Bear Territory, House Baikov Lands

  Down in the lands of House Baikov, two young nobles were making their way to Wall Visalia. Damian Diotrephes, was a scrawny young man in fine brown robes, yellowish green trim, and white inner lining. Damian had black spiraled hair that he kept short and neat, caramel-colored skin, and an enlarged pair of glasses on his face that seemed to enlarge his dark purple eyes. Damian had a yellowish-green moth pin over his heart. At the moment he was preoccupied with the study of his spell book. Madeline de Garnier, by comparison, was dressed in white robes, with a blue armband inlaid with an aqua peacock with gold feathers. Madeline wore a hood over her head and a veil over her face, which covered up her straight black hair and tawny skin. Madeline's wide-set eyes where the only part of her people could see above her veil, around her neck was a white marble amulet with a kind-looking woman carved onto it, with a similar pin over her heart. Priests and priestesses of Lenera all veiled themselves as a sign of humility and service to their goddess, demonstrating that their identities meant nothing in her service.

  Madeline had learned to read Damian well, and she knew something was troubling him. “Damian, we're almost to the wall, what are you worried about?”

  “That my mother will choose to ignore our declaration and intent to serve on the wall and have her agents nab us. That she’ll turn me into something horrible for defying her and that she will put her plans into motion for your mutilation.”

  “My parents should have received the message, and while they aren’t thrilled with my transformation at the moment, they would both agree that the Archduchess was planning on going too far.”

  “I know my mother, Madeline, once she sets her eye on something, she doesn’t let up. Mark my words, her agents are going to pop in any minute to nab us.”

  While Damian could not see it, she rolled her eyes at him and his concerns, until she noticed a strange light beginning to glow on the other side of the campfire, above Damian’s head.

  “Damian, are you working some strange magic?” Madeline asked, incredulous at the idea that Damian may have been right.

  Damian looked up from his book to gaze at the light forming above him, a terrified expression coming across his face. “That isn’t my doing Madeline, by my venerated ancestors I was right, my mother’s agents are trying to nab us.”

  Much to their surprise, a young woman, around their age, fell out of the golden light, landing on Damian. This young woman had long dishwater blonde hair, and hazel eyes, and was wearing what appeared to be a brown bar maids’ uniform with a red and gold sash around her waist and a white headscarf with red trim. The girl got herself off Damian, embarrassed, and looked around confused. The visitor set her sights on Damian, and then Madeline, and just about fainted at the shock of what had happened. Madeline moved, grabbed a hold of her and helped her to the ground. A few more moments of awkward silence gripped the group before the girl could manage to find enough nerve to speak.

  “Pardon me, but where am I and who are you?” The girl was both curious and scared, not realizing that she was deep within Bear territory.

  The Bear Duchies were the most southern region in the Kingdom of Lions. Ruled over by House Baikov and its five Retainer Houses, they held to their ancient duty to protect the lands of men from the Wastelanders Tribes.

  House Baikov led these efforts, providing most of the defense forces on Wall Visalia, the primary defensive barrier to the Dark Wastes, and the two backup walls, Wall Natasha and Wall Anastasia. While these two were not as grand as Wall Visalia, they did serve as reliable redoubts in case Wall Visalia was ever breached. House Zarakova dwelt in the Wastes from their fortress of Mt. Defiance, providing important information to House Baikov and the other Retainers.

  House Ortoff was comprised of potent Arc-Bloods tied to the elemental magic of earth and the metals it held. House Katzev were skilled engineers, builders, and tinkerers. House Ivakina dealt with the many supernatural threats that sprung up from living next to the Dark Wastes. Finally House Gergiev sought to supply the other families with necessary resources obtained from the only city in Bear lands, The Silver Falls.

  Most of the Bear Duchies were arid deserts, with only the meager coastal territories of House Gergiev being out of the rain shadow created by the coastal and unclimbable Storm Mountains to the East, and the just as unconquerable and even larger Mountains of Madness to the west. To the south were the lifeless Dark Wastes and to their north was the Great Marsh overseen by the Houses of the Viper Duchies.

  The primary source of water in bear territory was the Grand River which came out of the marshes and cut through the heart of the Bear’s territory before entering the Dark Wastes and spilling out into the Lion’s Sea. The lands themselves were dry, minus the settlements on the Grand River where most farming took place.

  This harsh environment bred harsh people, and the denizens of the Bear Duchies were as enduring and fierce as the cacti, scorpions, tarantulas, venomous snakes, and short-haired desert bears who dwelt alongside them. Offers from Arcanos in the past to use their magic to turn this desert into a lush and fertile land had been rebuffed, with the Baikov pointing out that any changes made would be undone by the natural weather patterns of the region. They had no interest in wasting their limited water resources from their aquifers on having green lawns and pretty flower gardens when water had to be conserved.

  To the common folk and the nobles of the Bear Duchies, it was their land that made them who they were, and they always respected and cherished it, no matter how harsh it may have seemed at times to outsiders. Just about every citizen of the Bear Duchies was prepared to defend themselves from Wastelanders who snuck past. Two years of mandatory service from all citizens upon reaching the age of sixteen was not the norm like it is in the Wolf Duchies.

  However, Bear commoners and nobles alike knew how to defend themselves and were ready to pick up arms at a moment’s notice should their lords require them. Despite the harshness of the land, the Bear Duchies were rich in mineral deposits and boasted some of the greatest armor and weapon smiths in the Kingdom of Lions, even rivaling the Wolf in this regard.

  All of this was common knowledge, but what was not common knowledge was how a young woman from the heart of the Kingdom of Lions could just teleport herself into the middle of an arid desert. Madeline decided to take pity on the confused girl who had landed in her and Damian’s camp and help her get her bearings. “You are deep in Baikov lands, down in the Bear Duchies. I am Sister Madeline de Garnier of the Order of the Gentle Mother Lenera, and he is Damian Diotrephes, a young Arcanos, and we are both on our way to Wall Visalia to volunteer to aid the defenders.”

  Recognizing the names, and the colors on their clothes, Elizabeth immediately stood up and did a curtsy. “My apologies, I had no idea that I was in the presence of two young nobles. My name is Elizabeth, I am an apprentice innkeeper from the town of Barrington, under the jurisdiction of Baron Reginald Remington, son of Count Oswald Remington. I have no idea how I got here, and I am sorry for disturbing you.”

  “No need for formalities Elizabeth,” it was Damian’s turn to talk, “the de Garnier family isn’t one to focus on formalities, it’s not their style. As for me, I barely qualify as a noble as is, though I might be able to make a passable meat shield, which is more than what my mother considers me.”

  Madeline bent over to whisper into Elizabeth’s ear. “Damian isn’t as bad as he thinks he is, he just lacks confidence or positive reinforcement. As for me, they are always asking for the aid of healers down south, so I am going down to offer whatever aid I can.”

  “It sounds pretty harsh for your mother to think so little of you because you don’t meet her standards.” Elizabeth was having trouble grasping how a mother could be so cruel and cold.

  “Well, when your mother is the matriarch of the most powerful Arcanos family in the Kingdom of Lions, anything short of perfection is unacceptable.”

  An awed expression came across Elizabeth’s face. “Your mother is Archduchess Cassandra Diotrephes!” Elizabeth was shocked to be in the presence of such a high-ranking noble. House Diotrephes ruled over the Moth Duchies and were the most skilled Arcanos in the entire Kingdom of Lions. As brilliant as they were arrogant, they maintained their place in the Kingdom due to the potent High Magic they had mastered.

  They were a strategic, if insufferable, asset. The Archduchess herself was said to be the most intimidating Arcanos in the entire Kingdom, a prodigy amongst prodigies whose skill in High Magic helped to cover for her more controversial and eccentric behaviors.

  “Please do not be that way, like I said now I am dead to my family, to the point where I can barely be called a noble. Don’t view me as the son of Cassandra Diotrephes, just view me as Damian, a young bumbling Arcanos desperately trying to master his craft.”

  “Don’t worry Damian, I am sure you will come into your own down on the wall, and if you do get hurt, I’ll be right there to heal you back up to full health.” Madeline proved to be quite cheerful on this subject matter.

  House de Garnier was just about the opposite of House Diotrephes. House de Garnier was a family of simple ascetic peace-loving healers who dwelt amongst the ostentatious, hedonistic, and luxury-loving families of the Peacock. House de Garnier had dedicated themselves fully to the worship of the Goddess Lenera, instead of Alnardun and the ancestral worship of the King of Lions and his Saints so common amongst the other noble families.

  House de Garnier was much loved by the commoners of the Kingdom of Lions for the great efforts they made to care for the less fortunate. They even opened some of their fancier estates and castles to the common folk as a safe and comfortable place where they might heal their bodies, minds and spirits. This was much to the chagrin of their fellow nobles who enjoyed the beautiful southern coastal resorts controlled by House de Garnier and who did not want "common filth" cluttering up their preferred vacation spots.

  “But now, back to the current issue at hand, how did you end up here.” Damian was eager to move the subject matter onto something else, his family issues being one of his least favorite subjects. “Does your family line have any magical influences in it that you know of any magical beings or sources of magical energy mingle with the blood of your ancestors in years past?”

  “Not that I know of, why is that relevant?” Elizabeth was curious about what he was getting at.

  “You used magic to poof yourself into the middle of the Baikov Desert, from the heart of the Kingdom of Lions. My current theory about how you got down here is that you are an Arc-Blood, and your bloodline has awakened. You’re just about the right age for a young Arc-Blood to have their powers awakened.”

  “Forgive me my ignorance, but I’m not all that familiar with Arc-Bloods, are they somehow related to Arcanos?” Arc-Bloods were rare and tended to keep to themselves and their families, as they faced persecution from the Arcanos when not in welcoming lands. And as a result, Elizabeth had never met one.

  “Oh, heavens no, Arcanos such as I practice High Magic. Arcanos gain magical abilities through years of study, research, and practice. Someone needs to be born with the ability to draw forth raw arcane energy and shape it to their will. Arc-Bloods are quite different; Arc-Bloods are born with magic running through their veins and can perform arcane magic by instinct. Do you have any Arc-Blood ancestry in your family history Elizabeth?”

  Specifically, the High Magic practiced by the Arcanos was the practice of taking raw magical energy that permeated the world and shaping it through sheer force of will and knowledge of the High Tongue. This was the language of magic said to be the language of creation, since it could so alter the fundamental nature of the world, though limits did exist for most.

  Low Magic, by comparison, came from inside of a person, with their bloodline having been altered by magic years ago. Those who practiced Low Magic, or Primal Magic were called Arc-Bloods, and compared to the variety of magic performed by Arcanos, their abilities were limited to the type of magic that permeated their bloodline. Bloodlines tended to be elemental, though more esoteric types of magical bloodlines would pop up from time to time, usually revolving around an idea or concept.

  Low Magic was instinctive and subjective, and while they might never be able to equal the feats of High Magic users, they were still formidable. Low Magic users didn’t even need to worry about magic dead zones, since they carried the magic within their blood. They did have to deal with the physical alterations their bloodlines performed on their bodies. Most skilled of Arc-Bloods no longer resembling humans but walking testaments to the magic that flowed in their veins.

  This caused many commoners not familiar with them, to distrust them. Hence, why they tended to keep to themselves and away from the mainstream populace and why Elizabeth had never dealt with them, having been daydreaming about new specials for her Inn when they discussed Arc-Bloods during her classes.

  Technically speaking, however, Elizabeth practiced neither high nor low magic. Guardians tapped into what was known as Pure Magic, a combination of arcane, divine, and nature magic that made them formidable.

  “I am not aware of any magical heritage from either my mother or my father.” Elizabeth was trying to make sense of all the weird things that had happened to her over this evening, choosing to ignore anything the man who tried to abduct her had to say. “But me being an Arc-Blood is irrelevant, I want to get back home to my family, I have an apprenticeship to start. I’ve waited sixteen years for this day, and I won’t let anything stand in the way of me and my future.”

  “Are you sure, if you could teleport yourself, by instinct, from Remington lands to Baikov lands, you sure have the potential to become a great Arc-Blood. Would you be in high demand across the entire Kingdom by those who understand and appreciate their power? You could even be the beginning of a new Inn Arc-Blood bloodline; you could summon forth spheres of mead to drown your enemies in or understand any dialect of language about those who travel our world.” Damian was letting imagination get the better of him.

  “While that does sound interesting, I have no desire to drown anyone in mead. I just want to get back home and get on with my life, I don’t want to develop these powers, I just want to get them under control. All I want is a simple life, I have absolutely no ambitions for greatness or glory.”

  “Are you sure, perhaps the Nine have given you these powers for a reason, perhaps they have some great plan for you? Perhaps they are the ones who have brought you to us, knowing that we will be able to help you.” It was Madeline’s turn to chime in. “There is more to life than just running an inn, there are many people who you could help.”

  “I'm sure the gods have better things to do with their life than turn me into some heroic figure out to save the world. Helping those in need may be what you want out of life, but it isn’t what I want out of life. Is it too much to ask if my needs and desires be considered? First, that creepy Methuselah fellow rambling how fate has ordained me to be some type of guardian of the world and now here you are trying to drag me off on some crusade that I want nothing to do with. If people need help, I can help them to a fine room and warm meal at my inn and make a tidy profit in the process.”

  “Wait, who is this Methuselah?” Madeline asked, this was the first time Elizabeth had mentioned him.

  “Some strange man who followed me around all day and who tried to kidnap me, I think he was some sort of human trafficker, trying to lure me in with weird stories and claims about me.”

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “Well, then it’s a good thing you got away, stories circulating throughout the courts tell that our people fetch a good price in foreign markets, those ruled over by non-humans who find us to be exotic and who, fetishize us.” Damian was trying to show off his knowledge.

  “Wait, I thought all contact with foreign powers was prohibited at all times.” This was news to Elizabeth.

  Damian, realizing his mistake, tried to recover. “Officially, there is no contact, but from a pragmatic standpoint, such a position is a suicide, so the Mustang and Albatross often engage in back door commerce with outside powers, for the good of the nation of course. If you don’t mind, can you keep what I told you privately, as the Owl barely tolerates it as it is? Besides my mother loves her silk gowns, she would be livid if I did anything that jeopardized her regular supply.”

  “Enough random tangents, the primary thing is that you got away from this man and you are now safe. And while you may have wound up far away from home, you at least found yourself in good company.” Madeline tried to get Elizabeth’s attention away from what Damian had just said.

  “Indeed, when we get to Wall Visalia, we’ll explain your situation to the authorities there, and secure you safe passage back up north,” Damian assured her.

  “Thank you, now I guess that the only thing I have to worry about now is bandits while I try to get some sleep.”

  Madeline and Damian both burst out laughing.

  “What, are bandits not a problem down here?”

  Damian decided to enlighten her. “The Baikov Duchy is one of the most secure places in the entire kingdom, as long as you’re not directly next to the wall. Between the inhospitable clime and militant populace, only the most desperate would try. Even if bandits were able to avoid the humans, they would be taken down by the Earthmen.”

  “Oh, don’t waste her time with the Earth Men myth, they aren’t real.” Madeline tried to squelch Damian’s nonsense.

  “Wait, what are the Earth Men?”

  “Well, since we’ve got some time, I guess it’s time for a story.” Damian was eager to share some local lore with someone who had not heard it before.

  Damian told her of the Earth Men, a strange race of hairy tunnel dwellers with skin of iron and eyes that gleamed like gems. The Earth Men were squat but muscular, coming up to just above the waist on a grown man. The Bear Knight himself, the founder of House Baikov, wrestled with each of their seven kings to secure the lands that would soon belong to him and his vassals.

  After winning the Earth Men left for their subterranean kingdom but promised eternal friendship between them and House Baikov and all its Retainers. From that day forward, the Earth Men served as secret protectors of the Bear Duchies, killing anything that got past Wall Visalia and holding off any invaders from the north.

  Other stories involving the Earthmen talked about how they could breathe liquid fire and blow up rocks with their minds. That they had no women and were birthed from the earth itself. And how ate gold and silver and forged armor and weapons that no human hands could ever hope to match. Children’s tales to be sure, but Elizabeth could not help but feel there was a grain of truth to them.

  “The Earth Men are just a myth, most likely the product of indigestion caused by the liquor and jerky that is consumed by soldiers out on patrol. Adults just want to keep the myth going for the sake of children.” Madeline was proving to be a bit of a killjoy.

  “Anyway, we need to get some rest.” Damian threw her a spare bed roll. “You never know when you might need a spare.”

  The new companions all settled down into their bed rolls, while Damian extinguished the fire with the wave of his hand. Though it had been a long and very eventful day, Elizabeth needed to get some sleep. There was a ward around their campsite, so they did not need to worry about any desert-dwelling critters. Right as she was about to doze off, she noticed what appeared to be eyes watching her from behind some rocks. Reasoning that her mind was just playing tricks on her, she went to sleep.

  Methuselah’s Tower

  Methuselah had returned to their tower in a foul mood, they had made a major mistake, and they knew it. Not only did they make a horrible first impression with his replacement, but they had pushed her to the point where she activated her powers and ran away.

  Methuselah also knew what was coming next, her mother would put out a missing person report, and when it became clear that Methuselah disappeared as well, they would be the primary suspect and a general watch would be placed throughout the Kingdom for them. Not that staying in town was a viable option, they would only ask too many questions and slow them down.

  Right now, they needed to collect themselves and come up with an alternative solution to find young Elizabeth. Elizabeth could be anywhere in the world with the amount of power she exerted, so Methuselah would need to scan the entire planet. As powerful as Methuselah was, even though they had their limits, they could not keep tabs on every living being in the world. Still, they had to find her, but first, they needed a snack to help them focus. Methuselah trudged through their piles of liquor bottles toward their larder. Methuselah made themself a sandwich, grabbed a bottle of whiskey, and went up to their dining table.

  Much to their surprise Lenera was waiting for them, sitting on the other side. Lenera was the only deity whom they allowed into their tower without having to go through the front door, and she did not need to inform them of her arrival, their relationship was too close for something like that.

  “Methuselah, I know you’re eager to pass your burden on to someone else, but you honestly couldn’t come up with a better plan than, “You’re my replacement, I don’t care what you want, I’m taking you by force.” There was a tone of deep disappointment in Lenera’s voice.

  “Admittedly, I went about it in the wrong way. I could have handled it with more tact, and I should have prepared myself for the possibility that she might retaliate with her, until now, dormant powers.”

  “You stalked the poor girl all day, and then you tried to kidnap her at her Coming of Age. Methuselah you handled the situation in the worst manner possible. I’m surprised you didn’t kill her mother and brother in front of her and bathed in their blood, from what I saw today, I wouldn’t put it past you.”

  “Lenera you bring up an excellent point, if I want to make any headway with her, I’m going to need to get rid of her family. Elizabeth is way too attached to them, and it will make her tutelage only more difficult if I allow them to live.”

  Lenera gave him a death glare that sent a chill down his spine. “You will not kill that poor girl’s family just to make your job easier.”

  “Why not, I have had to wipe out entire nations before for the sake of maintaining the balance of the world, you, more than anyone else, know the nature of my work. I am swimming through a sea of the blood of the innocent who I have been forced to kill, why should Elizabeth’s family get some special exemption? They’ll both be dead in about six or seven decades, if not sooner if they don’t make it through Zarathustra’s assault.”

  A look of sadness came over Lenera’s face. “I know better than anyone the toll your job takes on you, it takes a heavy toll on me as well. Every innocent life lost fills me with deep sadness, and while I wish that there were better ways, I know that you only act when you have no other choice, and all other avenues have been closed off to you. If you were not that way, I would have severed our relationship years ago.”

  “Lenera, you are probably the only person in this world who understands me, for which I am very appreciative. It makes my job easier.”

  “Not just me, the High Father understands you as well, he is the one who made you after all, even with your flaws of laziness, alcoholism, lechery, and melancholy.”

  “Hey, it’s my flaws that make me so memorable, it’s not like my predecessors were faultless and perfect. And if the big man upstairs has issues with me, he can tell me himself. As far as I’m concerned, no Guardian has done a better job than me.”

  “True, Orixianna only managed to handle the job by completely severing her emotions from herself, and Hadoralan abused his power, setting himself up as a God-King. And the less said about Rorvash the Titan Lord, the better.”

  “What about the first guardian, the lizard dude?”

  “Xue-Chtotl-Upec was the closest we ever got to a perfect guardian, but even he dropped the ball at important moments, and the favoritism he showed his people only sped up their decline.”

  Methuselah sat down to eat their sandwich and drink. While they ate and drank, they thought of what they knew of predecessors, Orixianna had indeed severed herself from all emotions, but that also included severing herself from feeling any obligation to educate her replacement. Orixianna had ignored Methuselah until her death, leaving Methuselah with a couple of awkward decades as their powers developed with no one to guide them.

  Naturally, they never knew of Hadoralan, but they did know that during his reign the Nine had to join numerous times to bring him to heel. Finally, they had to seal him away for his final five centuries and waiting with patience for his replacement to come into her own. Rorvash had instigated the Great Upheaval that caused a major uproar in the heavens, and while he realized his error, he was never trusted again.

  As for Xue-Chtotl-Upec, all he had to do was peer at the broken and tattered remnants that remained of his race to know the dangers of favoritism. While it did appear that they were making a comeback in the southern hemisphere, it only took them 20,000 years, and some interference on his part, to get themselves together.

  Methuselah finished their meal and got up. Lenera had waited for them. “Now that I’m done, I should probably find out where Elizabeth is and formulate a new plan to convince her to come with me, though she may not be very receptive.”

  “Oh, she’s fine, she’s with one of my Divine Callers.” Lenera had a smug smile on her face.

  “Well, why didn’t you tell me this, now you can just tell me where she’s at and I can go pick her up?”

  “I will do no such thing, it’s your mess, you must find her, and it won’t be as hard as you think. Elizabeth will be the only being in the world with a spiritual signature that matches yours.”

  Methuselah was quiet for a few moments. Dumbfounded that they had forgotten this fact. “You know, you’re right, I don’t know why I was getting so worked up.” Methuselah stood up and summoned an orb into their hand, this orb began to expand into a massive translucent globe filled with many different colored lights. “First I need to remove all signatures that aren’t Guardian signatures.”

  With a snap of their fingers, all the lights disappeared except for two golden lights, one deep within the northern wastes for Methuselah, and one deep down in Baikov lands in the Kingdom of Lions. “Well, it’s good to know that she didn’t go too far, though it’s a bit worrisome that she’s now within the direct path of Zarathustra’s invasion. This could be trouble; I’ll need to act quickly to get her out of harm’s way.”

  “Please, just because a Guardian regenerates if they’re killed doesn’t mean that it’s a pleasant experience.”

  “I wouldn’t know, I’ve never had the misfortune of being killed.” Methuselah suddenly became very thoughtful. “You know, I could use this invasion to my advantage, once she realized just how dangerous Zarathustra and his forces are, she may be more willing to write off her homeland and come with me to safety. I can even set it up so that she does die, and once she regenerates, she will be chastised enough to realize that I was right and that she should have come with me. Heck, I could even make a few alterations to her mind while her body is reforming to make her more compliant.”

  Lenera slapped him hard across the face, dissipating the floating world. “Don’t you even dare, free will is the one guarantee all living creatures get in this world, it is the one rule all deities hold sacred. Rewriting who she is would be such a fundamental violation of this I can’t even begin to imagine the consequences.”

  “It’s not like there aren’t manipulation powers out there, memory manipulation and hypnotic suggestion aren’t exactly outlawed, you know that better than anyone.”

  “It isn’t outlawed because it can be resisted and reversed in most cases. Plus, there is that keyword, manipulation. You are proposing to rewrite a fundamental law of our universe, the law of free will, just to make your job easier. You are proposing to do this to a young girl in her most vulnerable state where she would be defenseless. Methuselah, that is wrong on so many levels there are not enough words to describe it. It’s like trying to resurrect the dead, it’s a form of magic that is forbidden by the High Father.” There was a tone of distress in Lenera’s voice, this was a very sore subject for Lenera, and Methuselah knew it, they had both seen what had happened the last time someone had gained the power to rewrite free will.

  Lenera commanded a group of beings known as the Seven Maidens of Light, powerful women imbued with her power to help the world. When they died, they were reborn into new bodies across the world, doing their best to help any who needed help. Six of the Seven had recently been reborn, despite the efforts from Natra to thwart their return, but one of the Seven would never walk the world ever again.

  The last time all seven were active at once, one of them went rogue. The Fallen Maiden was still trying to make the world a better place, but in a manner, that was utterly horrific. Everyone she came across who did not meet her standards of good, would remake in her image. The Fallen Maiden would enter their minds and forcibly and irreversibly rewrite them so that they would have the same outlook, morals, and personality as her.

  The Fallen and her army almost destabilized the entire world. Methuselah still remembered the horrible childlike smiles they all had on their faces. Methuselah dealt with the problem, but now the Seven Maidens of Light were down to Six as the Fallen Maiden remained secured deep in Methuselah's vault in a stasis field where she would never be able to hurt anyone again, in either this or another life.

  So, while Lenera’s condemnation cut Methuselah, they understood where she was coming from. Methuselah decided that she was right and if they started messing with free will they were no better than that sad and strange little girl who only wanted to make everyone in the world smile.

  “You’re right Lenera, please forgive me, I feel that I am getting more and more desperate. Of course, I will leave her mind alone. If I have not stripped free will away before, why should I start now?”

  “I am glad to hear this, you had me worried for a moment. Now, I do approve of you letting her experience the horror of Zarathustra’s invasion firsthand if you can’t convince her to come with you, though I hope you will at least intervene on her behalf if it looks like she might die.” A melancholic mood came across Lenera’s face as she walked over and kissed him on the cheek. “I need to get going love, in the coming week many innocents will die and many more will call out to me to save them, I must be ready.” And with that, she disappeared in a flash of white light.

  Methuselah looked around their tower. “Well, if I’m going to have company, I should clean this up.” Methuselah waved their hands, and all the liquor bottles disappeared. “I would hate to leave a bad first impression upon my successor.”

  Chronicler’s Notes

  High Magic of an Arcanos: An Arcanos tapped into the raw potentiality that was Arcane Magic. Arcane Magic suffused the world of Sabaria and was responsible for bringing about change and evolution in the world to prevent stagnation. As a result, races and creatures evolved and changed at a much faster pace than in other worlds.

  The magic itself altered the land, leading to such phenomena as continents of solid clouds and caverns filled with lush jungles deep beneath the world’s surface. Unfortunately, there were also magical dead zones in the world, which could render an Arcanos ineffectual. The channeling of raw arcane magic also took a toll on the user’s body, so most practitioners had a limit on how often they could use it daily. The more powerful the magic, the heavier the toll.

  General Magic: What Arcanos called General Magic was a catch-all for magic too small to have schools of their own. Minor magical effects, flight, communication, and teleportation were found under this school, along with any spell that did not fit into a major school, such as the often-used Contraception Seal, as it was somewhere in between Defensive and Mutability magic.

  Manipulation Magic: This school of magic focuses on the manipulation of perceptions, and images, the altering of minds, and memories, and the overwriting of one’s bodily autonomy. Manipulators were held in high suspicion as the most subtle ones could work their magic with their enemies, being none the wiser to their activities. One common drawback of this field of magic was often the necessity of having to look their targets in their eyes to perform the spells.

  Mutability Magic: Those who specialized in mutability magic understood that almost the entire world could be changed on their whim. Entropic magic was used to turn the odds in one’s favor or against their enemies. Divination was used to divine the future and scry upon enemies. Transformation altered the physical properties of beings or material affected by it. Finally, life and death itself proved mutable as some practitioners sought out necromantic power, especially those who knew the power of a living creature’s soul.

  Offensive Magic: Fireballs, lightning bolts, icy spears, and balls of acid all fall under Offensive Magic. Those who practiced Offensive Magic are seldom subtle but effective. Summoning and Binding magic fell into this school as well, where an Arcanos would bring forth and forcibly bind an extra-planar entity against their will to serve them. This is in direct opposition to Conduits who formed pacts with extra-planar entities they called Scions so that their entire family lines could form a mutually beneficial pact with the entity and the entity master. The rivalry between Summoners and Conduits served as a smaller mirrored conflict to that of the Arcanos vs the Arc-Bloods.

  Defensive Magic: Defensive magic is focused on shutting down the magic of other spellcasters, either through shielding, resistance, negating, or canceling. Groups of skilled defenders have often turned the tides of entire campaigns in their favor. And as a counterpart to the Summoning and Binding, they have access to Banishment and Sealing. Banish to send extra-planar entities home to their native planes and sealing to trap not only extra-planar entities but also their more mundane enemies into various objects or prisons. This humble Chronicler once had the indignity of being sealed in a vase for a thousand years, before my master remembered me and had his minions release me.

  Addendum: Arcanos can specialize in any of the four major schools, but they can still learn spells from the others, it is just their school of choice that will be more natural to them.

  Specialized High Magic Schools

  Alchemy: Alchemy is part magic, part science, and part philosophy. Through rituals and experimentation, all Alchemists can create three varieties of elixirs. The first variety is an offensive weapon, coming in as either an explosion, ball of acid, or sticky goo. The second variety is a spell in potion form which can be drunk at any time or thrown at someone at any time to activate the desired effect, either beneficial or harmful. The third elixir alters the mind and body of the drinker, targeting the body and mind and transforming them. Each Order of Alchemists has its unique rituals and techniques they keep amongst themselves.

  Mugic: Magic in the form of memorized songs that are sung into existence by Song Callers. Mugic can range from auditory and visual hallucinations, and mind control to high-pitched sonic shrieks that can go so far as to kill their target. Many say that a skilled Song Caller can kill with a word.

  War Magic: War Magic is a very specialized form of magic used by Magi-Knights to enhance themselves and their companions in combat, similar to the powers an Oathsworn gain through their Oaths. This included larger muscles, faster reflexes, tougher skin, advanced senses, and resistance to magical and elemental attacks.