《A Path Wide Enough for One》Chapter 5
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Chapter 5
Iskander hung suspended in the air, miles above a shadowy reflection of Macedar. It was not a true reflection; the details were hazy, as if he were looking upon the city through a layer of shifting smoke. The creations of man did not often manifest in the world of the spiritual unless they were of lasting significance. Each of Macedar’s citizens, those living, of course, was a candle flame amidst the shifting darkness. Iskander cast his eyes to the location of the academy at the north of the city, where the souls of the mages within burned brightly in this place, miniature stars pushing back the darkness.
All was well, as it had been every night for the past two hundred years, since the last of the raiding parties of the Ishk tribesmen were repelled. None had dared encroach upon Macedar’s land since. Not the proud Styrians in their marble city to the south, nor even the Poldark people that held the western coast, who had long looked upon the status and prosperity of Macedar with jealous eyes.
Iskander focused his vision, seeing past the lives below. The currents of fate swept lazily through the city, swirling in slow eddys around the slumbering inhabitants. Iskander scanned the shifting blue fog of fate, looking for any aberrations. The mages inhabiting the academy drew currents of fate to them by the very nature of their existence: to perform magic was to rewrite reality at a fundamental level. With such a high concentration of magical power present, the normally lazy currents of fog morphed into a frothing whirlpool of blue light. Fate tended to converge around individuals of great power.
And there, amidst the blue, Iskander the Immortal saw what he had hoped not to see for the next millennium; the reason he maintained this nightly vigil in the first place. Buried under the sea of blue was a sliver of crimson light, a flow of fate that had been tainted, corrupted, by His influence. The Fallen God.
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With a thought, Iskander descended miles in an instant, following that ribbon of red light that promised doom. Perhaps he had reached it in time. He could excise that corrupted sliver from the sea of fate as a gardener would prune a rotten branch. The Gods would not punish him for meddling with the flow of fate. They understood the danger of the Fallen One better than anyone.
As quickly as his flight had begun, Iskander drew to a halt. The corrupted flow of fate had latched on to a sleeping form and was absorbed before his eyes, its influence forever altering the planned destiny of the boy Iskander now stared at with unblinking eyes. Of all the students for this to have happened to, it had to be the Tantalus boy. He mentally removed obliteration from the list of possible resolutions to the situation. The Tantalus family had been in the city since before even his arrival, and over the centuries they had been stalwart defenders of Macedar and reliable allies of the academy. Iskander would not repay that loyalty by smiting the family’s newest talent. What was his name? Asmodeas, yes.
His brother had caused Iskander a number of headaches in his time at the academy. It seemed the second son was trying to do the same, however unwittingly.
The boy’s destiny was now irrevocably altered. The influence of the Fallen God had altered his future in a manner that even to Iskander’s sight would only be apparent as the years stretched on. The smallest deviation from fate in the present always resulted in further straying from the planned course of fate, deviations that only grew in magnitude until a future could be completely derailed in a matter of years.
The Gods could tell him the most likely course of Asmodeas’ fate, but Iskander would not lower himself to beg them for an audience. Regardless, this alteration of fate could be a boon to both his own plans and the future of the boy if handled correctly. First, he needed more information. All that he had thought certain regarding the academy’s future would now be in flux, as the boy’s altered fate warped the futures of those he encountered.
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If the Fallen One had cast his influence in search of the Tantalus child with deliberate intent then he might have to strike him down regardless of the consequences. Though if that were the case, the enemy would have known that the alteration would not escape Iskander’s notice. That raised a troubling question. Did the Fallen God want Iskander to kill the Tantalus boy?
The more likely possibility, Iskander considered, was that the god was simply stirring; His power recovering and his consciousness beginning to come to the surface for the first time in five hundred years. As His power waxed, His influence would spread across the world, carrying His malice and ambition on flows of fate. If that were the case, then perhaps that corrupted strand of fate had been drawn to something within Asmodeas; his own innate ambition or desire for power? If that were the case, all Iskander would have to do would be to keep an eye on the boy and keep him constrained to some semblance of his original path.
As he considered the situation further, his anxiety lessened. If this were some plot of the Fallen God, the other Gods would have intervened if the Tantalus boy were to be a harbinger of catastrophe for the future. The Fallen God’s stirring would not go unnoticed nor unopposed.
Iskander withdrew from the boy’s room with a thought, resuming his vigil among the stars. He would contact some old allies, and make some inquiries about the Fallen One’s status. Fate, he would have to continue to monitor, revising his predictions as the effects of the Tantalus boy’s altered fate became apparent.
For Asmodeas personally, this could be a great boon. His planned future was now on a path to complete derailment. With a guiding hand, these changes could be controlled, bent towards a greater purpose. With luck, he could achieve greatness that would never have been possible if fate had continued on its ordained path. Or he could spell disaster for the future of Macedar. Either way, it seemed the relative tranquility that had embraced the city of Macedar for the last few years was to come to an abrupt end. Despite his better judgement, Iskander looked forward to seeing what would come to pass. Asmodeas Tantalus had a chance to show him a new future.
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Battling Records of the Chosen One
Author: In the vast and boundless continent Cangtu, there were ancient sects governing the Ten Old Domains, unworldly immortal clans beyond the Blue Density, and primordial demon gods dominating the dark abyss that together created an unknown number of brilliant chapters over the long course of the history. In this very world, there was a boy, named Lin Xun, who embarked on his journey to the pinnacle of strength alone through cultivation and spiritual tattoo inscribing. Translator: Escaping alone from the Mine Prison where he had been living since his adoption, Lin Xun knew nothing about his identity but the little information his adopter, Master Lu, had told him. With two ancient spiritual tools Master Lu gave to him before the destruction of the Mine Prison, Lin Xun started his journey to Ziyao Empire, where he is supposed to find out the truth of his lost Spiritual Vessel and the person who slaughtered his family, leaving him orphaned. Will he be able to unlock the mysteries of the two magic treasures, unveil the secrets of his identity and create a legend of his own?
8 719A Fractured Song
Just because you’re transported to another world, doesn’t mean you’ll escape from your pain. Abused by her parents, thirteen-year-old Frances only wants to be safe and for her life not to hurt so much. And when she and her class are transported to the magical world of Durannon to fight the monsters invading the human kingdoms and defeat the self-titled Demon King, Frances is presented with a golden opportunity. If she succeeds, Frances will have the home she never had. If she fails, Frances will be summoned back to the home she escaped. Yet, despite her newfound magic and friends, Frances finds that trauma is not so easily lost. She is dogged by her abuse and its physical and invisible scars. Not only does she have to learn magic, she has to survive the nightmares of her past, and wrestle with her feelings of doubt and self-loathing. If she can heal from her trauma, though, she might be able to defeat the Demon King and maybe, just maybe, she can find a home for herself. Beautiful Cover by Rianne Draws (https://twitter.com/RianneDraws) Full cover at: https://www.reddit.com/r/VrensLibrary/comments/iwhsar/a_fractured_song_new_cover_courtesy_of/
8 138Return Of The Martial God
An unrelenting flame burned across the lands eradicating life as it pleased. When the flame burned its brightest the embers that gave it life conspired to extinguish it. Wu Jilong, The Martial God, was betrayed by his own parents. At the age of 15 Wu Jilong was sealed in a formation designed to cripple his cultivation, pollute his meridians, and dilute his Qi. After 5,000 years Wu Jilong has returned to make the world beautiful once again. Through sheer martial power Wu Jilong shall destroy the heavens which make the world so ugly.
8 150The Land of the Unknown
A school field trip gone wrong, two friends, Tommy and Antonio, come across an underground laboratory while exploring and sneaking into the caverns at night. After a bit of scuffle with another intruder, a girl named Maggie, the three activated a portal, which sucked them right in. When the trio got out, they found themselves trapped in another world, unlike their own. This strange new world contained much dangerous stuff that they have to be careful of, such as Dinosaurs, elemental hazards, different realms to explore, among other things. Tommy, Antonio, and Maggie must work together to try to stay alive. They must find a way out of there as soon as possible. The trio will need to survive the dangers and figure out who to trust in this new world, including each other.
8 149Prophecy of the Four Pillars
Dave Richardson was a normal guy from earth who was summoned to another world. However, before his adventure could really begin, he’s caught up in a teleportation spell that splits him into two beings. Richardson continued on the adventure to save the kingdom from a vile necromancer, never knowing anything went wrong. The other being, Dave, is sent to a realm of rot and death where he must struggle to find away out. [I write in my free time so my upload schedule will be erratic]
8 114Chapters of Pain [Anthology]
A collection of extremely short stories (and just ramblings sometimes) that focus on themes like emotional and mental pain. You can start with, or skip to whatever chapter you want.
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