《BEHEMOTH》 001 - Giants by the Sea BEHEMOTH 001 - Giants by the Sea A strong smell of ocean salt carried up the coastal cliff to a cart by the side of a muddy track. At the head of the cart sat two men, one in a frayed red robe and apron, the other a youth in a crude stitched jacket. In the cart behind them were three men in padded armour. The man in the robe had a spyglass held up to his eyes. Beside the cart crouched a giant man, his shoulders haunched and head hung against his chest. Even squatting this giant was the height of ten men. At his feet were a massive club and round leather shield. "Time, Magnus?" The robed man spoke. "A quarter past noon sir." The youth in the jacket replied. Out across the sea was another coastline. The stretch of water between the two lands was calm, a light wind stirred the waves to small white crests. Magnus shifted uneasily, looking down the cliff top road and out to sea. Some ways away to the north he could see the stone walls of the city and the castle on the bluffs behind it. Even from here he could just about make out the deep pockmarks and scars that marked the walls, the ruined houses and burnt out towers. "Sir?" Magnus called out to the Alchemist. "Sir, how much longer do you reckon this war will go on? Will the black skins keep coming forever?" "No need for that ''sir'' business Magnus, I''ve told you, just call me Festus." "Yes sir." Magnus replied. Festus lowered his spyglass looking at Magnus. "Not much longer. Not long at all now. It has been what, five years?" "Yes sir, uh, Festus, sir." "Five whole years. How time flies, eh Magnus?" Festus smiled. "Well, no worries, not much longer. I do believe this is all going to end very soon indeed." "Only sir, Festus, I want to join too. Me and my friend Rolf, we''re both of age now. Last year my sister joined and year before my brother." "Have you been tested?" "Yes sir." "And?" "A grade six sir, no core. And Rolf has a grade three." "Sorry Magnus, you know how it is. Only grade two and above can undergo the treatment. You and Rolf have no chance." Festus raised his spyglass and looked back out to sea. "Yes sir." Magnus fell silent. "Ah!" Festus exclaimed. "Here they come!" From the distant shore came a swarm dashing on the waves at an incredible speed. There rose a great insect buzz, a thousand wings beating and cutting through the air. Magnus paled, his heart thumping. They tore through the sea towards them, louder, a hundred howling beasts dashing madly at them. On the beach below were the giants, the hundred fighting fit men and women that had received the Alchemists treatment and grown enormously. The shortest stood eight and a half foot tall, others ranged from nine to fifteen feet. Towering above them were the sentinels, the massive hulking brutes, one which was half crouching up on the cliffs next to the cart - Magnus looked from the horde approaching the giants on the beach to the sentinel. "Look at that," Festus said. "Fantastic, no? That''s the biggest swarm I''ve seen. Must be going all out this time." His eyes were bright in anticipation. "Will we be alright sir? Should I move back down along the road?" "No need, we''re perfectly safe." Down on the beach the army of a hundred giants arranged themselves into a formation, tallest at the flanks and a line three giants thick at the centre. The foremost held long shields, a line of wood and metal facing out. The rear ranks held long spears and spiked clubs. Magnus saw that several stacks of javelins, each the length of a tree, had been placed at intervals along the beach. The roar - the buzz of wings slicing through the air over the sea grew. An oncoming wave of black skinned creatures, closer with every breath - Magnus could make them out now, each individual monstrosity. They had the size and form of a human, the same underlying shape, but with large translucent wings, their skins entirely black. A deep lustre, shiny and smooth. Each creature was different, monstrous in a different way, he''d seen the bodies up close before - no two were quite alike. Some had only an extra appendage, an arm or leg growing where it should not. Others had grotesquely malformed limbs, either massive or withered entirely, sharp black horns and black teeth and claws, all covered in the same black skin. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The giants on the beach moved, several lifted the javelins and with a grunt threw them. The javelins soared up and into the swarm of black skins, the giants threw again - and once more - their movements swift and practised. Then they were at the shore, their wings throwing sand and sea spray, clawing and swooping with high pitch shrieks. One tore at a giant''s shield, ripping it from his arms and digging its fangs into his throat. Another soared over their heads and rushed at a giant at the rear, a net brought it down to the ground where it received a fierce blow and lay still. More giants threw nets bringing down creature after creature. Spears and blades bounced off, only scratching or tearing their wings, but a blow from a club would knock them clean out. More and more, the creatures threw themselves at the giants on the shore, tearing and clawing in a mad desire to see them dead - a dozen giants fell, but the line held, the taller giants at the flanks marched forward, throwing nets and battering them with their clubs, slowly encircling the black swarm. The swarm broke. Their shrieks rose in pitch, they threw themselves forwards one last time, then as a single entity leapt into the air, far above the giants. Magnus tightened his fist. This was the most dangerous moment - it had happened every time they attacked for the last five years - the creatures rose into the sky, tens of feet out of range of the giants, and then split - flying in every direction over the land, some towards the city, some over the cart and further inland. The sentinels got to their feet, looking out over the treetops - the one next to the cart raised his arm and swatted a creature out of the air. But that was only one. By his count Magnus reckoned that at least fifteen of the creatures had escaped. The giants were on the move now, splitting into squadrons, the wounded being treated and the dead left where they''d fallen. On the beach were the broken bodies of at least fifty creatures and a dozen giants. Magnus recognized one - his neighbour from the city, and another, a girl a few years older whose name he couldn''t remember. "Exciting, exciting!" Festus grinned. "That must have been the biggest swarm this year. I told you we''d be safe, see?" "Yes sir." Magnus replied. "Oh don''t be so glum." Festus put his spyglass away in a fold of his robe. In the mud nearby was the monstrosity, a mess of broken limbs and torn wings. From up close Magnus could see a black oil glisten on its skin, where the skin had torn he saw that the creature''s blood was red. He heard a distant shriek - somewhere a creature had been caught, or had found its prey. "Listen, I''ve just had a thought." Festus tapped Magnus of the shoulder. "I''m doing some special work, a little experiment that doesn''t require you to have a core. Maybe you and your friend could be part of that. What do you think?" "Really? Of course! Will it make us strong? Able to fight the black skins?" "Sure. Maybe, well, potentially. Its up to you, of course. You in?" "Yes!" Magnus grabbed the Alchemists hand. "Haha, alright. Ok. We''re done here, come on, back to the village." Festus motioned to one of the men behind them who took the spyglass from his hands. "Sir!" Magnus took the reins and they set off down the road away from the cliffs. The sentinel squatted down again on the cliffs looking out across the sea. 002 - Giants by the Sea 002 - Giants by the Sea Five years ago the Alchemist was granted a valley and village for his personal use. There were several new buildings, long wooden houses, and a metal fence running the whole way around the settlement. In the hills around Magnus was sure there were several sentinels, though he''d never quite been able to see them. Magnus halted at the large metal gate. Festus and the three men disembarked. Though he¡¯d brought many others to the village for the Alchemist, Magnus had never been beyond this point. "Don''t forget. In six days be here with your friend." Festus waved and called after the cart. Magnus waved back and called ''yes sir!'' There was still another hour of light left in the day perhaps, enough to get onto the main road back to town. There were no more shrieks or cries of creatures. At every flutter of wings Magnus started, looking up at the skies and clutching a wooden club. If a black skinned creature came what could he really do? He needed strength, power. Only a giant could fight the beasts, only a giant could protect his family and friends. Many from Kloster desperately wanted to join the giants, to undergo the Alchemists treatment, Magnus had tried but fallen at the first hurdle - his core was a grade six, the lowest grade. Even Rolf with a grade three couldn''t join. Now? Now things were different! Now he had word straight from the Alchemist! Turning onto the main coastal road Magnus saw a man leading a pack mule. The man had stopped and was staring at a flock of sheep, each as tall as a horse. "Incredible, just bloody amazing." The man sighed. Magnus face lit up and he leapt from the cart, "Uncle Willis!" "Magnus? Lad! Ahha! How are you doing son?" Willis received Magnus in his arms and lifted him up. "Ye gods lad, have you been taken the giants brew? You''ve grown a head and a half since I saw you last!" "How have you been uncle? Where have you been?" Magnus struggled out of the embrace. "Oh here and there, up and down the Iron Coast. Here, got something for you." Willis set Magnus down and took out a small hunting knife. "Look, on the pommel and sheath." "Is it . . . is it a dog¡¯s head?" "No lad! A wolf! You''ve always liked wolves, right? Well, I found this little thing in market and thought that my little Magnus Lund would like it no end." "Thank you uncle." Magnus thrust the dagger into his belt. "Have you been to Kloster yet? Are you here to stay?" Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation."No, no, I''ve just come up the road. Come, let''s go into town before dark." Willis tied his horse behind the cart and they set off. "How¡¯s the family doing? Pa Lund keeping you busy? Course he is! Ha!" Uncle Willis kept looking around, pointing and exclaiming with surprise every time he saw another giant creature or a giant farmhand tending to a field. "Incredible, I''d never have thought to see Kloster like this. I''ve been gone a scant year and everyone turns giant, even my nephew!" Willis laughed, slapping Magnus on the back. "That may be truer than you know, uncle." Magnus grinned. "I''ve been driving the Alchemist these past months and just today I asked, and he said I could, me and Rolf." "What? Even without a core?" Willis frowned. "Even without a core. Festus said so, and said that I would have the strength to fight them." Magnus said, punching the air. They rode in silence for a time, a patrol of giants passed them in the opposite direction. By the side of the road were the ruins of a farmstead, burnt thatch and scattered stones had been pushed into a pile. They weren''t far from the walls of Kloster now, the road had deep worn wheel ruts and grass at both sides was trod flat from giant feet. Willis broke the uneasy silence; "No lad, don''t do it. Even if you had a core don''t go do it. Think of your brother and sister, they went and joined and look what happened to them! Both dead on the beach! Think what it would do to your parents!" Magnus frowned, replying "The black skins could kill me giant or not. As a giant I could fight back!" "Magnus, lad, you''re young. Give it another year, maybe your core will come in. The black skins will still be there to fight." Willis shook his head and put a hand on Magnus shoulder. "Give it time lad, think it over." "I''ve thought it over uncle. I want to join, I''m of age. My sister was a year younger when she joined." "And she''s dead!" Willis roared. "I''ll not be dead." Magnus said stubbornly. "This is the last chance, Festus said it''ll all be over soon, that the black skins would stop coming. Don''t you see uncle, this is my last chance!" "Ye gods, it''ll be over soon and you want to throw yourself into the maw of a wolf? Were you born without sense lad?" Willis slammed his palm into the cart. "I never thought a Lund would be so bloody minded!" 003 - Giants by the Sea 003 - Giants by the Sea The recent rains made mud of the main road and marshes of the grass around Kloster. Magnus steered the cart in silence, Willis looked to him as if to say something, but just sighed. The town walls were three metres thick and some ten metres tall, but they''d been made by human hands, before the alchemists and giants came to Kloster. A giant stooped through the high arch, making his way into town ahead of the cart, another two giants stood guard next to the gate, if they stretched out their arms they could touch the top of the wall. Soon! Magnus thought, soon I''ll be as big as that, as strong as them! "Well lad," Willis got down off the cart and untied his pack mule. "I''ll be off to see Pa and your dad." Willis hesitated, then said; "Sorry Magnus, I didn''t mean to blow up on you like that, it''s just, well lad, I''m thinking of what would be best for you! Think it over, talk to your parents. Don''t just be rushing into a big thing like this." "Yes Uncle Willis." "Just thinking about it, that''s all. I''m sorry for bringing up your brother and sister, I didn''t mean it like that, they both died bravely, fighting against those monsters." "I know Uncle Willis." "Don''t be like that lad. Come, give your uncle a hug." Willis received Magnus and gave him a fierce hug saying, "Take care of yourself Magnus. I''ll be up at the house for a couple of weeks, don''t be avoiding me now." Willis went into the town up the cobbled main street leaving Magnus to drive the cart along the inner walls to a stable. He parked up in a small stockyard, brushed down the horse, tied the cart to a post, and went off humming through a back alley towards the town center, Kloster was a large seaside town, its walls built hundreds of years ago to fend of coastal raids and bandits coming down from the mountains. The road run through Kloster, south to the Iron Coast, and north along the Shimmer Sea all the way through the land of Jute. Magnus had been as far north as Plenge to the south, a town a little smaller than Kloster about four days travel down the road. The nearest town to the north was a little further than that, but here and there you could always find a decent roadside tavern or welcome village. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Up on a rise above the town was the Lord''s fort, Pa Lund said he remembered a time that only seabirds and rats lived there. Now, Pa said, the birds had left and only rats stayed. Before Magnus was born Kloster had got a new lord; Baron Tygis. Then came the alchemist and the giants and the war with the black skins. Funny that, Pa Lund had said, bad things always come in threes. He said that an Alchemist was a meddler, that the giants were a plague, and that in his day he could have taken the whole black skin swarm with a hand and foot tied behind his back. Up ahead rolling a barrel out from a courtyard Magnus saw a tall blonde man and broke out into a run. "Rolf!" He called, "Rolf, terrible news!" "Magnus!" Rolf set the barrel on a side and looked up puzzled. "News? What?" "Terrible, just terrible. You won''t believe it." Magnus stopped, panting deeply and putting on a shocked face. "It''s awful, just the worst." "What is? What the devil are you on about Magnus?" Rolf grabbed Magnus'' arm and shook it. "I had a word with Festus about the giant treatment, about you and me, and . . . and . ." "And what? What did he say? Spit it out!" Rolf said frantically. "He said . . he told me . ." Magnus took in a deep breath, drawing it out as long as he could. "He said we could both take part!" Rolf stared at him and Magnus grinned, laughing heartily. "You''re not kidding?" Rolf said. "Rolf, my friend, would I ever lie to you," Magnus saw Rolf''s frown. "About something like this, at least. You know what this means, right Rolfy?" "What does this mean?" Rolf replied, exasperated. "This means we''re gonna be giants!" Magnus sang out, Rolf couldn''t help but laugh along with him. "Giants! You and me, ha!" Rolf danced about in joy. "You know what this means!" He called out. "What does it mean Rolfy my son?" Magnus danced with him. "It means that you and I are going straight to the Seamaiden," Rolf said. "Oh aye? Whatever for?" "To get stinking drunk of course!" Rolf roared, pointing down the street. "Lead on, Magnus!" "Aye aye!" 004 - Giants by the Sea 004 - Giants by the Sea "Another?" Rolf wiped his face with a sleeve. "Another!" Magnus slammed down his tankard on the wood top, the Seamaiden''s barmaid placing two new tankards of amber coloured brew before them. "Look!" Rolf gestured behind Magnus. "Shhh! It''s Ingrid!" Rolf and Magnus turned on their stools to oogle the giantess who stooped down to enter through the street side entrance. She frowned on seeing them, wolfish grins plastered on both their faces. "Huh. Little man-lets, you gonna do anything more than stare?" Ingrid demanded, passing them by with a single stride. The tavern opened up to a cathedral like hall, a new addition to the old building made to accommodate all the giants. Their eyes followed Ingrid around the giant-size fire pit to a massive table. "Ah." Sighed Rolf, "such legs, what a beauty." "I could lose myself there for hours . ." Magnus gulped down his drink. "You''d get lost, that''s for sure." Rolf laughed. "Yeah . ." Magnus sighed again. "For days, weeks." "Soon, eh?" Rolf grinned. "Soon. Six days." Magnus replied. "I was wondering, you know, when you''re a giant are all things in proportion." Rolf''s expression turned serious. "Or, can the Alchemist change it, you know, maybe apply a little more potion here or there." "Don''t know. I''ll have to ask next time I see him." Magnus put on a polite tone; "Oh Alchemist, Sir, I was wondering could you spare a little potion for my friend Rolf, just a bit, to help him grow his little . . ." "Right!" Rolf punched Magnus in the arm. "You should ask if he''s got anything to fix a crooked head." Bang! A stool made from the trunk of a tree cracked several stone tiles as a giant leapt to his feet from a table near the fire pit. "Say that again!" The giant bellowed, Rolf and Magnus'' faces paled. "I said," a giant opposite him rose to his feet, drink still in hand. "That all we''re doing is waiting and dying in the sand. For what?" The first giants face turned red, "for what? For Kloster! For our land! For our families!" A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation."That''s why we should attack! Take the fight across the seas, to Doohama! I''m sick and tired of waiting for those black skins to attack. We oughta take the fight to them, not wait around for the next swarm!" The second giant''s voice rose, his speech was met by a chorus of cheers from other giants. "Too right!" "Attack, take the fight to them!" Rolf and Magnus cheered alongside them until a deep voice cut through the hubbub. "Enough." Magnus recognized the giant - Harkness. He was at the other side of the fire pit, furthest from the bar, but when he stood he was taller than either of the closer giants. "We''ve all fought shed blood on the beaches. We''ve all lost friends and family. Attack or defend, neither you nor I have a say in the matter. We follow the Lord." His voice rumbled the rafters of the Seamaiden. "A toast." Harkness raised up a massive drinking horn. "To Umar, Jorin, Soph, and Hir." The giants all raised their drinks. "May their spirits live for all eternity!" "Hear hear!" The whole tavern responded as one. The two giants settled down, Harkness returned to his table. Magnus and Rolf gazed admiringly. Harkness was a hero, the strongest and tallest giant who hadn''t turned into a sentinal. His mind sharp as it had been as a normal human, and they both remembered him from before. He''d been their teacher for a year, training them in combat and to grow their cores. Not that much had come of that, for Rolf or Magnus - they had the talent in a fight, but fell short in every way when it came to core techniques. Rolf had tried the hardest, training day and night and managing to improve his grade up to a three, barely, no where near the warrior threshold. Their reverie was interrupted by the blast of a trumpet, from the tavern door entered a fat man in a blue frock with a trumpet. "Hear ye, I bring news from Lord Tygis. To all giants in Kloster, the Lord announces that an expedition will be mounted to assault the creatures lair at Doohama. All fighting personnel must attend!" 005 - Giants by the Sea 005 - Giants by the Sea There was a moment of stunned silence in the Seamaidens. Harkness leapt to his feet. The little blue frocked trumpeter took a breath and continued; "Lord Tygis requests that all giants not on patrol or part of the city guard report to the docks." He gave a final blast from his trumpet and strode out of the bar. "Attack? We''re finally going to attack?" A giant murmured, his voice carrying around the whole tavern. Harkness was the first to react, dashing out of the giant rear doorway - the remaining giants roared, "Attack!" jumping up they rushed after him, a stampede of massive feet shaking the whole street. Rolf and Magnus trembled with excitement. Festus had said that the war was ending soon - this must be it! The lord must''ve planned this out! Outside it seemed that every giant in Kloster was on the move. The ground shook again as several giants run down the city streets, Magnus and Rolf chased after. The town was alive with chatter and cheers and townsfolk thronged between and under massive legs, all pressing forward. The docks of Kloster were two long piers along a stony waterfront, several derelict warehouses facing outwards. Five years ago Kloster had a thriving port, a fishing fleet numbering in the dozens, and trade vessels coming in from all parts of the Iron Coast. This was the first thing that had been targeted, all boats and ships had been ravaged, every seaworthy vessel near Kloster ripped apart. A square formation of giants made space in the centre of the dock wharf, keeping the chattering giants and people at bay. Within the space stood a tall man in a black iron armour. At his signal a trumpet blast sounded, silencing the crowd. "People of Kloster, we have endured long these constant invasions of our home. No more!" An enormous cheer rose from the crowd. "Is that Tygis?" Magnus whispered. "Of course! Who''d you think it was?" Rolf replied. The armoured man continued; "Our struggle has borne fruit! We are at the verge of victory! We need only one final push and the black skinned beasts will be no more!" Another cheer, Magnus and Rolf covered their ears with both hands. "All giants are to, at my request, partake in the construction of a fleet capable of carrying our fighting force across the straights. All town residents must support this action. As soon as the fleet is ready and the weather good we will attack!" Lord Tygis raised a fist into the air, cheers erupted once more, the entire town went into a frenzy. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. All the townsfolk frustrations and anger was given lease, at the instructions of several blue frocked men squads of giants felled trees and dragged them to the docks, the sound of hammers on wood carried through the night. At the end of the first day there were already several massive barges taking shape, it seemed as if there was no limit to the peoples stamina. A certain joy and bloodlust took form in the songs and conversations, every giant boasted in anticipation of how many black skins would fall at their hands. Magnus was right there - he''d been infected by that enthusiasm, working till the skin on his hands ruptured, stitching sails and cording thick braids of rope - anything he could do to help. Rolf ran supplies, a hundred or more people with him, delivering food and goods from every part of Kloster. The whole town turned its focus on the construction of sea worthy vessels for giants - for the attack. There were still a good few days before the boats would be ready, even at full tilt construction could only go so fast. On the sixth day Magnus met Rolf by the gates - this was it. The last chance. They retrieved the cart and gathered the others chosen for the Alchemist and set off. Once the Alchemist worked his magic they''d be able to stand shoulder to shoulder. Magnus drove the cart, the entire journey a blur and his mind abuzz with the excited chatter of all in the cart. Apart from Rolf and himself there were a dozen youths, he recognized them as mostly rank threes, seems like they''d lucked out too. The village gates were wide open, Magnus halted the cart and for the first time entered through. 006 - Giants by the Sea 006 - Giants by the Sea One of the Alchemists guards received the youths inside the gate, leading them silently down the mud track past several stone cottages to a large farmhouse. Every door had a thick padlock, a few barns further up the valley had more metal fences around them. "Welcome! Welcome!" Festus waited at the farmhouses open door. He wore a leather apron over his robes. "Ah, Magnus. And your friend?" "That''s me, sir." Rolf said. "Good, good. Well, don''t stand about, come in!" Festus led them into the house, a number of low benches were arranged in rows. "Sit down, make yourselves comfortable. One to a bench, please. Here," a guard with a bronze platter made his way around the room. "Take one pill, don''t eat it yet!" Magnus examined the pill he''d been handed - it had a coarse surface and smelt strongly of medicine. Festus clapped his hand; "Everyone got one? Good. Alright. Well, before we begin there are a few things that must be said. Am I going to fast? No? Now, there is a chance, a possibility that this treatment will lead to your deaths. A good chance, mind. Each of you will be subjected to a differently modified potion. This is something that I have been working on for a long time, and unfortunately the results are somewhat unpredictable. Alright? Good. Anyone want to back out? To go back to the town?" Festus looked around the room, not one of the youths said a word. Magnus felt a flutter - a chance of death? If he backed out now, would he ever have a chance like this again? A chance to be a giant! Magnus'' and Rolf''s eyes met - neither moved, none of the youths in the room moved to back out. "Good!" Festus smiled. "Very well, the pills will numb your bodies for a time. Take them and lie back, do not struggle. You will be awake but unable to feel anything, you should be able to see and hear and talk. Ok?" Festus talked throughout, one of the guards in padded armour sat on a chair in the corner of the room taking notes. Magnus took the pill and lay back, one of the silent assistants tied his hands and legs to the bench. It felt spicy on his tongue, as soon as he''d taken it it turned to liquid and he felt a cool numbing sensation down his throat and then spread out from the pit of his stomach. A short while later he felt nothing at all. Turning his neck he could only see one of the youths who''d taken the bench to his left and Rolf to his right. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Festus started from the other side of the room, working his way down the row of benches. He only spent a little time at each before moving on, soon he was at Rolf. Magnus lifted his neck to see, Festus held a long silver needle which he stuck in Rolf''s arm, taking a vial of gold flecked liquid he withdrew a drop and let it fall into Rolf''s mouth. Then he moved over to Magnus, repeating the action. All the time he spoke, the guard in the corner writing everything. Magnus tried to pay attention to the words but they were all foreign, a familiar word here and there but most of the words were simply unknown to him. He felt nothing when the needle was pushed into his arm, Festus stood over him with a black vial and let a single drop fall into Magnus'' mouth and a bitter acid taste filled his mouth. Festus moved on, finishing the treatment on all the youths and said; "It will take some time for the effects to kick in. Just lay there and relax, when you wake up everything will be over. Good as gold, right?" Festus laughed lightly and sat opposite. Magnus felt nothing, his chest rose and heart thumped against his ribs. Slowly, creeping up from his feet, a chill, his heart slowed. He felt the world slow with him everything go cold - the excitement drained, cold, so very tired. Something was wrong. Something must be wrong, Magnus fought to stay awake, no, no, everything was fine. This was all part of the treatment. Festus had said he would lose all feeling . . but Magnus couldn''t move, the light faded from his eyes, every part of him grew still, his heart slowed and stopped, the chill spread through every part of him, up his spine, up through his face and the an overwhelming sleep took hold, Magnus lay still as death, slowly going cold, slowly slipping into a deep irresistible sleep. 007 - Giants by the Sea 007 - Giants by the Sea Something broke - like the snapping of a dry twig - felt a tremor and yawn, the sensation of taking a deep breath until his belly burst. Magnus opened his eyes and saw his own face, eyes closed - his body strapped to the bench in the Alchemist''s laboratory. Looking down, looking around, every movement slow and dizzying, feeling for his body with hands that were not there, what was there? Dizzy, world spinning and swimming in and out of focus, Magnus floated above his own body. No thought seemed to solidify, no direction he might be able to move or action he might perform, just a state of being, of seeing and hearing everything through a thick gauze. Time slowed to a crawl, then suddenly accelerated - seconds would hang and feel like hours, then tens of minutes would pass all at once - Magnus swam in and out of focus, the room turned grey and light and as if he were laying on a bed of grass on a summer''s day. He saw that from his stomach a thin red thread was suspended in the air, going into his bodies belly below. Magnus tried to touch it - did he even have arms? Were those fingers there before? They were there now, he was able to reach out, to touch lightly on the red thread and feel an electric buzz. This buzz congealed the room about him, a rush of focus and time flowing like normal. Magnus saw Festus standing over the youth to his left. "Mutations apparent, ligaments and joints. Core is fractured. Hmm. No good. Alright, this one is for the incinerator." Festus walked over to Magnus and held his wrist. "No pulse." Festus said. "No mutations or aberrations, checking core status." Festus took a silver needle and pushed it into the skin of Magnus'' arm. "Core is shattered, irreversible." He shook his head, "what a pity, bury the body." Festus moved on to Rolf. "Pulse . . . strong, core is intact. Evidence of skin mutation and growth evident in ligaments. Some gold colouration in skin, eyes and hair normal." Festus placed a pill in Rolf''s mouth and called two assistants over. "Keep him sedated, put him with the other specimens." The alchemist moved on and out of Magnus'' view. Two guards unstrapped Magnus from the bench and put him in a wheelbarrow. They took him out of the farmhouse and down a village path to the very back. In an untended field they emptied him into a large pit, he fell on top of several other bodies. A guard shoveled a quicklime over him and they left. Soon another three bodies were thrown into the pit and the silent guards shoveled quicklime and then dirt until the pit was filled. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Am I a ghost? Have I become a spirit? Magnus tried to pull away from his body, to exit up through the earth, but every time the red thread would tighten, pull him back. He couldn''t see anything, couldn''t feel anything - everything that was happening seemed as if it were happening to some stranger. There was nothing real or substantial about his death, about his burial, it just felt natural, the way of things - the way it should be. A great acceptance, no anger or pain, just a matter of course. In the darkness he couldn''t even count the minutes, he could touch the red thread and feel his body. The quicklime started to burn his flesh, searing his skin from head to toe, drying it out. Earth had covered his face and gone into his mouth, the dirt and corpses above him pressed him down into the bodies below. Why am I still here? Is this it? Am I not dead? Then, then shouldn''t there be . . . something? Nothing? Questions flickered through his mind, emotionless and cold, Magnus touch the red thread that connected him to his body again and again, feeling only the warm electric buzz. What happens if I pull? He tried to pinch the thread, tried to pull it out. Instead the thread grew taut and his spirit was drawn closer to his body. Magnus pulled again - the thread reeled him in, he was only an inch away from his own dead flesh. What will happen if I pull myself in? Will I come back to life - maybe, maybe I''ll die for good. Well, whatever happens it sure will be better than staying here, right? Maybe not. Maybe it is better to stay like this. Magnus dithered, his ghostly body floating just above his corpse in ground. If there is a chance . . a chance at life, surely that would be better. And maybe the Alchemists can cure me, I can go back to my family. If they see me alive, that would be better. He pulled a last time on the thread and it drew him back into his body, the spirit settled he felt a spark, a fire burning inside that for a moment he felt would burn him to nothing, spirit and all. The flame spluttered and as quickly as it came, went out. Magnus tried to move, tried to feel his body again - his arms, his hand, to touch his fingers together. He couldn''t feel to move, couldn''t see in the dark. There was a noise though, a sound, faint - marching? No, softer, more rhythmic, the sound of rain falling on the ground! The earth became mushy and soft, Magnus struggled against the body pressing down on him and pushed up, twisting and digging up through the earth towards the rain. 008 - Giants by the Sea 008 - Giants by the Sea Magnus pushed aside the mud and dragged himself over corpses, digging up through the sodden earth. At last, with every effort he could muster his hands broke through the mud and Magnus crawled out from the grave, laying flat on his back in the rain. He felt a pulse returning to his heart, his chest heaving with desperate gasps for air, Magnus coughed violently spitting out dirt and several clumps of black blood. From the pit of his belly, where he''d felt that fire inside, spread a warmth - spreading slowly, bringing with it a slow pulse of life. He felt weak, so very weak and fragile, as if the effort of reaching out would cause his bones to snap. Magnus blinked, let the rain wash away the dirt in his eyes. He still felt nothing, felt like he was wearing a suit of skin and flesh, not as if he were in his own body at all. How long have I been here? It was day, grey clouds in every direction. Are none of the guards about? I''ve got to try and move. Magnus raised an arm, trying to turn to get on his side and saw his skin. It had been charred and dried from the quicklime, black lines run like the veins of a leaf and made fractures clumps of red and yellow skin appear like scales. He looked at his other arm - the same black lines, in some places his skin had burst and a foul yellow pus frothed and run down his arm, the rain washing it away. Magnus stared wide eyes, a deep set revulsion and horror. What am I becoming? What have I become! He forced himself into a sitting position, pulling up his shirt. Every part of himself was in the same condition, his skin covered in a network of black lines and charred red, bleeding a yellow pus. Why can''t I feel this? He dug his fingers into a wound, pulling out a clup of flesh - there, beneath his skin was more black, like a second skin that had formed beneath his flesh. A black skin? My skin is turning black . . . am I to become one of those creatures? Have I already died and become one of them? No, no, wait, what''s that? Inside his chest, an itch - from the beat of his heart Magnus felt something, something like the stab of a needle against his skin. It hurts! Oh gods, it hurts! He tried to shout, to say anything at all but his voice cracked with the effort. I''m in pain! I''m alive! The sensation spread, a slight pinch to a stab to the feeling of a thousand needles tickling at every nerve on his chest, then out to his arms and legs and face - he felt the rain and cold lash of wind, felt the air enter his lungs and mud against his back and hands. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. So weak, every movement made a joint or bone crack and Magnus fell to the mud. Every time he tried to put even the smallest amount of force into his legs or arms they trembled and creaked. No good. Close by he saw a stone wall, part of an enclosure from when the field had been a proper farm. Pushing against the ground and twisting his body, taking deep breaths, Magnus managed to crawl to the wall, hoisting himself up against it. He got hold of a stone and put his weight on it, with both arms he heaved himself up. His legs shook, unable to hold his weight, knees cracking and spine in agony, he stretched out one leg, then the other - feeling for every movement, trying every little thing to return some strength to his limbs. Over the wall he saw the village, silent and empty. There were no giants at the gates, no lights in any of the houses. The farmhouse where Festus had welcomed them was a couple of fields away. Magnus determined to get there, crawling if he must. And then? After that? What do I do now? What can I do now? I wanted to be strong, but instead I have become weak. I have died. My skin is rotten and falling off and becoming black. What now? Magnus slumped back down, falling beside the wall. The constant pain of needles against his skin became more intense. He clenched his teeth, closing his eyes and took deep breaths. Festus. The Alchemist. He had Rolf, took him to wherever he went. He made all these giants, helping fight against the black skinned monsters. Festus said there was a chance of dying, he''d said I was a failure. But I''m still alive, right? Festus! He''ll know! If I can find him, he''ll see I''m still alive! That the experiment worked! If anyone can, the Alchemist can help me! 009 - Giants by the Sea 009 - Giants by the Sea Magnus lay against the stone wall for half a day. Grey clouds heavy with rain that churned the earth the mud and blanketed the land. His skin cracked and flaked, bled yellow pus - the black veins spread like serpents through his skin, pulsating and growing. The pain followed them, growing into an agonizing sting stabbing every inch of his body. It spread, down his skin through his flesh and through to his bones, every breath felt like glass down through his throat to his lungs, every time he tried to move Magnus couldn''t help but cry out, moaning and clenching his teeth. After half an agonizing day that crawled by, Magnus felt it was easier to breath, the pain lessened. He felt just as weak, bones cracking, but every effort to stand was rewarded finally by being able to separate from the wall and stumble upright on the path towards the village. His knees trembled, but held. Every step was easier than the last. Close, reaching to steady himself on the farmhouse wall, reaching for the back door and finding it locked; Magnus pushed against it in frustration and, with a snap of metal against wood, it gave way. He fell into the room - the same laboratory with low benches. The place had been emptied out, not a single glass vial or shred of the Alchemists presence remained, only the wood benches and the single stool that a silent guard had sat on to take notes. Every house was the same, locked and empty - their door gave way just as easily as the farmhouses when Magnus pushed against them. Am I stronger? Has the wood rotted? Deep carriage ruts led from the village out through a shut metal gate, heavy padlocks and chains. Magnus stumbled the length of the village, grasping an iron chain and, with a grunt, snapping the links apart. Pulling the rest of the chains and links apart with ease he walked out of the village, faltering and slipping on mud, but stronger - more determined with every step. "I''m not a failure. The experiment worked. I will be a giant. I''m strong, I''m alive!" Magnus muttered, "I''m alive! I¡¯m alive. .¡± Through the haze of rain he saw two figures on horseback coming towards him on the forest path. They halted, one of the men vaulted from his mount and rushed toward Magnus. "Magnus!" Willis cried out. "Magnus! By the Gods, we¡¯ve found you!" "Uncle . ." Magnus replied hoarsely. "My stars! What happened to you . . your face . . " Willis paled as he looked over the youth, his skin cracked and twisted in pain. "Your face . . your arms . . by the Gods . . Pa, have a look." This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report."What have you gone and gotten yourself into now lad?" Pa Lund rode up to the two. Pa was more than eighty years old now, and he''d looked just as wrinkled and old since Magnus could remember. Upon seeing Magnus his eyes narrowed. "Disgusting. Bloody Alchemists, I told you lad, never to get involved with an Alchemist. Brought this on yourself, hey?" Pa Lund snorted and spat on the ground. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve crawled from the grave. How you feeling?" Pa Lunds¡¯ voice wavered. "Like shit." Magnus wheezed. "You look it." Pa Lund replied, laughing lightly. "Come on now Pa, take it easy on the lad. Tell us Magnus, what happened? Here, sit, sit!" Willis helped Magnus to a nearby rock, his eyes darting up and down Magnus¡¯ ragged body. "What happened to you? We''ve had no word these three days past, the Alchemist and Lord Tygis have . ." "Tygis? Phtu!" Pa Lund spat again. ". . have been setting up to sail out today. I looked for Rolf, for the others who went with you but," Willis shook his head. "How''d you end up this way? What did they do to you lad?" "Three days?" Magnus'' head spun. "It''s been three days? Uncle, Pa, I''ve been dead and buried, ha! Look, my skin, see?" Magnus pulled back a piece of charred flesh. "I am gonna be a giant! I''m strong, I''m - hwak," Magnus broke into a fit of coughing. Pa Lund and Willis shared a look of horror. "It''s alright lad, don''t talk." Willis patted him on the back, almost retching when a blister on Magnus¡¯ back burst and his hand was covered in a foul smelling pus. "What do we do now Pa?" "Hmmph. That damn Alchemist has more than something to answer for. I''d not have any festering degenerate treat a Lund like livestock for blasted experiments. Get this idiot home, we''ll see to the Lord and the Alchemist when they get back from their little expedition." Pa Lund spoke with fury and determination. "Pa," Magnus said weakly, "they''re not coming back. The village is cleaned out. Wherever the Alchemists gone, he''s gone for good." "Then we follow him!" Pa Lund roared. "How? They''ve taken all the boats and gone across to Doohama." Willis responded. "Blast it all, am I the only Lund with any brains? Get the lad on a horse, we''re going down the coast. Just because there ain''t any boats in Kloster don''t mean they don''t exist!" Pa Lund vaulted onto his horse. "Be quick about it Willis, and Magnus you good enough to go? Let''s go then, we''ve got ourselves an Alchemist to catch!" 010 - Giants by the Sea 010 - Giants by the Sea They rode south along the coastline, Pa Lund leading and Willis, with Magnus tied behind to him, close behind. The first village they came to that hadn''t been abandoned was four hours hard riding from the Alchemists village. Willis traded Pa Lund''s horse for a rowboat and the services of a couple of strong fishermen to take them across the straights. Magnus groaned, tasting blood. His mind swam in and out of focus, every passing second his agony intensified. His skin cracked and felt as if iron barbs beneath his skin were pulling in every direction. Every so often he would be taken by a violent fit of coughing, spitting out black blood over the side of the boat. The salt sea spray stung his eyes and felt painfully raw on his skin. "Are you sure we''re doing the right thing Pa?" Willis watched Magnus with a worried expression. "Maybe we ought to take him back to Kloster, let him rest up and be with his father and mother." Pa Lund looked out over the sea towards Doohama. "I don''t know." Pa Lund scowled. "You hear me Magnus? What would you have us do, boy?" "Uhh," Magnus looked up bleary eyed. "Uncle, Pa . . ." "You see Pa? The lad ain''t fit for this. Let''s turn back, ok?" "Magnus, lad," Pa Lund crouched down by Magnus speaking softly. "Would you like to go home? Crawl up in your bed and wait to rot away from whatever foul concoction this bloody Alchemist hack has fed you, or would you rather come with me and find the bastard and make him bleed? Up to you lad." Pa Lund sneered at Willis. "Come now Pa, that ain''t hardly fair, I was only . ." Willis said. "Ahh, Uhhh, Pa," Magnus grabbed ahold of Pa Lund''s hand. "I wanna go Pa, I want to go . ." "Ha! Right!" Pa Lund grinned. "None of that soft hearted tripe, Willis. Can''t you fellows row any faster?" Pa Lund looked out across the waves with a grim expression. The floatilla of mish mash ships and rafts carrying the giants from Kloster were well on their way across the straits, going straight to Doohama. They could just about make them out over the waves, pulling further and further ahead. Magnus shook and his bones creaked with every slight movement of the rowboat. Riding the horse behind Willis had been hell, the jolts and shocks drove spasms of pain up his spine, he''d felt as if his arms would fall from his body, as if his head had swollen three sizes and was ready to be plucked from his neck like a ripe plum. In his mind there were no thoughts of vengeance, no desire to see the Alchemist bleed, he just kept repeating Rolf . . Festus . . I''m not dead . . I must see the Alchemist . . over and over, shivering and spitting up blood under Willis'' worried gaze. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The sun hung low in the day, Pa Lund had had his eyes fixed on the horizon the entire time, the opposite coast line drew closer and closer, they were finally able to make out individual houses and features, see the walls of Doohama. Doohama was nearly exactly opposite Kloster, constructed on a rocky isthmus jutting out to sea. Pa Lund called out "Look! The giants have made land!" As they looked on the sounds of conflict carried over, a distant crash and noise of metal against metal. Black smoke rose from the town, several enormous roars and ferocious battle cries. Pa Lund''s hands tightened into fists and he again encouraged the fishermen to row faster. From above Doohama came an insect buzz, the noise made by a hundred wings - Magnus tried to focus and saw that a black swarm took to the skies from the town. It moved to and fro, diving and swimming through the skies - plunging down to the giants assembled ships. Screams and cries of frustration, the swarm tore through the giants vessels reducing them to driftwood. "Keep rowing!" Pa Lund roared. The swarm rose into the air, taking to the skies above Doohama and then shot out like an arrow across the sea - straight towards Kloster. More than a hundred black skins buzzing furiously, ignoring everything the giants threw at them. Pa Lund and Willis stared wide eyed in shock at the departing swarm. "We have to go back!" Willis cried out. "It''s too late, son." Pa Lund shook his head. "Too late to go back now. Keep rowing." 011 - Giants by the Sea 011 - Giants by the Sea They made land near the town, Willis helped Magnus struggle ashore. The fishermen would not follow, Pa Lund went ahead scrambling up a sandy hill and onto a path. The path led through abandoned fields and past several caved in houses; the whole area around Doohama was deserted, the path and tracks overgrown, farms thick with weeds. The walls were in tatters, gates smashed and rotten. There were no sounds of battle, there hadn''t been - a silence ruled the streets of Doohama, the air thick with a putrid stench.Inside the walls they found a giant. He''d fallen amidst several black skinned creatures and lay across the main street. "Strange." Pa Lund climbed onto the giant''s chest and nudged its jaw with his foot. "Poison. You know what this is Willis?" "What?" Willis struggled to hold Magnus and keep up. "That damn alchemist." Pa Lund snarled, "bloody poisons, I bloody knew it. Skin has gone green, and his tongue is swollen purple." Magnus leaned heavily against Willis, he was tired, so very tired. Through the sea crossing he''d shivered, once ashore it took every fibre of his being to focus - again and again Magnus had felt a pull, a slight electric buzz, as if there were only the finest of threads keeping him in his body, but slowly, with every step, it became a little easier to breath, a little easier to keep pace. They passed a dozen more giants and a hundred more black skins. Some of the giants appeared to have died in the fighting, but the majority they saw had green skin, some had their horribly distended tongues hanging from their mouths. Magnus looked into each of their faces with mounting horror. These were the giants he had so long idolized. "This one''s alive!" Pa Lund called out. In the ruins of a store front lay a giant - Harkness! Magnus recognized him instantly - the best of the giant warriors Kloster had. Harkness'' skin was pale and green, foam formed at the corners of his lips, his eyes open and staring out at Pa Lund, his chest barely rising and falling with each laboured breath. Pa Lund tried to get a response out of the giant, but Harkness didn''t seem able to hear him. They continued down the street towards the Doohama docks at the inner part of the isthmus. Magnus saw another giant he recognized; Ingrid, her body face up, eyes staring blankly at the sky. An anger, a deep set rage and frustration boiled in Magnus - a revulsion like an open flame in his gut. He''d driven tens of cart loads of townsfolk to the Alchemists village the last six months, seen hundreds go in through the metal gates. When they came out giants he''d never thought to question the missing faces, never thought to question the fact that the Alchemist would be more than willing to use his time and effort to make them giants. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. A red fog churned through his mind, Rolf! Festus had Rolf! Festus had turned my brother and sister into giants and they''d fought and bled and died for what? For what! Bitter tears fell from his eyes, the black veins on his face throbbed. Magnus pushed himself away from Willis standing on his own feet, stumbling, then striding determinedly forward after Pa Lund, Willis running after them. Pa Lund''s eyes were ablaze, his face contorted in fury. In silence the three marched through the ruined streets until the road opened up into a plaza by the water front. "It would have been much simpler Septima if we hadn''t had to cross the sea, that''s all I''m saying." Festus'' nasal voice carried from the plaza ahead. Magnus'' eyes widened, but before he could rush out he was roughly pulled aside and held still by Pa Lund. "Shhh, lad, stay a moment and let''s see what they''ve been playing at." Pa Lund said softly. "See how many heads you count." "It wasn''t up to me." A female Alchemist, presumably Septima, responded. "Master Pontius set down the array five years ago, you know that." "I know that, I know that," Festus laughed lightly. "But it was still a lot of trouble to move my specimens all this way. They can''t fly like yours." "Hmmph. You could have chosen to experiment on something that wasn''t as unwieldy Festus, something more suited to your understanding. Like rodents, or worms." Septima snorted. ¡°Well, at the least I found a measure of success Septima. More than I can say for you and your, your, abominations!¡± Festus kicked at the corpse of a black skinned creature. "See that?" Pa Lund pointed to the far side of the waterfront market plaza. "There, that bastard Tygis and his festering brood. No surprise he''s all tied up in this." "An experiment?" Willis clenched his fists. "I don''t believe it . . . they were right . .I didn''t dare believe . . " "No time for that. I count thirty, seven castle guards and more than fifteen of those alchemist creeps. Get ready. Magnus?" Pa Lund hoisted Magnus to his feet. "Ready, Pa." Magnus growled. "Good lad. Stay behind me. You too Willis." Pa Lund strode into the sunlit plaza roaring at the top of his lungs and breaking out into a run. 012 - Giants by the Sea 012 - Giants by the Sea The Alchemists were wide eyed as Pa Lund, a wrinkled old man, ran out at them roaring and waving his fists in the air. Lord Tygis was first to react - he drew his sword and gave the command "Men! To the front, block him!" His seven men, loyal castle guards, had been granted a measure of the gigantism treatment and were all above 8ft tall, towering over Pa Lund. They drew steel, standing between the charging Lund and the Alchemists. Pa Lund didn''t so much as slow, no, his feet slapped against the cobbles and he launched himself at the nearest guard. With a mighty yell, his fist broke the guards sword and slammed into his chest with a sickening crack. The guard, all 8ft of him, flew back rolling on the ground and was still. "Bloody Alchemists!" Pa Lund snarled, "bloody giants. Bloody Lord bastard Tygis!" The guards looked down nervously holding their swords out, Lord Tygis'' face paled. Festus and Septima watched on bemused surrounded by their own guards. Pa Lund dodged a stab, retreating a step then launching himself forward and chopping with the edge of his hand and the sword arm of a giant guard, knocking the sword from his hand and taking it, stabbing the man in the leg and then in the throat. Magnus and Willis were behind Pa Lund, jaws agape as Pa fought the five remaining giant guards. The old man moved neither fast nor frantically, seemingly always in the right place at the right time to stab a giant in the leg making him fall, then in the throat. At times he displayed an incredible power, but with every blow they could tell he was slowing down, breathing harder. This was strength! This was power! The giants were clumsy children before Pa Lund, Magnus'' heart thumped and his throat dried. Why had he ever bothered going to the Alchemist? Why had he ever wanted to be a giant? The heroic figure of Pa Lund alone against the giants blazed in his eyes and mind. I never knew . . . Magnus looked at Willis who seemed equally as slack jawed. "Bastards!" Pa Lund roared, chopping the hand of a giant. "You''ll learn to mess with a Lund! You''ll know what it is to play with the lives of my family!" "You know this fellow Festus? He seems to know you!" Septima laughed. "Lund . . Lund . . nope. Can''t seem to place any Lund." Festus looked over and saw Magnus for the first time. "Ah! Wait! Is that Magnus? Ahha! Magnus Lund, of course! So he is alive!" Festus smiled and waved at Magnus and Willis. "Remarkable, truly." "Who is that then?" Septima yawned. "Oh, a failed experiment. One of the last batch. Remarkable that he has come all this way." Festus said. Pa Lund broke his sword against the last giants head, smashing the guards face with the broken shards of metal. Sweat poured from Pa''s brow, his left arm had been caught in a glancing blow and hung limp at his side. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Lord Tygis and his son were left alone, separated from the Alchemists and their strange silent guards. Tygis glanced over at Festus, Pa Lund snorted and threw the broken sword at Tygis. "Coward." Pa Lund stumbled forward, Magnus'' heart lurched and he and Willis ran to the old man. "I''m fine, just fine, just my bones are a little creaky." "He must be at Gold Core, no? A little old but really quite powerful." Septima cocked her head examining Pa Lund. "How come you didn''t pick the old man up for your tests?" Festus shook his head saying, "I didn''t pick any one up Septima, they all came to me. I didn''t have to force a whole town to ruin and make them abominations." "Well, they''ll be in ruins now, hmmph." She crossed her arms. "Send out your pill-dogs, looks like your little lord is a little helpless!" Pa Lund recovered his breath saying "get back lads, let me deal with what comes. These cocky turds are gonna learn what it means to mess with a Lund." Pa Lund pushed Magnus and Willis away, facing the Alchemists. "You. You treat us like dog shit, you take my grandson and his friend. My Lund''s have bled and died fighting those black skinned creatures!" Magnus gritted his teeth, he looked at Festus and tried to place his as the same man that had sat besides him on the cart, his mind reeled, every truth of the last five years flipped on its head. "Oh dear," Septima tittered. "I think he''s going rabid. Quick Festus, your pill-dogs!" "Alright, ok." Festus drew up the sleeves of his robe pointing at three of the silent guards that were arranged about the two Alchemists. "Alchemical Retainers, Septima, not pill-dogs please. Three-five, vials one through seven only." The three guards moved to the front, ten metres from Pa Lund. Two immediately popped the cork on a purple vial and swallowed the contents, the third took a yellow bulb shaped glass from his belt. The two guards split, each to either side of Pa Lund. Pa moved back, picking up a sword from a fallen giant and pointing the tip at one guard, nervously glancing at the other. Magnus and Willis were just behind him, Pa looked over his shoulder moving back. The three guards advanced silently, without warning the guard on the left charged, his short sword held low. Pa Lund turned to face him and in that instant the third guard threw the yellow potion - it sailed up in the air, Pa deflected the incoming blow but couldn''t see the potion to react. It had been perfectly timed, the sudden charge and the quick throw - Magnus'' mind blanked; his body reacted before a thought could even form - dashing in front of Pa Lund, the yellow potion smashing into his raised arms. 013 - Giants by the Sea 013 - Giants by the Sea The yellow liquid splashed on his arms and chest, Magnus managed to protect his face. It instantly dissolved his sleeves and ate away at his jacket, the already charred and scarred flesh of his arms melted and dropped off in clumps; Magnus screamed in agony - but the layer of black just beneath the surface of his skin was not affected at all, the acid penetrated no deeper than his skin. Pa Lund deflected a stab, stumbling back and glancing nervously at Magnus. The silent guard approached, stabbing again and again at Pa and forcing him back, the second guard closed in from behind Pa slashing at his back and drawing blood. Pa howled, turning and cleaving at the man and the first guard stabbed him in his back. Willis rushed up behind a guard, grabbing at his sword arm and pulling it desperately. The still silent guard reached over with his free hand and smacked Willis in the head sending him sprawling. "Arrgh! Huaaaaaaa!" Magnus'' face contorted in pain, his skin peeled and burnt, his consciousness reeled - the world spun a thousand directions at once. "Magnus!" Willis called out, "Pa!" Pa Lund retreated, back against a large wooden crate, his breath ragged and bleeding from several more cuts and stabs. "Toads with a small measure of strength, ha." Septima shrugged, losing interest in the fight. "The simplest of Alchemical tactics and they fall to pieces, even at the hands of your clumsy pill-dogs." Festus frowned, "what a waste. Two Augmentum Purpura and a whole vial of Acidum Flavum. You know how much each one of those cost Septima?" "How much?" "I could have bought three whole cheese wheels for the price of a single Augmentum, three!" Festus shook his head. Septima sighed. "Don''t be such a miser Festus, potions are meant to be used. Just get them to finish up, its nearly time." "Think of how much ham I could have bought for the Acidum Flacum. It would have been enough to stock a whole larder." "Festus!" "Oh, oh, alright." Festus waved his hands at the distant guards, they instantly closed in on Pa Lund and Magnus. "You just don''t care, do you Septima?" "Those toads are trouble you''ve bought. I dealt with all the riff raff on my side." She snorted derisively. "Those potions weren''t covered in the research grant you know, they all came out of my pocket." Festus grumbled. A silent guard stood above Magnus, another poised to stab Willis, and the third held the point of his sword to Pa Lunds throat. At the Alchemists signal the three thrust their weapons down. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Pa Lund threw himself to the side, the sword caught him on the shoulder and he rolled away towards Willis - Willis had been on the ground, the sword had stabbed into his stomach and he cried out, struggling as the silent guard pulled it out and went to stab again. Magnus was kneeling in the same place he had been when the yellow potion burst and its acid covered his arms. The third man, the one who''d thrown the potion, stood next to him, his sword slashing at Magnus'' neck from behind. Clang! The steel blade struck Magnus on the neck and bounced off. Like a metal gong resounding in his head, the shock of the sword woke Magnus from his pain induced stupor. His eyes focused, panic took hold. I don''t want to die! Not again! He tried to get up, falling forward just as the guards second slash came down, missing by a hair''s width. Magnus rolled around on the ground, turning over. It hurts! It hurts so bad! Magnus moved his arms in reflex, bringing them up to block the guards third slash. The sword dug into his charred flesh, but bounced off the layer of black skin beneath. Magnus fumbled back, blocking the barrage of blows in a blind panic. The guard stabbed, Magnus grabbed the blade and it immediately broke. He stared at the metal shards in shock - I did that? My hands are alright? Black veins pulsated and spread over every inch of his skin. I did that! Magnus lunged at the guard, grasping his clothes and, much to his own surprise as the shock of everyone else, easily lifted the guard above his head. Magnus let out a guttural roar, throwing the helpless man into the guard stabbing Willis, sending them both flying across the plaza and smashing into a stone wall. Magnus moved at the last of the three of the Alchemists guards, catching him from behind in a bear hug and squeezing - gritting his teeth Magnus squeezed hard as he could, fueled by a berserker rage, and with a howl he crushed the man''s torso, breaking every rib and snapping his spine. Pa Lund and Willis could only look on wide eyed - Magnus seemed on the verge of death, every single action strained and unsteady. "Ah!" Septima exclaimed. "A little late, but they''re here." The two Alchemists looked out to sea. Magnus looked up. There, suspended in the air above the waves next to Doohoma a gold-white tower, its top lost in the clouds. 014 - Giants by the Sea 014 - Giants by the Sea A white-gold tower floating above the sea, stretching up beyond the highest clouds. It had many segments stacked one on each other, some square, some spherical, and some in strange obtuse shapes that caught the sun in a thousand gleaming facets. Each segment revolved, the whole tower turning at different speeds, slow and fast. Willis and Pa Lund were bleeding helpless on the ground, Pa managed to steady himself, Willis groaned and turned - they were all speechless at the sight of the tower, limbs trembling as if in the presence of the divine. Festus and Septima chatted excitedly conducting their guards to arrange several crates and boxes on the plaza. They seemed to have all but forgotten that there had ever been anyone else on the waterfront. Magnus steadied himself, panting, and stumbling towards them - almost falling. He ran clumsily at first, determined to take on the Alchemists. Roaring, screaming with every ounce of rage and force and rushed at guard, at Festus. Festus glanced over his shoulder at Magnus, seeing him charge and raised his eyebrows - Slam! Magnus crumpled, his body flew back from the Alchemists. There was a blue electric shimmer in the air around where he''d hit, it sparked for a moment then fizzled out. Magnus picked himself up, pain shooting through every nerve, rushed again! Slammed a fist into the barrier and roared - again! He flew back, and again he charged. "Festus!" Magnus howled, hitting the barrier. "Alchemist! Arrgh!" From the lowest segment of the revolving tower came a flash of gold light, and on the waterfront another flash. An elderly man appeared in fine red alchemical robes. "Magister!" "Magister!" Septima and Festus called out, the old Alchemist smiled warmly. "Students. All present and accounted? Had a good time? Good, right," he walked over them glancing around and seeing Magnus. "Problems with the locals?" He waved a hand and Magnus felt like a giant boulder had been placed on his shoulders. "And these?" He gestured to Lord Tygis and his son. "Ah, this is Byrant Tygis. He has some promise in Alchemy," Festus waved Tygis'' son over. "Very good. We are always open to new students. Byrant is it? I am Pontius Magister Preater. Henceforth you shall take the name Byrant Genus Aurelius." Pontius beamed at the young lad. "And the father?" Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author."Sir!" Lord Tygis saluted. "He has been useful these past five years Magister, I told him there might be an opening on the lower floors." Festus replied. "Very well, stand over there with the crates. Septima?" Septima shook her head, "I found no one worthy Magister." "Hmm. What about that noisy fellow?" Pontius gestured at Magnus who was struggling on the ground. "A failed experiment," Festus said. "Died without mutation, shattered core and well . . I guess he got better." "Let me have a look see," Pontius put on thick spectacles and peered at Magnus. "Hmm. Right, right. I see, quite innovative Festus! Well done! You attempted to join the beastial technique and the thorn skin. There is evidence of rejection throughout and the aberrations on his skin show signs of infection. A little clumsy in the final application, hmm, not too bad." "It was a failure Magister." Festus sighed. "Hmm. Yes, yes - core shattered, body rejecting synthesis. Remarkable that he managed to come all this way, but it seems his deterioration is quite advanced, probably won''t live more than a month. Thoughts?" "Just put him out of his misery." Septima said disinterestedly. "Festus?" Pontius wiggled his finger, Magnus felt the pressure on his back increase two fold, his spine cracking and flesh bursting under the pressure. "Hmm. Leave him. He''s struggled to come this far, let him have his month." Festus smiled warmly at Magnus. "And I got a good test subject from the friend he brought along." "Good, very good then. Got everything? All of you, stay within the formation." The elderly Alchemist raised a hand into the air and intoned a single syllable - the word resonated through the dock, several points of light flashed and in a sudden bright illumination they vanished. The Alchemists, the guards, the crates and boxes of luggage all - the massive white revolving tower glittered a final time in the sky and faded like a mirage. Magnus turned over onto his back and lay still, his bones shaking, bleeding from his mouth and ear. He closed his eyes, face twisting in agony, a deep tiredness took hold and the youth wept bitter tears, a well of frustration and helplessness, of wanting to do nothing more than lay there until death would come and take him away. 015 - Giants by the Sea 015 - Giants by the Sea .... Above only stars and moons, seven moons in seven perfect crescents, black sky black night small, the smallest and brightest pinpricks of light. Magnus felt the cool earth against his back, his head resting on a small hill, the toes of his feet stretched out into the leaves of a nearby woods. Softly stretching, yawning and sinking deeper into sleep, blanket of stars and moons above, cool earth below - Magnus the Giant slept for a thousand years, his snores shaking the very rafters of the heavens. Too comfortable, too at peace. Magnus turned, his heels dipping into a river, silent and alone in the endless night . . . "Magnus!" "..." "Give him a smack." "Ow! His face is hard as a rock!" "Hells alive . . . Magnus! Wake up lad! Come on, its Pa Lund, you hear me, ah, ah." Pa Lund''s voice faltered. "Pa! You''ve gotta lay down." Willis'' voice croaked with strain. "What about Magnus?" This was a voice Magnus did not recognize. "Just keep smacking him." Pa Lund shut his eyes. "Hells above, heavens below, this really has been a shit show." "Least we''re alive, right?" Willis laughed weakly. "Mister Lund, I think Magnus is awake!" Magnus opened his eyes and saw a girl in her early teens standing over him with a worried expression. "You awake Magnus?" Pa Lund sat up on his bed. "Thank the stars!" "I''m awake Pa. Where are we? What happened?" Magnus tried to get up, the words hurt to form in his throat. "My arms . . they don''t hurt?" "Lad, aren''t you gonna say hello to little Petra here?¡± Pa Lund smiled, nodding at the young girl. ¡°She''s been a saint these three days, treating us day and night changing your bandages. How you feeling now Magnus?¡± ¡°I¡¯m . . I¡¯m alright Pa. My arms are alright, but the black lines, and blisters . . where are we?¡± ¡°In the fishing village back on the mainland. ¡°Ulf and his friends found us; those fishermen who rowed us over. They''d come to look for us, bless their hearts, and been so kind as to take us into their home." Pa Lund lay back exhausted from the effort of talking. Magnus saw that the lines on his face were deeper than he''d ever seen them, Pa Lund looked weaker and older, his eyes seemed to have lost a spark of vitality that he always used to have. Willis lay still on his bed opposite Pa, his face contorted in pain and several patches of blood showing through on his bandaged torso. Magnus examined his arms and body. The skin had healed a great deal. Black lines ran in a vein pattern over every inch and pus filled blisters bubbled up in the cracks between the lines and skin. He touched a blister and it burst, the pus within smelt of rotten eggs and filled the room with a rank stench - Petra wiped it off with a wet sponge and tied a bandage around the affected area, then leaving the three alone in the room. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Pa, Uncle . ." Magnus felt tears well up, his voice cracking. "What''s gonna happen to me? The Alchemist said I''ve only got a month, and three days have gone just like that! What am I gonna do?" "Get a grip!" Pa Lund growled. "Pa, don''t be so hard on Magnus." Willis sighed. "I don''t know what we can do, me and Pa have been poked full of holes and cut up real bad, Pa has had his arm broke and his hip has gone. It looks like you''ve healed up the best out of the three of us!" Willis chest heaved with the effort of sitting up and talking. "How are you feeling lad?" "I don''t know . . it hurts, not as bad, but like a dull pain. My skin feels dry, I feel so weak, like a breeze could snap me in half." Magnus got to his feet. "I can stand . . my arms and legs seem alright." "You''re doing better than me or Pa. That''s a blessing lad." Willis'' expression relaxed a little. "But Uncle, Pa, what do I do now? What about Kloster? Ma? Da?" Panic filled Magnus'' face. "I''m sorry Magnus." Willis shook his head. "Ulf went up to take a look at Kloster yesterday. There ain''t much left." Magnus fell back onto the bed holding his head in his hands. "There is one thing," Willis said. "If it''s to do with Alchemists then I''ve heard of something that might be able to help you out. On my travels there were always rumours of a place called the Witching Road. They said it was a place where those who fought against Alchemists gathered. I didn''t think much of it at the time,well, but now . ." Willis coughed, clutching his belly and gritting his teeth before carrying on. "Don''t know how much help me telling you is now lad. Maybe they can help you." Magnus sat silently with his head still in his hands. The room fell silent for a time. Outside there was the sounds of playing children and waves against the shore. "Magnus," Pa Lund called out. "Come over here lad." Magnus went over to Pa Lunds bed and sat next to the old man, his eyes stained with tears. "Look into my eyes Magnus, look straight at me. Right lad, listen well. You have to live! Don''t believe a word those poxy Alchemists said to you! Live! You are a Lund! Remember that! Whatever you can do from now Magnus, you have to struggle to live on! Live, and find those bastards in their high towers, you hear me? You find them and you tear them down!" Pa Lund''s eyes flashed with anger, Magnus felt an immense rage pour into him, a burning ambition to destroy. 016 - Journey to the East 016 - Journey to the East "I want to live!" Magnus cried out, "Pa, I want to live. I want to be strong, I want to find Festus, I want to save Rolf. Pa!" "Good!" Pa Lund fell back heavily onto the bed. "Good. Keep all those wants close to your heart Magnus. You need to live. Willis, tell the lad what you told me, I need to rest." "Magnus," Willis beckoned him over. "The Witching Road - remember! They are to the east, everyone says so." "To the east. Right. The Witching Road." Magnus repeated. "You''ll have to ask in the town taverns, try to avoid the cities . . looking like you do you''ll be hounded as a plague bearer, you''ll have to go wrapped up." Willis paused, breathing deeply. "I''ll be alright Uncle." Magnus held Willis hand. "I''ve arranged a horse for you, my old nag. There''s some coin and a few weeks worth of hardtack. You''ll need to go east, over the mountains and into the hinterlands. The Witching Road, Magnus - they fight against the Alchemists. If anyone can help you . ." "I understand." Tears welled in Magnus'' eyes. "You''ll have to go ahead, me and Pa are pretty torn up. Soon as we heal we''ll follow, but you have to hurry, don''t go waiting on us, alright?" Willis reached out weakly embracing Magnus. "Yes Uncle." "Cross the mountains, it''s the quickest way to the hinterlands. Try to get to the Midlands, it should take less than a month. Maybe there . ." Willis let go of Magnus. "Come over, I''ve got something for you." Pa Lund called out to Magnus. "Here, take this," Pa took a gold ring of his finger and passed it Magnus. "It has been in the Lund family for generations, my father gave it to me, and I would have given it to your father . . take it. Remember who you are. No matter where you go or what you do, you are a Lund first, remember that!" "Yes!" "Now, get out of here!" Pa Lund roared. "To the east, Magnus!" Willis called after him. Magnus left the fisherman''s house, outside Petra waited. She took him to the back and bandaged his arms and face with several rolls of linen, gave him a hood and cloak. Magnus'' mind buzzed, Pa''s and Willis voices were like thunder, brewing a storm in his heart - every second of the last week played over and over like a fever dream, every action he took - I wanted power, I gave myself to the Alchemist. . . if I had acted different? If I had done something else? Then I would be dead! Killed by the black skins in Kloster with the rest! Petra finished bandaging and left silently, Magnus sat quietly outside the house looking at the sky. "He''s gone," from inside the house Magnus heard Willis'' voice. "We do the right thing, Pa?" Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author."Was the only thing. Can''t do more then that." Pa Lunds'' voice sounded so very weak and faint. "I''ve not long Willis, feel it in my bones." "My spines cracked Pa, your arms gone. We''re on our way out together . . hah ah ha . ." Willis coughed and fell silent. "Best we get him on his way, least he can chase after a chance of living." Pa Lund sighed. "Those black lines on his skin, a month Willis. Better a month in hope than just waiting with us to . . ." "Yeah, Pa, yeah." "..." Magnus got to his feet. His uncle''s horse had been readied and tied to a post at the edge of the village. Magnus climbed into the saddle and set off on the coastal path. Within a day he had left everything familiar behind. The town of Kloster, the nearby villages and fields that he''d run and played in, the beaches and the cliff, everything Magnus called home vanished over the horizon. Everything the Alchemists touched had turned to ruin. A day passed, then another. Magnus travelled east, inland through mountain tracks. There were few people on the roads, shepherds and goat herders and a few travellers going between villages. Magnus stopped each and every passerby, asking them all of the Witching Road. None recognized the name, he asked them if they''d heard anything about Alchemists, a few said they''d heard there was one in Kloster but didn''t know anything more than that. He followed the valleys and paths around the rocky peaks, urging the horse to move a little faster, to go a little further, only stopping when it became too dark to see the path. On the eve of the fourth day he came out of the mountains and into a valley. Up ahead was a village by a river and from it Magnus saw a man running up the path toward him, following the man was a mob waving pitchforks and shouting angrily. The man spotted Magnus, running at him and waving his arms, the mob hot on his heels. "Thank the gods!" The man darted behind Magnus'' horse and squatted down to catch his breath. "Master! I, your student, needs help!" "Master?" Magnus cocked his head. The mob of villagers stopped seeing Magnus and the man. "Alchemist! Get back here!" "Peasants, halt! Don''t you see you''re in the presence of my Master, the great Telemundo?" The man yelled from behind the horse. "You''re Master Telemundo?" A peasant cried out in shock. "Of course he is!" The Alchemist said with indignation. "Ignorant peasant filth, get back! Back to your hovels before the Great Telemundo turns you all into toads!" 017 - Journey to the East 017 - Journey to the East "Master Telemundo! Show these ignorant peasants the might of a master Alchemist!" The Alchemist declared arrogantly, backing away from Magnus. The mob hesitated, peering at Magnus and trying to see under his hood. "A toad?" A fat man at the front of the mob sneered. "Go on then. I''d like to see what a the master of a fake Alchemist can do." "Yeah!" "Swindler!" A peasant spat at Magnus. "I''m not with him, I don''t know what''s going on, I . ." Magnus waved his hands at the mob. "Don''t listen to them Master!" The fake Alchemist retreated rapidly up the path shouting at Magnus. "Wait, I''ve really nothing to do with . ." Magnus said frantically. A child threw a rock at Magnus, hitting him on the head, a woman threw another - the stones bounced of his skin doing no real damage. Magnus tried to turn his horse and ride away, but the fat man grabbed the reins and it bucked, throwing Magnus to the ground. The mob of peasants rushed him, tearing at his clothes. A peasant swung a hoe, striking him across the shoulders and snapping the wooden haft in two. "Enough!" Magnus roared, getting to his feet and grabbing the nearest peasant, holding him up in the air in one hand. Another rock came sailing through the air toward him, Magnus raised his free hand and caught it, crushing it with ease. The peasants fell silent. "Bloody hell, can''t you see I''m just passing by?" Magnus growled, the peasant backed up, fear and uncertainty in their eyes. "Show them what''s what Telemundo sir!" The now distant fake Alchemist yelled and danced about in glee. Magnus tossed the helpless peasant into the mob sending half a dozen men tumbling to the ground. "You!" He picked up a rock and hurled it at the distant figure, it shot from his hand like a cannonball, striking the man squarely in the head and knocking him to the ground. When the fake Alchemist came to the first thing he noticed was that he was naked. The second thing he saw was Magnus sitting just opposite glaring at him. They were both in the center of the village, the naked man tied to a wooden post, Magnus sat on a stool, around him the peasants. "Not a real Alchemist. A thief, a swindler." Magnus sighed. If only it were this easy to catch a real Alchemist. "Good sir," the fat peasant held his cap in his hands. "This man is a criminal. We only wanted to catch him and take back what is ours. That, any hang the bastard." "Ohhh, ooh my head. My poor head." The naked swindler slumped back. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!"Yes, yes." Magnus sighed again. "Alright, you''ve told me already. I don''t care. What did he say about the Witching Road?" "He said that he was hunting for them, him and his master Telemundo, and that they were close by, uh, sir, the Witching Road that is." The fat peasant hesitated. "This fake alchemist came here a week ago sir, he sold us lotions and tonics for health." A women villager interrupted, "He said he had to apply them himself! Touched me and my little Nancy all over, the swine!" "And he charged us three gold bits for it!" Another peasant declared. "The tonic he sold for our cow killed it stone dead!" "Hang him!" "Throw him in the well!" "Yes, alright." Magnus waved his hands. "Do any of you know where I can find the Witching Road?" Magnus asked. "No sir, never heard of it myself." "No sir," chorused the villagers. "I know!" The swindler cried out. "I know where it is!" "You do?" Magnus grinned. "Well? Out with it." "Ah. Ah ha." The swindler grinned back. "Great Master Magnus, I''d be more than willing to guide you there myself. But as you see, alas, I find myself in a little bit of a predicament." "Right." Magnus got to his feet. "Hang him, drown him, do what you will. I''ve got to be on my way." Magnus walked unsteadily to his horse. "Wait! Magnus, please, wait!" The naked swindler struggled against his bonds. "To the east! The Witching Road is to the east!" "I know that." Magnus hoisted himself to the saddle. "In the Empire Swamp!" The swindler called out desperately. "In a hidden place! The Witching Road! Those who gather there fight the tyranny of Alchemists! I know where it is!" Magnus halted. He looked back into the desperate man''s eyes. "And you know where this secret place is?" "I can take you there! Honest!" The man beamed at Magnus. "Don''t believe him sir! He''s a liar and a thief!" "Release him. Give him some clothes and bind his hands." Magnus ordered. "He deserves to hang!" A peasant shouted. "I know, I know." Magnus shook his head. "But he is coming with me. Your name?" "He''s called Quorum sir, so he said." The fat peasant responded. "Hehe, my name is Caj, boss." Caj laughed. The peasants threw filthy rags at Caj''s feet, one of the girls spat in his face. "Tie him to my horse. Here, take this for compensation." Magnus threw a couple of gold coins to the fat peasant. He pulled the reins, cantering out of the village to the east, Caj stumbling and running to keep from being dragged behind the horse. 018 - Journey to the East 018 - Journey to the East "Magnus! Sir! Master! Please, hells alive, slow down!" Caj staggered along behind the horse, the rope yanking him forward every few steps and bringing about a new bout of pleading. "..." Magnus never so much as looked back, the horse carrying on at a steady pace down the country path. They had left the mountain tracks, following a winding stream through the rolling hills and down. For half a day they continued this way, Caj cursing all the while, the horse sticking to the path and never stopping. Magnus could barely see. It took all his strength to stay upright, there was a ringing in his ears, a throbbing pain seizing his chest. Every inch of skin ached, as if it were drying and cracking like parchment. The world grew bright, then suddenly dark, swimming in and out of greys and shadows to a flashing midday sun. Magnus swayed, lost his balance and slipped from the saddle falling to the dirt and laying still. "You alive?" Caj prodded Magnus with the end of his foot. "Hello, hello?" "I''m alive." Magnus groaned, sitting up. "I''m alright, I can see. You hear those bells?" "What bells?" Caj looked around puzzled. "Ok. No bells then." Magnus got to his feet and dusted himself off. "Great gods, what happened to your face?" Caj exclaimed, his eyes wide. Magnus'' hood was back and his bandages slipped off in his fall revealing the black lines and blisters beneath. "Nothing. An illness." Magnus pulled his hood back over, tightening the bandages and clambering onto the horse. "Hiya!" They set off once more, Caj stumbling silent. That night they made camp within a copse of cedar between two hills, Magnus tied Caj to the trunk of a tree with his hands bound in front of him. He felt utterly drained, too tired to talk or eat anything more than hard salted fish, Caj cried out in protest and begged Magnus to untie hands at least, Magnus ignored him, throwing half a fish and an apple for the swindler to sup on. Magnus woke to morning sunlight filtering between leaves and the sound of bird song. It had been a hard night, pain and terrifying shrieking beasts kept him from any real rest. He glanced at the tree - the ropes were slack, no sign of Caj, strange, Magnus sniffed the air. A strong scent of roasting meat right nearby. "Heyo!" Caj grinned, calling out. He was at the edge of the copse, squatting by a fire holding a plucked bird over the flames. "Better than fish, no?" "Caught it myself. Ok, I tell a lie. A kindly old women living just over the hill gifted it to me, taking pity on my hunger and rags." Caj took a chunk out of the bird with his teeth. "Want some?" "No. You thieved it, didn''t you?" Magnus said flatly. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences."I most certainly did not! It was a gift!" Caj replied flippantly. "You untied the rope." Magnus examined Caj. Beneath the young swindlers rags were thin pale limbs, hardly and muscle or fat at all. "Ah, one of my many skills." Caj took another bite, chewing noisily. Magnus shook his head, "and did not escape." "I told you, I''m an honest man. Caj the Honest, that''s my name in these parts. Heh, well, you can trust me, right? See, I could''ve escaped, but I made a promise; I am going to see you all the way east, all the way to the Witching Road, right?" Caj laughed lightly. "Just, no more ropes, ok? I don''t want to be tied to a horse, yeah?" Magnus went down to the stream and undid his bandages. They were stained yellow, filthy with pus and blood. He washed them, splashing his face and arms with water and squeezing the cloth dry before reapplying them. A long streak of yellow grease run downstream from Magnus, bubbling on the surface of the river. "Where to now, boss?" Caj walked alongside the horse. "To the east." Magnus waved in a vague easterly direction. "The Empire Swamp. How far is it?" "Pretty far, boss. We''ve got a ways to go. Why you want to go there, hey? You want to join up, fight the Alchemists?" Caj babbled contentedly. For the most part Magnus was happy to let him talk to himself, answering the occasional question. He felt much better than the day before, miles better. "You sick boss? An Alchemist do that to you?" Caj asked. "Yeah. An Alchemist, in Kloster." Magnus gritted his teeth. "Kloster? I''ve heard of that. Full of giants, no? You from Kloster?" "Yeah." "Are there really giants? I''ve always wanted to see a giant myself. You seen giants boss?" "Yeah. Loads." Magnus replied hoarsely. "Which way now?" They came to a junction, a wide dirt path going north and south. "This way, boss." Caj started walking south. "I know a real nice place just near here, set us up good and proper for the night. Oh, it''s on the way boss, no worries. I''ll get you to the Witching Road, no worries." Caj swung his arms and whistled tunelessly. The day dragged on, they passed several wagons and riders on the road, none who stopped and gave Magnus or Caj the slightest notice. The track wound south through the plains, Magnus had the urge to spur his horse to move faster, to rush forwards. My time is short, I need to find a cure. I need to live. His head throbbed, pain and aches shot through his body with every movement, however slight. The only thing that kept him focused was the thought of the Witching Road, of following this thin thread of hope to the east. 019 - Journey to the East 019 - Journey to the East Caj talked incessantly, asking countless questions without waiting for an answer, telling Magnus of all the towns and villages he had visited. Magnus had lived all his life in Kloster, his knowledge of the world outside limited to a vague understanding that Kloster was in the north west of Jute, and that just opposite was Doohama on the Dragon Isle. He knew a little of the Iron Coast from the travels of Uncle Willis, but not much else besides. Caj told him that they had to cross the river Stor to get to the Empire Swamp, that east of the Stor was the Gifhorn-Klotz, the lowlands and the forests of north Jute. "You really don''t know? I thought everyone knew!" Caj exclaimed. "I know the capital is Juteheim," Magnus replied. "My uncle promised to take me there one day . . as for the rest, well, we never got many travellers in Kloster." "Well, Juteheim is south of here by Lake Stor, pretty far." Caj hummed, keeping pace with the horse. "Like to go there myself one day, you heard of the Griffon? Massive bird with the head of a lion, they say it lives in the wildlands." Caj licked his lips, "wonder what it tastes like. How strong are you boss? A silver core? Gold? I saw you pick up and toss that peasant! You must be a real warrior, right?" Caj babbled on, asking and talking and switching from subject to subject the whole day. Magnus learnt to not engage, to answer only with a grunt. His head ached, the longer he was on the road the more his body shook, his skin throbbing beneath the bandages. They joined with a wider well kept path, trampled dirt and worn wheel ruts, several carts and riders passed by in both directions, Magnus stopped them all, asking if they knew of the Witching Road and where it could be found, but none knew. Caj grinned, "Don''t worry boss, I know where it is. You don''t need to be asking anyone else, just trust in Caj here," he thumped his chest. "We''re right near the Lonely Soldier now, just a bit more!" At the side of the road was a tall stone man worn smooth, its features all lost to years of wind and rain. It stood by the side of a tavern, looking out over the road. "The Lonely Soldier," Caj called out. "As big as your giants, no?" Magnus shook his head saying "maybe a short giant." It was late in the day, Magnus didn''t much care where they''d spend the night, here was good as any place. Caj went in ahead, Magnus stabled the horse and followed. The main hall of Lonely Soldier opened up to a large room with several tables, a fire pit at one end. Most tables were full, many road weary travellers busied themselves with drinking and eating. Caj came running back with two pitchers of ale, handing one to Magnus. They found a table in the corner of the room. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there."Sit yourself here boss, I''ll go get us a room." "Don''t bother. We''ll sleep in the stables, it''s plenty warm." Magnus took a sip of the ale. It felt rancid in his mouth. Nothing seemed to taste right anymore. "Nah boss, much better to have a room. Trust me, after a long day on the road there ain''t anything greater than a warm bed to lay your bones. A nights rest in the Lonely Soldier and you''ll be fresh as a daisy for the road tomorrow," Magnus raised a hand. "Enough! Alright. Get us a room, a cheap one mind." "No problem Boss!" Caj leapt to his feet, quickly vanishing from sight. Magnus sat and sipped his ale. Ash, bitter tasting ash. Around him the room buzzed with lively conversations. Two minutes. Five minutes. Ten. Magnus looked around for Caj, nothing. Just as he was getting up and go looking for him a voice called out. "I know you, friend!" A man with a rough spun cotton shirt and rogue like appearance grinned at Magnus, coming across from a nearby table and sitting down. "You''re Godfred, right?" "No. I''m not." "Jorn? Tamil? Hell, friend - I''m sure I know you from somewhere!" The man slapped the table and peered at Magnus, trying to see under his hood. "I''m not your friend." Magnus got to his feet. "Come now, no need for that tone! We''re all friends here, sit!" The man put a large calloused hand on Magnus'' shoulder. "Here, drink with me!" Magnus slapped the man''s hand away, just the touch burst several pus filled blister. The man stood up, blocking him from leaving the table. "Friend, stay awhile! Drink!" The man smiled widely, thrusting his tankard of ale into Magnus'' hands. "Another tankard for myself and for my friend here!" Something is wrong. Magnus looked about the room, no one seemed to be paying them the slightest bit of notice, people left and entered the hall talking and drinking and eating, but there was no sign of Caj, none at all. "Where is he?" Magnus eyes narrowed. "Where is Caj?" "Who?" The man laughed. 020 - Journey to the East 020 - Journey to the East "Caj!" Magnus snarled. "He was in here with me . ." Magnus pushed past the bearded man, knocking the drink out of his hands. "Oy! No need for that, mate." The man gave way, frowning. "Torben! You gonna be bothering that kid all night or what?" One of the rough looking men from a nearby table called over. "Yeah, right." Torben wiped himself down and laughed. "Some people, eh? Another drink over here!" Magnus hurried through the packed hall into the reception of the Lonely Soldier. The girl at the front desk hadn''t heard or seen anyone of Caj''s description. Magnus rushed over to the stable, his fears realized; his uncle''s horse was gone. A stable hand said that he hadn''t seen who rode it off, and he hadn''t seen it there in the first place, as if the horse had not existed in the first place. Magnus head spun. Naive! So damn naive . . trusting the word of a swindler . . Caj hadn''t escaped the previous night - Magnus thought he could trust him, let down his guard - and at the very first opportunity the bloody thief made off with his horse! Without a horse . . already a week gone. Can I make it on foot? All the way to the Empire Swamp . . wait, was anything Caj said honest? Had he been truthful in the slightest? In the east, the Witching Road; the secret entrance in the Empire Swamp, trust me, trust me . . . damn damn damn. The stable hand watched puzzled as Magnus muttered and cursed and clutched his head in his hands. "The Witching Road . . the Alchemists, Pa, Uncle . . I''ve let you down . ." Magnus looked to the stable hand. "You, you heard of the Witching Road? You know where it is?" "Uh, the east, right?" The stable hand said uncertainly. "Maybe someone inside knows more, right? You ok? Sir?" "I''m fine." Magnus held his chest, a burning sensation filling his lungs. Right. What have I got? My money pouch, a couple of gold coins. Magnus'' hands went to his belt, feeling around desperately. My money pouch . . gone! The cords cut! "Ha ah ha ha." Magnus threw his head back, laughing pitifully. Did Caj leave me with anything? The only thing of any worth Magnus had left was in his socks, Pa Lund''s gold ring, the Lund Family ring. Magnus had put that into his socks soon as he''d got it. Least he hadn''t been stupid enough to lose that too, right? What now? No money, nothing with which to pay for a room, nothing with which to pay for the drinks I''ve already had, Caj and my horse long gone into the night, gods know where he is by now . . the man! The bearded rogue! He must have been with Caj! He must have been sent to delay me, to stop me from chasing Caj too early! Magnus rushed back into the hall of the Lonely Soldier. The air was thick with the noise of reverie. He cut through the patron''s, right up to the man''s table. Tarben, the bearded man, sat drinking with others. He saw Magnus approach and raised a drink cheerfully calling out "Ah, friend! Back already? A drink! Come, sit with us!" "Caj." Magnus declared. "You know him. You worked with him." "Mate, I have no idea what you''re on about." Tarben snorted. "Here I am, trying to see a little fella well and see where it gets me?" The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation."You''ve no luck Tarben," One of the other men at the table shook his head. "Trust us lad, we don''t know anyone called Caj." Another man called out. "Trust you?" A bile rose in the back of Magnus'' throat. Trust, trust, trust. He''d trusted the Alchemist, he''d trusted Caj, he''d trusted just like a bloody puppy. Blood rushed to his head, Magnus roared, grabbing Tarben by his jacket and heaved him up to his feet. "Whoa! Hey!" Tarben struggled. "Caj. Where is he?" Magnus shook Tarben back and forth. "Bloody hell kid, take it easy!" The three men jumped up, one pushed Magnus knocking his hood back and gasping at the sight of his bandages. "I told you, I don''t know! I swear it!" Tarben cried out. The entire hall fell silent, all the patrons turned to face Magnus and the four men. Tarben cried out again, his friends circled around, one rushed up behind Magnus and got him in a headlock. Magnus lifted Tarben up and threw him over the table, he felt a punch against the side of his head, and another. Magnus grabbed the arm around his throat with both hands and squeezed, the man behind him screamed and let go. Magnus'' hood was back, the bandages on his arms loose and blood and pus seeped out, anywhere he''d been touched or made contact with others felt raw. Another punch, Magnus stumbled and looked left, the man to his right raised a chair and broke it on Magnus'' back - he fell heavily to the ground. Magnus heaved, trying to get to his feet, but a rain of kicks and blows kept him on the floor. "Hey! Stop! He''s just a sick kid!" A nearby patron called out. "He broke my wrist!" Tarben¡¯s friend kicked Magnus viciously in the ribs, Magnus rolled with the blow and grabbed the man''s leg throwing him over onto a neighbouring table. "Watch it!" A stranger pushed the man away, sending him sprawling. Tarben was now back on his feet, his face red with rage. "What do you think you''re doing, mate?" He punched the stranger in the face, knocking him back. "Oy!" "Hey! He''s just a sick kid! Leave him alone!" Another man joined the fray, throwing a punch at one of the men still kicking Magnus. Within moment half the bar fell to fighting one another, tables thrown over, chairs and bottles smashed, the stench of blood and vomit filling the entire tavern. Tarben leapt up onto a table kicking all those who came near, several men in similar clothes held down their ground near the bar, others seemed to be fighting everyone at once. Magnus got to his feet, steadying himself against a wall, then being knocked back down as a chair came sailing through the air and smashed into his chest. He struggled up again. Nothing had hurt, he hadn''t felt an ounce of pain beyond a dull sensation when punched or kicked, or even when hit to ground with a chair. He could still be knocked about, but nothing hurt. Magnus felt a wave of nausea rush to his head, his chest grew tight and it felt like the blood flowed backwards through his veins - in an instant the world flashed black and Magnus fell to the ground as if strings had been cut, truly out for the count. 021 - Journey to the East 021 - Journey to the East Dead. I''m dead. Again. Magnus looked down at his own grotesque face, black lines criss crossed over his nose, pus filled blisters on his lips, his cheeks. Someone had vomited on his chest, Magnus tried to look around but the room swam out of focus, a thick white fog covered all. He was floating just inches above his own body, tethered to it by two thin strands of red thread. Can I cut it? Last time I pulled . . . do I want to go back? Magnus felt his ethereal form grow weaker, as he was losing focus. Live! You must live! Whatever you do, no matter how small the chance, you must do everything to live Magnus! Magnus focused, reached out with ghostly hands and grasped the red thread pulling at it with every ounce of might he could muster. An electric shock, the warm buzz, he heaved again and again, struggling to pull himself those inches back into his own body. The white fog cleared, the world shook and Magnus felt a rush of hot air enter his lungs, felt his heart thump weakly against his ribs. "!" "Sis! Sis! He ain''t dead!" Magnus blinked and opened his eyes. It was day time, he was outside and he was on his back inside a wheelbarrow. Sitting up Magnus saw the stable hand from the Lonely Soldier drop a shovel and run back into the tavern raising a commotion. Magnus fell out of the wheelbarrow, his legs and arms stiff, he staggered against a wall. "The boy''s alive? Don''t be lying to me Cyrus." A feminine voice called out. "Not lying sis!" Cyrus said excitedly "Just as I was about to bury him he starts moving, really!" "Well, that''s a bit of luck. Now we have someone to charge for the damages to my dining hall." What now? I don''t have time to hang about. Magnus coughed, spitting out a glob of phlegm and blood. Don''t have time to hang about . . . he lost balance and fell heavily to the ground. Have to get a move on . . Magnus heaved himself up, stumbling on. "Hey! Hold on!" A middle aged woman and the stable hand hurried out of the tavern easily catching up to the unsteady Magnus. "Where do you think you''re off to lad? I''ve got a mountain of broken furniture and wasted ale and you to thank for it . . what''s wrong with his face?" "I told you sis, he looked real sick." Cyrus pinched his nose. "And he smells like rotten eggs!" "Dying. I''ve got the plague." Magnus lurched toward them. "More than happy to stay, ''mam," He pulled the bandages from his face and arms revealing the black lines and festering blisters. The woman and stable hand fell back, "No, no. You be on your way . . go on, Cyrus go get your pa. Stay back!" Magnus chuckled, turning away from the two and stumbling on down the road. Ain''t got time to waste, he muttered. Gotta go to the east . . . but where? East, east . . . I''m not going east - I''m going to the Witching Road! Gotta ask . . maybe someone knows. He thought of going back to the Lonely Soldier, maybe one of the travellers they knew? Too late now, they''d just chase him out, who''d want to deal with a plague bearer? Ah hell. Bloody Caj. Bloody thief. Why did I think it was a good idea to trust him at all? Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. My mind''s going . . . Pa, Uncle, oh ye gods, Rolf, I miss you so damn much, why did this have to happen to me? Festus . . Not even a week had passed since he''d set off from the fishing village, not even one single week and already he''d lost the horse, lost the gold, even lost his life again. Ha ha ah . . Magnus walked the whole day through, nothing else mattered so much to him and the path under his feet and being able to put one foot in front of another. His stomach rumbled, then stopped. His throat grew dry, painfully dry, then nothing. After the first day he no longer felt the need to eat or drink. He stopped at night, unable to see to walk, the moon a thin sliver hidden by grey clouds. All day he''d walked and tried to stop passers by, calling out to them if they knew where the Witching Road was, none replied. On the second day he walked until blisters formed and burst inside his boots, blood and pus seeping out between the stitches. Three days walking, then four, now the fifth - barely able to put one foot before the other, falling exhaust onto the dirt at the side of the road at night, being ignored by every passer by. One thought and one thought only consumed him - I must live. I must live. To live I must go east, I must find the Witching Road. The road led him south, then split - one path east and another south. Magnus took the road east - on the horizon he saw a glittering thread, illuminated by the midday sun, the sparkling waters of the river Stor. The Empire Swamp was east of the Stor, the only lead, the only hope Magnus had was that there might be some germ of truth in Caj''s lies. Magnus marched onwards, five days of constant walking taking an enormous toll on his body, his clothes and bandages filthy with sweat and pus. His foot hit a rock and he fell face first into the dirt, lying still. Traveller passed by in both directions, wagon went around, for hours Magnus simply lay still in the middle of the road. Late in the afternoon there came a rumble of hooves and marching feet. All the travellers on the road stood to a side, wagons and carriages all took to the mud with haste. At the head of a column of horsemen was an enormous banner, held proudly up by a rider in polished iron armour. The banner was pristine white with a single golden key emblazoned in its centre. Behind the riders was a long line of ragged men chained to one another. 022 - Journey to the East 022 - Journey to the East The lead rider spotted Magnus laying in the centre of the road and raised his fist bringing the column to a halt. After a brief moment two horsemen dismounted and approached Magnus of foot. "Ambush . . . what the devil is he thinking?" The older dismounted soldier muttered. "Sarge, you think it might be rebels?" The second soldier fumbled with his belt, pulling out a polished arming sword and looked around at the bushes on either side of the road. "Don''t be a tosser all your life Oskar. On a milk run like this? Who is gonna want to ambush us for a bunch of bloody convicts? It''s only rookie twats like you and Captain Valentin who''d come up with something so bloody absurd." The older soldier¡¯s armour was far more worn than the troopers. Magnus lay still. Every part of his body ached but he was awake, could clearly hear the conversation of the two soldier. He tried to move, roll out of the way, but his arms and legs simply would not respond. "The Witching Road?" Oskar replied. "They might want to break ''em free, you know, cause we''re taking them to . . ." "Trooper Oskar?" "Yes Sarge?" "Shut it. That''s an order. And put that damn sword away before you stab yourself." The two approached Magnus, Trooper Oskar held his nose and prodded Magnus with his foot. "He''s dead, Sarge." "I can see that." "And he stinks, Sarge." Oskar wrinkled his nose. "You''d best be getting used to the stench of corpses Oskar, if you want to be a soldier." Sarge replied. "Now, get his legs." "He''s all bandaged up, Sarge! Look at that! That black thing on his skin . . you think he had the plague? I don''t want to touch no one with the plague!" "Trooper!" Sarge snarled. "Sir!" Trooper Oskar hurried and lifted Magnus'' legs fast as he could. The two men got hold of Magnus, half dragging him the side of the road. Magnus remained still, letting them carry him. What do I do? They''re taking men to be playthings of the Alchemists . . to be a part of hideous experiments . . a fire begun to burn in his belly, Magnus felt a rage rekindle, saw Festus'' face appear before his eyes. "Right heavy bugger, ain''t he Sarge?" They unceremoniously dumped Magnus in the dirt by the side of the road. Sarge waved over to the column of riders, one of the mounted men broke away and came over. "Report, Sergeant Solberg!" A fresh faced youth in brightly polished armour called out from high on his horse. "Captain Valentin, sir!" Solberg saluted, "he''s dead, sir!" "A dead body in the middle of the highway?" Captain Valentin frowned, "could it be a rebel plot, Sergeant?" Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on."I said that, uh, sir!" Trooper Oskar quickly saluted. "Sir! He''s a bit, well, too dead to be a rebel." Solberg replied. "Could it be a ruse? A cunning ploy by the enemy to ambush us?" Captain Valentin looked from side to side of the the empty road. Silence. Magnus lay face up in the dirt. The fire in his belly grew to a blaze, grew to fill his arms and legs with renewed strength. He twisted his neck, opening his eyes a crack. The two soldiers were facing the other way, the officer urged his horse towards them, closer . . . "What did he die of, Sergeant?" Captain Valentin urged his horse towards the side of the road. Closer . . . "Plague, sir." Trooper Oskar replied. "Uh," Sergeant Solberg sighed. "I don''t know sir, and neither does this trooper." Valentin leaned over, looking down at Magnus''s face. "Not a rebel?" "No, sir." Solberg saluted again. "Shall we get a move on, sir?" Magnus waited, chose his moment with utmost care - just as the mounted officer turned to reply to the sergeant, just as none of the three men''s eyes were turned his way. His blood boiled, like magma through his arms and legs, Magnus pushed against the ground, leaping up and in a single swift movement threw himself at Captain Valentin. With an animal howl, he tore Valentin from the saddle, holding him in a headlock. "Bloody hell!" Sergeant Solberg drew his sword and rushed at Magnus from the side. "Back!" Magnus yelled. "Back, or I''ll squeeze the life out of him!" "Sarge!" Trooper Oskar fumbled with his sword, dropping it. Solberg stopped, his sword point aimed at Magnus, only a few paces from Valentin. Magnus held the captains arm up with his free hand, squeezing his wrist. The steel wrist guard deformed, its metal joints snapping, Valentin howled with pain, his face turning entirely white. "Back!" Magnus commanded. "Back, or I swear to the stars, I''ll crush your Captains neck!" From down the road the column of riders came roaring up the road, the prisoners running behind. They formed a circle around him, some peering nervously up the hills and into the bushes by the side of the road. ¡°Let him go.¡± Sergeant Solberg demanded flatly. ¡°Run him through Sergeant, that''s an order!¡± Captain Valentin found his breath, roaring out the comand best he could, Magnus clamped his hand down on the captain''s wrist, making him scream once more. Great. Magnus¡¯ mouth was dry, his heart thumped wildly against his ribs. Perfect. ¡°Magnus?¡± One of the men chained up behind the riders called out in astonishment. 023 - Journey to the East 023 - Journey to the East Behind the troop of horsemen was a long line of dishevelled men chained to one another by thick iron cuffs. To a man, every single rider and prisoner turned to look at the person who spoke, Magnus stared in surprise. "Caj?" Magnus called out incredulous. "Ah ha! What luck! Magnus my friend! I knew you''d come!" Caj raised his arms and cried out in joy. Sergeant Solberg had not turned, his eyes remained transfixed on Magnus, he held the point of his sword up, sliding forward, gathering strength. Magnus spotted the movement, moving Captain Valentin between him and Solberg and squeezing his wrist, letting the poor Valentin shriek out in agony once more. "No one moves, or he dies." Magnus roared. "You, tell them!" "Run him through! Kill him!" Valentin cried out, Magnus tightened his headlock. "Alright, alright lad. Trooper Oskar, get back, put that sword away." Sergeant Solberg took a step back, sheathing his sword. The horsemen all had their hands on their hilts. Solberg took a good hard look at Magnus, seeing just how short on breath the youth was, how a disgusting yellow pus seemed to ooze out of every pour and frowned. "Ok? All good? Now, what do you want." Magnus looked about. "Dismount. All of you, off the horses." Solberg waved his hand, the riders got from their horses. Some were looking around at either side of the road, looking for any signs of an ambush. Solberg cocked his head, "And now?" "Free the prisoners. Do it. Or he dies." Magnus twisted Valentin¡¯s arm extra hard, for added effect. "But Sarge . ." Oskar started, Solberg cut him off with a shake of his head. "Free the prisoners!" Solberg commanded, several troopers ran back and began unlocking the iron locks. "Sergeant! I demand you cease at once! Those men are not to be freed, I com -urk!" Valentin gasped for breath, Magnus yanking his arm back, almost snapping the bone. "Captain!" Solberg cried out. Magnus ignored him, asking "where were you taking these men?" "North." Solberg replied. "Where? For what purpose?" Magnus eyes narrowed. "I heard you before. You said it was for the Alchemists, didn''t you?" Magnus pulled the bandages away from his face. "Do you know what the Alchemists do to people? What they would have done to all these men? They would have been made monsters! They would be nothing more than animals!" "Aye lad," Solberg responded calmly. "But they are convicted criminals." "And that makes them less than human?" Magnus roared. Solberg stayed silent, his eyes fixed on Magnus. The last of the prisoners had been unchained, they laughed and cheered Magnus on, "Ha ha! Thanks Magnus!" A convict yelled gleefully. "Magnus, a thousand blessings!" "Long live Magnus!" Caj leapt onto a horse and cried out. Without waiting for any word or command, ran to the horses, mounting, escaping out into the fields and woods, quickly being lost from view. Caj was the only prisoner who had not immediately fled, instead he rode up to Magnus. "Come on Magnus! Let''s go!" Caj reached out his hand. Magnus moved towards Caj, Captain Valentin struggled in his grip, kicking viciously back. Magnus stumbled, his foot caught on a rock, and they both went down. Solberg roared, leaping forward and drawing his sword, slashing at Magnus'' neck. "Hiya!" Caj wasted no time, immediately urging his horse into a gallop away from the road. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The blade hit Magnus on the side of the neck, barely cutting through his skin and bouncing away. Solberg gasped, his arm shaking. The blow hadn''t managed to cut Magnus, but instead sent him sprawling back into the dirt away from Valentin. Solberg looked at his sword in shock. The edge had been chipped where it struck the flesh, as if he''d swung it a stone. Magnus rolled in the dirt, trying to lift himself up. Before he could the thirty troopers rushed at him, kicking and stabbing and slashing hard as they could. Neither Sergeant Solberg, nor the wounded Captain Valentin made the slightest effort to stop them. It was only after a good twenty minutes of constant beating that the soldiers stopped, their weapons broken or blunted. "What the hell is he made of?" One lamented, holding up his shattered sword. "Is he dead?" A trooper kicked Magnus heavily in the stomach. Magnus didn''t so much as react. "Cut off the bastards head!" Captain Valentin Snarled. "I want to hang it from the walls of Gifhorn." "Sir!" A trooper lifted Magnus'' head by his hair, cutting at his throat to no effect. Sergeant Solberg looked up and down the highway. There were quite a few travellers and passers by who were silent at the side of the road, watching the entire spectacle. Solberg sheathed his sword and sighed. "Give it a rest. I couldn''t even cut him, and I''m a silver core, what chance do you think you have? Check if he''s breathing." "No sir." The trooper put his hand in front of Magnus'' mouth. "Pulse?" "No sir." Solberg seemed lost in thought for a moment, his gaze wandering from Magnus to Captain Valentin, and finally resting on the troops discarded banner with the golden key. "Captain Valentin, sir?" Solberg saluted lazily. "If I may, sir. I think that you''ve made a right pig''s ear of this, sir." "Damn your eyes Sergeant!" Valentin hissed, his neck red and arm turning a deep shade of purple. "Back to Gifhorn! That''s an order!" "I don''t think so, sir." Solberg shook his head. "I don''t think I''m going back. Oh, I''m not going to stop you, you being an officer and nephew of the Bishop. But I''m not going with you." "What is this insubordination, Sergeant! No, worse than that, mutiny!" "Oh aye sir, aye. Mutiny it is." Solberg grinned. "You see, you being the family of the Bishop, most you''ll get from letting all those prisoners escape under your watch is a slap on the wrist. As for me, as for the rest of us?" Solberg raised his voice, looking at all the troopers. "Well, the lucky ones will be hung. The rest, me included sir, will most like be flogged, then hung." Oskar looked at Solberg, panic in his eyes. "I don''t want to die Sarge, I''ve not even got me a wife!" "Sergeant Solberg, what you are suggesting is traitorous. I demand you gather the men and we return to Gifhorn at once!" Valentin''s voice cracked. "I don''t know about the rest of you boys," Solberg called out. "But I''m off!" "Wait! Sergeant! Get back here at once!" Captain Valentin roared out in fury. "Sarge! Wait for me!" Oskar ran after Solberg. The troopers debated briefly, running to catch up with Solberg and Oskar. Left alone on the road was the pitiful figure of Captain Valentin, cursing and calling out threats after his mutinous men, and Magnus. Dead. Again. 024 - Journey to the East 024 - Journey to the East Magnus woke up laughing. The sun had long set, the many travellers and passers by had long ceased gawking at his body where it lay at the side of the road. No pain, no damage. He touched his neck. Not even a scratch. Ah ha ha . . not something you can call human. His clothes were in tatters; they''d already been filthy with yellow pus and sweat, and now they were no more than rags. Magnus got to his feet, even my bloody shoes have burst! By the light of the half moon Magnus navigated his way down the road to the east. He walked through the night, finding a stream and cleaning himself up and quenching his thirst. He walked on, through the sun and the day. Every other traveller gave him a wide berth. There was a dull ache in his belly, every breath felt as if he''d swallowed shards of broken glass. Late in the day the road reached the Stor, a wide river running north, the road followed the banks of the Stor to the south. Out across on the opposite bank there was an endless expanse of trees, the forests of the Gifhorn-Klotz. On the other side of the forest, the Empire Swamp. How much further? A week? There wasn''t enough time . . Magnus clenched his teeth. Many boatmen did a swift trade ferrying passengers from bank to bank. Magnus approached them one by one, each and every one refused. He''d begged and pleaded, he even thought of trying to brave the river currents and swim. It was only when Magnus offered his gold ring as payment that an elderly ferry man agreed to take him, snatching the ring from Magnus'' hands. It was nearly night by the time they reached the other shore, the ferry man wasted no time in casting off, leaving Magnus alone at the edge of the forest. Another day, walking on the eastbound road under the tall cedar trees. Magnus focused only on putting one foot in front of another, one pace at a time ever to the east. A week went by. It had now nearly been a month since Magnus left Kloster, nearly the time when that old Alchemist said he should be dead. Magnus felt neither better nor worse, neither closer nor further from death. Had the Alchemist been wrong? What about the Witching Road? Magnus had pinned all his hopes on finding them, finding those who opposed the Alchemists. Such a thin sliver of hope . . find them, find a cure, find a way to live, find a way to get revenge on the Alchemists! With every step to the east a knot of hatred grew, like a churning ball of black emotions. Magnus marched on, forgetting to stop, forgetting to sleep, only a festering hate growing, taking deep root in core of his being. More than once Magnus awoke, finding he had collapsed on the road and was simply dreaming of walking. I can''t smell anymore. I can''t taste anything. I can''t feel any pain, or feel to touch. Magnus blinked, looking at the tree tops. My sight is fading, the world is getting blurrier . . are those bells? Is my hearing going? Ha ah, to the east Magnus, walk, walk, come on, what else is there? I need strength! Power! I need to be strong enough to rip Festus apart! This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. I need to be strong enough to break every single bone, to reach up to that big bloody floating tower and pull it down from the heavens! I need to live! There were few travellers on the forest path, few villages and farms; many long abandoned. Finally, after several days of nothing but trees the road came to the edge of the forest and entered into the plains. After a day walking through the flat grasslands Magnus came to a rundown town at the edge of a large expanse of marshland. There were no walls to the town, no people walking the streets. Near the center there was a sign of life, a single two story tavern with a couple of horses tied to posts. Magnus walked by, going to the far side of the town. The road came to an end, beyond it only a expanse of strange coloured waters. No trees or plants or any sort of life at all seemed to grow in the muddy waters, only strange shaped black rocks like fingers poking up through the mud. The water didn''t look so deep, maybe only reaching ankle depth. The marsh waters stretched as far as he could see, looking north and south there didn''t seem be any way around. Just as Magnus was about to step out into the waters he heard a commotion. The door of the tavern burst open, a boy with a large rucksack came running out, behind him a middle aged women. "Lars! Stop!" The women cried out. "Ma, I''ll be back soon! I''m just gonna go to the City" Lars ran the length of the road. "Don''t worry Ma! I''m just gonna find Pa and the Alchemist and I''ll be right back!" Lars ran past Magnus, turning south at the edge of the waters. Lar''s mother cursed and stomped her foot giving up the chase. Lars kept going south, suddenly turning in and running into the marsh. Magnus watched in amazement as he seemed to walk on the waters. "Boy!" Magnus croaked, "Lars! Hold on!" The boy stopped. "What?" "Is this the Empire Swamp?" Magnus called out. "Oh aye." Lars replied. "Do you know where I can find the Witching Road?" Magnus held little hope, but asked eagerly. "Oh aye," Lars nodded. "I''m going there now." "Thank the stars!" Magnus took a step forward, about to enter into the ankle deep waters and cross to where the boy stood. Lars eyes widened in horror and he cried out "Stop! Don''t go into the water!" Magnus halted, unsure, his feet nearly in the mud. "For all that is holy, don''t you know what happens to them that go in the dead water?" Lars ran back to the edge of the swamp. "Where do you think you are? Idiot! You would be dead, just like that." "Dead?" Magnus examined the water. It was somewhat strange, a little blue, but nothing too odd. "Dead, sure as the sun rises, dead." Lars looked Magnus up and down, wrinkling his nose. "You alright? You smell like something rotting . . " "I''m fine. Just need to get to the Witching Road." Magnus felt a thousand times better than before, a thousand time more hopeful. Caj had been telling the truth! This was the Empire Swamp! Here was the Witching Road! 025 - Journey to the East 025 - Journey to the East Lars seemed to hesitate for a moment, then said; "Well, I''m going to the city. You can follow, if you can. I ain''t gonna go slow though, and don''t go blaming me if you fall into the swamp, right?" Magnus nodded eagerly. "Right. That''s where the Witching Road is?" "Yeah. Make sure you follow with care. This way." Lars led Magnus south to a point where black rocks were just above the surface of the murky blue swamp waters. The boy walked with ease, Magnus found it hard to maintain balance on the slick rocks, a few times he felt a wave of nausea and sickness rising, fighting against it. Magnus hobbled on, following Lars into over the black rocks deeper and deeper into the Empire Swamp. Lars didn''t speak much, didn''t seem much interested in Magnus at all. Magnus hurried to keep up, Lars often had to stop and wait when he''d fallen too far behind. "What is this place? I thought swamps were places teeming with life?" Magnus couldn''t hold his curiosity. "This here is the Empire Swamp, right enough. The living waters, the dead rocks, and over there; the dead city. No life can survive in the living waters long." Lars halted, showing Magnus his hand. "See? I fell and my hand went into the waters last year." The boy''s hand had an extra thumb and forefinger jutting out at an odd angle. "Just from touching the water? Why do you still live here? Why don''t you move away?" Magnus thought of all the abandoned fields and houses. It seemed like very few others chose to stay. "It ain''t so bad, heh." Lars smiled, "Someone needs to stay and guide those who want to get to the dead city. My Pa says its an honest job, there''s always those who want to go. Well, not so much of late, but there is treasure! There are riches in the city!" "So why aren''t you rich?" Magnus raised his eyebrows. "I said so," Lars frowned, "we''re just the guides. Me and Pa. Well, Pa is, I''m just helping, but I know my ways just as well." The boy seemed annoyed, Magnus sighed. The two walked on in silence for a time. Lars suddenly halted and said "here, look. Pa says there are secrets hidden in the swamp, secrets worth more than any treasure. See, the Alchemist said so too." Lars took an apple out of his bag and held it for Magnus to see. "See? Look what happens." Lars threw the apple out into the swamp. It hit the waters with a gloop, floating on the surface. The waters around it begun to fizz, the apple cracked and in a matter of seconds a green shoot rose into the air. It grew a leaf, then another, grew taller and taller and took root. Magnus watched in amazement as roots dug into the mud, as the shoot shot up into a sapling, grew thicker and thicker and burst up into the sky with a hundred vibrant leaves and branches. In the space of a couple of breaths the apple grew into a tree that grew majestic and towered above them. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. On the branches appeared countless apples, tiny green things that rapidly became a deep juicy red, and as soon as they grew they ripened and fell from the branches and into the waters. Those new apples cracked and new saplings shot up. Incredibly, these new apple trees grew even faster, shooting up into the sky, and as the original tree became crooked with age, its bark and trunk splitting, these new trees grew apples of their own. In less than a minute a forest flourished, for a hundred meters around Lars and Magnus there was the endless groan and swoosh of trees shooting up into the air, expanding from the single point where Lars had thrown the apple. The outer trees grew in a flash, and died just as quick; Magnus saw that they lived and died too fast, so quick that no new fruit flowered, and, as quick as it had grown the forest fell. "Living waters, see? Nothing can survive." Lars took out a second apple and bit into it. "You imagine what would happen if a person takes a dip? Pa''s seen it happen more than once." Magnus stared dumbly at Lars. The boy seemed pleased by his reaction, he grinned and went on walking over the black stones. "How''d it get like this?" Magnus called out. "It can''t be natural. This whole place, and the dead city, what happened here?" "Dunno. Pa thinks it was a curse. Does it matter? Happened years ago. Years and years ago. Pa said that the city here was the centre of the all Jute once, the biggest city for miles and miles." Lars shrugged. "Could it have been the Alchemists?" Magnus eyes narrowed. He could believe that the Alchemists were capable of something like this. "Dunno, dunno. I happened years and years ago, I said that already, no? Pa says two hundred years." Lars chewed through the core of his apple. "You can ask Pa, maybe he know. Anyways, we''re near the city. Pa is there with the Alchemist . . should be there . ." "With an Alchemist?" "Yeah. A proper Alchemist too. Pa went to guide him in a week ago. He''s never been gone so long in the city, and. ." Lars sighed. "And why am I telling you all this? The city is right ahead." 026 - Journey to the East 026 - Journey to the East Lars led them down a twisted path, going this way and that, careful to stay to black rocks. The swamp waters were deeper now, inky blue and still, the whole world seemed to have fallen into a deep silence. The entered into a sea of endless ruins, black stone pillars, countless walls and enormous stone blocks. Lars never hesitated, always choosing the right way through the ruins. There must have been a huge wall here, maybe the city wall. Each stone was bigger than a house, countless blocks formed a barricade in the swamp. Lars found a foothold and scrambled up a fallen stone block. On the far side was the city. The dead city. The streets were just above the swamps for the most parts, the stone building collapsed, Puddles of swamp water in every gutter, chunks of city seemed to have simple fallen into the swamp, roof tops and pillars were all that remained visible. "Right. Magnus? The city. The city, Magnus. I''m sure you''ll get on just fine. I''m off to find my Pa." Lars nodded and went off down an avenue. "Wait! The Witching Road! Where can I find it?" Magnus fell the last few feet down from a stone block. "That way, east. Keep heading east and you''ll hit the road soon enough." Lars looked about anxiously, there was no sign of anyone coming through here, not in the last week. "But, but . . how will I know when I get there?" Magnus called out. "By all the witches!" Lars hurried his pace, running down an alley. The Witching Road has witches. Of course. Bloody obvious that. Lars vanished down a back alley, the sound of his feet against the cobbled streets echoed, then nothing. Silence. Not a single sound of life, not the cry of a bird or the chirp of an insect. The world itself seemed dead, Magnus couldn''t help but feel a part of it, a walking dead thing in a dead world. The wide avenue east, right. It was mostly clear of debris, the buildings at either side collapsed in on themselves. Everything seems to have fallen in on itself, very neat piles of stone making neat little mounds of rubble. Far as he could see, ruins, desolate and lifeless, not even a shrub or a tree or a bird. The sun hung like a dull copper coin behind a veil of grey clouds. Magnus walked, he''d walked for days and days and weeks, on bloodied blistered feet. And, here be witches. Here is the chance to live. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.The witches of the Witching Road. Lars said he''d know them when he saw them, and he did. At a crossroads, a massive fallen stone arch blocking the way, Magnus climbed to the top of the rubble and looked east over the city. There they were. Unmistakeable, witches. The wide cobbled street heading east was lined with tall black columns, spaced out every fifty paces on either side of the road. On the tops of each column stood a witch. Magnus knew them at once from every fairy tale and story he''d been told before bed. The statues were black and worn almost smooth. Every figure had a pointed wide brimmed hat, wore a long stone skirt. Many held something that looked like a wand, pointing it out across the road. "HULLLO-ooo0!" Magnus cupped his hands to his mouth and yelled, his voice resounding the length of the street."IS ANYBODY THERE?" What had Caj said? A secret entrance! Right! There had to be something, someone here. This was the place where those who gathered to fight the Alchemists came, right? Magnus ran, looking wildly behind every column, searching both sides of the road up and down. "HULLO!" He reached the end of the road, it opened into an open plaza, several smaller streets going off in different directions. Magnus climbed over the ruins of all the buildings he could, searching the entire square for any sign. Maybe there was a trap door, a secret cellar. Maybe there was a signpost to where he oughta go no, some chalk code or writing. He went back down the wide road to the fallen stone arch, examining every cobblestone and witch along the way, looking for a switch, some writing, some clue . . The sun fell. Night, impenetrable gloom and cold winds filled the dead city. Magnus sat slumped, his back against a witches column. "I''m here. The Witching Road. I''m here. Maybe tomorrow . . " Magnus felt every ounce of strength seep out, all the tension and stress he''d built up inside over the weeks of walking melted away. He just wanted to rest, to sleep. Magnus shut his eyes, leaned his neck back and sat, doing nothing, thinking nothing. Bang! A huge splintering of stone exploded over the city, a moment later; BOOOM! The ground shook, several columns wobbled and nearly fell. Magnus shot to his feet. Over to the west the whole city night skyline a raging inferno. 027 - Journey to the East 027 - Journey to the East On the other side of the stone arch, down a long wide road - they sky lit by an orange-red on the low clouds, the cobblestones made barely visible. There were others! People! Here in the dead city, Magnus ran past countless ruins. On the other side of a wall of ruined two story buildings the fire blazed, he found an alley, vaulting a high wall and scrambling up the side of a fallen house. There was a voice - someone yelling, black smoke billowing out the tops of several collapsed stone houses. "Pillock! Boy! I know you''re there!" A high pitched nasal voice, grating on the ears screamed out. "How dare you touch my tools! Get back here! I''ll skin you alive!" Within a courtyard next to the blazing fires stood a tall man, his face twisted in rage. He wore a long red robe, his hair singed black. An Alchemist. A real, gods honest Alchemist. By the flickering firelight Magnus saw that around the alchemist were dozens of naked bodies, a mess of limbs and contorted appendages. "My experiments! A week''s worth of research! Ruined by a stinking swamp brat!" The Alchemist took a vial of grey liquid and poured it onto the cobble stones. A green spark and flash of light. The cobbles twisted and broke apart, from the ground emerged a dozen tiny stone men. The Alchemist pointed and screamed "Golems, find them! Bring back every living thing is this damn city!" He moved his hand in a mysterious pattern and the shape of a spider web seemed to hang in the air, suddenly a ball of light shot up, and another, bright balls of white light like tiny suns above the city streets. The tiny stone men leapt into action, scattering in every direction. Magnus shrunk back down hiding in the ruins. Should I jump out now? Get him from behind? Wait . . . wait until he''s off guard . . One of the stone golem scurried up the ruins, running right by Magnus. It stopped, looked at him, then turned and carried on. Magnus snatched it up, holding it in both hands. It really was like a little stone man, arms and legs, even a tiny head with a stone nose. It struggled, almost slipping from his grasp. Magnus squeezed his hands tight and the little man burst apart. "Ouch!" The Alchemist clutched his head, looking up towards Magnus. "It broke?" "Let me go! No!" From the far side of the burning courtyard came a shriek and the sounds of things being thrown and broken. "No!" Lars, being dragged by two golem, desperately twisting and rolling. Behind him the Golem dragged a man, half naked and bloodied. The Alchemist waved his hand, a series of blue lines appeared and spread out shooting at Lars and the man. Lars screamed, the blue lights pierced both the boys shoulders, ripping the bag from his back and spilling its contents to the floor. With a flick of his finger, the Alchemist shot another two threads through the wounded mans shoulders. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Lars and the man were utterly helpless, the Alchemist pointed and the blue lines retracted, with a sweeping gesture he flung them at the wall of the courtyard, the lights pinning them to the stone wall. "Am I, Ovidius Genus Meridie not a fool? A week! A whole week in this blasted swamp, this putrid city, for what? For a child to burn my tools!" The Alchemist sneered, another blue line shot out from his fingers and pierced Lars through his leg. "Sorry!" Lars sobbed. "Please, I''m sorry! I just wanted to save my father! I''m sorry!" "Your father? Fool! Look around," Ovidius pointed at the dozen corpses littering the courtyard. "Here is your father. That thing you stole away is merely a simulacrum, something far beyond your meagre understanding! All my notes . . my magnetosphere . . all my samples!" Ovidius voice rose in fury, several sparks of blue lighting congealed at his fingertips. "Everything I''ve worked so hard for!" Just as Ovidius eyes turned red, just as he thrust his fingers at Lars shooting sparks at the boy, Magnus stood. He had crept along the ground, hiding amidst the corpses, and now raised a brick and brought it down with all his might on the Alchemist''s head. Crack! A shower of blue electric lights burst the brick apart, Magnus flew back, smashing into the burning house. Ovidius turned, entirely uninjured. "I thought I smelled a rat." The Alchemist waved his hands, a sea of blue lines formed a web in the air. "Something my Golems couldn''t detect, something not living but still moving." Magnus staggered to his feet, his rags catching fire. A blue thread shot through the flames, hitting him in the chest and bouncing off at an angle. "Alchemist!" Magnus roared, rushing out into the courtyard. Ovidius sent another blue line, and other - they smashed into Magnus with a shower of sparks, Magnus raised his arms, charging forwards and roaring. There was panic in Ovidius eyes, he jumped away, swiftly uncorking a grey vial and pouring it out onto the ground. Magnus was on fire, his blisters bursting with pus and the black lines under his burning skin throbbing and pulsating. He tripped over a corpse, yelling, lunging toward the Alchemist once again. The contents of the grey vial, a fizzing grey liquid, bubbled on the courtyard cobblestone. They cracked and split and in an instant a vast number of tiny stone golems erupted out filling the space between Magnus and Ovidius. Ovidius pointed at Magnus. "Kill." 028 - Journey to the East 028 - Journey to the East A swarm of new formed stone golems rushed over the scattered corpses, flinging themselves at Magnus and ripping at his clothes and flesh. Magnus swatted, sending one smashing into the burning ruins, another golem took its place, another held his arm. Magnus eyes turned red, his blood boiled with a berserker''s fury. He tore and punch and kicked, breaking the stone men, smashing their bodies to dust. Ovidius threw down three more potions, a horde of golem swarmed up from the earth. In the Alchemists left hand gathered dozens of blue glowing threads, sneering, Ovidius pointed a finger at Magnus. "Soul Rend!" Ovidius cried out, a thick beam of blue light shot from his finger tip straight into Magnus'' chest. "Die!" The blue beam seared Magnus'' clothes, burnt his skin black and pushed right through, exploding out of his back. The world froze. In an instant a thick white fog fell on the courtyard, the flames in the ruins were still, the Alchemist and all his golems frozen in place. Magnus saw his own body being flung through the air by the force of the beam of blue light, saw it burst right through his chest. A ghost. That must be it. Magnus felt as if he were moving through treacle, the world itself caught in a single moment in time. He was there . . no, his body was there, here I am, a spirit? Dead? He looked down, around - see through hands, see through legs and arms . . the whole world felt unreal, felt as if it were made of glass and could shatter entirely at the slightest touch. The only real thing in this world seemed to be the threads of light, the red threads tied to his body, and the countless blue threads shooting through the air from the Alchemists fingers. Magnus tried to move through the air, flapping his arms, getting nowhere at all. He could touch nothing in this form, feel for nothing except that strange electric buzz when his ghostly hands met the red threads. So I pull myself back into my body. Right. Then what? I can''t get close enough to do anything to the Alchemist, I can''t fight against his little stone men forever. How long will this moment last? Will I be trapped like this forever? Until I pull the red threads? There was the boy, Lars, and his father pinned up against the wall. There was the Alchemist, what an ugly nose, little priggish eyes and crooked teeth. Heh. Least I''m better looking than him. Well, was, before those black lines and pus and . . hells. There on the ground are all those deformed corpses and stone men, and apples spilling out from Lars'' backpack. Ah. Magnus watched glumly for a while, floating and doing nothing. Wait. I am moving. Slow, very slow; but my body is moving through the air! Time is passing! Ah hells, what the devil am I meant to do with that? At this pace how long will it take for my body to fly just to the other end of the courtyard? The fog thickened, deep swirls of white mist descended. With it came a sense of foreboding, Magnus felt as if there were a thousand eyes, a thousand hungry mouths, watching and salivating all around him within the mist. An unearthly dread, Magnus knew - as a certainty, just as knowing the sun would rise, that he would be devoured by whatever lay in wait in the mists. He pulled at the red threads, a fierce electric shock running through his spirit body, pulled again, yanking his way through the air. Magnus floated inches above his body, facing his own head. What happens if I touch the blue threads? Will they burn away my spirit? The only thing I can touch like this are the red threads . . if I just go back into my own body I''ll smash into the burning ruins, the golems will tear me to pieces. If I stay here like this . . Magnus glanced up nervously at the white fog. If I touch the blue threads I might die once and for all, once and for good. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. But I might not. With a grim determination Magnus reached out with a spectral hand, thrusting it into the blue light. With a touch the thread changed colour into a light purple. The beam of blue light flickered, the threads fading and changing colours, a deeper red seeping through the frozen lights - from the point where Magnus touched it spread, down all the many threads and back to the Alchemists hands. The purple deepened into a blood red, fraying and splitting apart, a blood coloured light replacing the blue entirely. Magnus tugged at the red threads connecting to his body, reeling himself in quick he could. Whatever I just did, I hope to the gods it was the right thing! Entering into his body, a rush of nerves and aches and stiffness - a rush of black and white lights and tremendous agony exploded in his chest. "Ahhhhhh!" The Alchemist shrieked, dropping to the ground. Magnus flew through the air, smashing into the fiery ruins, the stone golem chasing after. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, looking down at his chest. My wound . . the blue light went right through . . the flesh on his chest had been burnt away, beneath was a hard black shell perfectly intact. "Ha ha ha. ." Magnus laughed, spitting out more blood. A golem rushed up his body, Magnus caught it and broke it in two. He staggered to his feet, jumping out of the fires and back into the courtyard. "What did you do?" Ovidius spluttered, his face pale. "What in the hells have you done to me?" The Alchemist scrambled back, his hands trembling as he stuffed handfuls of pills into his mouth. "Stay back!" Ovidius threw out half a dozen more grey vials, where they broke on the ground dozens of stone golems emerged. "Alchemist . . ha . . here I come . ." Magnus smashed his way toward the Alchemist, his breathing ragged. Ovidius pointed his finger, a tiny spark of blue light fizzed and vanished. "No, no, no, it isn''t possible!" The Alchemist crawled on all fours, Magnus smashed golem after golem, laughing manically and advancing on him. "No!" Ovidius yelled. With shaking hands he took a small white vial from the depths of his robes and swallowed it. His pale face flushed red, a vitality returning to his body. He pointed again, a blue thread shooting from his fingertip and striking the wall of the courtyard. Magnus fought through the horde of golems, the small stone fists broke against his body, every hit bruising his remaining skin, but bouncing off the black lines beneath. His whole body was stained with blood and pus, every blister burst, a putrid mix of yellow pus and black flecked blood covered every inch of his body. "Ha ha ha, ah ha!" Magnus roared with laughter. A surge of strength. The Alchemist had terror in his eyes, Magnus could feel the mans fear. Ovidius hands weaved through the air in a complex fashion, blue lights from his fingers formed a dozen wavering sigils. The Alchemist pointed at the ground, the sigils flashed appearing on the earth. "As One!" Ovidius screamed. The remaining stone golems rushed into the sigil. Magnus had crushed dozens, but there were dozens more. They piled on top of each other, their stone bodies fusing together and melting into one another. The fusion of the small stone golems stood, two sparks of blue light within its head flashed and glared at Magnus. Ovidius pointed and declared viciously "Kill." A giant stone hand rose into the air and came down with incredible force, smashing Magnus into the ground. "Ah." Ovidius looked around the courtyard. "I should have done that in the first place." 029 - Journey to the East 029 - Journey to the East The golem raised his hand up, its blow left a crater in the earth. Ovidius commanded; "again." The giant golem smashed down once more, the entire courtyard shaking with the force of its strike. "Ah, once more. Good." Ovidius straightened his robe and sleeves, walking casually over to the golem. Magnus lay still, half buried in the dirt - the Alchemist watched him wearily. Dead. Surely, blood and broken limbs . . no pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief. "It''s one thing after another on this blasted planet. Humph!" Ovidius spat on Magnus, turning his attention back to the boy and his unconscious father, still pinned to the courtyard wall by means of blue threads. "Where was I? Hmm, skinning alive, right, right." Ovidius face became a hideous sneer. Lars had watched the fight between Magnus and the Alchemist in wide eyed silence, the little hope he''d had of escaping evaporated under Ovidius gaze. He struggled helpless, the blue lights were solid as iron spikes through his shoulders. "What''s this? An apple?" Ovidius scooped up a fruit. "Don''t mind if I do, heh." He took a bite. The fires in the ruins of the houses illuminated the courtyard, the flickering shadows of the golem and the corpses made Lars shiver, the Alchemists long shadow fell across the boy. "Al-che-miiist!" Magnus roared. The golem smashed down without hesitation, Magnus caught the giant stone arm, his fingers leaving welts in the golems stone body. "Hiiiaahhhh!!" He planted his right foot on the ground, pushing into the golem''s chest. "What! Impossible!" Ovidius shrieked. Magnus punched the golem, the flesh of his fist bursting to reveal a black under-skin. He felt nothing, no pain, his nerves and flesh burnt, torn, cut, mangled in a multitude of ways. He punched again, the golem swung its free hand, breaking it against Magnus'' body. Magnus flew back, crashing into the courtyard wall. "What monster is this?" Ovidius felt a horror rise in him. Magnus had come out of the night, out of gods know where, in this dead city and seemed entirely transfixed on attacking him. Have I offended some mad devil? Ovidius commanded his golem to attack, scrambling over the fallen wall and into the alley beyond. Escape! It''s not worth risking my life to fight against some undying freak! "ALCHEMIST!" Magnus bellowed, finally breaking the giant golems arm into dust and charging past it, the golem caught Magnus by the ankle, tripping him up. The Alchemist ran, his feet flapping against cobbles, vanishing into the dark city streets. Magnus kicked, the golem''s hand broke, its blue eyes flaring. It smashed the stump into Magnus. He''s getting away! The Alchemists giant golem swung at him, Magnus rolled to a side, kicking the golems leg and breaking it at the knee. The golem collapsed. Magnus breath was ragged, it took all his focus to heave himself up on a stone block. The rage which fueled his mad attacks on the Alchemist gave way to an immense frustration. No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, the Alchemists seemed forever a step ahead. Their magics and strange skills, their potions and weird lights . . he hadn''t even been able to touch a hair on the Alchemist''s head! And now he''s gone. The stone golem rolled around in the courtyard, dragging itself towards Magnus, its eyes flashing and dimming, bits of its body crumbling and falling off. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Even if I chase, even if I can catch up . . what could I do? Die? Let those red threads attack him. Brilliant. Lets run right up and smash my own head in, that''s sure to work. Magnus looked around. The fire spluttered, flames finally running out of any of the Alchemists materials to burn through. Lars and his Pa, pinned to the wall. The Alchemists blue threads faded, finally fizzling out, Lars falling to the floor. "Mon . . monster!" Lars crawled back, his voice trembling. Magnus laughed, his throat dry, lips cracked and caked with blood and pus. His eyes fell upon the apples by the boy. "Apples? Ha!" Magnus grin, a sudden thought brewing in his mind. "Apples! Ha! You really like apples, eh, Lars?" "Ma . . Magnus?" "Hahaha!" Where would the Alchemist run to? Back along the black stones, back out of the city! Magnus felt a fire rise in his belly, the dead city returned to a measure of dead silence. Ovidius ran blindly, turning this way and that down the many pitch black city streets, cursing and bemoaning his situation. "Go to the swamp Ovidius, brilliant idea Ovidius. Could be in the tower right now, in a warm cotton bed. Blast. Freaks and damned children, how can an Alchemist work in these conditions?" Ovidius stopped, took a deep breath and calmed himself. "No need to panic. Go to get out of this swamp. Which way? Ah, it doesn''t matter, doesn''t matter." The Alchemist shot out a blue spark from his fingers lighting up his surroundings. With a flurry of swift hand movements he weaved the thread into a complex sigil and flicked it to the ground. It formed a small platform which he hastily got on. It floated inches above the ground, pointing in a direction, it slid through the air, wobbling, Ovidius dropping to his knees and laughing nervously. He directed it out over the swamp waters, out away from the ruins of the city and into the swamp. From the dark of the city streets, unseen by the Alchemist, an object sailed through the air and splashed into the swamp waters beside him. "Alchemist!" Magnus yelled. The whole city was dark, except for two spots of light. The fire in the ruins, and ahead, the blue electric glow illuminating the Alchemist above the swamp waters. Magnus grinned, throwing another apple some ten meters in front of the Alchemist. Ovidius drew a sharp breath of air, he urged the unsteady platform on, eager to get away into the night, his pale hands clutching the edges of the fizzing blue floating sigil. In the space of a few breaths the first sapling shot through the surface of the water, Ovidius cried out in panic, steering the platform to a side, a second tree sprouting right beneath him, its pointed top piercing through the platform and entangling it with many fast growing branches. 030 - Journey to the East 030 - Journey to the East "Aiieeee!" Ovidius shrieked as he was dragged up into the air, clinging to the sigil for his life. The tree branches grew at an incredibly quick, from the three apples Magnus threw there were now three trees shooting up from the waters. Ovidius clung to a branch, higher and higher, a branch coiled around his arm, in a matter of moments the entire tree top was covered by green leaves, more and more. He flailed about, almost losing grip of the tree, but managing to steady himself with the levitating blue sigil. Magnus frowned. He''d hoped the apples would have been enough to knock the Alchemist into the waters. Now it looked like he was safe. Ovidius laughed, blue sparks coursing from his fingertips down the bark of the tree, he tied himself to the trunk, placing the sigil beneath his feet. Once the trees died he could continue on his way out into the swamp. Small green apples begun to appear on the many branches of the three trees, in a matter of moments they swelled to large juicy red fruit. Thirty paces, Magnus measured the distance from the shore to the Alchemist. Too far to jump, what now? The first three trees apples fell from the heavy boughs into the swamp waters, saplings shooting up into young trees twice as fast as the first. Ovidius stood on the waters, a rush and groan of wood around him, the water''s boiling with the fast growing forest. He pushed himself away from the tree trunk, from tree to tree, away from the dead city. The first trees withered, collapsing into the swamp waters, the second trees growing to nearly full size and starting the bear fruit of their own. I can make it! The closest trees were only ten paces, a circle of creaking wood and rustle of a thousand leaves from a hundred fresh branches. Magnus too a run up, leaping from the shore, the black veins in his legs pulsating, his desire to see the Alchemist dead helping him fight through his exhaustion and weakness. Magnus flew through the air, slamming into a rapidly growing tree trunk and clinging to it. Ovidius yelped in horror, focusing on the sigil beneath his feet. "Come on, come on!" Ovidius urged himself on. Just by holding where he was Magnus found himself rising higher and higher, the tree maturing at an incredible rate. Its branches shot out with an immense force, the leaves exploding from green branched, apples appearing and turning red in seconds. Magnus snatched an apple and threw it, where it splashed besides the alchemist a tree shot up knocking Ovidius almost off balance. Magnus plucked another ripe apple, steeling himself. The Alchemist would not get away. Not like Festus. Not this time. He braced himself, the tree trunk withering and collapsing, Magnus roared and leapt out over the treetop onto the Alchemist. "No!" Ovidius flung up his arms, a blue fizzing shield appeared in an instant, Magnus crashed into it, suspended in mid air right above the Alchemist''s head. Ovidius couldn''t hold for long, the sigil beneath his feet trembled and cracked, his face paled and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Magnus pounded against the shield, the skin on his fists exploding away, black veins on his arms and chest vibrating wildly. Ovidius fingers shook, his skin cracking. He searched desperately through his robes, popping every available pill into his mouth. Ovidius eyes flashed, he raised a second finger. Suddenly the blue shield vanished, Magnus fell down a few inches but in an instant a blue thread shot from Ovidius finger and into Magnus chest, knocking him away from the Alchemist and into the dark swamp waters. The waters splashed, then were still, Magnus vanished into the deep waters. Ovidius steadied himself, the sigil beneath his feet barely holding together. "Ah ha ha ha . . what a freak!" Ovidius calmed his heart, taking a deep breath and returning his focus on the sigil. A hand broke through the surface of the waters right beneath the Alchemist, grabbing onto the edge of the sigil and pulling it over. "!" Ovidius slipped, falling face first into the swamp. Before he could move to react, before a single thought could form, Magnus'' fist met his face. Held within Magnus'' fist were the seeds of an apple, as soon as they touched the swamp waters they burst out into a sapling within Ovidius mouth. Tree roots forced their way down his throat, the young tree burst out from his neck and cheeks. Magnus pushed Ovidius away. The swamp waters frothed and boiled. His skin split and lumps of flesh grew at weird angles, the roots of the fast growing tree erupted from inside his body. A mighty apple tree shot out, quickly filling the sky with leaves and branches and more apples, dying just as quick. . . . A white marble hall. There were rows and rows of marble walls. On each wall hung a hundred clay tablet, on each tablet a name. The tablet with the name Ovidius Genus Meridie vibrated, rattling against the marble wall and breaking in half. . . . Magnus heaved a sigh of relief, his body going limp. He felt tired, so damn tired. He closed his eyes. The swamp waters fizzed against his skin, tickling and giving him a warm sensation. That''s it. Done. I''m done. Got one, heheheh. One down, bloody hell am I tired. I''m just gonna rest my eyes for a mo. So nice . . so comfortable. I''m just gonna rest my eyes a sec, then I''ll swim out of here . . right . . He sunk down into the swamp waters, sunk all the way into the mud. The forest of apple trees collapsed, not a single leaf remaining in the black of the night. 031 - Sky Beyond Sky 031 - Sky Beyond Sky Quiet. Magnus sunk deeper into the mud below the still swamp waters. The entire Empire Swamp silent and cold, not even a wind to stir the waters. Here I am. This is me. Magnus Lund, there and here - my body, my face, my arms and legs and . . has my nose always looked like that? There I am, body sunk in mud. And here am I, floating by a red thread. Time passed slow and fast, day came and went, stars and moon and sun again, all in the time it took Magnus to get his bearing, to stop staring at his nose from a few feet away. This was the spirit body, right? His spirit or ghost form, ah hells. The waters didn''t seem to have much of an effect of his body, not as far as he could see. If I pull myself back in now . . will I explode in limbs and flesh or, or was I already dead? What a stupid question. If I''m not alive, then what is this? What am I now? Magnus wavered, his ethereal body feeling all the less real. If I doubt myself do I just vanish? What about that white fog? Those eyes . . Magnus shuddered. Enough. Magnus turned his gaze to the bottom of the swamp. Faint, almost invisible at first, he saw a thin green strand sticking up out of the mud and floating suspended in the waters. He peered at the strange strand, thinking it was something like seaweed, something possibly alive in the deadly waters. As he watched another thread appeared, faint at first, fading into his focus - and another. Soon, in every direction there were hundreds of green threads floating like stalks of seaweed in the clear blue swamp waters. Magnus reached out gently touching a green strand. The strand trembled, from where he touched it begun to turn a pale shade of red. The whole world seemed to come into focus, as if night had been made day. The blue of the swamp, the black rocks, brown earth, even his own black-veined and blister covered body took on a potent vibrance. Magnus reached out again, touching all the green threads he could and turning them red. Their vitality flowed into him, an incredible sensation of life, a hot electric pulse entering through his hands, filling his spirit. The threads connecting him to his body seemed thicker, took on a deeper shade of red. Soon the dozen threads Magnus could reach became green, but beyond there were hundreds, thousands more spread over the mud at the bottom of the swamp. If only I could reach them . . Magnus tried to swim away from his body to no avail, the red threads, it seemed, could be reeled in, but not easily lengthened. What had the Alchemist done? He''d been able to make a thread appear from his finger, right? Magnus pointed a ghostly digit, willing a red thread to appear. Nothing. What about the threads connecting me to my body - can they be used in some way? He touched one of the several threads, a familiar warm buzz. It lit up, flashing bright red and came out of his body entering into his ghostly chest. Magnus pointed again, this time a single red thread shot out and coiled around a green strand turning it instantly red. Stolen story; please report. Ah ha! Easy! Magnus shot the red thread out again and again, turning every single green strand thread, absorbing an incredible amount of energy. His spirit form swelled in size, becoming almost twice as big as his actual body, the world around him swam with incredible colour, incredible life, even in the dead swamp the waters, the sky, the mud was alive with millions of sparks of life, creatures so small but shining with such brilliant vitality! Magnus spent every moment absorbing as much energy as he could, and when every strand was red he became despondent. Not enough! I need more! There is something here . . beneath the mud, under the swamp. Where do these green strands come from? Are they just a natural part of the swamp? Hells, nothing is natural about this swamp! So . . are they what made the swamp like this? He touched one of the now red strands, it felt as if it were part of him, like a feeler running down through the mud. Magnus focused, feeling that there was more he could do than just turn the strands red and absorb this energy. His awareness run through his fingers, it felt natural, as simple as blinking and opening his eyes. Magnus felt he was not really seeing, not hearing, or seeing anything at all with his sense . . come to think of it, did his spirit body have any eyes? Any ears? How was it that I could see and hear and feel . . Magnus hesitated, the sudden doubt causing his spirit to pale and the red threads to darken. Bah! Focus! Magnus concentrated once more on the strand, his mind still shaken. Focus! Just this! Forget all distractions! Just this, just here and the now! His awareness spread to the strand, going down through the mud and deeper. In the dark he saw thousands of other red strands, the deeper he went the less red they became. The strands seemed to flow together, now his was the only strand red, the others all a bright green. The green strands stretched down and down, deeper beneath the surface. Magnus wasn''t sure how far down he''d come, he could see ahead, could see all around the bright green strands, but couldn''t see what lay ahead below in the pitch dark. Below, a massive eye lid opened, a single green eye swivelled to look up at the single red strand slowly descending. 032 - Sky Beyond Sky 032 - Sky Beyond Sky Magnus felt a chill, a cold dread. The line he was going down went taut, as if someone were pulling from below. It shook, he hovered uncertainly for a moment, the other green strands shook, the vast darkness beneath the swamp suddenly seemed a hell of a lot bigger. From deep in the dark earth came a low rumbling sound. Indistinct, a mass of faint green lights, countless green strands flowing into . . into it. Magnus froze, his mind numb with shock. A massive green reptilian eye blinked, as it saw Magnus, Magnus saw it. A gigantic lizard lay curled deep in the earth, countless green strands attached to hundreds of thorns running the length of its back. Its eyes moved, deep green flecked with black and gold, Magnus froze. The strand he was on vibrated fiercely, a surge of green energy surged up, hitting his red and flooding over. Magnus felt as if an open mouth was rushing up towards him, sharp teeth ready to bite and chew and tear him apart. Focus! The strand surged with red light, rushing down to meet the green and clashing with it, holding against it for a moment, then being entirely overwhelmed. Magnus felt the green come up, felt the energy he''d absorbed be overwhelmed. All those strands, all that life force . . nothing more than a drop in the ocean. The green energy that rushed up from the gigantic lizard was a tidal wave, drowning his awareness, throwing him out into a torrid of green and black. A single thought burned inside - a single red thread, the same he''d plucked from his body. Against the mighty rush of green energy that came up the strand towards him Magnus pointed the thin red thread. It shot out, piercing through the green energy, piercing right through the deep darkness towards the massive lizard. The lizard reacted with a flick of its tail. The earth trembled, every single strand became taut, vibrating and shining a vibrant green. The pressure against Magnus grew ten fold, as if a mountain of pressure suddenly rushed up from the lizard. The red thread faltered, not able to get any closer to the mass of green energy. A shock wave ran up the thread, the thread shook violently turning black and crumbling. Magnus felt as if someone had just broken his finger, an intense agony. The wave washed over him, the strand cracking and breaking. His vision faded, everything becoming green and black. Magnus snapped back to the swamp waters, back in his spirit form, his own body a few feet below laying in the mud at the bottom of the swamp. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. There was a rumble, the waters shook, streams of gas bubbled up through the mud, several black rocks cracked in half. The strands that he''d turned red were green again, a bright vibrant green tide washed up through the mud, every bit of red instantly evaporating. More and more, the mud shook, jets of boiling gas and liquid erupted through the swamp shooting mud and water into the air. The earth trembled, long cracks appears in the mud, more geysers erupting and shooting boiling liquid into the air. A massive fissures opened up below magnus, his body slid from the mud and down into the new formed abyss. From the crack came a rush, a furious stream of liquid shooting up, carrying Magnus up, out of the swamp, hundreds of feet into the air. The geyser rushed up a hundred feet carrying Magnus and launching him off into the sky. Up and up Magnus flew, off into the distance. He was in his spirit form, tied to his body by several thin red threads. He was wholly helpless, unable to even react or so much as curse himself, his rotten luck. Thousands of fissures opened all over the Empire Swamp, jets of boiling waters shooting into the sky. The dead city streets burst apart, the many ruins falling into greater disarray and into the depths of the swamp. The many pillars and statues on the Witching Road trembled, collapsing onto the streets and shattering. The giant stone blocks, the entire wall of the dead city collapses, the black stones cracking and breaking. The quake went on for several hours, the swamp waters draining into the hundreds of cracks leaving behind a barren stretch of damp mud and broken stones, of buried ruins jutting through the earth. The mud already had begun to dry, the whole swamp rapidly transforming into a desolate wasteland. Magnus had been flung up out of the swamp, over trees and hills, over mountains and forests; expelled with tremendous force. His body like an arrow, finally reaching the end of its arc through the skies, fell to the ground, crashing sideways into the side of a tree and bursting through, into the earth. The sudden impact yanked Magnus'' spirit form back into his body, His mind was in turmoil, his body utterly exhausted. Barely able to be awake, Magnus tried to move, tried to see what part of him was not broken. He lay there in a daze for several hours against the trunk of a tree. "Aaawoooo!" A wolf howl. From the forest emerged a running wolf, its fur a brilliant white, running straight towards him, mouth open. 033 - Sky Beyond Sky 033 - Sky Beyond Sky * * * "I understand Master Pontius." Festus backed out of office. "Well, good. Let it be a lesson for you too. Well done." Pontius sat as his desk, waving the young Alchemist off. Festus shut the door of his master study and sighed. There were black circles around his eyes, in his hands was a bundle of papers and books. He sighed again. It had been a long few weeks, many sleepless nights spent sorting through experiment notations. The corridor he was in had many similar doors, these were the offices of many a Magister. On the opposite wall were tall windows facing out, the corridor ran right round the exterior of the tower. Festus looked out briefly, then headed past the door to the far end of the corridor. "Festus! Festus wait!" Septima hurried down the corridor, her shoes clacking on the marble floor. "Hullo Septima." Festus waited politely for her to catch up, a slight smile on his face. "Festus . . you just met with Pontius," Septima had an anxious edge in her voice. "About what?" "Nothing. Minor stuff. Nothing that concerns you." Festus frowned. "Not a thing? Not about the results of my experiments?" Septima "No Septima. Not about your failed experiments." Festus turned away walking down the hallway. Septima hurried after him. "My experiments did not fail! The material were all wrong, the technique I was given to research was incomplete, I . ." "Yes, yes. I''m sure, tell that to Master Pontius." Festus walked a little bit faster. "Please, you have Masters ear, Festus! Wait!" Septima tugged at Festus'' sleeves. "I need to know, what has Master Pontius said of my results?" "If you must know. Nothing. Really. He hasn''t told me a thing." Festus shook his head. "Master only called me in to discuss the next outing for the new students. It''s to be on Aquilonem, so with my experience there . . " "I have the same experience you do!" Septima stomped her foot. "Why hasn''t Pontius called on me? It''s that golden giant, isn''t it? That thing you stumbled on, you, you, lucky bastard!" Festus shrugged his shoulders. "I''ve got to go Septima. Luck is as much a part of successful research as anything. Remember, it is as Master Pontius always say, a good Alchemist makes his own luck." They walked to a raised circle of pale blue crystals surrounded by gold and black runes. Festus pointed at a rune, it The runes flashed and a fat Alchemist appeared, upon seeing Festus his face lit up. "Gordianus!" Festus exclaimed in delight. "Festus! Just who I wanted to see!" Gordianus stepped from the platform. His robes were brown and black, appearing much more like a blacksmith''s apron than a noble Alchemists robes. He looked to be in his mid thirties, a wide grin on his chubby cheeks. "You just came from Aquilonem, no?" "Yes, me and, uh, have you met Septima?" Festus smiled awkwardly. "Gordi." Septima said flatly. "We''ve met." Gordianus snorted. "Listen, while you were there did you see Ovidius? Did he come to meet you?" "No. Why?" Festus replied. "Well, don''t go spreading it about, but I''ve just come up from the Hall of Alumni and poor Ovidius name plate has cracked." Gordianus shook his head. "Sad affair when a fellow Alchemist dies. Anyways, he was on Aquilonem doing a spot of research or some such." "Dead? On Aquilonem? How the hells could that happen?" Septima exclaimed in shock. "No idea. I''m on my way to find out, just reporting to the Praetor. You take care Festus. You too Septima." Gordianus hurried down the corridor. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.Festus frowned. An Alchemist dead, not a good sign. The assignment was on Aquilonem . . if it wasn''t safe then Master Pontius might schedule it for a different planet, and that would mean a different supervisor would be assigned. Hmm. Festus gazed out of one of the tall outwards facing windows lost in thought. Outside there were countless stars, whole bright constellations. About the size of a peach was a planet, a blue and green sphere slowly turning, half way between night and day. * * * The jaws of the white wolf closed on Magnus, two rows of pointed canines in a mouth as big as he was. The wolf didn''t bite down, lifting him up and holding Magnus between his teeth, then setting off at a brisk pace back out into the woods. Magnus struggled, flailed his arms and legs and yelled, but the wolf only snorted, biting down harder and kept trotting at the same pace. It leapt with ease over rivers and through hills and mountains, never slowing, running for hours with Magnus in its mouth, never biting down hard enough to injure him, though Magnus knew it easily could. Held fast between the giant teeth . . if it decided to bite down it could tear him in half. Magnus felt a hell of a lot better than he had previously, after entering and emerging from the swamp he''d felt a force, a vitality. He felt fantastic, like he had before the whole blasted ill fated experiment, like he hadn''t felt in weeks and weeks. He felt alive! Ha ha . . . alive, for now. What a time to feel alive, in a wolf''s mouth. Magnus finally gave up on struggling, his thoughts turning back to the swamp, to the red threads and green strands. He shivered at the thought of the enormous lizard. First the giants in Kloster, then the giant lizard, now a giant white wolf . . can I not escape these oversized creatures? Magnus knew that the world was full of fantastical and bizarre beasts, Pa Lund had told tales of a giant fish he once almost caught, and Uncle Willis always talked about seeing the bones of dragons littered around the Iron Coast . . but at home his father always laughed them off, told Magnus that they were no more than fancy and tall tales. Ha! That was before the giants, of course. After the black skinned creatures came to Kloster, and Festus making all the giants, well, Magnus started believe that anything could be possible. It was something else though, believing it might be and actually being carried along in the mouth of a giant bloody wolf! The wolf stopped. Magnus felt there was something different in the air, like thick static electricity, just before a thunderstorm. The beast paced about, whining, then ran on, up a steep flight of stair, the electric feeling fading away. It ran onto a wooden floor, the sound of claws clattering on wood quite distinct from the ground, and stopped. Sitting on its haunches it dumped Magnus, covered in wolf drool, to the ground. "What do you think this is? I can''t eat that." A high pitched wonderfully melodious called out. "Stupid mutt!" "Awooo!" The white wolf howled pitifully, laying down and covering its head with its paws. "More useless dead junk! Throw it out, quick, before it starts to rot!" Every word sounded like a songbirds call in Magnus ears. "I''m not dead." Magnus said politely, sitting up. 034 - Sky Beyond Sky 034 - Sky Beyond Sky Across the room sat a woman sat on a tall backed chair. By a window, next to her a large brass telescope pointed out at the sky. Apart from a small area around her the place the giant white wolf had carried Magnus looked to be a total mess of animal bones and empty wine casks. She wore a loose fitting shirt, long black hair partially covering her face. Her eyes widened in shock, mouth agape. Magnus coughed lightly, the white wolf flicked its tail looking from him to the woman. "Alive? Sif! What the hell?" She jumped to her feet, the white wolf whined again, rolling over onto its back and wagging its tail. She advanced on Magnus, cursing and kicking junk out of the way. Magnus grinned helplessly, getting to his feet. "Uh, hello miss? Um, I guess I''ll just be on my way, you know . ." Magnus said nervously, stumbling on a pile of filthy rags. The room wasn''t all that large, several wooden posts held up a high wooden rafters, to his left he could just about make out a broken altar. A shrine! A filthy shrine house with a giant wolf and a furious beauty . . The woman advanced on Magnus in a flash, the closer she got the more lopsided Magnus grin became. Her dark skin and dark hair were unlike anything Magnus had ever seen. Ring! Ring! A bell beside the brass telescope rang, she halted, immediately turning and running back to the window and peering through the telescope muttering to herself. Magnus scratched his head. The white wolf seemed to be gnawing on a bone and the woman was entirely distracted . . time to leave? Best be off . . . "Sif!" She clicked her fingers. The white wolf leapt up, swatting Magnus to the ground and keeping him pinned down. Magnus fought against the giant paw, lifting one of the wolf''s claws and squirming in its grasp, but Sif only put a second paw over Magnus'' face, keeping him pinned against the ground. Am I this weak? Couldn''t I punch through those stone golems? Magnus grabbed handfuls of fur, biting and punching. He felt an anger building, a fury at his utter helplessness. Everything went from bad to worse, from taking part in the bloody experiment to finding an empty Witching Road, to falling in the bloody swamp and being spat out by a lizard. Now? Now he''d been carried in the mouth of a giant wolf and was held captive as easily as a child, waiting on the judgment of a some unkempt beauty? Something cracked, from within his gut, with the feeling of a glass ball shattering and exploding inside. A wave of anger, red hot, surged through Magnus, his skin burst open and countless black lines appeared, a yellow pus boiling up through his pores. He felt a rush of strength, his fingers dug into the wolf''s fur. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "Movement in the fourth quadrant . . fifteen, fourteen, another seven degrees . ." The woman muttered aloud, scribbling down a series of notes and turning the knobs of the brass telescope. "Awooo!" The white wolf howled, a piece of its white fur torn off in Magnus'' hands. It leapt back, snarling and gnashing its teeth. Magnus stood, his chest and arms creaking, pus and blood running down his face. "Nice doggy, uh, wolfy. . uh . ." The wolf leapt forwards, Magnus threw himself flat on the floor, the wolf''s giant mouth snapped through the air missing by inches. Magnus grabbed hold of its back leg, digging his fingers in and pulling out clumps of fur. The wolf howled in pain, kicking its hind legs up and trying to bend around to bite at Magnus. Around and around, the wolf and the boy spun, like a dog chasing its tail, unable to reach Magnus with its mouth. The white wolf suddenly sat squashing Magnus beneath and begun to drag itself along the floor. Magnus coughed violently, his mouth full of wolf arse, but held on for his life. "Sif!" "Awoo!" The giant white wolf stopped. Magnus felt dizzy and sick. Much worse, he thought, so much worse being dragged around like this to being carried in the wolf''s mouth. At least, in the wolf''s mouth there is only the danger of losing his life, back here . . The woman grabbed Magnus by the neck and flung him to the ground, placing a dainty foot on his chest. Magnus spat out a mouthful of wolf fur, still dizzy. "Stars above!" She wrinkled her nose. "You really carried this in your mouth, Sif?" "Huuu, huu, woooooo!" Sif whined, sitting obediently by her side. "Let me go! Get your damned foot off me!" Magnus yelled, finding that no matter how he struggled he could not move her foot from his chest, or so much as lift himself an inch off the floor. The woman pressed down a little harder, leaning in to examine Magnus. "Hmm. Yellow pus . . reeks! Sulfur? No . . black veins? And, and a shattered core, hmm." She raised her eyebrows, her eyes studying his body made Magnus'' heart beat even faster. Even like this, even in this situation Magnus gulped, staring back at her dark eyes. "I''d give you a month boy, no one can survive longer than that with a shattered core." "A month? Ha ha ha, right right. I heard that a month ago, bloody Alchemist!" Magnus spat hitting her in the face. 035 - Sky Beyond Sky 035 - Sky Beyond Sky "Alchemist?" She wiped away his spit from her cheek, pressing down harder onto Magnus'' chest. "Now why would you go and mention Alchemists?" "Hnngh!" Magnus gasped for air, his ribs cracking. "You really hate Alchemists, don''t you? They do that to you? Well, I''m not an Alchemist, you can be certain about that. Consider this a mercy." The dark skinned woman stomped down hard. Magnus'' flesh erupted, the black veins shattered, his bone splintered and cracked. He cried out in agony, arms and legs flailing, his mind flashing black and white, gasping for air . . and then, death. Magnus'' spirit form emerged, attached by several red threads to his corpse. This it too much. Much too unfair. From the pot into the fire . . into a bigger fire, ah hells. Before he could so much as bring himself to focus Magnus felt a sudden chill. A dainty hand passed through his ghostly chest and took hold of a red thread yanking it out. "!" A jolt of violent electric agony ran through his awareness. The woman stared straight as his spirit wide eyed. She let go of Magnus'' red thread, from her finger an identical red thread emerged. It pressed against Magnus spirit body, pushing it forcefully back into his body. Magnus panted heavily, his chest heaving and mangled. She pressed a finger into his wounds, a cool wave washed through Magnus. His flesh knitted back, the cracks in his skin healing, a refreshing feeling spread down to his bones. The woman cleared her greasy black hair from her face, staring fiercly into Magnus¡¯ eyes and scowling. Magnus gasped for air, his chest ragged. She drew back, pacing back and forth amdist the filth, looking from Magnus to the telescope and muttering. ¡°Must be luck . . fate . . chance . . bloody mindedness,¡± she sighed, wrinkling her nose. ¡°Bloody mutt, now of all times? It could work out . . I could . .¡± She paced up and down the room for the better part of an hour, finally stamping her foot and declaring with an air of finality "It¡¯ll work! I accept!" "Awoo!" Sif wagged its tail cheerfully. "...." "From this day forth you will be my fifth disciple. Name?" The girl stood over Magnus. "...." "Your name?" She asked a second time, kicking him viciously in the leg. "..." Her expression hardened, she kicked him again. "Very well! From now on your name is Dolt. Dolt the Dumb, Dolt the depressingly mute, Dolt the . ." Ring! Ring! The bell beside the telescope chimed. "Hold that thought!" She ran through the filthy room and began scribbling notes. "And, I''m not an Alchemist!" The giant white wolf trotted over to a pile of bones and began gnawing cheerfully. Magnus moved, he could move again - there was no force keeping him down, his injuries healed at a startling rate. He sat up, breath ragged, head aching. Pain! I can feel pain! My head, my neck, oooo, my bloody leg! Ah ha ha! Magnus coughed violently, spitting up a mouthful of black blood. Every part of him ached, the cuts on his skin throbbed, the black lines under his skin were like thorns, his nerves and muscles trembled. I can smell! Oh ye gods, I stink! The yellow pus oozing from sores and blisters on his face stank worse than a month old corpse. Stolen story; please report. If I try to leave now, will she stop me? Her strength, and that wolf . . What can I do now? I can leave. I can go back out into the . . out to wherever the hell I am and find the Witching . . oh. I can look for . . go to where the Alchemists are and . . She killed me! Stomped on my chest! And brought me back to life . . ah hell. What the hell do I know? He sighed, closing his eyes. Live. Pa Lund''s voice echoed through Magnus'' mind. Magnus, you have to live. Whatever you do, however you do it. Stay alive, no matter what! With an air of resignation Magnus called out loud as he could. "My name is Magnus, not Dolt. Magnus Lund." "Shut up, shut up, shut up . . . seven, twelve . . Meridie and the two . . north and north and . . ." She slammed the notebook down. "Done!" She skipped across the room and squatted down at Magnus side. "Right. Magnus. Magnus Lund. Magnus, Magnus, Magnus. Hmm. I prefer Dolt . . alright. From now on you, Magnus Lund are my fifth disciple. Do you know how lucky you are?" Magnus stared back glumly. "Do I have a choice?" "Of course! You hate the Alchemists, right?" She grinned. "You have living threads, a whole bunch of them! That means you have the very best choice of all!" "..." "My name is . . . call me . .¡± she scratched her head, "Ok. Call me . . Kujata. Yeah, I''m Kujata. That, or Teacher. Or Master. No, wait, big sis!¡± Magnus felt his head spin. Talking to this woman was worse than being hit by the blue lights . . "Look," Kujata jabbed Magnus in the chest. "This isn''t the best of times for me to be taking on the burden of a disciple, but well, it works into my plans. Especially someone like you. I will give you a chance for revenge, whatever the Alchemists have done to you, you can repay ten fold, a hundredfold! Don¡¯t think about it too hard boy, this is the opportunity of your lifetime!" Magnus eyes blazed at her words. Too good, too good to be true. Only shitty things happened to him, time and time again. Pa Lund and Uncle Willis injured, dying . . the failed experiment . . Rolf . . being tricked by Caj, beaten by soldiers. He bit down on his tongue. Surely, this is just another thread of hope, another rug that is about to be pulled out from under him in some way. Kujata watched his pained expression with a light smile. "Trust me. You''re special. The living threads prove that, look." She held up a finger, a dozen red threads shot out into the air. "We''re alike, you and I. And even if you don''t trust me, I can show you how to the path to being strong, the path to trampling on all those pesky Alchemists, right?" One of her red threads pierced Magnus'' forehead, in his mind appeared the sun and the moons and thousands of stars. A world, a whole planet spun slowly far beneath his feet. Above the planet was a gigantic winged bull with a thousand red eyes. Magnus felt as if he''d plunged into the depths of an ocean, rattled to his very core. The bull snorted, a fiery wind rushed out and hit the planet. In an instant the skies caught fire, the oceans boiled, the continents crumbled and fell, the whole world trembled. . . "Power," Kujata pulled the thread out. "Strength. You and I, Magnus, understand?" "Big sis!" Magnus cried out. 036 - Sky Beyond Sky 036 - Sky Beyond Sky "Awooo!" Sif howled, its tail thumping excitedly against the floor. "Heh!" Kujata grinned widely, "Good choice, boy!" "First things first," She studied the black lines and blister of yellow pus on Magnus'' face. "With the living lines something like this, even a shattered core, it doesn''t mean a thing. As my disciple . . hells, I''m getting ahead of myself here. First things first, listen Magnus Lund; no one can give you power. There is no magic potion, no secret art, no shortcuts. Everything you want you have to fight for. Nothing is free in this life, you being my disciple and me being your teacher - this is an exchange, between equals, understand?" "I understand." Magnus replied firmly. "How do you feel now?" Kujata walked over to the telescope, Magnus followed her over. "Much better. I feel, huh, I feel alive!" Magnus put a hand to his chest, the wound seemed to be knitting itself over at a remarkable speed. "Is this magic? Are you . .are you a witch!?" His eyes went wide in wonder. "This isn''t magic, I''m not a witch. I''m not an alchemist. Tell me Magnus, what do you think I am?" Magnus thought, his eyebrows furrowed down. "Are you . . are you human?" "Close enough." Kujata grinned. "The right answer was ''my big sis'', right? Now, it seems that we might have go off to a bit of a rough start," Kujata leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs. "Let''s draw a line under it, right? Bury the hatchet, re-tire the bicycle, put a fresh coat of paint on the garden fence, you know, those sorts of things. Tell me about yourself Magnus Lund. Age?" Magnus: "Sixteen." Kujata: "Birthplace?" Magnus: "Kloster, some ways west of here." Kujata: "And?" Magnus: "The town where I was born . . that what you asked? Um, by the coast, in the region of Jute." Kujata: "My stars . . Magnus, I mean what planet. You were born here, right? Do you know the name of this world?" Magnus: "Isn''t is just . . the world? Um . ." Kujata: "This planet is Aquilonem, the Alchemists name for this world. You know the name of the star Aquilonem revolves around? Just the sun, right? Forget I mentioned it." Magnus: "..." Kujata: "Alright. Education?" Magnus: "My father taught me a little smithing, he had a smitty and worked for the Lord in Kloster." Kujata: "Yeah?" Magnus: "I was never much good for it though, Rolf and I . . " Kujata: "No. I meant education. Learning. Reading and writing, languages. You know, from books." This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.Magnus: "Oh. Why didn''t you say so? Well, I don''t know much about that." Kujata: "Much about. . ." Magnus: "You know, that. Reading or writing or books." Kujata: "At all?" Magnus "Well, I know what a book is, and . . I can speak good." Kujata (head in her hands): "My fifth disciple . . Magnus . . ye gods and little fishes . ." Ring! Ring! ¡°Ok, ok, give me a little space . . ¡° Kujata turned to the telescope, peering through and taking notes and waving Magnus away. The sun had long since set, Magnus felt well enough to jump to his feet, to move his arms and legs with ease. Sif, the great white wolf lay curled in the corner, it looked up at Magnus and yawned, laying back down. How long had she been here? Living like this? The space around the chair was piled with all kinds of trash, rotten fruit, gnawed bones, empty gourds that reeked of alcohol. Magnus picked one up and sniffed it, immediately throwing it down. His chest ached. She''d killed me. She had really killed me, and now I''m her disciple? The giant bull amidst the stars, its many eyes . . Magnus couldn''t help but tremble. Looking at her back he felt an immense sense of danger, but also assuredness and strength. If he made even the slightest mistake, made her unhappy, would she just stomp him out again? No, Magnus unconsciously clenched and unclenched his fists. No, she said I am like her, I am her disciple. I need to believe that . . . Magnus face twisted into an expression of grief, his head sunk down between his shoulders. The world is the world, the sun is the sun. How can it be more complicated than that? Aquilonem. Magnus repeated it again and again, burning the name into his mind. I have been ignorant. No more. Magnus looked over Kujata, the vision of the giant bull floating above the world filled his mind. An exchange . . . she would teach him, and he would do what? Something of equal value. Anything! So long as he could strike against the Alchemists, so long as he could find Rolf, avenge all those who¡¯d died in Kloster. Magnus sat, lost in thought for a long time. His chest slowly recovered, the black lines and blisters shrunk. He felt better than he had for weeks, since before this whole mess. The tension, the constant anxiety and unease melted away like morning frost. In Kujata there was a certainty, her every word carried a promise of truth. In his heart Magnus already accepted the pretty dark skinned woman not just as his teacher, but as his salvation. 037 - Sky Beyond Sky 037 - Sky Beyond Sky Magnus felt a sudden pang, his heart lurching. Rolf . . Seamaidens . . Ma and Pa and Pa Lund . . all the familiar, all the things of home. Gone, dead, destroyed, stolen away. "Done!" Kujata heaved a sigh of relief, closing her note book. "Where were we? Magnus?¡± ¡°Big sis . . yeah,¡± Magnus lifted his head up and sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t look so down boy! Meeting me is the luck of your lifetime!¡± Kujata thumped her chest. ¡°Now, to the crux of the matter. How did you end up like this?" Magnus: "It was . . It was my own choice. I let Festus, an Alchemist, do this to me. I wanted it, I wanted to be a giant, to be strong." Kujata: "And Festus would do it for free? Out of the kindness of his heart? Pah!" Magnus: "I . . . I never thought about it. He just made people giant and they fought the black skins. I thought . . I .¡± Magnus told her of the conflict, of the arrival of Festus five years before, and of the giants that he made. "Naive!" Kujata yelled, "How could you be so damned naive?" Magnus was unable to stop tears from welling up in his eyes when he talked of Kloster, of Rolf and of Pa Lund. When he told her of the final experiment, the black specked potion, and of the appearance of the first red thread, Kujatas eyes shone. ¡°Just a black vial? Did the Alchemist give you anything else? A pill, another potion?¡± Kujata asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know . . . I can¡¯t remember, it is all a little fuzzy. Maybe he did, a pill, yeah, Festus gave us all some pills to numb the body!¡± ¡°Right, ok. I see.¡± ¡°What does it mean? What do you see?¡± ¡°It means,¡± Kujata shook her head, ¡°that you really shouldn¡¯t be so damn trusting. Lambs to the slaughter. Hells, on these worlds the Alchemists can get away with whatever they like.¡± ¡°What was the pill? Was it dangerous?¡± ¡°Not to you, not now. You¡¯ve got the living threads, relax.¡± Kujata reached under her chair and pulled up a half full gourd, uncorking and drinking from it deeply. She threw it to Magnus. ¡°Drink, drink. I won¡¯t have a disciple who doesn¡¯t drink with me.¡± He described his first death, his spirit or awareness or whatever it was floating out of his body and being buried, pulling at the thread to go back in. Kujata nodded saying ¡°good, good. You did the right thing there, real lucky.¡± Magnus described his symptoms, his fight across the waters against the pill-dogs, the unbreakable black veins, just like the black skin monstrosities, and the putrid yellow pus. When he mentioned the revolving tower Kujata yelped excitedly, flipping to a page on her notebook. ¡°Where exactly did you say Doohama was? To the west, the west coast . . . here!¡± Magnus and Kujata talked late into the night, halting only when the bell rang twice. She would wave Magnus off, tell him to wait until she was done. ¡°That''s a telescope, right? A telescope. My uncle Willis saw one like it, much smaller, said he could see miles and miles.¡± ¡°Yeah, a telescope, something like that. This one is to look out at . . look up into the sky.¡± Kujata frowned. ¡°Curious? Here, take a look. Careful! Don¡¯t move it, you¡¯ll throw off the calibrations!¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Magnus put his eye up to the looking glass. There was nothing but darkness, black empty space, a few dim stars blinking in the narrow focus. ¡°See anything? Probably not. Well, forget about it. Tell me the rest, how you got all the way from nowhere-ville to here, the arse end of nowhere.¡± Kujata threw the now empty gourd and searched around on the floor for another. Magnus quickly told her of his journey east trying to find the Witching Road. Kujata interrupted several times, slapping the ground shouting "Fool!" and "This is my fifth disciple?" while clutching her head in her hands. ¡°Skip, skip, skip. You just walked and walked looking for the witching whatever, alright.¡± Kujata yawned massively. ¡°Unless it has anything to do with the Alchemists skip the details.¡± ¡°The Witching Road are people fighting against the Alchemists, everyone says so, ain¡¯t they of interest?¡± ¡°Kid, Magnus, you really believe that? Hells, just skip.¡± ¡°Well, I did meet an Alchemist in the swamp just before I came here . .¡± Magnus described his fight in the swamp, proudly describing how he''d defeated the Alchemist, how he punched apart the stone golem and stuffed an apple into the Alchemists mouth. Kujata frowned. "No one saw you? Were there any witnesses?" Her tone worried Magnus, the poor pale face of Lars and his dead father appeared before his eyes. Magnus thought for a moment replying "No. I was the only one at the swamp." When Magnus described the inside the swamp, the giant lizard beneath and all the green strands Kujata¡¯s eyes shone. "An earth Salamander! A proper elemental! What luck . . ah hell, if I wasn''t in the middle of this . ." She bit her lip, looking at Magnus. "And you say it spat you out of the swamp? All that way? Must be nearly mature . . and the earthquake the other day . . Sif!" The giant white wolf leapt excitedly to its feet, running to Kujata¡¯s side. Kujata shot out a thin red thread from her forefinger into the wolf''s forehead. It dug into the wolf''s skin, forming a ball of red energy. ¡°Go to the Empire Swamp Sif.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Sif barked excitedly and ran out of the shrine. ¡°If it''s like you¡¯ve described Magnus, then we should be alright . . when an Alchemist dies their name plate cracks, it''s how they keep tabs on all their active researchers. It wouldn¡¯t mean much normally, but for an Alchemist to die on one of the five formation planets, they¡¯d see that as a serious matter.¡± ¡°What will happen? Will more Alchemists come?¡± A hint of bloodlust crept into Magnus voice. ¡°Oh aye, and if they find a hint of me here . . that will be that.¡± Kujata paced up and down muttering to herself. Her eyes finally fell on Magnus, she clicked her tongue. ¡°I¡¯ll have to take a few measures . . but first. First we need to get you cured up. Right. Right is right. The first bit of training, your first lesson as my disciple.¡± ¡°Right!¡± ¡°Magnus, I need you to go and get a wild boar. Oh, and alcohol - lots of it! But the wild boar! Alive! It has to be alive!¡± 038 - Sky Beyond Sky 038 - Sky Beyond Sky Kujata handed Magnus a pouch heavy with copper and silver coins and a shiny green pebble saying "Don''t lose the rune stone, you won''t be able to get back in here without it. There is a town south of here, you know how to hunt right? Get the booze and the boar, be back before night." Kujata hesitated, "you do know how to hunt, yeah?" "Yes! Me and Rol -" "Good. It has to be alive, uninjured if possible. Get going." Kujata sat back down at the window. Magnus hurried out through the filth of the shrine room. Outside the sun had just about risen over the near mountain peaks, the area around the shrine buildings was alive with the sounds of birds chirping in the tall trees. There was a long series of steep stone stairs leading down from the shrine through a forest down to a mountain stream. He followed the path out, hurrying down the stairs and along the the stream. Rejuvenated. That''s the word, like the breath of a goddess had entered his lungs, Magnus took a deep gulp of air and laughed. His clothes, what was left of them, ah hell - not clothes, more like rags barely tied to his body. He''d been drowned, launched through the air and chewed up by Sif. Beneath, the skin had healed somewhat, there were still black veins visible, and several blisters of foul pus. South, south . . Magnus followed the path to the south, the rising sun on his left. After half a day at an easy jog he came to an open field beyond the hills and a wider valley with several streams. Over beyond the valley rose several high grey peaks topped with snow. A dirt track wound through the valley following the river, by a stone bridge there were several wood and stone houses with thatched roofs. Spread throughout the valley were several farmstead, the various fields separated by low stone walls. Civilization. Just like Kloster, just like home. Magnus entered a farmstead on the outskirts calling out "Good-day!" A heavy set woman appeared with a washbasin in hand and shrieked, almost fainting dead away at Magnus bedraggled appearance. Magnus cheerfully called out again, showing her a handful of coppers and asking if she''d any clothes to spare, as he''d been attacked by wild dogs. The woman, quite recovered at the sight of the coppers, offered him several shirts and well worn articles. "Is there a goods store in town? Anywhere I might buy some booze?" Magnus pulled a flat cap over his ears looking to hide his face. There was a nasty pus filled blister on his nose and several more along his forehead. "Oh no Mr, nothing like that. We''ve only got the Goat''s Beard in town, where the hunters meet. Matilda runs the Beard, she can draw a right good draught of ale, local made you know, fine stuff." "Thanks, thanks. I suppose that will do." "You here for the hunt? They all come here for the hunt, you too I suppose?" She asked, curious. "Hunt? Oh, I guess so. Yes, here for the hunt." "Well, good luck to you Mr." The woman smiled warmly, offering Magnus a cut of dried meat. Magnus changed and chatted with her for a while, taking several more sets of clothes tied in a bundle and paying for them with a fistful of coppers. Matilda in the Goat''s Beard greeted Magnus with a hearty "hullo!" The long hall had a single well scrubbed long table and a fire pit, Matilda stood behind in front of a bar industriously scrubbing the hardwood floor. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The Goat''s Beard was all but empty, a few village children ran in and out through the open doors and an old farmer in a straw hat sat haunched over at the end of the bar. The farmer turned to face Magnus with a sullen expression, snorting and turning away. "Here for the hunt?" Matilda looked Magnus up and down. "Looking for work?" Magnus slapped three silver coins on the bar. "I''m looking for ale. Plenty of it." At the sight of silver Matilda brightened up considerably, swiftly pushing the mop to a side and hustling behind the bar. "What''ll it be lad?" "I need . . a cask, no, two casks of ale. And a couple of gourds, and those green bottles on the shelf, give me a dozen of ''em." "Ooof. Having a right celebration, hey?" Matilda assembled Magnus order, scribbling a tally. "Five bits, three crowns . . call it thruppence." Magnus counted out the coins, "Have you a cart for sale? A barrow would do." "Oh aye, I''ve an old one. No nag though, you''ll have to make do pulling it yourself." Matilda smiled warmly, counting the metal coins and helping Magnus load up the cart. She''d seen a lot of hunters come in for the hunt. "So, where''s your camp? You lads parked up by the Horn?" "The what now?" "The Horn," Matilda pointed at a grey snowy peak rising above the treetops. "Thats where Pete and the others said the hunt was at." "Oh no, my camp is, is somewhere else." Magnus stacked the last cask of ale and hurried over to the front of the wagon. It was an old farmer''s barrow, normally a horse or ox would be strapped to the front a farmer might walk alongside whipping it along. He took up the rope and started down the road, waving off to Matilda. Matilda watched him go down the dirt street and over the bridge. "Strange lad," She shook her head. "Lots of strange folks coming round these days." "Too right Matti." The old farmer snorted, finishing his drink. "A place like this don''t be needing more trouble. Not with the three great beasts and all them hunters coming in chasing ''em." Magnus found that pulling the cart was easy, no chore at all. His strength, his endurance . . they were far from what they had been before he''d . . . Magnus gulped, his breath suddenly ragged. Festus . . Rolf . . Pa . . Uncle . . Ah hells. Focus, now, focus on the now Magnus, come on. He pulled the cart to the bottom of the long stone stairs, lifted it above his head and jogged up without slowing. The only thing he noticed was in his arms and legs, the black veins pulsed, appearing dark against his skin, a slight itch, like a mosquito bite. Right. The boar. Easy. There were plenty of times Magnus had hunted for wild game - boars, deer, rabbits, even little birds and squirrels. Not much meat on those, but nice enough in a stew or roasted on an open flame. A boar was harder, dangerous. There was always the trouble of being gored by a tusk, or trampled by their hooves. Best thing was to dig a pit and lay a trap, then stab it with a spear. Hmm. But it would be hard to get out of the hole, and if it were alive . . yeah, getting the carcass out was hard enough, if it were struggling. Is that really a problem for me? Hells! I could probably just wrestle a boar into submission with my bare arms! One punch, one hit and I could knock it''s lights out! Ha! Magnus jumped up and ran off into the woods, not bothering to prepare a single weapon or trap. 039 - Sky Beyond Sky 039 - Sky Beyond Sky Magnus searched the woods around the shrine until the sun set. No luck, not even a hint of a boar. It would be so simple, find a boar, thump it in the head, carry it back, right? Wrong. Wrong, wrong wrong. He''d trapped many a boar and wild pig in the past in the forests around Kloster, there the forest paths and sets and barrows were familiar. Well, nothing to it. Boar are most likely to be found either at dawn or dusk, Magnus knew that much. For a long drawn out afternoon Magnus wandered fruitlessly up and down the animal tracks. There were plenty of living things, all sorts of game and beasts prowling here and there, but not a boar. It was dusk, dim half-light, the sun long set behind the rolling hills now. Magnus knew roughly where he was, roughly where the shrine lay. He could hear a river nearby, must be the same river that ran by the shrine. A sudden rustling from a clump of bushes, a snort and squeal. Magnus ran forwards, from the bushes. A large grey bristle backed wild boar glared at him with beady eyes. Magnus thought of all the cattle and farm creatures made giant in Kloster. This boar would have been a runt besides them. It turned its head, snorting and baring gnarled tusks. Magnus expected it to run, but the boar stamped the earth with its trotters. What luck, what luck! The boar grunted, charging fearlessly right at Magnus. He braced himself, the ground shook, the boar charged. Magnus grinned; his fist drawn back. The big boar charged, snorting hot air and rushing straight into Magnus, its head ploughing into his chest. Magnus stuck out his left hand letting the boar strike him and push him back several feet. Then, carefully, oh so delicately, Magnus bought his closed fist down on the side of the large boars head. It squealed, falling on its side and rolling twice. Magnus frowned. Too hard? He looked over the boar, it''s let out a low beastial whine struggling to move. Well, that oughta be alright, nearly uninjured, right? Eh, close enough. Magnus heaved it up and set off back to Kujata at the shrine. "Big sis! Big sis!" Magnus called out. Kujata leaned out of the window. The area behind the shrine building was a small dirt courtyard and a well, beneath the window were several heaps of bones and discarded gourds. "One boar," Magnus tossed the unconscious beast on the ground. "One cart of booze." He pointed over to the cart. "Easy work, right?" Kujata jumped down from the window. "What''s that? New clothes?" "Yeah, got some for you too. Well . . I thought that if all you were wearing was that shirt . . " Magnus stuttered. "I like this shirt. Nothing wrong with this shirt." Kujata snatched the coin purse from his hand and put a gourd to her mouth, biting off the cork. "Not bad, not bad. A passing grade. Right is right, time for your first lesson as my fifth disciple." She gulped down a mouthful of wine. "I''m going to show you the proper way to eat that boar." Magnus tied the boars legs together and put it in the centre of the yard while Kujata placed several smooth stones around it. Following her instructions he sat next to the struggling creature. "Now," Kujata returned to the telescope. "Shut your eyes. Bring out a living thread. We''re going to skip the theory. I''ve always said you learn best by doing." "But . . but what am I doing? I don''t know how to bring the living thingy out!" "Just shut your eyes. Concentrate, its easy, just think about the tip of your finger. It''s itchy right? Well, with your eyes shut Magnus, just visualize a red thread coming out from your finger tip." Kujata held her hand up, a single red thread shot out and spun through the air. "Easy." Magnus shut his eyes and focused on the tip of his finger. An itch, a cool electric feeling. He opened his eyes and gasped - a single red thread dangled from the tip of his forefinger, floating in the air before him. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "That easy, see?" Kujata laughed, gulping down another mouthful. "Now, stick it into the boar. Through the head, that''ll be best, don''t want to go eating it arse first! Ha!" She fell back laughing. Magnus stood, walking over to the boar and putting his hand on its head. The creature''s eyes were wide in panic, it fought desperately against its bonds. The thread passed through its skin, through its skull. Magnus felt as if he were reaching deep into the boar, not just into its flesh, but into the essence, the very boar-y-ness. It was like an inner ocean, an immense world made from endless lights and sparks, each with sound and smell and colour to it. A flood of smells and sounds washed into his mind, intense animal instincts, the desire to flee, the need to run and charge and - "Whoa! Pull back there, easy now." Kujata voice yanked Magnus back into reality, he pulled his hand away from the boar''s head. "What the hells was that?" "You stuck a living thread right into the mind of a living creature, had a glimpse at its essence. Had a good looksee? Well, do it again. This time Magnus, focus in. See yourself, don''t let yourself go into the creature. You''ve got to see it as food. Shoot your living thread right into its core and swallow it whole." Kujata flung down the empty gourd, swiftly uncorking another. "And be quick about it, I''m getting awful hungry." Magnus raised his hand, put the red thread up to the boar''s head. Devour. Swallow. Consume. The most primal of instincts, the very basic of necessities for any living creature. Magnus focused, the wave of animal emotions washed about the red thread, a thousand forest scents, the need to eat and rut and charge . . Magnus cut through it all, his single thread growing and getting longer. Food . . hunger . . how long has it been since I was hungry? I haven''t eaten anything in . . in weeks . . how long. My throat is dry, my lips are cracked. Have I always been this thirsty? Magnus licked his lips, a growl emerged from his belly. Never before, not even when he''d gone three days without a proper meal, not even during the harshest of winters had Magnus ever felt a hunger like this. His desire to devour rose to a peak, the living thread responded to this desire, trembling in the inner mind of the boar and growing immense. In a flash it encircled the entire world of instinct and emotions, every part of the thread shone. A hundred tiny fibres shot out, an intense suction force pulling every sound and scent, every ounce of vitality to it. A thousand open mouths, biting and chewing all at once. The inner world crushed and devoured, pulled into the threads and swallowed. Magnus felt an immense vitality flow into him, better than any meal or the soundest of sleeps; a revitalizing force flowed through every part of his body, from his blood to his bones. Like a thirsty desert during a sudden rainfall, Magnus swallowed every drop of force, his intense hunger barely satiated. Then it was over. The inner world cracked, turning dark and fragmenting. Magnus felt a sharp pain and blinked, he was back in the courtyard, back with his hand against the boar''s head. It lay still, its eyes blank, dead. "Not bad, still hungry, right?" Kujata tossed over a gourd. "Drink. Drink, everything is better with a bit of booze in your belly." She waited until he''d swallowed a mouthful. "Lesson one; how to eat. Pretty easy, right? Well, here''s lesson two for you; Never, and I mean abso-bloody-lutly never, ever let anyone see you do this. Got that?" 040 - Sky Beyond Sky 040 - Sky Beyond Sky Magnus nodded dumbly. The energies from the boar flooded into him, he felt it pulsate through his skin, through his flesh and into his bones. The many blisters and black veins shrunk, becoming almost invisible. "You paying attention Magnus?" "Whoa. Wow, my skin, my face, my stars! Big sis! I''m cured!" Magnus jumped up, dancing around in joy. "Easy there lad," Kujata rolled her eyes. "Look! You can''t see a single speck of black!" Magnus ran over to the well and pulled up the bucket examining his face. "No blisters . . no lines . . big sis! Ah ha ha!" He emptied the bucket over his head washing off the dirt and filth. "Not bad. Looks like at the least you ain''t the ugliest of my disciples." Kujata couldn''t help but smile. "Magnus, hey Magnus! Lesson two!" Magnus snapped to attention, a sloppy grin on his face. "Yes!" "On lesson two, a . .", Ring! Ring! "Ah hells!" Kujata pointed to a corner of the yard. "Fire pit, carving knife, medium rare." she fell back from the window into the chair. Magnus happily followed her instructions, lighting the fire pit and easily cutting the boar into several parts. With just a little force he found the blade sliced through the skin, cut through the thick boars hide smoothly. Draining blood out into the sand and snapping off the four legs with his hands, Magnus threw them all on the metal grill. For a quarter hour Kujata peered through the telescope and took notes. "Done!" She leapt from the window and ran across the courtyard. "Meat, meat, meat!" Nothing cute, nothing ladylike about her . . Magnus watched as she snatched up a whole leg and bit into it, chewing and swallowing and reaching for a second piece. If she didn''t have two obvious mounds beneath her shirt, if he hadn''t seen her delicate face and pretty dark eyes up close . . Magnus sighed. Big sis is big sis, one way or another . . "Ok, cut us some more! And bring the whole cart over, throw on a rack of ribs. And the head! Don''t leave the head there, that''s just wasteful!" Magnus hurried about following Kujata''s instructions, sitting down next to her and looking on expectantly. "Lesson two." Kujata wiped the grease from her mouth with a corner of her shirt. "The second lesson is keeping a low profile." "..." "Well?" "Well what?" "You''re not going to ask why?" "Why what?" "Why the low profile!" "Yeah, big sis why the low profile?" "Ye gods . . you know Magnus, it would never do any harm to be a little more curious. Ain''t you got a thousand questions? A hundred things you want to ask? Like who I am, what you are, what I''m doing here - damn it, ain''t you the least bit interested?" "Uh, I guess? Kuja - big sis, I mean, I am sorta interested. But well, I''m alive! You helped me, you said I''m your disciple and that I can be real strong, right? Then, all I''ve gotta do is listen, right?" "And you just accept that as fact?" "Should I not? Is this the lesson? I''ve never been a disciple before . . should I not be trusting my big sis?" Kujata stared glassy eyed at Magnus, suddenly snorting and throwing her hair back. "Damn brat! Stinking dolt!" "..." "Fine! Fine, you win. I give. Stop staring at me with those puppy eyes." Kujata paced up and down. ¡°Lesson two. Keep all this a secret, right? There are forces out there . . people who would stop at nothing to see you and I dead a thousand times over.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell them! I promise!¡± Magnus cried out. ¡°Fool, you don¡¯t need to say anything! Why do you think I¡¯m here, hidden in this dump?¡± Kujata waved her hands. ¡°Forget it. Forget all about it.¡± She paced up and down the courtyard, Magnus watched on quietly. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "Where to start . . okay. The beginning, from zero. Let''s just get things straight between us. Magnus Lund. From this day forth you are my disciple. I do not know how long this relationship may last, my time left here ain''t exactly under my control.¡± ¡°Everything has a price; I will teach and grant you an opportunity for revenge. Your repayment is to take that opportunity, right?¡± ¡°That, uh . . that seems fair?¡± ¡°And it is. So, what we''re going to do here is skip a little, get to the meat of the matter." Kujata spread the five fingers of her right hand, from each fingertip appeared a coloured thread. "The Logos. The five underlying principles of the universe. The energy that pervades throughout all living things, the threads that connect us all together, that governs all actions in the whole of existence." "First, the Vis - the white thread here. This is the inner force, the energy in all living things. It is what forms your core and connects to every muscle and bone. By training the Vis you strengthen your core, once it reaches a certain level the core condenses and hardens." "But my core shattered!" Kujata nodded. "And that would normally mean you would be dead in a month. Put your hand over your navel. Feel that? That is your core, the concentration of Vis in your body. Taking in the vital force from the boar has replenished your Vis, filled in the cracks in your core." "So I don''t have to train to improve my Vis? I can just take in the vital force of other creatures?" "In essence, yes. What others may take a lifetime to accomplish or require countless pills and potions and secret methods, we can take, devour." Magnus eyes blazed. Devour! An flame lit up in his mind. "It isn''t so simple, Magnus. Listen, the next thread; Animus, the blue threads. You saw the Alchemist in the swamp use these, right?" "Yeah, he shot them at me . . and he made this weird shape he could fly on!" "The Animus is a concentration of the mind, of inner will. Only those with a certain level of ability can focus their will into an Animus. They are used for formations, well, the Alchemists use them for their formation. Watch - " Kujata extended the blue thread into a circle, tying both ends together and letting it fall to the ground. It sunk down and imprinted itself on the dirt, slowly fading. "That''s about as much as I can do with my level of Animus. Come, stand over it." Magnus walked into the blue circle. The moment he crossed over he felt an enormous weight press down on his shoulders, forcing him to the ground. Kujata flicked her finger and the blue thread faded, Magnus sat back down. ¡°It takes years of training, of meditating every day and following strict mental practices, remembering countless formations and complex geometric structures to become an expert in the use of Animus. But . . well, see an Alchemist and swallow him up, and all day long you¡¯ll have good luck. Heh.¡± Kujata sang. A complex look arose of Magnus on hearing her. She smiled so lightly . . said such a terrifying thing so easily . . . "Not going too fast for you, am I? Alright, next -" "Awooo!" From out the night came a howl and rush of paws. Sif, the great white wolf ran into the courtyard. Its paws threw up clouds of dust and, in a single swift leap, Sif pounced on the roasting boar greedily snatching it from the flames. 041 - Sky Beyond Sky 041 - Sky Beyond Sky "Bad mutt! No! My meat!" Kujata snarled, trying to pull the boar carcass out of the wolf''s mouth. Sif chomped viciously, tearing chunks of meat from the boar and running out of the courtyard. "Meat! My meat! Get back here you cheeky bastard!" She chased the white wolf to the edge of the courtyard and stopped. Kujata stamped her feet, swearing and cursing as Sif ran off into the night with the boar in its jaws. Ring! Ring! "Bloody buggerance! If it ain''t one thing its another . ." Kujata sprinted into the shrine to the telescope. Magnus found himself suddenly alone. He watched passively as the wolf and Kujata fought, watched without thinking to act or even get to his feet. Lesson two, keeping a secret. I can do that. Hells, I ain''t got anyone left to talk to . . Magnus sat quietly in the courtyard, eyes closed. In his mind rose images of the last five years in Kloster, from when Festus first turned up, when everyone and everything was so excited and wanted to be giant. He had been jealous, madly envious of all of them who had been allowed into the experiment. They got the fight! They got to die valiantly fighting monsters! What higher honour could there be then that? And they were betrayed. All, everyone, every single thing . . . there was no honour in being poisoned to death, in falling helpless before a scheme. The lifeless body of Ingrid, Harkness dying like a dog in the street . . Whatever the chance was, Magnus knew he''d take it. He would risk death ten thousand times rather than let Festus and all the blood Alchemists get away with thinking they could disgrace his friends and family. Vermin! Like bloody rats, poisoned in the streets! Made to run and jump and fight for their amusement! Magnus trembled with anger, his fists tightened, his teeth ground together. In his head there was just a pounding, a single thump thump pulse of blood loud through every nerve and sinew. There was a deep crack, Magnus gasped in pain, his vision turning black. Within his naval another bone crunching crack, like a tree being torn in half. The core that had just been infused with the boars vital force splintered, from the pit of his stomach rose a sharp burning sensation, spreading through his arms and legs, up his spine. Magnus groaned, falling on his side and rolling around in agony. "And done . . Magnus!" Kujata jumped from the window "Magnus,? Ah hells . . shit. Deep breaths Magnus, come on lad." The skin of Magnus arms crinkled like dry paper, yellow pus bubbling up from between pulsating black lines. "Big sis . . ow, ow, ow." Magnus rolled around howling in agony. This was far worse, far more painful than it had been before. Kujata shot a red thread into Magnus belly, an instant chill flowed into him, the pain subsided. Magnus ground his teeth and took several deep breaths. "Looks like your core shattered. Let me see now . . ah . . whoa . ." Kujata fell silent, her hand on Magnus navel. "That''s not . . that not right. I''ve never seen one like this . . a core this big . . gosh." "Whats wrong?" This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.Kujata bit her lip, "Ahem. Wrong? Nothing . . it''s just, well, I''d never expected you to be so, so well endowed. The vital force you took from the boar wasn''t enough, not nearly enough. Not even enough to keep your core together for half a day. That it really odd. Has it always been this, this big?" "I don''t know. Isn''t it normal? I never had a look at it before, no one said anything . . I thought it was just the same as anyone elses." "Hmm. Could it be? Well, this is something that you definitely would have noticed. The black skin . . the yellow pus . . hmm." Kujata kept channeling a soothing energy into his navel. Magnus slowly recovered, the sudden pangs of pain and aches became a little easier to bare. Kujata lifted her hand, Magnus lay back against the dirt, his breathing shallow. "Tired, right? Sleep a little Magnus. Rest. Don''t worry, you''ll be alright. We''ll carry on with the lessons in the morning." Magnus slept fitfully, tossing and turning, his dreams visions of a horde of naked giants stampeding over the earth, trampling mountain and drinking whole lakes dry. He ran amongst them, one of the giant men, laughing and fighting. The vision soured, the dream sky turned a dismal white and grey, the sun and stars blocked by an endless wall that fell, covered the land. Magnus choked, the white sky smothering him and pressing him down against the ground. He woke to darkness, to a world of thick fur pressing down on him. White hair in his mouth, in his nose, Sif laying full across his body pinning Magnus to the dirt. Kujata watched him struggle from her window, greasy black hair hanging over her face. She raised a cask of ale to her lips, draining it of the last of the liquid and throwing it out into the courtyard. "You lied to me." "Pff, pffff! Gerroff! Damn wolf! Get the hell off me!" Magnus spat out a clump of fur, wriggling his way out from under the giant wolf. "Magnus," Kujata snapped her fingers, Sif instantly leapt off and sat to a side. "Magnus, you lied to me." "Big sis . . I . ." "You lied. It''s alright. No big deal." Kujata jumped down from the window and advanced on Magnus. "Only, you lied, and now A FUCKING ALCHEMIST IS ON HIS WAY." "..." "No big deal. No worries. Ah hells. You know, I could have taken countermeasures, avoided all this before the fact, kept you within the sealing formation. But no, you said no one was in the swamp and I believed you. Why would you have lied? More fool I!" Kujata paced up and down the shrine courtyard, kicking bones and discarded trash. "Wooo woo wooo," Sif lay down and put its paws over its head. "Big sis! I, I," Magnus stuttered, the words catching in his throat when Kujata turned her glare on him. "I, I, I what? Ah fuck it. Phew." She stood still, turning her face up and closing her eyes. "It isn''t too late. Alright. Relax." "Big sis! I didn''t know, I thought -" "Shut it! Let me think. Countermeasure . . a plan . . okay." Kujata pointed a finger at Magnus, a blue thread and a green thread emerged and braided together, spiralling through the air at him. ¡°Right. A plan. Simple. Magnus, all you have to do die.¡± 042 - Sky Beyond Sky A big thanks to splendoit for his fantastic review! 042 - Sky Beyond Sky The morning mist yet clung to roof tops and swirled about the trunks of the many tall trees that surrounded the village in the valley. Above the mists rose the single snowy peak of the Horn, barely poking into the blue skies. From down the riverside path came a horse drawn cart, riding the horse a fat man in a black leather apron. He rode at an easy pace, occasionally holding a gleaming bronze apparatus up and turning it this way and that, muttering to himself. In the cart lay a single unmoving youth. He rode into the street, halting before the single tavern and glancing up at its sign; the head of a goat with a long braided beard. In the street were several wagons and horses tied to posts. Each cart was loaded with all manner of weapons and tools. From bundles long flat headed spears to large hunting bows and crossbows, quarrels stuffed with bolts, arrows, rolled tents, iron pots and pans. Dozens of men swarmed over the wagons, checking that straps were tight, loading food and supplies. "Salutations!" Gordianus pushed open the double doors and strode into the tavern. The tavern was full, every table had at least four rough looking men; the sight of such a large man with a black apron drew a number of strange looks, but no response. Matilda rushed from the kitchen carrying several steaming bowls on a platter. She caught sight of Gordianus and smiled. "You''ll have to wait, or sit at the bar." She pointed to the only free spot at the far end next to a glum faced farmer. "No need." Gordianus took a sheet of parchment from his inner robes. "Good folk! I humbly beg your askance! Has anyone seen this man?" On the parchment was drawn a crude portrait of Magnus, a hood covering part of his head, face full of blisters and covered in black lines. "His name is Magnus! There is, of course, a reward for any verifiable reports!" Gordianus held the portrait up for all to see, many craned their necks and peered at the portrait, they buzzed in conversation and shook their heads. "I know him!" Matilda shrieked. "Noble sir, hold on a tick . . " She dumped her platter on the nearest table and rushed to Gordianus side. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there."Good woman, you recognize this man?" "Yes! Magnus . . I didn''t know his name though . . " she leaned in closer, examining the picture. "And . . and you say there is a reward? Is he a wanted man?" "A large reward." Gordianus rolled up the parchment, taking a coin purse from his belt and weighing it on his hand. "Three pieces of gold." Matilda licked her lips. "He''s not for the noose is he? I mean, he seemed like a nice enough . . what did he do?" "The man, Magnus, is a wanted criminal. Woman, speak! Tell me all you know!" Gordianus jingled the coin purse impatiently. "Alright, alright. Well, the boy, Magnus that is, came in first about a month ago, wanted to buy some booze and a cart. He said he was part of a hunting party or something, but not by the Horn, strange right?" "Go on." "He looked strange too, sick. Those lines on his face . . and the stink, phew!" "A month ago you say? That would place him . . " Gordianus muttered, making a quick note in a small notebook. "And he has come in a couple of times since. Here, was I in danger? What did he do?" "Madame, this man is not just a wanted criminal, his is also sick. Quite diseased. If you do not tell me where I can find him this instant then you are placing all our lives in the gravest of dangers." "I don''t know!" Matilda''s voice trembled. "He''s was only here this last thursday!" "Do you know where he is staying? Has anyone else been in contact with him?" "No! No, only he . . he always buys booze. Plenty of it, and takes it away by cart down the river. Am I infected? I helped him load the carts, Mr, am I going to be sick like him?" Gordianus counted three gold coins, placing them in Matilda''s hands. "Good woman, I do believe you will be quite safe. If you have not already come down with the sickness after a month then it is quite unlikely that you have been infected.¡± "Oh, thank the gods!" Matilda clutched the coins, the sight of gold drew a dozen greedy glares from the men sitting around the room. Matilda hurriedly stuffed them into her apron. "Now, hmm," the fat Alchemist sniffed the air. "Is that pork belly? How delightful! If you''d be so kind madame, I will take a serving of your wonderful pork belly gruel." 043 - Sky Beyond Sky 043 - Sky Beyond Sky Gordianus sat at the bar, soon three bowls deep into his breakfast. His neighbour at the bar, a sullen faced farmer, leaned in and said "hey, Mr. I saw that Magnus fella too." "Did you now?" Godianus wiped his mouth with a silk hankerchief. "Yeah! Just like Matti said, so . ." "So?" The farmer licked his lips nervously. "So, I might just remember something about him, you know, for a gold coin or two . ." ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Yeah, like what he asked about one time, the witches house or something . .¡± A large hairy hand slapped down onto the old farmer''s shoulder. "Easy there John. Don''t be speaking no nonsense to the noble sir here." Behind the farmer appeared a stout man dressed in furs, greasy black hair and a rough beard. "Names Pete, hunter in these parts. Pete Stint." "Oh? Gordianus raised an eyebrow. "You''ve seen the criminal too?" No sir! Been busy up at the Horn, hunting sir. Me and the lads," Pete nodded at a table not far from the bar. "As you can see, plenty of us gathered for the Great Hunt." "And why, Pete Stint, might you be here wasting my precious time?" Gordianus frowned. "Ah well sir, you see, no one knows these parts better than me and the lads." Pete thumped his chest. "If you be hunting anything, beast or man, I''m your man!" Gordianus thought for a moment, eyeing the hunter up and down. "And your ''Great Hunt''? Won''t you be missing out?" "Oh no sir!" Pete grinned. "The hunt won''t be starting for a while yet, plenty of time. We''re more than happy to lead you around sir, for, ahem, for a fee." "Hmm. Alright. Pete, you''ve got yourself a deal." Gordianus beamed, taking out his coin purse and producing a single copper coin. "Here, your fee." "!" Pete''s eyes widened at the sight of the single copper. "Ahem. Sir, my fee . . it is a little more than . . well . ." "Oh? Not enough?" Gordianus produced a second copper coin. "Hmm? No? Not enough to be a guide?" "Well, sir, I was hoping to be a little better, eh . . whats the word? . . ah, renumerated for our services." Pete wagged his eyebrows. Gordianus sighed, taking a silver coin and handing it to the hunter. "A silver in advance. If you lead me to the man, there will be gold in it for you, not before." "Sir!" "Now, let me finish up here . . madame! Another bowl of pork belly, if you''d be so kind!" Gordianus settled back into his stool. From a deep pocket in his apron he took a strange brass device. It appeared to be a compass, marking for north, south, east, and west drawn onto a free floating disk set within a glass. On the disk were a half dozen needles, each pointing a different direction. One of the needles spun around the disk, occasionally pointing this way or that, at times stuck in one spot. The Alchemist frowned and tapped the needle muttering, "strange. Too strange, I''ve never seen it do that . . not without . . hmm." This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the fourth bowl, happily digging in. Ding! The brass compass buzzed, the needle jumping on the disk and vibrating fiercely. "What!" Gordianus jumped up, holding the needle before him. "Impossible!" The needle clattered against the metal casing, pointing him at the front entrance of the Goat''s Beard. Gordianus ran, his belly bouncing mightily, and burst through the front doors. "Sir!" Pete called out, running after him. "Thats him! Thats Magnus!" Gordianus yelled. Rushing down the street pulling a small cart with a boy in the back, Magnus didn''t so much as spare a glance back. "Magnus! Halt!" The Alchemist rushed to his horse, struggling to mount and immediately falling when his foot pushed against the stirrup. "Blast!" The saddle leather had been cut. Gordianus struggled up from the dirt. "What the devil did he take the brat for? Blast!" "Ride with me!" Pete leapt into a nearby cart and yanked on the reigns. "After him man! Don''t let him out of your sight!" Gordianus roared. The cart barreled down the street, down past the farms and into the forest after Magnus. Following the cart at a distance were several of the hunters, some part of Pete''s group, the others following in hope of a good show. "Where''d he go?" Gordianus shook the brass compass furiously. "Why doesn''t this blasted thing work!" "Easy sir, this is the only track he could have gone town. You can''t take a cart off the path for a good while." Pete urged his horse on. Incredible, he thought, how could Magnus outrun a horse on foot, pulling a cart of his own? Before Pete was able to think any further, up ahead an upturned cart appeared in the middle of the path. On the other side stood Magnus facing the oncoming cart with a grim determination. The cart stopped, Gordianus dismounted and produced a blue tinted vial and drank it, a blue electric aura bursting from his hands. "An Alchemist!" Pete exclaimed. "Magnus. You are sought in connection with the crime of high murder. How do you plead?" "..." A blue light shot from the Alchemists fingertips forming a complex shape in the air. In an instant the forest became utterly silent, not a bird or bug daring to make the slightest noise. The air between Magnus and Gordianus took on an almost greasy sensation, like the oppressive feeling before a thunderstorm. 044 - Sky Beyond Sky 044 - Sky Beyond Sky Pete stayed rooted to his seat. From up the path came the many huntsmen, slowing and standing by the cart. Not a single man dared approach, they only watched as Gordianus raised his right hand. Bang! A crash of sparks. From the clear blue sky came a single bolt of lightning. In the fat Alchemists hands was a crackling thunderbolt, formed from distinct blue electric threads. It vibrated through the air, growing longer and taking the form of a sword. "Magnus, you have been judged and found guilty. Surrender yourself at once. Immediate surrender will lessen your punishment significantly. If you do not comply then you will be taken by force." "..." "Your sentence is death." Gordianus raised the electric sword and advanced on Magnus, from his other hand shot two blue strands like two deadly serpents flying through the air and wrapping around the entirely still Magnus. Magnus skin burst, a multitude of black veins erupted out, covering his entire body. His hand a black claw, Magnus tore at the Alchemists blue strands. Gordianus advanced, another blue strand shooting out, and another. They slammed into Magnus, one caught him on the shoulder and smashed against the black skin with such enormous force that the shock wave from the impact sent the cart hurtling away. The many trees shook, branches and leaves flew from the tree tops and whirled through the air. Magnus stamped his foot, not moving an inch. His clothes ripped from his body, a chunk of flesh torn from his shoulder. Gordianus snarled, raising his thunderbolt sword above his head. Magnus made no effort to dodge or retreat. The Alchemists thunderbolt sword crackled through the air, a trail of blue electric sparks. In his other hand Gordianus nimbly wove a sigil, several concentric circles linked like chain. The sword came smashing down, Magnus raised both arms to block. Bang! The sound of thunder, a mass of electric sparks burst out, covering Magnus. The black skin on his arms ruptured, his flesh breaking off in black and red chunks. At the same time he bought the thunderbolt down, Gordianus thrust out his left hand, the blue chain whipped around Magnus legs. The Alchemist yanked, sending Magnus sprawling to the ground. Magnus fell in the dirt, attempting to roll to the side of the path. But Gordianus lashed out again, the blue sigil chain wrapping around Magnus throat. Gordianus pulled, dragging Magnus back into the centre of the path. He raised the thunderbolt sword once more, holding it against the smooth black skin of Magnus chest. "Surrender. One word. Put yourself at the mercy of the Alchemists." Gordianus declared resolutely. "..." Magnus clawed at the blue chains around his neck, eyes bulging. He kicked the earth, twisting and rolling, and finally lashing out and kicking Gordianus on the ankle. The Alchemist winced, almost falling back. "So be it." Gordianus thrust the thunderbolt into Magnus chest. The black skin splintered, cracking apart in a hundred ways, a foul yellow pus mixed with blood shot out. His blood instantly boiled turning to red vapor, the black skin breaking and peeling, Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Magnus bled from every orifice, his eyes bulged and popped, his ribs snapping and turning black. The air around Magnus and Gordianus shook, an incredible force building up along the length of the thunderbolt sword. With a rumble and a second massive BANG, Magnus exploded. His arms and legs and torso made into burnt chunks of flesh, his head caving in and brains splattering over the path. Gordianus watched all this with a passive expression. The thunderbolt sword vanished, the chain of blue threads dissipated, returning to his hands. He sighed deeply, shaking his head and turning to face Pete and the many hunters. "Thus is the fate of all who go against the laws of Alchemy." *** "And done." Kujata snapped shut her notebook and peered out of the shrine window. "Magnus?" Magnus blinked, the world slowly coming into focus. "Big sis! I did it! Just like you said!" There were no black lines on his skin, no blisters or pus. "Not bad, not bad. Stay where you are, in the middle of the formation, legs crossed. Remember, that is lotus position, very important for maintaining focus and meditation." "Right!" Magnus straightened his back, closing his eyes once more. "Um, big sis? One thing . . well, I sorta, you know, mighta have . ." Kujata uncorked a cask of wine and swallowed a mouthful. "Yeah, what?" "Well, I might have, you know, well . . the Alchemist sort of had Lars with him, and I thought . ." Kujata rubbed her forehead and sighed. "Sif!" "Awoo!" The great white wolf sat to attention. "Sif, a loose end. Go deal." "Big sis! No! Please, he''s innocent!" "He is a witness Magnus! He is how the Alchemist found you! Hells . . . how do ya think you''re going to survive if you can''t be ruthless? Is Lars your best buddy? Have you known him all your life?" "No . . no, he''s just a kid . . he was looking for his father in the swamp and . . ." "Alright. Fine. Sif, go find the kid. Where is he Magnus?" "Where my body thingy exploded, in the woods." Kujata snapped her fingers and Sif ran out into the woods. "Another headache . . out of all my five disciples, you are the one who gives me the most worries . ." Half an hour later Sif came bounding back into the shrine courtyard dropping a drool covered boy next to the back window. "Lars! Lars! It''s me! Remember me!" Magnus shook the boy''s body. Kujata sighed, examining Lars and touching his wrist. "Pupils non responsive, shallow breathing . . heartbeat erratic . . oh. Oh no. That ain''t good." "What? What''s wrong? Is he sick?" "No, nothing like that. Sorry Magnus, your pal here is good as dead." Kujata let Lars limp wrist go. "If I''m right, he has been soul scoured. That''s how they must have found you, a bleeding soul scouring!" Magnus held Lars eye open, pinching the boy''s cheeks and prodding his chest. "Is there nothing we can do?" "No, not me. But there is something you can do." "I can save him? Big sis! Tell me how!" "Not save. Eat." 045 - Sky Beyond Sky 045 - Sky Beyond Sky "Eat?" Magnus gawked, looking from Lars to his master. "I can''t do . . I can''t eat a person!" "Why not?" "I can''t . . it''s wrong! You, you . . that''s what monster do! A monster eats people! I''m not a monster!" Magnus breath quickened, dark lines appearing beneath his skin. "Calm yourself. Sit, lotus position. Magnus! Calm!" Kujata ordered. Magnus sat back down in the formation, his hands resting on his knees and breathing deeply. Calm . . peace . . Magnus felt his heart still, his pulse returning to normal. He looked at Lars, seeing him laying on the ground as if asleep. Kujata squatted over him for a moment more, shook her head and returned to the window. "If you cannot eat, then bury. Its the only thing you can do Magnus. He ain''t gonna get better, the boy will only waste away, die. If you ate him though . . well, a part of him might live on. His essence." Kujata shrugged her shoulders. "Forget about it. Think about it for a while, let''s go over the lessons. Magnus, the first Logos." Over the course of the month Kujata had been teaching Magnus almost exclusively about the Logos, the five coloured threads that made made up the underlying principles of the universe. She''d long accepted that merely having Magnus remember the information was as much as she could expect. As for his understanding . . .well. Kujata sighed. "The Logos." Magnus intoned flatly. "White, Vis. Vis is the inner force, running with my blood and bones and gathering in my core, just behind my belly button." "How is your core now?" Magnus touched his navel. "The same. I can feel it . . move I think, but it''s the same." "Right, carry on." "Blue, Animus. The mental energy that, uh, that is between the eyes and Alchemists use it and it can be used to make shape thingys, those forma, formated sideways, uh." "Formations and sigils." "Yeah. I saw it call down lightning and make a sword. Can I use Animus big sis? Will I be able to make call lighting from the skies?" "Sure, sure, why not. Maybe one day. Next Logos, go on." "And the body thingy? Can I make one of those too? I mean, that was me!" "Yeah, yeah, that too. It just takes a bit of practice, anyone can do it. I mean, it''s only mixing together a living thread with a replicating sigil, you know, easy." Kujata grinned. "Next colour Magnus, focus." "Uh, yellow, the Mens. Spirit lines that go into the past and future, that connect to the Ether. Um, the Ether is . ." "The Ether is a spirit realm, a plane of existence that ties together all living things through all time, through all existences." Kujata uncorked a gourd of wine. "Right. The Ether. Uh, a plane . . ok." "Next, just go on." ". . . sis?" "Yeah?" "If I eat Lars . . does that mean I have to cook him on the grill?" "For the love of . . come on Magnus!" Kujata flung her wine gourd at Magnus. "Of course not! Bloody hells! You really think I would make you do that?" The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon."Sorry! I was just making sure! Sorry!" "Gimme, gimme the gourd back." "Sure big sis!" Magnus hurried to the window and handed back the half empty gourd. "Green, elemental," Magnus sat back down in the formation. "The energy from nature that lives in rocks and trees and in . . in big lizards under the swamp, is that right big sis?" "Close enough. It comes from nature and from elemental creatures. Ok, the most important one. Finish up Magnus, I''m famished." "Right. Oh, right, Vigour, the Living threads. These are the life lines, the threads of fate. A thingy of the will of life, everyone has a living thread and when they die it is breaks." "Thats right. Every living thing has a single living thread, the line of fate that connects the to the eternal Logos. Everyone, that is, except us. Beings like you and I, Magnus. Creatures who are tied to the Logos go far beyond the pale." "So Lars has a thread of Vigour?" "He does, just the one. Still alive, see? But cause he''s been soul scoured, well . . you see, a soul scouring reads into a creature''s mind, but not just reads, it fucks em, good and proper. He''s got the living thread, but that''s it. Your pal is alive and nothing else, not even a shadow of human is in there, just a broken husk." "And . . and if I eat him? What will happen?" "Those bits of Lars that are left, his living thread, any potential, anything that ain''t smashed to pieces, you''ll swallow it up!" Magnus fell silent looking at Lars. The bell rang twice, Kujata turned away. The sky darkened, Sif curled up and twitched in his sleep. Magnus looked at the boy. For a brief moment . . not even more than a couple of hours. I met him, I knew his name . . he guided me through the swamp and that was it. Because of me . . he would have been alive. No, the Alchemist would''ve killed him! The one in the swamp . . he would have died . . this way, if, if . . he could live on . . a part of him . . For five long hours into the dead of the night Magnus sat and debated with himself, staring at Lars. He formed countless arguments, countless self justifications. Kujata let him sit and think in peace. She reached under the tall backed chair and pulled up a thick waxy candle, placing it on the window sill. For a moment the whole sky seemed to shake, as if the world had suddenly been caught in a spiders web. Kujata sighed and sent a red thread from her fingertip into the candle. ¡°The things I do for my disciples . .¡± By morning there were dark rings beneath Magnus¡¯ eyes, his body slumped forwards. Lars breath grew shallow, his chest rose and fell a little less with every passing minute. Eat. Consume . . devour . . Magnus licked his lips . . its for the best . . it¡¯s the only thing I can do to help . . 046 - Sky Beyond Sky 046 - Sky Beyond Sky "Time, Magnus!" Kujata called out from the window. "Get the stones and make a new formation." "Yes big sis!" Magnus stretched his arms and legs, then collected the eight polished green stones that were around him on the dirt. "What are they called Magnus?" "Malachite. You put them on the ground, one in each cardinal direction and one in between. All at equal distance." "And why do you do this Magnus?" "To make a, a plant something . . no, wait, I got it! A woods for trees formation. It blocks all the force things from getting out, right?" "Right, and anything from peeping in. Remember that, set it up in the middle of the courtyard, good and big and infuse it." "Sure!" Magnus ran about placing the smooth green stones at regular intervals, touching each one briefly with a red thread from the tip of his finger. When the last one was placed a slight buzz filled the yard, the stones hummed and seemed to embed themselves into the dirt. Magnus felt as if he was cut off from the greater world, as if suddenly there was a marked difference between the space inside the formation and everywhere outside. He had seen larger green stones spread all around the shrine, the green stone Kujata originally gave him shook slightly every time he came or went. "Alright. Horse!" Kujata called out. Magnus straightened his back, spread his legs out, and pointed his feet forwards. He held the pose, breathing in and out deeply. "Hmm. Feet further apart! Straighten your back! Up! Ok . . now just hold it." Kujata finished her gourd, quickly uncorking another. "Next stance! Camel!" Magnus dropped to his knees, arching his back and reaching down to his ankles. "Next stance! Frog!" Magnus flopped forward, his face in the dirt and arms stretched out. "Stick that arse up Magnus! That ain''t a proper frog!" Kujata grinned. "Pff . . haha, ah hahah!" She suddenly burst out laughing. Magnus got unhappily to his feet. "Big sis . . I did the stance right, no? You said, you said I needed to do them every day . . " "Yeah, yeah . . do the Frog again, but this time face the other way." "Master!" "Oh alright, fine. Sorry, sorry, it just looks a little funny, the way you do it Magnus." "Why do I need to learn all these stances? I''m plenty strong as is! I mean, I can punch and kick harder than anyone, and, and I can use the living threads now . ." "How strong do you think you are lad? I''d say about a warrior core, one step above gold. How many do you think are strong as that in Jute? In the whole of Aquilonem?" ¡°No, but . .¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you, I¡¯ve said it every day this last month - what have I said Magnus?¡± Magnus exhaled and recited flatly: ¡°The living threads can never be used outside, the power of beasts must never be revealed. If I ever do so it will bring a great calamity.¡± ¡°Right. Wait until you¡¯re in the tower, in with the Alchemists. Thats the plan, right?¡± ¡°Yes, big sis.¡± Kujata kept calling out strange stances and Magnus tried his best to contort his body and to not hear her laugh, his face turning plum-red. He went through the stances for half a day, until the sun was right above the shrine courtyard. Over the last month she''d been hammering one lesson into him above all else; never use your red threads out there, never let anyone see you eat, never use the powers outside a green stone formation. She''d told him again and again, every single lesson punctuated with the same words. Don''t get caught. From time to time his gaze would settle on Lars. Kujata hadn''t mentioned the boy, hadn''t brought up the subject at all . . but Magnus couldn''t help looking over, couldn''t help think about trying to send his threads into the boy''s head . . "And rest! Pick up the stones. Alright. Well?" The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident."Big sis?" "Well, what do you want to do?" ". . ." Magnus looked over Lars. "There ain''t anything I can do? . . he is just going to . . big sis? If I eat . . if I stick my threads in, what''ll happen?" "Same as when you ate the boar, same as when you ate any of the other creatures. Humans are animals too Magnus, a little more complex, but ultimately, well, you''ll have to be careful not to lose yourself. It''s a little harder than a creature, the memories are more dense. Less instinctual stuff, more emotional, well, sort of an acquired taste I guess." Kujata sat silent, watching Magnus set up a green-stone formation around Lars. She occasionally glanced down at the candle next to her brass bell, her face couldn¡¯t help but reveal a conflicted expression. "Focus in. If you lose yourself in the inner world you might lose yourself for good." Magnus sat by Lars¡¯ head, looked to Kujata, then sent a single red thread into the boy''s head. The world fell silent, all Magnus heard was the thump of his own heart within his chest. Eat . . consume . . devour . . he saw a row of sharp red teeth, the red thread flew from his fingertip, growing like the veins of a leaf. It pierced through Lars forehead. The inner world . . the endless sky and ocean . . Magnus floated amidst the flashing lights and stormy clouds, a thousand sparks lit up a dense grey sky. Beneath there was an endless ocean, reflecting grey skies and sinking to unfathomable depths. There were deep black scars in the sky, vast chasms of darkness tearing through the many flashing lights, the ocean churned and waves rose and fell in enormous swells . . chaos, as if a world shattering calamity had landed on the endless sea and sky. Magnus sent his red thread out, growing it into endless branches of red serpents with countless red teeth. He focused in, on the single desire. Eat! Swallow! This is the right thing to do. This is the best I can do for Lars . . Light after light fell to the red, the skies smashed apart, the oceans became vast whirlpools. Swallow! Devour! Every last remaining bit! Memories, places . . visions of a vast blue tinged swamp . . people Magnus had never seen, the desolate town at the edge of the swamp . . my father, my father? A woman in a white apron in another room, fragments of words, fragments of half remembered things . . Crack! The skies finally broke, a deep black abyss broke the endless world in half, the thousand lights and ocean falling like grains of sand from the broken world. Magnus trembled, his hand flying back from the boy''s head. The boy was still, his chest rose no more. "Good." Kujata leaned back in her chair. "Alright Magnus?" "Yeah . . I think . . I''m not sure, I know . . I can remember something, but it slips away!" Magnus clutched his head. "I can remember my Pa, I can remember growing up in the swamp, but its all messed up!" "That''ll be an effect of the soul scouring. Probably made it easier to eat the poor fella, but has left all his memories in bits on the inside." "I mean, I can remember growing up as Lars! I mean, I know I''m not Lars, my name is Magnus. I''m Magnus Lund!" "Yeah, it can be a bit of a head rush, like getting into a really good book . . ah hells, you''ll read a book one day. Actually Magnus, can you read now?" Kujata drew a few lines on the dirt. "Know what these mean?" Magnus shook his head. "Never mind." "What now?" Magnus got to his feet a little unsteady. It felt like his head had grown three sizes. "Well, the shovel is over there. There is a nice spot on the other side of the yard. And Magnus?" "Yeah?" "We''re not monsters. Remember that. You''re not a monster. What are you?" Magnus took a deep breath and replied in a steady voice "I''m Magnus Lund!" 047 - The Great Hunt 047 - The Great Hunt The camp was in ruins, half the tents burnt. Three hunters dead, another ten wounded. Broken spears, broken wagons. Pete Stint wandered through the destruction, picking up the corner of a fallen tent and sighing. The hunter becomes the hunted, what a bloody joke. Above the camp, rising like a gnarled snow capped finger into the heavens was the Horn. Beyond the horn were the Redin mountains, and beyond them the wilderness; an expanse of endless plains without cities, without any human civilization. This was the end of Jute, the end of the world of man as far as Pete knew, and bloody good hunting, in a normal year. A normal year. Hah. This last year had been anything but normal, anything but good. The horn . . Pete looked up to the grey mountain rising another five hundred feet above them. For years, I''ve been to every part of the horn, known every secret nook or cranny that the mountain had to offer. There had been all sorts coming up to the Horn the last few months. All drawn in by the reward and the rumours. Dozens of hunting groups from all over Jute, all tough men. They¡¯d gathered in the Vale a month ago and spent fruitless weeks searching every part of the greater horn, going down every high route and low path. The Vale . . Pete shivered. Every time he closed his eyes he could still see that fat Alchemist with his thunderbolt, the boy smashed into meat paste . . The three beasts, what a farce. Those creatures are monsters, any one of them far beyond what he had ever seen or hunted . . maybe we oughta call an Alchemist, hells, at least they would have a chance. "Mr. Stint!" A man with a scholarly appearance approached through the ruins of the camp. Behind him followed a couple of armed men. "Mr. Pete Stint!" He cried out again. Pete sighed, getting to his feet. "Here I am, here. I''m Pete." "Ah! Finally! Mr. Stint," the man rushed over and grabbed Pete¡¯s hand, shaking it excitedly. "I''ve heard a lot about you! The best hunter on the Horn!" "Yeah, yeah. So I''m told." "I''m very pleased to meet you Mr. Stint. My father has told me . . oh! How rude! Mr. Stint, I seem to have you at a disadvantage! My name is Carl Lang, I''m sure you know my father, Egil, yes?" "Bishop Lang!" Pete exclaimed. "Bishop Lang, yes!" The scholarly man laughed. Bishop Lang, the Bishop of Bonnet and the greater Horn. He''d set the bounty on the three beasts that brought all the hunters into the horn. "Well, it''s a right pleasure Carl, my regards to your Pa." Pete disengaged from the young man''s handshake. "If you don''t mind, I''ve got work to do." Pete looked around the ruins of the hunters camp. "And a hell of a mess to clear." "My heavens . ." Carl peered around, seemingly seeing the destruction for the first time. "What the devil happened here?" "The Griffon happened. Last night, down from the horn." "The Griffon! One of the three beasts!" Carl gasped. "It was here? Only last night?" "Master Lang," one of the guards behind the scholarly man spoke. "Sir, maybe it isn''t safe to stay up here too long . ." "Nonsense!" "But sir, with the Griffon . ." If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it."Silence! My father ordered you to stay by my side, did he not?" "Yes sir, but -" "Mister Solberg! I''d thank you to do just that! Stay by side, follow my orders." Carl dismissed the guard with a wave of his hand. "Sir!" Solberg saluted, ¡°I must insist, your father was very clear . . .¡± Pete took the opportunity and slipped away from the Bishop''s son. Best not to get tangled with his like, it never ends well. The hunters camp had been set on the slopes of the Horn, out in the open. A fine vantage point, Pete mused, you can see right the way down into the Vale, you could even see the several farmsteads and the Goat''s Beard on a clear day. A fine vista, aye, but open to ambush by a Griffon . . A night ambush! By the blasted Griffon! Pete trembled . . a real monster. It had swooped down in the dead of night, scattering tents and hunters. A whirlwind of shrieks and talons, and then just as sudden as it came, it fled, vanishing into the night leaving three dead hunters. He picked his way through the camp to the far side of the slope. Here there were a few tents still standing. Some of the hunters had set up a makeshift campfire, a large iron pot bubbled with a thick soup. Pete greeted the morose hunters and sat with them, discussing what to do next. The conversation quickly turned to the Griffon, to finding its lair. Pete sighed. "Even if we find the bloody Griffon what are you gonna do? Hey? It has a beak as sharp as a spear, its talons are each as long as your arm and can rip you from head to toe. Look,¡± Pete threw his broken spear on the ground. ¡°Couldn¡¯t even pierce through its bloody feathers!" "We can trap it Pete, smoke it out and catch it in a net." "A net of what? Iron? You got an iron net around here somewhere?" "Come on Pete, don''t be so down." A older hunter smiled grimly. "What about the other beasts?" "Hells! That ain''t no better! What are we going to look for? An giant bull that evaporates like the morning mist soon as look at it? Or a great big bloody white wolf that jumps caravans and steals all their booze? You tell me, which of the three bloody monsters ought I go looking for?" "Easy Pete," the older hunter gestured to the edge of the camp. "More of em, look." Pete snorted derisively. From up the path came two youths dressed entirely in white. They glanced around the camp and headed up to the Horn. "More sightseers. Great." Pete spat into the campfire. "Maybe they''re Alchemists?" A hunter chimed in hopefully. Pete stared glumly after them. "Bloody tourists, more like." One of the young hunters set down his bowl and stared after them. "You think they might be Alchemists, really?" "I doubt it lad." Pete replied. Pete shook his head and looked at the young hunter. Fair hair, a good sturdy build . . do I know him from somewhere? "Hey lad." "Yeah?" "You new here? Who you with? What''s your name?" "Uh . . my names Dolt. I''m with . . uh, I guess I''m by myself now." "Dolt . . that''s a funny name." Pete shrugged.¡±Well, take my advice Dolt. Don¡¯t go chasing monsters, no matter the gold or glory.¡± 048 - The Great Hunt 048 - The Great Hunt "Mr. Stint! Mr Stint!" From the ruined hunters camp a man came running towards the hunters by the campfire. His feet flopped clumsily on the dirt, crying out "Mr. Stint!" as he ran. Pete groaned. From bad to worse . . thoughts of cutting out, just running into the woods to avoid the Bishop''s son floated through his mind. "They''re here Mr. Stint! Look!" Carl Lang cried out, pointing down the mountain slope. Up from the lowlands came a procession of carriages and horsemen snaking their way up the mountain path. Pete looked on astonished, it looked a small army had come to the horn. "Who''s come?" The hunters leapt to their feet staring down the slope in astonishment. "Heroes Mr. Stint!" Carl slapped Pete on the shoulder. "That''s why I''m here, didn''t I say so?" "Heroes?" Pete''s jaw slackened. "Heroes. What the devil do you mean, heroes?" "From all Jute! My father, Bishop Lang put out the word, you know, stories of the three astonishing beasts have been told in every tavern and city in all the land by now!" "Heroes . ." The hunters buzzed, peering down at the distant figures. "They''ve heard of the fantastic beasts that you''ve been hunting up here by the Horn and come in from all over!" The scholarly man babbled excitedly as the wagons came up the long slope towards the camp. "Isabella of Ettersberg, you''ve heard of her Mr. Stint? From the Iron Coast, I''m sure you''ve heard of her, a real beauty! Such tremendous skill with a bow! Why, the other day in Bonnet she put on an incredible display for my father and, oh, behind her!" Riding in front of the procession were a dozen snow white steeds, on their backs rode knights in polished armour, sparks glinting off the metal dazzled the hunters. At the lead of the knights was a slim figure on a fine pure white horse, entirely unarmoured and with an enormous bow on her back. Carl continued breathlessly. "There, you see the mighty fellow on the warhorse? That''s Gunner! You''ve heard of him, right? He can lift fifteen men above his head! You should have been there to see it . . he must be a gold core!" Further down the slope was a black horse that dwarfed all the other horses, on its back rode an equally massive man clad in black platemail. "Oh! You see that silver carriage? That belongs to Sir Waldemar, son of General Sten. Son of the hero of Jute, you believe that?" The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "I see them . . I see them Mr. Lang." Pete groaned, "but what I want to know is what are they doing on my Horn?" "I said - come to hunt the beasts! That''s why I''m here Mr. Stint, my fath- Bishop Lang has set a new decree." Carl Lang produced a sheet of vellum parchment, presenting it to Pete with a theatrical flourish. "You see, the bounty has gone up! It''s now fifty gold sovereigns as bounty for the fearsome Griffon of the Horn. Fifty gold, Mr. Stint, for the mysterious ''Shadow Bull'', and seventy-five gold sovereigns for the devilish "booze hound", the giant white wolf!" The hunter''s eyes bulged at the incredible amounts of gold being offered, Pete stared at the young scholar. "But thats not all! Bishop Lang has further decreed that whomsoever aquits himself in the most heroic fashion will receive a Writ of Honour, on behalf of the city of Bonnet! Fantastic, no?" A Writ of Honour! The hunters gasped, Pete felt his hand trembling, his mouth run dry. "Writ of Honour? What''s that?" Pete turned to look at the young hunter beside him. "You don''t know?" Carl beamed and said grandly, "A Writ of Honour, it''s true. I saw my father sign it myself. The highest of accolades, any man bearing a Writ of Honour is certain to be a hero for the ages!" The many hunters in the process of clearing the ruins of the camp or otherwise engaged all stopped to stare, stupefied by the glittering procession coming up the slopes of the Horn. Pete stared mutely, the young scholar''s voice like a fly buzzing endlessly in his ear. As the heroes approached the camp their majestic bearing became even more apparent, every animal and man clothed in the finest polished metals and leathers. Their weapons gleamed like divine artifacts, on the armoured knights helms were tall white goose feather plumes. The carriage painted silver, even the horses pulling them had silver chomps and silver frilled coats. Oh gods . . . the noble heroes have come . . "Pete!" "PETE!" "PETE! They''ve found it!" Down from the upper slopes of the horn a hunter came roaring, falling and tumbling on the slopes, kept running towards them. "They''ve found it, Pete!" "Found what?" Pete roared back. "IT!" The hunter yelled. "The Griffon''s nest!" 049 - The Great Hunt Yo! I''m back! I''ve been sick this last week, pretty much unable to write or do anything at all. But, now I''m back. For the next two weeks or so I''m probably only going to be able to release a chap every 2 days or so, but after that it oughta be back to daily releases as usual. enjoy the new chap! twice. 049 - The Great Hunt The hunter barreled down through the ruins of the camp yelling breathlessly. Pete eyes sparked. The Griffon! A moment earlier he''d considered abandoning the hunt altogether. But, for a Writ of Honour and fifty gold? Pete leapt to his feet, dashing over to the breathless hunter. "Where!" "On the other side of the Horn, in Sable gorge!" Pete threw down his broken spear and snatched up another, setting off immediately. He ran up the slopes out of the camp. The many hunters sat round the campfire or clearing the debris of the ruined camp were slower to react. For a moment there was silence on the slopes of the Horn, then a piercing shriek filled the sky. Like thunder direct into the spirit of every man, the hunters rushed to their feet, gathering any weapons or tools they could and chasing after Pete. Chasing them, Carl Lang and his guards, the scholar with a grin as wide as his face, panting and yelling ¡°Pete! Wait up!¡± Below on the path leading to the hunters camp the procession of heroes slowed. From the middle Gunner urged his black warhorse into a canter, pushing past the knights on white horses. ¡°You hear that Isabella? Ha! The cry of my prey!¡± ¡°Your prey? Humph.¡± Isabella snorted, spurring her horse up the slopes a little faster. The many knights riding at her side did the same, raising a cloud of dust. ¡°Hey! Hold up!¡± Gunner cried out. His warhorse stood no chance against the lighter knightly steeds here in the mountains. Gunner dug his spurs into its side and yelled ¡°Come on!¡± chasing after beautiful huntress and her knights. Down below on the path the silver carriage trundled on up the hill. At the sound of the commotion a man''s head popped out from between the carriage window curtains and looked first at the hunters, then at the two fast disappearing heroes. The man yawned massively and vanished back into the dark interior, his silver carriage trundling slowly on. There were many paths around the horn, a hundred animal tracks carved down the centuries by countless creatures living on the upper slopes. Above the tree line there was a long steep incline that slowly became bare grey slate, weather worn, scarred and cracked. The slate grew steeper, from harsh slope to sharp hill to staggering cliff, rising above the lower slopes almost as if a single giant stone finger were poking up from beneath the earth. This was the horn, bare grey stone, cracked and crooked spire piercing up above all the other mountain peaks, up into the sky as if stirring the clouds with its snow tipped fingernail. On one side of the horn were the plains, the flatlands and rolling hills and forests and river and towns and cities; all the farms and busy lives of men. On the other side stretched the snow capped mountains, a seemingly endless expanse of grey and white, sheer cliffs and wretched barren valleys. They stretched on, even from up high you could not see the end of them. On the other side of the mountain? The wilderness, the place beyond man, beyond civilization. On the opposite side of the horn from where the hunters camp lay was Sable Gorge, one of nearly fifty mostly unexplored rifts in the mountain side. The many gorges ran for miles and miles, deep cracks with sheer cliffs worn smooth by countless streams and rivers. Many of the cracks were just that; no more than crack. Other formed ravines, lush with trees and life and a slurry of water oozing its way along their bottom. A few of the cracks, formed over the many hundreds of thousands of years formed into gorges, a wide river running nearly the year round at their bottom. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The Sable Gorge was one of the largest of the gorges on the reverse of the Horn. It ran from up near the sheer grey cliffs almost all the way down to the deep valley between the Horn and the next mountain. The cliffs of the gorge were smooth, worn by the relentless waters and impossible to climb without hooks and nails to hammer into the stone, or a rope tied to the cliff top. It normally took a hunter five days to make a journey the full way around the horn, for the most part this was because there were no clear ways across the many gorges, and because of the difficulty in scaling the mountain passes. But from the hunters camp on the slopes of the horn to the Sable gorge was not that far, that is, to the top of the gorge, the part where it was deepest. Here, on the upper slopes in the shadow of the Horn itself opened the Sable Gorge, a deep dark pit, the roar of rushing water echoing endlessly of the smooth gorge cliffs. Many a year ago an intrepid hunter had taken it upon himself to hammer in a dozen iron hoops and nails in one side of the gorge, attaching countless chains and lengths of wood and rope to form a ragged ladder down into the depth. ¡°Skrieeeeee!¡± The shriek of the Griffon resounded thunderously off the gorges walls. Pete staggered, stopping at the top of the rusted chain ladders and peering down the reverse slopes of the Horn. Above Sable gorge the beast circled, its wings outstretched, its terrible pointed beak and lizard tongue opening and shrieking again and again ¡°Skriee! Skrieeee!¡± The Griffon shrieked, suddenly pulling its two hawk-like wings into its body and swooping down into the Gorge. Pete heard another shriek bouncing off the cliffs, the sound of metal clashing against stone and a huge clatter of claws, a terrible crack and crunch of stone against stone. From down the Sable gorge rose a huge cloud of dust, blowing up into the sky and vanishing. Another clatter of claws and ¡°Skriee!¡± As the Griffon rose into the skies again, shrieking and circling above. Pete hesitated, looking down into the gorge and out along its top. Down or up? Catch the beast from above, out in the open, or go down and risk it in the narrows of the gorge? As Pete hesitated the many hunters chasing him caught up, breathless and panting they stood around Pete, none choosing to go ahead. ¡°Alright!¡± Pete roared. ¡°You lads, go along the top of the gorge, the rest with me! Take the ropes, and the nets, you got the nets? Good lads!¡± Pete leapt onto the chains, lowering himself into the depths of the gorge. The cliff here was more than two hundred feet high, near the deepest part of the whole gorge. Behind him followed half the hunters, the other half rushed over the rocks and trees that lined the tops of the gorge down the slopes of the horn. ¡°Skriee!¡± The Griffon¡¯s unearthly shriek pierced through the air, bouncing of the walls of the cliff. This would normally be a thing of terror, a thing that would fill a hunter''s head with fear . . now, the many hunters eyes shone with greed, with the promise of wealth, of honour! 050 - The Great Hunt 050 - The Great Hunt The bottom of Sable gorge was almost always in shadow, even in the middle of the day. Pete Stint and the hunters followed the river, running over rocks and leaping down between the slick stony ground with practiced ease. This was home ground for the hunters around the Horn, each and every one of them could boast to be able to sprint through the roughest of grounds after the nimblest of prey. Along the top of the gorge where the rest of the hunters, keeping pace far above, and above them the Griffon - shrieking and swooping down into the gorge. Behind the hunters, a breathless Carl Lang took the rusted ropes and climbed down after them, his guards following close behind. His eyes ablaze, he no longer called out to Pete, sweat thick on his brow and staining his scholarly robes, Carl gulped down mouthfuls of air and pushed on, following the hunters. The gorge twisted and turned, suddenly becoming steep and narrow, the waters of the river rushing white and splashing on the hunters. Down, faster! The cries of the Griffon echoed off the sheer cliffs, a beastly roar. Pete was the first to leap down through the narrowest part of the gorge, falling feet first into a large bank of damp sand. The gorge opened up here into a small basin, a deep pool of clear water surrounded by sandy shores and steep high cliffs. "Skrieeee!" Pete winced, feeling a blast of air he looked up. Right above was the Griffon, hanging in the air and beating its massive wings, its fearsome beak chipped and slashed a dozen times. The Griffon . . how the devil are we meant to hunt that thing!? Long black talons, each as thick as man''s thigh, as pointed as a needle and capable of clawing a man in two. Its beak, hooked and black at the tip, able to tear the skin from a horse with one bite! Pete felt a tremor, a shiver of dread. Back, run you fool! The sight of the beast unnerved him entirely. Never in his long life as a hunter had he seen such a monster . . never . . ye gods . . "Skrieee!" The Griffon folded its wings and dived down, Pete instinctively flung himself to the ground. A cloud of sand flew up into the air, the beast thrust its talons out and fell like a meteor out of the skies at the cliffs of the gorge, screaming and madly lashing at something. Clang! Fissssssssss . . . the sound of metal scraping against stone, of talons breaking rocks and suddenly "Skrieee!" An almighty guttural screech. The Griffon launched itself back into the sky, desperately flapping its wings, its beak and talons scarred with even more cuts, a bloody gash running down its side. The Griffon took to the skies, screeching and flying beyond the gorge. "Pete!" A hunter on the cliff tops called out waving his arms frantically. "You alright? Pete!" Pete got up, running to the side of the cliffs and pressing his body against the stone. "I''m good! I''m alright!" His heart thumped frantically against his ribs. Seeing the Griffon up close . . The hunters who''d followed him down the bottom of Sable gorge were quick to arrive, hurrying in single file through the narrows and leaping into the sandy basin, quickly taking a place beside Pete. "What now Pete?" "Hells if I know, keep your head down." "Where the beast?" "HEY!" Pete called to the hunters on the cliffs above. "Where''s the Griffon?" The hunters atop the cliffs of the gorge searched the skies, seeing nothing. "What do you see from there? On the cliffs!" "There''s a ledge, Pete! Half way up the cliff, behind those trees!" On the near side of the basin a bit more than half way up the cliffs there grew a clump of bushes and a gnarled tree jutting out at an angle. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "Is there anyone there?" Pete roared. ". . ." "We don''t see anyone Pete!" A hunter from up high roared back. "There must be someone there . . blast it all," Pete muttered. "What do we do now Pete?" A young hunter asked. "Dunno. There has to be something up there . . Oi! Can you climb down? No . . that''s no good." The cliff ledge was on the opposite side to the hunters along the gorge. Pete calmed his breath, got his heart under control and took a firm grip of the stock of his spear. "There has to be something up there!" "Its here . . its here!" "Skrieeee!" A screech and rush of air, from the cliff tops a hunter screamed as a talon tore his chest, his body flung out like a sack of potatoes, smashing into the rocks of the cliffs below. The Griffon spread its wings, leaping from the top of the gorge straight the hidden ledge, this time diving in with a tremendous crash and snapping of woods, an avalanche of jagged rocks exploding out into the basin below. "Good Gods!" Carl Lang exclaimed, just squeezing through the gorge narrows. "What''s the hold up? Hey?" From behind the scholarly man appeared Gunner in black armour, so wide at the shoulders he could only pass sideways through the gorge narrows. "Is that Carl? Get a move on!" Gunner thrust out an armored palm pushing Carl and his guards out of the narrow mouth tumbling into the sandy basin. "Haha!" Gunner leapt down after them, landing heavily on the sands. In his hands he held a long metal staff, the end of which was covered in iron studs. "Where''s the beast!" Gunner roared, looking at the hunters crouching by the cliffs. "Well?" "Up there!" Carl pointed. "Its up in the cliffs!" From up the side of the cliff came another crash and massive crack, then the sound of metal scraping on stone once more, followed by a pitiful "Skriee!" Gunner frowned. "Someone got there first?" "You''re always a step behind Gunner." A voice sung out from the cliff narrows as a maiden clad entirely in white dropped elegantly down onto the sands. She held in her hands a white bow as tall as she was, long white feathered arrows in a quiver at her side. "Humph!" Gunner snorted. "A step behind? Still in front of you!" Even wearing the thick black plate armour Gunner was incredibly agile, able to jump easily across the basin waters and cross to the cliffs beneath the hidden ledge. There, still holding the iron staff in one hand, Gunner began to scale the cliff, grunting and digging his fingers and feet into the stone to make footholds. Pete and the hunters gawked silently at the antics of the heroes. "What do we do now Pete?" "After him! Come on lads! Let''s get to that bloody bird first!" The hunters cheered, rushing after Pete to the cliff. They couldn''t keep pace with Gunner, none of the hunters could dig their feet or fingers into the stone like he could, but they swarmed up the cliff nevertheless. The terror of the Griffon seemed to pale before the promised riches. Even the normally cautious Pete had more than half a thought in his mind that, well, even if he couldn''t kill the Griffon himself, there might be a chance he could stab a vital spot, whatever that might be on the beast. "Skriee! Skriee!" The shrill shrieks of the Griffon came with another thunderous smash and plume of dust exploding out from the cliff ledge, the hunters climbing braced themselves against the falling rocks. A mad desire filled their eyes, they were in for the kill! 051 - The Great Hunt 051 - The Great Hunt The first to reach the ledge was the hero Gunner, jamming his iron plate boots into a crack in the cliffs and launching himself up over the rocks. "Dolt! Watch out!" Pete grabbed the young hunter and hauled him to a side on the cliffs just below Gunner. Pete and Dolt were the second closest to the hidden ledge, and when the hero kicked they were showered with falling rocks. "I''m fine!" The young hunter brushed Pete''s hand off and rushed up the rocks, vaulting over to the ledge. "Dammit! Wait! You''re only gonna get yourself killed!" Pete rushed after him. The other hunters scurried up the cliffs after them, some ways behind. Down below in the sandy basin Isabella waited calmly stringing her bow, Carl Lang dusted himself off and asked "Aren''t you going to after them?" "Whatever for?" She replied. "Gunner is already there. And besides, when he fails to kill the beast it shall fly up, and then I shall shoot it. Better that way, no?" "Skriee!" The roar of the Griffon pierced through the many hunters heads, a sharp mournful cry, followed by a mighty crash of rocks. Pete scrambled over the thickets and tumbled into the ledge, then froze. Just in front of him was the young hunter Dolt and the hero Gunner, equally frozen in their tracks, a shocked expression blossoming on each of their faces. The Griffon. The mighty winged beast with the wings and beak of a hawk and the hind legs of a lion thrashed against the cliffs, its beak broken, its talons cut, its wings sliced and bloodied. Beyond the thicket was a recess into the cliffs forming a shallow cave, an open area before the cave where the beast had made its nest. It was a mess, dry branches and brittle bones that must have made the nest were thrown about the ledge in disarray. Just within the cave were two figures all in white, a pale faced man and woman, equally unearthly in their appearance and attire. Tall and slim and both with long straight black hair, the man had his tied in a loose knot, and the woman had hers loose around her shoulders. The man held a short curved blade out in front of him, a slight smile on his lips at he brought it up, easily knocking the Griffons strike to a side. The Griffon wailed pitifully, crossing from side to side of the nest and lashing out with all its might. Behind the calm white robed man the woman tended to a cooking pot within a fire. In the pot was a single large egg, the watching it intently, ignoring everything else around her. "How much longer Min?" "Five minutes brother Soo, a little longer." The two white dressed figures chatted in a relaxed manner, the brother swatting to keep the Griffon at bay. Gunner was the first to recover, shouting over at the strange couple "Oi! What the hells is going on here? Who the devil are you?" Soo turned his gaze on Gunner, two black eyes seemed to bore straight through the heavily armoured hero, a sneer appearing on his pale lips. "Who we are? What we''re doing? What right does a barbarian have to ask that of me?" "Brother! Don''t be impolite," Min smiled at Gunner and the two hunters. "Just keep those feeble ants away while I finish breakfast." Gunner stared in silence, the knuckles of his fist turning white. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Pete could barely breath, let alone find it in himself to raise his voice or act; the oppressive presence of the Griffon alone was enough to turn his legs to jelly. Now, seeing the casual manner by which the brother and sister were cooking a Griffon''s egg and keeping the beast itself at bay with ease . . Pete''s heart thumped a wild tune within his chest. "Breakfast!" Gunner roared, raising his iron staff above his head. "Ha! Have your blasted breakfast you freaks! I''ll be taking the Griffon!" Gunner leapt at the wounded Griffon in a single swift motion, bringing the iron staff down with both his arms. The iron staff smashed down on the Griffon''s wings, knocking the beast off balance and sending it against the stone walls of the shallow cave with an enormous crash. Gunner swung his staff once more, slamming it into the ground and sending a shower of dirt and debris over to the campfire and the two strange figures. "Brother!" Min cried out suddenly. Soo frowned, raising his slim curved blade and crying out "Hiya!" The blade moved like liquid metal through the air, carving out a shining figure of eight. All the dirt and muck Gunner threw up with his staff froze in midair, flying back away from the brother and sister. Gunner didn''t so much as hesitate, bringing his staff down with even greater force, aiming to smash both the blade and the man''s head into a bloody pulp. Clang! The sword sliced right through the iron, right through Gunners black plate armour. Gunner yelled in alarm, falling back onto the ruined nest. The Griffon immediately took this opportunity and lashed out at Soo''s exposed back with both its talons, but Soo was faster. He simply rolled to a side, as if he knew the precise place to be to avoid the Griffons attack, and the precise moment to execute his roll. Quick as a flash, Soo was back on his feet and next to his sister, his demeanor entirely relaxed, as if he were doing nothing more taxing than going for a morning stroll. "Skrieee!" The Griffon carried on the momentum of its failed attack, tumbling face first into the nest and falling on top of the hero Gunner. "Don''t do that." Soo returned to a relaxed position. "Now, begone. Your presence is upsetting my appetite." Gunner struggled under the weight of the Griffon, his face contorted in rage and a string of curse words flowing from his mouth. The young hunter by Pete''s side moved, rushing forwards towards the Griffon. Pete yelled out "Dolt!" But made no move to stop the youth, his feet firmly planted by shock into the ground. Dolt ignored the hero Gunner, ignored the strange brother and sister at the other side of the shallow cave, ignored Pete calling out after him. The young hunter dropped his spear, grabbing the Griffon by its hind quarters. "Dolt!" Pete called out again. What the blazes what the idiot trying to do? Before Gunner or anyone else could so much as react, the young hunter lifted the Griffon above his head, turned, and wordlessly leapt out of the nest, his simple jump sailing over the heads of the hunters still climbing up the cliff to the ledge and down into the sandy basin below. 052 - The Great Hunt 052 - The Great Hunt The Griffon shrieked and struggled, helplessly held aloft by the young hunter. They crashed together into the sands below. Isabella was the first to react, already raising her bow before the dust from their impact cleared. Those below hadn''t seen the clash between Gunner and the brother and sister in the hidden ledge, only witnessing a sudden emergence of the Griffon flying out from the cliffs and down onto the sandy basin. In a flash Isabella had her large bow fully drawn, an evil looking hook tipped arrow notched and loosed in a fluid movement, a second almost instantly upon the string. "Skrieee!" She launched a second arrow, and a third, each vanishing into the dust and eliciting a woeful shriek. The knights at her side all had their weapons drawn. Before the dust cleared the Griffon seemed to rise up, as if pouncing out over the heads of the hunters and knights, over the waters and away. It was impossible for the assembled hunters and heroes to not see clearly; the beast flew arse first out from the dust, a man holding it aloft by the scruff of its neck. They landed on the far side of the sandy basin where the waters emptied into a stream and continued flowing downhill through the Sable gorge. Another leap, the Griffon and the man were another hundred feet away from the basin, rushing without pause. "Good Gods!" Carl Lang exclaimed. "Who the devil was that!" Gunner appeared atop the ledge roaring "Get back here!" Isabella and her knights snapped into action; she rushed across the basin, catching a glimpse of the Griffon vanishing around a twist in the gorge and shooting another arrow after it. Gunner glanced back at the disinterested brother and sister at their campfire and scowled, jumping from the ledge, veins popping from his forehead and his face flushed red with rage. "Who was that?" Carl called out after the two heroes. "Pete? What''s going on?" *** Magnus groaned and held his head in his hands. For a full afternoon the Sable gorge was full of the shouts and sounds of heroes and hunters running and searching. Dolt . . of all the names . . when Pete had asked him that was the first thing that popped into his head. Be sneaky, Kujata said. Stay hidden, choose your moment carefully . . right. Sneaky. Thats me to a T. The Griffon lay unconscious beside Magnus, every time it started to move he got up and bashed it in the head, careful to not move the formation stones. The plan, the simple plan. Join the hunt, be the first to find the Griffon, and steal it away before anyone else. Do it at night, Kujata said, wait until no one is around and make sure to take it as uninjured as possible. Nothing. Not one thing had worked out the way he''d hoped. Not keeping low key, not keeping himself hidden, not taking the Griffon in secret. But . . if I hadn''t snatched it when I could the beast would already be dead, killed by that black armoured brute or those weird white robed brother and sister. Were they Alchemists? Ah hells . . what did it matter . . what did any of this matter. The Griffons here. Right. That''s all that matters. The second Magnus had managed to flee out of sight of the hunters and heroes down the Sable gorge he''d thrown out the eight green formation stones and sat within. After practicing hundreds of times under Kujata¡¯s watchful gaze Magnus was now able at the very least to instantly infuse the basic formation. Kujata said it would be enough, so long as no one saw him do it directly. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Power. That was the plan. Kujata stressed it again and again; you want vengeance? You want to get your own back on the Alchemists? Yes! Power . . revenge . . yeah . . Magnus sighed. He felt tired, drained. Power, revenge. Was this what he really wanted? Pa Lund and Willis rose again in his mind''s eye, the dead giants . . For a month on the road Magnus had been possessed by the simple desire to live. Live! Find a way to survive! The burning words Pa Lund roared at him . . and he had, more or less. His core with a thousand cracks needed to be fed by devouring living creatures, the black lines had healed over entirely and remained under control. He was strong! Stronger than any giant! Stronger than any warrior! Kujata said that within him was a power beyond anything on this world, beyond anything mortal. She''d shown him the vision of the thousand eyed winged bull floating above the world and told him this is my strength, the strength to crush countless peoples, the power to boil oceans and overturn mountains. This is you Magnus! He''d trembled at the thought, a fire burning within his veins. Power! Strength! Then . . . The fire faded. In its place a deep melancholy. Every day, through all the training and lessons Magnus went through the forms, committing every single one of Kujata words to memory, taking every one of her lesson to heart. The five coloured threads, the formation, the stances . . And for what? The one thing Magnus had come to realize in the months he''d been with Kujata training in the shrine was that he did not have that talent. He did not have that ambition. When he wanted to be giant in Kloster it was because he wanted to fight alongside Harkness, defend the town and smash the black skins. What now? Rescue Rolf? Take revenge on Festus? His blood boiled at the thought, Magnus clenched his jaw and bit down. Kill! Tear them apart! Destroy! But . . The more he learnt of the Alchemists the more ridiculous the notion was to him. What can I do? Kujata seemed to have an endless certainty in him, something Magnus couldn''t see in himself. Kujata said go eat the Griffon and the Bull and any other creature he could find and devour them, not a shred of doubt in her words that he wouldn''t be able to. And I have! I went and I got the Griffon! Right? Ah hells . . From down the gorge came a rush a feet, several hunters running back up along the stream. They passed only a few feet from Magnus, not even glancing in his or the Griffons direction. Magnus breathed out heavily, his shoulders slumping. Stick to the plan. Right. First things first. Want revenge? Want to live free? Before you can do anything you need strength, and the way to get strength is to eat. Easy. Kujata laid it out real simple for him, eat the strong to gain power, that was step one. Everything else comes after. 053 - The Great Hunt 053 - The Great Hunt It was mid afternoon, the sun dipped behind the horn and cast a cold shadow over the many gorges and cracks in the earth on the west side of the peak. In the shade, down the stream running through the Sable gorge came two figures dressed all in white. Magnus watched them approach, watched them stop just outside the boundaries of the formation he''d set up. "Brother Soo! What is it? Brother!" "Did you not feel it Min? Somewhere here . . you smell that?" "Smell?" The black haired girl sniffed the air. "Blood. Its blood, right brother?" Magnus felt his heart skip a beat as Soo stared right at him. The man''s black eyes seemed to pierce right through, penetrate right into Magnus core. Magnus'' fists tightened, going up on one knee and preparing to launch himself out at the man. "What is it Soo?" "Nothing. It''s nothing Min." Soo shook his head, turning his eyes away from Magnus. "Forget about it." Up close the brother and sister really looked . . unreal, unlike anyone he''d ever seen. They were both slim and tall, pitch black hair and black eyes. Their clothes were pristine white, a black belt around their waists with a short curved sword in a plain sheath, both identically dressed. They chatted cheerfully, walking on down the gorge, Magnus thought that their voices were like songbirds, hers bright and happy. "Where to now Soo?" "You like the Griffon''s egg Min?" "Enn! Delicious!" "The auction is not for another month, I thought we''d visit Meridie before then." "Enn! What kind of delicacies do they have?" The brother and sisters voices faded once they passed out of sight. Magnus untensed, breathing a sigh of relief. The whole time the two had been near he''d been filled with a sense of immense danger, as if there were a sword dangling over his head. He''d seen the brother, Soo, fight the Griffon off with ease, even break the iron staff . . could they be Alchemists? They looked nothing like Festus or the Alchemist in the swamp, no potions or robes. Ah hells, forget it! Banish! Magnus shook his head, casting away all thoughts of the strange couple. Focus on the task at hand! Right, right . . the Griffon . . Its scarred beak lay open, both its eyes rolled back and showing white, the massive wings limp on the ground. Two long white arrows had pierced right through one of the wings, each of its talons was as long as his arm. The creature was wounded . . but not near death. It should be alright, Kujata had taken great pains to warn him again and again; never eat a dead creature, never try to even go into a beast near death. To do so would be to invite death into your own body, a deadly poison for anyone with a living thread. Magnus stood over the unconscious Griffon, his heart resolute. So far, apart from Lars, Magnus had only been eating wild boars and forest creatures, every beast he''d devoured with the red living threads had been like a flood of energy rushing into his body, but it was not enough. It was never enough, the force he swallowed boiled through his body and vanished, disappeared into his fractured core. If he left it too long the black skin and pus would bubble to the surface once more. He needed more, always more - Kujata said there was nothing to it; he simply would have to find more powerful creatures. From his fingertip a single red thread emerged piercing through the beast''s skull and into the inner seas and skies. It was a familiar place to Magnus now, nothing within the Griffon surprised him. The inner world of ocean and sky and the myriad of lights flashing all around appeared like a feast before his eyes. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The red thread spread out, a vast network of threads and red mouths shot into the skies, pierced through the countless lights and into the ocean. The whole world shook, enormous waves rose and crashed down, storm clouds erupted and thunderous bolts flashed through the skies. A vast amount of powerful animal instincts flooded into Magnus, more power and energy than he''d felt before, more than any of the creatures he''d devoured. Like an endless rush of pure adrenaline, the life force of the Griffon rushed into his body, a wild torrent of powerful energies stampeding through his arms and legs, gathering in the pit of his gut and forming a fast spinning whirlpool around the fractured core. More! Devour! Consume! The core spun faster and faster, an intense heat rising up. Magnus was entirely focused on his task, his body groaned and his bones creaked from strain; every part of Magnus became infused with the beasts life force, his core rotating ever faster and growing ever hotter. Magnus felt his skin tighten, from all his sweat glands a white steam shot out, his throat and mouth scalded by every breath. Under this intense presser his core solidified, the many cracks and fractures glowing white hot. The core shrunk, smaller and smaller until it was the size of a tiny seed, spinning faster and faster, every part of his body trembling. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the inner world collapsed. "Pah!" Magnus fell back collapsing onto the ground. Blood erupted from his mouth, a vile stinking dark blood thick with sticky blood clots. His whole body was covered in a layer of filth, greasy bloody coloured slime that stained right through his hunters clothes. Magnus lay panting on the ground, his body slowly cooling. What a rush! What a meal! He felt stuffed, bloated, as if he''d just eaten a horse and drunk an entire barrel of booze all at once, now the only desire that filled him was to sleep it off. Shutting his eyes, Magnus lay in the shade of the Horn, beside him the corpse of the Griffon and a burbling stream that ran through the Sable gorge . . . "Skriee!" Magnus shot to his feet, the piercing cry of the Griffon burst through his head. "Skrieee!" He looked about in panic, the cry seemed to be coming from everywhere all at once. Beside him there was the lifeless remains of the Griffon, no matter where he looked he could see nothing else, no other people or creatures. "Ahh!" Magnus cried out, clutching his head. From within his head came another roar, and another, each louder than the last. "AHH!" Magnus felt every muscle tighten, every vein throbbing, every inch of his body shake uncontrollably. The world turned pitch black, Magnus felt uncontrollably dizzy, his mind turning and heaving like a boat thrown about by stormy seas. Within the blackness emerged a creature, talons and wings and sharp beak thrashing wildly . . it swooped and shrieked in the dark, every movement sending Magnus reeling, as if the whole world kept turning upside down. 054 - The Great Hunt 054 - The Great Hunt The Griffon! Magnus clutched his head and rolled around on the ground, wailing and groaning. It felt like his head was fit to burst open, an immense pressure building up inside and ready to thunder out right through the top of his skull . . Crack! Above the Griffon the blackness tore like a ragged wound, brilliant white light spilling out. Magnus heaved and spasmed wildly, his body taut. oooOOoooooOOoooo . . . A deep rumbling, like the throat growl of a thousand unseen beasts all at once. Up in the black void a red eye blinked open, larger than the Griffon by a hundred times. A red pupil turned in the blackness, following the Griffons every move. ooooOOooo . . A second eye appeared, and another, the throaty growl louder and louder. The entire black expanse shuddered, red eyes blinking open one after another. The white fissure spread in the black void, expanding at incredible speed all the way until it met itself on the far side of forever, joining in a strange loop. A thousand smaller fractures burst out in every direction, expanding endlessly around the Griffon. Magnus felt he was inside the blackness looking out . . and that he wasn''t. He felt that the he was floating helpless right beside the Griffon, but at the same time he was on the outside looking in; looking at the beast through a thousand red eyes all at once. The Griffon moved slower and slower, finally freezing in place. It hung still in the air, wings outstretched, beak wide open in a perpetual final silenced shriek. White light spilling in from all directions from the ever expanding crack, like a giant glass egg seen bursting open from within. Fragmented black shards broke off, countless pieces flying away in all directions and leaving the red eyes hanging on a white void. A deep soul wrenching anguish welled up in Magnus . . as if the skies themselves had cracked open and let in a heavenly light. Anguish . . helplessness . . no, not quite . . something beyond his grasp, beyond his ability to understand. It felt like a massive pit had opened up inside, a hole whose pressing desire was now to be filled. Hunger! A relentless desire to swallow everything, to drink oceans dry, to chomp and chew and feast on the flesh of every living creature! The frozen Griffon sparkled like a glistening morsel of food in the countless red eyes. Fuuueeee . . .Fuueeee . . . .SooooOOoooooOOO . . an incredible rumble, beyond the broken black shards a white light poured in. The red eyes all blinked at once, then began to fold in on themselves, growing brighter and into a deeper red, all the eyes becoming one - a single blood coloured eye. Magnus saw this from within and from outside all at once, looking out from the single red eye and down on the void as if from a great height. An enormous white hand, barely visible against the void stretched out from the nothingness. On its open palm was the single blood coloured eye, staring fixedly at the Griffon. The hand was incomparably large, many thousands of times larger than the Griffon. Eat! Consume! Devour! The deepest of instincts, like a newborn desperate to suckle at his mother¡¯s teat. Magnus felt the incredible need rise up once more, the desire driving him to reach out with his whole being. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The giant hand responded to this desire, stretching out across the void and closing on the Griffon, the massive fingers squeezing into a fist. Like a drop of liquid dye into water, the whole of the white arm exploded in a rainbow of colours, flashing gold and red, a network of lines like spread up every finger. The colours flashed, then faded, leaving a pale tint around the red eye. Not enough! Not nearly enough! oooOOooooOO! A deep growl emerged once again, the rumbling of a ravenous stomach. *** Ring! Ring! Kujata crossed the shrine and quickly peered into her brass telescope, her notebook open on her lap. Ring! Ring! Ring! The bell on the window rang frantically. Ring! Ring! Ring! "Whats going on? This . . . this can''t be!" Kujata stared, her face a mask of confusion. "Impossible! Impossible!" ¡°Awoooo!¡± Outside in the shrine courtyard Sif covered its head with both paws. *** Beneath where the Empire swamp had once been, far below the ruins of the city and cracked earth a giant lizard opened the corner of its eye. Danger! Its whole body trembled. In an instant it burrowed down into the depths of the earth, the land above shaking. *** All around the world a frantic fear descended, every living thing feeling like they were suddenly caught in the gaze of a terrifying predator. The forests and mountain fell silent, every beast and creature shivering and running wild or burrowing into the ground. People in every city, in every town and house found themselves shaking uncontrollably. South of Jute, in the land of Baron - Two armies halted in their tracks. Warriors and knights, hardened veterans who had been charging and hacking at one another suddenly found themselves unable to keep a hold of their swords or shields, unable to stop their teeth from clattering. All around the Horn every hunter and hero stopped in their tracks, some were unable to control themselves - madly rushing or simply falling to the floor, paralyzed by terror. This scene repeated countless times all around the whole planet, every living creature overwhelmed, only able to tremble helplessly. *** In space, far above the planet of Aquilonem . . Five solar systems were arranged in a five pointed star formation around a giant white sun. Orbiting the white sun was a single planet with a single moon. Above the planet were three white towers, each of them made from countless revolving segments. From the white sun innumerable blue threads extended out, stretching across the void of space and connecting the five solar systems to this white sun. The blue threads joined with each of the five stars in an intricate pattern, forming a vast blue sigil. They divided up space into isolated regions, within the regions were thousands of massive beasts caught like flies in an interstellar web. The many creatures trembled, shaking fiercely, their bodies twisting and thrashing, as if suddenly waking from a deep slumber. They all stirred into life, the blue threads buzzed, blue electric sparks frantically shooting in all directions as innumerable roars filled the heavens. *** 055 - The Great Hunt 055 - The Great Hunt Within the Sable gorge Magnus lay on the ground inside the formation next to the corpse of the Griffon. It was now night, cold and silent. "AHHhhhhh! Gwaaa!" Magnus opened his mouth, cries of pain and anguish rose from his throat. His eyes had turned blood red, every hair on his body, every nerve beneath his flesh felt as if it were being stretched to breaking point. On his back bubbled up two mounds of flesh, growing and breaking out through the skin and out through his filthy clothes. The fleshy mounds broke apart, two small wings quickly growing, looking just like the wings of the Griffon. His boots broke open, black tipped talons clawing at the ground. Like flowers that blossomed for a moment and then withered, the wings and talons grew, then turned black and crumbled, falling from Magnus¡¯ flesh. Beneath them, both on his back and on his feet, rose a second set of stubs of flesh that immediately begun to grow out. This time they were stained by deep black lines, a thick yellow pus bubbling up around his toes and on his back. Wings emerged once more, large bird feathers with a black vein pattern, sharp talons covered almost entirely black. After a brief moment, they too fell off, breaking into pieces on the dirt, then crumbling into dust. Magnus was left feeling exhausted, laying on the ground only able to gain control of his breathing after several minutes. His mind was abuzz trying to process what exactly it was that had just happened. What the hells had just happened? He did exactly what Kujata instructed, eat a powerful creature. But all the rest? The Griffon and the red eyes and the hand? Out of all the people in the world Magnus was the only one blissfully unaware of the intense terror that had descended upon all living creatures. What was it? Kujata had said . . once you gain enough power the Vigour in you will begin to transform and the aspect of your living threads will be revealed. An aspect of my Vigour . . is that what the hand was? He hadn''t thought to ask what she''d meant by aspect, Kujata hadn''t thought to explain any more than that. Besides that . . Magnus still felt an immense hunger, felt like an immense hole had opened up in his gut. His core was now the size of an apple seed, tiny and white within below his navel. He could feel it like a hard nub of pure energy. What did that mean? What did any of this mean? Not knowing . . for the first time in his life Magnus really felt the pain of being ignorant. There were so many things that had happened to him that he could only be helpless in the face off. Kujata had imparted a great deal of knowledge to him, told him much of the threads and types of energies, of the world. But . . what if he was on his own again? This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.Knowledge. Information. I can''t go blindly forwards . . what should I do next? If I knew what this all meant, then I would know what to do next! There were so many things that were a mystery to Magnus, not just about the nature of the world, but about himself. From the black lines and yellow pus that appeared beneath his skin to the living threads themselves, the fact that every time he was on the verge of death somehow he would be able to pull himself back into his body and live on. Right! Magnus got to his feet, within his eyes a new determination - I need power! But not just strength, I need the power that comes from knowing! One without the other was like trying to dash madly through the darkest night, never knowing when one would stumble into a ditch or crash into an unseen wall. He quickly gathered the formation stones and left the Sable gorge in the dead of the night, running down the valley by moonlight and heading towards the plains. The plan remained the same; hunt powerful beasts and devour them whole. Even if he did not fully understand what was happening, Magnus still trusted in the guidance of Kujata and would follow her instructions. *** Above where Magnus had hidden with the Griffon in the Sable gorge two figures detached themselves from the ground and jumped down the cliff, landing lightly beside the Griffon. "Brother Soo . . you were right . . what was that thing? You felt that, didn''t you? It wasn''t just me? Soo . . " Soo was silent, walking around the Griffon and looking at the places where the formation stones had been. He examined the whole area with great care, not daring to leave a single stone unturned. "I felt it Min. Never before . . this formation is not one I recognize. The enchantment used . . it cannot be from the Alchemists. Hmmm." "Soo! Forget about the formation! What about that thing! That incredible gaze! I felt like I was about to be swallowed whole! Soo!" Min stamped her feet and called out, her voice trembling. "It''s alright Min. It passed, did it not? Put it out of your mind. Whatever it was . . it passed." Soo replied in a distant manner. His heart trembled to think of the terrifying feeling that had descended on them and then vanished, but neither he nor his sister had thought to connect it in any way with Magnus or the Griffon. "For now, let us focus on what we can. This young man, the boy who stole away the Griffon from the hunters and who used this formation, interesting, isn''t he? From all the things on this planet he is the first that I''ve come across that does not fit in. Let''s go Min, I want to see what he does next!" The brother and sister left the gorge, following near the exact footsteps as Magnus down into the plains. *** 056 - The Great Hunt 056 - The Great Hunt Daybreak. The sun rose like a watery egg yolk up through grey and muddied skies, finally seeming to rest just above the very tip of the Horn. In the hunters camp silence reigned. A grim air, the heart of every hero and hunter heavy with the events of the day and night. First, the Griffon had been stolen from them, not that they even managed to find it first. Second . . that . . that evil . . that absolute fear that had descended in the night. Every one of them had felt it, many of the hunters were not ashamed to admit they''d pissed their pants in fear. None of them had felt anything close to it before, not even the oldest or most experienced of hunters, not even when they thought they had been closest to death in the past . . And third? That morning several of the hunters had discovered the corpse of the Griffon, seemingly abandoned only a couple of hundred feet from its nest. Left there, discarded, cast away, left to rot, in a spot they''d all searched desperately. The Griffon, practically intact - no fatal wounds so far as they could see, only the scratches and marks on its talons and beak and the arrow in its wings. Dead. And left there . . . The majority of the hunters were not the religious sort, not beyond what was normal. Sure, most believed in the fates, the fairies, and the spirits of nature. Those forest and mountain sprites that guided their arrows in flight or sent them flying off target against a sudden wind. But those were natural gods, the gods in things they could touch and see. Not this . . this evil, this devil that sought to devour them whole! Even with the warmth of the campfire Pete Stint found himself shivering. His eyes, like many of his fellow hunters, had sunken, black lines thick beneath them. In a single night he felt like he''d aged ten years. "It''s no good!" Gunner broke the heavy silence, thumping his armoured fist into the ground. "No bloody good at all! I came here to hunt! Not to pick up someone else''s scraps!" "Ha ha! Well said my friend!" A noble youth with golden hair strode through the sullen hunters, his laughter light and seemingly uninhibited. He wore silver mail and had a rapier hanging from his waist. "Waldemar," Gunner stiffened "I did not ask your opinion." "Nevertheless!" Waldemar continued unabashed, a wide smile spread on his face. "Well said! We are heroes, isn''t that right Isabella?" Isabella stood with her knights on the far side of the Griffon, at Waldemars words she nodded, saying nothing. "We are here to hunt!" Waldemar raised his voice "and the hunt is not yet done! Carl? Wasn''t your father''s reward for the hunting the three great beasts?" "Thats right Waldemar! My fath - Bishop Lang''s decree is that the reward is for the three beasts around the Horn!" Carl responded. "Ha! So we are down, but not out! There are still two beasts left, the wolf and the bull, right? I do not intend to miss out!" Waldemar clapped a dejected Gunner on the back heartily. "You don''t intend to miss out? To miss out?" Gunner snarled, slapping Waldemars hand away. "And what if that bloody sneak thief hunter jumps over your head, like he did mine, hey? What then?" "Oy!" Several of the hunters raised their head, Pete Stint shot to his feet, wagging a finger at the black armoured Gunner. "What? Am I wrong? Was it not one of your hunters who stole away the Griffon?" Gunner pointed to the body of the Griffon. "What was his name? Dolt? Ha!" "I''ve told you!" Pete replied gloomily "I don''t know who he was, he only said his name was Dolt . ." "Friends!" Waldemar raised both his hands into the air, yelling suddenly. "Friends! We are here to hunt, not to bicker! And as I see it, the first beast is now down, the honour going to . . . well, who was it? The mystery hunter? Or the two strange egg thieves? Who do you think it should go to Gunner?" This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "I think it should go to hell! And you with it!" Gunner stomped away from Waldemar, vaulting onto his horse. "I''m off!" "Abandoning the hunt Gunner? Ha!" Waldemar laughed. "That isn''t becoming of a hero!" "Not a chance Waldemar!" Gunner replied. "I''m off to hunt the bloody booze stealing wolf! And I''m not going to let any poxy hunter or thief get in the way!" "That''s the Spirit!" Waldemar called out after him. "Waldemar. I too will be going with Gunner." Isabella stated flatly. "A wolf is too noble a creature to be left to Gunner." The dozen knights who accompanied her responded instantly, all mounting their steeds. Gunner galloped out of the camp, descending the slopes of the Horn towards the distant trees. Behind him followed Isabella and her knights, all on white horses. "Good! Good! Ha!" Waldemar turned to Carl and Pete. "Very good! It seems like the hunt is not yet dead!" Waldemar projected his voice to all the hunters in the camp. "We are all hunters here, right? As for this Griffon . . what do you say Carl? I suppose it was a hunter who got it in the end, right?" "I suppose . ." Carl said, his voice wavering. "That settles it then. The honour for the kill goes to the hunters of the horn, as do the rewards!" Waldemar declared. The downtrodden hunters stared at him in amazement, life returning to their eyes. "But . . I''m sure that you wouldn''t be happy leaving it at that, am I right? If Gunner and Isabella are going for the wolf, I suppose that leaves the vanishing bull . . Carl! Mr Stint! You would not leave a poor fellow hunter to seek out a monstrous creature all by himself, would you now?" Waldemar placed a hand on both the men''s shoulders. "Well -" "I -" "Good! Excellent!" Waldemar smiled warmly. "If you are hunters, if you are real men, then such a hunt should never be avoided! Pete! May I call you Pete? I have heard from my good friend Carl here that you are the finest hunter on the Horn, correct? That there is no finer hunting group in all of Jute! It would do me the greatest of honours to be a part of the hunt alongside you." "That''s very nice of you to say, sir." Pete replied, a little overwhelmed by the force of Waldemars character. "That settles it! Come! Friends! Fellow hunters! Let''s be off, we have ourselves a fantastic creature to catch!" Waldemar strode through the hunters, pulling them to their feet. "Come! Ha! Do not dwell on the events of yesterday!" One by one the hunters found themselves filled with a new excitement for the hunt and the rewards, Waldemar''s infectious attitude infused them with a heroic sentiment. To a man, they were unable to refute his encouragements, his words of praise, and soon the fifty hunters formed a long line behind Waldemar''s silver carriage, down the slopes of the Horn and to the north, towards the last sighting of the vanishing bull. The corpse of the Griffon was strapped to a cart and taken to the vale, an exuberant Carl Lang presiding over it as they prepared it to be taken back to Bonnet for the Bishop to see. The first day! Carl thought, only one day and already they have taken one of the beasts! Of course, the particulars of the hunt were not quite so straight forwards . . but Carl was quick to gloss over them in his mind, hurrying after the hero Waldemar and the hunters. 057 - The Great Hunt 057 - The Great Hunt *** Magnus contemplated the empty road from within his green stone formation. Three days had passed since he''d descended the north slopes of the Horn to the area where the second of the three beasts was said to prowl. The Shadow Bull, right? That''s what the scholar looking fellow up in the hunters camp had called it. A mysterious vanishing bull. The hunters had said little about it, few claimed to have seen the beast itself. Magnus had wandered up and down the paths, even going so far as to stalk through a number of farms and pastures, looking for any sign of a strange bull. With no real idea of what he ought to be looking for exactly, or where he might be able to find the creature, Magnus decided to look for the hunters, follow them around and see if he couldn''t snatch a second creature in the middle of of a hunt. But . . Magnus soon found much to his dismay that the hunters didn''t seem to have much more of a clue than himself. He''d followed them for a while, thinking maybe to slip back amongst them on the sly, only abandoning the idea when he realized that they might be a little weary of an unknown face who''d only just carried off a Griffon. And there was something else eating away at Magnus, an inescapable feeling that someone was watching him . . Magnus shivered, looking about the path, peering into the shadows of the trees and undergrowth. Every now and again he''d get the feeling that there was someone or something out there, hidden eyes watching his every move. He''d tried everything he could think of; doubling back on his own path, hiding within a ditch for hours, even setting up a formation in the middle of a barren hill. Nothing. Every time, nothing, just the feeling that someone was looking right through him. Finally, after not being able to discover the slightest trace of anything or anyone actually following him, Magnus dismissed it, put the feeling out of his mind. Whatever it is, he thought, I can not do anything about it right now. After eating the Griffon Magnus had felt stronger, swifter, able to run and jump with more power and speed than ever before. Whatever it was, he was sure he could deal with it. So, after thinking it through Magnus came to a simple conclusion. He couldn''t find the Shadow Bull by himself, but he also couldn''t mix in with the hunters; if he just followed them from a distance he would always be a step behind. No problem! All he had to do was go ahead of them, find a spot about a days travel ahead where they''d be likely to stop and make camp and set a formation. Then, he could just sit and wait. The hunters would come, make camp around him and he would be in the middle of them all, able to hear their plans without being discovered. Brilliant! He''d found a likely spot on the road and all he had to do now was wait. Overhead the sun slowly churned through the sky, birds wheeled and sung carefree, and Magnus sat, head resting on his arm, watching the empty road. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. *** Kujata finally stopped pacing through the bones and general debris in the shrine, sitting unhappily in her chair by the shrine window. "Not possible . . . not possible . . but it happened! Worst case scenario . . worst case . . no . . not Magnus? No. No, no, no. Definitely not." The bell sat silent on the sill. She peered through the brass telescope. Nothing. "Arrgh!" Kujata leapt up and paced up and down, pulling her hair and muttering "you know what it felt like . . you know what it felt like . . but its not possible . ." After half a day of hesitation Kujata finally seemed to come to a course of action. "I was going to do this anyway . . no harm in checking up on him now, right? It''s a bit early, but Magnus can probably handle the Ether . ." From beneath the chair she produced a stubby white candle. She placed it carefully on the window sill and sent out a single thread of Vigour from her fingertip. The world seemed to hang in limbo for an instant, a greasy texture filled the air, as if a lightning bolt was about to burst through the skies. Carefully, she raised her other hand, sending a second thread of vigour out. She had a hand on either side now, the red threads sparking from her fingertips into precisely the opposite sides of the thick candle. A bead of sweat formed and rolled down her brow, Kujata did not dare look away or so much as flinch. The feeling she gave off was that of a surgeon in the midst of a delicate operation. With infinite care, Kujata begun to draw her fingers apart, widening the gap between them. As she drew her hands further apart the candle shuddered. At first it seemed like it was only vibrating fiercely. Then, under her inexorable gaze, the candle begun to separate. Slowly, not daring to move too fast or too slow, Kujata kept seperating her hand, pulling apart the threads and the candle until on the window sill there was not one, but two identical stubby white candles. Identical in every conceivable way, down to the light scratches on the wax, down to the angle at which the wick hung from the candle top. Kujata breathed a sigh of relief, scratching one of the candles with her fingernail. The moment she did so an identical mark appeared in the same place on the twin candle. "Right. Sif!" Kujata called out. The great white wolf came bounding up to the window from out in the shrine courtyard. Kujata took one of the candles and wrapped it in a filthy cloth, tossing it to Sif. "Take this to Magnus! That''s a good mutt!" In an instant the great wolf gathered up the candle within it maw and sped off into the forest. Kujata leaned back on the chair, her eyes focused firmly on the silent bell. *** 058 - The Great Hunt 058 - The Great Hunt I¡¯m a genius! Magnus grinned from ear to ear. At dusk, just as the sun fell entirely in the east, the hunters had come. At their head a strange silver carriage, they¡¯d come down the path and stopped, making camp right by where Magnus had set his formation. Brilliant! Magnus found it near impossible not to jump and dance with joy. The hunters made their tents and built a number of campfires. Just as the sky got dark and the stars came out they were done. The fifty or so men who made their living hunting around the Horn sitting and eating a meaty broth together. Magnus found himself wedged in a space between a hunters wagon and a silver carriage a little ways away from the campfires. Not one of the men had spared even so much as a glance in his direction, some passing so close that if Magnus wanted to he could reach out and touch them. There was Pete Stint, the leader of the hunters, he''d recognized his face from before, when the fat Alchemist had come looking for him. Pete had been there, as had many of the other hunters, though none of them recognized Magnus without the black lines and yellow pus - it was as Kujata said, he just didn''t need a disguise, the only thing anyone had taken any note of was the black line. Without them, who would remember a face like yours, Magnus? The hunters conversations were somewhat hushed, as if they were scared of making too much noise. On watching them for a time Magnus saw that they seemed jittery, on edge - far more so even than the morning after the Griffon had attacked their camp up on the Horn. Magnus tried to hear for any information about the Shadow Bull and what the hunters plans might be to deal with it. Unfortunately, the main topic of conversation, indeed, the only thing the hunters seemed to talk about at all was the discovery of the corpse of the Griffon and the unknown hunter called Dolt who''d snatched it away. At times a hunter would mention something else, say something about ''the terror'' and the hunters around him would fall silent, many peering nervously off into the night. "You saw him Pete? I saw you talk to him, what did he say?" "I don''t know, nothing much." Pete replied. "He just said his name . . didn''t seem to know much." "His name, Dolt, right?" "Right. Made up, I''m sure." Pete shrugged. "Ah! You are talking about the mysterious young man, correct?" Waldemar approached the hunters. Magnus made a mental note of the man, his bearing and steady voice instantly set him apart from every man there. "Very interesting! Carl, didn''t you see the mystery man too?" "Yes! Yes, I did . . but well . . I can''t really tell you much else." "And Pete, you talked to him, no? More than anyone else here." Waldemar sat down beside the hunters by the campfires. "I did, I did. But . . as I was saying sir, we didn''t really talk much." Pete replied. "Is there nothing you recall? Nothing at all? Maybe a snippet of conversation? Some clue? Something our mysterious Dolt might have asked or said?" "Well . . now that you mention it . . maybe there was something. But it didn''t have nothing to do with the Griffon or the hunt or anything. It was when we first saw those two white dressed fellas, the boy and the girl I told you about." "You mean the ones that took the Griffons egg and fought off Gunner?" Waldemar nodded, encouraging Pete to speak on. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author."Yeah, those. When they passed by the camp going up the Horn, Dolt asked if I thought they were Alchemists. Well, they didn''t look like Alchemists to me, but there was something in the way he said it . ." "Interesting! Very interesting!" Waldemar exclaimed. Their conversations continued late on into the night. Magnus gleaned several tidbits of information, but most of what he heard amounted to nothing more than the hunters talking about their homes and wanting to be done with hunting for the time being. Waldemar would stalk up and down the camp, stopping and chatting with the hunters here and there, Carl Lang tagging alongside behind and interjecting every now and again. As for the bull . . well, from what he''d overheard, the hunters knew little more than he did. There was a bull, a strange vanishing bull that appeared and disappeared in various farmers pastures, trampling their crops and destroying fences and gates. Any time anyone saw it, it vanished; vanishing like the morning mist. The only evidence of its very existence being the trail of destruction it inevitably left in its wake. Magnus yawned, stretching out on the grass. The hunters had long crawled into their tents to sleep, the fires left to smoulder. What should I do now? I guess I''ll wait till morning, then follow the hunters again. With no definite plan in mind Magnus stretched out to sleep. Every now and again he would be disturbed by a hunter coming out to the edge of the camp for a piss, but apart from that the night seemed to stretch on in silence. Clink . . clink . . Someone was walking between the carriage and the wagon away from the camp. "Sarge . ." "Shhhh!" "Sorry Sarge." Two figures were barely visible in the gloom. They halted right next to Magnus, whispering to one another. Even being right next to them Magnus had to strain to listen in to their conversation. "Sarge . ." "I''ve told you, don''t call me that. I ain''t your Sarge no more." "Ok . . Solberg . . but it don''t feel right. I mean, you''re Sarge!" "Forget it, forget it Oskar. Right. What is it? Why''d you bring me out here?" "Well Sarge, uh, Solberg I mean, I just wasn''t sure. This is still part of the plan, right?" "Of course it is! Have you got the solution?" "Yeah, of course. I mean Sarge, we''ve only been in the road a few months and . ." "Don''t worry about it lad. Just wait for the signal, I''m sure it''ll be any day now. Stick close to Lang, that''s the important bit, remember. Once it kicks off, you want to put him out of it as soon as possible." "Right. No problem Sarge. What''s the signal?" "Not too sure about that. Just remember, stick right next to Lang, I''ll be close as possible. Thats our job, right? No matter what, the Bishop''s son can''t be brought into it." "But isn''t he one of them? You know, his father . ." "Shhh! You hear that?" The two figures fell to the ground, crawling on their bellies beneath the carriage. Several minutes passed in silence. ". . ." "I guess it was nothing Sarge." "Right. Shh! Keep it down . . well, lets get back. Quiet now . ." Carefully as they''d come, the two figures left, Magnus watched them creep to a tent nearby. 059 - The Great Hunt 059 - The Great Hunt Sarge . . Solberg and Oskar . . hmm. Don''t I know them from somewhere? Try as he might Magnus couldn''t quite seem to place them in his memories. Wait . . thats right! The two soldiers on the road! The ones who''d been escorting those prisoners, the same ones who''d beat me to death! Bloody hell! What were they doing all the way out here? Have they been following me? Surely not . . Their words . . the plan . . what plan? Some sort of solution . . a signal . . Magnus puzzled over their words and appearance for the long hours of the night. Something they''d mentioned seemed to stick out, but he couldn''t quite place it. At first light the hunters stirred into life, lighting fires and preparing for the day ahead. Solberg and Oskar walked behind the scholarly looking Carl Lang alongside a couple of other guards. Nearby, Waldemar emerged from his tent, already clad in his silver armour. He stretched and yawned, going over to the nearest campfire and sitting beside Pete. There was no sense of urgency, no hurried movements in any of their actions, not in the fifty or so hunters or in the hero Waldemar. On the opposite side of the camp from Magnus there was a stream, beyond the stream a forest. Magnus'' attention was drawn by a sudden sound, the twang of a bow. Up through the air rose a single bolt, sailing across the stream in a lazy arc and falling into the campfire. The bolt crackled in the flames for a moment, then exploded in a cloud of red powder, a plume of red smoke rising instantly above the campfire. For a moment no one moved. Waldemar was the first to act, drawing his rapier and looking about until he saw Carl Lang. Carl gazed around in bemusement, peering at the red smoke. Behind him one of his guards rushed up, smothering his mouth with a cloth. Carl Lang instantly collapsed to the ground, the other guards and hunters stared in shock. Before they could draw their weapons Solberg pounced. With a pointed short sword, he took his fellow guards by complete surprise, piercing one through the neck and rapidly disarming and killing the others. This took all of an instant, with the element of surprise and Solberg''s strength the other guards didn''t stand even a shadow of a chance. Several nearby hunters fell back in shock, not expecting the sudden violence. Waldemar watched as Carl Lang fell helplessly to the ground, not moving until he was sure that the Bishop''s son was well and truly knocked out. An ambush? Betrayal? What the hell is going on? Magnus had the urge to rush out of the formation, but held himself back. What was he to do? Rush to the defence of the Carl Lang? "Pete Stint," Waldemar addressed the stocky hunter, holding the tip of his rapier pointed at Pete''s chest. "You stand accused of collaborating with an Alchemist, aiding the tyranny and oppression against the land of Jute. The Witching Road has declared you a traitor, and the sentence is death." Waldemar spoke in a calm manner, as if the matter had been long settled. "The Witching Road? Alchemists?" Pete spluttered. "What the devil do you . . " an image of the fat Alchemist flashed before Petes mind. "Surely not . . I did . ." This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it"Pete!" A hunter called out nervously. Waldemar lunged, his rapier stabbing though Pete''s leather jacket and into his heart. Pete collapsed to the ground, his face turning pale. The hunters of the Horn were all steady men, well used to waiting long hours in ambush of powerful beasts, used to stalking through the high mountain passes. Strong and sturdy, for hunters - not warriors. They held their hunting weapons uneasily, unsure how to act. "Pete!" An elderly hunter rushed Waldemar spear in hand, Waldemar side stepped the blow and stabbed the man in the throat. From the forest on the other side of the stream came a series of twangs, a rain of bolts coming down on the heads of the hunters. Some of the younger hunters dashed away from the camp in a blind panic. "All the hunters of the Horn under Pete Stint have had their final judgment." Waldemar roared, stabbing another man. "Traitors you may be, but you are men of Jute! Die with honour!" Solberg stood his ground, taking down the hunters one by one. Between him and Waldemar it was a one sided massacre, none of the hunters could stand up to either of their might. The hunters who''d chosen to flee, flinging down their weapons found that there was to be no escape. Before they could escape even the confines of the camp they were greeted by a second volley of crossbow bolts. Those who fled the opposite direction were greeted by another ambush, a second hidden group shooting the hunters mercilessly dead. The stench of blood hung thick in the morning air. Magnus couldn''t tell how long it had been since the first bolt and plume of red smoke had gone up, but it couldn''t have been more than a matter of minutes. Soon, the only men alive in the hunters camp the hero Waldemar, his silver armour stained with blood, the two guards, and Carl Lang snoring loudly face down in the dirt. The Witching Road! The people Magnus had desperately sought out, here, now! To Magnus the sight of battle wasn''t anything new; he''d long been used to death and slaughter with the black skinned beasts flying into Kloster and doing battle against the giants. Though, this was certainly the first time he''d seen such a one sided fight. The hunters didn''t even stand a chance, not a whisker of hope of victory or escape. Most had fallen to bolts, shot in the back while trying to flee. Those who''d stood their ground and attacked Waldemar or Solberg were now face down in the dirt, those not already dead were bleeding out, drawing their last breaths. From the trees came a group of armoured men and women, even from a distance Magnus could tell that there was something odd with them. As they approached he saw that almost every one of them was deformed in some way, missing arms or legs, some with their skin a strange colour or missing a nose or eye or worse. A women with flame red hair and a hideous scar covering half her face ran up to Waldemar, saying something to him. Waldemar''s eyes widened in shock, looking around at the area where Magnus had set his formation. "Come out!" Waldemar shouted suddenly. "We know you''re there!" 060 - The Great Hunt 060 - The Great Hunt Magnus looked out silently from within the formation. It was obvious that Waldemar was talking to him . . hells, he was looking right at him! How did they know? If . . if those people had been there when he''d set the formation yesterday . . they must have been waiting in ambush all this time, spotted him coming into the field and vanishing the night before. How careless! How bloody careless could you be Magnus! Dammit all. What now? I could snatch up the stones . . run to the trees before they catch me, surely they couldn''t catch me. But . . the Witching Road, right? Waldemar, the whole group of scarred freaks . . these were the Witching Road? Magnus looked over the field of corpses . . . run away . . are they not who I''ve been looking for? The people who fight against the Alchemists? ". . ." Waldemar glared at the empty spot between his carriage and the horses. "Are you sure?" He asked the scarred red haired woman. "I don''t see . . !" Where there was nothing there was now Magnus. Waldemar''s eyes widened in shock, his hand flying to the rapier at his waist. Even the other members of the Witching Road who''d witnessed Magnus vanish the previous day stared incredulously. There had been nothing, just a patch of grass and dirt . . and suddenly there he was! A normal looking youth, light brown hair and a ruddy complexion looking back out at them. "Sourcery!" Oskar exclaimed, his voice cracking. "Impossible! He . . invisibility?" Waldemar stared slack jawed at Magnus. Magnus said nothing in return, watching them all and tensing, ready to run at the first sign of trouble. "You . . you must be Dolt, correct?" Finally Waldemar managed to find his tongue. Magnus shook his head. "Not Dolt. Call me . . Lars. I''m Lars." Much better than Dolt. Magnus didn''t feel it much safe to be giving out his real name, not even to the Witching Road. The Alchemist had known his name . . better to keep it secret for now. "Lars." Waldemar repeated. "Greeting Lars, I am Waldemar of Jute, son of General Sten. This is Petra." The red headed women nodded to Magnus. ". . ." "Ahem." Waldemar coughed politely, "as you must have heard me declare, we are from the Witching Road. You know of us?" "I know." Magnus replied. "The Witching Road. You fight the Alchemists." "Right! And . . by your inaction . . I can assume that you are . ." Magnus nodded. "I too have a . . grievance with the Alchemists." Waldemars eyes shone. "Ah! Right! That''s good to hear Lars! Very good!" He relaxed, smile warmly at Magnus. "Lars, my friend! We, all of us of the Witching Road have a grievance against the Alchemists. Petra here . . as you can see . ." Petra moved lifted her face, drawing back her hair and showing Magnus the horrific scar that ran all the way down the nape of her neck, vanishing beneath her chest. "We have all suffered at the hands of the Alchemists." Petra said, "and now we fight against them." "Ah-ha! Right!" Waldemar laughed, placing a hand on Petras shoulder. Of the members of the Witching Road that had lain in ambush more than half had some visible deformity. There existed an uneasy tension between them, standing over the corpses of the hunters. Waldemar and Petra examined Magnus, and he stared silently back. Neither seemed too sure how to proceed. "Ahem." Waldemar coughed once more. "Lars, if I may be so bold . . you saw us take action against these hunters. They stood together with the Alchemists, collaborators and traitors to Jute!" Waldemar spat on a hunter''s corpse. "They are a poison, a malevolent blight our land. You . . Lars, you are from Jute?" "I am." "Very good! I know your pain, your suffering. We all do! Lars, I ask not what the Alchemists have done to you . . we are all of one mind, of one spirit! Lars, I will only ask you this; are you willing to stand at our side? Be a brother in arms, one of the many who fights back against the tyranny of Alchemy!" "Fight!" A roar went up amongst the members of the Witching Road. "Fight! Down with Alchemy!" Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Waldemar was inviting him to the Witching Road? Magnus frowned. He had walked so long, come so far searching for them . . and here they were. Fight against the Alchemists? Ah hells . . Kujata said . . she said that the Alchemists were high above, in their towers . . the hunters were collaborators? He''d seen them with the fat Alchemists . . but . . Waldemar looked at Magnus expectantly, the members of the Witching Road all fell to muttering, their eyes never leaving the figure of the youth. Magnus felt as if they were trying to look right through him, size him up. Finally, after several moments more of uneasy silence Magnus spoke. "I am willing." "He is willing?" Solberg suddenly snarled, a scowl on his face. "Waldemar, come now! What the devil do you know of this lad? Even if he is willing, who the hells knows who he is?" "Solberg is right." Petra nodded. "You are being rash Waldemar. Who knows who this youth is . . we cannot trust him." "Friends!" Waldemar raised his voice. "Friends, Lars here is obviously one of us . . can you not see? My eyes, my judgement of character has never failed me. Were any of you ever questioned about your hatred of Alchemists? Petra? Solberg? No! The Witching Road has always welcomed all comrades, all those willing to stand and fight." "Fight! Fight!" Petra and Solberg fell silent in their dissent. Waldemar smiled once more at Magnus, approaching him carefully, his hands well away from the rapier at his side. "Lars, I welcome you to the Witching Road. This is . . not the best of circumstance, but you have borne witness to who we are, what we are willing to do in the fight against tyranny." "Waldemar, what about Carl here? You want me to slit his throat?" Solberg asked. "No! For heaven''s sakes, no! Right . . . you and Oskar put him in my carriage, don''t injure him for heaven''s sake! The Bishop Lang must see his son returned in good order, make sure of that." Solberg and Oskar dragged Carl to the carriage. Petra and the other members of the Witching Road began to root around the dead hunters, taking their rings and cutting off their coin purses. Waldemar gave a few orders here or there, all the while keeping an eye on Magnus. Magnus mind raced a mile a minute. What do I do now? Hells . . I said yes . . what will Kujata say? I came to hunt the bull . . how the hells can I follow the hunters now? "Lars, my friend," Waldemar walked right up to Magnus. "You will come with us back to Juteheim?" Magnus noticed that Waldemar kept looking over at the spot where he''d been hidden, trying to see if there was anything on the ground. Up close Magnus saw that Waldemar was a head a half taller than himself, his figure slim but muscular, not the body of an idle noble at all - the son of a real general! "Not at this time." Magnus replied. Keep it short, don''t say too much, the less I say the better. I need to go back to Kujata, ask her what I ought to do . . ask her . . Is that right? I need to ask Kujata what to do? Ah hells Magnus . . yeah, what do you want to do? "No? Well, take this - " Waldemar handed over a stone token with the imprint of a closed fist. "This is a mark of the Witching Road. It marks you as one of us. When you are able, come join us in Juteheim!" Waldemar nodded decisively, placing the stone token in Magnus hands. Magnus met his gaze. Waldemars stared unflinchingly down at him, making Magnus feel a little uncomfortable. Either way, I can''t just throw myself into this . . not without thinking about it . . and . . and I''ve already let myself be seen coming in and out of the formation . . ah hells. Kujata won''t be happy about that . . Muttering to himself, Magnus took a step back and vanished entirely. Waldemar opened his eyes in shock, he too took a step forwards . . and another . . right past the space where Magnus had stood, right through the very spot he had vanished. "Ah ha! Ha! Incredible!" Waldemar waved his hands around, looking around the whole area next to his silver carriage. Incredible! Not a thing! Not a trace! You see that Petra?" 061 - The Great Hunt Thank you Slyg_od for the great review! 061 - The Great Hunt *** "How boring. Brother Soo, boring, boring, boring!" Min chewed the hem of her robe, her feet resting on her brothers back. "Come on. You heard him, he is one of those barbarians, nothing more!" Soo and Min were both on the upper branches of a tree within the woods near the hunters camp. Soo stared out, cupping his ears, a yellow light shone around his head. "Brother Soo, come on. Don''t ignore me!" Min kicked Soo''s back. "Boring! Boring! Let''s go!" Soo said nothing back, his eyes entirely focused on the field and the people milling about. The members of the Witching Road picked through the battlefield, gathering up all the trinkets from the dead hunters they could find. Waldemar had Carl Lang loaded into his carriage, at his signal they set off down the road. The agents from the Witching Road left back into the woods to the west. Soon, the whole field was empty, silent except for the cawing of crows and other scavengers who had descended and were feasting on the bodies of the dead. "Boring!" Min kicked again. Another hour passed, the sun rising up into the blue skies. "Has he gone? Is the boy you''re following still even there?" "He is." Soo replied. "I''m certain." "What are we waiting around for now? Come on Soo . . you promised we''d go to Meridie!" Soo sighed again. "Alright. Ok. Sister, you win. The formation is fascinating . . I can''t quite place it . . it seems so familiar . ." "Well brother, why don''t you just go ask the barbarian boy?" *** Magnus was sure he was alone in the field. Hours had passed since Waldemar and the others had left him in this field of dead hunters. He paced up and down within the formation. Should I go now? Wait a little longer? It still feels like someone is watching me . . And where ought I go? Back to Kujata? Or should I go looking for the Shadow Bull . . ah hells, what chance do I have of finding that by myself? What about the Witching Road? They are fighting the Alchemists! But the plan . . Kujata''s plan to get into the tower . . The plan. The first stage - power. The second stage . . sneak into the Alchemists tower. Magnus was still a little fuzzy on quite how this could be accomplished, but there seemed to be a few paths open to him. The first was to be accepted as a disciple of the Alchemists, like he''d seen Byrant Tygis be accepted by that old Alchemist in Doohama. They''d let Byrant and his father in at Festus¡¯ recommendation . . right. So, all Magnus needed to do was be accepted as a student Alchemist, right. Ha. Haha ha ha. Magnus shook his head and laughed. Easy, right? What other ways were open? Wait for the tower to appear and just jump in? Well . . they had their formations, he''d seen those . . and those didn''t seem so easy to get into. There must be countermeasures, ways of denying outsiders entry . . it really would be no good to just force his way in, that was only asking for trouble. Alright. The next way? Get on an Alchemist''s good side . . . Magnus paled at the idea. The very thought of interacting with an Alchemist . . of having to suck up to someone like Festus made his heart quicken. Not a chance. Not a bloody chance. What then? If I can''t even think of it, what chance do I stand once I get into the tower? That place must be full of bloody Alchemists . . you''ve gotta control yourself Magnus . . calm. Hold it in . . if it is the only way, you''ve gotta repress those feelings. If you have to kiss an Alchemist''s arse to get in . . suck it up, think of the bigger picture. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The bigger picture . . what was the bigger picture here? Once I get into the tower, then what? Kujata had her own plans . . she''d never been too clear on them, said that Magnus would have his chance for revenge . . and then? What about after that? Would he be trapped in the tower, alone . . just himself and a tower full of Alchemists . . . ah. Well . . that wouldn''t be so bad . . Alright. Power. Strength. Then . . the best way to find an Alchemist? Hmm . . the same way I followed the hunters to find the Griffon, couldn''t I follow the Witching Road to find an Alchemist? It makes sense . . join the Witching Road, follow them until they are fighting an Alchemist and . . and . . Magnus gulped . . save him. Then, go with the Alchemist because, you know, surely they would let Magnus be their follower and let him into the tower, right? Ah hells, that''s the best idea? What else is there? Maybe . . maybe I don''t need to save an Alchemist! Maybe I only need to get in good with someone who the Alchemists have accepted as a student, right? Yeah! Lord Tygis was allowed into the Alchemists tower with his son, no? That makes a little more sense . . . so I only need to find someone who an Alchemist has recommended . . easy, right? So, what''s the best way of going about that? Hmm . . joining the Witching Road? Magnus weighed the token Waldemar had given him in his hand. It still seems like the best option. Surely, if they are hunting all those who collaborate with Alchemists, they have to be going after the students of Alchemists, right? Magnus sat back down within the formation, consumed entirely by his thoughts. He didn''t see the giant wolf as it bounded out of the forest and sped towards him, didn''t even notice it gallop over the corpses and sniff around the woods for trees formation. "Sif!" Magnus shot to his feet, dashing out of the formation. The giant white wolf sat obediently, dropping the wax candle on to the ground before Magnus. Magnus picked it up, weighing it in his hands. It felt light, abnormally so, even for a somewhat stubby thick candle, it felt like it would float out of his hands with the slightest breeze. "What''s this Sif?" "Awoo!" "Ah. A candle. From Kujata?" "Awoo!" "Well . . what am I meant to do with it?" Sif turned its head to one side. "Awoo?" "A candle . . a candle . . I guess . . I''m meant to light it?" "Woof!" "Ah. Excuse me." "I guess if big sis has sent it all this way she means for me to . . " "Grr!" "Ahem. Pardon, but . ." Magnus spun around. Behind him was a young man and girl dressed all in white, short swords at their side. The brother and sister! Sif jumped up, growling at them both "Look brother! Look how cute it is! Good wolf!" Min called out, delighted at seeing the giant white wolf. "Good boy! Or is it a girl? SIT!" Min commanded. Sif instantly sat down, tongue lolling from its mouth. Magnus mind went blank, his mouth falling open. His first instinct was to run . . . but the moment Min had commanded ''Sit!'' he''d felt an almost irresistible urge to fall to the ground obediently. 062 - The Sleeping Forest 062 - The Sleeping Forest Magnus planted his feet firmly on the ground. An odd energy coursed through him, a yellow coloured force that gathered around his core. The small white core beneath his navel spun, pressed down by the force spinning faster and faster, the pressure growing . . "Min!" "What? Oh alright." Min sighed. The pressure Magnus felt instantly dispersed. Sif growled, not taking his eyes of the black haired girl. "Nevermind. Excuse my sister, ah, Lars? Lars wasn''t it. Min can be a somewhat impulsive." Soo shrugged apologetically. "Humph!" Min snorted, her attention turning to Sif. Magnus panted. The effects of the yellow force coursing through his body . . it was as the girls single word had sunk down into his bones. Around the girl''s throat there was a hazy yellow aura . . yellow . . Mens! One of the Logos! What was the lesson? Mens . . yellow energy, linked to divination and the occult . . what were its effects? "Not one much for words, Lars? Well, nevermind. My name is Sung Soo, this is my sister Sung Min. We''ve been following you see, out of curiosity. You weren''t entirely truthful with those fellow before now, were you?" Soo approached the patch of dirt where Magnus had laid the formation stones, staring at it intently. "This formation . . its not from this world, is it? It isn''t an Alchemist''s formation either . ." "The formation? You want to know about that?" Magnus replied. "Yes!" Soo clapped his hands. "I''ve never seen anything quite like it! What is it? An invisibility formation? How does it hide your aura? What affect does it have on the space around it? Is it similar to the Navigators Hideaways? Where did you learn it?" ". . ." "How many tokens does it use? How is it powered? You don''t seem to have and Animus . ." "What a cute wolf! Can I keep it brother?" Min approached Sif with her hand outstretched. "Grr!" Sif snarled, baring his fangs, crouching behind Magnus. "Min, please!" "Oh please, look at him brother! He''s nothing but boring brute! One of the dumb ants from this backwards world the Alchemists have. Why even bother trying to communicate with him?" "Min . . just let me handle this . ." Soo sighed. "Look at him! Use your eyes Soo, look! He''s just a normal barbarian! What is he going to know about formations?" A yellow energy gathered around Soo eyes, an intense glare fell upon Magnus. He felt as if every inch of him was laid bare, examined in the greatest of detail. "Huuu . . when you''re right, you''re right sis. A barely formed warrior core . . and nothing more. You really are from this world, aren''t you Lars?" Soo drew his curved short sword, a sharp aura filled the air. Magnus grew tense, raising his fists. Soo swung at the ground where the formation lay cutting through the earth and turning it over. The single swipe of his sword threw up a mound of dirt, the eight green formation stones flew up into the air. Soo waved his hand and the stones fell at his feet. "Green stones? Malachite? This is . . hmm . ." "Stop! Give those back!" Magnus rushed at Soo. "STOP!" Min commanded. Magnus froze in his tracks. A clear strand of yellow energy shot from Mins mouth and enveloped him entirely. "This . . I don''t recognize the tokens . . and the sigil, the energy used to infuse it . . how curious. What is it, Lars?" ". . ." "Answer my brother, barbarian. SPEAK!" Again, the spiritual force flowed into Magnus. Before he could help himself he found his mouth opening, the words forming on his tongue. "It is Vigour . . uh . . ah!" "Vigour? Life force? But that . ." A look of confusion rose in Soo''s face. He crouched by the stones and sent a thread of blue energy into them. The thread bounced off the stone, shooting off red sparks. "It really is Vigour!" I need to move! Run! Do anything Magnus, come on! The small white core spun furiously under the pressure, a tremendous burning sensation boiled within Magnus belly, forcing its way out and fighting back against the yellow force. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Magnus felt every muscle and bone strain with effort, the words of Min along with the energy were like iron shackles keeping him in place . . but they were weakening . . "Awooo!" Sif howled, pouncing. "Min! Watch out!" The giant white wolf launched itself up into air over Magnus'' head, its open maw coming down on Min. "BAD WOLF! DOWN!" Min roared. Sif''s hind legs plummeted to the ground, the force of its leap sending the giant white wolf rolling in the dirt next to Min. The force keeping Magnus in place evaporated, Magnus immediately circulated the his core energy through his body. Get the stones! Magnus rushed forwards and catching Soo by surprise. Soo had his sword at the ready, responding to Magnus sudden mad dash with a simple slash. Magnus raised his arm to fend of the blow. Clang! The blade sliced through the flesh of his left arm, stopping only at the bone. Soo seemed just as shocked as Magnus, both frozen in place. "Ah ha! Nice one brother!" Min drew her short sword. "Now, just finish the brute off. I can keep the big wolf, right?" Magnus clenched his teeth, filling his fist with power and punching Soo in the chest with all his might. Soo stepped back with the punch, leaving his sword wedged in Magnus arm. Even though a great deal of the force of Magnus¡¯ punch was negated by him stepping back, Soo clutched his chest coughing up a mouthful of blood. "Brother!" "This power . . it isn''t something a warrior core should have!" An intense yellow aura condensed around Soo''s eyes, shooting out at Magnus. Magnus rolled, picking up a handful of dirt and throwing it at Soo''s eyes, blinding him. "STOP!" Min yelled at Magnus, freezing him in place. "Grrr!" Sif leapt up once more, snapping at Min. "STAY!" Min turned, yelling at Sif. Magnus felt the energy holding him in place weaken again, taking advantage of Min being distracted by Sif to rip the sword from his arm and rush at her from behind. "STOP!" Min yelled desperately. "NO MOVING!" Both Magnus and Sif stuck in place. Magnus felt a sharp killing intent rise from Soo. The curved sword in his hand vibrated fiercely, flying out of his grip and into Soo''s hand. Soo advanced a step, falling to his knees, his white clothes stained with blood. Min rushed to her brother side. Soo coughed up another mouthful of blood, trying to wipe the dirt from his face. "Sis! The Vigour! I know what it is! Kill them!" "Both? . . alright brother, if you say so." Sif''s giant body trembled as Min walked up beside his head. She placed the tip of her sword on his eye and pushed it through, right up to the wolf''s brain. Magnus trembled, held in place and unable to even move his mouth to speak. Min approached Magnus, placing her sword at his throat. Move! Dammit! Move! The blade cut through his skin, plunging into Magnus'' throat and cutting his jugular and all the way to his spine. Magus remained upright, blood pouring out from his neck. Move! Magnus shook . . even at death''s door he was helpless to resist the full force of Min''s commands. The white energy within his core poured out, flowing through his arms and legs . . but it wasn''t enough. A deep bubbling rage boiled up, an immense heat from within Magnus'' bones . . his skin cracking and splitting apart. Before Min could pull her sword out Magnus hand shot out, his fingers covered in black lines, grabbing Min around the throat and hoisting her up into the air. Min clawed at his hand, her eyes bulging. "Sis!" A yellow energy formed into a arrow and shot into Magnus'' eyes. All the colours of the world reversed, all sorts of painful flashing lights sparked in his vision, but he did not lessen his grip on the girl in any way. ¡°Let go of her!¡± Soo struggled up, stumbling at them and slashing down on Magnus¡¯ arm. The blade smashed into the black lines, bouncing off. Magnus vision swam in and out of focus, he felt another blow as Soo raised his sword and brought it down on his arm to no effect. 063 - The Sleeping Forest 063 - The Sleeping Forest "Sister!" Soo cried out, hacking down with full force, his blade slashing down on Magnus'' arm. "Release her! Let her go!" Soo raised his sword above his head, his chest heaving, and cleaved down on his shoulder. The blade entered an inch into Magnus'' flesh, but no further. No matter how she tried Min could not dislodge Magnus'' black veined hand from her throat. Her gasps grew shorter, eyes turning white and bulging, finally going limp. Soo spluttered, coughing up another mouthful of blood. He brought down his sword again to no effect, slashing and stabbing desperately. I can move! The enormous weight that had been pressing down on Magnus evaporated as soon as Min fell unconscious. Magnus dropped the girl, grabbing the sword in his shoulder and Soo''s clothes with his other hand. "Filthy brute! Unhand me!" Soo struggled to escape Magnus'' hold, unable to pull his sword or take a step back. Bam! Magnus slapped Soo in the side of the head sending him crumpling to the ground. "Haaaaaa, haaaaah . . " Blood was still pouring out from the gaping wound in Magnus'' neck, every limb felt like it was weighed down by iron shackles. Soo tried to roll over, crawling on the dirt towards his sister. "Ahh!" Soo cried out in agony as Magnus stepped on his back. The white clothes stained with blood and dirt, Magnus pressed down with even greater force. Kill . . . kill them . . crush him . . No. Wait. Don''t kill them. Eat. Devour! Swallow them whole! Magnus felt a wave of dizziness wash through him, sparks of light and colours turning the world inside out. Beneath his foot Soo still struggled, Magnus lifted his boot and stomped down on his head . . Careful . . don''t kill . . ah haa . . All the power Magnus had god from the Griffon now flowed out from the wound in his neck and shoulder. The small white core trembled, a dozen tiny fractures appeared, a numb cold sensation spread from beneath his navel up through his chest. I''m dying . . I''m dying again . . will I come back? I''ve died before . . but I''ve never been this hungry . . Magnus collapsed to the ground next to the brother and sister. I can see again . . I can move . . Magnus salivated looking at them both. From his finger emerged a red thread, he pointed it at Soo . . . wait . . I need to do something first . . Kujatas voice ringing in his head; never eat outside a formation. He felt weaker with every passing moment, collapsing after placing and infusing the last stone, a pressing desire to eat, drool running down his chin. Soo''s inner sea and sky trembled as Magnus shot his red thread out. The thousands of flashing clouds were pierced right through, innumerable red mouths spreading out to every corner of the sky. Huge waves rose and fell, thunderous roars and bangs . . Magnus was well used to it by now. He guided the thread of Vigour as it split, swallowing the waters, devouring the flashing clouds. Soo was grievously injured, Magnus could feel the wane and ebb of his life forces, feel the inexorable pull of the void. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. There was something beneath the waves . . Magnus guided a red thread down into the depths of the ocean. A shining yellow orb made from a dozen threads pulsated gently beneath the seas, like a ripe peach . . he pierced right into it, drinking the yellow energy whole. All that was Soo was swallowed whole. Every memory, every scrap of power, all the accumulated life force was cracked open, relentlessly devoured. This wasn''t a broken inner world like with Lars, Soo had his entire body and mind intact, and devoured it all. So many memories . . so many people . . all kinds of information and knowledge flowed into Magnus, incredible sights and places . . There was a palace . . a giant stone and wood palace that stretched as far as the eye could see . .countless courtyards, countless people . . familiar faces . . boys and girls and all kinds of colours . . Min! Min, sitting beside me, both reading from a book . . look, isn''t that father? A handsome man in mail armour approached, a warm smile and open arms . . his touch . . father . . Sung Hu . . . mother . . Ji Min! Their faces floated before his eyes, their small courtyard in the outer palace . . spring and summers drifting by . . More than two decades worth of memories entered into his mind all at once. There were worlds . . the forests of distant worlds . . the endless flaming peaks . . a city of flashing lights . . the Alchemists revolving tower! His body warmed, the flow of blood restored. The wound in his neck healed in a flash, a great deal of the energy he absorbed from Soo flowing to his injuries. In a matter of moments the muscles and flesh healed, all the black lines that had appeared sunk back down beneath his skin. It is inside me . . around the small white core was now an extra aura, a faint yellow thread curling around the seed like core. This is . . Mens . . a spirit thread . . Magnus lay still next to Soo''s corpse, entirely absorbed by the many images and smells and sounds. Strict lessons in a bright classroom . . hours spent practicing sword play with others . . days and weeks and months . . An undetermined amount of time passed, Magnus lay in a dream like state. Nearby . . Min stirred into wakefulness, her throat almost crushed. She sat up in a daze, seeing Magnus and Soo right next to her. "Brother!" Her voice hoarse and cracked, the clear imprint of a hand on her throat. She fell on her brother''s body, his eyes open, unseeing. "Soo! Brother!" Min''s sobs woke Magnus from his stupor . . "Sis?" Magnus blinked. "Min, sis, I''m right here . . oh." "You! How are you . . your neck!" Min fell back in horror. "You''ve killed him! Your skin . . STAY! DON''T MOVE! Hahgh!" Her voice croaked with the effort, the yellow spirit threads faint, unable to affect Magnus in the slightest. "Min . . that''s right . . sis . ." A red thread appeared from Magnus finger. 064 - The Sleeping Forest 064 - The Sleeping Forest Magnus'' clothes were in tatters; blood stained, torn at the shoulder, his hunters jacket slashed and cut and covered in blood. "No . . the Vigour! STOP! No!" Min fell back over her brother''s body, crawling on her hands and knees. "Brother . . a Celestial! Please, stop! Don''t come any closer!" She found her short sword on the ground and waved the tip at him. Magnus pointed the red thread at her, sending it shooting through the air. Clang! A faint yellow aura covered Min''s sword, she slashed at the red thread stopping its progress. Magnus frowned, the thread curled through the air and shoot forward again . . clang! The yellow aura, Mens. It can be used in this way? What if I had a sword, could I use Vigour in the same way? A myriad of applications for Mens and Vigour rose in Magnus mind, the method of creating an aura and sustaining it and imbuing weapons and items. Is this what the brother and sister had been doing? Mens, the spirit realm and divination when focused on a particular body part could amplify their abilities, depending on the individual''s affiliation. Soo used it to enhance his vision and create illusions by stimulating his opponents sense of sight . . . Min used a similar principle to create a command effect by manipulating sound and directly influencing the subconscious. A simple ward would prove those effects entirely useless, anyone with the slightest bit of Mens would be able to guard against it naturally . . that must be why her voice can''t affect me now. Magnus retracted the thread of Vigour, unable to pass through Min''s desperate guard. And now? Well, knock her out then devour. Can I use Mens? Magnus focused on the yellow aura around his core and tried to bring it out of his finger. A fine yellow thread appeared from his finger tip extending out. Success! And now? Can I use Mens to attack directly? What about . . Min watched Magnus, a frantic expression on her face. The gore stained youth seemed perfectly calm, a faint smile on his face . . he stood over Soo''s body. A Celestial! Here! On one of the Alchemists worlds! Escape . . run away . . her whole body shook. Soo . . brother . . I don''t want to die! She struggled to her feet taking advantage of Magnus'' distraction to try and run. "Hmm. STOP!" Magnus commanded. Min shivered, running on unaffected. "I guess not. Oh well." Magnus picked a rock and threw it, striking Min''s leg and sending her tumbling to the ground next to a hunter''s corpse. Mens! He can use Mens! That means . . the stories are true! A devourer . . a real Celestial! He . . . brother . . Min trembled with fear, unable to put any weight onto her leg. Not like this . . not like this . . A fierce white aura mixed with the yellow energy gathering on the blade of Min''s curved short sword. On her forehead appeared a red mark. "Brother . ." Tears streamed down Min''s face. "Barbarian! I curse you! I curse you to death!" Min declared fiercely. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Magnus felt a sudden chill. The mark . . A mark of Vigour! Danger! The yellow and white energies, what was she trying to do? He searched the newfound memories but came up blank. The girl was doing something dangerous . . a curse . . a curse . . In his memories appeared a small library within a run down courtyard. There, after the lessons Min and Soo would read from the ancient texts, I would . . no, Soo would study formations, Min preferred to look at the more exotic texts. The mark on Min''s forehead shone a blood red. Vigour! Everyone has one strand of Vigour, it is their lifeline . . Min raised the shortsword, her eyes fixed on Magnus, bringing the tip to her chest. Eyes wide open, without even a moment of hesitation, she plunged the blade into her heart. She collapsed, the mark on her head fading. Her blood poured from the open wound, flowing not to the ground but into the blade. A thick stench of blood, a hundred times more than even the stench of death from the corpses of the hunters, rose from Min''s body, all mixing with a powerful yellow energy and infusing into her sword. The Heart Sword! A feeling of intense danger descended on Magnus. He recognized this curse, she''d read it to him! The Heart Sword! A blade of relentless pursuit, a sword formed from the essence and lifeblood of the practitioner that relentlessly slaughtered the target of the curse! Too late! If I had acted quickly I might have been able to stop the curse! Above Min floated the short sword, the blade turned a crimson colour, a sharp yellow aura emanating out . . It hung in the air, wavering slightly. Now . . the curse is finalizing . . it will come after me and won''t stop until I am dead. Hmm. The Heart Sword curse . . how can it be broken? If I could use a reversal . . to reverse a death curse, ha . . ahhhh . . oww! A stinging pain shot through Mangus mind, as if both sides of his brain were being pulled apart within his skull. What the devil was that? I was thinking . . a curse . . ah hells, what do I know about curses? I''ve gotta get to Kujata . . . ah, Sif! Oh . . ohhh . . my head . . The floating sword turned in the air, its blood coloured tip pointing at Magnus. Swoosh! In a flash it shot through the air at him right at his head. Magnus raised his hand in the way of the sword, grabbing it as the blade stabbed through his palm. It struggled furiously, cutting open his palm, but unable to break through and stab deeper. He pinched the metal between two fingers and snapped it, breaking the rest of the blade in the same manner, taking the guard and throwing it out over the battlefield. So much for that. . . . Around the field of corpses the stench of blood and death grew thicker. The broken bits of the Heart Sword vibrated, flying up into the air, joining back together into a single sword. It spun, pointing at Magnus once more. What a headache . . 065 - The Sleeping Forest 065 - The Sleeping Forest The short sword trembled, slashing through the air at him. Magnus raised his arm to catch it again, but the sword suddenly stopped, raising up and slashing down on his head forcing him to leap back. Cheeky little bastard! It adapted so fast . . The sword flew through the air, a thick yellow aura gathered at its tip. Magnus remained still this time, letting it approach to within a foot before reacting. Swoosh! Just as the tip pierced the outer layer of his jacket Magnus twisted his torso, the sword stabbing through the flesh of his side. He quickly grabbed hold of the hilt, pulling it out and holding it tightly. The short sword vibrated fiercely in his grasp, trying to break free or cut at him. No good. The Heart Sword simply wasn''t strong enough to break out of his grip. What about a sheath? Min had been wearing a sheath at her waist, right? Magnus thrust the blade into the hardwood sheath, but it instantly split, the blood aura intensifying its ferocity. He could feel the depths of the curse . . a black hatred soaked into the very fabric of the sword. Breaking is no good, it won''t stay sheathed, hmm. This was truly a troublesome matter. Magnus focused on the aura around the blade for a time, sending a yellow thread of Mens out from his fingertip. The thread touched the blood coloured aura and could go no further. No good. What about Vigour? He did the same with a red thread, nothing. Min had always been the one to study curses, even going so far as to steal into Ji Min''s personal library . . a curse like this would be nearly impossible to break with the materials on this world, but that didn''t mean it would be impossible to deal with. Ji Min . . mother . . mother? Magnus felt a sharp pain behind his eyes. No . . not my . . he took a deep breath, the throbbing in his head slowly passing. Any curse like the Heart Sword would have its limits, a way to dispel the effects . . hmm . . it would have to have a certain range, a limit to how far it could detect its target. Alright. He looked around, spotting a nearby boulder by the river. Magnus acted without hesitation, slamming the blade onto a rock and shattering it. Before the pieces could gather back together he lifted the boulder and smashed it down on the pieces, burying the sword in the ground. On the boulder he etched the shape of an eye within an open palm with the tip of his finger, sending out a thread of Mens as he drew. A simple Hamsa ward, ought to suffice to keep the curse in check for a time. If I hurry I could get out of the range of the curse. "Min, how far is the effect for the Heart Sword?" Magnus muttered aloud. "Oh, right. Nevermind." He shook his head sadly. Where to now? Back to Kujata? He looked over at the corpse of Sif . . she won''t be too happy about that. Poor mutt. Ah. Didn''t it bring me something? Magnus took another look at white candle. Of course, if she''s given me this it''s obviously to light. I wonder why? Magnus sniffed the candle . . there didn''t seem to be anything untoward, just normal wax and wick, no medicinal aromas. Should I just light it here? Hmm. Probably best not to hang around, find a cave or somewhere safe . . from what? I can just use the woods for trees formation! Ah ha! Thats right, what a wonderful formation! Magnus found a relatively cleaner set of clothes from a hunter about his build, replacing his torn jacket and gathered the green stones, pausing to look at the corpses of Soo and Min. I can''t leave them here like this . . . what if someone come looking for them? Oh, thats right. In his mind arose memories of the last couple of weeks, Min and Soo travelling through Jute, coming down on one of the Alchemists formations to the south. No one''s going to come, not for me or sis . . not for Soo or Min. They''d be expected back before the auction on Domus starts, but even if they didn''t return. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Who was going to come looking for lowly servants of the fourth outer court? Sung Hu was in the outer palace, he wouldn''t be back for months, and mother . . mother . . no! My mother is . . Ji Min? No . . my mother''s name is . . my father''s name is . . Magnus face contorted with confusion. My parents . . what are their names? I can''t . . I can''t remember! My name, I''m Magnus Lund. Kloster . . . Rolf . . Pa Lund . . mother . . father . . why can''t I remember their names? They look . . they look like . . ah . . my brother and sister . . my . . Festus . . FESTUS! Arrgghh! No matter how much he tried, Magnus could not see the faces or remember the names of his family, his memories and those of Soo overlapping and conflicting, a boiling rage erupting every time the image of Festus or any other Alchemist appeared within his mind''s eye. Soo had seen plenty of Alchemists, they had come to this world using the Alchemists interstellar formations . . the towers . . the auction . . A vast amount of information paraded itself before Magnus, everything that Soo had seen, had heard, had experienced within his life! Focus! Where do I go . . what do I do now? Yeah . . on Soo . . Magnus went over to Soo¡¯s body and rifled through the inner pockets, finding a pouch heavy with coins and stone tokens. Not much, but the tokens could be used to travel through the Alchemists formation back to Domus, useless to Magnus as they had been keyed to Min and Soo. The token . . thats right! Something was off about the stone token Waldemar had given him. Magnus took out the stone with the imprint of a fist, sending a yellow thread out into it. Within the stone token there was a faint trace of Animus, a single blue thread in the shape of a five pointed star. An Alchemist''s tracking sigil! The Witching Road . . the people who fought against the tyranny of the Alchemists . . Magnus gathered his mind, setting off south towards the Vale. It would take a day at a quick pace to get back to the village at the foot of the horn, not more than a half day from the Vale to the shrine. The wound in his side where the sword stabbed through had already knitted over, only a slight scar remained. In a pouch at his side he placed the several green stones and the stone token he''d got from Waldemar. Magnus set off at a decent jog, running down the dirt roads south, soon leaving the field of corpses far behind. He searched for a hour, finding a small cave in the side of a cliff, blocking the entrance with a large rock and drawing another Hamsa on the interior. Right. If the Heart Sword comes again . . when it comes the ward should hold it for a time. He quickly placed the green stones around him and infused them with a strand of Vigour. This is enough to keep me hidden from most things, but a curse like the Heart Sword . . he drew several sigils around the outside of the formation. I just . . I just know this will work . . not once did he question the efficacy of the sigils, they had always worked this way in the past during practice with sis . . Slap! Magnus hit himself fiercely in the face. Focus! Concentrate! *** Back in the field, by the river the boulder shook, the eye within the palm flared and glowed red hot . . a sharp yellow aura leaking out. In a matter of minutes the sigil faded entirely. The dirt beneath the boulder trembled, from the earth burst the Heart Sword. It spun through the air, finally finding the direction Magnus had departed and shooting out after him. *** 066 - The Sleeping Forest 066 - The Sleeping Forest The instant Magnus lit the candle the space within the cave was filled with a warm orange glow. The candle was far brighter than it had any right to be, a yellow-red flame flickering, casting deep shadows. "Ah. Took you a while." Kujata''s voice echoed in the cave. "Send a strand of Vigour into the flame." Magnus touched the flame with a red thread, feeling a great heat flow up into his arm. With it came an irresistible suction drawing into the flames. He blinked, opened his eyes wide and stared around incredulous; no longer within the cave, Magnus found himself in a small garden within an inner courtyard. Sat before in a light blue dress Kujata, her dark eyes examining him intently. "This place . . is this an Ether construct?" Magnus peered around the garden, there was a certain unreality emanating from the many plants and flowers, even the stone walls seemed to be made of ghostly bricks. "You knew?" Kujata exclaimed, her eyes turning wide. "Of course, I''ve been to a few in the palace . . though not as shoddily constructed." "!" Kujata leapt to her feet. "Magnus?" "Magnus? . . who else?" Magnus replied. "Who else? Who else! What palace?" "Why, the Endless Palace of course, the Imperial Court on Segye. Min and I were . . ah . . . master! Big sis! My head!" "You . . you . . you ate someone. Ah . . oh . . oh no. You ate someone. But for it to have such a profound effect . ." Kujata paced back and forth in the courtyard. Magnus clenched his teeth, an increasingly sharp pain, like a storm raging behind his eyes. "You must have awoken, must have . . that feeling four days ago, it was you! Magnus, listen, what aspect did it take? What creature did you see?" "Creature? I saw a Griffon . . the Griffon I devoured, I saw it in a strange place . . I''m a Celestial, right? You''re a Celestial too, right Kujata? Kujata . . that name . . the Heavenly Bull!" "What else did you see?" Kujata insisted. "The Griffon you saw, it got eaten by something, right? What creature? Was it a bull? A lion? A snake? It must have been big." "I saw nothing like that big sis! I saw . . the Griffon, and the black broke apart, and there was a hand. Yeah, a really big hand . . it ate the Griffon!" "A hand? What?" Kujata stopped in front of Magnus. "A . . human hand?" "Well, it was really big. What is happening to me sis? Is a hand my aspect? I''m a Celestial . . I am . ." Kujata sat back down in silence staring at him. A hand. That isn''t right . . not an aspect? No. Everything else, the profound confusion at his self of sense, it wouldn''t happen if he hadn''t awakened an aspect. But from just one measly Griffon? She hadn''t thought that all the Griffons in the world would form an aspect. A hand . . a giant hand . . "Big sis! What is gonna happen to me? I can''t remember my pa or ma! I mean . . I know they were there . . I can remember Rolf, but my home . . what is happening to me?" "Don''t panic. Sit still." If she left it as is he would continue to lose his memories . . from now on Magnus'' sense of self would continue to deteriorate. Maybe . . maybe she should let it happen? Maybe it was for the best? An aspect that profoundly devoured would be inevitably coloured by the process if not centered, the Celestial degenerates into . . into . . ¡°What happened to Sif? How did he die?¡± ¡°Killed by Min.¡± Magnus replied. Kujata¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Tell me everything that''s happened to you.¡± Magnus spoke, telling her of the hunters and heroes and of the brother and sister, not missing out a single detail, ending with the curse of the Heart Sword. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°. . . and my sister, uh, Min, the girl . . she . . not my sister . .¡± ¡°Take it easy Magnus, relax your mind.¡± ¡°What is happening big sis? My head . . it doens¡¯t feel my own. My memories are of here, but at the same time I see . . I can¡¯t see what is me, what is Soo.¡± Kujata sighed, meeting Magnus worried gaze. "Alright. It''s not too late Magnus, I feared this might happen, but it''s alright. You devoured someone strong after awakening your aspect, yes? It''sIt''s my fault, my fault. I should have . . nevermind. Ok." Kujata waved her hand and the garden and the house vanished. In their place was a river of black water running through an endless expanse of ash-grey grass. "You need to gain control of your aspect, center your self in the inner world. Here in the Ether it is easier to make a connection to the self, you follow?" "So . . this place is inside myself? The Ether . . it is a spiritual plane, outside of space and time, connected to the inner and outer world. I understand big sis." "Ah. Ah aha ha!" Kujata grinned at him. "So you do! But Magnus, what does it mean? What is the inner and outer world?" "Uh . . yeah . . I said that, didn''t I? It is . ." Magnus floundered. "Half remembered knowledge. Better than nothing at all, just follow my instructions. This is your ethereal body, a spirit form, you''ve been in spirit form before, when near death, right? Right. Well, the spirit form is very similar to your physical body, all the bits and bobs are more or less in the same place." She looked just like she had at the shrine, a little cleaner maybe, less messy hair. Looking down Magnus saw he was almost translucent, his clothes and limbs ghostly and pale. "Think of it like a reflection of your body and mind, but a little more malleable. This world, the Ether, is like a waking dream, see?" As she spoke she raised an open palm, on it was an apple. The apple deformed, collapsing in on itself and shrunk down to a golden coin with the image of an apple on one side and a sword on the reverse. The coin hovered above Kujata''s palm, spinning slow. Without quite seeing how, suddenly there were two coins, then four, then eight, slowly turning in the air between them. Kujata clapped her hands together and the coins merged into one overlapping gold coin, growing and growing, in the space of a breath becoming as large as the whole space from horizon to horizon, everything in the world now in a gap below the coin. "Anything is possible here, for the mind that is in possession of the self." The coin became the sun, the world shook and from the grey grass grew countless buildings, every blade of ash coloured grass became an ash coloured house, growing windows and doors, floors blossoming up like opening flowers. "Illusions, pale imitations. It is easy to form countless things . . but to create a single real thing here?" Kujata pressed her palms together, slowly peeling them apart to reveal a small gold coin. Holding it out for Magnus to see, she gently blew on the coin and it crumbled. "As Celestials we need to be properly grounded, ah hells, I''d wished it wouldn''t come so soon! There are a thousand things more that you ought to know before . . hells. Right, right, listen Magnus, what you have to do is put a part of yourself down here and make it grow, set yourself in it and force it to take form, whatever form that might be. The city, the buildings - this is all a part of me, I guess in a way a reflection of my self. You need to find a reflection of yourself." 067 - The Sleeping Forest 067 - The Sleeping Forest Kujata exhaled deeply, a light wind flowing from her mouth spread throughout the expanse. With it, every house and building fluttered, breaking into innumerable white petals, vanishing up into the sky. In a matter of seconds all that was left was the river and the endless plane of ash coloured grass. "I have shown you what I can Magnus. You have seen the method in its entirety." "But, what do I do? How do I put part of myself here?" "Think - what did I do? I opened my hand, right? The apple, the seed; open your hand, clear your mind." Magnus opened both his hands and held them up, turning them over. Empty. He thought for a moment, remembering every one of Kujata¡¯s actions and brought his right hand to his chest, closing it tight. Clear my mind . . one of the first things Kujata had taught him along with the stances and formation. A simple thing, she''d said - visualize a great big table. On the table are all the things that you''ve seen or heard, all the things that have accumulated in your day to day life, all the things that worry or frustrate, that take up space in your mind. Now gently push them off with your hand, off the table. Magnus repeated the motion, seeing the table and clearing it again and again until there was nothing. Any thought or memory that appeared would be pushed off, until only the act of breathing and the clear table remained. There is something in my hand. The is . . . he unfurled his fingers. In the palm of his and were three seeds. The first tiny and white, the same shape as an apple seed apart from the colour. The second was a rust coloured acorn, and the third a golden sycamore seed. All three seeds weighed incredibly heavy on his palm, felt far more real than his even his own hand. What now? They are seeds for trees . . I should plant them? He knelt down by the river, digging a small hole and burying the seeds within. This is the right thing to do, but it is not enough. What comes next? Magnus sat down beside the slow flowing black waters looking only at the mound of earth. As he sat there the Ether seemed to fade, as if the invisible sun were slowly setting. Kujata watched his actions intently, her body slowly fading with the light, until nothing remained in the Ether except for a single patch of light illuminating Magnus, the mound of dirt, and a fraction of the river. Part of myself . . the seeds are already part of me, no? No . . they are the vessel, not the self. Not the self? The self, she was clear. Make a place for your self. Me. The I. All Magnus Lund is. All the things that make me, well, me. Those are? Those are . . my memories, right? No . . my memories . . Kloster . . Rolf, Pa Lund . . my mother, my father . . why can''t I see their faces? My father, working the iron in the smitty, his name . . his face . . pa . . ma . . Festus! For five years we trusted him! Five years of death, of watching brothers and friends die for a pointless cause! That . . that I wanted to be a giant . . was I mad? Were we all mad? No! They died with honour! The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.These last months . . from Kloster to the Vale and the Horn . . the people I met . . bloody Caj! If I see him again I''ll . . I''ll . . and Lars . . and his father . . big sis . . no, no, these are only the things that have happened, people I have known. I may have experienced, but those are not me. My body? My arms, my legs, my skin, my bones . . those are me. The black skin beneath . . it has saved me again and again, a curse! The skin of my enemies . . the result of blasted experimentation! That, and the putrid yellow pus . . but Kujata taught me how to eat, how to keep it all at bay. This is my body . . but not my self, only a part of the whole. My threads! The Vigour! The living threads, everyone has one - it is my life, my spirit, right? This is something that is mine and mine alone, If I send a thread into the seeds, they will surely grow! A single red thread flew through the air from his fingertip into the mound of earth, he felt it touch the three seeds and instantly disintegrated. Magnus coughed up a mouthful of blood, suddenly back within the cave. The candle was still lit in front of him, his chest ached, his eye sunk. What happened? I sent a thread of Vigour into the seeds and . . and it failed. A thread of life has been destroyed. How many do I have? Celestials are infamous for having many threads, right? It was written in Hrang''s Third Discourse - that is how they devour, the war . . the great war was . . . ahhh! No! Not me! Not I! Magnus! It felt as if a wild fire burnt through his mind, exterminating countless memories and thoughts, a crashing wave of conflicting times, places, of his mind being slammed against a brick wall. Breathe! Deep breaths! Relax, Magnus! Focus on the candle! Get back to the Ether! His breathing ragged, the veins on his neck swollen and pulsating, Magnus focused on the flickering candle before him, sending his mind once more into the Ether. Calm . . quiet . . Magnus sat once more before the buried seeds, the world faded into an endless starless night. My self. Me. She didn''t say that . . she only said to put in part of myself . . the seeds came from me, right? What do seeds need to grow? Earth and water, they''ve got both. What did Kujata do? She made a coin appear, made it multiply into many coins and back into one. Make the one many, make the many one . . The three seeds . . make them many . . hmmm. Split the earth? Divide it? Kujata''s words rang through his mind; for a mind in possession of the self anything is possible in the Ether. A malleable world, right? Nothing is real here . . anything can be . . In his mind Magnus formed an image of the three seeds, seeing himself open his hand and have them appear, and going through the motions of burying them once more. As soon as he did, a second mound appeared next to the first, a little ways away from the river. Closing his eyes, he repeated the motions, imagining once more the seeds appearing and burying them in the earth. Again and again, until there were hundreds of mounds of earth, three identical seeds buried in each one. 068 - The Sleeping Forest 068 - The Sleeping Forest The many mounds filled the land beside the black river, the earth they were buried in slowly turning dark, becoming black itself, a rich earthy smell filled the air. Magnus breathed it all in; inhaling the deep scents of the earth and exhaling a white vapour. Nothing. A blank mind, an empty table. Only me, only the seeds, the one is made many and the many become one . . the next stage . . One by one the mounds of earth trembled, starting from those furthest away, a ghostly image of a mound separated and floated through the air, coming to rest over the very first mound. The ghostly mounds rose by the dozen, flowing through the air in ethereal shades and overlapping the mound of earth in front of Magnus, every time they did the patch of dirt grew a little, seemed a little more real. With every breath he felt himself more and more a part of the natural cycle, felt that the entire process was not only right; it was written, part of the fabric of his being, part of the world. is all . . is all . . A deep voice whispered over the breeze sounding everywhere at once. "All is one is all." The words rose unbidden to Magnus'' lips. . . all is one is all . . . . is one is all . . . . one is all . . . . is all . . . . all . . A profound sense of the archaic filled the air, as if an ancient tomb had been cracked open and the musty air of a thousand years rushed out. The heavy air settled around the first mound condensing into a black mist. Magnus, his eyes closed, inhaled the black mist deeply, exhaling a churning mass of white mist, every breath mixing the black with the white and forming grey swirls of air. With the passage of time Magnus felt his skin harden, felt the thick air seep down through his flesh and into his bones. The strangest of sensations . . every sinew and nerve tightening, setting into place. Magnus found it was near impossible to move, only his heart beating and chest rising and falling, every other part of his body rooting itself immovably to the earth. Around him the many mounds of earth shook, a shoot of green breaking through the surface, almost all at the same time hundreds of tiny saplings poked up through the dirt. The white mist hung low over the ground, a swirling blanket condensing into thicker pockets of impenetrable fog, the last of the black air swallowed in a single almighty yawn. A thick white mist poured endlessly from his mouth, Magnus felt his throat and tongue harden, his mouth frozen wide open. At the last all that remained was a thump thump steady beat of his heart within a petrified chest. It might have been an eternity, might have been an instant; Magnus could only tell that his heart was still beating. The world around him moved at a time very much of its own, fast and slow, a thousand years, ten thousand years, sunless days, motionless months and years with every slow pulse of blood through his veins, an eternity between every beat of his heart. I am rooted to the earth. My legs, my toes, they are digging down through the soil, searching for nutrients and water . . my skin is bark, my belly and chest are growing up up up, my fingers turning into leaves, bright green stems through which warmth and sap flows. Slow . . the pulse of the world slow . . *** Three towers joined together, countless segments spinning in tandem. Each segment of the tower served a distinct purpose; from the high halls and marble arches of the nameplate libraries to the glittering crystal many coloured windows of an alchemical level. Every part of the towers seemed to be haphazardly stacked up on one another, fitted together around a central core. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.Neither the top nor the bottom of the towers were visible, indeed, many an Alchemist postulated that the towers had no top or bottom, the theory being that all towers were in fact the same, merely at different points in time. This, of course, was never confirmed or denied by the upper echelons of Alchemists, who instead prefered to cultivate an air of mystique about their formations and techniques. Outside of the Alchemists home star system it was incredibly rare for a single tower to remain in orbit around any one planet for a period of time, let alone for two or three towers to join together. Hundreds of Alchemists gathered together in a single forum, sitting on stepped stone benches in a semi circle around a central marble podium, a middle aged Alchemist stood stone faced at it clutching a stack of papers. Several elderly Alchemists, their robes white and made from the highest quality silks and satins, stood at their benches, hurling insults and curses at once another. A dozen more voiced their discontent, stamping their feet and blathering on regardless of others. Beside the podium a fierce elderly Alchemist pounded the marble floor with an iron staff, roaring "Gentlemen! Ladies! Decorum! Let the speaker finish!" The forum fell quiet, in the centre the middle aged man coughed into his sleeve, looking somewhat nervously around the hall. "As I was saying, it is a Celestial! The readings are inarguable! High Magister, there is no other interpretation of the facts, no other way to look at it." "Hmph!" "What about the Oracle?" "Forget the Oracle, what about the auction? Are we to delay that yet again?" "Phooey! Unfounded rumours! No Celestial has been seen for -" "Order!" The staff thudded against the floor silencing the room once more. "The 36th sigil, the 75th parallel, the hundred and eighty containment sectors, they all reacted! It is absolutely unprecedented, I know, but Fellows, Magisters, the facts are incontrovertible!" Up on the higher stone benches a thin Alchemist clad in black robes stood. "What is to be done? If it is a Celestial . . what can we do? Has it been located?" "No - the results, our finding show increased activity, a reaction, but - " "Is it on one of the formation planets?" "Well, we can place it within four hundred star systems, but -" "Four hundred? That''s the whole sector!" "So it isn''t in the formation?" "It can''t be a Celestial, not a chance! There must be a fault in the speakers methodology!" The speaker on the podium wrestled with his papers, finally finding a single sheet and speaking over the hubbub. "We cannot locate it, but our methods are sound . . Sir, High Magistrate, if I may present our findings to the forum?" "Phooey!" "It is a flawed method -" "ORDER!" The High Magistrate roared once more, his face turning bright red, furiously slamming the stave down again and again. "The speaker is to present the findings!" "Thank you sir. Three distinct wave patterns were detected at the time of the anomalies, all three from the Ether. We are unable to locate the physical apparition of the Celestial, but together with the Segye Imperial Court and the Mithraic Seers it is quite possible that the source of the anomaly could be uncovered." "What about the auction?" An elderly Alchemist called out. "What about the new student trials?" "Has the third council ratified a course of action?" The speaker retreated from the central podium, leaving the Alchemists to debate and discuss. For hours they would confer, perhaps even for days, and was no place for those without the stomach for constant disagreement and interruptions. *** 069 - The Sleeping Forest 069 - The Sleeping Forest Slow . . It is and always was, the shape to grow to fit to be . . . Up through the mounds of earth grew tiny saplings, around them swirling a thick soup of white mist. Green shoots, bright supple trees, pale and silver and a dozen shades of brown, all growing at once, taller, thicker, straight and strong. Their roots deep in the earth, their bark smooth and seeping sap. Between the trees ran a black water stream, black water over smooth moss covered stones, slick leaves thick on the ground, a floor of slimy rotting green between the mass of roots, all tangled all knotted up. Above, only the twinkle, only the hint of light between the canopy of branches and leaves, the air cold and damp, the smell of rot and decay, of wood and sap, of earth and dirt . . . . . Magnus opened his eyes. He was sitting on a flat stone by the black water stream. Around, in all directions were countless trees, white mist thick between their trunks making it impossible to see more than a few feet beyond the nearest trees. Only the sound of running water and creaking wood, Magnus took a deep breath and got to his feet, every bone and joint crackling and popping, filth covering his skin and clothes. He splashed some stream water on his face . . strange . . there is something in the river? Putting his face right down to the surface of the stream he saw a glittering rock in the river bed, a faint outline of an animal. And another! The stone next to it, the image of a boar! And the one next to that! In all Magnus counted a dozen faint impressions of animals on shiny rocks at the bottom of the black waters. Looking at them he couldn''t help but feel a certain connection, as if he were looking at a part of himself . . On the river bed lay a large white stone, on it the outline of a Griffon. Magnus could make out its beak, its talons and wings. He stared wide eyed . . it looked almost alive beneath the waters, as if it would break away from the stone and take flight! ". . . sister . . . where am . . . who . . . where . . " A raspy voice called out haltingly, Magnus spun around. Nothing, no-one. ". . go back home . . sis . ." From there! The voice came from a nearby tree. Something on the side of the trunk . . as he approached he saw it. On the bark of the tree was a face, its eyes closed, sap leaking from an open mouth. ". . . don''t cry . . . brother is here . ." Sung Soo. Unmistakably so, its mouth moving and croaking out the words, calling out again and again, his face a living mask made of wood coming out of the bark. Magnus reached out and touched Soo''s face, the second his fingers made contact a rush of memories filled his mind, this time not overbearing and dominating, but in an ordered fashion. Images of a massive palace, of family and friends, of all kinds of marvellous devices and books paraded themselves before Magnus. With a thought Magnus found he could search through the memories, pick out any one, and experience it fully. All the knowledge, all the skills and abilities Soo had practiced over his life, they now made themselves entirely available for him to experience. All that once was Sung Soo now belonged to Magnus. "Sung Min . . Sung Hu, Ji Min . . those are Soo''s family, not mine! My father . ." Magnus removed his hand from Soo''s face on the tree. "Mother . . Malene Lund! My father, Jorn Lund, my sister Christa, brother Egil, ha! Ah hah ah!" Tears of relief streamed down Magnus faces. "Ma, Pa! I remember! Ah!" Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. It felt like the murky fog clouding his mind had been blown away by a mighty gale, even memories Magnus had long forgotten resurfaced. The years of peace, of his father working the forge while brother helped out . . years of exploring the many nooks and alleys of Kloster alongside Rolf, of helping with the hunt and being chased out of the castle by the lords guards . . Of the black skins. Of Festus and the giants . . the last five years . . Magnus had been eleven years old when the black skins first came to Kloster. Have I forgotten that much? No . . it wasn''t that. I never want to think about it . . never wanted to. It wasn''t that bad, the black skins that is. At first they only came in small numbers, snatching cattle or ruining an outhouse . . but even then, anyone who''d tried to stand against them would be torn apart. Lord Tygis had introduced the Alchemist alongside one of his giants, a guardsman volunteer. All of Kloster had watched him lumber down the streets, down to the beaches, and snatch a black skin out of the air crushing it with his bare hands. Strength! Power! That was the first time Magnus could remember that he desperately wanted something, wanted to be as big and strong as a giant. Life had fallen into a natural rhythm in Kloster; it was only proper that people would want to defend their home. When offered the opportunity for strength, who amongst the townsfolk could refuse? He''d seen his brother and sister become giant, fight for years down on the beaches and throughout Kloster, pummeling the black skins. Magnus and Rolf were too young for the trials. As the years went by and the conflict carried on they both were tested and were too weak, their cores being far from the level the Alchemist sought. Egil and Christa both perished on the sands, proud and defiant to the last! There was no shame in their deaths . . no shame . . only . . knowing now of the truth behind the whole thing . .the whole sordid experiment, both the black skins and giants being play things of the Alchemists . . . . the canopy of leaves above his head trembled as a chill wind swept through the forest, even the branches and trunk shook. Magnus'' eyes blazed with newfound fury. Devour! Consume! It doesn''t matter who! Steal everything! Take everything you can! If there is one thing I am going to do with my power it is going to be to drag down Festus, to take all the Alchemists and force their faces into the mud! Below Sung Soo''s face on the tree trunk was a second face, far fainter, cracked and worn smooth. Magnus stared at it for a time . . Lars. Lars Anker, son of Gertrude and Peter Anker. They made a living guiding people into the Empire Swamp. A host of half remembered memories entered Magnus when he touched Lars'' face, snatches of sentences, moments of warmth, of loneliness . . There were dozens of trees in the grove around the black water stream. A reflection of my self, that''s what Kujata said, right? The faces on the bark, the stones in the river . . 070 - The Sleeping Forest 070 - The Sleeping Forest Everything here was connected through him, the trees, the river, the mist, the earth itself. Magnus felt an enormous oneness, his heartbeat was that of the forest, his blood was the flow of the river. The Ether . . nothing can be real in the Ether, it is a realm of illusions. In Soo''s memories he saw the young brother and sister venture into the Ethereal plane. Those with Mens had an affinity to the Ether, those without had to rely on external means. But the forest was real. The damp earth, the smooth stones, it was as real in every sense as any woods Magnus had ever been, nothing like the Ether he saw in Soo''s memories. And beyond the trees? In every direction was the white mist, impossible to see beyond. Magnus picked a direction at random and set off into the mist. He walked by several trees, catching his foot on a root, the foliage getting thicker and thicker with every step. Suddenly, the mist cleared, the trees and scrub opening up to . . to . . the black water stream, across the stream the tree with Soo''s and Lars'' faces. Great. How do I get out of this place? Whoosh! At the mere thought the mist rushed in through the trees forming a white vortex over Magnus, the entire forest and stream shrinking into a condensed ball of gas, falling lightly as a snowflake onto his forehead and sinking into his skin. "Back already?" Kujata waved over. She sat cross legged by a wide black water river, an expanse of ash coloured grass covering the flat expanse of land. Magnus scratched his head, an lopsided grin on his face. "I guess so. How long was I in there? It felt like ages." "Two minutes. Feel much longer, doesn''t it? Well, you''ll get used to it, I''m sure. How''s your head? No more headaches?" "Yeah, I''m fine, Soo''s memories, I don''t feel so mixed up no more." "That''s good to hear. I don''t know what your form your inner aspect has taken, but it oughta be a reflection of the self. I guess you can think of it like a house within your mind, within the Ether." "It does feel like a . . a safe space I guess." Magnus replied. If it was anything, the forest and the trees certainly gave him a feeling of warmth, of serenity. "Know thyself; take your time exploring lad, whatever you build up in the future depends on the foundations you set in the now . . ah . ." Kujata paused, looking at him with remorse. "Listen Magnus, we need to talk about the plan, I -" Kujata stopped mid sentence, frowning. "At last! Sorry boy, got to go! We''ll talk later!" She vanished in an instant, leaving Magnus alone on the flat expanse. He took a proper look around for the first time. The Ether, the spirit realm, the plane of divination, of pure will and intent given form. Not much here, is there? Hmm . . Kujatas last words to him, her parting expression troubled Magnus. The plan . . Kujata''s plan . . he had never really put too much thought into it before, but now knowing the full extent of the Alchemists from Soo''s memories, knowing so much more about the universe . . there seemed to be several strange points about her plan, or at least in what she''d told him. Get stronger, right. Magnus had no issue with that. But get into the Alchemists tower, as a Celestial? That was near impossible! It posed such an immense risk, akin to walking into a lion''s den . . well, she had said it would be dangerous. What were her words? I''ll teach you how to eat, how to live, and in exchange . . in exchange . . Yeah, pretty bloody obvious, ain''t it Magnus? In exchange, give me your life. She''ll help you live, have your revenge, run rampant through the Alchemists tower, and in exchange you''ll die. Right. I''ve known that all along . . but that''s not the strange part . . no . . the strange thing is that she only gave me that option at all after knowing I was a Celestial, knowing that I am like her. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Are all Celestials like this? Are they so willing to sacrifice even those just like them for their own ends? What do I know of Celestials? Hells, I didn''t even know the name until just now! Why hadn''t she told me? Know thyself! I don''t know a thing about Celestials, but Soo does. Did. Ah, whatever. With a thought a white ball of mist exploded out from the top of his head, placing him right before the tree with Soo''s wood visage. Magnus made an instant connection with Soo''s mind, touching his face on the tree. Celestials . . what is a Celestial . . Soo and Min, both children, sat in a classroom with a dozen others. At the front of the class was a middle aged man droning on in a monotone voice. "Demons, Devourers, Scourges of the Stars. Celestials were the most powerful entities in the galaxy, and it is thought that they have been for a very long time. Gods, you know? Before the advent of reason Celestials were thought to be Gods, worshiped as such, that is where they get their name; Celestial, meaning heavenly being. That was before the cataclysm . . who can tell me about the events of the Celestial Cataclysm?" No student raised their hand, after a brief pause the middle aged man continued on in his monotone lecture. "Ten thousand years ago, before even the Martial Courts spread throughout the millions of stars of the galactic cluster. This was a golden age of human advancement and technology, our ancestors possessed many vessels and machines that could sail through the void of space, taking centuries to reach distant stars at near light speeds." "No one knows where Celestials came from, or if they have been there all along. Heradatos writes, on page four hundred and seventy six of his Galactic Histories; ''the divine filled the air, made the earth tremble with his very presence. A God of the highest order had come to Ria.'' This is taken from Tirus of Rias first hand account of the tragedy of Ria, where the entire planet was devastated by a single Celestial. Now, if you turn to page five hundred and eleven we will -" The lecture continued for another three hours, the man''s monotonous drawl lulling the students and Magnus into a sleepy state of mind. But, his words contrasted entirely with the content of the lecture; Magnus mind was set reeling at the constant incredible revelations - the histories and events being recounted were things he could have never imagined, the concepts of stars and planets, of millions and billions of people on worlds over thousands of years . . . The Celestial Cataclysm and the war the followed . . so many billions of humans died, hundreds of worlds destroyed . . then, the rise of the Martial Courts, the Cults and the Oracles, from the furthest reaches of the galaxy . . this was a long drawn out and bitter conflict, the way the teacher painted it was as a truly desperate struggle, humanity''s last stand against powerful and malevolent foes. The Celestials, Gods . . Demons . . awe inspiring entities that could take the form of a human or a mighty beast. Their origin a secret, their methods entirely unknown - no one could even say for certain even now who or what they were, only that they were creatures mad with power, bent on the destruction of all. The more Magnus discovered the more his heart sunk. Monsters. There was no other way of looking at it . . creatures of death and destruction, guilty of slaughter on a scale that sent his mind spinning . . . 071 - The Sleeping Forest 071 - The Sleeping Forest For a long time Magnus sat before Soo''s face going through countless memories and exploring the years of his life in the Segye palace. He explored every aspect pertaining to Celestials, attempting to discover everything that Soo had learnt, everything that was written or that had been taught to him. Nothing good. Demons. Devils. Celestials were unrepentant monsters, the enemies of mankind. But . . there were things that did not make sense, lessons and facts that simply did not add up. Celestials . . powerful god-like creatures, no matter how much he searched Magnus could not find any answers as to where they came from. There was no mention of the threads of Vigour or their ability to absorb other''s knowledge and memories, no mention of how they were born or developed. And the Alchemists . . the saviours of humanity? Pshwa! No matter how many times it was repeated that was something he could never believe. Kujata said . . she said remember who your are - you are Magnus Lund, you are not a monster! Are those the words that a devil would speak? And for her to be hidden within a formation, unwilling to take a single step outside . . never use your abilities in public, never let others see you eat; that will bring a great calamity. A great calamity? Something that a Celestial, a great devil should fear? Don''t be naive Magnus, don''t trust in the words of others . . if there is anything I can trust in this world it is my own two eyes, my own experiences. If I am to believe anything, believe what I can see, what I can touch . . I don''t know nearly enough. Looking into Soo''s memories hardened his resolve to learn; the knowledge and techniques of Sung Soo''s life . . they are a treasure trove . . but it is not enough! I need more! More knowledge! More power! As I am now, if the Alchemists or Martial Courts were to get wind of my existence . . . what happened to the other Celestial? After the war . . the Celestials lost, that much was certain. But in the lessons not much was spoken of their fate, not whether they lived or died; all that was written was that the Alchemists, with the aid of the Martial Courts and the Oracles, brought an end to the conflict and ushered in an age of peace and prosperity for all mankind. Where had the Celestials gone? They can''t all have died . . Kujata was there, and she''d mentioned her other disciples. How many were left? What were they doing now? Kujata''s plan . . it had to have something to do with the Celestials, why else would she risk coming to an Alchemist controlled planet? The Alchemists . . their towers . . Soo and Min had come accompanying the young princes from the Segye Imperial Palace to attend the Alchemists auction later this year . . they hoped to purchase pills, potions, formulas . . and rare materials. The rare materials were the key items . . all the most valuable things at the auction were bones and skins, pieces of mysterious beasts and creatures . . There wasn''t much in Soo''s memories that Magnus could find about the methods employed by the Alchemists, most of the information seemed to be kept a secret, only those of a much higher rank were allowed to know. Soo and Min had been told the basics, but there was enough information there for Magnus to discern the truth; the rare materials had to come from Celestials! Kujata being on this world at this time couldn''t be a coincidence . . she wanted him to get into a tower and to raise hell - why? As a distraction? A Celestial in one of the towers . . that would certainly be a hell of a distraction! But to what end? Her plan . . she had never explained it to him beyond this. An equivalent exchange . . she taught me how to survive, how to eat, and in exchange I would give my life to serve as her distraction. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Revenge. Kill the Alchemists, slaughter them in their tower! Before, that was enough for Magnus . . but now? Now he had a glimpse at the greater world, a taste of the mysteries of the universe beyond . . If I go into the tower I will die. There is no other way out . . I have made my promises . . I have to hold to my end of the bargain . . Magnus sunk down to the ground, legs crossed, his head resting on the palm of his hand. There he sat, silent, lost in thought within the forest, around him the white mist moved by a constant invisible breeze. *** Pontius appeared before any other, the first of the Alchemists. Moments later two more robed individuals faded into existence. "Magister!" "Magister!" They both bowed their heads to the elderly Alchemist. Pontius smiled generously, waving his hand and calling them over. The two wore similar light blue robes. "Domitia, Valerius, it is good to see you both! How have your studies gone? Ah it has been such a long time . . of course, of course, plenty of time to catch up later!" Pontius looked around the vast empty plane of ash grey grass. "Looks like we''re the first ones here, Domitia? If you''d be so kind?" "Of course Magister!" Domitia pointed at the ground, an intricate sigil made of Animus, flashing electric blue, was rapidly inscribed on the surface of the Ether. "Very well crafted!" Pontius exclaimed. "You''ve improved tremendously, a fine sigil Domitia." Domitia blushed at his praise, saying "Thank you Magister, it is all thanks to your teachings." The sigil pulsed several times before fading into the ground. A few moments later another two figures appeared next to the Alchemists. They wore plain white robes and each had a short curved sword at their sides. The taller of the two had a fierce scar running from his temple down to his chin, he exuded an overbearing martial demeanor, looking over the three Alchemists with undisguised scorn. Pontius greeted them both with a cheerful smile, bowing his head slightly. "Prince Dong-Geun, Captain Sung Hu, welcome! This is Domitia and Valerius." The two younger Alchemists made no effort to greet the newcomers. "Pontius Magister Preater, correct?" Dong-Geun stared at the old Alchemist with dull eyes. "Are the Mithraic Seers not here?" Before Pontius could respond a silent pressure descended on all present, the sigil flared once more. Two more figures appeared a next to the sigil. The two new people, a man and a woman were of a swarthy complexion. Both wore colourful vestments lined with silks and intricate woven patterns. The most noticeable thing about them however was their eyes; they both had bright golden pupils within pitch black iris, when they looked over Pontius couldn''t help but feel a chill run down his spine. The male seer clasped his hands together saying "Greetings honourable sirs, I am Baqir. This is Zaynab." "The pleasure is all mine, all mine I assure you!" Pontius welcomed them, waving his hand at the faded sigil erasing it entirely. "Now then, we''re all here . . let''s not waste any time. We''ve a Celestial to find!" 072 - The Sleeping Forest 072 - The Sleeping Forest Pontius easily assumed the role presumptive leader; as the most senior of the three Alchemists present in an Alchemist led mission the others were quick to acknowledge the elderly Magister. The seven assembled around Pontius, awaiting his instructions. The Ether, the spirit plane - incomparably vast and, even after thousands of years of studious Alchemists examining every possible aspect; incredibly mysterious. Mysterious in a very real sense - no immutable law or reason had ever been fathomed as to its existence, as to its function, or even as to the most basic mechanisms of the Ethereal plane. Pontius had long been fascinated by the Ether, going so far as to train in the Martial Courts methods and usage of Mens to access the Ether directly. But after decades of study, years of wandering the endless expanse of the spirit world he knew no more than what books and histories had long since provided. If anything, there were a few constants that proved true no matter the circumstance - facts about the Ether that had long been set in stone. The first fact was that nothing in the Ether was real; nothing material could be brought into the Ether and nothing could be taken from it. The Ether was not a material plane, only astral or spirit bodies could visit, the distinction between the two being one of detail; an astral body was a projection of the self, a spirit body a reflection of self. This distinction was vital when considering the differences between Mithraic Seers and the Martial Courts. Now, the similarities in application were . . . "Magister," Valerius nudged the Pontius, shaking his elbow. "We await your instruction, sir." "Oh! Oh my, I do apologise! I was just lost in thought for a moment, ahem." Pontius pulled back the sleeves of his robe, a blue aura growing thick around his fingers. "Valerius, anchor us!" The young Alchemist pointed to the ground, an imprint of a hand sunk into the ground. In the center of the palm print was a small black circle with many arrows pointing out. Pontius nodded approvingly. He pointed at the ground with one hand and at the sky with the other, a steady beam of blue Animus formed into two equal discs above and below. The seven felt the ground shake, replaced by the blue disc. It lifted them up into the air until they were all floating dozens of meters above the flat grey grass plane. "Baqir, Zaynab? If you would be so good . ." Pontius maintained the discs with ease. Baqir bowed his head, taking Zaynab''s hand and looking out. "It is the work of a moment." "Saaa yaaa neeerrrr . . . Seeee yaaaa naaaarrr . . " The two Mithraic Seers begun a deep chant, raising their hands together in a slow rhythmic motion. The voices carried, ringing throughout the Ether and through the heads of all there, every drawn out syllable resounding within the heads the others. "Saaaa naaa yeeerrr . . . Yaaa neeee seeeerrr . . ." For a long minute they continued the chant, nothing much happening in the vast nothingness. Slow, like watching the sun and stars crawl through the sky . . a deep resonance with the entire Ether grew, traveled out from the two seers. With every new intonation a ripple ran out, the entire Ether seeming like a glassy pond disturbed by drops of water. He''d seen it numerous times . . even knowing what was to come the old Alchemist couldn''t help but shiver in anticipation . . Their chant contained a sliver of Mens . . a hint of Animus . . as they chanted he felt the presence of every Logos rippling out, the many strands intertwining, forming countless vibrations through the Ether . . Down below the flat expanse begun to twist and deform, forming into waves, rising and falling and flowing out in all directions. The air itself took on a seemingly solid form, all around the land waves rose, touching on dense mirror like bubbles. The two Seers chanted louder, Baqir''s deep intonations harmonizing with Zeynab until their individual chants could no longer be discerned. Below, all around, the entire Ether danced to their words, formed countless lines and strange undulations. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The Goddess . . Pontius eyes widened in anticipation. Prince Dong-Geun and his rough scar faced guard had an expression of wonder . . she is coming . . Up from the endless plane rose hills, mountains, smooth and flowing lines washed down in intricate patterns, merging together into an enormous shape . . Like a divine maiden rising from a pool of water . . her head, her face, her breasts . . beautiful and perfect . . the Goddess, laid on her back. The whole Ether became her skin, pale golden waves her hair, impossible to behold at once . . vast! Too vast! They floated above her head, before them was only the vast expanse of the Goddess, her body seemingly stretching beyond infinity. No matter which way they turned to look it was the same; as if they were at the top a mountain. Baqir and Zaynab chants lessened to a murmur, the vibrations from their voices still pulsating out and feeding into the body of the Goddess. Pontius sighed, watching them jealously for a time. If I could commune with the Goddess . . if we Alchemists could . . ah . . "Prince Dong-Geun? If you would . . " Pontius motioned to the two from Segye Martial Court. They were both staring out dumbfounded, eyes full of wonder . . Valerius and Domitia were equally enraptured, staring out at the Goddess. She had that effect on people . . "Ahem! Prince Dong-Geun! Sung Hu! I believe it is time for the Martial Court to act, if you please." Pontius'' voice shook the two from their reverie. Dong-Geun no longer had a scowl on his face, even the scarred Sung Hu softened, his martial aura almost vanishing entirely. They couldn''t take their eyes off the giant Goddess . . A dense yellow aura emanated from the Dong-Geun and Sung Hu, concentrating around their eyes and hands. Mens . . the Logos of divination. The Martial Courts too held many secret methods, Pontius sighed in his heart once more . . The aura of the two joined in a single point, shooting out a beam of yellow energy at the Goddess. Where it touched her a white speck appeared, like a tiny freckle on her skin. The energy pierced through, her body turning translucent . . more white dots appeared, some in clusters, all through her body more and more specks. The second truth of the Ether was that it connected all living things, large or small. Everything alive in the universe had an immutable presence in the Ethereal plane. The Mithraic Seers methods were something that the Alchemists had never been able to replicate, not through lack of trying Pontius mused. "Valerius, Domitia . . a glyph each, send us down." Pontius commanded. Two glyphs were woven into existence by each of the Alchemists. They radiated a steady stream of Animus, charging the top and bottom discs and moving it through the Ether at the vast Goddess . . it took only a few moments for the disc to enter into through the skin; a shimmering membrane. All around inside were white specks, as they travelled onwards more appeared, reacting to the yellow beams of energy. Pontius gazed out, examining the specks . . white . . white . . no reaction . . he called out, two more glyphs shot from their fingertips, the disc accelerating down. *** "The hunt has begun . ." On a vast plane of ash-grey grass a man with milk white skin in a silver-white body suit opened his eyes. He sat cross legged, shoulders slumped, an expression of deep sadness showing in the lines of his face. "It is too late for regrets . . too late . . the two Celestials, are they all that remains? Too late . . El won''t listen . . not to reason . . all I can do . ." From the man rose a dozen white specks of light and several red coloured specks. With a sigh he sent the lights off into the distance through the Ether. "The most I can do . ." The man faded from the Ether entirely, around where he sat there was left an imprint of bright green; the ash-grey grass full of life and flowering. *** 073 - The Sleeping Forest 073 - The Sleeping Forest This is troubling. Beyond troubling . . Peering through the brass telescope Kujata clenched her teeth, her eyes flicking between the eyepiece and the notebook open on her lap. They didn''t match. Nothing matched anymore . . after so many years . . Turning the large dials and knobs she adjusted the telescope searching through her book and through the stars, the expression on her face growing ever grimmer. "Fuck! They''ve moved everything!" She threw the book down, leaping up and pacing up and down the shrine. "Rat-faced potion swilling bastards! Nothing matches!" An empty jar shattered against the distant shine wall, Kujata furiously stomped and kicked the bones and jars cursing the Alchemists in ever more foul terms. Ring! Ring! "Ah hells . . " Kujata rushed back to the window. "A fifth . . a fifth . . and a sixth! Six!" She retrieved the notebook frantically flipping through the pages. "Six . . Meridie . . ah ha! Ha! It''s all wrong, but they''re still there!" She turned the telescope to face another patch of sky, reading out numbers. "It''s still there! What''s wrong . . what is wrong with the . . by degrees . . they''ve shifted several degrees. All the lines shifted! The lines are still there! What the devil happened?" All the numbers she''d painstakingly noted over the years were off, but off by the same amount. The lines between the Alchemists stars were shifted . . moved deliberately? No . . it can''t be on purpose, why would they move the lines? How could they move the lines? The Alchemists wouldn''t risk it . . Magnus. His awakening . . it could bring about that sort of reaction? Even the Celestial held in the void formations reacted to him? That sort of reaction . . Kujata was more than reluctant to believe that Magnus could have created such a reaction . . if he had . . if the Alchemists detected it . . A Celestial awakening that could create such a reaction. She didn''t want to believe . . at any other time this would be a cause for celebration! Now? Now . . it was like a blazing fire in the dead of night! The Alchemists would have to have seen it . . Magnus, his Celestial aspect was beyond bizarre, and it had come at the worst of times! How could she have been so careless? She should have kept him here! Never let him go out! Stuck with the original plan! The original plan . . Kujata sighed deeply. The original plan was to hope for the best, wasn''t it? Hope that the Alchemists would be looking in a different direction. Magnus arrival had given her hope, a chance that she could force the Alchemists to turn all their attentions to him and leave her free to act. And now? Now she had a fifth disciple . . a disciple she was willing to throw into the fire and sacrifice, to be used and discarded. She stared for a long time through the telescope at the void between the stars . . Sacrifice one to save many, those were the words she''d held in her heart. From the very start . . Facing the candle Kujata entered back into the Ether instantly summoning a small garden and stone table and chairs. Beyond the garden swirled a white mist, beyond that she could make out the shapes of trees, but only just. Hopefully it''s not too late . . hopefully we still have time . . *** "There!" Dong-Geun cried out. Pontius sent a steady stream of energy into the two flat blue discs, at his word Valerius and Domitia sent out three glyphs each in quick succession. The disc swooped down a myriad of white lights towards a distant distinct speck. There, amidst a cluster of white lights was a single speck of red light. A red speck! In a hundred years . . the old Alchemists eyes blazed. A Celestial! No doubt about it! Closer . . as Pontius directed the discs closer the nearest specks of light became clouds of white, whole clusters of millions upon millions of light within each speck. Each cluster was made mostly from white lights, but amongst them were many green, yellow, and blue lights, though far less in number. As for red lights . . there was only one! "Star system?" "A Centauri system Magister, one of the furthest in the great circle." Domitia responded, reading from a bronze coloured tablet. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Outer Centauri? That can''t be right . . how far from the Domus formation?" "Twelve hundred light years, Magister." The Alchemists report on the disturbance within the five-star formation placed the newly discovered Celestial within a four hundred star system radius, but the red dot they''d discovered was well outside that. A different Celestial? Not the one they were looking for? No . . the coincidence, the timing . . it had to be the same one! "We''re going in! Prepare marking glyphs!" As they neared the red speck the white lights around it grew in size, turning into the forms of all kinds of creatures large and small. Millions of humans, billions of animals of all descriptions . . but the red speck remained the same size. No matter how close they seemed to get, the speck was just that; a tiny red speck, Pontius hovered right before it . . then passed through it . . right before their eyes the speck of red light blinked out of existence. "Prince Dong! What''s going on? Where is the Celestial?" Pontius spun them around, moving the two discs in a loop. "Where is it? Domitia! Valerius!" "It''s . . it''s gone Magister! No reaction!" The Martial prince blinked, sending a thick yellow stream into the surrounding white lights. Nothing, not a single reaction. A illusion? Had they been misled? A false reaction? Pontius lost himself in idle speculation, the seven on the disc drifted for a time in silence through the countless lights. An investigative team would have to be sent to the star system. Even if it was a false reading, if there was a chance of there being a Celestial . . "There!" Dong-Geun cried out once more, pointing at a distant speck of red. "Six glyphs each! Keep your eyes on it, prepare the marking glyphs!" The disc sped off once more through the body of the Goddess at the distant speck of red. *** Comfortable, this really is too comfortable . . Magnus lay on his back, snoring lightly. The leaves make a perfect bed, nice and cool. There was only the sound the stream and the rustling of leaves, he''d laid down for a moment within the forest and felt it so relaxing he couldn''t help but close his eyes. Everything is so damn complex. It should be obvious . . why can''t it be easy? The path before me . . why am I still hesitating? If there is anything I could wish for it would be things to be simpler, right? Work hard, train hard and get stronger! It ought to be that easy, but with my level of talent even training twice, three times as hard he''d never got a fraction of the result those with talent had got. Along with Rolf he''d watched many of his friends in Kloster train their cores, effortlessly passing level after level of difficulty and being accepted into Festus experiment . . gaining power one after another while he could only watch on. There was nothing greater than to fight and die for one''s brothers and sisters! It had been an honour forever denied to Magnus, something he could only curse bitterly in his heart . . had I really thought that way? My life . . was it something sold so cheap? All for a game, a testing of Alchemist potions and formations! My home . . five years of fighting . . and all I wanted to do was join in . . ha . . ah ha ahah! They will pay! Festus! All of them! All the bloody Alchemists! Festus most of all! Ah . . so nice . . a little nap won''t hurt . . Amidst thoughts of vengeance and bitter memories Magnus felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him, as if he were being pulled down from consciousness into the depths of sleep . . "Magnus . . Magnus . ." "Who''s there!" Magnus leapt to his feet fully alert. The voice seemed so familiar. "Magnus . . come here . ." "Rolf? Is that you Rolf? Pa? Ma? Who is calling!" The voice came from between the trees from where the stream of black water flowed, calling out his name over and over. Magnus hesitated, a sense of deep unease, every hair on his body bristling. "Magnus . . come to me . ." 074 - The Sleeping Forest 074 - The Sleeping Forest It came from beyond the black water stream, beyond the trees and mist . . the voice called out again "Magnus . ." echoing, sounding in the rustle of a thousand leaves, in the creaking wood, in the very marrow of his bones. "Come . . to me . . to me . ." Through the white mist, over slick moss covered stones and forest floor thick with leaves. The trees fell away, all around there was only mist and ground, Magnus moved forward, moved to the voice. The ground grew strange; uneven and slippery, a sharp metallic taste filled his mouth, a stench . . what was that? Rotten eggs? No . . blood. The stench of blood, fresh blood. Beneath his feet . . wood? No leaves no, no dirt, only wood; roots, small at first, then getting larger, each thick as a tree trunk all twisted and coiled. Between the roots gathered in puddles was blood. Fresh flowing blood, running in rivulets over the roots and pooling, dark stagnant clots that clung to his feet, squelching like mud as he stepped in a clot while climbing a root. "Here . . come to me . ." The white mist cleared. Magnus felt an electric buzz, his ears filled with an immense pressure. Beyond the mist was a tangled mountain of roots, all rising to a single mighty tree, a gigantic tree trunk larger than any mountain, too large to even see all at once. It soared to a dizzying height, far too tall to see clearly. Up above . . far far above he could see branches and leaves, like a distant green world suspended in the sky . . "Here . ." The voice beckoned him on, Magnus followed, climbing the roots slick with blood. Closer, here, over here Magnus . . By the base of the tree trunk the roots were the thickest, enormous living wood tendrils joining together to the solid trunk. In a gap between two roots was a lake of blood, absolutely placid. Stood in the center of the lake was a man in red robes, a cowl covering his face. Magnus felt he was meeting his father, coming home to his mother and brother and sister; felt that all he loved and all who loved him were here, were waiting for him. Tears flowed unceasingly from his eyes, his heart ached; the deepest feelings of being wanted, being needed . . "Home." The single word filled the world with light. Magnus tried to respond but the words caught in his throat. A strange sensation . . on his hands, up his arms a red light shone out through his skin. Red threads, hundreds of strands of red light like a hundred fine hairs grew from his fingertips, from the palms of his hands, from every part of his body. The red strands all shone, all grew, pushing out of his flesh and towards the lake of blood, entering the red waters. Refreshing, truly refreshing . . The skin on his hands and arms became deep red, turning to a soft jelly mush and falling off in clumps. All over his body he felt refreshed, as if he''d been dipped in honey, a sweetness and lightness of heart beyond anything Magnus could measure his life against. Black flakes of hard skin, pungent yellow pus . . all squeezed out between his pores and dried in an instant, falling from his body. The figure moved, a thin hand with long skeletal fingers emerged from red sleeves pointing down, intoning a single word. "Dream." Magnus followed the bony finger looking down, his gaze falling to the ground before him. On the roots at his feet was a mass of golden words etched into the roots. Squiggle lines and strange alien shapes, nothing that he could decipher, even from Soo''s memories. No . . that wasn''t quite right . . one part of the golden text was legible! By sun away towards on sunless seas to sunless shores Near beneath becalmed the ship the storms be calm Next before be there be when the all the one the sun Glass eye glass sea shine shone is one is all be careful sun Be warned eye that sees is that flat beneath beneath Reflected stars moons suns is all can be can see is all is all Else be torn be worn be sure as open page open shore Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!Before words before ink wrote is writ is sung is scribbled In shouts in song in blood in life in death is here is one At the very top, three clear chunks, written in the same script and same strange words, but he could read them! Read them . . but understand them? Was there anything to understand? The figure in the lake raised his right hand pointing up at the distant tree top, a single word filled the air, an enormous pressure bearing down on Magnus . . "Death." Up there . . up amongst the high branches . . something moved. A spark, a hundred flashes of light of a hundred mirrors. Flying between the high branches, Magnus threw his head entirely back and stared. The enormous distance seemed to shrink, his eyes piercing through the heavens and a vision of the tree top appearing clear as if he had flown right to the very heavens in an instant. There, swimming in the skies between the leaves and branches was a silver fish, a thousand mirror like silver scales flashing, the light nearly blinding. Following invisible currents it darted here and there, every motion smooth, every flick of its fins and wave of its tail enchanting. It stopped before a red fruit hanging from a branch and bit into it, devouring it whole in seconds, then moving on, swimming through the branches in a fluid dance. Magnus blinked, finding himself once more before the red figure, blinked again and found himself surrounded by an endless sea of mist. Blinking a third time he was back in the forest, back against the cool earth, entirely awake. A buzz . . an insect buzz filled the forest, louder, louder - deafeningly loud! The trees shook, countless leaves fell all around, the black waters exploded out from the stream, the white mist poured into the glade, swirling all around, pouring into his mouth and through his nose, a thick stream entering unceasingly, forcing its way down his throat and into the tiny white core behind his navel. *** "Magister! There! And there!" Domitia pointed to two new specks of red light that flashed into existence. "Another two? Three glyphs each! Maintain full visibility, report any further apparitions!" Pontius kept the disc steady, the stream of Animus he fed into the formations pulsating thick blue. There had been a total of seventeen reactions; textbook Celestial lights. Each and every one in a different star system, every one of them flickering and fading to nothing when they''d approached. The Mithraic Seers voices were hoarse, their chants increasingly erratic. Domitia and Valerias were worn out from producing dozens of glyphs, even the two from the Martial Courts looked haggard. How much longer? How many more lights would appear? Pontius felt drained, but determined - his eyes shone with excitement. Never before! Not in any of the histories! Ha! The scholars would write this as history! Outside interference? A natural, never before observed phenomenon? Or could there be some sort of new life form evolving? Giving off Celestial vibes that our instruments mistook for actual Celestials? The hunt for the Celestial had become something more for the old Alchemist; no longer a matter of following procedure and retreating. Now, Pontius academic heart had been fully ignited - there was a mystery! A never before seen event within the Ether, and he was poised at the very crest of the wave! At the ideal position to be first to uncover the truth! "Magister! A . . a . . " "A what?" Pontius turned the disc. "Good heavens!" Not red, not white. A golden sun, a thousand times brighter than anything else within the Goddess. Pontius mouth went dry, his chest tightening. Gold! A Gold reaction! "Beautiful . . it''s beautiful . ." "Magister . . what is it?" "Maintain the chant!" Pontius called out harshly at the two Seers. "Dong-Geun, Sung Hu - focus on the golden light! Don''t lose sight of it . . Valerius, Domitia - six glyphs! Maintain speed and approach vector." 075 - Resonance 075 - Resonance A cluster of white lights had a halo of golden light shine from behind, the closer they got the clearer it became; someone deliberately intended to hinder their efforts. The white lights smothered every other speck of light in the whole star system, thickest around the source of the gold light. Deliberate obfuscation! Pontius shivered in anticipation. What sort of being was able to reach out and interfere with the chanting of Mithraic Seers and the Mens of the Martial Court? Celestials? Never before had a Celestial displayed such abilities . . something else? Something beyond the knowledge of Alchemists? "Valerius, mark the star system! Set an anchor glyph." "Sir!" Three beams of blue light shot from Valerius fingertips forming the outline of a glyph and shooting it out into the void. Chi-chi-chi-chi-chi . . A ringing noise like chirping bird sounded through the ether. The many specks of white twinkled, shining bright and flickered out - more lights, this time of a multitude of colours - red, blue, yellow, green, and white - appeared, dancing through the space above and below the seven. A thick curtain of many coloured lights descended, covering the golden light, soon covering every direction. For the first time since entering the body Goddess both Baqir and Zaynab fell entirely silent, their chants dying in the back of their throats. "Don''t stop!" Pontius eyes blazed. "Chant! Sing, damn your eyes! Dong-Geun! Focus on the direction of the gold light - see us through these bloody lights!" "Magister, the anchor glyph, it won''t stick!" Valerius shot a second glyph out after the first, watching it with a hopeless expression as it fell apart after traveling a few feet from the disc. "Forget the blasted anchor, what star system is this? Where are we?" "Um . . sorry Magister . . there is no . . no identification. We are not in known space." Domitia responded. "No marking? No Anchor? Baqir! Zaynab! Chant! For the love of all things holy . . ." "With respect sir Magister," Baqir bowed his head, licking his lips nervously. "Chant what? Our Mithraic chants do not deal with such . . such strange events." "Sing a bloody birthday hymn, just do something! Dong, you and your scar faced pal - see anything?" "Straight ahead. In the same place . . faint . ." Valerius and Domitia each maintained a steady stream of glyphs, moving the disc of blue light forwards into the curtain of colourful lights. A thousand colours . . all the lights spinning and dancing above their heads, a nauseating rainbow filling the minds of each of the seven with a profound dizziness and unease. The two Mithraic Seers stood at the front of the disc, their chant now a low murmur. Around Prince Dong-Geun and Sung Hu hung a thick yellow aura, they repeatedly sent out a tendril of energy attempting to touch the many coloured lights, only to have it dissolve to nothing. "Steady . . steady as it goes . . " Pontius maintained a forceful grip on the control of the two discs, Animus poured out endlessly from his hands feeding into the formations. With every passing second the pressure on the discs, on all of them, increasing tremendously. Fisss . . fisssss . . fisssss . . . Crack! The body of the Goddess trembled, suddenly splitting apart, all the lights, all the colours burst all at once, each speck of light exploding into a cloud of colours smothering them whole. "Glyphs! Faster!" The air around the disc vibrated fiercely, a deep buzz becoming higher and louder, pressing down on them from all directions. "Soooooo . . Neeeeee . . . Yaaaaa . . ." "Soooooo . . Neeeeee . . . Yaaaaa . . ." The two Seers chanted as one, forcing a song against the noise and colours. Zaynab bled from her ears and mouth, her eyes sunk and face increasingly pale. Baqir was in no better shape, but the gold within their eyes shone on; their voices never once faltering. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Pontius called out commands and encouragements one after another, keeping the disc clear on a course following the yellow threads Dong-Geun and Sung Hu kept shooting out. A break . . ahead in the coloured clouds, a thin pale break, a golden light! *** The white fog rolled out between the trees, rising and falling as if it were the lungs of a giant. Kujata sat on her hands, rocking back and forth on a stone bench within the small garden she''d created. Should I call out to Magnus? No rush . . From right next to the forest and fog she''d not seen anything untoward, no lights, no golden aura; from the time Magnus had summoned up the forest and the mist she''d been entirely unable to see into it. His aspect is one of concealment? Strange . . she never would have pegged him as someone who kept secrets. The first time she''d found her own place in the Ether she had spent days, weeks just delving into the intricate memories of those who''d become a part of her. Magnus was still very young, especially as a Celestial . . it wouldn''t be long now. There was nothing for her to do but wait for Magnus. The other Celestials . . her plan . . one way or another sacrifices need to be made . . the big picture . . SMASH! Chi . . chi . . chi . . chi "Steady! We''re through! Set an anchor! Mark the damn system!" Pontius roared, his eyes lit up like two burning coals. The sky of the Ether distorted in a single huge bulge, blistering and popping open spilling lights and colours over the ash-grey grass expanse. From the burst sky came a rush of noise, two spinning blue discs stacked one on another, and standing between them the seven; Pontius at the helm, blue threads streaming from his fingertips. Kujata gawked, staring up at the disc. Alchemists! They''ve tracked us here! How? How? Her mind reeled, her reactions slow, too slow to hide or throw up any proper defences before a stream of Mens washed over the her. "There! A reaction! Celestial!" "And the golden light? That . . is that a forest?" "Mark it! Anchor us! For heaven''s sake, Domitia!" "Not possible Magister, we are unable to anchor or find our bearings . . there is something blocking the glyphs." "Good Gods . . a real Celestial . . ha! Out in the wild!" Pontius laughed madly, taking the discs lower. "It looks just like a girl . . ." Kujata trembled under their gazes. Three Alchemists, two Seers, and two Martial Court Cultivators . . a full Ether tracking party. "Lock it down!" Pontius clicked his fingers and the upper disc broke apart, threads of blue energy flying in every direction. "Contain her!" Omm . . buuuu . .. neeeyaaa . . The Seers chants changed, shorter, faster words in nasal harmonies. Kujata reacted at last - from her hands emerged a clatter of coins, coppers, silvers, and thick gold pieces tumbled out into her illusory courtyard, rushing out to fill the expanse of grey grass. From them rose countless edifices; houses, blocks of flats, pubs, inns, taverns; entire towns and cities worth of buildings of all descriptions grew in seconds as far as the eye could see. The forest and the white fog were swallowed whole, covered up by rooftops and cobbled streets. "Hehehe . . looks like she''s running. Prepare for engagement! Domitia, Valerius - have you been trained in magical combat in the Ether?" "Yes, Magister!" "Yes, Magister!" "Good! Follow my orders . . steady now . . we''re going in!" 076 - Resonance 076 - Resonance Pontius took the disc down to street level; as far as they could see in all directions there was the city, not a patch of ash-grey grass. The only part of the Ether that remained was the wide black water river, though now there were a dozen long bridges connecting to the far shores, the city stretching out to the infinite beyond. Quiet, each brick and cobblestone slab appeared almost real, as real as something could in the Ether. Not a noise, not a sound; except for steady chants from both Mithraic Seers. A whole city! As far as the eye could see, simply incredible! This had to be the Celestials totem; their aspect form within the Ether. Mastery of creation within the Ether to such a degree . . outside the Martial Courts very few could claim to be able to generate illusory world in the Ether, but for Celestials it seemed to be an innate ability - something more than mere illusion. The cobblestones felt real to the touch, each brick as if it had been placed there by man. The Alchemists of old meticulously recorded every single one of their many incursions into Celestial totems, every single one of them unique, distinct . . but very similar in some particular ways. Strange though . . if the Celestial had fled from the Ether then they would have had no way of tracking its physical location, not with the interference and inability to set marking glyphs. Why had it chosen to stay? And that forest, the white mist . . that must have been there before they entered. A second Celestial, already in its totem? Pontius landed on a wide avenue, quickly dissolving the lower disc and sending a second stream of Animus into the upper disc. With a rapid incantation, blue energy pulsed from his hands and swelled into the disc, increasing its size several times and splitting it into several thick strands of blue energy. With a flick of his wrist the strands shot out, up over the city forming a vast cage blue strands around them. It covered only a tiny fraction of what they could see, with the seven of them at the very centre. As they moved through the silent streets the cage maintained its shape, moving with them and passing over the many roof tops. "Steady now . . Valerius, ten containment glyphs, second and first grade only. Domitia, marking glyphs and anchor marks; both of you prep lucid sigils, one for each of us . ." Though they said they were trained in magical combat, Pontius gave his orders carefully. They two young Alchemists glanced about nervously, looking down each alley and at every door as if a monster might leap out at any moment. Dong-Geun and Sung Hu walked in front of the Alchemists and Seers. Their curved swords had a thin yellow aura, their eyes were like bright beacons, sweeping the surrounding streets and city blocks. Everywhere their gaze fell upon seemed to shimmer, turning translucent. That forest . . . strange . . . was it related to the golden light in some way? Pontius couldn''t shake his curiosity; far more than tracking a Celestial, a far greater mystery . . the golden light, gold . . in the histories, in all the books chronicling the Celestials and the Ether, never had there been written anything on a golden light. Those lights, the interference with the tracking, that certainly wasn''t something a Celestial ought to be capable off . . Pontius had in his mind a rough estimation of where the mist and forest had been before the city covered it, the black water river serving as a rough guide. He led them through the city streets in measured steps. Creak . . . An studded wood door opened, its rusty hinges squealing hideously, and out walked a dark skinned man carrying a bundle of rolled papers tied with string. He glanced in the direction of the Alchemists, then set off at a brisk pace down the street. Slam! This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Three young girls tumbled out of a doorway, giggling and skipping along, chasing behind a boy with greasy hands and a snot covered face. The girls shrieked and ran, doing everything they could to avoid the boys advances. More - a crowd of women in plain green and brown skirts walking together with baskets of fruit and vegetables rounded the corner, at the street corner a merchant busied himself spreading out his wares; silver pots and plates and trinkets. The city came alive; Pontius and the others froze in the middle of the street, countless people passed by, sparing them barely a glance. Dong-Geun stared intently at the passers-by, his eyes wide in shock."They''re real . . . real spirit forms, there is no doubt. How can there be so many spirit forms?" "Stick together!" Pontius waved his sleeve imprinting a circle of Animus directly around them. "No one steps outside the circle." "What are they Magister?" Domitia sent out glyph after glyph onto the streets only to have them dissolve in a matter of moments. "There are Alchemists amongst them! Seers too!" The streets filled with people going about their business, walking in and out of houses, buying, selling; children playing and laughing, elderly sitting on steps and on benches, people of all ages and descriptions going freely and seemingly without a care. Not just around them; on every street, as far as the city stretched, in every alley and side road, out of every house and from every door people filled the streets. Amongst them there were Seers, distinct with their colourful attire. Martial Court cultivators too; from the Segye Imperial Palace and beyond, walking, talking . . Here and there Pontius made out more than a few Alchemists, mixing in with the crowds . . "This is the real face of the Celestials." Pontius said grimly. "What do you mean Magister?" "Think for a second dammit. Who do you think these people are? Those poor souls . . they are the devoured, the people that this Celestial has eaten whole!" "All these people? Good heavens . . there must be thousands! Tens of thousands!" "Stay focused Valerius, calm your heart. Calm . . keep looking out, this is a distraction. The Celestial must be preparing an attack. When it does . . . Baqir! To our left, dispel!" "Yes, Magister!" Baqir changed his chant to a high nasal incantation, spitting out several syllables in quick succession that sliced through the air like swords into the brick work of the nearby buildings. The walls crumbled to dust, exposing several rooms and courtyards full of flowers and heaps of gold and silver coins. As fast as it had crumbled, the walls begun to regenerate, in a matter of moments restoring themselves to their previous facade, every scratch and blemish on the bricks and walls fully intact. "Dong-Geun, any reactions?" "Nothing." "We keep moving." Pontius urged the circle onwards, both below their feet and far above the cage made of Animus moved through the air. "Be ready for an ambush . ." Below the cobblestone, under the walls and through the gaps in the stones crept countless thin red strands. Pale, barely visible; they snaked slowly towards Pontius and the others, gathering around them from all directions. *** "Gnosis . . El . . El . . will your hatred never die? I can do no more than this . ." High above the city in the Ether, seated on a cloud was a pale faced man in a silver-white body suit. He looked down, tapping his finger and sighing every time one of the Alchemists sent out a new glyph and watching them fall apart. "Any more than this and El will never forgive me. Ahh . . it is up to them, I am just an innocent bystander, right, El? Hahaha . ." *** 077 - Resonance 077 - Resonance Three beauties, tan skinned with straight black hair in light summer dresses skipped down the middle of the street, coming right up to the Alchemists circle, carefree and laughing - they were right before Sung Hu and Dong-Geun, strolling right around the shimmering blue circle without a second glance. More and more, crowds of people - all perfect spirit bodies; every Martial Court technique the two cultivators employed revealed nothing - nothing untoward, nothing at all! Pontius urged them on, taking the circle down streets and through dozens of alleys and avenues full of people and markets, calling out ''left!'' or ''right!'' again and again and having the Seers sing out in increasingly hoarse voices. The Mens techniques that the Segye Martial Court specialized in had particular effects in the Ether; used together with Mithraic chants they could divine all forms of life. Much like in the material plane they could amplify any sense, use it to affect the senses and directly. In the Ether the same principles were used to reveal illusions; see through spirit bodies, to separate the true from the false. Dong-Geun''s fingers trembled, his spirit form flickering and appearing ghostly. This was meant to be a simple tracking mission; go in, mark the Celestial, get out. To enter into a Celestials totem in the Ether . . No one had been inside a Celestials totem in over a hundred years, not in the wild. What was that mad Alchemist up to? If a Celestial were to disrupt their spirit forms here in the Ether . . well, that was what the anchors were for. At the first sign of trouble, if things get too hot, then all I have to do is disrupt my own spirit and reform back at the base anchor. Who cares if we can''t mark the bloody Celestial, let some other fool do it! It felt like they were venturing deeper into a beasts lair with every step, a monsterous creature watching their every move, waiting for the right moment to leap. But . . nothing. Every time a door opened or a child shrieked Dong-Geun''s nerves frayed, his Mens concentrating around his sword ready to slash out. The denizens of the city, the very bricks and mortar - everything was filled with Logos, lights of all colours suffused the streets; he kept a strict vigil for any sign of Vigor - of the Celestial - but there was none, nothing beyond what there would be in any illusory construct in the Ether. Pontius moved them onwards, keeping the circle on the ground and the web of Animus in the air above the city perfectly aligned, himself at the dead center. Looking at Pontius over his shoulder Dong-Geun met his eyes, rapidly looking away. Mad. He''s gone mad! The old man''s face was fixed in a childish grin, his eyes wide open and blazing with excitement. The Martial Court Prince shivered, focusing back out on the streets. "Are you alright my Prince?" Sung Hu frowned, his scar making his face appear all the more stern. "Mad . . I am fine, fine." "To the right! That blue warehouse with the flowers in the window!" Pontius suddenly called out. Baqir responded instantly, the whole block dissolving and reforming in a matter of seconds. Behind the street front facade were several apartments full of beds and children''s cots, and behind them a large empty theatre. "Any reaction?" "None." Dong-Geun replied curtly. "No reaction? Nothing at all?" Pontius gritted his teeth, casting his gaze about the busy streets. "Where is it? That blasted forest . . that damnable Celestial must be around here somewhere! No reaction . . no reaction . ." The elderly Alchemist flicked his fingers sending a pulse of blue light into the cage high above. One of the strands detached from the web, coiling in the air like a serpent and, with a wag of his finger, slashed through several buildings, passing through them as if through a mist. The building rippled and remained entirely intact. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "Do we keep moving, Magister?" Domitia asked. Both her and Valerius were pale and nervous, their glyphs less defined. "Keep moving! It has to be around here somewhere! Damn that Celestial, any reaction? Anything at all?" Pontius quickened his pace, taking them into a wide plaza. He stopped them at the edge of a crowd of people, looking at them intently. In a flash of blue the strand of Animus coiled around a spirit body of a middle aged man. The man''s eyes popped open in surprise, his body lifted from the ground, a hideous unearthly shriek as the coil tightened. Pontius closed his fist and the man burst apart, ghostly fragments spilling over onto the ground. "Any reaction?" "None." *** Kujata bit her lip, the city illuminated above her, every nook and cranny bright and shining in a hundred colours, every spirit body a beacon of light as it walked the streets above her head. She lay flat on her back beneath the city, around her a web of thick red strands, Logos of every colour attached to them spread throughout the streets. With a thought, she guided a strand of Vigour to the edge of the Alchemists circle. So far they were only walking the streets . . a marking party? If they''d come to hunt for her in the Ether they would have surely come better prepared, right? Unless . . it had been too long, far too long. In the war . . the Alchemists have had a long time since then . . every time she''d fought them they would have a whole new repertoire of tricks, evolving and creating new ways to attack from one battle to the next. We could never keep up then, and now? Now . . if I fail . . if they take me, who is left? Magnus? All by himself? Aye . . a young Celestial all by himself . . Another burst of energy shot out from the Seers, bursting through several blocks and reducing them to nothing. Kujata winced, a thick pulse of red from her chest rushed to the affected area rebuilding it in an instant. The old Alchemist at the centre of the circle crushed another spirit, and another . . Kujata felt a stabbing pain in her heart, but still she did not react. But something wasn''t right - why hadn''t they marked her? Why hadn''t they set an anchor and retreated? Surely the location must already be marked, right? But it had not - not a single glyph of marking, not a single imprint that could link them the material world. Strange, strange, strange . . They are looking for Magnus! Why? The forest and the mist were buried beneath the city blocks, hidden from sight, but they were getting close, closer with every passing moment. What the devil is Magnus playing at? I can''t get through to him at all! Ah! To hells with it! Damn Magnus, damn these Alchemists! When she moved the city moved with her; Kujata sat up and the chatter and laughter ceased. She got to her feet - every one of the spirit bodies turned to face the same direction. She pointed a thread of red energy made of dozens of coiled strands into a single thread thicker than a tree trunk wormed its way under the streets towards the Alchemist. *** "Magister! A reaction!" Dong-Geun cried out frantically. "I bloody well can see that!" Pontius roared back, a fierce blue glyph forming at the ends of his fingers and shooting out over their head. "The Celestial is coming!" 078 - Resonance 078 - Resonance A strand of Vigour burst up, shattering cobblestones and stabbing at Domitia, halting only inches from her face against an invisible barrier; the circle of Animus on the ground flashed as another strand shot out from a nearby wall. "It''ll hold!" Pontius poured his Animus into the barrier, controlling the loose whip to lash at a strand of Vigour. The red and blue energies collided in a shower of sparks, both dimming and collapsing at the same time. "There are reactions from every direction, for several blocks!" Dong-Geun called out in a panic. "Retreat! We must retreat at once!" "Nonsense! Valerius, marking glyphs! Zaynab, Baqir - aim for the roots of the strands, we need to drag this Celestial up into the light! Dong-Geun, stand your bloody ground and be ready, damn your eyes!" "The marking glyphs won''t form Magister!" Valerius called out, several half formed glyphs collapsing as soon as they left his fingertips. "Keep marking! Just keep sending glyphs out! Domitia, keep trying to set an anchor no matter what!" "Yes Magister!" "Alright. Move!" Pontius led them down the length of the plaza into the next street, all the time warding off strands of red and pouring his energies into breaking them apart. The spirit form people who filled the city streets were gathering around them, a mob quickly swelling to thousands, marching towards them from every direction. At a distance, no longer ignoring or going about their daily business, the people silently watched, backing off as Pontius took his circle down one street and into another. "At last . . the black river!" Pontius panted, his circle barely holding together, the last of his strands now tattered and pinched between two fingers. Ahead was the black river, the same one they''d seen from above meandering through the ash-grey grass flat expanse . . now, with it right before him it was a simple matter to determine the exact location of the forest. "Baqir! The three blocks to our front, if you please!" At his command the Mithraic seers shot out a condensed blast of their chants, the buildings evaporating like morning mist revealing . . revealing a garden of over grown tulips in neat rows. The walls quickly reformed, the facade of the city returning to normal. "Not here? NOT HERE?" Pontius gnashed his teeth in frustration. He''d been certain that the this was the exact location, the right damn place by the bloody river. Now all he could do was curse and stomp his feet, around them another three threads of Vigour emerged immediately assailing his circle. "Magister, we were meant to just locate the Celestial," Dong-Geun spoke again, his hands trembling. "Just discovering that it exists, is that not enough? Can we not -" RrrruuuUUuuuuUUuuu . . . A tremendous tremor shook the Ether, the cobblestones beneath their feet rattled and clanged, a great swell rising all around. Like a volcanic eruption, from right under the Alchemists circle - the street rose up throwing them all to the ground. From below a bright red light - the air turning dry, each of the seven feeling as if they were stood on a river of fire. "She''s here!" Valerius cried out, falling over himself to get away. "Stay within the circle!" Pontius maintained his fierce composure. "Glyphs, more glyphs! If you can''t mark the area, we''ll mark it directly! Stay next to me, all of you. If we cannot find the source of that golden light we can at the very least cripple this blasted Celestial . ." Combat within the Ether dealt with dealing damage directly at other spirit bodies; those spirit forms of the Celestials were far more robust than any humans, but the Alchemists, together with the Martial Courts and Seers, had long since developed many methods of suppressing and striking their spirit forms. Dangerous . . Pontius saw the fear and hesitation with the others eyes - certainly dangerous, like fighting a tiger within its den, but . . . A grin spread across the old Alchemists face. Red spilled over, a tide of strands pouring over streets, breaking against the circle. At the center of the red mass Kujata glared, her eyes fixed on Pontius - Pontius staring back unblinking. "Humans, you are not welcome here. Begone!" Kujata sent out a dozen strands of Vigour, Baqir and Zaynab responded instantly with a Mithraic chant forming a wall of white energy in the strands path. "How dare you come into my place of power and injure my people!" Kujata stood atop a thick vine like strand of energy, riding it above the streets. "Know your place!" The thick vine smashed into the Seer''s wall shattering it, the two Seers fell to the ground, scrambling to stay within the circle. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Our place? How dare we? HA!" Pontius flicked his wrists out, "We dare, Celestial! We''ll do far more than dare! Surrender at once, give yourself to us and join the other Celestials in their rightful place!" Kujata trembled with rage, the thick strand of Vigour snaking out and smashing against the Alchemists circle again and again. "Mark her directly, Valerius, Domitia! Prince Dong-Geun, Sung Hu - do I need to remind you to act? Attack the bloody Celestial!" Pontius command shook the Martial Court Prince out of his stupor, his aura of Mens focused instantly to a long blade of yellow energy, slashing out at the encroaching strands of Vigour. No matter how many strands smashed against the circle, with a wave of his hand Pontius sent more and more energy flowing into it. Above, high above the city and the fighting, the several remaining threads of Animus that Pontius had formed into a cage begun to twine together, making a single Alchemical sigil - the shape of bird within a cage. As they fought Kujata on the streets he secretly maneuvered the sigil over her head. Wait for it . . wait . . When had the Alchemists got so powerful? Even in here, in my totem I can''t break a single protective circle! Kujata gathered a dozen strands of Vigour, lashing out at the formation. The ground shook violently, erupting up in a shower of ghostly bricks and stones as more strands of Vigour assailed the circle from all sides. Prince Dong-Geun misstepped, his foot landing outside the circle for a fraction of a second - a minor mistake, but in that instant a red strand coiled around his foot. He screamed; Sung Hu leapt to his side, slashing out and cutting the strand, too late. Dong-Geun''s leg, up to his thigh, was entirely withered - a mass of red lines rapidly spreading up and turning his spirit body to mulch. Sung Hu slashed again, cutting the princes leg off entirely, then picking him up and throwing him back to the centre of the circle. Kujata''s eyes blazed, her attacks doubling in intensity. They will break! I will break them! Now! The old Alchemists nostrils flared, the lines on his face suddenly seeming far deeper than they had even a moment before, as if he had aged a hundred years in an instant. He chopped down with the edge of his hand; from up high his sigil descended like a meteor, right onto the Celestials head. "No!" At the last second Kujata raised her arms, a blaze of fiery red light bursting over her head. The Alchemical sigil burnt through the air, breaking through strand after strand of red energy, but ultimately fizzing before it reached its mark. "Blast!" "Magister, we must retreat! The brands are not working!" "Stuff that, you - take the . . . take . ." Pontius words died in his throat, even Kujata froze in place From a series of nondescript roofs and houses a bright golden pillar burst, magnificent golden light filling the entire Ether. "Ah ha! It was right here! Right here! Now, lets see what it is you are hiding, Celestial! Baqir, make a path!" The two Mithraic Seers begun their chants - Zaynab''s higher tones harmonized with Baqir in a way that made it feel like a winters wind suddenly blew through the city streets. The sky itself dimmed, their voices together forming a whirl of white energy that condensed into a snow white blade. The blade buzzed through the air, a series of complex and enchanting words sailed with it into the side of the houses, bursting countless wall and dwellings into smithereens and revealing what lay beneath. What lay beneath . . . A thick soup of white mist and trees, the mist pouring endlessly inwards, turning gold, forming into a single gold pillar. "Go! Come on!" Pontius rushed through the rapidly reforming city blocks, his red robes flapping. The six others desperately keeping up. "Magnus . . oh Magnus . . what the hells is going on?" Kujata sent out strand after strand, but no matter what she found she could not approach the mist, only watching helplessly as Pontius charged in. 079 - Resonance 079 - Resonance "You can''t follow them in, can you?" A tired voice echoed through the city streets causing Kujata to stare up with amazement. High above on a silver lined cloud sat a pale faced man all clothed in silver. "Who are you? You are . . human?" Kujata drew back every thread of Vigour into herself forming a towering needle of threaded red strands. "Why did you let them find the boy?" The man didn''t sound like he was asking a question at all, without waiting for any sort of response he sighed and said; "Ah, it''s true, it''s true - I remember, Celestials cannot enter into each others totems, can they now? Nevertheless . . it was a mistake to let them in." Kujata''s face flushed with anger, shouting back "It was not my bloody intention! I . . I tried to stop them . ." "Tried? I dissolved their markings and anchors, hid your tracks . . you could have done more, Celestial, you could have used the soul formations, could have sacrificed a few of your devoured . ." "Shut up! Who the blazes are you? You think I don''t know I could have sacrificed my people? . . you think I wanted to . ." "Ah, right, right! You only came up out of the ground when the Alchemist killed your devoured, ah hahaha!" The man in silver clapped his hands, his tone mocking. "Those poor souls . . what are they do to except dash themselves upon the rock of Gnosis?" "You . . you . ." Kujatas face turned purple from anger, her venomous gaze focused on the man and his cloud. After a long moment she blinked, her expression softening. There was something about this man, something that she could not place. She tapped the ground with her foot, the city streets around her began to dissolve, all flowing in a river of bricks and buildings along the ground - as if the world had been made a giant carpet and was rolling up from all directions, Kujata at the very center. "What is going on? The gold pillar of light, what is it? Gnosis - what is happening to Magnus? What is Gnosis? Who are you? Why are you helping us?" "Ha ah aha ha, question after question ah . . what is going on? Why, Celestial - it is Gnosis! Have you no measure of the Above? The Below? Well, your little friend does! As for myself . . if I were to tell you I am but a humble poet would you believe me?" . . a poet? His face . . that silver suit . . Within Kujata''s mind it felt like a rusted iron cog suddenly came to life, turning and churning up her insides all at once. His suit, his face . . a poet . . the poet! "Orpheus!" Kujata exclaimed, her features frozen in terror. "Relax little one, so you remember . . it has been a while. Ah ha." Orpheus laughed mirthlessly. "Ten thousand years, give or take. Oh how times change . . how life becomes full of regrets, does it not?" Above the misty forest the golden pillar of light dimmed in intensity, falling in on itself. The mist of between the trees continued to move frantically, rolling ever inwards, collecting in a thick mass of impenetrable white. "Look," Orpheus flew down to ground level next to Kujata. "All we can do is look. With any luck this Gnosis might . . . might change El''s mind, who knows?" *** All in all, the mist and the forest could not have had a diameter larger than a league, the golden pillar emanating from its center. Pontius found himself panting, beads of sweat cascading from his brow. Behind him followed the six others, Dong-Geun and Sung Hu lagging some way behind. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Dong-Geun''s leg had recovered its previous shape, but he was unable to put any weight on it, only wince in pain and hobble along with Sung Hu supporting him. The white mist clung to their clothes and skin, a heavy humid air that seemed to stick to the inside of their throats and nostrils making it all the harder to breath. To breath! In the Ether! In a spirit body . . Pontius felt the thrum of blood beneath his skin, felt the rough contact with his red robe - as soon as they had stepped into the forest they it was as if they had entered into another world. Impossible, impossible - there were too many things that seemed entirely impossible today. They were deep within the woods, the ground a tangle of roots and leaves. Above and around - everywhere, the white mist, churning and moving constantly by a invisible breeze, the leaves and branches of the canopy around rustling and creaking. Ahead of them there was a light - a distant flickering golden flame between the tree trunks that beckoned them deeper . . Pontius urged himself onwards, quieting the voice in his head telling him to turn back. "Magister . . is this still the Ether?" Domitia gave voice to Pontius doubts, her face and body stained with patches of sweat. Pontius fumbled, picking through his inner pockets. Empty. He knew that he had a vial of Antipode in his innermost pocket . . and it should still be in the pocket of his robe on his real body on the revolving tower. So, this wasn''t his real body? Not his real robe? Pontius dug his nails into the flesh of his arm leaving a deep imprint. A bruise! As soon as they entered into the forest something beyond strange, beyond his comprehension . . "Set an anchor, a marking glyph!" Pontius frowned casting his gaze up at the thick canopy of leaves and mist. "We must have advanced to near the middle of this place!" Domitia and Valerius both sent out distinct glyphs onto the nearby trees and forest floor. The glyphs shone, imprinting themselves at once onto the surface. "It works! Magister, we''re anchored, and marked!" "Good! Baqir, read our marking, give us a planet, a star system!" Baqir intoned a low throaty hum, the Alchemical mark vibrating and expanding around them. Where the marking lay was a golden light and a red light, right near them a cluster of white, yellow, and blue lights. The lights grew smaller, zooming out to reveal the greater location within all the other lights . . other lights . . there were no other lights. The pin prick of gold was now tiny, a minuscule dot of light in the middle of nothing. No life, no other lights - no greater place in the universe. The Mithraic Seer fell silent, the mark returning to its shimmering blue outline. This had to be the source! Everything they had seen up till now, the interference in the body of the Goddess, the many lights . . the Celestials had to be hiding something! Pontius wiped the sweat from his brow, determinedly striding forward towards the gold light. *** 080 - Resonance 080 - Resonance Golden light, bright and beautiful - the warmth of a summer sun on his face, on every inch of his skin. Magnus stood bolt upright, feet in the black waters, his face turned skyward and mouth wide open. In through his mouth and nostrils poured a constant stream of white mist, his eyes reflecting gold. An indescribable joy and agony - Magnus felt his feet, felt every nerve and sinew, every inch of skin and flesh grow from nothing. Like his spirit form was an empty jug being filled with honey''d nectar, like he was being made real - watered by the black waters, filled with white mist, and sunned by a golden light. Three times - the limits of his body in both pleasure and pain - three times he had felt worse than death, worse than when Min sliced his throat or when Kujata had stomped him dead. First, when the white mist filled out his bones he''d felt an immense crackling and popping - from the marrow of every one of his bones bubbled up a disgusting yellow froth, oozing out through his yet ghostly skin. The more mist that filled him, the greater the amount of pus that was expelled in ever greater bone-breaking pain, until - crack! His thigh bone snapped in half, its inside hollowed out. From the hollow a disgusting worm covered in yellow slime was forced out by the mist. Second, when the mist had filled out most of his muscles and organs and reached his skin Magnus felt an indescribable itch on the small of his back. It quickly spread - like a wild fire across his shoulder blades, bubbling up in huge black blisters and spreading - two featherless black wings grew, stretching up and out with tiny hands at the tips, each finger ending in a pointed talon. Snap! The white mist burst out in two streams, both black winds snapping at once and falling to the ground. There they quickly withered, folding in on themselves until they were no larger than the wings of a pigeon. Finally, after feeling as if he were drowning in a sea of mist, Magnus felt his core heat up; the small white nub behind his belly button spun, mist churning in the air around him. All around the grove danced thousands of shadows, the golden light forming into a six moving pillars spinning around and around and finally coming together in a single supreme pillar of light. Only a single shadow remained - right beneath his feet. While Magnus remained still, unable to move, his shadow moved - lengthened, seemingly unaffected by the position of the light or Magnus. As he was made flesh within the forest, his shadow grew, gaining first a colour, then another. Soon, on the ground laid out was a perfect reflection of Magnus - as if he were stood upon a mirror made of dirt and leaves and roots. The white mist slowed, the gold light faded - a measure of quiet and calm returned to the grove, only the sound of his breathing and water over the slick moss covered stones remained. A stench of sulfur and rotting flesh filled his nostrils - from both the black wings and the pus covered worm. Magnus turned his head left, his reflection turned right. He reached out to touch it, and it backed away. He clapped his hands and snapped his fingers - the reflection did nothing of the sort, looking at Magnus with eyebrows furrowed. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "It''s faded!" "Magister! The light came from here! Over here, a stream, look!" "The mist is clearing, Dong-Geun can you . . dammit boy! Are you going to keep hobbling all over the place?" "There, the trees open up, a stream . . look! There is someone there!" Into the clearing came the seven, clothes frayed and torn, sweat cascading down their brows. Pontius was first amongst them, running and tripping over a root and falling flat on his face, the others hurried behind, helping the old Alchemist to his feet. "Magister! You''re bleeding! You . . you can bleed in the Ether?" Domitia stared blankly for a moment, holding up her hands before her face and pinching herself on the cheek. "Mark him! Set an anchor glyph! Confirm that it is a Celestial, get a read on our location!" Pontius roared out his commands one after another, threads of Animus emerging from his fingertips and forming a complex sigil in the air. "A mountain sigil? Magister, how can that work in the Ether?" Valerius hands trembled as he formed an anchor glyph. "Don''t be so slow Valerius, haven''t you realized it yet? We left the Ether some time ago . . this forest, this place is, is part of the material plane!" "The real world? But . . . bu bu bu . ." Valerious stuttered, his face a mask of confusion. "No." Zaynab replied, her voice hoarse. "Not the real world. Somewhere else." "Alchemists!" Magnus finally found his tongue, his jaw slack from surprise. With a flick, Pontius sent the sigil out across the black water stream and over Magnus, closing about him like a cage. An enormous pressure descended on his shoulders, as if a massive mountain had suddenly been placed on his back. The weight wasn''t enough to topple him though, only hold him in place - his feet sinking into the ground. There were seven of them, three Alchemists by the look of things. How had they got here? What about Kujata? Three Alchemists . . the old man in red, why does he seem so familiar? He seemed familiar . . a flash of recognition sparked in his mind. That old man! Of course! Unless all old Alchemists look the bloody same - that old man, those robes - it was the same Alchemist that had come to pick up Festus and Septima in Doohama! A flurry of lights flashed through the air at Magnus, several glyphs and beams of yellow and white energy washed over him. He let it happen, not feeling for a second like his life was in any danger. These seven . . Magnus eyes wandered over all of them, falling at last on the two dressed in white robes. Their faces . . that scar - Magnus scalp went numb with shock of recognition. "A Celestial!" Dong-Geun cried out. "A definite Celestial!" "What about the golden light?" Pontius immediately asked. "Where is that? Any reaction?" "None." "Magister, he is marked, we are anchored!" Magnus raised a hand, pointing a the old Alchemist, "You! Old bastard, you''re Pontius Magister Preater. Ah hahaha! This must be fate!" Magnus took a step towards them, the blue sigil buzzing and cracking. "You! You are Prince Dong-Geun of the Segye Imperial Court, ahha! Sung Hu . . you are Sung Hu." 081 - Resonance 081 - Resonance The old Alchemist froze, the threads of Animus withering from his fingertips, his face twisted into a look of pure confusion staring at Magnus. The others fared no better - each of them felt as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown over them. A profound silence reigned for a moment within the wood, only Magnus moved; in the middle of the clearing he appeared to all the world as a sandy haired youth, strong shoulders, a sturdy build; nothing particular or outstanding, no different to any peasant that could be found on a thousand different worlds. One thought resounded like a peal of thunder in a clear sky: how can the Celestial know our names? How can he know who the Magister is? How can he know the names of the Martial Court cultivators? A thousand suspicions arose in their minds all at once, a thousand horrific thoughts that Magnus could read their minds, that they were like open books to him - his plain face and plain appearance making him seem all the more devilish in the hearts of the seven. Pontius was the first to have realized the strangeness of this place - that the forest was no longer an illusory place - as soon as he utilized the mountain sigil Domitia and Valerius knew it for certain; this was no longer the Ether - that indescribably odd sensation, that undeniable truth that their sweat, the goosebumps on their flesh - it wasn''t just something they''d imagined. "Magister!" Domitia cried out. "We have to go!" "The Celestials marked, Magister!" "Magister!" "How does he know our names? Pontius, hey!" Dong-Geun cried out fearfully. The air around Magnus crackled with blue electric arcs as the last vestiges of Pontius mountain sigil collapsed - its breaking brought Pontius back to reality - Magnus advanced over the collapsing strands of Animus straight at them. No strands of Vigour, no incantations; the youth fixed him with a malevolent glare, singling out the old Alchemist amongst all the others. Pontius snapped out of his funk, his hands crackled with power, thick strands of blue electric Animus filling the space around him. In a flash a circle imprinted itself on the ground, several blazing glyphs formed into a larger sigil of many concentric circles. "Attack! Attack!" Pontius roared, his sigils shooting straight at Magnus. "Don''t just stand there, damn your eyes! Suppress the Celestial!" Domitia and Valerius unleashed their abilities; dozens of glyphs and sigils poured onto Magnus'' head. The white mist churned and boiled - eruptions of earth and leaves burst up with every new impact. "Maintain the sigils! This is only a single Celestial - focus your attacks!" Sung Hu formed a blade of Mens, shimmering yellow aura thick around the two Martial Court Cultivators. Prince Dong-Geun steadied himself against a tree trunk, in his eyes and around his throat several glittering sparks gathered, his veins bulging unnaturally. "STOP!" Dong-Geun yelled, his aura mixing with the Alchemists Animus and crashing into Magnus. Sung Hu cut through the air, his blade smashing down with the force of a lightning bolt. Baqir and Zaynab begun a fierce chant, their voices faltering - the air around them trembled, but nothing happened - no sword, no beam of energy - the powers they had displayed within the Ether entirely useless. Baqir and Zaynab coughed up a mouthful of blood, the gold flecks within their eyes dimming - they were the first to run; before Magnus had even advanced more than a few steps; vanishing with alacrity between the trees from where they''d come. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. All sorts of colourful lights flashed and smashed into Magnus - the branches of the many trees bent and creaked losing hundreds of leaves. Magnus advanced; the Alchemists sigils bursting against his skin, the sword of Mens breaking like a dry twig - all the force managed only to halt him for a moment - no matter what the Alchemists or others did, Magnus advanced. Under the rainbow of flashing colours and lights Magnus felt his flesh and skin burst and crack, a boiling heat enveloping from every possible angle, an immense weight pressing down - more than he''d ever felt before, like a gigantic mountain crushing down on his head and shoulder. It wasn''t enough - not nearly enough to stop him, not nearly enough to prevent him from putting one foot in front of another. He''d walked for a month on the verge of death, going towards an uncertain future - this was nothing. The Alchemists, their robes and spells . . nothing else mattered - strong! I am strong! Between him and the invaders was no more than a dozen paces; under the intense barrage he''d been slowed tremendously, but not enough! "STOP!" Dong-Geun roared, his face a mask of terror. "STOP, STOP, STOP!" His commands fiercely "Magister! We don''t have any potions! Please!" Valerius and Domitia cowered behind Pontius, every ounce of force exhausted, their arms and fingers trembling. "Attack!" Pontius roared, lashing out again and again. "Magister . . " Sung Hu took a position in front of Dong-Geun, both retreated to a side never once taking their eyes off Magnus. Alone - Pontius, his red robes flying back - the old Alchemist, his eyes like two black stones, deep black circles beneath his eyes. Magnus reached the defensive circle, Domitia and Valerius fled into the swirling mist, Sung Hu lashed out a final time, taking Dong-Geun and falling back. Magnus smashed the outer circle, a blaze of blue collapsing against his fist - a single step and he was right before the old Alchemist, hands outstretched. His fingers grabbed Pontius shoulders, digging into the flesh, his knees buckling. "AHHH!" Pontius screamed, sending blasts of Animus directly at Magnus. "Alchemist . . Ahaha! Kneel!" Magnus pushed, forcing Pontius the ground. ¡°You don¡¯t remember me, do you?¡± ¡°AHH! Celestial scum! Damn your eyes, die! Die! Die!¡± Pontius struggled desperately, helpless in Magnus firm grip - still he managed to release dozens of strands of Animus from his fingers, each one like a needle digging into Magnus back but unable to break his skin. ¡°Tsk. Not even listening to what I have to say. Eh? All your friends have run away.¡± Magnus easily wrapped one hand around the old Alchemists throat. ¡°I guess you¡¯ll be the first one to go! Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry - soon, soon enough I¡¯ll send your little Festus with you to the afterworld!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Before Magnus could crush the life out of Pontius a voice echoed out through the whole forest, a hand fell upon Magnus¡¯ shoulder. Next to him in the grove stood another man - a second Magnus! ¡°Wait! Do not kill him.¡± The second Magnus looked exactly like Magnus in every way, only his eyes were entirely gold. ¡°Not kill?¡± ¡°No . . Devour!¡± 082 - Resonance 082 - Resonance Devour! Magnus grinned madly, his gold eyed twin exactly like him; grinning in the same mad way. Devour! Of course . . hahaha . . Pontius gasped desperately for air, his throat held almost entirely shut in Magnus vice like grip, his eyes bulging. The old Alchemist tore at the fingers, poured strand after strand of Animus from his fingertips, but Magnus simply hoisted him up - holding him in the air with one hand. From his other hand a single strand of red and gold emerged. Pontius coughed up a mouthful of blood, every one of his fingers were crooked and bleeding, his fingernails cracked open - but his eyes were still very much alive. From each of his fingers a solid strand of Animus, bright electric blue, shot out, wrapping around himself in a tight knit cocoon. The last protective measures of a doomed Alchemist? Not at all - fast, much faster than Magnus could react, the bright blue strands of Animus tightened around Pontius, shrinking in and stabbing into his own flesh in a thousand places - Magnus felt the flesh of Pontius throat burn, frenzied sparks explode with the force of a thunderstrike. Even with Magnus'' grip on his throat Pontius laughed grimly. "Ah ah ha . . Celestial, I die, you die!" Magnus hesitated no longer; The red-gold strand coiled through the air like a shining snake, responding to Magnus intent - with a wild laugh he directed it into the Alchemist, piercing right through the cocoon and into Pontius¡¯ eye - right up his optic nerve and directly into the old man''s brain. The blue strands collapsed, the Alchemists flesh and bones that were infused with Animus erupted out - a blast of force rupturing his skin in a thousand cuts, his bones bursting open - breaking and cracking. Magnus bore the full brunt of the explosion, a torrent of wild energy and gore flying out in all directions - but! It was too late! The golden strand had already entered into Pontius inner world - in that single instant before his self detonation was complete. Magnus entered into that inner world - the sea and sky full of clouds and light, his red-gold strand multiplying, a thousand mouths blossoming from every strand and biting into every cloud of light all at once; swallowing the sea and the skies with a ferocious appetite. It had never been so smooth before; to Magnus it was as if he were gulping down an overripe fruit - in the space of a single breath he had devoured in seas, swallowed the storms and the skies, cracked open the inner world and taken it all. All the memories, all the things that were Pontius . . all! A new face appeared on the tree above Sung Soo and Lars - the peaceful sleeping visage of the old Alchemist, eyes closed. Everything that was Pontius Magister Preater . . his whole life . . every detail, every friend and lover, every student and relationship - everything, all laid out, all neatly filed away. The most recent memories, Pontius leading the hunt for the Celestial within the Ether - everything became clear to Magnus, from the names and roles of the six who''d come with him, their abilities - the Alchemists mission and knowledge, down the most minute detail - Magnus knew it all. At the same time he now knew just how bizarre this place was - his forest, the golden light - hells! This reflection! "Am I really that strange?" The second Magnus said. "Tsh. Don''t call me that!" "Call you what? I ain''t said a bloody thing!" "Second Magnus! I ain''t no second Magnus!" The second . . the reflection with the gold eyes replied excitedly. "Not reflection either." "No? Alright, what do you want to be called then? We can''t both be Magnus." Magnus wiped the bits of Pontius from his jacket, the remaining fragments of the old Alchemist withering away in a matter of seconds and turning to dust. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "Ok . . ok . . . call me Rolf." "No. Not Rolf." Magnus frowned. "How about . . Telemundo? No? Ok . . yeah . . that''ll do. I''m Hob. Hob is fine, right? Thats me, Hob the me. You know," Hob jabbed a finger into Magnus'' chest. "Hob that is you, Hob." "Hob? Hob the me?" A flicker of doubt flashed across Magnus face, Hob didn''t seem to be overly concerned "Yeah, whatever. You can read my mind?" "Nah mate," Hob shook his head. "How can I read your mind when you are me? We just think the same things - your thoughts are mine and my thoughts are yours." "Like a reflection?" "NO! Like . . like two sides of the same coin, ok? Not a reflection." "Ok. So you are me and I am you . . why can''t I hear your thoughts?" "C''mon Magnus, didn''t I just say? You can! One and the same, right? I don''t ''hear'' anything, neither do you - it is all just us, you and me - the same." "Ah . . ah hells . . ok. The same? So . . . what was that golden light?" "Dunno. Pontius here seems to think it is something that the Celestials are hiding, some sort of superpower." "Is it?" "You tell me." "Ah." Magnus and Hob fell into a mutual silence, examining each other for a time. He is exactly like me, a perfect reflec - ah, perfectly like me in every way! When Magnus raised a hand, Hob did too - reaching out they both clasped each other in a firm handshake - Hob''s skin rough, calloused in the same ways as Magnus, the same blemishes and unkempt fingernails . . "What about the rest of ''em?" "Do you even need to ask? Look -" Hob gestured to the far side of the forest clearing. "Baqir and Zaynab, right on time." From between the trees on the far side of the black water stream stumbled the two Mithraic Seers. Their colourful clothes frayed and torn - caught as they''d run on the thickets and brambles - through swirls of white mist they''d run - blindly fleeing from the clearing only to end up entering it once more. Baqir froze, catching sight of Magnus covered in chunks of Pontius, the leaves and roots around him stained deeply with blood - he and Zaynab recoiled in horror, quickly fleeing back between the trees. Magnus sighed, following unhurried. "Bad luck . . truly bad luck . . " a devilish smile plastered on his face. *** ¡°North! No . . West! Blast! Which way, dammit? I can¡¯t see Sung Hu, which way is it?¡± Dong-Geun couldn¡¯t put the slightest bit of weight on his leg, only able to keep moving while being supported by Sung Hu. They had lost sight of the two young Alchemists and Seers within moments, left to stagger on through the blind mist by themselves. Dammit! Of all the luck, why had he insisted on being a part of this cursed hunt? For the first time in a hundred years a Celestial had been detected - a hunting party formed. The Segye Imperial Palace had already sent out several cultivators for the Alchemists auction, Dong-Geun thought it a stroke of fortune! He had been perfectly placed to answer their call - to take part in the search for the Celestial, to be amongst the first to mark it out. Now? Sung Hu gritted his teeth, his Mens weakening with every step, Dong-Geun hopped on frantically,. This white mist blocked everything, every sense that might be improved and amplified could penetrate no deeper than a couple of feet, beyond that they were blind. ¡°Prii-iiince! Priiiii-iinnce! Little Prince!¡± A voice sang out from deep within the mist. Dong-Geun and Sung Hu felt their blood run cold. The voice seemed to come from everywhere all at once - they both knew who it belonged to - the Celestial! The mist before them cleared, Dong-Geun and Sung Hu stumbled on together - over roots and leaves, onwards - the only way that was clear . . right back into the clearing. 083 - Resonance 083 - Resonance At his feet were the bodies of Domitia and Valerius, laid down almost as if they were sleeping. A little ways away were Baqir and Zaynab - side by side, eyes wide open - the gold flecked pupils staring out blankly. Dead. All dead. Four more sleeping faces on the tree . . "You''ve seen many strange things today ain''t you, Prince?" Magnus walked towards the two cultivators entirely relaxed, as if he were on an afternoon stroll. "Devil!" Dong-Geun called out in a panic, his voice shrill. A thick aura of Mens, like a cloud of yellow fog, from his every pore - Sung Hu readied a yellow blade, taking up a position right in front of the Martial Prince. "Stay back! AWAY! Sung Hu, do something!" Sung Hu''s eyes flashed - a beam of yellow light shot out, entering into Magnus'' eyes. For an instant Magnus felt as if the world turned on its head, all the colours flashing - but only for an instant. He had been expecting this exact attack - the exact same technique that Soo and Min had used; the voice and the eyes. "Doesn''t the Segye Imperial Palace have any other tricks? Even Soo and Min were able to put up more of a fight, ha!" Magnus gestured to the nearby tree - for the first time Sung Hu and Dong-Geun saw the sleeping faces, saw Sung Soo upon the bark. Sung Hu''s face drained of blood. He had remained stoic throughout the entire ordeal; responding to every whim and command of his prince in the ways that a proper guard ought to. Now, his lower lip trembled. "And Min?" Sung Hu asked quietly. "What has become of my daughter?" Magnus shrugged, "She . . . escaped." He could see the pain and fear in the scarred man''s eyes. "Don''t worry, you''ll be joining Soo soon, right here." A red-gold thread danced through the air in the space between Magnus and the two cultivators. Sung Hu''s eyes turned dark, the aura of Mens around him billowing out. In his hand the yellow blade nearly doubled in length, its edge a fiery white - around him the temperature suddenly increased. Flames of the Soul! A forbidden Martial Court technique; igniting the very essence of life, burning through one''s soul to make a single sword that could cut through the heavens! Magnus laughed, stepping forward. "Pathetic! You think this will stop me? Come, come into my arms Dong-Geun, Sung Hu!" Sung Hu held the fiery sword up, his body trembling and becoming withered - a single blow! One swing of the sword, that was all he was able to do, all that his soul and body could bare in the Flames of the Soul - SLASH! No fancy techniques, no tricks; Sung Hu''s flesh withered, turning black, the lines in his face becoming profoundly deep - the fiery sword swept down, a single blaze cutting through the air. Around him all the leaves and roots, even the bark on the trees, crackled and dried, several branches even bursting into flames. Magnus watched the sword descend - with a slow yet seemingly inevitable grace. If he were to step back or jump to a side he could easily avoid it, let Sung Hu swing his blade in vain and wither away . . he raised his arm, the single thread of red-gold coiling before him and going up to meet the blazing sword. "Your dying sword, your blazing soul - Sung Hu, I accept it all!" The fiery sword met with the red-gold thread of Vigour in an explosion of sparks, the mist of the Sleeping Forest churning between the trees and all through the clearing. Sung Hu''s Flames of the Soul was like a small sun, a bright blinding blaze in the shape of a sword, his hands turning black, the skin on his arms looked like two dry twigs. Not enough! The flames filled the air, the whole of the forest felt like the inside of an oven, but it wasn''t nearly enough - Magnus'' red-gold thread twisted through the air like a dragon swimming through the skies - not a scrap of flame could pass it - it could not get even an inch closer to his head. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Sung Hu couldn''t maintain it much longer, Magnus pointed a second finger, a second thread of red-gold erupted from the ground and straight at the scarred man piercing right through the side of his head. In an instant the flames were extinguished. Sung Hu fell to the ground, his body splintering like a withered husk. For a moment a pained expression flashed on Magnus face, only for a moment. Next to Sung Soo appeared the faint outline of a face - calm, eyes closed, at peace. Dong-Geun stared out in silence. The aura of Mens around him flickering, weak - not even a fraction as powerful as his guards, and weakening every with every passing moment. The Martial Prince shivered, out of his mind with fear - paralyzed, frozen in place from his head down to his toes - his mouth pulled down at the sides, eyes bulging, skin turned entirely pale - he didn''t seem able to even breath or move a single inch as Magnus approached. "And so, Prince, you are the last. The last of the brave invaders who so fearlessly set out into the Ether." "..." "Well? Nothing to say for yourself? No final blaze of glory? Even the Mithraic Seers attempted to fight . . ah well . ." A single thread of red-gold appeared, dancing before Dong-Geun''s eyes. Magnus looked down at him blankly, without contempt, without any passion at all. So it goes - fate, luck, destiny - whatever you might call it. A month ago, hells, even a couple of days ago he would have been entirely helpless before these seven - the Alchemists and the Seers would have torn him to pieces! Even now, if he''d faced them in the real world there was a very good chance that he would have lost - that even with the power of a Celestial he would have been constrained and slowly torn apart. The seven that had come . . it was really their misfortune. The Alchemists had no potions, no guards - none of their usual means of fighting except for their strands of Animus. The Seers had only their song - none of their artifacts or tactical powers could be displayed. As for the Martial Court cultivators? They were the worst of off all; not even their swords at their sides, let alone the myriad of other weapons and formation techniques . . Bad luck . . they''d been led into the worst of situations - equipped only for hunting Celestials in the Ether, not for suddenly finding themselves drawn into a material world where their ethereal bodies became flesh. Now, the last of them. The pitiful Dong-Geun. A full Prince of the Segye Imperial Palace, a high ranking Cultivator of the Martial Courts - trembling and shaking in his boots! Magnus flicked his finger, his Vigour moving back and forth before Dong-Geun''s eyes. No need to draw this out, Kujata must be waiting - he had more than one thing to ask her, and now - with the memories and knowledge of Pontius and the others . . . . . . sssssSSSSSSSSSS! Kriiisssshhh! A shower of blood erupted out from Magnus'' chest splattering all over Dong-Geun. Magnus eyes went wide in shock. Bam! Again, another fierce blow, a second shower of gore - Magnus coughed up a mouthful of blood. Magnus stumbled, the force of the blow bringing him to his knees. Too quick! There had been no warning - he had felt nothing, heard no footsteps, seen no movement. "Magnus!" Hob was too his side - his face equally shocked - looking behind, below - nowhere! No one! Bam! A third strike, Magnus fell to the ground, blood pouring from his chest and mouth, his eyes quickly coming to resemble those of a dead fish. 084 - Resonance 084 - Resonance . . . . . . . . . . Well. That''s that then. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Still . . no beat, no pulse . . It''s been a while since I''ve seen myself like this, hasn''t it? Magnus floated a few inches away from his corpse, a solid strand of red-gold connecting his ghostly navel to his body. Bloody hells . . . maybe I ought to have stayed in that grave, never bothered crawling out at all . . Don''t be like Magnus me old chum! Come on now, get yourself up! Up and at ''em! Come on! Hob? Who else? Right-o Magnus, don''t be a lay-a-bout! Go on! Give your strand of Vigour a little tug, you know how it goes. Aye, I know, I know. But . . ah hells . . it''s gonna hurt, ain''t it? I mean . . look at it! Magnus'' body lay twisted in a heap, through his chest was pierced a short curved sword - flesh mangled, the sword stabbed all the way through again and again - a right mess of broken bones, his heart and lungs chopped and diced and pierced . . . Around him the whole world had faded - a familiar white mist descending and filling the world with a treacle like consistency. If I come back to that, won''t I just die again? Hey? Where are you Hob? Me? I''m right here! Magnus looked around the dim lit cave. Apart from a spider busy spinning a web between the split halves of the boulder there was no other living creature, ghostly twin or otherwise. Nah . . right here - in you of course! So . . like a voice in me head? Am I just talking to myself? More or less, more or less . . but try not to do it aloud, people might think it a little odd. Anyways . . Anyways . . yes? Yeah . . this might be a bit of a tricky situation. Wait a tick, are you an idiot or what? What? I mean, are we idiots or what? The Vigour, Magnus! Your strands - hells, think about it! Ah! Ah, of course! So bloody obvious! Even being dead Magnus retained a fair grasp over the strands of Vigour, feeling them flowing in his ghostly body. What is this? A little different to the Ether . . if he had experience in anything in his life, Magnus had a fair bit more experience than most in being dead. In Kloster, killed by Festus and buried . . kicked to death by the side of the road by those soldiers . . killed by the Alchemist in the Empire Swamp, and again - falling into the swamp, I was dead then, wasn''t I? Even Kujata stomped me to death . . ah hells, there are probably a few I''ve forgotten, ain''t I? One or two. Fighting Min and Soo - your heart stopped then too, that counts. Nothing to it Magnus, gets easier every time, right? Right . . right. It was the work of a moment to control a strand of Vigour to his chest and being the process of knitting his flesh back together. Fast - much faster than he''d expected - his heart began to reform, beating weakly within his mangled chest. His ribs and lungs pulled themselves together, the skin neatly forming back over and around the short sword, buried up to the hilt. In a matter of minutes it was as if he''d never been stabbed at all . . well, except for the bloody sword still sticking through his chest! Magnus blinked open his eyes, the dingy cave slowly coming into focus. The boulder he''d placed at the opening was cut in two halves, the formations he''d set had tens of cuts - the lines entirely broken. On the ground around him was all manner of blood and filth - putrid pus and flecks of black skin, same as what he had shed under the golden light in the Ether. As soon as he had returned to his body Magnus felt a stir within his chest, a grind of metal against bone. The Heart Sword! It''s curse was still very much in effect! The blade sawed back and forth trying to free itself to stab once more. Quick! Yank it out of there! Magnus grasped the sword, in a single forceful motion tearing it from his chest. "ARRRRGGHHH!" A burst of fresh blood - Magnus forced the Heart Sword out from his chest, immediately spitting out a mouthful of blood, his chest healing over. The sword struggled in his grasp, its point stabbing towards his chest fiercely. It felt like a weak kitten in his hands, Magnus was easily able to hold it in place . . but the second he let go he knew it would fly up and stab right into his heart again. What do I do? I can''t outrun it, can''t destroy it . . the Heartsword Curse really is one of the most troublesome of the Martial Court forbidden techniques. Having now absorbed Sung Hu, Magnus'' understanding of the technique increased by leaps and bounds. The Heart Sword came from the same book of forbidden technique as Flames of the Soul, both requiring the life of the cultivator in their execution. Terrifying . . but ultimately futile against him. The Flames of the Soul couldn''t pass his thread, the Heart Sword could never truly kill him - only provide a constant nuisance . . ways to deal with it . .ways to break the curse . . hmm . . In his memories there now arose a total of seventeen ways of breaking or dispelling the curse. Unfortunately most of them required either rare alchemical materials, potions, or access to formation rooms available only in the Segye Palace or in the Revolving Tower. No good . . no good at all. What else is there? A temporary measure? No good breaking the blade or burying it . . what about . . What about Dong-Geun! Gods! He was alive, in the forest! I''ve got to get back to the Ether! Ah haha! Don''t worry Magnus! . . . you needn''t worry too much about that. I mean, how long do you think you''ve been out of commission? What do you mean Hob? How long I''ve been dead? It . . it can''t have been long, right? . . . A couple of hours? . . . A couple of days? This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Try a bit longer . . A week? A bit more than that Magnus . . How much more? Tell me! More like two hundred years. Magnus'' mind went blank in shock. Two hundred years! Rolf! Festus! Kujata! The plan! The Alchemists! Two hundred years! What in the seven hells . . . Ahahahaha hah hahaha! Two hundred years Hob! What am I meant to do now? Why are you laughing? Dammit Hob, this is bloody serious . . what about Rolf? I . . . I . . Ah hah ha . . . relax . . chill . . come on, I didn''t mean it. Take it easy, I''m only messing with ya. It hasn''t been that long. How long then? Please Hob . . Only a few of hours. Ahaha . . your face . . . . . Ahaha . . . ok . . alright, enough. It was only a little joke Magnus, no need to sulk. . . . Anyway, don''t worry about the little Prince - there ain''t no way he can escape from the Ether by himself. Focus on the task at hand - get that bloody sword under control, then we can worry about Dong-Geun and the rest. Magnus fell into a sullen silence, ignoring Hobs every attempt a reconciliation. For half a day Magnus considered the possible methods of dealing with the Heart Sword, his mind adrift through the memories of Sung Hu and Pontius, exploring every nook and cranny of their experiences. As he searched through their minds, focusing on a solution for the Heart Sword, his understanding of the world, of the universe, grew by leaps and bounds. The world he was on - his grasp of language, of formations and sigils - several lifetimes worth of experience now lived in him, lived through him. Not like with Sung Soo, not as an overbearing and confusing mess that interfered with his own mind and memories, no - now they all slept, a living library that he could explore - all laid out in neat rows . Hob followed him, silent, letting Magnus chase a thought to its conclusion, exploring long months and years worth of living time. In Magnus they all slept, their dreams, their needs, their wants - all that was, all that once lived still dreamed - still slept within him . . . Day turned to night and back to day . . still Magnus sat within the messy cave, the Heart Sword struggling helplessly in his grasp. *** Orpheus sat on his cloud, Kujata on the ash-grey grass - both watching the white mist churning around the trees, hearing the screams and explosions that accompanied flashes of blue and gold. After the seven led by Pontius had entered into the forest they it was as if they had entered into another world - Kujata could hear and see, but in no way sense their life - it was as if the forest were a living world within the Ether. Impossible . . impossible . . Kujata sighed. With Magnus there had been too many times she''d thought something impossible - in the end she thought only to accept what was before her. The pillar of gold, Gnosis . . these were things entirely outside of her sphere of understanding - even with all the accumulated knowledge and memories from thousands of years the most Kujata knew was what Orpheus revealed to her. Orpheus! The Poet! Even his name sent chills up her spine . . the poet . . one of the great enemies of Celestials! "It is over." Orpheus intoned from up high. "He is no longer in the Ether." "What do you mean?" Kujata looked over in confusion. "How can he no longer be in the Ether? Look, the forest is still there!" "Yes . . and it will always be. The forest and the mist is now a part of the Ether, it isn''t like your city Celestial, it isn''t like anything you Celestials . ." Orpheus sighed, Kujata felt a deep sense of exhaustion from his words. "It isn''t like before. I can feel your terror Celestial, I can feel the fear . . hah . . you are right to be afraid." ". . . " "The war was over ten thousand years ago and your kind are still paying for it - you are still paying for it. Not all of us from old earth harbour as much resentment as El, not all of us still have as much hatred . ." "Then . . then why not let us go? Please . . Poet . . my friends . . all of us, why? Why has this gone on so long!" Kujata clenched her teeth. Before the silver suited man she felt as powerless as a mortal. "It is enough! Surely, the Martial Courts, the Seers, even the Alchemists . ." "Ha! Do you think it is up to me? I do not resent you as much, but do you think that equates with forgiveness? Do not forget the transgressions, the destruction you Celestials wrought!" "What about Magnus? Should he too pay for the ''wrongs'' of ten thousand years past? What of my disciples? What of all the Celestial hunted and imprisoned since then?" Orpheus tapped his hand impatiently, snarling down "Right or wrong, justness and fairness enter into it not Celestial. Your kind brought this on itself - the chains forged in the past are not so easily shed! El will never forgive you, she will forever hunt you and your kind through all the stars, through all the planes of existence, until the last Celestial is caught on her web. Your disciples . . Magnus . ." "So why bother saving us? Why bother hiding us from the Alchemists at all . . is this a game to you? You toy with us like a spider toying with a fly!" "Ahaha . . maybe it is best to think of it as a game . . no . . no, that would be wrong. Think of it as repentance - my kindness to you, my whim - a chance at redemption, both for you and for me." Orpheus lowered his cloud over the mist covered forest, his words calm and measured. "This is your chance little Celestial - they know not where you are, know nothing about your little plan to free the others. This chance . . do not squander it." The silver cloud and it''s silver passenger blinked out of existence in the Ether leaving Kujata alone on the ash-grey grass next to the silent sleeping forest. *** 085 - Resonance 085 - Resonance Outside in the skies grim storm clouds gathered, blowing in from over the mountains to the east. Sun moving from its midday perch, the world took on a twilight tone, heavy humid air settling on every creature. Inside the shallow cave sat Magnus, his silhouette almost lost in the afternoon gloom. Around him were the several green stones, the woods-for-trees formation re-infused. The more Magnus explored of the memories of the Alchemists and the others, the more a single word came to his mind. Disgusting. The tyranny of the Alchemists . . the ways that the Martial Courts and the Seers conducted business . . A tiny town like Kloster, hells, even the entire planet - the whole bloody star system, it existed purely for the Alchemists convenience. Dozens of worlds, thousands of nations - billions of people - just in the local cluster, all under the Alchemists mandate; it wasn''t even a secret - they never even tried to keep it hidden. All the lords and nobles and kings knew of it - they were all a part of it, working with the Alchemists - desperate to be permitted entrance into the Revolving Tower. What he''d lived through in Kloster - Festus'' experiment - pitting the giants against the black skins - that exact sort of situation had been repeated countless times, countless young Alchemists in countless towns and villages conducting all kinds of brutal and careless experiments on people, testing all kinds of potions and pills and techniques . . . Like cattle - less than human - these worlds under the Alchemists mandate were seen as nothing more than farms, neat little gardens full of creatures and minerals and resources; full of plenty of experimental subjects. Young Alchemists were recruited from the world''s too - the sons and daughters of the elite, the offspring of old Alchemists who''d chosen to retire to a life of luxury on one of the many worlds. Magnus . . What of Festus? He was one of Pontius students! A coincidence? From all the Alchemists that could have come to the Sleeping Forest . . Pontius Magister Preater - a grand teacher, specialized in the Ether and Celestial studies. Festus was a prime student; a genius - the techniques he had been experimenting with were to try to replicate the effects of an ancient Martial Court technique that could allow a cultivator to grow to enormous size - Septima had been similarly attempting to replicate a cultivation technique, some sort of iron skin. Worthless. Bloody worthless . . for this . . for a student''s experiment, that was what Kloster and Doohama had been utterly devastated over - that was what all my family, all my friends had died for. And I wanted to be a bloody giant . . . Hey, Magnus! What? What! Ouch! Bloody ouch! Whilst Magnus sat and let his mind go a-wandering his fist had closed ever tighter around the hilt of the Heart Sword, now - with his mind full of fury, he''d unwittingly squeezed a little too hard, his fingers crushing the steel blade into fragments. Of course, due to the nature of the Heart Sword, merely breaking the blade did nothing to diminish the curse; the pieces had a life of their own, each metal shard viciously stabbing into Magnus'' flesh and attempting to burrow their way beneath his skin to his heart - this was the very nature of the curse. The Heart Sword would never stop - night and day for all eternity, until it drank the blood of its targets curse dry. Son of a . . . ahh! Magnus tore a shard from the flesh of his upper arm, throwing it to the ground. In an instant it came to life, flying through the air - he blocked with the struggling blade - in a clang of metal the piece was absorbed back into the Heart Sword. Damn. Damn damn damn . . what in the seven hells do I do with this? I can''t keep holding on to it . . every one of the Alchemists means to break the curse are too damn specific - where am I gonna get an ampule of ionized carp reticules? No . . there had to be another way. Hmm . . yeah . . a particular method did come to mind - something to deal with the Heart Sword specifically. In the memories Magnus searched for every reference of the Heart Sword and Martial Courts and the Segye Imperial Palace - anything that might contain a clue how to put an end to the curse. Amongst Valerius memories was a single book on the subject - not quite a manual, but a book of stories - tales of adventure about heroic Martial Court Cultivators from history, children''s tales really - something that Valerius read between his studies. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. One of the stories in particular caught Magnus'' notice; the story of Seong Seok, Demonic Wanderer from the wild heretical courts. The story dealt with Seong Seok''s massacre of an entire family of cultivators in the midst of a wedding festival - before Seok could cut her down, the bride-to-be curse him, plunging her sword into her own heart. This sword took on a life of its own, fighting against Seong Seok in a mighty battle lasting many moon, until eventually Soek managed to placate it, sacrificing his left arm to act as its sheath. Even though the curse was never given a name in the story, it bore remarkable similarities to the Heart Sword curse. Worth a try, right? Well . . no need to go so far as to sacrifice an arm . . hmm . . With the blade held firmly in one hand, Magnus tore the tattered leather jacket from his back, wrapping it tightly around the blade, using several strips of fabric to hold it in place. The jacket had been soaked in his blood and stained with all kinds of filth - but it seemed to have an effect - the sword calming its struggles. No good! In a matter of moments the blood on the fabric dried, disappearing into the Heart Sword, the blade grinding against the leather sheath and nearly cutting it open. More blood! What good would that do? Even if you poured in buckets of blood the blade would just drink it up and keep coming . . . ok . . what about an arm? No? What about . . yeah, well - better than an arm! Something only a Celestial could do, right? Magnus formed a thread of Vigour, wrapping it around the rough sheath, binding it tight as he could. Vigour - the living thread, the life line - everyone had one - would it work? Well, Seong Seok had fooled the sword that chased him with an arm . . . As soon as he finished threading the strand of Vigour around the sheath, Magnus pinched his fingers, cutting it from himself and letting it sink into the leather. Carefully, keeping both eyes on the sword, he lowered it to the ground, setting it down. Success! The Heart Sword lay still and silent within the ragged sheath. Hahaha! I win! . . . Now what? Back to the Ether? Magnus looked at the candle that Sif had delivered - a greasy mess burnt almost all the way down to its stump. Thats right! What about Kujata! What had happened to her? She . . and Dong-Geun! In a single breath Magnus readied himself to plunge back into the Ether - Hold it! Hob? Yeah, who else? Listen, before you go back in - a quick word . . what do you think of Celestials, Magnus? Celestial? You talking about Kujata? Or . . well, they are really powerful creatures and . . and what are you getting at? I mean, what do you think about being a Celestial - have you given it much thought? Hells, I don''t need to ask that, I know you ain''t. What are your thoughts on being a Celestial? It''s all a bit . . rubbish, ain''t it just? I mean, up till now . . . I mean . . I''m still Magnus right? I dunno, I just don''t feel like some sort of . . of monster . . Right. And now all of a sudden I''m some sort of powerful god like creature? Some sort of beast feared throughout the stars, hunted by Alchemists and all sorts of other twats? Right. Fuck off. Fuck right off with all that shite. It''s rubbish, ain''t it? Ahaha . . . right, right. More than a bit rubbish, its a load of shit that''s been dumped on yer head. Poor little Magnus, all innocent and wanting to be a giant with his mate. Poor little Magnus, killed by some experiment and come back from the grave. It is a steaming heap of crap, is what it is! I mean . . Poor little Magnus, wandering and wandering and finding a useless bloody teacher who wants to send you to your death. Remember? She saw you and she stomped ya flat. Kujata? She ain''t that bad, I mean . . she did . . but . . ah hells . . Stomp stomp stomp, caved your chest in, right? And she has said, time and again - she''ll teach ya, and your part in it is to go and raise hell in the tower. What''ll you think will happen there, right? Yeah . . but . . You think she can be trusted? I . . yeah . . but . . I dunno . . Who can you trust? . . . The answer is pretty obvious Magnus - there is but one person you can trust in this life. Yeah? Who''s that then? Yourself! 086 - Resonance 086 - Resonance What do I know of Kujata? Knowledge . . knowing . . information about the world, the universe - Magnus had cursed his ignorance and here it was; all the learnings and experience of several lives at his fingertips. But . . what about Kujata? What do I really know of her? Her plan - it''s bleeding obvious, right? Her notebook, the brass bell, and telescope - she''d been watching the Alchemists, keeping track of their movements and the positions of the Celestials kept captive in their interstellar prison. Her plan? Pretty damn obvious - to free them! But . . why had she not acted already? Surely she must have discovered gaps in their patrols - the Alchemists weren''t exactly diligent, there were gaps in their defences - Pontius¡¯ memories made that clear enough. Furthermore, none of them had been expecting a Celestial to be hiding on one of their formation worlds, there was no proper defence against a Celestial so close to the prison . . so, what was she still waiting for? The woods-for-trees formation, the doppelganger technique, the separated candle - these were ancient techniques, lost magics. Neither the Alchemists, the Seers, or the Martial Courts were able to use such a technique - they had been lost for thousands of years - a Celestial has a life span that can be measured in millennia - just how old is she? The ancient techniques were powerful, sure, but . . Ah hells . . . the woods-for-trees formation hadn''t been able to prevent the Seers finding them in the Ether - hadn''t kept either of them from the prying eyes of the Alchemists. As for the candle . . no one used such an archaic method of communication anymore! No one had for generations! So, not only ancient techniques, but outdated! Her techniques couldn''t prevent the Seers or Martial Courts from finding them, especially if they utilized a Seer song like the Goddess. Magnus went through the most recent memories once more, reliving the hunt in the Ether from all perspectives, except Dong-Geun of course. Ah-ha! The force that kept the life forms hidden and dissolved anchor and marking glyphs - was that Kujata? No . . no . . if it was, she would have known about the incoming hunting party before they broke into the local Ether-space, she would have reacted well before she did, set up defences well before then . . Kujata''s face when Pontius broke through was one of genuine surprise; no way she had known before then. Someone else? Something else? Another unknown entity, someone hindering the Alchemists from the shadows? Someone who wants to help a Celestial? The candle stump, the formation . . it would be the work of a moment to dive back into the Ether. Magnus felt it - a bizarre thing outside the understanding of any he''d devoured . . the forest; an impossibility, a paradox. In the Ether all was illusion, nothing could be real; but the forest is real. Through the Ether all living things are connected, except for his forest. The Celestials had totems - this was something very well documented and studied, something understood; ethereal constructs, places the Celestials had within themselves and in the Ether . . different, not like this at all - the Celestial totem was still a place of illusion, a place in the Ether that was a part of it, not something entirely . . . else. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. A living thing - a little living world - Magnus could feel it even now, even from outside the Ether. All he had to do was close his eyes and see. The forest, exactly as he had left it, the bodies and blood mixing with the earth, feeding into the roots - becoming part of the forest. There he was, panting, running, stumbling over roots - Dong-Geun, the proud Martial Prince. Barely able to stand, his leg crippled, still he stumbled on and on, trying to find his way out of the mist and trees, finding himself in the same clearing time and again. The forest . . the sleeping forest . . the nature of the Ether - all is illusion, all is a dream - we are connected all, all living things, through the same dream. Whose dream? A dream of the universe . . no . . no, that''s the wrong way to look at it . . not a dream? What is the Ether? Where did it come from? Even the accumulated knowledge of Pontius, an expert on matters pertaining to the Ether was surprisingly lacking when it came to the origins of the Ether. Only theories and conjecture, nothing verifiable, nothing that could help Magnus understand the forest he''d created. Only one thing seemed for sure; it was nothing like a Celestial - nothing like what a Celestials totem ought to be. And . . and there was that. The figure in red . . the gigantic tree . . the silver fish swimming high in its branches . . Above as below . . above as below, one hand pointing up, the other pointing down . . the words written before of the lake of blood . . the golden light . . it was a poem? Three stanzas - Domitia had studied poetry and literature, Baqir and Zaynab, all Mithraic Seers had a good grasp of songs and poems. The song they used to summon the Goddess was part of a poetic edda written many hundreds of years before by the great Seer Garumond. But . . the words written on the shore of the blood lake in the roots of the giant tree - they were nonsense - the only thing Magnus got from them was a vague idea of a deeper meaning . . ssuuuuUUuuuuUUuu . . . As Magnus sat and contemplated a deep rumble, starting low - like a whisper within his belly, slowly spread - the once white core in the pit of his belly had, unknown to Magnus, taken a golden sheen, growing from a tiny seed like thing to the size of a peach stone. Just like a solid gold pearl. Around the golden core there was a ghostly shell, almost entirely invisible - thousands of tiny fibrous strands of red-gold threads, each far finer and far smaller than any hair. Around the core were wisps of coloured light - yellow, blue, white, and red - every colour of the Logos except for green. Slow, the rumble grew . . SSSSUUUuuuuuUUUUUuuuuuuUUU . . Inside him now Magnus felt it - a deep pressure bubbling up, the skin of his belly bulging out and becoming unnaturally taut - like a balloon fit to burst - this came with a sharp pain, Magnus leaned forward and groaned calling out - Hob! Hob . . help! What do I do? What''s happening to me? It hurts that much? Don''t worry, you just have to let it out. Let it out? How? Oh ye gods . . it hurts! Quick, tell me how! Uh . .well . . hmm . . you know . . Oh gods! PPPHHHHRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAPPPPP! *** 087 - Resonance 087 - Resonance Two tall wooden doors were shut tight, a dozen Alchemists stood before them in hushed conversation, a dozen more were spread throughout the hall, along with several Martial Cultivators and a few clad in the colourful garb of the Mithraic Seers. In front of the shut doors a shrew faced woman clad in pristine white cultivators robes paced back and forth, muttering to herself and growing increasingly agitated. "Delays, always more delays. What is wrong with the Alchemists these days! You, Alchemist! I demand to see my son at once!" She bore down on a young Alchemist unfortunate enough to be standing near the doors. "Where is he? What have you done with my Dong-Geun?" "Eh . . eh eh eh . ." The Alchemist stuttered, stumbling over himself in a hurried retreat. "Come back! Dong-Geun! What have you done with him!" The young Alchemist scurried away, disappearing down a connecting corridor. "You!" She switched focus, grabbing another Alchemist by the sleeve. "What¡¯s going on? Has the marking mission finished? Where is my son? ANSWER" Her shrill voice focused into a blade of yellow energy. "I don''t know! I don''t know! Eeek! Let me go! The Magisters have sealed the forum, please let me go!" The Alchemist babbled, struggling to free himself. An elderly Alchemist in a red robe approached. "Madame, please, a little decorum . ." "Hmmph!" She let the young Alchemist scurry free. "Well? Can you answer me? What the blazes is going on?" "Alas . . all I know is that the marking mission was not successful, the high Magisters are now conferring. All we can do is be patient." The red robed Alchemist sighed. "Is that all you really know? SPEAK! Tell me the truth!" Again, a yellow force shot out from the shrew like womans mouth, this time the elderly Alchemist countered the force with a wave of his sleeve, a glyph flashing through the air and absorbing the yellow force in an instant. "Please, I must insist - do not attempt that again Madame." He replied in a level tone. "Decorum must be maintained, patience . ." "Do you know who I am?" "Madame, I -" "I am Yi Bangja, Consort to his Royal Majesty Eumin Byoek-Geun, ruler of the Imperial Segye Palace!" "Madame Yi, my name is Antonius Magister Caelo, my daughter, Domitia, was a part of the mission. I assure you that if -" "Pswha! Rot! I don''t need your pitiful assurance, Alchemist! What I need is to see my son!" "If, if -" "Don''t waste my time!" Clack clack clack . . hurried footsteps echoed the length of the hall. From a room on the far side a tall figure dressed in a shimmering silver Alchemist''s robe entered, striding down the centre of the hall towards the doors. "Who is that? A student? I''ve never seen an Alchemist wear silver . ." Antonius did not respond to her shrill questions, his eyes going entirely round - staring at the approaching figure. All the Alchemists in the hall turned to look, all stared in silence. "Imperator . . " "Imperator . ." Those Alchemists who had been slouching straightened their postures, looking at the silver robed figure with a mixture of fear and respect and bowing their heads. A pale face, almost entirely devoid of any colour - except for the eyes. The Imperators left eye was entirely gold, the right entirely blue - a deep azure. Both shone like gemstones set within high cheek bones and floating above delicate lips - impossible to tell whether it was the fine features of a woman, or a effeminate man. The Imperator moved without hesitation, marching the length of the hall. "You!" A shrill voice broke the respectful silence - Yi Bangja turned her nose up at the silver robed Alchemist, stepping out to bar the path. "Madame! Stop!" "Unhand me! You! Imperator or whatever, you are a high ranking Alchemist, correct? Where is my son? What have you done with Dong-Geun!?" The Imperator came to a halt, a hint of displeasure showing for an instant. "I demand answers! SPEAK!" Yi Bangja stamped her foot, shooting a beam of Mens at the Imperator, washing over all those near them and covering the closest Alchemists and Martial Court Cultivators with a thick yellow aura, compelling them all to begin speaking at once. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Amidst the noise and confusion the Imperator maintained a stoic silence, fixing the Segye Imperial Palace''s consort with a malevolent eye. Bang! Regret . . for Yi Bangja it was too late for regret, the second the Imperators eyes fixed upon her an immense pressure descended. Even with her high levels of cultivation she felt like a mountain had been placed across her back, forcing her to the ground like a squashed toad. "Tsk." The Imperator tutted, waving a silver sleeve. With a mechanical pur the marble floor beneath Yi Bangja opened and swallowed her whole, closing back up in an instant. "This sort of attitude is not welcome in my tower." On the outside of the Revolving Tower a small segment of white marble retracted revealing a chute - with a buzz Yi Bangja, Imperial Consort to his Majesty Eumin Byoek-Geun, Ruler of the Segye Imperial Palace, shot out of the chute and into the depths of space. The silver robed Imperator walked on through the rest of the hall, the Alchemists and Cultivators quickly moving out of the way and clearing a path to the two wood doors, Antonius back slick with sweat as the Imperators eyes swept over him. The Martial Court Cultivators who had taken half a step forward instantly halted in their tracks - frozen in place before the gold and blue eyes of the Imperator. The doors swung open, the Imperator passed through and they quickly swung shut once more. The room on the far side of the double doors was a vast circular amphitheatre with a raised podium in the centre, the podium large enough to house a whole village. Around the podium at the edges of the circular room were arranged dozens of gardens, giant flowering trees and plants and herbs of all descriptions from all corners of the universe. On the podium itself were only three people, three Alchemists of noble bearing wearing red and gold vestments. They stood next to a large formation of Animus, in the center of the formation were seven beds with seven bodies laid prone. "Imperator!" The three greeted the silver robed Alchemist with a bow as the Imperator crossed the gardens and brusquely entered the formation, "Dominus, is this all of them?" "Yes Imperator!" A stern faced Alchemist with shocking red hair flipped over his hand, the seven beds rearranging themselves within the formation around the Imperator. "Imperator, these are the seven who took part in the marking mission as directed by the forum! We have only just received the Seers from their world!" "Six dead . . one in a coma. Three Alchemists . . a Magister at that . . what are your conclusions?" "Imperator, the deceased show no signs of Celestial attacks, only the Cultivator has indications of withering!" "Imperator, the mission to mark in the Ether has provided no marking or anchor glyphs apart from the initial markings!" The Imperator looked over the bodies of Pontius and the others, turning at last to the single survivor - Dong-Geun. Breathing . . his heart beating . . blood circulating normally, every seemed as it should - as if the Martial Prince were still in his meditation and within the Ether. Everything, except for his leg. Below his knee Dong-Geun''s leg had withered, become like a dry twig growing out of an otherwise healthy appendage. The Imperator reached out and touched the corner of Dong-Geun''s eye - his eyes opened - a single strand of blue Animus pierced into the Martial Prince''s eye, one swift motion - in and out - on the tip of the blue thread was a single speck of white. The Imperator held it up, examining it carefully. "Imperator, we have ready another group to delve into the Ether! Three of our expert Magisters are preparing to form a -" "No. Belay that order." "But, Imperator, we . ." "No more missions. We are to cease all searches for Celestials in the Ether." The white speck of light . . strange . . no . . not strange at all. The Imperator sighed, the speck of white light reflecting in the gold and blue eyes "Orpheus . . " 088 - Resonance 088 - Resonance The three Dominus, each a master of one of the three towers that had come together above the world, now stood in an uneasy silence - waiting without daring to say a word for the silver robed Imperator to act. Orpheus . . Orpheus . . each of the Dominus wore a heavy expression, each recognizing the name and the weight behind it. Finally, after what seemed like half a day, the Imperator made a move. A sudden whirr of mechanical activity filled the amphitheatre, from the marble floor of the podium came a myriad of long white robotic arms. On the end of each arm was an implement - either a black bladed fingers,a device made from mirrored bits of glass, or many tiny hands with long intricate fingers - the arms responded to the Imperators intent - hands and implements tearing into the bodies of the Alchemists and Seers and Martial Cultivators, cutting through bones and organs and opening them up. Neatly, laying each individual organ and bone, the corpses were entirely dissected, their skulls cut with precision, brains scooped out and laid out - all, the whole process peeling back skin and muscles, suctioning blood, all within a matter of minutes - until all six bodies resembled an disassembled machine, the glistening innards in rows and perfectly placed for closer inspection. The Imperator made a quick pass, selecting a body part here or there and having one of the long white arms dissect it further - picking through every scrap of flesh. The only one to remain untouched was Dong-Geun, the Martial Prince''s chest rose and fell in a steady fashion, as if in a deep slumber. From these corpses several specks of light were harvested by the white arms, all collected into a glass vial. "Traces . . you left them intentionally ah haha . . " The Imperator caressed the vial, holding it up in the light and examining it closely. The white arms arrayed themselves around him, the Imperator standing inspecting themwith the greatest of care - and, in swift delicate motions a single arm sliced, cutting the clothes from the sleeping prince with a fine blade, leaving him naked. A second slice, this time with a thin red laser cutting Dong-Geun''s chest - the laser cauterising the wound as it cut - two metal claws reaching into his chest and pulling the skin apart, pulling the ribs to one side. There, within a tangle of veins and nerves, pulsating in a slow rhythm, was Dong-Geun''s heart - a thin aura of yellow energy clearly visible, clinging to his organs, thin wisps of Mens rising like vapours from his open chest. Another arm neatly sliced through the sleeping Prince''s forehead, right the way round to the back of his head and completing the cut on the other side - the whole top of Dong-Geun''s head came off like an egg shell, revealing the pinkish brain matter beneath. "Nothing will wake him? You have tried Finnegans Nasal Vapours?" "Of course, Imperator!" The red bearded Dominus was the first to reply, stating fiercely "Nothing we did could wake him . . it is as if . . as if his soul is missing." This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Soul?" The Imperators voice turned ice cold. "Ah, no! I did not mean it like that . . not in a religious way! My apologies El! Uh, I mean, Imperator!" "What my colleague meant," A tall thin Alchemist with a black apron over the fine red-gold vestments of a Dominus stepped forward, bowing his head. "What he meant was that the body of this Martial Cultivator is in perfect condition, no wounds or injuries apart from his withered leg, his Vigour and Logos entirely intact. He is like an alchemical construct that has simply been . . turned off." "In the Ether? They were in the Ether the whole time, correct?" El''s face flickered with discontent, the vial of lights secreted into a silver sleeve. "That is correct, Imperator. From the time they entered to the time of their deaths . . our records show that they did not even attempt to exit their meditation." El fell into silence, wandering between the bodies and leaning in for a closer look. Suddenly, something seemed to shine - within the fold of Dong-Geun''s cerebral matter - a dim shimmer that, with a swift stab of a white robotic arm, was dug out and held up in front of the Imperators eyes. A speck of gold. Gold. Not red, not white - not any of the other colours of the Logos. Gold. He''d put that here? Orpheus . . gold could mean only one thing . . A fierce light shone in the Imperators eyes - Bang! The hundred white arms arranged themselves above the corpses, shooting out a burning beam of energy and instantly incinerating them, beds and all - nothing was left, not a shred of flesh or drop of blood. "Good! Very good! Dominus, kneel!" "Imperator!" Three voices cried out in response, the three Alchemists instantly falling to a knee and bowing their heads to the silver robed El. "Your orders - Crispinus," The stocky Alchemist with flaming red hair raised his head, "Crispinus, you are to continue to prepare for the Auction, as normal - is that clear?" "Imperator!" "Horatius," the tall thin Alchemist wearing a smudged black apron looked up, "the Celestial was detected in some four hundred star systems . . we have garden worlds within the majority of them. You are now in direct command of all missions on these garden world, proceed with all missions as scheduled." "Imperator!" "Martialis," The third and least assuming of the three Alchemist Dominus raised her head. "Martialis . . " "Yes, Imperator?" "Make ready the tower. Contact all segments - all of them! Have them assemble in the Domus star system. Reinforce the formations, establish communication links with the Courts and the Seers; get the Oracle into a tower." "Imperator! Imperator . . are these not emergency measures? All the segments have not been together in one place for ten thousand years . ." "You have your orders. Make ready . . for war." *** 089 - The Witching Road 089 - The Witching Road Pswhaa! Psh! Magnus ran out of the shallow cave, tears in his eyes, spitting out great globs of phlegm - a terrible taste fresh on his tongue from the noxious fumes. Behind him a great stinking cloud followed - spilling out of the cave - what could only be described as toxic vapours. Within his belly, around his core it had festered - a fetid mixture of Logos, all the newly acquired powers from the Alchemists and Seers; the powerful Mens, Animus, and Vis poured in, compressed until . . . Hells alive, Magnus, did something crawl up your arse and die? "Oooh . ." Magnus rolled around on the dirt. "Hob . . where are you Hob? Why can''t I see you here?" It''s alright, take it easy - you can''t see me here, remember? Just the voice. Hur hur hur . . "Oooo . . what are you laughing at? Damn your eyes . ." Hur hur . . ain''t you always wanted a mighty power? Some great strength? If Pontius or any great Alchemist appeared in front of you now . . even with all the formations and potions, all you''d need to do is turn around and let rip. Ha! "Ah ha ha . . Ooooh . . dammit Hob, don''t make me laugh, it hurts!" Magnus rolled on his side, his belly gurgling and burbling furiously - a mighty pressure building again. "Oh gods . . oh gods . ." For half a day Magnus lay in the dirt, groaning and rolling about and only able to stand leaning against a tree - after a few moments the burbling below began anew, his belly blowing up as taut as a ship''s sail in high winds - building and building and finally - Phrrrrrtt! Wherever the gas touched was blighted - all leaves turned yellow, all flowers wilted, all insects and living things fell into spasms, birds unfortunate enough to be passing overhead were flying and singing one second, unmoving on the dirt the next. Half a day - until the sun lay low in the autumn skies, a chill wind blowing from the east - Magnus went through the whole process countless times. Hob had laughed, at first, now he stayed silent, the only noise outside the shallow cave was that of Magnus, groaning and farting and cursing. Neither Hob nor Magnus had the slightest idea what to do - nowhere in any memory or story was any information on how to deal with such a thing - a bout of incessant farting brought on by a Celestials sudden increase in strength . . Over the course of several hours the pressure in Magnus'' belly lessened, the aura of the Logos swirling around his core seemingly growing weaker - slightly, at first, then, as if responding to Magnus'' fervent prayers, his white core begun to spin, heating up. As soon as it started the gaseous substances subsided, the several coloured auras entering into the spinning core. "Ooohh . . my bloody gut . . I feel right rotten. You there Hob?" I am. No need to say it aloud, just think it. Right, right . . ah hells, use my inner voice, right. Oh ye gods . . I never want to go through that again. Aye? It was just a little farting in the woods, could have been worse. "Could have been worse!" Magnus roared. Ahem. I mean, could have been worse? Bloody hells, how? How could it have been worse Hob? How? Could have been that there was someone else here. What if Kujata were here? Or . . or Rolf? Ah hells . . Rolf would never let me live it down. Yeah. . . . Makes you almost wish that you were just suffering from the pus and hard black skin again, right Magnus? Yeah, yeah . . Magnus picked himself up and returned to the cave with a sullen expression. Swapping one sickness for another, great. There had to be a solution. No way am I gonna go about my day with the threat of haplessly farting. No way. There has to be a method to suppress this . . Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Through the Alchemists¡¯ teachings Magnus identified several potions and brews; teas and remedies made from bark and leaves and brewed specifically to settle flatulence or indigestion. Would they work? Unlikely . . unlike the Heart Sword, there were no stories or legends of heroes suffering from wind. Celestials. Kujata. I''m an idiot, right? This has to be an affliction specific to Celestials - I mean, who else is ever gonna get in a situation where they''ve absorbed multiple Logos in quick succession - Kujata has to know! Hold on Magnus. Yeah? Don''t mention me, to Kujata, that is. Don''t. Why not? It might . . frighten her. Don''t mention that you can see and talk to another you. She might find it . . a little odd, you know? A little off. Oh. Alright. Oh, and don''t talk about Red. Or the Great Tree. Or the Silver Fish . . hells, say nothing about me or about the . . the strangeness at all, right? Why? That don''t make sense - Kujata could help me make sense of it! You want me to lie to her? That''s not what I''m saying . . nah, Magnus, listen . . I just . . you just have got to remember - she has lied to you, she''s killed you, right? All I''m saying is that you shouldn''t be so quick to trust - hells, you have no right to trust her at all! Just be careful with what you say, right? There ain''t no need to let her know more than the most basic - pretend ignorance in everything else, just say you don''t know, right? Yeah, I''m pretty good at ignorance . . Within the Ether the white mist hung thick around the many trees of Magnus forest - the second that Magnus entered he blinked in surprise. The place he''d entered was exactly where he''d been struck down - laying face down on the dirt in the glade in the centre of the forest, no wounds or injuries of any sort on his body. "Eeek!" A shrill scream of terror - on the other side of the river Dong-Geun hobbled in the opposite direction. The Martial Prince''s complexion had undergone a great change - it hadn''t even been a day since he''d come into the forest, but now his face was pale, his eyes sunk, deep black marks beneath both eyes. Apart from Dong-Geun, the forest had returned to its previous calm - there were no signs of the corpses or gore from the battle, no burns or marks at all - all was returned to a state of peace and quiet, as if it had never - and could never - be any other way. Magnus sat up - next to him appeared Hob. Eerie . . . no matter how he looked at it, Hob was his perfect twin. Not a shadow, not like a reflection in a mirror - a perfect copy - a perfect twin of himself. "Yes, this really is how everyone else sees your nose, Magnus. If anyone has ever told you it was handsome they were lying." Hob grinned. "No need to rub it in . . what about him? Ought I, you know, absorb him? Devour Dong-Geun?" "Why bother? I''ve been getting used to the little fella. He''s kinda like a little pet . . when you''re not around he becomes real industrious, you know? Almost the whole time you''ve been gone he has been wandering around, going through your pockets, and looking at the trees." Hob flickered through the air, disappearing and reappearing next to the terrorfied Dong-Geun. Dong-Geun didn''t seem able to see Hob at all, nor react to him sticking a foot out and tripping him up, sending the Martial Prince sprawling to the ground. "She''s waiting for you. Has been this whole time, isn''t it about time you went and had a word with your big sis?" "Devil! Let me go! Release me from this torment!" Dong-Geun scrambled over the roots, his arms flailing in a wild blind panic. "Right." Magnus shook his head, setting off through the trees towards Kujata. 090 - The Witching Road 090 - The Witching Road Kujata bit her thumb until it bled. Three times, in the time she''d sat waiting for Magnus, three times she''d left the Ether. Each time she''d paced up and down through the shrine room, going out into the courtyard - looking out into the skies. She had called out to Magnus through the candle - hells, she''d even yelled her head off - calling "Magnus! Magnus!" again and again at his totem forest in the Ether. Orpheus . . the bloody poet! Hells . . is this fate? Is this destiny? It''s not fair! Not fair at all, thats what it is! He''d seen through her in an instant - seen through her plans, her hopes . . what chance was there now of rescuing the Celestials in the Alchemists prison formation? If the poet knew, then surely El knew . . surely the others knew . . surely . . but Orpheus had been defending them, hadn''t he? He said he would keep them hidden . . said that he regretted his action. Even the thought of the silver suited Orpheus up on his silver lined cloud sent a shiver down her spine. Trust him? Pah! But . . if what he said was in the least bit true then it gave her an opportunity that she couldn''t afford to waste. She couldn''t afford to not trust his words . . the alternative . . She was torn between an almost overwhelming instinct to run - run! Flee! Get out of here! But . . . Go where? Do what? Leave them all? Hide away on some remote star at the edge of the galaxy for another ten thousand years? Instead, Kujata bit down on her thumb, paced up and down the shrine courtyard, and went back into the Ether - sitting back on a conjured stone bench and waiting, watching the forest and swirling mists. It had been a day - a full day since the gold pillar vanished - since the marking party entered into the forest with Magnus. At that time there had been several horrific screams and powerful waves of energy, screams and then . . silence. An uneasy unending silence, for a full day - nothing but the swirling mists. Would Magnus even be coming back out? He was still alive, that much was certain - his totem was still there - it would have faded if he left the Ether, that was . . if it were a normal Celestial totem. Magnus'' forest felt nothing like a Celestial totem - too real, as if it were its own world within the Ether. A totem like this . . ah, why couldn''t things be simple with Magnus? His awakening was odd, his development strange . . A Celestial would never be normally able to enter into another Celestials totem without explicit permission from the Celestial - no Celestial would want to either. Going into another totem . . was wrong, felt wrong - it was one of the most personal and private places a Celestial had, and to invite another Celestial into that private place had always been something considered almost taboo. Calm . . I''ve gotta stay calm. Whatever happens I have to make Magnus act according to my plan. His presence . . it is a heaven sent opportunity - it doubles the chances of breaking through the Alchemists formation! If there were a Celestial running riot inside the Revolving Tower then all eyes would be on that . . all their attention would be on Magnus. If Magnus comes . . if . . when! His totem is there, he ain''t dead, he ain''t gone. What the hells is taking him so long? If he does not come - what else can I do? If I were to act on the information I''ve already gathered, with what I''ve got now there is a chance getting through . . a chance . . the longer she stayed in the Ether the worse her expression grew, the more she bit down on her thumb drawing blood. Before it''s too late . . Before I really have no other options . . "Hello big sis, you miss me?" Magnus stood a few feet away, a sheepish grin plastered on his face. "Bloody hells! Magnus! Where the devil did you pop out from?" "Uh, from the forest? I would''ve said something earlier, just you looked like you were busy thinking and sucking on your thumb, so . ." "By the stars! you nearly gave me a bleeding heart attack . . oh ye gods and little fishes . . look at that, would you? I''ve nearly bitten through my bloody thumb ¡®cause of you!" "Sorry." "Ah hells, don''t worry about it." Kujata looked Magnus up and down, finally looking into his eyes. "Don''t worry about it . . . you look different Magnus." Magnus'' shoulders seemed broader, his back straighter - an aura of vitality permeated his Ethereal form making him pop out from the ash-grey grass and ghostly forms of the Ether, as if he were the only thing that was real - and . . and it looked like his belly had grown three times as large. Kujata sighed, forcing a calm expression on her face. "That pillar of golden light . . that was gnosis, right?" "Gnosis? What''s that? No . . I mean . . I feel different *Phrrrt!* . . uh, sorry . . I mean, I feel different. Sorry big sis . ." His face flushed red. "I just can''t *phrrrrrt* stop farting . ." "!" "Ah . . *prrrrt* . . sorry . ." "How did you do that? It stinks! How? How the hells are you farting in the Ether?" "Uh . . sorry, sorry . . ah it''s a bit better now. Sorry for that big sis . . maybe you can help me . . It''s a Celestial thing, right? Gnosis? Is that what this is? Since the Alchemists and the others came into my totem and I devoured ''em I''ve been feeling awful, real bad. Is it normal?" A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Hold on . . hold on a tick - what? You devoured them in the Ether? What? That . . stop farting Magnus, dammit!" "Sorry." "You didn''t just wither them? You devoured them all - are you sure? You''re not lying to me, are you Magnus, are you sure? Maybe you''re just confused . . you can''t have devoured anything in the Ether . . that isn''t . ." "I''m pretty sure I devoured them, big sis." "You sure?" "I''m pretty sure. Three Alchemists, two seers, and . . and two Martial Cultivators. What''s wrong with me sis? I''ve got all this gas around my core now - I feel it building up inside." "Ah. Ah . . it is a Celestial thing, I guess. Well, a pretty unique one, ha! In the normal course of matters I would''ve balanced it out for you, but well . . ah. The problem is an imbalance in you Logos - you''ve got plenty of Animus, Mens, and Vis - and plenty of Vigour, but no Elemental Logos, see?" "Ah. So I just need to find Elemental energy?" "More or less - balance it out, else . ." *Prrrrrrrt* "Indeed. That lizard you came across in the Empire Swamp, that was an earth elemental - that oughta do, one way or another . . one way or . . ah blast! Dammit Magnus, you and your bloody farting! We ain''t got time for that! I mean . . you have to balance yourself out, but . . hells! You really devoured them? You ain''t lying to me? Hells alive . ." "Yeah . . I really did." ". . ." "Hey . . Kujata . . about the Alchemists . ." "What? I''m thinking, wait a moment." "I''m worried. I mean, the formation - woods-for-trees, it failed, right? Surely . . surely . . the Alchemists found us so easily in the Ether, won''t they be able to find us again? The formation didn''t do squat, did it? Why ain''t you set up an Ether blocking formation, something to run interference on the Seer song of the Goddess?" "Seer song? Goddess?" Kujata frowned. "I''ve never heard of those! I''ve no idea how you devoured them. It shouldn''t be possible in the Ether . . the Poet said . . you''ve got their memories now, right? Look through them! It isn''t . . it''s not feasible . . wait . . your totem, your forest" Kujata took a deep breath. ". .ok." "Ok? Big sis . . master, I think there are some things you are not telling me, some things that I need to know." Magnus voice grew stern, his expression stony. "We''re both Celestials, right? What happened out here . . I saw it all, in Pontius mind, the old Alchemist who came to mark us, he saw the lights - he came for my totem because he saw that there was something strange, someone blocking their advances - and it wasn''t you, right? I need to know - why do the Alchemists hate us? Why do they fear us? Why do they capture and imprison all the Celestials in a prison formation? Who else is there helping us now?" "I told you - I''ve said it - the Alchemists want to extract resources! They harvest Celestials for, for all kinds of things. They break our bones Magnus, suck out the marrow - pluck our feather, tear off our scales, drain every last drop of Vigour and, and . . and there is no escape, no death . . just an eternity of suffering." ". . . that is not what I asked." "It''s my friends and family, Magnus . . my disciples . . everyone I ever knew or loved - everyone I still love - trapped, tortured for thousands of years. You see, right? I have to save them . . I have to do what I can . ." "Kujata. I get it, I hear you . . but that is not what I''m asking." "You have to understand - it ain''t normal Magnus, you''ve gotta understand that. How can you devour in the Ether? How? It isn''t possible . . but . ." Kujata paced back and forth, looking from Magnus to the forest and back again. "Bring it in, take your totem in Magnus. It isn''t safe to leave it there." "Ah. Sure, how do I do that?" "Just pull it into your mind, should be as easy as willing it to happen." "Sure." Magnus looked to the forest, focusing on the trees and mist. "Come on now Magnus, what''s the hold up?" "Uh . . I''m trying big sis. Nothing is happening. I keep saying ''pull, pull'' in my head, but the forest, uh, doesn''t want to come?" "You can''t pull it in? Use your Vigour, send out a strand." A red-gold thread shot out from Magnus finger to the mist covered forest, wrapping around it. Magnus pulled on it, the trees and mist shuddering violently, suddenly shrinking down and being reeled in along with the thread until he had the whole thing, the whole forest and mist resting on the palm of his hand. Magnus grinned, glancing up at Kujata. She looked back at him with utter horror, her face twisted in fear, her lips quivering and teeth clattering noisily. "Uh, big sis? "Big sis?" "Put it away!" Kujata hissed. "Take it away from me!" "What? This?" Magnus waved the strand of red-gold Vigour in front of Kujata. "Oh. Is this not normal either? Hey, big sis - what is the plan now? Why do the Alchemists hate us so? Who else is there - what are you not telling me?" "I don''t know . . I don''t know. Please, put it away!" 091 - The Witching Road 091 - The Witching Road Magnus waved the red-gold thread in front of Kujatas¡¯ face, her eyes reflecting an absolute fear - he saw the effect it had on her, saw that she was shaken to her very core. The red-gold thread had a profound effect on her - Magnus hadn''t really given it any thought. "Who else was here?" Magnus asked in a level voice. "Why do you fear my Vigour?" "Please . . I don''t know, stop!" Kujata pleaded, trembling. "Stop . . oh ye gods . . oh . . ah!" A sudden flash of recognition appeared in her eyes ". . he called it gnosis! Gnosis . . oh, oh, oh!" "The gold light - right? That was gnosis . . who told you? What is gnosis? Why''re you so damn scared of this thread?" "Ascension . . . gnosis . . oh ye gods . . Magnus, it''s you, isn''t it? Oh gods . . the poet, he must have known! No! No, don''t come any closer!" "Ain''t Celestials meant to be real powerful? Didn''t you show me a vision of a giant bull destroying a world? Why are you so frightened of the Alchemists, hey? Kujata! Hey! Why are you so scared? Ah hells . . here, I didn''t mean to . . ." The red-gold thread vanished back into his fingertip. "That better? Alright? Can you at least answer some of my damned questions now?" Kujata stared at Magnus for a moment, opening her mouth as if to speak - then fading from the Ether leaving Magnus alone on the flat expanse of ash-grey grass. "Kujata? Damn it all!" She''s scarpered. Vamoused. Fled the coop. Made like a tree. I damn well know that, Hob. Damn. Blast. What was she so scared of? Dunno. It looked like she thought you''d eat her alive . . Ah, fuck it. What was the point? Big sis, master . . what''s the point? Hey? Magnus felt incredibly frustrated - all the questions he had seemed to have their answers in Kujata, and now she''d just up and run off. What was there to do now? Bloody good for nothing master . . what do I do now? I dunno Magnus. Can''t sit around. Can''t stay here, the Alchemists are sure to look in the Ether again, why would they stop? Their whole hunting team has been killed . . there will be more coming and Kujatas formations are bloody useless. But . . Now, in Magnus'' mind, were all the most advanced and up to date techniques and abilities of the three great powers - all the formations of the Alchemists, all the songs and Seer skills, all the martial prowess of the Martial Courts. Well, not all - but enough! They were all experts in the Ether, that was why they had formed the team in the first place - the Mithraic Seers and the Segye Palace - together with Pontius and his students they formed a group of the most advanced experts on the Ether - and now, all that was their belonged to Magnus. Every Seer song could be blocked, every formation undone - every divination hidden from or countered. From now on Magnus knew he had nothing to fear in the Ether - nothing the Alchemists or their cohorts did could reach him! This gnosis - what did Kujata call it? Ascension. Right. Magnus looked at the tiny forest in the palm of his hand. By willing it, he was in it - standing amongst the trees by the black stream. With a thought he was in the memories of Pontius, skimming over all references to gnosis, ascension, and to the poet - going from sleeping face to sleeping face upon the trees and exploring them all - it was easier now, much easier. The information flowed into his mind - from the ocean of memories Magnus was able to extract several drops of relevant knowledge. Gnosis and ascension . . they were not Alchemical subjects - their meaning was not lost to the Alchemists though; both gnosis and ascension were ancient terms, dating back to the earliest of known civilizations. Gnosis was knowledge - heavenly illumination - divine enlightenment. So . . the golden light was knowledge? The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. I sure as shit don''t feel any more enlightened . . As for ascension - a term referred to as ''divine favour'' or ''entering the heavens''. Becoming a god while still living - before death? The recorded instances of ascension were confusing and contradictory, Magnus found himself unable to come to any clear definition of the term. Only . . only in the memories of Baqir there was a semi related instance - something that stood out - The Poet. The Poet, a mythological figure from thousands of years in the past who achieved transcendence - not ascension, but described as an unearthly golden light from the heavens that fell upon the poet. Poet - who the hell''s was he? He had been here, with Kujata . . Ah hells! You''re gonna go mad just going in bloody circles Magnus! Right! This ain''t time to sit around in a cave! Damn right! Magnus faded from the ash-grey grass expanse of the Ether, back to the gloomy cave. He pocketed the several green formation stones, stuck the ragged sheath and heart sword in his belt and set off in the morning light. Right, the Horn is to the south-east, the peak of the horn itself was not visible, but many mountains and hills stretched over the eastern horizon. Magnus jogged down the road, easing himself into a steady run - his bones and muscles cracking and popping and warming up - running was easier than ever. The shrine - Kujata would still be there, right? Where else would she go - it wasn''t too far, maybe a day''s distance . . After a few minutes along the path Magnus laughed - the sheer joy of simply being able to run freely! Every single step felt powerful - far more than when he had just devoured the griffon, far more than when he''d devoured Sung Soo - now his every action seemed entirely free from normal human constraints. At first he stuck to the path, running faster and faster, his feet raising huge clouds of dust and leaving deep imprints in the dirt. Then, coming to a boulder blocking the road, he leapt! Flying up! Higher than he''d ever been from the ground - up and up, over the boulder, over the nearby trees, and down - smash! His legs absolutely sturdy, the rocks beneath his feet turning to dust. A whole day to reach Kujata? At this rate he would be at the shrine this very morning! Magnus leapt again, soaring over the land and laughing wildly - his ragged clothes flapping and catching on tree branches leaving him bare chested - but he cared nothing for them, running and leaping onwards. Soon he was on familiar ground - the valley and the hamlet with the familiar tavern nestled in the farmland, the snowy peak of the Horn clearly visible on the horizon. Magnus didn''t slow his pace at all - leaping the full length of the valley and tearing through the forest towards the shrine - there! Just ahead - in a single bound he was up the stairs and before Kujatas¡¯ formation . . but . . what waited for him was a barren hill. Up where the shrine should have been was instead an empty field - no buildings, no shrine courtyard - nothing. "Kujata!" Magnus roared. "Let me in! I know you are here!" Silence. Magnus walked around the perimeter of the hill, trying to recall exactly where Kujata had placed the formation stones. Picking up a flagstone from the shrine stairs, Magnus hurled it at roughly where he thought a formation stone might be - bang! The flagstone smashed into the dirt - there was a flicker of light and a great cracking noise, and in an instant the formation fell, the shrine and courtyard appearing on the empty hill. "Kujata!" No response. 092 - The Witching Road 092 - The Witching Road Nothing. Not a sausage. *Prrrrt* Whilst he had been on the move he''d felt fine, but now Magnus'' belly bloated unnaturally, seemingly inflating with every step. The shrine courtyard was just as he remembered, inside it was the same mess of bones and empty wine gourds, the same well worn tracks between the knee high bones where he could see Kujata had worn a path pacing back and forth through the trash. He proceeded tentatively into the inner rooms, farting and groaning and calling out "Kujata!" to no response. By the window was her tall backed wicker chair, but no brass telescope and no bell. She''s gone. She''s really gone, taken all her things and gone . . . Just like that? Is that it? Is there anything around here . . any sort of clue, anything at all . . Magnus looked around the room finding nothing and soon returning to the window and the chair, his eyes coming to rest on the chair itself. Sighing, Magnus sat at the chair by the window, watching the sky pass by. Kujata. The Heavenly Bull, the Celestial . . feared and hunted across the stars . . she had sat right here with her telescope, bell, and note book, waiting for the stars to align. Where would she have gone? Run off into the stars? From me? From my red-gold threads? What am I to do in the now, eh? Well . . ain''t you got all the skill to hunt Celestials, Magnus? The Seer songs, the divination of Mens from the Martial Courts - you''ve got them all, right? Right! Right here . . all I need is something connected to the Celestial, to Kujata - hah! This very chair! In his mind were all kinds of skills and techniques, Magnus only had to pick one and try it - if it worked or not what had he to lose? He gathered an aura of Mens, concentrating the yellow energy around his eyes. It felt like a pressure, as if someone were pressing down directly on his eyeballs - a slow accumulation at first, growing and focusing Mens. The world around him took on an unearthly colour, like looking through a yellow glass. Looking at the wicker chair he begun to see small sparks of light, unfocused - like red flies flickering in the air - all on the window, on the chair, on the floor where Kujata had paced - on the mouths of the many wine gourds and on the bones - everywhere she had surely touched there were tiny sparks - residue of her aura. These sparks were all over the shrine, thicker in some places - but no matter how he looked at it, not a single spark was outside the formation - neither on the ground nor in the skies - no trace of Kujata having stepped foot outside the shrine, no sign of her being anywhere at all. Teleportation? Transmigration? The Alchemists had formations that could transport people to distant stars . . but those were huge and complex mechanisms requiring vast amounts of energy and housed within whole segments of the Revolving Tower. Could there be some ancient formation here? Something from ancient times? No . . that was unlikely . . unlikely, but not impossible. Right - the next technique - a Seer song . . which one? "Ahem." Magnus cleared his throat. "Garrrrbaaann . . . gaaarrrbaaannzzooooo . . *prrrt!*" Hoo. I''m not sure the song is meant to go like that Magnus, ha! "Shut it Hob. Gaaaaarrrrbb - *prrt* - aaaannnnnzzoooooo . . ." Magnus'' voice warbled, the song forming invisible tendrils in the air, repeating the same syllables time and again every now and again punctuated by a gaseous release. The more Magnus repeated the simple phrase the more solid his voice became, each phrase sounding in every corner of the shrine. The specks of light flowed together, pulled by the song into a single shape - that of Kujata. Magnus kept singing whilst carefully forming a glyph in the air with a strand of Animus. He nudged the glyph, sending it out onto the light form and solidifying it within an Alchemical formation. "Haah, haaah," Magnus panted, his brow thick with sweat. Three powers used for a single effect . . it would normally require a Seer, a Martial Court Cultivator, and an Alchemist to accomplish what he had just done - Magnus felt exhausted, as if he''d been running full tilt for an entire day. Success! Kujata''s light form solidified and anchored! Next . . now all he needed to do was direct it . . A soft new tune guided the light-form Kujata to where her aura was thickest - around the wicker chair and the window sill. It seemed to potter about a bit, moving its ghostly arms in a strange fashion and finally turned to the window, leaping out in a single bound - Magnus followed. The light form went straight into the courtyard, to the corner where the fire pit was, and sat down. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Here? The light form sat in place, refusing to move no matter what song Magnus sung. There was nothing strange about this corner of the courtyard, unless . . unless Kujata . . ah hells. "Kujata!" Magnus roared at the empty space. "It''s no good! I know you''re here!" He lifted a large rock from the corner of the courtyard and tossed it at the light form. Bang! The rock smashed against an invisible barrier, vanishing into the empty space. "Kujata!" "Alright! Alright! I give!" Kujata replied, the formation instantly dissolving. "I give. How the devil did you . . ah hells, it''s no good, is it? The Alchemists have cracked the woods-for-trees formation?" In the empty space there now stood Kujata, wearing a filthy shirt, the brass telescope and bell on the ground next to her. "Not quite," Magnus shook his head. "But it is most certainly, ahem, outdated. Ten thousand years out of date, isn''t that right?" "Something like that." Kujata no longer seemed to be shaking in the same ways she had in the Ether, her panic having subsided somewhat. "I didn''t expect . . I didn''t expect you back so quick." Magnus shrugged his shoulders. "We''ve got a lot to talk about, ain''t we?" "Sure." Magnus pointed his finger at her, producing a red-gold thread. "No! I . . . please Magnus!" A look of terror returned to her face. "We''ve a lot to discuss . . but first, I think we''d best get a couple of things clear ''big sis''. I''ve had my suspicions but . . I''m not a Celestial, am I? You wouldn''t be so afraid of a Celestial, would you?" "You are! You most certainly are a Celestial, Magnus! A Celestial and . . please, stop! Put your thread away!" "No. I don''t think I will stop, big sis. You''ve told me plenty . . but you ain''t told me what I want to know." Magnus waved the thread in front of her. "The candle, the woods-for-trees formation, they are all ancient - lost knowledge. The Alchemists, all the other Celestials - the Alchemists have them, don''t they? All powerful, able to destroy planets - a lie, right? A lie . . what sort of power is this? What sort of power has a Celestial got where all they do is devour and steal, hey? You know what this thread is, what the red and the gold mean, don''t you?" "I know! Magnus! I''ll tell you everything!" Kujata''s eyes were wide in fear, her lips quivering. "Celestials are . . Celestials were Gods, put it away!" Magnus retracted the thread back into his finger. "Gods, you understand? You know what it means?" Kujata still shook, but maintained at least a semblance of calm now that the thread was gone. "The whole universe, the above and the below - Celestials ruled it all. For millennia, for eons - as long as there was man, there were Celestials to rule them, in every corner of the universe . . ten thousand years ago . ." "Parasites. Isn''t that what you mean? Not Gods - the Alchemists have it written - Celestial parasites, surviving by devouring the lives of others." Magnus responded, the word ''parasite'' causing Kujata to wince. "You, the Heavenly Bull, right? Ten thousand years . . . you''ve lived that long?" "Do I look that old, Magnus? Looks can be deceiving, right? I am that old - and older, much older. Celestials . . we are not parasites!¡± Kujata sunk to the ground, suddenly appearing far more ancient. Her youthful dark skinned face grew deep wrinkles, her black hair became white. "It''s not a long story, Magnus . . not something I''d wanted to keep hidden or secret, just . ." "What am I? What is the red-gold Vigour? You said ''gnosis'' and ''ascension'' - what do they mean? What does it mean?" "It means that you have seen them. You know, right? I didn''t see it at first . . the golden light, I''d never thought . . but you''ve seen them, the ones above - the dreamers, the dream that isn''t a dream . ." Kujata''s voice trailed off. ¡°We were Gods" ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°We were Gods. . we made a mistake. Just one mistake. Ten thousand years ago, a mistake which saw us all abandoned, saw us all cast from our churches, thrown out of the world of man, and hunted across the stars.¡± ¡°What mistake? What did the Celestials do to bring this on themselves?¡± ¡°We . . ah hells. A single planet, a single star system . . it all began there, Magnus, on a single world - on Earth.¡± 093 - The Witching Road 093 - The Witching Road Kujata sunk down to the ground, her legs crossed and shoulders slooping. Each word carried a solemnity, an air of defeat; as if the days of ten thousand years past were not only very much alive, but weighing down on her. "Earth. Insignificant, a world that for several thousands of years had no Celestials - forgotten about, abandoned, left to its own devices. Then . . then they came, those explorers - the brave and curious Earthlings, casting their strange metal vessels out into the void, piloting them towards distant stars." Kujata paused for a moment, sighing deeply. "What do you think they found? Well, I''ll tell ya - they found the last thing they expected; humans! On all the planets they visited, on all the worlds - all were inhabited by the sons and daughters of man, all! They had not expected that - they believed that only Earth had humans and that humans had evolved on Earth." "So . . did humans originally come from Earth?" "Don''t be daft, Magnus! ''Course they didn''t! Humans don''t originate from some backwater world like that! That is . . well . . these humans, these Earthlings were different, you see . . not like us. The people of Earth, without Celestials to guide them, to help them along their path in life, they developed . . strange ideas." "You mean, without a Celestial to keep them in check." "It really is . . . no. It isn''t that, you''re still young, you don''t know Magnus." Kujata shook her head sadly. "Your totem hasn''t developed yet, you don''t know what it truly means to be a Celestial. We didn''t used to be like this . . to be like, like, ah hells! To be so damn timid! To hide away in a stinking shrine, to be so damn afraid . . ah hells . ." "We? How many Celestials are there now?" "Yeah . . we . . ah hells, what the fuck am I beating around the bush for, eh? It''s just you and me, Magnus. Just me and you. My disciples, my friends, all the Celestials - all of them - they are either gone for good or in the Alchemists bloody prison formation." "Gone? You mean dead?" "Not dead, no - just gone. Gone. As in, thrown into the event horizon of a black hole, defeated, destroyed - gone." "Were the people of Earth so blood thirsty? They waged a war on all Celestials?" "Oh . . no, not quite . . not at first. No - it wasn''t like that at all . . you see, it didn''t take all the humans of Earth to defeat us Celestials . . it only took twelve. Twelve men and women who came out into the stars with a message of peace. Twelve, against hundreds of Celestials, against hundreds of worlds . . only twelve." "Twelve! Hells!" Magnus eyes went wide in shock. "Twelve men more powerful than Celestials?" "I need to set the scene for you. When the Earthlings first came out into the greater universe they encountered all these other worlds full of humans just like them, living and thriving in just the same ways, and governed by us Celestials. They came as curious optimists, naive explorers . . there were so few! We ignored them - thought nothing much of them - they were just humans . . humans who had travelled the vast distances between stars using science and logic and . . we were such bloody fools. They landed on the planets in ones and twos and made themselves at home, made little difference at first. At first it was nothing . . but I remember . . even then they had the greatest distaste for Celestials. They did not view us as Gods, but as monsters." "And?" Magnus squatted down on the ground in front of Kujata. "And what?" Kujata''s eyes flared. "I am not a monster! You . . you! Celestials are not monsters! We do not just devour mindlessly! Listen, you bloody minded fool! Celestials, just like humans, have their place in the Universe - we are part of the Natural Order, an integral part of the Logos, of the Above and Below! Our totems are the heavens, an immortal paradise - those who give themselves to us live forever within us. This was the next lesson . . I was waiting to tell you . . our place in the order of thing, it is only right, only proper that . . ah fuck it. Magnus, just listen to me, right? I don''t want to excuse who I am or justify my bloody existence to you. You''ve seen a Dreamer, ain''t you? That golden light, it is just like them . ." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Just like who?" "Like the Twelve. Forget it . . it doesn''t matter . . it doesn''t matter now, it never bloody did. The Poet - you asked who was helping me in the Ether, right? It was the Poet. Does that mean anything to you? You got that name in your memories now?" "The Poet? No . . there are some stories . . myths from the Seers about an ancient man whose song could shake the earth and bring floods . . they write it as a myth." "He could do a lot more . . Orpheus, the Poet. He is one of the Twelve, one of the Ascended. One of those responsible for our destruction - and make no mistake Magnus, your destruction! You, a Celestial - you cannot escape the bonds forged in the past, your fate is inevitably tied to ours!" "Yeah, yeah. *Prrrrt!* Give the fearmongering a rest, right? Kujata, big sis, whatever - what did the Celestials do?" "I . . . we . . the Celestials destroyed Earth. It was a mistake, even at the time . . you see Earth was a world unclaimed, billions of humans with no guiding Celestial hand - I remember, it was between Rashad and Ishmer - two young Celestials . . my first two disciples, were amongst the first. Rashad claimed sovereignty over Earth, Ishmer fought him. It was an honourable fight, Rashad won out in the end . . but the people of Earth did not see it that way." "They sound like they were doing pretty damn well by themselves." "You might see it that way. We did not. The humans fought, tooth and nail and, and . . and they lost. Earth was destroyed, that was our mistake. We destroyed Earth, but we did not destroy all Earthlings." The silver bell by Kujata''s side rang three times and fell silent, she did not move to look through the telescope or to take notes, instead meeting Magnus'' gaze. She looked tired, her eyes sunk and dull. "The destruction of Earth was our undoing. The humans who''d ventured into the vastness of space, they fled from us, taking their ships and flying into the depths of space - none of us could be bothered to follow, we saw no need to . . they left and they returned and they brought with thousands of ships, with thousands of weapons and methods that they had developed to fight us, and they lost and they fled again . . and they returned again, and again - each time we would think them defeated for good, but they would return, time and again, losing and retreating and coming back only to lose once more, until . . Until they lost no more. Until their weapons pierced our skins and burnt our worlds. Until they learnt how to use the Logos, developing countless techniques - manipulating the Animus to create formations and produce potions, cultivating the Mens in order to strengthen their bodies and hunt us in the Ether, and the Seers - listening and learning the songs of the Universe and seeing the footsteps of the Dreamers. I . . . I didn''t mean to talk so much." Kujata fell silent, her aged appearance turning once more vibrant and youthful. "This is a tale of long ago, you are not to blame Magnus . . you are not at fault in any way. Being born a Celestial is no burden . . it is no crime. You should not have to pay for the mistakes of your predecessors. All I want to do in the now is help my own, hasn''t it been enough? Ten thousand years!" Kujata got to her feet, roaring to the skies. "Haven''t we paid enough!? El! Orpheus! Isn''t it enough?" 094 - The Witching Road 094 - The Witching Road Kujata faced up, her voice echoing through the shrine, carrying down through the forests and valleys. A profound silence followed - it seemed that not even the wind dared to whistle, the crickets and birds in the many miles of forest around the shrine did not make so much as a peep in response. "Isn''t it enough?" Tears streamed down Kujata''s face, her words mournful and full of a desperate plea. She closed her eyes and fell back down to the dirt, sitting in silence. Silence. Nothing but silence filled the world, from the lowliest earthworm to the mightiest of thunderstorms brewing above the oceans - nothing dared to make a single sound in response to Kujata''s cries. Finally, when the echoes of her voice died the world returned to life, filling once more with all the natural sounds. Magnus sat, his eyes half closed, half in a state of thought and profound confusion - the shapes of the universe revealed to him in the memories of Pontius and the others were fundamentally overthrown; this war, this story of humans from Earth and the Celestials as Gods - it directly contradicted everything they had learnt. There had been an Earth, there had been a war - the many memories all confirmed that - as mythology! As legend! As being something so far in the past as to have no impact in the modern world! But . . they were things very much alive. It was fact that the Celestials were held prisoner in the Alchemists five planet formation - Pontius had been inside the formation, he had seen the Celestials himself - monsters! Beasts, demons - foul creatures that once threatened to destroy humanity! That is how the Celestials were known . . not as Gods . . Magnus got to his feet, walking out of the shrine courtyard and around the whole hilltop. Every five feet or so he stopped, imprinting a Animus glyph and a strand of his Vigour into the dirt, making a whole new formation where the woods-for-trees had been. Returning to the courtyard and to the slumped figure beside the bell and telescope, Magnus spoke softly, sitting before her. "Kujata, I have laid a new formation. One that ought to keep you safe from the Alchemists, and safe from any marking teams in the Ether." "You . . you''re not going to . . Magnus?" Kujata looked up. "No. You ain''t said it, have you? The real reason you''re so scared of my red-gold Vigour. Say it." "I . . I . . " Kujata looked to the ground. "It''s the same as the Twelve . . they all have the same gold threads . ." She''s lying. Magnus shook his head. "Say it, Kujata, the truth. What is my red-gold thread. Why are you so damn afraid." "Its . . I''m afraid Magnus. Afraid that you''ll devour me . ." Kujata mumbled. "Ascension . . the dreamers, the above and below . . you are one of them now, Magnus, one of the . . the Above." "One of the above . . of the dreamers . ." Magnus repeated Kujata''s words. "What the hell''s does that mean?" Kujata shook her head. "I don''t know. I really don''t, but . . don''t bring ''em out again. Please, whatever you do . . " Her voice trailed off. *Prrrrrt!* Magnus turned beet red, a cloud dust billowing up from where he sat mixed with noxious fumes. He rapidly got to his feet, half bent over in agony. "I''m off!" "Magnus . ." Kujata stood. "Where are you going? What are you going to do now?" "I''m off to get that bloody earth lizard thing, Elemental, right? Gotta cure my gut first . . won''t be getting into no Alchemists tower farting like this." Without waiting for a response Magnus leapt down the hill, down into the forest, and without looking back started to the west. In the shrine remained the downcast Kujata, her face wet from crying, her eyes sunk, her shoulders slumped. Ring! Ring! Beside her the silver bell sounded like a clarion call - dissolving her stupor and bringing her back into the real world. She went to the telescope, opened her notebook, and started scribbling. *** Magnus ran and farted, stopping when his stomach hurt too much and farting some more. He had a much clearer vision of the layout of the world now - a clear understanding, roughly, of where the continents lay, of where the major cities were. Aquilonem, being one of the Alchemist''s garden worlds, was quite well documented and strictly governed, even if the particulars of every nation; Jute, the land in the north, was only one small part of the entire world of Aquilonem. To the east, over the Horn and the massive mountain range where the Wild Lands - an expansive plain stretching thousands of miles, many more cities and nations lay to the east of them. To the south there was Baron, boarding on the Jute, and further south of that were the island nations. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. There were many more nations and peoples living on Aquilonem then Magnus had ever imagined . . he let his mind wander to the other planets, the other stars that the Alchemists considered garden worlds - they too were full of life, full of peoples and cities, of all kinds of fantastic creatures. Magnus ran on for half a day, his mind in the lives and times of Pontius and Domitia and Valerius - experiencing their days and weeks, seeing their lives spool out before him, the places and peoples, trying to reach a better understanding of his world and of the foe. The enemy. Thats right, my enemy. The Alchemists . . mixed in with the visions of nations and people were countless experiments conducted on countless peoples - the garden worlds were not just a storage of marvelous resources, but a place where the Alchemists could experiment freely on all the peoples, try out every demented concoction, strip the inhabitants of every form of humanity. They maintained a certain level of society and technology - stamping out progress and innovation, keeping the humans as a small part of the worlds in order to leave most of the land free for natural resources and creatures to grow. Humans were seen as . . as any other animal. To be nurtured, cultivated, the ones with potential plucked and taken to the tower for training - the rest to be used as materials or left to their own devices. Beyond that . . in the memories of the Alchemists . . . Magnus stopped dead in his tracks, his mind almost blanking. He felt dizzy, overwhelmed - in the Alchemists memories, now rose a brilliant golden world - Domum! The Alchemists home planet! The centre of the five star prison formation! Around a bright yellow sun, intertwined with countless segments of the Revolving Tower, was the Alchemists home world - home to towering spires of glass, home to flying machines of every size and description - and amongst the glass and white and gold magnificence were the Alchemists, dressed in colourful robes and living in their marble halls. It was beyond anything Magnus had ever imagined - the sheer opulence present in Pontius'' memories . . it was as if the wealth of all the worlds was gathered in Domum - The Alchemists held nothing back, their cities shone in the sun - covered in marble and gold. And . . and . . *prrrrt!* Magnus crashed to a halt almost doubled up in agony. Within his belly his small white core rotated furiously, heating up and expelling violent gas with incredible force - his belly ballooned up, foul air forcing its way through his insides and out both ends at once. Magnus picked himself up, no stranger to suffering - as bad as the farting was, it couldn''t compare to the agony of the black skin and yellow pus - and now he knew, he had the strength and the ability to do something about it! For half a day he ran to the west, finally coming down out of the hills and out into the lowlands. From horizon to horizon stretched a flat expanse of green, occasionally broken by clumps of trees and a slight hillock. Magnus followed the dirt tracks, running at a steady rate through the afternoon until he came to the edge of a vast mud flats - cracked earth and black lines and black stained rocks. Somewhat different from his memories - the Empire Swamp. No water, just dry cracked earth . . there were stones sticking out every now and again - stepping onto the dried mud Magnus found it provided no sure footing. Somewhere out there had to be the ruins of the city, and somewhere beneath . . . *prrrt!* . . there had to be that bloody lizard! 095 - The Witching Road 095 - The Witching Road A wasteland of cracked earth all around, a heavy cloud hung over the swamp, the sun completely hidden. It felt like rain, like the heavens could burst at any moment - Magnus wished it would - as it was, his clothes were damp with sweat, sticking to his skin. The Empire Swamp, once the seat of a mighty empire, the home to a magnificent capital city . . now dead, now only cracked earth and black stones. Nothing could live here - the blue waters corrupted everything they touched. Only fools like Lars and his Pa would guide other fools into the ruins of the city, looking for long forgotten treasures. Magnus walked on the rock paths, leaping where he could over parts, and quickly reaching a line of great stones - the remnants of the city wall. It must have stood at least fifty feet tall, at least ten feet wide, the stone blocks had all sunk and collapsed into the swamp now. On the other side were the city streets, as bad as it had been when he''d come to the swamp previously, it was worse now - far worse. Not a single structure still stood upright, not a single foundation remained intact. This damage, the whole swamp entirely drained . . an earthquake? Magnus sat at the edge of a cobbled street looking out over the cracked earth. It had been right near here where he had fought and killed that Alchemist, right near here where he had fallen into the swamp. He flung out several green stones, setting up a small woods-for-trees formation. With a steady hand he produced a thread of red-gold vigour and sent it out into the dry earth. Down, down through the mud and muck and stones, Magnus guided the thread as far as he could into the darkness beneath the surface. A hundred feet, two hundred feet . . deeper and deeper, seeing only a small area around the thread - nothing, no green threads, no lights - only a deep ocean of darkness, silent as the grave. Nothing? The bloody great lizard had been sleeping right here! How could there be nothing? Ah hells . . nothing could be simple, could it? Well . . it might be pretty simple. After all, it is just a great big bloody lizard, even if its gone, where would it go? If it came up to the surface it would leave a huge trail, make a huge mess. Nah, it wouldn''t come up, if its gone anywhere, its most like gone down. "*Ahem*" Magnus cleared his throat, looking out over the wastes. A warm white aura spread around his throat and filled his lungs. "Hiiiiiii . . ech! Hiiiii . . rroooooo . . . hiiiiii . . . roooo . ." Continuing to repeat the syllables the figure of a man begun to form - a ghostly visage. This was one of the base Seer divination techniques - the ghost form, often used to scout dangerous areas or otherwise inaccessible locations - a sort of far-seeing technique. While using the ghost form a Seer would be vulnerable, unable to protect themselves, but with the woods-for-trees formation Magnus reckoned he ought to be pretty safe. Safe enough, in any event - the ghostly body floated above the swamp, Magnus poured his intent into it - his body left sitting on the cobbled streets. Through the ghost form he saw the world in spectral lights; the sun appeared a pale flat circle against purple clouds and green skies, the earth took on an almost fuzzy feeling, like a giant woolly blanket. Magnus floated down into the ground, quickly diving much deeper and seeing much further - no longer was the earth dark to him - now, the depths of the earth held no secrets. The Seers song accompanied him down, a wave of steady chants were like a heart beat through the darkness, washing through the dirt and muck and illuminating the deep dark crevices below the Empire Swamp - there! A cluster of lights forming roughly the shape of a giant lizard! This is where it must have laid - the earth thick with an Elemental aura. Down, the earth here damp - following the thick green aura with his ghostly form, it had dug down, through the sediment and hard rock - the lizard had burrowed deep into the earth, its movement shaking the whole swamp, all the waters draining through the hole it had left. The trail continued for hundreds of feet - down into the absolute bowls of the earth, Magnus followed the lizards trail down until, just at the edge of his vision - bright green lights, thousands of green threads! Beneath the swamp, beneath the water table and layers of sediment, an enormous underground lake filled with blue tinted water and mud, and at the bottom of the lake the dark green shape of a giant lizard, its eyes tight shut. Here it is! Magnus floated down, entering into the waters and guiding his ghostly form between the many green strands until he reached the lizards massive head. Next to its head his ghostly form appeared no larger than a firefly. What now? It''s too bloody deep, ain''t it? I can''t dig my way through the dirt . . and even if I do, all the bloody lizard has gotta do is dig itself deeper . . my Vigour ought to reach, right? Right enough, hells, all I would need do is get a single thread to the earth lizard . . This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.OOOoooo . . . . *Prrrrt!* Magnus rolled and groaned, blinking open his eyes to the surface world - his mind instantly back in his own body, his belly fit to burst. After several minutes of groaning and rolling around he steadied himself once more, pointing a single finger down and guiding a thread of red-gold vigour into the depths of the earth, trying to follow the same path he''d taken in his ghostly form, deeper and deeper into the inky black darkness. Deeper . . until . . . . . . The red-gold thread burst up through the surface of the swamp several hundred meters from where Magnus sat. Ah hells . . once he got into the dark depths of the earth it was impossible to tell left from right, up from down. No matter how much Magnus tried to follow the path down he quickly deviated, his thread turning and twisting and getting lost - no good, no good at all. He needed the ghostly form to guide him, but to control both at once? Magnus tried - chanting and summoning a far seeing ghost, but the moment he took control he became entirely unable to project the thread of Vigour. To do the two things at once . . . Magnus sat for half the day in the ruins of the swamp, trying and losing himself, failing time and again. No matter what he tried he found it near impossible to do both at once - maintaining the ghost form and projecting the thread of red-gold vigour was simply too hard . . Need a little help there, Magnus? Hob? How can you help out? Easy. You need to sing and control the Vigour, right? Well, let me take over - I''ll take control of the ghostly form and you guide the thread. That''ll work? I mean, you can do that? Ah hells, why didn''t you say something earlier! I''ve wasted half the bloody day here in this stinking swamp! Right, right, enough moaning - come on, sing me a little Seer song and let''s get to it, stop your farting around once and for all! "Hiiiiiiiii . . . . rrooooooo . . ." Magnus chanted once more, his voice going hoarse, the ghostly form taking shape. This time, instead of pouring his intent into the ghost form Magnus felt a buzz, a warm pulse in his core - out from the depths of his white core came a sliver of gold coloured mist, shooting through the air and into the ghost form - it quickly took the shape of a person, looking in every way like Magnus, floating and moving through the air, but entirely out of his control. "Ha! This feels great!" A bizarre voice came from the ghostly form, like the buzzing of tens of crickets. Hob flittered above the cracked earth, dancing around Magnus, finally diving down into the earth. "Come on Magnus!" Magnus shot out a red-gold thread. It was just as dark beneath the earth, only a small space around the thread being visible. "This way! Here! Come, come!" Hob called out continuously, flying in and out of his sight, guiding Magnus deeper and deeper. Down they went together, descending rapidly to the original position of the giant lizard and, guided on by the ghostly Hob, down even deeper to the underground blue water lake. "Big bloody thing, ain''t it?" Hob took Magnus down between the green strands - the red-gold thread weaving its way through the waters, carefully cutting between the threads. Closer . . closer . . all the way to the very skin of the beast, Magnus licked his lips - the closer he got the lizard, the more appetizing it appeared - a giant delicious piece of meat - slow, no rushing now . . just one step further . . Stab! Magnus guided the red-gold thread right into the giant lizard''s eyes, right through it''s shut eyelids, penetrating all the way through to its brain! The land rumbled - reacting instantly to the thread the lizard eyes shot open, its body convulsed, thrashing about wildly in the underground lake. It''s green strands, like peaceful strands of seaweed out in the ocean, now shone bright green, thrashing around and finding the single thread of red-gold, wrapping around it and attempting to strangle it. Too late! Magnus was in the inner world now - his red-gold thread branching out infinitely - the inner skies and oceans all a green tinted, countless sparkling green lights in the skies - countless red-gold mouths rose to devour, to tear the skies apart, to rip and break and swallow whole. The giant lizard trembled, its green strands dimming. It only took a minute, no more, before the green seaweed like strands in the underground lake fell limp - the giant lizard thrashed around no more. "Easy, right?" Hob''s ghostly buzz echoed in Magnus'' mind. "Easy." 096 - The Witching Road 096 - The Witching Road Through his red-gold thread came a huge thump-thump, a thick wave of green Elemental energy flowing up, flowing out of the giant lizard. It rushed to the surface, right into his body - in an instant Magnus turned entirely green, entirely flush with Elemental force, his every strand of Logos overwhelmed, his white core spinning furiously, awash in the powerful energies. More and more - an endless stream of green, bright limes and dark mud coloured energies all mixed together, all pouring into his flesh - it felt warm at first, as if he were sitting by an open fire - then the blaze grew, as the white core spun in his gut the Elemental energy mixed with the Animus and the Mens and his own red-gold Vigour - all pouring into the white core. All colours mixed together within the tiny white core, all the gaseous energies compressed and, with a tremendous cracking sound, the small core developed several fierce red lines, swelling in size - from the size of an apple seed it cracked and grew to that of an apricot stone, covered in bright red fractures. The excess Elemental energy from the giant earth lizard hung around like a green mist over the dried out swamp. "Hmm . . I''m sure Magnus won''t mind, waste not want not . ." Hob, still inhabiting the ghostly form, floated above the swamp and through the green fog. Looking at Magnus, he raised a see-through hand - the ethereal form of a forest appearing on his palm. From the forest on Hob''s palm an enormous suction force appeared, sucking in all the excess Elemental aura. "Magnus?" Hob floated down to ground level. "You hear me Magnus? No? Nevermind, nevermind . ." Hob floated around the still Magnus for a time, as if waiting for something to happen. "Tch. What does it matter? In the end . . in the end . ." The ghostly form dissolved, Hob returning as a strand of consciousness in through Magnus'' mouth. Spinning and spinning, through the night and into the next day Magnus sat with is eyes closed, his core getting hotter and hotter and finally slowing, cooling - from it came a pure white energy - Vis! The white Vis permeated through his organs and veins, following his blood to every corner of his flesh and filling it - pouring into his bones and into his very marrow. Magnus'' skin became almost rubbery, glistening with white liquid. Over the course of the next couple of hours the white liquid hardened to something like a shell, covering him from head to toe and with the setting of the sun the hard white shell broke, crumbling and falling off him in chunks. Magnus got to his feet, stretching his arms and legs. As he moved he felt the crack and pop of his joints - the muscles on his arms and legs felt taut, as if they were bow strings pulled to the limit - he felt an incredible amount of force behind every single one of his movements. "AHHHHHHHH!" Magnus raised his hands to the sky, opening wide his mouth and roaring. The day before he''d known he was strong - able to leap and jump and run, able to move through the world unrestrained. Now? Now Magnus felt like he could move through the skies, fly from world to world! It was an entirely different - the difference between night and day, the difference between the reflection of a moon in a pool of water and seeing the moon hanging in the skies. Magnus felt like he was seeing the world in the right light, in the right colours for the first time in his life - everything before now had been a pale illusion in comparison. Even in the dead swamp and the ruins of the city the black rocks and cracked earth took on a vibrant shape in his eyes - the whole world filled with light and dazzling colour. Complete. Whole. A feeling of being at one, not just with the world, but with himself - just moving, walking down the cobbled streets - it felt right, felt as if every single thing he did, every single way he moved was in its proper time, in its proper space - unhurried, simply placing one foot in front of the other. On his face was the widest of grins - entirely unbidden, he couldn''t help it - just feeling so damned good, just moving with such ease - a smile of simple joy rose unbidden. He had devoured the bloody earth lizard whole - he could feel it, the shape, the mind, the memories - all, everything it was - now on a stone within the black waters of the stream within the Sleeping Forest. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Hundreds of years old - the lizard had lived hundreds of years, mostly in the wild lands to the east, beneath the plains and crawling through great underground caverns - finally settling down beneath the swamp when it found that the strange blue waters were a wonderful source of sustenance. It had been beneath the Empire Swamp for several decades, sleeping and eating, eating and sleeping - certainly the longest and most boring memories, Magnus felts its instincts were at least straight forward - nothing like the griffon - the lizard only had the instinct to gorge itself and to sleep! From his fingers rose four strands, red-gold, blue, yellow, and green. Each strand had a unique air around it, a unique energy signature. Well . . at least the bloody lizard has ended up as something useful, inside of me! Each strand of Logos still required his full attention to manipulate properly and, one by one, Magnus formed them into a single unified glyph. There was something he had seen in an ancient tome that Pontius had researched as the subject of his thesis more than twenty years ago - the Thousand-eyes Net glyph. It required the combined efforts of an Alchemist, a Seer, a Court Cultivator, and the essence of a powerful Elemental creature. The Thousand-eyes Net glyph was something that very rarely appeared in the outside world - indeed, many of the most complex glyphs required the cooperation between various factions and a great deal of resources - this glyph required no such resources, but a great degree of trust - if any one of the Logos was too weak, or simply not well enough formed, then the glyph would fail - and fail catastrophically, the backlash wounding, even killing those trying to form it. Magnus¡¯ hand trembled . . each strand had to be held in place as the other strands wound their way around them . . . careful . . slow . . over the course of several minutes he weaved the coloured threads into a single shape - a circle with two triangles, one pointing up, the other down. This shape hung for a moment in the air before him - Magnus sighed with relief. Success! Phew! Bloody hells . . I''m a genius, right? Ahaha! No worries, no worries . . the Thousand-eye Net glyph was hard to create, but its function was beyond useful, especially to Magnus. Simply put - anyone who looked at him, be it through a divination, a song, a scouring - through any Logos technique - they would be prevented from seeing him. A thousand times - that was the limit - a thousand scans of the Ether - Magnus would be entirely concealed. With a light step, Magnus strode out of the city and through the swamps to the west coming to the edge of the Empire Swamp just as night fell. Here - in Lars¡¯ fragmented memories - here was the town Lars had grown up in . . his father and mother . . Magnus walked the dark street. No lights were on in the house, no one lived here now - the door had all but fallen from its hinges, dust settling thick on every windowsill and countertop. It was the dead of night, but Magnus felt no desire to sleep, no need to rest - even with clouded skies and a thin moon in the sky he could see clearly - and with a single thought he gathered several strands of Mens around his eyes making the night clear as day. No need to hang around, is there? Where do I go now? With this power . . I''m free! I ain''t got no stinking pus, no black skin - my core is whole, my mind my own . . What now Magnus? I''ve never felt so damn good! "Aha hahaha!" What now . . whatever the hell I want! Magnus looked at the stone token with the imprint of a closed fist - the Witching Road''s token, given to him by Waldemar. The Witching Road . . they seemed so . . so small, so insignificant. Now that he had seen it through the eyes of Pontius all the antics of the Witching Road, all those who sought favour from the Alchemists seemed so damned petty. What was the point? What did the Alchemists care? They''d only ever look at you if you showed an inclination for Animus, otherwise you were just chattel - no different to livestock, to be used and abused and discarded with the other wastes of an experiment. His hand closed around the stone token. Perfect. The Witching Road . . that might be just the thing. 097 - The Witching Road 097 - The Witching Road On the road again, to the west - Magnus walked out of the ruins of the town by the Empire Swamp and over the plains, in less than half a day coming to the edge of the forest. The same route - this very same path, a few months before he''d come this way in the other direction, stumbling and dragging his feet like a wretched walking corpse, covered in pus and black lines. This was the same path . . only now, now everything about Magnus was different. No longer was the spectre of death hanging above him, no longer was he lost, struggling to find the slightest of hopes in misleading rumours. The heavy clouds that hung over him in the swamp were nowhere to be found, only clear blue skies and a bright sun above. Magnus walked on, his pace unhurried, under the cover of the many high branches, the sounds of songbirds, the chirp and buzz of life. Magnus halted by a stream, hearing a sudden rustle and seeing movement nearby. A deer emerged from the undergrowth, looking about and lowering its head to drink for the stream. Magnus found a smooth rock and, weighing it in his hand for a moment, threw it, striking the deer square on the head with tremendous force. Humming happily, Magnus quickly collected enough kindling for a fire, pulling a leg from the deer and cooking it for several minutes until the flesh was properly roasted. Magnus cooked and ate, tore another leg and devoured it whole - joyfully devouring the meat until all what was left was a pile of gnawed and broken bones - cracked in half, the marrow sucked dry. Hungry! So damn hungry! It wasn''t until he had finished the whole deer that Magnus realised just how famished he had been - and how hungry he still was! Looking around the forest, he focused an aura of Mens on his eyes and ears, the many animals who prowled and hid in the bushes and just under the surface revealed themselves to him through their slightest of movements. He gathered a handful of stones and soon had a brace of forest beasties set in the fire roasting merrily - a half dozen quail, three rabbits, and even another deer - all skinned and cleaned. This was the life. If only there was a jar of wine to go along with the meat . . if only there was someone to share it with . . Magnus finished up, wiping the grease from his chin and washing himself in the nearby stream, soon getting back on his way. No rush - no need to run, it had only been a week and five days since he had seen the Witching Road slaughter Pete and the other hunters of the Horn - Waldemar said he would be going back to Juteheim, said to meet them there. So . . what is the plan? The Witching Road . . with the knowledge and memories of Pontius and the other Alchemists he knew nearly everything there was about how the Alchemists functioned on the garden worlds - on Aquilonem and the other planets within the five star prison formation. With this knowledge Magnus knew it would be easy enough to get onto the tower - as a visitor. All he would have to do is dress in the robes of Seer or a Martial Court Cultivator, the checks wouldn''t be too stringent - he could just pretend to be an offworlder here for the auction, right? That would be easy - but it wouldn''t give him access to the sensitive areas of the Revolving Tower. There was a loophole - Magnus realized; he couldn''t pretend to be an Alchemist, no way - not without a proper name-plate - it was impossible to forge one, they were genetically marked and given to students of the Tower, he would never make it past the outer security measures before being identified as an imposter. It was possible to pass himself off as a potential student though - now, with the abilities he''d devoured from the Alchemists he could wield Animus on the level of a Magister, but it would do him no good - potential students underwent rigorous tests and scans once accepted into the tower. No, that wouldn''t do. The loophole was in the family and guards that potential students could take with them. Subject to practically no scans or tests, the family and friends of students were permitted to enter the Tower and live alongside the students, even fulfilling menial roles and aiding in experiments. Of course, no family member could ever have the same level of access as a proper Alchemist or student, but they were able to move in more sensitive areas, allowed to roam around unescorted, given access to the inner teleportation formations . . . Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Yes. The best course of action in the now would be to find a talented student of Alchemy, one that the Alchemists already had their eyes on preferably, and attach himself to them. Several methods rose to mind - there were multiple potions and glyphs that could be subtly employed to place Magnus prominently in their mind. One step at a time . . the Witching Road was his in - they took their orders directly from the Alchemist in charge of Juteheim, that much was obvious, Waldemar and the other high ups in the Witching Road were certainly traitors - selling their own, working with the Alchemists to tidy up after their experiments . . the very reason that the Hunters of the Horn had been slaughtered to a man. Ah hells! Magnus felt his blood boil, fists clenched so tight his fingers went white. Just thinking about it . . . his fists itched for action. Those nobles who sold out their fellow man, who were so eager to betray others simply for the favour of the Alchemists. They knew . . they knew the atrocities that the Alchemists visited on others, they knew that their experiments deformed and killed . . in Kloster, that bloody Lord Tygis and his son - they knew and they sold out the whole town to Festus. Waldemar . . he was doing just the bloody same, selling out every single one of the people of Jute - the Witching Road? Pah! Worse than a joke . . a fucking travesty. Those of the Witching Road - he''d seen them, those deformed faces hidden under hoods - the ones that had shot the hunters to death - they had each been mutilated at the hands of an Alchemist, and now they were used by those same hands to hunt others. Ah hells . . Magnus walked on, for a week - deliberately taking it slow on the road, stopping where ever he wanted and hunting whatever took his fancy. He passed several remote villages, coming across a couple of woodsmen and hunters out in the depths of the forest, but for the most part the forest paths were his own. For a week he walked, when he felt hungry he ate, when he felt tired he slept. In this time he barely gave a thought to the Sleeping Forest or to Hob, the only thing that might set him apart from a normal peasant travelling through the woods being the sword at his side. He walked and planned - searching through his memories for any information that might be handy, fixing upon any fact to do with Celestials. In this week it could be said that Magnus underwent a transformation almost as profound as his physical transformation after devouring the giant lizard beneath the swamp - his mind expanding, absorbing the lives and experiences of those asleep within him. The naive nearly dead boy who had staggered his way to the east only months before could now be said to be truly gone - in both body and mind. The Magnus that walked back west no longer looked a boy, no longer thought like a boy - now he strode, shoulders set, head upright, his eyes fixed firmly ahead on the path. At the end of the week he came to the River Stor, a mile wide with no means of crossing except for the river barges are boats who ferried people across. Along the shores of the Stor were several settlements - it would be easy for Magnus to swim, hells, it would be easy for him to leap the river! The thought crossed his mind - why wait to be ferried? Just leap! But, just as he readied himself he caught sight of someone rowing towards him - a ferryman from a far embankment taking a passenger across. Magnus stared - his vision amplified by Mens, seeing every detail of the ferryman and his passenger. The passenger was no one, just an old woman with a wicker basket, but the ferryman . . Magnus eyes went round - the ferryman had tears streaming down his face, every now and again Magnus heard a mournful sob. The young ferryman rowed and weeped openly, the old woman offering him a handkerchief which he gladly took. Magnus watched them come in only a little ways south of where he was, never once taking his eyes of the boat. Of all the people . . Caj! You son of a bitch! Ha! 098 - The Witching Road 098 - The Witching Road Caj - bold as day - the same greasy black hair and small darting eyes, now with two long streaks of tear stains on his cheeks, Caj! Magnus recalled every detail - every second that he had spent in the company of the rat-faced swindling bastard. When Magnus had been at his lowest - in the first days after leaving Pa Lund and Uncle Willis in the fishing village near Kloster and setting off to the east - in that time when he had been suffering most, both from the loss of all he knew and loved and from the after effects of Festus'' foul experiments - there was Caj, the grinning thief - calling him ''Boss'' and thieving almost everything out from under him - his Uncle''s horse, his pouch of gold . . . hells! I even had to trade away the Lund ring just to cross this bloody river! At the sight of the skinny youth Magnus couldn''t help but feel an immense dark emotion well up inside - like acidic bile rising in his gut - a deep desire to rush out and strike Caj down at once! Caj rowed his ferry right onto the muddy banks of the Stor, the old woman disembarked, embracing Caj briefly and pressing a purse of coins into his hands saying ''There, there. Don''t cry lad, don''t cry. Take it all, I don''t need any change - you keep it." Caj bowed his head, swiftly pocketing the coin purse and replying "thank you, thank you . . I don''t deserve such kindness . . thank you." "Don''t be silly! You take care now Caj, you hear? Take care of yourself, dry your eyes . . and don''t be wasting your time here neither - go after her! If you really love her don''t waste your time ferrying here none, go! Forget about your silly friend - he''s long dead by now!" "I can''t do that . . I can''t . ." "Take my advice lad, take it as wisdom from someone who has lived many more years than you - don''t let opportunities like this slip away!" The old woman hefted her wicker basket up onto her shoulders, embracing Caj a final time before setting off down a forest path. Caj remained on the prow of his small boat watching her leave, tears still streaming down his face, his lower lip trembling. He seemed utterly miserable, a truly dejected look in his eyes. Magnus watched on in surprise as Caj reached beneath his shirt and pulled out a gold ring on a cord, holding it up and looking at it mournfully. The gold ring . . it couldn''t be . . it was! Even at a distance Magnus saw as clear as day; the ring Caj had around his neck, it was the Lund family ring! The very same gold ring he''d been forced to trade to get accross the Stor in the first place! A coincidence? It . . it couldn''t be, right? Why the devil would Caj have my ring . . why the hells would he . . nah . . no - it was just some ring . . just some gold ring the thief must''ve picked up somewhere . . Magnus'' mind churned - the sight of Caj weeping and holding his ring pierced right through to his heart, for an instant every thought of violence - his every desire to see Caj torn to pieces - was quelled, but only for an instant. Magnus stared . . no . . this is Caj. He is a thief, a trickster! He . . he is playing a scam! Thats right! He''s just telling some sob story! Some nonsense about his love and his silly dead friend . . Ah hells! Magnus gave up on trying to reason through or make sense of Caj''s words. If there were any answers to be had he''d force them out of the thief! "Ah! Boss, *sniff*, you need a ride Boss?" Caj tucked the ring back under his shirt, wiping the tears from his face with a filthy sleeve, standing as soon as he saw Magnus approach. "Thats right, I need a ride across." "No problem Boss, just what I''m here for!" Caj looked at Magnus with bleary eyes, a sad smile on his face. "Sorry for the crying Boss, hope you don''t mind . . hop in, I''ll have you accross the Stor in no time at all!" He doesn''t recognize me. Magnus looked for any reaction from Caj as he got into the small boat, any flicker, any slight sign of recognition - nothing. Caj leapt out of the boat and pushed it out into the river waters, clambering in and taking up the two oars, sitting facing Magnus. Tears flowed freely down his face, Magnus sat in silence for a few more moments before asking. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Magnus examined him up close - Caj hadn''t changed much in the months since he''d seen him last - riding away on the back of a guards horse after Magnus had freed him from a chain gang. He looked just as thin and wretched now as he had then. "What''s wrong? Why are you crying?" "I''m sorry Boss, it''s nothing, it''s really nothing - don''t mean to be bothering you with it, just ignore it. Hey, my names Caj, *sniff*, sorry, sorry. Can''t help it . . can''t help it, Boss. Just pay it no mind . ." Before Magnus could say anything in return Caj spoke again. "I can''t help it, you see . . *sniff* I''m in love." "In love? You look pretty miserable for someone in love!" "I know, I know, right? Hells . . I''m in love, Boss, and it hurts awful bad. You see . . it happened two days ago, and I can''t leave Boss . . she''s gone, my love, my light - she''s gone gods know where, and I can''t go after her . ." Caj''s voice trailed off, his rowing taking the boat out from the shallows of the river bank and into the deeper midstream waters of the Stor. Magnus studied Caj''s face for any tell, any twitch or sign of falsehood - his memories from the Seers Baqir and Zaynab were full of lessons on how to read people, full of all sorts of tricks to look out for and to employ in the arts of song and divination . . but Caj displayed none of these signs. As far as Magnus was able to tell, his every word was genuine - unburdened by falsity. It had to be a scam . . knowing Caj, knowing what he had done in the past . . it was impossible that it wasn''t a scam, impossible that there wasn''t some game he was playing to rob his passengers of their goods, one way or another . . . "You must think me a fool, don''t you, Boss? Ah haha! I am! I am the greatest fool to ever have lived - I wager, I wager every coin you have that you''ve never met a bigger fool than I!" "No? Well . ." "Never! Ah hells . . I''m sorry Boss, I''m sorry. It must be awful; I don''t mean to waste your time with my stupid story . ." Caj fell silent. "No, it''s alright. Caj, was it? Nice to meet you Caj, I''m . . I''m Lars. I''m interested - very interested in hearing you out, no need to be sorry all the time." "Ah-ha . . Lars, that right? You from these parts? From the Gifhorn-Klotz? My story . . . it isn''t much to tell. Here I am - Caj the Swift! Caj the Quick! Caj . . Caj the poor deluded fool who is cursed to row back and forth and watch as the woman he loves turns her pretty red head and disappears down the road . . *sniff* It might be a strange question Lars, but have you seen a man . . a really sick man with black lines all over his face and arms. He might be wearing bandages, I don''t know . . he stinks, like rotten fish, real bad. His name is Magnus . . have you seen anyone like that? He was going east . . to the Empire Swamp." Caj paused and wiped "You ain''t seen him, right? It''s strange, ain''t it? Ah hells . . what do I know . . poor Magnus . ." "Magnus? Magnus Lund?" Magnus replied. "You know him?" Caj shot to his feet, nearly losing his balance and falling into the Stor. "You know Magnus?" "Yeah, I know him, I know him." Magnus caught hold of Caj before he did himself a mischief and they both settled back into the boat. "I knew him, Caj . . he''s dead. Long dead." "Dead?" "Yep." "Really?" "Yep. Saw it myself. Black lines, yellow pus, about so high, right? Dead." Caj looked at Magnus, tears rolling down his face. "Dead. Really dead . . I''m free! The gypsy . . ahahaha! The bloody gypsy was wrong! I''m free! My love, wait for me my love!" Caj roared out, taking the oars and rowing with all his might towards the distant bank. 099 - The Witching Road 099 - The Witching Road For a few minutes Caj maintained his frantic pace, lashing the fast flowing waters of the Stor with both oars until, at last, he slumped back down onto his seat, his chest heaving from the effort. He lay there, oars limp against the side of the boat - his breath ragged, muttering aloud the words "my love . . wait for me . . " over and over. Kill him. No . . wait . . tear off his legs first. Break his arms . . pull off his finger nails . . make him regret everything he has stolen! Magnus'' fists itched - his bloodlust rising - watching Caj from only a few feet away, thinking back to how he had suffered all the worse because . . Magnus took a deep breath. No hurry. Caj isn''t going anywhere, and this curse and this gypsy, how the hells are they related to me? "You alright there Caj? You seem awful happy from the news of someone''s death. Magnus an enemy of yours?" "*Huee* *Hueeee*" Caj took two wheezing breaths. "No! Nothing like that, nothing like that . . Magnus . . he was already dying. Nothing to do with me, mind you. You might say our paths crossed - be it fate, chance, a trick of the gods - whatever, I was cursed all the same. He . . how did he die?" "From sickness. Something the Alchemists did to him, I think, I don''t know," Magnus shrugged. "Anyways - what curse? You saying Magnus put a curse on you?" "Oh. Thats right! My curse!" Caj took out the gold ring that was hanging on the cord around his neck. "You see this? It was his! His gold ring - I got it right from the hands of the man who ferried Magnus accross the Stor - the old man who used to own this very boat!" "His ring? That''s the Lund family ring, right? Can I see it?" "Take it! I''m done with the bloody thing!" Caj tossed the ring and the cord over to Magnus. "The gypsy said - she said that I had to give the ring back to Magnus myself, that it was the only way the curse could be lifted, ha! He''s dead! He''s dead, and the curse is gone!" It felt for a moment as if the world had congealed over - only for the briefest of instances - Caj didn''t seem to notice anything, or if he did, he didn''t react to it in the slightest, but for Magnus it felt as if the air had turned to glass and someone had thrown a rock - the air itself shattering to nothing. He felt his ears pop and the world snap back to normal. Caj recovered his energy, striking out fiercely with both oars once more, this time at a steady pace, taking the boat towards the distant western banks of the Stor once more. They were still in the middle waters of the wide river, but steadily approaching the other banks. "Wait for me, my love!" Caj sung out. "Wait for me, my red headed beau-ty!" "Hey, Caj - you ain''t said a thing - what curse? Who is your love? You can''t start a story and never finish it!" "Lars, my friend, my messenger of joy! You are right! Your news has brightened my day - given the light back to my life! Oh . . you deserve to know, no matter how foolish it may make me look - you deserve the truth. Caj the quick, Caj the fool, Caj the cursed! My story is a simple one - I am a simple person. You might not believe it to look at me, but not that long ago I, Caj, was considered a swindler and a thief!" "I''d believe it." Caj cast an indignant glance at Magnus "It''s true - I was a thief and a liar . . I will not try to make excuses for myself but it was the only way I could survive, ah. For many years I have lived in rotten ways, doing rotten things to good people - you know, I have even pretended to be an Alchemist''s apprentice to trick peasants? Ha! That was so much . . that was wrong, I know . . I know now. Well, this all changed for me, you see - no, not when I fell in love . . Ah! My love! Her beautiful red hair, her smile, her scar . . *ahem* No, I only met my love recently - that makes my story all the more tragic! You see, for many years I have been this way - a scoundrel! And the worst of it . . the lowest point in my life was when I met Magnus Lund. I only knew him for a few days . . but I wronged him. You saw him, right? Saw his sickness, the horrid black lines and stinking pus - yeah, I know - I met him quite by accident, and from the very first he helped me. See, he was looking for the Witching Road and I . . well, I was being chased by a village for . . for various reasons . . ah, nevermind, nevermind, it has nothing to do with the story! He saved me - dragged me along with him, and I lied to him and stole from him - I thought at the time, so what? He''s so sick, he''ll be dead in a couple of days anyway, I might as well put his coin and his horse to good use! So, I took it - took everything he had and left him there, riding away with his gold and his horse and all his belongings . . A fine way to repay Magnus for saving my life, right? Well . . don''t think too poorly of me Lars, don''t! I . . I . . ha, there is no excuse. I was a fool, alright? A small minded crook . . and I paid for my crimes! You see, not even a day after I had stolen his horse I was caught at Gatten - captured by a patrol, the horse taken from me, chained up to fifty other criminals and marched north - this is the second time Magnus saved my life. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. You see, sick as he was, young as he looked - Magnus was a mighty warrior! It was incredible! He stopped the convoy of soldiers and prisoners, standing proudly in the middle of the road and snatching a sword right out of the hands of a man - holding the captain of the guard captive! He demanded we be set free - you heard that! Incredible, no? He freed us - all of us! All of us who would have been delivered to Verde, yes that hell hole! I would have been dead a second time, if not for Magnus . . two times . . no wonder I was cursed! I had a chance, see - when he freed me, I could have saved Magnus from the soldiers - rode through them and pulled him out of danger . . but instead I rode away . . Caj the cowardly, right?" Caj rowed them across the river Stor, Magnus listened to him speak with an uneven smile. "A great fool, no? My life saved twice, rescued twice and betrayed twice - and now that you bring me news of his death I rejoice! Ha! I can''t help but rejoice! His curse - Magnus - you see, the story does not end there, oh no - my tragedy only just begins! After I escaped my dreadful fate as a prisoner on the way to Verde I rode out, to the east - thinking to make my way to Juteheim, sell the horse - make a new start, you know? That was not to be, oh no - from then on . . on that very day the curse begun - I rode the horse east and south and, not three hours after I was freed, it threw a shoe, sent me flying, look - see this scar here on my head? Hit a rock - Bam! - cracked me skull right open, bleeding everywhere - a right mess! Was out of it for a few days, knocked right out. As luck would have it a passing Priest found me and, bless his heart, carried me to a nearby village - that one there, see it? Right on the banks of the Stor. An old fella - Longs, the old man who used to own this here boat, he was the one to take me in - he was the fella who ferried Magnus across too, some coincidence, huh? That was how I found out Magnus was still alive. Well, I woke up - didn''t know about the curse then, I got better, and didn''t quite know what to do with myself - just getting up when - chop! - see this?" Caj held up his left hand showing Magnus his third finger, the top half of which was missing. "Sliced off! I was in the house when the head of an axe flew in through the window and landed right on my hand! Chopped my finger right off! See this? Here, and here -" Caj lifted his shirt revealing a dozen scars and marks, some deeper than others - bruises, cuts, burns, places where his skin had been entirely ripped off or mangled and healed badly. "All this . ." "Hells!" Magnus exclaimed. "Did Magnus do that to you? How''d he curse you?" "No! No, I brought this on myself . . you see, after three weeks of being cut and burned, of tripping over onto iron spikes and having boiling water fall on my head, see this spot? After nearly a month of this - I knew something wasn''t right! So, on Long''s advice, I went to see the gypsy and told her all that I''ve told you now - and more! And she revealed my fortune, written in the stars she said - she told me I needed to wear the ring, to stay on the Stor and to wait for Magnus - that that was the only way his curse would be lifted. Ha! And now he is dead! That means . . that means the curse is lifted, right?" Caj suddenly looked around worried. "The curse . . I was meant to give the ring back to Magnus . . but if he''s dead . . hey! Lars! Give me the ring back, would you? I mean . . Magnus is dead, but . . ah! My love! What if I''m trapped? What if my fate is to wait on this river forever? Ahhhh! Lars, the ring!" Caj waved his hands desperately at Magnus, not willing to advance across the boat in case he overturned it. Magnus held the ring on the cord in front of him . . it was the same ring, the Lund family ring. It seemed entirely normal . . but that sensation earlier - there was certainly something abnormal going on here. "Nah. I think I''ll keep the ring, Caj." "But I need it! you''ve heard my story - my curse! I need it, look at my scars!" "A curse? A few scars and burns? You call that a curse?" Magnus leaned back, snapping the cord with the slightest of efforts and placing the ring on his finger. "Tell me about your love, Caj. Oh, and about the Gypsy - keep rowing! We ain''t that far away from the shore now, are we?" "Lars, the ring! It''s not yours . . the curse . ." Magnus fixed Caj with a stare saying forcefully "ROW." Caj instantly took both oars, rowing silently for the banks of the river, his eyes filled with terror. "Tell me about the gypsy - and about ''your love''. Go on . . SPEAK." 100 - The Witching Road 100 - The Witching Road "Ss . . speak . . muh, muh . ." Caj spluttered, "Mother Marion, the gypsy! Ahhh! Boss, the gypsy . . she lives in an old hut by the river, ahhh . . she''s gone now, left to Juteheim some weeks ago . . witchcraft! My love . . I am bewitched!" Caj was compelled to row and talk - his mouth and arms moving together in a strange rhythmic cadence. "Mother Marion, she said - I went to see her, she did me a reading with her cards and she said ''Caj, you be cursed. Caj you have a loathing upon you''." "A loathing?" "Aye, a . . a curse of hatred - ah! Boss! What have you done to me? She sung to me, after the card - a beautiful song it was too - and I told her my story, all I''ve told you . ." "A song - what song? What did she sing?" "No, no . . she . . I don''t know the song . . it went da da da dun dun sha la la, ah, I can''t remember." "Mother Marion, Mother Marion . ." Magnus muttered the name to himself, committing it to memory. There had to be something more here. A gypsy on a garden world knowing about curses and singing? It sounded like the work of a seer - but why would a seer be living as a gypsy here in Jute? Without any further instructions Caj kept rowing and talking. "My love - she has red hair, oh what pretty red hair! I . . I love her, I''ll marry her, I will! If only I knew her name . ." "You love her and don''t know her name?" Magnus raised an eyebrow, seeing the tears stream down Caj''s face once more. "I don''t know her name . . I don''t know where she came from or where she''s going . . I love her, I love her, I love her." Caj responded fiercely. "She came into my boat three days ago crossing from east to west - every second - that''s all it was, see? Every second she was in my boat, every second that I had her here, just she and me . . those were the sweetest seconds of my life." "Whoa. Wait up . . three days ago? And you only know her from taking her across the bloody river? You don''t even know her name?" Magnus looked at the crying Caj incredulously. "Pffff, ah hahaha! Really? Hahahaha!" Caj looked straight at Magnus, his sullen tear streaked face set in a perpetual frown, his arms moving the oars and moving the boat through the fast flowing river waters at a steady pace. "I have never been in love before . . what have you done to me? I don''t want to talk about it, I don''t want to tell you . . I am in love . . she left and I must stay, I cannot escape my curse! Ah! If it were not for my curse, I would have been after her like a shot! She was so pretty . . I love her flame red hair, I love her fierce eyes, I love the scar on her face - I love everything about her and I can''t stop - not in my dreams, not in my waking hours or deepest sleeps - I cannot escape the sound of her voice, even with the scar that covered half her face . . ah, I cannot stop crying - my love is gone, is gone, and I don''t even know her name . . I am in love, in love . ." "ENOUGH. Hells, enough! Stop talking! I get it, I get it, you love her . . ahahaha! Just keep rowing Caj, hells alive!" Magnus fiddled with the Lund family ring on his finger, looking at the shore. Caj rowed on in silence, his eyes filled with fear - flinching every time Magnus moved. They approached the western banks of the river Stor, Caj taking the boat to a little beach with wooden planks forming something of a dock, various stakes of wood with fishing nets stretched between them a little bit further up the shore. Leaping from the boat, Caj dragged it up out of the water, his eyes darting this way and that - but before he could even start to make a run for it Magnus intoned "STAY" in a deep measured voice, rooting Caj to the spot. Magnus climbed out of the boat, pacing up and down the shore and looking at Caj, clicking his fingers and seemingly lost in thought. "Met her three days ago . . ah-hahah . ." Magnus snorted with laughter. "Flame red hair . . scar over half her face . . huh. Thats some coincidence." Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. In Magnus'' mind surfaced the image of a woman he''d seen standing next to Waldemar - one of the deformed members of the Witching Road who''d slaughtered all the hunters of the horn. "Flame red hair, a scar covering half her face. What was her name? Ah! I remember! Petra! Ha!" It made sense - the members of the Witching Road must have been making their way back to their homebase, each of them possibly going by a separate route - Petra must be on her way to Juteheim. Caj''s lower lip trembled. "Petra. You know her? You ain''t lying to me?" "Why would I lie?" "Petra? Is that the name of my love . . my love . . my Petra!" Caj fixed Magnus with a fierce look, his fear seemingly evaporating in front of his desire to know more. "Lars! Boss! Please, what do you know her from? She is beautiful, is she not? Are you . . are you her lover? No! No! Where is she? Where does she live? Ah! I''m sorry! I''m sorry! Please don''t hurt me Boss!" "Haha! I don''t know if you are lucky or unlucky Caj, but you certainly are sincere, ain''t you just?" Magnus had his eye on Caj''s aura - as unbelievable as he found it, he couldn''t detect the slightest sign of falsehood - just as before - did the divination of the Martial Court Cultivators simply not work on Caj? Was the young thief immune to Mens? "I''ll do anything you ask! Anything! Where has she gone? Please!" Caj fell to his knees, hands clasped before him. "Boss! You are a great magician, right? A hero! Please, please . . I am a poor and simple cursed thief, nothing more! I have been a fool, but I repent!" "Repent? You . . you don''t know who I am, do you?" "Yes! I know - you are a great hero - Lars, right? You must be the strongest hero in all of Jute! Even in your rags I can see your heroic aura! To command me to do your bidding with a single word - I cannot fight against you, sir!" "Ahahaha!" Magnus'' hair curled at his words - what nonsense! Truth or not, Caj sure liked to talk a lot of shit. To obliterate Caj would take no more than a flick of his finger - Magnus had a thousand ways to see the crying Caj dead before his body hit the sand . . but that would be no fun. A devious thought took root in Magnus'' mind. It would be better, wouldn''t it, to see Caj suffer at his own hands . . "Alright! Ha! A hero, right! I''ll tell you - Caj, I''ll tell you everything you want to know, but! But the knowledge isn''t free, oh no." "Anything!" "Her name - Petra, you believe me, right? The scar on her face is on the left - her left, that is - and goes from the top of her forehead right the way down her neck and to her chest, right?" "That''s right! That''s her! Petra! Ah my love, my Petra! I''ll give you anything, anything of mine that you want, it is yours!" "You really are a hopeless romantic, ain''t you Caj? Hells - one boat ride and you''ve gone right of the deep end . . right, alright . . so . . hmm. The price . . the price . . hold up your hand. Missing a finger, right? Well . . I''ve told you her name. Now," An evil grin spread over Magnus'' face. He took the Heart Sword from its ragged sheath and held it out, the sword struggled slightly in his grasp, but no where near enough to fight Magnus'' strength. "Put your hand on the blade. This is the price, Caj . . if you want to know about your ''love'' then I will tell you - but, every bit of information will cost you a finger . . ok, just the joint. Good price, huh? You''ve got, what? Four and a bit fingers left on that hand?" Caj froze, still kneeling on the sand, his eyes now fixed on the gleaming edge of the curved blade centimeters aways from his face. "Don''t kill me! Don''t . . I''ll . . I''ll give you gold . . all my coppers . . all . ." "Tsk tsk, that isn''t enough. Come now, it''s a great deal, put your hand on the blade. You want to know, right? Or, we could just . ." Magnus prodded the tip of the Heart Sword into Caj''s neck, drawing blood. "We could just be done with it all, you know?" 101 - The Witching Road Yo! Over 100 chaps already! More than 100k words! Wew . . it ain''t been easy, but it sure has been fun writing this story - I hope you''re all enjoying it, thanks for reading so far - I''ve got quite a bit more to go before the end yet, so I hope you''ll all stick around! Just thought I''d write a quick note - this last arc has been called The Witching Road, and well . . it has very little to actually do with the witching road! I dun goofed! I never really planned to take so long - had a couple of other things in mind, but well, it is what it is - I''ll have to change it in the future or something (I guess the next part will have to be called the Real Witching Road xD) Anyways - here is today''s chap - enjoy! twice. 101 - The Witching Road Magnus looked down the length of the short curved sword at Caj''s trembling hand. "Do it. Don''t you want to know? Is that how deep your love is? One finger, one fact - that''s what you want, right?" Caj didn¡¯t look away - his eyes fixed on Magnus - it seemed that he could not look away, he''d been transfixed, his hand - minus one finger, victim to his curse, hovered over the blade. He hesitated - Caj, with tears flowing freely down his face - hesitation took ahold of his heart - Magus held the blade steady, stony faced and without a shred of compassion towards the young thief. "I . . I . . . never . . I . ." Caj stuttered, entirely unable to form even the beginnings of a coherent sentence. "Pitiful. Truly. Is this the depth of your love, Caj? Ha! Three days - you didn''t even know her name! Is this what you''ve been crying over? Seen a girl once and fallen in love - what a load of shit!" The tip Heart Sword pressed against Caj''s neck. Magnus sneered, saying mockingly "''I love her, I love her'' - ain''t that right, Caj? Prove it! Go on! I''ll tell you everything you''d want to know - the only price I''m asking is a finger, only a little finger - is that too much? Is it too much to ask for, for your love? Ha!" Still, Caj hesitated - his hand frozen in place, seemingly unable to move one way or the other - either removing his hand from the edge of the sword or pressing down one of his fingers. "M . . mer . . . mercy! Don''t kill me! I''m sorry! Lord! I''m sorry!" Magnus looked at the trembling Caj on the other end of his sword - on his hand holding the Heart Sword his eyes were drawn to the gold ring - the Lund Family ring. Seeing it a single thought suddenly rising in his mind - Is this what I''ve come to? Is this the kind of person I am? Caj . . he deserves this! He deserves death! But . . is this who I want to be? Would Pa Lund be happy seeing me here, now - holding a sword out and telling someone to cut their own fingers for information on the person they love? What would Pa say . . He didn''t have to consider it too much - Pa Lund would say run the bastard through and be done! But Pa Lund . . he ain''t me . . and I ain''t him. Poor Caj. Pathetic Caj. A thief and a swindler - cursed and in love . . waiting here for me to appear, and when I do the bloody bastard doesn''t even know my face. Magnus held his gaze, held the blade steady for another few moments, then, shaking his head, drew it back, placing the Heart Sword back in its ragged sheath. "Pfff. This is it, ain''t it Caj? Caj the Quick, Caj the bloody, uh, fool! All talk, ain''t you just?" "Tha- tha- thank you lord! Tha- thank you for mercy!" "Say it." "Sa- say what, Lord?" "Say that you don''t love her - that Petra means nothing to you. Hells, you didn''t even know her name until just now." "Lord, I-" "Say it. If love was in your heart then a finger wouldn''t mean naught, would it?" "I . . . I don''t love her." Tears streamed down Caj''s face, his hand shrunk back from the edge of the blade. "I don''t really love her . . I was wrong . ." Magnus shook his head, looking one last time at the youth prostate on the sands at his feet. Before he turned to leave something caught his notice - a little flash of light above Caj - the light, black and red, barely visible, seemed like a thin worm wriggling about in the air. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. With a single thought he made it fly through the air, right into his hands and held it up in the light. A tiny strand of red and black light . . like vigour, but stained with dark splotches. Magnus felt it was familiar - like a part of himself that had been lost. This is? The curse? The loathing - as Caj had put it - the hatred that had attached itself to Caj? The thin red and black strand writhed within his palm, like a tiny living creature - he could sense the deep emotions held within it. This was the core of the curse Caj had been suffering since he met him last - was this something I have made? Something that came from me? All my resentment, all my hatred, all those I have grudges against - have they got my worms of hatred within them too? Magnus turned his attention back to Caj - has he suffered enough? Has my grudge against him really been resolved in any way? The little worm swelled in size, doubling in mass and resembling a maggot, its red and black body hideous and semi-translucent. No. My heart still holds resentment - I can¡¯t escape that . . and Caj . . Caj should not be let off so lightly. With a flick of his finger Magnus sent the worm back into Caj, seeing it settle deep within his chest near his heart. He can hold onto my hatred for now . . ¡°You don''t love her, do you? You don''t love anyone except for yourself. Forget it, fuck it - you don''t know me, you don''t recognize me. You''ve never seen me, right? Good. Goodbye Caj." Magnus left the banks of the Stor, quickly climbing the sandy beach to the dirt path beyond, going south. Caj remained alone on the beach, his hand still shaking uncontrollably - a pained expression on his face - hopeless - like his heart had been truly crushed. "Boss!" Caj got to his feet, climbing the sandy banks and chasing after Magnus. "Boss, wait! I do know you! Wait! Dammit, wait up! I''m sorry, wait for me!" *** Above Magnus and Caj, far above the river Stor floated an innocuous silver outlined cloud - invisible amongst the many other clouds, indistinguishable except for a silver tinge. On the cloud reclined a single figure - a man dressed from head to toe in a form fitting silver suit, only his face and his hands uncovered. Unlike Orpheus the Poet - this silver suited man had a healthy complexion, his face tanned, a firm bristled jaw, two piercing blue eyes tinged with gold - on his silver suit was a five pointed silver star, engraved in its center a square with a circle within it. He peered down at the world through a lens embedded in his cloud, seeing and hearing all the events at the shore of the Stor clear as if he''d been standing next to Magnus and Caj himself. Hearing the exchange of words and seeing Magnus withdraw his sword a sneer arose on the man''s face. "Weak! This is the new Ascended? A Celestial Ascended - pah! Orpheus made me waste my bloody time, he won''t last a second before the Lord of Embers! Is this how he pays back those who''ve wronged him? He needs to be tested . . this isn''t enough, not nearly enough for me to come raise my hand against them . . I need to see his true mettle . . " With a snarl he turned the lens to focus on another part of the land, on a road with a group of several dozen men and women heading south west, away from Juteheim and towards the Iron Coast. "Bloody Orpheus . . he knows I hate to get involved with the politics, but when it''s got to do with the Lord of Embers and the King of the Woods . . . not my choice, right? El will just . . ah fuck it, she''ll just have to accept it, one way or another . ." His lens focused in on one amongst the group, a middle aged man wearing light banded armour and carrying a long spear. "A test . . I''ll have to get the proper measure of this celestial - even if it is bloody written in the stars, that doesn''t mean I have to accept it, hear me, Poet?" *** 102 - The Witching Road 102 - The Witching Road "Wait for me!" Caj ran down the road, but Magnus did not slow his pace at all. Splat! Caj fell face first into the dirt, his head striking a rock and drawing blood above his eye. "Wait! Boss!" He struggled back up, covered in dust, crawling along the path and rising to his feet, sprinting a few more feet before - bam! - down Caj tumbled once more, rolling several times and only coming to a halt in a muddy ditch. "Boss!" Tears streamed down his face; still Magnus did not stop, did not even turn - walking all the faster down to the south. "Magnus! I know who you are! Magnus Lund! I''m sorry boss! I''m sorry!" Caj cried out. Magnus walked on, vanishing around a bend in the road. "Wait! -" Caj kept on running and stumbling down the road, Magnus drawing further and further into the distance until he was truly lost from sight. Caj fell to the ground - his legs shaking, his arms still trembling, tears flowing freely once more down his face leaving two streaks in the dust on his cheeks. "What now? He is . . he is Magnus, isn''t he? Why didn''t he say anything? Oh Caj . . Caj the fool . . it doesn''t begin to describe how I''ve been, does it? If he''d cut me down . . if he stabbed me . . I would have deserved it!" Whack! Right where Caj sat there collapsed a tree - at least thirty feet tall, its trunk smashing into the road mere metres from him, its branches breaking and lashing Caj remorselessly as it rolled and came to a halt, blocking the road entirely. "Awooooo!" Caj howled, his face and skin covered in bloody welts, but otherwise mostly uninjured. "The curse! Magnus! Come back! I''m sorry! Wait for me!" *** Magnus walked on. The feeling he got from the black worm - it was a deep loathing, a hatred - it scared Magnus - the very thought of it . . this is a part of me - this is part of who I am. He had felt hatred - hells - many a time, against the Alchemists - against the scum of the nobles who had betrayed all of Kloster - but, that was a burning hatred - a fierce blaze in his heart that drove him to want to smash and destroy! This black worm . . this was a cold thing, a frigid type of hatred - something he found familiar and noxious at the same time - absolutely repulsive . . to think it a part of himself, Magnus couldn''t help but shiver. How many more people out there have a strand of my loathing in them? Is there a black worm living in Festus? In Septima? In Lord Tygis and his son? I hate them . . I hate them, I hate them, I hate them! I want to pound them, crush them, stomp them dead! There it is! The fire - the fury, his fists clenched - Magnus turned his face to the sky and roared - "I HATE THEM ALL!" It was fire - it was passion! Every part of Magnus tensed and shook, every part of him filled with a bloodlust that rose to the heavens - from all around ever bird and every creature for a hundred meters turned and took flight, desperate to get away. But . . Caj? Magnus did not have that same hatred in his heart - not that same passion . . and the black worm - that was something else . . was that part of being a Celestial? Had he made that . . that horrid black thing without knowing? Without meaning to? He lied, he stole, he cheated me out of my horse and my last bit of gold - my last bit of hope . . but . . Magnus still could not find it him to hate Caj with the same passion. Caj . . in too many ways was too similar - another fool, another hapless idiot like me, living and surviving - doing the best he can to get by - entirely ignorant of the world as it is - he doesn''t even know, does he? Not about the Alchemists, not about the world - not about anything at all! He . . he is just like I was, ain''t he? Just like we were - ain''t he Rolf? I can''t hate that . . not really. Also - after he had the black worm in his palm and sent it back into Caj, there was a strange connection between it and himself - like he could feel it moving, even at a distance - he had the feeling that no matter how far he went he would always feel it - that it was a part of himself now inside of Caj. Strange . . it was like nothing described in any of the texts or lessons of the Alchemists - like none of the techniques of the Martial Court Cultivators or Seers - sure, they each had their own form of imprinting and cursing using various forms of the Logos - but nothing like this black worm, like this loathing. The gypsy . . she knew what it was, no? She had identified it - they had to know! So, why wasn''t it in my memories? Behind him on the road Magnus could feel Caj - he was still walking after him, haltingly - tripping and falling and injuring himself - but walking forwards, following him down the road towards Juteheim. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The sun started to sink in the sky - Magnus turned his attention to the road and to the south - to the city. Juteheim, the capital city of the land of Jute, was south along this road - not more than a week''s worth of walking for a normal person - Magnus knew he could be there within the day if he truly wanted to be. With his strength and speed he knew that there was no place in the whole world he could not reach within a week - but what was the point? There was no where on this world he wanted to be - the one place he would return to . . to Kloster . . that was no more. He looked west, over the hills and through the paths by which he had come - it wasn''t that far, not that far at all. But to go there? To see the broken buildings and empty streets . . was it worth returning? Pa Lund . . Uncle Willis - they . . they might still be alive, right? What do I tell them? What ought I say when I see them . . if they are still . . ah hells. I''ll have to go back, won''t I? Even if it''s just to see if they are alive or not . . A hop and a skip - that''s how much effort it would take you, Magnus - a jog through the mountains and you''d be back on the coast - back home . . . Looking to the west . . Magnus felt a longing - I can go, can''t I? What is there to hold me back? If anything . . if anything, I''ve gotta stop thinking by my old limitations - one hundred, two hundred - hells! Even a thousand miles - what is that to me? Magnus halted in the road, suddenly turning and running off the track and into the hills - Juteheim can wait! The Witching Road ain''t going anywhere! Pa Lund! Uncle Willis! If you''re alive . . Over hill, over forest, over rivers and towns and mountain - Magnus ran - Magnus soared! A single leap took him right across a valley, a single jump from the base of a cliff to its top! The land of Jute flew beneath his feet - the miles melting away as he ran until . . until . . the sea! The glittering sea! All his life he had lived right by the sea - it was something hadn''t even thought of until right this moment - until he saw it again - as far as the eye could see, an endless horizon of white crested foam and glittering waves in the afternoon sun. This was the western most coastline of Jute - to the south was the Iron Coast, to the north - Kloster! And opposite it Doohama and the Dragon Isle . . . ahaha! Not long ago, not even a year ago - Magnus had thought that the world! Just Kloster and Doohama and the giants and the black skins - that was my world! Now - now Magnus looked the length of the coast to his north - how far is it? Just over the horizon? Not more than that . . . not that much further - out to sea to the north he could already make out the southern coast of the Dragon Isle - the familiar colours, the familiar scents - home! He ran north on the coastal trails, in his heart an anticipation building - nearly boiling over . . they had to be alive! It hadn''t been that long, right? Even if Pa Lund had said he hadn''t long left . . him and Uncle Willis - Magnus had heard their conversation before he left them in the fisherman''s village - they said they only had a month to live themselves, but so what? I only had a month to live, and look at me now! Pa is strong! He''ll be alive! He''ll be waiting for me! Uncle is strong! He only got stabbed a little, he only . . he had to be alive! On and on - closer and closer - the coast and the roads becoming those that he knew - those that he had spent all his life walking - further north . . the beach . . the fishing village south of Kloster - there! There! Right . . right there . . ah hells. Is this . . is this the right place? I remember the beach - hells, I was tired, I was half dead - this is the right place, right? Magnus walked up the road a couple of miles, soon coming back to the village. Across the waters he could easily see the walls of Doohama . . to the north he had seen the cliffs and the walls of Kloster - there it was . . and here was the village that Magnus had left Pa Lund and Uncle Willis in . . at least, what was left of it. Every house was a burnt out shell. Every boat smashed to smithereens. The hut he had been laid up in . . all that was left was a stone post, even the floorboards had been smashed and burnt . . nothing, nothing, nothing! No people, no tracks, no signs of habitation - no one had been living here for months! It must have happened just after I left . . right after I started walking east . . Pa . . . Uncle . . "PA! UNCLE! ANYONE THERE!?" Magnus called out, only to be met with silence. 103 - The Witching Road 103 - The Witching Road Magnus wandered the burnt out fishing village calling out and calling out in vain - there was to be no response, he knew that, he knew it from the very first. There was no sign of life to be found. He called again and again until his voice grew hoarse, yelling "PA!" and "UNCLE!" out to the birds and the sea, and before the last of the day''s light faded he saw it - the thing he''d most been dreading. There, at the edge of the village, just above the beach and the ruined fishing boats was a patch of earth that had been dug up and turned over then stomped flat. A chill wind blew across his heart - reaching out, piercing the earth with a strand of Elemental Logos Magnus easily saw what lay beneath. Not even buried all that deep, there were maybe thirty bodies, scraps of clothing and flesh almost entirely consumed by insects and worms - they must have been buried for a good few months now . . almost as long as he''d been gone. They must have been killed only days after he''d left, killed and thrown into a pit. Magnus trembled, the whole world shook - he felt as if he was suddenly standing on the deck of a ship in stormy weather - entirely unable to keep his balance, the taste of rancid bile rising in the back of his throat. "Pa . . . Uncle . ." He couldn''t see straight - the strand of Logos dissolved in the air - he couldn''t even focus to control it, just letting it fade into the earth. In the pile of corpses . . amongst the men and women and children all buried beneath the beach he was certain he''d felt a familiar resonance - two piles of bones . . oh gods . . two rotting corpses that were all too familiar . . Magnus blinked and, on unsteady legs, left the beach, left the village, went up the coastal paths and by a half-moon light found that he''d wandered to the ruined gates of Kloster. Kloster . . home . . home . . Even in the darkest of nights Magnus could now see clear as day - with the light of the half-moon he saw every detail of the town he had once called home. The gate of Kloster, broken - smashed - claw marks so fierce they''d left deep welts in the stones of the town walls and torn up the cobblestones. The gate house burnt . . the houses near the wall all reduced to rubble - smashed and burnt and stained with blood and black bile. Everywhere . . everywhere he looked, everywhere his eyes wandered - devastation. At the time he and Pa Lund and Uncle Willis had gone over to Doohama there had been a vast swarm of black skins - he''d known it at the time, known it . . but to see it for himself . . A bakery - Ma Bindle used to break her back baking bread for Seamaidens every morning here - she''d had a giant oven made to make giant sized loaves - Magnus and Rolf had more than once snuck in round the back of the bakery and stolen handfuls of fresh baked bread from beneath the massive rolls that had been left on cooling racks before delivery . . . And here, just at the corner of Main Street and Mill Lane - there was Thocks house . . the poor sod . . he was just a bit older than Magnus and Rolf and had a first class core - they had been so bloody jealous! He had been amongst the third batch of Giants, along with Christa . . he had died that week on the beaches. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Christa said he was bloody useless, said he couldn''t even balance to swing a cudgel - no better as a boy then he was as a giant too, he and Rolf could easily have Thock on his back and crying seven ways to sunday before Thock even knew what hit him . . but Thock had the core and they did not - that had made Magnus so damned mad! So damn jealous! Why did Thock have to be the one to have a first class core? Why couldn''t it be Magnus? Ah hells . . hells . . Christa . . sis . . and Egil, brother . . oh . . Magnus found himself before the husk of his family home - a twisted anvil, stomped by giant feet, lay half buried in the dirt. His father''s shop, the courtyard and two story house . . all that was left was stones and dirt and rusted iron . . Here - right here, that was where Jorn would stand, anvil in had - Magnus would watch Egil help father hammer, clang! Clang! All afternoon until the bit of molten metal was fashioned into the shape he wanted - Ma Malene and Christa would both be busy, Ma with the shop side of things, and Christa running deliveries . . That was before the whole bloody thing started, weren''t it? Before the first black skin ever came - back in a time when Pa Lund was part of the old Lords guards, and when Uncle Willis would visit every so often, bringing them trinkets from up and down the Iron Coast . . Magnus and Rolf had almost been wildlings then - that was what Ma said, anyhow - she said that he and Rolf might as well have been raised by wolves. Every day they would leave Kloster and run the hills and cliffs, run even so far as Perry''s Gulch and the far farms at the lower slopes of the Umar Hills . . That was a time when they could roam free - when there wasn''t a danger of a black skin sneaking in from across the stretch of water and hiding and leaping out and tearing you to pieces! How many times had that happened? Magnus couldn''t recall - too many times . . twenty, thirty - maybe even fifty people were torn to pieces in the first few months, before the Alchemist came to Kloster. Yeah, there had been such hope, hadn''t there? Festus - announced by Lord Tygis he was, right in the harbour square - Lord Festus, our saviour - an Alchemist from on far who has taken pity on us all and will help us in our war against the evil witch in Doohama . . Ah hahahaha hahah . . . . . . . hahah ahaha ha . . . . . How? How had they believed that? How did no one question it? Not Pa, not Ma, not Pa Lund - hells! No one, no one even thought to say a damned thing! No one thought that something might even be wrong! We fell over ourselves, didn''t we? Who didn''t want to be a bloody giant! Amazing! Strength! Power! Respect! The black things wouldn''t stand a chance! But . . . On and on - the years went by . . more and more of our brave warriors fought and died below the cliffs of Kloster - Thock, on his first outing, dead . . Christa, after a year of fighting, dead . . . Egil, oh Egil, brother! He made Pa so proud - he became a sentinal - one of the biggest giants in all of Kloster, standing guard day and night at the cliffs and swatting down black skin after black skin and . . and . . at the end, slipping from the cliffs and falling head first into the rocks on the beaches below. 104 - The Witching Road 104 - The Witching Road Poor Egil. Poor Christa. Poor Thock. Ah hells, why the devil did I come here? Hells . . hells . . I didn''t even think of home until after I crossed the Stor, did I? Didn''t even think of coming back home . . why did I bother? There was hope - wasn''t there? Right . . a little festering pustule of hope in the back of my mind - a hope that Pa Lund and Uncle Willis would be alive . . a hope that not everything would be lost . . yeah . . hells . . I shouldn''t have come, I shouldn''t have come . . The dead streets of Kloster bathed in pale moonlight, Magnus went down the main street and stopped outside the ruined hall of Sea Maidens - the cavernous tavern, made much bigger to accommodate all the giants - entirely collapsed in on itself. There sat Harkness, didn''t he? And here used to sit Ingrid . . and there Gus, and Fenig, and Harry . . the bar used to be right here, I''d sit on the left and Rolf would sit on the right and we''d watch the giants all night - drinking, singing, feasting . . Now - in the streets and in the ruins all that was left were the twisted bodies of the black things and a few giant bones. The giants who''d gone across to Doohama had all been poisoned by Festus - it seemed that that was the fate of all the giant creatures in Kloster. There wasn''t a single giant still living - certainly not any human, and not any sheep or pig or any of the giant cows - every last creature that Festus touched had died. And after . . yeah . . those that were not poisoned or slaughtered by the black skins - the Witching Road had come, hadn''t it? Come and ''tidied up'', just like they had the hunters of the horn. All gone, all dead . . . is there nothing I can do? Nothing? With all the things I know - with all the powers I have? I''m a bloody Celestial, ain''t I? All this . . all these abilities and powers and what''s the bloody use? What can I do? Why did I bother coming? Magnus sat in the middle of the road outside the ruins of Sea Maidens, his shoulder sloped, his head hung low. With all the bloody things I know . . with all the knowledge of the Alchemists and Seers and Cultivators - is there really nothing I can do? Well . . there are plenty of things, aren''t there, Magnus? Hob? That you? Right, right - who else is gonna be speaking in your head? There is something I can do? As a Celestial, I mean - but . . ain''t it too late? Don''t they, I mean, can''t I only use my Vigour on living things? Yeah - but think about it, that''s the thing, right - see, I''ve been in the Sleeping Forest for a bit now . . Kujata, she didn''t tell you half of what a Celestial can do. And you know? Of course I know! So do you! Think about it for a moment Magnus - think about it, everything you''ve been told - the Logos, the five coloured strands - hells, devouring people and having them appear in the forest - what does it add up to? Add up to? Yeah - think, remember - she showed you at the first, the vision - the giant bull with countless eyes, remember that? Just after she stomped the shit out of you back in the shrine - Kujata, the thousand eyed bull - standing above the world, with a single breath boiling the oceans, with a single stomp of her hoof cracking the earth asunder - think! Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Yeah . . yeah! I remember! She said . . Kujata said, that was the true form of a Celestial - that was me! But . . but . . ah! You''re getting it. That''s her true form - what about you? What about me? My true form? I''m . . I''m just me, ain''t I? I . . I don''t think I''ve got anything like a giant bull inside of me Hob. Don''t be daft - think it through, you''ve awakened, right? Right after the Griffon - before you got in that whole mess with Soo and Min and all that . . All that . . . All that . . Magnus closed his eyes, feeling a deep tiredness - a sudden urge to sleep Inside of Magnus churned a thousand thoughts all at once - inside him something stirred, as if waking from a thousand year sleep - shaking off the cobwebs, every bone cracking and popping, from the tips of the hairs on his head down to the innermost marrow of his bones - Magnus felt it tremble and shake. Awakened . . awake . . awwwakeeennn . . Slow . . Slow, Magnus opened his eyes - slow, the world came into focus - a slow spiral motion, a slow turn and slow blink - here, slow the red eye turns and looks - here, slow it blinks back at Magnus - blinks and is - before and after become one, the same - I am looking, I am me - through the red eye I see me sat looking, a slow blink . . A yawn - the jaws of the earth opened and breathed out hot fiery air - a tremendous rush of energy filled the space - only the red eye and Magnus - around, filling the air are a thousand colours rushing up from beneath, the empty air around the red eye filling with lights - a shape taking form. The shape . . the red eye - Magnus looked out of it, looking at it - was it and was outside it all at once - around them a thousand strands of light coalesced into a single shape - that of a giant man, the red eye imprinted on the palm of its hand. Magnus stood - it stood - from the formless void the giant man of many colours grew a thousand feet taller, ten thousand feet, taller than any tree, taller than any man made thing - so massive that his head was amongst the clouds - so big that Magnus knew he could reach out and pluck the stars from the heavens if he so wished. Around him the world lay, all of Kloster, all of Jute beneath his feet - the whole town, all the valleys and forests and mountains and beaches he had wandered and he had lived - they all fit beneath his foot. This was a giant! This is what it meant to be big! All of Festus'' experiments . . they couldn''t even reach the tips of his toes! Magnus breathed in - the sky and clouds for a hundred miles rushed into his lungs - he breathed out - a hundred whirlwinds and hot currents of air tore through the atmosphere. This is me! This is Magnus Lund! To the south . . more than two hundred miles away - the lights of a city. Juteheim . . The Witching Road . . Festus! Alchemist bastards! I''m coming for you! 105 - The Witching Road 105 - The Witching Road It was natural - the most natural of things for Magnus to stand, he felt every part of the giant body respond to his command, no different from his own flesh and bones. The world . . the whole expanse of earth and sea below, the entirety of the sky and stars at eye level. The whole world is too damn small! An absolutely invigorating sensation filled Magnus - every inch of his giant body felt the elements - the currents of air, the soil beneath his left foot, his right foot in the sea. In the earth . . deep within the ground - Magnus could feel something, a rhythmic beat - a pulse, like a heartbeat beneath his feet, from deep below the skin of the world. A rush of knowledge filled his mind - the writings of several Alchemical tomes paraded themselves before his eyes. These are the ley-lines . . . the spirit veins of the world. Every world has them in some form - their purpose unknown, it was theorized that they had some connection to the Celestials, but it was never known. Magnus felt them - like a hundred rivers stretching in every direction - calling to him. It was a type of instinct - the same urge that made him thirsty, that made him tired - the same primal urge for life itself that called to him from within the earth. Instinctually, Magnus sent a thread of vigour into the ground - piercing into the depths and entering the closest ley line. It connected! In an instant Magnus felt the pulse of the earth itself - a resonance from the deep. Calling to him . . calling to a deep down part of him . . Magnus held up a vast hand - in his giant palm sprung the Sleeping Forest - every familiar tree and face, smooth rock and black water stream - a miniscule Dong-Geun sat dejected leaning against the tree with Sung Soo''s face upon it. The forest . . the trees . . there . . from the tree with Sung Soo''s face on it, on one of its highest branches Magnus saw that a single red fruit grew - an apple, bright red. The resonance from the deep called to Magnus - flowed through him to the forest on his palm - connecting through him. A light breeze begun to blow - from the earth, up through Magnus, up to the single red fruit - the lightest of invisible touches plucking it from the high branch and carrying it down, all the way down along the thread of Vigour and into the ley lines in the earth. It has recognized me. The world has accepted me - Magnus felt it, felt as one - the seed of his forest buried itself in the fertile soil - all the energies of the ley lines flooded into the seed, filling it fit to burst - the accumulated energy of ten thousand years flowed from every corner into the seed, along the thread of Vigour and into Magnus. The giant Celestial form shimmered - thick many coloured streams of light rose up through his soles, up his legs and thighs - filling the massive figure. What a rush! With the energy came a massive rush - a massive influx of energy. Magnus felt the strength of the earth pour into him - the might of oceans and mountains, the force of continents crashing together, the roar of magma erupting. Power! Strength! This is what it means to be a Celestial! Who can stand against me? What man or beast is my equal? Alchemists? Ha! The Seers, the Martial Cultivators, the Alchemists, I''ll devour the lot! Ding! A crystal clear ringing sound filled the air around Magnus. Ding! Ding! Ding! Again and again - an intense ringing - Magnus cast a glance about, seeing all of Jute laid out before him - but no sign of the source of the noise. Ding! Ah! Of course - the Thousand-eye Net! The Thousand-eye Net formation he¡¯d cast on himself to remain hidden - with each ding! Magnus felt the formation fracture a little more, within a matter of moments losing a great portion of its strength. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Every moment Magnus remained in his Celestial form was accompanied by another ding! and the weakening of the formation - it would only take a few more minutes before the formation was sure to evaporate. If the Thousand-eye Net were to break it would be no different from Magnus broadcasting his location to the whole universe - no different from calling down the Alchemists onto his head. Magnus turned his face heavenwards, a fierce glint in his eyes. Good! Bring them on! Magnus! Danger! Quick! Down boy! Down! Hob? Ha! What have we to fear, Hob? As - Change back! Get down! Set a formation! Dig a hole - anything! Above, almost invisibly, there moved a cloud - almost indistinguishable, but moving much too fast, much too low, and against the prevailing winds - its edges tinged with silver. Hide? What the devil do I need to hide for? Ahahaha! Magnus raised a mighty hand up into the sky, bringing it down upon the silver cloud with the force of a collapsing mountain but - but just as his hand rushed through the skies he froze in place. Sorry Magnus! Hob? I can''t move! Sorry! I didn''t want to do this . . I didn''t want to, quick! Ding! Ding! Ding! Before the Thousand-eye Net breaks! Change back, please! Don''t attack! There was a real panic in Hob''s voice - a real fear, something that Magnus could not ignore. With a single thought Magnus abandoned his giant Celestial form - the shadowy giant evaporating into the night, leaving Magnus back on the ground in the middle of a giant foot print covering all of what was Kloster. Who''s that? Hiss! Quiet! Do you want to die, Magnus? Keep still! Magnus lay quiet - Hobs voice buzzing in his ears. Above him moved the cloud, this way and that. Around the cloud was a distinct and bizarre energy - Magnus had never seen the like - it felt like the patch of space around the cloud was somehow disjointed - not quite in sync with the rest of reality. Finally, the silver tinged cloud did a wide circle of the whole area and vanished off to the south. What was that? Was that an Alchemist? Why''d you make me hide, Hob? I could have taken him! Don''t be daft, don''t be daft! That wasn''t an Alchemist . . that was something much worse . . shit, oh shit . . oh shit . . why''d you have to transform into a Celestial, hey? Hey Magnus? Why? You told me to! Yeah . . yeah . . but I didn''t know that was here! What the hells is a dog of the Seven Divines doing on this world, hey? Tell me that! Hells . . I don''t know Hob, what sorta question is that? What the hells is a Seven Divines? It''s not a thing . . gods, gods . . stay within the formation! Don''t leave the formation, ye hells Magnus, what if he comes back? I didn''t think . . hells . . Who was that Hob? How do you know and I don''t? I thought we were the same - I thought that I knew everything you did. Who was that? . . . Hob? That was . . that was . . . remember what Kujata told you? About the war - between the Celestials and the humans of Earth? Well . . That''s one of them? One of the twelve who defeated the Celestials ten thousand years ago? Yeah . . well . . "They''re still alive? After ten thousand years!?" Shhhh! Quiet! Use your inside voice!
Yo! Thanks for reading so far - hope you are enjoying it. Sorry for the wierd release schedule and delays - and thanks for all the comments and support - I''m a lurker at heart, so please excuse me if I don''t respond much . . The story of Magnus will continue for quite some time yet - I hope you all will stick around to the end! xD 106 - Man in the Mirror 106 - Man in the Mirror It was too late - Magnus'' voice carried out over the ruins of Kloster and up into the skies and after a moment . . . Whoosh! A sudden wind kicked up plumes of dirt and sent debris flying high into the skies - a single silver cloud tore back through the night skies, sitting at its front Magnus could very clearly make out the silver suited man upon it. His eyes blazed, a golden glint furiously scanning back and forth over the ruins. He flew around the whole area three more times, then landed on a flat patch of ground close to Magnus. He was so close . . so close Magnus could make out the lines on his face, could see the folds in his silver suit . . Magnus stared at him with curiosity - no matter how he looked the silver suited man appeared to be a normal human. There was no special aura - no sign of any sort of Logos or energy gathered around him, the strangest thing was the silver lined cloud. The cloud that the man rode in on gathered above his head into a strange fluffy ball, floating in place. "I heard it . . I heard you. ." The silver suited man muttered to himself. "I felt it and now I heard it . . he has to be around here somewhere . ." A normal human, right? No . . there was something more to him . . something Magnus couldn''t quite place - not quite an aura . . more a scent - the scent of something familiar - the taste of rusted metal in the air. One of the twelve . . one of the twelve who defeated the Celestials, who made the Alchemists . . one of the twelve responsible . . the ones who did this! Who destroyed Kloster! A black fury took ahold of Magnus'' heart as he held the silver suited man in his gaze - a deep urge to crush him, to devour him whole . . Anger . . resentment . . all the bubbling heartfelt emotions that had been building inside now rose up - like black bile, a foul acid filling Magnus. Magnus knew that, logically, the man before him did not destroy Kloster, did not kill all his friends and family, did not kidnap Rolf and take him away for evil experiments - he knew that, but he could not help the bitterness and hatred that took a root in his heart. Logic, reason - these things mattered not a bit - all Magnus saw was the silver suited man and his silver bloody cloud, his stupid face, his stupid golden eyes - Magnus saw and Magnus hated them all to his very core - wanted nothing more than to crush and smash that silver suit to a silver paste. The gold-white core at the pit of his navel rotated, responding to his emotions, and emitting a powerful force. With a single breath Magnus spread the power around his body, felt all the strands of the Logos connect up - felt the presence of the giant within him, his Celestial form - all within a single breath - Magnus tensed, ready to leap out - but - Nothing. As if he''d been doused with a bucked of ice cold water - not a single strand of energy still coursed through his veins, everything evaporating. A sudden void - his arms, legs - every part of his own body was out of his control - even the breath in his chest caught in place. Stay still! Magnus, for all that is holy, don''t even think about moving! Hob? Hob you bastard - you''re holding me in place? You''re controlling my body? Why''d you stop me? I could have taken him! I could have crushed him into dust before he knew what was happening! He''s the enemy, right? One of the bastards who is keeping all the Celestials locked up, right? It is for your own good Magnus, believe me! Your own good! You can''t act against the seven divines! Not now . . not yet . . just be a good lad and stay still, stay, stay . . . . Magnus opened his mouth - no words formed, his tongue limp against the base of his mouth, the back of his throat numb. Hob? Hob? I can''t move . . Hob? You bastard! You, you, you, what have you done to me? Hob! HOB! Hob''s voice faded from Magnus'' mind leaving him locked in place and utterly helpless - able only to call out in his mind again and again to nothing, to no one. A hundred feet away he could see the silver suited man moving around and muttering to himself, looking over the rubble with intense golden eyes - unable to see Magnus at all. Hob? No response . . . Magnus struggled within the woods-for-trees formation - it felt as if he''d been tied to the spot by heavy iron chains - every inch of him bound and unable to move so much an inch. The silver man finally stopped looking about - now he stood stock still, one arm raised and the other pointed down. "Come . . come . . . COME!" With a single word repeated three times the heavens moved - the silver clouds poured down onto his finger, wrapping around the man and across his chest, flowing off his other arm and straight down, following the direction of the finger. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The silver clouds flowed from finger to finger, from the skies to the ground along the man''s two fingers. When they struck the earth the burst - silver clouds spreading out at ground level in every direction, instantly forming a thin layer of silver mist covering the surface of the land for miles and miles, the silver suited man at its epicenter. Magnus felt a shiver run down his spine - where the silver mist touched his formation he felt it shake, instantly losing its outer most layer and a great deal of efficacy - the green stones making the formation each vibrated fiercely cracked in several places - but the formation held. "Celestial! You are too careless! Are you in that much of a hurry to join the other Celestials in the Stellar prison formation? Hah! Careless - and a coward, you won¡¯t even dare to come out and face me, one man! I¡¯m right here! Come! Celestial, I am here - just one human! Just one man! Are you not a god? Pah!¡± His taunts met only with silence. Borges muttered something beneath his breath, suddenly shouting ¡°Who is it? The King of the Woods? The Lady of the Sunless Seas? Who? You cannot go against the Lord of Embers with just this, Celestial!" The man stamped his foot and several spires of silver cloud rose from the earth, the silver line cloud returning to the skies above his head. "You hear me? What has come to pass . . will come again! My name is Borges! Show yourself!" Silence. "Humph!" Borges leapt up, a tendril of flowing silver cloud came down to meet him and pulled him up into the skies. Together, he and the cloud rushed through the air to the south and quickly vanished over the horizon. The night wore on - the moon moved through the skies - a light wind rustled the blades of grass between the rubbles of Kloster. For a time nothing seemed to move in the world. Magnus remained frozen in place, his face twisted into an ugly grimace - unable to barely so much as draw breath. All around there was still the scent of rusted metal - what did it remind him off? The more he thought of the smell the more he pictured that place . . a sudden realization struck Magnus - the thing he was reminded of was the strange place he¡¯d seen back in the Ether, the robed man and the giant tree . . . the thick syrupy stench of the pools of blood resting stagnant between the roots of the giant tree . . that place within the forest . . Hob? Hob? You there? Hello? Nothing. Not a thing. Then . . . More nothing. For a whole hour - nothing. Just the sounds of the night . . As the night darkened and his eyes became more attuned - with little else for Magnus to do he focused on the things he could see, seeing how even the smallest of things moved on the web of silver droplets, catching every sign of movement - every tiny insignificant insect, every scrap of wind or falling stone sent those shimmers flickering out. All around - Magnus noticed - everywhere the silver mist had touched it had left behind a slight residue, and now, slowly, the little silver drops spread out, formed a vast and intricate web. Any movement - even the rustle of the blades of grass and the lightest of breezes - made the silver web tremble. Whoosh! A third time - the silver cloud came tumbling through the skies, at its head the silver suited Borges - his face ashen, his lips drawn tight into a despondent frown. Bam! Borges leapt from the silver cloud and landed heavily amidst the rubble. "Celestial! Coward! Is this how you intend to act before the Lord of Embers, by hiding? Oh, what a noble race of godly beasts - cowards!" Borges stamped his foot and the silver droplets shot out of the earth, returning to the cloud above. "Coward!" With a last indignant word Borges took his silver cloud and headed south - this time the stench of rusted metal went with him, as did every trace of the silver cloud. "Coward . . coward . . coward . ." The words echoed through the plains, echoed through Magnus head - Magnus trembled, straining with all his might against his own body, trying to do all he could to free himself - to no avail. Coward? How dare you! I''ll kill you! I''ll tear you to pieces! Come back here! Come back, you bastard! I''ll rip that silver suit from your skin! I''ll . . . I''ll . . . Hob! Where are you Hob! You bastard! Come back! Let me go! Hob! 107 - Man in the Mirror 107 - Man in the Mirror *** "Nothing . . nothing? Really? How did he . . those Alchemists . . I''ve been so stupid! These ten thousand years . . things must have changed so much . ." Kujata bit her lower lip, pacing nervously up and down through the trash in the run down shrine. The silver suited Borges upon his silver cloud was not the first to know of Magnus turning into his Celestial form; earlier that night she''d felt it - the tremble of the earth, the unmistakable presence of another Celestial - the ley lines, the veins of energy that run under the skin of the earth had surged and flowed all towards a single spot, erupting out with tremendous spiritual power - it had to be a Celestial! It had to be Magnus! But . . . At the same time, at the center of the surge of energy - instead of detecting any definite Celestial form there was . . nothing! The reaction from the ley lines . . the flow of power . . hells, it had to be a Celestial - it had to be Magnus - but there was nothing, no indication . . nothing she could detect. She peered through her brass telescope at the distant heavenly bodies - small specks of glittering light connected to a vast shimmering web of blue - the Alchemists Animus . . this was their web of detection - the web of Logos covering all the world''s, spread through out the stars, in place to detect the slightest bit of Celestial activity. It had taken her ten years of meticulous planning to break through, and every day she spent on the world she dared not step out of the woods-for-trees formation or so much as use an iota of Celestial power - she didn''t even dare connect to the ley lines out of fear that it might attract the Alchemists attention. But Magnus . . . It could only be one thing, Magnus would have had to use a technique she was not familiar with, something to keep himself hidden, and the only way he could have learnt it would have been from devouring the Alchemists and the others who had gone into his Celestial Totem in the ether. "Dammit! Why didn''t I think of that?" Kujata viciously kicked a pile of rotten bones sending them in all directions. "The closest I''ve got is an Alchemist from thousands of years ago . . ah hells! I should''ve snatched up that old fart in the Ether when I had the chance! All that knowledge . . " A shiver went up her spine. "The old fart was a Magister at the very least . . Magnus has to know every detail of the current security for the Revolving Tower . . so what''s he playing at? Why is he connecting with the ley lines now?" Kujata paced back and forth, pulling at her hair in frustration and peering through her telescope. "It''s close . . this year''s Auction is close . . I can''t wait any longer . . hells, hells, hells! If Magnus acts in my favour . . if the Alchemists aren''t alerted before then . . . if . . if . . .if! Ten thousand years of imprisonment, a million years of glorious Celestial history . . all resting on . . if!" *** Besides a tarnished silver ship''s bell sat Orpheus, resplendent in his silver suit. He had a half smile on his face as he examined the bell, running a finger along its lines and playfully jabbing its clapper, pushing it back and forth. "Much use this, isn''t it El?" "Take your filthy hands off the bell!" A furious voice called out from the next room. Ding! Ding! The clapper banged against the bell at Orpheus prodding. He sat on a leather sofa next to a low table, the tarnished ships bell resting on a mahogany stand upon the table. "It used to sound all the time, remember? Back on the prow of the Apollo . . . now it can''t even detect one measly Celestial . ." Orpheus sighed, "Gungnir made it, didn''t he? He made all sorts of useful things . . ah . . those were the days . ." From the adjoining room entered a pale faced woman with long straight black hair. She wore a silver body suit, just like Orpheus, and over it a fine Alchemist''s robe. In her arms she carried a tray with two mugs of hot tea and a plate of biscuits, setting them down carefully on the low table before talking. "Why have you come, Poet?" Her voice had no femininity - every word was harsh, almost like a growl. "It has been a long time, hasn''t it, El? Many years . . I thought only to pay an old friend . . an old lover a little visit . ." "Cut the shit." El sat opposite Orpheus, dipping one of the biscuits into her tea. "Why have you come - not to beg on their behalf?" A hint of fury entered into her voice, her eyes narrowing. "Hasn''t it been ten thousand years? Isn''t that enough? Your Auction . . every year for thousands of years . . haven''t the Celestials been punished enough?" "No." "We all lost loved ones . . we all lost a great deal, El. Earth, gone - just like that! We all fought . . but some of us, some of us have moved on. Isn''t it time that . ." "NO!" El shouted. "It is not enough! We all fought, we all lost, I know that Poet - don''t patronize me; some of us are still fighting!" "Some? Who is left fighting El? Who are you fighting against? Gungnir . . he went off exploring how long ago no? Five thousand years? Borges and Isaac have come with me and . ." "Traitors! You and Borges and Isaac - betrayers!" El hissed, her face twisting into a mask of rage. "You left the Lord of Embers for that slut - don''t deny it! Her stench, it is on you even now. After all the Lord did for us . . and you betray him, you betray us just like that!" El leapt to her feet, her eyes flashing gold, a dangerous aura erupting out and filling the room. Orpheus met her gaze with infinite calm. "Mother Melody is no slut, I am happy to serve her. Can you say the same about your Lord of Embers? How much, how many have you sacrificed in his name?" The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "The Lord of Embers has given me, has given all of us a great deal. More than you know . . you think the war it over? It is not!" El raised a finger and a portion of the ceiling of the room opened, a white spire descending over the low table and the tarnished silver ship''s bell. The bottom of the spire opened up to reveal a fine cut white crystal which projected a flat disk with millions of specks of light and vast coloured clouds. In the centre of the millions of specks was a single speck of blue - El gestured and the lights zoomed into the speck of blue. Zooming in, the speck of blue became distinct, separation into hundreds of blue lights, then thousands - each blue light a cluster of thousands of stars, each star connected by threads of blue light. "Look, Poet - three thousand years ago . . here, the Andorra system - see? Three Celestials, each awakening on one of the three worlds, see? Two thousand years ago, seven more - all in the span of a year! And again, one thousand years ago, four hundred years ago," on the star map there appeared specks of red light, rapidly extinguished. "There are always more Celestials! They keep being born, and then . ." Whoosh! El waved her sleeves, the projection of the star map focused in on a five distinct stars near the centre of the blue threads. "Straight into my Auction house they go!" A nasty grin played on El''s face. "Inhumane! El! They never took part in the war! They can''t be held responsible!" Orpheus rose to his feet, his upper body sticking through the flat star map projection. "Pah! You . . you . ." El trembled with rage "You want to me to release the Celestials and you dare lecture me on what is humane? That is going too far! Out! Get out!" "No, El, listen to me - you can''t continue on this path! It is one of destruction! Think of how much you''ve built . . think of how far we''ve come . ." "Out! Get out Orpheus!" A wall of the room buzzed to life, dozens of pointed mechanical arms shot out at the Poet. Ding! The arms froze in place, both El and Orpheus looked down in shock. "Ding? That''s . ." Ding! Ding! The tarnished silver bell rang - both El''s and Orpheus confusion quickly turning to shock. "It can''t be . . they were both within the formations . ." Orpheus muttered to himself. El ignored him, instead turning her attention to the star map and rapidly moving it up to a representation of the current day - the images now displayed an almost direct relay from all the strands of Animus spread throughout the stars. Ding! The flat disk spun rapidly, thousands of star systems flickered into focus one after another, each just as rapidly dismissed. El went through star after star, examining them all - Orpheus apprehension grew as she neared the five star formation at the heart of the blue threads . . his chest tightened when she passed through the five stars that made the Interstellar Celestial prison formation, rapidly getting to Aquilonem and . . and passing over it. Ding! Ding! The silver ship''s bell sounded clear once more, El''s eyes moving frantically over the star map - passing star after star in the Alchemists domain. Orpheus heaved a sigh of relief once she had passed Aquilonem - the two Celestials he knew to be there were not what set off the bell . . but as El continued to scrutinize the stars she grew increasingly frantic. Orpheus noticed a note of panic in her eyes - a hint of dread. Star after star flittered through her vision, the projected image zoomed out and in and out - system after system came under the lens, but not a hint of red appeared. "It can''t be . . it can''t be . ." El stopped moving the star map. Ding! "Are those all the planets? Could the bell be malfunctioning? Could the Celestial not have appeared on one of your worlds?" "No . . no . . no . . there is one more world . ." El''s words had a hint of despair. "Another star system?" "Just one. But he . . he promised! He . ." El''s lower lip trembled - in her eyes Orpheus saw a terror that he''d never seen in her before - not even at the height of the War . . not even when it had just been the twelve of them against the might of the Celestials . . "There is one more world . . but . . but . . it can''t . . it can''t . ." El hesitated, finally directing the star map with trembling fingers. The star map projection focused in on a single world within a cluster of blue near the heart of the Animus covered stars. Ding! The star map zoomed in, down and down until just a single star system filled the whole disk, the light of a single yellow star shone bright. Orpheus mouth went dry - the map continued to focus in on one of the planets within the star system, in and in until the world and it''s one moon filled the whole projection, a single red speck upon its surface. "El . . . what have you done, El?" "He promised! The Lord of Embers promised . ." "Thats Earth!" El''s eyes hardened as she looked at the red speck of light upon the surface of the world. "That''s Earth, El! How? Why?" Orpheus walked around the projection examining it from every angle. "It is Earth . . and . . it is not Earth." El waved her hand, the many mechanical arms vanishing back into the wall. She slumped back down into the leather sofa and drank the now cold cup of tea in a single gulp. "All this time . . after all this . . and now a Celestial appears . . here of all places . ." 108 - Man in the Mirror 108 - Man in the Mirror Orpheus shrunk back from the star map, a complicated look on his face. Another Celestial? Not one of the two that I saw in the Ether? According to Borges the two Celestials on Aquilonem were still present . . they couldn''t have left the world and made it to . . to . . Orpheus mouth suddenly went dry - his eyes narrowing. To Earth! Earth! All thoughts of Magnus and Kujata fled from his mind - all thoughts and schemes evaporated like morning mist. Before him, spinning slowly in the discs projection was a sight he''d never thought to see again, a world he believed lost forever . . Earth . . The blue sphere with its single moon . . Orpheus couldn''t help but be drawn in - examining every line of the planet, looking at every curve of every continent as it was projected before him - perfect! In every detail, perfect. El said nothing during all this - she watched him silently, her attention drawn to the flickering red speck upon the planet''s surface. "How long? How long have you had this, El?" Orpheus leaned in, peering closer at the Earth. "Is that . . is that a city? Oh hells . . is that? That is Rome, isn''t it? And Carthage . . all the ancient cities, all the ancient civilizations!" "Don''t look at me like that! I have not done anything wrong! Don''t look at me like that, Poet!" El gritted her teeth. "Yes - there are people on Earth, of course there are! It is a perfect recreation . . identical in every way - from the core right to every detail of the surface, every form of life, every plant, creature - all taken from the d.n.a. banks aboard the Apollo . . and beyond that . ." El sighed. "Beyond that . . our history. The Lord of Embers promise . . his guiding hand . . he has been leading the whole world, shaping the course . . making it as close as possible to our own from the history books, only . . only . . I never expected . . I never expected a . . a . . " "Only you did not expect a Celestial to arise on Earth, correct?" El shut her eyes, sighing deeply. Her voice a low husky whisper tinged with immense longing. "This Celestial . . and the other before it. You know something about them, don''t you? It doesn''t matter . . hells . . six thousand years - that''s how long it''s been. Only a bit more . . only a couple of thousand years more until it would be just as it was. It has been six thousand years, you know that, Orpheus? I have been watching over it for so long . . and now . .for this . . What am I to do? What am I to do? I can''t go there . . no one can - the Lord of Embers made that clear. How can I fix this Orpheus?" ". . ." El waved her sleeve, the projection of the Earth vanished and the mechanical spire retreated into the ceiling. For a time there was silence between the two, the only sound in the room a faint mechanical whirr. Orpheus, the Poet, for the first time in his life found himself without words - only able to stare dumbly back at the frowning woman before him. Finally, after what seemed to both an agonizing eternity, he spoke; "What are you trying to accomplish, El?" Is this . . is this maddness something born from nostalgia? Can''t you let go of the past? The Earth, the real Earth - it is long gone! This thing . . this abomination that you have created - it can only ever be a pale reflection!" If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. El''s face darkened with anger. "Shut up!" "What do you hope to achieve? You can never bring it back, El, not really. Holding onto the past like this . . oh El . ." "Shut up! If have nothing helpful to say, shut up!" "You cannot continue down this path, El. This is madness. The Celestials cannot be imprisoned like this, cannot be tortured like this forever - they will be free! Your Lord of Embers cannot stand in the way of the other divines." "Enough!" "We have all drawn our lines in the sand, El. I came here to . . I see now I came here in vain." With a flourish of her sleeve several mechanical arms shot out from the wall, their whirring blades and buzzing arms quickly closing in on Orpheus, but before they could so much as snatch at the surface of his silver robe they froze in place - a single melodious chord ringing out through the room. Triiinnnnng . . The sound of a harp being strummed . . El snarled, but it was too late - before her mechanical arms could move to strike he - The Poet - was gone. *** "Hob!" Magnus'' voice croaked hoarsely. He had been yelling non stop - calling out aloud and in his mind. He had called out every obscenity he knew - every curse, every foul thing a man could call out had been called out into the night - to no avail. No matter what he said, no matter what he thought - and soon Magnus stopped, a vicious glint in his eye. Hob . . Hob . . bloody Hob. I knew it! I knew it! There was something strange about that bastard . . How could you fall for it again, hey? Again, again, again I am made a fool! I am a fool! I thought . . ahahah! I thought I''d never let anyone trick me ever again - hells! What an idiot! What a bloody idiot . . Hob said we were the same - he is me and I am him, didn''t you think that was odd, didn''t you question that, hey Magnus? Nope. You just accepted it .. with all the other bloody strange shite I''ve had to be dealing with that seemed . . that seemed sorta alright, like I had a new friend, someone to talk to . . . ah hells. Magnus trembled, his muscles bulging and fighting back against the strange invisible bonds, barely able to so much as breath. The more he struggled, the more he fought, the tighter the bonds became. Eventually, Magnus gave up - stopped struggling. He let himself fall limp, laying on the ground like a dried up shrimp. Ah hells . . what can I do now? I can''t feel my core . . I can¡¯t move any sort of energy around my body . . wait a tick - the Ether! Where else would that bastard run to? Ah! Of course! Magnus didn''t have to move or manipulate his Logos - all it took was intent and in an instant he left his body, his spirit entering into the sleeping forest, appearing next to the black water stream. "I can move! Ahaha! Why didn''t I think of this earlier? Ah hells . . Hob! Hob you bastard, where are you?" 109 - Man in the Mirror 109 - Man in the Mirror "Eeek! Don''t hurt me! Please don''t hurt me!" A timid shriek came from the foliage at the base of the nearby trees. On his back, crawling on the ground away from Magnus until he hit a tree and could back up no further - shivering and holding his arms over his face . . Dong-Geun! Prince of the Segye Imperial Palace! A cultivator of the Martial Courts! Magnus could barely reconcile the previous image of the high and noble cultivator in pristine white robes with the pathetic figure now cowering beneath a bush at the base of the trees. A sunken sallow face and two black eyes - Dong-Geun had been within the sleeping forest for a good while - almost as long as Magnus had had the forest itself, the changes wrought upon him were nothing short of shocking. Gone was any indication of a noble bearing, gone was any sign of a cultivator, in its place . . A wretch! A true wretch! Ragged and torn clothes, stained with black earth and blood, his hair knotted and covered in mud, a rough wispy beard . . If Magnus hadn''t known better he would have thought Dong-Geun was some beggar or thief who had been living in the wild for a couple of years - had it only been a few weeks? Dong-Geun, reduced to such a pitiful condition after only a few weeks . . For a moment Magnus forgot why he''d even entered into the forest, walking towards the cowering prince and calling out "Hey, relax . . I''m not going to hurt you." "No! No! Please! No more!" "No more what?" Magnus frowned, looking around the forest clearing. "Hob!" He yelled, and again "Hob! Come out!" "Eeek! No! I''ll do it! I''ll do it, please don''t hit me!" Dong-Geun hadn''t seemed to have heard a word Magnus had said, instead getting unsteadily to his feet and facing Mangus. "I''ll do it again . . I''ll get it right this time!" From his sleeves Dong-Geun produced four smooth stones, still trembling, he threw them up into the air and began juggling. The stones rose and fell, Dong-Geun caught and threw them in a halting unsteady manner, his attention entirely focused on keeping them moving and not making the slightest mistake. "It''s the best I can do, Master Hob! Hue . . hue . . I can''t, I can''t do it with five yet, but I''m getting better! . ." "Hob!" Magnus roared, causing Dong-Geun to flinch in fear and drop all the stones. "Ho-oob! Come out, where are you, damn your eyes!" "I''m sorry, I''m sorry! I''ll start again!" Dong-Geun scurried around, picking the stones back up and juggling once more. "Knock that shit off," Magnus strode up to Dong-Geun, pushing his arms aside and sending the stone scattering. "Did you see him? Hob - he looks just like me, did you see where he went? Not that long ago, did he come through here?" "Don''t hurt me! I''m sorry! I''m sorry! I''ll do better next time Master!" Magnus shook his head, letting the pathetic wretch fall to the ground. Dong-Geun instantly set about gathering the stone back up and attempting to juggle once more, looking at Magnus and smiling desperately. "See? I can do it with four . . I can do it . ." Looking around the clearing Magnus saw no sign of Hob - none at all - he tried to call out, both aloud and in his mind - again, and again - to nothing. There was still no response . . he tried to circulate his Logos feeling a slight response from his core. Now, in his spirit form within the Ether he could once again feel a connection to the Logos. But, no matter what he tried - what technique he employed, Magnus quickly came to realize that he had no way of detecting or communicating with Hob if Hob did not want to. Stolen novel; please report. A strange sense of dread arose in Magnus - a feeling that he could not place, as if his own shadow were turning on him . . Hob . . he looked and sounded exactly like Magnus, he claimed to share his thoughts - he had said that they were inexorably linked - in mind and in spirit, that''s what he had said, right? Now . . . now a void - a gaping abyss of doubt had opened up. When the silver suited Borges appeared Hob went into a panic, didn''t he? He took control of me - forced me to abandon my Celestial form and did something to my body to make me unable to move or circulate my Logos . . I am completely at his mercy, ain''t I? If at any time . . if at any moment Hob wants he can just do this to me - completely cripple me . . what the shit? What the hells! Hob . . he¡¯s fucking dangerous . . Magnus went over everything he and Hob had talked about - every single thing Hob had said to him was now suspect - everything he thought he knew about himself and his own inner workings . . what do I really know about myself? Hob said he was part of him - of Magnus, he had helped make sense of the vast amount of knowledge Magnus had absorbed, but this? The Lord of Embers? Borges? There was no way . . there was nothing with any of my memories about these things. How did Hob know so much more? He knew about the twelve - who they were - he could recognize Borges on sight, couldn''t he? And now . . now where the hell''s has he gone? One technique rose up in Magnus'' mind - something he had not yet attempted. "Ahem . ." Magnus cleared his throat, "OOooooooo Errrrrrrr . . . OOOOooooo Errrrrrrr . . ." A Seer technique - something similar to what Baqir and Zaynab had used to locate them within the body of the Goddess, but instead far more localized - targeted. Magnus kept the image of Hob front and center in his mind - concentrating on, well, on his own face, but on Hob''s name. He channeled several strands of Mens into his throat, adding an otherworldly quality to his voice and making it so the reverberations echoed throughout the whole of the sleeping forest, reaching even the highest branches and the furthest of trees. If Hob were here . . he had to be, right? Well, if he were still here, then this Seer song would find him. A minute passed - Magnus still sung, repeating Ooo and Err over and over, Dong-Geun watching him with a scared, but curious look - continuing juggling the entire time. The song now covered the whole of the woods - with Magnus at the epicentre, reaching out to every leaf, every branch, the melody seeking out the presence of Hob . . . The forest was far bigger than Magnus remembered - he''d known it was growing, well, he felt it grow - as the days and weeks passed by he felt more trees sprout up around the edges, the forest as a whole getting larger and larger, covering a greater swathe within the Ether - but now, right this instant - it had more than doubled in size! A sea of trees and white mist, as far as the eye could see . . A reaction! The song touched upon the presence of Hob - Magnus felt it, clear as daylight - saw his own reflection - saw Hob striding between the trees and muttering to himself. All of a sudden Hob stopped, turning around and going in the opposite direction - Magnus couldn''t hear what he said to himself, but he could now see his outline, sense exactly where he was. Hob walked one direction, halted, pulled his hair and muttered then walked the other - his initial direction, this time at a faster pace - suddenly stopping again. 110 - Man in the Mirror 110 - Man in the Mirror The echoes of the Seer song clearly revealed Hob''s location to Magnus - once he focused his senses he was able to sense every detail of Hob''s movements, even overhearing his low mutterings - at the same time Hob hadn''t noticed Magnus in the slightest. Where is he going? What the hells is he doing? Magnus hesitated a moment. Everything that he knew - all the things in the memories he''d absorbed, Hob knew them too, right? Thats right . . but I don''t know all that Hob knows - that much is obvious . . there is a hell of a lot he ain''t telling me. Hob might know everything I know . . but that didn''t mean he was omnipotent, right? It didn''t mean that he was immune to the same formations and techniques that anyone else would be vulnerable to. As Magnus deliberated with himself in the forest clearing Hob drew further and further away - quickly nearing the edge of Magnus'' perception within the woods. He seemed to be going towards a distant part of the Ether - still within the sleeping forest, but the more Magnus waited the hazier Hob''s form became. I have to chance it! I have to take the risk! If Hob finds me . . if he senses I am following, what the hells can he do to me anyway? What am I risking? Being found out? To hells with that! There is practically no risk - even if he finds me out, I''ll just . . I''ll just . . what can I do to him? Can I actually fight Hob? Would my threads actually do anything against him? And he can just bind my body, leave me helpless in the real world . . what power could he have over me in the Ether? No matter . . no matter, I have to move forward! In the memories of the Alchemists, especially those of Pontus, there were numerous concealment formations made from Animus - Magnus applied them all on himself. Magnus methodically went through the Seers memories next, extracting songs and chants of concealment, then turning his attention to the Martial Courts and circulating several strands of Mens in particular patterns. This was all the work of a minute - the air around Magnus buzzed with coloured strands of light, quickly imprinting themselves on his person - at last he was satisfied with his efforts. Any one of these techniques would most likely make Magnus entirely invisible to casual observation, layering one of top of another in such a fashion amplified their effects tremendously - but at the same time caused an enormous drain on the Logos circulating around his core. If it were not for the power of ley lines that had flowed into his body and the fact that he had the accumulated Logos of several powerful practitioners Magnus would have never been able to use, let alone sustain such an energy draining method of concealment. As it was, he felt the layers and layers of formations draining his source of Logos at a rapid rate - at this pace it would only be a matter of minutes before his energy reserves would be drained entirely. This was the very first time Magnus had ever thought to use his Logos in such a fashion - to use so many powers at once. It was the first time he felt the limits of his powers - the energy within him, although vast, was no where near infinite, and when it ran dry all the formations would fall apart. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Right! Right! No time to waste! Magnus set off at a furious run, darting between the trees after Hob. Running between the trees Magnus soon found himself surrounded by a soup of white mist. The mist swirled around every tree trunk, layered thick on the ground - but, as he moved it parted way - wherever he looked the mist would clear - a clear path always in front of him as he ran. Hob was just ahead - the mist did not move out of his way - Magnus used the lingering effects of the Seer song to pinpoint Hob''s location - just ahead . . just ahead . . He ran in a direct path to Hob - the distance between them had seemed far greater when he was in the clearing, but as Magnus began to move he felt as if the ground between them had shrunk - for every ten paces Hob ran Magnus had only to run one, while Hob had to watch his step and occasionally stumbled on roots hidden in the white mist, Magnus'' path was clear. In a matter of moments Magnus had caught up to Hob, his heart thumping. Hob hadn''t noticed him in the slightest - he showed not even a hint of suspicion, only running onwards through the trees and mist. Magnus followed on, every passing second he felt the drain of the many concealment formations - every moment that passed the energy around his Logos continued to thin. "This is it, this is it . ." Hob halted in front of a tree, walking around it and examining it while muttering. "Master will know what to do . . I need to tell Master, he''ll know, he''ll know." Magnus watched him curiously - it looked just like any other tree, but when Hob touched it his hand passed right through. Before his eyes Hob vanished - passing through the bark and entering right into the trunk of the non-descript tree as if it wasn''t there, and, instead of passing through and out the other side, Hob simply vanished. Magnus waited several seconds before moving - making certain that Hob hadn''t deceived him or left any sort of formation on the ground near the tree. Approaching it cautiously he still could not make out anything different, anything at all about this particular tree that might set it apart - even examining it with Mens and probing it with several strands of Animus, it appeared just like any other tree within the sleeping forest. But, when he reached out and touched the bark itself Magnus'' eyes widened in surprise - his fingers, his entire hand passed through the bark with no resistance. The tree which appeared solid was no more than an illusion. Hob was nowhere around. Every second he hesitated, every moment longer that Magnus thought was another moment less he had - his energy reserves draining fast. Nothing to it! Hob hadn''t seen me so far - wherever he''s gone . . if I want to get to the bottom of this, I need to follow! Magnus took a deep breath and in a single motion, leapt into the illusory tree. 111 - Man in the Mirror 111 - Man in the Mirror It was like passing through an open door - exactly like it. Magnus felt not the slightest bit of resistance in the tree, and the other side . . The world on the other side of the tree was certainly not the sleeping forest. There were trees, there were birds, there were towering clouds and snow capped mountains, the entire land bathed in a warm golden light. Looking behind, the place he had just come through was a single tree - identical to the ones in his own sleeping forest, shrouded in a faint white mist. Nearby, only a couple of feet away was a gravestone with a holy aura around it, and beyond that a quaint looking wooden shed, and beyond that a bush with bright red fruit. Magnus counted no less than seventy strange singular things all in a row - the tree from the sleeping forest shrouded in white mist being at this end of the row, only one other strange thing on the other side of the tree - a fishing boat surrounded in a fragrant scent - not holy, like the gravestone - but a fresh and pure aroma that reminded Magnus of fresh pressed linen and a crisp white field of snow. Hob . . Hob . . Magnus cast his gaze about the place. Beyond the row of strange things he saw a world bathed with light. Magnus found he was barely able to look up to the skies, forced instead to keep his sight focused down to the ground. The air he breathed here had a syrup like quality to it - full of the scents of spring and aroma of a thousand flowers all at once. This place . . was it part of the Ether? It had an ethereal quality, an otherworldliness - Magnus felt his pulse quicken as he glanced about. The whole land around him had an unearthly glow - from the dirt beneath his feet to the trees and plants and flower - the land bathed in golden light took on a golden aura. There was movement - people! All around, sitting in the shade of the trees and walking in ones and twos, some stopping and picking ripe fruit from low hanging branches. People! None seemed to pay Magnus the slightest bit of notice, but he could hear their murmured conversations and shrill laughter. Watching them Magnus saw that although they appeared human they each had distinctly non-human features At first he thought them children, the tallest amongst them barely reached his chest - but he saw that there were children amongst them, tiny little things running around their parents legs. Each of their ears were pointed, their noses flat against their faces, and each of them was entirely bald. By a nearby grove of trees he heard a commotion - raised voices and a shriek of laughter - Hob! There he is! Ahead, on a dirt path leading away from the row of strange things and heading up a smooth grass hill was Hob - running forwards gingerly without even so much as looking back. The small pointy eared folk tittered at Hob, gathering around him and tugging at his clothes. Hob ignored them, pushing his way through and running on up the hill. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Magnus turned his gaze up the hill - his mind went blank - for an instant he felt his heart stop beating, he felt all the blood in his body freeze. Up on the other side of the grass hill was an enormous tree - so large Magnus couldn''t see all of it at once, so big its high branches seemed to be the very things holding up the stars and the heavens. A giant tree . . so big . . so familiar . . Of course! The dream! It wasn''t a dream at all, was it? When I was in the forest the first time, before I even saw Hob - I was here, wasn''t I? I walked amongst the giant roots, I saw that man, that poem - it was here! The accumulated formations and concealment techniques sapped his energy - Magnus knew that he hadn''t long left before his Logos drained entirely, but in his mind there was only one thing - to know the truth! At all costs - even if I die, I won''t die without knowing! Too many times . . how many times in the last year have I been fooled? Have I died because of my lack of knowledge? Hob is no different then Festus, is he? No, he is even more dangerous . . he is inside me, he looks just like me, he is using me! Not Hob, not Festus, not Kujata - not anyone! I won''t! I won''t be lied to! I won''t be used! I won''t be a means to their end! It was a resolution that run through his mind again and again - since seeing Caj and crossing the river it grew inside his head - I will not be taken advantage of! Caj had suffered as a result - the black worm and curse - but Magnus didn''t care much for Caj, one way or another - the true object of his festering obsession was Festus - as it had been for the last half year. Hob . . Hob . . he looks exactly like me in every way, he said he was me! A part of me! That I was him and he was me! He looks exactly like me - down to every last detail, except for his golden eyes . . my twin . . what was it he called himself? My reflection . . Ah hells! No matter how I turn it over in my mind I ain''t gonna get any answers! What are you waiting around here for? Get after him! Magnus ran up the grassy hill following Hob - Hob, who had a good head start didn''t seem to be able to run all that fast - his breath short and chest heaving as he ran - Magnus easily kept pace, watching Hobs'' back as they ran up the hill - inside of his heart a black hatred begun to take form - a small black worm into which Magnus poured all his bitterness and anger. Unlike with Caj, Magnus did this knowingly - willing the black worm to take form. 112 - Man in the Mirror 112 - Man in the Mirror On the other side of the hill Magnus finally got a full view of the colossal tree - for miles and miles all around there were only roots, giant wooden snakes that spread out in a huge tangle above the earth. The roots were like a thousand sleeping snakes, all intertwined and pressed tightly together, their twists and tangles formed cavities which were filled with a murky red liquid. That great tangle all rose together to a single massive heap, rising like a mountain of roots and in their center seamlessly weaved into a single massive tree trunk. There were none of those little pointy eared freaks on this side of the hill, not one of them had dared to follow Hob, instead returning to play and laugh down in the forests below. This was it! This was exactly the dream! I have been here before - it''s the same bloody tree! Last time Magnus had been filled with a wondrous sense of coming home - of being in a safe and welcoming place. This time . . he watched Hob scurry down the other side of the grassy hill towards the tangle of roots. This time Magnus felt no sense of homecoming - none. Half left . . half my Logos. Once this goes, I''ll be entirely exposed . . So far Magnus hadn''t the feeling that anything or anyone had compromised his concealment formations, certainly not Hob - and he was determined to see it through to the end. Hob stopped before a tangle of roots with a small pool of murky red water and kneeled. "Oh Master, Oh King of the Woods! I beseech you! By the light of dusk, by the light of dawn, your servant pleads for an audience!" Hobs bowed three times to the pool of blood, his forehead smacking the dirt with a dull thud. It was a truly strange thing for Magnus to see his facsimile acting in such a fashion - it really was like watching himself acting out a bizarre pantomime. "Master! Master!" From the pool of blood arose a figure, the colour of blood - it''s robes red, its face red - raising a hand it touched Hob on the head and spoke; its voice a weird insect buzz in Magnus ears. "Calm. I am here Hob. Speak." "Master! It has all gone wrong!" Hob sobbed fearfully, clutching at the figures robes. "We''ve been found out! One of the twelve, Borges! He is on Aquilonem! He knows Magnus is there! He . . he . . and Magnus, he . . I tried, Master! I tried, I let him touch the ley lines and feel his power, like you said - but Borges was there!" "Calm." The figure spoke again - Magnus felt it like the buzz of an insect within his skull. Every word intoned itself upon the world itself leaving an oppressive sensation in his body. Down, deep down inside himself Magnus felt something struggling, howling - within the very core essence of his being - countless animal howls were struggling, trying to claw their way out and towards the voice. The Earth Lizard and the Griffon - he could feel them, and a whole host of other lesser beasts he had devoured - all the creatures that were on the stones in the black water stream within the sleeping forest - they all roared and shrieked and tried to claw their way to the surface - all of them reacting in a frenzy at the very sound of his voice. Magnus took a deep breath and fought against it. Should I go? If I stay . . I can stay hidden a good while more - more than enough to listen and to make good my escape. But . . the more he talks, the less control I have over myself. Hells, what happens if the creatures burst out? It can''t be good . . hells, it most certainly can''t be a good thing for me. "What should I do Master? Magnus is too much of a liability, we have to abandon him! The others will surely know - the Lord of Embers is sure to know!" "There, there. My little Hob, calm yourself." A bony blood red hand gently caressed Hobs head, soothing him. "Magnus Lund is unimportant, see?" He pointed up to the branches of the tree high above. Amongst the branches was a distant shape, the sun glinted off its silver scales. "Magnus is but one of the scales on my little fish. If he is found, if he stays hidden - all is within my palm, all is without consequence. See, Hob? What is important . . is that he grows big and strong." A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Yes, Master!" A sudden dread filled Magnus - a sudden realization of where he was and what he was doing. Yes, he had been left by Hob all tied up, and yes - what was he meant to do? But . . coming here . . even the chance of being found out - it would spell certain death. No, no, no . . death? In front of a creature like this . . there were a thousand things worse than death. What was this place? How was it connected to the sleeping forest, to the Ether? What the hells was Hob? Ah hells, ah hells . . "Help him grow, Hob. Don''t worry about the other divines, focus on Magnus - that is your role." As the red figure spoke he sunk back into the puddle of blood, rapidly dissolving. "Go, Hob - go back and maintain your ward. I have another scale coming to see me . ." The buzz like voice faded to silence. "Thank you Master!" Hob knocked his head on the ground a last time before the puddle of blood before scrambling to his feet and hurrying down the roots back towards the hill, Magnus hastily followed after him. Magnus felt his Logos running short, he knew he could only maintain the concealing formations for another few minutes. He felt like he needed to leave - to run, to get back to his body as soon as possible and pretend he hadn''t moved at all - if they find me here . . if I am seen . . I wasn''t meant to hear that . . I wasn''t meant to see this . . I shouldn''t be here . . As if he had broken some great taboo - Magnus heart beat wildly, the buzz like words of the figure in red reverberating in his thoughts as he chased Hob over the crest of the hill. Hob . . his master . . the figure who he''d seen the first time he''d come into the sleeping forest - the figure within the lake of blood. They had to be one and the same, of course they were . . he had seen all the same things, of course. Who the hells were they? Nothing like them existed anywhere in any of the Seers or Alchemists memories; there was no record of anything like this - no Lord of Embers, no King of the Woods . . nothing like this . . He hurried forwards, passing Hob and going ahead towards the line of strange things on the far side, quickly coming to the tree that so resembled those growing in his own Sleeping Forest. Next to the tree was the tombstone, and on the other side the wooden fishing boat - just as Magnus was about to leap into his own tree there was a flash of light and a cry - the air around the fishing boat warped and formed into the shape of a man. The man that appeared had seemed in a daze - he appeared to be a little older than Magnus, though his complexion was weather worn it was yet youthful, not quite marked by the passing of years. "Father . . I am here, Father . ." The man raised his hands above his head, his eyes were glazed, as if he were staring into nothing. He must be dreaming . . I must have looked like this when I was brought here. He must be . . he must be one of the other scales, a Celestial, right? Someone just like me . . "Joshua . . come to me my son . ." From the sky came a buzz like voice - with it a golden thread of light descended, pulling the man into the air and towards the gigantic tree. Magnus shook his head, diving into his tree and back into the Sleeping Forest. He had enough on his plate without having to worry about another! What could he do? What was he to do? Chase after him? Ah hells . . what am I meant to do? Now, more than ever before in his life, Magnus wished he did have someone at his side he could rely on - someone like Pa Lund, anyone - someone who could guide him in the right direction. The enchantments and formations that were keeping him concealed flickered - his Logos was near entirely empty. Another few moments and he would be exposed . . a little way off he saw Hob hurrying towards the tree - without a second thought Magnus leapt through. 113 - Man in the Mirror 113 - Man in the Mirror It was barely a flash of light - he stepped through the tree and, just as if walking through an open door, Magnus found himself once more within the familiar woods of his own Sleeping Forest. With a single whisper of intent he exited the Ether altogether, entering back into his fleshly body - still bound by invisible ropes in the ruins of Kloster. It was morning, a quiet air and lifeless wind unsettled the new formed piles of dust and rubble. There was no sign of anyone, of anything - the silver suited man and his silver cloud were long gone. Magnus moved, struggling against the constraints yet unable to break free and fell limp once more. No matter what he tried before, no matter what he tried now, he could not be free - he simply could not regain control over his own body. Hob . . Hob owns me. I am his slave, ain''t I? If he doesn''t want me to move, I can''t. If he doesn''t want me to strike out, I can''t. It don''t matter what I think, what I want . . Hob . . and his master, that big bloody tree. Ah hells . . what am I to them? Nothing more than a pawn - a bloody piece in their bloody game! Ah hells, ah hells . . . Look at this place . . . what a mess. It was a mess when the Alchemists were here playing their little experiments and all I''ve gone and done is make it more of a mess, ain''t I? What does it matter, what does it matter? There wasn''t anyone left alive anyways . . except for Rolf, right? He''s alive, ain''t he? He has to be . . Festus must''ve taken him for a reason. Festus was Pontius'' student, right? That old Alchemist who tried to break into my forest and got absorbed - he was Festus master, yeah, yeah - small world, ain''t it? How long has it been? Three months? Only three months? Hells, the world has changed, ain''t it? Nah . . the world is the same, the same . . its me thats changed. I''ve died and died and found a strength - a god! I''m a god, right? A bloody God! The pet god of a bloody snivelling doppelganger and his bloody tree master! Who can I trust? All the people I loved, all the people I could trust, they''re all dead - right here, buried beneath the ruins of Kloster, of my home . . . Kujata, hells, I can''t trust her - can I? She''s in it for her own thing, she made that clear, right? To save her Celestials, right, right - but she wouldn''t hesitate to stomp on any who''d get in her way - just like she did to me. And she didn''t seem to care much above a lick when she found out Sif died . . Hob . . Hob . . ah hells, my shadow, my inner self - what a crock of shit! It happens again and again, don''t it? Always, ever since I left to go to the east - from the very start . . Across the ruins of Kloster approached a figure, illuminated by the first rays of the sun it looked like a ghost floating over the ruins, almost as if it were floating above the rubble. Closer and closer, until it was obvious that the approaching figure was a woman - her clothes made from cloth of a hundred different colours, her hair down to her waist. Magnus, his face in the dirt, saw her coming in the corner of one eye - walking straight through the upturned and crushed walls and houses, over the cracked street - right to him. She stopped just outside the woods-for-trees formation, looking right through all the barriers and concealments - her eyes meeting his. A bright smile on her face, her eyes warm looking at Magnus helpless on the ground. "We''ve not met, but we have been together for a long time, and a long time coming Lord Magnus." She clasped her hands, brass armbands jangling together, and she bowed he head. "My name is Mother Marion, your consecration of the land fills us with joy." Mother Marion? Mother Marion? That was the name of the gypsy who''d told Caj how to lift his curse . . Magnus felt his body grew more and more tense, a disquieting sensation rising from the seat of his gut - with a sudden contraction his belly became taut, a fiery liquid rising up his throat and forcing its way out of his mouth and nose - "Blech!" A mix of black bile and blood spilled out onto the ground - Magnus gasped for air, more and more foul liquid vomited out into a stinking puddle. "Magnus!" In an instant the bonds that held him in place fell away, the ghost like image of Hob appearing next to him in the ruins of Kloster. Magnus sat up covered in filth - as soon as he did another spasm shot through his gut, and another belly full of bile erupted out of his mouth. His body convulsed, his belly emptying itself onto the dirt as Hob flittered about him. "Oh Magnus! I''m sorry! What''s wrong? Your body . . that silver cloud! It must have been poisoned! I knew it! Oh, I was wrong to do this to you, but you see? It was the right thing! If you had fought against him you would have been dead - or worse!" Magnus sat up woozily, his head pounding as Hob babbled on and on. Poison? No . . this felt all too familiar - the same as when he''d absorbed the Griffon in the cliffs of the Horn - his body was casting off all its impurities - down to the very marrow of his bones and beyond - down to the very molecular structure of his cells. Magnus knew it - he felt it - the black bile poured out of him and left behind a feeling of vigour far beyond anything he''d felt before - he felt as if he had the strength of a giant even when sitting still. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "It is the strength of the world." Mother Marion spoke, "You have received the blessing of the Land, its acceptance. When you entered into the ancient ley lines you became a part of us, and we a part of you." "A part of what?" Magnus voice cracked. "A part of the whole." Mother Marion replied. ". . Poison, you see Magnus, it was for you own good! We have to . . you say something? Hello? Magnus?" Hob''s semi transparent body passed through Magnus, a ghostly hand waving in front of his face. "He cannot see or hear me. He is a creature of the Above, and I am of the Below. You, Magnus, stand with a foot in the Below and a foot in the Above, between two worlds." Mother Marion continued, her voice as refreshing as a spring breeze, washing away the aches and pains in Magnus'' head. Magnus examined her carefully, looking her up and down. "You''re another one of them, ain''t you? Another one of them who wants nothing more than to play me for a fool." "No! I''m you, Magnus! I told you, we are the same! The same person! You live, I live - you die, I die! We are brothers! One and the same!" Hob pranced around Magnus. "You are the Lord, we are your servants. The Land, what you have claimed of it, is yours." Mother Marion got down on her knees and bowed to Magnus. "And the business with Caj? What was that about?" "Caj? Caj?" Hob looked around in confusion. "A coincidence, Lord. Caj came to us for advice and aid, and we provided what we could." Magnus shook his head, "You really do think me a fool. A coincidence?" He spat on the ground, "Just like the others . ." "Delirium . . . it must be the Poison! Are you feeling alright Magnus? Who are you talking to?" "I''m talking to you. Hob. It isn''t poison, I''m fine. My body is just being purified, must be a celestial thing, right?" Magnus got to his feet. "I feel fine, better than ever." "Truly? You ain''t mad that . . you ain''t angry at me?" "No, I ain''t. I understand, Hob. You only were doing what was best for me, right?" "Thats right! Ahaha! I knew you''d understand! I had to, you see, I had to leave you tied up for this long because, because, uh, I had to make sure that Borges was gone! I couldn''t risk it, you see? But it''s all better now! Now we can go -" Magnus felt the worm that he''d sent into Hob''s heart twist and settle deep within Hob''s chest. What did the black worm do? Was it some sort of Celestial power? He had no one to ask, no one that could give him any guidance at this time . . the best he could do was experiment with it - see what effects it would have on Hob. Willing it, Magnus had the worm grow, expanding inside of Hob and wrapping around his heart. Hobs real body was within the Ether - what he saw flittering around him now was nothing more than a spirit projection - but as soon as Magnus willed the worm to grow, he saw a flash of pain in Hobs expression. "What the blazes . . Oww! I''ve been poisoned! Oww! You feel that, Magnus?" "Isn''t there a danger of him finding us again?" "Oww . . oww . . ahh, that''s right! Oh, that''s true . . well, now that we know he is here it''ll be fine! We can just find a place, hole up until the danger has passed, just for a while, alright, right, it''s so hard to breath all of a sudden . ." "You mean hole up and hide like Kujata? Not gonna do that Hob. We''re going to Juteheim." "To the Capital? But . . but . . Magnus! Hold up! You can''t go there! What if Borges, what if the twelve are waiting for you? What if the Alchemists have set a trap? No! No, no, no! You have to stay hidden! It is much safer!" Magnus strode forwards through the ruins, Mother Marion stood and watched him go. "You not coming?" Magnus called out to her. "We are the Land . . where ever you go, we are." "Of course I''m coming! I can''t let you ruin things . . I mean, I''m part of you, of course I have to go!" Hob scurried behind Magnus. "I''m sorry . . but this is for your own good . . " Magnus felt it - an intent bearing down on him - he hadn''t been able to grasp it the first time, entirely unable to resist its force - the same force that had made him change from his celestial form into human the night before, the same force that had tied him up and kept him face down in the dirt. It bore down on him like a thousand iron shackles - but at the same time Magnus focused his mind on the black worm within Hob - having it thrash and grow at a tremendous rate. "AHHHH!" Hob shrieked, the intent vanishing in an instant. Inside of the Sleeping Forest Hob fell to the ground, his body convulsing, his spirit form disappearing from beside Magnus. Magnus strode on, soon leaving the ruins of Kloster - now crushed by a single giant footprint - far behind.