《Adrenic Legends: Dragonsoul》 [Vol. 1] (Ch. 1) First Day The scene that played out before me was always the same. I''m stood atop a small set of stairs leading up to a platform. Two thrones sit behind me. One is empty, while in the other sits a feminine crown. A man lunges at me from across the spacious room, swinging his sword at my torso. It barely grazes my onyx armor as I land on the red carpet. In retaliation, I point my palm in his direction and - FWOOSH! Escaping my palms are flames of pure white, soaring with elegance across the throne room. In this dream, I am a king. A king... being attacked by his own son... In the next instant, we lock eyes as our swords collide. Over and over again, a sickening cacophony of the ringing of clashing steel. And yet, the dream always ends in the same exact way. I soar through the air, my fist reeled back for what feels like what would be the final blow. That is, until my momentum comes to a halt as I look down, a marble spike embedded through my chest, and my blood pooling onto the checkered marble floor. The last thing I see is that man running toward me, his face dark and obscured, as if I could no longer remember the person who I had raised.
Alexander Young jolted awake to the incessant beeping of his alarm clock. Twisting his body to turn it off, he read the time: 06:15. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, trying to adjust to the sun peeking shyly over the horizon. He removed the covers and slid groggily out of bed, grabbing a shirt and sliding it on as he closed the door behind him. As Alexander Young got to the base of the stairs, he was greeted by the remnants of the party he and his father had the night prior; a pizza box and an assorted pile of beer and soda cans on the table. Usually, he''d go to clean something like that up as soon as possible, but he wasn''t quite feeling it this day. As he shuffled into the kitchen and put two slices of bread into the toaster, a small piece of paper caught his eye. He meandered over to the dining table and picked up the note: Alex, I left for my trip this morning. I''m sorry I didn''t get to see you for your first day, but I''m glad we got to spend time together before I had to leave. I''ll call you tonight. Love you, buddy! I''ll see you in 18 months. Love, Dad Alex was sixteen years old and lived alone while his father took business trips to keep food on the table, making up for the lack of income in their once-was family. And this was just another one of his business trips. Alex sighed as he placed down the note, looking up only to become hypnotized once more by the crooked picture frame on the wall. Inside of this frame was a picture of Alex, his father, and his mother. Smiles forever planted on their faces in front of Cinderella''s Castle at Disney World. Alex took a step closer to the picture, where he could only remember the feeling of his sinking heart as he approached. He straightened the frame, but his eyes stayed glued to his mother. He''d remember how her blue eyes glistened like the moon over a lake at midnight. The way she''d laugh harder with each corny joke she''d tell. How contagious that laugh was. How empty life was when it was gone. For a year and a half, he was nothing short of absolutely miserable. He couldn''t cope, and it was only made worse when his father had gotten his new job and would leave for months at a time. His middle school teachers were the most concerned about him. Why wouldn''t they have been? His mother died halfway through his eighth grade year. The whiplash of him being all smiles one day and then unresponsive the next worried the hell out of them, he was sure. His concentration was broken abruptly by the toaster as he jumped along with the toast. It was at that moment that Alex had realized just what time it was. 06:34. He took one last glimpse at the woman in the frame before he snatched the naked toast, his favorite black jacket and his backpack, and slammed the front door shut behind him.
Approaching the school, he slowed down to catch his breath. He only had the shortest amount of time to collect his thoughts as an arm wrapped around the back of his neck, and the force of a body slamming into him from behind made his heart drop a few stories. "End of summer," expressed a familiar voice. "Now it''s back to this prison, huh?" Alex glanced to his left to find Taber. They had only met the year prior, but clicked over video games and anime almost instantly. This was his closest friend, one who he''d met in his darkest time when he needed a real friend the most. Alexander sighed after getting over his near-heart-attack, brushing the arm off of his back. "Taber," he began. "Run up on me out of nowhere like that again, I''ll break your nose." Taber curled his lips into a grin as he threw his head back with a chuckle. "Oh, please! You love mefartoo much to do that!" There was a brief pause as Taber pulled out his schedule. "So what classes do you have?" Alex followed suit as they both read through each other''s papers.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "Sweet," Alex exclaimed. "We both got Mr. Deck!" "Yeah, but not the same period," Taber remarked, scratching the back of his head before noticing another detail. "But we do have English and History together. You can help me with English since that was never my best subject." "And History was never mine, so it works out." Alex replied as Taber examined his schedule more, announcing that they had lunch together. "Hell yeah," Alex shouted in response. "This year''s gonna be a cinch!" He threw his hand up as they gave each other a high-five as they walked through the gates.
As the teacher entered the classroom and struggled for silence for a couple moments, it was time to begin their work for the day. Around half an hour into the class, the students were turned away to do their first assignment. Alex picked his head up from his writing and peered around the room at all the different groups. There was a trio talking about the latest game, a pair gossiping about the newest trend on social media and even a group of guys exploding with laughter over a content creator''s video. He was just about to go back to his work when something caught his eye. It was an impressive piece of artwork. However, the girl behind the pencil was almost equally as intriguing to him. Her black ponytail draped tenderly over her purple hoodie and down her left shoulder while her deep brown eyes exuded a seemingly unbreakable focus. Her hand''s movements displayed a precision that only years of practice could boast, and each mark left on the paper was another mark ingrained into Alexander''s memory. He was so focused on the art that he hadn''t realized that she had stopped, and as Alex looked up, he made eye contact with her. She had a curious expression, as if to ask, ''can I help you?'' He immediately turned away to face out the window.Let''snotstare at the girl, yeah?He thought to himself, his face flush with embarrassment.
Later on in the day, Alexander met Taber in the hallway, where he talked seemingly nonstop about an argument he had with some kid about String Theory. Interesting, Alex thought, but way too early in the year for him to grasp such concepts. So, he opted to just nod and agree until Taber''s story was finished. "Well, at leastyou''vehad a decent day so far," Alex muttered. "What do you mean," Taber asked. "The day''s halfway through! You mean to tell menothingexciting has happened?!" "Dude," Alex said, "this ain''t an action manga, this ishigh school.Not every moment is very exciting. If anything, it''s rather bland." "Man, that''s rough. I''m sorry to hear that," Taber replied, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck before gaining his second wind and shooting yet another smile at Alex. "But hey! We''re gonna eat lunch, then the last two periods of the day are ours! I''m suresomethinginteresting is bound to happen, even if it''s just us slackin'' off and talkin'' about whatever the whole time." "Yeah, Iguessthat''s true," Alex agreed, facing him briefly. As he turned his attention back to the front, he caught glimpse of a familiar face. The same girl from first period. "Oh, it''s her," he said softly to himself. Shortly after noticing her, he witnessed as Kyle Quinn, the school''s bully, and his lackeys creeped on the girl from behind and grabbed her notebook, the three crowding up on her as her eyes dropped to the floor, her face wrought with discontent. It was at that moment that Alexander''s mood declined quickly. Alexander and Kyle had been friends throughout most of middle school. When Kyle started belittling others, Alex turned a blind eye to it. He wanted to tell him to stop, but seeing as Kyle was bigger than him - and more intimidating - he could never work up the courage. Later on, Alex stopped associating himself with Kyle. Kept being the bystander as more and more people got harassed. And for those who tried to fight back, they were left in bitter defeat. Alexander kept remembering each person left to deal with a person that he felt he''d created, in a way. At least, somebody who he could have stopped from becoming a problem like this. Then, his mother''s soothing voice echoed in his mind.Just do the right thing for me while I''m gone, okay Angel? "Hey man," Taber began. "I get it, but if we try anything, he''ll make our day that much more annoying. Let''s just leave it to the staff and get some food. All this learning''s making me hungry." The staff,Alexander scoffed to himself.The same staff that lets this happen on the daily without batting an eye? "And what''s this," Kyle mocked. "Some of that dumb weeb shit?!" Finally, Alex had had enough. Before he could anticipate Taber''s next words, before he even cared to hear them, his legs sprang forward. As he approached the trio of low-lives, Alexander''s mouth opened before he could think. "Cut it out, Kyle!" While his face was burning and twisted in rage, it softened to a much lighter expression of anger as the three turned to face him. Then a thought occurred to him.You know, I probably could have said something pretty badass there, but I think it''s safe to say I blew it. Alexander''s stomach churned as Kyle chuckled at him, his physique striking him with a wave of anxiety. It was safe to say that Alex being five-foot-three, squaring up to somebody a whole five inches taller than him was already pretty rough for Alexander''s intimidation factor. But Kyle was alsobuilt. Alex was an athletic build at best. He wasn''t scrawny, in fact he was quite proud of his phisique. But he also didn''t have pecks that bulged from his t-shirt, nor did he have biceps practically the size of his head. So needless to say, Alex felt he was in way too deep the moment he''d decided to speak up. "Obviously," Kyle said through his chuckles, "I liked her drawings, pipsqueak. I just wanted a few for myself, that''s all." "Oh, don''t bullshit me, Kyle. I heard what you said. It was pretty damn distasteful, if you ask me." And yet again, Alex had fired yet another cringe-worthy shot. He could practically hear Taber''s facepalm from behind him. Honestly, he couldn''t say he blamed him. He''d wanted to hit himself, too. Kyle let out an amused huff. "''Distasteful,'' huh? Look, I honestly don''t remember asking you adamnthing,Young." He bent down to Alexander''s level so that they were face-to-face. "You might wanna move along, runt, before I shove yourotherfoot in your mouthforyou!" Alex stood there, his fists curled, clenching them so tightly that they were turning white. During his glaring match with Kyle, Alex felt a hand touch his shoulder. "Come on, dude," Taber''s voice whispered. "Let''s go.Yougot to play hero, nowIwanna eat." As much as Alex wanted to keep up this act, he knew deep down that it wasn''t worth it. If nothing else, he had bought that girl enough time to slip away, and that was enough for him. Alex nodded and turned around as he and Taber made their way to the cafeteria, Kyle attempting to egg him on from behind. Alex didn''t get to clock him or anything, yet he still felt a sense of relief wash over him.I finally did it, Mom... ...I did the right thing. [Vol. 1] (Ch. 2) The Stranger Alex sat at the table with his face rested in his palm, silently twirling the dry school-made pasta alfredo around the prongs of his fork and stomaching it with a hesitant bite. As he looked up across the table, he watched as the courageous Taber Black scarfed it all down without a second thought. He looked back to his tray, poking at the somewhat stiff mass of slop, until he finally uttered the question that had been far from resting at the back of his mind. "So," Alex began. "Why do you always insist on pulling me away from that kind of stuff?" Taber peered up at him, having just finished slamming a carton of milk. "What, from Kyle? Why do you insist on butting in? I was merely saving your ass before it got canned." "Sure," Alex mumbled. "I mean, it''s not that I don''t want to bust his mug. I do. But guys like us don''t really stand much of a chance against guys like that." Alex agreed apprehensively and placed the ''food'' into his mouth. As he did, they were suddenly surprised by the same girl from before, sitting down at their table. They traded glances with each other, then peered back at her. After a brief period of silence, Taber finally spoke up. "Hey... you good?" "I am," she began. It came to his mind that Alex had never actually heard her voice. It was like silk, with a softness akin to a nurturing mother. It was quiet enough to make you want to lean in to hear exactly what she was saying, but just strong enough to make it audible. "Listen," She continued before reverting her attention to Alex. "Thanks back there." "Don''t mention it," he began. "Kyle seemed to get worse whenever I stopped talking to him, so I almost feel responsible for it all." "I see," she said, gazing down at her food. Taber felt the awkwardness in the air and decided to change the subject. "So, what''s your name?" She looked over to him and gave a shy smile. "My name is Emily. Emily West." "Nice to meet you," Alexander said. "My name is Alex Young." "Taber Black." After they''d introduced themselves, it felt as if the ice had melted. Surprisingly fast, at that. The three of them spent the rest of the lunch period talking about whatever random topic came to mind. Emily wasn''t the most talkative of the three, but to Alex, it was nice to actually see her talking.
As Taber closed the door behind him that afternoon, he''d announced through the hallway, "Mom! I''m home!" He took off his shoes and placed them in the cubby placed beside the doorframe and stepped off of the welcome mat. His mother rounded the corner, leaving the doorway to the living room as her green eyes sparkled with her smile. "Welcome home, sweetie." She gave him a brief hug and turned back around, heading to the kitchen that lay just past the doorway at the end of the hall. "I''m finishing up dinner, did you want anything in particular?" "Not really, I''m not picky," Taber said, sliding the straps of the backpack off his shoulder and setting them on the ground. His mother nodded as she disappeared behind the wall. His mother, Kate, was a single mother with honey-bronze skin and long dirty-blonde hair she''d usually wear in a waterfall braid that draped over her right shoulder onto her white blouse, a hairstyle that felt like it belonged in a fantasy show. Despite being a single mother, the house was almost always spotless, the hardwood floor gleaming as if it had just been installed and the walls white as porcelain. When it was just the two of them, Kate was very casual. But whenever they had company over, as rare as that was, she carried herself with elegance and poise, almost like a noblewoman hosting her guests. Taber made his way into the kitchen, where Kate was placing some breaded chicken onto two plates and then picking them up to set them onto the dining table. As Taber sat down, they began eating. Her voice was comforting and soothing as she asked him about his day and explained the details of hers. Cleaning, mostly. The fact that she always did this while he was gone and couldn''t help out bothered Taber, and what bothered him even more is that after cleaning and making dinner, she''d eat for a bit, and then do just as she was doing now. She got up, straightened the belt on her black slacks, threw on her purse and kissed him goodbye as she drifted swiftly out the door to her job as an evening waitress at a restaurant a few blocks away. From there, Taber sat poking at the last two pieces of chicken on his plate, wondering why she never tried to meet anybody else after his father abandoned them. At least then, she''d have some help during the day.
Alex entered his room that night as the moonlight poured in through the blinds, painting his room a cool hue. He threw his shirt onto the floor and sat on the edge of the bed, peering down at his phone as he pressed the power button. ''19:54.'' He unlocked the phone and tapped the call icon next to his father''s name and pressed the phone to his ear. One buzz. Two buzzes. Three buzzes. By the time it had hit the seventh buzz, he had pulled the phone away from his ear, until he heard a faint, "Little Dude! What''s going on?" Alex returned the earpiece to where it was. "Hey! Dad!" he said, relieved to hear his voice. "I''m glad you made it to Japan safely. "Actually," his father, Eric, interjected, "I''m on a layover in Alaska. Won''t be making it to Tokyo until noon tomorrow." "I see." "So anyway," Eric continued. "How was your first day as a Sophomore? I''m... sorry I didn''t get to see you off." "No, Dad, it''s fine. It was... alright, I guess. Got to hang with Taber, made a new friend-" Before he could finish, his father shot a question. "Any issues with that Kyle kid?" His father inquired. "Just know if you need to pop him in the jaw, do it." Alex leaned forward. "Dad."This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "What? Back in my day, it''s fair game if he starts it." "I got it." Alex shifted his body, bringing himself back onto the bed that he was slipping off of. There were a few seconds of silence on the other end of the line, until his voice rang out again. "So anyway, who''s your new friend," Eric asked. "Her name is Emily." He heard a somewhat distorted ''woo-ing'' from his father''s side of the call. "Got a lady friend?" Pulling the phone away from his ear, Alexander shot the phone a quick side-eye. "Dad." "Hey, buddy, I''m kidding," Eric chuckled. With the worse aspects of that day surfacing in Alex''s mind that late at night, his father''s light laughter was refreshing. "Anyway," he continued. "I''m going to try to catch some sleep before my next flight. I love you." Alex reciprocated as the line disconnected shortly after. He sat on the bed, his eyes trained on the phone''s black screen. He finally connected his phone to the charger, tossed it onto the bed next to him, threw up his feet and rolled over as the world around him went dark. And once again, without fail, that same dream replayed itself that night.
The next morning, Alex sat in first period writing an assignment for Mr. Deck''s class. He''d always enjoyed the space aspect of science, but chemistry was kicking his ass. Maybe, he thought, I wouldn''t be having such a hard time if I didn''t stare out the window so often, but I guess that''s just going to have to be a problem for future me to handle. A few minutes and a Google search later, he''d answered the question just in time for Emily to walk up to his desk. "Hey," she greeted, her voice soft as velvet. "Hey, Emily," Alex greeted back, "what''s up?" "I just needed a familiar face." She brushed a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her face back into place behind her ear. They held for a moment in silence until her voice sounded again. "Do you watch anime?" Alex lit up. "Oh, hell yeah!" She pulled up a seat as they talked about a few different topics regarding a couple of the latest shows when a few minutes into the conversation, a thought came to his mind. "Hey, you know," Alex began, "Taber and I were going to go to the arcade after school and then hit my place to watch the newest episode, if you care to join us." She thought for a moment, with each second making him realize more and more what it sounded like he''d just said. Needless to say, it was all he had to stop himself from visibly cringing at his blunder. However to his surprise, she''d responded softly, "My parents won''t mind." Alex immediately took her hand and shook it. "Sweet! Then welcome to the crew of misfits, Em!" His action took her by surprise at first until she laughed it off and nodded. "Great to be here!" Her voice was much less soft-spoken and sounded just a hair more lively than usual. Shortly after, the bell rang and Alex picked up his stuff. He told her he''d see her that afternoon and they went their separate ways.
On the way to the arcade, Alex and Taber were bantering over a game they were trying to beat each other at while Emily trailed behind them. During their back-and-forth, Alexander''s phone began playing his father''s ringtone. He checked to confirm, then faced the others. "Hey, keep going, I gotta take this." "Your dad?" Asked Taber. Alexander nodded. Taber told him they''d see him inside and as the two headed into the arcade across the street, Alex tapped the green ''answer'' button and pressed the phone to his ear, trying to get a response from the other end. "Damn it, Dad," He cursed, ending the call and putting the phone away. Probably butt-dialed me again. As he turned around to head inside, Alex felt a chill roll down his spine as he slowed to a cautious halt. Whatever it was, it felt like he was being watched. As he turned around, he caught sight of something peculiar. Just across the road from Alex stood a fair-skinned young man who appeared no older than him. He was leaning with his back against the bus shelter. The young man''s snow-white hair fell just above his eyebrows, and his pale-blue eyes were trained on Alex, piercing his soul like daggers. Okay... Alexander thought, unsettled. He turned around in an attempt to walk away, when he heard a noise behind him. He swiveled back around, searching for the origin of the sound, but instead he''d noticed something even stranger. The young man had disappeared without a trace.
As they walked up the cracked sidewalk that evening, Taber''s smile refused to fade as he boasted, "Make that four days in a row!" Alex chuckled in response, waving his arm back and forth. "I get it, I get it! You won again." They trudged up the hill, then Emily turned to Alex, her eyes almost as jet-black as her hair in the dim evening light. "So, how far away are we?" "Almost there. Just a couple more blocks." Alex replied. After the sun had set and the moon hid itself behind the clouds, they''d made it to the corner of a wall that separated the neighbors'' backyards from the road and made a right turn down Alexander''s street. He saw a familiar tree just a couple dozen feet away that mildly jutted out onto the sidewalk, marking the house just next to his. As he pointed it out to Emily, the silhouettes of three figures revealed themselves from the other side of the trunk. As the clouds dissipated, the full moon revealed their identities: Kyle Quinn and his buddies were waiting for them. Kyle began stepping up to Alex with a chilling intensity. "''Sup, shrimp?" Before he could react, Kyle punched Alex in the face, and a knee slammed into his stomach with a force that knocked the air out of his lungs as Alexander gasped for air. Falling onto his back, his vision was akin to a kaleidoscope. Alex felt at his nose, a thick warm fluid greeting his fingers. "ALEX!" Taber shouted, rushing to his friend''s aid. Taber got a decent punch in before Kyle struck him in the ribs with a right-hook and followed through with a swift headbutt. Taber stumbled back, hitting the ground. Alex placed his hand on the cold concrete and tried to kneel, but Kyle''s voice growled, "stay down, runt!" Alexander''s body rolled over as Kyle''s foot pushed him off-balance. Emily beheld the scene before her in fear and began to backpedal as one of Kyle''s friends made his way to her. Catching a glance at Alex and Taber groaning, sprawled out on the sidewalk, Emily imagined the same thing was about to happen to her, and out of pure instinct, she turned her body away and shielded her face, bracing for impact. But after a couple of moments, nothing happened. She removed her hands from her vision to see that he had seemingly vanished into thin air. Just as surprised as her were Kyle and the guy to his right. "Craig," Kyle''s partner called out, "where the hell did you go, man?!" After a moment, a hushed icy voice cut through the darkness as Emily flinched, peering behind her. "You must feel powerful," he said. "Beating up those without experience." In the shadow of a tree just down the sidewalk, a young man walked. His stride was intimidatingly calm. His pure-white hair shimmered in the moonlight, and the only thing that seemed to glow brighter were his eyes. An icy-aqua hue that reflected his very demeanor. Cold. If one didn''t know better, it could have been mistaken for bloodlust. Emily''s stomach dropped, steadily. "I wonder, however," he continued, his tone as calm and intimidating as his stride. "How would a weakling like you..." His figure revealed itself in full as he stepped into the moonlight, his blue coat reaching just past his waist, the design almost royal. The expression painted on his face was stern. "...fare against someone like me?" Her attention was swiftly turned away from the stranger as Kyle let out a chuckle. "You? Alright, then kid. I''ll put you in your place." Kyle threw a jab at him. The stranger redirected it and, in the same fluid motion, used Kyle''s momentum against him, slamming his forearm into his neck as Kyle grunted in pain. He went for a kick before the young man grabbed his leg, taking Kyle off-balance as he landed square on his back, letting out a sharp exhale. The stranger stepped closer and slammed his heel into Kyle''s meaty chest as he wheezed, his fist slamming into the ground. He kept his heel pressed into his sternum as Kyle flailed in pain. Emily finally dragged her vision away from the scene in time to see Alex and Taber get up, beholding the sight along with her. "You were hardly worth my time..." The stranger removed his heel and began to step away as Kyle gasped and wheezed, choking for air. Emily gazed at him in disbelief. "Who... who are you?" She asked, her voice trembling much more than she had originally expected. He turned to her, his blue eyes shimmering like topaz as he gazed at her with the same stern expression. "Get inside. Then we''ll talk." [Vol. 1] (Ch. 3) Turning Point They had gathered at the dining room table as Alexander wondered, what in the actual hell just happened? Who is this guy? Most importantly, why is he in my house, eating my protein bars? The stranger swallowed a bite, marveling rather nonchalantly at the bar. He hummed briefly. "Same effect as a minor potion at a tenth of the price... this world really is something." They gazed at the boy, somewhat concerned, but mostly confused. Finally, Emily spoke. "Um- Excuse me, Mister-" "Drop your formalities," he sneered. "It''s Kieran Renvar." It wasn''t even five minutes before he''d already triggered Alexander''s nerves. "Look," he interjected. "I know I probably shouldn''t speak out against the one who saved our asses back there, but this is still my house. Be respectful." "Well, then respectfully, shut up. I''m not here because I wanna be." "Then why are you here?" Taber cut in, growing obviously agitated. "A long story that we have zero time for here." "Bullshit," Alex said. He wasn''t usually one to get heated, but for Kieran to invite himself into his house and speak cryptically was a level of arrogance he''d once deemed unheard of. "You''ll tell us, now." "Learn your place, half-wit." "Just tell us what''s going on, then!" As Alex finished, Kieran''s face contorted with apprehension before relaxing into a sigh. "Fine. But you will wait until we get there." "Get where?" Taber pressed. "Adrin. My world." "Oh, okay, buddy," Alex began. "You just expect us to believe you came from some random world just to spirit three rando''s away for little to no reason? I ain''t buying it. You may have been a big help back there, but you''re obviously deranged." "Oh," Kieran''s brows dropped. "It''s for a reason, and even I can''t believe it''s happening. Much less that it''s you I''m taking." Taber slammed his hand on the table and shot up from his chair, squaring up with Kieran. Alex followed suit. "Nobody said they were doing anything, asshole!" Taber shouted. Kieran rolled his eyes in aggravation. "For the love of-" In two swift movements that they could barely follow, Taber and Alex lost their footing and landed on their asses as Kieran grabbed onto their torsos and reached out, grabbing Emily''s arm as she yelped. As he was crouched down, Alex heard three unfamiliar syllables escape Kieran''s lips in a strained voice. "Os... voros!" A cloud of smoke swirled around them and in the next moment as it dissipated, a blinding light invaded his retinas. Originally, he was going to question what the light was from, but as soon as he took a look around to find themselves surrounded by a forest, Alex had quickly realized that the light was the sun. And that he was no longer in his house. In fact, there wasn''t a single trace of their town.
For Taber, more than anything, it was the sheer disbelief of it all as he slowly made his way onto his feet, taking several glances around. Everything that had transpired leading up to this moment, the smoke that had surrounded them, and even the current environment had his mind swirling. From the looks of it, they were nowhere near home. There wasn''t a forest anywhere close to where they lived. Taber peered around at the greenery, the faint scent of cedarwood and pine invading his nose. Trees lined the small clearing they found themselves in, bushes tucked between their trunks with an assortment of blooming flowers dotting them. Three dirt paths branched out in different directions, disappearing into the seemingly endless expanse of vegetation.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Dumbfounded, he decided to be the first to say something. Taber turned his focus back to Kieran, whose intense gaze met his own. "Where in the hell are we?" "Kora Forest," Kieran began in an uninterestedly nonchalant tone. "In the Territory of Dakir." "Okay, what the hell does that mean?" Taber replied, his tone laced with agitation at the lack of an explanation. "It means that you''re in Adrin. Welcome to the rest of your life, at least for now." As Kieran began to walk away, as Taber''s jaw hung agape. He heard Alexander''s voice sound off to his right as he started stomping toward him. "Now listen here, Kieran, I don''t know who the hell you think you are, but-!" Alex had his arm outstretched as if to place his hand on Kieran''s shoulder, but in one aggressively swift motion, he grabbed him by the collar and spoke with a tone that was cold enough to make even Taber''s blood freeze over. "I''d suggest you think twice before placing your hands on me, half-pint. I know you aren''t quite aware of what''s going on here, but frankly, we don''t have time for this! As we speak, the Followers are making their move and Master doesn''t have long to train you boneheads before sending us off." Kieran removed his grip on Alex with a subtle shove as he lightly stumbled back. "We didn''t ask for this!" Alex shouted at him, his voice laced with emotion. "None of us ask for anything. Fate just places you in a situation and you have no choice but to act. This is your time to do just that. There is no other option. Either you decide to get your head out of your ass and act, or we''re all dead." There was a notable tension in the air with the delivery of his words. Even just the mention of death, and the fact that he''d directed his words specifically at Alex, made Taber wonder just what they had all gotten themselves into, and just how deep they were. "Now let''s go," Kieran continued. "Our time is running thin." As he turned to begin walking once again, Alex, Emily and Taber eyed each other. As they returned their gazes forward, they took a hesitant step into the forest.
To Alex, it felt like they''d been walking for hours in silence, and in that quiet time he''d had a well of different emotions play out. Anger, confusion, frustration, sadness and concern were just a few of them. Why is this happening? What did I ever do to deserve something like this? And why with this insufferable grouch of a person, no less?! A cacophony of other thoughts piled up in his head to the point that he almost didn''t notice when they had reached another, much larger clearing in the forest. Next to a river sat a cozy-looking two-story log cabin. Draped over the cabin''s porch stood a smooth wooden awning and off to the right of it was a small patch of compressed dirt, with a couple of training dummies posted at the far edge. To the cabin''s front, closer to the path, was a picnic table, a fire pit built adjacent to it. As they approached the log cabin, the front door began to creak open. Immediately, Alex felt an intense pressure in the air as his eyes subconsciously grew wider out of innate fear, as if his body knew what was going on before he did. He caught a glimpse of who he could only assume was the source of this feeling; a young man, not much older than Kieran, with jet-black hair that rested at the top of his shoulders. Despite his presence, the man''s stubbled face exuded a sense of indifference, his forest-green eyes soft as he strode down the steps from the porch and approached the four of them. Most of the man''s body was hidden behind a cloak that draped over his shoulders, one side of it covering half of the front of his torso, drawing more attention to the sword strapped to and hanging from his hip. "Master," Kieran revered as he took a knee. "I''ve returned." The man nodded in approval and then surveyed the rest of them, before bringing his focus back to Kieran. The longer he stood there, the more the fear within Alex subsided, and the more the feeling began to fade. He couldn''t tell whether that meant his body was getting used to it, or if the man was controlling it himself. If he was, he was trying to send a message to the four. One that was working. "Welcome back, Kieran." The man said, with a voice that was hushed and friendly, contrasting starkly with his aura. He turned to the rest of them, bowing his head slightly. "I must apologize for bringing you all the way that we did. However," he continued, turning away and moving toward the fire pit. "I fear that our time is running short." He turned slowly as he faced them again, gesturing toward the bench as if inviting them to take a seat. "And quite frankly, it is of the essence." They took the hint and moved over to the bench and took a seat next to each other. With that, the man continued. "All of that in mind, we needed to bring you here as soon as possible." "But..." Alex began, trying to find the words he wanted to say, but had no idea how to thread them all together. So instead, he asked the biggest question he had: "Why?" "Why us?" Taber interjected. "Right," the man said, "I should probably explain. My apologies." He placed his hand on his chin. "Where to begin?" Alex watched as he went to sit down on nothing, briefly expressing a small bit of confusion. Until the man had done something that Alex had expected the least. A small circular portion of the ground rose up to meet the man as he sat down, captivating Alex''s attention. For a few moments, his mind wasn''t entirely focused on what the man was saying. All that was racing through his mind was one excited thought: This world has Magic! [Vol. 1] (Ch. 4) Prophecy "First of all," the man said, "it would probably be best if you knew who I was. My name is Azerael Briarheart. There are many here who know me as ''the Arcanic Sage,'' but you can just call me Master Azerael." The four nodded in acknowledgement, still too dumbfounded to speak after they''d watched him manipulate the very earth below him to fashion a stool to sit on. It was safe to say that they had a vast ocean of questions forming a tidal wave in their minds. Alexander knew he did. Azerael continued. "As for why I brought you all here, I''ll just start at the beginning." Azerael began his tale. There was a man two thousand years ago named Anxor Blackthorne. Despite being the son of a war hero, he''d slaughtered an entire squad of Pearlean soldiers, who they had made a peace treaty with following the Pearlean War. As he was being sentenced to prison time by his own father, Anxor went rampant and killed him in cold blood. After he''d caught up to him, Azerael sent Anxor to Dontaire, the Purgatory Realm, where he''d remain for eternity. Although, briefly after Azerael had sent him away. an oracle visited Azerael soon after, explaining that in two thousand years'' time, Anxor would be freed from his prison, and that all of the Void Energy he''d have absorbed by then would make him virtually unkillable. Alex''s jaw dropped at the last line. "Wait a minute... You''re telling us that there''s a man who could be a potentially world-ending threat, but he can''t be stopped?" He stood up from the bench, his voice growing more frustrated and confused. "Why even bother bringing us here? Three random kids from a completely different world?! I mean, what makes you think we''d stand a chance?!" Azerael reserved a calm tone of voice as he raised his hand slightly. "Please, calm down." His hand dropped back down to his lap. "There''s still something I didn''t get to explain." Despite every part of him telling him to scream all of his grievances with the situation, Alex refrained and sat back down. Azerael continued, raising a finger. "There is one exception to the effect that Void Energy applies. The only energy capable of negating it is the energy of the person affected, and by extension, energies with a similar composition." "What does that mean...?" Emily''s voice quivered, despite her best efforts. "It means that the only people capable of defeating Anxor for good are himself, his relatives..." Azerael paused, turning his glance toward Alex. "...Or his offspring." Alexander''s eyes widened. Confused, appalled, or even disoriented were words that seemingly couldn''t even begin to describe the emotions he was feeling in that moment. Nor could it cover the thoughts racing endlessly through his mind as he heard the words exit Azerael''s lips. "No," Alex uttered in a shaky breath. "Y-you''re lying... My father is Eric Young, on Earth." His thoughts shifted. "After all," he continued, "you told us this happened two-thousand years ago! We aren''t like you. I''m not like you. I''m only sixteen! There''s no way I could ever be connected to this world-" "Perhaps if you looked at this through the standard lens of time, that would be true," Azerael interjected. "However, there is one crucial factor to this story that I have yet to point out." The others sat intently, awaiting his next words. Alex, on the other hand, stomached a gulp, one that seemed to get caught in his throat as his anxiety soared through his body. "I have been alive for over four-thousand years," Azerael continued. "In that time, I have mastered every basic element, as well as a few of the Prime Magics that make up the universe - Arcane, Spatial, Astral and Time." He stood up. "After I sealed Anxor away and the oracle revealed the prophecy, I took Milya Blackthorne, his pregnant wife, and sent her to a distant world, one-thousand-and-eighty-four years into the future."The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Taber cut in. "This world was Earth... wasn''t it?" "Indeed." Azerael moved over to the dying embers of the fire, raising his hand and reigniting them. "Because of that, by the time that Anxor was prophecized to return, the Chosen One would be old enough to take on his father head-on, thus ending the threat to Adrin, as well as all worlds." Alex''s head still hung, suspended in disbelief. "I just... I don''t see how that''s me." "Simple," Azerael stated, standing up and approaching Alex, seemingly towering over him despite only being five-foot-eight. "You give off a familiar aura. One comparable to Anxor and his late father. Thus, it is suffice to say that you, Alexander Young, are indeed the biological son of Anxor Blackthorne. Alex''s heart dropped. Sure, it had been hinted at, implied, even. But hearing it stated so directly had shaken him to his core. As if his entire life up to this point was one big fabrication. If his father wasn''t his father, then was his mother, who he''d mourned for so long, truly his mother? Was he truly born as a result of love, free to do what he desired? Or was his entire purpose in life solely to fulfill a prophecy that he had, what he felt, zero ties to? The frustration, the confusion, the doubts, piled up in his mind until he couldn''t hold back the tears welling up in his eyes, falling like rain as he slowly broke down. Taber and Emily rushed over to console their friend. "I do apologize that these are the circumstances in which we had to reveal all of this," Azerael said tactfully, with numb compassion. "However, we cannot delay, nor can we risk wasting time on emotional turbulence." He began to walk up the stairs toward the cabin door. "Training begins tomorrow. It may be mid-day, though I suggest you all get some rest. Kieran will show you to your rooms. Come to me for any questions you may have." Azerael opened the door, disappearing behind it as it came to a close. Alex remained, slumped over the ground as his tears fell.
A couple hours had passed until Alex was finally composed enough to speak. "This... can''t be happening to me..." As Taber was about to say something, Kieran came out of the forest, carrying a bag over his shoulder. "You done crying yet?" He asked, his voice still as cold and blunt as before. "What the hell is your problem?!" Taber growled, standing up, his brows furrowed as he grit his teeth. "I don''t have a problem. I just know what the stakes are here. And frankly," he continued as he passed the three, "I care for my Master''s will far more than the emotions of a nobody such as him." He continued up the steps of the porch until he felt a hand on his shoulder, turning his head slightly to see Taber, boiling with anger. "Didn''t I say something about putting hands on me to the runt earlier?" "Look, man," Taber spat through gritted teeth. "I don''t know what the hell your deal is, but whatever it is, I suggest you get the hell over it." Kieran''s eyes seared into Taber''s, whose gaze was just as sharp. With a huff, he shook Taber''s hand off his shoulder and finished the climb up the stairs to the porch. "Come on," he sneered. "I''m sure you''d rather cry in your room than out here. Especially at night." Taber''s gaze was still fixed on Kieran until he heard a shifting of clothes behind him. Alex, assisted by Emily, wobbled as he stood up, feeling like his legs had fallen asleep in the hours prior. Through crestfallen eyes, he nodded at Kieran. He huffed. "Come on."
Alex entered his room, mostly empty save for a bed under the window on the far edge of the room. A desk was placed along the wall left of his gaze, with a quill and inkwell roughly in the middle, with stationery just to its left. Alex moved to the desk, where he placed down a leather vest and a wooden sword, items from the bag Kieran had brought back. Training supplies they would be using for the next God knows how long. Moving away from the desk, Alex slumped down on the bed, pulling out his phone and observing the "no signal" icon. He threw his now-useless phone onto the desk across from him, took off his shoes and laid down. He rolled over. Maybe, he thought, he''d wake up in his room and all of this would have been a dream. A sick joke played by his own mind. However, another part of him figured that he wouldn''t be so lucky. [Vol. 1] (Ch. 5) Arcanic Origin Alex was with his father, standing at his mother''s closed casket. Seeing the casket was enough to bring Alexander''s heart to his stomach but the American Flag draped over top of it gave the feeling a certain intensity. At his side, he clutched a small cluster of roses and lilies, as he knew those were her favorites. He remembered how her eyes would light up every Mother''s Day as he''d present a tray with a vase of these beautiful flowers and some haphazardly prepared eggs and toast. And how every anniversary, his father would come home late at night, presenting her with a large bouquet. He''d always get a playful scolding from her for mixing in some orchids, but her smile showed that she didn''t seem to truly mind. He placed the small bouquet on the casket as a tear slid down his cheek. As he and his father found their way back to their seats, the military officer gave the command to begin the 21 Gun Salute. One shot. Two shots. Three shots.
Alex woke up to a banging on the door. Groggily, he replied. "I''m awake." "Hurry up, idiot," Kieran''s voice sounded through the door. "Master Azerael''s waiting." Alex groaned, unsure which was more agitating. His dream, the fact he was waking up anywhere but home, or the fact that he was woken up by an asshole like Kieran. Whatever the case was, Alex wasn''t entirely excited for the day as he slipped on the vest and grabbed the wooden sword off of the desk. As he made his way outside, Alex saw Taber and Emily stood by the picnic table. Emily greeted him with a somber yet compassionate smile as Taber patted him on the shoulder. "You good, man?" Taber asked. "I''ve been better," Alex replied. "Still unsure as to whether or not this is worse than Mom''s death." Taber''s eyes drifted downward as he stumbled for the right reply. However, everything he thought of felt too awkward. The three turned to the sound of the cabin door opening as Azerael stepped out, his black cloak draped over his torso. "Good morning, you three. I trust you''ve all rested well?" Azerael''s eyes scanned the three until they landed on Alex, who was still visibly disheartened. "Well enough, at least." He drifted down the steps onto the grass, the fallen leaves crunching softly beneath his black leather boots. He gestured to the training grounds just across the yard. "Come this way and we shall begin." The three traded glances and followed Azerael to the patch of densely packed sand. After they arrived shoulder-to-shoulder at the spot, Azerael turned around and handed each of them a small, clear, pearl-like crystal that shimmered in the morning sun. Alex looked at the crystal, and then looked at Azerael. "What exactly... is this?" Azerael nodded, understanding his confusion. "That is known as an Affinity Crystal. It''s highly sensitive to Arcanic Energy. Based on your elemental affinity, it will shift its color to match it." Azerael pulled out one more, holding it in his hand and channeled a small amount of energy into his palm. The three observed as his crystal shifted its hue rapidly between red, blue, orange, green, yellow, white and purple. Constantly shifting until he ceased the flow of energy. The three Earth children were stunned. "Bad example, I am aware," Azerael spoke. "Due to my Curse, my affinity is all over the place. However, all that matters is what each color represents." He focused energy into his palm once more as the colors shifted far slower. "Red represents an affinity for Fire Magic." The crystal shifted color, continuing to do so for the rest of his explanation. "Blue is Water Magic. Orange, Terra Magic. Green, Wind Magic. Yellow, Lightning Magic. White, Light Magic, and Purple, Darkness Magic." He put his crystal away. "The first order of business is to learn how to channel even a small amount of energy. For now, it isn''t essential to have a firm grasp. Even the slightest exposure to your energy will trigger it." Azerael directed them to put their crystals away for time being. "With Magic, visualization is everything," Azerael began. "If you cannot visualize what you wish to conjure, then you might as well pilot a boat without sails." Alex and the others nodded slowly in acknowledgement. "In order to gain control over your Arcanic Energy, you must visualize your Arcanic Origin, located just behind the sternum, next to your heart. Close your eyes and focus." The three followed his instruction. Closing his eyes, Alex furrowed his brows, trying to focus on the center of his chest. For almost a minute, he didn''t feel anything. Same old feeling as any other day. However, just as he was about to give up hope, he felt a small warmth in his core. Alex''s eyes rushed open as he shouted with a triumphant excitement, "I felt it!" Azerael glanced at him, taken aback slightly, but only for a fleeting moment as he gave a slight grin. "Impressive, Alex." Azerael unfolded his arms, taking a few graceful steps closer. "It usually takes people a lot longer to get the basics down." Alex scratched the side of his face with his finger. "I... have been told I''m a fast learner in the past."Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "That''s good. Perhaps the next couple of months won''t be as difficult as I had previously assumed." Azerael took a step back to his original place. "Now, let''s give the other two some quiet," he suggested in a more hushed voice, glancing over to the other two. Taber''s face was calm, breathing in and out in steady, rhythmic motions, until his grin entailed that he had finally figured it out. Emily, however, appeared to be focusing just a little too hard, her eyes clammed shut, anguish painting her face. "Emily," Azerael said, moving toward her, his voice still a soothing whisper. She glanced up at him, tears of frustration welling in her eyes. "Try not to force it. You''ll become discouraged much faster, and the frustration will eat away at you." "I''m sorry, I just-" Emily''s soft voice broke slightly. "I don''t know what to do... "Tell me, young Emily," Azerael spoke. "What is it that you do in your free time? What helps to relax your mind?" Emily sniffled, then choked back the lump in her throat. "I... I draw." Azerael placed a hand on his chin. "I see." He pondered for a moment before folding his arms again as they disappeared behind his raven cloak. "When you began drawing, you used particular lines and shapes to assist you in better understanding the structure of the human body, correct?" Emily''s mood improved gradually, the familiar subject soothing her. She nodded. "I used to use guidelines." "And after that, you gradually got to the point where you didn''t need to rely on them as much?" Emily nodded in response. In the next moment, Azerael grabbed Emily''s hand, placing it to the center of her chest. "It''s often easier to focus on a point where you can physically feel it. Think of your hand as your guideline. Now, focus on that guideline." Emily closed her eyes, trying to flush away her prior anguish. She focused on the feeling of her hand on her chest, once again trying to visualize the light at her core. It took her a few tries until she was able to think of herself as separate from the physical world, as if she was floating alone inside of a void, until she finally felt it - the warm radiance of her Arcanic Origin. Her eyes opened, her heart fluttering from the relief. Azerael smiled her way and nodded in approval as she softly smiled back. Without wasting too much time, Azerael turned his glance to the rest of them. "This is the easiest part of learning how to utilize your Magic, and the most basic skill you will possess as Mages, Warriors and everything in-between. Many learn this in roughly five minutes, the same amount of time as Taber, though not many think of the practicality of physical touch in the process. Thus, even though young Emily had the most difficulty among the three of you, she was able to get a basic feel for it much faster than anybody else in her shoes." Azerael pulled out his crystal, holding it up. "Now, I want all of you to remove your Affinity Crystals from your pockets." The three traded glances before following suit. As they removed them, they found that they had taken on a new color as they glowed. Taber''s crystal was orange. The color of Terra Magic. Emily possessed an affinity for Water Magic. And finally, as Alex beheld his, he observed the deep red hue. Fire. "Congratulations," Azerael continued. "You have all passed the first assignment of your training." He held out a hand, as if to collect the crystals as the three placed them into his palm. Azerael pocketed them soon after. "Now, before you can begin to use your elements as tangible spells, you must master the second-most basic skill." He shifted his cloak over his right shoulder as the pressure in the air around them became denser. Nowhere near as dense as when they had first met him, but noticably more than just a second prior. "Learning how to channel that energy consistently throughout your body is key for several reasons." He raised the index finger on his right hand. "Firstly and most importantly, the Arcanic Energy will make your body more durable, allowing you to withstand otherwise fatal injuries." He raised the next finger. "Secondly, Arcanic Energy boosts your physical abilities, allowing you to move faster and hit harder. And thirdly," he said, raising one final finger, "constantly circulating your Energy will allow you to cast your Magic more efficiently, more rapidly, and without wasting Energy." The three nodded. In the eyes of Alex and Taber, this seemed simple enough. They hadn''t faced any real challenge in visualizing their Origin, so realistically, they thought, this shouldn''t be any different. Emily, on the other hand, was hesitant, remembering the troubles she had faced just to complete the first part of training. To move on so quickly, she felt, was daunting. As if reading her thoughts, Azerael turned his attention to her, placing a hand on his chest and nodding once. Emily''s looming dread diminished slightly, understanding his gesture. "This is gonna be easy," Alex exclaimed, his eyes reflecting the fire of his birth element as he punched his fist into his palm. The others, inspired by the sudden shift in Alex''s demeanor, agreed as they immediately began to practice, using the same visualization tricks of their first assignment.
After an hour had passed, Alex had finally gotten that warmth flowing consistently throughout his body. All over, he felt the subtle rush of energy flowing through his head, torso, arms and legs. He voiced his accomplishment to Azerael, who turned to him. "Very good. Now, take a step forward." Alexander''s expression shifted immediately into one of dumbfoundedness, as if Azerael''s words came as a shock. "Wait, what?" "Take one step forward. Easy, right?" A wave of embarrassment flushed over Alex as Azerael used his words against him. Alex took a step forward as the once warm and energizing rush brought on by focusing his energy faded in an instant. Alex''s expression reflected the same confusion of his thoughts. Azerael continued, with the articulation and preciseness in his tone that reflected his knowledge and wisdom. "In order to master this technique, you must be able to sustain it while moving. Additionally, while it is more effective to keep a clear mind while utilizing it, you must also be able to sustain it with a mind full of racing thoughts. And, most importantly, you must be able to keep it active in the heat of combat." Hearing the daunting checklist under which they must master this technique, Alex suddenly came to regret his confidence just the hour prior. This was nowhere near as simple as their first assignment. Mastering this ability, they realized, would be far from easy. [Vol. 1] (Ch. 6) Circulation Alex stood in his room that night, his eyes shut. For some reason, he could get a good grasp on getting the Arcanic Energy to pulsate throughout his body, but the moment he so much as shifted a foot, twitched a finger, or even seemingly so much as opened his eyes, he''d lose it and be back to square one immediately. He let out a frustrated growl as he slammed his fist on the desk as the quill bounced out of the inkwell, staining the desk black beneath the calamus. He gave the quill an embittered glare as he reached over and placed it back inside of the inkwell. Alex placed both hands on the desk and hung his head, pensively pondering what Azerael had mentioned at the end of the day.
Azerael stood before them with folded arms in the brisk evening air. Speaking in the same sage-like tone, he stated, "Even if it comes from a positive place, arrogance is best avoided. Especially in the realm of things in which you have little experience. An ant dares not target a spider after defeating a grasshopper. Not to call you ants, for you aren''t so feeble, but you can''t assume you can take on a complex task after just barely learning the most basic one." Alex rested his hands on his knees as he panted, exhausted from the overexertion of Arcanic Energy. Taber let out a discouraged sigh as Emily''s eyes drifted to the ground. They had found out an hour in that this wouldn''t be as easy as they''d hoped, but after ten hours of merciless attempts to figure it out, they realized that even this supposedly ''basic'' ability would take a week to figure out. Even Azerael''s advice of visualizing their Energy as if flowing through ''magic arteries'' didn''t seem to help them. And despite the rush of motivation he''d taken on ten minutes into training, Alex''s demeanor reverted back to how it was the night prior. Doubts swirling and fears doubling. As Azerael dismissed them for the evening, Taber and Emily made their way inside. The only one who was left was Alex, his head hung in defeat. Azerael took note of this. "What''s eating at you, young Alexander?" His voice resembled that which he''d used with Emily earlier that morning. Soothing and welcoming. As if he were a doting father one could confide in. A father. That word rang through Alex''s mind. "Az- Master Azerael." Alex struggled to find the right words, but after a moment, he found a close resemblance to such words. "If I''m truly of this world... and my true father is this Anxor guy, then..." He raised his eyes to meet Azerael as he felt a tear begin to jerk its way through the emotional barrier he''d tried so hard to construct and fortify all day. "Does that mean that my entire life up to now has been just one huge lie? Some sick joke?" Azerael let out a pensive sigh, then turned around. "Walk with me." Alex hesitated for a moment, but set aside his apprehension. He was unclear as to why he had this apprehension, it wasn''t like Azerael had done anything to spite him in particular. Especially not since he''d met him. Perhaps, then, it was because Alex remembered, even if subconsciously, that it was Azerael who had sent him away in the first place.
They walked through the forest, the occasional breeze sending shivers throughout Alex''s body. Since the sun was hidden behind the canopy of the leaves, the only source of visibility came from Azerael''s palm, a small orb radiating light from just above it. Alex caught up until he was beside Azerael. "Master, why exactly are we out here?" "Roughly four-thousand-one-hundred-and-thirty-six years ago, my first child was born," Azerael began, his voice soft, yet resinating loudly in the night. "Seeing that for the first time, I was overcome with joy, with a newfound love and appreciation toward my then-wife." Alex looked over as he studied Azerael''s face, a soft and gentle smile painted on it. "Unfortunately, I can''t remember her face. Hardly even remember her name. However I remember, in a sense, the feeling. "Through the years, I devoted as much time to him as any father should. But with my son being killed in battle at the age of seventeen, I was never blessed enough to have grandchildren. And after my first wife had passed on, I was alone, for the first time in eighty-nine years." Alex''s eyes dropped to the dirt path below, sympathy embedded within them. "After a couple of decades," Azerael continued, "I tried all I could to join them in the afterlife. However, this damned Curse wouldn''t let me take my own life. After a century of attempts, I felt empty. Until I met Mary, my first apprentice. I had met her when she was only five, having lost her parents to yet another war. But, I took her in and raised her as my own. Even after fifty years, she still would come by and visit, addressing me as her father." Alex''s eyes traced the ground, his vision moving up Azerael''s cloak, pitch black in the darkness, until their gazes met, Azerael''s morose expression revealed by the waning light of the orb. He shifted his gaze back to the path ahead of them. "I know you feel confused," he continued. "Perhaps lost is the better word. Hell, maybe you even feel betrayed by Fate. However, none of that matters. Anxor may be your biological father, however the man who fed you, supported you, and watched you grow, will always be your father. Regardless of whose seed you grew from." Azerael slowed to a halt as Alex turned to face him. Azerael then took a knee and looked Alex in the eyes from his crouched position, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Young Alexander," Azerael spoke in a soft, yet deliberate tone. "Never forsake your past solely because the present reveals a difficult past. Stay true to yourself and the ones who made you who you are. For that is the essence of your character, who is the essence of your life."If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Alexander''s grip on the desk loosened as he finally came to terms with Azerael''s advice. He straightened up his stance as he pushed gently off the table, peering out the window as the moon revealed itself from behind the clouds. He closed his eyes and exhaled as he felt some of the distress leave his body. He then reset his stance and tried to imagine the Energy within his Origin pulsating through his body. However, once he tried to move, the feeling left him yet again as he let out a sigh of grief. Alex then gave up for the night, letting his back hit the mattress as he finally drifted off to sleep. To his surprise that next morning, he didn''t remember having any dreams.
In the early hours of the morning, before the sun had risen, Emily rose from her bed, yawning and stretching with a heavy weight in her heart. The disappointment from the day prior hadn''t yet faded, nor did she suspect it would anytime soon. She regretted setting her feet onto the wooden floorboards as her outlook on the coming day seemed to shrivel up into a pessimistic husk of what had once been hopeful optimism, initially spawned from the hand on her chest. At this point, her only driving force was that she seemingly had no way out of this. This fact brought about more despair than anything. In any case, though the situation was helpless, it was better than home. Anywhere was better than home. She dressed herself, then put her shoes on and meandered out as the bedroom door opened with a slow creak. As she stepped out into the dining room toward the cabinet, she grabbed a cup, and reached for a kettle. Shortly after filling it with water and placing it down onto the counter, she quickly became distraught. There was no stove. Emily had wanted to make some tea to help ease her mind, but now she was caught up on this dilemma. She buried her face in her hands, dread filling her chest, adding more and more to the already unbearable weight. Suddenly, a voice spoke softly from behind, startling her. "Let me help you with that." She watched as Azerael grabbed the kettle and moved to a small opening in the wall. As he raised his hand, a small flame sparked to life and ignited the coal resting within. He placed the kettle on top of a small metal rack inside. "Thank you, Master Azerael..." Emily said, her voice hushed in the silent cabin. Azerael waved a hand. "No need to thank me." He moved silently toward the cabin''s front door, opening it silently and closing it behind him with a soft thud. Emily stood, waiting for the tea to finish. If nothing else, Azerael''s calm and caring demeanor eased her pensiveness. In a sense, in just the couple of days they had been there, he already felt like the father she never had.
Alexander cursed, stomping his foot on the packed sand beside a training dummy. "How the hell are we supposed to get this?!" Azerael walked toward him. "Try to keep a sound mind, Alexander." Alex sighed, gently kicking a rock just a foot away from him. "I''m trying, Master Azerael. But this is impossible!" "Not impossible. If it were, nobody would be able to use Magic at all. It''s just difficult since you''re not as accustomed to this." After finishing his sentence, Azerael turned around to observe Taber and Emily, both of whom were having similar issues. Azerael sighed. "It''s almost noon. Go ahead and take a break. We''ll continue in an hour." As Azerael headed off in the direction of the treeline, the three sat down at the picnic table. They sat in silence for a few moments, trying to figure out just what they were doing wrong. "Why?" Alex asked, anguish coating his voice. "What the hell are we doing wrong here?" "I don''t know," Taber answered, contemplating. More than anything, while he wasn''t as agitated as Alex or as hopeless as Emily, he was trying to analyze what exactly Azerael had been saying to them the past couple of days. "Let''s review. What kind of feeling are you guys getting when you do it?" Alex looked down at his right palm as the energy pulsed through it. "It''s a pulse. Almost like a heartbeat." Emily agreed with his statement. "Yeah, same here." Taber placed his chin on top of his palm, scratching at the wooden tabletop with his free hand. "Do you think... that''s the problem?" Emily''s soft voice was quieter than usual. Alex could barely hear her, though Taber, sitting right next to her, did. "What do you mean?" He inquired. "Although we feel the same thing when we do it, we aren''t getting anywhere... But thinking back on Azerael''s words, maybe we misheard something?" Alex and Taber thought everything over from the beginning. And then something clicked in Alexander''s mind. Azerael had told them one important word that all of them had somehow glossed over. "Circulation!" The other two removed themselves from their contemplation as they looked his way. "Circulation?" Emily asked. "At first," Alex continued, "I thought of it like the circulatory system. The heart is at the center and pumps the blood back and forth rhythmically." Taber interjected, the proverbial light in his head activating. "But the more efficient way would be to treat it like a closed circuit! Instead of putting focus into pumping it back and forth, just have it constantly moving. Focusing on making it flow in one consistent direction would demand less focus than moving it from the core to each limb and back over and over again." "Exactly!" Alex and Taber bumped fists. "Let''s do this!"
Azerael made his way out of the bushes roughly an hour later. As he made his way to the training area, he noticed all three of them were there, standing in the ready position, focusing on their training. "You know," he began. "You didn''t have to get back to it so early." Alexander broke out of his stance and took one step toward Azerael. Then two. Azerael''s eyes widened slightly as he noticed that the boy''s aura, while faint, wasn''t disappearing. They widened more, however, when he noticed the same thing happening with the other two. Azerael chuckled. "And to think, just an hour ago you three were absolutely muddled." Taber grinned. "Nah, we just misheard you before!" Azerael smiled and nodded to him. "I''m glad the three of you got the hang of it." Azerael meandered past the field and headed toward the cabin, before looking back to them. "Grab your vests and your swords. Now the real training begins..." [Vol. 1] (Ch. 7) A month had passed since they had arrived on Adrin, and in that time, they had learned how to conjure their elements, cast spells, and had gotten basic combat lessons from Azerael. They had come a long way in a month, supposedly farther than any other person would in a month. However, given the density of his aura and extensive years of experience, they mostly chalked it up to the fact of being taught by Master Azerael Briarheart. The three followed Azerael through Kora Forest, passing a multitude of stunning streams and ponds hidden behind the forest''s dense vegetation. After roughly a half hour of walking, they came across a cylindrical stone structure. There was a makeshift doorway roughly in the center of it that, as he peered through, Alex assumed was a small arena. After they stopped walking, Azerael turned around to face them. "In the past few months, I have trained you in a plethora of different skills necessary for your task." He began, returning to face the miniature colosseum. "I made this arena almost three thousand years ago at my first apprentice''s request. Since then, this arena has been a staple in training some of the world''s finest soldiers, adventurers, warriors and mages." After a brief moment of beholding his creation, Azerael turned back around. "And now," he continued, "this is where your next challenge lies. The four of you will battle each other in one-on-one fights." The others stood, stunned by this statement. "Wait, why," Emily asked. "It''s easy to attack a dummy. They don''t fight back and they sit still. I have zero doubts that the three of you will be facing more opponents than even I would initially expect you to. And to that end, it is imperative that you learn how to battle an opponent using every skill at your disposal." Taber spoke. "Wait, you said the four of us. There''s only three." After he finished his statement, they watched as Kieran made his way out of the opening, leaning against it with the same stern expression on his face. "This time around, young Renvar will be taking part in the training." Azerael concluded. "Now, no point in wasting time. Let''s enter."
As they entered, the only thought Alex had was that the arena looked bigger on the outside. The arena itself had a diameter of maybe fifty feet at most, with the walls reaching up to thirty feet all around and a couple of trees dotted the edges. In all, it was much larger than the patch of packed dirt they''d been using up to this point, but was still arguably smaller than expected. Plenty spacious enough for a normal sword fight back on Earth, but for the type of fighting they''d be doing? Azerael stood atop the walls, which appeared to Alex to serve as a type of catwalk for observers. "The first match will be held between Alexander and Taber." Shortly after he finished his statement, Emily and Kieran found themselves next to Azerael. Kieran kept his typical composed expression. Emily, on the other hand, was taken aback, confused as to how she had ended up where she was now. Alex and Taber, on the other hand, were across the arena from each other in an instant. Azerael counted down, then shouted. "Begin!" Alexander immediately tensed up his muscles as he filled his legs with energy and bursted forward, a trail of fire behind him. He reeled back his fist as flames sparked to life around it. As the distance between them closed within a second, Taber placed a foot behind him and brought his forearms together, creating a layer of stone as Alexander''s blow landed. "Blazing Fist!" Flames erupted from the impact, though none made it through Taber''s defense. As Alexander''s feet touched the ground, Taber grabbed his arm and swept Alex''s leg as he fell swiftly. Catching himself before he could hit the ground, Alex performed a windmill kick as Taber evaded, wincing slightly as Alexander''s foot narrowly grazed his cheek. The two took turns blocking, dodging and trading blows, each one generating a buildup of energy that permeated thickly throughout the arena.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Taber finally landed a decent hit, kicking Alex in the chest as he fell onto his back and rebounded, kneeling as he landed. Alexander clutched his chest, breathing heavily from the force of the impact. Taber slammed his palm into the ground. "Terra Magic: Earthworm!" Immediately, Alexander felt the earth beneath him begin to vibrate. As the tremor reached a crescendo, a pillar of stone erupted from the ground, towering until it curled at the top, orienting toward Alex. In a quick and decisive movement, Alex dove out of the way as the stone worm crashed into the dirt where he was once knelt. Alexander felt the air get knocked out of his lungs from the force of the impact, but knew he had to retaliate as soon as possible. He slammed his hands onto the dry grass below, feeding his energy through the ground, guiding it to where he wished to strike. "Fire Magic: Flame Pillar!" Beneath Taber''s feet, the sand melted to glass. Shit, he thought as he jumped out of the way, a tower of fire just barely searing the toe of his boot. Knowing he had to cause some form of distraction, Taber summoned small pellets of rock mid-air and launched them at Alex, who used his fire to propel himself into the air, avoiding the stone projectiles. As the dust settled, both of them stood with shaky breath, feeling as if their muscles were about to give out on them. However, there was yet to be a victor. If this was to end, one of them would have to tap out. And neither of them were going to let themselves do that. Especially not Alexander. A month ago, Azerael had told him that he was the only person capable of defeating Anxor Blackthorne. If he were to cave now, he''d never be able to look anybody in the eyes. Not when that man rules everything. And much worse, he may never see his father again. His mother''s memory would die with him. Taber, however, felt the same. While he may not be the Chosen One, how could he believe himself to be capable of protecting his friends when faced with a tough opponent if he stopped now? Not once did Alexander ask to carry such a burden. Like hell he was going to let his best friend take it on alone. Alexander gritted his teeth as he attempted to ignore the pain while Taber grunted, shaking from the fatigue. They limped, then they hobbled, until they came to a full sprint toward each other, lunging with their fists reeled back, giving one last cry. They traded blows, punching each other in the face, as they succumbed to their exhaustion. As their bodies hit the ground, Azerael and the other two warped down as Emily sprinted over to them, panic in her voice as she shouted their names and knelt beside them, a faint green glow radiating from her palms. Kieran huffed as he turned, walking over to the arena''s entrance before turning his head toward Azerael. "Come get me when they''ve recovered." He turned back around, stepping into the forest. "I want to see what that loser''s capable of myself."
The first thing Alexander took note of when he came to were the small slits in the top of the stone walls as light trickled through. To the side of his cot stood Azerael and a much calmer Emily. As Alex sat up, he let out a muted groan, feeling as if he''d failed somehow by letting himself be defeated. As if reading his mind, Azerael''s hand emerged from his raven cloak and planted itself on Alexander''s shoulder. "Don''t feel too discouraged, Alexander. You did well for your first time sparring. We still have some time to train before I send you all off." Alex shot him a troubled smile as he turned to his right to see that Taber was still passed out in the cot next to him. "He''s alright," Azerael continued as Alex turned his attention back to the Sage. "When I built this place, I imbued an enchantment that negates any excessive injury. You could be leagues above him in terms of power and he''d be just as fine as he is now. No need to worry." Alexander let out a prolonged sigh of relief as he rested his forehead to his palm. "This is going to be a common occurrence for the next few weeks as you get used to long-term battles," Azerael continued. "I''d use whatever free time you have to get used to using several abilities in quick succession to build your endurance." Alexander nodded slowly and rotated his body, setting his feet down onto the cold polished stone. "I feel okay now," Alex said. "Who am I going up against next?" Just moments after he asked his question, footsteps from the hallway grew closer, until the light from the slits illuminated two pale aqua eyes. "Me," Kieran said. His voice was as sharp as ever. And it sent shivers down Alexander''s spine.