At the sound of a knock, Ark shot up, blinking rapidly as he patted his body and reached over to cover his unmentionables.
“Master Loyd?” Vermel asked, her voice echoing through his bed chambers.
“One moment!” Ark spat, grabbing a random assortment of strewn-about clothes and getting dressed. “Enter!”
“Master Loyd, Lady Fey I-” Vermal paused as she entered the bedchamber and her eyes settled on the black muck releasing a foul odor into the room. “-ehem, Lady Fey wished for me to check up on you.”
“I’m fine,” Ark said, his eyes shifting to the sleeping Soliloquy in her nest.
“If you would like, young master, I can clean your soiled sheets.”
“My what?” Ark spun, looking at his stained bedsheets reeking of the impurity forced from his body.
“Y-you needn't be ashamed sir! Accidents happen to the-”
“It's not! It's not what you think it is.”
“...” The woman remained silent, her nose wrinkling at the smell.
Ark sighed, “Yes, thank you. Please take care of them.”
The maid bowed before wading through the trash of the room and taking off the sheets and blankets.
“If possible, can you bring me some burlap bags, a pail of water, a broom, and some cloth?” Ark asked, stopping the woman who carried his cloth.
“Are… are you planning on cleaning? I can take care-”
“That won't be necessary,” Ark said, cutting the woman off, “I can handle that much.”
“Very well milord,” Vermel said, bowing and leaving Ark to his own devices.
Before long, the requested items were delivered to his room, along with a plate of cooked eggs and small green fruits known as robberries.
Ark flexed his hand, calling upon his Ki.
“Remarkable what even a little bit of ki and sleep can do,” Ark said, his body more invigorated than usual. He'd still have to purify himself a few more times but for now, it was a start. “Well, it's time to get to work.”
Ark spent the entire morning cleaning his room and circulating his ki, using the time to try and familiarize himself with his new body by performing various tasks.
Hours passed, with Ark finally seeming to synchronize his thoughts with his actions. Still, try as he might, there was still a millisecond delay in his movements which, while not noticeable to an outsider, was extremely noticeable to a warrior like Ark.
“Hm. This domicile appears to be somewhat more habitable since last I was conscious…” Soliloquy said, the tiny chicken stirring from her nest.
“If I didn't know better, I would have almost thought that was a compliment,” Ark replied as the chick shifted her weight. “By the way… thanks.”
“For?”
“Taking the brunt of the pain. I could feel you dulling the sensations as I purged my impurities,” Ark said.
“Yes well… If it helps us grow I do not see why I shouldn't partake in the burden of pain,” Soliloquy said, shimmying her tiny body and turning her back to Ark.
“Are you blushing?”
“Absolutely not!” Soliloquy chirped as Ark grabbed a burlap bag filled with trash.
“Well, if you're not busy, I want to test out this spell business,” Ark said, holding out his hand for the Phoenix that hopped aboard. “It's still odd.”
“What?”
“Us not trying to kill each other,” Ark said, wondering what Liliana, Jasper, and Alexios would have thought of the situation.
Would they hate him for siding with their enemy?
Hate him for helping a creature that had murdered so many and burned down several cities?
Or would they understand? Understand that he was using the Phoenix as she was using him.
To what end? He didn't know, all Ark knew was that for now, she was the only ally he had against a mutual foe.
“Hm.” Soliloquy let out, not replying to Ark.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
Dragging a burlap bag, Ark needed both hands to bring his trash to the front of the house.
“Master Loyd,” Welkin said, the old night sweeping the steps of the porch. An odd action considering they had slaves.
“Knight Welkin,” Ark replied, acknowledging the man whose eyes kept staring at the chick Ark’s shoulder.
“Do you require assistance milord?”
“No, I've got it,” Ark said, bringing the garbage to a burn pit.
Ark scanned his surroundings, besides the occasional slaves shooting him a glance, he was practically alone.
“So, how does this work?” Ark asked, pulling up his system.
[SPELL USES]
T1: 3/3
[Spell Book:
[T1 Grasp Flame: Bind and move targeted flames(Fire)]
[T1 Spark: Light a flashing spark of fire, the more ambient fire mana in the air, the bigger the spark(Fire)]
[T1 Push: Harness wind to push targeted object(Wind)]
[T1 Slow LvL 1: Slow down targeted object(Time)]
[T1 Restore LvL 1: Rewind the flow of time to restore an object to previous form(Time)]
Typically, using magic required calculations, focuses, chants, appeasing spirits, and something Ark hated more than anything else…
Math.
So it was no secret among his former peers that Ark lacked the capability to be a mage.
“Do I just point and say spark-”
Suddenly a flame ignited where Ark pointed, the burlap bag now on fire.
A moment passed in silence, Ark’s eyes reflecting the bright red flame that burned his garbage.
“Oh… oh I can cause some damage with this,” Ark smirked.
Not only was the spell instantaneous, it was also chantless!
“It's not chantless. Nor is it instantaneous, I am performing the calculations and spell for you,” Soliloquy said. “A feat, which I can only perform a limited times per day until I shed this adolescent form.”
“Incredible…” Ark said, watching the garbage burn. “If I had this kinda of magic-”
“You'd what? Be able to murder more of my kin?”
“In a manner of speaking…” Ark said before putting his palm out towards the fire. “Grasp flame.”
The flickering flames began to move, pulling towards Ark who waved his hand back and forth, observing the skill. He began to walk backwards, a sensation of warmth wrapping his hand as he pulled the flame away from the burlap.
“Some range…” Ark muttered before narrowing his eyes. “Slow.”
Upon his command the sensation of warmth around his hand faded as flames of the sideways pillar began to flicker less chaotically.
“So you can only cast one spell at a time?” Ark noted, standing to the side and watching the fire slowly retract to the source.
“For now. Just as your powers have regressed, so you have thy own.”
“Loyd!”
Ark spun, eyes wide as he was suddenly accosted by the Lady of the House.
“Magic! You're casting magic!” The Baroness exclaimed, tears in her eyes as she embraced Ark. “When? How! You can be a mage! You can reclaim your title! Oh Loyd I'm so proud of you!”
My title?
Ark raised a brow, unsure of what the woman was talking about.
She pulled away, eyeing the Soliloquy on Ark’s shoulder, the little black chicken staring at her.
“Is… Is this your familiar Welkin spoke of?”
“Uh, yeah…”
The baroness leaned down, placing her hand atop the chicken's head. “Wow… it's adorable! What's her-” Fey coughed, a little bit of blood leaking from her lips as she turned her head away. “-adorable, what's her name?”
Ark frowned, every time he saw Fey cough a feeling of guilt and worry bubbled up within. Residue emotions from the body's former owner?
Maybe, but Ark didn't know how to inquire about the woman's illness without drawing suspension.
“Uh… her name is-”
DON'T YOU DARE! Soliloquy screamed through their telepathic link.
“-Nugget,” Ark said, a smirk on his face as the baroness picked up the tiny chick.
“It's so pretty! And black! What kind of chicken is it?” The baroness asked, bringing Soliloquy to her cheek and rubbing the tiny Phoenix that let out a coo. Realizing what she'd done, the Phoenix chirped loudly and hopped out of the woman's hand, vanishing into black smoke much to Fey’s amazement. “Incredible! Magic creatures are so rare! And to think the third prince is not only able to cast magic but also possesses a familiar!”
“Yeah I…” Ark's thoughts came to a screeching halt, his mind blanking for a moment as his gaze stared at the woman. “I'm a prince?”
The world seemed to come to a screeching halt, the baroness talking with the words unheard by Ark.
Prince… I'm the son of that bastard?!
Disbelief and shock course through Ark’s body, his eyes bulging as he tried to reconcile with the fact that the flesh he inhabited was born from the seed of his mortal foe.
“When we send word to your father he'll be so overjoyed he'd have to reinstate your title!” Lady Fey exclaimed excitedly before her expression quickly turned from excitement to concern.
“Loyd, what's wrong?” Fey said, taking Ark’s cheeks into her hands.
“I'm a prince of Winterfell?”
“You were… honey what's wrong? Are you feeling well?”
Ark blinked, taking a moment to process and reevaluate the absurdity of his situation.
Soliloquy, did you know? Ark asked.
“I did not. This may complicate things if he were to see me directly. We cannot allow a meeting.”
Ark clenched his jaw, the only sign in the surface that he was fuming within.
“I uh… I think. I don't really-” Ark said before realizing he had a perfect excuse to get some answers he needed. “-remember, after failing to… ya know… I think my memory is a little fuzzy.”
Alarm spread on the baroness’s face, her rough hands checking Ark.
“The hospitaller healed you at the academy did she not? Maybe we should see an apothecary? Have you further examined? I can bring you-”
“I'm fine, just some issues remembering some things,” Ark said, putting on his most convincing smile despite the turmoil churning within. “I'm sure I'll be okay.”
“Mental trauma is no joke, Loyd!” Fey exclaimed, panicking and taking off through the plantation fields calling out for her knight.
“Hells Bells…” Ark said as he sat on the field.
*****