tried to take her far from the entrance of the cave and that the red ball that he made, apart from what Michelle thought, was a precautionary mesure against what arrived at the island a few moments ago.
Moreover Carl wasn't finished and added another phrase that he almost considered a dogma, a phrase that for a 11-year-old girl like Michelle broke all her so well tried composure.
" If you don't want to end like her then you must be strong, strong enough even to..."
" You're wrong!" shouted Michelle and, without letting Carl finish his phrase she yelled " Mom is dead because of you appearing that day! ".
" She's not dead by that" answered back Carl without breaking eye to eye contact with Michelle.
" Then why mom is dead! " yelled Michelle while she was trying to look directly into Carl,s eyes trying to find the answer even when she was starting crying by the wrath and sadness inside her
" I can't tell you, you are not strong enough yet" answered Carl with his usual expressionless face, but Michelle was so angry that she didn,t noticed how Carl's eyes in a few seconds moved to where the entrance of the cave was located and returned to stare at Michelle's eyes.
" And you!" replied Michele " You weren't strong enought to save her! " after saying that Michelle added " If you were strong then you could have saved her then ! ".
"...."
Carl stared at Michelle a few seconds and after that he turned around towards the cave's entrance, Michelle understood that action as a signal of her being right so after that she could only say the last question that was in her mind since she knew that he was her father....
" I am that insignif..."
Michelle couldn't stop the sentence, in a few seconds her body reacted to Carl's killing intent towards the entrance, a killing intent so strong that her sense of danger turned on and her brain tried to command her body to move, an impossible task because it didn't listen to the brain's command due to the fear born from the killing intent that Carl emitted, a kiling intent that it wasn,t even directed towards her.
While Michelle was trying to move she could see how Carl ordered something to the red ball, that flew towards the entrance like a bullet and dissapeared on the distance, after that Michelle could only hear how Carl moved his head to the endless bottom of the cave and said " Protect her!", Michelle was atonished by the course of actions and, when Carl started to run towards the entrance of the cave, she tried to move her body to follow Carl, at the end she didn,t accomplish that because an intense fragance started to surround her, a fragance that made her to get sleepy slowly, she only could feel how something embraced her and, before she losed her concioussnes, she only heard a voice near her ear saying something.
" Sleep well my child "
EVENH
EVENH here! Well this is the first chapter from Michelle,s POV, the world and how it works was easy for me because I just used the world that I'm creating for my novel (it,s in process), so this would be like an "spin-off" of my own novel, the next chapter ( that will be Carl,s POV) will be released during this week so you're all free to comment or indicate some mistakes so I can correct them for the next chapter and novel. Now I'll put here a vocabulary about all those words that appeared in this chapter.
(1) Erthealle: Enchantment that is used to iluminate places where light can reach and for lazy people that don't want to make a torch, it appeared in "Ethra and good uses to survive in this life", a book from the author Light Blindfold, a famous expert that invented this spell to slip through the house of his lover without the father's lover finding it out.
(2) Ethra: Has the similar characteristics as the typical "mana", but in this world the Ethra comes from the death of the monsters, that can produce this "mana" while alive and when they die it's tossed in the air. The Ethra isn't unlimited and, while his use is limited to those who can control it studying runes and Il´rai, certain objects use automatically Ethra to do certain things.
(3) Runes: Invented by the the old race of the Illraians that studied how to manipulate and create Ethra by studying these magical animals, the results of their studies where a lot of symbols that, if are draw only with blood coming from magical animals, can store for a small amount of time the Ethra, due to the "Ersione" most of the runes have disappeared into the oblivion .
(4) Il´Rai: Invented by the the old race of the Illraians that studied how to manipulate and create Ethra by studying these magical animals, the results of their studies where, apart from the runes, a special language that could be used to order the Ethra, from this results the enchantments were born and the Golden Era of the Illraians arrived, being the Il´rai the official language used by this race. Actually this language is still used but even half of it has been forgotten by the "Ersione".
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Another day, another morning. A chorus of songbirds’ chatter roused him from his slumber. He slid his feet from under the covers, touching down on the rough, cool wooden floors. He shuffled forward, moving his feet out when they got caught on the woolen rug. As he neared the wall, he reached his hand out, running his fingers on the grooved wood until he reached the door. A few careful steps out the door and his feet crunched smoothed out gravel.
He stretched, a cool breeze passing through the hair on his thinning scalp and dancing around the loose edges of his clothes. It brought a chill with it, a blessing in this warming season. The wind picked up, carrying with it grains of dirt and sand from the nearby beach. This one hadn’t traveled far before it reached him. With a wave of his hands, he synced with the flow of the wind’s path and pointed up. It twisted upwards and away, billowing past him before receding to its original force.
“Dad!”
“Valencia?”
The pitter patter of soles on gravel approached him as he continued to enjoy the playful breeze. His daughter huffed, and he could feel in the incoming lecture.
“Dad! How many times have I told you!”
“I know, I know,” he interrupted, waving in the direction of her voice. In mimicking tones, he said, “I can’t do that without your supervision.”
“Humph, if you knew, then why did you do it?” Valencia accused.
He flourished his arms, inciting the calm wind to rush past them both in a maddening flurry. “What kind of sorcerer would I be if I didn’t use this gift?”
“Dad!” his daughter shrieked instead. Her voice became muffled through the wind roaring in his ears. “You’re getting sand in the food!”
“Oh, oops.” He dropped his arms. The wind stopped.
“Hah, what am I supposed to do with you?” she grumbled.
He stood there, enduring the barrage of complaints.
“You can’t take care of yourself, yet you wanted to live by yourself! You couldn’t do anything back then, and you definitely can’t do anything by yourself now. You sucked at cooking, couldn’t do simple chores, your handwriting sucked! Dad, why can’t you just sit still?”
“Now, now, dear, surely I have some good points,” he said meekly.
“Sure, just two,” his daughter declared flatly.
“Only two?”
“Just. Two. Your name and your magic. But even that’s nothing anymore since you’re re-tir-ed. Got it? Re-tir-ed!”
“Just because I’m retired doesn’t mean I have to stop using magic,” he argued, crossing his arms.
“It does if it means you’re making a mess!” she screeched. “Now shoo. Go do what retired men do.”
“And what would that be?”
“How would I know? Do I look like a retired old man?”
“Well, no?”
“Oh... right. Um, yeah, just... If I catch you using magic without me again, you’re not eating!”
“Am I your son or are you my daughter?”
“Shoo! Stop bothering me!”
Valencia pushed him away before continuing to tend to whatever she was tending to. He waited for her footsteps to quiet. They were replaced with the sound of sizzling meat, and the fragrant scent of grilling fish.
He traveled down the gravel path, a path his daughter had created for him so he’d never get lost, that led from their little cabin down to the beach that encompassed this island. The sensation of smooth pebbles intermixed with coarse sand, gradually turning from gravel to sand. He reached the beach and the early sun rose to meet him, bearing its warmth on him. He shuffled around, sand sticking to him by the grain, as he searched for a rock or washed up log to sit upon and enjoy the weather.
The waves eased onto the shore, receding and returning in pulses. The beat of the sun warmed his head. Overhead the seagulls squawked as they flew out to fish for breakfast. It was calming here, a very different feeling from the rush of wind he used to experience on a daily basis. Until he retired down here, he had never heard the sound of water crashing onto sand before ebbing away in gentle strides, never smelt the overbearing salt, that signified the ocean, which lingered in the air and their hair and their clothes and their very beings. Never felt these warm ocean breezes that picked up everything and anything.
These breezes were young, inexperienced in the ways of the world. One day they would flow upward, rapidly rising to the glorious skies where they would meet their older peers. Only then would these small breezes be considered strong winds that could push even countries.
The sorcerer hummed at the thought. Oh, how he longed to accompany these winds on their journey. Alas, his daughter was rather adamant. She wasn’t one to kid about not letting him eat if she caught him “enjoying” the wind again. For now, he’ll just play along, until he finally had the chance to make these winds ascend.
“Dad! Food is ready!”
“Coming!”
***
He was sitting by the seashore again. Valencia was elsewhere on the island searching for fruit for their dinner.
The afternoon waves differed from their morning cousins. The birds’ songs were a different arrangement as well, their melodious cries much clearer now and louder than earlier. Their cacophonous orchestra resounded through the trees, keeping him company no matter where he wandered on his gravel path. Out here, he could even faintly pick up the sounds of dolphin laughter where they played out in the open ocean. The splashing of a small stream cascading onto rocks and easing out into the ocean or the shrieking sound of someone screaming, their cries almost whistling as they hurtled themselves downward was also pleasant. Wait a second.
A large wave barreled into him, washing him off his log. It dragged him with it, pulling at his clothes. He bounced within its embrace, scraping along the sand sometimes or floating at others. He flailed wildly, trying to grip onto anything. The current tugged him deeper until all he felt around him was the cold ocean. All was silent. There was nothing down here. His lungs felt on fire. And then his hand broke through the waves and grabbed air.
He seized the chance, grasping for the closest winds before he went under again. They flew around his wrist, taking hold of him as he slipped back into the depths. A wall of warm winds circled his hand, then his arm, and eventually his elbow and arm. His shoulder and finally his head felt the air warmed by the sun.
The sorcerer took deep breaths, coughing up mouthfuls of salty water. With the wind circling his head, he swam the rest of the way to the surface. His other arm broke the barrier separating underwater and air. His collarbone followed, and he took deeper gulps of air. The sun warmed his cold self as he floated there, bouncing up and down with the treacherous waves.
Now, time to get back before his daughter did. Sending the winds ahead to scout, he followed the ones that brought back the sounds of life: the cries of panicked and wet birds, the sizzling of his home’s hearth, and the footfalls of his daughter as she hurried to see what the explosion of water had been. He splashed a bit, propelling himself forward with the winds swooping in behind him.
His hand hit sand, followed by a knee. The sorcerer stood and continued forward until he tripped on a sandbank. He fell back into the water with a splash. He spluttered wet sand and more salty water out as he crawled onto drier sand where he sprawled himself out.
There was coughing and choking and heaving, just as he had been doing moments earlier. The sorcerer sat up, staring in the direction of the suffering.
“Hello?”
“Kak, ugh. Huh? Where is this?” the new arrival asked. “Is this... an island? Why isn’t it floating?”
Evidently this new person wasn’t paying attention. His voice sounded young, so it was no wonder, young and masculine and filled with wonder. The young man’s muttering came closer, and finally he heard an exclaim of shock.
“Dear heavens! Who? Who are you? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I didn’t want to bother you.”
“Kuk. Um, then, do you perhaps know where we are, good sir?”
“We’re on the island of Vertruvia, I believe.”
“Vertruvia? Isn’t that?”
The sorcerer nodded, a small smile forming at the young man’s disbelief. “Yes, this is a broken island. According to my daughter, its wind collecting mechanisms are too damaged to take off again.”
“Ugh, how am I supposed to leave now?” the young man complained. Sand was kicked up into the air followed by something collapsing.
“We’ll think of a solution, son. Come, I believe that’s my daughter calling.”
And as he expected, Valencia’s voice hollered from the direction of their humble abode. “Dad?! Dad! Where are you?”
He stood, dusting himself off of sand. “Let’s hope she’s gotten some dinner ready. I’m hungry.”
***
“And who, is this?” Valencia interrogated once they sat themselves down around the dinner table.
“I am Rudolphis, a recruiter from Elton.”
“Elton? That’s nostalgic,” the old sorcerer chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “How’s the old king doing? The recent going ons in the kingdom?”
“Eh? Um, King Elliot the Fourth retired and his son, King Kain has been on the throne for five years now. It’s been relatively peaceful under his reign, although there’s a slight problem now.”
“Ah, it’s been that long, huh,” the sorcerer sighed with a shake of his head. His fingers tapped the edges of the smooth tabletop. “So? What’s this problem?”
“And? What is Mr. Recruiter from Elton doing here?” Valencia growled, slamming her palm on the dining table.
The sorcerer’s hand jolted in place, and he quickly retracted it. Chairs creaked as both men squirmed in their seats. The sorcerer sat straighter in his, clearing his throat. Across from him, the young man did the same.
“I was sent to search for the retired grand sorcerer, Sir Lucas. Might you two know where I can find him? King Kain has a message for him.”
“Tis I,” the sorcerer said, raising a brow. “What does the new king have to say to the old me?”
“Wait, what?! Excuse me, sir, but you don’t look like you’re his Excellency.”
“Did you assume I’d be more grand?” Lucas the sorcerer laughed, slapping the table until his palm stung. He chuckled as he shook his head at the audacity. “Come now, ask me the secret password for this message of yours.”
“Huh? Oh, um, on the day that you announced your retirement, what did you tell the court?”
“Hah, I told them to not look for me,” he snorted, a smile forcing itself onto his face. “And here you are.”
“Exactly! What are you looking for Dad for?” Valencia asked. “He’s retired. We’ve got nothing to do with Elton anymore.”
“Well, the king’s asking for you.”
“He’s re-tir-ed!” Valencia hissed, the table creaking. Lucas could feel the table strain beneath his hand as it groaned in protest against his daughter.
“Now hold on, dear. Let’s see what he has to say.”
The intense creaking eased up, followed by the clattering of wood.
“Fine. Come on, spit it out.”
“Um, the king wants you to your original post...”
“No!” Valencia argued. Her chair scraped against the floor before clattering to the ground. “No! You can’t!”
Lucas shook his head, smiling as he sighed. “Ah, so that’s the problem the home country is having. Has no one filled my post as wind steerer?”
There was a moment of silence, a bit longer than a pause. The sorcerer raised a brow as he cajoled.
“I won’t know your answer until you tell me, son.”
“Oh! Umm, I’m sorry. I forgot. But, uh, yes, no one was able to read the wind as well as you, sir. All the sorcerers in the country combined have more than enough power to fly through the skies, but without someone like you, we haven’t been able to traverse as smoothly as we used to.”
“It saddens me to hear that, but as you can see, ha ha, I won’t be able to answer his Majesty’s summons. He should know why.” He paused, a plan forming. His smile widened. “But Valencia can take my place.”
“Wait, what? Dad!”
“If she can steer the continent along the winds as you could in your prime, then she’s more than welcome!”
The old sorcerer cackled. “She’s my daughter. She’ll live up to my name and more.”
Hands slammed against the table again. “Dad!”
“You’re being rude, Valencia. Sit down.”
“Dad! I can’t! I won’t leave you here by yourself.”
He shooed her concerns away. “I’ll be fine. You should take this opportunity. Go see the world. Take to the skies. Ride the winds.”
“But, Dad, what are you going to do?”
“I’ll do as I’ve always done. Don’t worry about me.” Lucas paused, adding one more nail to the coffin. “Besides, I don’t believe this man has a way to get home without someone sending him back.”
His daughter didn’t retort back. Silence filled the room. The afternoon birdsong outside had been replaced by the earlier waking nightsongs. Any longer and the crickets would come out to add their music to the song. Rudolphis squeaked out a confirmation after a few long moments.
“I am not a sorcerer.”
“There’s your answer, dear. Go.”
The room simmered. A quiet breeze snuck in, licking Lucas’ face as it came by before whisking away toward his daughter. He raised a finger, twirling its tail around before releasing its entirety on the other two inhabitants of the room. The simmering room cooled.
“Sir, Miss, please don’t mind me. Elton will send people to pick me up when they realize I’ve been down here too long.”
Valencia heaved a sigh. “No. I’ll go. Elton was, is, my home too. I’d rather not see it fall if I can help.” She paused, sighing once again. “Especially if I can replace Dad.”
“Then it’s settled,” Lucas said, clapping his hands.
He stood, sliding his feet against the wooden floor. As he got close to a wall, he reached out, running his fingers along the grooves until he reached the door.
“Wait, Dad, now?”
“Why not? Elton is just above us, no? Sorcerers of the wind are impatient, dear. We’re a capricious lot, you know that. If you don’t hurry, they’ll leave soon. And if this young man is correct, it’ll be a long time before they figure out where this place is again.”
The wind around them picked up as if in agreement. Lucas nodded along, smiling. “Go, dear. Young man, you’ll be safe in my daughter’s hands.”
“Ah, um, thank you, sir. I’m sorry, sir.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s all in due course. Just come back occasionally to tell me the latest news.”
“I’ll try.”
As he was about to muster a farewell to his daughter, someone tackled him into a forceful hug. Valencia cried, “I’m sorry, Dad! I’ll be back! I promise!”
He patted her back, running his hands through her long hair. It was longer than he remembered it. Her shoulders were higher than he realized. He had to lift his arms higher to touch her face, her nose and eyes.
“Go, dear. Prove the strength of my name. Your name.”
She nodded, tightening her hug once more. The wind around them swirled around fiercer than before, twisting into one strand with his daughter at the core.
“Come along, Mister. Let’s go see the King.”
The windy strand shot upwards, a clutter of gravel and grass pulled along with their ascent. Lucas remained where he stood, his face to the skies. He closed his eyes, not that it mattered, and raised his hand, spreading his fingers. The wide smile he had presented his daughter released a pent up sigh. The remaining wind danced around him, catching what had remained. All was silent.
|
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"Okay Tony, calm down. This isn't true. You're going crazy." He pulled out his phone and called his contact, Sean.
It rang twice before he heard, "Tony?"
"Sean. I need a favor."
"Sure Tony, what's up? You sound really jumpy right now."
"I need to see check who the general manager was for the Browns in 1999."
"Why can't you check it?"
"The computer home isn't working right now, and I'm not in the mood to try and scroll through my phone."
"Dude you sound crazy but give me a second."
Sean went silent as typing was heard from the other end. Tony was jittery as he eagerly waited for the answer.
"Dwight Clark. Same as it has always been."
"How about the first pick?"
"Tim Couch. Tony are you sure everything is okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine, thank you!" He then hung up the phone without time for Sean to ask more questions.
"This can't be right!" Tony once more refreshed the draft page, first pick, McNabb.
Why was his page different than everyone else's! Wait what about trades? He scrolled down to the bottom of the page and the trades had changed to match the ones made by Tony.
None of this can be right! He was going crazy, none of this could be real. He closed down the computer and tried to calm his thoughts. These rampant thoughts weren't helping him understand the situations, only making it harder to come to terms with it.
"Let's lay out the who scene. I'm the only one who can see the trades and picks from my alternate history. The schedule is the same and I'm left with no idea on how any of this is supposed to work. I likely won't get any answers either. I just have to continue with what I got. I'm Roy White a theoretical draft genius and the General Manager of the Browns, the worst team in football currently.
Now, I can also assume when I fall back asleep I will wake up and be left in boredom. Nothing much happens for GMs while the draft is over and the team is set. Wait actually, a lot does...
I think to think about mid-seasons trades along with who went undrafted in 1999."
Tony loaded up google, his go to for all points of confusion. He tried to see if anyone had made a site about undrafted free agents. He was annoyed that no one had, so he went to a plan B. On the site he uses for draft picks would also say if someone was never drafted but played. So he went team by team in the 1999 year looking at rookies who didn't have a draft pick next to them. A QB stood out to him, the QB wasn't someone amazing and was someone held on the back his WRs. There was an opportunity there though, so Tony made a mental note of the name.
His main purpose for doing this was to see who he could still get to fill the holes left after the draft.
This took him over two hours of just looking at the list and then from the list he scorned the internet for film/highlights of these players that made the cut. Overall there weren't have name noting now as most were average to just above average players, no Pro-Bowlers or First Team All-Pro.
He started this mission at 8 am and by the time he finished it was 12 and he was beginning to want lunch. He went over to the fridge and found a beer glass and leftover Chinese. Much like with breakfast he nuked it and relaxed as he prepared for class.
There wasn't much else for him to do, he was ahead on assignments in all his classes and had perfect attendance as he got bored of sitting around and doing nothing. He fell back to his safety choice and watched youtube videos and read articles about the Super Bowl. Nothing was overly that interesting and everyone and their mother was hyping the "Philly Special".
Tony thought about sending hints towards the coaches but always fell back against the ideas because it wasn't in his job description. He was to create the best team possible not use it. That was the job of the coaches but Tony had no faith in them. From his life they all sucked and most of them never held another job outside of the Browns.
He had to make do with what he has but it didn't ease his worries of wishing for perfection. He wanted to give hints and suggestions on how to direct the game but he felt that would be hypocritical as he just complained to them at the draft for doing something similar.
He would just have to trust them and if they do bad, take the best coach of the next year. Thankfully had already looked into this and had it all planned out, mostly.
It had grown close to 1 and Tony made his way to his lecture, on economics.
The appeal it once gave him didn't invigorate him to the same extent. Don't get him wrong, he stilled loved economics but with the energy and tension he had experienced by being a football general manager, that same passion didn't ignite.
He sat in the room his gaze blank, the words of the professor drifting in one ear and right out the other.
"Tony Rose, care to explain how this would be used to predict the growth of the economy?"
Tony's lit up as he was broken from his musings. He had to scan over the board quickly and get a grasp on what was happening, "The Bond Market graph is used to predict inflation based on future predicted interest rates. The maturity of the bond is then used to predict how the economy is drifting, by either normal, strong, flat or inverted."
He then sat back down and blinked a few time to readjust his eyes.
"You doing okay?" Katherine whispered from beside him.
"Yea, my mind has been elsewhere today." He flashed her a smile and returned his blank stare to the board.
When the professor dismissed everyone Tony turned over to Kate and asked, "Want to go for dinner later?"
Kate agreed with a smile similar to Tony's own as the two engaged in idle conversation on the way out of class.
He walked her to her dorm room, and he continued to walk to his house.
The dinner itself was nothing worth describing as the two laughed at simple jokes and took the time to relax from the troubles of college.
By the time Tony was home, he fell back into bed the world of football at the forefront of his mind.
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When Kate went to sleep Tony was still awake. He left his room with his laptop in hand and went into the kitchen/living room.
The moment after it ended the dream of being the GM immediately returned. He was almost haunted by it in a way.
His curiosity got the better of him and he had to see the name of the QB he couldn't remember while in the dream. He loaded up the 1999 draft and sorted by passing yards. Not to his surprise, he saw the name at third behind McNabb and Culpepper.
It was confusing to him though, he didn't remember Aaron Brooks ever playing for Green Bay. So he clicked on his name and saw he never played a down for them. He looked to see if there was any notice of transactions but saw there was none which means he was released the year after being drafted.
He would go on to New Orleans and have a good few seasons there. He wasn't stellar but if it were the Browns in 1999 they didn't need steller they need basic.
Now that his curiosity had been sated most people would move on. Tony wanted perfection, he looked through every detail of that draft and looked to see where perfection lied. He was overwhelmed by it and in the end, he didn't sleep for multiple hours. The possibilities were endless and Tony was trying to account for them all.
"Aaron Brooks is a must. Are there any weapons for him on the outside possible to grab?" He went through every season trade and every possible free agent but found no one worth grabbing. He only knew of one guy of grabbing in the seventh round, but Tony wasn't sure how much of his greatness was defined by the players around him.
He became aware that this wouldn't be a one-year idea. This would take at least three and that would also require different coaches. So he went to look through all the available coaches in 2000 going forward.
This was above desire, this was into need. He couldn't stop, he needed to see where he could have brought the team. "Tony Rose, Best General Manager." Those words were his driving force. This insatiable desire to be the best was what forced him to read article after article.
He might not have found the perfect solution to the problem but he found one he felt was a grade above where he would be without the information.
Then it all came crashing down. He came to understand that he stood in a house that he rented and wasn't far from college. He wasn't a GM, he was a college student. He couldn't lul himself into this delusion that what he experienced wasn't only a dream.
That is what the sane person would say and do. There is no way, he could be existing in both periods of time. Be existing as two different people, who knew nothing of one another.
This was all crazy talk and things only written in novels. He was Tony Rose, not Roy White, not the Brown's GM, not any's GM. He was a poor college student, who is out looking at past draft picks instead of lying in bed with one of the most beautiful women he had ever met.
Even as he told himself this, he did step away from the computer. He didn't put down the pen or crumble the paper. 'I found the stopgap, why isn't my body stopping? Why can't I return to my normal life? Why can't I just give up on the dream?'
He placed down the pen and took a deep breath. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and sat down on the ground.
He couldn't take it anymore. He had worn himself down to the bone and it was becoming too much.
"Would it even be fun?" He pondered aloud. He thought back to the single day he spent as a GM and even with the problems that existed. He found himself smiling at the memories. The moment he made the stellar trade with Atlanta was one of the happiest moments he ever experienced. The tension was there, the feeling of tranquility, and the euphoria as they called back. He couldn't deny that he wanted to experience that again. He wanted to be that man a second time.
He wanted to be talked about on talk shows, shown on TV, interviewed for his achievements. He wanted to be the Vince Lombardi of GMs. It was a challenge, a goal, a dream.
He could only sigh when awoken to reality. That world he lived in was only a dream, this Roy White didn't even exist in his world. He was a character created by his brain as to not be an old man.
Dwight Clark was the GM of the Browns back in 1999 at least he was when Tony last looked. He wasn't now though. When Tony had walked over to his computer, the name written beside GM 1999 was Roy White.
Tony was stunned. He refreshed the page and it once more said, Dwight Clark. His mind had been playing tricks on him. He had wanted to believe that it wasn't a dream but with the alcohol in his system believing a one-off wrong name isn't anything worth betting on.
He took this as the point to where he needed to go to bed. He closed down his computer and walked back into the bedroom. He stood at the doorway and only looked at Kate, an almost smile gracing his lips.
'We may be broken up.' He laid down beside her and pulled her into his chest. 'But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you leave my life.'
With her held in his arms, he dozed off to sleep. The overwhelming he felt from being a GM forgotten when he looked at her. The drive of perfection gone, with her in his arms.
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At this point, Tony wasn't surprised when he had awoken back in his first life. He was alone in his bed and was shortly depressed before he smelled food from the kitchen. He rushed out of the room and into the kitchen and there at the stove stood Kate. Her back was towards him and was humming a happy tone.
"Is this my gift for my team winning?" Tony taunted with a laugh.
Katherine didn't jump at his voice nor did she lose track of the status of the food as she answered, "You'll have to be willing to take the risk of if it is poisoned or not."
"Isn't your food aways poisoned? I swear whenever you cook, years are lost from already short life."
"Only when cooking for you." She turned towards him and flashed a mirthless smile.
Seeing her smile Tony froze, this was meant as a joke, "Kate, you won't get away with murdering me."
"Whoever said I would kill you."
"Kate..." This scene had become cliche quickly, we all know what comes next.
"Just incapacitate you and torture you for as long as you live."
"Oh would you look at the time, I'm magically late for class."
"Your first class isn't till 1."
"I have a meeting?"
"At 8 in the morning?"
"Only time my professor was free?"
"Sit your ass down, before I really do you poison the meal...honey"
He rushed the table and sat down, fork and knife in hand, "Kate... take a breath."
She put the eggs onto the plate with the pancakes and bacon and walked over to the table.
She proceeded to sit down and start eating in front of him. Tony released a sigh at her actions and walked over to the stove to see if any was left over, there wasn't.
He walked over the fridge and took out a plate a pasta from however long ago and nuked it in the microwave.
He strolled over the table and sat where he was previously. Neither of them talked during the meal but neither of them seemed bothered by it. Katherine finished first and looked down to her watch for the time, "I got to get going. I'll see you during class."
She grabbed her bag from his room and on her way out Tony finally responded, "Good luck, maybe you can have better luck in class than the Patriots had in the Super Bowl!"
She laughed at his antics but left with no comment.
Tony didn't do much after she left, he cleaned up the place before he pulled out his computer to watch youtube before class.
Left on his screen from the night before was the draft log of the Cleveland Browns. At seeing the page his obsession was reignited. This brought his mind back to the question of why?
Why was he moving between two different people at two different times? Roy and himself didn't even share career paths. Tony was looking to be a stock trader while Roy was a football GM. The only things Tony knew were what madden taught him and the analysts on youtube. He would dare say he knew nothing.
Yet here he was living the life of a GM. His draft picks were some of the best people from that year's draft class but that doesn't mean he knew how to draft. He knew the future and mixed with his love for football he knew the big names of that year's draft class. Granted he knew that draft well for different reasons but that is not important yet.
He took the computer and relooked through the whole draft. He was actually kind of annoyed he wasn't Roy back at the beginning of the year. If he was Roy then he could have traded with the Colts for Marshall Faulk, one of the best RBs of all time. Alas, he instead reincarnated in that body the day of the draft.
This now brought the question, would he continue that life? He could lie to himself and say it was a dream but that wouldn't help for if he appeared there again.
So far he changed lives when he went to sleep but how could he be sure it would happen again. Did he even know if it was time travel or parallel worlds?
He then went on to do the math on to see if he would have a phone in 1999, he was 4 and knew he wouldn't have one.
He was left without a way to confirm or deny the fact of how the worlds were connected. He went back to the page and remembered that last night when he refreshed the page it said Roy White.
He refreshed again and the name was still Dwight Clark. It was a sense of relief for Tony yet was disappointing. He wanted to believe that in some way the worlds were connected, that his actions then had effects here.
What that would mean, he didn't know yet. He would have thought about it more if it did in fact matter then.
He sighed in exasperation and stood up to grab something to drink.
"What else am I meant to do here?"
"Am I supposed to save the Browns?"
"Make a dynasty?
"Beat the Patriots?"
"Well the last one was rhetorical, but my point stands. I know nothing."
"I could always quit my job there and use my stock information to bring the richest man ever."
"Would that truly be enjoyable though? I was actually enjoying being a GM. I know the season hasn't started and won't for like five months, but it was enjoyable to do the draft."
He sat down at his computer and looked over the whole draft list, the first pick was Donovan McNabb...
"WAIT WHAT!"
"No, no, no!"
"This is wrong."
He refreshed the page in a hope the same thing would happen that happened the night before.
Tony was impatient and was rapidly tapping his foot as the page stayed white.
"Come on!"
When the page reloaded, Tony immediately scrolled and saw it still said the same thing, first pick Donovan McNabb.
"What is going on here!"
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Tony walked out of the room after hearing the cheers of fans at the pick. He disregarded any shouts he heard and continued out. The temperature was nearly freezing but Tony didn't seem to care. He reached into his pocket and was pleased to find a pack of cigarettes, along with a lighter.
Everything about this was overwhelming. The pressure placed on him was overbearing and he didn't know his left from right there for a while. This dream... it felt so real. He stretched out his hand and it felt surreal as the cold bit away. This novelesque scene, a reincarnation in a body of someone he never knew. He was a diehard football fan from the day he was born, and these years early in his career were something he will always remember -- they were mementos.
He pulled out his phone and suddenly remembered this wasn't the smartphones of the future, it was an old Nokia. He tucked it away at the realization and leisurely traveled into the city. Nothing about any of this was sane. Was he meant to immediately believe he had been moved in time?
He stomped out his light and found a nearby pub. He looked amongst the crowd and most of them had their eyes locked with the multiple TVs, the draft. He eventually, found himself a seat among the fans. Unsurprisingly none of them knew who he was. He was a first-year GM on an expansion team who missed his first ever draft pick. It may be a blessing none of them knew him.
"One beer!" He cried, hoped not to be drowned out by the crowd. It took longer than usual but the beer and money were exchanged.
Tony didn't urgently begin his drink opting to listen to the roars of fans about the draft. He heard the cries about himself missing the first pick along with not picking Couch. Every person here agreed a quarterback would be a good first pick. Normally he would agree, but he didn't like McNabb for a franchise QB nor did Culpepper perform well besides the 2004 year with the Vikings. Which only occurred because of a godlike receiver, Randy Moss.
He moved to take large gulps but was bumped in back by a drunk fan. The beer spilled all over himself and ruined his suit.
He turned around in his stool and roared at the man, "Dude what are you doing! Watch where you're going next time!" He didn't listen for a reply as he untucked his shirt and swung his jacket over his shoulder.
"Another round!" He called out. His first glass was wasted and he was angry but he knew there was no gain in fitting with a drunk. The glass was brought out and as Tony went to pay he was stopped by the drunk who hit him.
"I got him this round and get me one myself, name's Aster Holland." He reached out his hand to Tony, in hopes of mending the bad beginning.
"Tony Rose." He accepted Aster's apology returning the handshake. When Aster's drink arrived the two cheers.
"You here to drink away the misery of the draft as well?" Tony queried trying to gain information about the situation he is in.
"I expect to be here every weekend." He answered with a smile.
Tony couldn't help but laugh at what the man inferred, "I as well. Without a QB how are we expected to win."
"He's too young. Making a 33-year-old General Manager is like making a ten-year-old go to college. He is bound to make mistakes, no matter how much of genius he is."
"Guess we can't hold our hopes too high for year one," Tony confirmed as he took a swig.
"Champ Bailey wasn't a bad choice though." Aster acknowledged having just finished his drink.
"He is a high 4.3 to a low 4.4 DB who can with a few tricks be a good DB. I feel he is too rough though. He needs to be mentored." Aster elaborated, he had hope but no expectations.
Tony didn't disagree, "Redskins or Dallas were likely the best places for him. Behind Deion Sanders or Darrell Green, he would learn the details of the trade. Could turn out to be a generational cover corner in such a situation."
Aster experienced a hearty laugh at Tony view, "Exactly! Glad to hear someone else talking some sense in here! A rough diamond is still a diamond."
"With the 12th overall pick in the 1999 draft, the Chicago Bears select, Akili Smith." John's voice filled the bar and Tony was left in a stupor.
"Who did the Bengals pick?"
"Tim Couch, who we were expected to pick."
"What about Washington?"
"Torry Holt, dude have you been watching at all tonight?"
"Saint Louis?"
"David Boston, you going to question every pick?"
"No, that was the last one." Tony finished the rest of his beer and was left to wonder how this would change things.
'Can Boston fill in for Holt? Or how Washington will do without their star DB? Damn it, how much changed because of my pick?'
He knew there would be a butterfly effect but this was out of his expectations. These are people he grew up previously watching be stars but now they will be in totally different jerseys. Without Holt, the Rams may not make the super bowl.
Tony took a deep breath and calmed himself and reminded himself he was no longer simply a fan. Here I'm a General Manager for the Browns, I shouldn't care about the butterfly effect yet. I'm not merely a fan, I'm not merely a fan.
Tony was silent for the next set of picks while others were criticizing and complaining about their pick.
"With the 22nd overall pick in the 1999 draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Lamar King." The rest of the draft was fairly calm. Tony sat around sipping his second beer as he questioned how he ended up in this situation. Evidently, he found no answers and was broken away when he felt his phone ringing in his pocket.
"Hello?"
"Roy, where the hell are you! It is almost time for the second round!" The other end screamed.
"Isn't it tomorrow?"
"No its today! We have the first pick! Now where the hell are you!"
"I'll be back in 15 minutes. Pencil Joey Porter in as the pick."
Tony said goodbye to Aster and paid for his drink. He rushed out the bar and back to the war room. During the run, he tried to remember other teams picks from the second round going forward.
'Who went first, Mike Peterson or Joey Porter? Okay think, who did Peterson play for? Colts right? Okay and what about Porter? Steelers. So Peterson went first.'
Upon the realization he ran faster, he had told the others the wrong name. With his phone also dead now, he couldn't call them back.
Today of all day? He had to forget to charge his phone today of all days!
|
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Heavily panting Tony bolted through the door, down the hall and right into the war room.
"Mike Peterson, not Joey Porter." He gasped and let out a dry cough before he grabbed a cup of water.
"What is wrong with you today Roy?" A man asked out of concern while he rubbed his temple in exasperation.
"After I hit my head, I've been out of it. I apologize. The mistake in the first round was my fault alone. I can only be thankful every person in this room trusted me enough to make the right call. Now I have to ask you to trust me for the next six rounds." He bowed his head in forgiveness. This wasn't a battle worth fighting, nor was it one he could win. Every man in this room needed to trust one another, stabbing one another isn't going to solve the problems that appear in the future. Giving up a loss here will overall help him later.
Chris Palmer was the defacto leader of the couches, he was the head coach after all. "Well whatever you do, remember this isn't the time for games. This your livelihood on the line. What do you have planned for the next two rounds?"
Tony looked off to the TV to see who was on the clock, 28 Detroit Lions.
"I suggest Peterson at 32 and either a Wide Reciever or Running Back at 45. Who's left on the board for those places?"
"We are looking at Kevin Johnson, Peerless Price, D'Wayne Bates, Darrin Chiaverini, Malcolm Johnson, and Brandon Stokley for WR.
For RB, Kevin Faulk, J.J. Johnson, Madre Hill, Joe Montgomery, Mike Cloud, and Shawn Bryson.
We ourselves were initially leaning towards a WR in Kevin Johnson but without a QB a RB will be the better option." Palmer had gone into full detail at noticing Roy was out of it completely today.
Tony nodded in agreement before he went over all the names in his head. He had future plans for a QB but he couldn't remember the player's name for the life of him. He only remembered he played for New Orlands, The Saints. He couldn't worry about that right now, he had to think of who was the best remaining RB of this draft.
None of these names rang a bell in his mind, which means none of them were stud backs.
"Who do you believe is the best choice of these backs?" He enquired from Palmer beside him who was also staring at the draft board.
"Kevin Faulk but I believe they are all about equal. I would wait till the fifth and select Madre Hill."
"I say we go with Kevin Faulk now." Roy held a wide smile at the realization at what he was about to do. Faulk was initially selected 46th by New England, Patriots.
"We are next on the clock!" An intern shouted and broke Roy and Chris away from their thoughts.
It was like a hammer. He had forgotten something extremely important. A lopsided trade he can now be a part of. He almost screwed himself out of a chance of something amazing.
"Get Atlanta on the line! We'll select Faulk at 45." Roy stated his face stern in front of the others, the smile from moments ago lost.
"Wait! Why don't we go with a WR and draft a QB to go with him later?" Tony Sparano, QB coach, commented.
"Timing, I believe there will be a better WR later but not a better RB." It was an explanation based on trust. It's not like he truly knew why these players were picked when they were, he only knew. He lived these times in history before, so he, of course, knew who would be good and who wouldn't.
As to why? He didn't know, be it route running, size, arm strength, mental aptitude. Whatever the criteria maybe he didn't know squat about it. He only knew Kevin Johnson was a good WR but something better was now on his plate.
"Are we just supposed to mindlessly believe you on this? A kid?" Sparano further pushed visibly annoyed.
"Yes, you are. I was hired for this. You think I want to get fired year one?"
"After the first round pass and almost being out for the second, maybe. You were at a bar right? That's how you got the stain on your shirt correct, beer? How do we know you aren't drunk right now?"
"You're right it is beer. I'm not drunk, merely was overwhelmed by the situation. I'm a kid in comparison to the rest of you lot. I do know how to draft though. It's why I was hired for the job. Now will you allow me to do it, or are we going to spend the next 16 minutes arguing?"
Sparano begrudgingly and reluctantly conceded to Roy. This wasn't the time for arguing, Roy has a plan and he should allow him to do it. If it is bad, allow himself to hanged by it, if good -- gift him momentary trust.
"Atlanta is on the line!"
"Everyone quiet!" The room quieted down at Roy's request.
"Put them on speaker!" He made his way over to the intern and sat down beside the intercom phone. They nodded when it was unmuted.
"Hello, Harold. I have a trade for you."
"Whatever could you offer that is worth while Roy?" Harold sounded condescending from the other end.
"Draft picks, with being an expansion team this year I have come into extra picks. I was thinking of using one of them on a TE out of Mississpi. But I could be moved to trade this pick away for the right price?"
The other end hesitated and Tony knew he hit exactly where he needed. "Why would we be interested?"
"Come on now Harold. We both know, you want Kelly. Guess what, I'll allow you to pick him too. However, I need something in exchange. I have a job to keep and after my first experience let's just admit I'm not the most liked man here." Weakness is never something suggested to admit in negotiations but it is better for the side with the weakness to come out with and laugh about it than to allow the other side to blindside them.
The other side went silent and Tony knew they bit. He requested the intern to mute him as he turned to everyone else in the room. "Before they make an offer I'm informing all you what I want from this trade. Picks next year, specifically their first rounder next year."
"You believe you can get them to agree to that?"
Tony didn't get time to reply as Harold returned with an offer, "We'll give you our second round this year, and third round this year."
Tony lightly laughed, "Guess you don't want him so badly then. Here's what I want your first round next year, and your fifth round next year as well."
"There is no way we are doing that!" The other end shouted.
"Cleveland is now on the clock!"
"Call Kelly, inform him we will be picking him," Tony ordered.
With a smirk, he turned back to the speakerphone, "Oh, sorry looks like time is coming to an end."
"Wait wait!" Harold cried.
"What?"
"We can't do a first and fifth. We can do a first though. That's our offer." He was jumpy. Initially, this offer was the exact one from 1999 between Atlanta, Falcons, and Baltimore, Ravens. Now, it was different.
"Tsk. Moments ago that would have been a fine trade. Now, it is a different world. I don't need an added fifth, I'll instead take a sixth."
"No way! Only a first round."
"Too bad. Have a good day Harold." Tony then hung up the phone.
Everyone in the room was shocked. Some were even furious. Tony didn't care though, he knew Harold would call back. As time ticked away and less than a minute off pure tension the phone rang.
"Hello."
"We accept."
"I'm glad to hear."
Tony then muted the call and told an intern to inform New York of the trade.
"It's a pleasure, Harold. You got yourself a stud TE."
Harold returned the pleasantry but in a much spiteful tone in comparison to Tony's cheerful.
"There has been a trade, between Cleveland and Atlanta. In exchange for the 32nd overall pick, Atlanta gave a first and sixth round in 2000."
There were boos with a few cheers mixed in. The fans were never fans of trades.
The commentators were a different story though.
"A quick comeback after a "failed" first round."
"If we wipe the initial blemish he had a good first two picks. Who do you think he will pick at 45th?"
"At this rate, he may trade it away."
"I'm thinking a WR, or QB."
"A LB, might be a good fit. Looks to me he will be focusing more on defense."
|
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When Tony opened his eyes he was back in the hotel room, the alarm blaring from beside him. He was stunned as he hadn't remembered leaving his house the day before. It was then that he also remembered the dream that had haunted him since just before the super bowl. This hotel room was the same as he had left it, papers tossed all around and himself with a pain in his neck from a poor sleeping position. He was back.
"What is going on here? What truly is happening to me?" Much like when he first found himself as a GM he became obsessed in search of the answers.
The problem was he had no clue where to start. It seemed like he switch lives when he went to sleep but that didn't explain his first switch or why now. Or if this was only the past or this was another world completely. Even more so than draft picks the options were truly endless. Tony didn't like the idea of giving up on something so he titled this, "Currently Unexplainable" in his head.
He looked over the clock and saw it was closing in towards noon and he would have to move out of the room and get ready for draft day. He grabbed all his suit pieces and was greeted with the scent of alcohol. His nose scrunched up and he knew whoever he ran into today would not be a good interaction.
He strolled into the lobby and returned the card key along with checking out. He pulled out his driver's license to check his address before calling for a cab. Sadly this hadn't been New York or getting one would have taken way less time. He eventually found one and got it to bring him back home.
The drive wasn't long but Tony took this time to get some shut eye. He was awoken by the cabby when they arrived. He thanked them and stepped out in confusion, 'This place is my house?' The place wasn't large but when you think about one person living quarters, in the city, this wasn't it.
The place was two stories and was fairly well kept from the exterior at least. Tony walked inside and found it to be completely unfurnished. No chairs, tables anything, besides a fridge. Downstairs was four rooms and one was taken by the kitchen. When got upstairs the only room with anything in it was what he assumed to be his bedroom which was only a mattress and a closet filled with suits that matched his own. There was absolutely nothing else left in the house.
He couldn't worry about this right now though. He took off his dirty suit and laid it out to bring to a dry cleaner later that week, then changed into a new one.
He plugged in his phone and went into the kitchen to see what there was to eat. Not to his shock, there was only beer and leftovers. He didn't seem to care as he pulled out the leftovers and ate them cold.
After eating he took his pack of cigarettes and strolled outside. He lit one and stood there as he watched out at the city he now lived in. This new life he now had was a complete 180 of his previous one.
He took the time he was gifted before the draft to relax and try not to think about the draft. He had become obsessed in search of the perfect solution that he lost need R&R.
Burnt to the butt he stomped out the light and progressed back inside. He didn't do anything until 4, where he walked outside strolled into the city towards the building which held the war room.
The walk was a little over an hour but Tony enjoyed every moment of it. It was surprisingly tranquil and he didn't believe he was in the city. Upon entering into the building, he was unsurprised to find almost all the staffers there. They greeted him one by one before going back to their respective jobs.
He proceeded around the building until he found his own office. There wasn't much in it besides a desk, chair, computer, TV, and a board filled with names. Tony closed the door behind him and examined the room. There was nothing worth taking note of.
The hours soared by and it was then that he was tossed back into the fray. It was an hour before day two of the Draft.
"With the First pick in the fourth round, we are left in a confusion on who Roy White will take. He has been all over the place and doesn't seem to have a strategy."
"I feel the opposite, he has been in complete control since the failure of the first pick. It is rumored he sniped Kevin Faulk from Pete Carroll. Along with knowing exactly who the Falcons wanted, to get the full worth of his second-round pick."
"I'll have to agree with Mel, Roy hasn't shown enough to prove he is worthy of his placement. He is a child who wrote a paper that was viewed as a genius in the field of drafting. He has shown that he has potential but is still rough. Theories are theories, the real world is different."
"I think he may finally take a QB here."
"He could trade for one. And work of the wide receiver core."
"He may round out the defense and work the D-line."
The views towards him were mostly negative and he didn't blame them. He was 33 in a place where the average person was in the late 40-50 at hire. This was an uphill battle but one he was now ready to face. If the first day didn't convince them then today, and they still aren't he will make more and more miracle and prove to them all, he is worthy of his place.
The phone on his desk rang and had a good idea of who it was, "Mr. Walsh, how may I help you?"He spoke with overwhelming confidence, the nerves from thoughout the day lost.
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"Tonight the Eagles face the Patriots for Super Bowl 52." The announcer echoed in the room.
"I'm back?" Tony pondered. He felt himself over and grabbed a glass to see his reflection. He was back in his original body.
"I'm back..." A tear left his eye at the realization. That single night as the GM as the Browns was exhausting but at the same time exhilarating. He gained a passion along with a respect for what every GM has to go through for draft night. He had it easy too, he didn't have to spend months combing through tapes and reports looking for the one thing that says this man is a lost cause.
"So it really was all a dream." He swooshed his drink around the glass before he dunked it down the hatch. His vision brought back to the TV the passion he held for the team he grew up watching was lost for a moment. He wanted to be there, he wanted to be the reason a team made it.
"Tony Rose, world's best General Manager, boy what I would give." He scoffed at the idea, he decided it would only be left as a dream.
"Monologuing to yourself now? Can't take the embarrassment if the Eagles lose, again?" A chirpy voice criticized from behind, a hidden laugh below.
"If it isn't Miss Boston. Come to see your beloved Patriots lose? Or are you here to see me?" Tony put on a smile, a genuine smile. As he turned around what greeted him was a girl about his age but was wearing a Tom Brady jersey with the NFL emblem on it. She had white hair and stood a head shorter than Tony. Her eyes were dark and clashed with Tony's light ones. Her thin lips were curved into a smile matching's his own.
She walked up to and didn't stop until their bodies were touching and in a low voice teased, "I did come to see you..." She stood up on her toes and leaned in inches from kissing him.
"Cry when the Eagles lose." She then proceeded to take the filled glass from Tony hand and walk over to the couch. Tony chuckled to himself and shook his head. He poured himself a new glass and sat beside her.
"Sean coming tonight?" She inquired her eyes glued to the TV.
"No, just the two of us. Sean is off at whatever other party is being held tonight." Tony explained his eyes glued to her, a small smile on his face from the moment she entered. Following his explanation, she leaned into his chest. Tony didn't fight it and wrapped his arms around her. The two were silent.
Tony's mind wasn't there, he still thought about how he would go about drafting in the next day. It was a dream but everything felt so real to him, that he felt a desire to solve this. What was the best course of action for the next rounds?
Here he was with a beautiful girl in his arms thinking about draft picks. We can all agree he has his priorities in line, that's for sure.
They stayed in previously mentioned position until kickoff started. Where she jumped out of his arms screaming with joy.
"Let's go!"
Tony laughed and returned the screams when he saw begin a return out to the 26. "Beat them into the ground!" He hollered, a bright smile clearly showing.
The first drive may have ended in a field goal but it didn't matter to Tony. They were winning.
"First score Eagles, drink up." He leaned over the table grabbed a filled shot glass and handed it over.
She returned to him a stern or annoyed look before pitching her nose and downing it. Miss Boston wasn't too happy with the taste visible by her actions.
"Having a hard time already, Katherine?"
"Tony Tony Tony, this is only the beginning."
With the Patriots own first drive, Tony kept on shouting about bad tackling while pointed and laughed before going back to cheering. They held them out the end zone but they did get a field goal.
"3 all. At this rate, you might be taking the next shot." Katherine taunted her tongue held out.
"I have faith in the Eagles! E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!" He cheered, laughing afterward.
Kate not long into the Eagle's drive ate her words.
"TOUCHDOWN! 34 yards Alshon Jeffery!" He could hear others shouting from outside as well.
"Drink up, I might be ending tonight sober." He handed her another shot.
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch. Don't forget about super bowl 51."
Then Jake Elliot missed the Point after touchdown (PAT).
"Do we rule about that?" Tony questioned the passion from earlier immediately gone.
"Never thought about it. We do now though. So drink up." She poured him a shot and forced it into his hands.
Tony smiled and downed it much as she had but without the performance after. He actually enjoyed the taste. He did grab his coffee though, he didn't want to be drunk. Kate followed grabbed hers too.
The Eagles held the Patriots back from scoring and Tony jumped with joy while Kate wallowed in sadness.
"TOUCHDOWN!" Tony roared. The happiness he was experiencing at this moment was one hard to match.
They both had to take shots as the Eagles failed a 2 point conversion.
Kate didn't seem near as joyful as when this all started she only cheered moderately when they scored another field goal. She didn't even taunt Tony for the failed defense. He wouldn't admit it but seeing her like this was boring to him.
She didn't stay like this long as a pass was intercepted. She hollered in euphoria the feeling of joy immediately brought back to her.
A shot was forced into Tony's hands, a smile beaming from her face. Tony didn't initially comment and simply drank it.
"Don't think it is over yet! There is still plenty of time. What was this about staying sober?"
"If this is all there, I'll be sober without a problem." He retorted. It wasn't all they had, they ran down the field and scored a touchdown. Evidently, they both had to drink as another PAT was missed.
"Defense!"
"4th and goal. Got to be a run play can't make the same mistake as the Seahawks."
Tony watched as Nick Foles stepped out of the shotgun and walked over the RT. He was confused but as he saw the ball get snapped he knew what was happening. With a lob into the endzone, he screamed as loud as he could. It was a pass to the QB for a touchdown on fourth and goal!
"Are you shitting me! Are you shitting me!" Tony didn't even get to watch the celebration and Kate turned off the TV in anger. Tony was left in a stupor originally but when he saw her shaking the remote he fell to the floor laughing.
"Sour loser?"
"It's only half time." She countered.
"So turn back on the TV and take your shots like a grown lady."
"You going to make me?"
"I will."
"You and what army?"
"Who needs an army when it's only you?" He stood up from the ground and slowly stepped over to her. She jumped over the couch and when Tony would go one way to get to her she would go around the other. They two looked like children and judged by their laughter, they were.
They moved from the couch over the island in the kitchen, which was the separator between the living room and kitchen. "How long till you give up and hand over the remote?" He inquired a light pant heard in his voice from chasing her.
"I thought you said you didn't need an army to catch me? Now you want me to surrender? That doesn't seem normal."
Tony slid across the island and by the time she started running he had closed the distance enough. He had her wrapped in his arms and he threw her over his shoulder.
"Tsk. Kate Kate Kate, it seems you underestimated me."
He walked back over the couch and laid her out on it. With the remote now in hand he felt a desire to return to the game, but as he looked her parted lips he felt a need to kiss her.
He fought against this desire. However, when he turned away from her and back to the TV she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in. Tony reciprocated the kiss and the game was long forgotten to them both.
|
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"Roy, I'll be straight to the point. We are eyeing your first pick in the fourth round." Mr. Walsh was just as confident as Roy was.
"And I've been eyeing your 3rd year WR Owens."
"You know there is no way we can do that."
"Then this was a quick discussion. Anthony Parker will be a great addition to the team."
"Have a good day."
"You as -" Walsh hung him up and Tony chuckled at the reaction. He knew there was no way Terrell Owens would be tradable he was a future Hall of Famer(HOF). He also knew Walsh had no interest in the pick itself. Unlike the Falcons who wanted a TE, the 49ers didn't need a DB.
Tony looked through the papers in search of a list of phone numbers for GMs. He eventually found it, Roy White wasn't a very organized man.
"Mr. Polian, I'm interested in trading away the top pick."
Bill's interest was piqued, "What are you for looking in exchange?
"A fourth this year and a third next year."
"There is no way that's happening."
"What's your offer then?"
"A fourth and a seventh both this year."
"How about a seventh next year and Mike Vanderjagt?"
The other end went silent which meant he had to discuss the situation with his superiors. It's why Roy had been staying away from trading players. He didn't yet want to think about CAP space or discuss with the owner who can be traded and who can't.
It wasn't long later that Bill returned and accepted the trade. After he hung up the phone he proceeded outside of his office and to the war room to inform everyone. The time for when the draft started was close, 8:30.
"Everyone, I'm informing you that I traded the away the top pick with the Colts for a seventh next year and Mike Vanderjagt."
It took everyone a moment to realize what he was saying but it was evident they didn't agree.
"What about Phil Dawson?" Brian Smith, special team's coach, questioned.
"I have no problems with Phil Dawson. He can be a long and good career with most teams. I believe Mike will have the better years though."
"Are you going to continue to go behind our backs on this?" Brian had accepted Tony's answer but Sparano wasn't done.
"Are you going to continue to go behind our backs for this?"
"I didn't believe I should have conferred with you. The trade was fair and gave us something we were missing. If I conferred with everyone every time, there would be no time for trades."
"You don't need to confer every time."
"Who do I then?"
"When it changes who we draft."
"That is every time! Every trade will change who we draft. Every player we trade for or trade away will change who we draft. Every pick for pick will change who we draft."
The room was silent, they weren't how they reply.
"I understand every person in here wants the best for the team. I understand that every person believes they know best. I understand no one here truly trusts my capabilities as a General Managers.
I thought yesterday, may have been enough for you all to give me the season. I thought yesterday, would gain me trust. I see this didn't.
I was hired for this job. I was hired to be General Manager. You all have to accept I know what I'm doing. If this team can't win 5 games, I'll step down."
That was the end of the discussion and how many people took his thoughts personally were likely few. He had no reason to hold himself to his word.
Everyone went onto their own conversations and Tony watched the TV watching the minutes count down until the draft started. The excitement was killer and he couldn't stay still. Everything he had done was leading to this moment.
When the draft finally started there wasn't anything worth commenting about. The commentators were now talking about ideas for how teams' seasons would go. He didn't blame them, they couldn't have dead air.
"Cleveland is now on the clock!"
"Aaron Brooks." Tony's order was blunt.
Aaron Brooks was a QB who led a failing New Orleans team to have competitive games. He was originally drafted Green Bay but he never played a down for them.
The interns made the call in and the staffers didn't question him. Maybe there was an understanding, or they realized they couldn't change his mind.
Without the needless arguments and without surprises in draft picks the last three rounds were boring.
Tony took Roderick Coleman in the fifth round sniping him from Oakland. He averaged 7 sacks a year some seasons he got 10+ and others he got 5. He was consistantly inconsistant.
Tony didn't make the trade in the sixth round with the Bears but he did make the trade the Seahawks, his sixth round for their two sixths.
Desmond Clark, Todd McClure, and Donald Driver where his first three picks from the sixth round. He went to the Lions to trade his last sixth away.
"Mr. Schidmt I'm looking to trade away my sixth round pick."
"What do you want?"
"Glyn Millburn."
"We want more than that."
"I'm not giving you anything more. If you take too long on this. I'll lower my offer to a seventh."
The end was silent but Tony knew they would accept it. In his past life, a seventh was what they accepted.
"Deal."
"Pleasure doing business, Mr. Schimdt."
"You as well."
For Tony's final pick of the seventh round he chose, Bryce Fisher.
The second and final night of the draft came to a boring end. Tony had gotten all the players he wished for and ran into no other problems besides the first round. That didn't ease his obsession though. This was okay to him. This calmness was accepted.
As he said goodbye and made his way back to his house. He laid down on the mattress and thought completely about seeing Kate again.
|
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After the confirmation, the room roared in cheers. The problems from earlier were long forgotten after Tony proved his worth. The others didn't think they could do the same as they had asymmetrical information.
They didn't know how Roy got the information in the first place but whatever he did, he got the right answer. None of them could have known that Tony would take this sort of risk. As they thought about it though, Tony needed to prove himself. He needed to prove he was worthy of keeping his position after the failure of the first round.
He skipped over the surefire QB in Couch along with choosing a DB in Bailey instead. They were stellar players in college but Couch's worth was much higher. If he truly only wanted Bailey he could have traded down, as he had with Atlanta. It's not like he didn't know when Washington would be picking him, hindsight is 20/20.
Tony hadn't even thought of the idea at the time still trying to grasp this idea of not being himself.
"Well done!" Palmer praised. This statement was echoed by the others in the room. Tony's took this time to take a breath but knew he wasn't done for this round yet. It would come down to if the draft order changed. If all stayed static Tony's second round would be simple and he could begin thinking about his third round.
Sparano didn't say anything back at Roy after the trade was finalized. If he made a mistake Roy believed he would be the first to berate again.
The next set of picks were calm and no shocking trades occurred. That didn't mean there were no trades. Mike Peterson was drafted by the Colts at 36th overall, the same as Tony's expectation.
The Bears traded down initially, 2nd round pick (37th overall) to Redskins for 2nd round pick (40th overall), and 5th round pick (144th overall).
They still went down even further, 2nd round pick (40th overall) and 4th round pick (102nd overall) to Raiders for 2nd round pick (48th overall), 3rd round pick (78th overall), and 4th round pick (111th overall).
The trade with the Falcons and Ravens never happened so they spent their time trying to trade but got nowhere. They, in the end, selected Kevin Johnson.
Chiefs traded 2nd round pick (43rd overall) to Dolphins for 2nd round pick (54th overall), 1999 3rd round pick (84th overall), and next year's 6th round pick.
With the trade that just happened is the Steelers traded (44th overall) to Vikings for 2nd round pick (59th overall), 3rd round pick (73rd overall), and 5th round pick (163rd overall).
Cleveland was now on the clock and their choice was simple. "Kevin Faulk." They might not agree but didn't argue anymore. This round was quick and Tony was glad for its simplicity. After the first two picking being down to the wire, this one was a nice break. Faulk wasn't a generational RB in New England but he was consistent over his career.
With Tony choosing Faulk New England never traded up with the Titans, who chose the same person in both lives, John Thornton this time at 46 and not 52.
"What's your thoughts for the third round?" Palmer enquired from Roy.
"Joey Porter and Rosevelt Colvin."
That's exactly what happened. At 62nd he took Joey Porter and Rosevelt Colvin at 77. After expressing his thanks to everyone Tony took his leave, opting to skip out on the drinking.
He walked out of the building and was left in a stupor. This wasn't because of the beauty caused by the lit up city or the night blank sky. Nor had a beautiful lady appeared like they would in a romance novel.
Instead, he realized, he didn't know where he lived! What was he supposed to do now? Go back inside and ask, "Hey do any of you know where I live?" No, its even likely none of them even knew where he lived.
He didn't think up any solutions and walked around the city in hopes of finding a hotel for the night at least. He took in the beauty of the city and listened to the music playing through the walls of bright buildings. Mixed with the cold it brought Tony a sense of tranquility. He continued to stroll through the city until he found a hotel.
It wasn't anything large but it vacancies and that is what Tony cared about right now. When he walked into the lobby he found a single desk and a middle-aged woman behind it.
"How much for a single night?" He inquired while he pulled out his wallet.
"100." She answered without thought. He obviously wasn't the first person to ask recently.
He handed over his credit card and examined the name written on, Roy White. That was his name in this life, Roy White.
At the same time, he kicked himself. He had missed a simple solution to his problem. His driver's license would have his address printed on it. Now that he had paid and gotten the room key though, he couldn't get a refund.
He took the elevator to the third floor and walked into his room. He saw it wasn't a bad interior nothing fancy about it either. There was everything you would expect in a basic hotel room, desk, chair, tv, bed, etc.
He tossed himself into the bed and set the alarm for early morning, so he could take a trip back to his place to change tomorrow morning.
That had been his plan at least but as he laid in bed, he couldn't find himself sleeping. His mind was running through all the draft possibilities now that he was there. The main thing that was bugging him was who the QB he was hoping to draft was called. The man was never exciting and never did anything note-worthy so in reaction, the name was totally slipping Tony's mind.
In the end, Tony was up for another three hours going over draft options for the next four rounds. His room was covered in papers and his pen was long out of ink.
It wasn't until three am that Tony finally fell asleep and that was only out of mental exhaustion.
|
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To the south, the north, the west, I traveled freely. All the things I’d heard from the lost hikers, I got to experience. My sorrow over separating from my brother was great, but getting to see the world helped distract me.
What a wonderful world! The animals, the plants, the people, the places! So many things existed that I’d never seen, never heard. I loved every moment.
But eventually I came to the ocean. I’d never seen such a vast body of water and for a time I thought it was amazing. Until I tried crossing it. The moment I attempted it, I felt weak and ill, as if my power was draining from me. I’d never felt that way before, so I rushed back to the land.
Apparently my spirit was tied to the land, not just the mountain. If I left the land, I lost all power, and I’d die. Or at least that was my theory. I had no intention of testing it. I had a strong desire to live, after all.
After traveling every which way, I realized I was surrounded by ocean. I could not leave the land to explore other places. I knew the world was so much bigger than this, but I had no way to see it. I was trapped. Just like the mountain had trapped me, the ocean trapped me. I could never leave.
I sulked for quite a while when I realized I couldn’t travel the world like I’d hoped. While I was sulking, I settled in a large city. It was the biggest city humans had made yet, affluent and well connected. If I couldn’t travel, I could at least find a place that would let me experience the world vicariously. Human commerce was a wonderful thing.
By then, I’d gotten used to the evil in humanity. I still found evil repulsive, but the urge to destroy it had lessened significantly. I think this was partially because of my separation from the mountains but also my inability to stop the never ending evil that flowed from humanity’s heart. I became numb to it with time, which I still find very sad to this day.
Which is why I could live in that city. If you recall that army we repelled all those years ago? The ruler had created the very city I was in, though he’d long since died. He conquered many smaller tribes and countries around him, in his thirst for power, creating an Empire that spanned throughout the ages.
No one in that city could see me, and even the children struggled to see my fairies. I mourned most for the children. The evil infection was deep if it stripped even children of their innocence.
Even if I was numb to evil, I still helped good flourish where I could. A family here, a person there, where ever I was able, I encouraged people to do well, to treat each other kindly, to seek redemption. I did not think much of what I was doing, as they were only very small things and didn’t seem very impactful.
But I lived in that city a very long time. And as I said once before, good is more powerful than evil. Part of how evil survives is by lying about its strength and appeal. When people have experienced nothing but evil and then taste the pureness of good for the first time, the pull toward good is amplified significantly. My influence on the city was therefore amplified many times beyond what I’d ever anticipated.
Good began to return to that city. Children saw my fairies again. I was surprised by the shift, overjoyed. But when good comes in, evil fights back. There is no change without sacrifice. Evil makes sure of it.
During this time of moral upheaval, I met a little boy. He was very average in appearance, black hair and eyes, sharp eyebrows. But to my utter astonishment he could see me.
The story of this little boy is thus: his family was related to the Emperor. His father was the younger half-brother of the Crown Prince. A power struggle broke out among the princes and his father sided with the wrong person. The entire family was wiped out. It was cleverly done, a mixture of assassinations, poisoning, and a house fire that burned down their estate, leaving no evidence. To the outside world, it was simply a tragic series of events.
The little boy was called Fu Jing, meaning rich and quiet. Perhaps his parents hoped he’d be wealthy in quiet contemplation, which they probably needed since he was the youngest boy out of five rowdy brothers. I simply called him Jing, meaning spirit. After all, he could see me, a spirit.
Jing escaped death by living up to his name: he was a quiet little boy who sought quiet places. He’d been in a distant part of the estate, where few people bothered with, when the slaughter started. And, having explored every nook and cranny of the place, he’d squeezed through a crack in the estate walls to escape being murdered.
By the time I’d met him, he’d already been homeless for quite some time. Even he had forgotten how long. He was skinny, sickly, and surviving off garbage. He never stole food, or pick-pocketed money, or bullied other orphans for what they’d found. I thought it was a shame his family was dead, for they must have been good people to raise a child such as this.
Naturally I became very good friends with Jing.
I had quite a few connections in the city by then, even if the people I was connected to didn’t realize it. To feed him, cloth him, give him a roof over his head, were all very simple things for me to accomplish. To give him an advantage, I personally taught him. Not just in the general sense of educating a child, but also the secrets of the city that no one was supposed to know.
Knowledge is power, make no mistake. And Jing was a very clever little boy.
Though revenge was a common and accepted concept in his culture, Jing did not seek revenge. Rather, he sought justice. What he wanted was for what happened to him, to never happen again. He wanted rule of law to mean something, even to the Imperial Family.
Jing used my connections and secrets to grow very wealthy, very quickly.
The next thing he did was thoroughly absorb my teachings from the Blue Flower Mountain Sect, even improving upon them. Before he was twenty, he managed to be one of the richest, most physically powerful people in the city. Even I was amazed by how he turned his life around. Those with fairy-sight were, indeed, a type set apart from the rest.
But before all of that, at seventeen he joined the army. His intention was to rise through the ranks. It was the fastest way to get the Emperor’s attention and be taken seriously.
I could not follow him. Much of the fighting done on the Emperor’s behalf was nonsense, stemming from greed and pride. The evil in the army was particularly strong, even I couldn’t tolerate its stench.
Despite our many years as friends, he did not understand my objections. In the end, I told him that if he was going into the army, at least do me the favor of reforming it into something respectable. I might actually come by and visit if he did.
As with his commercial ventures, his success in the army was just as stunning. As a low ranking soldier, he cut a path of destruction. As he was given more responsibility, he lead the army to greater and greater victories. By the age of 22, he’d become a general.
He took my suggestion of reformation seriously. Everyone under his command was required to follow his “warrior code”. There was no more raping, pillaging, and selling off war victims into slavery. Meaningless torture and destruction of property was forbidden. They were there to win, not indulge in the most bestial desires of mankind.
Towns faced with invasion prayed that it was General Jing who came with the sword, for his style of conquering was counted as merciful. If a town surrendered and swore allegiance to the Emperor, he would let even the leadership live. All he required is they hand over their wealth, which he gave to the Emperor directly as proof of the town’s loyalty. If they chose to fight, he killed without hesitation, but it was swift and clean. Those who didn’t fight, children and women and the elderly, were allowed to live. By the time he was a General, towns were more likely to surrender than to fight.
As General Jing grew more and more famous, the Emperor grew more and more impressed. The money offered as tribute by the towns, which he never skimmed off of, was given back to him as a reward. Or at least a portion of it. By his third successful campaign at 26 years old the Emperor named him Commander of the Northern Fleet. He was the youngest soldier to ever be conferred such an honor.
Between his business success and his Commander’s wage, he became the richest man in the country outside the Imperial family. This allowed him to reward soldiers from his own wages when needed. When a soldier died, he covered the funeral cost personally and even made sure the widows and their children were well taken care of. Every commoner family in the Empire knew that serving under Commander Jing was almost guaranteed financial success. On top of that, because he promoted on merit rather than family and political ties, anyone could gain honor and be renown under him by simply working hard and showing their excellence.
The Emperor favored Commander Jing. Despite all his success and popularity, Commander Jing was a very straightforward person. He never lied, he never schemed, and if he disliked something he said so, even to the Emperor. Everyone knew where he stood on any given issue, and if they didn’t, all they had to do was ask.
Many found this highly disrespectful, but the Emperor was relieved. In his lifetime, whether it was his court, sons, or the military, he’d always had to deal with sly, ill intentioned people. It was a vicious, cold hearted world he’d lived in. Commander Jing was a breath of fresh air. The Emperor was reminded of his son, who’d died all those years ago. Commander Jing was much like him, and sometimes the Emperor even fancied that Commander Jing looked like him too.
Even though many years had passed, the Emperor still mourned the death of Jing’s father. He never discovered who’d murdered his son and his son’s family. He was not an ignorant ruler, he knew foul play had been involved. But none of his sons were willing to come forward, the most likely culprits, and his investigations lead to dead ends, or dead investigators. He’d been forced to put his search for the criminal on hold.
As for me, Jing never asked me to join him on his army missions after that first time. He realized as a foot soldier that, even if he could reform the military, war was cruel and ugly. He’d over-glorified being a warrior and a soldier and the reality was crushing. He would not let me be crushed under it. To him, I was a beautiful innocent flower to be protected.
I rather liked his image of me. So I never told him I’d slaughtered his ancestor’s army and soaked up the blood of his people in my soil without even a trace of remorse. I suspect even if I told him, he wouldn’t believe I’d done such a thing anyway.
As to the death of his family, I had not let that slide. It was difficult work, because the person ultimately behind it all was clever in hiding himself, but I dug out the truth in the end. The hardest part was finding proof. A lot of time had passed between then and now, so much of the evidence was either destroyed or long gone.
The murderer was the Crown Prince.
Just thinking about that man sends a chill down my back even to this day. There was not a spot of good left in him, he’d surrendered to evil. I will not even describe the kinds of things he did in private. There was no way I’d allow Jing to serve under someone like that. Absolutely no way.
When General Jing turned 29, the Emperor honored him with the title of First Prince. This was the highest title you could get in the nation without being a blood relation to the Imperial Family. And with it, the Emperor gave Jing several of the towns and a city he’d conquered in the Emperor’s name to govern. Jing ended up being more princely than most Imperial Princes, for they did not directly govern any lands. Instead the Imperial Princes, including that wretched Crown Prince, ruled through the Court.
The Emperor also tried to bestow a bride upon Jing through Imperial Edict, a daughter of one of his lower ranked concubines. This was actually a great honor, as she was still considered a Princess despite being concubine-born, but Jing flat out refused.
When the Imperial Edict got to that part, Jing actually ran over and covered the announcer’s mouth, preventing him from finishing. As long as Jing didn’t hear the entire thing, the Edict had not been delivered and could therefore be rescinded. (That was the law concerning Imperial Edicts at the time: once they were delivered, they were considered law and could not be overturned.)
Jing stole the Imperial Edict, the announcement having been first delivered to his house before going public, and broke into the palace to personally argue with the Emperor over it. The Emperor, thinking the Commander did not want a concubine’s daughter, he suggested other eligible single ladies.
The Emperor had been absolutely flummoxed when the Commander stubbornly refused them all. Seeing how angry Jing was getting by his insistence, the Emperor decided to just put the matter aside for now. After all, he was just trying to do something nice for Jing, a young man he viewed with fatherly affection. He then rescinded the original Edict and made the changes needed to suit his willful Commander.
Commander Jing did not marry that day, or any time soon after that. It should have been very obvious to me why at the time, but I really did not understand.
I understood the Concubine’s daughter, as Jing and her were basically family and marrying would be extremely awkward. But with the other women he did not have that excuse (for I’d followed him and listened to his conversation to the Emperor). I actually knew some of the women the Emperor was suggesting and they were sweet, gentle girls. They’d have made good wives for Jing.
When the rewritten Imperial Edict was made public, the Crown Prince was furious. His father had not bothered to get his opinion on the matter and had announced it without informing anyone in the Palace, not even the Empress. Everyone was shocked.
The favor he gave the Commander wasn’t just generous, it was borderline dangerous to the Crown Prince. The Emperor hadn’t officially declared anyone his suitable heir, and the Crown Prince only got the title by virtue of being the eldest son of the Empress. Things were still very uncertain. If a better candidate came along, the Crown Prince wholeheartedly believed his Imperial Father would name that person Crown Prince instead.
He immediately set out to kill the newly minted “First Prince” Jing. But he didn’t know I was there, my fairies and I spying on his every move. No matter what he or his assassins tried, they could not kill Jing. In fact, the Crown Prince’s personal stable of assassins took quite the hit, as Jing had no qualms about killing those who tried to kill him first.
Every failed attempt left evidence, and this evidence was sent to the Emperor on the sly. The Crown Prince became careless in his anger at the constant failures, making it more and more obvious he was directly involved. Even the Emperor could not deny it. And what’s more, the Emperor could see how the Crown Prince operated, and that many accidental or seemingly natural deaths in the past were likely caused by his own son.
He’d always known his son was a calculative person. The Emperor had never counted that against him, as being clever and sly was required to survive in the Court’s political climate. What he did not expect was that his son would be actively undermining his own authority. Because the people his son killed were not enemies of the Emperor; they were his friends, his loyal servants, those who supported him.
And, at the very end, he unearthed the worst truth of all: the Crown Prince had grown impatient with his father’s long life. Rather than risk having his title of ‘Crown Prince’ taken away, he’d decided to take matters into his own hands. He’d been slowly feeding the Emperor poison for over a year, in an attempt to weaken his body so that he’d catch an illness. The illness would then kill him, not the poison. It was ingenious, no one would know it was an unnatural death.
Everything else, the Emperor would have forgiven or glossed over. But his son seeking his own life, he could not forgive. He wept when he realized how he’d failed as a Father and a Ruler, that his own son would try to kill him.
The Emperor called First Prince Jing, all his sons, and the highest ranked Court officials together. No one knew, except for Commander Jing, why they’d been gathered on such short notice.
The Emperor announced the crimes of the Crown Prince, leaving nothing out, and stripped his son of his title and wealth. He’d intended on simply imprisoning his disgraced son, loving him even then, but after the Emperor told the Crown Prince that he’d lost his title, the former Prince went mad and actually tried to kill the Emperor right then and there. Royalty or not, such behavior was grounds for instant execution.
And that’s exactly what First Prince Jing did. He’d been standing at the base of the throne where the Emperor sat the entire time, his sword at his side, knowing perfectly well that the former Crown Prince would not tolerate such an outcome.
When the enraged man had come at the Emperor, Jing had stepped forward and pierced him right in the heart, killing him almost instantly. It was so fast, people were confused for a moment as to why or how there was blood on the disgraced Prince’s shirt.
Jing then turned to the stunned, grieving Emperor, and said: “Your Imperial Majesty may have forgotten me, but I have not forgotten you. I’m Shu Fu Jing, youngest son of Prince Shu Yu Rong, son of your Royal Highness. Today the killer of the Shu family, and many others, has been brought to justice. For not revealing this truth sooner, I can only beg your forgiveness and mercy.”
He then got on his hands and knees and bowed until his forehead touched the floor.
At that point, I felt sorry for the Emperor. He’d not only lost his son’s heart, he also lost his life. And while discovering his grandson was alive, the news couldn’t have come at a worse time. The old man could not organize his thoughts. It was clear he was in shock. In the end, he kept to his original announcement and then said he’d deal with First Prince Jing some other day.
Indeed, he dealt with Jing. He was not a stupid man, simply soft hearted in the wrong areas. Where his son used assassins and poison to get his way, Jing worked out in the open. If diplomacy did not work, he’d resort to brute force. But at least it was very easy to tell where you stood with him.
And yet despite being such a forthright personality, he easily dealt with the trickery of the Crown Prince. This meant he would deal honestly with people while at the same time being able to avoid schemes and traps of his enemies. None of his other sons were that strong, mentally or physically.
The Emperor did something unheard of at the time: He skipped over his own sons and made Fu Jing the Crown Prince. Announcing right after that, within five years time, he would be transitioning the throne to Fu Jing and then retiring.
This all happened within a week, rocking the nation.
The Emperor’s other sons did not like the news, but didn’t dare do anything about it. If Fu Jing could so handedly deal with the slyest, cruelest of them, what hope did the rest of them have? They did not want to lose their positions, so they sensibly decided that currying favor was the wiser option.
Crown Prince Fu Jing wasn’t moved by the honor he’d received. Even as a Commander, he’d always been a little uncomfortable having the lives of so many depend on him. He would have preferred to be a businessman, and leave the bigger things to someone else. But since he sought justice, not vengeance, he would accept the job graciously.
When he ruled, there would be no more nonsense like what had led to the demise of his family. He would make sure of it.
|
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The Imperial Court was absolutely scandalized by Emperor Shu’s pick for Consort. Despite years of bugging him to at least accept a concubine, they were now throwing a fit about someone from lower nobility entering the Imperial Lineage.
Honestly, these troublemakers! Make up your mind! Do you want the Emperor to have someone or don’t you? And stop acting like my family is straight commoner just because my Mother’s side was all merchants. They were at least SUCCESSFUL merchants.
Quite a few official started harboring rebellious thoughts in their hearts at the news. Emperor Shu had already broken a lot of traditions and long standing ways of doing things as it was, this was just too much! The fact that most of them had eligible daughters they’d hoped would catch his attention, they swore had nothing to do with their objections!
I had mentioned this before, but Jing had studied the Blue Flower Mountain Sect’s teachings and improved upon them. He was still improving upon them to this day. While he was not the most powerful person on the continent, he was at least one of the top five. Certainly within his own country, there was no one even close.
Therefore, no one could tell him what to do. Not the Imperial Family, not the Retired Emperor, not his Uncles, and not a bunch of weak government officials in Court. It’s just that he didn’t believe in bullying the weak or showing off, so many had forgotten his true power. That day, he decided to remind them.
He patiently listened to every single one of their complaints and objections. Once they were done, he released his killing intent without warning. The cries and sounds of bodies falling could be heard in the Court. Several officials wet their pants. After a full minute of this, he retracted it again.
Sitting on his throne looking down at them, eyes narrowed, he asked: “Are there any further objections?”
No one dared to say a word against the marriage after that. The Emperor kindly released Court early, allowing everyone to change their pants. Despite the humiliation, they counted themselves lucky they’d left alive. Anyone with that level of martial arts could kill weak people such as themselves instantly.
The ones who’d not objected to his marriage had remained standing and in good health, though they weren’t many. Some were very old, having worked closely with the previous Emperor and having a clear understanding of the true strength of Emperor Shu. Others were young and new, having been given positions by Emperor Shu directly, so they sided with him regardless of whether they thought it was wise.
They all took the opportunity to congratulate the Emperor and get further into his good graces. They knew they’d get front row seating to the wedding because they’d kept their mouths’ shut and he’d be more likely to listen to them in the future too.
The Imperial Family had been politely informed of the impending wedding that day too. The Retired Emperor did not object because he knew Shu Fu Jing was powerful enough to marry whoever he wanted. The Princes had kept their vow of not getting on Emperor Shu’s bad side.
And everyone else… the message he’d sent them had been quite clear: any negative feedback would be considered traitorous. Everyone, down to the concubines, sent Emperor Shu congratulations as fast as they could, as if their very lives depended on it.
Except, of course, the disgraced Crown Prince’s family. They said nothing at all.
The following day the whole nation was informed. Emperor Shu used the Wedding Proclamation as a chance to informed the citizens of the kind of Empress they were getting.
Well, in short, it was a love letter disguised as a Imperial Proclamation.
He really never struck me as the poetic type, so imagine my surprise when it was repeated back to me. Again. And again. Sighs. My girl friends all came calling immediately after hearing the Proclamation and told me all about it, in extreme detail and then demanded I give up my own details.
I stuck with my silly lie of meeting the Emperor at twelve while sneaking out of the house. Unlike my parents, my girl friends were absolutely enthralled by the story. They told everyone and anyone who’d listen about our romantic encounter, claiming it was a destined meeting.
One of my closer girl friends, I told the truth. Well, partially. Mostly I was teasing her before telling her the lie. Her reaction was quite interesting though. She could not imagine the Emperor as a filthy street orphan. She, too, knew the Emperor had been an orphan for a time, but being homeless and eating garbage.. That she’d not known. She bluntly informed me that I’d found jade in a pigpen and not to try my luck twice.
I always did like her. She never beat around the bush and was very forthright and gullible. I often slipped in real truths about my life as a spirit, because she’d believe them for a time before telling me not to tease her. Outside of Jing, she was the only person I’d opened up at all to after becoming human.
As for the rest of the nation, they’d never even heard of the Ya Family. Since they had no knowledge of the family, good or bad, they took the Emperor at his word. The more wealthy and powerful people immediately began investigating the fortunate Ya’s to see where they could take advantage.
The invitation list was huge. My girl friends and their families got invited, of course. There was my parents, grandparents, extended family… And then there were a lot of people I’d never met before. I believe they were business associates of my Father. Fortunately, the Bride doesn’t have to meet every guest, otherwise I think I’d have collapsed from exhaustion.
As for the Groom’s list… he’s an Emperor, how big do you think it was? I didn’t envy him. The Groom has to actually be social with the guests he invites, it’s part of the wedding tradition. They have some excuse about guests giving good fortune for the practice, but it was really started so the men could gain new connections and strengthen old ones. Very political, very practical, and not the slightest bit romantic.
I’m told the wedding was very grand. Once again, with a great deal of bitterness, I wouldn’t know. I didn’t get to see it. I had a red silk, golden embroidered veil on my head the moment I left my house. I felt like humanity was punishing me for all those years of peeping, by not allowing me to peep at my own wedding.
My fairy children attended too, obviously. Only the human children and Jing could see them, which lead to some minor mischief. The human children thought it was grand and were glad for the distraction during such a stuffy occasion. They fairies sang, they danced, they threw flower petals (to the confusion of everyone who couldn’t see them), and they all congratulated me.
I heard later that people who attended swore up and down that the gods themselves had come down and attended our wedding. There were so many good fortunes and strange, beautiful things happening around them they could only explain as divine. I can’t say I minded the misunderstanding, it helped alleviate the skepticism people had over our marriage.
Apparently Jing was lectured over breakfast by several fairies about not letting me down. I wish I could have seen it. If he made me cry, they let him know how they’d surely enact the worst kind of revenges. I don’t know how he got through breakfast being threatened like that, surrounded by bustling and frantic servants, but I guess years of dealing with them had given him a pretty thick skin.
It was a very long day, and by the time we were holding the red rope and saying our vows, I was relieved it was almost over. I’d been to weddings before, but Imperial Weddings were no joke. They added a lot of extra steps to the whole process. So troublesome! Just take me to the bedroom already!
Ahem.
I got to the Bridal Chamber and sat on the bed, glad to be off my feet. Jing came later after having accepting the wedding toasts. He was slightly drunk, despite his best efforts, because of all the alcohol he’d been forced into drinking. He could have cleared it out of his system, but he wasn’t really given the time to do it.
His hands trembled, just like with the potted tree, when he took off that red silk veil. He looked into my eyes, a mixture of affection and intense longing. Two hot calloused hands touched my face before reaching up and helping me take off my heavy gold head-dress.
My hair finally tumbled down my back, like a black stream on the bed. He caressed my hair for several minutes, apparently enjoying the texture. He then helped me undress, touching any skin that got exposed as he did, and I did the same.
When he we were both naked, he let out a low groan, despite not having actually done anything yet. When I titled my head and raised my brow in confusion, he finally explained, “Why are you so beautiful?”
“Aren’t I just average?”
“Where?!”
I shrugged. “I’m just being objective.”
“Well, stop it! Stop thinking and start feeling.” His hands reached out, gently caressing my body, his voice husky and low. “Feel me, Xui. Feel me and only me.”
And so I did. Over and over, until we were both exhausted.
After we were finished, I turned to him with a smirk on my face. “Aren’t you glad I got a body?”
“…to bring that up now of all times…”
“But aren’t you glad? Wasn’t I right?”
He sighed, realizing I just wanted to gloat. “Yes, yes, you were right.”
When I giggled at his admission, he pulled me into his arm, resting my head on his inner shoulder. He then stroked my hair without saying anything. This guy, he really had a thing for hair, didn’t he?
After a while, I asked, “Jing, why do you love me?”
His hand on my hair stopped. “Do you not know?”
“Well, you’ve never said so how could I know?”
“What about the Wedding Proclamation?”
“Bah! Tell me with your own mouth, without all the poetic nonsense.”
He sighed again, patting my head this time. “How you have lived so long and managed not to appreciate the art of words…”
“I’m a mountain, not a muse, what exactly are you expecting?”
There was a pause and then he chuckled. “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but you are technically a mountain…”
“Yes I am. How does it feel, dear Emperor, marrying a mountain?”
“Surprisingly soft.”
“Only for you.”
His arms tightened around me, apparently touched by my words even if they were jesting.
“When I first saw you,” He began slowly, “I’m fairly sure I was dying. You said once that people on the verge of death are most open to seeing spirits…”
“Eh? I don’t recall you being at death’s door when we met.”
Jing took my hand and placed it on my chest, I could feel his heartbeat.
“I was dying on the inside. Despite my best efforts, nothing I did succeeded. I thought I was being punished for escaping death. I tried to live honorable to make up for it, but was punished at every turn for it. I was on the verge of giving up. Right before meeting you, I’d begged whatever deity was watching to help me. Just… give me a sign… something… some reason to keep living, to not give up. And then I looked up, and there you were.”
He continued, “I’d never seen anything like you before. You were sitting on a box in the alley looking directly at me. There was a kind of sad, wistful look in your eyes, I remember. Even though you were shaped like a human girl, it was clear you weren’t human. You were dressed in the finest lady’s dress, but sitting on a box in an alley. No lady would be there, doing that.”
“Ah, I remember that day very clearly too. You came right up to me and told me I was as pretty as a flower.”
His chest rumbled as he chuckled. “You always liked those sorts of compliments as a spirit.”
“Things that are true are the best compliments.”
“I suppose you’re right. Well, here’s another truth: you were beautiful, not just pretty. I actually thought that I’d lost my mind and was hallucinating a goddess at first. I know you tried very hard to imitate the physical world, but your feet never quite touched the ground. And your clothes always moved as if there was a breeze. Sometimes, if you weren’t concentrating, you’d glow a little too, like a blue lantern.”
“Ah! Why didn’t you tell me?! Here I’d thought I’d gotten it down to perfection!” And I really did think that. I spent so many years refining my appearance, trying to imitate the corporeal, the human. It was my pride to think I did it well.
“I liked how you looked though, so why would I tell you?” He teased, poking me in the nose. “Such a beautiful goddess, but you were so happy to talk to me. There was no pity or superiority in your gaze, just the joy of finding a friend. You were lonely, and I was your friend. Because I existed, because I had kept strong and hadn’t died, I’d become friends with a goddess. I was glad to be alive.”
“What goddess? You keep saying that, but I’m not a goddess!” I smacked him lightly on the chest.
“Yes, yes, but I didn’t realize that until later.” He said, grabbing my hand and kissing it. “And anyways, my point is you gave me a reason to live. And I’m so glad you did.”
“Hm… and that’s why you love me?”
“Is that not enough?” Seeing I was slightly discontented, he gave a low laugh. “You are also a very charming person. Clever, strong, wise, mischievous, and carefree… you see the world different than me, than anyone I suspect. I really admire that part of you, did you know? I stopped caring about other people’s opinions and started living as I wanted, chasing after my goals and living by my own standards. I’ve never been as good at it as you, but I like to think my efforts brought me some measure of success.”
“How modest. You went from orphan to Emperor, I think you can say at this point you’re quite successful.”
“Not at all. Until I married you, it really was only “some”.”
His words actually stunned me into silence for a moment.
“You… how do you say that with a straight face?”
“It’s easy when it’s true.”
I sighed, having my own mentality thrown back in my face.
“Do you… do you love only the spirit part of me?” My timid uncertainty surprised even me. I must have integrated well into this body, if I was jealous of myself from the past. I wanted, needed, him to love the me now and not the me that was ethereal and untouchable.
When he didn’t answer, I glanced up and saw genuine confusion on his face.
“S,sorry. That was a strange question wasn’t it?”
“Yes it was. Exactly what do you think we’ve been doing for hours? Do you really think I’d indulge myself like this with just anyone?”
“Ah…” I leaned my face into his chest, trying to cover my face, embarrassed. “I guess I’m just jealous of myself.”
“You silly…” He began and then stopped. “Xuiying and Xuilan are the same. You are both Xui to me, beautiful as a goddess. But you were right. Humans are physical beings and need physical touch. Now that I’ve felt you, I could not.. I could not live without it. I was sorry before but now I’m glad. I’m glad that you sacrificed yourself for me. I know it’s selfish, but your physical touch, I never want to live without it. Xui, thank you. I will never take this body of yours for granted.”
“…you’re such a smooth talker…” I muttered jokingly, while feeling my heart soar. This feeling of love, of being desired, I too was glad that I had sacrificed. Xuiying could never feel this, never understand it, but Xuilan could. And now Xui would forever remember it. I had no regrets for my decision, not then and not now.
To be in the arms of my beloved, life was good.
Time passed.
Being an Empress is hard work. To make it more interesting, I threw a lot of parties. I’d gotten good at them as a Ya, but as a Shu I became an expert. I’m pretty sure Jing vomited blood a few times at their hefty price tags, but he never told me no and just complained bitterly at the expense instead. I knew he was spoiling me, and I took full advantage of the fact.
Now that I had a lot of status, not only could I make my parties more fun, I also had greater influence on who did or didn’t make it socially. I helped a lot of artists become famous, who would have lived in obscurity. My match-making abilities became legendary. Not a single couple I brought together ended up unhappy, even if they were hostile to each other at first.
I was also known for my benevolence and compassion. My fairies had no intention of being bound to the palace, and would often explore all over the country. They’d come back with all kinds of interesting bits of information. If they told me a particularly sad tale, and it wasn’t too late by the time it reached me, I would directly intervene to solve the problem.
But there was one thing I could not do.
I could not give birth to children.
It’s not that I didn’t get pregnant. I did. Jing was constantly chasing after me so it was impossible not to. But I miscarried every single time. I suppose it’s a small favor that the miscarriages happened early on, so that I couldn’t see any physical evidence beyond blood and lumps.
Why did my pregnancies always end in failure? I could not understand it at first. It should be a simple matter of two bloodlines coming together. As long as my body was healthy, that should be enough.
I began to study the children inside of me while they were growing, before they died. With a few exceptions, they were perfectly healthy. Right up until they died.
Something was missing. I did not want to admit it, but I think it was because I wasn’t natural. That is, a foreign non-human spirit was indwelling a human body. It was causing a disruption somewhere in the pregnancy.
Why? Why? Why?
Why can’t I give birth? Why do my children die? I don’t know! So many of my babies have died because I can not find the answer!
I knew what people were saying: What good is an Empress who can’t have children? The primary purpose of an Empress was to give birth to an Heir. Everything else was secondary. No matter what else I did, my lack of childbirth was becoming a spot of contention within the country.
The Court Officials started to bring it up on a regular basis. They were very careful how they talked about it, knowing that their Emperor loved his Empress. Even if he took just one Concubine, that would be fine. She could be anyone, they didn’t care. Just as long as she could get pregnant and give birth to a child. Son or daughter, that didn’t matter either at this point.
After ten years, I started to agree with them. I didn’t want Jing to die without having a child. You see, when he died, he’d go some where I couldn’t follow. That meant the only thing left for me would be his bloodline, a bit of him left on earth. In his decedents, I would catch a glimpse of him.
When I suggested to him that getting a Concubine, at least one, might be a good idea, he got so upset he refused to sleep with me for a week and barely spoke two words either. I did not expect him to respond that way. I had only barely suggested the idea, to at least consider it.
He let out his anger on the Imperial Court. As far as he was concerned, they were the reason I was speaking such nonsense. If they’d kept their mouth’s shut, I’d never have been forced into thinking it was a viable alternative.
In a rage, he yelled at them: “Look at me. Do I look even a day over 25? You’re all turning into middle aged men, but I’m still young. And I’m stronger now than when I was first coroneted. I’m worth three sons, much less one! When you’re old and on your deathbed, I will be here! When you grandson’s take over your position, I will still be here! If you dare bring up this matter of children again, I’ll have your heads and your family’s heads too. Do I make myself clear?”
Jing rarely lost his temper, but when he did, it was no joke. I think the last time he’d been that angry was when the Court objected to marrying me. They and I should have known, he wouldn’t take anyone else. It was me or nothing.
And his point was true: he still looked young. His Martial Arts had only improved over time, making him stronger. He was now one of the top three most powerful people on the continent. No one dared attack the Empire, outside of rogue bandits with a death wish. The area had never been so politically and economically stable than since he became Emperor.
Speaking honestly, it was unnatural for Jing to be a mystical art user and an Emperor. What I mean is, generally, the mystic arts required a lot of time and energy, with people commonly cultivating through meditation for a straight year. They also craved challenges, seeking out other martial artists to fight and test their skills. Earthly concerns like money and political power were actually unappealing to them.
Yet Jing “lowered” himself to be an Emperor. He was content to never be ranked among the Sects or be renowned in circles of power. He devoted all his time to cleaning up his country and making sure it smoothly functioned.
And to me. He devoted an enormous amount of time to me. If he wasn’t doing Imperial work, he found me. Sometimes his love was actually a bit smothering, but I’d never say that out loud. If I did, he’d be heartbroken over it and mope like a kicked dog.
As for me, I aged very slowly too. Are you surprised? My spiritual powers may have been cut in half to revive this body and stick myself in it, but I was still quite powerful. I was more powerful than any martial artist alive, so naturally my aging was quite slow. If I wanted, I could seem eternally young. But I didn’t want to outlive Jing, so I purposefully sped up my aging process.
|
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|
"Cleveland is now on the Clock!" The timer ticked down as shouts echoed throughout the room. 10:00, 9:59… it was all in slow motion.
"Call T-" A man ordered before he tripped over his own feet and slammed his head into the desk beside him. The people flood towards him to check if he was alive. They all released a sigh of relief when they found a pulse and heard breathing.
Tony was at a loss, 'Where am I? What is today? Isn't today Super Bowl 52? Damn it where am I!' This isn't where he was supposed to be. He was supposed to be getting drunk with his ex-girlfriend and having hate sex. Not in a room filled with old men who were double his age. He stood up from the ground and rubbed his now throbbing head.
"Roy there is only 8 minutes left! What is our choice?" A man shouted louder than the rest as he rushed Tony, now Roy. Tony didn't respond still trying to understand how he got in this situation. Not even noticing that a man before he was grabbed roughly by the shoulders.
"Roy! We know you hit your head but we need our pick! Tim Couch, right? We had been studying him for the past four months and have agreed on him, but we need to check with you first!" The man continued.
"What is today?" Roy asked, his eyes darting around the room.
"What are you talking about! Today is April 17, 1999! Now, what's our pick?" The man continued to look off at the clock and watched it second by second tick away.
Tony was at a loss, none of this made sense. It was only seconds ago, February 4, 2018. The Eagles were about to play the Patriots and he was getting the alcohol ready. How did he end up here?
Did he pregame too hard? No, he was only four shots in, an average before going off to parties. The clock had now ticked down to 7:00.
"ROY! Snap out of it!" The same man shouted again.
Maybe this is all a dream, he could have only passed out. That does in a way make sense for this. He doesn't remember tripping but maybe he hit his head after pregaming. He shook off the worried shouting man and walked around the room. This was all too foreign to him, he had done fantasy drafts before but never thought he would be in one.
6:00
'1999? Who was a part of this draft?' "Get me the list of the top 10 projected picks!" Tony shouted, he needed a refresher, the draft was too long ago. He could only hope there would be names he remembered from his time. Everyone in the room was in shock but didn't disagree or dally, there was no time for that.
5:20
An intern rushed back in and handed Tony a paper with the ten projected picks, "Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb, Akili Smith, Ricky Williams, Champ Bailey, Edgerrin James, Chris McAlister, Torry Holt, Chris Claiborne, and Daunte Culpepper."
4:43
Tony had to dig deep in his mind as he thought over all the players on this list. He knew four of them immediately. 'McNabb was a good QB who choked away too many games. Williams a good RB who never lived up to the hype, James was much better in every way. Bailey, one of the best CB ever.'
4:00
Damn it! The real thing is so much different than the drafts he did every year.
3:30
There is also Torry Holt! Damn it, the greatest show on turf. Tony was losing it, this whole situation was too much for him.
"Roy! Are we getting Tim Couch or not! We don't have time for this!"
Roy snapped out of his stupor and immediately replied to the angry coach, "No we aren't! Let me think."
"You don't have time to think! We have to call in our pick before we are skipped over, damn it!"
2:00
Roy stopped and tried once more to take every bit in. He felt small in comparison to everything around him. The screens, the voices, the people, yet here he was – a fan. This was a place he dreamed of, a place he chased. He stood with feet rooted in place stunned in awe.
The time ticked away and the shouts of everyone in the room were deafening. Roy was too stunned to answer any of them. The timer ticked away and just like that Roy's first pick was a pass. He raised the volume on the TV and listened to the commenters.
"Roy's first year as GM and he didn't make his pick. He won't last long with such actions."
"There never an excuse for not picking. If you want a later pick trade yours away, don't pass."
The comments were exactly to his expectations and with the booing in the background, nothing was shocking.
The Eagles were now on the Clock and Tony knew they would pick McNabb. He smiled at the memory of booing when the pick was made. Then booing even louder at his performance in the Super Bowl. These happy memories were enough to slow Tony down enough for him to collect his thoughts on the situation. This may to him be a dream but to everyone else, this is their job, their lively hood.
The Eagles didn't take long to make their pick and within those less than five minutes Tony returned to the War room.
The timer was ticking once more and the others were furious with him.
"What are you thinking!"
"You idiot!"
"Why not Tim Couch?"
"What changed!"
"Who are we picking instead?"
"Tell us something!"
Roy had collected his thoughts before he entered but at being bombarded with questions it quickly left his head. The panic returned, and he couldn't stay composed.
"I don't know!" He bellowed. The room suddenly became silent at his plea.
8:00
"I don't know what to tell everyone here. I made a mistake for not making a choice; I just know Tim was the wrong choice for us."
"Who do you suggest instead then?"
7:00
"Bailey." Was his short and simple reply to everyone. It was obvious to tell no one had any confidence in him after he didn't make a pick. As of this second, they were in no place to fight with him though.
"Why not Tim?" One staffer called out while the rest remained silent.
Tony looked back to the TV screen replaying Tim's highlights, "Our OL, we don't have anyone to protect him the pocket. Along with no helpers to work along with him. Holt would be a good choice as well but without a decent QB to work with him, his worth won't be there. So, since our offense is static; I decided working on defense would be the better choice for this draft and the offense next year."
Not everyone was convinced but they did take notice he did seem more confident than he was previously. Without further argument, they made the call and informed Bailey of their decision. Along with sending their pick to the workers in New York to bring it to the commissioner.
The TV was unmuted and throughout the previously silent room, the voice of Paul John Tagliabue echoed, "With the second pick in the 1999 draft the Cleveland Browns select… Champ Bailey."
A whole new world had been opened up from that single moment. All the stress he incurred was lifted at that moment. With a sigh of relief, he then remembered, this was only day one.
|
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|
Jing, as the Emperor, could not just pick me up and run away with me. Though it was clear he dearly wanted to, for it was written on his face, which everyone else mistook for rage. After taking several deep breaths to regain control, his hands steadied and he released his hold on the pot, forcing himself to take a few steps backwards.
He straightened his spine and motioned to a nearby Eunuch, instructing him to take the tiny tree and place it in his room immediately. The servant bowed, puzzled but obedient, taking the pot from me and leaving to do as instructed.
No one understood what had just happened. For my disrespect, I should have gotten at least a beating, but instead the Emperor was treating my gift as the most precious thing given to him the entire day.
Emperor Shu whispered some instructions to a high ranking official near by and then dismissed my family. More gifts were to come, and he had to personally accept each one. It would take past dinner time before he was done.
My family was escorted out of the throne room, but instead of being taken to where everyone else was, we were guided into a very elegant private room. Servants dressed in fine silks served us tea, then later dinner, and occasionally an entertainer would come to personally amuse us.
Like everyone else, my parents had no idea what was going on. Obviously, if the Emperor was angry, he wouldn’t be treating us so well. So he was definitely not angry.
They could only think that he had really really liked the mini-tree we’d gifted him. It was a very lovely, somewhat mystical tree. As far as they knew, it was one of a kind. They’d been impressed with it too when they’d first seen it. So perhaps the Emperor had been enthralled by it.
Father, Mother, why hasn’t it crossed your mind that I’m what he’s enthralled with?
Sighs.
It was quite late into the evening before the Eunuch who’d taken my tree entered and announced his Majesty Emperor Shu would arrive shortly. My parents immediately arranged themselves into a bow, with me following along because it amused me. We waited, in the bowing position, almost ten minutes.
By the time he entered, I was irritated with him. He’d really taken his time!
“Please, raise your heads.” Emperor Shu instructed. When I raised my head, I saw a slight smirk play across his lips and realized he’d kept us waiting on purpose!
My parents, however, refused to do raise their heads out of respect and reverence. Seeing this, Emperor Shu added with exasperation: “Then this Emperor commands you to raise your heads. Do not dare disobey.”
My parents couldn’t refuse after that and, trembling, they raised their heads.
The Emperor was wearing normal clothes. They were very finely made, but still muted in color and style. His hair was now half down, with a simple gold crown holding the rest up. He looked more like General Jing than he did Emperor Shu in that moment.
He then walked over to the table and sat down. My parents and I hastily followed. Tea was served, again.
Everyone drank in awkward silence, unsure of how to start the conversation. Except for me, I was quietly enjoying the entire thing, except for that ten minutes of kneeling. I was thoroughly entertained.
“Your daughter—” Began Emperor Shu, only to be immediately interrupted. Both my parents were extremely nervous and thought that the Emperor might be thinking of punishing me for my earlier insolence. They clamored to apologize and beg forgiveness, even willing to take on my punishment.
He listened to their pleading until they’d calmed down. I could tell he was thoroughly worn out from the day’s events and was trying to be patient.
A mixture of tolerance and bewilderment could be seen on his face. He said to me, using informal speech, “I am, at the very least, assured that your parents are genuinely good people. You must have been outrageously spoiled over the last three years. No wonder you never contacted me.”
“I’m their only daughter, so of course they’ve spoiled me.” My parents heads were swinging back and forth between us, too shocked to even speak. The Emperor and their daughter were talking as though they were old friends. “I almost died three years ago. I had to work very hard to relearn how to walk and talk and even eat. Exactly how was I to contact anyone, much less your Royal Majesty?”
“You.. You almost died?” The fear on his face was so genuine, I felt bad for bringing it up. It would have been better to explain things privately. As it was, I could not tell him the details.
“Er… this servant begs his Majesty’s forgiveness but… have you met my daughter before?”
We both stared at my Father, who’d finally gathered the courage to interrupt. We then stared at each other.
“Penpals.” I finally announced.
“Eh?”
“Secret ones.”
“Uhm.” It was clear Father was doubting me.
“Daddy,” I said, looking ever so innocent and soft. “Do you remember that party you and Mother attended five years ago, and when you both came home I was very sick?”
Father nodded. It had been terrible, his daughter had almost died.
“The reason I got so sick is because I snuck out of the Estate while you were both gone.” I lied while looking into my Father’s shocked face.
To be able to lie… the human body was an amazing thing. As a spirit, it would have been impossible for me to fib like this. But somehow having a mortal body allowed me the privilege.
“During my escape, I met Emperor Shu. I did not know who he was, as he was traveling in disguise, but we talked and got along quite well. We decided to exchange some letters. I knew you would not approve, so I did not tell you. Isn’t that so, Emperor Shu?”
When I turned to Jing, he blinked and then nodded enthusiastically. Both my parents could do nothing but accept the highly unbelievable story I was giving them, seeing as the Emperor was agreeing with it.
I saw a glinty disapproving look in my Father’s eye about the whole thing. If what I said was true, I’d been only 12 at the time. I could almost read his face: How dare anyone be so intimate with my daughter, when she’d barely blossomed! Even if it was the Emperor, such actions could not be forgiven!
Heh. Sorry Jing. I’m pretty sure I ruined your reputation with your soon to be father-in-law.
Emperor Shu kept the conversation light after that, staring at me the entire time, careful not to touch too much on the past. Because it was getting late, he could not justify keeping us any longer. He looked a little sulky when he announced we should go home.
We were given a royal carriage to ride us home. My Father and Mother were too busy grilling me mercilessly about my “penpal” story to really appreciate the honor. They then gave me a lecture to end all lectures about etiquette and the proper distance a man and woman should keep. I was never to try and send a letter to the Emperor again, it was totally inappropriate. Also, I was grounded to my room for a whole week.
I readily agreed, which made them suspicious. I promised them on the family honor that I would never write a letter to Emperor Shu again. Since I’d never written him to begin with, the promise was easily kept.
True to their words, I was forced to stay in my room all week long. Any mail sent to me, which wasn’t much, passed through my parent’s hands first. On the forth day, after I’d changed into my night dress, an unexpected guest came calling.
Jing had snuck into the Estate. It was easy enough to do, as security was modest at best. Seeing me in such light clothing, he blushed and almost fell over while sneaking through the window.
“And how may this servant help Emperor Shu tonight?” I teased lightly, bowing, amused by his awkwardness.
“Oh, shut up with the formalities.” He hissed, still red, and then started complaining. “Where have you been all these years? Why didn’t you at least contact me through the fairies? You didn’t really die, did you? I’ve been wanting to ask but do you know what a huge pain that birthday party was? Not only did I get thousands of unwanted gifts, because I personally received every gift, I also had to send a personal thank you note in return. I couldn’t leave! Now my hand feels like it going to fall off and the smell of ink is starting to make me nauseous.”
“Whose fault is it that the Imperial Family has so many second cousins and third nieces? When I suggested the party, I didn’t think so many people would show up.”
“It’s not like it’s my fault either, but I’m the one suffering.” He sulkily huffed.
“If it’s any consolation, I was desperate. My parents were trying to marry me off. It not like I could march into the Palace and announce my presence, so I needed some other way to meet you.”
His eyes narrowed. “Who were they trying to marry you off to?”
“…what’s that got to do with anything?”
“Just tell me!”
“Alright, alright.” I handed him a bundle of papers and pictures. “They were going to let me choose at least.”
He looked at the suitors and scoffed, a sneer playing on his lips. “Did any catch your interest?”
“Don’t be stupid.”
“Did they?”
He was being needlessly difficult. “Of course not. Who do you think I am? I’ve got you, I’ll never accept anything less.”
A pleased look formed on Jing’s face. Slightly annoyed by it, I asked, “And what about you? Any pretty girls catch your interest while I was away?”
I expected him to be equally annoyed by my question, but instead he just looked stressed. “No. And I’ll have you know it’s been a battle trying to keep Court officials off my back about it. They’ve been hounding me for years to get a wife, even a concubine. Last month an elderly official actually suggested a bed warming maid would even work.”
“How very brave of him.”
“He was forced to retire.”
“How very generous of you.” I chuckled and then paused. “What do you think?”
“Hn? About what?”
I waved my hands down my body. “This, my face, my body. It’s not the most beautiful in the world, but it’s mine. I hope it meets your minimum requirements at least.” I then gave a half bow, not being completely serious.
“It’s, it’s a fine body.” He said, face starting to flush before he remembered the important question he’d asked earlier. “How did you get it anyway? And what did you mean you died?”
I hastily explained the story to him, knowing that all his complaining had really been his anxiousness about this one detail.
“…ah, so that’s what you meant by almost dying.”
“Yes indeed.”
“Could you really die, with a body like that?”
“The body would die, but I… would probably be fine.”
“Probably?”
“Well….” I combed my fingers through my long hair thoughtfully. “This body was broken when I took it over. Resurrecting it and fixing it took a lot out of me. If my body died, my spirit would be… much, much weaker, I think. At the very least, I’d never be able to take over another human body. Hm, I might not even be able to travel once I’m a spirit again either. So this body is all I have. Once it dies, that’s it for me and being human or going on adventures.”
Jing’s face noticeably paled at my explanation.
“You… you didn’t have to do this. I would have been fine with you as a spirit.”
Sighing, I walked over to him and placed both hands on the sides of his face. I ran a thumb gently under one eye. Looking into his deep black eyes with my own, I said, “Do my hands feel nice?”
He nodded, eyes wide and mouth clamped shut.
“This feeling you have right now, is only something a human body can cause. Even though you say you could live without it, I don’t want you to. I don’t want you to miss the feeling of touch, of warmth, of loving someone physically. I’ve seen what the lack of such intimacy does to a human, and it’s not good. The loneliness turns to emptiness and it becomes unbearably painful. I won’t let your love for me cause you to live that kind of life. I love you too much, so I won’t allow it.”
I went to release his face, but he grabbed my hands. This time it was my turn to blush and look awkward. Raising my hands to his lips, he gave them a gentle kiss. The action made me feel warm and itchy at the same time.
Still looking a little sad, he said, “How can I object now? Thank you. Thank you for sacrificing for me.”
The itching feeling grew, but I didn’t know what to do with it, so I asked to distract myself, “Why’d you come here, in the middle of the night, anyway? Wouldn’t a day trip have been a little more… sensible?”
He lowered my hands, but did not let go. A smile playing on his lips. He explained that it was difficult for the Emperor to leave the Palace. Even if he went incognito, it required a lot of planning. And with all those damn “thank you” notes to write, he never had the time to even get things started for leaving the palace officially.
So he’d snuck out at the first opportunity.
As to why he wanted to see me… of course he’d been worried silly about me saying I’d died, but he’d also missed me terribly. I’d selfishly ignored him for three years after all. Naturally he wanted to know what had distracted me to the point of not even sending him a message via fairy.
Of course I profusely apologized for not contacting him sooner, especially after he mentioned it a third time. He even admitted to purposefully making me and my parents bow for so long as a sort of penance for my sins. What a cheeky man he’s grown up to be!
Before he left that night, he gave me a kiss. It was my first kiss. His lips were thin but soft and he tasted of tea. The itchy feeling was almost unbearable after he was finished, and I’m pretty sure my entire face was red as cherry.
Seeing my reaction, he laughed. It was a boyish laugh that I hadn’t heard in years, and it reminded me of when he was young. I smacked him, embarrassed at my own response.
The next day, the Head Imperial Eunuch came to our home, decked out in his finest outfit and pulled in a Imperial Carriage, with several carriages behind him carrying all kinds of goods, and surrounded by guards. He had an Imperial Edict with him, which were rare at this point. (Emperor Shu believed that they had more value when used sparingly.)
The Ya Family Head, my Father, was informed that his first and only daughter was to be the Emperor’s Consort, Empress and Mother of the Nation. This was by order of the Emperor, and the wedding would officially be held in two months time, on an auspicious day.
To alleviate the status differences, and as a show of goodwill, the Emperor had also sent over material goods, gold, and servants which could be used to supplement the future Empress’ dowry. An additional set of gifts were given directly to the Ya Family, as an apology from the Emperor for rushing the wedding and as a betrothal gift.
Both my parents almost fainted. When I said they were distantly related to the Emperor, I had not been joking. My Father’s great-grandfather had a sister who’d been married to a Forth Prince of the then ruling Emperor. But both the Forth Prince and the sister hadn’t been wise people and their children learned from them, so by the time my Father had been born most of the wealth and prestige had been squandered away. Leaving only a name.
Thus the Ya Family was viewed unfavorably by nobility, especially and particularly in the capital (where nobles were free to gossip and scheme to their hearts content). Since the Nobles shunned my Father, there was never even an opportunity for him to meet the Emperor, or anyone from the Imperial Family for that matter. Up until last week, he’d thought himself totally unrelated to the Imperial Family in almost every regard that mattered.
Today, he found out he was about to become the Father in Law of the Emperor. An Emperor who took interest in twelve year old girls. Such an Emperor was taking his baby girl away and he couldn’t do anything about it! He started gnashing his teeth at the thought.
This was a better reaction than my Mother, whose mind had put up a white flag and gone on vacation. She had no relationship to any nobility ever, much less the Emperor, coming from a merchant family. After the line about me being an Empress, she’d stopped thinking from shock. Right now, she was blankly looking around, as if she didn’t recognize her own house.
The Head Eunuch then had the goods sent by the Emperor brought in, checking himself that everything was there. Seeing that my parents were totally useless, he turned to the Head Servant of our house and had him double check the list and make note of where things were going.
I’d always thought our Head Servant was a decent fellow, if a bit boring, but I really appreciated him that day. He kept his cool despite being of vastly inferior status to the Head Imperial Eunuch and being tasked with suddenly finding places for a seemingly never ending flow of goods.
After all the gifts were brought in, the Eunuch handed me the Edict. He then announced, almost casually, “His Imperial Highness Emperor Shu has tasked me to bring Young Miss Ya Xuilan and her honorable parents back to the Palace. While the Edict is final, his Imperial Majesty thought he should iron out the details with the Ya Family.”
He and the servants with him then herded us into the Imperial Carriage and carried us off to the Palace. No one spoke. My parents didn’t know what to say and I didn’t need to say anything. The only thing that had surprised me today was the enormous amount of goods Jing had gifted to me.
The Head Eunuch said nothing because he hadn’t been spoken to. Unless their was an emergency or business, Imperial Servants never spoke first. He would obviously follow procedure in this case, even if the people involved were currently ranked lower than him.
Honestly, he didn’t understand why the Emperor had chosen this Young Miss. After so many years of being unwilling to wed, to do so now and to someone who gained the Imperial Family nothing at all was extremely puzzling. The Eunuch was certain the outcry against this marriage would be great, and dreaded thinking about it.
Emperor Shu welcomed us at the entrance of the front Palace doors, his servants forced to stand at a distance. He was extremely happy, smiling and chattering away a welcome upon our arrival. He actually hugged my Father and bowed to my Mother, calling them “Honored Mother and Father” and saying that since he had no parents of his own, my parents would be like his parents.
Both my parents, who’d been in a daze, finally came back to themselves. It was well known that Emperor Shu had tragically lost his family at a young age and spent most of his life an orphan, eking out a living until becoming a soldier (which was only slightly true). For just a moment, my parents saw Jing instead of Emperor Shu, and were touched by his humanity and humility.
By the way, excepting those eye-witnesses, no one knew that Jing had killed the disgraced Crown Prince. In fact, the most heinous actions of the disgraced Prince were hidden from the public, including the murder of the entire Shu Family, and his death was ruled a suicide.
His wife and concubines were sent to live in the country, on a limited income. All his young children and older unmarried daughters were sent to live in the houses of the other Princes, taking on their Family names. His older sons, if they had no profession, were sent to serve in the Army to make a living.
This was all decreed by the former Emperor, out of the last bit of love he had for his dead son. I am of the opinion that he was too compassionate and generous. Other than the young children, which had not been totally infested yet, all the rest of that man’s family was hopelessly evil. There was no chance for redemption. They relished being wicked, just like their father.
Well, isn’t a good thing I was going to be the Empress? Between my fairy network and my physical strength (which is unusually good thanks to my spiritual origins), I have confidence I can keep my husband-to-be safe!
Jing had a long discussion with my parents about our wedding, when to hold it, and who to invite. The whole conversation was pretty boring to me. My Mother would be in charge of my dress and the Empress Dowager would be in charge of decorations. My Father would deal with the financial aspects, including handing over the dowry. All I had to do was show up, walk in a straight line, and bow a lot.
I couldn’t even see the actual event properly, because my head would be covered with a red veil. That bit of tradition was particularly irksome. I’m not shy, I don’t need my face covered! Why can’t I at least wear beads or tassels? Ugh… but there’s no way my Mother would budge on that. Wearing a curtain of beads and tassels is only common in the south. Mother absolutely loved everything about traditional weddings, and in this region it was the veil.
It’s a good thing she never saw the wedding ceremonies my blue eyed children threw. She’d have been scandalized! Partying outside under the stars, men and women mixing together, no red dress, no procession… the vows were unique to the couple too.
Ah… I miss how informal they were compared to here. My heart hurts when I think how I’ll never be able to see them again. I’ve lost too much power to travel freely, and I’m tied to this body as well. Chances of seeing them again, before they’re totally absorbed back into regular human culture, seems very unlikely at this point.
Speaking of the past, I wonder how my Brother is doing?
Brother, I hope you’re not angry anymore. Your sister is getting married and wishes you could be there to see it. I wish you could meet my parents, Jing, experience the world outside the mountains. I wish you could give me your blessing. I wish… I wish you were here.
I miss you.
…
Anyway.
By the end of the wedding meeting, my parents had loosened up significantly around Jing. Well, who could blame them? He had dropped all pretense of being the Emperor. He even told them that, as long as they weren’t in public, they must treat him as family and be informal. He really pressed home that he’d been orphaned, using sympathy to manipulate my parents into overriding long ingrained social norms in dealing with him.
I thought we’d be going home after that, but he insisted we stay in the Palace over night. He’d had a mini-banquet prepared and wanted to celebrate with just us three. And anyway, they might as well get use to the Palace, they’d be coming here regularly. Or so he rationalized.
When he snuck into my room that night, I laughed, realizing his intentions. He’d be officially announcing our marriage to the Court tomorrow, and then the nation the next day. Once that happened, tradition dictated the bride and groom couldn’t see each other until the wedding night. So, before that happened, he planned on getting some alone time with me.
While I always felt glad to be around him, seeing him alone at night and sitting so close to me caused that itchy feeling to return and my temperature to rise. Since this was the second time it happened, and not really understanding it myself, I asked him what he thought was happening.
“…you feel itchy?” He replied, himself somewhat perplexed.
“Yes, erm, though I suppose it’s not really itchiness either. I don’t know what else to call it. But when we’re alone like this, I feel it inside and it makes me hot. I bet you could feel it, see?” I took his hands in my own and then blinked. “Oh, perhaps you can’t. Your hands are hot too. Why are your hands so hot Jing?”
This had been a very innocent question, but at that moment he understood what I meant by itchiness. He reached out his hot hands and pulled my face to his, kissing me gently and then with a little more force.
I suddenly pushed him away, my whole body shivered, but not from cold. I stared at him in wide eyed surprise. “You made that feeling worse! How is that helping?!”
Seeing my innocent expression, he bent over, grunting, and covered his face as if he’d been hit.
“I didn’t realize you… but you’re a spirit so… right, right, I should have thought this through more carefully… foolish of me…” He was muttering into his palms when he suddenly stood up, clearing his throat and looked at me with so many different emotions I didn’t know what was running through his head. “I.. I think I should leave.”
“What? Why? Can’t we kiss again?” Even though I’d pushed him away, my whole body was screaming at me to have more skin contact. I grabbed his pant leg, pouting and begging at the same time.
His face had already been flushed, but now it turned bright red. He took a few steps back. There was a panicked look on his face.
“You… are you a natural tease!? Ack! Don’t keep grabbing onto me! L-le-let go! We’ll… we’ll be able to kiss plenty later! D-don’t look at me like that! Gah! Even if you’ve been a spirit all your life, you’ve got to be more careful! I— I— I’m just a normal man, you’re making this hard for me! So… so…! Reflect on your actions, please! Bye!”
After he lectured me Commander Jing, conquerer of nations, current Emperor, ran out of my room as if his feet were on fire.
I reflected on his behavior and words, at first confused by his mention of our “kissing plenty later”. Then, suddenly, I connected the reference.
Alone in my room, I slapped the bed I was laying on at my discovery and then started giggling uncontrollable. Of course, of course… so this is what it feels like! No wonder humans both love and hated it.
My giggle turned into an evil chuckle. He thinks I’m innocent because I only acquired a body recently, but who’s really the innocent one? Who walks into their betrothed room in the middle of the night and thinks nothing is going to happen? Just because I didn’t know what it felt like, didn’t mean I didn’t know. In that way, I was probably far more informed than him.
I’d been watching humans for a long time. A very long time. I’d seen it all. Literally. Humans might find my peeping morally questionable, but I didn’t have the right organs to be addicted to what I was seeing. It was just curiosity. The knowledge of what I had seen remained, even now.
And I knew enough to fill books. It was all clinical, impersonal information. But now I had an emotion to go with it, and so I could combine the two. My insides burned with a wondrous and terrifying desire. I wanted it all now, I wanted Jing. My body almost ached to be near him.
But as he said said, we could do “plenty later”. Even though it was bothersome, I was a human, and I needed to live by human standards. So I would wait.
After some thought, I decided waiting wasn’t so bad either. The moment before and after giving into desire are different. Having only recently gotten a body, I understood this better than most. Even though this feeling was itchy and frustrating, someday it’d be gone. So in a strange way, it was good to treasure it. It was a distinctly human thing to experience.
Besides, I had uncounted years of information I needed to sift through. It was good I got the chance to think. I could pick out the best parts and then test them on Jing.
At this, I smiled and started giggling like an idiot all over again.
|
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"title": "Empress of Blue Flower Mountain - Chapter 5: Humorous Humanity",
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|
Xui died quietly in the afternoon.
The entire nation was in shock. Even though news had long since spread that the Empress was sick, no one really believed she’d die. The Emperor and Empress had been counted immortals, and that immortality made the people feel their nation was better than others. So not only were citizens sad, they were also uneasy… their Immortal Empress had died. What did it mean? But they would never get the answer they were looking for and, with time, the question faded from their minds as new problems distracted them.
As for Shu Fu Jing, he grieved deeply for the death of his beloved fairy wife. Though he continued on as the Emperor even after she’d died, he lost his zeal for life and only worked to distract himself. His sorrow made him numb and it was as though his heart wilted. In many ways he became cold, mechanical, and ruthless.
Xui’s spirit did not dissipate into the void, but floated aimlessly for quite some time in the Palace, weak and senseless. She was shaped liked an invisible cloud. Neither her husband or son could see or feel her. Everything about herself, she’d forgotten.
There were no feelings of regret or sorrow because there were no thoughts to attach such feelings to. The dissipated spirit she had become just had a deep sense of tiredness and needing to find a place to rest.
The first fairy Xui created, simply named Fa, was still awake. He followed Crown Prince Shu Lan Jing around, quietly waiting for an order. Unfortunately, Lan had stopped believing in fairies, so he never noticed him despite still being able to see him.
Lan had become the Crown Prince the nation so desperately desired, and in so doing ignored his Mother’s earnest final attempt to get him to believe in fairies. He did not even believe half of the letter his Mother had written, seeing it as the sad ramblings of a sick and confused woman on her deathbed.
Of course he didn’t show his Father that letter, and instead tucked it away. The only time Jing seemed normal was when he talked to Lan. If his Father knew of the things his beloved Imperial Mother had written… he might break. And the nation couldn’t afford a broken Emperor just then.
Fairy Fa saw Xui’s shapeless form by chance one day and, for the first time, did something of his own initiative. He approached the spirit cloud known as Xui. Perhaps because they were made of the same stuff, Xui was attracted to the fairy and followed him without much prompting.
The fairy brought Xui to the farthest end of the Imperial Palace. There was a sizable tree there. It was out-of-season, so there were no flowers on it. But when it was in bloom, the flowers were blue. Despite it’s beauty, few knew about it, due it being off the beaten path.
Xui felt an immediate attraction to it, and to the surrounding area by proxy. She felt comfortable there, though she did not even know to ask why. Her spirit seemed to sigh in relief and descended into the ground, resting there in peace.
After a while Lan happened upon the tree again. The story of his Mother’s tree gift was famous and he remembered it. Thinking it would help his Father, he dragged Jing to it one night when it was in full bloom and gave him a prodigious amount of alcohol to loosen the man’s now chronically stony exterior. They both got extremely drunk. And for just a little bit, they were their old selves again: loud and bickering endlessly.
The experience was good for both of them, so they made it habit during the spring when the tree was in bloom. Every year, for many years, they would both sit under the moonlight, with the scent of the tree flowers hovering over them, and drink outrageous amounts of high end liquor and argue noisily. During that time they couldn’t be said to be happy, but they were at the very least content.
Then, one year, Jing did not come. Neither did Jing come the following years after that. The tree was sad, though it did not know why. That it even noticed people at all enough to miss anyone was beyond it’s understanding. It’s flowers no longer glowed, and it’s blooming season shortened.
Lan still came. First in frustration and anger, then grief, and then in quiet contemplation. Lan never brought anyone with him when he drank under the blossoms during the spring and he rarely talked. This upset the tree. The tree thought it would be nice if Lan talked more about himself, even though it didn’t know why.
Emperor Shu Lan Jing grew old but didn’t age. And as he grew older, his human appearance began to fad and was replaced with something… otherworldly. It was as if his fairy spirit became stronger than his human body. He became very beautiful to look at and extremely powerful. Like his parents before him, he was considered an Immortal, and was both loved and feared by his people.
The tree liked Lan. It couldn’t remember why, but it knew Lan was very important to it. So it always waited and bloomed just for him. It could not glow, but it would always bloom for Lan. For a long while, that was the routine for the tree: wait for important man to come and bloom vigorously.
The tree thought it’s blossoms matched especially well with Lan’s now ridiculously handsome face. Sometimes Lan would complain about finding flower petals in places they should not have been, which amused the tree endlessly too. Even though it was a tree, humor and beauty was still very important to it.
Hm? What was beauty? What was humor? It counted Lan as beautiful and funny, but why? Even though it was very slow, such questions began to crop up again and again in the trees mind.
And then one day the tree remembered something important: It had walked once and it had come from very far away. This place was not it’s home. What was “home” anyway? Hadn’t it always lived in a garden, even if it wasn’t this one particularly? But no matter how hard it tried, it could not recall.
The tree grew very old and very large. The Palace Garden it’d originally been planted in had long since disappeared back into the ground. The Palace itself was but rubble and dirt. The tree didn’t particularly mind, as the Palace had become ugly in it’s old age and the tree disliked ugly things.
The real problem was that Lan had stopped visiting. It knew Lan was out there somewhere, though how it knew it could not explain. It was just that the young man no longer came to see it. For the first time, the tree felt genuinely alone and it stopped blooming in it’s sadness.
More time passed like that. The tree felt the air, breathed in the sun, drank up the earth, all the while wondering about the world and itself. Questions began to rise up in it’s mind constantly: What happened to the Palace? Why had people let everything get so ugly? Why did it even care if things were ugly? Where did all the people go? Was it normal for a tree to wonder these things? Was it normal for a tree to think at all? Why was it thinking anyway?
But no matter how many questions it asked, there was no one to answer.
Then, one day, a person appeared. Not only that, the person came right up to the tree to examine it, much to the tree’s delight. No one had visited it specifically in a very long time!
And what a strange visitor had come calling! Why, this visitor was somehow more beautiful than Lan, and Lan had been shockingly lovely. And where this visitor walked, grass grew vibrant and green, even flowering! The tree had never seen anything like that. It could feel the surrounding vegetation practically quiver in delight at the sudden exposure to such pure, unadulterated spiritual energy.
“So it’s true. You really have been here this whole time.” Said the visitor after scrutinizing it from the top of it’s leaf to the bottom of it’s trunk. The tree realized the visitor was, in fact, a man.
Was that really alright, to be that beautiful and be a man? The Tree thought, focusing on the wrong thing completely. Why, this visitor was so amazing looking, that even the tree’s best blooming season wouldn’t match him. He was literally better looking than a flower, and that just couldn’t be right!
The beautiful man suddenly reached out and touched the tree’s trunk. It’s whole body shuddered as it was filled with his divine energy. If it could have, it would have shied away, as such bottomless power was intimidating. But it was a tree and it couldn’t move, so it could only complain bitterly to itself about the visitor being so thoughtless.
Even though it was overwhelming, the man kept pushing more of that heavenly power into the tree. More and more he poured in and the tree wondered if the man was trying to drown it via energy over-saturation.
Of course that would difficult to do, if that was his goal, for the tree was old and it’s spirit was much older still. It would take a very long time for the man to come even close to filling up the spirit inside the tree. It was only a husk of it’s former self and to be properly revived would require a mountain of energy. Or just a mountain.
Oh. But how did the tree know that?
As the man poured his energy into the tree, hazy thoughts and feelings began to sharpen. Memories and knowledge long lost returned in a jumble, making the tree feel dizzy. It wished the man would let go, would let it organize itself a bit, too much was happening all at once!
But the visitor would not let go, would not stop. Not even as the very last leaf and the very last tip of the very last root was drenched in his spiritual energy. Still he kept going.
And then a very curious thing happened: The tree’s form changed.
It had finally remembered who it really was and with that memory an image of what it should look like appeared in it’s mind. It’s body, now overflowing with excess power, instinctively shifted to the form the tree was most familiar with: a human woman with long black hair, pale white skin, and sharp brown eyes.
Only when it was fully formed into the woman, did the man release his grip.
The recently transformed woman lifted up a hand to the sky in wonderment. She was naked and sitting in the vibrant green grass, her hair draping over her body like a black waterfall. She didn’t realize it, but her beauty now rivaled that of the visitor who’d rudely stuffed her with divine power.
After several minutes of amazement at having a human body again, the tree spirit remembered that someone else was there. He was currently stroking her hair and appeared immensely pleased with himself.
Looking up at him, she smiled politely and removed his wandering hand from her head. Rearranging herself to sit in a more graceful position, she introduced herself with a bow, “Thank you for your help. I’ve been stuck in that tree for a very long time. I have gone by other names in the past but since I count you my savior, you may call me Xui.”
“I know.” He replied.
She blinked. “You do? I beg your pardon, but have we met somewhere before?”
“Do you not recognize me?”
Xui looked closely at his face again. Now that she had eyes and a clear mind, he did indeed look familiar to her.
“I do feel as though I’ve seen you before somewhere but…”
He impudently put his hand back on her head, “Come back to the Blue Flower Mountains, to your rightful home, Xuiying.”
“What?” Xui frowned, wondering if she should slap his hand. They really must know each other, for him to know that she came from the mountain and act so familiar besides. “I can’t. My Brother will kill everyone if I do.”
“It’s alright. Your Brother is now properly repentant for his actions. He won’t go through with his threat.”
“Oh? But as a spirit he can’t—”
“His path was not so different from yours.”
This gave her pause. She thought for a moment and looked at him in disbelief. “You mean to say he turned himself human!?”
“Yes, exactly.”
She burst out laughing, “Goodness! All those years of being stubborn and he did the same thing as I did in the end! We really are related!”
The man chuckled. "You are very alike in that sense."
Xui stared at him for a long moment. When he laughed, he looked even more like someone she knew. It vexed her that she could not place his face. Usually she was good at remembering people.
“Are you Little Lan?” She finally asked. Lan had been with her the longest and this man did resemble him, though very distantly.
The man’s body went rigid in anger while he pointed at her accusingly, “You—— how dare you think I’m that little rascal! How dare you mistake me for him! Did he spend a life time wandering the earth in sorrow for you? Did he go through trials and tribulations for you? Did he live a thousand years and ascend to the heavens to plead your case before the Jade Emperor? Did he learn under the Goddess Nuwa to find your cure? Don't think because you've been stuck in a tree for millennium, I'm letting you get away with that! If I have to take you right here to make you remember, Xui, I'll do it!"
Xui’s eyes widened. It had been a long time since she’d been lectured with such unbridled passion. The way he frowned, that pointing figure, the tone of voice, and even how he’d persistently touched her hair… it could only be one person!
"Jing!" She cried out in joyous recognition as she jumped up and kissed him soundly.
He blinked and then smiled, wrapping his arms around her new, divine form.
As he kissed her back, she glowed.
~*~THE END~*~
Thanks to Elaborate for helping me spruce up my spelling! :)
If you're interested in more stories set in the same universe, please look up "Emperor of Blue Flower Mountain"!
|
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"title": "Empress of Blue Flower Mountain - Chapter: Epiloge",
"author": "queenofthefuzzybugs",
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|
There is a mountain, far to the East, that has existed as long as the earth grew green and small creatures crept upon it. That was my birthplace and my home. I knew nothing else but those mountains for a very long time.
The first living thing I saw was neither animal nor vegetation, but my brother. He was like me, but also a little different from me. At the time, neither of us understood how we could be the same but not the same. In human speech, I am something like a female and he is something like a male. I am his sister, he is my brother. He is the sword, I am the shield.
But we are neither human, animal, nor vegetable. We are spirits, specifically of the mountains. For when the mountains formed, we existed. Everything that happens on those mountains we know about. Just the same as a human knows their own body.
We saw the first green things grow on those barren heights. And witnessed the bugs and birds arrive. Small animals, like rabbits and foxes, and then later the deer and the wolves… we were there for each arrival.
My brother loved the animals best. He loved the deer, to the point he poured his power into them and changed them. He did not realize what he was doing at first, so it surprised us both when the deer began to speak to us. Not in words, for we did not know the meaning of language, but with emotion and desire. They became, for lack of a better word, intelligent.
As for me, I focused on the plants. It’s not that I disliked the animals, but the beauty of a flower seemed to surpass the beauty of my brother’s deer. I poured my power into the plants. My favorite were the flowering trees, despite the fact that they were not initially well suited to most of the mountainous terrain.
I very carefully cultivated the flowering trees, until they blossomed blue flowers of a type unprecedented anywhere in the world. During the day, they made the mountain look like the ocean and at night they glowed as if they were thousands of tiny blue lanterns.
I don’t know how many years passed during this time. Spirits like my brother and I had no sense of time. We understood night and day and the seasons, but beyond that we paid very little attention to what that meant.
Things grew old. Things withered with age. But rather than attributing that to time, it was simply the nature of the things themselves. Those things that we poured our power into were divorced from the ravages of that silent killer, or so we thought. My blue flowering trees, my brother’s deer. We didn’t realize our meddling was unnatural, that we ourselves were strange.
Anyway.
Men came to the mountains.
They were hunters.
Naturally, they were astonished by my beautiful trees. And when they saw my brother’s deer, who had no fear of them, they couldn’t help trying to kill one.
You may think we would be angered at their behavior, but we were not. Wolves and mountain lions had tried to eat my brother’s deer too. It’s the nature of animals to eat the grass or each other, and neither of us questioned it.
And more importantly, they couldn’t be caught. This was a point of pride for my brother. His deer were uncatchable.
The hunters never could kill those deer. No matter how hard they tried. And the deer themselves took great joy in taunting those hunters for their wasted efforts.
Brother thought nothing of the humans. They were just another wolf, just another monkey. Beneath his interest, outside a glance.
But I was very interested. The sounds they made, the way they moved, that they wore skins of other animals, used weapons instead of teeth and claw… Oh yes, humans were ever so interesting. I kept a sharp eye on them, right up until they left.
For they did leave. The animals on the mountains were smarter by simply being under our care. They would not be captured by normal methods. If a human wanted to catch even a rabbit, he’d need more than a bow and arrow or a simple string trap.
I was sad when they left, and a little bored.
My plants, which I’d spent eons taking care of, suddenly lost their appeal. I wandered the mountains, restless, looking for something to do with myself.
Thinking of the humans, I began to fashion creatures after them. They were crude creatures at first, but after many iterations, I succeeded.
These beings of mine, later would be called fairies.
This caught my brother’s attention. He’d never seen anything at all like my little fairy children. They were me but not me. An extension of my very existence while being separate from my will.
Taking a break from his precious deer, he attempted to make some himself. I’m afraid he was not anywhere near as successful. He did not really understand what they were to begin with, as he had paid no mind to the humans nor noted their differences from the animals.
His fairies were tied to his will. If he desired something, they did too. They were living, but their souls were puppets. They could never desire anything for themselves, or take joy in a thing different than what he took joy in. They were… sad. I felt sorry for them.
In the end, I took a bit of his spirit and fashioned a fairy like mine from it. I gave this fairy to him as a gift. He liked it at first, because it was from me, until he realized it took no heed of his commands.
That was when I had my first inkling that my brother had a problem.
He did not understand why I thought fairy children with opinions and desires different than mine was a good thing. In his mind, they were simply an extension of our being, so they must obey. He viewed any differences as unnatural, dangerous, and ugly.
So the fairy I gifted him was neglected and despised, not just by my brother but by all his fairy children as well.
In the end, my fairy children brought him to me, begging me to take him in. My heart was broken. My gift had been rejected. Of course I took him in. Though he was crafted from my brother, I’d created him. I gave him special care and attention because I felt guilty for giving him existence in a family that would never appreciate him.
A great deal more time passed after that. My fairy children, plus the one from my brother, were my pride and joy. They helped me cultivate my trees, look after my gardens, and every day showed me the world through their fresh, young eyes.
I loved them.
|
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|
After he was officially crowned Emperor, Jing came to me. I don’t know how, but by this point he always knew where I was. At first I thought I’d just become predictable, so I’d purposefully hide in places where he shouldn’t be able to find me. But he always did find me. Was he a dog? It’s like he could sniff me out!
Er. Anyway. The important part.
He asked me to marry him. If I’d been drinking anything, I’d have spit it out from surprise. But I’m a spirit, so eating and drinking aren’t things that I do. You know what else?
Spirits don’t have a body. How can you marry someone without a body!? I’ve been around long enough to know at this point, that a body is essential to marriage. And he was the Emperor besides, he needed heirs. You know, children with a physical body that anyone could see!
I told him this and he replied that he didn’t care. Just as long as I would bind myself to him, love him as a wife loves a husband, that would be enough.
What nonsense.
I should have known this boy had a few screws loose, how else could he have seen me all this time? Humans who saw fairies clearly always ended up being a little bit strange.
The sensible thing to do was tell him no and to stop day-dreaming. Instead, I told him I’d need to think about it.
In my own way, I really did like him. I could not like him as a human woman would like a human man, since I was neither human nor did I have a body that can produce hormones needed for such desire. But… yes, I did like him. More than my fairies, more than my first human friend, more than my blue eyed children. He ranked very highly in my mind, though I don’t know from when.
To marry him though, I could not marry him as a spirit. You can’t bind a spirit like that. Even my brother, who had the most influence on me, could not bind me. So Jing definitely did not have that capability.
I thought a very long time about how to solve the problem.
Jing only brought the subject up again once during this time. I told him that if he really wanted me to marry him, he needed to shut up and let me think on it. He took this as an implicit yes to his proposal, so happily shut his mouth and let me think.
During this time, I drifted too and fro, looking for inspiration. Sometimes the solution to problems was out in the open, not stuck in a book or in a corner of a room. I thought best when I was free.
One day, while I was out, I came across a lovely estate. I’d been to the area before, but at the time the housing complex had been smaller and simpler. It’d grown beautiful in my absence. The Lady of the house had excellent aesthetic sense, even her garden impressed me. That was something I loved about humans. Leave them alone for a while, and you never know what would marvelous thing might happen!
In that garden, there was a girl. She was almost a woman, perhaps 13 or 14 years old. She was extremely sickly. I’d seen people like this before. There was something fundamentally wrong with their bodies at birth, and it prevented them from living a healthy life.
I came to her, knowing her time was near. Sometimes when a human is near death, they can see me. This girl was a person like that.
Because I always take care of myself, keeping to the latest fashions, she was naturally quite impressed by my beauty. We spent some time talking to each other, about silks and hair accessories, just as if we were the dearest friends, drinking to tea together.
“I’m going to die soon.” She told me suddenly.
I nodded.
“What really happens to people when they die?”
I thought about it. I’d seen a lot of people die. I’d heard a lot of different theories from humans about their souls.
“When a human dies, they lose something. They are mortal beings after all, made to have a physical form. But the idea of a soul is also true. Those pure souls, when their bodies die, are never fearful. They always look a little relieved, and many joyous. They see something I can not see, they look beyond to a place I can not reach. And then I see them no more.”
She was quiet for a while. “Am I a pure soul?”
“Yes, little one. Ever so pure. When you die, your soul will almost certainly laugh.”
There was a smile on her face, and for a moment I thought she was going to die right then. Her body was shutting down.
“My family,” she strained out unexpectedly. “I’m sad to leave them. Mother… Father… will be… so sad… too…”
“What would you like me to do?”
As I replied, her body finally gave up and her soul was released. Just as I said, she was laughing. She looked at me, and her face shown like the sun.
“Would you look after them for me?” She asked without speaking.
I nodded and she laughed again.
Then she was no more.
A servant found her body, her parents came and wept over her cold, hardening form. They called a Physician, even though it was obvious she was dead.
I sighed. There is no way a human doctor could bring her back. I could fix the body, force air into it, but without a soul it would be an empty shell. So obviously a human could never—
…
…empty shell…
Hm.
Fixing her body would be difficult and the amount of energy to do it was nothing to sneeze at. I’d basically be cutting my life in half to do it. I turned to my fairies and asked them what they thought.
Being the sort of free spirited creatures they were, they told me to do what I wanted. We were all doomed to waste away in the end, so whether it was now or later, it didn’t matter much. And if we were going to go, we might as well do it in the most interesting way possible.
This is why I liked my fairy children. They understood me so well.
The Physician had arrived and knew even without taking a pulse that the Young Miss was dead. Seeing the parents so distraught, he decided to at least make the attempt, hoping that it would help give them a sense of finality.
Right in the middle of his pretend pulse taking, he realized there was actually a pulse. He stared at the girl in dumbfounded amazement. Her skin’s color was returning and her limbs were loosening. This girl was coming back to life right before his eyes.
She suddenly opened her eyes and looked straight at him. For a moment, he saw a flash of blue. It was so fast he wasn’t sure he’d actually seen it. And then she blinked and they were a dark brown again.
Her, my, parents were overjoyed. She, I, was alive. And for the first time, I was mortal. What a curious feeling!
I had vague memories, impressions left behind in the girl’s mind, of my parents, the house, the servants. Even the Physician. They had a sense of familiarity and foreignness at the same time.
A body that feels the air, the grass, even itself. Smells and sounds and even taste. It was all new to me. Even though I’d been imitating the human body for an extremely long time, I realized I had no idea how to walk. Talking was a problem too. All the things I’d seen, I’d only known in theory.
The Physician was run ragged. He’d never dealt with someone randomly resurrecting, much less forgetting how to function (in every sense of the word) after coming back to life. Finally, he declared that my near-death experience had clearly rattled my brain and affected my body and my parents should just treat me like a toddler. I was clearly intelligent, I just seemed to have forgotten some of the basics. Like standing.
My parents were a little dubious about the diagnosis, but he’d been my doctor for my entire life. He specialized in rare sicknesses. If he didn’t know, no one knew. So they went along with it despite their doubts.
Treating me like a toddler worked surprisingly well.
Sorry, beloved human parents, when it comes to the body, I’m probably more ignorant than a toddler! But I’m eager to learn!
I won’t even say how long it took me to get the hang of my new human body. What I can say is that it’s a good thing I’d fixed all the major health issues this body had when I resurrected it. Because I ended up being quite rough with it in my ignorance.
Despite my obvious awkwardness at the most simple tasks, my parents noticed that I was healthier. The uneasiness over my ignorance and change of personality was relieved quite a bit by the fact that I wasn’t weak and sickly anymore. I could now run, and jump, and laugh without getting tired or becoming ill.
By some stroke of luck, my new name was Ya Xuilan (graceful, beautiful orchard). I liked the orchard bit, since it reminded me of my flowering trees. I was a 14 yr old girl. The Ya family was minor nobility, being distantly related to the Emperor a generation or so back. Unlike most nobility, my parents depended on trade rather than land ownership.
Apparently, my Father’s family was considered “poor Nobility” or “Nobility in name only”. To get money and pay off their debts they’d married their son off to the wealthiest Merchant family in the city. This was scandalous at the time, creating an even further distance between the other nobles and the Ya Family. But the Ya’s got their money and a cushy life, so they tolerated the shunning.
Isn’t that splendidly dramatic? I wish I’d known about it when it was happening, I would have watched. The best part is it turns out my parents got along very well indeed, and even before they got married they realized they loved each other and have been smitten ever since.
How lucky for me! Not only did I get a human body, I got a loving home too! I didn’t even have to worry about siblings, which was great for me. Having one brother was enough of a burden, I didn’t need more.
In two years time, both my health and ability to walk in a straight line had improved enough that I could be introduced to the public. My parents were overjoyed to even have the opportunity to throw parties that I could attend.
For my part, I was eager to have some new company. Even though it’d been my own choice, being trapped inside this estate with only servants and family to talk to was driving me crazy.
Xuilan did not have any friends, being too sickly to go anywhere and too weak to do anything but talk. Most girls her age would have found her lifestyle extremely boring, so they avoiding visiting unless their parents forced them into it. This made Xuilan shy and introverted.
I, however, was no such thing.
At first, my mother planned the parties and picked who to invite. After the first few such parties, I got a sense of who would be good friends or whose families I should strengthen ties with to the benefit of my parents. My mother was amazed at how good my instinct was for connecting to the right people, and picking good quality girls to be friends with. Her confidence in me grew, until I could host my own parties and invite my own guests.
It’s boasting but it’s true, I became the most popular girl in my age range and class. My parties were elegant, but also a lot of fun. Rather than being a boring social gathering to strengthen connections for business, girls had a genuinely good time. There was no bullying or snobbery either, so less popular girls felt safe there. All in all, every girl and woman who could come, tried to come.
My Mother was happy for my new found popularity, but a little worried too. I was more popular with girls than men. And I paid no attention to men in the romantic sense. My Mother tried to gently probe and find out if there was any man I was particularly interested in, but my flippant responses left her feeling hopeless.
I was 17 when they came to me with a select list of eligible bachelors to pick from to marry. I’m not going to lie, I was having quite a lot of fun as a young human girl, dressing up, drinking tea, and generally living a carefree—if slightly restricted—life, that I totally forgot about marriage. This included Jing.
I’m sorry Jing. Apparently turning human affected my memory and ability to concentrate. I’ve become a bit ditsy in my humanity!
Most girls at least got engaged at 15, so I was a late bloomer. It couldn’t be helped because of my health, but my parents were anxious. They’d wanted to give me more time, but if I didn’t get an official engagement by 18, respectable families would think there was something wrong with me and refuse any matchmaking talks.
They tried really hard and I admire their dedication for finding wealthy, good looking bachelors with stellar reputations. But seriously, these guys… Some of them I knew, having met them before, but others I only had a painting to go by. Even so, compared to Jing… They weren’t anything special.
I feel a little bad being so harsh. As a spirit, I hadn’t dwelt on Jing’s looks. They weren’t important to me. But as a human, thinking back on it, Jing was actually quite the looker. And because he studied my martial arts, his aging had slowed significantly. (Though he’d still age faster than my blue eyed children.) Even though a few years had passed and he was in his thirties now, he probably didn’t look a day older than 20.
What to do? I had to turn these proposals down, but if I did it bluntly I’d scare my parents. They might do something stupid and try and force me to wed. So I took the pictures and summaries of each man and told them, with a very grave and serious face, that I needed time to think about it. They naturally allowed me some time to think.
I needed to meet Jing. Since I was human, I needed to figure out how to do it naturally too. Just leaving the Estate and trying to enter the Palace wouldn’t work.
I discussed it with my fairy children. While I was human, I let them do whatever they wanted, sometimes causing mischief, sometimes helping out. They had a lot of impractical ideas, but a few good ones too.
A big party, they suggested. The Emperor needed to throw a big party, and then invite all his extended family. Even the Ya Family must be invited and attend.
When would be a good time for that? His birthday was coming up. He was a miser and hadn’t thrown any parties outside of his Coronation and New Years. People would be really surprised if he threw a birthday party, they’d definitely attend.
Alright. I asked one of my fairy children to go pass on that message.
Actually, I hadn’t contacted him once since I entered this body. I think the body was hiding my scent or something, because he never came looking for me or visited. If he had, I would have quickly remembered my original purpose. As it was, he was probably going to be annoyed that I’d taken so long to get back to him.
Yes, he was annoyed. The fairy came back looking quite frazzled. Jing wanted to know where I was, what I’d been doing, why hadn’t I contacted him, etc, and so forth. I was touched that he worried for me so.
…
Let’s give him a hard time.
I had the fairy relay one final message: Throw the party, invite everyone, no matter how distantly related they are to you. I will be able to attend. If you can find me in the crowd, then I know your love is true. If you can’t find me, then I will consider us fated to be apart.
My fairy messenger looked at me wearily. All my fairy friends knew Jing fairly well at this point. They knew how he’d take such a message.
I promised I was only joking and I wasn’t going to just up and leave him. My fairy children all liked a good laugh, so they went along with it. The fairy messenger still resented having to be the one to deliver the “joke”.
Within a week, Emperor Shu (for he did not take a new name as prior Emperors typically did) announced he was throwing a birthday part and that everyone related to him, no matter how distant, was to attend. The week following that, invitations were sent out to all the extended families. Including the Ya Family.
My parents were absolutely astonished to get an invitation, as they were VERY distantly related. Even though the announcement had been explicit they hadn’t expected an invite. What’s more, I was included as well.
They were quite excited that I got to go along. Chances like this were very rare. Even though it was very unlikely any of us lower nobility would get to talk to the Emperor or Imperial Family directly, high nobility and government officials would be accessible. And single men with potential would definitely be there in great numbers.
My parents went all out in dressing me up. From my hair to my toes, they spared no expense to improve my looks. My Mother had a great sense of style, so between the two of us I transformed from “the girl next door” look to “Young Miss, Flower of the Empire” look.
I’m saying I was gorgeous. But of course I was! I’ve never been modest. Even if Xuilan had been on the slightly ugly side, I could have made her good looking. As it was, Xuilan had a pleasant enough face, almost like an empty canvas, that was easy to improve upon.
My Father broke into tears at the sight of me, saying girls grow up too quickly.
…
Dear Father, didn’t you, just two weeks ago, ever so gently hint that I was a border-line Old Maid? Did you not push a pile of potential suiters onto me, wanting me to pick someone before I turned 18? Who grew up too fast, I want to know? Isn’t this your fault?
The day of the Emperor’s Birthday finally arrived. The Palace entrance was one carriage away from disaster. It was obscenely busy. When I’d suggested this party, I’d not anticipated the Emperor to have so many relatives! Was half the city related to the Imperial Family?!
It took a long long time to get into the Palace, and once we were there, we were hustled about into different groups and lines. I saw several eunuchs and servants looking like they wanted to cry and at least one that was one step away from murdering the guests he was suppose to be guiding.
I’m sorry, Imperial servants! I beg your forgiveness! This seemed like a really good idea at the time!
It was expected that the families who arrived would give the Emperor a gift. The invitation had said that anything would be fine, but it could not be money nor could it be a family heirloom and it must be given to the Emperor in person. Naturally the guests, especially the lower ranking ones, sweat bullets at this news.
Exactly what do you give to the man who has everything? My parents almost lost their minds with worry over thinking about the Emperor’s gift. In the end, I suggested a gift idea, which they hesitantly agreed to. In terms of money, it was not that valuable. But in terms of rareness, it was absolutely unique.
I held the gift, which was in a deep porcelain bowl, covered by a thick cloth. It may have been tiny, but it was easy to carry. People who’d gone for a big gift were regretting it, as they had to haul it with them while they waited.
We had come early in the morning, and stayed until late in the evening. Fortunately Emperor Shu was not heartless. It was his birthday and it was technically a party. Every hour, on the hour, entertainment, food, and drinks made their way through the lines and groups of people. Even if it was tiresome to wait, at least he tried to make it entertaining.
Finally, dusk had settled across the sky and we’d arrived at the throne room. Jing was sitting on a raised red and gold platform, wearing an intricately designed red and gold outfit to match. Auspicious sayings were painted on banners around him in celebration of his birthday. To his left and right were piles upon piles of gifts he’d already received.
He looked bored out of his mind.
My family was announced and we stepped forward, eyes lowered as was proper. My Father stepped forward and spoke on behalf of the Ya Family. After he’d finished, he nervously motioned me forward to present the gift.
I walked a few steps forward and got on my knees. Very carefully, and without looking at him, I took off the cloth hiding my gift.
It was a tiny tree, filled with tiny flowers. I’d been cultivating it since I took over this body. I was substantially weakened by the healing of this body, but not to the point that I’d lost my touch with plants.
Each flower was a different shade of blue.
And they glowed.
Emperor Shu practically jumped out of his thrown chair, his rather ridiculously-shaped square crown almost falling off his head. Everyone, the guards, my father, the high ranking guests, jumped in fright at his sudden movement.
The Emperor attempted to put his crown back on, but it kept sliding off in the most ridiculous way, as if to mock him in that moment. Disgusted, he took it off and threw it on the ground. He’d never wear such a stupid shaped crown ever again after that.
He then marched off his raised throne, right up to me. My Father gibbered out an apology, thinking our gift had offended him. The Emperor raised his hands, silencing everyone, not just my Father.
Well, Emperor Shu did look quite angry so I can’t blame Father for thinking he needed to apologize.
The Emperor stood there in front me, breathing heavily, and not saying a word.
“How may this lowly subject be of service to his great Imperial Majesty?” I asked first cheekily, with my eyes to the ground and kneeling, still holding my potted tree.
Two hands reached out and covered my own. They were warm and a little rough. He mostly likely still practiced his Martial Arts and Sword skills, even though he had body guards and warriors to fight for him.
How strange. I’d touched other human hands before, but when Jing’s hands touched me, I felt my whole body warm up and my heart sing.
“This Emperor wants to know…. This tree… Did Miss Ya grow it?” He asked in a low, tight voice.
“Replying to his Imperial Majesty, this lowly subject has been cultivating this tree since… let me see… exactly three years ago.”
“Tell me,” He said, dropping all formal speech, “what do you think of the ocean?”
“The blue is beautiful and the salty waves entertaining,” I replied casually, stunning nearby listeners by also dropping my formal speech. “But I find I suffer from severe motion sickness if I attempt to travel across it.”
My parents, beyond being terrified at my ill manners, were absolutely confused by my response. Their little Xuilan had never traveled outside the city, much less in a boat on the ocean. Why had I lied, to the Emperor no less?
Two masculine hands trembled on top of mine. He leaned forward and whispered, so that not even my parents could hear, “Xuiying?”
This time I looked up, a rather mischievous smile on my face, replying in an equally secretive way, “Little Jing, we meet again. Well done on passing the test.”
|
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My son. You were such an ugly little thing when you were born. But Mother forgives you. She’s seen enough babies to know you’ll get cuter with time.
And you did.
We named him Shu Lan Jing. A pure soul of the mountain mist. Or just Lan, for short. He could have gone by Jing, but that what’s I called my husband. There can be only one Jing, any more would get confusing!
Little Lan had taken most of my power and somehow used it to double his own. I have no idea how that was done, as my diminished powers meant I couldn’t look deeply into the human body anymore. Perhaps even if I could I wouldn’t understand it. Some things only the gods knew.
Even though I’d told Jing his son had been a miracle baby, I hadn’t meant it literally. But perhaps Little Lan was a miracle in the literal sense. That he could do such things with his power instinctual, without being taught, was remarkable. Even my brother and I had to learn how to use our power over eons of time… yet my son did many things without being told.
Was it because he was human too? Humans were highly adaptable, especially their bodies. Is this what happened when fairy and human bloodlines truly mixed? How amazing!
My husband didn’t realize anything was truly wrong with me until after Little Lan turned a year old. The Physicians had noticed that I had not regained my pre-pregnancy health. Those traitors naturally told Jing about the problem.
Jing came to me, worried and upset. He asked me if I knew what was going on. The Physicians could only do so much for me, the human part of me. The other half was spirit.
I lied.
Every so sweetly, I lied.
I told him that it was a side affect from being in this human body. I had told him before that I was substantially weakened by becoming human. Shifts in health, that was to be expected. I was physically weak, but that was all. I would be fine.
He wasn’t happy with that explanation. But at the same time, how would he know better? For all his cultivating, it was still for humans. When he looked into me with his qi, he could not understand what he was seeing. Even if he wanted to object, he couldn’t.
I would never tell him the truth. Not even with my dying breath. I would never let him feel bitter towards his son. I could only try to stop him from blaming himself, if I could. That would be the hardest part.
Right now, I was still stronger than the average man, just chronically tired. It would be another ten years before the drain really showed and I became like an ordinary woman. And then another five years before I was bed-bound. The last five years would be the hardest, since I’d not be able to move much. And the last year… well, let’s not think about it.
I loved being a mother. And Little Lan was such a smart, well behaved child so he made it easy. Perhaps too well behaved at first, which worried me. He seemed disinterested in all the things boys his age liked and learned to do everything early. By the time he grew teeth, he could talk as well as an adult. He never acted spoiled or whined. It was strange,like a grown man trapped in a little child’s body. Was it because his soul wasn’t human?
The six children I’d taken in were thrilled by Little Lan. I had raised them very carefully, making sure they were loyal to my husband and to me. When they were old enough, I sat each one down and told them the truth about their families. They could choose: be bitter and (attempt) revenge, or accept what happened and learn from their parents mistakes. This was my test for them, and they all passed. None of them sought vengeance and were instead mortified to discovery they came from a family of traitors.
Yet gossipy people still slandered them by saying they might be jealous of the crown and so the Emperor shouldn’t trust them! Could those loved by fairies have such black hearts? Would those who so ardently seek my husband’s approval do such a thing? And didn’t I personally pick them to begin with? So of course they weren’t jealous! In fact, they were relieved to finally be free of such a fate.
Out of the four boys, two absolutely did not want to be in governance. One was too analytical, preferring to deal with numbers rather than people. The other loved animals, particularly horses, and dreamed of becoming a renowned breeder and rider. The third was happy to be a Scholar and spend most of his time with a nose in a book and his head in the clouds. The fourth had the most potential, but he hated politics and instead fled into the Army (to “earn his glory”, he’d said, but those close to him knew he did it to earn praise from Jing, the adopted Father he adored).
The two girls could only marry someone into the throne. One had decided to study martial and cultivate her qi, training directly under Jing as his only Disciple. I suppose there was a distant possibility she could get married, but her taste in men was… somewhat lacking, in my opinion. She preferred brawns over brains, so there was no way she’d pick someone who could rule a country.
And her as an Empress… she’d barely passed in her studies as a child and was too blunt for higher society. In fact, if I hadn’t taken her in, I can’t imagine how she’d survive in her original family. I’d always been scandalously open minded about what women were capable of doing, to the point that I ruffled quite a few feathers socially. Her family had been extremely traditional, which is why they’d rebelled (not just against Jing, but also because of their hatred for me). That kind of environment would have suffocated a personality like hers. She needed freedom, and that’s not something they could have given her and certainly not something you get as an Empress.
The other girl was almost the polar opposite, sweet and gentle like pudding. She was sensitive to people’s feelings and unusually perceptive of the inner workings of people around her. In some ways, she was the most suited for dealing with the political scheming that came with being an Imperial Royal, but her compassionate nature was her biggest foil. No matter how aware she was of the real intent of a person, some part of her optimistically insisted on giving people second, third, and fourth chances.
So while she could have picked a good husband to be the next Emperor, under the wrong influence she could also be deeply and viciously abused. There were quite a few flies— I mean men— who I had to scare off because of her forgiving nature made her appear an easy target. Not to mention the many times noble women and their daughters tried to use her to get to the Emperor or slap my face. Frankly, it was frustrating how often people saw her as a weakness, rather than a beautiful kind soul to love and admire.
Goodness! But you can see why there was no way she could survive as an Empress with that kind of personality! She’d be trodden over and eventually thrown away! It was fortunate for me she was smart enough to realize her weaknesses and deferred to my judgment, even to the extent of insisting I pick out a suitable marriage partner for her at 15 (despite the fact that I never forced such things on any of them).
Quite naturally, when Little Lan was born, they were not only extremely relieved, but they also insisted on teaching him everything they knew as well. Each had their specialty, so they taught in their own way: mathematics, animals, strategy and martial arts, or simply the art of being still and listening. Little Lan seemed to absorb everything they taught with ease, only making them adore him even more. (To the extent that they became doting older siblings who spoiled the youngest.)
I loved watching them interact. To me, this was how siblings should behave: affectionate but teasing, and always protective. Even my brother had been a like that at the beginning, before he went mad. I was glad that Little Lan got to experience the sweetness of familial love beyond just his parents, as they would be the only siblings I could give him.
That being said, I was a bit surprised by how seriously he took everything they said. His round little face always so attentive to their words. I asked him once why he was so careful to pay attention to them.
He told me, in his childish voice: “Aren’t they very good, Mother? And even though they’re a little distant from you, you love them even still. I will love anything you love.” He gave a cute scowl. “Though Father is difficult. Even though you love him, he’s not even as good as my Imperial siblings… and he’s so demanding of you… it is hard but I will try to love him too…”
I’m not sure why he thought Jing was demanding, but it is true my husband’s goodness was a little less than my adopted children. I’m ashamed to admit it, but as the years passed, Jing had begun to obsess over me and it created a small black blemish on his soul. I worked very hard to keep that darkness tiny and powerless, sometimes irritating him on purpose to do so. After all, I’d seen what that kind of possessiveness did unchecked in my Brother, I didn’t need it in Jing.
Even so, it was such a small thing. I was stunned that he could even see it. To differentiate such minute goodness in people… He was only four, but he could see into people better than the fairies who’d lived for centuries.
…
I think my baby boy may be a genius as well as a miracle child.
He’s ten now. He argues with his Father frequently. Is it because he thinks Jing is too demanding? I brought that up once after a particularly vicious yelling match, but Little Lan had snorted and declared that Jing was just too stubborn and wouldn’t listen to sense.
Really… this boy… while I was glad to see he wasn’t blindly obedient and was now more than willing to speak his mind… must he do it in such a way as to anger his Imperial Father so?
Their fights were particularly alarming when Jing started teaching Little Lan the Blue Dragon Spirit Style (the rather flamboyant name Jing gave for his variation of my teachings). Little Lan, like everything else, was a prodigy with martial arts and spiritual cultivation. So rather than simply verbally fight, father and son began to physically fight as well. More than once, their fighting got out of hand and the Palace had to be repaired.
What on earth is with these two? Why can’t they get along? I had to lecture both of them on a regular basis now, that such behavior was unbecoming of their station (and also would worry me into an early grave). If I had the strength, I would have beaten some sense into them, luckily for them all I could do was scold.
My Mother now lived with me. She was well advanced in age at this point, Father having sadly passed away some years prior. In her twilight years, I wanted her to live in ease and comfort, her every whim catered to. Of course I insisted she live in the Palace.
Thus, when I complained about my husband and son fighting, she told me with absolute certainty it was because they were too much alike. Her father and one of her brothers had been like that too, and quarreled frequently as a result. But in the end, it was that argumentative brother that had ended up the family head once her father had passed on.
She then turned it around and started scolding me. Me of all people! My own Mother accused me of being too carefree and spoiling Little Lan. Even when my Grandfather and Uncle argued, they never did so in such a way that would get public attention. Such open disrespect from my son was a poor reflection of my teaching skills as a Mother… apparently, is what I was told.
Ah, dear Mother, how can I take anything you say seriously? Didn’t you come today, despite your frailty from old age, with a whole box of sweets to personally give to Little Lan? Don’t you glare daggers at Jing every time he fought with your grandson, acting as though Jing was the only instigator? Don’t you glare daggers at ME when I try to discipline Little Lan like you insisted I should be doing!? Aren’t you far more guilty of spoiling than I am???
…
Still though, maybe I should be more firm with Little Lan. To be truthful, I gave him all the same freedoms I’d given his adopted siblings. But unlike them, he was a Crown Prince and that meant he was under the public eye at all times. It’s not that I didn’t teach him proper behavior. He technically knew Imperial Etiquette, but he rarely used it. He’d already scandalized quite a few nobles by using his fairy intuition to point things out about them that were better left unsaid. Once he even offended a whole group of foreign dignitaries to the point of almost causing an international incident.
…Yes, Mother had a point. I started being much more firm and strict with Little Lan. The Imperial Queen persona that unintentionally intimidated my adopted children, was purposefully turned with full force on my own son.
But I’m sorry to say it didn’t worked as well as I had hoped. I’d started too late. He was much too clever to fall for my act and saw right through me…
He humored me by going along with my act when I’d implied the extra worry he was giving me was ruining my already poor health. What a low point in my life, that I had to use guilt on my own precious child to get him to listen to me!
At least he understood it was very important to me that he act as a well-behaved Crown Prince for the Court and the public. He knew I valued his reputation and wanted him to be respected by the citizens and listened to by those in power. Which could only happen if he acted like the Imperial Royalty that he actually was… at least where people could see!
So he’s perfected his “Imperial Face”, as I call it. He became the perfect Crown Prince, modest but confident. Respectful to elders, but willing to speak his opinion when asked. Refined in speech and topics, but able to converse with even those of the most lowly status in society. But most importantly never again destroyed the Palace in fights with his Imperial Father!
Such a change in face pleased the Court and the Nobility, which in turn boosted his reputation nation-wide. The grumblings about the Prince being spoiled slowly went away as he perfected that “Imperial Face”. The naughty behavior of his past were eventually forgotten as the years passed, attributed to youthful exuberance rather than personality.
I felt a little bad, stifling him so much. It’s not that I wanted to change him into someone else, he just needed to know the right time and place for his behavior. To offset the harshness of the expectations I’d put on him, I made sure to praise him whenever he succeeded. Hugs and kisses on the top of his head, bed time stories from my past, walks in the garden, secret sweets… whatever I could think of, and for a while he relished in my attention.
Then, one day, all the things I’d been doing began to be rejected one-by-one. When I began to pout about it (by out right ignoring him), he finally confessed that my behavior had become embarrassing to him. He was too old for such affection from his Mother, especially so openly where everyone could see. I needed to, in his own words, “refrain myself as befitting an Imperial Consort”.
You brat! I loved giving you kisses and hugs and sneaking you sweets in the middle of the night! That “Imperial Face” was only meant to be a fake face, not the real you! I regret teaching you to use it, I regret it—!
Bah! Puberty is a terrible thing! It changes children. Where did my sweet Little Lan go?
He’s fifteen now. He looks more and more like his Father every day. Young Misses have noticed his good looks and behavior without any prodding from their families. The gossip within the groups of eligible young ladies has become all about the prodigiously handsome Crown Prince. Of course I keep track of such talk, and also of my son, to see if any of these ladies would be a good match.
Hm… I’m somewhat puzzled. Though there are many fine ladies to pick from, he’s not interested in any of them. What’s more I, the best matchmaker in the country, can’t seem to find anyone suitable either. It’s hard for me to tell if it’s simply my waning power or that there really isn’t a match for him.
I hope that’s not the case. The Court gave enough trouble with Jing, what will they do if Lan ends up being just as stubborn? And while I forced much on him, I won’t force a loveless political marriage. I love him too much for that, and I don’t care enough for the country to sacrifice his most intimate happiness.
Though Lan looks very like Jing, my husband says he has my eyes. They’re a brown, an uncommon color in a nation of black eyes. He told me those brown eyes of Lan’s are the only thing keeping him from strangling his own son.
Oh yes, they still come to blows despite all that training. It’s just that they no longer did so openly. It was all “cloak and dagger” fighting, to the point that even I sometimes couldn’t keep track of it.
Why does my son goad his own father? I swear they don’t know how to talk to each other unless it’s to make the other lose face. Even if I can’t see into them anymore, I’m confident they don’t hate each other. So why must they act this way? Maybe my dearly departed Mother was right: they’re too alike and it causes them to clash.
I’m weak now. The powers I had as a mountain spirit are almost gone. I have to be careful and conserve what I have left.
Physically, I’m weaker than even most women. I can’t walk for long and I’m going to bed earlier and earlier every day. I can’t hide the truth from Jing. He knows something is terribly wrong and presses me for answers. But I still can’t tell him either. To know I would die, to know it was a choice I made without consulting him… it would break his heart. So even when he pleads, even when he yells, I don’t tell him. I just smiled gently and say this is a natural part of my life.
I think he hates that gentle smile now.
Little Lan… well, he’s not really Little anymore… senses it too. He sensed it before Jing did, but having no frame of reference didn’t know to worry until it was too late. Unlike his Father who can’t see into me, Lan can see into my spirit and understand somewhat. He sees my spirit dwindling. He knows that at the rate I’m going, I don’t have much time left. It’s worse for him, because he sees what his Father can not.
My fairy children are mostly gone, only the most powerful are left. They travel and only come to me when they’re ready to go into Lan. I can’t blame them for relishing their freedom while they have it. None of us know how long they’ll be asleep.
Interestingly, Lan doesn’t realize they’re sleeping inside him. He doesn’t sense me sneaking them deep into his spirit, though admittedly I do it at night when he’s sleeping and less likely to notice. Even so, I’d notice someone stuffing that many fairies inside my spirit. Their absence makes me feel empty as it is, so surely their presence ought to make him feel full?
Is it because I’ve been doing it since before he was born? Perhaps he thinks that feeling is a natural part of his existence. But then… he wasn’t completely human, how would he know what was and wasn’t normal unless I told him?
Jing and Lan are so worried now. Jing’s aged from the stress and lines are showing around his eyes and mouth, his hair even started to gray. Even though he’s threatening the Physicians (sorry, gentlemen, it’s not your fault), they can’t fix what’s wrong with me. It’s not a physical illness. I made Jing and Lan both swear on their names and love for me that they won’t punish anyone for their failure to cure me.
Jing’s so desperate for a cure, one he’ll never find. In an effort to calm his frantic searching, I told him he won’t find a cure. He didn’t just yell at me, he screamed. I’d never seen him so furious. He was angry I was giving up without trying. I didn’t fight back, like I might have in the past, because how could I be upset knowing he was just worried? I didn’t want what was left of my days to be filled with arguments with him.
Lan was just as desperate as his Father, but being more informed, tried a different approach. He tried putting his power into me. In theory, it could have worked. Even though his spiritual energy was very much his own now, there was always a strange likeness in our qi. Perhaps it came from me being his power source as a baby, or perhaps it was simply the nature of mountain spirits to be somewhat similar. I don’t know, I can’t look anymore to find out.
He’s so much stronger than me now, rivaling my strength before I took a human body. He was still weaker than I had been in my prime, but he also lacked the mountains to feed off of. I wonder how strong might he be if he could draw from the mountains? He’s so strong now… would he be as powerful as my brother? More powerful? Ah, so many questions and I’ll probably never get them answered…
Weaker than my prime he might be but he was still obscenely strong. In fact, that’s the problem. He’s got all that power and wields it like a hammer. I almost died early the first time he tried passing power to me. It was like having my head stuffed in water. The boy is a genius in a lot of ways, but he’s got no skill for precision work.
To be fair to him, I’ve lived for eons, I know about finesse and delicacy. My son does not. I tried teaching him how to be… gentle… but apparently what came easy for me was actually quite difficult for him. I’m also really weak now, so my spiritual touches that guide him… he can’t really feel them. Using the water as an example, it’s like a drop in the ocean.
I’m reflecting on myself. Until I tried showing him what he needed to do, it had not occurred to me that I might… be… old. Experience matters, even to a spirit. All the things I’d done, I had forgotten that I once didn’t know how to do them. All that time I had let me refine my powers to perfection.
Trying to teach someone else how to do something I myself forgot how I learned is really difficult. It gave me no pleasure to tell him that by the time he figured out what I was trying to teach him, it’d be too late.
Lan was so frustrated by my attitude, he yelled at me for not trying harder! Goodness, I got yelled at by both my husband and my son in the same week!
They really are alike…
I love them both, so very much. Even when they yell at me. Their anger tells me I’m alive.
Lan is turning 20 soon. I had hoped I’d live a little longer than this, but inserting the most powerful fairies into Lan the year before was more exhausting than I expected. They’re all stored away, safely asleep. He’s spiritually stuffed and has no idea. For some reason I found that image very amusing.
I don’t get up anymore. I’ve been bed-bound for a year now. I sleep most of the day away. I’ve long since stopped missing going out of the Palace, at this point I miss just going out of my room. I’m so tired all the time. No matter how much I sleep, it’s not enough. So tired… so tired…
My time is soon. I can feel it every time I fall asleep. My spirit aches to be free of this body, to truly rest. But I’ll stay for as long as I can. I know there are people who will miss me.
Jing. Lan. And many more besides. Even my estranged Brother.
Everything I’ve written is for my dear son, Shu Lan Jing.
But that brat, can you believe he’s forgotten all about my origins? At first I wasn’t sure, but when he turned 18 he offhandedly brought up the bedtime stories I told him as a child, saying fondly that he liked my “fairy tales”. I was livid. He thought I’d been telling him fanciful tales about far away places to entertain him!
This was serious! Who I am is also who he is… if he can’t accept my past, how can he accept his future? What about all those sleeping fairies?! If he doesn’t even believe they exist, how will he wake them!
I immediately tried correcting him. Every time he visited me, as by this time I was mostly bed-bound, I’d bring it up. At first he listened and I thought perhaps I was getting through to him. But after almost a year of me talking about it, he firmly told me he was too old to believe in those tall tales I’d told him as a child. He could face the world’s reality without my tall tales to help him.
…
Boy, you were up to your eyeballs in fairies as a child! Did you think that was all wistful, childish imagining? It really happened! And now you’re stuffed full of fairies on the inside! So don’t talk to me about fairy tales, you ARE a fairy tale— with legs!
I’ll get my revenge in the end! I’ve gone back and added the juicy bits of Jing and mine relationship to make him embarrassed. Heh! Suffer boy! Suffer! You’ll be reading things you would have rather never known!
I tried enlisting Jing in my quest to correct my son’s misunderstanding. His anger over my giving up had faded away and was replaced with growing fear that I’d been right. He was considerate of me now, spending most of his time whispering sweet nothings in my ear and fulfilling any request I gave him.
When Jing explained to Lan that I hadn’t been telling fairy tales, it somehow turned into a fight between them. I should have seen that coming. From what I’m told, as I wasn’t there, Lan believed his Father was become so mad with grief from the inevitable that he’d believed my delusions as real. And if Jing was going to go that far, it was better for him to retire, let his son take over, and spend time with me during the last days of my life.
What a harsh thing to say to his own Father. When had Lan become so cold? The Imperial Face he’d cultivate as a child seem to have become his real face now.
If I had known this would be the result…
…it’s too late for regrets. I can’t fix what I had done. I had neither the time nor the energy left. Even so, I can’t help feeling sorry for myself, my fairies, my son. What a stupid mistake for me to make, knowing as I did that he absorbed the world around him so well.
Lan… my Little Lan.. I’m sorry I forced you to be like everyone else. Will you forgive me? When you’ve lived a very long time, will you remember your Mother fondly despite the mistakes I made raising you?
…
Yesterday was Lan’s 20th birthday. What energy I had left, I used to stand and talk and be there at his party. Both husband and son were worried, but I acted totally normal. So for just a bit, it was as if I wasn’t sick.
But today is the last day.
Lan, my beloved son. My little boy. My idiot genius. I wish I did not have to leave you, but I’d rather leave you then have you never existed at all.
Remind your Father that I loved him until the end. And not to mourn too long for me. He can remarry if he likes. Or not. Whatever will make him happy. Just don’t let that dark hole in his heart grow more than it already has during my illness. What if it swallows him, and he goes to the place evil men go after they die? I can not bear the thought!
Protect your Father as much as you can, Lan. He’s not unbreakable, despite how he acts when he argues with you. My death will break him. Be there to help put him back together. You are all he has, so do your best.
If he ignores your efforts, I won’t blame you. Humans are interesting because they can be light or darkness. I hope Jing doesn’t fall into darkness… but if the choice wasn’t there, he wouldn’t be himself.
But don’t tell your Father of this letter, memoir, whatever you’d like to call it. Not until he’s past the point of blaming himself, where he won’t blame you. Where he can be sad without being bitter and angry. Only then, is he allowed to read it.
It should be clear at this point, Lan, that blaming yourself for my death is absolutely forbidden. I don’t know where fairies go, where I’ll go, when I die. But I’m sure if you blame yourself, I’ll hear of it somehow and cry. Surely you don’t want your Mother’s ghost weeping over you? So don’t blame yourself!
Rejoice that you are alive, my miracle, my Little Lan. I’ve not regretted any of my life, even the mistakes. Not to the very end. Being with Jing, your father, being with you… it’s all been so fun, so interesting. I lived a good life.
Lan, even if you don’t believe anything else I wrote down, believe this: I have a Brother far to the East and he lives in the Blue Mountains. The maps on this end of the world don’t show them. But they’re the biggest mountain chain on the continent, you can’t miss them. Travel to the East, visit my Brother.
Tell him I love him. Tell him, I’m not angry with him. Everything that happened, on my end, is forgiven. If he’d not kicked me out, I’d have never met Jing or had my adorable Little Lan or met so many wonderful people or gone on so many adventures. How can I remain bitter?
And I’d appreciate, if you’re going to the Blue Mountains, making a copy of this and put it in the Traveler’s Cave for safe keeping. My entire written history is in there, and it’d be deeply unsatisfying if the ending wasn’t included. How will any lost hikers tolerate a story without an ending?
There is nothing left to say, except this:
I love you.
|
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"title": "Empress of Blue Flower Mountain - Chapter 8: Shu Lan Jing",
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"genre": [
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|
By the 20 year mark, everyone viewed us with awe and fear. We’d barely aged at all, while everyone else had gotten quite old. Some peoples fear took over their common sense and they tried assassinating us. Between our seemingly indestructible bodies and my fairies information network, they never stood a chance.
When Jing had reigned 30 years, the disgraced Prince’s family managed to pull together enough people to start a rebellion. I will give them credit, they knew not to attack us directly. Instead they tried taking out our support base instead. How very like their predecessor.
I’m afraid they managed to murder a few people before we figured out what was going on. Just because I have fairies, doesn’t make me all-knowing and all-seeing. If I didn’t know a problem was brewing, how could I possible stop it? That’s essentially what happened.
How tiresome.
This Empire of their’s had been flourishing so well, foreign countries were begging for alliances. Since the Emperor wouldn’t marry their daughters, they had to find other ways. At least two smaller countries forcible surrendered themselves to us and demanded we make them territories. That was one of the few times Jing had been genuinely taken off guard. He wasn’t allowed to refuse, so he ended up expanding his Empire regardless of his own thoughts on the matter.
And yet, despite how good everyone had it, there were still people who rejected us. Because we seemed eternally young that was enough to stir up hatred. Envy and jealousy, mixed with fear, are terrible things. It’s no wonder practitioners of the mystic arts don’t like ruling. It’s such a hassle.
We flattened the rebellion, but we made sure to do so publicly. It was important that people understand, for several generations, not to be so foolish in the future. Their titles were stripped and their wealth was given to other people. Their homes were burned to cinders, even if they were located in the Capital proper. Everyone involved, including their families, were executed publicly.
There was one thing I requested of the Emperor. All their children, twelve and under, were to be given to me. Emperor Shu did not like my request, as it sounded a lot like what his grandfather had done, but did allow it.
Each child came before me. My powers had dimmed somewhat after being in a human body for so long, but I could still sense good and evil in a person. The children who were clearly innocent or able to be reformed, I kept. The ones that had been tainted beyond hope, I sold into slavery across the border. Whether they lived or died, I chose not to care.
There were not many guilty children. It did not surprise me at all that the worst offenders were the descendants of that vile disgraced Prince all those years ago. It was simply amazing how his ugly heart had managed to infest so many generations of his family.
I now had a lot of children on my hands. As far as rebellions go, it was fairly small. But small still involved several hundreds people. That meant several hundred children. What to do with them all?
The less skilled and simpler ones I had trained to be servants. I spread them out, putting them in decent families with good reputations. The more skilled ones, I paired with lower and high noble families, as adopted sons and daughters. The best children, the brightest, kindest, and most skilled, I selfishly kept for myself.
My girl friends had long since married and had children of their own. Their children’s children now had children. I was the only one without a child. I was envious of them. I was envious of the laughter, cries, and even the tantrums. Even though I had everything, I didn’t have that. And I wanted it so badly.
There were six children from the ages of 8 months to 7 years old. They had been told their parents had died, but not how, and that they were now in the care of the Empress. They were informed about the news as though it was a good thing and they were very fortunate. But naturally they were lost, confused, and very very sad.
My fairies had gotten bored with me over the years, stopping by only to pass on information before leaving. But now that I had six little children at the Palace, they had a reason to stay.
The fairies were what brought smiles back to the faces of those children, not me. I did try on my own, but I was an Empress. I dressed and talked like one, and it made me intimidating to be around despite my best efforts. But the fairies were fun and silly and also willing to give comfort in the quiet hours of the night when no one else was around.
Jing tolerated the children. He disliked that they took my time, as it made him feel neglected. Though he’d spoiled me over the years, I’d also spoiled him too. Look at what an ungrateful brat he’d become! I didn’t belong to him like a possession, I had a life too!
I forced Jing to interact with the children, to get to know them. They were all good kids. How could they not be? My judgment of character was never wrong. As they grew, not only would they bring extra stability to the country, they would be loyal to Jing. It only benefited us to invest in them and help them grow.
After a few years, his heart softened. The Eldest boy turned 15 and Jing gave him the title of Third Prince. Both the Court and the country was excited. This was the first time their Emperor had bothered to think about future heirs. Even if it was entirely unconventional, and only the ranking 3rd, they now had some assurance that if something happened to Emperor Shu, there would be a prince to take over.
Each of the children, when they turned 15, were granted the title of Third Prince or Third Princess. They were given a great deal of freedom, despite being Imperial Princes and Princess. Whatever they wanted to do, they were allowed to do it.
And then, I was pregnant again. It happened about every year, so I didn’t think much of it at the time. But this pregnancy lasted longer than the others, and a flicker of hope ignited in me.
At the third month mark, I felt like something was draining out of me and I became tired all the time. Despite my reassurances that everything was fine, everyone worried. The Emperor and I were thought of as immortals at this point, and the idea there could be any kind of physical ailment to afflict us was shocking. Jing was the worst worrier of them all, to the point that I had to hide from him for my own sanity’s sake.
I looked deep within myself, at this growing child, to see what was happening. I understood early pregnancy in a way that no one else in the world did at this point. I knew that the baby took nutrients from the mother’s body and that was normal.
This baby was doing that, but also something else. He was sucking out my spiritual power too. And not just a little bit, he was a greedy little bean. He was consuming vast amounts of my strength every day. It was no wonder I was tired!
I covered my face and wept bitterly at the realization. I knew now why all my children had died. Their bodies were a pure mix of Shu Fu Jing and Ya Xuilan, but their spirits had been like stillborns. Their spirits were like mine, not human, and the lack of a power source had instantly killed them. They needed a body that could draw power and the mountains to sustain them, but I wasn’t near the mountains. And their bodies had been pure human, designed for human souls.
I think the reason why this child survived was because he wasn’t a perfect mix of Shu Fu Jing and Ya Xuilan. Instead, he was a mix of Jing, Xuilan, and Xuiying. More Ying than Lan, I suppose you could say. It made his physical body a bit like my fairy children. And in so doing, it allowed him to absorb power directly from me rather than from a nonexistent mountain source.
This child had a high chance of survival because of his “birth defect”, but the price was steep. If he continued at this rate and speed, I would be almost completely drained by the time he was born. If I was lucky and careful, I’d get to see him to adulthood before my spirit lost it’s ability to remain cohesive.
Basically, I’d die.
I could cut the unborn baby off now and absorb the energy back. His spirit was simple and defenseless, it wouldn’t be hard. But I… I…
How could I kill my own child?
The question struck me with grief so hard, it actually made me sick. I got a fever and couldn’t leave the bed for a week. I told Jing the problem wasn’t a physical illness, but he called the Imperial Physicians anyway.
They weren’t the best doctors in the nation for no reason, they instantly could tell I was pregnant. When I saw the realization flash in their eyes, I grabbed them with a vice like grip and shook my head. They mustn’t tell Jing before I’d made up mind on whether to keep this child or not.
It was clear they didn’t like what I was asking them to do. I had everyone but the Physicians leave the room and talked to them. After I mentioned my prior miscarriages, they understood. If they told the Emperor I was with child, and the child died like all the ones before, that would be extremely bad.
Still, they believed the child was the source of my fever. After some discussion, they decided to treat the fever and the pregnancy, but brazenly lie to the Emperor about it.
So that’s exactly what they did, with straight faces filled with concern. They told the Emperor I had pushed myself too much lately, and it had caused a fever. If I rested and took the medicine they gave me, I would surely improve. The Emperor wasn’t sure this was an accurate diagnosis, but since he had nothing better to go on, he agreed.
I’ll never trust a Physician again. They can lie like the best conman. Color me impressed…
After a week, I made up mind. The moment I’d decided, my fever broke. The Physicians still forced me to take their medicine. It tasted horrible and they kept finding new mixtures to give me.
Seriously, don’t trust Physicians. They say they’re healing you, but it’s clear they’re just trying to poison everyone with their nasty concoctions.
I would keep this child. He wasn’t even born yet, but I already loved him. I loved him more than my own life. Even in a week’s time, his little body and spirit had grown and become more complex. Even though I had my fairy children, this feeling of being a mother was completely different. It wasn’t just a little bit of Jing flowing through his veins, there was a little bit of me, Xui, too.
The fairies had been formed by my own hands. There had been a purpose and a plan for each one. But this baby was a totally random combination of things. Even in his likeness to me, I could not even begin to guess what he’d be like, every day was something new. The mystery of his being was marvelous. The most fascinating thing I’d come across in my entire existence.
My conscious clear, I finally told Jing.
He thought I was telling a bad joke at first. I think, after 30 years of being married, he’d given up any idea of being a father. It was so lodged in his mind that it was impossible, he couldn’t think of any other reason for me to say those words than in jest.
Feeling a bit putout, I dropped the subject. The next day, I went to the Imperial Physicians and had them do a total checkup on me. I then spoke to the Head Eunuch, swearing him to secrecy, and arranged so that the Physicians would come in and make the announcement before the entire Imperial Court.
Would Jing dare suggest I was joking then?
It was a miracle Jing didn’t figure it out before the official announcement. Even though the Head Eunuch had promised not to say anything, he was absolutely giddy with excitement. He kept dropping hints the entire day to his Emperor about it.
The Imperial Court was for men only, by tradition, so technically I wasn’t allowed in there. Today I snuck in with the help of a few of the younger officials and hid in the corner. I couldn’t see my own wedding, but I had every intention of seeing my baby’s official announcement.
Right before Emperor Shu was about to dismiss the Court for the day, the Head Eunuch stepped forward.
“May his Imperial Majesty Live Forever!” He spoke out, loudly and projecting for everyone to hear. “This Lowly Servant announces the arrival of the Imperial Physicians to the Imperial Court. Guards, allow them entrance!”
Everyone, including Emperor Shu, was startled by the sudden interruption of their daily routine. Emperor Shu opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but stopped when his Head Eunuch suddenly turned and got on his hands and knees, bowing with his head to the floor towards the throne.
“This lowly one begs his Imperial Highness forgiveness. Emperor Shu, please listen carefully to the Imperial Physicians. They bring you serious matters that must be attended to immediately.”
Since Imperial Servants never spoke first unless for business or during emergencies, Emperor Shu and the officials could only think this to be an emergency. The tension was on everyone’s face as the Physicians walked in.
Physicians almost never went into the Imperial Court, so despite the good news they were bringing, they couldn’t help looking nervous. This naturally made the officials and Emperor even more worried. Exactly how bad was the news they were bringing?!
In my corner, I was doing everything I could not to laugh. Serves you right, Jing, for not believing your wife of 30 years when she gives you such good news!
Once they were before the Emperor, they naturally bowed deeply, wishing him a long life and fortune. As it was rude to speak without being commanded, they waited, bowed, for the Emperor’s permission.
Getting a bit impatient, Emperor Shu said with a little more harshness than intended: “Speak.”
The most experienced Physician stepped forward, head still bowed: “This Imperial Physician wishes to update your Imperial Highness on his wife’s health.”
Emperor Shu’s face blanched in fear. His Empress had only just gotten better and now this? Voice shaking, Emperor Shu commanded: “Whether good or bad, know this Emperor will not punish you. So tell this Emperor the truth, leave nothing out!”
“Of course, your Imperial Highness! This Physician wishes to inform you that we did a thorough examination of your Imperial Consort yesterday. We discovered the issue causing her chronic tiredness and recent fever. It started, though we can only estimate, about four months ago.”
“F-four months?” Emperor Shu’s mask was dropping and Jing’s face was popping out. “Well, don’t just stand there, tell me—this Emperor, is there a cure?”
“This Physician regrets to inform you there is no cure.”
“WHAT.” Jing stood straight up. It was a good thing he didn’t wear that stupid square crown, otherwise it would have flown right off his head. “What do you mean there’s no cure?! There must be! What am I paying you people for if there’s no cure?! I’ll fire every last one of you if you don’t heal my wife!!”
All the Physicians noted the threat. The Emperor had clearly said, not even two minutes ago, that telling the truth was repercussion free. Now they knew, when it concerned his wife, not to believe a word he said.
The Imperial Physician who’d been talking, cleared his throat and said with some amusement: “Pardon this Physician’s boldness, but Emperor Shu, there is no cure because no cure is needed. All you need is time.”
“Eh?” Jing looked at the Physician stupidly.
“Emperor Shu, we Imperial Physicians wish to be the first to congratulate your Imperial Highness on his upcoming fatherhood.”
All the Physicians bowed again, saying together: “Congratulations and good fortune to the Emperor and the Emperor’s firstborn! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress! Long live the Imperial child!”
The entire Imperial Court broke out into a mixture of cheers and excited conversation. Some even cried. No one expected this, not after 30 years. The Physicians found themselves surround and besieged with questions.
Jing just stood there, ramrod straight, his eyes widening so much that I wondered if they were going to fall out. Some court officials were attempting to congratulate him, but he was obviously ignoring them.
I snickered slightly, enjoying the show. The moment I did, I saw his head whip around and look exactly in the corner I was currently hiding. His eyes narrowed and his lips pressed together in a firm line.
Uh oh. I’ve been found! Did he have the ears of a dog too?! I hastily made a retreat.
Behind me I heard some shouts of surprise and glanced back. He hadn’t bothered officially dismissing everyone and just leapt off the throne dais, over everyone’s head, and straight for me.
I picked up my speed. If I got caught in the Imperial Court I’d never hear the end of it. Being the Empress didn’t mean I wasn’t allowed to get lectured, and Jing was unfortunately very good at lecturing.
If I could have gone full speed I’d have escaped. I’m more powerful then him, or I was, but my pregnancy severely crippled me. I’d gotten out of the Courtroom and into the hall before a wave of exhaustion hit me. I stumbled, feeling suddenly dizzy, and reached out a hand to lean on the wall.
To arms grabbed me from behind, steadying me. “Are you alright?”
“Oh, thank you. I’ll be fine in a moment. This happens sometimes now.” Jing moved to my side and suddenly lifted me up in a princess carry. “Woah!”
“So it wasn’t a joke.”
“You can’t still think—”
“No, no. The Physicians aren’t dumb enough to lie like that in front of everyone.” He paused, looking down at me. “You could have had them meet me in private…”
I pouted. “That’s what you get for not believing me the first time.”
“You—” He looked at me crossly for a moment and then laughed. “Oh never mind. I’m going to forgive you today because the news was good.”
“Are you happy?” I looked up at him, slightly nervous for a reason I couldn’t explain.
Jing leaned down and bumped my forehead with his own. “Of course, you silly woman. How could I not be? I had given up on the idea years ago. When you brought those traitors’ children into the Palace, I had assumed you’d given up too.”
He was walking with me in his arms, as if I was no heavier than a cat. Servants were glancing at us out of the corner of their eyes excitedly. News traveled fast in the Palace.
I leaned into his chest and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
“For what? You can’t throw those children out now, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’ve grown fond of them.”
“Oh you.” I smacked him gently. “I meant for taking so long to give you a child.”
There was silence for a while and then, “Is that even something you had control of?”
I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. If I told him this child would kill me, I think he’d force me to abort it. Even if I disagreed, he’d make it happen through deceit. His love for me was one step away from an illness. Pushed in the wrong direction, it would consume and drive him mad.
Just like my brother.
What about me caused the men I loved to be slowly driven insane?
…
I can’t tell him.
I’m sorry Jing, I know this is cruel. I know it is, but I just can’t kill my own child. There are millions of humans, but there’s only ever been my brother and I. This will be the first time another one of us exists in this world. He is really a child after Xui, I can not allow him to die.
“I don’t have control over it, not really.” I finally admitted, feeling slightly guilty for the lie. I looked up, widening my eyes to look innocent. “Jing, this child is special. He’s… he’s a miracle. You know how often I’ve had miscarriages. Even I thought I couldn’t have children.”
“Then why are you apologizing?”
“..I don’t know… I guess I just felt bad since everyone wanted you to—”
“Hey now, none of that talk. If I could chose between you or a child, I’ll always chose you. And if I have to chose between you and the nation, I’ll chose you. Every time. So don’t listen to people who think you’re only worth is bearing children. You are so much more valuable than that. Understand?”
I gave a cramped smile at his assurances and nodded. It was a good idea not to tell him. He’d have definitely forced me to abort to save my life.
“Hm… you said he, do you know it’s a boy?”
“Oh, I do!” I felt my heart lighten at something that was true and wonderful. “It will definitely be a little boy, I’m sure he’ll look like you.”
He frowned, looking slightly disappointed. “I would have preferred a little girl who took after you though…”
I laughed, “Don’t let the officials hear you say that, you’ll make them cry.”
My pregnancy was not an easy one. I became weaker and weaker each passing day. I did my best to hide it, since Jing would get worried and might start suspecting something. Even so, I slept longer and tired easily.
Jing had me seeing Physicians every week, as preventative maintenance and general worry rather than for anything specific. The Physicians assured him my exhaustion was normal. If I’d been a regular human girl it would have been, but my tiredness was from being soul-weary.
All my fairy children began filtering back into the palace. Word had spread quickly among them that I was pregnant. And as the child grew, they noticed what I’d noted at the beginning: he was more like them than he was human.
They also noticed he was sucking me dry. That had made them unhappy. I called a meeting late one night. Jing would be deep in his sleep, and if any servants saw me, I’d just look like I was moon gazing. I went far out into the palace gardens, where my once tiny tree had been planted and now grown, to avoid even that chance.
They all clamored at me at once, furious that I’d made such a decision without consulting them. Their lives were on the line too. If we’d made the decision together, that was one thing, but I’d been selfish.
“Listen, listen to me!” I called out, trying to speak over their babble. “You won’t die. I promise, you won’t die!”
This got their attention.
“The baby is taking my power, isn’t he? I’ve been watching what he does with it. He’s generating his own power using mine as the catalyst. But his power and mine are similar. I could absorb his power back into myself if it came down to it. Do you understand? Our powers are compatible! I can transfer you over to him.”
“EH!!!!!!!!!!!!!” The shout of astonishment was almost deafening and it made me flinch.
I pointed to a fairy. It was my first creation. Alas, he was dumb as rocks because of it. His personality was very simple and highly obedient. I had used him as my Guinea Pig knowing he wouldn’t object.
“You didn’t even notice, but that fairy has already been transfered. Nothing about him has changed, right?”
All the fairies focused on their predecessor at once. He was poked, prodded, and asked endless questions. After they’d had thoroughly checked him out, they had to admit they couldn’t tell the difference.
“See? I will transfer each of you over, starting from the oldest. Unless, of course, you want to stay with me. But let me warn you, I have very little time left. Once this child is born, 20 years at the most.”
I looked at them, my eyes filling with tears and genuinely pleading, “Please stay with him, I beg you. He will live a long time, and if he goes to the mountain he may become immortal. But he’ll always be human too. If he’s got no guide, how will he remember his past? How will he remember his father and mother, this country? When even this great Empire turns to dirt, who will be there to mourn with him? If you’re not there in my place, the loneliness may kill him. He will die alone and empty. Please, please, don’t let him die alone!”
In the night, with only the moon and a glowing blooming tree as my witness, I knelt on the cool, dewing grass. My forehead touching the ground.
My fairy children surrounded me, little hands and bodies reaching out to hug and touch me. They would stay with him, they promised me. They would stay, even if he tried to run away or get rid of them. Until his very last breath, they would be there. Always comforting, always reminding, helping him retain his humanity and joy of life.
Each promise they made, meant I would die alone. I could feel the absence of the first one. Like an empty spot in the back of my mind that should be filled. When they were all gone, the gap would be huge, I knew.
But it was alright. From the beginning, I planned to give my little baby boy everything I had. He would lack for nothing, except for my own presence. Even that was alright, as long as he could live. Though perhaps he’d feel differently about my choices, I don’t know.
With promises made, the slow transfer of fairies began. Each fairy carried with it a power burden. The more intelligent and complex my creation, the heavier the burden. It’s why I’d decided to start with the older ones first. Their burden was light. When I was near my death, I’d give them all to him.
Even so, most of them were put into a deep sleep to prevent them taking too much power. I had a lot of fairies, and twenty some years was barely enough time to get them all transferred over. For them to wake up, he’d need to pour a certain amount of power into them to do it. So it was up to my unborn son to decide when and how, if ever.
I’d like to think he’d wake them all up eventually, but who knows? He’s not me. His possibilities and choices are endless. He’s not bound to the mountain and it’s fate like I am. He could give up his longevity if he was clever, and die a mortal man.
Well, maybe. His spirit is so like mine. I don’t know where humans go when they die, I’ve never seen it. Will that place accept a soul such as his? Or could he be accepted by the mountain instead?
As I said, endless possibilities.
By my ninth month, I was ready for this baby to be born. Even without him sapping all my power, I felt uncomfortable all the time. I was swollen, heavy, and he was constantly punching into my spine.
You little villain! How could you abuse your mother’s internal organs so much!
When the birth pains started, I was crying more from relief than pain. Finally, it’d be over! I could have my body back!
Jing passed back and forth in front of the door. The Physicians and Midwifes had a hard time keeping him out. I don’t know why he had to be outside. My blue-eyed children let their husbands in… which sometimes ended poorly. At least one husband walked away with broken fingers.
No, I take it back. It’s a good practice. Right now, as a contraction was gripping my body, I might actually try to break some fingers too.
The midwives tell me that, as far as first births go, mine was relatively fast and easy.
Is that so?
It’s a good thing I’m only doing this once then, phew!
|
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The rain lasted longer than Alistar would've liked it to. And, as it went on, he began to see his breath drawing white clouds out in front of him. This island was naturally humid; because the rainwater was cold he saw those clouds; their water weighing down on his robes. The cold moist air had started to bother with his breathing. He began to cough softly, at first; not to bother Meridith. But they became louder. A loud, sticky cough. He lay down, where wet sand and topsoil met rainwater.
She was crying already. For the life of him, he didn't know why the habit had set in. Maybe he'd been too soft. He saw the pendant her mother had given her. Herieth had once worn it herself, and he thought, that she had been right. Meridith shouldn't have been left in his care.
She knew her father as well as she knew any stranger.
"Merry, come now. Help me up. I've gotten enough mana now..cough... to build us a shelter."
They made their way beneath tree limbs, the canopy was tight in areas, and sparse in places that let in light, and for today, rainwater. Diverse plant life took this island as home and had thoroughly subjugated it. He leaned on Meredith while keeping his coughs to a minimum, he was little more than skin and bones. If he did let them go, as they might, they would shake her, because he wasn't enough to hold them.
They stopped beside an incline. Palm leafs hovered over the edge, successfully shading a source of flowing water.
The short walk had taken his breath. He wished to himself that he would have brought some potions, and remembered, after a short moment, that the storm would've taken those as well. He was just happy that he and his daughter had made it.
He coughed. "Meridith, I don't know what it is, but something has taken a hold of me. I've felt the effects of mana depletion before."
"You're pale," she reached a hand beneath his chin, and felt his throat, "and warm, too."
"Yes." He waved his sleeve. It was to seem grandiose, usually, but his hand rose so slowly that it would provoke a sense of pity instead. A rock hut, the size of a single tent, formed.
"I'll help." She chanted with both hands before her bust. Stone beds were then transformed into fluffy, thin mattresses.
"Oh, transfiguration, Merry? When since?"
She chuckled.
"I'm my father's child."
|
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Alistar felt the humidity on his chest aggravating a sticky cold, and, as the days passed, he began to have joint pain. Next, his head felt strange, and light.
He would ramble about things he hadn't mentioned in years. He would catch himself, feel silly, and continue. Perhaps feeling his time drawing near, he said.
"Meredith, I have something to confess." It was a particularly hot day. "Your father... I am not a good person."
He told her what was in the briefcase she had held tightly as their lives were at risk. They were rites. To a land that had been passed onto a friend many years ago. Alistar had participated within the Acrian war to be allowed passage into the kingdom, to obtain them.
His friend had passed away all those years ago in a similar conflict, Alistar had left him to die.
"Merry, his father had passed weeks before! Martin would have inherited a fortune! I stole it away. He was on the front lines Merry, and if I had been there, he would probably be alive today. I snuck away, and emptied his home of the fortune. I knew their home like it was my own. When I was a boy, his father would let me come over whenever I wanted. He never knew better."
He shook his head. "Isn't it a problem that I don't feel guilt for what I've done? To a man who considered me a friend?"
She wiped the sweat from his forehead, not answering him.
A pained expression finally showed, but he continued.
"War made it easy. They had gathered their fortune in the cellar. I needed it. Your mother was eight months pregnant at the time. Merry forgive me."
"Water." He coughed and continued.
There were so many stories. The older ones were more violent, perhaps because he had lacked experience. The Acrasian theft had surely gone smoothly. He laughed as his health deteriorated.
After the storm had passed in its entirety, they went back to the beach, in hopes the sunlight would aid in his treatment.
"You know, you've been quieter these last few days Merry. Usually I have to tell you to shut up. Good, you're growing up!"
He continued his rambling and stories.
|
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Humans came again. This time, they were not hunters. There were women and children, as well as men. Rather than the skins of animals, they wore woven pieces from plants, dyed and many colored. I’m afraid I was mostly focused on their clothes at the time, so I did not pay much attention to the reason they were there.
Later, much later, I learned they had been chased from their home country. A new ruler came to power through the sword and was slaughtering all those who had been loyal to the prior leadership. Several high ranking families saw the writing on the wall and fled. But the new ruler was not keen on letting them escape, so he sent his armies to chase them down.
Many died before they reached the mountains. There was a great deal of sorrow. What kept them going was, at night, they saw a great light in the distance. Beautiful and blue, it called to them like bees to flowers.
Yes, my beautiful flower trees lit their way. A light in their darkest hour. I still like the thought of it.
At first I only observed them as they made their way deeper into the mountain forest. They were extremely cautious, not even willing to light a fire for fear of being found by their enemies. Unaware of their plight, I only knew that I liked them very much and didn’t want them to leave.
My experience with humans was limited, but I knew they liked food and would eat plants as well as meat. So I instructed my fairy children, who had a physical substance I did not, to guide the humans to good fruits and vegetables.
It was the human children that led the way. Though my fairy children had a physical body, for some reason the adults could not see them while the children could. To this day I have no idea why. Perhaps it’s the way children view the world, I don’t know.
At some point the armies came to the mountain too. They intended on entering, but neither my brother or I would allow it. This was not because my brother was interested in saving the humans I’d taken an interest in. Truthfully, that was not why I stopped them either.
They radiated evil. It poured out of them in waves.
Up until that point, no evil thing came near our mountains. We did not even know what evil was until it was at our doorstep. But the moment we sensed it, our repulsion was so strong that we shook with both rage and disgust. It was an instinctual hatred. We would never allow evil to come into our home.
The hunters and the fleeing families also had evil in them. All humans do. They are tainted with evil when they’re born. But humans are also touched with goodness as well. The good is quite powerful, strong enough to smother the evil. If humans are careful, the goodness will lead them to redemption. If they are foolish…
…they end up like that army.
Though I did not know it at the time, many humans are foolish. The army was not really an exception. The hunters and the fleeing families were the exception. Goodness is often neglected among mankind for the quick and easy pleasures that come from evil. But back then, I did not know that, and assumed humans were generally of the good sort.
Anyway, we did not let the army enter. We are spirits, we have no physical form, but that doesn’t make us weak. The mountain is our body, the creatures on it our hands and feet. When the army tried to enter, every living and none living thing sought to stop them. From the mountain lions to foxes, bees to tree roots, even the very dirt under their feet, impeded them.
My brother’s fairy children fought them directly, using their hands and teeth like the animals to kill them. Some of my fairy children fought them too, but most stayed with the hiding families in the forest. They liked the little human children and, seeing them afraid, wanted to comfort them.
Many men died that day, human blood soaking the mountain for the first time. The army eventually retreated, screaming that the forest they’d entered was cursed and filled with demons. The devastation of the army must have been enough to convince their new ruler the truth of their statements, because no one from that country ever came near the mountains again.
My brother’s opinion of humanity reached a whole new low that day. The fact that we’d met many humans who’d not succumbed to such evil in the past did not sooth his fears. That they could, at any time, be totally taken over by evil was enough. The potential and the capacity for such vileness put him on edge. He did not want even the possibility of that kind of thing happening in his home.
His eyes turned to the families my fairy children had been protecting. He wanted them dead, every last one of them. Even the infant children who, by some miracle, had been born and survived the long trek to our mountains.
For the first time, my brother and I had a serious disagreement. We could not reconcile our viewpoints. He viewed humans with fear, I viewed them with potential.
In the end, it was only his love for me that stopped them from being slaughtered. I actually begged him, something that I’d never done before, to spare their lives. For my sake, he stayed his hand. He did not like it, but he also could not say no.
We were brother and sister. The only two of our kind in the whole world. We spoiled each other in many ways because of that. This was an instance where my brother spoiled me, against his better judgment.
So the humans stayed. And my little fairy children and I watched over them.
The mountains are not an easy place to live under normal circumstances, and it was made worse for them because the animals were impossible to catch. To solve this problem, I guided them to streams, ponds, and rivers. My brother and I never paid any mind to fish and water crawlies, so they never gained any intelligence. The only benefit the fishes had was from being on our mountain, absorbing our power from the very water. It made them stronger, bigger, and healthier. Perfect for eating, for which the bears rejoiced, but not much else.
The humans also domesticated many different creatures: mountain goats and sheep, for milk and clothing. The yak for heavy loads. The ducks and geese for eggs and feathers. When these animals grew old or were seriously injured, only then would they kill and eat them. This was counted as mercy killing, by the animals and the people.
They figured out rather quickly that something was helping them survive. Their children saw or heard things, and had knowledge of the mountains that just wasn’t natural. The fairies, the humans called them, were helping them. The fairies had chased away the army, and the fairies guided them to food and clean water. The human adults had no idea why they attracted such goodwill from the fairies, which in their homeland were viewed as malicious spirits, but they were careful not to lose it.
The fairies told the human children all about me, how I was beautiful and strong, and how the blue flowers that glowed at night had been made by me. They even called me “mother”, once they understood what that meant among the humans. The children naturally told their parents as well.
Hearing this, the first thing the adults thought to do was worship me as a goddess. But I would not allow it. When they carved images of me in wood and then bowed to them, I saw evil grow in their hearts and it brought a chill to my soul. I did not understand what a goddess was at the time, but anything that grew evil in humans should not be encouraged.
They ignored my warnings through the fairies, so I found the biggest bear on the mountain and instructed it to destroy the ugly wood carvings of me and chase those who made them. Any time they attempted such worshipful nonsense, I’d call the giant bear in to punish them. No one died or was seriously hurt, but it gave them a good scare.
After that, the adults listened to the children, and by proxy the fairies, who’d warned them against trying to worship me as a goddess. Still, this left the adults dissatisfied. So the fairy mother would not allow worshiping, but some sign of respect should be made. It was her land, and her good graces, that allowed them to live after all.
After a lot of arguing and discussion, they bestowed upon me the name Xuiying (beautiful flower) and reverently called me the Empress of the Blue Mountains, Mother of the Fairies, Keeper of the Blue Lights. If they ever thought I might be near by, they would get on their hands and knees and bow, wishing me a long life several times in a row.
I thought the whole process was odd, especially if they bowed in the wrong direction or when I wasn’t even there. I’d never asked for such respect, never demanded it, but they forced it on me regardless. I did like the name though, and referred to myself as that ever after.
While I was learning all kinds of fascinating things from the humans, my brother kept his distance from their settlement. He did not like them and would only visit me if I left them for a time to tend my trees, usually during the spring.
When I told him of my newly acquired name, he did not see the point in it. We’d never needed names before, so why get excited about it now? I then shared the human concept of family, and how he and I were like that: brother and sister, a family.
I thought that would at least catch his interest, but instead it seemed to upset him. When I asked him why, he got befuddled and eventually said he didn’t really know why and then left in a huff. His confusion must have been immense, for I did not see him for quite some time after that.
That was the second time I suspected my brother had a problem.
Just as humans domesticate animals, I domesticated humans. This was not intentional at first. I was mostly meddling because I found human relationships very moving and wanted to help where I could. It’s just that, the human children that saw fairies for the longest were easiest to interact with, and more receptive to my ideas.
As time passed, I realized that by pairing those with long-lasting “fairy sight” together, their children would see my fairies for an even longer time. It was in very small intervals, undetectable to humans who lived such short lives, but I noticed. So then I began doing it on purpose.
I also cultivated their spirits as I did my trees. I noticed that humans had very flexible spirits, that had plenty of room to grow. But for some reason, they were unaware of this themselves. A strong spirit resisted evil, and also gave them healthier and longer lives, so it seemed a good idea to strengthen their spirit as well.
In their dreams, or when they meditated, I would come by and nudge them here or there. Pay attention to this, focus on that, concentrate there… I did not have a name for what I was doing, but they did. They combined it with their own belief system, something called “xia”, “qi”, and even “mystical arts”.
The teachings that come from this were called the Blue Flower Mountain Arts, and those who focused on the more lethal (fighting) aspects called themselves the Blue Flower Mountain Sect. I did not expect the development of a fighting unit, but I quite liked their passion and perseverance. And anyway, they protected the weaker members of the community and were charitable. Their hearts were very pure and evil had no room to grow, so I saw no need to stop them.
A very curious thing happened after generations of my meddling, their eyes turned blue and they saw me. They also became very fair to look at, with an almost other-worldly beauty and strength. The blue eyes and exquisite looks always went hand-in-hand, to this day I have no idea why.
The humans I’d started with were, by comparison, small and rather plain and fragile. Straight black hair, narrow brown eyes, and lightly tanned skin. The only thing that made them stand out was their cute round faces and their fantastic sense of clothing and jewelry style, which I liked immensely and encouraged where ever I could.
When the blue eyes became dominate, they grew very tall, became very strong, and their hair and skin began to take on very contrasting colors. Sometimes they had very pale skin, sometimes very dark. Their hair could be white, or blond, or any number of colors. The combinations were endless, and I loved it all. How like my flowers they became in those moments.
As to the eyes… they were not normal blue eyes. They were like my flowering trees: they glowed. I think, though I don’t know for sure, that generations of living on the mountain and my constant nearness effected not just their bodies but their spirits. They became a bit like my fairy children, and so they could see me.
By then, I had already begun taking the form of a human. Even though I was a spirit, and I never thought they’d see me, I wanted to look a little like them for my own enjoyment. I was branded a female, so I took on the most lovely appearances of the human women I watched. I even gave myself clothes, often changing them to stay with the latest trends.
In short, I was gorgeous. It was unfortunate the first one who saw me was just a baby. If it’d been an adult, I’d have left them speechless. As it was, the baby simply cooed at me happily.
I loved that little baby. He was the first to see me, and he saw me no matter how old he got. While I’d watched humans for a very long time, I had always kept a type of clinical distance from them. But now that I was seen, and heard, it became personal.
I guided that little baby boy into manhood. Because he was the first, he was thought of as special. He was given a place of honor with the Sect and the community. In short, he became the leader.
He grew old very slowly, to the point that his family and friends all died well before he did. I had seen people die before, but now that I had a personal connection to those who died, I suddenly understood what death really meant. In the human sense. I mourned with him for each passing.
I wish I had known then, what I know now. He was an ordinary person on the inside. Despite his looks, powers, and abilities, he was actually a very simple man. A home, familiar faces, and someone to hold, was all he really wanted. When he buried his great-great-great grandchild, who had died of old age, while not looking a day over thirty, he could take no more of it.
He left. Not just the Sect or the community, but the mountains. From me. I felt his disappearance from the mountain. There was no darkness growing in him, so I knew he’d not done me any evil. But I wish he’d said goodbye or explained exactly why he left so I didn’t have to spend time guessing.
On that day, I, a spirit, wept.
So overwhelming was my sorrow that my brother took notice. He came by less and less to see me because of how much I’d changed myself. But distance didn’t weaken our familial connection. When my heart broke, he felt it.
When I tried to explain why I was hurting, he could not understand. A human held no more value to him than a bird, and was far more threatening. If one left, that was perfectly fine by him. But, in a moment of surprising maturity, he did not speak his thoughts. He simply held me and let me cry.
It was one of the last times he was gentle to me.
I did learn, eventually, what happened to my first human friend. He traveled the world, keeping to his own sense of justice. He never stayed in one place long, but many were interested in his martial arts and tried to be his student. They imitated what they saw, hoping to gain the same longevity.
I don’t know if he ever took on a student, for many claim their Martial Arts Sects started from him when they clearly did not. The teaching of the Blue Flower Mountain Sect spread freely among the population regardless. It was never a secretive belief system to begin with. It mutated and changed with the passage of time, creating fighting styles and philosophies I’d never even dreamed of.
My friend disappeared. They say he “ascended” to the plane of the gods, but I don’t know. He could have simply died as well. He was not immortal. Much of what they say about him is just legend and myth, and it’s difficult to ascertain the truth behind those tales. I hope, where ever he is, he’s found peace.
He was the first, but he was not the last. Successive generations began displaying his same qualities. Soon, more children were born with blue eyes, than without. To the point that ordinary brown eyes were looked down upon by many. It was my constant struggle to prevent those adorable little brown eyed children from being bullied.
At least those with blue eyes finally had other children that were like them. They would live long lives, but now they had companions. For some reason, those who lived a long time had fewer children. The size of the community dwindled because of this and eventually flat-lined. Two children homes became the norm, unless they were born with brown eyes. Then the parents would have another child, knowing the brown eyed one would live a short life and need a replacement.
My blue eyed children, why must you be so cold hearted? I wished they’d be a little kinder. Despite my best efforts, children born with brown eyes began leaving the mountains. They knew they did not belong and growing old so quickly compared to everyone else was extremely disheartening.
Those who left formed their own villages and towns near the base of the mountains. They found regular humans and had families with them. They had many more children, so their population exploded as long as no sickness or disaster hit. They quickly outnumbered their arrogant blue eyed relatives.
Their view of the mountain village was filled with both bitterness and longing. They hated being rejected for what they could not control, while at the same time desperately wishing they’d been born differently. The tales they told of the mountains, the fairies, and even me ended up being very distorted because of that.
At this point, I understood the concept of time. And a lot of it had passed since we kicked that evil army off the mountain. I began to write down everything I could remember, all the lessons I’d learned, because I found out that humans liked to record things. I created a little cave house to store my diaries and all the interesting bits and bobbles I’d collected from humans over the years.
When a lost traveler stumbled to my door step one day, I took him and helped him recover before sending him on his way. He was not someone from the Blue Flower Village, he was an ordinary folk. He could not see me, but my spirit was so condensed in the cave he knew something was there. He spoke of things I’d never heard about, in an accent I’d never come across before. I absolutely loved hearing him talk, imagining a world outside the mountains through his words.
From then on, I made my little cave house a way-station for the lost. A Traveler’s Cave. Anyone crossing over the mountain without malicious intentions, could stop by my place for a rest if they needed it. I used my power to enchant a path that would always lead to my place, no matter how far away from the entrance they started.
A surprising amount of lost hikers found their way to my doorstep. I couldn’t question them directly, but I always got information about the world outside the mountains regardless. I kept improving my little cave, so there was always food and water and a warm blanket to wrap themselves in.
I really never thought anything would change. Really. When the change came, it was quite sudden.
My brother flew into a rage. The mountains actually shook from his anger, and I’m fairly sure a volcano in the far north went off. I immediately rushed over to see what was wrong.
His most beloved stag had died. And he insisted a human had maliciously killed it. When I went to investigate, there was indeed a (now dead) stag with a long clearly-human-made knife sticking out of it. But upon examination, something was not right. The human had stabbed the stag in the heart, with a surprising amount of precision. The death had been quick, almost instant for the stag.
How had this human got so close to the stag? That should not have been possible. Even my blue eyed children struggled to get near one of my brother’s stags. It was as if the stag let this foreign human come near him. In fact, it looked suspiciously like the stag had wanted to die, that he’d let the human kill him on purpose.
And where was the so-called murdering human? My brother sensed the stags death almost instantly, yet there was not even a strand of hair left behind from the human. That also should not be possible. Had the stag done something before it died, to allow the human to escape? My brother’s deers were quite powerful and wise, so it very well could have.
When I mentioned this, my brother would not believe it. What reason had the stag for wanting to kill itself? Had not he purposefully attended and cared for it?
But I knew why. That stag was very old. Even with my brother pouring his power into it, age had caught up to it. Deer were not meant to be that smart or live that long. Like my human friend, how many of it’s own kind had it said goodbye to? And unlike me, my brother would not let the stag go and allow it to die a natural death.
This idea that death comes to all things mortal, and that they may even yearn for it after a time, did not sit well with my brother. Even more, he was furious with me for “siding with the human”, despite the fact I was doing nothing of the sort. I was simply pointing out there were flaws in his accusations.
Trying to further explain didn’t help, it just made things worse. He accused me of being more human than spirit. That all I needed was a body and no one would be able to tell the difference. Naturally I disagreed!
I don’t know how, I really don’t, but his fury turned to the Blue Flower Village. The human who’d killed the stag hadn’t even been from there, the knife not being one of their designs, but for some reason my brother lumped all humans together. He couldn’t tell them apart. As far as he was concerned, the Blue Flower Village was guilty for simply being human, and therefore related to the killer (however distantly).
That was when I realized, without a shadow of a doubt, my brother had lost his mind.
If you were to ask me when it started, it was probably when those first humans showed up. And as to why… I think he was jealous. He loved me and didn’t want to share me with anyone. He loved the stag, so never wanted to let it go. The problem is that possessiveness of that sort is actually rooted in evil.
To hate evil but to do evil, that contradiction is something only humans can live with and remain sane. Perhaps that was the real reason he stayed away from me all those years; he knew something was wrong but he could not control it when he was around me. He’d escaped to his deer, thinking himself safe, only to have them “betray” him too. In the end, he was driven insane by it.
He charged toward the Blue Flower Village, intent on destroying it and slaughtering every last person there.
I sent my fairy children ahead, telling them to evacuate everyone. I could stop my brother for a time, but not forever. With his mind gone, he was even more dangerous than usual. The best I could do was give my blue eyed children the chance to escape.
Preventing him from satisfying his blood-lust obviously did not help anything. Our fighting could be seen for miles around. Despite the Blue Flower Mountain Sect being the strongest fighting group in the world, even they cowered at the sound of our blows. In the face of the power of the very mountain, all they could do was bow their heads and run.
The battle lasted for days.
He was a sword, I was the shield.
No matter how he slashed and pierced, I could not be moved. But no matter how unmovable I was, I could not attack. We were at a stand-off.
The only people left were the family of my first human friend. I don’t know where they got the silly idea, but they decided to stay and sacrifice themselves for my sake. They actually tried to fight my brother. They could see him just as well as they could see me, after all.
My brother, who’d not paid a single bit of attention to anything I’d told him for years, was taken off guard. He did not know humans could see him. They actually landed a few hits on him before he realized what was happening. But, of course, this was akin to having a child kick him in the shins. It was shocking, but didn’t do much damage.
He immediately focused on them, to murder them right in front of me.
I could not allow it.
So I did something I’ve never done before, because right up until that moment I didn’t even know I could do it.
I rushed forward and hit my brother. Hard.
This shocked us both, and for a moment we were still. And then he began to wail, a piercing cry like I’ve never heard before and hope to never hear again.
He looked at me, and in a sorrowful rage, he yelled: “You dare strike me? You dare? Did you not call me brother? Did you not say I was family? Yet you raise that human shaped hand to smite me? Is this what being like a human has done to you? Turned you violent? You were never meant to hit, to harm, only to defend! That is your sole and only nature! Look what they have warped you into! How they’ve tainted you! If you are really my sister, choose! Them or me! Who do you care for?!”
After watching generations of human toddlers, I knew exactly what this was: A tantrum. He’d been violently hitting me for days without a care, and I strike him once and he was acting like it was the end of the world. In that moment, I’m afraid I lost my temper.
“If you really want to know, right now I’d rather live with humans than with you!”
Ah, that was the wrong thing to say. Even now, I wish I’d phrased it differently. It’s not that I’d stopped loving my brother, I was just angry. He was being very unpleasant, so I don’t think anyone could blame me.
“You’d rather humans than me? You’d rather them… than me… Ah! Ah!! Hahahaha! Fine then! Stay with your humans! With those filthy little monkeys! Who needs you! If you take even one more step on this mountain, I swear by it—”
“—brother, no!”
“—I’ll kill every last human. Even the ones at the foot of the mountains, even the ones so far out I can’t sense them. I’ll set every volcano in the mountain chain off, until the air is thick with poison and rains down on their crops and on their houses, fills their drinking water. Covered in the ash, they’ll die. Every. Last. One.”
There is something you need to know about fairies, about us spirits. We are bound by our word. It’s not that the words have power, but that they express a reality. If we say something, we mean it. We can’t lie or fudge the truth.
To set off every volcano in the range was akin to committing suicide. Not only would it kill humans, plus animals and plants, it very likely would kill us too. After all, we were the mountains. If he destroyed them, we both might very well cease to exist.
My option was to immediately withdraw from the mountain, along with every human, or stay there and have my brother literally self destruct.
He had truly lost his mind. I could not save him. I could not talk sense into him. So I did the only thing I could: I left.
It’s a good thing I’m a spirit, it took only one leap to get me out of the mountain. I knew exactly where the mountain range ended too. I could feel my connection to it get cut off. From then on, the only power I had was what was within me. I could never refill myself.
My fairy children followed me. The part of the mountain they drew power from was me, so they had no choice. But at the same time, I could not sustain them like I had before, as I had no access to the vast power of the mountain. In short, they would die. It would take a while, as I was quite powerful all on my own, but one-by-one they’d weaken and pass into nothingness.
Is there a heaven for fairies? If there is, I hope my beautiful fairy children go there. It would be better than turning into nothingness.
The fairy made from my brother’s soul tried to follow too. The poor little fellow. He could not come. His power was from my brother, not me. If he’d try to leave the mountain, he’d die instantly.
To ease his suffering, I gave him a mission: stay and watch over my cave house. Help humans who got lost. And be there for my brother. If he ever got in his right mind again, the guilt he’d suffer for his folly would be immense. He would need a companion who was not a mindless foot-soldier. Though he cried, the little fairy child stayed, promising to do exactly as I’d instructed.
I didn’t know how long it’d take for my brother to gain his mind again. There was no way for me to check and find out, without possibly setting him off and making things worse. But I hoped… I hoped some day he would remember me without anger or jealousy. That he’d remember our youth and think fondly of me again.
I became a wandering spirit.
|
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"Ah," he sighed, as Meridith rubbed his ankles. She had become capable. Easily remaking the hut on her own. Alistar felt that he didn't know his daughter as well as he had thought he had.
"Alistar, you are strong... Even in your old age."
She smiled, as she continued rubbing his pain away.
"You know, one of those poisons came from our king!" She squeezed around his ankles and he heard them pop.
They had been tight.
"Julie, come out! We've gotten our information. If a little bit more." She held the briefcase to her chest.
The hut had been well made. Even having a window built in which showed a vista. The view twisted. Two women stepped out. Both of them were crying.
One of those women was Meredith.
They entered the room. It was small and could only hold those who were currently present within. The Meridith on the bed pulled up a skin-like substance, from beneath her chin. Revealing a face as beautiful, if only, a little bit older. Her hair was blonde and Alistar had only seen this particular blonde once, his eyes were at their most lucid, seeing her again.
The other woman had been crying since entering.
"Ally, you've gotten old..." She would be beautiful, too, but her face when crying was ugly. She hugged him on his sickbed. "Why did you have to continue being that way. You knew people like us would find you, right?"
"Get away from him! You know it isn't safe to touch him!"
"Marny..." She protested, being dragged away.
Alistar had gathered himself, as best he could under the effects of whatever they had given him.
"Marnisa Lovelock... The last time I saw you was twenty years ago. You were half fish back then, weren't you..." She slapped him, solidly.
"Julie, you didn't deserve the insult. I apologize, for bringing you into squalidness."
"You are twenty years too late, Ally. And, you have more to apologize for! I heard it you left my husband to die..."
Marnisa shifted. "You deserve worse, you traitor. You left us, and still, even after that betrayal, you did not change. You kept on going, being a crock!"
"Both of you did the same. I kept track, over the years. You're allowed to be on land every five years because of the sea's hold on you. It's an eleven-year cycle. Last year should've been your time on land. You broke the curse. How, exactly?"
She was about to slap him again, but Jullie held her arm back. She huffed and withdrew her assault on the lame man. It was silent for a while.
Marnisa walked over to Meridith. She was gagged and shackled in mana restricting cuffs.
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She touched the earings on Meridith's left ear. Meredith didn't move away from her reach, the tears on her face let him know that she couldn't; they were slave cuffs.
"These earrings are magic tools. They don't need... Julie stop touching our victim! As I was saying, they need no mana to operate. You may think that you're fine, right? That you're dealing with those potions well; only joint pain even? But, Ally, as my friend likes to call you, you've said things today, you closed mouthed salamander."
Marnisa sat beside him, touching him despite her warnings to Jullie. She held his face, for a moment some sadness could be seen on her own.
Alistar tried to pull away
"We followed you in Acrian. You know, at first, it was out of surprise that you'd be there. Honestly, I'm surprised by how well you treated your daughter. Your display, for a time, made us think that you'd turned another leaf."
He tried again, and failed. Choosing to instead avert his gaze.
"Ally, we've had enough! We're teaching you a lesson for your own good." Jullie stepped forward. " And despite how it looks, for Meredith's. We'll be taking your treasures, your possessions, and we'll give you the chance to start again."
He stopped avoiding their gazes and met both, for a moment.
"You've changed. Both of you."
"We had to, Ally. You left us, so we had to learn to protect ourselves."
Marnisa shifted, away from him.
"Before we go, Alister, we've looked for you, to ask this question. Why did you leave our group all those years ago?"
Again he averted his gaze. He sighed and met both of their's.
"I left you because I found someone I loved more."
"Herieth?"
"No. It was my Meredith."
Marnisa sighed shifted. Jullie hummed aloud, with a smile on her pink lips.
"Then goodbye, Alister Lovelock."
"Bye, Ally."
They left him and Meridith bound-up. Alister would recover first, and free his daughter. They had both grown and learned from this experience. Meridith depended less on her father from then on.
Vanny
Ha, ha. My first finished story, ever. This will be edited and inflated to fit the word count requirement of the writing contest. In the meantime, read Our New World. It's sitting on a measly 48 views. Bye, and hopefully you'll enjoy my future works.
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"Hold the briefcase tightly, Meridith! The storm is getting worse!"
The wind had picked up. In the distance, were waves, like mountain ranges. Although the boat did not rock because of them.
She shouted over their loud, distant roar.
"Yes, father!"
Her father stood, both hands outstretched to his sides, holding those waves at bay. This feat would have seemed spectacular, to those who didn't know her father. They wouldn't have cared for those occasional shutters, running through his body, or for the perspiration, in place of the ocean spray, soaking his robes. She did. She knew her father, better than anyone had ever had the chance to.
"Meridith, be ready! My mana is running out! Chalk!" He shouted so loudly she nearly fell over herself. "There is chalk in my right pocket! Quickly, draw a sigil on the floorboards!"
She drew it around him, becoming aware of just how small their boat was. Merely eight feet wide, and twenty feet long. If he weren't tired and fleeing, this storm wouldn't be a problem, but, that he was tired, meant that it could capsize.They had left the port in a rush. So quickly, that they hadn't gotten the news of a storm so massive.
"Father, we'll be alright. Right, father?"
He lowered his hands, as his voice stopped its chant, he collapsed soundly. His mana had run out. His last thought was that he, and his daughter, would pass on together.
............................
"Father! Father! Please get up..." The salt water dripping from her brown hair pooled around his eyes, as she hovered over him. He woke up reaching to her face to wipe away the tears, that would drip down, too.
"Shush, now. Meridith, I'm still alive... help me stand up."
They were on a beach. The storm clouds made the sky gray, and the wind and rain had nearly subsided. But, those waves were still tall.
He saw pieces of his little ship splashing around out there. And that their mass was beached along with them, its sail was still attached and spread widely across the shoreline.
"We won't be getting off of this island anytime soon. I'm not even sure of where we've landed... Thank the gods we did."
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|
He felt warm and comfortable it's been so long since he was reincarnated in this world. He may not remember his past life and now, he will eagerly to enjoy this life even it full of aragami. But he remembered before the midst of insanity a mechanical voice transmitted in his mind it feels like his identity was not ordinary it maybe help in the battle.
"Hmm.. where I am?"
The young man was wake up from sleeping, he saw a white ceiling then he looked around him and he saw gray walls that full of medical equipment. He saw a woman looks around 25 years old wearing a military uniform with a lab coat on the top of it. When the woman heard the young man she turned around walked towards him.
"Oh you are awake now it's been a 2 days that your unconscious since Mr. Carl bring you here, there's some pain around your body?"
The woman asked the young man.
"No I am but where I am?"
He says,the woman replied
"This is emergency room within the Fenrir Branch Far east, Mr. Carl was brought you here he said that you save him umpredicment of dying he and he said that your are talented to wield a God Arc without the God Arc Bracelet you're lucky that you did not die by aragami within that God Arc"
"!!! What aragami within the God Arc?"
"Oh I supposed that you don't know about that, God Arc' s are humanity hope the weapon that effective against the aragami, God Arc should not casually touch or wield without God Arc Bracelet because God Arc was artificial aragami inside it to be officially called God Arc a person who touch the God Arc without God Arc Bracelet or others personal God Arc was devoured by aragami it "
The woman said and she look at the young man in front of her curiously, such a casually wield the God Arc easily without God Arc Bracelet and easily annihilated the group of aragami what's more the gigantic aragami was called Vajra it was aragami that emitted the electric current to paralyzed it's prey.
"I don't know why it was unconsciously wield it and I lost my consciousness I don't know what happened but after that I saw a mountain of corpse of them"
"Hmm.. interesting but oh I forgot to introduce myself I am Hizuku Kaede I may not a God Arc wielder but I'm military medic officer I'm charge to operate this emergency room and welcome to Fenrir Branch Far East"
"I I am!"
He tried to introduce but a sudden pain but not much intense a before
[ A.......R.......E.......N ]
"I am Aren that all that I know"
"Okay you should go to wardrobe and get ready for registration"
"Registration for?"
"Registration for the new-type of God Arc and it happened that you are perfect candidate for it"
Kaede smiled left the room, Aren was silent for awhile stood up and walked to the wardrobe for clothes, when he open the wardrobe and the set of clothes was prepared for him it was dark gray shirt, black necktie, Jet-black trousers, Jet-black military boots, pair of underwear and Long black military coat in the back there was a face of mythology wolf.
"So this is Fenrir military uniform I need to get soon as possible"
He takes the clothes and goes to restroom, this time this the first time he saw his face in this current body if not for his masculine voice he will mistakenly as a girl, his Ash colored hair was long reach to his back and the face of him will makes a woman get jealous, he cleared his mind and get to the shower and after he finished the shower he puts on the clothes left the room.
"Oh are you ready you look good in that outfit, please come with me for laboratory Professor Sakaki was waiting for us"
He surprise that Kaede was waiting for him to guide.
"Okay Ms. Meade"
"Hmm.. good come with me"
Kaede smlies and turn around and walk to the hall, Aren immediately followed Kaede.
" Yo Ms. Kaede this is the new recruit for the new-type God Arc "
There was a three people that walked towards them, the man it looks around same age with Kaede with brown military coat was calling out Kaede and he look at Aren with curiously.
"Oh there such a beautiful girl will be going to recruit hey Kaede did you bring a wrong uniform for her?"
One of the three people was a woman looks around same age as Kaede gazing up and down to Aren amusingly she didn't know that Aren was a man.
" Cough! This is the new recruit Aren for your information he was a man not a woman"
"!!"
"!!!?"
"Oi you shouldn't standing too long we had to report immediately now"
The last people was young man around 20's said to the two with cold voice he looks like anti-social type of man.
"Okay okay man you should relax a bit oh Ms. Kaede and recruit see ya again"
The man has left
"Oh sorry for mistakenly as a girl then see you and good luck"
The woman left
"Hmmph"
The young man followed towards the two and stop beside Aren and said with the low voice that only two of the could hear.
" A hybrid huh don't worry I will not exposed it but don't get in my way"
The young man left
Aren was standing absentmindedly at hall [ he knows that means]
"Aren...... Aren!"
" Huh ahh sorry please lead the way"
Aren was awaken by Kaede and follow her.
"Hmm.. don't worry these three are Squad no. 1 within this Branch so called elite group"
" Elite?"
" Subjugating the aragami needs a teamwork when it come to gigantic aragami like the one that face earlier such as called Vajra don't worry you will not hunt them as for now, all members of God Arc wielder have separated into squad you will not allowed to go mission alone at least you have a strength as them"
"Squads huh, I got it"
End
|
{
"subset": "scribblehub",
"lang": "en",
"series": "10704",
"id": "10877",
"q": 0.7,
"title": "Grim - Chapter 1- Aren",
"author": "Kreive21",
"chapters": 4,
"rating": 3.8,
"rating_ct": 10,
"genre": [
"Action",
"Drama",
"Fanfiction",
"Horror",
"Mecha",
"Psychological",
"Sci-fi",
"Tragedy"
],
"tags": [
"God Eater",
"Accelerated Growth",
"Amnesia",
"Androgynous Characters",
"Apocalypse",
"Based on a Video Game",
"Beautiful Female Lead",
"Bloodlines",
"Cannibalism",
"Character Growth",
"Cheats",
"Early Romance",
"Fast Learner",
"Half-human Protagonist",
"Human-Nonhuman Relationship",
"Loli",
"Love Interest Falls in Love First",
"Male Protagonist",
"Military",
"Modern Day",
"Reincarnated into Another World",
"Sudden Strength Gain",
"Teamwork",
"Unique Weapon User",
"Unique Weapons",
"Weak to Strong"
]
}
|
Crimson world
That's what he saw when he awaken, he checked his body he surprise that his body was so young like a middle schooler.
[Who am I?]
He tried to identify his name but strong headache that strikes him he did not pursue it anymore to avoid accident.
[Where I am?]
From the place that he awaken in the ruins, he walks out if there was inhibitant nearby in the ruins.
BAAANNNGGG!!!
ROOOOAAAARRR!!!
[What!!]
A loud sound that echoes within the ruins that make him surprised almost wake sent flying to the wall because the source of the sounds was front of him there was form of shadows humanoid and beast in the quite distance before him. He stood up and walked directly to the shadows to confirm their identity.
"Hey stupid aragami come at me!"
[Aragami?]
Their forms was starting to clear, a human at the age of 40's in military uniform was holding a huge weird weapon that aimed at the beast that coated by white and gray, it has a wide tail with large hind legs but did not have a fore arms.
Roarr!!
The aragami was provoked by the human soldier in the front of it and suddenly rushed to the human soldier with the speed of motorcycle.
"Hmm? Good this is the last bullet that I have we the old generation God Arc wielder was single type of weapon be it lucky or not."
He smiled bitterly as he starts to attack with his weird weapon, when he was a right aim and pull the trigger.
BAANGG!!!
The bullet shot straight to the mouth of aragami.
Kwaaangg!!
Tud!!!
The young man was surprised that he witness a battle between a human and beast, what more he was surprise about the weird weapon that the man's hand
KWEEEERRWW!!
The young man was almost frightened about the shadow behind the man, there are seven beasts that covered by the shadow. He made up his mind to remind the man he run towards him.
"Behind you!!!"
"Hmm?"
The man was shocked because there was a young man front of him the face was pale as paper and he was pointing behind him, when he was look behind he was surprised about the seven shadow, but he was easily to calm and he run beside the young man and inquire him.
" Lad what are you doing here?"
" I don't know."
The young man said, the man sigh and says.
"Well doesn't matter you should leave this place it's dangerous here."
" I don't know where, who I am."
"!!!"
The man was almost stumbled because the young man's words, in his mind 'what the heck!' he grabbed the young man's arms and run towards the exit.
"Over there!"
The man says.
They successfully exit the building but unfortunately.
GWWOOOAARRR!!!!
A gigantic aragami that blocks their way, their both surprised in front of them the man was was try to operate the communicator for emergency.
"Over!! This is CODENAME CARL I need back up we are surrounded by the group of aragami immediately!"
A voice within the communicator was replied
"Please wait for 10 minutes for the back up"
"Damn we need it right here right now I don't have bullets with me"
Carl said with rage, when he turn around he saw the young man standing and look absentmindedly at the gigantic aragami that suddenly generates the electric current and suddenly rushed at the young man.
"Dodge!!"
Carl says and pushed aside the young man
"!!!"
The young man was suddenly awaken stupor.
"Arrgghhhh!!!!!"
Carl was wounded and his left arm was separated on his body and his weapon was thrown besides the young man and he was sent flying to the building and resulting the collapse to rubble, the seven shadows that shows that the aragami before was join to surrounding him.
"Mr. Carl!!"
The young man screamed to the bottom of his lungs, and suddenly he blame himself for not being alert
[Why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why]
While in the midst of insanity a mechanical voice answered in his mind.
((Bloodline Awakening- Marduk))
((Stage 1: Devourer))
((Ability 1: Berserk))
((Ability 2: Devour))
((Ability 3: God Arc Manipulation))
After the awakening the young man saw the weird weapon beside him and grab it, a sudden pain immediately invaded his body that make him unconscious and slowly stood up from the ground, his left eye was suddenly radiates the crimson light.
((Berserk))!!!
In his hand was the weird weapon that suddenly change into long sword.
((God Arc Manipulation))!!!
When the young man was ready and suddenly dashed towards the group of aragami
Booomm!!!
A sudden acceleration speed that leaves behind a crater.
Carl was leaning in the rubbles, he knows that this is the last mission in his life, there no changes even the reinforcement will come it will too late.
GWWOOOAARRR!!!
The gigantic aragami was suddenly charge towards him, he close his eyes.
Pssshhhiiiinnnkk!!!
Kwaaanggrrrr!!!!
Carl was suddenly feels not right and immediately open his eyes, and was shocked to the scene that he saw.
The gigantic aragami was beheaded by the young man in front of him, and what's more the weapon that use was more familiar to him.
It was the old generation God Arc rifle type, not the sword type.
KWEEEWWW!!!
The other seven aragami's that remaining was frightened immediately step back a little. The young man turn around and glaring at the seven aragami with Berserk eyes.
Pssshhhiiiinnnkk
Pssshhhiiiinnnkk
Psssuuuuunnnkk
Psssuuuuunnnkk
Pssshhhiiiinnnkk
Slash!!!!
Slash!!!!!
A speed twice as a sports car when he kill the seven aragami and suddenly goes back to the gigantic aragami to use the last ability.
((Devour))
He grabbed the the head finding the core of aragami, his mind absorbed for devouring like it has no sanity.
A few minutes later the young man recovered his sanity and he find himself surrounded by mountains of corpse of aragami then suddenly fainted, Carl was able to witness all of it from the beginning to the end, in his mind ' I will protect this kid as a for saving my life'
END
|
{
"subset": "scribblehub",
"lang": "en",
"series": "10704",
"id": "10731",
"q": 0.7,
"title": "Grim - Prologue- Crimson-Awakening",
"author": "Kreive21",
"chapters": 4,
"rating": 3.8,
"rating_ct": 10,
"genre": [
"Action",
"Drama",
"Fanfiction",
"Horror",
"Mecha",
"Psychological",
"Sci-fi",
"Tragedy"
],
"tags": [
"God Eater",
"Accelerated Growth",
"Amnesia",
"Androgynous Characters",
"Apocalypse",
"Based on a Video Game",
"Beautiful Female Lead",
"Bloodlines",
"Cannibalism",
"Character Growth",
"Cheats",
"Early Romance",
"Fast Learner",
"Half-human Protagonist",
"Human-Nonhuman Relationship",
"Loli",
"Love Interest Falls in Love First",
"Male Protagonist",
"Military",
"Modern Day",
"Reincarnated into Another World",
"Sudden Strength Gain",
"Teamwork",
"Unique Weapon User",
"Unique Weapons",
"Weak to Strong"
]
}
|
2 days later
After the detention, Aren preparing himself for the drill. He noticed that his Armlet was different from the others, generally it was red as a base color with black lining but to him was opposite,it was black as a base with the red lining it maybe due to mutation of his God Arc.
" Well it doesn't matter anyway I will go to the hall to meet them"
Knock knock knock!!!
When he was about to leave there's someone was knocking on the door. Aren is open the door he saw a little girl in combat uniform she was like a grade school due to her stature, he saw an Armlet in her right arm he knows that it was the same as him a God Eater.
"Oh looks like your going to the hall, I was about call you out since you didn't know the way"
The little girl said looking on his face. Aren was looked back at her with curiously then looked again at her Armlet in her arm and asked
"Are you also new recruit?"
" Yes I was later than you within one day though, the drill should be two days earlier due to the mess that you make"
Looking at him sternly then suddenly smiled and stretch her arm for introducing herself.
"My name is Lisa El Freid I am also a New-type God Eater, is same as you we will go to hall to attend for the drill, although it is first time we meet please take care of me"
Lisa says and looking at him with anticipation.
"My name is Aren a New-type God Eater, it is same with me please take care of me"
" You don't a family name?"
Lisa asked Aren, but in return was shooked his head.
"I don't know and I don't have a memory in the past that's all"
He says as if he does not care. Lisa did not ask the matter and turn around.
"Hey I gonna go with you to the hall to report to Ms. Tsubaki as soon as possible"
He followed Lisa to the hall, his eyes fall in her body he doubts what weapon that she initially use, he suddenly disperse in his mind that doubt.
"There is anybody aside from two of us?"
He asked Lisa about the number of recruits that same batch as them.
"There's only one he is Kota Fujiki, the only one that Old-type God Eater among the three of us"
She replied and she look at him if he was something to ask.
"What type of weapon that are your specialize?"
He finally asked his doubts this time. Lisa was suddenly realized his and smiled to him as it's not a big deal.
"I am specialize in short sword, sniper, and buckler, what about you what weapon that you use to make a huge mess in Aptitude Test"
She says as if she was interested to learn from his own mouth.
"My God Arc was SwordLance, assault, buckler"
"SwordLance?"
"Hmm, you see it was due to mutation that happen last time"
"So it was that incident huh, let me see your God Arc later at the drill okay?"
Lisa says and look at him with adorable eyes, Aren was subconsciously look away with faint blush on his cheeks.
"Oo..Okay"
She realized that what's she doing now, she turned around walking trottingly with flushed cheeks.
5 minutes later
The hall was big enough for thirty people, the half of the hall was reception room and mission center. Whatever the mission that compatible or can achieve, for example gathering materials and subjugating aragami sometimes in reception room the appointment of many high rank officer or visitors. The other one was storage for the God Arc's, many God Arc that belong to someone that has retired or deceased was waiting for the compatible God Eater's. Aren and Lisa has arrived at the reception room, they saw a young man who was sitting at the bench was waiting for someone. The young man notice the two he stood up and waved his hand at them and call them out.
"Hey your both was same as me right, I introduce myself my name is Kota Fujiki I supposed that I am only the Old-type God Arc user in this batch, Please take care of me at the next mission"
Kota was talking to them cheerfully, he is only one that did not put a uniform on the first mission.
"My name is Lisa El Freid a New-type God Eater, it is same as you please take care of me in the next mission"
Lisa was introducing herself, she was about to introduced Aren but Kota interrupt her and look at them.
"Wow two cuties will be the same batch as me huh"
He said but he was interrupted by Aren with cold voice.
"My name is Aren a New-type God Eater, do not forget that I'm a man"
He walked towards the reception table, a woman aound twenties that working on the computer, Aren saw that she was receptionist giving a mission to the others and the walked towards her. The receptionist was notice that there was a pretty boy in military uniform walking towards her, she show her smile towards him.
"Are you the recruit that go to the drill mission?"
She asked, Aren nod at her.
"Oh wait properly I will contact Ms. Tsubaki to inform that you come here, oh I introduce myself my name is Hibari Takeda I am in charge at giving a mission to anyone if anything you want to asked, I am gladly to hear you"
She said with smile while she's stop her work at the computer.
"My name is Aren a New-type God Eater"
"So it was you that detain after the Aptitude Test incident, then I will advise you be careful on your mission"
Tsshhhnng
The automated door suddenly open and Tsubaki come out and arrive beside the reception table, and look towards Aren and the others.
"Today will officially starts the drill mission, don't worry one of the veterans will properly guide you and protect you in critical condition"
Tsshhhnng
A man come out with brown military coat comes out to greet them with smile, and walked towards Tsubaki asked her.
"Are they the will take the drill mission?"
While saying that his vision falls to Aren, and look towards his Armlet and suddenly nods.
"Hey rookie that was intense in the Aptitude Test I looking forward to to be a same team as you"
The four people looks towards Aren, they knew the incident but the details was unknown it was resticted by the higher-ups, Lindow knows the potential of Aren may exceed him in many times.
" In this first mission for will be guided by him, by his name was Lindow Amamiya, a first Unit leader he is specialize in survival and his blade skills you will experience what was subjugating in team"
Tsubaki interrupted and says, then walk towards the exit. Hibari resumes her work, only four of them was left.
"Okay let's go to to the storage we will pick up our God arc that's all and move out"
Lindow says and walked towards the opposite way that Tsubaki leaves. When they enter they saw a girl around late teens was operating the terminal while the beside he row of mechanical case that line up.
"Yo Licca we will go out a bit, we'll need our perspective God Arc for the drill mission of this rookies"
He call out the girl in the picture terminal asked for permission.
"Oh Mr. Lindow please wait a second I will take now"
The girl nodded and started to operate the terminal.
SHHHHHNNGGG SHHHHHNNGGG SHHHHHNNGGG SHHHHHNNGGG
The four mechanical cases started to rise up, three mechanical cases coated by red color but the last one is conspicuous was coated by Jet-black color. When the four people looking towards the black one, Licca notice their look and explain.
"Director and Professor Sakaki requested me to create the exclusive case, because the God Arc that contain it was something special, when I put in the Normal mechanical case it vibrates greatly as if had a strong will"
"Strong will?"
Lindow asked
"Yes the Bias Factor within this God Arc have own consciousness, it has a lot of pride and sometimes it gives out some pressure who was near on it"
She says while Lindow was nodded in affirmation then look towards the three people.
"Hey go pickup your God Arcs now we will immediately"
The three nodded walked towards their God Arc. When Aren walk towards the black mechanical case, it is automatically open itself and shows the Jet-black God Arc. He touch the handle it suddenly vibrates as if identifying the wielder, when the God Arc recognized Aren it suddenly stopped from vibrating.
{ Father we will going to hunt?}
A voice in his mind was transmitted from the God Arc was asked him.
"Is there something wrong Aren?"
"!!"
Lisa was noticed Aren that standing idly after they pick up the God Arc and she noticed the weapon of Aren was surprisingly amazed at the structure. All of its color was Jet-black and there was a crimson vein on the top of it the length was longer than the buster sword type God Arcs that she saw. Aren was awake in his stupor and look towards Lisa and nodded and walked towards the gate that Lindow waiting on them, he notice the three of them walked towards him.
"Are you ready?"
"""Yes sir"""
End
|
{
"subset": "scribblehub",
"lang": "en",
"series": "10704",
"id": "12630",
"q": 0.7,
"title": "Grim - Chapter 3- Lisa El Freid",
"author": "Kreive21",
"chapters": 4,
"rating": 3.8,
"rating_ct": 10,
"genre": [
"Action",
"Drama",
"Fanfiction",
"Horror",
"Mecha",
"Psychological",
"Sci-fi",
"Tragedy"
],
"tags": [
"God Eater",
"Accelerated Growth",
"Amnesia",
"Androgynous Characters",
"Apocalypse",
"Based on a Video Game",
"Beautiful Female Lead",
"Bloodlines",
"Cannibalism",
"Character Growth",
"Cheats",
"Early Romance",
"Fast Learner",
"Half-human Protagonist",
"Human-Nonhuman Relationship",
"Loli",
"Love Interest Falls in Love First",
"Male Protagonist",
"Military",
"Modern Day",
"Reincarnated into Another World",
"Sudden Strength Gain",
"Teamwork",
"Unique Weapon User",
"Unique Weapons",
"Weak to Strong"
]
}
|
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