Arcane Era 2: Rise of the Combat Mage: An Isekai light novel Page 3
“Don’t you dare attempt to bring any harm to him, accidental or otherwise,” she said in the sternest voice she could muster. “Or I’ll…”
Damn Ef, she’d developed quite the backbone.
“Peace,” Selenia said, diffusing Efray with a soft smile and a raised hand. “My abilities don’t bring harm, they reveal truths. Is that not why you came on this journey? To unlock Lance’s true potential? To find Lance’s truth?”
In a way, yes. We were on this path to unlock my true potential, my true strength. But Selenia didn’t know any of that. At least, she wasn’t supposed to. The thought of that sent a shiver down my spine.
“V-very well,” Efray responded, her gaze moving back to the ground as the sudden burst of confidence seeped out of her.
“I’ll be fine,” I reassured, then shot them a wink and followed Selenia into her hut. Her home was a humble little structure comprised mostly of one room, though that room was packed with strange trinkets, sculptures, and pieces of jewelry dangling from this place and that. An incense stick sat on the table, emitting a heavenly aroma as a thin trail of smoke circled the room. And at the center of it, a circular rug that she motioned me over to.
As I sat, I began to feel a sort of calming ambiance wash over me, a feeling of supernatural tranquility that put me at ease. Selenia seemed to notice and a wide grin quickly formed on her face.
“Peaceroot,” she said as she sat cross-legged in front of me. “Burn a little of it to take the edge off. Burn a lot and you might end up a naked savant in someone’s bed.”
“I uh, I see,” I replied, suddenly aware that my gaze had been quietly locked on the dark nipples pressing against her see-through top.
Selenia giggled, clearly unbothered by my gaze as she relaxed her posture. Slowly, my eyes traced the curves of her breasts, rising to her shoulders then her lips before meeting her stare.
“Are you ready?” She asked in that thick accent of hers.
I nodded. “What exac-“
Before I could force out the words, her eyes illuminated with arcana and the sound of an otherworldly chime filled my ears, sending my vision into utter blackness. I blinked rapidly, trying to regain my sight as a sudden feeling of unease crept into my chest. However, when it returned I was no longer in that little hut.
No…. Instead, what lay before me was carnage.
The charred remains of a war-torn village lay at my feet, the grass stained with the blood of innocence, of age and of youth. In the sky, the twin suns burned red like the color of blood, adding further menace to an already grizzly scene. And in the distance, reflecting off the crimson light, a tower made of jagged ice.
I shuddered, taking a step back from the carnage only to realize that I myself had changed. No longer was I merely human. Now sinewy wings spread from my shoulder blades, casting a shadow over my tattooed flesh. Flames hotter than the sun itself kindled in my palms, on my shoulders, my back. And in my mind swirled thoughts of-
“No,” I muttered, squeezing my eyes shut as I forced out the dark thoughts intruding my brain. When I opened them, the thoughts were gone… and so too was the ravaged village. Now I stood in some sort of ravine. No, a field. Gone were my draconic features, replaced by a simple cotton tunic and trousers. It was peaceful… I could feel the breeze kissing my skin, the brush of the long grass on my legs. And dammit all was it ever calming.
Feeling strangely content, I laid back in the grass and stared up into the bright pink sky. Just above me I spotted an odd little school of fish making their way through the open air, their striped fins working back and forth as if the air and sea were one.
As I grew comfortable in my bed of green and bristle, I felt a new presence at my side. I turned my head and there, lying in all her devilish glory was Danica. Her flawless curves were wrapped in little more than a red silk bikini, and her lips were painted to match. But was that… was that a skull in her hands?
I began to lean in her direction but another pair of hands latched onto my opposite shoulder and began to pull. As I turned my head I saw Efray and Erin sitting at my other side, smiling wide in a pair of sundresses the color of the sun.
I could feel a smile of my own begin to form, almost involuntarily, but when I tried to speak… nothing. And what was with that skull? Damn, I couldn’t even keep my thoughts straight…
As I struggled against whatever supernatural force was governing my actions, Efray leaned in for a kiss. Immediately my thoughts were wiped again and I leaned into her, closing my eyes as my lips met hers. For a second, I was filled with a feeling of ecstasy. Then I opened my eyes and..
Gone.
It was gone, all of it. The girls, the scenery, all of it replaced by what appeared to be the inside of an empty stone cathedral. I felt a coldness pass through me as I climbed to my feet, once again trying to adjust to my surroundings. It was freezing in here, not just the air but the very aura itself, as if it had seeped into my veins and chilled my dragonblood.
Slowly, I gazed about the hollow chamber, taking in its emptiness. Searching, but for what…
Eventually, my eyes were drawn to something against the cathedral’s far wall. As I walked closer I realized they were long boxes…. No, not boxes.
Three. Wooden. Caskets.
My heart dropped as my eyes tried to focus, tried desperately to read the names carved into them. Then came the flames. Brutal, desperate flames that seemed to swallow the sarcophagi whole!
Panicked, I put my hands out and channeled my arcana, desperately trying to absorb the flames. Instead, I was engulfed in a blast of fire and light…
“AHHH!” I screamed as I lurched forward, nearly tackling Selenia before coming back to my senses. I.. I was back in her hut, once again surrounded by the sweet smells and swirling smoke. I was ok…
But the seer was not.
The woman’s expression was a mix of perplexity and astonishment with a dash of horror. I mean, I wasn’t even sure I’d comprehended what I just saw, but whatever she saw must’ve been a Hell of a lot worse.
“You ok?” I asked, reaching for Selenia’s shoulder. She quickly recoiled from my touch, though flashed me an apologetic look as she seemed to return to her senses.
“I am… well,” she conceded, though her tone suggested otherwise. “And I am present, which is more than I can say for you.”
Uh, what.
“Look, I don’t know what happened there but I couldn’t control-“
“No,” Selenia interrupted. “Perhaps I spoke in haste. I can glimpse within the folds of time, but I am a child of the present. However, you are an anomaly. You were not born of this world, were you Lance? And yet, your veins run thick with Oracle’s god blood. You're a vessel of two pasts, a torn present and a possible future…”
“Future what?!”
“A future undecided,” Selenia continued, placing two fingers on either of her temples. “Normally my visions give me a glimpse of the path one is meant to take, but you… it’s as if you’re flesh and body is being pulled in one direction and your will is guiding you towards another. It’s…”
“Frightening?” I asked, picturing my soul walking right out of my body.
“Fascinating,” she corrected. “I will watch with great interest to see where your destiny takes you. The ramifications could be… for lack of a better term, seismic.”
My eyes went wide. “Wait. That’s it? That’s all you’re giving me?”
Selenia smiled. “If I interfere too much, my integrity as a seer would come into question. I can offer you one piece of advice though…. Your companions, the ones waiting for you out there will have great sway in what becomes of you, little dragon. And when the time comes each will offer you a gift… a sword, a spell and a secret. If you don’t accept them, then…. Ah, I’ve said enough, haven’t I?”
“No, say more! Please!” I pleaded, drawing a laugh out of the seer. I thought meeting with this woman was supposed to add clarity. Instead, she sent me some mixed messages of love and loss, of power and flying fish. And for what, to hit me with some ominous message about gifts? I mean, what kind of tool didn’t accept gifts?!
“I fear our time together is at an end, young dragon. But before you go…” Suddenly the seer leaned forward, allowing her lips to brush my ear as I breathed in her sweet scent.
As her warm breath prickled my ear, I began to feel her hand press into my lap. Immediately my dragon blood began to heat, but before the rest of my body could react she leaned away, leaving me unsated…
And with something resting on my thigh.
Slowly, I clutched the item in my grasp and lifted it to eye level, examining the small hook made of silver. “What’s this for?” I began to ask, but she’d already begun to exit the tent, her nearly bare ass swaying in mesmerizing fashion. I was left a bit perplexed, to say the least.
“Fuck it,” I muttered, shoving the thing into my pocket. Then I rose to my feet and headed toward the exit… I’d had enough of dabbling in half-truths and bizarre prophecy. I’d been on the road for days… it was time to see about that damned bed.
From the World of Oracle…
Lance’s spellbook: The Dragonblood tome
Offensive spells:
[Dragonfang Blade]- Dual type / 30% mastery
[Dragon’s Breath]- fire type / 17% mastery
Ranged spells:
[Flame strike]- firey type / 80% mastery
[Dragon shot]- force type / 77% mastery
Defensive spells:
[Dragonscale Armor]- fire type / 60% mastery]
Unique spells:
None mastered
4
Of Ice and Darkness
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Kalor Iceborn
As a blood member of the ruling Kel’sar, unease was a feeling that Kalor Iceborn rarely encountered. Even when he was an adolescent he usually held a higher rank than most of the adults in the room and superior combat skills to match (he was bred for that sort of thing, after all). But standing here in the presence of his uncle after his recent failures at the arcanist’s guild, Kalor felt a tinge of terror.
Elder Loris, his uncle and clan head of the Kel’sar’s northern division was not a man who took failure lightly, even when it came to his own blood. And by the look on his aged face, Kalor was not going to be the exception.
As he approached the throne, Kalor passed by three of Loris’s most trusted captains, each of them an [s-rank] or higher in their own right and each now wielding a scroll with the elder’s very specific instructions. A fourth scroll still sat next to the elder, likely waiting for Kalor himself.
“You… wanted to see me, Uncle?” Kalor muttered, his hand instinctively rubbing at the fresh scar on the side of his face, the scar he’d received when that rogue dragon mage and his wives had tossed him out a window.
“How is your rehabilitation coming?” Loris asked, his body rigid and emotionless as he sat cross-legged on his throne, his body draped in robes of blue. In one of his hands, he held onto a small cup of tea, though its contents had already begun to freeze over due to the mere power of the elder’s arcane aura.
“It’s coming along well, thank you, Uncle. I’ve regained nearly all my strength back and full use of my arcana. The elixirs have worked wonders.”
Loris nodded. “Good. Now come closer. Let me see you.”
The hair on the back of Kalor’s neck immediately stood on end. Despite being well over a hundred years old, his uncle’s sight was still impeccable. He was an eternal rank arcanist, after all. Still, Kalor trudged forward…
And received a swift slap in the face for his troubles.
“If your father wasn’t the ruler of this clan then I’d damn you for your failures, boy,” Loris spat, his tone sharp. “I still might… but for now I have uses for you.”
“Anything, uncle,” Kalor replied as he dropped to his knees and bowed, forehead pressed into the ground as a show of subservience.. “Just say the word and-“
“Words are cheap,” the elder barked as he scooped up the scroll and tossed it at Kalor. “And they surely won’t help quell your dishonor. But perhaps you can be of use yet. The dragon that you hunted could not be located in any of the surrounding townships, meaning he’s either fled or is residing somewhere on the outskirts of our kingdom. I want him dead… but it isn’t practical to raze an entire kingdom in search of one soul. So, I’m sending out strike forces to search for the bastard and I’d like you to take the western coast. That scroll there will show you what areas your’e responsible for.”
Kalor’s eyes widened as he opened the scroll and reviewed its contents. “The Hyugen province?”
“Did I stutter, boy?” Loris replied, nearly ready to strike him again. “But you're not going alone, not when I can’t count on you to dispatch a single threat.” The elder’s lips stretched into a vile smile. “No, I’d like your wife to accompany you.”
“Kalor stiffened. His wife… he hadn’t seen her in weeks, not that it was unusual. His marriage wasn’t one of love, but an arranged betrothal sought to strengthen his family’s power. A loveless affair. No doubt his wife was beautiful. Hells, they’d even fucked quite regularly. But something about the eldritch power flowing through her had an effect on him over time. It was… unsettling. And that unhinged attitude of hers…
Suddenly, he heard the chamber door creak open behind him and the soft patter of footsteps as the woman herself approached his flank, no doubt carefully planned by his conniving uncle. He turned, catching a glimpse of her lavender skin, her voluptuous curves, and her smile made of equal parts mischief, desire, and deceit.
Annastrazia, [A-rank] necromancer had arrived.
“I hear we’re going on a trip, dearest husband,” the woman said, shooting a wink in the elder’s direction before placing a cool hand on Kalor’s forearm. Despite Loris’s rather jagged disposition, he took care to remain level-headed with the lavender-skinned arcanist. Necromancers were a highly coveted rarity among the clans after all, and retaining that sort of advantage heavily outweighed any of the woman’s… odd behaviors. Plus, there was just something about pissing off the person that could raise your dead against you.
“A trip, indeed,” Kalor replied, trying to remain earnest despite his cold and arrogant nature. “Have you been to the Hyugen province? I heard the coast is a sight to behold in spring.”
Annastrazia snickered. “It sounds lovely. You know dear, I never have reanimated a shark.”
Kalor grimaced. This was going to be a long trip.
5
A Welcome Reprieve
After acquainting myself with Danica’s friend, the seer, I finally managed to enjoy that evening of downtime I was looking forward to.
The people of the village were especially receptive to our company, likely because we had eradicated the ravebeasts that were about to ravage their village. But hey, I wasn’t going to turn down some free food and a bit of pampering.
A large fire was built near the river bank where Fuschia-colored fish were roasted to a delectable char and placed on some of the best kabobs I’d ever had in my life. Even better, the food was doused in this red paste made from grinding up a plant called lava leaf. The plant had been given the name due to the paste’s spicy nature, though its spice level was more like a sriracha, respectable but nothing on the level of an atomic chicken wing.
As the evening went on and the food was devoured, the village cooks retreated from the spotlight, making way for the entertainers to take center stage.
First, the riverside fire was kindled to a large blaze that lit up the village. Then came the music. Gods, I didn’t realize how long it had been since I’d listened to music, and the heavenly sound of those handcrafted violins were quite literally soul-soothing. As the trio of musicians constructed their melody, visible waves of amber light could be seen drifting from their violin strings. Songbirds, that was the name given to people who could manifest arcana through music. They weren’t full-fledged arcanists, never could be. But through music, they could draw out just a bit of their innate magical ability and create a melody that transcended beauty.
I wasn’t sure how much time passed as I sat back and let the music take me in. I basked in it, allowing the sound to take my soul adrift. Eventually, the soft, melodic tunes grew faster, lighter, infecting the riverside gathering with more of a party atmosphere. Men and women who were content to sit by and listen were now on their feet dancing in the firelight, beads of sweat dripping from their scantly clad bodies. They were celebrating… celebrating the fact that they were here, that they were alive. And that… that was because of me.
Slowly, I raised my bare hands into the air and stared into my palms. For the second time, these hands had saved a village of people from certain destruction. For the second time, they’d spared dozens and dozens of lives. It was like I’d become a nomad hero only spoke about in folk tales. With these hands…
“Doncha wanna dansh?”
Slowly my gaze drifted to the space between my fingers, catching a glimpse of a very sloshed Efray. Apparently as I sat, basking in the glow of the firelight, Efray had been sampling some of the village’s home brew wine. And now it looked like she was wearing the potent beverage on her flushed cheeks.
“Laaance,” she continued, gesturing towards me as her off-balance form teetered dangerously close to the fire. I immediately began to rise but Erin was at her side in an instant, using her enhanced reflexes to scoop her up. Damn… just how strong was Erin now?
“I’ll get her to bed,” she said, cradling the drunk weaver in her arms.
“Thanks,” I replied, shooting a warm smile Erin’s way as she carried the weaver towards one of the huts they’d loaned us for the night.
Again I found myself alone, sitting by the firelight as the festivities began to taper and more of the villagers began to retire for the night. Some of the men (drunk as they were) gave me nods or hearty pats on the shoulder as they passed, while a few of the women shot me glances that made my dragon blood heat. However, it was a gaze and a gesture that caught my eye.