“You may as well eat before you leave, boy.”
In front of Viran’s view a plain wooden bowl was pushed towards him over the table. Within the bowl were multiple discolored red berries and a grey mushy grain mixed in with water and milk. It was as localized a meal as any, and as disgusting as it looked to Viran’s eyes. Such a meal was only the norm for villages that were as disconnected from the surrounding cities, exporting and importing items had only gotten far more dangerous in recent years due to the destabilization of the South.
“Thank you.” Viran sincerely thanked the old man and his daughter for having taken care of him for over a day. The shame he felt and the anger he bore towards the Knights that hurt him so severely made his recompense only this much; even if he wanted to give something in return he was only an eleven year old exiled son of a failing Marquess House, there wasn’t much he could offer in the end.
“Of course.” The old man walked towards the door before putting a wide brimmed cap onto his head. “If you have nowhere else to go you can stay here again, boy.”
Viran nodded simply towards the old man’s offer as he went off to do the farmwork. As the door closed and the village girl went off to do her own chores Viran couldn’t help but sigh in disgust towards the stench that emanated from the porridge. Even though it had been more than a year since the Knights fed him an actual meal his own palate hadn’t fixed itself to be more suited for the plain food of the commoners.
With every bite of the warm porridge Viran could feel his body warming up inside and he couldn’t help but gulp in agitation whenever he remembered the mana beast meat he had with Marcus and the others. It was a distant memory from years ago but Viran couldn’t help himself think about them from time to time. They had never told Viran anything but he was sure they were in dangerous straits at that time, just the same as him they were privy to their own information. Viran wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. The time Viran had spent with them was a golden memory for him and learning anything that could taint that memory was such a terrible thought for the boy. All Viran knew about them was Jules' past with the Empire and the terrible treatment of the Kieller bloodline, yet even that only made Viran wonder just why everyone else was on the run from the Empire. So many mysteries surrounded them and yet Viran knew nothing.
“Finish what you’re eating in thirty seconds.” The sudden order of Ry caused Viran’s hands to slow down to a stall.
“What? Why?” Viran asked in a confused manner.
“You’ll be hungry later on.”
Hearing the spirit’s wary voice spurred Viran’s hands and within fifteen seconds the entire bowl was cleaned off. The sheer size of the bowl was considerable even for a normal adult but for Viran it only filled his stomach a small bit, but it was enough to get through the day.
Upon wiping his face Viran could faintly hear footsteps far heavier than the normal villager coming towards the building he was in. These footsteps were weighted to the point where it seemed as though they were dressed in full steel armor, something only a magic user Knight would be capable of.
Viran spurs the mana within him into a frenzied motion. Suddenly Viran could see the entire building around him and even further than that, he had used the spell Rufus bestowed upon him so long ago. The spell itself hadn’t improved much in the many years since Viran broke the second threshold out of six. And even though the boy has had years since then he still hasn’t been able to break through the third threshold at all, instead he had deviated from the path that the spell’s original creators laid out and ended up with minimal success. Instead of breaking through the third threshold Viran had inadvertently created a new spell altogether, and although the spell was handmade it was severely handicapped in front of the real spell worked on through centuries of magic users.
Through Spirit Severance Viran saw black and white lines all around him outlining every object in sight. Instead of the obtuse straight lines that made it hard to differentiate between multiple objects Viran was now able to see perfect outlines of everything in the black and white lines. However, in the case of the spell, it wasn’t a perfect explanation to say that Viran ‘saw’ everything, but rather he knew all of it.
“Ry what’s happening?” Viran asked in a vicious anxiety to Ry, although all he got in response was an eerie silence.
The sight that Viran was met with was an innumerable amount of Knights passing through the center of the village. Occasionally the Knight standing in front of the pack would point towards a random building and the residents inside would quickly be rushed out. Soon enough the residents of the village were grouped in loose groups around the village with Knights guarding each one. Viran thought that he may be jumping to conclusions, but in his point of view it seemed as though a massacre was about to take place. Such a thing was abominable.
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“What do I do? What do I do?” Viran’s brain buzzed as the Knight eventually stopped a few yards away from the House Viran stayed in. His armored finger lifted up as though he was pronouncing the death of Viran and pointed directly in the direction of Viran.
Viran trembled as he could faintly hear the rasps of blades exiting their sheaths from the Knights outside. Viran’s fingers bit into his skin as he tumbled further into the house to look for some kind of weapon. The boy’s sword had already been taken long ago by the Knight Sava and ever since then Viran was unable to protect himself in any way possible.
Viran’s hands tumbled down the baskets that hung on hooks connected to the roof. He slammed open the drawers, spilling out the contents within. The intimidating figures of the Knights were scorched in Virans mind and the ever looming threat of death increased as every second passed. Viran felt out of options, it was just unthinkable that his bodyguards would try to kill him twice now.
The door behind slams open with a thunderous crash and before Viran could react a tight grip is locked onto his throat. As his feet dangle in the air he stares hatefully at the Knight in front of him. With the muttering of a spell Viran couldn’t understand, his vision gradually darkened into an abyss.
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“I don’t want to die yet.” Was the only thought present in Viran’s mind as he felt himself carried away.
The Knight had evidently used a spell to quickly incapacitate Viran before he could fight back, and with no vision at all Viran was finally able to see the greatest use of the spell Spirit Severance. Viran could see clearly that he was being taken to the rest of the Knights as the villagers below cowered in fear. Viran felt true terror towards these Knights, but even that was supplanted by the sheer rage he had towards these Knights who’ve rescinded their oath of protection for Viran. Viran repeatedly tried to flail his arms and legs around but his legs could only tense up before releasing once more. Viran had lost complete control of his own body. Without use of his own limbs what laid for Viran was the worst possible outcome.
“Drop him.” The firm order by Sava resulted in Viran being dropped hard onto the dirt as the breath was taken out of him once again.
Viran rolled heavily onto the ground like a ragdoll before Sava looked down onto the boy with dead eyes. His hands tightened as he looked down upon Viran before turning a glance at the villagers.
“Send them away.”
Sava was eternally grateful for the easy capture of Viran. Were Viran to resist or escape out of their hands their only choice would be to turn these villagers into hostages, and sacrifices. The orders they received were by the will of the Patron God of the South Craynor, and by any means they must complete it.
Although Sava’s words caused sighs of relief to pass over the crowds of villagers, yet a select few nervously shuffled still. They could vaguely tell what was happening and what would befall Viran. It had been too long since Viran was kicked out of the estate at Wakeford and even longer since he got kicked out of his home and sent to Wakeford itself. It was safe to say that Viran was now a good and familiar face in the eyes of the villagers, much more so than any of these Knights threatening them.
The villagers shuffle back into their homes in swarms. Their children are held tightly to themselves to prevent them from doing anything foolish in front of the bloodthirsty Knights. Viran could see clearly the old man who lent him his own home stare foolishly back at Viran. It was a look of reluctance, a look that Viran didn’t believe he deserved at all.
“Take the kid, we’ll do it in the estate.”
Just as Sava ordered, the Knights prepared to commit a sin in the name of their Lord, the Champion of their God.
Viran only laid limply as he was carried away. As every second passed he could feel the spell put onto him gradually wear off, a good sign for him.
“Don’t try anything stupid.” Ry said as he spoke for the first time since the beginning of it all.
“You won’t have to do anything.”
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“The boy will die soon.”
The thunderous divine pressure attacked the Emperor’s aged body as he looked on at God in contempt.
“Craynor, I have my doubts.” The Emperor said in deep contemplation. “He is the host of a Primordial Spirit and even if the Heavens and you Gods reject him because of that his own natural talent will be considerable.”
Emperor Clarus could feel the divine pressure buzz in contemplation before the God spoke once more.
“The boy hadn’t made much progress in the past months. The deaths of both of his teachers, the constant fights, and his own mental state prohibits him too harshly.”
“However, were he to live…”
Craynor’s voice trails off as Emperor Clarus smiles gleefully. He had been waiting for this precise moment ever since Craynor asked for his assistance years ago.
“Yes. We will hold up our end of the bargain in this matter. It will be quite simple due to the Magisterium’s having more sway over the Empire, thanks to you of course.” Emperor Clarus’ lips purse as he sighed regretfully.
“But it's a simple fact that the Champion of Fraus is too busy in the East. Though we have already destroyed their armies, the population there is still too rowdy among other things. However, the Heir will be able to properly end the boy’s life were he to live.”
Although Emperor Clarus could not see it, the aged Emperor could tell a smile had thickened on the Gods face. It was a natural thing to be happy to be sure, for both of them.
“The contract that Lord Idicium made with you in his own inner turmoil was great. Not even two years of time of protection for Viran, and in return eternal and endless fealty by Lord Idicium. With that I have garnered the support of two out of three Eminent Houses and my Magisterium can begin to centralize the Empire for the better.” The Emperor’s face showed euphoria at that fact, and he grinned wildly towards the God.
“Of course, with the complete massacre that happened towards the Southern Frontier, I doubt you can keep the faction from splintering at the seams.”
Despite Viran’s life becoming dull and lazy the Empire and its Houses never stopped for a moment. The Eastern Mountain Lords were conquered with impunity. The Southern Frontier met catastrophe. The Magisterium itself had regained control of its branches in each region and was rapidly poaching magic users from the Noble Houses with the support of the Eminent Houses under the Empire.
The land to the East, was finally met with the West.
The ending of an Era was finally bound to close, and soon a new Era would encroach upon the last bastions of Humanity. And with the beginning of a new Era, Chaos would follow.