Chapter 111: Seeds of Power
Sitting in the third room of the Vault, Darius worked under the large map of Gaia in silence, the scratch of his quill merging with the steady pops and crackles from the fireplace.
‘I expected a few adjustments, but this much? I’ve clearly got to spend more time on the Arcane Talisman Technique.’
The leather book before him held the only complete physical copy of his cultivation technique. Darius had spent the entire evening documenting his recent experiences, insights, and revisions. ‘If I’m to pass this on, the last thing I want is for my successor to think I was just stumbling around.’
Setting his quill aside, he leaned back, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck. “Finally, done.”
With a light touch, the book vanished into his pouch. In its place, he summoned a large scroll onto the table. He set weights at each corner to hold it flat, his eyes glowing with anticipation as he studied the empty parchment.
'I was surprised they all agreed, figured at least one of them would want to leave.' Setting his quil to the top corner of the scroll, he calmed his mind.
“Let’s start with Tem,” a soft smile crossing his face as he began. “Endless… Poison… Immortal… Sovereign.”
---
A week earlier, Darius stood before the entrance to the Pagoda, gazing upward, his robes and visible aura casting an air of command. He turned to face the group, his sharp azure eyes sweeping over Glabe and the eight children.
“I’ve given you ample time to think over your choices,” he began, his tone steady. “Now, each of you, tell me. Will you stay, or will you leave?”
Without hesitation, Tem stepped forward, and the rest followed suit, moving almost in unison. Only Glabe held back, observing them from a slight distance.
Tem was the first to speak up. “We all want to stay and help! I know you’re not our master, but... we want to fight for you!”
One by one, the other children spoke up, their voices frantic and firm.
"Tell us what you want us to do, we'll fight anyone you say!"
"When we get bigger, we can help. Even Lint wants to fight."
"Hey!"
Glabe’s eye's were fixed on Darius, his hands unconsciously clenching as he waited for Darius’s reaction.
His smile softening as he stepped forward, Darius lowered himself to meet the children’s gazes head-on. “Hearing that from you all means more than you know... But I want you to understand—you owe me nothing. Each of you has endured things no child ever should. You don’t owe anyone anything.”
His eyes met each of theirs in turn, his words carrying a weight that demanded their attention. “If you want to follow me, I'll gladly let you. But I ask one thing first from each of you. Find your own reason to fight.”
Glabe’s tense stance eased, and he leaned in, heart pounding as Darius continued.
“My goal is to carve out a place for myself in this world, and to do that, I’ll have to kill. My life—and the lives of those with me—will always hang by a thread. So until each of you has found your own purpose, I’ll train you, make you stronger… but I won’t allow you to fight for me.”
After a beat, Glabe stepped forward, his eyes resolute. “I’ll join you.”
Crelos watched with a satisfied grin, a hint of relief flickering in his eyes. The elf and the mage had formed an unlikely friendship, a camaraderie built over shared responsibilities and time spent with the children.
Satisfied, Darius nodded. "If this is truly what you wish, then so be it."
Haku and Neko let out approving yips and barks, while Crelos’s smile widened, his pride evident as he joined in with a soft clap. The children buzzed with excitement, their energy rising, until Darius raised a hand to quiet them.
“I have some matters to attend to now. While I’m away, I want each of you to reflect on what I said. Find your reason, something that belongs to you alone.”
He paused, watching them settle, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “But before I go, there’s someone I want to introduce you all to…”
---
Seated in the lodge, Tem drummed her fingers impatiently on the oak dining table, her chin resting in her palm as she blew a stray strand of auburn hair out of her face. “How long is he gonna be in there?”
“Master doesn’t have time to play with kids,” Lint muttered, squinting at her through his whiskers. “Can’t you tell he’s not some normal human?”
“Stop calling him ‘Master.’ He doesn’t like it,” Tem shot back, eyes narrowing.
“Enough,” Kilt cut in, standing up. Taller than the others, his buzzed brown hair and piercing green eyes gave him an air of maturity. “You two are annoying when you’re bored.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Jass quickly joined him, her green dress swaying as she skipped out, her fractal eyes flashing in quiet amusement.
Tem scratched at the scales on her neck, “why do you always have to correct me? You’re free now, you know. We don’t have to—”
“No one’s free!” Lint shot up, slicking back his black hair. “We’re beastfolk, beneath him, and that’s how it should be. Every time you act like you’re—”
“Just stop it!” Tem rose immediately, turned abruptly, and stormed out of the room. Pausing at the doorway, she looked back with a mix of anger and hurt. “If you want to stay a slave, that’s your choice. But stop making my choice for me.” Without another word, she disappeared down the hall.
Left alone, Lint glared after her, his pointed nose wrinkling as he clicked his tongue. “If she wasn’t so pretty, she’d be useless.” A faint blush crept onto his cheeks as he slicked his hair back again, sinking back into thought.
“What a jerk!” Tem kicked at the grass as she stormed out of the lodge. “Do this, don’t do that, ‘No, Tem, that’s not how we talk to the master,’” she mimicked, scrunching her face to look like Lint. “Ass.”
Looking up at the towering Pagoda, she smirked, imagining whacking Lint with a miniature version of it. Humming to herself, she changed direction, heading toward the hatchery. 'I haven’t visited Ursie since he left. I wonder if he did anything about her eggs?'
Following the worn path that she and the other children had made with their frequent trips to the hatchery, Tem sighed as she glanced around. 'It’d be nice if there were some birds... it’s so quiet here.'
Breaking through the small grove separating the lodge from the hatchery, her expression softened as she caught sight of the tranquil waters. Picking up her pace, she jogged over, calling out with a playful tune, “Ursie! Auntie Ursie! We wish to frolic and play! Ursie! Auntie Ursie! How’s the water today?!”
A deep, bubbling voice responded as Ursie’s massive head broke the water’s surface. “ Girl! How many times have I told you not to sing that silly rhyme?”
Giggling, Tem put her hands on her hips, bending slightly forward. “I know you secretly like it. I caught you humming it the other day!”
With a loud swoosh, Ursie sent a wave of water splashing over Tem.
“Auntieee!” She squealed, looking down at her soaked dress, her pout making her look thoroughly defeated. “I didn’t want to get wet—what if Darius comes out right now?”
“Have the human dry your clothes. Besides, I doubt Big Brother would care about a bit of water. Look at me—I am always wet.”
Tem tried not to laugh as she wrung the water from her dress. “funny… so did he do anything about your eggs?”
Ursie shook her large antenna. “I have not told him yet. I can hold off laying for quite some time, so do not worry yourself.”
Peering into the water, Tem’s eyes widened at the sight of thousands of glistening, frozen eggs resting at the bottom. “I don’t like it. Aren’t they… cold?”
“Silly child,” Ursie chided, a playful tone in her voice. “My kind does not feel the cold like yours does, and the eggs below do not feel it at all. Big Brother made the right choice. Without freezing them, they would have starved.”
Tem shuddered at the thought, hugging herself as if she were the one frozen. “Still, it can’t be comfortable to hold it in for so long. You should let him know once he’s back.”
Ursie swished her tail, “wise words for one who came after. I will make sure to tell him.”
“When will he be back, anyway?” Tem glanced toward the Farm door, noticing Tomp, his frog-like tongue darting out, and Milo, pouncing excitedly as they chased a glowing orb that zipped through the air. “He’s been in there for two weeks already.”
“Big Brother said he would not be long. But for him, that could mean weeks or months. If you are so worried, you can always go and see him. He did not forbid visitors, did he?”
Tem plucked a handful of grass, tossing it up with a sigh. “No… but he must be really busy if he hasn’t come out at all.”
Ursie’s tail stilled as she watched Tem. “Then what does that tell you?”
Tem rolled her eyes. “Be patient.”
Ursie’s antennae flicked, sending a small jet of water right at Tem’s forehead. “Smart girl.”
Tem wiped the water from her face, frowning briefly before breaking into a laugh. “I’m off to play with Crelos. I’ll be back later—and I’ll tell you any new jokes he shares, promise.”
Ursie’s tail swished through the water, sending a playful splash after her. “Go, enjoy yourself. And do not worry, he will be back soon; I can feel it.” With a final flick of water from her tail, Ursie slipped back beneath the surface.
Dodging the wave, Tem sighed and took off towards where she saw Milo and Tomp heading. Stopping after a while, she glanced around. “Where’d they run off to?” Just as she turned, her vision was suddenly filled with white cloth.
“Looking for someone?”
“Aah!” She fell back, staring up to find Darius standing over her, his smile warm. “You’re back! What took you so long?”
“Took so long?” He extended a hand, helping her up with an amused smile. “I took exactly the time I needed—no more, no less.” Ruffling her hair, he walked past her, hands behind his back. “Coming?”
She hurried to catch up, trying to cover her excitement. “I've been dying to know… what were you doing?”
“I’ll tell you when everyone’s here. But first…” He stopped and glanced at her. “Plug your ears for a second.”
Tem’s eyes went wide before she hastily covered her ears with both hands. “Can’t you just call everyone with your mind?”
Darius chuckled, then took a deep breath. “I’M BACK!” His voice boomed across the farm, rustling leaves and pushing the trees nearest to him.
All across the farm, everyone winced for a moment, Crelos, Haku, Glabe, Neko, and all the children covered their ears, but also smiled.
First to greet them was Neko, a purple streak of lightning tore from the woods and stopped on Darius's shoulder, nuzzling his hair. 'Neko, says hi.'
Rubbing the weasels neck, Darius smiled as he watched Haku break through next, "hello Neko, how have your advanced lessons been?"
Neko suddenly stopped, pointing a tiny finger at Haku, 'Neko tries, but second big brother tease.'
Skirting to a stop, Haku tilted his head as he noticed Neko pointing, "what's that loaf of bread saying? If he says I was being mean, he's full of shit!"
Chuckling, Darius looked between them, "we will talk about this later." At that moment, the children began to call out as they each broke throught he trees, Daemen's bobbing orb dancing between them.
"Looks like you had no problems fitting in."
Daemen’s light glowed brighter, his voice projecting with energy, “It’s been amazing! We’ve been playing Take Cover and Discover, and I’m really good at discovering.”
“He always finds us,” Triss groaned, her feathers fluffing.
As the children continued to chatter, Crelos and Glabe arrived, trailing behind but smiling as they took in the lively scene. The children barely noticed them, their focus fully on Darius as they surrounded him.
“Alright, calm down, calm down,” he chuckled, raising his hands to settle the crowd. Gradually, the children quieted, though they jostled each other, each eager to be closer.
“I’m sure you’re all curious about what I’ve been working on.” Reaching into his pouch, he pulled out eight scrolls, letting them drop to the ground before each of the children.
“Pick them up.” His tone held a playful challenge.
Tem darted forward first, snatching her scroll with eager hands, the others quickly following suit. “Can we open them?” she asked, eyes wide with excitement, practically bouncing in place.
“Of course.”
The children eagerly unfurled their scrolls, their expressions shifting from anticipation to confusion, and in some cases, outright disappointment.
Tem tried her best to smile, "thank you... for the paper. Uh, what should we write on it?"
Darius’s laughter filled the air, warm and teasing. “Did you really think I’d give you something so trivial?”
In an instant, his aura surged outward, a bonfire of flames igniting around him as he leapt back, watching their reactions with a grin.
Crelos’s brow furrowed as his eyes fixed on Darius’s blazing aura.
Landing with a powerful stomp, he triggered a massive crimson formation array that radiated out from beneath him.
“Elemental Forge Matrix!”
Blinding light erupted, forcing the children and Glabe to shield their eyes, peeking through their fingers to catch a glimpse of the spectacle.
Suddenly, eight shadowy figures materialized around Darius, each figure unique—some his size, others towering giants that seemed to stretch beyond sight. His voice rang out, holding a power that sent a tremor through each of the orphans, awakening something deep within.
“What you hold in your hands,” he announced, “are the cultivation techniques I’ve crafted specifically for each of you. When you all chose to follow me, I told you everything would change when I returned. This,” he gestured to the scrolls, “is where your path begins.”
The light in his eyes intensified, and as if echoing his power, the eyes of the shadowy figures around him blazed to life. “And this is where your journey will end—as Sovereigns and Titans. Future gods of Gaia.”
The five elements burst forth in a storm around the figures, each element expressing itself in forms both familiar and foreign. Flames danced in colors unseen, winds howled in tones that defied comprehension, water rippled with shimmering colors that seemed to bend reality itself.
The shadowy beings’ auras stretched, reaching infinitely outward, filling the children’s minds with a sense of boundless power.
With a final stomp, Darius dissolved the array, the colossal figures vanishing. “Sit,” he commanded. “Only the children.”
Crelos, Glabe, Haku, and Neko exchanged glances and stepped back, giving the eight children room as they settled down before Darius, wide-eyed and silent.
Standing tall before them, hands clasped behind his back, Darius’s robes rippled slightly with the fading remnants of mana. His gaze swept over each of the children, pride evident in his eyes. “Now, I will teach you the first step of cultivation—how to draw in mana and store it within your dantian.”
Leek raised his tiny hand, his brow furrowed. “What’s a dantan?”
A faint smile curved at his lips. “Good question.”