"Heavens Above!" Bard's mouth went dry.
"Milady it's amazing...." Auberon was practically drooling at the sight.
"I've never seen a weapon like that..." Edna said, very unsure as to what she was looking at.
"Isn't it so cool!?!" Riley gushed a she swung the weapon through the air.
"ToOtallY!" Shouted Tierney as he jumped up to give Riley a high five.
Bard, Auberon and Edna just gaped with their mouths wide open as they stared at the beautiful and terrifying weapon in Riley's hand.
The base of the weapon looked like a brilliantly well made silver spear. However levitating around the central spear were six sharp and very thin blades that were shinning viciously in the sunlight.
"Retract!" Called out Riley. As if the six blades had never been there at all, the blades bonded with the spear and melted back into the base.
"Split!" Tierney called out excitedly. The thin blades molded out of their hiding spots in the spear and levitated around the head again.
"Elongate!" Riley chimed in again. The thin blades flew to the head of the spear in an instant and melted into the head, elongating the spear, practically doubling its length.
"Shatter!" Tierney smirked. The thin blades as well as the head of the spear disconnected from the base of the spear. All the blades suddenly seemed to shatter like glass and transform into hundreds, maybe even a thousand tiny blades that was so small, but looked lethal from the way they were shimmering in the sunlight.
"Incredible...." drooled Auberon.
"Isn't it?" Tierney was also drooling. "Show them Riley! Show them how you can use it!" Tierney pleaded jumping up and down, beyond the point of calming down.
"Tierney, where are you manners!?" Ezarah Called out exhausted from the back of the shop after spending the day melding and molding the weapon.
"I dunno!" Tierney crowed back irritated. Ezarah's shoe came flying out from the back of the shop and hit Tierney squarely in the face.
"Rude child!" She tutted.
Tierney's face was bright red, full of indignation. He quietly simmered with anger in the corner.
While Tierney was moping, Riley picked up a cloth she had left on the counter. She walked back to the middle of the room so that everybody could get a clear view. She threw the thin cloth up into the air. Slowly the cloth began to waft down.
"Shatter!" She called out and aimed the spear at the cloth. The hundreds of tiny blades suddenly rampaged at the cloth like a swarm of silent wasps. After a second, nothing was left of the cloth. Just dust floating through the air as the blade had completely destroyed the cloth.
"See, nothings left." Riley smiled proudly as she waved her hand through the air, dispersing the dust left behind by the cloth.
"I used wind magic and dark magic to create this weapon. We made it so that only someone with a high enough level of wind magic can use it. I also used inscription to spell the spear so the magic on it is permanent."
"Splendid Milady! Absolutely splendid!" Bard clapped. Bard suddenly became a tad emotional and had to wipe his eyes with his handkerchief.
"It is really incredible Milady. I used to serve at the Army headquarters in the Royal palace and often saw the generals practice with their Sacred Weapons. Honestly, this spear is probably just as powerful as any of the sacred weapons." Auberon couldn't take his eyes off the spear.
"Sacred Weapons?" Riley asked, her interest piqued at the new term.
"Woah...! Lady Riley, you don't know about the Sacred Weapons! The most powerful weapons in Girannon! The whole world even!" Tierney Exclaimed with disbelief.
"Well, no." Riley admitted.
"Okay, don't worry, I'll explain it to you." Tierney said, walking up to Riley and standing in front of her.
"So basically, just before the Great War began, the previous King knew that Girannon would need some awesome ultimate Weapons to defeat all the other kingdoms. So the king commissioned all of the top guilds to create ultimate weapons that could be used to defeat the other kingdoms. The guilds were told to spare no expense. It didn't matter how many precious metals were required or how many rare items were needed, the King would pay for it all. And so the six Sacred Weapons were created because of the Kings decree. One weapon for each general of the six different sects in the army. It's said that in the Great War, each General killed over a thousand enemy soldiers because of those weapons..."
"There are six generals, each who rule over a different faction of the army. Their weapons are not just feared throughout the kingdom, but the whole world." Auberon added.
"But really those weapons are nothing compared to this spear!" Tierney gloated. "Lady Riley. We can't just give this to the highest bidder, we should only sell it to someone who is worthy of it." Tierney said determinately.
"I agree." Riley nodded. "Since we are going to be making very powerful weapons here, we will only sell to those who are truly deserving of such weapons." Riley grinned excitedly as a new idea came to her head. "Wouldn't it be fun if we created six new scared weapons for the six generals?"
"Totally!" Tierney was bubbling over with excitement.
"Lady Delton. I've brought the insignia." Came Jorah's jolly voice as he stepped through to the front of the shop. In his gloved hand he held a red hot iron with a stamp at the end.
"Great, Thank you Mr Jorah. Could you stamp it at the base please."
Jorah nodded and took the spear from Riley. He gently and slowly pressed the red hot iron to the base of the spear. Everybody stepped back as the metals sizzled together loudly.
After a moment, Jorah moved away the iron and held up the spear to Riley. Riley smiled as she saw the stamped insignia of the symbol she had chosen to represent her and her clan: the solitary floating feather.
"You chose a feather Milady." Edna said, noting the small intricate feather pattern seared into the base of the spear.
"As the king's men sunk to grief,
heavens empire turned to a mere leaf.
Nothing besides the hapless feather
- white as the dove it came hither -
was left soaring over mountain tops.
So I ask in only sincerity,
Amongst the blood and dust and blasphemous piety
Is there truly anything more mighty
than that hapless feather?"
Bard recited the poem so easily, so much so that Riley guessed that it was a favorite of his.
"That's lovely Bard."
Bard chuckled. "A poet soldier, named Hermanus Silvestine, wrote that during the Great War. I always found it so striking that someone who had a first hand account of all the greatest power, battle, magic and might that the Four Great Kingdoms had to offer, could denounce it all and say that even a simple solitary feather was worth more than all that bloodshed."
Bard rubbed his belly absent-mindedly, "It's fitting that Lady Riley take the symbol of that kind of feather. A Hermanus Silvestine feather. The most mighty thing in all the world..."
"Thanks Bard, that is sweet of you to say."
"No, not at all Milady." Bard blushed.
"But Listen guys, this is just the beginning. This spear isn't perfect and honestly we could make a much more powerful one if we really tried." Ideas were just pouring into Riley's head of how to make and fashion six of the most powerful spears this world had ever seen.
"I think our new mission should be to replace the six Sacred Weapons with new better models..." Riley was starting to get really excited. The amazing swords from the Bleach anime and manga were flowing through her mind. It would literally be incredible if she were able to recreated those swords in this world...
"We're gonna be legends Lady Riley..." Tierney's eyes were full of excitement and his hand were shaking with anticipation.
Bard, Edna and Auberon were a little creeped out by the crazy expressions on their faces.
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Prince Geoffrey had made his way to the North wing of the palace where the Prayer hall was. A floor in the palace that was created many centuries ago by the master Elfin craftsman who used to be allies of Girannon. The elves had spent a decade carving all the intricate and masterful carvings of the gods and the old fables that Girannon believed in as a sign of friendship between the two races. However, there had been a terrible falling out between the elves and the humans so this room became a taboo, thus hardly anyone ever visited it. That was why Geoffrey had made it the meeting place for his spies to contact him.
Geoffrey stood before a spy that was kneeling on the floor in front of him. The spy wore a black cloak that covered his whole body, from his feet to his neck. Over his face he wore a thin golden mask. The masked covered his entire face and had two small holes for the spy to see through and the lips of the mask were molded to portray a thin smile. It was quite haunting to look at.
"What did you find out?"
From beneath his black robe, the spy pulled out a white bundle of cloth.
"Your Highness, we tracked down the boutique in Willows Town that she sold her clothes to, after she met Lord Lucian in the forest. We seized the clothes from the owner and brought them back. Here they are."
Geoffrey took the white T-shirt from the spy, as well as the black jeans and Addidas sneakers.
"This was all she was wearing when she arrived?" Geoffrey frowned. This was hardly enough for a woman to cover herself in. Her legs and figure would have been completely on display in this.
"Yes your Highness." Replied the spy. "What was really interesting was the writing on the white garment."
Geoffrey held up the T-shirt and saw the "Friends" writing on the front.
"What language is this?" Geoffrey frowned at the unrecognizable script.
"I don't not know your Highness."
"Go and find out what kingdom this language is from and then come back to me." Finally Geoffrey felt like he was getting somewhere in discovering her identity. He only hoped the results where not what he feared.
"Yes your Highness."
The spy retreated into a corner of the room and was soon gone. Just in time for Rudyard to arrive at the entrance of the room.
"Come in."
Rudyard approached the prince and kneeled before him.
"What has she been up to?" Geoffrey strolled over to one of the windows and looked out upon Gismead as the warm sunlight flooded his golden main.
"She recently visited Azmeth and used her own magic to fix the water pipes installed there."
"Why?"
"Because she wanted to, Your Highness."
Geoffrey smiled.
"What else?"
"She has filled up her safe house with women and children and has employed them at the café she owns in the harbor side. Today she also started making weapons at the guild you gave her."
Geoffrey grinned. He could only imagine the insane and beautiful things she would create at that guild of hers.
"She also purchased two holiday homes. One in Hadrian and the other in Lafavias, the city that borders Astonia and she plans to go have a holiday at the houses for two weeks."
Geoffrey stiffened up immediately.
"She wants to take a vacation now of all times?" Geoffrey grimaced.
"Well, there are still five weeks before the summit, and she plans to go next week, so she will have two weeks when she comes back to get ready for the summit." Rudyard instinctively defended Riley's decision, he was actually surprised in himself that he had so openly spoke up to the prince.
The prince sent a warning glance towards Rudyard that made him tense up and bow his head even lower.
"Anything else before you leave?" Geoffrey's tone was cold now.
"Lady Riley had expressed an interest in creating a variety of healing potions, as well as starting a school."
"Fine. Leave."
With that Rudyard got up and hastily exited the room, eager to get back to the mansion before anyone realized that he was missing and even more eager to get away front the prince.
Geoffrey couldn't stop thinking about Riley. Why is she so set on helping others? She must have some kind of ulterior motive... am I fool to show such interest in her? Why does she feel the need to take a holiday? Is she worn out from this life as a noble? Does she want to get away from the people? From me?
Does she care for me?
Geoffrey's heart pinched at the last question. It was so obvious that she had a deep and strong bond with Lucian Briar, could that bond be romantic?
No, he didn't want to think about them together.
Usually if he felt a connection to a woman he would go after her. But right now, when he was feeling the strongest pull he had ever felt to a woman, his duty was stopping him from acting on it.
He owed it to his country to make sure about her identity before he acted on his desires. Even more than that he owed it to his little brother to be sure. After all, it was his careless desire for a woman that almost got his little brother assassinated.
Geoffrey slowly left the empty quiet halls of the beautiful Prayer room. It was really a pity that nobody ever came here anymore since it was so stunning. The elves had even brought there own rock to carve from, his father had told him that it was a special type of rock that had magical properties. But he wasn't sure if his father was just trying to mystify the place or not.
Geoffrey headed back to his study, he after all needed to organize some things in order to prepare for the summit. Not to mention the business of the demonized men: Both Erithien and Malesh had sent word earlier this morning that demonized man had attacked their kingdom. Malesh had been able to deal with their situation quickly because they had a method of purification that worked on humans. Erithien however faced much more dire consequences.
A demonized man had wondered into one of their most populated districts and had managed to erupt, which in turn lead to fifty people being infected with Zeref. The infected people then went on an overpowered rampage and managed to kill over a thousand people and destroyed one of the city sects.
Right now the kingdoms were furious and were demanding answers from Girannon. The king had already sent an envoy to Patagonia to demand answers from them. So Girannon was waiting for that envoy to make contact.
When Geoffrey arrived at his study, the two guards waiting outside bowed to him and opened the doors for him. Inside he was surprised to see his mother's entourage lined up against the walls.
"Mother what are..."
Geoffrey stopped mid sentence as he saw his mother and another lady he had not planned on nor wanted to see in his study.
"Your Highness." She got up and curtseyed to him while batting her eye lashes and pushing her chest up towards him, putting her very nice bosoms on display.
"Ariadnel." Geoffrey half sighed, half grunted out her name.
He wanted to ask her why she thought she could just come to his study without his permission. He would also have to have a word with his personal guards. Previously he had given her privileges to enter the castle when she pleased, but he had never allowed her to enter his private quarters without permission. She was over stepping. He decided not to make a fuss in front of his mother though.
"Mother, what a lovely surprise... what are you doing here."
"To visit my lovely son of course." She smiled affectionately at her son and stood up to go and give him a hug.
"Imagine my surprise when I come to your study hoping to find you here, but I find the lovely Lady Ariadnel waiting here for you instead..." Geoffrey could tell that his mother's tone was very sarcastic, she wasn't happy to find some stray women in Geoffrey's study, at all.
Geoffrey gave her an apologetic look.
"The reason I came was to give you this." The queen handed Geoffrey a beautiful pink box, that said Sophie's café on the front.
"Now I know you don't like sweet things, but you simply must give this a try. It's not very sweet, so I think you'll like it."
"What is it exactly?" Geoffrey eyed the box. He opened the box to see a deep brown slab of what looked wood.
"It is a slab of dark Gocan." She said excitedly. "It's not sweet like the regular slabs of Gocan, it has a much more mature taste. I think you'll soon be addicted." With that the queen reached up and kissed him on his cheek. But before she sunk back from he reach, she whispered in his ear.
"Get rid of her Geoffrey. She smells like trouble." With that, the queen left the room with her entourage of six maids.
As soon as they were alone, Ariadnel pounced on the prince. She wrapped her thin arms around him and snuggled her face onto his chest.
"Your Highness..." she teased in her shrill voice as she played with the top button of his coat. "I was waiting so patiently for you..." She bit her lip and tried to give him a seductive look.
Geoffrey was put off by her display thus he pushed her away firmly. He walked over to his desk and took a seat.
"Ariadnel. We have had a good time together, but we should end it here." Ariadnel was suddenly feeling quite timid under Geoffrey's golden gaze. She wanted to speak back to him, she wanted to tell him that it wasn't over, but for some reason she couldn't. She couldn't say anything at all.
"Our relationship ends here Ariadnel. We are finished."
Ariadnel felt like screaming and shouting at him. They weren't over! They couldn't be over! She didn't want the expensive gifts, her new fancy dresses, her special treatment or the late nights in his bed to end.
But she didn't say any of that. It was like she was hypnotized.
She even found herself repeating his words.
"Our relationship ends here." She said without wanting to.
"We are over." How was this happening? Why was she saying these things? For some reason she had to do what he said, she just couldn't fight him. His words were law and there was nothing she could do about it.
"Leave now." Geoffrey commanded.
She didn't want to, but her body just did as the prince commanded and she found herself walking out the door. She had heard rumors around the city about the Royal family's hidden power. The secret of their golden eyes and hair. She had a feeling that that power had something to do with her obedience a few moments ago.
She wanted to turn around and barge through the doors and demand that he love her. But for some reason she just couldn't, she felt compelled to leave him alone, forever. Slowly she walked down the hall and away. Trying to will herself to go back to him but failing.
With that business done. Geoffrey broke off a piece of Gocan from the slab and popped it into his mouth. It was not like anything that he expected. It was hard yet it melted into his mouth. It was not the sickening sweetness he hated but a rich bitter taste that he found addictive. He moaned as he savored the melting Gocany goodness. Riley really is something...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Riley just arrived home after spending the day at her guild. Their work was looking promising and she was so thrilled to begin creating the new six Sacred Weapons. After she made those, she would have enough money to start the school she had been planning on making or start with an apothecary or hospital. Gosh there were so many things to do. Not to mention the holiday she was supposed to be going on next week.
Riley
So far Alice and Cornelius confirmed that they could come for one week, not the full two. Rosalie sadly said that she couldn't come at all. Dimitri said he could also come for just the one week. Lucian could also come for the first week. Arcadia and Edgar said they could also only come for the first week. That left everyone except Rosalie okay for the first week, but it looked like I would be alone for the second week. But that was alright. I would be nice to have some alone time, plus I actually wouldn't be alone since Bard, Agnes, Edna, Auberon, Mellie, Augustus, Ilsa and Rudyard would be coming. It would be nice just to have some private time away from the house with them.
A knock hit on the door to my favorite room next to the safe room, I turned to see Edna enter.
"Milady, a young man stopped me on the street today and asked me to give this letter to you." She said handing me the envelope.
Percival Peregrine... I wondered for a moment where I had heard that name.
"Oh right, he was the first customer when I opened up the café. He was in a rush to buy his sister a birthday cake..." I don't know why the idea of him gave me so much joy, but it really did. I could even feel my cheeks heat up.
I unsealed the envelope and then took out the letter inside.
Dear Lady Delton
I sincerely hope that I haven't wasted your time by writing you this letter, I know that there is a good chance that this could be a waste of your time, but after some investigation, I am quite sure that you are the Lady who owns Sophie's Café in the harbor side. If you are not, then there is no need for you to read any further, and I beg your pardon for wasting your time.
Gee, this guy writes in circles, it was actually kind of cute and made me laugh.
However if you are, please oblige me in reading further and listening to my business proposal.
The sensational establishment that you have created has already become one of Gismead's most prized culinary institutions. The reputation of Sophie's Café has spread all over the city and everyday Gismeadeans travel from all over to come have a taste of the marvelous creations it has to offer.
That is why I think it is a real shame that the desserts created in the café are not more easily accessible to people who do not live in the harbor side. After all people from the noble sect have to travel for at least forty minutes, and the middle class who do not live in the Harbour side have to travel for at least and hour, which I think is quite unfortunate.
Coming from a family that owns and lets property all over Gismead, I wanted to interest you in a business opportunity that would allow your Ladyship to open up more cafés all over the Kingdom, thereby increasing your revenue as well as making capital for my family business. We shall of course offer you a very discounted price on all our buildings because we suspect that your café chain will be permanent.
If this model interests your Ladyship at all, please write back.
Hopeful regards
Percival Peregrine
I have to admit that it sounds tempting. Imagine how many people I could employ if I started a café chain around Gismead like this... On top of that the money I make could go into other endeavors such as a school or a hospital.
I immediately got out my quill and began to write him a positive response. I had Edna send it for me. After she left I got up and scooted over to a cosy corner of this room and lay on the sofa and buried myself in a fluffy blanket.
I felt so exhausted from working at the guild all day, plus getting into the carriage when I wanted to go back home had also been a hassle because the people on the street recognized me at 'Lady Delton' the Lady who had saved the nation by 'slaying a monster'. Thank to that over dramatic news article I was becoming a celebrity and when I had tried to get into the carriage in the noble square, I had practically gotten mobbed. An unpleasant experience for someone like me who doesn't like being stared at.
But I knew a way to remedy this problem, I had read a chapter in the Tenebris intellexerent that was all about concealment and shape shifting. I would literally be able to change my appearance by using dark magic and that idea really pumped me up. The tiredness I had felt was suddenly leaving me.
I dug my hand up under my skirt (very ungracefully) to find the place I had hidden my phone. Once I got it, I went onto my Pinterest account and started looking through the board where I saved animated people or visually attractive anime characters. I was gonna scroll down the pictures and choose my favorite and then transform myself into that person.
I have always found white-haired anime characters to attractive. I scrolled through my board and a few really stood out to me:
Long silky white hair or a bob?
Or maybe even give myself red hair...
Or grey hair...
These were all pretty common hair colors in this world and that was a good thing. I wanted to kind of blend into the crowd.
I opened the Tenebris Intellexerent and turned to the chapter. The secrets of this spell was that it didn't actually change your physical body, it created a kind of magical mist that shifted other peoples perceptions of you to what you wanted it to be. The only downfall of this spell was that if someone with a stronger Appraisal skill or magical visual prowess than you, they would be able to see past the mist and see your true face.
I wasn't worried about that though. From what I had seen, I had the most powerful magic in Girannon so there was no reason to sweat.
I walked over to the mirror and recited the spell from the book. It was incredible. All I did was keep the picture of what I wanted myself to look like in my head and then flood dark magic to my mind while reciting the spell.
It was exactly like mist was creeping up my body and blurring my image and then showing a completely different image. I watched as my long black hair changed into silky white shoulder length hair. My dark brown eyes changed into sparkly blue eyes. I already looked unrecognizable but just to be sure I changed the shape of my jaw to be sharper, so that I really looked nothing like myself.
"Edna." I called out because I knew she was outside the room waiting for a command.
She entered the door immediately. "Yes Milady."
I turned to see shock and confusion cloud Edna's stone face for the first time.
"What do you think?" I asked running some fingers through my hair.
"Who- w-what -w-who are you?" She was starting to look very alarmed so I lifted the spell and showed her my normal appearance.
"Milady.... how on Gismead's name did you do that?" Edna looked as white as a sheet, probably still shocked.
"It's a spell I found in the tenebris intellexerent." I said pointing to the book giddily.
"Milady you gave me quite the scare, I thought you were an intruder." She was still staring at me warily. "Why have you decided to change your appearance Milady?"
"Oh it's just so that I can work at the guild in peace, an not be mobbed like yesterday." I explained.
Edna seemed to gain her composure quickly.
"That's quite a good idea Milady. I'll notify the others that you have a new appearance so that they can recognize you when you are in that form."
"Yes please do. Thank you Edna."
"It is a pleasure Milady." Edna curtseyed and then left the room, still looking a bit shaken.
It wasn't long before everyone came knocking on the door wanting to see me do the transformation first hand. I obliged them all. It was really great to hear them all gasp in shock.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Third Person
Auberon chuckled as he got into bed. Lady Riley was really special. Honestly, who would have ever thought, transforming yourself into another person...
There was something that was bothering him though.
Earlier today at the guild he swore he heard Lady Riley say that she spelled that spear with Wind and Dark magic. But that wasn't possible. Lady Riley was only able to use Lightning, Water and Dark magic. Not wind magic...
So then how was it possible that she was able to spell that spear...?
Was lady Riley hiding something from then? Or maybe she just made a mistake when she told them she used wind magic.
No, the spear was obviously using a common wind levitation spell to make the ring blades levitate. So wind magic was definitely used in the Spear.
Auberon frowned. Was Lady Riley able to use four magic types...? Was that even possible...?
Auberon was tired of thinking so he went to bed, but he told himself that he would ask Lady Riley about it tomorrow directly.
I mean it was impossible for a person to be able to use more than three magic types, wasn't it...?
Please comment and vote, also please feel free to comment on spelling and grammar corrections. I literally type these chapters on my cellphone so I can't always catch the grammar mistakes ❤️