AR10 Ch15

Chapter Fifteen

When Gregory came back to awareness, his wives were gathered around him. Verka and Mindie were on either side of him, checking him for injuries. “I’m fine,” Gregory said as the memory faded.

“What happened?” Mindie asked.

“It was another memory, wasn’t it?” Verka asked.

“One of me placing Darkness’ core in the Krogheim temple,” Gregory said after double-checking they were still unwatched.

“Goodness…” Clover breathed out with wide eyes.

“That explains why you thought it might be dangerous,” Ling said. “We don’t know what having her core means.”

“If someone with power could influence her with it,” Roshana shuddered.

“Which is why it’ll stay there until Greg is ready to declare himself,” Yukiko said firmly.

“Best it stays protected until then,” Gregory agreed. “Krog’s priests will protect that temple with their lives until he returns for his axe.”

“And they will after that, too. I promise you that, Brother,” Ragnar said seriously. “What will you do once you come back for it?”

Gregory exhaled as he looked up at his wives. “She mentioned once that when I grow strong enough, I could give her a physical body.”

“I’m not even sure how that would even be possible,” Verka murmured. “The idea of it sends a shiver down my spine. My last life doesn’t have any memories of anything similar, but something about the idea frightens me.”

“That’s centuries away,” Gregory said. “She also mentioned that she’d be greatly diminished if I did do it.”

“Because right now, she can connect all of us in dreams and tea visions,” Clover blurted out.

“She’s also managed to keep an eye on others who use aether, but who aren’t tied to us,” Ling added.

“Darkness has known about far more than just our family,” Yukiko nodded. “She’s also been able to use foresight, closer to Lightshield’s level than Greg’s current level… she might be able to do even more than Lightshield did. Let’s leave the idea of her being bodily with us alone for now.”

Gregory felt his aether warm his chest and exhaled. “She thinks that might be best.”

“What?” Ragnar asked, one eyebrow rising.

“She can cause my aether to pulse, letting me know simple ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answers. When Yuki said we should leave it, Darkness pulsed in my core.”

“Can she do that for us?” Mindie asked.

Gregory paused, then shook his head. “I think it’s because my aether and soul are tied to hers.”

Verka nodded slowly. “That makes sense. It wasn’t just your aether that empowered her; you gave up part of your soul to create her. I’m not sure how Mortum will take that… he’s always been very pointed on souls and their sanctity.”

“I’m sure we’ll find out when we meet him,” Gregory said as he sat up. “With the three of us here, I don’t doubt the other two are either already here or coming soon.”

“A fair point,” Ragnar said. “He’ll be in his home. If you ever go to Limaz, no doubt he’ll find you. You can’t hide from the one who sees souls, as so many shadow users found out just before they died.”

“What?” Clover asked.

Ragnar chuckled. “Maybe it’s time for a story or two about our friend now that Greg’s okay.” Everyone took seats on the benches again before Ragnar began to tell the story, “Back when we were still trying to teach the world to use magic responsibly, a few less savory groups were using a disgusting practice to empower themselves.”

“Cores,” Roshana said softly.

“Yes, they’d kill others and rip the cores from them. We did our best to stamp out the knowledge of how to use them, but I don’t think we entirely wiped it out.”

“Stay on topic of the story, Brother,” Verka said.

“Yes, Sister. These groups were doing the one thing Mortum abhors above all else,” Ragnar said. “They earned his ire, and he slaughtered any of them who came into sight of him. While he is caring and calm most of the time, he is implacable and deadly on a few things. The war he waged against those groups eventually turned to assassination attempts when throwing empowered people at him failed. A hidden blade was thought to be the answer.” 

He paused to see them all drawn in, except his sister, who was watching the family, then continued, “They came as a group to ensure he would die. A dozen of the most powerful shadow users at the time should’ve spelled even Mortum’s end. But our friend had planned for such an event, and when the shadows moved, he used the powerful enchantments he had prepared. The home he was in blazed with light, banishing all shadows the moment the men stepped out of them. The light was so intense that it blinded all of the assassins, but Mortum wore dark glass over his eyes, making it only painfully bright. It was still too bright for him to see anyone clearly, but he could see souls the way Greg can see aether. Using that as his guide, he went to each assassin, killing them with well-placed strokes of his blade. He made it to three before they tried to leave.”

“Any assassin in that spot should have…” Yukiko murmured.

“Yes, but they all turned to their own enchantments. Mortum, though, had a gift from Aether that he saved for such a day. As the first assassin went to leave through a spatial portal, he triggered it.”

“Cutting off all aether in the area,” Gregory winced, but nodded.

“Exactly. The bright light vanished, leaving the shadow assassins blind. With the light gone, they fumbled with their aether, trying to leave, but it broke apart instantly. So tied up with their aether refusing to work, they failed to stop Mortum’s blade from reaping them. The last one alive fell to his knees to beg for his life… but Mortum has no mercy for the corrupt. He personally killed eleven. The only one he didn’t was the one who’d been halfway through a spatial rift when it collapsed. The assassin’s other half made it back to his employers as a grim warning that Mortum was still alive.”

“Reaper’s Light,” Roshana said softly. “The legend of him being unkillable came from that night. ‘When the Reaper walks the path of righteousness, the light of the world shall shine forth to banish all places to hide. His blade shall reap the souls of the unjust, tearing them from the cycle to be banished into the abyss of nothing.’”

“Yes,” Ragnar chuckled. “The Traveler was very pleased with his story, and would likely be gratified that it’s still remembered. He spread that one far and wide, though no one in Krogga knows it.”

“I doubt anyone outside of Limaz does,” Roshana said. “The priests of Mortum don’t share it outside of those close to them. My family worked with them for generations, so we know the tale.”

“What is his magic?” Jenn asked in curiosity.

“Death,” Verka whispered softly, “and healing.”

“Death?” Yukiko asked, puzzled. That wasn’t a magic in any of the books she’d read.

“Yes. It is a thousand times rarer than foresight. Only those closest to Mortum ever seemed to grasp it. Aether helped him find a ritual to empower his most powerful priests with it.”

“So his people could continue to lay souls to rest,” Gregory said, his brow furrowed in pain. “His magic and the rituals of Limaz are the best way to help a soul move on. Every city has a few priests, even if they aren’t blessed. The unblessed can perform the ritual of souls, but the true priests of Mortum give those souls a push toward the cycle. Some say souls reborn are those that a true priest has helped.”

“Greg?” Mindie asked in concern.

Gregory shuddered as he took a few deep breaths. “Remembering hurts. I really wish it didn’t.”

“Might be best if we stop sharing stories for now,” Yukiko said. “It’s around the time we normally do our Armsmaster Squares as it is.”

“It’ll be difficult to see them by the fire,” Ragnar said.

“We do them in our caverns now,” Jenn said. “You both are on all three paths, too, right?”

“Yes, but my mind path isn’t as advanced,” Ragnar said with a hint of embarrassment.

“As it always is with you,” Verka snorted. “He’ll be fine; his puzzle will just be simpler. My body path has fallen behind his and yours, but I’m making up for it.”

“What will today be like once your parents wake up?” Clover asked.

“First, we take care of the farm,” Ragnar said. “If you all want to help, it’ll make things go faster. After everything is done, we’ll likely sit, talk, and play some games. I know they want to hear about each of your families, plus how your family here is together, too.”

“Which we’ll be happy to do,” Yukiko said. “Training now, fun later.”

“As it always is,” Ragnar laughed.

~~~

Ivar and Moha had come out to find everyone as the group was finishing their Armsmaster Squares. That had the seven magi all helping out with chores, much to the shock of the parents. Magi were pretentious assholes, not willing to do menial labor like the priests of Krog did.

Roshana helped water the fields, making Ivar thank her. The priest who touched water only came by a couple of times a year from the city to help ensure the channels in the fields ran clear. Roshana was happy to do that, as well. Jenn, Gregory, and Ragnar all went after some large rocks and tree stumps to clear more room for fields. The three of them had a fun competition to see who could do more. Gregory came up shortest, with Jenn and Ragnar easily eclipsing his ability to use physical enhancement. He didn’t mind, as it let him stretch his magic for the day. Verka and Mindie fed the animals while also checking them for sickness and injuries. A couple of the goats had issues, but the pair had them healed in short order.

Clover, Ling, and Yukiko didn’t have any magic suitable for helping with chores, but they could help Moha with getting breakfast ready. The trio of magi were attentive and eager to help, which had Moha confused. Clover’s bubbly happiness soon had Moha laughing with them as they cooked. The fact the other two never tried to take control had her relaxing further. If the magi were like this all the time, she could see why her daughter wasn’t opposed to the idea of marriage… even with so many of them already married.

The day slipped away from everyone as the chores were swiftly done. Games were brought out to be played in the front room while others sipped tea and just chatted. As the day wore on, Ivar and Moha came to accept them as decent people. If they’d never mentioned being magi at all, the couple wouldn’t have ever thought they were from how they acted.

Moha asked Gregory to talk, stepping out to sit on the porch with him in the crisp fall day. Once the pair were seated and comfortable, Moha spoke up, “Today has been surreal for me, Gregory. Never did I think I’d see a single magi being respectful and willing to do farm work, yet your entire family not only did so, but they also volunteered and happily tackled every task before them.”

“We’re different from most magi,” Gregory smiled softly, sipping the tea he’d brought out with him. “Honestly… this reminded me of home.”

“I was hoping to hear about your home and upbringing.”

“Alturis is a small village,” Gregory said, looking into the distance. “Quaint or rustic is how some might view it. Everyone there helps their friends and neighbors when things get tough for them. I never thought about it until I left to train as a magi. During that trip, I learned a few hard lessons that Alturis never prepared me for. Most don’t help others without a reason behind it, and some will even gladly hurt or kill you to take what you have. The people of Alturis are the best anyone could ask for as neighbors and friends.”

“Where is it?”

“From here, it’d be north-northeast. It’s the extreme northwest edge of the empire. There’s a wide band of wilds between that edge of Krogga. We have some farmers; they help keep the village fed, but we mostly get by on the mine there. I’ve heard the whole village has prospered from Warlin’s deal.”

“That’s Yukiko’s family, right?”

“Yes. After we married, Hao set up a business with the village. He buys all the ore produced there before reselling it elsewhere, or for other business ventures he has.”

“Did he do that to appease you?” It wasn’t a pointed question, merely curious.

“Appease?” Gregory chuckled, shaking his head. “Not me, but maybe Yuki. I was shocked when I heard about it.”

“Hmm… What about your family?”

Gregory’s smile faded away with the question. “We had a lot of love when I was a child, but things got rough when Mom died. Dad and I didn’t get along well after she passed. It got even worse on age day. He tried to attack the proctor to stop them from testing me.”

Moha’s eyebrows rose at that. “Isn’t that a death sentence?”

“Normally,” Gregory nodded. “The proctor, Bishop, had been coming to Alturis for two decades. When people spoke for him, she sentenced him to servitude for a few years instead. I thought our relationship had ended there, but Yuki, bless her soul, had his debt paid off and had him come to the end of our novice year tournament. It was then that we made up. He’d stopped drinking and accepted me moving on, and I forgave him for what happened between us. From what I’ve heard, he’s been the man I always thought he would be when I was a child, before Mom died.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your mother.”

Gregory looked at his mostly empty tea as he felt the tears in his eyes. “Thank you. She’s the one who told me stories of Lionel Lighthand. They sparked the desire in me to be a magi. He did his best to protect the weak and innocent, even during the war. She believed I would be… my foresight comes from her. She had dreams— not true foresight— but her dreams were never wrong.”

“Couldn’t she have avoided her death, then?” Moha asked.

“Maybe. I’ve thought about it since becoming a magi. The curse of foresight is that sometimes, changing any small aspect of the possible future leads to something worse. If she saw her death but accepted it, that makes me worry about what her dying was better than.”

Moha swallowed. The answer was clear to her as a mother. If her death saved one of her children, she’d accept it to save them. Gregory’s pain made it clear that he saw that as the answer, too, but didn’t want to vocalize it. He didn’t want to think his life had cost his mother hers. “She must have loved you and your father a great deal.”

Rubbing at his eyes with a forearm, Gregory nodded. “She did. My childhood with her were the brightest years of my life… until I married Yuki.”

“Will you tell me how you met and married your wives?”

Gregory swallowed before nodding. “Sure. Just let me go refresh my tea, please.”

The door opened, and Yukiko stepped outside. “Did I hear you say you needed more tea, dear heart?”

“Please,” Gregory said.

Yukiko went to him, touching his cheek softly. “Are you okay?”

“Just talked about my mom. I’m fine.”

“Alright,” Yukiko murmured before taking his cup. “I’ll come back in a moment. Do you want some more tea, as well, Moha?”

“Yes, please,” Moha said. “I didn’t mean to upset him.”

“His mother shaped his life more than many will ever understand,” Yukiko said softly. “If you don’t mind, I’ll join you when I bring the tea back.”

“That’s fine,” Moha said. “He was going to tell me how such a large family came to be.”

“It’s best if I am here for that. I was a major factor in all of that happening.”

“I look forward to hearing about it.”