(Path of the Dragon Mage: Exiled) 50. Frozen In Time (Patreon)

Corvus prowled around the room that had become his prison cell. Briefly, he considered carving out an Ever-Flame rune on the door. Vesper might have locked it using her talent of air, but that would not matter if the door burned down.

But if he did that, he would have to explain how he started the fire.

With a sigh, Corvus looked around the sparsely furnished room. There was a four-poster bed which was tempting. It had been a long night and he was exhausted. But he had pushed through exhaustion before. He would not let that stop him.

His gaze fell on the writing desk.

An idea struck. Rushing to the desk, he pulled open the drawers. He looked down, a wide smile on his face. Inside was a treasure trove: blank message scrolls, some large and meant to be carried by the scholars guild, others small slips of paper-thin and delicate enough to be tied to the leg of a pigeon. And there, beside them was a stack of blank parchment paper, several quills, and two full ink wells.

Corvus pulled out his chair and got to work.

By the time the sun rose on a new day, he had copied nearly every rune in his private dictionary in several different sizes. Some large and powerful enough to take up entire sheets… others the size of his thumb to be hidden in small pockets.

Discrete testing proved that he could dab a droplet of his blood to a small square of parchment with a rune drawn upon it and then stick it to something else. The blood acted not only as a link between himself and the rune, but the rune and a secondary object.

When he had stuck his standard Sharp rune to the stone wall using a droplet of his blood and charged it, a thin spike had emerged.

The fuse-linked runes had proven to be a challenge. Like twine, parchment was not a good medium to channel mana. When he tried to fill the mana reservoir rune, the entire page smoldered and caught on fire. It burned cleanly to ashes within moments.

Thankfully, he had only channeled a few mana points into the rune. Nothing had blown up.

He now had a convenient way to start an instant fire — and at less of a cost than the Ever-Flame rune. Though, Ever-Flame still had its uses. It burned much hotter.

The other exception was his two Rune Collections. He was not certain how the scattering of tiny runes interacted with the lines bisecting them. When he tried to copy the pattern from one of his knives down on the page, they simply did not work. 

He suspected this was an aspect of rune magic too advanced for his current level.

A knock came at the door, nearly startling him into blotting a dot of ink on the page.

"Yes?" he snapped, irritated.

A timid servant's voice echoed from the other side of the door. His mother's wind wall must have dropped. "Young Lord, your mother wishes to breakfast with you."

Corvus scowled. "I will be ready shortly."

He quickly jotted his fuse-linked rune on the corner of the page he was working on. With two points of mana, the page erupted into flame and became ashes. He swept the ashes into a trash bin, as he had with the rest of his failed pages. 

No reason to leave evidence behind.

Rising, he stepped to the small wardrobe which took up a corner of the room. There were several outfits inside, all of them much finer than the clothing he wore now. He quickly changed into pants and a shirt. After a moment, he added a long over-jacket with a hem that went down to his mid-thigh. It had deep pockets inside and out.

Lastly, he transferred stacks of his newly drawn runes into separate pockets, organizing them into collections by type.

Corvus paused for a moment to examine himself in the mirror. A grim-looking teen stared back at him. He was as armed as he could be for a second confrontation with his mother.

He opened the door and was unsurprised to see two guards waiting for him outside.

They escorted him down a long hall which ended on the opposite side of the manor. As he walked, he kept an eye out for Gwen. Perhaps she would be in a servant's uniform, like some of the maids he passed… But he saw no sign of her. Was she working in the kitchens? Had she escaped in the night? He hoped so.

His mother sat at a table in what he guessed was the Lord's room. She must have had the servants borrow from other parts of the manor because none of the current furnishings matched.

Looking up, she gestured for him to sit at the other end of the table. The moment he took his seat, a servant came to fill his plate. This was real food the likes of which he had not eaten since he left the palace. Freshly baked rolls, cut melon dripping with honeydew, eggs so fresh the yokes were orange, and a thick rasher of bacon.

As he ate, Vesper picked idly at her food. He did not offer any topic of conversation, and neither did she… though her irritation with him could practically be tasted in the air.

It reminded him of the stifling atmosphere of the palace. Not something he had missed.

The moment he set down his fork diagonal across the plate to indicate he was done, a servant stepped in to take it away. 

Vesper dismissed the man, and the others waiting nearby.

The door closed behind the servants, leaving them alone.

Only then did Vesper stand from the table. "I believe it is past time we spoke about your future."

He stood, too. "You mean, as Lord Shield's heir?"

"You aim too low, my son." But she said no more, leading him to an adjoining room. This was an office set up with a large oak desk. Beyond that stood another room — storage of some sort? He caught the sight of shelving behind partially open curtains. Why would the Lord of the manor have storage in his personal rooms?

After closing the office door, Vesper took the one seat behind the desk. There was no second chair for Corvus, so he was forced to stand before her like an errant child.

Vesper gestured around the space. "This is a null room. Do you know what that means?"

Corvus gave her a look. "I don't have magical talents, mother, but I'm not stupid."

A null room was a space where all elemental talents canceled each other out. There must have been water running behind the stone which would block fire, while the stone itself blocked the influence of air. And of course, earth and water were always in conflict. Water washed away earth and earth smothered water.

A room like this would not stop, say, the king from doing whatever he wanted. But for most nobles with only a touch of Talent, it was more than enough security. 

"It means our conversation cannot be overheard," Vesper said, impatiently. "Even my defenses can be breached with someone with a strong enough talent for Air or Earth. I want you to know that whatever is said in this room between us will be held in strict confidence." She looked at him. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

He narrowed his eyes, considering her.

The part of him who loved his mother wanted to tell him about the Path system. Show her that he was not worthless, that he did have access to magic, even if it was a strange, old type of magic.

Would she be proud? Would she know something about the Paths that could help him? Or could she give him access to others who could?

Perhaps. Vesper was intelligent, cunning, and ambitious. And she always had plans within her plans, even if they sometimes collapsed around her like a deck of cards.

She was asking him for information, not trying to leverage her power over him, which meant…

"You haven't been able to find the dragon egg," he said, realizing at the same moment he spoke the words. "You searched, but the winds came back empty."

Vesper said nothing. Her silence and displeased looks were enough.

"And you won't find it," Corvus continued. "I've hidden it too well for anyone to find it with an elemental Talent."

That had been purely by chance. He was lucky no one had a wood talent to find it in the brush. Though he supposed someone with a water talent might be able to, if it were ever to rain, or if the lake water eventually rose high enough to swamp the egg. Both scenarios were unlikely in this dry stretch of the kingdom.

"What good does the egg do you when you have put it out of reach?" Vesper asked.

"I can retrieve it anytime I choose," he lied.

Her frown grew deeper. "They say your cousin Starella is closer to hatching her egg than anyone has been in generations. Is that what you want? Starella's mother tricked you into the leaving palace in exile. Do you think that either of them will have your best interests at heart?"

"My aunt brought me to Master Solt," he replied easily. "He was rough around the edges, but taught me several valuable lessons."

Vesper flicked her fingers, but in this null room, no air came to her aid. Even though she was the one who led him there, she looked briefly annoyed. "It doesn't matter. With or without the egg, you are destined for better things than to languish here."

Finally, they came back to the point. "My grandfather wants to make me Lord Shield?"

"You are the only living grandchild he has left," she confirmed.

"No. I can't be… No." Corvus was taken aback. Now he thought carefully about it, he had at least two older cousins on that side of the family. He never met them outside of a palace function and couldn't place a face to their names. They were both older, he knew that much. "I have at least two cousins who should be in line. They're both dead?"

"The girl died in childbirth, taking herself and the babe along with her. The boy died last year when a horse threw him." Vesper reported these facts coolly, clearly uncaring she was speaking about her niece and nephew.

Corvus stared. "Why wasn't I told about this?"

"You have long been isolated for your own safety —"

"Yes, and why?" The word came out sharp. "Why was I never allowed to leave the palace, Mother?"

She stared at him as if he were a fool. "No royal can leave with a dragon egg—"

"I didn't have to take my dragon egg. Why wasn't I allowed to meet children my own age? Why wasn't I involved in basic court functions? Why don't I know my own country? You expect me to be king, but I don't know the first thing about its people!"

"A king doesn't lower himself to deal with the common folk. That is what minor nobles are for. A person in power delegates. As King, you need to concentrate on the sway of political power within the palace walls —"

"You're wrong," he said. "And even if you weren't, that would not be the king I would want to be."

Vesper rose, frustrated at the circular argument. "Then if you want to be king, tell me where you are keeping the dragon egg."

"Why? You don't know how to hatch it! You want it for… what? Show? Leverage over me? Over my father and the King should I ever hatch it within your walls? You and my grandfather don't want me to be on the throne. You want someone from the Shield house. Were my cousins too ambitious, or were they not ambitious enough?"

Angry red stained her cheeks. "You're a child throwing wild accusations you have no idea—none at all…"

Planting his hands, he leaned over the desk. "I think I do, mother. For the first time, I see you clearly."

Her face twisted and she snapped, "Say what you like, but hatching that damnable egg is the quickest path to the throne!"

"Well, maybe it's time for me to forge my own path!" he yelled back. "I will not let you wield power through me. When I do return to the palace, it will be when I am ready to rule."

For a moment, he thought his defiance had struck his mother completely dumb. She was frozen, her mouth slightly open as if to speak. But… the seconds ticked by and she just continued to stare straight ahead at him. Locked in place.

Ding!

Congratulations! You are ready to take the first major step along your path. Please choose your new subclass.

Wait. That was it? That was what the Path system had been waiting for? His declaration that he return to the palace only when he was ready and not before?

It was so simple and made sense considering the apex of the Path was 'Dragon King'. Yet… Could he have even considered such a thing before? Likely not.

He had to go through his trials as Solt's apprentice, learned about himself and the Paths, and glimpsed the wider world before he learned what the palace offered him… and all that it didn't. More importantly, how much more he needed to learn before he could be a great king..

He glanced again at Vesper, who had not breathed, not even blinked. 

"What's happened to my mother?"

Of course, there was no answer. He caught sight of a beam of morning sunshine through one of the high windows. The dust moats caught in the light were also frozen. It wasn't just his mother, then. The entire world had stopped around him.

Or perhaps he was the one who had stopped. Unable to move forward until he chose the next step within his path.

He turned his attention to the messages.

You have three subclass options which lead to your next step along the Path of the Dragon Mage:

Scullery Boy:

A humbling yet invaluable experience. While serving as a scullery boy in Lord Shield's estate, you will learn to wield power by hiding in plain sight. This is a path of intrigue and deception. 

Hedge Witch:

Roam the countryside testing your guile, cunning, and growing magical knowledge while delving into the kingdom's secrets. This is the path of discovery and adventure.

Foot Soldier:

Defeat your enemies, forge bonds of brotherhood with your fellow soldiers, and push back your own limits. This is by far the most dangerous path. Can it also be the most rewarding?

As he read, he saw a vision of himself in each of the three scenarios.

His father's men were still looking to assassinate him, so he would be hidden in plain sight as a scullery boy within his grandfather's vast estate. There, he would learn the unspoken rules of noble leadership from his grandfather in secret. There would be new and exciting runes within the estate and the library. If he was quick to recognize new opportunities he could gain valuable contacts through his fellow nobles.

He had his reservations about his mother, but she would no doubt take charge of his education, too. He would learn how to be cunning and manipulative under her. These were talents a King would need.

He saw himself as a hedge witch discovering and defeating mobs like the ones Larissa had shown him. Living off his wits, he would travel from village to village, completing quests. He would learn firsthand how his people lived, growing to know and love the land that he could one day rule. The runes he would uncover would be as varied as his many adventures, giving him a flexible magic system to draw upon. His friends would be among the common folk, and they would be his allies as he grew. This would be an advantage if he were to vie for the throne.

He saw himself as a foot soldier, hardened through the trial of combat and blood. His life would not be easy. At times, it would be miserable. But the rewards of loot and fame would be unparalleled. He would come to the mountains a boy, and leave not only a man, but a commander who had the loyalty of his soldiers behind him.

In all three of these visions, he also saw his dragon: pampered but hidden in the Shield estate as he had once been pampered, but hidden. He saw himself traveling with his dragon as a hedge witch. Happy and free, but always in danger of being discovered. He saw them partnered together in combat in the mountains. He had no idea how a dragon was accepted in the ranks, but through the rigors of battle, she would grow as strong and vicious as any of the great dragons of the past. 

As the last vision faded, a timer appeared. It began to count down from five minutes.

He had that long to choose the next path in his life.

Corvus thought he knew which he would pick… but he hated being rushed by a clock. He looked around for inspiration, for help.

His eyes fell on the curtained storage room beyond. As usual, his mind filled with questions he could not deny.

He took an experimental step to the side. Vesper's eyes did not follow him. It was as if in this space beyond time, he was also invisible.

He ducked past the curtains and saw that it was indeed a storage room… But unlike one he had ever set eyes on before.

Lord Monger who owned this estate seemed to be someone who had a taste for curiosities. There were jars of… things suspended in liquid. Small living creatures, animal parts, and plants. All carefully preserved.

On the shelf nearest to him stood a moon scorpion suspended in clear liquid, backed by a curious silver glow. The scorpion was long dead, though its body had not rotted. Beside it were jars of flowers with wicked-looking spikes, and next to that was a whole human hand.

While grotesque and fairly distracting, he didn't see anything helpful in the jars. There were no visible runes, either. The preservation process was chemical, not magical. 

Except… Why did it look like there was gentle light beaming from behind the jars? Some seemed to glow with cool, white light. Others, a gentle yellow haze as if encased within a puddle of sunshine. He moved the jar containing the human hand aside. Behind it was a golden yellow orb, like glimpsing a bit of the sun through a haze of clouds. When he reached out to grab it, no heat burned his fingers.

Item: Sun essence.

Description: A droplet of condensed sunlight.


His eyes widened and he pushed aside the scorpion jar revealing a silver moon essence carefully positioned to illuminate the contents in front.

What was it that Larissa said? The essences made for good lighting?

His robes held deep pockets. He shoved both essences in and went about the room, hunting for more.

There were two types: the sun essences and the moon essences, artfully displayed behind the jars to best illuminate whatever was inside.

He shoved every essence that he found in his over-robe, thanking himself for the foresight of wearing something with deep pockets.

When he had collected all the essences, he went to stand again before the desk.

The timer still had sixty seconds on it.

Looking over his three choices again, he held his breath and mentally one.

However, the timer kept counting down while a new menu appeared before his eyes. 

To choose the class Scullery Boy, tell Lady Vesper the location of your dragon egg.

To choose the class Hedge Witch, request to see Anita Cartwright.

To accept the class Foot Soldier, request to speak to Captain Landry.

"I understand," Corvus said.

The timer continued ticking down without comment. Apparently, he was to wait the entire five minutes in order to fully think over the situation.

The moment the timer reached zero, it was as if the world took a deep breath all around him. 

Vesper blinked once and said what she did not realize she had been waiting minutes to say. 

"It's past time for you to stop acting like a child and make adult decisions. I cannot shield you forever."

"You're right," he said. "But before we begin, I need to speak to Anita Cartwright."

Ding!

Notice of Class Change along the Path of the Dragon Mage.

Previous Class: None

New Class: Hedge Witch

+3 intelligence +2 Wisdom +2 Dexterity

+100 Mana

You have 2 class points to spend. Would you like to see your class point options now?

Note: Reminder that the next chapter is Thursday!