Odyssey of the Guardian Emperor

Alaric's mind honed in on the memory of the Matriarch in a moment of vulnerability, during a conversation she'd had with a fortune-teller named Dunn.

"Establish my domain…? You think I haven't tried. I've spoken to at least a dozen expert alchemists, paid thousands in gold to the Tower of Seekers and even bought large shipments of Aether Crystals, but nothing has brought me closer to manifesting this stupid domain. And no, I will not ask for help from a Lord," the woman had yelled in exasperation, letting her insecurities spill out in front of her old friend. In a softer tone, she added, "I'm at my wits' end, Dunn. Tell me this is not the end of the line for everything I've worked so hard to build."

The words echoed through Alaric's mind like a clear bell. The Matriarch wanted a domain above anything. Somehow, it was the key to solving all of her problems, and that fact, apparently, was common knowledge according to the conversation Alaric heard that day. The boy struggled to imagine why a domain could be common knowledge, but then again, he was from the Five Hills. Life was simpler there.

On top of hearing what the Matriarch most desired, Alaric had also noted the things she'd tried, and it didn't help his confidence on the matter.

[ There you go. ] his guardian congratulated him on solving the question, having read his mind.

Alaric wasn't having it.

[ A domain! Are you crazy? ] he yelled at the guardian.

[ Relax, Alaric. You won't have to do a thing. From what I recall, she's been trying to establish a domain for a while now, and she's tried almost everything. The requirement she's missing is painfully obvious. I can help her out with that part. Wasn't it I who taught you magic? Trust me now. ] the guardian's voice echoed.

Alaric wanted to object, but this was the first time Alia was openly telling him that he wouldn't have to do a thing. Before, when things like this happened, he found himself standing in the middle of a crowd of expectant gazes, clueless and panicking out of his mind. Somehow things worked out, but even then, the nerves left him with a bit of, for lack of a better word, PTSD.

Did this woman not understand how traumatising it was to stand in front of hundreds of people and perform magic tricks entirely on instinct? To some extent, Alaric felt like one of those people standing in the background going, 'Is the Great Protector going to turn water into wine?'

It was too much, but fortunately, that wasn't the case this time. Alaric's job was to negotiate with the Matriarch, using a domain as his offer. The woman had gone back to pacing about the room whilst Lucy coiled back on the bed, chains clinking silently.

'Hang in there, Lucy,' Alaric sighed. He knew what to offer, but still wasn't quite ready. After all, one mistake here and the whole mission would be ruined. There was a reason the decoy outside was still threatening to turn the road inside out and spewing cocky lines every chance he got to rile up soldiers capable of turning him into a bloody paste.

'Now then, what is a domain? I need to know as much as necessary for a successful negotiation,' Alaric thought to himself, his intentions clear and directed.

The Keeper's Almanac, which Alaric had stashed into his pocket, buzzed to life and started feeding the information into his mind.

{

Query: What is a Domain?

Resources: Creating a Domain for Beginners; How to build a strong domain?—A step-by-step guide; Domains for Dummies; Domains, The Ultimate Defence.

Answer: To put it simply, a domain is an area of the Valerian continent whose aether is marked by a singular individual, becoming a part of their power and influence. The qualities of a domain vary from one to another.

The basic boons of a domain are:

Influence over the aether in the area.

Near-omnipotence within the domain.

Expression of one's Inborn Ability within the domain.

Note: Domains offer great influence over aether to their owners, but get weaker when their owners are absent. It goes without saying that demons and aether beasts generally stay away from domains.

For more information, seek out the references or make a better query.

}

'Better query, my foot! This thing's giving me attitude!' Alaric was appalled.

After everything the device had said, he was left even more confused than before. He'd learnt a lot, yet so little. Questions were brewing in his head, and yet, he had no time. Domains were a much larger concept than he was ready to tackle, just like it was with Inborn Abilities and Temper Ranks.

Fortunately, he didn't need to know everything about domains today. He just needed to know what was so special about them that the Matriarch could trade them for Lucy.

After a few minutes of thinking, Alaric let out an inaudible gasp, 'That's it.'

[ It's as close as we can get to an answer. ] his guardian answered in approval. Alaric had thought about this thoroughly, but no plan was perfect. [ If it fails, though, you need a second plan. ]

The boy eyed the dangling chain and sighed, [ I know. ]

The Matriarch walked over to the window and stared at the storm that had started brewing outside. A tempest came down with water and icicles while tremors shook the ground, "They've got him. He actually came for you. Turns out you're quite the seductress."

Lucy looked up, her eyes watering with a mix of hope and dread. Quietly, she whispered, "But why? Why risk your life?"

"Because I made a promise to you that I intend to keep," Alaric's voice echoed through the room. The two females turned sharply and stared at the spot the voice had come from.

"Alaric?" Lucy called out in disbelief. Hearing her call him by his real name made his heart skip a beat. She'd adjusted to it fast.

He couldn't let the spell fall, though, since it would alert the men fighting Alistair of his actual location. The spell, Shroud, was hiding more than just his physical appearance. It was smearing his presence all over and hiding his exact location and that was important for his clone to keep playing the decoy.

"I'm using a spell to hide my presence, so I won't be able to turn it off until we've gotten to safety," Alaric said again. The Matriarch opened the window only for Alaric to speak out in warning, "That would be foolish, especially for the genius Matriarch of Melbourne."

The woman stopped and turned to Alaric, fire burning in her eyes, "Foolish? You're going against a Steel Rank Dark Mage. What can be more foolish than that?"

"I'm not going against him. He won't even know I was here," Alaric responded, "That, however, depends on you and your choice to strike perhaps the most ludicrous deal you've ever had in your life."

The Matriarch's eyebrows arched in surprise, "You? A nobody from who-knows-where… wants to strike a deal with me, the Matriarch of Melbourne. That would be funny if it wasn't so insulting."

"You won't be laughing when you hear what I have to say," Alaric's disembodied voice answered with a soft chuckle.

"I'm guessing you want this girl in return," the Matriarch surmised, "So what can you possibly offer me that's even more valuable than her? She's our most powerful weapon against the demons."

"A Domain," Alaric responded nonchalantly.

The Matriarch scoffed, "Do you take me for a fool?"

"Better yet, I can show you what you've been missing all this time to establish your domain. No more demons knocking at your door. No more aether beasts in the Purified Zone. Melbourne would stop being called a Merchant City and finally evolve into a city with a Domain or whatever they call those.

The threats made to Merchant Cities would come to an end, and the Holy Barrier would become but a secondary precaution against the demons. Merchants only trade where they are comfortable trading. With the stability a domain can offer, you'd see more traders coming in than ever before."

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

The Matriarch pursed her lips in thought, "You have quite the silver tongue for a young boy. I'd heard that you know how to negotiate, but colour me impressed. I didn't know you were this good."

"Does that mean you'll take the deal?" Alaric asked indifferently, knowing full well that the praises were meaningless. The Matriarch was a merchant, and merchants were slippery snakes. This one was no exception.

"I know what I stand to gain from all this, but what do you stand to gain from taking this girl? She can't fight and doesn't know how to cook. She'd barely last a night out there, and I don't want to hear nonsense about promises you can't break. I've heard the way you negotiate, and I know you're not as naive as many believe you to be. What are you playing at here?" the woman asked.

Alaric stopped to think. 'Not naive… Wait, my normal thought process was naive all this time?'

[ Relax, Alaric. You're alright. ] his guardian pitched in to ground him.

Alaric breathed out, allowing his thoughts to sail faster. The Matriarch wanted to know how valuable Lucy was to him. She was indeed extremely valuable, but Alaric was no fool. Revealing her worth was only bound to give the Matriarch more leverage,e which meant this was a question he actually couldn't answer. Any answer he gave could have varied results, and he wasn't experienced enough to know the best one.

"I just walked past a Dark Mage trying to kill me. I think that's enough to tell you how important she is to me," Alaric hissed.

The Matriarch opened her mouth to protest, then sighed, "Fair point! To be honest with you, three days ago, I would have accepted this deal without thinking twice. However, I don't know you or trust you for that matter, and today, I find myself unable to let go of the kind of power this girl offers me," the Matriarch spoke.

Alaric didn't miss the mad glint that sparkled in her eye when she spoke. He could see the fear in her eyes, clouding her sense of reason. Avaros had got to her in ways even he probably didn't realise. She was scared senseless despite all her power.

"Can I ask you something, Matriarch?" Alaric asked, trying to keep a lid on the barrel of emotions threatening to burst inside of him.

"I'm all ears." The woman responded.

"Do you love your daughter?"

"Love?" the Matriarch scoffed, "What are you babbling on about, boy?"

"That explains her appearance right now, I guess," the boy sighed, "Holy Magic is delicate. It can't be cast by just anybody and even then, the people blessed with it can only use it for good, otherwise, it won't work. You're not keeping Lucy here because you want her power. If that were the case, you would treat her better. You would show her she's loved. I think there was a time when you did look at her as a mother looks at her daughter. Melbourne's far more important to…"

"That's enough out of you," the Matriarch yelled, "You know nothing of what I've done to get where I am today. You don't know what it's like to raise a city from the ground up. To negotiate with so many lunatics and self-centred, egotistical men just so you can increase the cash flow of a city by a few hundred gold. You have no idea what it's like to protect something as grand as a Merchant City, only to be mocked and ridiculed for the lack of a Domain. You know nothing of the enemies I've made and what I've gone through to keep them at bay."

"They say hardship makes you patient. It's made you bitter," Alaric responded, bile rising inside him.

The negotiation was out the window. Alaric had failed.

Ice curled around his hands, and he noiselessly made his way to Lucy, holding the chain close to her wrist. The metal went brittle and shattered gently in his palms. The girl noticed but remained still, hiding all this behind her folded legs. She put her hands out, hidden behind her legs, so he would place the broken chain in them.

"You've got some nerve coming into my own house and lecturing me on…" the Matriarch yells died all at once, her pupils dilated and her breath uneven.

A chain tied to an iron cuff on her hand fell to the ground, prompting her to stare at it. Out of breath, she furrowed her eyebrows and approached the chain. It was cold to the touch, suggesting it had been frozen and broken off whatever was on the other end.

'What was this chain attached to?' she asked herself.

It was only then that the fatigue of being up for days caught up to her, and she stumbled to the floor, unable to understand what was happening. Why couldn't she remember what she was doing in this room? She heard a noise outside and lumbered to the window to peer at the fight below.

'Right, a Dark Mage is looking for a boy he can't find. My City…' she sobbed, 'Mel. What's going to happen to my dear Melbourne?'

Silently, she put her back to the wall and crouched on the ground, weeping silently in the empty room. Everything was falling apart, and she didn't even know why. Her memory was choppy. She couldn't remember what she'd been doing in this room while her city descended into chaos.

She could hear the clang of swords at the city gates. The sound of guardians and demons ripping each other to pieces to protect the falling city. She remembered her friend Dunn, the Fortune Teller.

His words rang in her mind like a bell, "Melbourne's future no longer lies within your hands alone. Your decisions will either help save it… or destroy it."

'Does this mean I made the wrong decision? Have my luck run out?' the Matriarch lamented. Not even her guardian knew what to say in this moment. Something bad had definitely happened. They just didn't know what, and that didn't matter. Melbourne was most definitely headed for ruin.

………………

The battle outside had raged on during the time Alaric negotiated with the Matriarch, putting the Red Cloaks through one shock after the other.

Alistair's surprising precision with his teleportation made him next to untouchable, and his tyrannical aether endlessly summoned calamities of the elements down on them with no end in sight. Giant pillars of flame, icicles raining from the sky, twisters the size of the Sisters of Fragrance building, pillars of rock and everything else that could fit the boy's imagination.

It was no longer a secret that the weird teleporting version of Alistair couldn't be injured. He'd had his bones broken, his ribs cracked, his lungs punctured, and, on one occasion, lost a finger to the blade of one of the Emperor's Men, Roan. Each injury, however, vanished just as it had come, earning him another chance to flash his signature grin.

When it so happened, however, that he was surrounded by five Red Cloaks, a clap brought the battle to a close. The Steel Rank Dark Mage had seen enough. "Are you idiots this stupid or is there a better word for it?"

Alistair was panting heavily now, staring at his opponents with calculations in his eyes. Before he could use his power again, though, the world went thick with the oppressive aura of the Dark Mage.

The aether in the air went haywire, messing with the clone's power over the elements. The storm surrounding them spiralled out of control. Icicles turned to water that rained down on the slayers while the wind spiralled into buildings. Lightning flashed erratically.

The clone grinned widely, his heart racing despite the man who suddenly appeared in front of him, moving faster than his eyes ever had the hope to follow.

Alistair had faced the Stone Ranks and come close to what could have been a hundred deaths, but he was still alive. His side quest to discover just how tenacious his body was had turned out successfully.

He didn't mind that a dark mage's hand was breaking through his skin, shattering his ribcage and plunging into his chest. His mission was done, and with that, he vanished. The storm calmed down as well, leaving the men standing still. The influence the clone had expressed on the world vanished along with his whole presence, like he'd never been there.

Avaros stared at the space in front of him with a gasp. Roan could be heard shuffling around, voicing everyone's thoughts, "What just happened? Where is that cowardly brat?"

Avaros felt anger boiling within him. It made no sense for a rankless nobody to outrun one of the Steel Rank. Everything about what they'd just wasted their time fighting made no sense. More aether than any human should have had, the power to invoke four Constellations, the power to endlessly heal, endless endurance, teleportation... The list went on and on.

"Sir?" the Commander of the Red Cloaks called.

Avaros shot him a glare that silenced him for good. The Dark Mage paced about in thought, his hands clenching and unclenching with unbridled rage. The expressions that passed on his face made all the Red Cloaks slink back, swallowing quietly.

He'd just started pacing when he paused, an idea sparking in his mind.

………………….

High above the clouds, beyond the containment barrier, Alaric appeared on top of Dara'k, holding a malnourished girl in his hands. With the Shroud spell off, he was visible. At the same time, he was aware of how fast it would take the Dark Mage to figure out he'd been played.

He passed her over to LionHeart along with a Healing Elixir and said firmly, "Let's go."

The urgency in the boy's voice was enough to spur everyone into motion. The Eagles didn't have to be told twice before turning to leave.

Sariah opened her mouth to speak when Alistair appeared on Dara'k, a large hole in his chest closing up at a rapid pace, yet frightening all the same. It was enough to stun the woman into silence.

Alaric held Alistair's hand and yanked the Face Mask off his face so his body would restore itself faster. A few seconds later, the white clone collapsed on the eagle's back, panting and sweaty.

"You did well," Alaric told him.

The clone nodded before vanishing beneath Alaric's shadow. In the In-Between, the clone met Alia dressed in full armour. Her hands rested on the pommel of her sword, looking forward.

"Going somewhere?" the clone groaned, falling in a heap under the shade of the large tree.

"I want you to help me with something," Alia finally spoke out, "We're not done with the Matriarch just yet."

The clone raised an eyebrow at the guardian, "You want to rile up the most powerful woman in Melbourne? You want to get us banished?"

"You're mistaken. If this goes right, we'll be heroes," Alia smirked.

The clone could only laugh out loud before grinning, "Alright, crazy lady! I'll bite. What do I have to do?"

Alia stopped talking and looked up at the image of the world outside, peering through the shadows and Alaric's eyes. The meadow shuddered and tree shook with the tremours of an earthquake.

Something was wrong, but the guardian remained stoic as though the whole realm hadn't just shuddered, "Hmm…"

Back in reality, Alaric felt his gut twist so much he got dizzy. "What's wrong, Alaric?" Dara'k called out to the boy. Kair'ak noticed and cast a Healing Spell, but nothing worked.

Alaric's eyes turned kaleidoscopic as he turned back to look at what his senses were hinting at, "I'm not sick."

The carpet of clouds seemed calm one moment, then, far from them, it tore open to reveal a man wreathed in shadows. The eagles swerved and screeched at the sudden appearance. "Crap," LionHeart muttered under his breath.

In the man's hand, he held a glowing orb. It was no Storm Orb, but the aether pulsing off it was enough to make Alaric's blood go cold. Despite the distance they'd already travelled, the Dark Mage locked eyes with Alaric, smirking devilishly.

"Leaving so soon, Great One? I'd hate to see this city get wiped off the face of this continent…" The man tilted his head at Alaric, madness raging in his eyes. His voice was gentle and chilling, yet it crossed the distance the Eagles had already put between them and the city. Alaric was more curious about the orb in the man's hand, pulsing like a great heartbeat made of aether, "That's right. This… is an Aether Cataclyst, and Melbourne's quite small."

[ Alaric! ] Alia panicked.

Alaric clenched his fists, 'He wouldn't.'

Avaros scoffed, "Have it your way then."

Then, he let the orb tip out of his fingers and plummet to the city below, a triumphant grin on his face, "Oops."