Chapter 135- Farewells And Introductions (Patreon)

Mayalyn stepped close to Jiran and he lifted her with his aura, the rest flying under their own power. The duke’s estate was on the far side of the center of the city and as they flew over the gathered manapools, Jiran noticed a familiar mana signature among a cluster of soldiers.

“I need to go thank someone real quick,” He dropped to the ground, landing before the man, the rest of the group right behind him. “So it was you,” He smiled at the soldier who had helped them several times since they came to the city.

Higginess scratched the back of his neck, which was quickly turning red with embarrassed heat as hundreds of pairs of eyes were boring into him. “I guess you caught me, Sir. Err, Master Mortemer, Sir. Sorry, Sir.”

“None of that, please. It’s bad enough normally, hearing someone I owe a favor to spout that crap, no thanks. I’d like to repay you for all your help, is there anything you need?” Jiran’s brows drew down as his expression turned serious.

Higginess’s eyes flew wide and he shook his head quickly before holding out his hand, only to realize what he was doing and try to take it back. Jiran was quick to return the man’s handshake, and with a bright smile filled his mana to the brim. “Wowza! T-thank you! I-I really don’t need anything else. If my luck holds a little longer, I might even get to meet my daughter. You’ve done so much for us already. There's not a man or woman in this city who would deny that you’re the one responsible for us being alive right now.”

“Sure, I helped, but I’m hardly the only one. It was the army who held the walls since the Graymin arrived, knowing the wards could fail and any day could be your last. I was also told you did your best to clear out the local towns and villages, saving so many lives long before I came. Don’t be so eager to throw away your part in all of this.”

Higginess’s response was drowned out by Cameron’s sudden shouting. “Give it up for the Restorer of the Wards! The Slayer of the Rooks! The Champion of the Common Soldier! The Sorcerer of Fire and Lightning himself! Master Mortemer!” Jiran’s eye twitched as thousands of soldiers looked his way before they exploded into wild cheering.

His hand was still firmly clasped with Higginess’s as he looked around at the smiling faces that crowded in from every direction. Someone started a chant, which quickly gained traction until the ground shook with their combined fervor. “Alor! Alor! Alor!”

Unsatisfied with Jiran’s level of embarrassment, Cameron threw fuel on the fire. His voice bellowed out, laced with mana and loud enough to easily be heard over the commotion. “On this day, on this battlefield, the newest legend of the empire has been born! Sing his praises wherever you go, for you were here to witness the birth of the Fireling!”

“Fi-er-ling! Fi-er-ling! Fi-er-ling!” Jiran’s face turned dark crimson as he glared murder at Cameron who returned his scowl with a roar of laughter.

Having had enough, Jiran allowed his mana to mingle with his voice. “Alor! May we all thrive, together!”

Charisma: + 5

Fireling?! I’m so going to kick his ass, what kind of stupid name is that? Thank the Fathers it’s not tied to my real name.

Jiran gave Higginess a farewell pat on the shoulder before grabbing Mayalyn and flying above the chanting and waving crowd. They hollered his new moniker, still stamping their feet as the rest of the party was quick to follow, huge grins plastered on each of their faces.

“I’m going to enjoy returning the favor for this one,” Jiran’s threat only caused Cameron to grunt another laugh.

Olive’s smile slipped into a slight frown at Jiran’s expression, “Was it really so bad? Look at how high their morale is. Those soldiers were ready to throw down their arms and surrender, now they would charge into the jaws of death in the name of the Fireling. Part of growing powerful is allowing the common man to rally behind you for their own sanity. Well, at least that’s what Mother always said, and I can certainly see the truth in her words at this moment.”

Jiran sighed, his shoulder drooping, “No, it wasn’t that bad. Seems like they really needed something to get excited about. But Fireling? Seriously? It’s just so… stupid!” Their laughter chased him all the way to the estate where they touched down on the balcony closest to Olive’s room.

As Reihnhardt promised, they found the documents giving The People asylum in the Forelth plains tucked in an envelope on the table. After quickly shoving a dozen outfits into a sack, Olive turned to Jiran. “I would like to have one last word with the Duke before we go, as well as examine the formations and wards to ensure they have recovered. Can we delay for an hour? If not, I’ll catch up with everyone in Lordstone.”

“I’m fine waiting an hour, so long as you bring some of those spices you cooked with in the Outlands,” She flashed him a brilliant smile before nodding and dashing from the room, Cameron in tow.

I’m glad she and Cameron are taking things well. They did grow up in the shadow of an emperor who could end them with an accidental sneeze. They must be used to dealing with people unfathomably more powerful than themselves. Niya’s not doing as well. She’s holding on, but I can see her mana quivering in her aura. Mayalyn keeps glancing at me from the corner of her eye; she’s worried about me. Are my emotions unstable? I feel fine, I guess? It's hard to tell.

On an intellectual level, I understand there are probably more things capable of killing me on Madra than not. Actually meeting a remalon was jarring, but I’m still alive and so are all of my friends. If anything, I want to push forward and ascend again. It hasn’t even been a week since I reached tier four, now I’m rushing off to do it all over again. I was a bit worried about another challenger arena before, but now that I’m a remalon… Well, no point thinking about it before I get there and see what I’m up against. I should stay focused on making myself as powerful as possible with my new skills before I go.

What am I going to do for the next hour? Oh, I know.

“You two, pick out an outfit. I should have time to reinforce one apiece for each of us before Olive’s done. Mayalyn, can you grab the one you think Olive would like?”

Mayalyn’s eyes flew wide as she began throwing clothes into the air as she dug through a pile in the corner, “O-only one? You can’t throw a decision like that at a girl with no notice!” Niya shook her head before quickly picking out and tossing him a set of traveling leathers from Olive’s collection of garments before pulling the rope to order their lunch.

Jiran finished Niya’s outfit first, then started on his own. By the time he was done, Mayalyn had picked out one for Olive, though was no closer to making a choice for herself. He grabbed the same outfit he saw Cameron wear to the party and reinforced it along with Olives. Mayalyn had been shooting nervous glances his way with each one he finished while biting her lower lip. She had two dozen dresses and leather outfits laid out across the floor and was hemming and hawing over each one repeatedly. Unwilling to wait any longer, Jiran cornered her and forced her to make a decision. With a defeated sigh and slumped shoulders, she held up a set of light leather armor.

“Good choice,” Jiran smiled reassuringly while beginning the process of tearing apart the armor and stuffing it with layers of graphene. “Why was that so hard? She’s not back yet, maybe we have time for another.”

Mayalyn shook her head while shoving the unchosen dresses into a huge messy heap, “I am fine with only this. I did not enjoy nice clothes before we met. The last time my sister, Elreyana, tried to gift me one, I burned it and returned the ashes to her in a small coffin that I whittled.” She chuckled ruefully at the memory before continuing in a mumble, “I suppose I never had a good enough reason to dress up before.”

She’s so adorable. And crazy.

“Well, that settles it. I’m doing a dress for you, too. If you don’t pick it out by the time I’m done with this armor, I’ll make the choice for you,” His wink was met with a panicked swirl of blue hair as she dove into the pile of garments.

The rest of the hour flew by in a flash, Jiran ended up reinforcing two more dresses for her after the first and resized them all to fit perfectly, even going so far as to make sure there was a hole for her tail. When Olive and Cameron returned, their bags were packed and the cousin’s portion of lunch was secured in a travel basket.

Olive dipped into a curtsy after accepting the basket and grabbing her sack of clothes. “Sorry, that took a little longer than expected. The formations were completely overloaded and expelled all their excess mana to protect themselves. We had to organize a mass mana donation before the wards would function correctly.”

“Good to know the city is protected in case the Graymin come back.”

Cameron tsked while giving Jiran a pitying smile, “Mortemer, Mortemer, Mortemer. If you had any idea how many women are lining up outside the estate trying to get to you, you might think twice about tying yourself down so young.”

“Cameron! You promised!” Olive hissed while Jiran’s mouth fell open at his brazen stupidity.

Cameron gave Olive an aghast expression before responding in a huff, “I did not! I said I wouldn’t say ‘anything,’ but I didn’t use that word onc—UGHYUU!” Cameron was cut off as Mayalyn’s fist burrowed into the soft tissue in his side. She sauntered by him, her tail lashing the air. She flashed Jiran a mischievous smile before passing through the doors and into the hallway.

Jiran’s hand patted Cameron’s shoulder as he followed her out, “You asked for that one. Don’t think that makes us even, either.”

“Idiot,” Niya and Olive chimed in simultaneously as they left the gasping boy alone in the room.

Their flight over the city was quick. As they passed over the wall, they saw a long line of soldiers arriving from the south. Jiran recognized the red and white of the voicers battalion. Not wanting anything to do with them, he was ready to continue on without a pause.

Cameron’s previous levity was nowhere to be found as he growled at the voicers, “I’ll be right back,” Then he tore through the air, his aura so much stronger and more stable than when Jiran first saw him in the city only a few days ago. He flew low over the column of soldiers before making his way back to the group, his face contorted with an uncharacteristic rictus of hatred.

“Mathayes Le’Furiette,” Cameron’s growled utterance caused Olive to wince. Jiran curled an eyebrow at them but neither would meet his eyes.

Must be the guy who ordered all those villages to be left to fend for themselves. Le’Furiette is Samris’s last name and the name of one of the emperors. Must be a relative, and likely untouchable. No wonder he’s so pissed.

They flew in silence for a few minutes before Jiran spoke, “We could go a little faster, if you guys want,” His suggestion was met with a strangled sound from Niya.

“No way! I’m not doing that again unless I’ve got no other choice.”

“Oh c’mon we were running away back then so I went all out. It wouldn’t be so bad this time.”

“I am in agreement with Niya, this is excellent practice for our aura control.”

“Fine, fine. I’ve still got nearly five days before I need to kill another tier seven, we can afford to take a few extra hours to get there.”

If helping Shara takes too long, I can always fly to the Isles alone real fast to kill an alpha. I wonder if I’ll run into the Aahmra again. Nah, he’s probably still out trying to ascend.

As the scenery shifted from low hills to forests that blurred beneath them, Jiran passed the time trying to emulate the way the remalon’s mana had moved. He remembered the twists and weaves it made with crystal clarity, but actually putting it into practice was many times more difficult than he anticipated. He was so caught up in his practice, he didn’t hear Mayalyn until she repeated her question for the third time.

“Can we still go on that date? I could really use something to take my mind off things.”

“Oh! Of course. That’s a great idea. Sorry, I was a bit distracted there.”

“Mhm, I know. It is okay. I am glad you are doing so well.” She trailed off as Jiran adjusted the group's trajectory slightly north after glancing at his interface map. Within another hour, they saw the place he wanted to show her—A mountain, floating a hundred meters off the ground, surrounded by gently sloping grasslands.

The moment Olive saw it, she clapped her hands with a smile. ”Felona’s Rest! I’ve always wanted to see it. I heard from a maid when I was younger that Felona’s husband, Count Entereal le’Morothin, entombed her here. This was supposedly her favorite place in the entire empire. Upon her death, he sacrificed himself to seal her in the center of the mountain, and his mana keeps it afloat to this day, protecting it from the seasons of shattering. It’s a most romantic place for a date, an excellent choice.”

“Uhh, thanks? Didn’t know any of that, just thought it looked nice when I flew by it the other day.” When Olive and Mayalyn both scowled, he patted the air, “Yup, no need to say it, I should have just kept my mouth shut. We’ll be back in a bit.”

“Take your time. We’ll set up camp over there. This seems like a perfect spot to spend the night and dinner won’t cook itself.” Jiran nodded to her before taking Mayalyn to the very top of the floating mountain.

He dropped the protections of his aura, letting the chilly wind buffet them. It brought with it the crisp scent of clean air mingled with craggy mountain soil and ore. Birds of prey circled high above, ever-vigilant for supper while they cawed their anger at the interlopers invading their territory.

Mayalyn was the first to break the serenity, “After all the fighting, this fresh air is wonderful. I see why that Felona woman liked it up here.”

“With how much you seemed to be enjoying yourself on the battlefield, I’m surprised to hear you say that.”

“I might have gotten a touch carried away. I was never allowed to hunt growing up. I would often sneak out of Azurelight and do it anyway, but always against lower-tier beasts. This fighting is much more thrilling. Thank you again for teaching me, I cannot imagine going back to the helpless girl I was before.”

“You’re welcome,” Warm tingles crept through Jiran’s chest at her honest thanks. “You were amazing, you know? A tier below the others and easily their match. Maybe by the fifth tier, you’ll be ready to face the alphas with us.”

Mayalyn tilted her head while her lips skewed in confusion, “What do you mean by that? Who is this ‘us,’ who will be facing the alphas?”

“Oh, I guess you were sleeping when we talked about it at the party. The plan is to help Shara, then take the group to the Jeweled Isles to kill the alphas for their sixth and seventh tier ascensions.”

Her jaw dropped in disbelief before she leaped to her feet and planted her hands on her hips. “You most certainly will do nothing of the sort! Those beasts belong to The People. Even in the empire, tier sevens are incredibly rare. The alphas are a valuable resource that The People have been subject to the tyranny of for many generations.”

Oops. Obviously those beasts should be used to help her people ascend.

She was about to go on but Jiran hopped up and threw his arms around the visibly shaking girl. “You’re absolutely right. I can’t believe that never occurred to me. We’ll find another source of tier seven beasts and I’ll do my part in protecting the alphas until The People are strong enough to kill them for their own gain.”

Mayalyn sagged in relief, instantly releasing her anger and fear. “You can kill one to reset your timer if you need to.” She mumbled while looking away, a light flush gracing her cheeks.

“Yes, Ma’am,” Jiran smirked at her adorable embarrassment before suddenly going ramrod straight as he caught sight of an elderly woman approaching them at a slow, cane-assisted walk. Her back was straight and she wore a regal expression, her hair blowing gently in the powerful winds that whipped across the peak.

The old woman waved her free hand in their direction and called out with a shaky voice, “Don’t mind me, I’m just out for a relaxing stroll.”

Her statement was so ludicrous, so far from the truth, that Jiran's eyes bulged. The mana that coiled within her aura was so thick he could barely see her through it. Beneath her skin, mana shone from her unimaginably vast manapool with a radiance painful to look at. The ‘wind,’ rustling her hair was an illusion created by incredibly fine control of the energies around her. No natural wind could cause her hair to shift even a millimeter as each strand likely weighed more than Jiran’s entire body. The framework trembled from her mere existence, barely able to support her imposition on reality.

Feeling the waves of anxiety and fear coming from Jiran, Mayalyn’s claws came out and she dropped into a defensive crouch. When she growled deep in her throat, he recovered from his shock and placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head back and forth so quickly his features blurred. Jiran had only ever seen a single other human that gave him such a tremendous feeling of inferiority. But this time, Lenton wasn’t around to save him.

He dropped to one knee and bowed his head deeply with one fist planted in the rocky mountain soil, “My Empress. May you thrive.”