Volume 1: Arc 3: Chapter 4

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I got another one for you! You might be wondering how I'm getting all these chapters out all at once. Well, I had a few free days and I've been working on this non-stop. There is a reason for this. I want to finish the first volume by the end of next week as I will be busy with exams for a few weeks and won't have time to write.

So, I'm trying to get the, now eight, arc 3 chapters out to you before then. This will line it up rather well for me to delve into Volume 2 when I get back from exams. Right now, we are looking at Volume 1 finishing somewhere between 4/24 and 4/26. I will let you know right now that I will not be back with Volume 2 until 5/6 or 5/9 so there is a little bit of a wait. Sorry guys!

Also, there is a small aside at the bottom of the page.

December 31, 29 R.E

The next morning, Rajac was summoned to the Council to give his report on the events leading up to and during the escape from Abria. He gave a full and detailed account to the six members of the Council including his mother and, Temos’ replacement, Jalai Manos, an older woman with a crooked-nose but usually wore a bright smile that made her face not seem so unsightly.

After he completed his tale, Rajac surprisingly, was put in command of all Ventros soldiers. He knew most of the Council hated him for involving himself in their affairs but, as they put it, ‘You are the only one since our race’s fall that has mastered the Ventros Sword Style. We will require your expertise in the coming years. Furthermore, Temos’ students have also taken a liking to you and they are the voice of our fledgling army.’

Rajac did not think those were the only reasons. But, they were the reasons the Council was willing to share and, if his mother was involved in the decision, the Council’s angle would not have any abstract motives, would it?

A few days later, Rajac found himself mulling these questions as he walked the freshly-paved streets of Kankuraventros, which literally meant, the city of the Ventros. Most people called it Kankur for short.

He had met all of the men who would serve under him yesterday. There were not many. Only fifteen at the moment. The ten that survived along with five new recruits. Rajac shook his head chuckling at that.

He was the head of an army and he had around the same amount of men under his command as when he was a field non-com in his past life.

As the first order of business was to recruit, he thought it best that his men begin the process as many of the citizens still harbored angry feelings towards him as it was well known that he was the one to order the Elderly to die.

‘If I didn’t, they would have no soldiers at all right now. They’d all be dead along with Temos who, remarkably, is not blamed for any of the miscues of the battle. Even though he and I led it together, all the successes are directed at him and all the failures at me.’

Rajac muttered this to himself as he walked, maneuvering around people, as he kept his head lowered in thought. While he was not jealous, per se, that Temos was lavished with praise while he was shrouded with enmity, Rajac was annoyed.

He didn’t think it was too much to ask to receive some accreditation for giving the Ventros a way to leave their secluded forest in the first place. If he had not arrived, they would still be there. Sighing, Rajac pushed open the door to a shop, the well-polished bell announcing his arrival.

The shop held ingots of gold, copper, iron, and steel of every size. They were stacked into small alcoves, shining their metallic gleam from behind stain-glass panes.

A Ventros man stood behind the bar and, at Rajac’s entrance, turned to greet him. The grin the man affixed to his face faltered slightly as he saw Rajac. “Ah, Captain Rajac, how good of you to grace your presence in my humble store.” The man said bowing slightly.

All knew of Rajac’s new role in Kankur by this point. Rajac couldn’t go anywhere without hearing that he was trying to tarnish Temos’ reputation by taking his old position. Rajac had to grind his teeth every time he heard a phrase like that.

Temos had been his friend. When Rajac accepted the role, he believed he had the ability to help his race the most from this position but many saw it as just another attempt by the callous and vindictive Rajac to dampen the heroic image of Temos that all held in their hearts.

Rajac could not even wrap his head around the logic of these people. Did they think his mere presence as the head of the army could affect Temos’ legacy in any way? All Rajac could do was scowl at the inane comments.

A thin smile crested Rajac’s lips as he asked the Ventros man, “May I speak to you in the back?” The man paused, his hand hesitated where it hovered halfway between the counter and his pants leg. “Yes.” He said finally and led Rajac through a door behind the counter.

The backroom was littered with metal scrapings of every kind. Nuts and bolts littered the floor and the rafters, not yet old enough to acquire dust motes, held a scattering of dead leaves that had blown in from the alleyway behind the store.

“What may I do for you Captain?” The man said, turning to Rajac. “I have a few questions to ask you about a certain metal I have obtained but I don’t want others to see it.” Rajac said as he made a show of extracting his Auxiliary Magic from the pocket of one of his pants legs.

He made a decision, after accepting the Captaincy, to hide the effect of his Auxiliary Magic. The less his enemies knew about him, the better.

If this man couldn’t tell him what kind of metal, if it even was a metal, his Auxiliary Magic was, he would move onto the next metal smith and so-on-and-so-on until he found out the exact nature of his Auxiliary magic.

But, he was in luck. The man’s eyes widened in surprise as he picked up the metal ball. “Where did you get this?” He exclaimed. There was a hoarse note in his voice as he caressed the metal ball.

“What is it?” Rajac said, leaning in closer. “I’m not exactly sure but it is a metal. There are no imperfections, it is sleek where it should be rough, and it is incredibly round. This should not be found in nature.” The man rose, his hand shaking the ball so much that Rajac felt his Auxiliary Magic would fall to the ground if he kept it up.

“Give me a minute.” The man bowed slightly and entered his shop once again. Rajac could hear the sound of metal banging on metal as he waited, his arms crossed, and slightly impatient for his answer. But, it appeared the man could give him his answers so he would wait.

The sound of clomping footsteps announced the man’s return. He held the metal ball reverently in front of him, his eyes fixed on it. “So what is it?” Rajac asked. “A new type of metal. It’s an alloy of aluminum. Where aluminum is soft and bendable, this is harder and smoother than any metal I know. There are hints of Boron, a metallic carbon, and Magnesium, a metal even lighter than aluminum. This alloy that you have must have been created somewhere.

Tell me,” The man said, looking directly into Rajac’s eyes for the first time, “Who made this? This could be used to make insurmountable creations the age over. They won’t decay for eons if made from this alloy. Whoever made this would be a rich man by nightfall.”

Rajac frowned. He had no wish to divulge his secret. But, now he knew the man did not know what it was he left the man’s store without another word. As he pushed the door open, Rajac knew not the name of his metal, though he had some ideas. Its qualities, on the other hand, had been described, in detail, by the shop keeper. Affixing a smile to his face,

Rajac melted back into the crowd.

~

Gaya Mendari, or Lord Gaya as he liked to be called, lounged in a resplendent chair, his legs crossed over a leg and a large glass of wine trapped between two fingers of his right hand.

He was in the Abrian Palace. Well, at least that is what he called it. Most just called it the Old Manor. It was neither glamorous nor resplendent in any way. Abria, a province in the middle of nowhere, locked in an eternal struggle with all the other provinces controlled by the Demi-God’s in the region, there were six in total, was rather poor.

All the luxuries that the region had were piled in this small manor for the benefit of the lord’s perusal.

Today, though, was a most interesting of day. Lord Gaya usually spent his time watching the mortals fight, that was always an entertaining aside; they were so weak in their scrawny bodies, not like his at all, sculpted like a master stonework.

It was one of the reasons he felt no need to train like one of those ‘experts’. He was already powerful and got to live exactly like he wanted to. Truth be told, he was a bit lazy but he would never admit that to himself. Only in the most private recesses of his mind did this thought linger.

‘Today, today, a most interesting of days’ Gaya murmured looking down at his audience before him. “Tell me Muhal, you’ve had this Greater Race man for what half-a-year now?” Gaya said in a low voice.

“Yes, your majesty.” Muhal said, bowing low, his voice grave. “And only now do you bring me news that he has given the location of the rest of his race?” Gaya felt anger rise in him and his tone became all the sharper.

Muhal flinched even as he looked directly at the marble floor. “Yes, Lord Gaya. This one was stubborn.” Gaya just glared at the man for a long moment not saying anything. Let him sweat, Gaya thought sullenly.

One of his precious few Greater Races had left, en mass, from his demesne. He could not tolerate it. To make an example, he had ordered the one who found their discretion, to tear them all limb-from-limb when he found out where they fled to.

And it took him this long just to find them. What would the purpose be of making an example if it took forever to for the example to be made? He was immortal but his subjects were not. If an example was to be made, it needed to be quick.

“And…” Gaya said, swirling his wine. A splash of red liquid fell onto his hand and began to trail down his fingers before dripping onto the marble floor making a red patch where there should be white.

“Where are they?”

Muhal cleared his throat. “The Western Territories.” There was silence in Abria Palace. The few courtiers who were in the palace remained utterly still as they waited for the expected outburst.

They were not disappointed. “WHAT!?” Gaya screamed as he threw his glass on to the floor where it shattered in a million pieces.”

Muhal flinched once again.

“Go. Just go.” Gaya snapped at Muhal. Muhal rose unsteadily. “Where…” Muhal paused, uncertain.

“Get rid of them!” Gaya shouted. “Have I not given you an order already? Take five-hundred and have done with it. Don’t come back till you bring me every single one of their mangy heads!”

With that, Gaya rose and walked into his many bedrooms. He thought he would try a nice vintage today. Perhaps a Zalot; their blue skin always gave him the shivers.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

The type of Auxiliary Magic Rajac has is only slightly stronger than Diamond Magic. It will not make him OP. I gave Rajac a slight edge to Diamond Magic as Diamond Magic was listed in the Skill Tome while 'Metal Magic' was not. Also, the Ventros have an affinity for earth and fire so naturally metal magic is slightly stronger.

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