《Mage Vein》Forest and Realization
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The duo walked for miles, but only one of them showed signs of fatigue. It had been many years since they had been to a mortal world and the mana here was different.
In the heavens, where most immortal mages try and find their place, mana is boundless and powerful. But here the mortal mana was full of life and vitality. It swirled around the land, changing, and growing.
It made Aleius feel at peace, he had forgotten how suffocating the heavens truly were. The mana there dominant, it easily resists the push and pulls of weaker immortals.
However, as they entered the forest, he felt the mana give life to the land, the air, and the wildlife.
Easily swirled and manipulated.
It was freeing.
The scent of nature embraced his nose.
His wolf senses peaked; a slight smile revealed his fangs.
The birds in the sky, the bugs in the dirt, the sway of the trees, the colors, the smells, the feelings.
He felt at home.
Memories of a little white wolf in a pack of eight, they followed the Den Mother through the snow-covered forest looking for food.
One of the earliest memories he could remember, it was funny this forest could evoke such a thing.
Maybe he was homesick.
“We’ve been walking for a while now, and the sun is still high in the sky. I wonder what the cycles are like here.” Baltar said slightly fatigued, as their feet crunched through sticks and leaves.
Aleius was shaken from his thoughts, “Hmm.” He didn’t really notice.
Baltar stopped and held his arm out in front of him, he seemed to concentrate for a moment then…
Nothing.
Aleius looked at him awkwardly.
“What are you doing?”
Baltar’s face scrunched, then turned to a pout.
‘Lords, he really does look like Balshana.’
Baltar turned to him, “I just realized. I have no idea how to use mortal magic.”
“Huh?”
He was confused.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I can’t figure out how to cast anything. I feel the mana surrounding us but when I pull it into my blood and try and manipulate it. Nothing happens.”
Aleius facepalmed.
“Of course, nothing happens. That is not how mortal magic works.”
Baltar’s face turned sour, and Aleius watched him sympathetically.
“Were you never taught?”
He shook his head, his long auburn hair dancing in the sun.
Aleius raised his brow, ‘Balshana always spoke about how he saved her before.’
“How did you fight for Balshana if you didn’t use magic?”
Baltar looked at him playfully, a smile adorning his charming face.
“Oh? Bringing up that past. I just did what all useless mortals do, I used a sword.”
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Aleius sneered, “You’re telling me you killed the Black Phoenix King, one on one, with mortal iron, no magic enchantments, or summons?”
“Yeah.” Baltar shrugged.
Aleius pictured the hulking battle-scarred warrior Baltar was. His crimson hair blew in the fiery wind of a warzone. Iron-like eyes that stared down any opponent, never afraid. The strong and reliable hero, fighting for truth and family.
It was a strong contrast to the dainty-looking man who pouted with his hands out in front of him.
“I doubt you’ll be able to go back to wielding a sword with your new body.”
Baltar looked troubled but agreed. “Yeah, Balshana had to have the last laugh.”
He considered his hands and arms, touching his face and eventually combing through his hair with his fingers.
“Some women can be completely insane.”
Aleius chuckled, “Are you unsatisfied? She did resurrect you.”
“She could have given me my body back. The spell she used is a soul-linking spell.”
Aleius’s opened his mouth aghast, “Soul-linking! She spliced you into her soul?!”
Baltar nodded grimly.
He didn’t know what to say. The Mother Phoenix was a deity, as old as time itself. If they shared a soul, they would die together.
“Don’t worry about it Aleius, I was going to retire anyway. But if she wanted to force it on me, the least she could do was give me my body back.”
Aleius sighed. “She said it was a side effect of the spell.”
Baltar laughed loudly, scaring away the birds in the trees.
“And you believe that? She just wanted to deter the other girls, she knows for a fact Kyoko and some others wouldn’t like the resemblance.”
Aleius shook his head, “I don’t think she would change your body for such an absurd reason.”
Baltar nodded and clapped him on his back. “You have a long way to go little wolf.”
“You’re calling me little wolf when you can’t even cast a spell. Remember Balshana put a seal on your bloodline.”
Baltar’s face froze. “Your right, this seal, and I can’t use the mortal way… DAMMIT BALSHANA!”
He snapped his neck to Aleius. “Brother you have to teach me!”
“I don’t know, I thought I was just a little wolf.”
“Big wolf, BIGGEST WOLF!” Baltar gestured with his arms. “Bigger than these trees, bigger than the entire forest!”
Aleius shook his head. “No no no, now I’m too big. I can’t teach if I’m that big.”
Baltar sulked, “You’re the perfect wolf, perfectly sized to teach me magic.”
Aleius nodded with his eyes closed. “Mm, that sounds about right, perfect wolf it shall be.”
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He opened his eyes, “Kneel and accept the perfect wolf as your master!”
“Fuck you!” Baltar shoved him and they both started laughing on their way through the forest.
Their travel was pleasant. Although they had to make their own path, the sun stayed high in the sky, and the foliage was open. The trees were not too close together, the bushes didn’t grow to high, and the grass didn’t hide any many unseen threats. The only problem was the…
“Ouch!” Baltar lifted his foot pulling out another splinter, it had to be at least the fourth in the past hour.
“Circulate the mana surrounding us into your body. It’ll toughen up your skin.”
Baltar glared at him; his golden eyes were miserable.
“This wouldn’t have happened if Balshana just made us some shoes.”
“Complain all you want; I haven’t had any problems.” Aleius chuckled in response.
“You were born with wolf feet, it’s not fair. A phoenix is supposed to fly!”
“Wolves have paws, Baltar, not feet.” He sighed seeing the pitiful man. “Look, just take the mortal mana and circulate it in your body.”
He tried to teach him the most basic of mortal magic, but it was like Baltar was completely boneheaded. He couldn’t even understand the first steps!
If he didn’t know any better, he would never believe this man to be an immortal, let alone one of the most powerful bloodline wielders in existence.
“My feet hurt!” Baltar made a face.
“Don’t pout, you look just like Balshana when you do that.”
Baltar gave him a mischievous smirk. “Then carry me on your back.”
“No.” He flatly refused, but the pout returned.
“Baltar come on…”
Baltar crossed his arms, his delicate face sullen and pitiful.
“Fine, get on my back.” Aleius sighed and knelt.
“HELLS YES!” Baltar didn’t hesitate and jumped on him, his face a big smile.
“Your tone changed quick, I hope you’re ready, I’ll show you some of that mortal magic you look down upon.”
“Go ahead, show me.” Baltar grinned from over his shoulder.
Aleius pulled in the mana from the surrounding forest. The natural energy consolidated in his mana pool, ready to be manipulated. He pushed on it, circulating it through his veins and strengthening his body. Then, he radiated the mana from his body. It coiled around his feet in ambient blue wisps.
Now he only needed to speak the words, and the mana would obey.
“Voos!”
The wind around his legs picked up and, in an instant, the two men vanished into a trail of leaves.
It only took about 30 seconds before Aleius stopped at the edge of the forest. The forest was much more open and traveled. There were pathways and tracks that showed signs of others passing through.
“I smell other people close.”
Baltar climbed down, the two men were about the same size, 6ft tall with lean builds.
Aleius stretched his back, but Baltar knelt, gasping for air.
“Is that all mortal magic can do?” he said between breaths.
Aleius looked over at Baltar’s drained face and disheveled hair.
He looked like he just tumbled through a whirlwind, but still had the mind to make a smug comment.
“Mortal magic can only go as fast as the wind. Which, I’ll remind you, is much faster than your two fragile little feet.”
Baltar nodded and stood up, “That is true. I’ve had enough splinters and thorns, and my weak body is getting bothersome. Even just traveling at that slow speed was enough to nearly break my neck.
He was used to using his bloodline for nearly everything, body strengthening, magic, smell, sight, hearing.
He didn’t want to admit it, but he was just an average mortal now.
He knew deep inside he could break Balshana’s seal at any time. After all, when it came to wielding the bloodline of the phoenix, he was even stronger than the Mother herself.
He ran his fingers through his hair, beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and heat of the sun started to get to him.
He watched Aleius as he put his nose to the wind, sniffing. His milky white hair was crisp and clean with no sweat, and no pink in his pale face.
Something had to give, he couldn’t spend the next hundred years as a mortal.
He would die!
“I sense two others close by let’s continue.” Aleius began walking, but Baltar just watched his back.
Aleius was just as he always was, loyal, dedicated, smart, and kind. Even after thousands of years, he recalled the mortal magic in only a few hours.
Baltar always respected the little wolf, he had come a long way from the pup he remembered during the Oblivion of the white star.
It was a good thing because he would be depending on him for the foreseeable future.
Aleius peered behind him, “Are you coming?”
Baltar was shaken from his thoughts, “Yeah… I was just thinking your back has gotten a bit wider.”
“Oh?” Aleius looked at his shoulders and flexed. “Maybe your right, all those years in the ground did me some good, huh?”
The two laughed, as the gentle forest breeze picked up, leading them down an ambiguous path.
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The Accidental Archmage - BOOK 9 (THE DRAGON HOUSES)
The Accidental Archmage Series (BETA CHAPTERS) NOTE: DRAFTS OF EARLIER BOOKS (BOOKS 1 to 8) HAVE BEEN POSTED BEFORE ON RRL. THEY ARE NOW ON AMAZON AND HAD ATTAINED BESTSELLER STATUS IN THE FANTASY-MYTHOLOGY GENRE. ACTUALLY, MANY RRL STORIES PUBLISHED ON AMAZON HAVE GONE ON TO BECOME BESTSELLERS AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. HOWEVER, AMAZON KDP RULES REQUIRE THAT MOST OF THE DIGITAL CONTENT AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE BE REMOVED. GENRE: CLASSICAL EPIC FANTASY An epic mythological fantasy in another world. Immerse yourself in a grand and dangerous adventure. In a world both familiar and strange. A world where magic and gods still exist. Meet deities, beings, and exiles from Earth’s pantheons. Encounter warriors, huskarls, satyrs, hoplites, dark and evil mages, and strange beings from myths of pre-history up to the age of iron.Match wits with the likes of Loki, Zeus, Athena, Odin, Amun-Ra, Coniraya, Viracocha, and even Dionysus. Escape plots and schemes played by powerful gods of life and death.Find the truth behind the dark and otherworldly beings from the Lovecraft mythos.Play with dire wolves, drakontes, lamias, keres, amphisbaenae, a sphinx, ice giants, creatures of nightmares, empusas, gigas, minotaurs, vrykolakas, jotnar, dokkalfr, to name a few.Survive being in the middle of wars between civilizations and races. Suffer the arrogance and stupidity of gods and men alike. Cross paths with beings who don’t like you. Thor, Ares, and the Incan death god Supay, to name three.Be burdened with a quest to save yourself and your humanity in the brutal and primordial world of Adar.A world where scientific pursuit will get you a lightning bolt or two. Probably five. All at the same time. Book Nine - THE DRAGON HOUSES His beloved Eira rescued, the rogue Titans have been defeated, and Tartarus sealed. Yet as the rising Archmage tries to escape the Forbidden Isle, events have been set in motion that would embroil him once again in the tides of war engulfing Adar. Escaped Titans, a rising power in the South, vengeful adherents of the Elder Gods, and more have him in mind. Least of all, a far from defeated Loki. New players have come to the fore, each with their own purpose in mind. The lustful drive for power, the search for a release of one's soul, and the companions' storied pasts all come to drive the world deeper and further into chaos. Add a powerful demon determined to open a portal to its own dimension. It's enough to drive a mortal man mad. (Cover image used under license) Book Eight - WHERE TITANS WALK Now in the land of the damned below the underworld domain of Hades, Eira awaits the company and battle portends. But first, they have to find the fortress of the Titans. Above them, Loki's war is going well as the internecine war among the pantheons continues. An old foe rises in the south, more powerful than ever. Astrid finds herself the subject of a wife's rage and the murky past of the companions now comes back to haunt them. Yet amidst it all, a dying Elder won't wait as plots and new players bedevil Havard Ulriksson, formerly Tyler West of Earth, now the Archmage of his adopted world. Cover Image used under license from shutterstock.com. Alterations by the writer. Book Seven - DRAGONS AND DEMONS https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08122Y739 An urgent rescue and the path to vengeance are not easy in a magical, myth-filled world. Nasty roadblocks and unexpected complications have a way of rearing their wicked heads along Tyler's route across the dwarven lands and into the infernal realm of Tartarus. More myths and legends cross the First Mage's path as Loki's war and Asag's emergence stir up mortal lands and magical domains. Cover Image used under license from shutterstock.com. Alterations by the writer. Book Six - TARTARUS BECKONS Gifts, curses, and problems. The unfolding of Loki's mad and complicated scheme results in a war between and among pantheons, empires, and kingdoms. From Ymir's Domain down to the far south, conflict engulfs Tyler's world and the magical gate to Tartarus is starting to break open, threatening to add mad Titans and other powerful beings to the chaotic mix. And on the forbidden isle of Banna, a dying enemy awaits. (Note: NOW PUBLISHED ON AMAZON) Book Five - LOKI'S GAMBIT With the promise of the First Mage not to act against him, Loki now accelerates his plans. A plot millennia in the making, spanning the length and breadth of Adar. Like a spider spinning its web, the trickster god now puts the finishing touches on an audacious scheme. A revolution to change the balance of godly and mortal power in the world. Book Four - VOID LANDS The Void Lands. A place where gods fear to tread. Where strange creatures and hostile beings emerge. A nexus of dimensions, the origins of which are lost in the mists of time. To stop the Aztecha Empire’s march to power and domination of the eastern lands, Tyler West, now a High Mage, must confront and defeat the empire’s mysterious patrons. Beings of incredible might and magical knowledge. An imperative path which leads him right to the Void Lands. Though a few detours are required, each dangerous yet crucial. The only problem is that the Void Lands are on the other side of the continent. And to get there, he may have to ask a favor from the Trickster God himself, the Norse deity known as Loki. Book Three - BLOOD WARS Continuing our lost mage's epic journey through the magical and extremely dangerous world of Adar. Escaping the convoluted schemes of the Greek pantheon, Tyler finds himself with an old acquaintance, the Incan deity Viracocha. His son, the sun god Inti, is dead. With the Aztecah Empire and its powerful pantheon of deities on the bloody road to more conquests, the deity asks for his help. A request he could easily refuse. Except Viracocha is not alone is asking for his aid. Two other pantheons have made their presence known to the young mage. And the Egyptian deities are watching how he will decide the matter. To add to his burdened conscience, the rise and dominance of the Aztecah pantheon would mean a million or more new human sacrifices. Resulting in extremely overpowered bloodthirsty deities. What's a newly minted Elder apprentice mage to do? Involve himself in a blood war? Book Two - GIFTS OF THE GREEKS Tyler's journey continues. New land, misadventures, friends, foes, skills, and knowledge. Confused encounters of the female kind. More deities become aware of Tyler as he continues his quest to survive, reach his potential, and carry out his burden. Amid convoluted plans designed by divine acquaintances of old and newly met gods, what's an ordinary guy from Earth to do?The god of wine wants to be his friend. Ares and his sons are coming to say hello. Book One - RAGNAROK RISING What if you fell through a crack in reality? Like those people disappearing in plain sight you've read about. What if you find yourself in a strangely familiar world? A world full of Earth’s mythological beings, lost civilizations, and people from its primitive and brutal past? Where magical energy still exists. Where gods play games among themselves, with the fate of mortal men as pawns. A land where a sword is deadlier than a five-inch thick contract drawn by a hotshot lawyer. Would you survive? That's Tyler West. Alone, lost and bewildered, the three moons in the sky made it clear he wasn’t on Earth anymore. It’s not a game. It’s real. And there's no coffee, pizza, fries, or his favorite show on HBO. *** All Rights Reserved. 2017/2018/2019/2020. Cover Images are used under license.
8 141Ayla's Junkyard
She awoke and found herself alive, mostly. but as a sentient robot, in the middle of a destroyed city. How will Ayla survive in her new body, let alone her new environment. ~I take no credit for the cover art. I found it using Google search, if someone knows the original (C) holder, I will gladly give credit where it is due.~
8 96Welcome to Anarchy: A BNHA (MHA) Fanfic
'I've already experienced one omnipotent being flinging me from one Universe to another...I didn't need another one to destroy what I had just achieved and fling me off into the next' Charlotte Syrup, former Sweet Commander of the Big Mom Pirates, flung into the world of My Hero Academia with no clue what anything is. Quirks? Heroes? Buttcheek clenching superpower? The only thing that comforts me is the fact that this does remind me of 'Earth'...right? Watch as the Overpowered Pirate and her love Portugas D. Ace wreck havoc across the world of heroes and villains. Loser: 'You've got to choose a side!' Heroes or Villains? Me: Well, we're Pirates so...fuck you both Loser 2: What kind of Pirate owns a megacorporation?? Me: My bad...*cough* We're filthy rich Pirates. Wanna sign up? Welcome to the Charlotte Group. Take advantage of a racist world? Check. Take advantage of the oppressive laws people are under? Check. Take advantage of quirks? Triple Check. Still hate governments? Absolutely A story about the conflict between the ideals Peace and Justice against Freedom and Privacy. The realization of the impossibility of Total freedom and the lengths she goes to see it done. Just add massive explosions, lots of swearing, and comedy to the mix. This will be a 2 Part story. First part: PARADISE (A.N): If someone sends me a better title, I will use that. Deal is still up as well :D) Disclaimers: It is to my great displeasure and sadness that I do not own One Piece or My Hero Academia. Hints of Undertale as well...I don't own that either. That is just really really sad. Nor do I own the cover art...but it's pretty close to how I envision Syrup in her late teen years :) On the flip side, I do own Charlotte Syrup, my OC and a couple more extras in the story. Note: This is the sequel to 'Welcome to the Charlotte Family' but while it is recommended to read it before, it is not needed. Separate Universe, different characters and story. But remember, heavily OP MC! But I try to keep it interesting. Give it a try and enjoy!
8 231The Arkfel Chronicles
The archmages of Charun summon humans from Earth for their outside viewpoint: people from the world of technology do interesting things with magic. Leo is the latest to be summoned – but there’s a problem. When he arrives, he finds the Arkfel School empty, abandoned for two centuries and home only to monsters, automated guardians and a handful of overmatched explorers. Something has gone terribly wrong. A curious soul, Leo has many questions: What happened? What place do humans have in this world? Does magic even make sense? Is it all a fever dream? But to find the answers, Leo has to survive, with only a paltry handful of magical abilities. And that’s not going to be easy.
8 111The Dragon & The Demon
Orenda Nochdifache-Firefist has sucessfully overthrown the Empress Xandra and broken the empire to allow the individual colonies to return to self-rule, as well as abolished the chattle slavery that had plagued the land- earning her the title of "Orenda the Reign Ender". The Knights of Order have officially won the war in a bloody revolution, putting an end to the three centuries of warfare under Xandra's leadership. No longer must people live in fear of Xandra's puppet, The Emerald Knight. But now Orenda must face the realities of her dream- the imaginary princess has become queen. And, she has a deadly secret she must keep in the form of a teenage Urillian boy who is not what he seems. Anilla is still on a never ending quest to find her dragon; her people beleive that every memeber of their tribe is born with a soul bonded dragon that exists somewhere in the world- and Orenda's little secret claims to have seen Anilla's soul before. Could he be the key to ending her quest? This work is a direct sequel to The Crimson Mage, and will obviously contain major spoilers for that work, so it might be a better place to start (though I will warn you that the first chapter of that story may be the worst thing I've ever written. Just power through it or encorage me to put up a second draft). It can be found here: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/21654/the-crimson-mage/chapter/307763/chapter-1
8 95Hit or Miss
I guess they never miss, huh?Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua are meme-deprived millennials in an ancient cultivation world in which memes don't exist, so of course, that's going to change. Is anyone even surprised at this point?Or: Shen Qingqiu is suffering, Shang Qinghua is a dumbass and Luo Binghe and Mobei-Jun are confused
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