The morning sun bathed the cobblestone streets of Lundine, the octagonal capital of the empire, in a blue glow. The air vibrated with the energy of two million souls and the constant hum of magic. From street vendors conjuring blue flames to roast chestnuts, to messengers using magic to fly and deliver scrolls, magic was as common as the air they breathed. The sky was colored with dragonflies, the large, fat ones bringing goods from various parts of the continent to the hungry capital, the slender, beautifully built ones of the nobles and wealthy merchants, and the small, agile, and quick ones for personal use. Occasionally, griffins and wyverns were also seen.
But today, the atmosphere carried a different electricity. The day of the double royal wedding approached, uniting not one, but two heroes of divine beauty in Princess Trifina and Prince Roper. The streets were overflowing with people, who had come from every corner of the empire to witness the event. Colorful fabrics adorned every window and balcony, flags bearing the royal coat of arms fluttered in the wind, and the intoxicating scent of magical flowers, capable of shimmering in shades of pink and silver, permeated the air.
Near the canal that ran through the city and led to the palace, the crowds gathered in anticipation. Craftsmen were putting the finishing touches on the triumphal arches, which were to be adorned with sculptures of ice that would not melt, the work of renowned water magicians. Several bards, hired by the royal family, played lively melodies on enchanted instruments, each note reverberating with magic, while jugglers manipulated spheres of light that danced in the air, in the various squares of the capital.
Outside the capital's walls, in the area where the general population lived. On the bridge that led to the first of the palace’s three imposing walls, a group of children sat on the bridge’s railing, chewing on grass stalks, their eyes wide with wonder, watching everything.
“I still can’t believe we can eat twice a day!” Jiakel exclaimed, her eyes shining with joy. “Before, we only had one meager meal and had to share it with the others. Remember the mud cakes? Now, we have real food and even some dessert!”
Solen, her younger sister, nodded, a shy smile forming on her face. “And Mother Marianna doesn’t cry anymore,” she murmured, “she looks so happy now.”
“That’s true,” agreed Kai, a tall, thin boy, with curly black hair and black eyes . “She always looked so tired and sad. Now, she smiles more and sings while she cooks.”
“It’s all thanks to the uncles,” said Maya, a smart and observant girl, also, with curly black hair and black eyes. “They really helped us a lot. The orphanage is much more beautiful now.”
"And did you hear about the wedding?" asked Liam, the oldest of the group, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, pastel green skin, slightly pronounced lower canine teeth signaling his non-human, ork, or goblin ancestry.. "A double wedding! The Prince and Princess are getting married at the same time to the 2 magical heroes! It's going to be a huge party."
"Just imagine, a banquet with real food for all of us!" exclaimed Jiakel, his eyes shining with excitement. "It's going to be the best party ever!"
"Do you think Princess Trifina will really fly down the aisle on a dragon made of light?" asked Maya, his voice full of expectation.
"Of course she will!" replied his Solen, with conviction. "She's the most powerful light mage in the kingdom! And they say Prince Roper will use his magic to make it rain crystal petals! I hope the uncles come and they bring such cool gifts."
"I hope the Princess is beautiful," said Maya, "and that the Prince is strong and brave."
"And may they live happily ever after," Kai added, dreaming of a future full of joy. With each passing minute, the anticipation grew. The murmur of the crowd grew louder, until suddenly, an expectant silence fell over everyone. Coming from the east, the first Dragonfly of the Romani Empire appeared, white as snow and adorned with gold and diamonds. It was the beginning of the royal procession, a spectacle of magic and splendor that would forever be etched in Lundine's memory. The five friends looked at each other, their hearts filled with hope and happiness. Life at the orphanage had changed for the better, and they were eager to celebrate the new era of prosperity and joy that was approaching. Jiakel, with a mischievous smile on his face, jumped from the wall onto the bridge, his feet touching the asphalt with a light thud. "The last one to arrive is a goblin's son!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the bridge, before he ran towards the orphanage, his feet stomping hard on the ground.
Liam, watched Jiakel leave with an amused smile. "He's always been a fierce competitor," he said, before launching into the race, his steps firm and fast.
Maya was already a few steps behind Jiakel, her brown hair flying in the wind. "I won't let him beat me!" she exclaimed, her voice full of determination.
Kai started running slightly behind, but his long, powerful stride propelled him forward. "I'll catch you!" he shouted, his voice ringing with confidence.
Solen, the youngest of the group, ran with all her might, her small feet pounding the ground quickly. "Me wait!" she shouted, her voice full of enthusiasm, determined not to be the last.
The bridge echoed with the sound of the children's laughter and panting breaths as they ran towards the orphanage, each determined to win the race and avoid the title of "son of a goblin." The atmosphere was one of pure joy and competition, a reminder of their childhood and the vibrant energy that filled their lives.
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4th - Demiplane, Paradise -
Patriarch Akaos, passes through the 4 demiplanes recently created by the Father, the outermost being the plane of water. For those who are not part of the family, the plane is made of salty water, cold and dark with the depths of the sea, with strong currents that make navigation difficult even for leviathans, but for the family members, it is a gentle sea that leads to the center of the plane where the entrance to the 2nd plane is located, made of fire, similar to the 1st, it is a sea of voracious flames capable of melting iron in seconds, as soon as he enters the plane a protective bubble of water surrounds him, protecting him from the voracious flames, the currents of flames instead of throwing him in all directions take him straight to the portal of the 3rd plane, a plane made of a single sphere of the most perfect diamond, but for family members it's like swimming in a jelly pool, in its center, a little over 100m away, is the last portal created for the benefit of the wives and their children. In the heart of a magical kingdom, where the magic of Permanent Demiplane wove reality, Father, a wizard of great power, built a paradise for his family.
It was a place of beauty unparalleled, an oasis of peace and serenity, isolated from the outside world by a veil of magic. Exotic trees, with leaves that shone in shades of emerald, ruby and sapphire, stood majestically, their crowns intertwined, forming a canopy that filtered the sunlight, a strange, yellowish light, but deeply calming, creating a play of shadows and lights that danced on the ground. Flowers of vibrant colors, as if painted by the hand of a celestial artist, perfumed the air with intoxicating aromas. In the center of paradise, a lake of crystal clear and pure waters reflected the beauty of the sky and the trees, like a magic mirror. A river of clear waters, born from a hidden source within the demiplane, fed the lake, its soft murmur, a melody that soothed the soul. The atmosphere was pure and invigorating, the fresh and fragrant air, charged with the vital energy of nature. Not a sound was heard other than the sound of the light breeze swaying the leaves and flowers.
Crixus, the creator of this paradise, had woven a magical enchantment that protected the place from any external threat.
It was a place of peace and harmony, where nature and magic merged in perfect union. A refuge for the soul, a paradise created by the Father, a gift for his family.
Akaos went to the lake, where his Father usually stayed. He had already noticed that his father had a strong connection with water, it made him feel calm. His father always took refuge in the family lake.
“Father.”
“Yes, my son.”
“Forgive this impertinence of your son, but even though you are an apotheotic being beyond mortal comprehension, with so many things happening, perhaps you may have missed something. If not, forgive me immediately.”
“Go on.” He heard his voice with a tone of humor.
“I will. Father, I see that you are concerned about your wives, specifically Hethress and Meikosil. You are not so pleased with your magical protections, the dragons made of illusion. In addition to the pressure caused by the world quest, the construction of this fortress and your plan to divert attention. You have the power to do all of this, but your greatest enemy is time. One of your greatest assets is the power to copy everything and everyone. But this takes a long time, 4 days, which gives 100 copies over the course of a year. 100 beings of great power is a force to be respected, but it is not an unbeatable force.”
“And what do you propose, my son?”
"The magic you used to create this place…”
“Permanent Demiplane.”
“Yes, that one. It is a magic with great creative freedom. This paradise you created is proof of that. But there is one characteristic that you, an immortal being, can use in a way that will make it unstoppable."
“Time.” Crixus read the idea in Akaos' mind, as he had already done reflexively. For some time he had realized that his family's minds worked like a biological internet, with the server increasing in capacity the more beings it copied; with the link he had access to everything they thought and knew.
"Of course, Father already knew where I wanted to go." Akaos was always amazed by his father's strength and mental grandeur.
"Go on, Akaos, I want to see if you can glimpse my grand plan." Crixus had not thought anything of it until then, but he was getting used to this flattery and how even when he stole ideas from his copies they ended up loving him even more for it. It was hard not to get used to having one's ego inflated like this, very hard.
"As you said yourself, Time is your greatest enemy. With the Permanent Demiplane magic, you can manipulate time in this plane. My idea is that you put the time here in paradise at a ratio of 1/1000, one day outside when 1 day passes, 1000 days would pass here inside, with that in 1 normal day you would be able to copy 250 things.”
“1000 days here inside, doing nothing, I think I would go crazy, even with my wives “entertaining” me. It would be incredibly boring.” Crixus slowly emerges from the lake and floats about 2m above the placid waters.
“Of course, of course. I thought about it too and you must have thought about it too. Since you don’t sleep, but your wives do, in that time I also realized that you get quite bored. With that time, you could make 4 copies per day. Sorry for bringing up something so obvious.” He looks anxiously at his father.
“No, no. It’s all right, everything is going according to plan, but I also want my children to develop, in every aspect. That’s why I was waiting for you to reached the same conclusions. Congratulations, my son.” Crixus thinks, what a blatant lie, he holds back his laughter. Playing the infallible supreme being is actually fun.
Akaos almost explodes with pride and joy at the compliment he received and through the link he feels that his father is in a good mood too.
“Thank you, Father.”
“Yes, my son. And I would like some time alone, don’t say anything about these plans to my wives, I want to surprise them.” Crixus finishes with a conspiratorial tone.
Akaos bows and says goodbye. “Yes, Father, see you later. Aaahh, tell me when you think it’s best to set up an expedition to get the Forge of Creation.”
“Of course. See you later, my son.” Crixus dives back into the lake. As soon as he feels Akaos leave for the other plane, he redoes the spell and sets the time to 1/1000.