AO 4 Ch 15 (Patreon)

Chapter 15

“One’s still alive.” Uncle Valken held up a female anchor by her head and then frowned. “Never mind, it seems she has expired.” He tossed her into the crimson snow.

I ignored everything else for the moment as I rushed over to Vivi. I picked her limp form up and checked under her nose with a finger.

She was still breathing.

Exploding the anchor’s head hadn’t seriously harmed her, but the force of it seemed to have knocked her out. That, or the shock got her. I pushed life magic into her and only found a few small bruises and some swelling in her head.

“She’s just a plain girl, huh?” Emlyn teased me again, though there wasn’t any bitterness in it.

“I can like plain girls. I like you, right?” I stuck my tongue out at her. “Held me carry her.”

Emlyn scooped Vivi up like she weighed nothing. “How’s the old man?”

I nodded at her reminder and hurried over to Mark.

“That’s okay.” He took my hand with a chuckle. “I’m just glad you rushed to help my daughter so fiercely.”

While I had a hold on his hand, I pumped him with life magic, finding that he wasn’t as well as he looked on the surface. His knees were close to giving out.

“Oh. That’s very nice.” He sighed. “Don’t suppose you could make me young again?”

“Appearance? Yes. Actuality? No. Some things just don’t work as well as you get older. Even with a life mage it’ll all break down.” I gave him the bad news.

“I only need to live to see Vivi married off to someone who can make her happy.” He patted my hand and moved with more surety back to his carriage. He did not seem to be affected by the fact that they had almost died.

“Thanks.” I said to the waiting Zenovian mage. “Those shadows were fierce.” Making shadows pierce through things like that was difficult. I noticed hers twisted tightly around themselves to make them sharp. Perhaps I needed to practice with my raven sphere more.

Eva smirked. “Looked like you were in trouble.”

“I’ll have you know it was well in hand. I had my own spells in the snow, ready to make a move.”

“Uh huh.” Eva nodded, but her eyes said she didn’t believe me.

“Thanks for the assist though.” I decided she deserved some credit.

My head pulsed, not quite as bad as my prior attempts at soul magic. Maybe targeting a smaller area helped.

“Hurt yourself?” Eva asked.

“Yep. Feels like I ran into a wall.”

“Do that often?” Eva tilted her head slightly. “I can’t say I’m very familiar with that level of pain.”

“You know what I mean, Princess.” I groaned. “Em, Maribelle, are they situated?” I ignored Eva for a minute and shouted to my anchors.

On top of my head pulsing, my feet were starting to get very cold while sunk into the snow. I wanted to get back into a carriage and warm myself up.

“They’ll be moving in a minute. We should check in with your mother.” Emlyn gave me a thumbs up from beside Vivi’s carriage.

“Grab those bodies. I’m going to get something out of this.” I pulled Missy’s medallion from inside my coat and stomped over to the large number of anchors that Valken had mowed through.

The old man was looking a little more human as he pulled out a file and worked on his teeth. The noise from it was the worst thing I’d ever heard and made my skin crawl.

There was work to do.

I dipped the medallion into the wound of the first anchor. The metal had the faintest of glow as I felt a ripple of something run through my body. It was like someone put ice on my soul, cooling off the pain.

Well fuck me, Missy actually gave me something useful.

“What’s that?” Eva asked, following me as I dipped it in each of the enemy anchors.

I regretted forgetting about the necklace after the fight with the creslin, but this would have to do. “Worshiping my goddess.”

Damn right you are. Missy intruded into my mind.

You could knock if you were coming in. I shot back.

Finish up. I should owe you something after all of these. I can’t stand to watch you continue to injure yourself. She sounded haughty enough I could almost imagine her floating above and looking down on me. Don’t get all Ard on me. Finish up. Make sure everyone is okay and then go repair your soul.

I felt her leave my mind.

She probably came to check on me with the repeated offerings and noticed damage to my soul.

“Your goddess wants the blood of your fallen enemies?” Eva watched as I dipped it in the last enemy anchor.

Sienna was opening a chasm in the ground while Selina and Emlyn had started to roll in the bodies that I’d finished using.

“Something like that. She’s kind of fickle.” My head felt lighter. “We’re going to head back.” I waved to Mark at the window of his carriage. He returned the wave before his attention went back to what I assumed was Vivi laying on the bench.

I made another sled of ice and carried the group back.

Zuri came running before we made it. “There you are. Your mother is pissed.”

“Wonderful. I went back to check on Mark and Vivi.” There was no reason to back down. It had been the right choice. “How’s my mother?”

“Hecate saved her. Apparently there were a few archers that shot from the front as well that your walls didn’t stop. She blocked the arrows for your mother who only took one to the shoulder. Honestly, stopping multiple arrows from light anchors is impressive.”

“Huh. Here I thought she didn’t fight.” Normally my mother sent her away when the fighting started. “My mother’s okay?” I didn’t like hearing it was that close.

“She patched herself up and went on a rampage. Imagine what happened when she found out you were gone?” Zuri added.

I didn’t have to imagine as my mother sat in her chair, tapping her foot impatiently on the ground.

“Arden Aldis.” Her tone could freeze fire.

Hecate was standing behind her with a smile like she was holding back a laugh.

I ignored my mother and as I came closer. I stopped the sled to bow to Hecate. “Thank you for saving my mother.”

Hecate started with surprise that smoothed over a moment later with a sly smile. “That’s my job as her anchor.”

“Still, thank you. Let me know if there’s anything I can do in the future.” Then I turned my attention to my mother. “Vivi and Mark are safe. The ambush included them as well. I’d recommend we wait for them to catch up and not get too far ahead of them again.”

She glowered at me, but I didn’t sway. “Smart move to throw up those ice walls. What tipped you off?”

“I don’t know. Saw something out of the corner of my eye and was on edge before it happened. Already had ice magic at the ready.”

“Lucky us. We’ll start moving slower and have one of your anchors scouting on rotation.” My mother said.

Since I had four it would be easiest to use mine.

Emlyn let out a sigh.

“At least we’ll get to stretch our legs.” Zuri tried to comfort her.

“She just naps in the carriage rides, so she’d prefer that.” I teased Emlyn. “Alright, everyone back to their spots. Did we lose any wagons?” I looked up the row. Two were being held up by teams of men while spare wheels were being fitted.

“Nothing that we can’t repair. We’ll head out in ten.” My mother’s chair crushed through the snow as it started wheeling down the line.

Glancing into the snow around us, I knew what I needed to do in those ten minutes. I pulled out the pendant again and moved to dip it in more of the dead anchors.

***

After getting back on the road and settling down enough to concentrate, I found myself back in the space I visualized as my soul.

The wall closest to the wolf sphere was knocked down, along with a few rows of buildings. That was much less damage than before and I quickly went about fixing it as I felt another presence.

Missy in her godly form of a starry night silhouette sat on top of the castle parapets, swinging her legs back and forth. She seemed to be in a good mood.

“Hope those souls were tasty.” I said.

“It’s not the soul. Not exactly.” She seemed to stare off into the distance for a moment before returning her gaze to me. “What do you consider this place?” She gestured around.

“A visualization of my soul.” At least that’s how Eva had explained the concept. Otherwise it was my own personal fortress of soulness. Wait, I could improve on that naming convention. I would call it my fortress of solitude, but apparently Missy could come here and I couldn’t call it that now. Soulgard Fortress?

Yeah that’s better.

“I hate to break it to you Ard, but to most they have something far more vague. Perhaps like this but with the details of a landscape painting. The broad strokes but not the finer details.” Missy explained.

“Then mine is abnormal?” I glanced about. Eva certainly thought so. Mine had been outside her knowledge.

Missy was smiling even if I couldn’t see her lips. I just knew it. “Yes and no. You aren’t the first and you won’t be the last. However, you are in an uncommon position. It’s also why I’m so fond of you.”

Listening to people tell me why I’m incredible was my specialty. “Oh? Do tell.” I made a chair on the landing and laced my fingers over my knee.

Missy was still higher than me, sitting on the parapet, but it was a casual setting rather than domineering.

“Hmm… Where to begin.” She mused.

“The beginning is usually a great start. Or at least the relevant beginning.” I added.

“Your magic comes from Zenov. The founder of the Zenov family and the first mage of this world.” Missy began.

I leaned forward, but there was a hint of skepticism in my mind. “How do you know he’s the first mage?”

“Because I gave him magic.” Missy sounded sure of herself.

“There might be more magic than the four spheres.” I argued.

Missy gave me a bland look. “I didn’t give him the four spheres. I gave him what you call soul magic. He then squandered it and gave away a large part of it for the four spheres.”

“What an ass.” That felt like the right thing to say. When talking to goddesses you said the right thing when they were sitting in your soul where their tantrums were probably dangerous. I wasn’t about to find out.

My intuition was correct judging by the way Missy perked up and leaned forward. “His pleas were so sincere. I gave him magic to make the world a better place, at a fair cost to myself. In fact, I dealt with a number of consequences because of that decision. By the time I returned to this world and checked in on him, he had given away most of my gift, received the four spheres and started a kingdom.”

“Sounds like you have a grudge.”

“You could say that.” Missy leaned against the jut of the parapet. “The consequences weakened me, and one of my godly rivals swooped in and destroyed my worship to disconnect me from much of my power.”

“Oh. So was Zenov tricked by her? I assume it’s a her.” I asked.

“That fat titted cow is certainly a bitch.” Missy’s language turned foul at the mention of the other goddess. “She ripped Zenov off, ran away with my gift, but there’s a funny thing about humans and potential. He lost his, but what I gave him has been passed down to his family and spread throughout these three kingdoms. That potential is what allows you to be a four sphere mage and your anchors to hold and use magic.”

“Eva explained it that more potential means more spheres.” I said, looking for clarification if this was the same as the general soul strength that Eva said divided the classes of mages.

“Correct. Mostly. Your potential is very large, I’d compare the gift in you to the original that I gave Zenov those many years ago. He was an idealistic man much like you, though life turned him rather bitter and into a realist that failed in many of the goals he once had when he asked for magic in the first place.” Missy continued.

“Do you regret your decision?” I asked, unsure of the matters of a goddess.

She paused and regarded me for a long minute. “I do not regret giving the gift of magic. However, I regret not being stringent enough to bind him to certain oaths. That he gave away my gift is the biggest regret.”

I nodded. “Yeah, it sucks when someone squanders your gift. So, did you bring him back to life and kill him a few times? Maybe go teach the fat titted goddess a few lessons?”

“Freya.” Missy gave me a name. “No, I have not had the opportunity. My power has continued to wane until you found that statue.”

Ah. That made more sense. I was happy that the goddess was being more honest with me. I rubbed my nose with a sudden thought. “So then, is it up for me to make up for the sins of my ancestors? Or something flashy like that?”

“It’s ruined when you call it flashy.” Missy sighed and hesitated for a moment. “No. I no longer put your ancestor’s faults on you. I have observed you long enough to know you are a different man, but who you become is yet to be seen.”

I wiped my brow. “Phew. For a second there I thought I was about to get a big chore list. Zenov is many thousands of years over due to fulfill those promises. Not sure I could bear that interest.

“So you gave Zenov power, he threw it away for the four spheres which are worse? Did I get that right?” I asked, trying to get more out of the fickle goddess because she was being helpful today.

Missy was awkward for a second, like perhaps she had been thinking of calling in the debt before she focused on my question. “The spheres have limited potential and dire consequences in exchange for ease of use. What I gave Zenov was unlimited in potential.” Which coming from a Goddess was probably more limitless than my human brain could comprehend.

“Then why aren’t mages all gods?” I blurted out.

“Potential is not realized all at once.” She spoke calmly and with a little sorrow. “To reach said potential, humans need time, time they don’t often get. As for anchors and fewer sphered mages, they start lower with a smaller fraction of the limitless potential.”

“Got it. They start the race late or maybe I got a head start. Then the pendant you have me using?” I pulled it out of my shirt.

“When you dip it in someone’s blood, it destroys the soul associated with the blood and sucks the power up to me. You get some… juices that are squeezed out in the processes, and I take that little bit of potential that they inherited back into myself to heal.” Missy actually explained its use.

“I’m eating souls?”

“Think of it as soul juice, to put it into Ard terms. There’s none of the harmful memories or emotions tied to what you are absorbing. Just nutrients for your own soul.” She tried to play down the concept.

Then again, it seemed like matters of the soul were becoming my bread and butter. I wasn’t sure how I felt about drinking ‘soul juice’. On one hand those people had tried to kill me. On the other, it was still soul juice.

“You’re torn.” She observed.

“Yeah. It feels overly… evil? To crush someone’s soul.” I hesitated with my word choice, but then again I wasn’t someone to back down. Even from a goddess.

Missy threw her head back and laughed.

And laughed.

It went on for several minutes before she calmed down and wiped at her eyes. “Oh my. No, it’s not as evil as you think. Or rather it’s more commonplace among the gods than you realized. When people die, those souls don’t come back around in any grand cycle or any such thing. They come into being with each birth and fade in each death. To many gods, they would see souls in the same light you’d see a year’s harvest.”

I wrinkled my nose at that new information. “Is that how you see it?”

“I’m caleoused by my past, but no. Once a long time ago I was a mortal unlike many of the other gods. I see each individual person for who they are. Their lives, while fleeting, are their own. Now, should they become your enemy, harvest their souls the same you’d take their weapons to arm yourself in the future. If you don’t, it’ll go to waste.” She encouraged me.

Missy was still on the parapet, but it would be more accurate to say she was lounging on it now, her feet up and her body language relaxed.

“Okay. I’ll not completely write it off, but probably stick to enemies. This talk of the soul goes back to what you said before. Mine is different?” I wasn’t going to let her tangent take us away from the important matters.

“Right. Right.” Missy nodded. “You viewed this space not just as your soul, but as your world that you are god of. Remember, you have infinite potential.”

“I could be a god?” I asked as my eyes went wide.

“It’s much like saying a grain of sand could become a castle on the other side of the world. Perhaps, but that would be a long journey filled with too many possibilities to say anything with certainty. No, you couldn’t force it to happen.” Missy corrected herself, gazing out into the space that was my soul.

“Then what makes it special?” I pushed, dying to know.

“Because you’ve claimed it. You can’t claim the world you live in; when you exert the will of your soul onto the world it pushes back.” Missy sighed and gestured to where I’d repaired the damage. “Thus you are receiving damage in turn for the amount you tried to change the outside world. If this world was as big as the one you tried to make a change in, then the damage it would do would be proportional. Flip a building there, then a building flips here.”

“But my soul is much smaller than the world. Thus an inverted monster there is half a collapsed city here.” I put it into more realistic terms.

“Precisely.” Missy nodded. “Your options are quite simple. Make your soul stronger or use less soul magic.”

“Is this like muscles where you damage them to make them bigger?” My tone filled with hope.

“No. But on the good side, using any magic will help your soul grow and so will time. However, be wary of the damage you cause. While you might be able to come back and fix it when you can rest, if something else using soul magic comes along that damage might as well be an open gate for them to launch more sinister attacks.” She explained.

“Because their soul magic isn’t fighting the world?” I clarified.

“Correct. Or perhaps it would be better to say that their soul magic is weak enough that the world doesn’t see it as a threat to push back against.” She dusted off her hands. “That information should be a suitable reward to balance all the tasty souls you sent me. Until next time.” She vanished.

I sat back, processing all that I had heard and gazing out at my soul. I had a lot to think about.

AN - Missy being helpful!