Axel Arbor was dreaming. His dream sent him back to when he was a child. Axel was the youngest of his family. He had three siblings: one older brother and two sisters. Axel’s brother Alray was set to be next in line for the kingdom. The family never allowed the women to be rulers, which meant that Axel would be next in line if, for whatever reason, his brother died. Axel and Alray were out playing in the forest; they had found some sticks and were sword-fighting with them.
“I’m going to be the best warrior this world has ever seen,” Alray said, swinging his stick like it was a mighty sword. “Kingdoms will bow to the mighty reign of the Arbors.”
Axel would dodge, parry, and block his brother's attacks with no small amount of effort. Alray was five years older than Axel, which meant Alray was stronger, faster, and smarter than Axel. This did not perturb Axel; however, he wanted to fight; he wanted to beat his brother.
“I don’t want to be a warrior,” Axel said. “I want to be a summoner!” He jumped back and pretended his stick was now a wand. “A summoner who will summon the greatest beasts this world has ever recorded.” He laughed with his arms stretched out wide. Alray poked him with the stick.
“And you’ll be dead when your summons are non-responsive,” Alray said. “But a sword. A sword will always be trusty and reliant.” There was a snapping of a twig in the distance. Both the boys looked at each other. They nodded and made their way towards the noise. As they approached, they saw a creature that had fallen from a tree. It was a baby forest owl; these magical variants of owls typically were brown, green, or tan. This was a green forest owl. It was about the size of a cat; it must have fallen while trying to fly.
“Poor thing,” Alray said. “We should bring it back to the castle and Binroy look at it.”
“Why would we do that?” Axel asked. “It failed to fly, it deserves to die. It’s a disgrace.”
“What? Have you never made a mistake?” Alray asked incredulously. “A simple mistake does not mean that one should die.”
“It does if that mistake is costly,” Axel said. He walked over to the bird and stepped on its head. Smashing it into the ground, blood spurted everywhere as the owl's head exploded under the pressure of the boot.
“What the hells is wrong with you?!” Alray screamed—tears flowing from his eyes.
“Don’t be weak brother,” Axel said, wiping the blood of the dead bird off of his shoes. “As I said it deserved to die, now if any other owl sees this seen it will know to be better.”
“You’re a monster!”
“And you’re a coward,” Axel replied. “What of it? Come now, older brother. Let’s go home.”
As the boys arrived home, Alray walked in silence. The only noise coming from him was his sobbing. Axel scoffed every time he heard his brother’s sobs. It was pathetic. How weak did he have to be to cry over an owl that was already doomed for death? What kind of leader would he be if he shed tears so easily? A weak one. The nations would laugh at the new leader of the Arbor Kingdom, Alray Arbor, the boy who always cried when an owl was killed.
Axel saw no issues with his actions; he felt like he did the right thing. This was the way the world worked. It was the order of things. The strong survived, and the weak died. If the weak didn’t want to die, it had to grow stronger; once it became strong, it wouldn’t die. That was how things worked. As they approached the outer wall that protected the city, the guards rushed out to meet the young princes.
“Young master Alray,” one of the guards said. “Is everything alright?”
“He’s fine,” Axel said, waving the guards off. “Just being a coward, that’s all.” Axel pushed past the guards and made his way to his chambers. On his way to the chambers, he grabbed a pastry from the kitchen. It was a flaky, savory pastry, Axel had to admit it was pretty dang good. He had been eating his pastry and reading a book on summoning magic when there was a knock on his door.
“Enter,” he said, not looking up from his book. His mother entered the room with a distraught Alray behind him. “What is this?” Axel asked.
“Your brother has informed me that you killed a baby forest owl?” his mother replied. Her eyebrows furrowed. She had golden eyes and fair skin. Her golden blonde hair was tied in a long, regal braid.
“I did,” Axel said without an ounce of remorse in his voice.
“Why did you do it?” she asked, her tone a bit more harsh.
“It was weak and deserved to die,” Axel said as if it were the most obvious thing. “What else was I supposed to do? Bring it back and let it be nursed to health. Then what? Release back into the wild, it deserves no such mercy.”
“What makes you think you are the judge of what is deserved and what is not?” she asked.
“I had the power that made me the judge,” Axel said, his eyes sparked with defiance. His mother sighed. She knew that this would be a losing battle. Axel was the only one of her children who lorded the power of the family name over the others. She thanked the gods that he wasn’t the heir to the throne. Otherwise, there would be some hard times for the world while he reigned.
“Axel Arbor, in this family, we show mercy and kindness. You will soon learn that you’ll need more than power to be strong. Strength comes in many different forms.” Before she could give him the chance to respond, she stood up and walked out of his room, leaving him alone.
Axel woke up from that dream. He smiled. It was a good power play by his mother to leave with the last word. That was the time when he could start to see the weakness in his entire family. They were not fit to rule; they were concerned about the feelings of those who mattered not. Axel knew that he was the black sheep in the family from the beginning, especially since he wanted to be a summoner, not a warrior or mage.
Axel sought power. He was relentless in his pursuit. He didn’t care who he shoved, stepped on, or killed in this pursuit. That was what led him to become the leader of a world-feared organization. The League of Order derived from his own power and affinity. He wanted the whole world to bow at the waist as he rose to the top. No one was able to touch him.
***
Levi and company had a decent journey ahead of them before they arrived at the first outpost that could teleport them. It had been some time since Levi checked his character log, and he figured this would be a good time to do so. Piper had fallen asleep, and Tycen and Anna were both reading books from the collection of the last dungeon crafter.
Character Log: Levi Winters
Class: Familiar Summoner
Rank: 3-star
Ability: Ritualist
Ritualists are able to use skill books, use ritual magic, and create their own summoning and ritual circles with minimal materials needed. Base Mana pool is significantly larger. 2-star effect: Able to use magical items to create ritual circles in the air. Able to use magical items to create runes in the air. 3-Star effect: Able to create summoning circles at a fraction of the cost.
Ability: Elected Stranger
You have been accepted into a guild in a new world with new things. Elected Stranger gives you the ability to understand the world from a chosen perspective. Allows quests and objectives—2-star effect: Can now view the rarity of items. 3-Star effect: ???
Ability: Familiar Bond
You have unlocked the ability to summon familiars. Familiars are summoned creatures that bond with the user. They only need to be summoned once unless destroyed in combat, and then they will need to be resummoned. Different familiars provide different bonuses to the summoner. 2-star effect: capacity for familiars has increased from one to two. Additionally, bonds with all current or future familiars will be established quicker and deeper. 3-Star effect: Class Evolution, capacity for familiars has increased from two to four.
Ability: Chaotic Harmony
Doing what seems impossible has been achieved. You have found a way to unite harmony with the disorder of chaos. Chaotic Harmony allows user to have significant control of auras and the user’s soul. Anyone who attempts to read your aura or soul will be unable to do so. Your passive aura creates a harmonious moment.
Ability: Dungeon Treasurer
User Interface can be upgraded. Every time the user enters a dungeon, an additional map will be shown. The dungeon map will lead to secret rooms and hidden items. If the user reaches the end chest, guaranteeing one Legendary item. This is a passive ability that will activate inside a dungeon.
Spell Log:
Orb of Chaos
Orb of Water
Orb of Fire
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Orb of Lightning
Void Storm
Familiars:
Anza - the Mimic
Willow & Crystal - the Crystal Wisps
Vapor - the Steam Spirit
Dameion- Avatar of the Void
Serenity - Aura Dragon
Attributes Total: 1395
Strength 135
Stamina 190
Speed 130
Vitality 235
Wisdom 655
Levi was quite pleased with his progress thus far. He had grown very high; his threshold for being a 3-star rank was quite significant since he had a class evolution. His attribute total had to reach 4000 before he could rank up. That was a lot of battling and things he had to work on, but something he’d want to do anyway; perhaps leaving the plains would not be the best idea. Levi understood he had a lot of pressure, but he also had years. Four years to be exact. That meant he could take time to develop, grow, and learn more about his enemy.
After all, before entering the dungeon, he did get a book on the history of Order magic. That would be something that he would need to study in length. Levi considered allowing the resident nerds to take a crack at it for a time, but he decided not to. He would read it first, then get their opinions after.
“What troubles you?” Serenity asked.
“There is a lot to do,” Levi responded. “A lot of pressures and responsibilities. I feel bad for the team. They should be out doing adventures and exploring dungeons. Do I leave them and go by myself or do I take them with me?”
“I do not believe that is your decision to make,” Serenity said. “They are not summoned beasts. Where we willing accepted the bond that tied us to your path. They have not. They are sapient beings capable of making their own decisions. So let them.” Levi let the words of Serenity sink in.
“In four years you might be close to low four star,” Vapor suddenly said.
“Depending on how hard you train,” Serenity added.
“It is possible,” Vapor agreed. “The elixir given to you by the serpant will definitely help.”
“What is an elixir?” Levi asked.
“A magical drink that provides permanent change to a person’s attributes,” Anna said, not looking up from her book. “Your familiars are correct,” she continued. “It is not your choice, and you’re an idiot if you think we are going to abandon you during this grand adventure. When we reach the outpost, we will discuss our strategy.”
“We will come back to Cloud Plaine Kingdom, eventually,” Tycen said. “Right now we are not strong enough and are still recovering from the dungeon. The best thing is to find an inn, which there are none here, discuss our plans and then move from there.”
“Do you want to go home?” Levi asked Anna.
“I do not believe it to be necessary,” Anna said. “Arcross is currently under attack from the monster hordes. Arvendron is no place for you. It will be in the best interest of our team if we do not return to the Onyx kingdom for sometime.”
“Well alright,” Levi said. “Then where to next?”
“My home,” Tycen said. “Triadic Kingdom, the sky islands.”
“Hell yeah,” Levi said, pumping a fist in the air. “I’ve wanted to visit. I’m pumped.”
“Don’t be,” Tycen said. “At least, not yet. It’ll likely be a month or two before we get there. Depending where this teleportation takes us. Because we all can’t fly, we’ll have to travel by land to the sky boats, then take that journey. Which are typically dreadfully slow.”
Levi nodded along as Tycen spoke. It didn’t damper his mood at all. “So you’re telling me we’ll get to fight monsters and potentially do some dungeons on our way to the sky islands? Sign me up.” Anna chuckled; she forgot how refreshing Levi’s sense of adventure was. He tended to have a positive outlook on how long journeys would take. It was like it excited him the longer they had to travel. She smiled at her friend.
Anna and Tycen went back to reading and discussing their strategy while I pulled out the elixir Rivoloa had given me.
Item: Elixir of Vitality
Epic
An elixir filled with vital energy, made from the venom of a strong cloud serpent. When consumed, the vital pool of the consumer increases significantly.
Levi held the glowing red bottle. The liquid on the inside seemed to have the same viscosity as honey. He pulled the cork stopper off with a satisfying pop. He tipped the ball down his throat. The warm liquid had a spicy flavor. It warmed his inside as it went down to his core. As it reached his core, he felt the liquid completely warm his abdomen. Levi looked down at his core and saw the red glow.
Status: Attributes Gained
Vitality has increased by +100
Attributes Total: 1495
Strength 135
Stamina 190
Speed 130
Vitality 335
Wisdom 655
As was typical of all progress, Levi felt a difference in his body. He felt his skin harden, which he found to be an odd sensation. The rest of his body felt… more efficient. Levi wasn’t sure how he knew his body was working more efficiently, but he did. Shrugging, he felt a warm sense of gratitude toward Rivoloa, which was a generous gift, and it helped him a lot. Levi knew that a gain of a hundred was a big boon.
“Damn,” Levi said.
“What?” Anna asked.
“That was a gain of 100 to vitality,” Levi replied.
“That is a powerful exlixir,” Tycen said. “How many did the snake give us?”
“Four… those seem very overpowered. Is there a limit?”
“Of course,” Anna said. “One per rank.”
“So one for one-star, two for two-star, three for three-star, and so on?”
“Precisely,” Anna said. “If you do not use one during your rank, then it was a wasted opportunity.”
“My family doesn’t allow elixirs,” Piper said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “My father says it breeds poor habits.”
“I can see that,” Levi said. It is a good way to shore up any differences, as long as you keep working. I can see it being very helpful.”
“That is assuming you find an elixir as powerful as this one. Most aren’t,” Piper said.
“So I see we have a divided camp on taking them,” Levi said with a cheeky smile. Piper playfully rolled her eyes, but she could not keep a smile off her face.
“Do as you please,” she said. “I will take one of these. I see no issue in gaining a free 100 vitality. What I don’t want is to use an elixir for 20, which is the common elixir out there.”
“I agree with Piper,” Tycen said. “Unless it’s this strong, it’s not worth the usage. Or if you get it as a dungeon reward. They are so expensive, so most people would rather save their money for better gear than a small booster.”
Levi nodded as the conversation came to a comfortable silence. Levi looked up in the distance; he had sensed something. There were small buildings made of clouds. Each of them had little holes in it that he assumed to be windows. There weren’t a lot of buildings, but the way they were arranged made the town seem larger. They weren’t close to each other; there was a good distance between each of the buildings. The closer the group approached, the more auras Levi sensed.
“There are a good amount of auras in this area,” Levi said.
“Understood,” Tycen said. Piper stretched and stood up on the back of Anza. She gracefully jumped off.
“I feel much better,” she said. I'm still tired, so I will need to meditate, but I can walk the rest of the way.”
“We all should,” Levi said. “Anza, come rest.” The mimic alpha nodded, and with a blue flash, she disappeared, being subsumed into Levi. They all dismounted, beginning their short walk into the town. As they approached, they were stopped by a group of four beings. They were all of the same race; Levi knew that for sure. He had never seen this race before. Each being had no legs but a small tornado below them; they had buff upper bodies, and there was one female-looking one, she was in the front. She wore a breastplate with some type of metal bracers. Her body was absolutely ripped; to Levi, she put Crossfit women to shame.
Like the others, her skin was alabaster with blue symbols that looked like a symbol for air. She had blue, inhuman eyes that stared at the team. She sneered. Sharp white fangs were shown as they approached. As they moved to intercept Levi and his party, he got the sense that they were only 2-star rank. Once they stopped moving, their small tornadoes diminished, and they stood on two feet.
“I see that we have some fresh blood amongst us,” the leader said. “In order to enter this outpost you must pay a fee.”
“And what happens if we don’t pay said fee?”
“Then you leave or die,” she said. The goons behind her started to chuckle.
“How much is the fee?” Anna, ever the politician asked.
“For you, 2 gold, each,” she said with a devious smile. “You reek of royalty. I know you have money.” The leader turned an eye at Tycen. “You… can pay in other ways.”
Tycen dry heaved, “I’d rather not pay at all.”
Levi chuckled at the affronted look on the lady beings face.
“You dare insult Helvesa? Do you have any idea who she is?” one of her lackeys said.
“Not at all,” Levi said.
“Where are my manners, you are blessed to be in the presence of Helveesa Bivallow, princess of the Tornadians race! Bow in her presence,” the same lackey said.
“Hmm,” Levi said. “Princess of the entire race? That’s a big deal,” obvious sarcasm in his voice. Well, at least it is apparent to Levi and his party. The body language of the guards seemed to relax at the words.
“At last, someone recongizes the true power of the Tornadians and their princess!”
“Sure,” Levi said. “Anyways, you’re wasting our time… thanks for the chat.” He went to push past them. The lackeys all summoned swords made of wind and blocked his path.
“Not so fast, you owe us money.”