EPISODE 186: WYVERN’S ROOST 1
— GREAT EDRYAN, YEAR 7292. SEASON: NEW BEGINNING.
The Prime Sun surged—its strength endless as it provided warmth to the continent—the world known as Genesis to few, Elrunian to most.
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The Beginning.
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Birds chirped, and the first call of spring burst forth from their lungs. The frost receded, and new roots emerged into the dawn’s light—they greedily drank in the energy provided and used it to expand their root network.
It was rare for smoke to rise from the city of Edrya, but today was not like any other. Today, an army marched to put an end to adventure—to slay the fabled dragon—Rasheed.
Most citizens would only just be rising at this time—excluding the bakers and guards who took the first shift. The entire city seemed to be awake, their magi eyes bright with a lust an outside observer may call cult-like.
A dark steed trotted steadily through the city streets—mechanical in nature as its heavy hooves clicked against the paved road, and two more golems moved in pace next to it. Behind them march the Song of War.
THUM… THUM… THUM… THUM…
Step… Step… Step… Step…
The people of Edrya were silent, but the eyes of children BLAZED . Before them was their prince, their… [Chosen of Madris]—a spiritual leader, figure of divine might and rule—he of many titles and accomplishments—[Hero]. Behind him, an army pierced its way through Edrya like a sword cutting through all obstacles.
The streets were silent, and its people were quiet in their observation of Edryan’s greatest army marching forth. Large airships floated above, traveling slowly as they would accompany the army. Today…, today, the strongest of the [Gate Protector] forces would leave the city—their destination: Wyvern’s Roost and the mountain of Final Hope that lies within.
THUM… THUM… THUM… THUM…
Step… Step… Step… Step…
Their prince, their… [Chosen of Madris] promised a [Golden Age]—an age he believed would accelerate the magi’s advancement and put them on a playing field against the world. For his goal was one of unification—a task he once believed impossible, but now…?
A new government settled over the country—Great Edryan, it called itself. That moniker was unique to the inhabitants within and unused by those outside the nearly restricted land. Great Edryan, who changed in the last few months. No longer were the lands ruled strictly by nobles, now, a system of new rules and regulations stood in place. The first official [Prime Overseer] stood in her office, her vote a majority as the [Regional Overseers] gave her a chance. The next ten years and, most importantly, the start of the [Golden Age] would be under her purview. Such an honor would cement her for eternity in the country’s history.
Prince Lawruthian gazed at the silent faces of Edrya’s citizens. His city’s population nearly tripled in the last few months as more and more people made their way to the City of Heroes. Young minds with bright ideas… old flames with rekindled imaginations. Change brewed… following in his wake. His words promised—a magical geas that forever bound him to his people. It echoed through the deepest recesses of his soul, yet it was unnecessary, for he was one who thought for those beneath him constantly.
“I am Lawruthian Imperius Koltius Edryani – Holy Son of Edryan, and I ask that you follow me. I pledge myself to thee, to the Citizens of Edryan, for I will never lead you astray. For I will always lead from the front and fight. For an Edryan that knows no bounds. For only the sky will be the limit. I pledge myself to thee, Citizens of Edryan, for I will always uphold justice. For I will lead Edryan to heights anew. Where the Temple of Elysium will know Edryan, as the strongest. For the world will look to Edryan for guidance and leadership. I pledge myself to thee, Citizens of Edryan, for I was born to Guide and Lead. For I am blessed by our Goddess Madris… Born to the High Queen as one who talks like no other… One who does not walk amongst others, not because I am behind, but because I am too far ahead. I pledge myself to thee, Citizens of Edryan. To never walk far without building the steps for Edryan Citizens to follow. To never look forward without opening the door back. I pledge myself to thee, Citizens of Edryan. ”
He promised… pledged… and continued to uphold that pledge for all the Edryan lands and people. The Rail System began its expansion with the thawing of snow. The various branches of Edryan’s government took to their work with gusto—the stagnation the nation experienced through no fault of its own, broken and removed. Its future was unknown but hopeful—challenging but anticipated—bright but shadowed by an impossible task.
Impossible was only true if you believed it to be . The people of Edryan did not—so long as their prince was here, providing guidance and showcasing new ways of life—new ways of expressing oneself to the world.
The golem horse was steady in its trot—passing district after district through a grand road that led from the palace gates to the city’s themselves. The prince’s gaze watched the people of Edryan. It saw their concern but hope. It saw their desire for greatness and the calling for recognition—to be seen by Her Chosen was like a pilgrimage to a holy land. He saw it… and so did the [Echo] next to him.
“Rasheed will have recovered strength—it should be nearly two thousand years since I rekindled the fear of magi into the hearts of saphens,” Carine uttered as he rode on a ghastly apparition. “An Aspect’s power is based on their law. And Rasheed’s law is knowledge. They cannot grow stronger unless there is a God of Knowledge to pave the path—mortals can only do so much. Aspects are like librarians—they keep the knowledge safe, but never contribute to it. Fortunately, I understood his Aspect’s power and weakness.”
Prince Lawruthian silently listened. Throughout the months, he’d grown used to Carno Edryani’s presence wherever he traveled. Sometimes, he’d drown the drone of Carnoe’s voice—other times, like now, he would listen seriously. The second [Chosen of Madris] was a far cry from what Lawruthian expected, and he learned it was better to keep quiet and keep his peace rather than continue pointless arguments.
Lawruthian didn’t understand exactly how Carno was still present in the world—in fact, he wasn’t certain if the man was truly dead. What he suspected was some form of soul manipulation. There are Six Great Attributes and Six Lessor Attributes—three were lost to the realm during Carno’s time. Lawruthian knew the name of one— Soul . And, he suspected that’s how the [Echo] was still around. He wasn't very knowledgeable about how the ghast and ghouls of the continent function—outside of purification by those with divine mana or the manipulation of those with Death-related affinities—yet it seemed Soul may have something to do with such. An [Echo] wasn’t exactly a ghost, or Marna would have exorcised Carno, but it wasn’t exactly one either. If Lawruthian didn’t know better… he’d say Carno was an illusion.
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Was he related to the Demigoddess Kubrat?
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That was a path Lawruthian didn’t know if he was ready for.
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“Aspect’s strengths are based on their law. As I stated, think of them like librarians—this holds even more truth for Rasheed. He is the Aspect of Knowledge and grows stronger as more knowledge is accumulated in Genesis,” Carno flashed a wicked smile—his gaze seemed to pierce far into the distance and land at Final Hope. “He will be able to use complex spells of the likes you’ve never seen, but my actions have brought him into a mere mortal state. I estimate he’ll be like fighting a newly promoted God.”
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“…”
“…what,” Lawruthian questioned.
Carno scoffed, “Did you expect him to be weaker? Perhaps it would have been at the level of a high demigod during the end of my reign, but enough time has passed for him to recover a small level of strength. You are fortunate in two ways—the Mortal Realm will restrict him to that of a high-level demigod, but his mana and health levels will be that of a low-leveled newly promoted God—your second fortune is you have demigods able to kill him—a bit low level, but they can still manage with a sacrifice or two.”
Carno’s gaze shot upward at one of the hovering airships. The [Path Walkers] and Demigoddesses gathered and watched the events that took place below. The Crowned Prince remained silent, his thoughts still processing Carno’s words. Eventually, he spoke, his works shaky in their delivery.
“…are you… certain…,” Lawruthian questioned.
“No—it’s been over two thousand years since my actions—the continent has recovered somewhat, but if I’ve understood its current measurement, then it’s only recovered a fraction of what it once was. My magi were thorough in their task,” Carno smirked. “Understand this, boy , his death at the hands of Edryan will propel you into an age of unprecedented prosperity—it will not only equalize you to the providence of those High Kingdoms ,” Carno mocked, “but perhaps beyond. In my time, the Elves of Elysium could access the elemental planes. I’ve since destroyed that technology and much more—many connections to the Astral Above were severed and inheritances lost, such as your attribute control.”
He laughed—a wicked thing that expressed his delight at the damage he wrought—a history and world he broke. Carno seemed to relish in his descriptions as he continued describing some of his actions against the world. Lawruthian tuned him out; his thought turned to Carno’s earlier words.
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A fight against a God… ?
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‘ Calm down, I don’t know the validity of his words. ’
Lawruthian’s mind turned stable. His second inheritance spouted all types of tall tales during his months unleashed. The [Echo] originally conflicted with Lawruthian at nearly every moment but seemed to grow bored after Lawruthian’s disengagement. Lawruthian then attempted to get a straight answer from him regarding what truly occurred during his reign over Edryan to no avail. What he concluded was that Carno Axius Karl Edryani was insane. Truly, there was no other way to put it. The man was an enigma that refused to be understood. Lawruthian took everything he said with a grain of salt—lest he be led astray.
Carno hadn’t done much outside of his constant criticism of Lawruthian’s actions. To Carno, Lawruthian was too impassive of a ruler. Instead of being direct, he preferred to draw himself into the shadows—allowing the governing of Edryan to be done under a strange five-party system where his party, the Monarchy, barely took part in any responsibility. The new government ruled under the permission of the monarchy while the monarchy was also somehow involved to a degree that seemed like they did little. That was not how a [Chosen of Madris] was supposed to lead.
Lawruthian’s gaze shot upward to the Crown’s Jewel in flight, where his mother and her cohort stayed. Although they went beyond the limits of mortals, they still preferred to stay in their mortal form. However, their actions and general confidence appeared at a new level.
They weren’t mortals anymore. Their lifespans were vastly extended. Their magical abilities were in a realm Lawruthian, nor others outside their level could understand. Much more was apparent in some aspects and hidden in others. The enrollment into the Church of Madris for the demigoddess hadn’t yet officiated, and Lawruthian wondered how they would appear in the Prime System’s status sheet. From his knowledge, you could only have one God in your faith tab. Lawruthian understood that a demigod was able to… dissuade the power of certain entities, such as the Sins—which is why it was vital for a race and a person to offer their worship to a God.
He understood this as some passive mechanic, and prayer wasn’t truly necessary. After all, he’d barely prayed to Goddess Madris, yet nothing outside of Pride offering him a class occurred. Perhaps that was it… he didn’t know.
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He was still a chess piece, not a chess player.
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Regardless of whether Carno Edryani’s words were true or false, Lawruthian deemed it better to inform his mother at the earliest chance. He would only be riding with the Central Gate Protector army until they left the outer city walls. It was unbecoming of a prince to travel on the back of a golem.
Lawruthian waved at the children whose gazes blazed at the sight of Edryan’s strongest army. The Central Gate Protector army was directly under the former [Iron-Blooded Queen]—although she no longer held that class. It was the army that won her many famed victories still sang in taverns by [Bards] and other artisan-styled classes.
Wyverns.
They were not hounds like the West Gate Protector Army—its leader was now removed from her position and assigned directly under the prince. Nor were they hunters like those of the Southern Gate.
Edryan boasted five Wyvern Riders, each magically bonded to one of the great beasts. Five shadows circled the air above Lawruthian and the Central Gate Army. Five Wyverns, each bigger than the previous, flew in a protective formation around the airships. Each rider is fabled as a legend of their own for doing the impossible feat of bonding with a wyvern.
In technical terms, they were [Beast Tamers] who managed to tame one of the strongest creatures capable of flight in Elrunian—creatures whose main habitat was Edryan. They were the pride of the Central Gate Army and served as its banner. A single clawed red wyvern snarled over a white background—serving as a sufficient announcement for what the army marched through. Yet, if that wasn’t enough, then the scaled, three-starred, Draconian horses that every single soldier sat upon served as a proper warning.
This was his mother’s army—a quarter of which were legendary grade magi. This is what he aspired to the Imperius Army to be. Lawruthian’s thoughts drifted to his generals. General Alexandria and General Ameri would rendezvous with them before they entered the forest where the wyverns roost. He understood the Imperius Army would be different from what it once was. He’d release his misgivings on both generals and allow them to do their own thing. His only requirement was that they returned Imperius.
Whether they understood what that meant or not didn’t matter. Those requirements were mainly for General Alexandria as Ameri was left to organize a larger general Imperius Army. It was one composed of those with less than stellar race ratings, but one Lawruthian wanted to give a chance to.
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Commoners.
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If Lawruthian could claim to understand one thing more than anyone else in Edryan, or perhaps the realm of Genesis itself, then it was just how broadly a tiered rarity changed your prospects. Those who were Common only gained two attributes per level. Lawruthian gained ten for his grade as a Mythical being of his race. Disregarding the attributes gained from his class, Lawruthian could state he was eight times more powerful than a commoner of the same level.
It was the reason he strove to change things for the [Common] man of Edryan. His reason behind forced education, new labor in the form of golems, and now the Class-Based Constitutional Monarchy. His plans were to slowly change Edryan and see if [Common] was an outright requirement or if it was a misplaced barrier that meant nothing if a majority was classified as such.
Lawruthian’s sole question was whether he could create a stronger, holistic people prepared to fight against the world with him.
He gazed back down at the [Common] man who watched him. There were flames in their hands—torches that lit a path from the gates of the War Throne Palace, to the very outer city gates in which he would make his departure from the capital city. Edryans watched him, that flame a symbol that spoke louder than any words could. Its smoke was a symbol that was long etched into the hearts of Edryans when their armies would leave and march to war.
It was a guiding light back home and a promising send-off—one given when the army fought not for its lord, but for its people. Today, at the start of the third month of the new year, Prince Lawruthian Imperius Koltius Edryani left the city of Edrya. He held many titles—[Forefather of Edryan Innovation], [Holy Prince of Edryan], [Chosen of Madris], [Crowned Prince of Edryan], and so much more. But today… today, he left not as any of those but as a simple man— Lord… [Hero] —carrying their hopes and dreams of a better future and a brighter tomorrow. A man who carried their dream—one established by him—of a [Golden Age].
THUM… THUM… THUM… THUM…
Step… Step… Step… Step…
AN: Take your magical oaths seriously. They will affect your soul and thinking.
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Are you ready to put an [End of Adventure]?
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Today, as your author of this fantastic story, I will put my heart and soul into creating this next arc (not like I haven’t been doing that already for this book—it’s literally my child). I started this journey to grow as a writer and go on a journey of a million words. Today, we are at 630k and growing, and with this growth, my writing skills have also developed. Today, I pledge myself to thee—not to you but to myself—to deliver an awesome, action-packed, emotional, and inspiring [End of Adventure]!
