《Infinite Rise of a Rebel》 Prologue If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Chapter 1 It¡¯s so pathetically funny that the Veiled Ones waiting to get in today, looked upon with so much suspicion and distrust, are the same Veiled Ones without whom the city of Shalom would stop functioning What is the point of all this? Why did the Anons eradicate the Elementals and enslave us Veiled Ones? It¡¯s a trick! The Anons can¡¯t possibly run everything by themselves. We Veiled Ones are keepers of knowledge and magic. We were the ones who taught both the Anons and the Elementals how to use their powers in the first place! They need us! However, the Anons don¡¯t want us to know that, lest we claim our rightful place as their equals! So, the reason they enslaved us was to make us do all the hard work of keeping Areliam prosperous, without paying us any compensation for it. That way, they can hog all the good things only for themselves. I can¡¯t be the only one seeing this through. It¡¯s so obvious that others must see this too! So, why isn¡¯t anyone else speaking out against it? you do not belong here Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. What an idiot! He does know we Veiled Ones go through this torture every single day of our lives, right? One day¡¯s survival is no guarantee for the next. Now both Uncle Jeriah and my family are targets. From now on, we have to make sure to avoid Guard Boyle at all costs, because there won¡¯t always be someone to stop him.

ass Chapter 2 Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. no resistance will be tolerated against my order Ok, with this opulent atmosphere, maybe they really just want to talk; even if they wanted to do more, it¡¯s not like I can stop them, Chapter 3 If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Chapter 4 The Hearth-Bringers walked silently towards the staging area. While June was genuinely afraid of what just happened, Calaren was burning with fury, but both of them kept quiet on Leo¡¯s signal. Looking around, Leo gulped down the fruits he had taken from the tent. From every corner, he could feel eyes on them. Some were watching them while pretending to do work, and others were just plain staring openly. It will be really hard to explain everything to Ma and Pa with everyone¡¯s attention on us. But we¡¯ll have some privacy once we reach backstage. That¡¯ll be the time I can tell them why I said all that, thought Leo. ¡°There you are, Calaren!¡± shouted the Anon Rosen, a middle-aged balding white man with black eyes and a considerable amount of belly fat, his father¡¯s boss. ¡°What took you so long? We have been waiting for a long while, and now there isn¡¯t much time before the event starts. You know yours is the first act, right? So, you need to be well prepared,¡± Rosen continued as he jogged over to Cal. However, he took one look at June and stopped abruptly. ¡°Your wife doesn¡¯t look so good. Is everything ok?¡± Rosen asked with genuine concern, while being out of breath. ¡°Everything is fine! We just need a few minutes to ourselves before the event. I know that¡¯ll leave us no room for any last-minute practice runs, but trust me, I will still give a stellar performance, as we¡¯ve practiced a lot beforehand,¡± said Calaren pleadingly. ¡°Fine. Just sit your wife down in my office. It should be private, as everyone knows to find me out here looking over the final touches before the event,¡± said Rosen, pointing towards his office. ¡°Thanks a lot, Rosen. I appreciate it,¡± Calaren said gratefully. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯ll come to get you when it¡¯s time for your performance. Just try to relax a little before then,¡± said Rosen. ¡°Will do, boss,¡± replied Calaren, forcing a smile. The Hearth-Bringers crossed the rest of the way to Rosen¡¯s office speedily. As soon as they entered the office space, Leo closed the door then turned towards his parents, put his hands up, and said, ¡°I can explain everything.¡± ¡°You better, young man. Do you even know what you have done? We have tried so hard to stay out of their traitorous dealings for so long, and now you just volunteered our services? How could you do that, Leo? You have no idea how much we have lost and how much we have suffered to achieve the small amounts of peace and freedoms that we have today. So, how can you throw all that away?¡± asked Calaren while finally expressing his shock and anger at what had transpired. ¡°Anyways, it won¡¯t work. They won¡¯t honor their end of the deal. We are going to lose another child, Cal. We can¡¯t let that happen. Do something to stop them. Please do something!¡± begged June while holding on to Calaren for dear life with shaky hands. ¡°Explain yourself, Leon Hearth-Bringer. Now!¡± said Calaren, his voice low but frightening. ¡°I did what I did because it was the right path to choose,¡± Leo said earnestly. ¡°You are just ten years old. All you know is what we told you before, which was the bare minimum! So, you have no qualifications to choose any kind of path. All you did was just waste our years of sacrifices with your over-smartness,¡± said Calaren in an utterly frustrated tone. ¡°No, Pa and Ma. I know this is the right choice, the right path, because in addition to my Hearth-Bringer healing powers being completely activated, my Pathfinder powers just fully activated as well,¡± said Leo, taking off his t-shirt and turning his back towards his parents while also showing the back of his right hand to them. There on his back was the symbol of the Pathfinders; the nine-pointed star was glowing red, and on the back of his hand, the circle denoting the Hearth-Bringer mark was glowing white. ¡°All of the Veiled Ones, in general, are losing our powers at an alarming rate. It is not only limited to the Gainsworths and the Cursebinders. What once happened to the Pathfinders is happening to all Veiled Ones now. However, I know that I can help them. But don¡¯t worry; we won¡¯t need to team up with Edwin Gainsworth and Emanuel Cursebinder to do so. Something will happen during this event that will give us the chance to get away to a safe place. So, we won¡¯t even need to go back and negotiate the rest of the deal with them,¡± said Leo enthusiastically while putting his t-shirt back on. June and Calaren looked at their son¡¯s completely healed face and thought of the activated Pathfinder and Hearth-Bringer marks in awestruck quietness until finally an astonished June spoke up. ¡°Please start making some sense, boy! I don¡¯t know what your newly activated powers are telling you, but I can tell you this: no matter where we run off to, that Edwin Gainsworth will find us. He always finds his prey. There is no escaping him,¡± said June as she rocked herself in an attempt to calm her fears. ¡°No, he won¡¯t. None of them will be able to reach us where we will be going. I can guarantee that,¡± said Leo confidently. ¡°How are you so sure, and where exactly is this place that is safe from the Anons? You just activated your powers. As it is, there isn¡¯t much information about Pathfinders and how their powers work in the first place. So, how are we supposed to trust you in this?¡± asked an irritably confused Calaren as he started pacing throughout the space.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Pa, it¡¯s this feeling in the gut. The same subconscious prompting you get when you use your Hearth-Bringer powers. Trust me. All we have to do is wait for that right moment during the ceremony to slip away,¡± said Leo. ¡°Slip away to where?¡± Calaren asked again. ¡°Do you even have an inkling about this safe heaven we are running away to, or does this mythical place only exist in your imagination?¡± ¡°What are our other choices? You tried running all this time, and look where it landed us. We cannot just keep running away. Think about it logically. The Elementals were born on Ragonia, the Anons on Harbor, and the Veiled Ones on Yonder. Solem, though, is a world that was supposed to belong to all. You once told me, Pa, that you came here because this place was relatively safer for Veiled Ones. However, even here we Veiled Ones suffer humiliations, violent beatings, and killings every single day. So, it¡¯s time we leave in search of a better place to recuperate and plan our strike back,¡± Leo said with conviction. Leo took his parents¡¯ silence as an invitation to continue. ¡°The sanctuary we are escaping to won¡¯t be our permanent destination either, but it will be a resting place where we can prepare our counterattack safely. We just need to listen to my instinct and follow where it leads us. Also, even in the worst-case scenario where we don¡¯t make it out, we¡¯ll still have the option to join the high ranks of the Anon forces where we can dismantle them from the inside.¡± ¡°What are you saying, child? Are you out of your mind? Stop with this nonsense of fighting back. The Elementals, strongest of all the primordial races, lost to the Anons. We Veiled Ones are barely surviving even after accepting all of their demands, and now you think you can somehow defeat them. Ridiculous!¡± said a terrified June. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who thinks this way, Mother. Goddess Anorea must believe this to be possible too; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have helped me activate my powers and know all these things. So, no matter how ludicrous this seems, just trust me. Everything will be fine as long as we take the opportunity presented to us in today¡¯s event to run away from here,¡± Leo said earnestly. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s say for a moment we believe you. However, you are so sketchy on the details that we are sure to miss this precious opportunity you speak of. I mean, how will we even know when it is the right time?¡± asked Calaren, finally giving into his son¡¯s plan. ¡°I don¡¯t know of all the details either. However, I know that something big will happen during today¡¯s event that¡¯ll create havoc. We just need to use that chaos to get inside the Mother¡¯s Womb, and once we get inside, what to do next will become clear. So, just go on stage and perform like you were originally supposed to, Pa. Ma and I will watch you from the audience. Then when mayhem ensues you will head straight for the womb on your own, and Ma and I¡¯ll make our way to the womb separately from you as well,¡± explained Leo. ¡°No, no, no! This is not going to work. There will be guards and traps everywhere. We won¡¯t be able to get away from here alive,¡± said June while clasping Calaren¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°We will get outta here and no one, and I mean no one, will be able to stop us. Trust me, Ma, please,¡± Leo pleaded confidently. Calaren signaled Leo with his eyes toward the water jug resting on the table behind them alongside a couple of empty glasses. Leo nodded, grabbed an empty glass, filled it with water, then walked up to a June and held the glass to June¡¯s lips. Leo urged her to drink the water to calm herself, which she did. ¡°We have to believe in what he says, love. There must be a reason why both of his powers are fully activated today. There must be a reason for us to remain unscathed even after Leo stood up to both Edwin and Emanuel. There must be a reason we are sitting in this damp, dark, cramped room and plotting our escape from the clutches of the Anons and their loyalists. Also, at this point, if what Leo said doesn¡¯t happen, we still have the backup plan,¡± said Calaren while caressing June¡¯s cheek with his one free hand. ¡°The backup plan of betraying the Anons after joining their ranks? Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Leo is a child, Cal. He doesn¡¯t know what the Anons and their followers are capable of, but you and I do. Have you forgotten about the Amassings? If they ever get a hint of our true intentions, they¡¯ll make us fodder to that. Do you want us to end our lives that way?¡± asked June with tears in her eyes. ¡°Amassing? What is this Amassing?¡± asked a confused Leo. ¡°It is not easy to maintain a curse, especially a curse put on the primordial races. So, Amassing is the ritual that provides the necessary energy in maintaining the power draining curse put on us Veiled Ones. However, the sacrifices needed to perform this ritual are horrifying,¡± said Calaren while growing pale. ¡°Why? What sacrifices are part of this Amassing ritual?¡± Leo asked suspiciously, his curiosity growing. June and Calaren looked at each other with fear and extreme discomfort before glancing back at their son to answer his question. However, before they could say anything, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Cal, are you guys done yet? We are out of time. The performance arena is already open to the public. The King and his party have also arrived and are taking their seats as I speak. So, you have five to ten minutes at most before your performance begins. I need you backstage right now,¡± said Rosen hurriedly from the other side of the door. ¡°We don¡¯t have any more time. I have to go. We¡¯ll answer all your questions about the Amassing another time. Meanwhile, just know that it is a horrible thing, and hope you never have to come across it,¡± whispered Calaren before heading to the door and opening it. ¡°Hey, Rosen, I¡¯ll go backstage right away. Umm, but can you make sure to grab some seats for my wife and kid please?¡± asked Calaren as soon as he opened the door. ¡°Well ok, but they need to hurry. I need to open the ceremony ASAP,¡± said Rosen before briskly walking away. Calaren turned to Leo. ¡°Follow him quickly. We¡¯ll go by what you said. It¡¯s not much of a plan, but it¡¯s all we got. So, for all our sakes, I hope it works.¡± Leo nodded. He put away the half-full glass of water he was still holding and grabbed June¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ma,¡± said Leo, pulling June¡¯s hand to make her get up. June looked at Calaren for one last look of assurance before getting up and following quickly behind Rosen with Leo as Calaren strode off towards the backstage. Chapter 5 These rich, privileged, bigoted assholes¡­ I¡¯m sure right now they pity themselves for having to sit next to us. Just because you have more money and are part of the ruling class that systematically thrives off of oppressing others doesn¡¯t make you better than us. It just makes you weak, thought an outraged Leo. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I guess music and art, in general, are universal. Something is wrong, Chapter 6 The actual entrance to the Mother¡¯s Womb was small and slim, but it got bigger and branched out deeper inside. ¡°So, this is what the Mother¡¯s Womb looks like from the inside. Honestly, it didn¡¯t look like much from the outside, but guess the inside is a different story. You can fit a whole castle inside this place,¡± said Leo, looking around curiously. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by what you see. This place connects all of creation. Every corner hides a secret passageway that could lead to anywhere in Areliam,¡± said Calaren with respect in his voice. ¡°Leo, if you are done sightseeing, and Cal, if you are done playing tour guide, then can we please figure out our next move. I don¡¯t wanna be stuck here when everything calms down and they realize we bailed on them. Knowing them, they¡¯ll probably blame the whole thing on us and put a kill on sight order on us,¡± said June with worry in her voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, a lot of lives are being lost outside as we speak. With all the cave-in wounds and glass cuts, most of the dead will be unrecognizable. With any luck, they¡¯ll think us dead,¡± Leo said calmly. ¡°That still leaves us to figure out where to go in this maze of a place,¡± June said frustratingly. Before answering his mother, Leo closed his eyes for a few moments, lost in deep thought. Then he raised his right hand and uttered, ¡°When surrounded by darkness, look to the stars for guidance,¡± all the while still keeping his eyes closed. As he said those words, nine-pointed star symbols, etched in the cave wall on the right lit up. Leo opened his eyes. ¡°We have to follow where those symbols lead us.¡± Then, he ran inside the womb following after the path shown by the stars with Cal and June right at his heels. The Hearth-Bringers kept running deeper and deeper inside the womb, until finally they reached a large rock with a huge phoenix symbol in the middle of an infinity symbol on it blocking the way forward. ¡°That phoenix is the being representing the Pathfinders, and the infinity symbol represents Anorea and the Paradigms,¡± said Cal while catching his breath. ¡°So, the nine-pointed star is not the only symbol of the Pathfinders? Then do all Veiled Ones¡¯ families have multiple symbols, and who are the Paradigms again, Pa?¡± asked an intrigued Leo. ¡°No, son. Some like the Gainsworths use their animal representation of cats also as their symbol. As for this Pathfinder symbol, if you think about it, it makes perfect sense, as we Veiled Ones respect our lineage. That is why we are the only ones who have last names to honor our clans, while the Anon and Elementals do not. It is said that the pathfinders were the first to discover phoenixes and tame them. Since then, the Pathfinders started using the phoenix symbol in addition to the nine-pointed star as their symbol. As for the Paradigms they were one of the Veiled One clan of old.¡± answered Calaren. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Boys, this is not the time for a history lesson on Veiled Ones. Since the path led us to this dead-end, we need to find another way to get out of here first,¡± said June. Ever since they entered Mother¡¯s Womb June had looked back uncountable times in fear of someone coming after them. All she wanted to do was reach the safe place Leo alluded to before. Any delay in that, including Calaren and Leo¡¯s chatter about Veiled One symbols, irritated her immensely. ¡°Have no fear when Leo is here, mother. If I¡¯m not mistaken, phoenixes represent fire, right? Well, stars represent fire too. So, let¡¯s light one, shall we?¡± said Leo while reaching into his father¡¯s pockets to take out his lighter. Once he had the lighter, Leo lit it and went over to the phoenix symbol to check it more closely. As soon as he drew near, the symbol caught fire from the lit lighter. After catching fire, the whole symbol blazed brightly for a brief moment before the symbol parted midway, creating a doorway to enter the chamber inside. As the whole family went inside they heard the door shut behind them and saw the chamber they stood in being filled with mirrors with the nine-pointed star symbol etched in them. ¡°So, all the mirrors here were created by the Pathfinders.¡± stated Leo. ¡°All the magic mirrors in existence were created by the Pathfinders for various reasons, chiefly among them was to travel to different places in Areliam. These mirrors are reflective of Pathfinder teleportation abilities. See, the fastest thing in the universe is thoughts. It used to be that, once you think of a place to go in your mind, the magic mirrors reflect it and you can enter the mirror on your side and come out of any reflective surface on the other side. However, after the Pathfinders lost their powers, travel between places is only possible through magic mirrors. Each of these mirrors must represent places all over Areliam. Now, all we have to do is just figure out which one to use to get to safety,¡± explained Calaren. ¡°Boys, it¡¯s still not the time for lectures of any kind. Let¡¯s talk about how we know which mirror pathway leads to safety instead?¡± said June sternly to keep Leo and Cal on point. ¡°That one in the leftmost corner of the room,¡± said Leo. ¡°Oh, and how do you know that?¡± asked June. ¡°It¡¯s a hunch, and since all my hunches have been right so far, this one will be right too,¡± said Leo confidently while walking towards the mirror. However, he stopped midway to look at the mirror in the middle of the room. It was showing a bizarre scene. The king of Anons was standing over a baby girl with a knife in hand. ¡°Oh, Anorea! What is he doing? Why is he trying to kill a baby?¡± asked a horrified June, unable to look away from the scenario. However, as soon as the king was about to strike the blow, the earthquake, that up until now only affected the grounds outside, came inside the Mother¡¯s Womb. All the mirrors started to rattle, a couple of them began to crack. ¡°We don¡¯t have the luxury to worry about others. We have to get out of here fast before everything collapses,¡± said Leo before taking both his mother and father¡¯s hands and somehow making it to the leftmost mirror. He pushed June inside the mirror first; Calaren went next instead of Leo, accidentally losing his footing and falling into the mirror due to the earthquake. Leo followed him but not before he took one last look at the mirror in the middle showing the baby girl whose life was endangered by the Anon king. ¡°Live, you little troublemaker, live,¡± said Leo as he plunged into the mirror. Chapter 7 This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Chapter 8 Grumble, grumble. On and on went the noises in Leo¡¯s empty stomach. It had been a day since they arrived in the Sanctuary. However, in this short while, the start of another Primordial war seemed imminent each time Calaren and Atlas locked horns. After the mirror had completely broken apart, all ways of exiting the underground metropolis of Ragonia were blocked. The Hearth-Bringers were trapped. And no one was unhappier about this than Atlas. Things had come to blows several times. Violent bloodshed was avoided only because June and Desdemona stepped in. Desdemona, or Des as she insisted on being called, was a completely different creature than her father. Even though resources were scarce she still brought them pillows, blankets, and water. The situation was dire. Food had run out and the water supply was dangerously low. People were eating insects for survival and were in no mood to entertain three extra mouths to feed. Des had suggested the Hearth-Bringers stay hidden in the temple to avoid other hostile occupants of Sanctuary. Meanwhile, Calaren¡¯s head injury made him weak and feverish. June dressed the wound and tried to make him as comfortable as she could, but it didn¡¯t help much. As hours passed his fever got worse, and there was nothing they could do. Now, he didn¡¯t even have enough energy to argue with Atlas. They put all the blankets together to create thick bedding for him so the freezing floor wouldn¡¯t bother him. He lay flat, with closed eyes and staggered breathing. Calaren¡¯s pain was reflecting in June¡¯s eyes. She kept looking up at Anorea¡¯s statue but said nothing. Still, Leo felt like Anorea was listening to June¡¯s silent prayers. The sheer fact that they were still here even after the unfriendly Elementals had every reason to get rid of them was proof of that. Mothers are so amazing. They don¡¯t even need words to convey their emotions, thought Leo as he rocked himself to sleep on the cold, hard floor at the foot of Anorea¡¯s altar. Darkness encased Leo. He moved his hands around to try to feel his surroundings. Nothing but air touched his fingertips. However, a few steps ahead was an illuminated spot in the dark, from where a chicken was watching him. Leo started walking towards the light until he was close enough to touch the bird. He went up to the chicken and grabbed it. Then, he bit it. ¡°What? What are you doing? You stupid kid!¡± screamed the strange chicken. ¡°Mr. chicken, I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m trying to eat you while you are still alive. But I¡¯m starving, and this is a dream after all. So, please at least let me eat you like food in here. Now, can you just die and come back as a roasted chicken on a platter? It¡¯ll make you easier to eat,¡± said a hungry Leo. ¡°Chicken! Did you just call me a chicken! Listen, moron, I¡¯m a phoenix. I said, I¡¯m a phoenix. You hear me? Also, I happen to be your ancestor as well. What kind of descendant tries to eat his ancestors? I didn¡¯t know the Hearth-Bringers were cannibals!¡± said the ticked off phoenix. ¡°We are not,¡± said another voice from within the darkness. Leo looked in the direction of the voice and saw a pair of glowing green eyes. Slowly the owner of the voice emerged from the shadows. A beautiful blue wolf entered the spotlight and approached Leo. ¡°Let him go, Leon. You cannot eat your ancestors no matter how hungry you are,¡± said the wolf calmly. Leo ran his tongue over his lips and kept holding on to the phoenix chicken tightly. The look in Leo¡¯s eyes made the phoenix chicken shudder. He peered at the wolf and said, ¡°Kendall, call off your grandson this instance!¡± ¡°Leon Hearth-Bringer! Dorian over there is the reason for the activation of your Pathfinder powers. He is the one who guided you subconsciously on the path to getting out of Solem. Even now he is here to grant you more powers. You should thank him instead of trying to eat him. So, put him down!¡± ordered the wolf called Kendall. ¡°This is such a weird dream. Why are animals trying to act like my ancestors?¡± said Leo out loud. The wolf sighed and went up to Leo, raised his claws, and scratched his leg. ¡°Ow!¡± said Leo in pain as red droplets of blood appeared on his leg, and he finally let the phoenix go. The phoenix took advantage of this and flew away to the farthest corner of the well-lit area. ¡°So, this is real?¡± asked an astonished Leo. ¡°Yes,¡± answered Kendall. ¡°So, you guys are the reason I have these awesome powers! Thank you! Thank you so much!¡± said Leo gratefully. ¡°That is only part true. While it¡¯s true that Dorian has blessed and passed on part of his Pathfinder powers to you, I am not the one who activated your Hearth-Bringer powers. You awakened a part of your Heath-Bringer power on your own. Even if we left you unattended you would eventually become one of the most powerful Hearth-Bringers in history. Your healing powers are so strong that it overcame the curse and the power loss of the Pathfinders. It also allowed us to contact you. We only hastened the process to your full awakening by sharing more powers with you.¡± Said Kendall. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°So, you are saying my powers have not fully awakened yet?¡± Asked Leo. ¡°No, they haven¡¯t. Your Pathfinder powers specifically haven¡¯t awakened at all and it is only because of Dorian that you can use any Pathfinder abilities.¡± Said Kendall while pointing at the chicken phoenix known as Dorian with his snout. ¡°However, you are sharing your powers with me in an attempt to awaken them fully?¡± Asked Leo. ¡°Yes.¡± Answered Kendall. ¡°Does that mean I will be able to use all your powers if needed?¡± Leo asked. ¡°With enough time and practice you will be able to do that However, for now you can only handle limited amounts.¡± Said Kendall. ¡°That¡¯s great! Thank you so much for sharing your powers with me!¡± Said Leo. ¡°I am not sharing my powers with you. I don¡¯t even have healing powers to pass on. I just came here to stop you from trying to eat Dorian,¡± clarified Kendall as he watched Leo¡¯s wound heal. ¡°Really? Then who is sharing the healing powers?¡± asked Leo excitedly. ¡°Prime ancestor Areon Hearth-Bringer. He¡¯ll come to meet you when you are ready.¡± As Kendall spoke, a pair of purple eyes glowed brightly far away in the darkness. ¡°So, you are here to pass on more powers to me now because you know I¡¯ll use them to free our people, right?¡± Kendall twisted his wolf snout to something resembling a smile. ¡°Dorian was here to do that, but maybe he changed his mind now.¡± ¡°Nooooooo! I¡¯m so sorry, ancestor! I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you,¡± said Leo while running towards Dorian. A panicked Dorian flew away from Leo and landed on Kendall¡¯s back before saying, ¡°Stop! I¡¯ve had enough of your antics. You¡¯re lucky there are no better candidates to inherit my powers. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve never shared my powers with someone as dumb as you.¡± ¡°I said I was sorry,¡± Leo said in embarrassment. Kendall interjected, ¡°What is done is done. We cannot change it. Just keep in mind to never do it again. Also, before Dorian passes his powers on, we need to discuss some things.¡± ¡°Ok, tell me. I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°The Anons are destroying all of creation with their Amassings. Nothing in nature operates alone. By destroying the Elementals and taking away the powers of Veiled Ones, they have made sure no new life can take birth. Today they are reduced to recycling the already created energy in the universe. Alas! They are doing a poor job at that too. The Amassings must be stopped if life is to survive in the universe. Before freeing our people, you need to put Areliam back into balance first.¡± ¡°No problem. Just tell me what I need to do, and it¡¯ll be done.¡± ¡°This won¡¯t be easy. You are far too young and weak to make a difference right now. Even if we give you more powers, you cannot use them properly,¡± said the chicken turned phoenix, Dorian. ¡°You need to find Ivan Renegader. The most powerful Veiled One alive, and your great grandfather,¡± said Kendall. ¡°My great grandfather? Why is he a Renegader and not a Hearth-Bringer? Also, he must be like a hundred and fifty. So, how will someone that ancient be of any help?¡± asked a confused Leo. ¡°So, in addition to being a cannibal, you are an ageist too! That¡¯s it, you need to be taught a lesson,¡± said Dorian as he flew over to Leo and started to peck at him hard. ¡°You sure you are not a chicken? ¡¯Cause you sure have its pecking skills.¡± Upon hearing this from Leo, Dorian accelerated his pecking with more force than before. ¡°Stop! It hurts,¡± said Leo while trying to fend off Dorian. ¡°Alright, both of you behave! Leon, I don¡¯t have time to explain our family linage or inter-clan relationships of the Veiled Ones. Just ask Calaren later. He¡¯ll be happy to explain everything to you. As for Ivan Renegader, even at a hundred and twenty-three, no living Veiled One can match his powers. You need him. But to get to him you need to teleport to the planet Kracten. So, without wasting time, Dorian, pass on your teleportation powers to Leon already,¡± Kendall said, irritated. ¡°I don¡¯t want to anymore,¡± said the grumpy Phoenix. ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice. Let me remind you, we Hearth-Bringers have many descendants to pass our powers on to. However, June and Leon are the only viable options for you. June¡¯s connection to the ancestors is too weak to bring out her powers. So, either pass on your powers to Leon or watch the Pathfinder line completely die off,¡± warned Kendall. ¡°Fine,¡± said Dorian. ¡°Teleportation! Yayyyy! What an awesome power to have!¡± ¡°Shut up, before I change my mind.¡± ¡°Yes, ancestor.¡± ¡°Listen very carefully.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± ¡°Dang it, kid. Keep quiet until I¡¯m done explaining. Just nod your head up and down if you understand.¡± Dorian continued after he saw Leo nod. ¡°Good. Now in a few moments, I¡¯ll be transferring my teleportation powers to you. It has been a long-standing tradition amongst Veiled Ones to transfer powers to each other. However, I cannot give you too much because you can¡¯t handle it. Using my powers constantly will help you awaken your own, until eventually you won¡¯t need to use my powers at all. Any questions so far?¡± ¡°Yes! How powerful is this teleportation power? How does it work? Is it at least cool looking? Can I go to places I¡¯ve never been before? Can I take Ma and Pa with me too? Also, what are the side-effects?¡± ¡°Oh, Goddess Anorea, please save me! You are definitely Calaren¡¯s son. You¡¯ll grow up to be more annoying than him for sure. For future reference, anytime anyone asks if you have any questions, they are secretly hoping you have none.¡± ¡°Dorian¡­¡± Kendall Interjected. ¡°Argh¡­alright then. The teleportation ability is extremely powerful because it can take you anywhere. Even to places you have never seen before. All you have to do is think about a destination, and a cool looking smoky portal will open to take you there. I suggest in the beginning you take no more than one other person with you. Taking more than that would be very taxing on your body. You can transport more people and things when you get familiar with this power and awaken your own. Lastly, your eye color will change to blue whenever you use Pathfinder powers. Now, let¡¯s get this over with.¡± Dorian blew a stream of black fire on Leo. The flames consumed him. He felt excruciating pain as the black fire penetrated his skin and spread to his insides. Leo opened his eyes screaming, only to find himself and Desdemona falling through the skies. Chapter 9
She must¡¯ve been close to me when I accidentally activated my teleportation powers during the dream meeting with the ancestors.
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Chapter 11
It was midday in Solem. The guards stationed at the foot of the Volcano of Creation were all knocked unconscious with Desdemona¡¯s power. The ancestors were right. The Volcano of Creation is attracting Desdemona, and soon she will be able to extract the Creation Flames from it. It has been over nine months since the Mother¡¯s Womb incident. All this time Leo was forced to help out the people of Sanctuary. Even after explaining that Areliam was in danger, no one, including his parents, agreed to help him. Instead, the idea of Leo trying to save Areliam scared his parents so much that they willingly cooperated with Atlas. After a decade of living in isolation, the people of Sanctuary no longer wanted to be connected to the outside world. So, they came to a compromise. The Hearth-Bringers would help them gather resources to stay alive, and in return, they¡¯d be allowed to stay in Sanctuary. Over the last several months Calaren used his sources to acquire various resources. Then they worked Leo to the bone to transport everything back to Sanctuary, all the while keeping a tight eye on Leo to make sure that he didn¡¯t run off to Kracten. If the Hearth-Bringers negated on their end of the bargain, they would pay with their lives. So, Leo had to figure out a plan to counter the Anons in secret. It wasn¡¯t easy. However, by combining his smartness with the knowledge of his ancestors, Leo knew what to do. To bring Areliam back to balance, all the three Primordial races needed to be in top shape again. The Primordials gain strength from their home worlds. Ragonia was destroyed, and Yonder was under the Anon¡¯s oppression. Out of the public eyes, the Anons kept polluting Yonder, killing it little by little. Currently, however, there was no way to free Yonder, as it was hidden away in a secret location. So, Leo had to start the counterattack by rejuvenating Ragonia first. It is a great thing that the curse doesn¡¯t affect the Elementals. So, once Ragonia is healed, the remaining Elementals will be able to use their powers fully again. Then they will be indebted to Leo and will have to help him in saving Areliam and freeing his people. The first step to achieving this is rekindling the Creation Fires at the Meadow of Origins. Only an Elemental can do that by acquiring sparks of the Creation Flame from the Volcano of Creation. Nature itself wants that to happen. That is why as soon as Desdemona neared the Volcano of Creation she was entranced to approach it. The ancestors told Leo this would happen. So, for months he had been trying to travel to Solem with just Des. This task was extremely difficult given that he was always accompanied by a suspicious adult. Today Des convinced Atlas and Leo¡¯s parents to let them go for a quick trip to Solem so she can visit the Snack Stop again. Only this time. Leo tricked Des into coming near the Volcano of Creation. He told her they would be collecting local fruits to make snacks themselves. Leo looked at Desdemona walking in a trance in front of him. She had used her powers subconsciously to destroy the energy of any guards she met on the way here. Most people took Desdemona¡¯s carefree and kind nature as a sign of her weakness, but Leo knew the truth. Des was far more powerful than the average Elemental, yet for some reason, she hid this truth from others. Not anymore though. Once she obtained the Creation Flames, everyone would know her might. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Leo silently followed Des, who by now had reached the mouth of the volcano. He watched as she walked down the jagged pathway to get to the boiling lava. Step by step she grew closer to the fiery magma until finally she stood a pace away from it. The heat increased, jets of fire rose, and Des put her hand in one of them. The fire didn¡¯t burn her though. The moment Des put her hand into a jet of fire, it disappeared. The fire slowly assimilated into Desdemona, her body glowing orange like the fire it absorbed. This process went on for a few more minutes. Jets of fire would connect with Desdemona only for them to become one with her. After a while, Des couldn¡¯t consume any more of the fires, and she fell to the ground as her knees gave in. By now, the Anon authorities must have been making their way to the volcano. Or they would have if Leo hadn¡¯t broken all the mirrors that could have provided them an easy entrance. He had left only one of the mirrors intact, and that mirror was showing movement now. Finally! He is coming! Good thing the ancestors stimulated the mirror in Ethan¡¯s chamber so he saw what was going on here and responded. Thought Leo. Ethan jumped out of the mirror with Lore holding on to his back. He looked around to find Des and saw her unconscious body by the lava. He ran at full speed to reach Des. Once near her, he bent down and scooped Desdemona in his arms. No guards around him only the toddler princess ancestors mentioned before. Well, this makes my job easy, thought Leo. ¡°Hey wake up! What¡¯s wrong with you? Wake up. Wake up, please.¡± That was the last thing Ethan said before Leo pushed him along with Lore and Des into the portal he opened right in front of them.
Ethan hit the floor of Anorea¡¯s underground temple in Sanctuary. He found himself surrounded by Elementals who were extremely surprised to see him there. He could feel Lore holding onto his neck tightly. She had latched on to him when he bolted to reach the girl in his embrace and hadn¡¯t let go. ¡°Take them into custody. He is a prince of the Anons, Ethan Gainsworth, and that baby is Princess Lore of the Anons. They followed us back!¡± said Leo. ¡°What? No! You were the one that¡­¡± Ethan started saying but was interrupted. ¡°Look what he did to Des,¡± said a man from the gathered crowd. ¡°How dare you hurt my daughter?¡± asked Atlas. ¡°GET HIM!¡± yelled a woman. ¡°GUGUGAHGAHGAGAGA!¡± said Lore loudly before she used her powers. All the stored water in Sanctuary came alive to aid her. The temple was flooded with water and people were having a hard time staying afloat. The only dry place was near Ethan. ¡°Damn this monster child. She wasn¡¯t part of the plan,¡± Leo blurted out. ¡°Plan? What plan?¡± asked June. ¡°Leo¡­what did you do this time?¡± asked an enraged Calaren. ¡°Forget about me and do something about that demon baby. It took almost nine months for me to haul all this water in here and increase the reserves. Please, you can¡¯t let her waste it all!¡± Leo pleaded. ¡°Fine, but you better have some good answers to our questions later, or else¡­¡± threatened Calaren. ¡°Save me from this deranged kid first,¡± said Leo as he and the others were being sucked into a whirlpool. Calaren started to hymn loudly. Calaren Hearth-Bringer was the man with a magical voice. The power of his voice made the impossible possible. Words and sounds coming out of his mouth could bring down storms or hypnotize the enemy. Cal used his powers to lull Lore and Ethan to sleep. Once Lore was asleep, the turbulent waters dispersed throughout the tunnels. The people who were drowning but a moment ago now had the chance to collect themselves. Calaren got on his feet and walked to Leo, who was coughing his heart out. He grabbed Leo by the neck like a cat and pulled him to his eye level. ¡°Start explaining,¡± Calaren demanded angrily. Chapter 12
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Chapter 13
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Chapter 14
Things calmed down a lot inside Sanctuary after Leo convinced everyone to follow his plan. Afterward, the Elementals equipped him and Desdemona with all the necessary tools to reach the Meadow of Origins safely. Like always, Leo made people believe everything would work out. Now, the same people who were willing to kill children a short while ago were acting normal. They were peacefully cleaning the muddy tunnel floors caused by Lore¡¯s power outburst. The temple of Anorea was cleaned first out of respect, and it was easier. Cleaning the tunnel floors, though, was more of a challenge. The floor was mopped then big rocks were placed in the middle to create a pathway. Calaren straightened his back after putting down a rock. ¡°Alright, that was the last one for me. All people have to do is wait for the mud to harden and travel using this rocky walkway in the meanwhile. What about you, honey? You done yet?¡± Calaren asked June. ¡°Oh, I was done way before you. Am waiting on you, honey,¡± said June, poking Calaren with her elbow and smiling. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I get it. Calaren Hearth-Bringer doesn¡¯t know how to work fast and efficiently due to his elite upbringing. That is what you want to say, right?¡± ¡°How well you know me, sweetheart.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the temple. You can taunt me all you want there.¡± ¡°Do we have to? It¡¯ll be lonely there at this time of the day. Also, I think after what Leo pulled off, the Elementals will happily let us stay with their main group.¡± ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t want to face Atlas. We are used to Leo¡¯s antics, but Atlas isn¡¯t. He looked extremely angry at how everyone sent Desdemona out. I¡¯m sure he blames me for all of this. If he wasn¡¯t called for emergency water rationing, he would be at my throat already. I want to have a few moments of tranquility at the temple before he comes for me.¡± ¡°So, you are going to run away without taking responsibility like always. Well, not this time. You are going nowhere until you answer my questions,¡± said Atlas from behind them. Calaren heaved a huge sigh and massaged his temple before turning around to face Atlas. ¡°Run away, that too from you? Never! I wouldn¡¯t even dream of it. Ask away. I won¡¯t move a muscle until all your questions are done,¡± said Cal. ¡°All of this was planned by you, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Lies. If not you, then who?¡± ¡°It was Leo.¡± ¡°Using your child as a shield for your nefarious plans is low even for you. Just admit that it was your plan, but how dare you use my daughter in your schemes.¡± Calaren took a deep breath and replied, ¡°Atlas, my son is wise and capable beyond his years. He makes the impossible possible. From the moment we stepped in here to the moment Leo and Des left to heal Ragonia, it was all him.¡± Atlas swiftly crossed the short distance between him and Calaren and punched him in the face. ¡°You despicable excuse for a living being! How do you call yourself a father? First, you put your child in harm¡¯s way, then you claim it was your son¡¯s fault!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± said June as she moved between Atlas and Calaren. ¡°Ever since we came here, you have been constantly berating my husband. You know nothing about him and what he has been through. Did you know he saved countless lives during the Primordial War? He is the reason this place remained safe from the Anons¡¯ advances." ¡°Honey, please! He doesn¡¯t need to know all this,¡± said Calaren as he put his fingers to June¡¯s lips. However, June moved his hand away with force and continued speaking. ¡°You think it is coincident that Calaren knows people who can supply a whole Elemental city with resources in secret? During the war when all of you were killing each other it was Calaren that helped the ones left behind. He is the wartime hero Wandering Soul.¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°What?¡± asked a surprised Atlas. ¡°Don¡¯t believe me?¡± asked June as she revealed Calaren¡¯s unique Hearth-Bringer symbol with a nine-pointed star inside it. ¡°Cal helped everyone while hiding his face, but people knew him from this symbol. Also, it was Cal that led the surviving Elementals to Sanctuary¡¯s gates. He would¡¯ve joined the Battle of Behemoth too, but his father Kendall Hearth-Bringer forcibly sent him back.¡± ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t believe this!¡± said Atlas. ¡°Hmmph,¡± scoffed June. ¡°Wait till you hear what we got in return for all his good deeds. They bound him with a promise on the Mother to stop him from going against the Anons. Not only that, they killed our first child in my womb and made me drink potions that were supposed to make me barren. It was only after years of tears, pain, and prayers that Anorea blessed us with Leo. Yet Cal still let our only son risk his life to revive your dead planet. So, after today I never want to hear you demean my exemplary husband ever again. Because I promise to rip your head off if you insult him one more time,¡± said June as she punched the nearest cave wall. A huge gapping hole appeared where June punched the wall. Upon seeing it, Atlas became extremely thankful for the wall being there to take June¡¯s punch instead of him.
The metropolis of Sanctuary was hidden deep underneath the surface of Ragonia. A long stretch of land existed between it and the entrances to the Ragonian underground. Once upon a time, light crystals illuminated the underground passageway. However, with time all of them lost power. Currently, only a blanket of darkness engulfed the whole passage. Nowhere was this eclipse more profound than in the area surrounding Leo and Ethan. It seemed Ethan¡¯s anguish and frustration directed at Leo served to deepen the shadow around them, and the two light crystals held by Des and Leo didn¡¯t help lift the dark either. Des wanted to prompt Ethan to let Leo go right away, but Leo signaled her not to interfere. Instead, he stared back into Ethan¡¯s venom-filled eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Ethan let Leo go. ¡°That¡¯s more like it! Now before we have our chat, let¡¯s brighten up this place, shall we?¡± asked Leo as he took out a box from the back sack he was carrying. Several mechanical fireflies came out as soon as he opened it. ¡°A marvel of the Craftmasters. Little stars that create light in the darkness.¡± The fireflies flew to far-away corners and relit dead light crystals on the walls. A special ability of the mechanical fireflies was to supply and siphon powers to and from other objects. As the space they were standing in came to light, a horrible scenario greeted the children. Traps were littered everywhere. From walls aligned with hidden spikes, barb wires sticking out from the floor to guillotines hanging in the air, and parts of the floor giving away to deep spear-filled holes, death was beckoning from all corners. ¡°How did you manage to avoid all of these in the darkness?¡± asked an astonished Desdemona. ¡°A safe pathway exists between the traps. My protective shield changes to red each time danger is near. So, I just moved in the direction where the shield¡¯s color remained blue. However, how are you surviving out here without a shield? Isn¡¯t the air outside Sanctuary toxic?¡± Ethan asked Des. ¡°Yes! It is! Both Leo and I are immune though. I acquired the Creation Flames back at Solem which nullify the effects of most destructive things. As for Leo, he is using his healing Hearth-Bringer powers to remain unaffected from the toxins in the air,¡± replied Des. ¡°I see,¡± said Ethan before turning to Leo. ¡°Mr. Hearth-Bringer made me a promise to hear you out in exchange for his help in escaping. So, start talking about this great truth that has been kept hidden from me,¡± said Ethan while crossing his arms. ¡°The Gainsworths¡¯ loss of power is directly linked to the Cursebinders putting the power-draining curse on all Veiled Ones. It is Anorea¡¯s punishment to the Gainsworths for their role in the Primordial Wars. The Anon king and Emanuel Cursebinder knew of this but let it happen anyway. The only way you can stop this is by helping me restore balance to Areliam,¡± said Leo solemnly. ¡°You are full of shit. If what you say is true, then our whole clan would¡¯ve lost complete power already. It has been over a decade since the war ended, yet a lot of us still have our powers. Uncle Emanuel remains especially powerful. He is the strongest, not only within the clan but also among all other Veiled Ones,¡± countered Ethan. ¡°Emanuel Cursebinder is draining the Gainsworth ancestors to remain in power. Have you not wondered why your connection to your ancestors has been broken? Why you haven¡¯t been able to contact your father¡¯s spirit through the death-link rituals?¡± asked Leo. The death-link rituals were a common practice between Veiled Ones, at least it had been before the Anons outlawed them. It granted the living Veiled Ones brief periods of contact with their deceased ancestors. However, special privileges were given to the Gainsworths to keep practicing it. But, it wasn¡¯t working. All communication with Gainsworth ancestors had stopped. Ethan was visibly shaken by Leo¡¯s knowledge of this. ¡°You must be wondering how I know all this. My ancestors told me. See, this has happened once before. Anorea took away powers from the Pathfinders when they abused them. Back then, the Pathfinders didn¡¯t have a chance to get it back. But you do. The question is whether you¡¯ll take it or not.¡± Chapter 15
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