《A World of Summoned Heroes》


 A Prelude to the Festival

    Fire. Created through energy applied to wood or anything flammable. Some see it as a symbol of death, destruction, and hate. Others view it with a meaning of passion and rebirth. Yet to the boy huddled in the corner of the dark cellar, experiencing all those different definitions simultaneously, all around him, grasped none of it. His mind could not comprehend the devastation that had taken place just a few moments before. All he could do now was sit hunched in the small, dark room with only the light of a single, glowing black flower to comfort him as his village¡¯s alarm bells rang from the distance.


    Let us rewind time by fourteen hours, when the same bells rang for a different reason.


    The giant brass bell in Auften Academy¡¯s bell tower tolled one, indicating the end of the lunch hour. Located near the small village of Ixos, the academy wasn¡¯t some prestigious mage institute meant for prodigies in the magical arts. It only served to educate the general population, as well as the nearby sons and daughters of farmers and ranchers who established themselves close to Ixos.


    Under the shade of the giant oaks growing around the academy, students donning navy uniforms fringed with gold slowly, almost reluctantly, made their way towards the two-story building¡¯s giant doors. Having just finished lunch, they were about to begin their standard afternoon lessons in the magical arts.


    Amid the crowd, however, a singular figure made its way against the current, heading out of the main courtyard, leaving the academy.


    With a head of brownish-black medium length hair, eyes of deep emerald, and wearing a uniform of medium height, the boy was nothing out of the ordinary. The only special thing about him was that not a single student paid attention to his behavior.


    For Sirus, the boy who was now outside the gates, being ignored was nothing new. Why would it be? He had done this routine of walking out for almost as long as he had been at the academy. Quickly heading over the bridge that separated Auften from Ixos, he slid down the slope that led to the river¡¯s shore. Under the shade of the stone bridge and green ivy climbing up the sides, he changed from his navy school uniform into more comfortable working clothes. Stuffing his school clothing into a leather bag, Sirus climbed back out onto the cobblestone streets and made his way to a caf¨¦ in the small shopping district Ixos boasted.


    On any other day, the streets would be filled with clattering horse carts carrying straw, wood, and merchants¡¯ wares. Along with them, the sounds of carpenters and other artisans going to work as well as the chatter surrounding the stalls lining the sides of the road could be heard. Today, however, that working atmosphere had been replaced by a more festive one. As Sirus made his way through the streets, servants bearing crates of banners and decorations ran past him, shouting commands at one another on where to go. On both sides of the streets, vendors set up booths and stalls, replacing the merchants and horse carts. In the air were the various scents of sugary pastries and savory grilled meat that made Sirus, even though he had just eaten, drool. He grinned to himself. It was festival day, after all, and not only Sirus, but everyone, looked forward to this day. Passing through the various alleys and streets, colorful banners and flags of all colors were being hung up. Flying on the spires of the taller buildings were light blue flags with a flattened inverted golden triangle with two golden squares balancing on top, forming a simple shield design ¨C the national flag of Astra. With the sunny and cloudless weather, it was a perfect day to have a celebration.


    The small golden bell hanging on the doorframe chimed as Sirus entered the caf¨¦. The place was mostly empty, except a few elderly people leisurely sipping on their afternoon tea. They gave small waves and smiles as Sirus entered the shop. Having worked at this place for quite a while, Sirus knew each of them personally. A bulky, muscular man with short red hair behind the counter gave Sirus a cheerful wave and welcomed him in.


    ¡°¡¯Ay Sirus! Aren¡¯t ya supposed ta be in school right now?¡± He teased, leaning over the countertop.


    Sirus gave a wry smile. ¡°Yep. Totally. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve worked for you at this time for the last three years or so, Pahn.¡±


    ¡°¡¯Ey, ¡®ave some respect for ya elders, will ya? That¡¯s Baker Pahn to ya.¡± Wiping the stone counter, Baker Pahn gave a hearty chuckle. ¡°Anyway, get settled down. Today¡¯s festival day, so prepare yerself. I¡¯d be expectin¡¯ ¡®round twice the number of people we usually get.¡±


    ¡°Of course there would be a lot of people.¡± Sirus thought to himself as he put on his work apron. Everyone¡¯s out and about, having a good time, after all.


    The ¡°Souls Festival¡± was an annual event that was held in the springtime in the Astra Kingdom. Starting when Sirus¡¯s grandfather was in his twenties, the Astra Kingdom, as well as some other nations, had been locked in war with the Midnight Federation, a land across the Prism Sea swathed in eternal darkness, filled with bloodthirsty beasts and demons. They had originally invaded Astra and planned on taking over the whole Ilbia continent, but thanks to the Church of Astra in the Holy Capital, spirits of the departed were summoned from another world with powerful abilities and magic. With this newfound strength, humanity was able to push the demon army back across the Prism Sea. Seizing this golden opportunity, the Church and multiple other Kingdoms retaliated against the demons, pushing their armies, as well as the summoned heroes, into the Midnight Territory, planning to put the enemy down once and for all. However, the first heroes didn¡¯t have enough firepower to fight against the massive hordes of demons and were only capable of securing a port on the Midnight Territory¡¯s beaches, so the Church, each Spring, chose a day to hold a summoning festival in order to boost the firepower of the Kingdom and ever so slightly tip the odds in their favor.


    Today was the date of this year¡¯s festival. It was a grand event that was widely celebrated within (and outside of) the Kingdom. Around this time, people were busy making delicious foods and hanging up decorations, which was why Ixos had such a different, festive feel to it today.


    The shop¡¯s bell rung again as another elderly couple made their way in. Baker Pahn chuckled and called out to Sirus.


    ¡°¡¯Ey, Sirus, those¡¯r yer first customers of tha day!¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ Good evening! How may I be of service?¡± With a warm smile, Sirus got up and greeted the customers and led them to their table.


    =+=


    ¡°Thank you for your patronage!¡± Both Pahn and Sirus waved at the leaving customers. Pahn turned to Sirus.


    ¡°Well, I think that¡¯s ¡®a last of ¡®em. I¡¯m thinkin¡¯ of closing up early. No point in making more bread if no one¡¯s gunna eat it. Here, Sirus, take this."


    ¡°!¡±


    Pahn pulled out a small basket of assorted bread and tried to give them to Sirus.


    ¡°Uhm, Baker Pahn, there¡¯s no way I can accept this. You are already paying me, after all.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Think nothin¡¯ of it Sirus! Today¡¯s festival day! Share this with your gramps. He¡¯s done a lot for Ixos. Plus,¡± Pahn leaned in close to Sirus, ¡°If ya don¡¯t, this bread¡¯s gunna spoil. I spent so much work on this, Sirus! To let my bread go ta waste, don¡¯t ya think that-¡°


    ¡°Okay! In that case, I graciously accept your gift. Thank you so much!¡± Sirus rushed out the door, bread in hand. Pahn was good at baking, but his skills at dramatic monologuing were, from Sirus''s five-year personal experience at the caf¨¦, much greater. Not to mention, while the bread he baked was quite good, his hygiene was often... lacking. Put this together with his long surprisingly powerful monologuing abilities and you¡¯d get a double whammy straight to the stomach.


    The sky was already a light shade of pink when Sirus left the shop and made his way to the quieter residential area of Ixos. Judging by the large amounts of people already out and about, the preparations for the festival had probably ended, and everyone was just enjoying themselves until the main event began. In place of vegetables and trinkets, food stalls lined the sides of the streets, selling everything from fried chicken to curry to takoyaki, tasty foods Sirus learned were brought over and popularized by the summoned heroes. Threading his way through the bustling street and food and game stalls, Sirus entered a small alleyway. The other side of the alley opened into a small clearing surrounded by cottages and residential spaces. The house that Sirus was looking at was a two-story cottage which also doubled as a storefront. Lined up on its display case were various vials of colored liquid ¨C potions. [E/N: Drugs ~Duet]A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± Sirus called out as he stepped into the store¡¯s interior.


    ¡°Ah, welcome back!¡± A thin old man came out of a door behind the counter. His eyes wandered over to the basket Sirus was carrying. ¡°Is that bread? Ooh! I¡¯ll take that! Always nice to have some of Pahn¡¯s baking for breakfast!¡±


    Raising the bread basket out of the old man¡¯s knobby hands as he hobbled over to Sirus, Sirus sighed. ¡°Always nice to see you on your feet, gramps. It¡¯s like you¡¯re still in your prime. Geez, can¡¯t you be more reserved when it comes to Pahn¡¯s gifts?¡±


    Sirus lowered the basket, and the old man immediately took a piece of bread and bit into it. ¡°How can I ignore excellent baking?¡± The old man said between bites of the bread. ¡°Ah¡­Pahn¡¯s bread is refreshing to eat, as usual. I think I might just have to propose to that guy.¡±


    ¡°Since when has an 80-year-old man with a grandson ever proposed to a young man?¡±


    ¡°Joking, joking!¡±


    ¡°And can¡¯t you be more considerate of your grandson instead of the food he¡¯s holding on to?¡± Sirus gave an exasperated look to his grandpa, now munching on a dinner roll.


    ¡°Mmmph, yes, of course! You¡¯re my only grandchild after all! How was the school and all that?¡± The old man carried on eating as he spoke.


    ¡°Ignored. As per usual.¡±


    ¡°Well, why not just stay after the lunch bell? I¡¯m sure somebody will eventually notice you, even if it means you becoming spell fodder.¡± [E/N: ~Notice me, senpai! -Ai]


    Sirus gave a long sigh. ¡°And get hit with a fireball? I think I¡¯ll pass. Plus, what else would I do there? Just wave my hands around and pray to the gods that something miraculous happens?  I¡¯ll remind you for the sixth hundred time now, Elder Chryssa: I. Have. No. Magical. Affinity.¡±


    After being born, each baby was put before a special mirror with several transparent gems decorating the sides. The mirror would then measure the mana capacity of the newborn, and the gems would light up in accord. The majority of all children put before the mirror would invoke a candle-like glow from the gemstones ¨C signs of normal magical capacity. On rare occasions, the gems would glow with the light of a bright bonfire, and on even rarer occasions, they¡¯d shine like the sun. However, when Sirus was put before the measuring device, only silence could be heard from the people surrounding the child. The gemstones didn¡¯t give off any light. It felt like they were even dimmer than before. After checking that the mirror was not broken, only one conclusion could be reached by the nurses ¨C This was a child with no potential in casting magic. Growing up, Sirus understood what fate had brought him ¨C The children around him were too afraid to play with him in fear that they¡¯ll harm Sirus¡¯s body and get into trouble. The grown-ups conversely would often whisper nasty rumors as he passed by. Eventually, when he was at the age for schooling, he could not practice casting and was forced to leave during the afternoons, much to his humiliation. Finding work at Pahn¡¯s caf¨¦ was the only thing that kept Sirus from thinking he was utterly unfit for society, as he didn¡¯t have to rely on magic to bus tables and cook. While at first, he was very ashamed of working while his fellow peers were learning, Sirus eventually came to recognize that he had already done as much as he could and accepted those subtle feelings of shame as part of who he was. In the end, Sirus was quite content with this lifestyle, but still had hopes that one day, he would be able to practice magic.


    Elder Chryssa coughed, breaking Sirus out of his thoughts. ¡°Well, you could always try carrying the equipment around for everyone¡­ Anyway, I just completed an order I received a few hours ago. His highness Duke Verona has requested the immediate shipment of sixteen flasks of¡¸Prismatic Brew¡¹to the town center tonight for what he calls a ¡®rainbow fountain¡¯. I was thinking of running the task, but¡­¡± Elder Chryssa eyed the basket of bread, ¡°Er, my back seems to be hurting, so would you be so kind as to deliver it for me?¡±


    Just like always, eh Gramps? Sirus grimaced at the name Verona but put on a smile regardless. ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Alright! -Er, *cough* Thank you, my grandson. I¡¯m nothing without you.¡±


    ¡°Say what you want Gramps, but aren¡¯t you just after some food?¡±


    The old man nearly choked on the bread he was taking a big bite out of.


    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ll be heading out now. Take care!¡±


    Closing the shop door, Sirus pulled the cart containing the potions and weaved back out of the alleyway and into the main street, now fully alive with children running between the legs of couples and elders out for a stroll through the festive air. What a great day for a festival¡­ He smiled as he breathed in the cool spring air. The first time he was part of the celebration, when he was twelve, Sirus had already been enchanted by tales told to him by his teacher of the chivalrous heroes who had come from another world. He was fascinated with their strong resolve, their incredible abilities, and above all, their almost god-like power of coming out of any situation alive and grinning. Indeed, they were the models that he, a mostly powerless village boy, looked up to. They were his hope that perhaps one day, Sirus would also become just like them.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll be able to meet one group of such heroes¡­ Wouldn¡¯t that be nice?¡±


    Sirus was still lost in his thoughts as he crossed a mostly abandoned dirt lot on his way over to the center of the village, where the fountain was located. There were the sounds of children playing nearby, probably enjoying the extra free time they had today because school had closed an hour or two early to allow the older students to help their families with preparations. As he was almost out of the lot-


    ¡°Waaaah! Hey mister! Look out!¡±


    A child¡¯s voice yelled.


    ¡°Hu-OOOF!¡± Turning towards the source of the warning, Sirus didn¡¯t have any time to react as a big leather ball, most likely belonging to those children, came hurtling at his stomach. Thunk. A direct hit. It forced most of the air out of Sirus¡¯s lungs as it sent both him and the vials of precious brew flying into the air like a bowling ball to some pins.


    ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!¡± Panicked, Sirus flailed his hands out in front of himself, trying to grab as many bottles of the brew as he could. However, before his fingers even touched so much as a single bottle, it was all over. With his mouth and nose only tasting and smelling dirt, Sirus groaned to himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure I¡¯ll get away with my own life after this.¡± He miserably thought. Steeling himself for the carnage that surely waited on the other side of his closed eyelids, he forcefully pried them open to find¡­ all sixteen bottles of the¡¸Prismatic Brew¡¹floating in midair?


    ¡°Geez, Desmond, didn¡¯t your mother never tell you to use¡¸Body Enhancement¡¹when you¡¯re in a place when there¡¯s a tonna people?¡± A small boy with chestnut-colored hair made his way over to the fallen Sirus and started carefully setting the floating bottles of liquid on the ground.


    ¡°Yeah, that definitely could be dangerous, y¡¯know? What if that was Duke Verona who came through here? Also, Alrick, could you please hurry? I¡¯m not sure I can maintain¡¸Levitate¡¹for much longer.¡± Another young boy cautioned the child who was most likely responsible for knocking down Sirus while holding out a small carved stick with a glowing tip.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, sorry, sorry, my bad.¡± The last child, Desmond, grumbled to Sirus, who was sitting himself up from the ground. Now that Sirus had steadied his nerves quite a bit, he recognized two of the three children responsible for his tumble.


    ¡°Alrick? Mathias?¡± The two lived quite close to the Chryssa potions shop and played a lot together outside of the store in the afternoons when Sirus was returning from his job. Occasionally, he would bring them pastries Pahn forced on him, and their faces would always light up when they saw Sirus heading their way with tarts and cupcakes. Needless to say, like most of Sirus¡¯s acquaintances, they knew Sirus was mana-less and was much weaker than a typical boy of his age.


    Alrick quickly realized and beckoned to Mathias, who, seeing that all the bottles were safe, lowered his wand and canceled the spell.


    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s Sirus!¡± Alrick rushed over, with Mathias dragging Desmond in tow. The two of them lowered their heads, while Mathias forced a struggling Desmond to also lower his.


    ¡°We¡¯re so incredibly sorry!¡±


    =+=


    Author (CH0SHAi): Hey all. This is my first (well, technically second) attempt at writing a story. I really liked the genre of isekai, but all the good ideas were taken (heck, I know there¡¯s a story out there about how a guy gets isekai¡¯d but cannot wear clothing). So, I decided to change the perspective a little. Anyways, I hope you all find this story amusing and worth your time! Thanks for reading!


    Editor I (Ai_TaSAI): Ah s-[demonetized]. Here we go again. The previous attempt wasn¡¯t even published (lol). Maybe I¡¯ll put that up some time to see how CH0SHAi reacts to it. Anyway, I¡¯ll be responsible for checking simpler details as well as publication. I hope you find this read worth your time.


    Editor II (Duet): Hello guys, I¡¯m the second editor of this novel. As you¡¯ve probably heard above, this isn¡¯t our first time, nor our second time going through the torture of editing novels.

 The Festival of Summoned Souls

    ¡°¡­And that¡¯s about the gist of why I couldn¡¯t deflect that ball with¡¸Gust¡¹or¡¸Minor Barrier¡¹.¡± Sirus wrapped up his explanation to Desmond as he pulled his cart closer to the fountain in the town¡¯s center, now with the three boys in tow.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Desmond, who now understood the past events of Sirus¡¯s life, lowered his head as he walked. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Sirus.¡± He looked up with a resolved face and clenched his fist, ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful next time!¡±


    Sirus only gave a gentle smile back and laughed. Pretty mature at this age, eh? ¡°Think nothing of it! We all make mistakes, plus, you don¡¯t know me, so it would make sense for you to be fairly confused. Well, none of the potions broke thanks to Mathias and Alrick, so no harm, no foul.¡±


    ¡°¡­Harm¡­foul?¡± Desmond muttered to himself, visibly confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s an old saying of the heroes!¡± Alrick puffed out his chest, visibly proud of himself for knowing that.


    ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Mathias added on, ¡°You just turned twelve, right? Will this be your first time seeing the summoning festival and the heroes?¡±


    ¡°Yup. Mama and Papa used to tell me to come home by sunset on festival day, but today they told me I was old enough to stay as late as I wanted!¡± Desmond kicked the ground a little, ¡°Well, as long as I was with friends¡­"


    Alrick grinned and pointed towards himself. ¡°Well, that¡¯s why Mathias and I are here! We¡¯ll make sure you have so much fun tonight that even your parents get worried!¡±


    ¡°I did not agree to this¡­¡± Mathias quietly sighed as he followed behind them.


    For a national festival, twelve was certainly quite a high restriction for seeing the summoning.Sirus, seventeen himself, thought as he walked. From what he had read in the history books and heard from Elder Chryssa, that age restriction wasn¡¯t always in place. Originally, the heroes that came were peaceful and determined, so the Church didn¡¯t mind letting children watch. However, as the years progressed, anomalies occasionally appeared from the ritual.


    The summoning, Sirus heard, was designed to transport the souls of the departed over to this world. To conserve mana, their original bodies were left behind, which meant that upon summoning, new bodies were manifested for the spirits to inhabit, ones which typically mirrored their former self. However, it was not a flawless system. Occasionally, the manifestations were the souls¡¯ final requests or one of their passions in their former life. This resulted in oddities, ranging from a metal item box with a glass panel to a straight-up sentient gelatinous ooze. This, as one would imagine, was not something parents wanted their children to see.


    By the time the moon had started rising from the east, the four companions had made it to the town center, a hundred-meter diameter circular plaza with a large pool of shimmering water in the center. Surrounding it were benches and flower pots along the shopfronts, restaurants, and caf¨¦s at its sides. The whole place had a groundwork of paving stones and fine masonry, fitting of the center of a small but proud town. There were even more people milling around tonight than usual, having dinner and playing games at the various stalls set outside. Sirus waved the trio of boys off as they rushed to visit the booths and weaved through the crowd, approaching a wooden platform elevated above the milling masses. Atop the stage were some servants and workers loaded with decorations and tools preparing for the main event, as well as another man who was shouting orders to them. He spotted Sirus¡¯s approaching figure and hastily made his way over to the cart.


    Upon closer inspection, this man, Duke Verona, looked like a stereotypical nobleman. Dressed in very expensive clothing, he was very round and wore a golden goatee upon his pig-like face. As he waddled over the Sirus, his greasy forehead started sweating more than usual, which gave him the appearance of an overweight animal struggling to get to his next meal. Without even as much as giving a look of consideration to Sirus, he greedily grasped the potions and carefully inspected them.


    ¡°Here are the potions your highness requested from-¡° Sirus tried to say but was cut off with an outstretched hand from the Duke.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I know, you mana-less boy. Your job is done, now scram. Payment¡¯s already been sent, don¡¯t think you can get any more from me, you hear?¡± The Duke brushed Sirus off as if he was just another annoying mosquito trying to suck his blood.


    ¡°¡­I understand, your highness.¡± Sirus, slightly irked, politely bowed and backed away from Verona, who was still scrutinizing the potions. Even if he didn¡¯t like how he was treated, he had to bear with it. Duke Verona was essentially Ixos¡¯ landlord, mayor, and king. Having power over all of Ixos, the citizens could only accept his snobby behavior, otherwise, they risked punishment ranging from fines to possible imprisonment. The duke especially disliked Sirus because he was mana-less, and therefore in the duke¡¯s eyes, useless. It didn¡¯t help that the duke¡¯s son, while able to dominate his classmates in magic lessons, fell short of Sirus in terms of scores each time there was an exam.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Free from his task, Sirus glanced at the clock tower ¨C around forty minutes until the main event. He walked through the crowd until he found the three boys at a dart-throwing booth and joined in their festivities to while away the time.


    =+=


    ¡°Citizens of Ixos, underneath the glorious kingdom of Astra, as your host Sutherland Verona, I am proud to celebrate with you all the annual Souls Festival!¡±


    The fat, pig-headed duke stood on stage giving his once-a-year speech to the gathered crowd below the stage. Standing among the villagers were Sirus and the three boys, also watching the spectacle.


    ¡°This year,¡± the duke continued, ¡°our event will be made even more glorious by the rainbow fountain we possess, thanks to my generous funds and planning! If you will!¡±


    He snapped his fingers at a servant, who immediately poured some familiar bottles of liquid into the pool of water in the center of the plaza. Almost instantly, the water in the fountain began to shimmer with prismatic light. Oohs and aahs rose out of the crowd, who was admiring the wondrous spectacle.


    ¡°Hey Sirus, aren¡¯t those the same potions that you delivered to the Duke?¡± Mathias tugged on Sirus¡¯s sleeve.


    Nodding, Sirus gave awansmile.


    ¡°Now, as the seconds count down,¡± the duke continued, ¡°let us see who the gods will send us this year! Let us welcome the new heroes!¡±


    As if on cue, the already shimmering, prismatic waters of the pool shone even brighter, radiating magical light. The crowd gasped in wonder and anticipation. Slowly at first, individual water droplets began rising out of the pool, flying high into the evening air, eventually coalescing into a giant sphere of water above the waiting crowd. Inside the sphere, a shimmering mirage slowly surfaced. As more and more water flowed into the sphere, the ball grew larger and larger, and the image, clearer. Even though Sirus had seen this six times already, the spectacle, which he heard used high-level spells to create, as well as astronomical amounts of mana, never failed to amaze him. With the rest of the crowd, Sirus stood wide-eyed as the shimmering image within the ball cleared up to reveal the spacious interior of a massive cathedral. Within the building, six-meter-long aquamarine banners fringed with gold, all bearing the royal crest, hung next to two-story-tall windows. From the arched ceiling dangled massive chandeliers made of silver, glowing with the light of the sun as thousands of candles shone with warm brilliance from above. From what Sirus had heard before, this was the interior of the giant cathedral located in the heart of Radiance, the royal capital of Astra.


    Incredible¡­ Sirus unconsciously let out a sigh of amazement at the spectacle before him.


    As the spectators watched, the projection in the water began to shift downwards, focusing on what appeared to be a circle of robed figures, as well as two other humans. These robed casters were the strongest mages Astra had to offer - the Mage Corps. As for the two figures, Sirus knew from his schooling that they were the leaders of Astra and the kingdom of demihumans, Aliriya ¨C Archbishop Vincent Miria and Princess Iris Silverleaf.


    The image projected began to zoom in on the ritual circle. The image was now clear enough to detail the motions and faces of everyone in the summoning. Several of the villagers caught their breath. Sirus knew why. Princess Silverleaf was breathtaking. Her light blue eyes were like crystallizations of a bright morning sky, her silvery hair flowed down her back like fine platinum threads. With the face of a porcelain doll and a beautifully proportioned body, she was sometimes referred to as a goddess herself by the townspeople. While the two leaders seemingly never broke a sweat, the rest of the summoners wore a tired or pained expression, no doubt from their extreme consumption of mana.


    As the villagers, no, everyone in the Astra Kingdom, watched, the chanting grew louder, resonating through the sphere of water alongside the images. The plaza fell silent, everyone waiting with bated breath. Louder and louder, the somatic phrases continued, until-


    ¡°Waaah! Look! Sirus! Look! Look!¡± Alrick cried out, breaking the silence and excitedly pointing at the projection.


    Shimmering white orbs of light slowly flickered into existence in the cathedral. Four in total, their radiance grew stronger, and the whole cathedral began to fill with a blinding white light. Soon, the sphere of water became a small sun as it shone with bright radiance, lighting up the village nightscape. A powerful gust of mana-induced wind blasted out from the sphere in all directions, extinguishing torches and festival lights. Everyone in the plaza shielded their eyes and body as they basked in the pure white glow and squall. Eventually, the sphere¡¯s shine faded, and the wind abated, throwing the plaza into darkness. The only source of light was the cathedral projected in the shimmering water.


    Within, the mages had stopped chanting. The princess and archbishop were still standing. The scene mirrored what it was five minutes ago.


    The only difference was the four new figures in place of the orbs of light.


    The time was almost midnight. In the glowing orb of water, the archbishop raised his hands in greeting towards the newly summoned heroes. His expression one of warmth and respect.


    ¡°We welcome you to this reality!¡± He cried out, arms spread wide, ¡°Heroes, we have summoned you to save the world, to slay the demon lord!¡±

 In The Midst of the Festivities

    ¡°That¡­ THAT WAS INCREDIBLE! And, and did you see those weapons!? They gotta be class A at least!¡± Desmond couldn¡¯t stop going on and on about his first experience.


    The four of them were currently at a small fishing game booth, stooped over with delicate nets in their hands, trying their luck at catching the small, elusive fish. Desmond, though also focused on the game, was speaking more than he was fishing.


    ¡°Personally, I liked the tall guy with the spear! He¡¯s so cool! Alrick, what about you? Matthias?¡±


    Alrick thought for a moment before answering. ¡°Definitely the black swordsman. Even if it was projected through water, you could tell how sharp his jet-black blade was!¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­ I personally liked the one with the magic staff. He looked so cool when he casted magic.¡± Matthias added.


    Alrick rolled his eyes. ¡°Please Matthias, you probably only like him because you¡¯re one of those damn genius mages!¡±


    That was enough to send the normally calm and collected Matthias into a state of indignancy.


    ¡°Oh yeah? Well, I bet you only liked the swordsman ¡®cause he made all the female priests in the hall fall for him with a swing of his blade! You¡¯re more brawn than brain, you battle maniac!¡±


    ¡°Oh, screw you, you son of a-!¡±


    The battle maniac lived true to his name and jumped on his friend. They rolled around on the ground, tussling and playfully throwing punches. Noticing that a crowd was forming around them, Sirus quickly stepped in and pulled them apart. As much as he hated being in the center of attention, he knew that if word spread that Alrick and Matthias were fighting on festival day, they would probably be scolded.


    ¡°Alright you two, that¡¯s enough. Why don¡¯t we get something to eat before we part ways? I know a caf¨¦ that has some tasty sweets, and it¡¯s pretty close to here. I¡¯ll treat you guys!¡±


    Pausing their brawling at the mention of food, Alrick and Matthias both nodded vigorously, drool already forming at the edge of their mouths. Desmond, too, looked at Sirus with a gaze of reverence.


    Forget what I said about being mature. Sirus inwardly grinned, You kids are still kids.


    ¡°Come on! Follow me!¡±


    =+=


    ¡°Really Sirus? At this hour? I know ya dedicated, but the shop¡¯s closed!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a customer tonight, Pahn.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± The russet-haired baker grinned and did a fake waiter bow. ¡°Well, then, by all means, dear patrons, make yerselves at home!¡±


    He showed the four boys to a table outside his closed shop front, where his booth was set up, selling sweet and savory pastries. Alrick ordered a sausage bun, while Matthias and Desmond each asked for a birthday cake flavored cheesecake. And though Sirus was indeed off duty, with Pahn egging him on, he brought the dishes over and served the three, waiter¡¯s apron and everything.


    Just as Sirus was watching the boys take their first bites, he noticed a certain figure in the crowd. He stood up in dumbfounded amazement ¨C he had rarely seen Elder Chryssa outside a 200-meter radius from their cottage, much less here in the shopping district, which was on the opposite side of town. Forcing the ominous possibility of Chryssa trying to court Pahn into the depths of his mind, Sirus waved and called out to his grandfather.


    ¡°Hey! Gramps! What¡¯re you doing out at this time? Are you looking for more bread?¡±


    Elder Chryssa turned at Sirus¡¯s call and quickly staggered over. It was obvious his age had caught up to him.


    ¡°Whoa! Gramps! Slow down! It¡¯s festival day, no need to be in a rush.¡±


    Sirus, who was still cheerfully watching the boys eat, turned again to his grandfather, who immediately wiped the smile off of Sirus¡¯s face.


    ¡°Sirus.¡±


    For the first time in Sirus¡¯s life, the cheerful, unguarded personality he knew of was wiped clean from the old man known as Elder Chryssa.


    ¡°¡­Gramps?¡±


    Sirus, still dumbfounded at his grandfather¡¯s drastic transformation, didn¡¯t notice Pahn walk up behind him.


    ¡°¡¯Ey! Mister Chryssa, awful late for ya to be out! Take a seat! If ya out this late, why not grab a bite? I heard ya like my bread!¡±


    Instead of being overjoyed as Sirus would expect, the old man merely gave a tight-lipped smile and shook his head.


    ¡°Thanks, but I came only to deliver a message.¡±


    He turned to Sirus again.


    ¡°Sirus, we are running low on pyrograss. I need you to get some more from the woods north of here.¡±


    At this time? Has he finally gone senile?! Sirus kept his thoughts to himself and cast a doubtful look at his grandfather.


    ¡°Gramps, are you alright? I got a basketful a few days ago. Plus, it¡¯s one ¡®o clock. Going into the woods can¡¯t possibly be a good idea right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say so.¡± Pahn chipped in, ¡°Mister Chryssa, with all due respect, it¡¯s past midnight. I would suspect of at least somethin¡¯ mean roamin¡¯ in the woods at this time.¡±


    But Elder Chryssa refused to yield.


    ¡°No, Sirus, I need it now. A large order was placed just now. It seems that there¡¯s not enough of it in our cellar to meet demands. This is very urgent. You have to go get it NOW!¡±


    Sirus was shocked that Chryssa had raised his voice, almost as if he were panicking. Never in his whole life had he seen his grandfather lose his temper.


    ¡°I, uh, sure, Gramps. I¡¯ll get it done.¡± He replied uneasily, noticing a slight look of relief pass through his grandfather¡¯s face.


    He turned to the boys, who were also watching the scene with curious interest.


    ¡°Sorry guys, this is where I leave you all. I gotta run a job for my Gramps. Enjoy the festival you three.¡±


    ¡°Aww, it¡¯s so late. Bye Sirus!¡± Alrick energetically waved goodbye.


    ¡°Farewell Sirus, I hope I¡¯ll meet you again soon!¡± Matthias waved.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice making another friend! See ya!¡± Desmond also waved.


    As he walked down the street leading to his house, away from Pahn¡¯s caf¨¦, he saw his grandfather turn towards Pahn. He could vaguely make out his grandfather muttering something to the baker.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Now, as for you and the three boys, remember that favor you owe me for those antidotes I delivered last winter¡­¡±


    =+=


    Grandpa isn¡¯t acting like himself. Sirus thought as he slung his herb bag over his shoulder. Grabbing a small shotel gathering blade hanging by the door, he headed out of the dark interior of his grandpa¡¯s shop.


    Sure, he does have his serious moments, but today is completely different. It¡¯s almost as if he¡¯d seen a ghost. Something must be bothering him immensely. Sirus walked past festival stalls. His entire life, he assumed his grandfather couldn¡¯t get upset. When he was learning basic alchemy and accidentally mixed the wrong ingredients once, the shop nearly burned down. In the rubble, his grandfather had only chuckled and told him to try again. His whole life, he knew his gramps as a forgiving and cheerful, carefree man. So, what was it? What wiped that smile off his grandfather¡¯s face?


    The paved roads eventually gave way to dirt, and soon to a rocky trail as Sirus traveled north from town to forest, still pondering.


    He couldn¡¯t think of any reason ¨C the life the two led was a happy one. Though at times Sirus was stressed by his grandfather¡¯s actions, he knew that his gramps still cared deeply for him, especially after his parents had passed into the afterlife.


    ¡°Perhaps he really has gone senile¡­¡± The words came out of Sirus¡¯s mouth. He paused, and then vigorously shook his head.  No. There¡¯s got to be a reason that I¡¯m blanking out on. Even if he was insane, Gramps would never send me this deep into the forest at this time. As a former adventurer, he should know¡­ Still, coming out this late does make me feel uneasy.


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s the pyrograss.¡±


    The dim light of Sirus¡¯s pyroil lantern was soon overpowered by the light of two full moons as he waded into a clearing in the forest.


    The grass in this clearing was different from that growing in the other parts of the forest. Instead of thin green blades, thick, transparent, drinking straw-like tubes filled with glowing electric-blue sap sprouted in clumps on the ground. This was pyrograss. Its sap, upon contact with the air, would turn into a flammable liquid. It was used as lantern fuel, as in the case of Sirus¡¯s lamp, before the mana-powered lamp was invented. Now, its only purpose was potion-making.


    Sirus got to work at once harvesting the grass. He quickly cut each stalk and, before too much oil could leak out, tied the ends shut and stored them in his bag. The bright moons overhead made the task much easier, and, in an hour, Sirus had already gathered three-quarters of a bag of the herb.


    Just as his shotel swung through another clump of pyrograss, Sirus suddenly froze. He could hear a low growl behind him, followed by barking. From the corner of his eye, he saw what appeared to be five jumbles of sticks held together by black mist stalking him.


    Wooden direwolves.


    Their eyes bright crimson, they eyed Sirus hungrily as rows of thorns protruded from their wooden mouths. Vaguely shaped like wolves, these masses of sticks held together by dark magic were usually solitary creatures but tend to hunt in small packs. While Sirus could probably take down a single direwolf, even without magic, five of those wolves was a different story. Even the townspeople with magical abilities wouldn¡¯t believe a man who claimed that he survived a five-wolve attack unscathed.


    The direwolves started creeping towards Sirus, barking to one another to form a coordinated attack. Sirus turned to face them, pointing his shotel at the nearest wolf.


    No, this isn¡¯t enough


    Direwolves can be deterred by axes, which could cleave through their bodies, but swords used for slicing were ineffective at piercing the bundle of logs protecting their cores. Alternatively, another excellent way to destroy their wooden bodies was with-


    Fire.


    Sirus noticed that the blade he used was stained with the oil from cutting all that pyrograss. As the first wolf lunged forwards, maw wide open, Sirus stuck the end of his shotel into his lantern. Floom! His pyroil-coated shotel immediately burned with an electric-blue flame. Sirus lunged at the wolf that ran at him, striking it flat on the snout. It immediately caught on fire. With its face ablaze, it tried to roll around to extinguish it, but the freshly cut pyrograss quite literally only added fuel to the fire.


    ¡°Ha! Take that!¡± Sirus yelled.


    But it wasn¡¯t over yet. The four other direwolves ignored the burning pile of charred logs and bared their fangs at Sirus, cautiously surrounding him from all directions.


    This was bad. If they all simultaneously attacked, Sirus would have to fight them off at once and risk catching on fire. If he failed, he would be mauled and eaten. It was a lose-lose situation.


    But before either party could make a move-


    ¡°GRAAAAAAAWWWWWWLLLL!!!!!¡±


    A ferocious roar resonated from within the forest. The direwolves, who had been the hunters up until now, acted like the hunted. They rushed past Sirus, wooden tails between their legs, and disappeared into the forest. Sirus, also realizing the gravity of the situation, seized his bag and lantern and sprinted after them.


    As he ran, he could hear the sound of snapping twigs and shaken leaves behind him ¨C a sure sign he was being pursued by something much bigger than a direwolf.


    ¡°Huff¡­huff¡­huff¡­ That¡¯s ¡­ strange ¡­ what did I do¡­ to make it so aggressive?¡± He said to himself while running. ¡°No¡­ I have to get back to the village-¡°


    His statement was cut short as his foot caught on a root. Falling flat on the ground, Sirus could only curse before the beast was upon him. As it barged out of the trees, Sirus could now see its entirety. A massive, wagon-sized starbear. With razor-sharp claws, it rushed towards him, mouth wide open, displaying its knife-like teeth¡­ and flew right by Sirus, almost as if he wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    For the second time today, Sirus was dumbfounded. The starbear¡­ignored him? From Elder Chryssa¡¯s accounts, they had massive appetites, devouring any prey that wandered into their territory.


    So why had this one decided that Sirus was not worth its time?


    Before Sirus could fully recover, more rustling could be heard in the forest. This time, a horned rabbit burst out of the undergrowth and leaped past a shocked Sirus.


    ¡°The starbear was being chased by a horned rabbit, of all things? No, there¡¯s gotta be a better explanation¡­eh?!¡±


    Out of nowhere, a silver-horned elk jumped out from behind a bush and sprinted past Sirus. It was followed by birds, rodents, insects, and reptiles of all kinds, predator and prey alike. Sirus ducked behind a tree, shielding himself from the stampede. Praying he wouldn¡¯t get turned into roadkill, Sirus only gaped at the insane numbers of creatures running past him. Soon, the cacophony faded into total silence. The insects had stopped buzzing, and the frogs had ceased their croaking. The silence made Sirus uneasy.


    It was as if all traces of life had deserted the forest.


    Picking himself off of the ground, Sirus tried to get a grasp of the situation. It was evident that these animals were not hunting. There¡¯s no possible way a starbear would be fazed by a horned rabbit. Elk and birds did not prey on pyrelizards and giant spiders. If not hunting, there were two possible conclusions to make. They were either running from some form of natural disaster, like a flood or a forest fire ¨C but Sirus¡¯s couldn¡¯t hear rushing water or smell smoke ¨C or, they were fleeing from something much more powerful than their strengths combined.


    ¡°Gah¡­¡± As he tried walking, he felt small pains with every step he took. There were small cuts and bruises across his whole body, undoubtedly the result of his mad dash through the forest. Back at the clearing, Sirus turned his eyes to the night sky. Focusing on the larger moon, Norus, he could vaguely make out the cardinal directions and adjusted his course. He turned southwards¡­ into the direction of the source of the stampede?


    A sense of unease was beginning to form in the pit of his stomach.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    This meant the source of danger was in the direction he came from. However, on his way here, there hadn¡¯t been anything of considerable danger. Plus, between him and the village, there was only a three-kilometer wide stretch of forest. Anything significant enough to pose a threat should¡¯ve been detected, even by a human like Sirus. That meant¡­ The threat was coming outside the forest. That would mean the village. However, starbears would rarely run from humans.


    Gulping, Sirus steeled his nerves for the return trip and plunged into the darkness.


    A hazy, purplish dawn was beginning to break as Sirus slowly made his way back to Ixos. Using a fallen stick as a support, he made his way through the broken brush.


    ¡°Man, will I have a story for Gramps.¡± He thought of his grandfather, who sent him on this suicidal task. ¡°It¡¯s surprising I didn¡¯t get killed tonight. What was that old man thinking?¡±


    His grandfather¡¯s face resurfaced. It was that face of panic Sirus had seen at the festival. Sirus recounted his own thoughts as well. He couldn¡¯t be insane. He must have seen or known that something would happen. Something more terrifying than being in the woods at night. It suddenly came to Sirus. The only reason his grandfather would send him herb-gathering this late was because he knew Sirus would be in greater danger if he stayed in Ixos.


    The pieces were beginning to fall in place. The animals were fleeing ¡­ from what? Sirus didn¡¯t know but understood they came from the south, where the village was located. His grandfather had sent him into the forest to gather herbs ¨C a dangerous task at such a time. It would only make sense that Elder Chryssa was trying to indirectly chase Sirus out of town for a reason Sirus didn¡¯t recognize.


    His pace quickened. He felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. Something wasn¡¯t right.


    Then, as he made his way out of the last line of trees, the final piece of the puzzle revealed itself. That wasn¡¯t dawn. Sirus sharply inhaled in cold realization. It was still too early for the sun to rise. Even if it did rise, it doesn¡¯t come up from the south.


    That violet glow. It wasn¡¯t the first rays of the sun. It was the light of a massive fire. A fire, reflected in Sirus¡¯s eyes, consuming the entirety of Ixos.

 A Pyre of Violet

    ¡°Hah¡­Hah¡­Hah¡­¡±


    The ground flew by underneath Sirus as he sprinted towards the eerily violet flames that colored the sky a murky shade of magenta.


    This has to be it. He thought. This is the reason Gramps told me to leave. But why are the flames purple? And why did he send me so deep into the forest to gather herbs instead of just waiting outside town? Did he think I wouldn¡¯t believe him?


    Sirus still didn¡¯t understand the stampede of animals nor the reason the fires burned violet instead of a normal red or orange. Regardless, he kept running towards the fire, praying that everyone escaped unharmed, though his head told him that couldn¡¯t possibly be the case.


    The closer he approached town, the grimmer the situation became. Faces of tired and scared villagers and children peeked out from within ruts and darkened farmhouses, their eyes glued on the roaring flames. The metallic smell of blood cut through the night air, mixed with the smoke from the flames. Several people were lying out in the open, deep cuts and crimson gashes running across their arms, legs, and torsos. Others were having emergency aid applied to their blackened and charred arms and legs, groaning from the pain of the burns and the sting of the medication.


    Sirus paid them no attention, instead focusing his eyes on the crowd, hoping to spot five familiar faces. Weaving in and out through expressions of agony and despair, he, at last, saw a familiar head of chestnut brown huddled next to a shed.


    ¡°Alrick!¡± Sirus ran over as the boy wearily turned to face him.


    ¡°Sirus?¡± The boy rose unsteadily to his feet. ¡°Did your job go well?¡±


    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for that! What happened here? And more specifically, what happened with the other boys and my gr-¡°


    Sirus didn¡¯t even bother to get his thoughts sorted out. He just spoke what came to him first. He didn¡¯t even notice the burly hand placed on his shoulder until-


    ¡°¡¯Ey, Sirus. Perhaps this ain¡¯t the best place to ask questions. Alrick here¡¯s already gone through a lot. Same with those two over there.¡±


    Pahn, who had just stepped out of the shed, gestured to the interior, where Matthias and Desmond were presumed to be.


    ¡°Pahn!¡± Sirus paid no heed to Pahn¡¯s words. ¡°What happened here?¡±


    Pahn scratched his chin.


    ¡°Ya never believe me, Sirus, but it¡¯s a dragon.¡±


    A dragon. Sirus contemplated. That would explain why the flames were violet. Dragons used the natural magical energy in the atmosphere as a source of fuel for their fire, as opposed to air. The more mana the fire consumed, the more vibrant the colors became, with the strongest flames burning white hot. Additionally, due to the nature of these fires, they couldn¡¯t be easily smothered with water. Instead, a vacuum of mana had to be created around the flame, cutting off its fuel source. Without the proper precautions, these fires would eat away at everything around them until there was no physical matter left to burn.


    The dragon would also explain the stampede of animals. Sirus realized.  They were fleeing from something that really could put their collective lives on the line.


    But that didn¡¯t explain why his grandpa had sent him out so deep into the woods at night. Why couldn¡¯t he have just told Sirus to wait outside of town, or even smarter, to help evacuate those who believed the threat was real?


    Sirus turned back to Pahn.


    ¡°Pahn, when did the dragon appear?¡±


    Pahn looked to the flames. ¡°I reckon one or two hours after ya left. It was terrifying. Even Mister Chrys- oop.¡±


    At that moment, Pahn suddenly clapped his hand onto his mouth and fell silent. Sirus looked over towards Pahn, who was desperately trying to avoid his searching eyes.


    ¡°Say¡­¡± Sirus slowly questioned, ¡°Where is Gramps?¡±


    The last he saw of his grandfather was when he was still with Pahn and the trio. Now, the three boys were in the shed, and Sirus was talking to Pahn, yet his face remained missing. Sirus started feeling a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach.


    ¡°Pahn? Where is he? Isn¡¯t he supposed to be with you?¡±


    Pahn desperately tried to look away, sweating bullets, but Sirus closed the distance between them, his eyes boring into Pahn¡¯s turned face. No longer able to take it, Pahn turned back and quietly muttered.


    ¡°He¡¯s separated from us thirty minutes ¡®fore the dragon came.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where he is?!¡±


    ¡°We tried lookin¡¯ for ¡®im, but not a single face in the crowd was- Hey! Sirus! Whattaya doin!? Get back here!¡±


    Before Pahn had finished his sentence, Sirus was already plunging towards the hellish maelstrom, heading for the bridge that connected the countryside to Ixos.


    ¡°DAMMIT SIRUS!!!¡± Pahn¡¯s roar fell on deaf ears.


    =+=


    Sirus ran on, pushing deeper into the inferno. Sprinting over the stone bridge, scalding to the touch, he plunged into the hell Ixos had become. Through the conflagrations of buildings, carts, booths, and even human bodies, he pushed forwards, sweating from not just the exercise but also the scorching heat. Everywhere, he could only see a sea of violet, and every turn he was battered by waves of unbearable heat.


    His grandpa was still in Ixos. He was certain of it. No matter what, he had to get them both out alive.


    Sirus¡¯s head furiously raced. Where would his grandpa be? Perhaps the town square? The nobility district? Their home? The possibilities were endless. Gramps couldn¡¯t have gone to the nobility ¨C they wouldn¡¯t have believed his words. He has nothing to gain from staying in the town square. Nothing there would help his fight or flight. Would it be our home then?


    Going off of his hunch, Sirus took another deep breath and ran ahead into the burning abyss. Familiar places passed by him as he ran closer and closer to his destination. Pahn¡¯s caf¨¦, where he had worked for over three years, was only a burning fa?ade among the other piles of charred wood and ash surrounding it. The festival booths were all going up in flames as the violet flames devoured them. Everything the villagers of Ixos had worked so hard to create ¨C it all went up in flames.


    Sirus was almost there. Only a single turn and then he would be home. But just as he was about to make the turn-


    ¡°-OOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRHHH!!!¡±


    An immense roar ahead of him immediately stopped him in his tracks. It was the roar of a dragon. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Sirus caught his breath and winced in frustration. Only a few more meters to his home, and yet the dragon was blocking him off. Slowly, he peered around the corner, hiding behind a charred building, to discover a bewildering sight.


    A gigantic dragon, bigger than what Sirus had pictured it would be from the books he read, stood in the middle of a street. Its scales were an onyx black, its enormous eyes deep amethyst. It was currently spewing a giant magenta flame into a shopfront, setting nearby buildings ablaze, using its sail-like wings to fan the conflagration.


    However, that wasn¡¯t what startled Sirus.


    Dragons were powerful, sometimes even revered as demigods. Their hides were tougher than mithril, and their powerful abilities would dispel any magic thrown at them. Nearly invulnerable, it was said that scratching a dragon was considered an almost impossible feat. Yet, this dragon was different. Along its house-sized body, there were several places that its scales had been knocked off, showing an exposed pink among the jet-black surface. Clinging to its legs and body were chunks of non-melting ice as well as hardened rock. Its emerald blood was spilling out of several gashes along its neck and upper torso. Sirus had never seen such a mythical beast injured to that extent.


    That still wasn¡¯t what alarmed Sirus. Instead, his eyes fell on the storefront being torched by the dragon. It wasn¡¯t any random storefront - it was the shop and home of his grandfather. Even more alarming to Sirus, the dragon only seemed to be burning that singular store, ignoring everything else around it.


    ¡°No!¡± Sirus involuntarily cried out, a sense of dread filling him. ¡°Stop!¡±


    To his relief, the assault on his former home stopped. However, the dragon had now turned its head around and focused on Sirus, its angry eyes locking on the small figure who had interrupted its vengeance.


    Sirus gulped, realizing the error of his actions. Only armed with a small gathering blade, he was facing a dragon. Even if the dragon was slightly injured, it seemed angry enough to obliterate him in one fell swoop. Forget those direwolves a while back ¨C this had a one hundred percent chance of sending him to another world.


    Sirus knew that readying his ten-inch long blade at such a beast would be a laughable joke. His only thought at the moment was to run, but there was a high chance he would be killed. Plus, he had to get to his grandfather, who was still in that house. Surely gramps would be able to think of something, anything, right now.


    His time was running out. The dragon unhinged its great maw. A shining light could be seen forming in its throat. Its stomach glowed bright violet as it gathered mana to form its three thousand-degree flames.


    On the verge of panicking, Sirus desperately searched himself for anything that may be of help, any tidbit of information, anything, that would keep him alive. His mind, almost fried from heat and exhaustion, couldn¡¯t recall anything helpful. He understood. The last thing he would see before meeting his creators would be purple flames bearing down on him, tearing his body apart, until his even his ashes were vaporized.


    ¡°DAMN IT ALL!!!¡± Sirus screamed at the top of his lungs. Not even comprehending his own actions anymore, he desperately threw everything he had at the dragon ¨C his blade, bag, and lantern.


    Time was up. As his futile attempt at defense arced towards the dragon, brilliant, scalding flames erupted from the dragon¡¯s maw, engulfing them in three thousand-degree heat.


    A few things happened in those few milliseconds, as all of Sirus¡¯s equipment reached temperatures near that of a volcano.


    Past its melting point, the tempered iron shotel immediately glowed white, cracking under the stress of its sudden heating. The fragments soon lost their shape, becoming balls of heated metal. The wooden handle immediately burned up, vaporized in the atmosphere.


    The lantern was no better off. Its fuel already depleted, the lantern¡¯s metal body met the same fate as the blade of the shotel, cracking and melting until its shape was no longer recognizable.


    The bag of pyrograss had traveled the furthest out of the three. It came within a meter of the dragon before being incinerated. The fire tore away the leather exterior, burning it away in an instant, exposing the bundle of pyrograss inside.


    However, instead of burning with the rest, the pyrograss reacted differently. Due to the nature of the sap within, the stalk of the plant had evolved to be extremely durable and heat resistant. It was that heat resistance that allowed the stalks, when exposed to extreme temperatures, to hold on for just a few milliseconds. In that small timeframe, the heat transferred to the sap within, still inert from the lack of exposure to air, and superheated it past its boiling point. Finally, when the stalks succumbed to the heat, breaking apart into ashes, it released the superheated pyroil trapped within. The pyroil, free from its containment, rapidly expanded and mixed with the air. Already energized from the heat, its immediate reaction with the atmosphere formed a chain reaction with the other molecules around it, instantaneously releasing an enormous amount of energy ¨C in other words, an explosion.


    ¡°FOOOOOM!¡±


    The bag detonated in front of the dragon with an electric blue blast. The violet fire bearing down on Sirus was suddenly shattered by the shock wave emitted, while Sirus himself was thrown onto the ground by the burst. The dragon had it worse. Due to its proximity to the explosion, the blast had forcibly torn the scales off the dragon¡¯s neck and chest, splashing burning oil onto its defenseless, already bleeding skin.


    ¡°GROOOOOAAAAAAHHH!¡±


    The dragon writhed in agony, trying to use its claws to scrape off the oil. However, much like the direwolf, the oil sank into its armor, burning it even more. In its pain, it blindly trampled and rampaged, smashing buildings and scattering debris.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Groaning, Sirus pulled himself to cover behind a large cement block. His whole body screamed from the heat, and his eardrums rang from the concussive blast. However, if he wanted to get to his grandfather, he knew it would be now when the dragon was distracted.


    ¡°Have¡­ to¡­ get¡­ gramps¡­¡±


    He unsteadily pulled himself upright. Under the cover of the debris, he stumbled towards his goal, praying his grandfather was still alive. The fires had weakened due to the explosion, but they were still burning bright as Sirus tripped his way into the remains of the small potion shop.


    It was horrifying. Sirus gasped at the scene in front of him. Potions lay scattered and cracked. Everything was either burning or already charred. There were crimson puddles on the floor, something Sirus knew wasn¡¯t the result of alchemy. As for the origin of those puddles, Sirus followed their small streams to underneath a large ceiling beam, where a pair of frail legs protruded.


    ¡°NO!!!¡±


    Adrenaline replaced fatigue. Sirus stumbled over to the beam, fearing for the worst. Unfortunately, his fears were confirmed. Pinned underneath the log was his grandfather, battered, bleeding, and burned. Elder Chryssa turned his eyes towards Sirus, the life in them fading away.


    ¡°¡­ Sirus.¡±


    ¡°Gramps! I¡­ I¡¯ll get you out¡­ Somehow! I promise!¡±


    Sirus, with what strength remained, tried his hardest to push and pry the beam off of his dying grandfather, with no success whatsoever.


    ¡°¡­Sirus.¡± Elder Chryssa gently smiled. ¡°This is my journey¡¯s end... But for you... I can see that your road has only just started.¡±


    ¡°No! Gramps! What¡¯re you saying? Now¡¯s not the time to be philosophical! We¡¯re gonna get out of this alive!¡±


    Moisture formed at the edge of Sirus¡¯s eyes as he pushed and pulled with all his might, frustrated to tears at his own weakness. His grandfather was dying in front of him, and there was nothing Sirus could do to save him.


    ¡°Sirus¡­ this is all I have seen¡­ You need to understand that at any moment... the dragon will be back. Your own life will be in danger¡­ Forget about me. You need to go.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa...¡± Sirus remembered the countless days he spent with his grandfather here. Every moment of happiness, every moment of pain. It was his grandfather who shared and bared them with him. And now¡­ this would be the last moment between the two. Sirus knew, seeing his grandfather¡¯s resolved face, that there was no changing either of their fates. This was where their roads diverged.


    ¡°Heh...¡± Elder Chryssa reached one hand out, slowly stroking Sirus¡¯s face, a fragment of the playful old man resurfacing one last time. ¡°I¡¯ve raised a fine lad. Sirus¡­ Continue living. That¡¯ll be my final request.¡±


    As Elder Chryssa uttered the last word, an enraged roar resonated from outside the shop, bringing grandfather and grandson back to reality.


    ¡°Now leave!¡± His grandfather mustered, ¡°The cellar¡¯s your only hope now. Go!¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Holding back his tears, Sirus stood up, running towards the back of the shop.


    His grandfather watched him go. As Sirus¡¯s figure disappeared, Elder Chryssa chuckled to himself.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been my pride and joy for seventeen years. Despite who you appear to be, despite what you think you are, know that you will always be much more. Farewell, Sirus.¡±


    Elder Chryssa closed his eyes. Purple flames filled the shop, bringing with them the light of a thousand suns.


    =+=


    Alone in the dark, Sirus huddled next to piles of dried herbs and vials of liquids. A shimmering black flower was the only source of light in the darkness, with glowing, ash-like white particles floating from its center. Sirus recognized it. A vivibloom. A flower that bloomed during death.


    Suddenly, magenta light lit up the whole cellar through the cracks in the wooden door. Sirus watched, frozen, as the light glowed more and more intensely. Then, after what felt like an eternity, it faded, and darkness returned.


    Sirus, now truly alone, couldn¡¯t hold his emotions back any longer. Tears fell from his eyes, splashing onto the cold stone floor.


    In the darkness, as alarm bells rang in the distance, only a few words could be heard.


    ¡°Goodbye, gramps. And thank you for everything.¡±