《The Godborn Chronicles (dropped)》 Prologue: Blacking Out - - - Prologue - - - - - - - - - - - Right vision: blurry, blood dripping from a gash on the forehead. What a wonderful afternoon. Right lens: cracked, useless. Left forearm charred. Luckily, only up to the dermis, where the hair took root. Still hurts like hell though. I kept the pain in, I didn''t scream for fear of attracting the nuno. Nasty little things, they were. I took a breath, through clenched teeth, and exhaled it with a hiss. Arm was still hurting. An immense, scathing pain seared from the wrist to the elbow. In my right hand: was a large knife, with a serrated edge. It was soaked in blood. I must have killed three of them, before they used magic on me. I patted my pockets, an attempt to calm my nerves, and took out an orange pill from the belt-pocket, the size of a rice grain. I swallowed it. Its effects would take about a whole minute to kick in. Sound of several little feet, patting the ground. Nasties must have smelled the burnt flesh. And the blood. I can''t even take a little breather. They came, pouring from beside the tree that I was leaning on: six, small, gray-skinned small people, with ragged, pointy ears, as if they''d been chewed, and long, white beards. They had long, spindly arms, and short stubby legs. All of them were wearing ragged clothing and conical hats, woven from rattan, and in their large hairy hands: crude, metal daggers. On their faces were angry scowls, and toothy grins. They surrounded me, and prepared their weapons. I stood up, by making my back crawl up the tree for support. Left arm: useless. Right arm: hand clenching the knife, tightly. I took another breath through clenched teeth. At least the whole mound didn''t chase me. They all lunged towards me, at the same time. Daggers prepped for a stab or a slice. I parried the dagger, which was closest to stabbing me, flinging it away, and leaving the nuno, dagger-less, so I charged at him, throwing him to the ground. I was struck by two slices, I grimaced. I stomped the downed nuno''s face, and took a leap over him, escaping from the nuno, and started running along the forest path. I snuck a glance backwards. The nuno that were planning to stab me, had their daggers stuck on the trunk, seeing that pulling it out was futile, they started running towards me. The nuno that sliced air, were glaring at me, as I widened the distance between us, they soon started running towards me as well, while hurling magic at me. I ran as fast as I could, swerving around trees, leaning my upper body, abruptly, to dodge the nuno''s magicks, and jumping over rotting logs. I was now in a rocky grove, where a balete with overgrown roots was standing, along with smaller saplings. I was close to the forest outskirts, at last. I took a peek behind me, the nuno were now a considerable distance away, - thank God, for the longer legs - but still chasing me. I rounded the balete tree, and I looked up to its canopy. I placed the knife in my mouth, and fumbled over my belt-pockets. I took out a red pill, and with a squeeze, crushed it, I spread the red dust all over the balete''s base. I took back the knife from my mouth, and I climbed the tree, by stabbing the trunk with the knife, and lifting myself upwards, with the help of my feet. I looked down, and saw the nuno were close. A few meters more and they''ll feel the effects of the red pill - a personal concoction of several magical plants and some old meds that I made. Nervously, I patted my pockets. The nuno were at the base of the balete, they were trying hard to track my smell. It was fortunate that they were short creatures, if they were any taller, they might have seen me by now. They seem to have inhaled the red dust, and after a few moments, four of them convulsed, violently, blood foaming at the mouth, and fell to the ground, dead. The remaining nuno panicked, and backed away from the balete. I jumped down, knife in my right hand. "Hello," I said. I circled around them, ready to pounce. Even though, there were only two of them, the nuno are still classified as C-rank yavan, and it would be fucking hard, just to kill one of them. The nuno with the longer beard glared at me, and then looked at the other nuno, who gave him a brief nod. The long-bearded nuno, readied his dagger on the other nuno''s neck, and slit his throat. Blood poured out from the wound, like a waterfall, as the dead nuno fell over. The nuno then gathered mana from the blood into a swirling sphere, in his palm. I flicked my working wrist, and a knife flew across, piercing the long-bearded nuno in the heart, killing it, but I was too late: the mana had grown larger, and was floating now. The bodies of the nuno, and the rocks that were not held, tightly, by moss and roots, were being drawn to the blue sphere. The bodies merged, and dead flesh melded with rock. The whole thing looked humanoid, enough, slightly taller than me. The limbs were made of stone fused with some flesh, and on its chest was a small cavity, covered by the bones and skin of the nuno, inside it: was the mana-sphere, its light seeping through the gaps of the bones. Its head was a mash of different faces, each eye glowing, ominously red. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. I stood still, frozen. Its twelve eyes looked at me, and its six mouths roared. With lumbering steps it came closer. fuck. I snapped out of my fear, but it was too late. A large rock arm swung its way towards my left side. I used my neutralized, left arm, as an impromptu shield - a stupid decision on my part. It struck me, and I could hear bone cracking. The pain seared, I felt my arm burning again. I was thrown away, a good twenty meters, I''d hazard. My body slammed on a tree, the jagged bark pricking my back, deep, and I fell to the ground. How I wish, I could be trained as a magus. With my head on the forest floor, I felt the vibrations of the beast, as it moved. It should be an A-ranked yavan now, what with all that immense power. Struggling, I propped myself up. Right eye''s jacked up, and lefty''s dead. I shouldn''t have thrown that knife away. I should''ve ran when the opportunity presented itself. Stupid mistake. Is this how I die? fuck no. The beast roared, and charged towards me. Using what was left of my leg-strength, I dashed to the side. THUD. I looked back, and the tree had fallen, along with the beast. It was struggling to lift itself up. As they say, I guess. My back still hurts, though. I might have fractured a disc, and my left arm hurt so much that it felt numb. I reached into my belt-pockets, and re-accounted its contents, by feeling for its shape. Twelve red pills: useful, if I wanted to kill us both and I don''t even think it''ll work. Three blue pills: lacking in any feasible igniting agent. Two grey pills: only good for a distraction, at this point. Six green pills: the forest doesn''t have any recorded A-rank yavan, and even if it did, chances are it''s going to kill me, afterwards. Thirteen yellow pills: too strong to be a safe discharge. One purple pill: hallelujah! I took the purple pill out, and popped it in my mouth. Another personal blend of mine, but this little yum-yum grants a temporary stamina boost, a good thing because I''m shaking like a leaf. The beast was now up, and I needed a plan. I was never good at rushed planning. It roared at me, and began its charge. I backed away, quickly, as I hatched something up. I pulled a blue pill, and two greys out, and then I threw them at the beast. The two grey pills became the catalyst for the blue pill''s ignition, and upon impact with the beast, it detonated, but the explosion was small, it only shaved off a fifth of the beast''s right shoulder. Three or four more similar explosions, then perhaps, its right arm might come off. Sadly, I did not have the luxury of having it wait for another attack of mine to commence, nor did I have the concentration to not stand here, and think of a plan while on the move. Too engrossed in my self-perceived excellence, I did not notice that the beast was now a few meters away from me, its left arm pulled backwards, at its limit, as if going for a knock-out punch. My eyes grew wide, and I took a leap backwards, but the rocky fist still collided with my chest. I grimaced as I felt my upper ribs break, sending a jolt of pain all over my body. I landed on my feet, several meters away. I coughed out blood. The beast glared at me, and for the first time, it released an aura, which nearly overwhelmed me. It seemed to say that this was going to be the last clash, and I agreed with it. Either I die, or us both. And I hate the thought of dying alone. As the beast drew closer, I took out everything I had in my belt-pockets, except for the green pills. I first crushed the red pills, and threw the dust in the air, letting it rain around me. I held my breath, and waited for the impact with the beast. I stretched my left hand out, my right hand behind it. In my left hand: the remaining blues, buried underneath all the yellow pills. First contact of collision: the beast''s chest, with the fingers of my left hand. Force of impact pulverized my fingers, along with the pills, mixing the blue and yellow dust, causing an intense reaction. (i.e. a huge explosion, incinerating what was left of my left arm, and scorching the other, heavily) I was blown, so far away, that I landed on the grassy soil, outside the forest. My chest was now exposed, slightly singed by the flames. I was lying down, and saw the darkened sky, but the lower side was licked by fire. The grove was burning. And the sizzle of the flame was lulling me to sleep. I couldn''t feel my arms, but I could wiggle my toes. The ground beneath me was wet and muddy - a mixture of blood and soil. The taste of iron on my tongue felt familiar, somehow. Everything was getting blurrier. I could hear faint noises. And then everything went black. - - - - - Chapter 1.1 (A Change in Lifestyle) - - - 1.1 - - - I found my consciousness flicker into activity. Am I alive, or is this the afterlife? Why was I even in this place again? Oh, right. I was the only son of a Filipina and a Korean national, a child born from a casual hook-up. It was unfortunate (or fortunate? I did get to meet two wonderful kids, and two great old people) that I was born as I was, and because of that, they abandoned me in this little rural town, ruled by a raving, magical regent, that relaxed her self-reviewed resplendence, by resolving rambunctious rebels of their rashly-refined revolutions, as they receive the full range of her self-righteous wrath. Well... enough reminiscing, I guess. Then, I felt a mental tug, pulling me towards something. And I woke up. It seemed that my arms, were bandaged, but I could feel my fingers squirming, underneath. I patted my pockets, and winced at the pain it caused. Odd. I surveyed the space, where I was. It was a small room, with wooden walls, a wooden floor, a wooden bed, virtually, everything was wooden. Curtains, with a flower pattern, flanked the single window, while the morning sun met my gaze. I blinked. Beside the bed, was a small wooden drawer, and on top: an empty vase. Beside the farthest corner on the right, was a large door, carved from some kind of black wood. The black door opened, abruptly, the room seemed to shake as it did. What came in, was a bear, with brown fur, and a full beard. A bear that stood, and walked as is the sequence, on his hind legs, but this particular bear only had hair on its face, and perhaps, other areas as well, but were, fortunately, covered by a number of leather apparels. Actually, he looked more like a man who was a bear or a bear who wanted to be a man. The bear-man, Harold, glared at me, with his dark-brown eyes. "You''re awake, and I took the liberty of repairin'' your glasses," he said. "Thanks," I replied. I blinked, and I just noticed that indeed, the glasses were fine, but it seemed more that he bought a new pair, rather than fixing mine. Harold''s lips curved into a frown, a vein visibly throbbing on his forehead. "So, what happened to you, Xavier? I thought you were out, component-huntin'' in the woods." he turned his gaze to the window, and crossed his arms, a scowl on his face. "And then, I find you dead in Lantaw Grove, along with a nuno golem!" he glared back at me. I managed to make a weak smile. "About that..." I scratched an itch on my head. "I did do some gathering, but I stopped to relieve myself, and sadly, I did it on a nuno mound," I then recounted my tale of death to him, and he intently listened to what I had to say. After I finished my story, he was shaking his head, his arms still crossed. "You''re an idiot. How many years have you been huntin'' in the forest? Ten? Twelve? And you take a piss in the one place, where the nuno live?" he had on his bear-face, an indignant expression, like he was going to skin me, or something. "I know," I said. "It was a stupid mistake, one that will not happen, again." I closed my eyes, for a moment, to get a feel of my appendages. It seemed that I still had my fingers, which I remembered, burned from the fire. I opened my eyes, and looked at Harold, who seemed to guess, that I had questions. "Harold, I thought I died. What happened and how''d you find me?" I asked. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "How could I not find you? You fuckin'' burned the grove down to ashes!" he rummaged through the content of his satchel, and took out a vial, filled with a transparent, red liquid, then threw it to me. It landed between my legs. "That''s a new potion, I made. I call it ''lifeblood'', that there," he pointed to the vial, "saved you from the brink of oblivion." I narrowed my eyes at him. "So, I became your guinea pig? And how did this even work, given my situation?" seeing as my hands were tied, I used them as tongs, and gripped the vial, turning it: this way and that. There were some small particles floating inside the liquid, but I chalked it up to rushed mixing. Harold explained that the vial was a mixture of: sigbin blood, leaves of a kingsfoil, roots of a mandrake, and several minor spices, that he refused to disclose, even after much prodding. He said lifeblood, unlike most potions, did not act in accordance to the user''s mana, but with its own - hence, the use of the sigbin blood. Basically, it mimicked body functions, while the damaged organs healed themselves, and it could even regrow limbs. I placed the vial, on the bedside drawer, and I tried getting off the bed, but I nearly fell. Harold helped me up, and told me, it was time for me to go home and to be careful. "Why?" I asked. I mean he went nervous, all of a sudden, which was out-of-character for him. He sighed, "The witch''s comin'' again." fuck. "W-Why?" I nearly fell over from the shock. "We already paid our monthly tithes!" this village was a witch-town - a settlement under the control of a powerful magus, even though, we are still part of the Philippine government - and, thus, every household had to give an offering specific to the household. Controlling this town was an old hag, who went by the name of Madame Vera. She had three other towns that she controlled, too. She, essentially, made these villages, her personal factory, where we make products that work with the usage of mana, and she sells them to the city-states nearby. Fortunately for her, the mana-cap(acity) of the average villager was close to being negligible - but okay enough, to use regular magic products - that they couldn''t use what they made. I suspect the same could be said, of the other villages under her grip. Harold placed his paws- hands on the window-sill, gazing at the outside. "Rumors say that she felt the beginnings of a surge." he faced me, with a sad look, an almost-pitying expression. "We all know, Xavier..." he put his hands behind his head, scratching an itch on his neck, "the twins are the only kids, young enough, to be havin'' the surge in this li''l area..." He was right. Every child that had surged was taken away, either by the government or by Madame Vera. I didn''t know which was worse. I ran out, and headed to my house. fuck. Where''s my phone when I need it? I knew this would happen someday, but - fuck. - I didn''t do anything. Now, that hag''s going to take the kids away from me? I shook my head, as I sped up. Damn it! Why''d Harold have to live on the outskirts? I''d been running for how many minutes, and it seemed that the lifeblood, had a duration, or it could be because, I was doing a severely, strenuous activity, that the vial''s effects quickly vanished. My legs were on fire now. - - - - - Chapter 1.2 (A Change in Lifestyle) - - - 1.2 - - - I was now in the town square. Hallelujah. Or not. In the middle of the square, surrounded by kneeling villagers, and sitting on a pointlessly-elaborate, wooden throne: was a young woman with an old hag''s face, or an old hag with a young woman''s body. Needless to say, it was an unnerving piece of human work, this Madame Vera. She wore very form-fitting, black attire that seemed to be like leather, but had a glossier sheen, and at the joints, black feathers swayed with every movement. She met my gaze, and raised a brow. She stood up, gestured for the crowd to stand up and make way, as she walked forward, to where I was. "So..." she started, her voice was alluring like the song of a maiden in love, which was disturbing, because she was old enough to be my mother''s grandmother, "you are the Null-boy, the child who dares to hide, not one, but two, of my flock." I showed her grin. Luckily, she was still far away enough, not to see my teeth shaking. "Yes. I am the Big Bad Wolf," I proclaimed, but I was shivering under my skin, for she had released a very intense killing pressure, greater than the nuno golem''s. I bet she could see me shaking now, because she was laughing a very haughty and hyena-ish cackle. "You are a jester, I see," her words seemed to purr in my head, making me wince, inwardly. "Now, Null-boy... do you know why I am very powerful?" she asked like a very pretentious little girl that wanted to reveal her supposed intelligence. I let out a weak laugh. I could feel my wounds ready to bleed at first chance, under the bandages. "Is it because, you''re old? It has to do with age, does it? How old are you, anyway? Pre-Anabasis, or older?" "Not quite..." she seemed unfazed by my goading. She must be used to it. She was only a few steps away, from me now. Her body was really too seductive for her, um, countenance. "I have this power, because I am blessed by God... Ilum''atar. Salidis: Impas, Anthalin-2m, Kayul," she raised her hand, and a ball of white flame formed over it. "And because of this glorious gift, it is suffice to say, that I am a Harbinger of His Will..." she threw the ball to the crowd, and it grew wide, before imploding in itself, taking those who were caught up in its size to disappear. "Don''t you agree?" she smiled. I looked down, trying to hide the fear in my eyes. fuck. She''s a tyrant and she thinks that she''s God''s champion? Those types of people are hard to handle, even without the tremendous amount of mana, emanating from them. The townsfolk were now scrambling to their homes, or any place they called shelter. "It seems the might of God was too much for you," she sounded remorseful for a bit, but I didn''t look up. I could see that her leather shoes were right in front of me now. "But you are a spawn of the Devil, that should be explanatory, enough," she placed her dainty fingers under my chin, greatly disturbing me, and lifted my face up, so she could look me in the eye, "A pity that you are quite easy on the eyes, and I must admit, your glasses are a bit enticing, but I do not mingle with hellspawn. A pity, really." Stolen story; please report. I wanted to tell her that only dinosaurs found her appealing, but in an instant, a pain equal to that of the nuno golem''s fist, exploded in my chest, and I was flung backwards, before I was toppled into a stone statue of one Dr. Jos¨¦ Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (June 19, 1861 - December 30, 1896). Apparently, he was a revolutionary back in the day, when the Spaniards ruled. My back was hurting. I may have dislocated a disc - again! -, and below my armpits were the hands of the statue, in an outstretched palm gesture. I stood up, thanking Mr. Rizal for stopping my velocity, and for his contributions to our country. I was still heaving, as I stood up. I think my ribs broke again. I wanted to run away, but again, in an instant, I found myself hurtling backwards, and coughing a trail of blood. The pain more than doubled as it gripped my body. I couldn''t even fight back, a sad thing for one who fights. I was lying on what was once a good house, and now was a pile of rubble. I was barely conscious. Every inch of my body was screaming for me to die. I looked up, and saw Madame Vera floating a few feet above me, her right arm stretched upwards. "You were rejected by God''s gift..." her words rang clear on my head, must''ve been magic, "and you shall die by His gift. Ereb''atar. Salidis: Valad, Anthalin-1.5m id Iril-Asar-uk-Darak, Lisarus id Malakan." And with her words, the sky seemed to darken, and a great, black pillar of misty flame descended, slowly. Is this the time, I really die? The pillar was now close. It touched my chest, and I was bathed in what I felt was fire. My mind was being torn apart, at the seams. It felt like my blood was boiling me from within, and in every direction of my psyche, a torrent of needles assaulted me. I coughed, and coughed, and coughed, with expulsion of air, bringing out blood. It felt like my bones were melting. I could not scream, but luckily, the onlookers were doing it for me. "Omis, Erun!" those words, which were not Madame Vera''s, resounded through my ears, and I could not feel pain in my mind anymore, or in my legs, or in my arms, or in my anything, really. All I felt was a warm embrace, before I blacked out. - - - - - Chapter 1.3(A Change in Lifestyle) - - - 1.3 - - - After a few minutes, or so, judging from the position of the sun, I opened my eyes - this is going to be a habit, it seems -, and with a stupid thought, urged myself to stand up, and I did. Surprisingly, my movements were light, and springy - for lack of a better word. I turned around, and Madame Vera had vanished, leaving the townspeople - who were likely absorbed in watching my ass, handed to me - and me, bewildered. Then a thought occurred to me, and I ran as fast as I could. No-one was following me. Turning around a corner house, I finally reached my house. I rushed towards the door, and, with great difficulty, opened it. I ran up the stairs, each step killing me as thoughts of them not being there ran through my mind, and saw an old lady, closing the door to the twins'' room. She saw me, and made a shushing gesture with her finger. I closed my eyes, and breathed out, a sigh of immense relief. They were still here. I sighed in relief, patting my pockets. The old lady came close, and gave me a warm smile, before dragging me down the stairs by the ear. She led me to the kitchen/dining room, and forced me on the seat, while she sat down on the other side of the table. I opened my mouth, trying to tell her what just happened, but I could only sputter. She shut my mouth up with a finger, before wiping my face with her apron. "What just happened was my doing. Now, I''m sure you have things to explain but," Lola Leona said, glaring at me, "have you heard the rumors floating about of the growing concerns, or has that old bear told you?" she leaned, resting her arms, on the table. I nodded, meekly, forgetting my very recent encounter. Lola Leona leaned back on her chair, and crossed her arms, visibly relaxing, but still glaring at me. "The twins must leave the town, and go to a place that can protect them. With my age, I''m afraid, I can only do little... the twins wield a too incredible amount of mana, although, I''m sure you''ve noticed, but many people, far stronger than Madame Quack, will try to get them." she waved her hands, muttered something, and the bandages on my hands unraveled, revealing hands that looked like they''d been buried in charcoal. "I presume that''s the old bear''s handiwork?" she asked, looking at my partially-burnt arms. I hunched over, head cast down, and placed my elbows on the table and my hands behind my head, the texture of my arm-skin, felt rough like leather, on my neck. "Yes," I answered. I looked up, meeting my gaze with her scowl. "I need a plan. W-We''ll go to the capital, and, and..." Her face warmed and she reached over, and patted me on the head, and then sat back down on her chair. "Already have one, dear." She waved her hands, and muttered once again, and three tickets materialized, between in her fingers. "You''re nineteen now, Juan. You''ll be going to school," she smiled, "and as for the twins... I called in a friend of mine, and he promised me, that the government won''t be chasing you, besides you''ll be going to school outside the country, so don''t worry. They''ll be with you." Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. It was one of the agreements of the Makiling Accord of 2089 (the treaty, made after the Philippine Civil War that happened just after the Anabasis, that replaced the Philippine Republic with the Philippine Federation): when a child had achieved a surge, he or she was obligated to partake in a mandatory Magic Aptitude Test, in the nearest Department of Magic tower - yes, the places where magic is studied and practiced is called a tower, pretty bland, really -, and in the event that they have high aptitude, they are taken to a tower that matches their test-results, regardless of what their parents or guardians might want for them. I stood up, and slammed my hands on the table''s surface, a jolt of pain snaked its way up my arms. "I-I don''t have the money..." I went quiet, my voice was too loud, and I moved my face closer. "A-And passports..." I tried lowering my voice. Lola Leona rolled her eyes, and flicked my forehead. "I''ve already made arrangements..." again, she smiled. "Don''t worry, dear. You''re like a son to me," she said. Her voice was gentle and warm. "Although, that would make the twins, my grandchildren, and that makes me seem old." she let out a chuckle. "B-But what about Madame Vera? She''s going to be super-pissed, if we''re gone. I know you can stop her and all, but what of the town? This whole province?" I did not want to cause trouble for this village - to Harold and Lola Leona, especially. She raised an eyebrow. "I''ll have a proper talk with her, so don''t you worry, dear." Her tone sounded dangerous for a moment. I did not know what Lola Leona would do, but I knew that she was powerful. Very powerful. Then again, I did fight Madame Vera and got curb-stomped, but Lola Leona just snapped her fingers. I sighed, and sat back down, then asked Lola Leona what kind of school we''d be attending. "It''s a magic-school that fosters adventurers and interest in the exploration of magical areas," she said, before giving me an apple slice. My face went blank as I stared at her, taking the apple slice and eating it. "Have you forgotten that I''m a Null?" I asked, chewing, maybe she did indeed forget. Although, the case of me being a Null was too severe to be easily forgotten. She smiled, and snapped her fingers. And I became many. - - - - - Chapter 1.4 (A Change in Lifestyle) - - - 1.4 - - - I had found my very self, being pulled apart into countless little beads, that were thrown across a vast distance, and then I was remade, in an entirely different space. When the last molecule was reattached, I felt nauseous, and feel over on my hands and knees, assuming the ¡®orz¡¯ position, then I vomited almost everything inside my stomach, spewing it all over a well-maintained, dragon-shaped bush. It looked like it was done by a master horticulturist, but, sadly, it was now dressed with my puke. I stood up, wobbling, turning around, and saw the twins lying asleep, on some bags, the dog sleeping, belly-up, just below them, sparks of electricity dancing on his tail. How powerful was Lola Leona? I can¡¯t even conceive how much mana, and precision, and thinking was needed for that teleportation spell. Oddly enough, this place, which seemed like a courtyard, was empty. It was beautiful, though. The space was surrounded by large redbrick walls that were capped with white stone, and cobblestone paths that led to a central square, where a fountain stood, lined with grass sculptures, made in the shape of magical creatures. I started patting my pockets ¨C it seemed Lola Leona, gave me new clothes ¨C, and I felt a square bulge ¨C not anything you¡¯re thinking of, mind you. I reached in, and took something out. In my hand: was a Smartphone. Harold, who sold me this, told me it was all the rage, pre-Anabasis, and it didn''t need any kind of mana to operate, you just need to charge its battery with electricity, which, luckily for me, was an easy find. I just had to place the phone on top of a custom-built table, and let the dog sleep under it ¨C the dog in question was named Kidlat, and it was a thunderdog that the twins had managed to tame ¨C, and voil¨¤! I stood on the cobblestone path, while a fiddled with my phone, connecting to the internet, and looking for some noteworthy news: - - -
All Designates sent to Scholomance, Godborn
Couer du Soleil opened for public viewing
New Breed of Dog, created
Odin chooses Einherjar, in place of mythical Valkyries
Hercules Program, success
Garuda rebel group, annihilated
Actor Ulysses Baracelli, found dead in hotel room
UK, to give asylum to members of Ordo Ferrus
Glamour: A Love Story, disastrous opening
Zhao Long Online sells 10 million, first week
Crown-Prince Damien de Reveur survives latest assassination attempt
Genital enhancement, fake!
Dragon-sighting over Rockies, hoax
Revival of Funk?
Last-known Null commits suicide
- - - If I recall, the Godborn were kids my age that were born with a very large mana-cap. I guess everything has an opposite, and isn¡¯t Couer du Soleil, the headquarters of the Ordo Sol? They must be really confident in their secrecy, or something, and a new breed of dog? Isn¡¯t Kidlat, a new breed of dog, too? I don¡¯t even think that this Odin-fellow is the real deal. Wait¡­ what was the Hercules Program, again? Garudamn. Died? Must¡¯ve been drugs or something, and though, I didn¡¯t like his movies, he was a good performer. Ordo Ferrus going to the UK? What happened to them? Glamour¡­ the only thing that movie has going for it, is that it stars Margaret Vulpes. Zhao Long¡¯s monthly subscription fee is too expensive for a poor guy like me. Prince Damien¡­ I remember Lucinda wanting to marry him, or something. Magical enhancements, wouldn¡¯t work on me, anyway. How long has a dragon been last seen flying, anywhere? Funk never died, it just hid. That last bit just sounds depressing. A big plus of the Anabasis was that the internet became more widespread, according to what Harold told me. If the Anabasis didn''t occur, internet in the boonies, deserts, in the middle of jungles would just be a pipe dream, and I''d have died of boredom in the village, a long, long time ago. I looked back to the twins, and suddenly there was a tall, black-haired person in front of me. I was surprised, almost dropping my phone. He had pale, white skin and looked to be East Asian, but his eyes were a piercing blue. He looked to be my age, but a head taller. ¡°Shura Polzin-Wakahisa, Reisef¨¹hrer for the day, or subsequent days, if inclined. Grandmother Lion told me of your arrival,¡± he said, his hands stretched towards me, ¡°and of the¡­ special circumstances that led to this.¡± He was wearing a worn-out jacket over a blue v-neck, checkered shorts, and slippers that had x-shaped straps ¨C usually worn by old people in the Philippines. I blinked my eyes for a moment, unsure of what to do. His voice was very peculiar, it sounded like an instrument played, continuously, in only one note. And Grandmother Lion? Oh, Lola Leona! And he was my what? Rice-pourer? Well it sounded like German, probably meant something like: guide. ¡°I¡¯m Juan Xavier Lee,¡± I took his hand and shook it, ¡°but please, just call me Xavier.¡± I released his hand. His face was blank, and he nodded. ¡°Then, call me Shura. Do you hunger? Lunchtime now, No need for worry, I am privy to your economic situation. School cafeteria is free, but if economic conditions become satisfactory in the unforeseen future: then, some restaurants in the Non-Academic district might prove adequate for your tastes. This time, though, payment will be done by me.¡± I stood still, confused. ¡°Wait, wait, wait,¡± I waved my hands all over the place, ¡°Isn¡¯t there a procedure for my enrolling here, or something?¡± It¡¯d be great, if there wasn¡¯t, but it would seem too informal for a school like this, to be like that. ¡°Worry not, questions will be answered. Meal is suitable ¨C mandatory for dialogue between strangers, additionally, child-companions and thunderhound you brought on arrival are starting to wake,¡± he pointed to the direction of the twins, who were getting off the pile of bags and Kidlat, who was yawning. When the twins¡¯ feet were safely on the ground, he made gestures with his hands, and a flash of light erupted from his hands, forming a circle that passed through the twins and Kidlat, and the bags, but as it did, the bags vanished, and the circle of light dispersed. The twins and I looked at the spot where our bags was, and back to Shura. ¡°Where the fuck¡¯s our bags?¡± I shouted, indifferent to the vulgarity of my language, among children. In hindsight, if they picked up on those words, and used them, Lola Leona will kill me. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Shura had a look of mock-shock, before dropping his expression into his default one and raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Worry is needless. Luggage has been transported, directly, to your room.¡± He looked at the twins. ¡°It is uncivil of me, but might I know the identities of your acquaintances?¡± I smiled, and gestured for the twins and Kidlat to come close, and stand beside me, they didn¡¯t, but instead stood behind me, their little heads sticking out at my sides, while Kidlat sat beside Lucas. I placed my hands on top of their heads ¨C seeing as they just reached my waist ¨C, and ruffled their hair, making them giggle. ¡°The dog is Kidlat, a thunderhound they tamed. The one on my right is Lucas, and on my left, is Lucinda. Their parents were traveling merchants, and contracted Blue Pox, and their last stop was the town I lived in.¡± Lucinda tugged the hem of my shirt, and looked up to me. ¡°Wat is Bwoo Pohks?¡± she asked. I smiled at her. ¡°Nothing you need to worry about,¡± I looked back at Shura, ¡°They¡¯re gonna be two, soon. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± At my questioning, the twins bobbed their heads in affirmation, it was very cute. Shura placed a closed hand on his chest, and did a slight bow, straightened himself and smiled at the twins. ¡°Shura Polzin-Wakahisa. Guide for this day. Meeting you, pleased,¡± he said with a hint of amusement in his voice. He looked at Kidlat, ¡°as am I with you, thunderhound.¡± Kidlat barked in response, his tail wagging. He seemed very happy about the acknowledgment, but then, Lucinda made her way on his back, and was now riding him. I swear I could feel him roll his eyes, resigning himself to the position of mount. ¡°Um¡­ why do you talk funny?¡± Lucas asked, now hiding the entirety of his body behind me, seeing as Lucinda was sleeping on the dog¡¯s back, leaving him alone. He was always a shy kid, never really upfront, like Lucinda was, except for this time, though, but what a weird question to be asking someone you¡¯ve met. He must be really intrigued. I was too, but questioning it like that is a bit too rude, I feel. Shura smiled, briefly. ¡°It is how I grew up, speaking.¡± His voice actually held another note. After some questioning between the twins and Shura, we headed towards the Non-Academic District, which Shura told me was the southernmost district of the school. On the way, I asked him questions regarding the school. Apparently, the school was located somewhere in scenic Transylvania, and was the Scholomance of legend ¨C and here I thought, magic was a recent invention ¨C, and it offered education from elementary all the way up to the university level. The classes for elementary to high school were still as it was, a century ago, except for the added subjects concerning magic. I think, I¡¯m screwed, if they try to measure my aggregate magic ¨C which is non-existent. I feel kind of jealous that the Godborn are here. As I was about to ask, Shura assured me that the owner of the school ¨C who must be God, or another deity ¨C, knew of my circumstances, and he was even overjoyed to have the twins, and would love it, if I enrolled, too. Shura did tell me of the school rankings, though, which included the mana-cap, so basically, I was on the deepest pit. The rankings were separated: one for the elementary level, one for the high school level, one for those practicing witchcraft, another for wizards, one more for the sorcery students, one for all university students, and, lastly, an overall ranking of all students. Then, about the school grounds: Scholomance¡¯s layout was made up of five interlocking rings, making it look like a four-petalled flower, each making up a district. We were at the middle district (or Dragon¡¯s Peak as it was called, apparently). The northern district was called the Spawning Grounds (really the elementary and high school district). The Non-Academic District was called the Pleasure Section (a little too on the nose, I feel). The western district was the Forest (just that). The eastern district was named the Field of Battle (on account of the Arena being found there). The Dragon¡¯s Peak (formally, the University Grounds, but called Dragon¡¯s Peak, because of the rumors of a dragon resting below the grounds, and for the dragon statue that stood on the roof of a specific structure) was slightly elevated, and was centered on the main Academic building, where the administrative offices were found, and where those of the highest tiers in the overall ranking had their classes with the some of the most-talented magi in the world. Surrounding the Dragon¡¯s Peak were the various laboratories ¨C open to all university students ¨C, and beside these buildings were the rooms for the university students¡¯ classes, and between the classrooms and laboratories were six dormitories (two for the boys, two for the girls, and two unisex dorms, which was weird, considering the latent libido of many students, especially in the male psyche). Buildings of note in Dragon¡¯s Peak (except for the Peak, itself) were: the Rider¡¯s Wait Dormitory (where all the Godborn, and Shura, stayed), the Mermaid Pools (where mermaids¡­ pool?), the Court of Ishtar (a very beautiful garden, I was told), the Viscount¡¯s Trump (one of only two caf¨¦s in the University Grounds) and St. George Library, or the Dragon¡¯s Hoard (the largest repository of arcane knowledge, outside of the Vatican and the Library of Congress, and unlike those two, the contents of the Library were open to anyone, who was a student or teacher of the school). There also looked to be a Baroque and Chinese blend in the architecture of the structures We passed the paifang gate with Corinthian columns that separated the Dragon¡¯s Peak from the, um, Pleasure Section, as it was called, while Shura continued on with his pseudo-tour of the school. By all accounts, it seemed that the only places worth going (if you were a visitor) was Dragon¡¯s Peak, the Forest, and the Field of Battle. The Pleasure Section was divided into four: the Palatial Grounds (for the fancy restaurants and caf¨¦s), the Peasant¡¯s Quarter (for fast food and cheap caf¨¦s), the Merchant Square (for groceries, gadgets, clothes, furniture, etc.), and the Arcane Court (for entertainment, and all your magical needs). Allegedly, the names were left from when the school was first founded, during the middle ages. Each division had a certain theme, the Grounds had medieval European fantasy, the Quarter was exactly what a rural village would like during the Feudal Ages, the Merchant Square was a hodgepodge of different eras, and the Arcane Court was the most modern-looking of the four. We were heading to the Peasant¡¯s Quarters (apparently, Shura was a peasant, too). The restaurant, he led us to, was a typical family restaurant ¨C homely feeling, cheap food, few people ¨C, and it felt comfortable, to say the least, and ¨C oddly enough ¨C it was called Homely. We sat at a table near the windows with the twins and me on one side of the table, and Shura alone in the other. He started talking about the school regulations, class schedule, etc. (he was avoiding questions about the state of my enrolment) as we waited for a waitress, to come and take our order. - - - - - Chapter 1.45 (A Change in Lifestyle) - POV Shift - - - 1.45 - - - <> A young girl ¨C wearing black, skinny jeans and a form-fitting, white shirt underneath a fuzzy, white jacket ¨C was running around the Field of Battle, circling the Arena (made as a replica of the Flavian Amphitheatre in Rome, but with modern amenities). It was her fourth lap around the Arena, and she was tired, verily so. Huffing, she sat on a wooden bench, just outside the Arena lobby, and draped her arms all over, her head hanging backwards. She let out a deep sigh, one full of exasperation. "Why was I sent to look for him?" she asked herself. It was an annoyance that she became her quarry''s secretary. She stood up, straightening herself, a certain resolution burning in her snow-white eyes. "But when I do, I''ll kill him!" The girl then stormed off along the redbrick path, which went to the gate that separated the Field of Battle from the University Grounds. "Signy?" a sweet, feminine voice called out to the girl, stopping her in her tracks. She turned around and found a familiar smiling face. The familiar face was wearing what seemed to be a white leather coat, over a white leather coat. "It is you! What are you doing here? No, wait! Let me guess..." the familiar girl, placed her hands on her hips, akimbo. A brief silence passed, before she spoke again, "you''re looking for Shurie!" she crossed her arms, and nodded, pleased with herself. Signy sighed, came close, hugged the girl, buried her face on the girl''s shoulder, and started bawling her eyes out, like a babe looking for its mother. "Thea... I want... to... beat him... up... so badly!" she said between bleats and whimpers. Thea stroked her back, gently. She acted like this was second nature to her, or that this situation has happened many, many times. "There, there..." her voice was gentle to Signy''s ears, whose tears had stopped, "now, why are you looking for him?" Signy looked up to the motherly figure that was Althea Kokinos, and her eyes clouded, again, but she didn''t cry, she would be unfaltering now. What child would want to cry in front of their mother? ¨C Several, but that''s beside the point! "Ma''am U-Ursa came by this morning... and, and!" she began to tear up, again, but she made a deep breath, "she gave m-me a sack f-full of letters, each one wanting to know, when the voting was..." she buried her head back into Thea''s shoulder, but this time, only sniffled. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Thea let out a giggle, appropriate for her demeanor. "My friends have been clamoring about that too," she said, still stroking Signy''s back, "Knowing Shurie... he''ll probably be at the Peasant''s Quarter having lunch..." she trailed off, as if remembering something important. She placed her hands on Signy''s shoulders, and pushed the sniffling girl away from her neck, she looked Signy in the eyes, "he''s definitely eating at Homely! I remembered that he was assigned as Reisef¨¹hrer, or something, to a new student. GO. THERE." Signy felt a wave of confidence flow throughout her body, and she nodded at Thea, before running off towards the gate. Left behind, Thea shook her head, and smiled, wryly. "I''m sorry, Shurie, but you don''t let a young woman wait for you." <> Signy had arrived by teleportation circle to the Peasant''s Quarters in the Pleasure Section. She was hurrying, it was almost 2:00, and the chances, that her prey was gone, were very high. After the last of her being was done re-materializing, she stepped off the circle, and went out of the gate. As she went out, she saw a tall man with a bored expression, beside him was a shorter man, who was holding two similar-faced kids by the hands, and following them, closely, was a large, brown dog. They were heading to her direction, which meant they were going to use the teleportation circle. From this vantage point, the five-some looked like a family, Signy thought, but she had other plans. - - - - - Chapter 1.5 (A Change in Lifestyle) - - - 1.5 - - - Surprisingly, they had rice, which was a godsend, considering the twins were really picky eaters. Kidlat lay under the table, gnawing on a bone that Shura had managed to get from the waitress ¨C he was a regular, apparently. The meal was a simple one, but freshly-cooked. A bowl of boiled-pork soup, three servings of rice, and a plate of beef ribs were placed on the wooden table. Lucinda dug into her food like a pig while Lucas ate, quietly. I smiled at the spectacle. I looked across to Shura. "So..." "Questions? Regarding enrolment?" He asked with a rib in his hands, fingers covered in sauce. Despite his demeanor, he was like Lucinda when it came to eating. "...first step: appraisal for enrolment ¨C recommendation, written on school-bought parchment, and made by a fifth-tier or higher magus, is needed," he held out a hand, in a wait gesture, then licked his other hand clean of sauce and bits of meat, "before you question me: indeed, Grandmother Lion is fifth-tier or higher. A brief notice: judgment of enrolment was considered..." his face curved downwards, "a joke, by the majority of the lower members of the Elder Administrative Court, owing to the fact, that the results of your mana-capacity test... were crap ¨C to put it, bluntly ¨C, they were very low." I chuckled, and then sighed. "So, I''m not enrolled here? Not that I care, though, but what about the twins? They need the school more than I do." From what I''ve heard about this school ¨C mostly from the internet ¨C, this place was amazing, where only the best of the best was allowed to attend. I had no doubt that the twins were going to be great. Shura was licking his plate clean, and after finishing, he resumed looking at me. "No worries. Lucinda and Lucas Ruiz are official students of the Olden Academy of Scholomance for Higher Magical Learning as of yesterday..." he let out a burp, "along with their guardian, Juan Xavier Lee ¨C who after much deliberation by the members of the Elder Administrative Court, and much prodding from certain personages, was accepted, just this morning." My eyes grew wide, and ¨C I believe ¨C a disturbing smile crept on my face. I was on the verge of shouting hallelujahs and praise Jesus, but I was stopped by a tugging on my right sleeve. I turned my head, and my gaze was met by big, bright-brown, cloudy eyes. "D-Does that mean, you aren''t leaving us?" Lucas ¨C who I hadn''t noticed, was listening in to our conversation ¨C asked me, but before I could give him a nod, something dropped, spilling carbonate-soft drink all over the table''s surface. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.I turned to my left, and again, my gaze was met by big, bright-brown, cloudy eyes, but this time tears were pouring down, like a broken faucet. "Y-You''re... l-leaving?" Lucinda managed to stammer out, before letting out a heart-rending wail, her sobbing made my eyes, involuntarily tear up, too, and apparently, Lucas saw that I was crying, and he bawled his eyes out, too. I hugged them both, and the three of us cried, while Kidlat was howling from underneath the table, and between our cries, I could hear Shura, assuring the staff and the other patrons of the restaurant that everything was fine, in his impassive voice. After a while, I stopped crying, but the twins were still blubbering. I let out a laugh, and ruffled their hair. "I''m not leaving..." I said, quietly, so only we on the table could hear. I then noticed something from the last conversation, and looked at Shura. "A moment ago, you said my results were low, what does that mean?" It should be non-existent not low, right? "Ah, yes. Grandmother Lion and the High Elder planted results, actually a mana-reading of Lasius niger... a common black ant," Shura let out a yawn, "Also, information of your lack of magic must be kept secret, under guise of dismal mana-capacity." I understood that the forgery was a secret, obviously, but the fact of me being a Null? I asked Shura why, and he told me that there was a chance that I could be the last Null left, and there were certain groups that would kidnap me for experimentation, or kill me. I shuddered at the thought. After that, Shura paid for the meal, as he said he would, and we left the restaurant for the dormitories, the twins and I were assigned to, but we didn''t walk. Apparently, there was a teleportation circle, at every gate, and when I asked why we didn''t use it earlier, he told me that it used the user''s mana, but reassured me that all I needed to do was to eat food, because it had mana. I understood that, but why did we need to come here, then? I asked him, and he told me, it was, because he was hungry, and he always had lunch at Homely. - - - - - Chapter 1.6 (A Change in Lifestyle) - - - 1.6 - - - ¡°Magical fluctuations¡­¡± Shura muttered from beside me. I was holding the twins by their hands, because Lucinda was being very rowdy and Lucas wouldn¡¯t let go of my hand, ever since we came out of the restaurant. ¡°What?¡± I asked, turning my head to Shura. He didn¡¯t reply, but instead, waved his hand all around in front of him, shimmering energy trailed every movement of his. It seemed he was making runes, if I remember. I had fought with rune-makers before, but the speed in which he was creating, and the complexity of the runes, was astounding. ¡°Is dat a fewie?¡± Lucinda asked, pointing her free hand in front of her. I looked at the direction, she was pointing, and I panicked. A fireball the size of a boulder was heading towards us. ¡°That¡¯s no fairy!¡± Instinctively, I pulled the twins down, and covered them with my body, while Kidlat started charging up. After a few seconds, nothing happened, except for the slight heat I felt. I turned around, and saw a petite, young girl ¨C wearing a white, fuzzy jacket, black, skinny jeans and strappy heels ¨C stomping her feet, as she made her way to our direction. I turned to Shura, he was sighing, and he looked to me. ¡°Profound apologies.¡± ¡°SHURA POLZIN-WAKAHISA,¡± a voice bellowed from the young girl¡¯s mouth, when she came close, ¡°where the hell have you been? Did you know? I had to endure Ma¡¯am Ursa¡¯s nagging for five hours!¡± then, the girl grabbed Shura by the collar, and for a moment she glared at him with her mouth quivering, while he looked at her with his default face, then the girl cried, still holding Shura by the collar. I would¡¯ve sympathized with her plight, but she threw a fucking fireball at our faces! I stood up, assured the twins that everything was alright, and made Kidlat discharge his electricity into air. It looked like a lightning bolt had struck him. A few minutes passed, and the girl had calmed down. ¡°So¡­¡± the girl said, coldly, ¡°is this why you were out? You¡¯ve started a family? Moreover, you have twins?¡± she was pointing at me, and the twins. ¡°You¡¯re gravely, horrifyingly mistaken,¡± I shouted, ¡°I mean¡­ nothing wrong with having such preferences, but I don¡¯t swing that way!¡± I don¡¯t really care what you like, as long as you don¡¯t be a dick about it, but to be paired up with Shura, is a bit saddening to the heart. The girl stared at me, relief creeping on her face, and then she glared back at Shura. ¡°He¡¯s not even my type, really,¡± he said, making the girl palm her face in frustration. Now that I looked at her closely, she was a beauty with long, golden hair, braided into a scorpion¡¯s tail, which reached the back of her knees. A face like a Nordic fairy, and purplish-grey skin¡ªwait, what? I looked at her, again, and noticed that she had long ears, that ended with tiny, feather-like fur, and glowing, silver eyes. She was a dark elf, if I am correct. I would ask, but it felt rude, and I was still irked that she threw a fireball at us. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°I guess, correctly, that you are not here, only, to tell me of your lovely conversation with Ursa?¡± Shura asked. His voice was still as impassive as always, ¡°but first,¡± he gestured to the twins, Kidlat and me. ¡°They¡¯re new students. Lucinda and Lucas Ruiz, both Filipino citizens. Kidlat, Filipino thunderhound. Juan Xavier Lee, Filipino citizen,¡± he turned to the girl, and made a slight movement with his head. The girl made a slight bow. ¡°I am Signy Sorskygge,¡± she sighed, ¡°¡­secre¡ªcolleague of Shura Polzin-Wakahisa, as pitiful as that position sounds, I must thank you for giving your time to him¡­¡± it sounded like she was still pissed, very much so. After that Signy apologized, saying she had to take Shura back to the offices, but not before letting Shura conjure up a spirit guide. The spirit guide was similar to the santelmo, a small, floating sphere of mana, but docile and friendlier. It led us to the teleportation circle, where an attendant instructed us on what to do, while she poured mana into the formation. The feeling was like when Lola Leona teleported us, but less surreal. It must be because of the distance made, or of the mastery of the magic. The guide led us to the dormitory, and to our room, which was on the second floor and numbered 127. The guide also told me that, we just had to put our hand on a sensor, so we could get in. I pressed my hand on the sensor, and it glowed blue, then the door to our room opened, by itself. The guide then dissipated. It¡¯s gone back to Shura, I guess. We went in, and I took a good look at the room, a large space, larger than the living room in Lola Leona¡¯s house. The bed was very large, occupying about a fifth of the room and was placed on the far side of the room, near the window and away from the door. Beside the bed was a chair, two cabinets were lined up beside it and drawers were placed on the opposite wall. Honestly, it looked more like a hotel room than a student¡¯s dorm-room, but then again it¡¯s free, so I have no qualms about it. Immediately, the twins went to the bed, and jumped and down, before tiring themselves out and falling asleep, while Kidlat slept underneath the bed. Meanwhile, I checked everything in the room, and, surprisingly, our stuff was now stored properly in the cabinets, and the drawers. I opened what I had claimed as my cabinet ¨C since it had my stuff in it ¨C, and took out a black suitcase with the engraving of a stylized leaf. ¡°Time to play alchemist for a moment¡­¡± - - - - - Chapter 2.05 (The Start of Trouble) - POV Shift - - - 2.05 - - - <> The beings we worship as deities exist but whether they are truly divine is a matter of fierce debate among the modern magi. The ¡®deities¡¯ do possess a modicum of power that would entitle them as creatures of reverence but even they fear a greater power than themselves, and what is higher than a god? The Garden of Congregation is a vast interdimensional space, crafted from the remains of two long-dead entities who were worshipped as the embodiments of the endless stars by their long-forgotten peoples. It is in this place, that the still-living gods and goddesses meet and discuss affairs, pertaining to their spheres of influence. In what was designated as the center of the Garden for this particular event was a wide, stone table with eight chairs of the same material arrayed around it. There was no-one around yet, only the multitude of fantastical flowers found only in dreams, which surrounded the table and chairs. The floor was covered in engraved spirals that shimmered in between long intervals. A cloaked figure holding a gnarled, wooden staff was the first to arrive. The figure pulled off his cowl, revealing the face of a grizzled, old man who was completely bald. His mouth was covered in a white beard, and he was missing his left eye. He went down the low steps that led to the table, and at the bottom was a shallow, circular groove. It was there that he tapped his staff and the spirals glowed bright silver. ¡°Know me as the Hanged One,¡± his voice was sonorous and old, bringing with it, thoughts of dead battles and ancient oaths. He sat on the northernmost chair. Following soon after was a whimsical thing dressed in the most flamboyant of colors but with bare feet and with butterfly wings fluttering on his back. He floated like a mote of dust caught by a gentle wind. His face was that of a young man with sun-baked skin, and his hair was long and flowing ¨C the color of the midday sun ¨C, and upon his brow was a crown of thorns, if it bore him pain, it was cleverly hidden behind his enigmatic smile. He touched the circular groove with his toe, and it glowed a vibrant green. ¡°The Hobgoblin,¡± he said with a bewitching smile and a voice that was more than a greeting but less than a conversation, it was only a fleeting thing. He went and sat the westernmost chair. Next was a deity that constituted of only a helmet made from black metal and shaped into the face of crying demon, and supported by a white, translucent smoke. Inlaid on what was the helm¡¯s temple was a series of multi-colored crystals. It moved over to the groove, and the spirals glowed the dimmest blue. ¡°Ko¡¯saz-Uri, wishes no harm upon you.¡± Its voice did not exit from its being, but it manifested, directly into the ears of the listener, clear and precise, sending shivers down even a god¡¯s spine. It sat as it could on the southernmost chair. A woman bent down, and touched the groove, making it glow a lovely red. ¡°The Deer presents, herself,¡± she said. Her voice sweet and gentle like a morning kiss. Eyes the color of the evening sky shone as she gazed upon those present. Light-brown hair framed her beautiful face while a dress of tiny flowers covered her lithe figure, whilst revealing her red-brown arms and accentuating her ample bosom. Elegant, black-inked tattoos ran along the length of both her arms, seeming to draw the viewer in. She sauntered over to the southwesternmost seat. Walking on the steps leading down to the Garden¡¯s center was a woman of great allure. Her comeliness wore a blue kimono ¨C bestowing to those who saw: the depiction of a majestic serpent entwined with a flowing river ¨C that went past her ankles and hanging just slightly above the ground. Her black hair was free of imperfection and cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her face was chalk-white but her lips were blood-red. She stepped on the groove, and the patterns on the floor glowed a brilliant azure. ¡°This one is called the Lady of the Flow, this one is most grateful for the invitation,¡± she bowed. Her voice was the calmness of a silent river. She walked over, and sat on the easternmost seat, with unparalleled grace. The space over the groove distorted itself, and a rift emanating sickening magic, formed. Long, spindly talons erupted out of the rift, and tore it apart. A tall, boney thing, vaguely humanoid, came out and the rift vanished. The creature was an abysmal black but tinged with faint green. Several horns spiraling backwards, protruded out of its head, spine, and elbows. It had no eyes, no mouth, and no face. It stood on the groove, and the patterns glowed a sickly purple. ¡°The Old¡­ Fear.¡± Its words appeared in your mind, like a sudden thought, but it stayed hiding in your psyche, like a repressed memory. It stepped out, and sat on the southeasternmost seat, like a puppet with its strings cut. A large spider appeared on the steps but then it transformed into a man of large stature. The man was handsome and dark-skinned, and naked, save for the lion-skin skirt that hung from his waist covering his thighs, crotch, and buttocks. His hair was in wild disarray like the spines of a porcupine. He lifted a foot, and brought it down onto the groove, upon impact: the markings glowed a static white. He let out a joyful laugh, ¡°the Trickster at your service,¡± he made an exaggerated bow, and sat on the northwesternmost chair. The skies above the Garden parted, and a column of light descended upon the steps. The light then vanished, replaced by a brown-skinned woman who looked like she just came out of her teens, barely an adult. Her face was devoid of emotion as her copper locks, swayed with the coming breeze. Six wings of light haloed around her back, they were the symbols of a Seraph. Her small body was covered in a white robe and embroidered with brass thread. She flew over the groove, and the engraving glowed a fierce yellow. ¡°I bear the Will of His Grace on His behalf,¡± she proclaimed, her voice, sounding almost like a song, and she sat on the northeasternmost seat. In the middle, atop the table, a hole appeared, and emerging from the hole was a large emerald crystal with eight facets, each reflecting the image of a guest.¡±I am an aspect of the Garden. I am here as Observer. We are here to partake in the summons of the Hanged One,¡± a voice said, coming from the crystal. ¡°Now, present your grievances, the Hanged One.¡± The old man stood up with the help of his cane. ¡°It seems that only few see the threat that is the True Ragnar?k¡­¡± his ancient gaze saw all those seated, ¡°the Ragnar?k that came and destroyed my people, the End of the Fifth Sun that devoured the Aztlan, the Serpent that gorged itself on the dead of almost very pantheon in the Pacific¡­¡± he stopped and took a breath. ¡°Those are but all snowflakes compared to the blizzard that is the True Ragnar?k, and now, twenty-one of the twenty-seven seals that imprison the Abomination of Desolation have been destroyed¡­¡± he looked around, and saw that they were now listening intently to his words. ¡°Where are the next seals, then?¡± The Deer-Woman asked, leaning on the table, her breasts resting on its surface, looking to spill out at any moment, as she looked to the Hanged One. ¡°Back, when I was a young lad,¡± the Hanged One sat down, and pressed his forehead, ¡°my father told me that Eiktyrnir, the Oaken-Antlered, was appointed the task of guarding Hvergelmir, by the First Ones, themselves, and Eiktyrnir was the one who sired the next four seals...¡± ¡°So, a father forced to lock up his children, eh?¡± the Hobgoblin mused. ¡°The First Ones are absolutely ghastly¡­¡± he turned to the Old Fear, ¡°but you are the exception, of course, are you not?¡± his grin was wide, filled with a dash of malice, fitting for one of the Fair Folk. The Old Fear sat still, unmoving, a puppet bereft of its strings. The Deer-Woman was kissing the smallest finger in her right hand. ¡°What about the Guardians? Surely, they must have the resources to protect the seals,¡± she said, an attempt to cease the Hobgoblin¡¯s provocations. The Deer-Woman knew of the Old Fear¡¯s power, and it would be suicidal to anger him. A gloom overcame all those present, except for the Old Fear and Ko¡¯saz-Uri, and in their minds, they saw a memory: ¡°I remember when the Archmage came. Brilliant and Dashing. Every step part of a graceful dance. He became Lord-Warden. Excitement and wonder flooded my heart, at the thought of following this mortal god. Now, only hate and fear and confusion, remain. He slaughtered every one of us¡­ I only managed to have my legs cut off¡­ I¡¯m going to die, today¡­ Blood trickling down my eye, flesh slowly melting, bones slowly turning to ash. It¡¯s too hot. My heart¡¯s breaking. Why?¡± And the memory ended. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Would you be most kind, to explain the memory you have given us, O¡¯ revered elder?¡± The Lady of the Flow hid behind her silver fan, but she was staring at the Old Fear. The Hanged One answered for the Old Fear: ¡°That memory was of a young guardian and of M¨ªmisbrunnr¡¯s destruction at the hands of Archmage Levio Flammas. A total of five-hundred magi, considered to be the best of the best, perished¡­¡± the Hanged One looked down, and saw his reflection in the table looking back at him, a frail, feeble, old man. ¡°They were utterly insignificant.¡± ¡°This one apologizes for her questions¡­¡± the Lady of the Follow was staring at The Hanged One, a horrified look on her face, ¡°but doesn¡¯t that mean the Archmage was responsible for the seal¡¯s release? How could a mortal even achieve such a feat? When even gods find it impossible?¡± The Trickster laughed, and waved his hand, summoning a cup of hot tea. He took it and had a sip. ¡°A wonderful question, but mine is¡­¡± he paused, to let the silence build up, ¡°¡­where are the twenty-one?¡± he said, while he gave a wink to the Lady of the Flow, who turned her gaze away from his amorous glancing. ¡°I¡­ know not of their whereabouts,¡± the Hanged One said. The Old Fear moved, and another memory came into the minds of those present. ¡°The ancient-man appeared after the heaven-light vanished. Brothers and sisters were afraid, they left, went back home, but I hid behind broken-stone, I was bravest. Heaven-light came, again, but smaller, brighter. More ancient-men, no ancient-things, had appeared, but first ancient-man was older, more ancient. Ancient-man made movements with hands, and all ancient things, withered, turned to dust, taken by the wind¡­¡± And the memory ended. ¡°Splendid. Simply splendid,¡± the Hobgoblin smiled at those present. ¡°The bloody Eldritch One killed them all, I presume?¡± Although, he was speaking jovially, inside: he was jittery, nervous, and ¨C Faerie be damned ¨C afraid. Who wouldn¡¯t, when after nearly two millennia of inactivity, the damned monster had killed all the other monsters? The Deer-Woman was twirling her hair, her smile: vexing. ¡°So, the Eldritch One killed them all? Less problems for us, then.¡± She locked gazes with the Trickster, who was smiling at her. She smiled back with a wink. Then, a rattle sounded, coming from the southernmost seat. ¡°Apologies of the sincerest nature: Ko¡¯saz-Uri has matters that need Ko¡¯saz-Uri¡¯s utmost attention,¡± Ko¡¯saz-Uri said before imploding into itself and vanishing, leaving only lingering, white smoke behind. ¡°What was that thing, again?¡± asked the Trickster. ¡°Ko¡¯saz-Uri is an old deity as old as the Old Fear,¡± The Hanged One said before turning to the Hobgoblin, ¡°What of you, Puck? Are you here under the Fairy King¡¯s call or on your own whimsy?¡± The Hobgoblin gave the Hanged One a smile and leaned back, placing his feet on the table while tilting his chair in a relaxed manner. ¡°I am here of my own accord, Oathbreaker,¡± he then moved his gaze across to the Lady of the Flow. ¡°The Beastlies will be leaving together. Have you a companion to escort you, Lady Benzaiten?¡± he gave her his most-charming smile, and she blushed behind her fan. The Hanged One stood up, slamming the base of his staff on the floor, gaining everyone¡¯s attention. His face was red, written with a furious scowl. ¡°We gathered, not for flirtations and petty dalliances! We gathered to prevent the threat that looms over us all!¡± his voice boomed all across the vastness of the Garden. The Trickster laughed. ¡°Actually, the flirtations are why I¡¯m here,¡± he gave a damning wink to the Deer-Woman, who gave him a smile of reciprocation. ¡°Lovely,¡± he muttered. The Hanged One''s eye glowed a murderous red and he gazed daggers at the Trickster. ¡°Do you think this is a farce?¡± he was huffing, angrily, and his face was filed with a growing hate. The tip of his staff was the head of a spear now, a spear that never missed its mark. The eyes of She-who-bore-the-Will-of-His-Grace lit up and she stood, her open mouth glowing as her eyes did. ¡°Ragnar?k is of no concern to Me,¡± the voice was of a young woman and an old man speaking in unison, ¡°My representative shall take her leave, now.¡± Wisps of light gathered around her and she became intangible like light, then the wisps around her dimmed, and she became corporeal again, shocking her immensely. ¡°My Lord?¡± her voice was nothing more than a whimper. The emerald spire on the table, fractured and it shattered: a great number of shards glistening like morning dew over grass. Everyone present was now alarmed. Then, a gathering of Shadows ¨C creatures that looked like small children with skin the color of obsidian and eyes the size of small moons ¨C skittered along the steps, and a tall man appeared. The Shadows lined upon both sides, a dignified aura around them, two flanks of humble creatures presenting their master. The hearts of the beings around the table sank, and The Hanged One''s mouth could only sputter, ¡°T-The Eldritch One!¡± The tall man smiled at them all, an all too human smile, that hid something far more sinister, more insidious than anything a god could ever claim, as something he crafted with his hands, and with steps that seemed to shake the very heavens, he placed his feet on the groove. The whole floor shimmered and even the flowers bathed in its wondrous glow, a one-dimensional aurora that flowed like the churning waves of an iridescent ocean harassed by thunderous gales. "Hello," said the tall man with a grin, there was no malice in his voice, only a bewildering kindness. ¡°I''m bit saddened, to inform you...¡± he walked closer, ¡°that I am not the Eldritch One. Do not be so crass as to elevate my status to that of our esteemed Father¡­ he was a bit disappointed, though, that you did not invite him but we wanted to see him smile, you see. It has been a very stressful year for him. So, we thought, we¡¯ll invite ourselves, and tell him what happened! I hope none of you oppose, I mean you do have an empty chair ¨C two empty chairs, in fact. How could little, old me make a difference? Worry not about my brothers, they hate sitting on chairs anyway.¡± He then looked at The Hanged One with a pleading face. "What do you want?" the Hanged One stood resolute, he was a King of Warriors, he gave an eye for knowledge and he sacrificed himself to himself. How could he be afraid of this tall man who wasn¡¯t even the Eldritch One? The tall man just chuckled at the Hanged One''s valor, ¡°Firstly, I am Adego, eldest of the Shadows¡ª¡± he was lunged upon by a woman with rays of light for wings. She-who-bore-the-Will-of-His-Grace had become afraid not because of the tall man''s presence ¨C his presence was of no concern to her ¨C but because she could not hear His Voice anymore and that was the most frightening for her and with that fear comes despair and desperation. She could not handle it, the tall man had shut His Voice out and thus, he had to die. So, she flew towards him, a comet across the sky but she was thrown away back into her seat, unconscious. The Trickster stood up, a finger pointing to the tall man. ¡°You would hurt a young maiden, Adego? My forebears speak of your honor and kindness but the Norsemen tell tales of your savagery and arrogance. It seems that my forebears were deceived, the Norsemen spoke truth.¡± He lowered his hand down, the look of disgust, obvious on his face. ¡°You must make observations first, before you can claim a conclusion, Kwaku,¡± the tall man named Adego pointed downwards ¨C where a large Shadow was standing, it had blue, misty eyes and was covered in black, shiny fur. ¡°I suppose Librarians must have their own favorite stories. I apologize, I may have presumed otherwise.¡± He clapped his hands ¨C the Shadow went back to its line ¨C and bowed to the Trickster The Deer-Woman looked at the Shadow, and visibly shuddered. ¡°W-Why did you bring a Feral Shadow here? It will destroy this place!" she wrapped her arms around herself, ¡°you intend to kill us all. I should not have come here. I should have listened to Coyote¡¯s warnings,¡± she was breathing, heavily, and then looked to the other Shadows, flanking him. ¡°T-They''re all feral!¡± and she fainted. Adego seemed amused by the intensity of the Deer-Woman''s reaction. He spoke to the Shadows in their tongue and they left one by one, with annoyed grunting. ¡°Perhaps, their absence might calm all of you down,¡± he waved to the floor, and a seat emerged from the ground. ¡°Now, let us discuss our futures, dear children.¡± He sat down and all those standing did as well, they could not argue back. - - - - - Chapter 2.1 (The Start of Trouble) - - - 2.1 - - - It was 7:00 pm now. The twins and Kidlat were soundly asleep and I had finished what I was doing. So I went out of the room and walked to the railings and looked up to the sky ¨C the sun was low, and the sky was beginning to darken ¨C I looked down to where the courtyard was. It was beautiful, looking more closely, I could see butterflies flying all over the garden. On each corner of the courtyard, large trees grew ¨C I didn''t know what species but it had peculiarly-shaped leaves. I might need to ask Shura about requisitioning ingredients in the garden. ¡°I see you like the garden, too,¡± a sweet voice chimed in from behind me, prompting me to turn around and see an angel. ¡°Hello, I¡¯ve never seen you here before, but I''m Manami Yukimura. And you?¡± Her black hair was tied in a high ponytail, her dark-brown eyes seemed to stare through my very soul ¨C I¡¯m a bit of a romantic, apparently ¨C and she had this most alluring smile. Her white skin was glistening under the light of the descending sun. The pink Harrington jacket she wore hugged the contours of her body¡ª ¡°New student, enrolled just recently,¡± A smooth voice snapped me out of my trance. ¡°Juan Xavier Lee¡­ seeming to suffer from memory loss,¡± Shura was looking at me with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m not an amnesiac,¡± I shouted at him, then I nodded to Manami, ¡°Y-Yes... that''s, um, me¡­ Juan Xavier Lee.¡± I¡¯m the epitome of smooth, right now. I bet I looked like an idiot just staring at her. How long was I staring at her? And now that I see it: she''s half-a-head shorter than me which only added to her cuteness. Manami giggled. ¡°Well, if you''re not suffering from memory loss anymore,¡± she held my hands, bringing them to her breast-level and stared at me with lovely, round eyes, ¡°you gotta go to the Viscount''s Trump this evening, it''s gonna be great!¡± she then released my hands and took off, but not before giving me and Shura, a wave and a mesmerizing smile. I felt a Grinch''s smile creep onto my face. I could still feel her hands touching mine. I think I''m becoming a pervert, or something, because I didn¡¯t want to wash these hands. I turned to Shura, a profound smile on my face. ¡°Who was that?¡± A stupid question leaked out of my love-struck mouth He stared at me with that blank look of his. ¡°I believe, she made introductions,¡± he shrugged and his face seemed to relax, ¡°to answer your question: Manami Yukimura ¨C as she said, before. Japanese Designate, moniker: Ken-no-Miko. Eighteen. Witch ¨C Third Level, Clypeus-Aspirant. Secretary of the Garden Society, rumors abound that they¡¯re recruiting new members. Cited as one of the top beauties of the school ¨C tentative ranking: third place.¡± I glared at him. ¡°You know her or something?¡± It''s kind of weird that he''d have detailed information like that. ¡°She¡¯s a Godborn? Designate? Clypeus-Aspirant? Witch? Are you saying she''s an evil seductress? Tentative ranking: third place? Do you have that kind of information on me? When and where are they recruiting? And why are you even here?¡± I needed to know certain things to satisfy my desire for knowledge... yes, knowledge. ¡°Questions¡­ questions,¡± Shura let out a soft yawn, "Yes, we are acquainted. Yes, she is Godborn. Typically, a country¡¯s most-promising magus. Apprentice-magi that seek to enlist in the Court of Peers. A practitioner of witchcraft. No. Tentative, because polls were stopped due to tampered votes. And no but I will, after a few days or so. Next week: Tuesday at 4:00 in the afternoon, the Viscount''s Trump''s parking lot ¨C suggestion: arrive early¡­ about a quarter till 3:00, place will be crowded by 3:30 ¨C and I came to inform you, that I was reassigned as your temporary Mentor-magus," he turned his head to the sky and looked back at me, "we¡¯re going to the Trump now. ¡®tis only a few minutes by walking." And he started walking. Sighing deeply, I resigned myself and followed him. While walking, I looked around the building, it was mostly made of wood but the floors felt like marble. "So, can you tell me what your relationship was with, um, Signy?" I might as well ask questions. Mental note: Tuesday. Before 3:00 in the afternoon. The Viscount''s Trump. Wait, Manami¡¯s a Godborn? Damn. It looks like I¡¯m way out of my league. I wonder what she was doing in the dormitory. Where was the Rider¡¯s Wait, anyway? She must¡¯ve been tending the garden, or something. She¡¯s so sweet. He groaned. ¡°Listening to people is not your strong suit, isn¡¯t it?¡± he said without looking back, ¡°She is, as she said, she was: a colleague of mine.¡± I furrowed my brows. ¡°A colleague in what, then?¡± I get the feeling that he was forced to not say anything more than that, which only piqued my interest more. Perhaps, they¡¯re intimately involved, and if so, lucky him, but I doubted that. I mean sure, he had a face ¨C I mean everyone has that ¨C but, come on! ¡°I feel a strong negativity in your idleness,¡± Shura yawned, ¡°let us just say that¡­ the fact of the matter will reveal itself, soon.¡± Why not just tell me that now, though? I wanted to ask, but refrained, because I believed he¡¯d just insult me or say something that was subtly an insult. And that hurts. Shura was right, the Trump, was just a few minutes away. The Viscount¡¯s Trump was a small caf¨¦ with the usual modern style: white walls, plastic tables, white sofas, large glass panels, white furniture, etc. but the paintings that hung on the walls were, apparently, based on the Major Arcana of a tarot deck. It looked like the place only had five or six people, must be a slow night or it was just too early. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. I took a seat ¨C one of those long, bar-stool kinds ¨C, by the counter, because Shura said so. On the wall, behind the counter, there was a mana-screen ¨C so huge, you might mistake it as the wall. It was currently showing a commercial about the new mana-phone that was coming, a pointless gadget from my perspective. Sitting on my right side was not Shura, but a young lady, who coincidentally turned her head, meeting my gaze, she smiled and I smiled back. ¡°Um, name¡¯s Xavier,¡± I gave her my most-accommodating grin. I took a good look at her and she was beautiful. She had the features of a curvaceous Mediterranean native, slightly-tanned, white skin and golden-brown hair done in a fishtail braid that flowed over her large breasts ¨C a wonderful contrast to the slim, flat-chested Manami. They were drawing me in. ¡°Hi, I''m Althea Kokinos,¡± a lovely soprano tickled my ears, breaking the spell that had a savage hold on my being. I regained my senses, snapping out my daze, and saw the short pretty woman, left arm outstretched towards me. I shook it. ¡°Juan Xavier Lee.¡± Wait. Didn¡¯t I just introduce myself? I thought while driving thoughts of lowering my gaze to her chest, away. I swear my eyeballs were metal and her breasts were magnetic. Then with reluctance, I pulled away my hand and noticed that she was giggling. Well, I made an ass of myself. ¡°Thea,¡± a bored voice sounded. It was Shura standing behind Althea Kokinos, forcing her to turn around. Where¡¯d he come from? And where¡¯d he go? ¡°It seems you have met the new student.¡± He yawned, contorting his face a bit, but not too much to make it noticeable. Thea looked at me with sparkling eyes, then back to Shura. ¡°Are you going to make him work here?¡± she asked Shura, ¡°I mean, it might be good for the Trump, um, to have new eye-can¡ªfresh faces, right? Yes, that¡­ new faces that¡¯s what the Trump needs.¡± She was looking at Shura with puppy-dog eyes. Shura sighed. ¡°That depends on him¡­¡± he looked at me. ¡°You needed money, right? The Trump has an opening, but first¡­¡± he walked closer, started writing on the air, and stabbed his forefinger on my forehead. Then, information in the form of a Word Document came rushing through my head. ¡°Althea Kokinos. Greek Designate, moniker: Autokrateira Mitera. Nineteen. Sorcerer ¨C Fourth Level, Clypeus-Aspirant. Treasurer of the Circle of Arcane Knowledge. Revered as Mother Aphrodite ¨C don''t misunderstand, epithet is because of her beauty, not because of promiscuity, which, for I have known her for many years, is non-existent.¡± I swear, the words felt cold, even though I was just reading it, sending shivers down my spine. "Tentative ranking: second place.¡± ¡°Shurie!¡± Thea was standing now ¨C whoa! She¡¯s a head shorter than me ¨C and started banging Shura¡¯s chest. ¡°You used an information rune again! I don¡¯t want him knowing about me through that. I mean, he seems pretty decent!¡± Shura looked at me and if you looked very closely, you could see his left eyebrow rose very slightly, and then he looked back at Thea. ¡°Your acquaintanceship was just very recently confirmed. How could you possibly decide that he is as you think he is?¡± Is it just me or did he forget that I was only two feet away from them? ¡°B-But¡­¡± Thea looked to be pouting, pleading with Shura. ¡°H-He¡¯s not a wolf! At best, he¡¯s a puppy¡­¡± Well that struck a great blow in my self-confidence. I¡¯m glad she thinks I¡¯m not a horn-dog, but the alternative isn¡¯t really that¡­ good. ¡°Pups become wolves,¡± Shura said, ¡°and besides, gentlemen are just very, very patient wolves.¡± What does that make you then? I thought their argument was finished, but Thea wouldn¡¯t back down. What an angel! Wait, why am I here, again? ¡°You¡¯re just quoting Lana Turner and if he¡¯s a wolf with great patience, what does that make you then?¡± she asked. It seems we had the same question. ¡°A lapsed wolf,¡± he answered. Okay, I don¡¯t care anymore. I turned to the left side of my chair, and saw a grumpy-looking, young man who looked to be my age, and very huge ¨C he was a half-a-head taller than me while we¡¯re sitting! He was watching the mana-screen, very intently. I looked at the mana-screen, too. It was now showing a school-sponsored duel. It must be held at the Field of Battle. ¡°So, um¡­¡± I said to the grumpy-looking, young man, ¡°who¡¯s, uh, fighting?¡± Why¡¯d I even strike up a conversation with him, anyway? ¡°I¡¯m nothing like Yahya!¡± I heard Shura shout. Well, what amounted to a shout for him, really. It sounded more like a static recording that had its volume raised by a level. The grumpy-looking man glared at me, blue eyes almost covered by his sandy-blond hair. Is this where I get a fist to my face? ¡°Liv Johanna Falk and Alina Sultan,¡± he said¡ªgrunted, really. I was almost disappointed that I didn¡¯t get a fist to the face¡ªwait, what? - - - - - Chapter 2.2 (The Start of Trouble) - - - 2.2 - - - Seeing as I got nothing better to do, I watched the mana-screen too. It was a close-up of the two combatants: a tall black-haired Middle Eastern woman ¨C wearing a white halterneck dress with green trim and cuts on both sides of the skirt that ran from the base to a few inches below her waist, revealing chocolate skin, mostly covered by black, wide-rimmed thigh boots ¨C was hurling balls of light at a blonde-haired Northern European woman ¨C wearing a black leather suit and coat similar to the one Kate Beckinsale wore in the Underworld films ¨C who was defending herself with a simple, black staff,. The both of them were a good distance away from each other and up above, was a glaring ball of light powered by mana, maybe. They were both, very sexy in their attire. I wouldn¡¯t mind being beaten by them¡ªreally? What is going on with me? Where was Manami, anyway? ¡°This is a very boring match. The Egyptian is Alina and the Icelander¡¯s Liv,¡± Shura said from beside me, ¡°I¡¯ll give you their information, later.¡± I looked at him, he was looking at the match, intently too, and so was Thea. At least they¡¯ve stopped arguing. I stared back at the match. It looked like the crowd was very bored and so were the commentators. The grump grunted from beside, as if agreeing to Shura¡¯s sentiment. I stared at Shura for a moment. He was tracing something on the air with his finger while the combatants were still doing what they were doing."What''re you doing?" I couldn''t help but be curious. Rune-making is a very hard thing to do, and here he is just fiddling in the air with it. ¡°You¡¯re going to help them, Shurie?¡± asked Thea. Now, I want to know what he¡¯s doing. How can he even help them from here? ¡°Aren¡¯t you abusing your powers as President of Duel Committee, again?¡± Shura''s a president of something? ¡°Don¡¯t really care.¡± He stopped his finger and the trace he made was replaced by a glowing version of it, sticking neatly on the counter-table. He then muttered some words ¨C perhaps they were Latin or maybe I just think that all languages are derived from Latin and thus, everything sounds Latin to me ¨C and small wispy streams of blue glowing light went flying in all directions. ¡°Made a Wave-Amplification rune and I just requested some spirits to hack into the PA system.¡± He turned, a brief Grinch¡¯s smile on his face. It creeped me out, then he looked back to the fight. Numerous runes were now hovering around him, flickering like broken light-bulbs. ¡°Is this a duel or a spar?¡± Shura''s voice was booming throughout the Arena. Is this legal? Hearing Shura¡¯s voice, I could see on the mana-screen that the girls had a slight smile and picked up their pace. ¡°Oh! Folks, looks like Vordi-ur-Amrasa has seen fit to make this match, a bit more exciting,¡± the male commentator said from the mana-screen, causing the crown to go wild. Was Shura, perhaps, someone famous? Alina made a sideward sprint while simultaneously, making larger balls of light trail after her very step. With each successive step the preceding ball of light hurled itself towards Liv with astonishing speed, much faster than before, exciting the crowd. ¡°What fast incantations, to conjure those many light-orbs,¡± the female commentator remarked, ¡°Those must really be eating her mana-cap.¡± ¡°Be a propeller, Liv!¡± Shura''s voice bellowed from the large speakers hanging overhead the Arena, ¡°and be careful of Alina''s traps. You always fall for those.¡± From the mana-screen, Alina was looking directly at the camera and flipped the bird at its direction while running around, leaving hostile balls of light in her wake. Now, I may not know the exact nature of their relationship but I can guarantee that I knew who the intended target of that gesture was. Liv did what Shura said and spun her staff in front of herself while slowly angling her upper body, to catch the incoming missiles like the blades of a rotating fan meeting a thrown tennis ball but with less damage to the fan ¨C or at least that''s what it looks like to me ¨C and when the balls made contact with her staff, they exploded into harmless sparks. Alina¡¯s mutterings could be heard from the mana-screen, and she spread her arms wide and on her palms: light quickly gathered, forming a sword on both of her hands. I could tell the light-swords turned solid because she was holding them now, even twirling them like rotors. The swords were weirdly-shaped, it looked like a very distorted question mark, or a hook, or a sickle. It looked awesome though, and I wanted one... or two, because it would look more bad-ass. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. I snapped out of my fantasies, when I saw Liv leap like a cat towards Alina, her staff prepared for an overhead swing as if chopping a log but Alina blocked it with her two swords. They were now having a bout of strength with Liv having the pressing advantage while Alina knelt on one knee, slowly losing ground. ¡°It looks like Badi'' al-Zaman is having a hard time! It appears that Freyjasdottir¡¯s staff has been enchanted with some pretty intense runes,¡± said the mana-screen in a male voice. Alina then had light gather around her arms, making her skin glow a glimmering yellow. She pulled her blades like someone opening an elevator with their bare hands, and Liv''s staff was torn apart. ¡°Wonder who made those enchantments,¡± the mana-screen said but this time with a female voice, ¡°because, he¡¯ll be enchanting another one again!¡± Liv retreated and in her hands, an identical staff materialized. She was holding the staff with one hand, just above the base, like it was a sword instead of a staff. Her free-hand was moving in a small, circular path, kind of like, she was wiping a window, and then her free-hand glowed purple. ¡°Low-intensity stun spell?¡± Thea asked, and Shura nodded. Alina stood still, and then with a devilish grin made a ¡®come at me¡¯ gesture with her hand, while holding the blade, which I remember was a khopesh. Liv threw a purple ball at Alina and dashed forward, following it. The Egyptian''s feet glowed and she leapt back, then threw her swords to the approaching stun-ball, destroying it, and waved her hands around, balls of light surrounded her as swirls of light formed above her, converging into the form of a levitating sword. Seeing this as a chance, Liv ran faster, both hands now dragging the base of her staff, trailing blue mana-sparks, ready for a swing. ¡°Oh, it looks like Freyjasdottir didn¡¯t see the trap,¡± a commentator remarked, but his voice was barely audible among the shouts of the audience. Maybe she couldn''t hear, or the momentum she was building up was too invigorating for her to stop and listen to the comments of spectators, but when she closed the distance, just a third away, the moment her foot stepped on the floor ¨C the approximate spot that Alina stood just a moment before she leapt away ¨C, it glowed and went boom: catapulting the Icelander away before she stomped her feet on the ground, halting her from being hurled away any further. She regained her balance, dusting the dirt off her clothes and saw that the distance between them was now twice as far as it was before she ran forward. Staff dangling in her left hand, she palmed her face. ¡°Liv¡¯s done for,¡± said the grumpy-looking, young man from beside me. He spoke in a posh English accent that was unlike English accents in most films that had non-Englishmen portraying Englishmen. On the mana-screen, Alina grinned, the blade of light now half the size of the fighting grounds. The sword was floating above her, parallel to the ground, and with a raise of her hand, it lifted itself. Alina looked at the camera¡¯s direction and from her screen: she winked and brought her hand down. The sword swung downwards, a seemingly earth-shattering strike. Shura waved his hand and the runes disappeared into particles. Presumably, his voice wasn''t connected to the PA, anymore. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Well, folks, it¡¯s Badi al-Zaman¡¯s eight consecutive win, and Freyjasdottir¡¯s first loss. I don''t know about you, Lily, but I''m looking forward to next Friday¡¯s match, between: Dom do Mundo and Roimh an Gaoithe!¡± On the grounds, the sword had done its part and vanished, leaving the other side of the grounds covered in smoke while pieces of floor and wall and fiber-glass lay scattered all over. Fortunately, the barrier spell that was around the dueling grounds shielded the audience from the destruction. I turned to Shura, a worried look on my face. ¡°Is, um, the blonde¡ªLiv going to be alright?¡± I asked him, he nodded. If I was hit by that I¡¯d be dead, already... or not, I seem to have a knack getting in mortal danger. I looked at the mana-screen, the smoke had cleared and Alina was helping Liv up while the crowd was chanting their names. That was a magical battle, huh? Wonder how I¡¯ll survive. - - - - - Chapter 2.3 (The Start of Trouble) - - - 2.3 - - - The mana-screen was now showing a commercial about the movie, Glamour: A Love Story. ¡°Are there always matches in the Friday nights?¡± I asked Shura, who was now behind the counter, checking the contents of the register. Thea had told me that this guy was the owner of the Trump, which I found very dubious. ¡°This month¡¯s the 317th Annual Scholomance Student Tourney. Only university students can enter the tourney, itself, though,¡± it wasn¡¯t Shura who answered but the grumpy-looking, young man beside me. ¡°The name¡¯s Isaiah Alistair Croft. Call me Isa, if you want.¡± He had a glass of amber liquid in front of him. ¡°Don¡¯t bother introducing yourself. I heard your name from Thea.¡± ¡°Um, okay.¡± I looked down at the counter¡¯s surface. I felt someone ruffling my hair, I looked up, and it was Thea. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Savvy¡­¡± she said, ¡°Isa¡¯s just being an ass because Rai left him alone, to have a date with his girlfriend.¡± Her hand felt soft atop my head. I could have her do this for eternity¡ªI have to stop thinking about stuff like this. ¡°He¡¯s not! He told me, he was¡­¡± Isaiah hesitated for a bit, ¡°Rai¡¯s just on a quest! And she¡¯s not his girlfriend. They¡¯re¡­ just very close friends. In fact, I¡¯m the one that she¡¯s in love with, not Rai.¡± Thea was now back in her seat, and she stuck her tongue out at Isaiah, who mouthed a curse at her, and went back to drinking what was inside his glass. ¡°You hungry, Savvy? I bet you are,¡± she said and she was right, and what is with the Savvy nickname? I was a bit hungry, so I decided to say yes, and to my surprise, Signy was the head-cook of this establishment. She still looked very pissed ¨C must be the result of working under Shura. I was now having second thoughts in accepting his job offer. ¡°Why¡¯d you bring me here, anyway?¡± I asked Shura, who just came back from the kitchen with food in his hands, I assumed it was for me. Shura placed a plate of food ¨C fried fish and some sort of greens ¨C and a small bowl of chicken soup, each, in front of Isa, me, and Thea. ¡°Things needed to be clarified, regarding your place in the Olden Academy of Scholomance for Higher Magical Learning. Don¡¯t worry, ''tis nothing much to be afeard about,¡± he said before disappearing back into the kitchen, again. ¡°I feel my death approaching, again,¡± I said. Thea laughed, almost choking on her soup. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not going¡­ to die¡­¡± she tried saying between giggled coughing. She coughed, again. It seemed to be the last one. ¡°Not yet, anyway,¡± she laughed after saying that. I let out a breath of exasperation, and looked at Isa. He was busy eating with his right hand, while fiddling with his mana-phone on the other. Perhaps, he was busy trying to get a hold of this Rai fellow. He looks very attached, obsessive even. Thea abruptly stood up, seeming to leap off her chair. ¡°Mana! Ali! Liv!¡± she shouted, went over to the door, and then I turned around, curious to what the commotion was. Three very beautiful girls had just entered the Trump, followed by a horde of other people. ¡°Thea!¡± all three girls shouted, and they hugged Thea at the same time. A weird thought occurred to me: if they hugged each other, hard enough, their internal energies might converge, forcing them to fuse together. Whether they create a higher, super-attractive class of woman, or they become a grotesque mass of flesh with three heads, would be interesting¡ªseriously, what the hell is going on in my head? While pondering what was happening to me, a hand was shaking my shoulder, I turned around with my seat ¨C apparently, it was one of those revolving stool-chairs ¨C, it was Manami, and she had a very hypnotizing smile, either that or I¡¯m just very desperate. It would be sad if it was the latter. ¡°Um, hi, Manami¡­¡± I said, verily smooth, if I say so myself. Absent-mindedly, I was sweating from the glares of the male members of the horde. I glanced at what was my right now, and saw Isa rolling his eyes at me, before resuming to his phone-tapping. I looked back to Manami¡¯s direction, I smiled, a very crooked one. ¡°You actually came!¡± she said¡ªwait, what? She was joking? ¡°I mean, I thought you weren¡¯t going to show up¡­¡± she gave me a smile of assurance, ¡°you were with Shura, you see, and he doesn¡¯t like me inviting people to the Trump¡­ says it¡¯s bad for business.¡± She bit her lip, as if saying she was sorry and hoped that I would forgive her. Why that Shura! I¡¯ll be having a talk with him, later. Is what I would like to have said, but I¡¯m pretty sure, he has his reasons. There were at least a hundred people outside, and the Trump could only fit in so much. It must be why I was glared at: me inside, them not. I was starting to sweat now, scratching my ear. ¡°So, um¡­¡± Apparently So¡¯s and Um¡¯s were my stock words when conversing with Manami. ¡°Why, um, did you invite me to the Trump?¡± I asked rather timidly, hoping she¡¯d say she wanted to know me better. God or gods, I¡¯m pathetic or is this just normal? I hope it¡¯s normal. ¡°She¡¯s recruiting,¡± a bored voice came from behind me, behind the counter. I turned my head around and there, Shura stood. ¡°Were my warnings about unneeded invitations, unheeded?¡± Manami smiled, and I felt cold for some reason. I didn¡¯t notice but two girls ¨C who where Alina Sultan and Liv Falk ¨C were flanking her sides, hands on their hips while Manami crossed her arms. ¡°If I remember, you said you weren¡¯t going to let them in, but they¡¯re outside, so no harm done,¡± she said and I swear, I could see mist coming out every time a word came out of her lips¡ªwait, why was I looking at her lips, anyway? Though, they did look delicious¡­ I was now sweating bullets, because of the fact that I was between a rock and a hard place. Isn¡¯t there a more civil way of doing this? Why are they doing this, anyway? I could now feel their mana pressuring the very building, the lights were now flickering, instantaneously, as to be unnoticeable, slight shaking could be felt, and the crowd outside was getting jittery, whispering things to each other. I moved my eyes around, Isaiah wasn¡¯t any bit bothered and was still on his phone, Thea was sitting beside me now and chatting with Signy over the counter, and the two girls flanking Manami looked to be very bored. I pivoted my chair, I was now parallel to the counter, then I retreated to Thea¡¯s side, and from the corner of my eyes: I could see Shura with a blank face and a hand scratching his chin, while Manami was practically forming attack spells with her glaring. ¡°Discussions shall commence in a more private space,¡± Shura spoke up, easing the tension, slightly. He started tracing a large rune that enveloped all of us. Why am I dragged along? I felt dizzy and so desperately wanted to find an artificial orifice that I might release parts of me into. I shook my head, trying to calm my stomach. We found ourselves seated around a large round table in a small black-bricked room with a very high ceiling, dimly-lit too. Murals of grand entities at war with each other surrounded us. On the table¡¯s surface was a mosaic of an immensely large tree, its roots over a sleeping dragon and on its leaves, a giant eagle roosting. I was seated across Isaiah, Liv and Alina sitting beside him, while beside me was Signy to my right and Thea to my left. Between Liv and Signy was Shura and across him, sitting between Thea and Alina was Manami. They were both facing each other. It looked like they were having a magical duel with their stares, and when I looked closely and focused on the surroundings, they were doing just that. Damn. Is Shura Godborn, too? Shura was subtly tracing runes while scratching his chin and Manami was smiling but through some kind of ventriloquism, she was summoning spirits as normally as a witch could, except without the chanting. The spirits that Manami summoned must have been very powerful, because they were visible and looked to be capable of more complex tasks, judging from the mana-veins pulsating on them. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Um¡­ they¡¯re kind of, uh, pressuring the whole place with their mana,¡± I said to no-one in particular¡ªokay, maybe to Signy or Thea. ¡°Aren¡¯t you two going to do anything?¡± I saw the both shake their heads. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a Godborn, too, Thea? Surely, this is nothing to you?¡± I took a peek in front of me, Isaiah and the other two girls were talking, indifferent to the tension. Signy, who had her upper body sprawled over the table¡¯s surface, decided to answer for her: ¡°Godborn don¡¯t interfere with each other, except for Tourneys and such¡­¡± Signy took a peek at Shura, and rolled her eyes. ¡°Besides, this is normal Friday nights for th¡ª¡± Then, a small spark of light exploded on her face, startling her into standing up. ¡°Apologies,¡± Shura said. Signy¡¯s golden hair was now a fiery red. Fiery as in¡­ it was on fire. ¡°APOLOGIES MY ASS,¡± Signy shouted at him, a fireball forming in her hand. It must be a quirk of magic that it did not emit any heat, perhaps the fire activates on impact? Then again, how did she do that without casting a spell or making a rune? Shura calmly took a glance at Signy and with his right thumb still cupping his chin, made a rune that cancelled Signy¡¯s fire, angering her greatly but with reluctance, she sat back down. He looked back to Manami. ¡°So, what is it this time?¡± he asked, his face still blank. ¡°You know what we want, Polzin,¡± she replied and a cat-spirit flew across to Shura, who dodged it with a tilt of his head. ¡°The Student Council has already approved of the Trump¡¯s expansion and is even willing to pay for a substantial fraction of the needed expenses.¡± Another cat-spirit was now sitting in front of Shura. He hurled it back to Manami with a flick of his wrist. ¡°Immaterial. Possession of the Trump is mine. The Council could approve that draconic fecal matter grants immortality for all that is relevant.¡± That was actually kind of funny but then a specific part of hell broke loose, and Shura and Manami started throwing arguments at each other. ¡°What exactly is this all about?¡± I whispered to Thea. I would¡¯ve asked Signy but she was sulking. ¡°I mean, it feels really intense.¡± I looked back to the argument, Shura was throwing tiny runes at Manami¡¯s spirits while she in turn, made more ¨C there was an army of cats sitting on her side of the table, now. Thea sighed. ¡°Manami wants the Trump to be expanded, so it can accommodate more people, but mostly, this is just politics. Both of them are the Designates of their respective countries that means they represent their country¡¯s interests. You see, Scholomance has a very tight grip on their affiliate nations, meaning: the happenings inside the campus ripple outside. It¡¯s really weird, if you think about it, giving the fate of entire countries¡ªNo. The world to college students.¡± ¡°But what does that have to do with the Trump¡¯s expansion?¡± She bit her lower lip for a bit, before turning back to me. ¡°Well... have you ever watched, read or heard about Hetalia?¡± she asked, I shook my head in reply. ¡°You should, because it¡¯s a classic! Now, where were we? Uh, yes. Think of the Designates as the nations themselves. Yes, yes. I know what you¡¯re thinking what does that have to do with the Trump¡¯s expansion, correct? Just as the Designates are nations, all of the students and societies here represent organizations. Only the elite of the elite are enrolled here. That¡¯s why your enrolment here is a real shocker to me, because you don¡¯t represent anyone and add it to the fact that you have a very low mana-cap, you¡¯re a true wild card. The Trump is one such example ¨C it is sponsored by the Ordo Omni, the group that oversees all of the mage orders. Did Shura ever tell you, he¡¯s the Russian Federation¡¯s Designate?¡± ¡°No. He didn¡¯t. But wait¡­¡± I pondered on what she said for a moment. ¡°If Shura owns the Trump, that means, Russia has control over all the different mage orders in the world! And what does expanding the Trump have to do with that?¡± Is that question never going to be answered? ¡°Well¡­ Russia doesn¡¯t really have full-control. They just have more privileges concerning mage orders, and expanding the Trump would mean the formation of more mage orders. Judging from your expression, you¡¯re going to ask the same question, again. The Trump is very exclusive. It only allows entry to forty-four people ¨C representing the forty-four seats that the upper echelons of Ordo Omni and the Trump, itself, has¡­ literally. The Trump can only fit in forty-four people, but if it expands it would have to create new seats. That is what Manami, and incidentally, the Japanese Imperial Court wants. You got in because you were invited by Shura.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be beneficial to him? He does own the Trump. Wouldn¡¯t he have the power to choose who takes those seats?¡± I asked, ¡°and even if he didn¡¯t: he¡¯s still the President of the Duel Committee, which does represent something right?¡± I looked back to the arguing Designates. There was now a tide of cats on the table being blocked by an invisible wall and a humming sound ¨C maybe from the mana. I turned back to Thea. ¡°The selection of seats is done through the ranking system and those most likely to be chosen, if additional seats are made, are under Manami¡¯s thumb. You are right that he still has power, even if the Trump expands, because of his ties with the Duel Committee, which on a larger scale is the United Nations Security Council. Meanwhile, the Garden Society that Manami is a part of is the Grove of Druids and besides, Shura just hates the paperwork associated with such things and he doesn¡¯t really care about the politics, that¡¯s why the world still has nations, not a nation.¡± Damn. Shura¡¯s kind of a good guy, huh? I nodded, gave my thanks for the information, and went back to looking at the argument that was still in play. They had calmed down now, I guessed from the absence of cats and humming noises. Across, Isaiah was back on his phone, while Live was staring at Shura ¨C a bit too intently for a girl to be staring at Shura ¨C and Alina was taking a nap on the table. Shura breathed in through closed teeth and sighed. ¡°Look¡­ an expansion of ten chairs is the sole offer that I shall give, and be appreciative that I even considered your proposal for a pointless power struggle.¡± In front of him, on the table, were a stack of documents. He was now tracing something on the first sheet of paper. He made the documents, too? I don¡¯t envy him. ¡°I-I haven¡¯t even accepted your offer! Don¡¯t go and start making the contracts,¡± Manami said. Her face was furiously red. I felt that she wanted, very badly, to summon another spirit but, fortunately, she refrained from doing so. Probably because this is the best outcome, she¡¯ll get. ¡°Very well¡­ I accept your offer!¡± she acted like she wasn¡¯t the one begging. She''s still pretty, though. Shura had the finished contracts float beside his head, and with a casual gesture, the stack of papers flew to Manami¡¯s side of the table. ¡°Whether the agreement is mutual or not, is immaterial to me,¡± Shura said before snapping his fingers, a couple of times and bringing us back to the Trump. At least, I got used to the teleporting. Or not. - - - - - Chapter 2.4 (The Start of Trouble) - - - 2.4 - - - After I finished praying to the Ceramic God, I went back to the chair I was sitting on, before I was dragged to someplace as a background character. It looked like the place was getting crowded, I wonder why that is. I asked Signy, who was going back to the kitchen, and she told me that Shura had begun the popularity votes ¨C oh, so that was what he meant by tentative ranking ¨C then I asked her for something to drink. She gave me a glass ¨C of the same amber liquid that Isaiah was drinking a while ago ¨C and she left. I checked the drink, carefully. Is this alcohol? If it is, I¡¯m not drinking. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Liv. If you¡¯re not drinking, can I have that?¡± a voice asked, distinct from the din of the crowd, sultry and relaxing. I turned to its direction ¨C lately, I¡¯ve been twisting my head around. Neck really hurts, now ¨C and there stood, a lovely blonde eyeing my drink. I slowly slid the glass to her over the counter, where she grabbed it, then emptied it in one swig. ¡°Thanks for that,¡± she said, ¡°and now to annoy someone, immensely.¡± And with that proclamation, she was gone. It was then, that Signy came back and went over to me. ¡°So, how was the drink? It¡¯s the best mortal soma ever brewed in all of Europe! Rivaling that of Odin¡¯s meads¡­ tastes like eternity, eh?¡± she asked proudly with her most-beaming smile, which turned into a frown after she saw my plastic grin. ¡°You didn¡¯t drink it, did you? You just poured it into something, right?¡± she sighed. ¡°Actually¡­¡± I scratched the back of my neck, trying to avoid eye contact. ¡°Someone else drank it¡­¡± I shuddered at her glare. ¡°Uh, her name w-was Liv or something?¡± Hearing her name, Signy¡¯s eyes flew open and she dashed off to somewhere, leaving me alone. I looked up at the clock on the wall, it said: 9:42. It was getting late. I stood up from my chair, navigated through the crowds and went out the door. I looked up and the night sky was very beautiful, stars twinkling ever so far away. Then, a ringing noise sounded from my pocket, I took it out and I saw that it was a message from Shura. How¡¯d he get my phone number? And how¡¯d he get himself on my contact list? Shrugging off unneeded speculations, I read it: - -
tom: ready, 8:25. prepare paraphernalia¡­ make sure twins nd dog r ready 4 there classes. PS: maledictions pon your sleep 4 gving Liv soma!!! relax mind.
- - Wonder what Liv did. And Maledictions? Paraphernalia? Who uses those words in a text message? I slipped the phone back in to my pocket and headed to my dorm, following the path that I and Shura took before. It was so very serene, eerie even ¨C if not for the dancing night-fairies and the singing pixies in the gardens. I even sighted a sleeping spriggan under a mango tree. If this was the wilds and they were feral, they¡¯d be indiscriminately hunted for their wings and ashes, but it seems like that life should be distanced from now on ¨C though, I never killed anything that didn¡¯t attack me. Out in witch-towns or in more remote areas, monster-hunting is a praised profession because¡­ well, humans are kind of racist but in areas where such creatures are intelligent enough for ¡®human¡¯ interaction, such views are seen as ignorant and uncivilized. I continued walking on the path, but I noticed that this wasn¡¯t even vaguely the way back to the dorm. Instead I was led to a large pond that looked like the ones that Claude Monet painted during the last years of his life ¨C I remembered reading it on Wikipedia¡­ that¡¯s where I learnt most everything I know, really. It was very handy and could just be accessed through the internet. Well, enough about that. At the edge of the pond, lying on the sand was a person. She was, maybe, sleeping or gazing at the stars with her eyes closed whilst snoring. I shrugged and turned around and walked back to the path I came from. After a few loops of getting lost and making my way back, I finally reached the dorm. It was quiet ¨C must be because most of the students are at the Trump. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. I pressed my hand on the sensor, opening the door to my room. In front of me was an iridescent ball of light. Curiously, I touched it and a sudden surge of information flowed through my mind. The sudden influx made me dizzy, but not enough for a prayer to the Ceramic God. ¡°Isaiah Alistair Croft. English Designate, moniker: Imperator Sub Caelo. Twenty. Warlock ¨C Third Level, Gladius-Aspirant. Vice-Captain of the Basketball Club. Called the Imperial ¨C personal assessment: classified ¨C tentative ranking: second place.¡± Warlock must be a male witch or something¡­ Gladius? This school has a Basketball Club? There¡¯s a ranking for male students, too? Well, gender equality and all that. ¡°Alina Sultan. Egyptian Designate: Badi¡¯ al-Zaman. Twenty. Sorceress ¨C Fourth Level, Clypeus-Aspirant. President of the Garden Society. Regarded as the seductive Older Sister of the school ¨C what that defines is immaterial to me.¡± President? Garden Society? She must be a friend of Manami¡¯s. And¡­ seductive Older Sister? That¡¯s weird ¨C maybe she¡¯s like those sexy onee-san types you find in anime, manga and light novels. ¡°Liv Johanna Falk. Icelandic Designate, moniker: Freyjasdottir. Eighteen. Witch ¨C Third Level, Telum-Aspirant. Vice-President of the Garden Society. Nicknamed the Virgin Demoness ¨C again, implication is immaterial.¡± Garden Society, too? Explains why they were accompanying her, I guess. V-Virgin Demoness? What the hell. results of rankings: - -
Popularity Ranking (female)
Name#
Victoria Teagan1st
Althea Kokinos2nd
Manami Yukimura3rd
Brielle Eaton4th
Liv Johanna Falk5th
Signy Sorskygge6th
Alina Sultan7th
Nahal Avakian8th
Summer Lee9th
Rachel Uy Santiago10th
polls done on August XX, 2XXX
- -
Popularity Ranking (male)
Name#
Amadeus Firmin Voclain1st
Isaiah Alistair Croft2nd
Raimundo Serafim3rd
Sjang Aveskamp4th
Zhou Jun Ma5th
Arnulf Dreschner6th
Jarl Achim Horn7th
Marshall Banner8th
Czeslaw Wronski-Sienkiewicz9th
Maleko Hekili10th
polls done on August XX, 2XXX
- - I don¡¯t really care about the rankings, but Signy placed 6th? Good for her, and this Victoria Teagan ¨C she¡¯s higher ranked than Manami or Althea? I wonder what she looks like¡­ I shook my head, driving thoughts of speculation away. With wobbly steps, I closed the door, went to my cabinet, took the suitcase, propped it beside the bed and I fell asleep on the floor. - - - - - Chapter 2.45 (The Start of Trouble) - - - 2.45 - - - In the old lands of Europe, there was a forest - a forest of dead trees, where Shadows dwell. Several wisps of mist twirled and turned, and below them: an old worn-out, dirt path went barely noticeable under overgrown foliage. Bands of Shadows rushed over the dirt, leaving impressions of small feet on its surface. They stopped when they felt the darkness around them come to life. A mass of shadows converged at the end of a dirt path that led to the forest. The shadows split in two figures: one was a tall man who held an air of calmness about him and the other was an even taller man who had his face covered by a mask made in the shape of a dragon''s image. "Adego," the taller man called out to the tall man, "tell your siblings that they might gather at the Halls." Adego nodded to his Father, then he faced the Shadows that stood in awe at their presence, and in the old tongue of Night, he spoke: "Greetings, brethren," he bowed to them, "Father demands our presence in the Beginning Place..." All the Shadows nodded their little heads, and each of them vanished into puffs of smoke. "It is done, Father," Adego bowed to his Father. The taller man nodded, although a bit annoyed that Adego relayed his request as a demand. Flanking the forest-entrance were two monoliths, both inscribed with ancient runes that had long since been forgotten by mortal-folk, and several of the elderkin. The tall man waved a mark-etched hand in front of the stones, grazing them by the fingertips, and then the runes glowed, each of a different color and in the space between the large rocks, a large door - on its surface, the image of a sleeping, serpentine leviathan was carved - shimmered into existence not unlike a desert wind dispelling a mirage. The taller man pushed the wooden door gently forward, opening it. He walked inside with Adego following behind. What lay behind the door was a stone table and behind the stone table, a young, pretty man and behind the young, pretty man, a stout, long-bearded dwarf. The room they were in was a vast and large space - vast and large enough as to be considered empty, even if a thousand giants were to inhabit the place. The taller man walked forward, followed by his son. Their steps echoed throughout the space like the crying of dying stars. They were walking towards the stone table, and to the young, pretty man, and to the stout, long-bearded dwarf. The young, pretty man smiled as they approached, and when they were close, "Good tidings, Elder Man," he said to the taller man, then he flashed his eyes to Adego, affectionately. "Adego..." he let the name linger on his lips for a moment, afraid that he would forget it, "have you come to take me at last?" "Perhaps when an eternity has passed," Adego said, unperturbed. The young, pretty man''s smile grew wider. "At least that has the semblance of a probability," he laughed before turning to the Elder Man, his elbows now rested on the table''s surface, "what is it you seek, Elder Man?" The Elder Man drew closer, and from his sleeve, he took out an emerald shard and placing it on his palm, it hovered and spun. "Tell me, Serpent," his voice was cold, making Serpent''s spine shiver, but it was also inviting, confusing Serpent, greatly. "Where did I hide the other fragments of fair Yggdrasil''s heart?" The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Serpent''s smile curved into a frown at the mention of that name. "Where it has always been... under the graves of the First Concepts, over the well of the Norms, atop the Desolate Hills, in the Realm of Memory..." he sighed, "Shall I take it that the True Ragnar?k is coming?" "You may," Adego answered for this Father who was pondering. Serpent smiled again. "Has it been so long, Adego?" he asked, "when we were still babes, only remembered by a village or two? It is amusing that we are so old now, and we have been forgotten, even by their stories. How I used to delight when they would dance for me, sing for me, make love for me..." Adego nodded, a silent understanding. It had been very long, but he knew it was a trivial thing compared to what his Father had lost. "Perhaps," he said to Serpent, "when everything is over, and the final songs have been sung, we might meet and have a drink," he smiled to Serpent. It was an awkward thing for him to have done but he owed it to one who has existed as long as he did. "I may misunderstand what you mean by that, you know," Serpent straightened himself, crossing his arms and pouting at Adego. Adego laughed. "We shall see what it means." They smiled at each other for a few moments. "We shall take our leave now, Serpent," the Elder Man spoke, and before Serpent could reply, they had vanished as if they never were. Serpent sighed, "boo." The dwarf tugged at the hem of Serpent''s shirt, "Who was that... that thing, master? The one whose hands were marked by unknown words? The one who wore a beast''s head?" he asked, his tone fearful, "I heard no songs from it..." The dwarf was flabbergasted, no song had escaped him before, and all things had songs. Serpent laughed. He knew Erdson was referring to the Elder Man. "That is to be expected," he answered, "I know nothing of the music that dwells in his heart. It is an ancient thing from before I was even conceived." Erdson was surprised, a song that his master had no idea of? The mere thought was beyond him. "Is he even more powerful than you, master?" Serpent ruffled the dwarf''s hair. "He is several much''s with a cherry on top, older than me." He himself did not know to what extent the Elder Man''s existence was, but he theorized it was as old as the First Ones, perhaps even older. Erdson was skeptical. Perhaps his master only jests. He found it unbelievable that there was a creature that even his master was cautious of. "Age does not equate to power, master." "Yes, it usually does but in his case: it is everything," Serpent explained. Then he snapped his fingers, and the space, along with him and Erdson, broke into many particles, transferring to another point in space. Serpent knew the Elder Man''s visit would attract the annoyance of several flies that know not their place, and he was prepared as always. He could have just eliminated them, but he was old and it was tiring. And in the forest of dead trees, were Shadows dwelt, two monoliths shivered, then broke. - - - - - Chapter 2.5 (The Start of Trouble) - - - 2.5 - - - I woke up before the sun had come up as I usually do. I pushed myself off the warm floor and got up. I was out to prepare breakfast but remembered that there was no kitchen here, so I walked around the room for a bit, thinking where I would get food. I could steal from the neighbors¡­ but they¡¯ve magic¡ªI could throw poisonous mist into their room but that¡¯s terrible. I opened the window curtains, and was met by the glare of the rising sun. I winced as I adjusted my sight to the bright light, rubbing my eyes to somewhat soothe the sting, then a crowing sounded from behind me, startling me and waking the kids and Kidlat up. I looked to the noise¡¯s direction and found a rooster, double the size of normal roosters, with feathers alternating between black and white, and a tail on fire. Normally, if I saw a burning chicken, I¡¯d put the fire out and then eat it, but I knew this wasn¡¯t a normal rooster. It was an aitvaras, a type of shape-shifting y¨¡van ¨C A rank, which forced itself inside people¡¯s homes, providing either bad luck or good luck but the hassle occurs when it gets outside, because it transforms into a cockatrice, a feathered dragon. Kidlat was growling now and circling the aitvaras, sparks arcing on his back, very ready to lunge upon it with my command. I raised my hand, calming him down but not his lightning. I gave a wink to the twins on the bed, a signal for them to hide and they covered themselves with their blanket. I backed up slowly as the aitvaras came forward. I was without any means to defend myself. I would gladly use Kidlat¡¯s lightning but the room was too small, I couldn¡¯t guarantee that the twins wouldn¡¯t get hit. I was seriously, considering the option of punting it, hoping it would through the door, but I refrained because I was severely short in cash, and the door looked to be carved from very expensive wood. The aitvaras was a foot away from me now ¨C so close, I could just fucking kick it away ¨C and it started crowing like a broken alarm clock. Lucinda probably thought this was a sing-along for she started making noises while being on the safety of her bed, too. After making noises for what felt like an hour, which was probably closer to just a minute, the aitvaras flapped its wings, floating a few feet up, it vanished into smoke that was replaced by a tall black-haired, young man with blue eyes. Lucas upon seeing the youth, he leapt up from the bed to the floor and came running to the uninvited visitor, crashing into his leg and plopping on the floor with his butt. ¡°Kuya Shuwa!¡± he said, looking up to him with sparkling eyes. Shura smiled and helped Lucas up, then ruffled his black hair, making him giggle. Well¡­ at least, he¡¯s more animated, I guess, but Kuya? When¡¯d they get close? I looked at Shura with scrutinizing eyes, then with wide eyes, because Lucinda was running over to him, too. ¡°Kuwa Shuya!¡± she said, looking up with an eager grin. ¡°What did you do to them?¡± I abruptly stood up and shouted, pointing an accusing finger at him as he ruffled Lucinda¡¯s black hair. He got Lucas and Lucinda, both? Is this the power of magic? Shura looked at me, disinterest painted on his face. ¡°You¡¯re thinking very odd things, I take it?¡± he said, ¡°I vowed to undertake in the task of teaching them how to do magic, after their surge but for today, we¡¯ll be tackling the basics.¡± I grimaced. The surge¡­ how¡¯d the fuck did I even forget that? It¡¯s only been a day-and-a-half. ¡°About three days from now, right?¡± I asked him. He nodded. ¡°Impressive, that you can sense the mana-buildup¡­¡± his voice had a hint of slight admiration, and then his mouth opened like he¡¯d been struck with a sudden thought. ¡°Ah! That was a random quirk of the Null physiology, along with immunity to mental attacks¡­ I would be delighted to show you articles on Nulls, if you like.¡± ¡°I think that would be good¡­ and all Nulls can sense mana! Thought that depends on the individual¡¯s training and how good the target is at hiding their presence.¡± Must be why people tend to experiment on us. ¡°A Null I knew told me that, before Madame Vera, the witch of our witch-town and the reason why we¡¯re here, caught and crucified her in the village square. I just reached twelve if I recall.¡± It wasn¡¯t really the most colorful of memories. Shura gave me a shrug ¨C didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid to my brief tale. ¡°Yes. Well¡­ cafeteria for breakfast. Let us go but before that¡­¡± he gave us a sweeping gaze, ¡°a bath might be in order. A guide shall be left to escort you to the cafeteria. Ready your things, for after breakfast, we shall depart.¡± And he vanished in a puff of smoke. I narrowed my eyes at the sight but shrugged it off before I presumed more and hurting my head in the process. I then led the twins to the bathroom ¨C they were still almost-two years old, so a chaperone to the bath was still needed. Kidlat went back to sleep. In the bath, it was the usual: Lucas by the tub, waiting for me to get to him while I chased Lucinda around, trying to get her hair done, then giving the both of them a bubble bath. I only washed myself with water and shampooed my hair ¨C no soap for me. We finished and went out just as Kidlat was waking up. I dressed the twins in matching shirts and shorts, and sweaters with a star-print for good measure. Oh, my little angels. Kind of weird to have thought that¡­ Next, I wore simple pants, a shirt that says Aerosmith in it ¨C must¡¯ve been a band or something, Pre-Anabasis ¨C and worn-out sneakers. Placing some flasks and vials from the suitcase into a backpack, I went out the room, twins in hand, dog behind and stuff on my back. The guide was waiting for us by the railings, and we followed it as it moved. It seemed that most of the students here were not morning creatures because the hallways were very quiet, not even an early-morning rendezvous with significant others ¨C or do things like that just happen in my fantasies? I hope it doesn¡¯t¡­ The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Fortunately, the cafeteria was very close, a good three minutes by foot. It was rather large, too. How rich was this school, anyway? You could fit a fourth of a stadium, here. Guessing correctly, there were at most only fifteen people here, excluding the staff. The guide was still on the move, leading us to a table near the food stalls. The cafeteria was done in a way similar to food courts. Sitting by the table was Shura, eating a shawarma. He waved at us, and the guide vanished. ¡°Food is given gratis. To Kidlat, as well,¡± he informed me, and then resumed eating. I took the twins by the several food stalls, asking them what they wanted. Lucinda wanted to eat ice-cream, which I promptly refused, saddening her ¨C those eyes aren¡¯t going to work on me little missy. Lucas on the other hand, wanted cereal, so we all got cereal (with milk), except for Kidlat who somehow managed to have snagged some raw meat. I shrugged it off. We sat with the twins across each other, me across with Shura and Kidlat underneath the table, chewing on his bone. I narrowed my eyes at Shura ¨C he had somehow gotten a small pile of paper-wrapped shawarma beside him ¨C while I ate. I mumbled something, trying to get his attention. ¡°You seem to have many questions¡­¡± he said without looking up, eating another shawarma. I sighed. ¡°Good that you know. So, what first¡­?¡± I pondered it for a moment. ¡°Um¡­ why¡¯d you give me poll results?¡± It seemed very pointless and annoying. ¡°Precautions¡­¡± he said, folding an origami swan from a shawarma wrapper. He had made five similar swans, indicating he had eaten many. ¡°What?¡± I asked. ¡°You think I care about stuff like that?¡± Because I really don¡¯t. Why should I? He shrugged. ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± I sighed, shaking my head a bit. ¡°¡­then, what was that with the aitvaras?¡± That thing was so out of left field. I even thought they were extinct, on account of rumours that they were evil.¡± ¡°I did tell you to prepare at the correct time, but if you¡¯re inquiring as to how I obtained such a creature¡­ there are legends that say the devil seals them, you know¡­¡± he had now made an origami rhinoceros. How¡¯d he do that? ¡°You know what? Let¡¯s just eat.¡± And I started eating. ¡°Very well.¡± After a few minutes of silent eating - silent for me perhaps, because Lucas was asking Shura many questions and Lucinda was shouting ¨C, we went outside and immediately, Lucinda dragged Lucas by the hand to a nearby fountain with Kidlat following them, leaving Shura and me standing by the cafeteria entrance. The sky was blue, small wispy clouds, warm light on us¡­ it was going to be a good day, and it looked like people have begun to wake up. There was a slight flood of people now. ¡°So, why should I have brought my¡­¡± I pointed to the pack on my back, ¡°things? They¡¯re very delicate items, yanno? Top-notch, too.¡± ¡°Excellent. We¡¯ll be heading off the Tower at the outskirts. Lessons for the twins shall commence but only at the basics. You,¡± he pointed to me, ¡°in the meantime will be hunting. Grandmother Lion has informed me of your abilities. Most y¨¡van residing in the Forest are on average C-rank, easy prey for your skills and easy access to ingredients as well as a source of income.¡± I stared at him, blankly. ¡°So basically¡­ do what I did back in the Philippines?¡± And here I vowed never to do this again. I let out an exasperated breath. ¡°Are there any sentients, I need to be looking out for in the forest?¡± Not like I¡¯m going to hunt for them, anway. Shura had an eyebrow raised, stroking his chin. ¡°There have been rumors of a therianthrope in the vicinity that only reveals itself at night. So, you might be safe¡­¡± he gave me a shameless, mechanical grin, then dropped it as quickly as he made it. ¡°One more question¡­¡± I hesitated for a bit, looking for any eavesdroppers. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anyone attending class or any teachers at all. Is this really a school?¡± Because it felt nothing like a school. Not that I¡¯ve ever been in one, though. He looked at me with a frown. ¡°You are aware it is a Saturday, today. Yes? Yes, this is a school ¨C even if evidence points to the contrary. You see, only elementary-to-high-school levels have what you may define as normal classes. College students need only reach the tenth level by the time they graduate ¨C which is four years after enrolment and if not¡­ expulsion is their only recompense. As for the teaching staff: WE are the teachers, though, only for courses concerning magic. Non-magical lessons are taught by contracted spirits and a handful of low-leveled personnel ¨C worry not, they are highly-commendable.¡± ¡°How am I supposed to reach level ten? I¡¯m not even level one!¡± I shouted, causing one of the students passing by to flinch for a bit, and giving me a short look of confusion before going to where she was going. I shouted an apology to her, and then dragged Shura towards the fountain, where the twins and Kidlat were playing. Shura let out a yawn. ¡°Your excess worry is needless. Have you ever heard of Scholomance, prior to arriving here?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Can¡¯t say that I have¡­ other than the folklore.¡± ¡°Hearken to the words that do depart from my mouth: in the three centuries Scholomance has existed ¨C no-one has achieved its conditions. ¡®Tis really hard to reach the tenth tier within the given time-frame, but¡­ the knowledge stored here is vaster, more apropos to those who desire to achieve the heights of magic in the world¡­¡± ¡°What level are you?¡± I asked. He smiled and moved his fingers, several runes coming out towards me, engulfing me in bluish-white light. ¡°You shall be retrieved, tomorrow,¡± he said. And I found myself inside the Forest, with only my bag. - - - - - Chapter 3.1 (A Glimpse of Power) - - - 3.1 - - - The Forest was larger than I had expected: wooden skyscrapers, covered at the base with moss, jutting upwards to the sky, and a whole lot of them ¨C must be the magic. Darker, too, with only a scattering of sunlight piercing through the cracks of the canopy. I walked over overgrown roots, careful not to trip. I took my phone out of my pocket¡ªfigures, there wouldn¡¯t be a signal. I needed to find a clearing first, then find the direction of the school. Damn Shura. I¡¯m going to choke him, once I get back but while I¡¯m still here, gathering some components isn¡¯t so bad. I pocketed my phone back. All in all, it was a very good collection spree, netting me roughly two kilos of ingredients. Once I get back, I¡¯ll be adequately stacked with potions, vials, concoctions, bombs, and other alchemical products. I should¡¯ve asked Harold for the lifeblood recipe. I rested underneath a giant mushroom. I¡¯m beginning to give up on the whole ¡®find a clearing¡¯ plan. I placed my bag on my lap and opened it, rummaging through its contents: five faestone bombs ¨C great for attacking feral fairies that want to fudge your day up. One set of mana-imbued stainless, steel knives ¨C perfect for getting through those nasty mana-hardened materials. Twelve purple pills ¨C handy if you¡¯re like me and can¡¯t heal through using mana. And lastly, an assortment of different poisons. All items were accounted for, so I put them back into the bag. I was starting to doze off when I heard noises. I concentrated really hard, and felt only very faint sources of mana ¨C I could only count five, but I bet there were more. I took out a knife, oiling it with a vial of salamander-blood ¨C one drop will feel like a gunshot. Erupting from the underbrush were large Rottweiler-esque dogs with bloodshot eyes, burning like little torches, and they looked to be very angry and hungry and likely, wanting to kill me. The largest of them ¨C the alpha, perhaps ¨C lunged towards me. Mouth open and flames coming out of it¡ªshit, hellhound! I rolled to the side, bag on my back and knife in my hand. I glanced at the mushroom: burning like a wicker man, hellhounds glaring at me. Salamander-blood isn¡¯t going to do shit. Also, I fancy myself a knife-expert, so I could probably survive with just that. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. The alpha was now flanked by four of its pack. Every one of their mouths prepped to fire a fireball. A five-pronged attack, eh? Seeing no other course of action, I threw a faestone bomb at them ¨C a brief distraction that gave me some time to distance myself from them. Though moot, considering their sense of smell. I needed a way to pick them off, one-by-one. Spotting some decent footholds on some tree, I hurriedly climbed upwards, resting on the farthest branch I could reach. I felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu¡­ d¨¦j¨¤ vu¡­ d¨¦j¨¤ vu¡­ d¨¦j¨¤ vu¡­ weird when you say it a couple of times in succession but with different accented syllables. Below me ¨C again it felt like d¨¦j¨¤ vu ¨C, the hellhounds were circling, sniffing around the base of the tree. The alpha was nowhere to be seen, likely delegating tasks to the lesser hellhounds ¨C however that works. Hmm¡­ what should I do? I¡¯ve never fought hellhounds before but they do seem to be like the sigbin: canines with elemental attacks and magic-enhanced senses, gray fur, fuzzy tails, socialize in packs led by the biggest individual, adorable in a sort of macabre way. The best plan I could think of would be to eliminate the alpha to fudge their cooperation up, and then somehow kill the other dogs, together or one-by-one. If they were like the sigbin, then a concentrated strike to their withers would be enough to kill them. Wait¡ªI have something better than dulling out my knives. How could I even forget? I could experiment and so, I took another faestone bomb out of my bag, along with a vial of yuki-onna tears ¨C if it came into contact with most anything non-biological, it immediately ¡®eats¡¯ the material, converting it into regular mist. Unplugging the cork from the vial, I poured it all over the bomb, and immediately it started to shrink and emit immense heat. I dropped it downwards and it exploded, but some sort of unintended consequence happened: it tore through the tree¡¯s base and it was falling down¡­ fuck. - - - - -