Draith
patreon
Chapter 1 - No Good Choices
🕑 Added 2025-02-23 19:32:41 +0000 UTCIt's funny how you could be cruising along the highway one minute, then have a kid step out in front of you while going oh-now-I'm-screwed miles per hour.
An oncoming truck on the left. A kid frozen up, holding a red basketball directly ahead. A thick forest of trees off to the right. Not a good choice among them.
Was still an easy one.
I flew off the right side and slammed into a thick oak tree, certain that that moment, that terrifying choice, was my last.
However, I woke up. I woke up to a pair of soft brown eyes surrounded by a wrinkled face looking down at me.
My first thought was that I'd survived the accident and that this was the grizzled face of my nurse, about to tell me how utterly ruined I was.
"Ah, it seems the young master has deemed himself worthy of joining us this morning after all," a weathered voice rumbled forth as what I soon realized was an older gentleman took a step backwards. "Perhaps this will remind the young lord that staying out until the crimson goddess's hour the night after his awakening was not his wisest pursuit. You may be a mage now, but that doesn't mean you have the fortitude of a Dragon-souled, master Perth."
Despite his resemblance to a certain caped crusader's butler, I somehow knew this man's name was Calbern. And he wasn't a butler. He was Perth's personal servant, a sort of mentor and aide.
More importantly, flashes of memory revealed I'd died, bleeding out in the car even as the sirens drew close. But instead of staying six feet under, I'd been reborn in a new world. As a noble of all things. And one who could wield magic. A magelord.
I'd won the isekai jackpot!
I hadn't even needed to struggle to adapt. All the previous host's memories were there for me to draw on, like a half remembered wiki article.
"Your young master might not have made the best decisions last night," I admitted, though I wasn't referring to the copious amounts of alcohol he'd consumed with his brothers.
No, on the evening of awakening his mana, at the prodding of two of his elder brothers, young master Perth Seleus Aranor had decided he'd take part in a dangerous and legally dubious ritual that would summon a soul from another world. A ritual that, supposedly, would allow him to feed on said soul to grant himself a rare affinity and greater potential than most wizards could dream of.
Turns out I gave him a bit of indigestion. Even without being conscious, I fought back, his brothers laughing as he writhed on the floor. Not the best of brothers, those.
Perth had struggled home alone, in enough pain I actually felt a degree of sympathy for him, despite his attempt to eat my soul. Poor kid really didn't know what he was getting into. My old man may've been a right bastard, but he'd taught me to never give up. It seemed that had stuck even after I'd died. At some point in the night, I'd eaten Perth's instead.
Rough night for the young master.
"A promising sign, that the young master can recognize his failings so readily," Calbern said, with a hint of pride in his voice. "Now, if you can gather yourself, your father has asked for you to attend him."
"My father?" I asked as I tried to recall what I could of the man. As it turned out, it wasn't much. Sightings at the yearly family shindigs and a single wordless visit when Perth turned thirteen had been the full extent of the unlucky bastard's interactions with his old man.
Considering Perth was the only child of his third wife, who had died in an accident when Perth had been young, he'd savored those memories. As a political marriage, his father had apparently had no use for little Perth. I could tell that Perth had been lucky though. His father might've ignored him, but Calbern had looked after him as though he'd been his own child. Better than anyone had looked after me, that was for sure.
Not that Perth had a chance to appreciate it.
"Yes, it seems your father has decided on your calling," Calbern replied, holding up a set of fur lined robes for inspection. "Not these, I think. Today calls for a touch less color. Can't be broadcasting your affinity when we haven't even had a chance to get you properly tested, can we?"
I simply nodded, allowing Calbern to dress me as I recalled as much as I could of my situation, not bothering to fight off my smile as the green vines that served as laces on my shirt wove themselves together as Calbern pulled it into place. After all, Perth would've been just as excited, if for different reasons.
Looking out the window, I could see flashes in the distance. According to Perth’s memories, those were expected on occasion, as the monsters from beyond the Front tested the barriers containing the chaos at the center of the continent.
It seemed I'd woken in the kingdom of Arcadia, on the world of Ro'an. One of the hundred kingdoms, though only one of three that bordered the infamous Front. Perth's father was an Evearl, one of the higher ranks of the Magus Dominus, and one of the few mages to reach the coveted rank of Djinn-soul. Only kings, queens and the handful of Free Walkers — Dragon-souled mages who called no land their home — were above his father. Even as an estranged son, I'd basically won the lottery.
No. Especially as an estranged son. Whatever 'calling' Perth's old man chose for me, I'd have access to his vast libraries, years to develop my core and the freedom to explore this new world.
Glancing towards the flashing light in the distance, I shuddered. If I was an actual heir, I would've had duties that bound me to the castle or managing the lands under his old man. Or even being apprenticed to a mage on the Front. I had no desire to be placed somewhere the life expectancy was measured in days for all but the most talented.
Beyond the safety of the Infinite Rift and humanity's Barrier Pillars, all sorts of powerful beasts lived, fought and died. Genies, hydras and demons were all known to break free from beyond The Front, fleeing from whatever lay at the heart of the continent, where mana was thickest. Even dragons would sometimes emerge from within the chaos, though the great wyrms were rarely as destructive.
Calbern tugged on my sleeve, and the fabric tightened at his touch, nature enchantments causing the material to fit me perfectly. As it would with every member of Perth’s family, even the seventh in line. Perth had four brothers and two sisters ahead of him. All but one, his half-sister Nexxa, were from his father's first wife. That meant the many expectations of their father’s noble scions had long been fulfilled before Perth came into his magic. There wasn't much between me and my desire to wield mystic forces. Especially because, in addition to his awakened mana, I'd inherited years worth of theoretical teaching about the workings of magic through Perth's memories.
Even if those memories were considerably less clear than I would've preferred.
Perth paid less attention during his Wizard theory classes than I did when my old man had droned on about what part was what during our many engine swaps and other grease monkey work. In both our defence, teenage minds did better when we chose the subject of our attention.
Still, I'd just been pulling wrenches. Perth was learning literal magic! Something he'd been practically guaranteed to awaken as the son of a Djinn-souled.
"You're looking rather handsome. I do believe I've outdone myself," Calbern said, stepping back so I could have a clear view of the mirror. After one final adjustment of the neck scarf, a simple but elegant strip of cloth that represented my recently awakened core, of course. Even as a 'lowly' Mage-soul, the simple band of lightly enchanted blue cloth marked me as one in ten thousand.
As I looked in the mirror, I was shocked at how closely Perth's appearance matched my own. He had the same piercing blue eyes I'd gotten from my mother, as well as the straight black hair. His chin was a little sharper than I was used to and his cheeks not quite as round, with none of the scars or burns. Wasn't as fit either. He was also twenty years younger than I'd been when I crashed, though I'd already picked up on that from his memories.
Looked better than I had when I was twenty-one, but then I'd been drinking every night, doing my level best to obliterate every thought I could. Of my old man. Of his dreams. Of what he'd made me…
Instead, I'd wasted those years of my life. Probably would've continued wasting the rest of them if the old man hadn't up and keeled over from a heart attack. Best thing he'd ever done for me, other than leaving me the shop.
Still, the old man dying shattered everything I thought I knew. Like when the Titanic sank. Impossible until it happened. It’d been a bigger adjustment than waking up somewhere other than Earth, that was for sure.
Calbern adjusted my collar once more, drawing me out of my thoughts, the scarf having slid slightly as I inspected my new self.
"You're a good man, Calbern," I said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. Perth might not have appreciated him, but I already did. The man was a saint, at least in regards to how he'd cared for Perth.
"I… Thank you, master Perth," Calbern replied, blinking rapidly but otherwise not betraying any surprise at my comment. He'd always been a special sort of upright, so far as Perth could remember.
"I don't suppose father gave you any hints as to my calling? It must not be too reliant on my awakening if he doesn't want to wait until I've tested my affinity. Monster hunting in the outer kingdoms, maybe? Or perhaps a place within the shipyards?" It was amazing how easily I could talk as though I was Perth. Then again, my old man had taught me well the value of telling others what they wanted to hear.
"I'm afraid he didn't see fit to inform me, master Perth. He did seem rather pleased when we spoke, however."
Neither Perth or I knew Perth's father well enough to know if that was a good thing. One could hope. I didn't.
"Suppose we'd best get on with it," I said looking once more into the mirror, rather liking who I saw staring back.
Calbern inclined his head in agreement before escorting me to Perth's father's wing of the complex. As soon as we left my room, I had to fight to keep my head from swiveling. While I had access to Perth’s memories, there was still something marvelous about the nature of the estate.
And nature was the right word.
The hallway outside Perth’s room was lit not by electric lights or burning gas fires, but by glowing bulbs of florescent plant leaves. Every step was softened by the thin layer of grass that served as both carpet and perfume, the bending of the blades leaving a pleasant, yet subtle floral scent.
Which served as security as much as a display of skill, the scent alerting the hidden guardians of every movement within the halls.
Every part of the Aranor estate incorporated some aspect of nature in its motif or its function. And why wouldn’t it, when Perth’s father was the most talented nature mage the continent had seen in a century. And he had expected the same of his children.
These wonders of magic were considered so crass by Perth’s family, that even his compound had them.
It was apparent when we entered the main compound. While the flowers in Perth’s section had been well tended and natural feeling, here it was as though nature had been bent to an iron will, and that will had chosen to express itself in the form of a great mural.
We crossed into the entrance hall, which stretched a hundred feet across, and easily thirty above us. The entire time we remained beneath the empty gaze of a mighty nature dragon. Not one of the Dragon-souled, who were said to be the continent’s only equals to the great wyrms, but the hollow skull of Velor, who Perth’s father had slain during his time at the Front.
Unable to help myself, I stopped and stared at the magnificent rainbow glimmer of the otherwise obsidian-seeming skull. Material so durable, that even in death, it could resist any blow.
Calbern moved beside me, not saying a word, but inclining his head ever so slightly further in. His point was clear. Perth’s father was waiting.
Stepping into a side corridor off of the entrance hall, the decor returned to something more humble, only having the simple lighting and anti-intruder grass.
Leaving me to wait outside, Calber stepped inside the study. A room Perth had never been allowed inside, despite spending most his life in the complex. He'd heard his siblings complain about their lessons there, but Perth’s hadn't even been in the wing.
Calbern returned a few seconds later, informing me we'd need to wait. Which wasn't too much of a surprise. I couldn’t allow myself to be late, but even Perth's eldest sibling, Barreth, had to wait when their father was occupied.
We didn't end up waiting long, the door swinging open only ten minutes after Calbern had informed him of our arrival.
Practically instant, where Perth's father was concerned.
I entered the study alone, taking in the austere yet high quality contents. A lone desk, carved from the heart of a thousand year old World tree sat in the center. Behind it sat Perth's father, on one of four chairs carved from the same tree, his hands folded neatly on the desk while his eyes tracked my entrance.
He looked barely older than Perth himself, the longer life of a Djinn-souled fortifying his health. Instead of Perth's raven black hair, his father's was a rich brown, tinged with emerald green. Eyes of swirling green, the exact shade as those highlights in his hair, took in my every movement.
Thankfully, I was prepared for this meeting. Calbern had drilled Perth on it repeatedly, and unlike his magic lessons, Perth had paid full attention.
"Greetings, esteemed father," I said, bowing at the hip while keeping my legs as straight as possible. Something Perth had been incapable of before the aforementioned drills. "I have come to you in the wake of my ensoulment, ready to serve our house."
"Greetings, my child. I see your commitment, and offer you a choice," he replied, almost causing me to fall over. If Perth had been here, he likely would've.
The calling wasn't a choice. That's why it was a calling. The head of the house called his ensouled scions to action and they answered.
That's how it had been for every one of Perth's siblings. Heck, according to what Perth had been taught, that's how it'd worked for his parents, and their parents before them.
Despite the instructions Perth had been given to keep his eyes fixed firmly to the floor, I wasn't able to keep my eyes from flicking upward, to see if perhaps this man was somehow messing with me. Yet all I could see were those swirling emerald eyes staring back, unwavering and resolute.
Forcing myself to swallow as I returned my eyes to the floor, I waited for another few seconds. When nothing further was offered, I asked, "A choice?"
"Due to the nature of your post-ensoulment celebration activities," he paused then, and I could feel his eyes burning into me. If it'd been Perth, he would've started pleading for forgiveness at that point. Even he would've understood what his father was saying. I simply remained in position, wondering how much Perth and his brothers had screwed me. "Originally, I was going to do as you desired, and assign you to the Gardeners."
I blinked as I stared at the ground, sifting through Perth's memories. It only took a moment to realize he had indeed wanted to become a Gardener, one of the plant mages who infused the nature crystals the farms used to encourage growth. But he'd only wanted that because it was the easiest job a Mage-souled could get. Dump mana into a repository throughout the week, drop it off at the Gardens, then sit around and relax. There were Gardeners who did more than that, of course, but that was the minimum required of a noble scion assigned to the role.
"But now that path has been rendered… untenable." Risking another glance, I caught a hint of a frown, before his face returned to his impervious poker face. "Instead, we will go on a little trip. We are going to the Front.”
I was unable to suppress the shudder that went through me at that. The Front was where the ensouled went to die.
Avoiding such a fate was part of why Perth had been convinced by his brothers that it would be worth it to go through with the ritual that had summoned me.
I could appreciate the irony, even if Perth wouldn't have.
"Yes, you understand what that means. Prepare yourself."
Despite his words, I didn’t know what I could do.
The roof of the study peeled open, much like a flower. Perth’s father came around the desk and laid one solid hand on my shoulder. A second later and we started to rise. Below us, a single gargantuan leaf held us up, thin vines strapping my feet to its surface. Before I could take in our surroundings, we were rising higher, moving faster, before we were suddenly shooting across the sky.
Everything around us was a blur, until it wasn’t.
The first thing I noticed was the giant pillar rising into the sky. It gleamed with a metallic shine, and if not for Perth’s history lessons, I would’ve thought it a new construction.
It was one of the great Barrier Pillars that sat along the Front.
Beneath us, mages cast spells at monsters, culling back the tide. There were thousands of mages, all working to hold it back.
There were even more monsters. Most of the monsters were fighting each other. And of those that didn’t, the majority of the rest would impact the intangible barrier, only to bounce off and run away.
But among the untold masses, a handful slipped through.
And where they did, the mages fought.
Even as we watched, a hydra pierced the barrier. With seven heads waving in fury, its scaled leg crashed down on a group of mages. From our height, I couldn’t determine their fate, though I suspected they’d be doomed without help.
“It seems we chose a good moment,” Perth’s father said, bringing us closer while raising his hand. In response, the ground below twisted, black thorned vines shooting upward to wrap around the hydra’s many necks. The vines constrained the hydra, and most of the mages escaped from beneath its bulk. Not all though. As the leaf we were on drew closer, I saw a pair of mages still underneath it.
One was cradling the other, tears running down his cheeks as he held his friend. That his friend was dead, I had no doubt. There was no way-
The body twitched, then gasped, physically knitting itself together. Then a dozen black vines wrapped around the pair, hauling them to the safety of their colleagues.
Perth’s father didn’t even glance in the direction of the men he’d saved as he wrestled the still living hydra to the ground.
“Harvesters!” he called. Another group of mages came running at his words, and while he held it in place, started sawing at the hydra. “Good. Watch closely, Perth. This is your fate. You will soon join these hard working mages.”
I swallowed. While Perth’s father was ordering them around like they were nothing, every ensouled present was at least a Pegasus tier. And even with their magic, a single monster had nearly killed them all.
While they dealt with the cleanup of the hydra, I scoured Perth’s memories for a solution. Some way out of this. I couldn’t be sent to the Front. Perth’s brother had been prepared for nearly a decade before being allowed to go to the Front, and it hadn’t even been his calling.
My gaze settled on the Pillar.
There was something there.
Barreth had been talking with their brother Sosa, he’d mentioned that father couldn’t ever be sent to the Front, because he was a Magus Dominus. That memory triggered others. A Magus Dominus didn’t have to be a Djinn-souled. Any awakened mage could take the oath.
Instead of fighting on the front, I would serve by watching over Ro’an’s people. I would be sent to govern a domain, linked to its beacon until my oath was deemed fulfilled. I would be expected to fight, yes, but it wouldn’t be the suicide of the Front.
The oath came to me, and I found myself uttering the words with surprising conviction. "Upon the ancient Pillars of Ro’an, I bind myself in solemn oath.” Even as I said the words, I could feel something reach out to me, brushing against some intangible part of my being. Doing my best to ignore the alien sensation, I continued, “I pledge my life and the essence of my soul to protect the people under my charge. I shall be their shield, their storm, and their watchful eye, unyielding until my final breath. My lands shall remain pure, free from the stain of corruption and the scourge of monstrous threats. So long as my Domain stands, my vow stands eternal, etched into the fabric of Ro’an.”
I took a deep breath, stealing a glance at Perth’s father, who watched me with narrowed eyes. Yet he did not interrupt as I spoke the final words.
“With full knowledge of what lays before me, I pledge myself as a Magus Dominus.”
