Planet Lekrys

Kingdom of Bramha

Lekryan Calendar 11th day of Radagon 4912

 

Bandit camp

Mind Flayer felt satisfaction welling up in its sinister soul, it arrived on this world just one month ago but it already established a base of operation after possessing a random bandit that found him in the forest. It had been really easy of taking possession of Salazar, he got seduced by the power that Mind Flayer offered him, power without limits. Each uses had eroded the bandit chief’s soul until the demon soul took over the bandit’s body and destroyed his spirit.

The demon possessed human was on his desk chair made of precious bones from a ground Draco, the species of Dragonoid indigenous of this planet and sipped on his Equalyrian wine while looking from the written report of his subordinates. Mind Flayer was looking for the lost heir of the Phantasian throne, who simply wasn’t on Phantasia anymore. Or at least that is what his master, Lord Dökkur Dath’tas discovered. Someone moved her off-world, it was the only explanation! Empress Daphne has the loyalty of the Mage Guild of the Faerie Dells and Sorcerer's circle of the Permafrost tower, moving the imperial heir to another world wasn’t so difficult. 

Mind Flayer remembered the prophecy that spread everywhere sixteen years ago, it had created so much panic in the ranks of the fallen and… in the dark Lord. 

 

Of snow and thunder the day of change, the lands unify and all take a stand.

A red-haired maiden borne of her Mother's love a stand will take against the fallen.

The sky shall cry the tears of ice; the sign of hope the dark weakens its ties.

Dark god's fist shattered shall be, before the true heir revealed.

 

It announced the loss of everything the Fallen of the Dark Fist had built for, they were different from their lesser brethren the Rudras and Liliums Demonkin who were content to mix with the lower races and sullying their lineages, wallow in mediocrity and enjoy ‘peace’. Mind Flayer abhorred the entire concept of peace! Demonkin came from a hellish plane in constant war, there was no place for peace for them! Mind Flayer inadvertently spilled its mug of wine on the table as its hand resisted its will, or should we say the original owner hand’s. The Demon Sword still received token resistance from the other soul it took over. It smiled, this world was comparable to Phantasia the people were strong, the climate good maybe when all is done he could come back here and… 

BANG. The door of its cottage opened, the possessed heard the noise of someone running into the corridor leading to his office.

“Chief there are intruders!” A dark-skinned man rushed into his office. 

The possessed eyes opened wide.

“What?” He shouted while hitting his desk with his right fist. 

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, after being this careful in evading the Kingdom’s elite patrols and those parties of Seekers. It was a problem of being prolific thieves, Mind Flayer had hoped it had straddled the fine line between enough and excess when he did his raid or highway thievery, its next goal had been to steal a skyship and convert into being sky pirate. Sky pirates were more influential than dirty mountain bandits, the dark soul had hoped to be able to find the Heir this way. 

“It’s the Braeddak Order! The Church is descending upon us!” The subordinate cried in anguish. 

Battle noises could suddenly be heard around the cottage from the bandit chief’s office, the possessed put a hand on the grip of the Demon Sword. While the bandit chief went to the exit he heard the screams of his men and the battle-cries of their foes.  

“R-run!” 

“Gyaah-” 

“No-n-no don’t-” 

From what the possessed could hear the battle was one-sided, he thought that it was time to balance things out. He made a wicked grin and unsheathed his Demon Sword and ran to the outside. What he saw stopped him cold, there were only five people attacking and decimating his forces! A bright golden light shined from the sky, Mind Flayer looked up and now knew what true fear was. 

She was beautiful with her cerulean blue eyes and a mane of crimson hair with Golden horns forming an ornate crown around her head; the woman wore a layered dark pink dress with a pale pink shawl floating in the wind. He had heard of her, in fact, everyone on this planet knew of her; the chosen of the Goddess of Light, Saintess Shiwan Zel Reis as proven by the golden aura surrounding her. She was barely seventeen and already powerful beyond compare, one of the best this planet had to offer; but this wasn’t all, she could battle people more powerful than her and win, Mind Flayer had heard of those godlike figure able to shatter mountain or change the landscape dramatically and had decided to lay low and bide his time and cultivate his power. 

“Why?” The possessed and Mind Flayer asked themselves.

Fate was impeding him from his goal, will he be able to return to the Dark Lord’s side. Was he destined to be finished here?! The cerulean blue eyes of the Saintess found him. She closed her purple fan and descended from the sky to land without noise on earth. Everyone stopped fighting when she was in sight. Her troops surrounded her, forming a protective circle around her as if she needed it. 

Mind Flayer wanted to flee, flee to fight another day but it wasn’t to be as the Saintess took something from her spatial ring. It was a circle made of shining golden metal with a… grip?  

*It’s a weapon!* 

The circle that was thirty centimeters in diameter expanded and became a giant circle of three meters and a shining gold purple light surrounded it. Mind Flayer and the possessed didn’t have the time to blink before everything around them was destroyed as the unusual weapon destroyed the bandit camp. The smell of blood, shit and urine were prevalent. The weapon of the Saintess left only broken down buildings and structure; The survival instinct of the possessed kicked in and he tried to flee, but he couldn’t move anymore; he was paralyzed by the sight of a golden blade touching his nose. 

He found himself before the Saintess who looked at him from head to toe, perusing at him as if he was just a beast and from the way she wrinkled her nose a particularly smelly one. 

*How can she be so fast?!* 

“I found the taint.” Her mellifluous voice rang. 

Shiwan looked at the dreadful looking sword in the possessed hand, it shined with a dark luster. The Saintess could literally feel the evil coming from it as the red jewel glowed with malfeasance. The mana or as it is called on this world, chi pulsed from its core. The Saintess could feel an awareness from it. 

“I-” The possessed tried to say. 

Shiwan looked at him with disdaining eyes that chilled him to his core, she opened her pouty seductive lips and said, “Silence, tainted. You are no use to me, die.” 

The possessed head was separated from his body, he could see it standing before the chosen of the Goddess of light and toppling to the ground, then he knew no more. Shiwan looked at the blade in the man’s arm and snapped her finger, one of her subordinate appeared at her side and handed her a box made of metal; Sun Steel to be precise, a metal that could only be found in meteor craters as a deposit and whose effects was to make light-based chi techniques more powerful. The saintess intended to seal the Damned sword, the man at her side crouched to try to take the sword but the young woman kicked him in the posterior. 

“Don’t touch it, Malikh you don’t want to get tainted, don’t you?”

“My apologies, Saintess!” The man kneeled, lowering his eyes. 

“Good.” 

Shiwan wrapped her hand in a construct of light elements in the form of a glove and crouched elegantly by taking the Demon Sword who thought that he could attack her spiritually. But it failed, it was as if it was facing the Dark Lord all over again, it felt like an ant. The power of its will was like a gnat to the mountain of Shiwan’s spirit and power. 

“Presumptuous Demon. I should erase your soul from existence.” Shiwan sneered. 

The sound of thunder and the flowing wind caressing her face made Shiwan stop from destroying the tainted weapon. She heard the voice of her Goddess and she nodded after making a tired sigh. She then looked in the blood red ruby of the Demon Sword. 

“I will spare you, for now,” Shiwan announced suddenly really sad. 

The red jewel glowed brightly with hope. 

“But I wouldn’t be happy if I was in your place, Demon. I am bringing you to the temple, my Goddess wishes to decide your fate herself.” Shiwan gloated. 

<NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!> Mind Flayer screamed. 

The twinkle like laugh of Shiwan accompanied the Demon Sword’s terrific cry as the young woman put it in the Sun Steel box.

***

Same day

Seattle, Mercer Island

Tesla Academy, Rest area

 

Elissa felt as if her entire body was broken down and put together one second later, opening her eyes she felt vertigo and kneeled on the dark blue and gold linoleum floor. The cryo form, her trump card had been too much. Her mother was going to kill her! It was a spell that she could only use when her life was threatened, not to show off. 

The redhead felt empty, her mana was depleted and she began to feel the detrimental psychological effect that this state brought; pessimism, sadness, and selfishness. The young girl wished to have her Lacryrium kit on her to recover her magic, but her mother had confiscated it as it was highly addictive, caused nausea, and blistering of the skin. Elissa tried to get back on her feet but couldn’t, any strength she had has been depleted by the Ultima spell: cryo form. 

A hand landed on Elissa’s shoulder, as she turned her head she saw that it was Dawn who looked at her worriedly. Then the redhead felt as the Asian girl pushed her mana into her, lending her some of her reserve. There was nothing more intimate than this and a gesture of trust, Elissa siphoned Dawn’s mana and felt that she could at least stand now. Dawn still helped her to stand while propping her against her and then walk toward one the chairs and tables of the rest area they teleported in. Elissa looked around her and noticed that Donovan followed them,on his tail was team two. Danny looked at Elissa as is she was a mountain she had to climb. 

The redhead smiled wryly at the blonde girl. Team one stopped at the table in the middle of the room, Dawn helped Elissa to sit and put herself beside her on another chair, Donovan looked around the rest area and discovered a vending machine that offered coffee and soft drinks. As he is a good guy he went to take some cans. Danny and her two friends went to the table next to them, discussing heatedly what had happened in the wildland park. 

As for team three they looked tired and beaten as they appeared in the rest area. Team one and two looked at them taking the bench against the walls, avoiding them. Elissa understood, after what they did there was no way to socialize after all. Wayne Griffin’s gaze was locked on the recovering redhead that took the first place with her team; she has showed him a new dimension to magic that he never expected to exist. The young boy had always been content to learn Western magic and rested on his laurels, Elissa Von Braun has lit a fire in him, that he could be more.  

Wayne sighed.  

He has fallen in love with the redhead beauty and strength, the boy thought about adding her power to his lineage. He began to use his CLO that had cloned his contacts from his smartphone and began texting his parents to tell them what happened in the entrance exam. Beside him, Jamie and Emilia hugged and comforted each other. They were a pitiful sight. 

Donovan came back with bottles of fresh fruit juice, cans of coffee and tea for team one and two. Elissa looked at the big guy flirting with Danny who seemed to have the time of her life suddenly, after five minutes they exchanged numbers, he even got the other blonde’s. 

“Smooth,” Dawn said. 

“Really smooth.” Elissa acquiesced with a nod. 

The two girls looked at each other and then giggled in unison. Well, it’s all as it should be after all Elissa didn’t plan on stopping cooperating with them all and having friends in another division would be good. Elissa was still smiling at Dawn when she saw the Asian girl freeze and open her eyes wide, the redhead looked behind her and saw her mother. Malicia’s eyes glowed yellow-green and an opaque dome of mana deployed around them obscuring them to the sight of everyone in the room even sound couldn’t pass. The sorceress wore an ornate strapless golden dress with a cloth belt with an encrusted emerald jewel, her other accessories mirrored the same style, gold and emerald necklace, and earrings; her open toe golden leather sandals to match made her look lovely. But the fury in the woman’s eyes detracted from ever thinking of how beautiful she was. 

“You foolish girl.” Malicia’s voice dripped anger and a little fear. 

SLAP. The slap from Elissa’s mother rang out, it had even bypassed her tough skin and left a bright red mark in the form of her hand. Elissa put a hand on her cheek, tears began to fall as she looked at her infuriated mother. 

“I-” Elissa tried to say. 

Malicia’s yellow-green aura flared around her, its pressure bearing down on her daughter’s who was made to kneel. 

“You could have died! How could you have been so stupid?! I didn’t raise you this long to let you fall to your pride, Elissa.” Malicia had seen her daughter give into the power of her elemental form as she had taken a lot of time to undo it. 

Malicia’s heart was beating frenetically, her husband had stopped her from teleporting to the exam’s location after seeing Elissa use the cryo form. A magical spell that makes the caster able to create, shape and manipulate the basic elements of nature. However with the undeveloped mana core of Elissa it was foolhardy of her to have used this, it could have shattered or made her stay stuck at this level of power forever. The sorceress looked at her daughter’s astral form and sighed with relief as she noticed no sign of strain on her spiritual meridians and mana core. 

“I am sorry, mom! It was on the spur of the moment...” Elissa said as she began sobbing. 

Malicia’s aura settled as she went still after hearing her daughter explanation, her eyes glowed with more intensity though. The sorceress closed her eyes and sighed heavily then reopened them and her gaze became resolute as it settled on her troubled daughter. 

“You are not allowed to use magic unsupervised until I feel that you won’t do it again.” Malicia decided. 

Elissa’s eyes opened wide and she stood up from her kneeling position and cried, “No you can’t-” 

“Oh, yes I can.” Malicia interrupted her.

The sorceress put a hand on Elissa’s shoulder and unleashed her mana in her to weave a restraining curse. Elissa felt as if her mother was marking her with a branding iron.  

*It hurts, it hurts so bad!* The redhead screamed in her head. 

The young girl fell to the ground again, feeling as she lost control of the conscious manipulation of her own spiritual veins. 

“With this seal, you can only use your mana when I wish it for a set amount of time. You have disappointed me, Elissa. Playing with your life this way, and for what? TO SHOW OFF?! Your father will also want to speak with you when this charade will be done. Now get up.” 

Elissa obeyed even though her body ached, she looked around her; she still could perceive magic, circulate her mana and use her mage sight, but as she tried to weave a spell, the place on her shoulder that her mother had her hand on flared and cause debilitating pain to her. 

“Mom…” Elissa could understand her mother’s anger, but did she deserve a punishment this cruel?

Malicia took tissues from her handbag and handed them to her daughter who took them meekly drying her tears. The sorceress took the ring from her right ring finger and held it toward Elissa who looked at her mother warily. 

“Take it, Eli. I might have taken your ability to weave spells but I won’t leave you defenseless.” 

Elissa took the ring from her mother hand and put it on her left hand index. It was an ornate ring with Phantasian magical runes made of pure Mithril with a ruby and and pink diamond. The redhead felt the ring prick her finger, she looked at her mother with askance. The form of two women appeared suddenly at each of her sides. They were a tall and short duo, clearly sisters as their facial features were the same, raven long hair neatly coiffed, and a pert nose sitting in the middle of a charming face; they have bright golden catlike eyes, set elegantly within their sockets. Soft skin could be seen from the openings of their airy dresses that gorgeously compliments their feminine curves; the tall one wore a black dress and the short one a white one. They looked at Elissa with trepidation and excitement. 

“Those two are Reinatiel and Fenirael,” Each one of them waved or smiled when Malicia told their name. “your two new guardian familiars. They are demonkin who pledged their loyalty to me and incidentally, to you.” 

Fenirael the demonkin in black put a hand on Elissa’s shoulder as she has perceived the demonic lock there, then looked at Malicia with questions in her eyes. Reinatiel didn’t question her mistress and stayed at the right side of Elissa. 

“Yes, she’s being punished.” Malicia’s eyes focused on Elissa yet again. 

“May I ask why?” Fenirael tilted her head. 

Malicia walked toward her daughter with a feline gait, took the redhead face between her hand. “She almost killed herself with magic, I need to be sure she won’t do it again.” Elissa was suddenly engulfed in her mother embrace and stiffened, but as she felt how the sorceress body was trembling from fright she relaxed and put her arms around her.  

Elissa couldn’t stay angered at what her mother just did to her, she understood that it is out of love. 

“Very well, mistress.” Feni turned her head toward Elissa. “Young mistress, you don’t need to worry, I won’t let anything happen to you.” As Elissa disentangled from her mother hug she looked at the demon who was suddenly in her personal space. 

The redhead felt awkward to be stared at this way, this female demon seemed to be too eager to serve her to her taste. 

A giggle rang on Elissa right. “Ah! You are going to be your nosey self with her too, sister?” The white-clothed demonkin looked at her sister with a wry smile. 

Feni rolled her eyes.“I am just going to do my job, Rei.” 

The black-clothed female demonkin looked at Elissa with renewed fervor and nodded at her. 

“I will endeavor to not let her be too heavy-handed, mistress Elissa.” Rei continued on a tone that didn’t let any way for Elissa to deny her. 

“Huh, sure…” The redhead said embarrassed. 

Malicia smiled. 

***

 Dawn had felt this powerful wave of mana surround her friend, she had tried to help by teleporting her friend but she had felt as if someone denied her by batting away the tendrils of her mana. It frightened the young girl that someone could even do that! Just as suddenly that it had happened, the dome of darkness dissipated, Elissa and the beautiful woman came in sight. She was gorgeous, so much that it tongue-tied the Asian girl. 

“Hmm, a space mage how interesting,” Malicia said while discovering the Asian girl before her. 

Elissa who felt weakened by her ordeal introduced Dawn to her mother. “Mom, that’s Dawn, my new friend.” The redhead went to her friend and put an arm around her shoulder, Dawn smelled of sweat, snow and a natural scent of fresh flowers. 

“Intriguing,” Malicia said, tilting her head at the sudden physical intimacy between those two. 

She advanced toward Dawn, looking at her with her mage vision at full power. The poor girl felt naked under the scrutinizing gaze of the sorceress as she tried to make herself smaller. Malicia looked at the size of Dawn’s mana core, the thickness of her spiritual meridians that showed an intense use of her magic. The Asian girl was a mage since even longer than Elissa, who Malicia took as an apprentice since her seventh birthday. 

“She’s a good seedling. I might need to nab her and make her an apprentice, space mages are rare.” Malicia envisaged it already in her head. 

*And she could help in opening dimensional portals.* Malicia thought in her heart. 

Dawn tried to step back but Elissa held her tight, the redhead's eyes shined with hope. 

“Yes, could you do that Mom?!” She asked excitedly. 

This news overshadowed the harsh punishment that she was subjected to. It would be so good for her to obtain a new sister in craft. 

*Mom? Wait, is that-* Dawn’s mind halted when she put two and two together.

Elissa stepped away from Dawn but still had her hand on her wrist, the redhead smiled weakly and pointed her finger at Malicia. 

“Dawn, this is my mother, Malicia Von Braun-Halliwell.” 

Dawn made an embarrassing squeal when she heard that, the gorgeous woman squinted her eyes at her. Malicia does not like the reaction of the young Asian girl, her eyes glowed lightly. It made the Asian girl hide behind Elissa and made a silent squeal again. 

“Everyone in the center of the room, please!” A voice ordered. 

It originated from the open door at the end of the rest area, there were three examiners in black uniform and two staff members with white one. Malicia stayed behind the two mage girls and followed them as they moved to the center of the room, there was Donovan who joined them but gave a wide berth to the adult who joined them. Team two placed themselves close to Elissa, curious of who it was behind them. Elissa made a sign to Danny that things were ok. Danny send her contact details to her with a wave of her hand, having already mastered the smartphone functions of the device. Elissa smiled to her and gave her a thumb up. Wayne looked at the woman behind Elissa with fright, he has felt her level of power. She was even more powerful than the girl! He felt scared, he wanted to bolt! But as she looked at him he felt something restrain him, foreign mana intruded in his body and made him move mechanically at the front with team three. 

“I am director John Mantle, and I want to congratulate you in succeeding in completing this placement exam in record time.” The man introduced himself. 

Malicia felt the lie when it was out of his mouth, it seemed that this man had a grudge against her daughter and her team. Though the man was a professional, he couldn’t let the result of the exam put a damper on his work, after all everyone performed spectacularly. Director Mantle put on his fake smile and continued to speak. 

“Your exam credits have just been transferred to your CLO, I hope you will spend them wisely. You can use them to buy gear, but also to learn from courses you haven’t elected for. Spending them on useless gadgets is unwise.” Director Mantle said he glared at team one. 

They, of course, didn’t understand why he did that. But Elissa didn’t care, the man couldn’t take away their victory from them. 

“You’ll be given the boxes in which you placed your previous possessions and will follow the staff to your dorms. Use your CLO to learn how to navigate the premises, there is a complete map of the Academy stored on them. Through the contact function, you can even know where some of your friends and teachers are if they activated this option, of course. Now proceed.” 

“I will take those three to the magic division, you don’t have to bother.” Malicia’s voice rang. 

Director Mantle squinted his eyes at the beautiful woman but didn’t let himself fall to lust; it was touch and go there. He recognized her! It’s the new chairwoman that the Owner, Mister Tesla had presented him. He didn’t tell him her name though. 

“Very well, Miss-” 

“It’s Mrs, Mrs. Von Braun-Halliwell. Young ones go take your boxes, we are going. Now.” Malicia broke her control on Wayne who obeyed after hearing the name.  

The boy finally connected the dots, Elissa Von Braun, the CLO didn’t show her full name, and that is her infamous mother the one he heard so much from in the mage circles. Someone to not antagonize and he tried to roast her daughter with a Elemental. He cursed his luck. His CLO showed which box belonged to him, Dawn and Elissa did the same and took the boxes. Donovan sent his contact to them with his device and waved goodbye at them, the girls smiled at him. The director had ceased to move when he caught the family name of the chairwoman and kept silent until Malicia teleported with three students to the new area dedicated to the magic division. 

“Well, kids follow me.” Mantle said to everyone. 

The teenagers followed him, most of them with ambivalent and excited feelings.