AO 4 Ch 1 (Patreon)

Chapter 1

The day was beautiful. The sunlight gleamed off the white peaks of the surrounding mountains and the ocean lapped relaxingly at the docks. It was an enchanting scenery.

At least, that’s what I tried to remind myself as I stood amid the still smoldering wreckage of the city, listening to the most inane bickering around me.

“No, my lot started here. I remember this crack in the road.” A store owner shouted at the other.

“That’s the wrong damned crack. Your shop clearly starts over here.” He walked over and gestured to a point in the ground that was like any other.

This was ridiculous. The city had just been destroyed.

I was standing around, helping to rebuild the block, and they were arguing over where one shop began and the other ended. Frankly, their shops were about to look like giant noses if they kept this up. “Emlyn, if you just knock them both out and we could let them continue this argument when I’m done?”

Whether I was a magicless village boy or a four sphere mage, I never really did well with tedious wastes of time like the situation in front of me. I shifted on my feet, anxious to keep moving and actually lift some stone from the ground.

The city of Faylin had seen better days, but in the city’s defense, it had just survived a colossal wyrm rampaging through the city for its stolen egg and pirates tried to loot it. And then mage-forged somehow got this deep in kingdom territory to attack mages as well. That was a bleak streak of events yesterday.

I rubbed my forehead for a moment before I reminded myself the mage-forged was a problem for future Ard. Present Ard needed to build storefronts and houses.

The battle was quite literally in the past, and war was in my future.

“I’ll scare them a bit.” Emlyn swaggered over to the two arguing store owners. Her long, sandy bronze braid danced against her ass. “You two.” She got their attention quickly, but I wasn’t so sure that it was her voice.

Both of their eyes flicked to the open chest of her uniform. All anchors wore kingdom blues, as they were called, which consisted of a blue and white uniform made from monster hides. Many were made from wyrms, and only recently had I come to understand how valuable that hide must be.

“Eyes up here.” Emlyn growled.

Their eyes jerked upwards.

“Good. Now, I need both of you to shut the fuck up and let my mage work. This is Arden Aldis, four sphere mage. Even if he builds you a shack, you can shout from the store that it was made by the four sphere mage of the kingdom.” She put her hand on her sword threatening them.

They both took a step back.

“Way to go. Now I’m an asshole. Wait, no! I just have an ass of an anchor. That’s better for my brand. Good job.” I nodded to myself, sometimes I surprised myself with my own ingenious wit. “Anyway, I’m starting this.”

Emlyn’s glare was fantastic and I reveled in it as I lifted my hands, pulling from the collapsed rubble and the earth beneath to form neat stone walls.

I hadn’t had my magic for even a full year, yet I was already starting to take it for granted.

It was like a third arm, familiar now.

Stone moved like water, collecting and rising from the ground. Thankfully, the whole city had a stone foundation, likely the work of many wolf mages. It was easy to connect to that and build off it. I had to be careful not to interfere with the sewers though, or some mage from the Graystone house would find me and make my life difficult.

Luckily if I really messed up, Sienna Graystone could help me fix it. We had a provisional marriage contract set up at this point.

My magic flowed through me as I held the image of the simple blueprints in my mind. All these shops were going to be the same. None of the mages had time to make anything custom. We had a city to rebuild, not services to sell.

“No. Three stories.” The merchant shouted at me before Emlyn took a threatening step forward. “Two stories is fine.” He wilted under her glare.

I smiled. The glares others got were very different from the ones I enjoyed. Mine were filled with shared childhood memories and lovingly being exhausted with me.

Her blue eyes never really held much anger for me. Even now, I realized just how much they had always been tempered with affection.

I collected her glares and enjoyed getting a rise out of her. And she still gave me glares even when it meant she had to endure my smiles in return. It was her way of acknowledging my brilliance and admitting my victory.

At least, that was my interpretation.

The first of the stores came together and I heaved a sigh of relief.

Emlyn came up and planted a kiss on my lips. I dutifully discharged all my lightning magic at once. She soaked up my magic like a sponge and her eyelids fluttered slightly.

That she was so receptive to my magic only confirmed once again how strong our feelings were for each other. My mind brushed hers and I could feel she was tired. Despite appearances, she was barely staying on her feet.

I broke the kiss with a frown and poked her in the chest. “When Maribelle gets back, you should go rest.”

“Can’t rest.” Emlyn grumbled. “If I go back to the manor I’m just going to be put to work. There’s too much to do.”

“Tell everyone your mage gave you the order to get a nap in. You can’t hide it from me.” I tapped her head lightly. “Promise me?”

“Promise. I can’t say your mother will let me get away with it though.” Emlyn countered.

I deadpanned. “Why are all of you so terrified of her?” My anchors bent to her every whim.

Emlyn gestured at the giant block of floating ice that still held the pirate armada in place. “I don’t know Ard, maybe because she’s fucking scary as shit.”

“I could do that if I really wanted.” I grumbled.

“Sure you could.” Emlyn patted me on the back. “Better luck next time we are simultaneously attacked by a giant wyrm and a pirate fleet.”

“Hold on. I dealt with the wyrm.” I stabbed a thumb into my chest, proud of the moment.

But Emlyn just shook her head. “By making a baby wyrm into your pet? Yes, so terrifying.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

“My old store had an iconic embellishment in front.” One of the store owners handed me a piece of paper, interrupting our banter.

Emlyn intercepted the paper and with a charge of lightning turned it into ash. “Once again, we are not making anything custom. Pay a Graystone for that later. Way to ruin our moment. Wait, settle a debate for us. Is Gwen Aldis terrifying?”

“The mage in the wheeled chair?” One asked.

“That’s the one.” I nodded. “Not very imposing, right?”

“Not at all.” They quickly agreed with me.

“Ard, stop influencing their decision. She leveled a pirate fleet by herself.” Emlyn tried to sway the two store owners and fixed them with a look saying they needed to make a statement.

“Uh…” Sweat started dripping down the one store owner’s brow as he looked between the two of us. It was still winter and that sweat had nothing to do with the temperature outside.

He was just a normal person, not gifted with any level of magic. To get between a mage and their anchor bickering could result in his death if it were any other pair.

I wasn’t going to kill the man over something so inane. “It’s fine. Just tell me what you really think. She’s my mother and all my anchors are scared of her.”

“Then she must be a right terrifying woman. You just don’t see it because she raised you.” He smiled, weaving his words to try and find an answer that wouldn’t get him in trouble.

Yet, my face fell. She had not raised me. I had been forgotten in a nameless village after my father died facing some foe we hadn’t yet identified. Though, I was starting to have some guesses.

Reaching under my kingdom blues, I pulled out the thin chain that now held my mage’s medallion and my fathers. It had been upgraded from the leather thong and my father’s medallion had been restored by a skilled Graystone mage.

I ran my fingers over both of them and sighed. “Alright, back to work.” I said, much to the store owners’ relief.

They didn’t bother me as I made this one. Their brush with a mage’s anger had settled them both down.

Not that I was angry at them, it’s just the way people worked. I couldn’t help but feel a little bitter at what could have been if things had been different.

Sighing, I finished their building and pressed the embellishment he wanted into the storefront. It was just a moment’s effort for me. “Alright, you.” I pointed to the other. “You get one decoration, and a minute to draw it.”

“A fountain by the door? I’m not a great artist.”

The first image that came to mind was Missy’s statue, so I made her mid dance with a spout where water could come out her hand. I then made a thin tube that went to the top of the building. If I was going to do a job, I was going to do it right. I placed a big block of ice up there and made a ball of fire around it.

The two store owners jumped back with the sudden blaze atop the building.

“Don’t worry. That’s me.” I told them without moving my eyes from the fountain.

A little trickle of water came out the hand and I let go of the ice so it would pressurize the little water in there and the trickle became a little squirt.

“Done.” I dusted off my hands even though they weren’t dirty. “Enjoy the statue.”

“Who is it?” The owner stepped up closer.

“It’s a goddess.” I smirked. “Her name is Missy. She’s the patron of House Aldis.” My smile grew a little too wide. She’d hate that I called her that name and spread it.

Emlyn cleared her throat. “She’s the Mistress of the Night and The Watcher of Travelers. Because of their mercantile business, that’s who they pray to. Only Ard calls her Missy.” She made a flimsy excuse. Truthfully she’d only become a recent patron for House Aldis.

He clasped his hands in front of him and dipped his head. “May she watch over my shop at night then and bring me many travelers.”

Damnit Emlyn.

I glared at her for ruining my fun.

“Don’t anger a goddess.” Emlyn whispered quietly, pulling me away from the shop.

“She likes me.” I argued. “She even gave me two gifts.”

“Oh, I’m well aware. Maribelle goes through your things and already found it.” Emlyn rolled her eyes. “You have to give it to her soon or she’s going to snap. I can’t believe you didn’t give it to her last night.”

“Na. She’s harmless.” I dismissed Emlyn’s concern about Maribelle.

Emlyn gave me another glorious glare. “She gave you a bag of severed heads.”

“As a gift.” I clarified.

“That doesn’t make it better!” Emlyn threw her hands up in the air with a huff.

“I thought you were getting along better with her.”

Emlyn nodded. “I am. We’ve… come to an understanding.”

“I probably don’t want to know what that is.” Maribelle was a little… fixated on me. It was fine for me. However, for anyone else, she was very dangerous. The First Princess trained her as an assassin, only that fixation of hers had pulled her over to my side.

“You don’t.” Emlyn confirmed. “Where are we going?”

“You’re the one that pulled me in this direction. I thought we were going to Berni’s. He does have a deal with House Aldis now, so I thought we were going to make sure he had his shop up first thing.” At least, that’s what made sense to me.

“Oh.” Emlyn seemed surprised I had a direction.

When we had set out earlier with the goal of rebuilding the city, I had just stared at it all, overwhelmed by the sheer size of work ahead of us.

I was a mage and a noble. There was a responsibility that I took seriously to protect and aid the rest of the kingdom when disaster struck. Sienna had introduced me to the formal concept of noblesse oblige.

If stepping up here and helping rebuild wasn’t a noble’s responsibility, then they were too far gone to help.

Heck, I’d even seen Zuri’s two stupid brothers were out and helping rebuild. Maximilian was out organizing food distributions. Never thought I’d see the flashy Brighthaven handing out loafs of bread to beggars.

Then again, the whole city was made up of beggars at the moment.

Only a sliver of the city near Aldis manor was untouched because my mother had defended it, while the corner that held the Brighthaven manor had made it out with only a slight singe. The rest of the city had been burnt and plundered.

I pulled myself from my thoughts. “Berni!” I shouted at the retired anchor turned cobbler.

The big man turned to regard me. “Oh. If it isn’t the prodigal Aldis. Stories of your deeds yesterday are already circling.” He was picking through the rubble of his store and deciding what he could and couldn’t salvage.

“At your service.” I practiced a courtly bow. “Given you have business with House Aldis, I’m here to help you get back on your feet. I think I remember the store well enough.”

Bernard gingerly walked out of the rubble. “The building is important, but my tools more so.”

I made a face and gave the pile a come-hither gesture. The scorched stone pulled itself free of the mess as I scooped up the rest and lifted it gingerly into the street before dumping it all a few feet from me and starting to work on the building. “That should at least be far easier.”

“It will be.” Berni was already bending down and going through the ash and charred lumber. He pulled out a strange pair of pliers with a hammer on the side of them. Probably something custom made. No wonder he wanted those more than a store.

Most of the buildings were primarily made of stone, but there was enough wood in each of them that the fire had been able to spread. And ultimately, the roofs collapsing is what took down most of the buildings. Stone didn’t make for great roofing material. The ones I was making right now would need to be replaced within a year.

Even with supports, solid stone would crack as a roof given enough time.

I lifted my hands and worked to make Berni’s new shop. I remembered the entryway and the back room where he measured my feet, along with the various tables. Some space was still empty and I filled in a large closet and a bathroom.

The second floor was a mystery to me, but the basics were easy enough to manage. More closets, a kitchen, an office and some more storage.

Unlike the previous buildings, I went up to the third floor on this one and turned it into a master suite, including a bathroom and a lovely bathtub.

Finally, I capped it off with a stone slab of a roof that drained off the sides.

Bernie had stopped rifling through the debris to look at it. “I don’t recall it being three stories before.”

“It wasn’t. Ard’s choosing favorites.” Emlyn smiled.

“You get the friend package. I think it’s going to be good for you. If you need any adjustments, I can come by in a few days. Besides, you made those high heels and it made my anchors very happy, which makes my life so much easier. You have no idea how troublesome this one is.” I not-so-subtly jerked my head in Emlyn’s direction.

That move earned me another satisfying glare.

“Well, thank you.” Berni dipped his head. “My wife is going to be immensely pleased that I signed that deal with House Aldis now.”

“She didn’t like that?” I asked, curious.

“Mostly because it was a deal with nobles.” He clarified.

“Oh,” I made a noise of understanding, satisfied that it was not personal. Nobles really could be dicks. “Yeah, that’s fair. I don’t blame her. Nobles are assholes.”

Berni gave me an odd look.

“He’s including himself.” Emlyn added.

“Wait. I am?” I turned to her surprised.

She stuck her tongue out at me.

Berni burst into laughter. “You aren’t like other mages or nobles.” He held onto his chest while he laughed.

“I’m going to take that as a compliment. Because it is.” I smirked, noticing someone approaching from the corner of my eye and turning. “Uncle Valken, Eva. What can I do for you two?” I smiled at the two of them like they were old friends.

In truth, we’d only known each other barely a day.

Lord Valken looked up at the building I’d just made. The Vel’shae had fangs and scales over his body when I first met him back in the village I grew up in.

Now, his fangs were filed down and he had peeled off his scales. At least, he’d done so on the skin that showed. And I tried not to think about the rest of his skin.

But nobody was able to tell he was a feared class of magical warriors from another nation now.

Which was good, because if anyone found out House Aldis was hosting him and his charge, we’d be hanged for treason.

My gaze moved past him to Eva. She had big soulful green eyes and dark hair that fell down her back. Her face was the picture of innocence save for her thick pouty lips.

She had introduced herself as ‘just’ Eva. I was certain someone without a last name didn’t have a Vel’shae as a guard. She gave in an informed me she was a relative and a royal from the Zenov family. But her not trying to brag using some fancy name or title made me like her more.

“We came to see your magic.” Lord Valken rubbed his chin and nodded at the building. “Fast.”

“Drawing all from his sphere.” Eva said. “It’s crude magic.”

I kept the smile on my face to hide my reaction. “That’s a shame. Oh well, can’t be helped. I’m just getting used to this whole magic thing after all.”

“Maybe we should work on some of the other things around here.” Emlyn gestured about. “Plenty of lots to clear. It’s a pleasure as always, Bernie. I hope the wife is well and you can get back to making more shoes soon.”

“It’s okay if you can’t. She has enough shoes.” I added helpfully. “Really, she doesn’t need any more.”

“Nonsense. If it makes her happy, why not? Besides, you just rebuilt my store and home. How can I not repay your anchors?”

I let out a long drawn sigh. “Gee. Thanks.” I tried not to think of the space that shoes for all four anchors would take up when we left.

Emlyn chuckled beside me, happy with herself.

Rather than continue on that path, I decided to try to impress my new tutor in magic, even if she was my own age.

Drawing on my wolf sphere, I opened it up and dumped plenty of earth magic into my soul for the next bit. All of the charred debris was pushed to the back side of the row that would become shops as I made a gutter to take it all.

People could pick through their things later. A morbid wave came over me. If they were still around to do so.

With another wave of my hand, I flattened out the stone, carving up any remaining flooring.

There were sudden movements three plots over as I ripped up the flooring. I froze as something shot out, then more.

I blinked, a feeling of deja vu overcoming me.

Men clad head to toe in black cloth carrying short swords poured out from an opening that I had uncovered.

I was surprised enough to see the mage-forged present that I froze.

Thankfully, Emlyn was trained to respond quickly. She shot forward with a thunderclap of magic. She appeared right before the first maged-forged and bisected him from head to crotch in an explosive slash.