Grimoires & Masters - Chapter 11. (Patreon)

Under a starry sky, in a harsh cold-desert that even the toughest of people avoided, a horse was on its way to the edge of the North. From afar, it looked as if three ever-changing lights were streaming around the horse as it leisurely took its steps forward. However, even the sanest of minds wouldn’t believe what they would have found up close.


A magnificent white horse was carrying a young man and a little girl on its back. The Young man was silently gazing at the sky, and the little girl was sound asleep in his embrace.


The lights that danced around them were three little foxes of illusory bodies, and they were messing around with each other as siblings would do. The Black Fox would sometimes vanish in the shadows and sneak up behind one of the other two to surprise them. It was its favorite game.


The Blue Fox was not as energetic as the other two, but it was the one that flaunted its powers the most. If one followed their tracks, he would find hundreds of mini ice sculptures on the way that had no real form, but they were still magically beautiful.


The Golden Fox was the most energetic one. It continuously chased after the Black Fox as it played hide n seek, and sometimes, it would form small fireballs on the tips of its three tails and hurl them at the other two.


As lively as the three foxes were, they didn’t make a lot of noise that would awaken the little girl from her precious nap.


Time passed, as they covered a mile after mile. They were thousands of miles away from their departure point now. The two Ashaya would soon leave the Land of White-Winter that had been their home since their childhood.


The Desolate Desert was the longest border of the Northern-Kingdom that connected it to a part of the Kingdom of Dreams, and the only one connecting it to the Wild North.


Their Destination was the Lake of Death in the Wild North. A lake located at the top of the mountains, and in the heart of the three highest peaks in the World. The place was also known as the Devil’s Den. A name it had earned after claiming the lives of almost everyone that journeyed to the place to see it. It was a place that no person in his right mind would go to, but the two youngsters were going there.


Aoun smiled as he recalled the horror stories about the Desolate Desert and the Devil’s Den. He had always been skeptical about this place, but he would have never dared to come here if Mel and Elena had not insisted it. It was Elena’s request and Mel’s insistence that they would face no problems that he had agreed to the journey.


“There are dangerous beasts, and the weather is extremely harsh. Another thing that would claim the lives of people are the illusions in the Desolate Desert that would make them lose their way and move around in circles.” Mellissa had told them. “But you will be fine. The weather can do no harm to you, and the Beasts would not dare to approach you.”


Aoun looked at the locket that he was wearing on his neck. It was given to him by Mellissa before he had left the Crystal Palace. It contained her Aura and a Magical Spell that gave off the impression that its owner was an Emperor. It was part of the reason why no powerful beasts would approach them, and the other reason was the presence of those three Foxes of Chaos. These Legendary-Class Beasts had absolute power over their respective Elements. Their presence was enough to deter any Beast.


He observed the liveliness of the little foxes and sighed. The three foxes were too young and too weak to defend against powerful Beasts. But their identity as the Legendary-Class Beasts asked for respect and reverence even by those that were stronger than them. And it was only their identity that deterred the Beasts present in the shadows.


However, time was running out. The locket would not give off the Aura of an Emperor for more than a couple of weeks, and they had to get out of this place before that.


He summoned his Grimoire and gave it the command to show the map. The Map on the grimoire was a mystical one. It would start building when the person awakened and would continue building on till the death of that person. Every route on the map would be the one that the Master had taken in his life. It was the log of his journey and his adventures.


The page he was looking at was an exceptionally detailed map of the Desolate Desert. It was not the Map that the House of Zaryven possessed. It was the map that was created by the Grimoire of Mellissa. He was shocked to see how detailed it was. It was as if Mel had spent decades in this place and had seen every inch of it. He was a little reluctant to take this treasure from her. It was the log of her journey, and the fruits of her efforts, but she had insisted on having it. She had snatched his Grimoire and had copied it before he could argue anymore. And Elena had only laughed at their exchange. The little princess then took his Grimoire and copied it on hers as well.


“What’s yours is mine!” She had announced and pulled a tongue at him.


“Silly girl…” He whispered as he gently planted a kiss on her head, not making any abrupt movements that would wake her up.


Aoun had thought that they would feel a lot troubled at having left the Palace and would miss the home, but so far, he had found that he did not miss anyone at all. As long as she was by his side, he didn’t feel alone enough to miss them. The only thought that made him yearn for them was that he knew that their family was missing them.


The journey they were on would last for three years, that is when they would have to arrive at the Land of the Prestigious, The Isles of Solomon. A continent that was under the control of the thee Academies.


The two of them had not yet decided which Academy they would join. It was a matter on hold that they had decided to ponder over in the three years. Whatever their decision would be, their destination was the same.


“Three years…” Aoun whispered resolutely.


There was a reason why he was reluctant to be awakened at the age of 18. A Master would have the most fortuitous time of his life from the age of 13 and 16. In those three years, the growth that the Master would have would be the fastest in his life. It was a blessing by the Relic, and that was the reason why the Academies refused to take in anyone who was under the age of 16.


The three academies only accepted the best of the best. They wanted Masters that had taken full advantage of those three years.


In three years, Aoun would be 21 years old. That was the limit on the age of students that the Academies would accept. It meant that he only had three years, and because of him, Elena had three years too to grow strong as a Master. He was not concerned about anyone else, but he didn’t want to let her down. And he didn’t want to let down his Mellissa, his Erica, and the rest of his family that was looking at their progress with expectations.


The two of them could laze off in these years, arrive at the Academies with their current strength to still be accepted by them. All Royal Houses were given a pass at the birth of each prince and princess, and these Royals didn’t have to appear in the entrance exam. Regardless of their strength, they would be accepted in any of the three academies. But it would be a matter of shame for the House of Zaryven if their Royalty appeared in the Academies with the strength of Novices. And they had no intention of living in shame.


Aoun was lost in his thoughts when he felt the blue fox sit on his shoulder and nudge its face on his neck. It had sensed the emotions of its Master and wanted to tell him that it would always be by his side.


“I know, Winter…” He called out the fox by its name and gently patted on its small head.


The other two foxes arrived near him to get his affection too, as little jealous kids. His mood was suddenly brightened by their antics, and he affectionately patted them as well.


Done with receiving his affection, Mera and Shuvi ran off again to continue playing, and Winter sat there on his shoulder as it seemed to be a little tired. It yawned, and then lied down before it closed its eyes.


Their names were decided by Elena. She did not bother to consult with him about any of it. She named them as she saw fit, and made him accept those names with her innocent but soulful eyes. She named her Fire Vulis, Mera, named his Dark Vulis, Shuvi, and named his Ice Vulis, Winter.


He was not displeased by any of the names; he quite liked them. And maybe he would have chosen those names too if he had been asked. He sighed as he couldn’t find himself even a little bothered by any of it. And he could imagine how things were going to be from now on. She was going to decide on all names, and he would have to accept them.


His attention was soon on his white Horse that didn’t seem to get tired at all. He had found out that Ray was capable of wielding Ice Element, and the cold weather of this place didn’t seem to bother him at all. His sister, Maya, had the Fire element.


Aoun couldn’t help but chuckle at the choice of Klaus. He chose the beasts for them that were quite like them. It was poetic and beautiful.


He had decided against testing the limits of these Horses. The full speed of these horses was far superior to that of their expectations, and it was his speculation that these two horses could travel over a thousand miles in a day if they had to. However, they were already ahead of their schedule, and there was no need to be hasty. He wanted all of them to be in their prime in case of the unexpected.


Mile after mile, the home they had left behind was getting farther and farther away. He reminisced about the week they had spent with the family after their awakening. Elena had been busy giving time to everyone on his behalf as he had spent nearly all of his time with Mel. He could feel her sadness at seeing him leave, but she had not stopped him or asked him to stay.


The locket he wore was a promise to her that he will be there with her when their child comes to this world. That was the only promise she had asked him to make.


Aoun had been quite skeptical after the night when Klaus had revealed some of the prophecies to him. He had inquired Mel about them, but for some reason, which she didn’t tell him, she was not bothered by any of the prophecies.


Mellissa had only said to him that a prophecy is always vague and must never be taken literally. She had revealed that it was a prophecy had led her to the Land of Shadows, and that was where she had found the egg of Elemental Beast of Darkness.


The Ice Witch was surprised when she saw that it was a Vulis. It was clear that she had not known what Beast it would be. She had not known what was the purpose of that prophecy until the day she had given herself to him. She had not gone into details but told him that she knew what his element would be.


“You were destined to be mine as I was destined to be yours.”


Her words still echoed in his mind, and his heart warmed up at the memory.


And suddenly, he recalled the warning she gave him.


“No matter what, if you come across these people, do not try to fight them or associate with them. Run.” Mel had warned him. “Micheal of Azaria, Ignis of the Netherlands, Rome of the Clouds, Artoria of Blades, and Jeanne of Truth.”


All five of them were people she had known for couple of centuries, and Mel revealed to him that they were the oldest of the Empyreans. The Six of them, including her, were considered as the most powerful of all.


He had teased her and asked if she was scared of them, and as expected, she had a mocking grin on her face.


“I could kill each and every one of them.”


And he had believed her. He knew her well enough to understand that her confidence was not a delusion. If Mellissa said that she could kill them, she could. There was no question about it. But then she had said something that had roused his curiosity like never before.


“Micheal won’t harm you if he knows that you are my Husband. But that does not mean that you can trust him. The five of them are very powerful, and I am only worried about one of them.” She sighed. “It is her, the Jeanne of Truth.” There was a pale smile on her lips. “I can’t harm her.” She revealed to him. “Her full name is Jeanne Astora Celestine. Celestines are one of the six Power Houses in the World. And she would only need a look at you to know all about you. Your every truth will be naked before her, and she can read you as if you are just another page on her Grimoire. She has one of the most dangerous Primordial Runes, the Eyes of the Truth. No lie or secret can exist before her eyes.”


“Jeanne…” Aoun whispered the name that Mel had warned him the most about. An ethereal face and those bewitching eyes of hers appeared in his mind.


Mellissa had shown him images of all five of them, but only Jeanne had felt a lingering impression on him. There was something about her that made the darkness inside of him shiver in excitement.


“Try your best to never come across her. She gets everything that she sets her eyes on, and if she finds you, you will not be able to ever escape from her.” She warned him.


He could understand why he should stay away from that particular woman. Someone who only needed a look at him to know all his secrets was not someone he could afford to deal with. But some part of his heart wanted to come across all five of them. He wanted to see for himself what the mighty Empyreans of the world were like.


Aoun’s thoughts came to a halt when the ground started shaking all of a sudden. The quakes were low at the start, but then the intensity heightened. Ray was in a panic and slowed down as it tried to find its footing.


“Ssshhh…” Aoun tried to calm him down. “Keep moving, boy… Do not stop.”


The quakes seemed to have no end, and he soon started to get worried about their situation.


“Shuvi... Mera…”


He called out to the two foxes that were still playing with each other. The two of them returned by his side as Mera sat on his free shoulder and Shuvi sat down on his head.


Something about them told him that they had not realized that the ground was shaking, and the realization soon hit him.


“Ray, there are no quakes. The ground isn’t shaking.” He told the Horse that let out a confused voice in reply. “Just keep moving. Do not rush or slow down.”


Ray nodded its head and kept moving, but soon something happened that shook their hearts and souls.


They had entered a battlefield that smelt of smoke and blood. The stench of rotten bodies soon engulfed their senses, and the sky above their heads turned to blood red. There were bodies everywhere, riddled in spears, arrows, lances.  


“Keep going…” Aoun kept whispering to Ray to keep him calm. “Try not to look around much. Concentrate on the path that you are taking.”


He recalled what Mellissa had instructed him to do.


“Everything around us is an illusion. It will only harm us if we believe it to be true, and if we stop in our fears, we will never be able to get out of this place.”


There were not only bodies, but some living creatures too, standing with scythes and cloaked in smoke. He had not looked at them with attention, but little glances had revealed that they were faceless, and their attention was all on them.


Despite knowing what it was, his heart was still restless.


“Brother…” A sweet voice called out to him and placed her hand on his Heart.


The smart girl hadn’t opened her eyes. She could still see everything that Aoun was seeing, and it was probably best for them that she wouldn’t open her eyes as well.


“It will be a while…” He whispered to her.


Elena nodded understandingly and planted a kiss on his chest.


Her affection made his heart calm down, and Aoun kept whispering to Ray to keep them all calm.


“Keep moving… Do not look around you. Focus on the path that you are taking.” He repeated the words for hours and hours.


What awaited them at the end of the battlefield was a raging sea. The sky was soon crackling with thunder that made their souls shiver in fear.


“There’s no sea in front of us, Ray…” His words were determined. “No matter what, do not stop.”


Ray was scared to step into the raging sea, all of them were, but they had to keep their faith or they would all be stuck there forever.


The horse braved the fear and stepped into the sea with its Master.


Ray was shocked to find out that it could walk on water, and what made it curious was why it could not feel the wetness on its hooves. In its curiosity, it slowed down and eventually came to a brief halt.


“Ray!” Aoun shouted at it to bring it out of the trance.


Ray realized its mistake and started walking again. It could feel the wetness now. Its hooves were submerged a couple of inches in the water.


Aoun was scared when he looked down and found that Ray’s feet were submerged in the water.


“No matter what… Do not stop.” He kept whispering.


All of them now knew what stopping would lead them to; They would drown in this illusion.


Their journey continued for hours, and the distance on the Map showed to them that they were nearly at the end of the Desolate Desert and at the border of the Empire of White-Winter.


Time passed as Aoun felt weak and tired. Ray was no better. Everything around them was an illusion, but it took a toll on their mental strength.


The Desert was calm, silent, and cold as ever when the illusions ended. The sky was brightened up now, and it was nearly noon-time.


Something about the reality made Aoun doubt if it was another Illusion. Ray was the same and it refused to slow down or stop.


“It is not an illusion, Brother.”


Elena carefully got up and adjusted herself against her brother’s chest. She stretched her arms and yawned before fixating her eyes on the Transparent wall that they could see even from dozens of miles away. It was a wall of Golden-Purple light, the border of their Empire.


“Ray!” She ordered the Horse as she grabbed onto the reins.


The Horse listened to her command and geared up. It didn’t take them long to reach the Wall with Ray’s astonishing speed.


The emblem of the White Winter was sparking on the wall.


There was something about this moment that made their hearts restless. It was the restlessness of bidding goodbye to their home and the security that it provided them.


“Together…”


Forever…” Aoun finished her words with a smile, and they dashed right into the wall and into the Wild North.


Their journey had just begun.