Odyssey of the Guardian Emperor

Reflected inside a full-length mirror, staring back at a familiar pair of green eyes, was an image of a prince dressed in a gentle green flowing tunic that accurately captured the exact shade of Alaric's eyes. His combed, gelled hair transformed him from a Five Hills orphan into a prince.

With the drastic changes in his appearance, his increase in height, and skin glow up, the outfit suited him well—A little too well. Standing next to him was a large man with a smile so goofy he looked like he'd taken an Eversmile elixir.

"Could you enjoy making me unrecognisable a little less?" Alaric narrowed his eyes at the goofy reflection of his protector.

LionHeart had gone all out on the hair products and accessories, making it so that the boy's dark mop fell to one side with a golden clip holding it back, exposing Alaric's green eyes in a way even he had to notice.

The protector shook his head enthusiastically. "Nope! I've been practising far too long for this. You like?"

The boy nodded, "Yes. It's an odd talent for a protector. You think the Matriarch will get distracted and forget about the destruction of her Sisters of Fragrance."

"Oh, I think she'll ask you to marry Lucy," LionHeart responded with a chuckle, only to burst into laughter when Alaric turned red.

The boy paled, "Could she…?"

"I wouldn't put it past her," the man said amidst stifled laughs. "Heck, even I would force my daughter on you. Saviour of the City of Melbourne!"

"Don't say it like that!" Alaric whipped around so he could stare him down.

"Relax, Alaric." He stifled his laughs. "I'm just messing with you. Lighten up."

Alaric's smile didn't reach his ears, and his embarrassed eyes shifted to the fabric in search of some distraction. He wanted to lighten up, but his heart ached. Not once had his guardian said a word, and as someone who'd grown used to her hovering, this dulled his mood quite a bit.

LionHeart frowned, noticing the heaviness in the air. With a sigh, some worry seeped into the man's voice, "I can't imagine what you're going through. With transformations this drastic, I'm surprised you're still the same person. Don't you get 'whiplash'?"

"I do," Alaric gave a weak smile. " I've been rolling with it since the Tempering Ritual in the Five Hills. Shouldn't we get going now?"

"The world can wait a few more minutes for you. Unless you don't want to talk just yet," LionHeart pressed his lips into a thin line. Alaric nodded for him to continue. He wanted to talk, but he didn't know where to start. "The rituals must pale in comparison to finding out you were alive a thousand years ago. Does it feel like you and Soren are the same people?"

"I… don't know exactly. I react to both names, so it's possible for us to be the same person," Alaric answered vaguely. His words made sense while at the same time, they didn't. So, he added, "For what it's worth, I want to remember what it was like to be him. My body does, obviously, with all the things I can do, however clumsy, and yet at the same time, I don't think knowing more will make me lose my free will."

"Okay," Lionheart nodded. "What about being the Guardian Emperor? Are you ready for that?"

This was a good question, and Alaric had tried thinking about it as well, with next to no progress on that front.

"Something Alia said has been bugging me," he started. "I told her I didn't ask to become the Guardian Emperor, and she compared my words to something as vague as a lion claiming it never asked to be a lion… or something like that."

The man gave an eager nod, his eyes going wide with subtle surprise. "Wow, she was right! I had almost forgotten how knowledgeable your guardian can be. A word of advice. Don't fret. I talked to Garin, and he talked to the Keeper, and apparently, you don't even get to train to be a Guardian Emperor. You're just born like that. So weird." The man smoothed invisible creases off Alaric's outfit before a goofy grin split his face. "You look like you're ready to rule a continent."

Alaric rolled his eyes. "We already have an Emperor for that."

"Oh, don't mind that guy." LionHeart flipped him off. "When the time comes, you just walk up to his castle and scream, 'OUT!'"

Alaric laughed before altering the story as well, adding more emphasis on the current Emperor's eviction—an impossible feat both of them were aware of. They were also aware of the difference between the Emperor and the Guardian Emperor, and yet, for the fun of it, they continued this pointless charade.

This continued as they walked down the stairs and exited the house to join the group waiting outside, ready and dressed. Their murmured conversations came to a halt as soon as LionHeart and Alaric exited the door. The boy went silent as well, immediately growing aware of something.

His heart beat in his chest, heavy and melancholic even before he had the chance to confirm the reason behind the sinking gut feeling.

With all the Storage items around, it was impossible to tell when people were planning to travel, but this, particularly, reminded Alaric of the time they set off for the Barren Mountains.

He walked up to Sariah, capturing the redhead's sombre gaze. She had been the one to take him in for their stay in Melbourne, but right now, it felt as though she was about to vanish right in front of him.

"We're not coming back here, are we?"

The red-haired woman shook her head, her freckles fewer than Alaric remembered, probably as a result of a spell or elixir. She held his gaze. "We've switched things up a bit for your safety. After how quickly the Red Cloaks arrived the last time, it's safe to assume they'll mobilise soon and return. So, you'll be travelling as soon as the festival is over. Travel safe, and try not to blow up more cities."

"I can't make any promises, but I'll be on my best behaviour," Alaric answered, before pulling her into a hug. As they left, Alaric gave the humble cottage one last look, knowing it would be a long time before he saw it again. They left the home of the former member of the Hurricane Oaks, making their way to the town square through streets drenched in the amber light of hundreds of lanterns.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

……………

"This is overkill," Finn and Brett said at the same time the moment they hit the Town Square.

The place was nothing like Alaric remembered. He got a vague flashback of himself running through an alley with a silver-haired girl. At the time, the pair had just spied on the Matriarch without intending to, and Alaric hadn't got a good look at the Town Square. How could he when Lucy had been so distressed? Even then, he felt like the whole place looked different.

"It feels a lot…"

"Larger?" Scarlett finished.

"Yes, is that another perk of a domain or was the whole city remodelled?" Alaric couldn't help but ask.

"A bit of both," Sariah answered.

A gust of wind tussled Alaric's hair as they stepped onto the wide patch of festivity, luring him into inhaling the breathtaking scene. For some unimaginable reason, the Town Square was much, much larger than before. The compound spread out over a very wide space, paved and decorated with flowerbeds around it.

At the centre of it all was a fountain shooting elegant patterns of glowing blue water and lighting up the middle of the square in a fierce blue hue that clashed with the soft amber light of the festival lanterns all around.

To the East, with the Barren Mountains as a backdrop, large buildings with stairs coming down could easily be identified as office buildings, only that they'd also been decorated, with ample food stands set up in front of them. It was an odd sight, but one that grounded Alaric to the fact that Melbourne was far from perfect.

Food had been served, and those who hadn't eaten were still walking up to the tables to get themselves something to eat. Magic hummed inside the large metal containers, keeping the food warm as the meal spanned several hours.

"It's beautiful," Scarlett breathed, right as the thought echoed through Alaric's mind.

Melbourne was ablaze with fresh life and vigour—and it was contagious. Where disunity and unhealthy competition had prevailed, new friendships were budding and an odd sense of belonging filled the air.

This wasn't just a Merchant City anymore. It had evolved, and that change was evident in the faces of its inhabitants. Everywhere Alaric turned, he either saw a merchant or some normal citizen enjoying the party through small talk, dance and food.

Children milled through the crowds, playing together, finally allowed to leave the orphanage in the city now protected by the power of the Matriarch's domain. The sight reminded Alaric of their situation in the Five Hills, and how suspiciously peaceful their little village was. Not even the fact that they were remote could sway these suspicions. The Five Hills were far too untouched for it to be a coincidence.

Shelving the suspicions, he took in one last detail.

Merchants, as Alaric had come to know, always dressed formally to such occasions and adorned themselves with rings, bracelets and necklaces only money could purchase, as though the silk gowns and enchanted robes they wore weren't enough. It made them stand out, which then brought them closer to sniffing their next big deal, and therein lay his problem.

As soon as Alaric and his friends arrived, they were swarmed by these same 'formally' dressed individuals, each of them seeking a handshake or partnership of some sort.

Alaric watched in amusement as Grun'am, Kair'ak, Sariah, and LionHeart kept the crowd at bay. "Back away, sir." "Alaric would like to enjoy the evening with no disturbances." "I understand you're a wealthy merchant, but so are all the other merchants we just turned away." "No, he doesn't sign photographs, and no, we have no Storm Orbs in stock." "Madam, there was no pride of Three-Cut Bone tigers, and we don't have their body parts."

Finn was mortified by the sight, watching LionHeart keep his cool as he turned away one merchant after the other. To his surprise, the big man seemed to be in his element, as though he'd done this before.

"Is this what fame is like?" the sandy-haired boy asked Alaric, his eyes pinned on the masses.

"I wouldn't know," Alaric responded.

Brett, who'd almost managed to stay out of this conversation, whipped his head around and looked the handsome green-eyed boy up and down. "Modesty, really! You can't even help it, can you? All you do is attract attention. You'll be a handful the day you report to the Academy."

"You think it will be possible?" Alaric asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"Of course, it will. I've already started doing some digging into how to achieve it," the boy responded with a triumphant grin.

Alaric's eyes shone with fresh rays of hope. "Thank you!"

"I don't do hugs." The dark-skinned boy pushed Alaric away.

"Must be nice to reject a hug from the hero of Melbourne," a voice filled with envy called from the crowd. It was then that the boys noticed a group of girls getting turned away by the wall of protectors surrounding Alaric.

Scarlett stood between them and the girls. "You have a problem with that?"

Alaric didn't see it, but her expression was enough to drive them away before she turned with the brightest smile he'd ever seen on her face. "Are you guys hungry? We can't just stand here forever."

Before any of them could say anything, a loud handclap echoed like thunder, resonating so powerfully through the town square it felt as if the very air had struck itself. Shivers ran down Alaric's spine as he failed to grasp the way the sound had been made. Rather than look for its source, a powerful presence made itself known, drowning the whole Town Square in an overbearing aura that vanished as soon as the noise had gone down.

She stood atop the stairs, gazing down at the crowd—yet to Alaric, it felt as though she stood beside him. Dressed in a sparkling white gown that fitted her nicely, accentuating her athletic body while still allowing her some modesty, the woman caught the attention of everyone in the Town Square.

She looked to be in her twenties, but only a fool would believe a twenty-year-old could own a city, let alone build one. Her hair was tied back in a high, messy bun to reveal creamy, flawless skin, a simple set of diamond earrings dangling from her ears and enhancing her unparalleled beauty even further. The merchants assailing Alaric's protection detail came to a standstill and faced the woman, silence falling over everyone at once.

"Give the boy room. There will be plenty of opportunities to talk to him tonight." The Merchants backed off, giving Alaric's protectors some relief.

LionHeart noticed some red marks on Grun'am's face and neck and frowned. It wasn't blood, and the scent coming off the demihuman made him even more curious. "What happened to you?"

Grun'am looked away and pulled his collar a bit higher. "Never mind."

Before the questions could continue, the Matriarch's voice boomed, "Thank you all for coming. I'd like to propose a toast to the Founding of Melbourne. It's been ten long years, but we've finally made it, haven't we? We've created a City with a domain, just like we said we would."

A loud chorus of celebration went up as the Matriarch announced their success, each voice filled with vigour after having waited so long to become a part of something greater than a Merchant City.

"It was hard, and there were many sacrifices. There were many deals, and things we had to do to keep this city running. There will be more hardships ahead, but the foundation is secure. Last week was the darkest moment in this young city's history. Most of you even tried to leave, but couldn't. For the long wait, I am truly sorry. But today is not a day to be sad. We mourned our fallen and put all of our frustration into rebuilding, and tonight we celebrate our future."

"When are we getting a Gateway?" a merchant yelled from the audience.

"What, so you can find even faster ways to ditch this place?" The Matriarch quipped, cracking a chorus of laughter through the people, "We'll get the Gateway soon. I hope. I'll get on that as soon as I can. In the meantime, I would also like to welcome the very guest who made all of this possible. A guest without whom we wouldn't be here.

I'm sure you've seen him going around, enjoying the custom of Gratiam we extended to him. Through what I can only call acts of bravery, he stood up against the Dark Mage and saved our city from total annihilation while I got my shit together. We all had our parts to play in that chaos, but we most definitely wouldn't be here without him. Everyone, let's hear it for Alaric. Come up here and receive your reward."

A chorus of claps rose as merchants cleared the way for Alaric to approach the Matriarch. With a wave of her hand, a ring appeared in her fingers, made of gold and pulsing with power. Gasps echoed through the crowd as everyone saw the ring in the Matriarch's hand.

An opulently-dressed merchant stepped out from the crowd. "Your Grace, surely that's too valuable a gift for the young hero."

"It's as much a part of you as this city," another cried.

"That is correct. Some can say this gift is as valuable as this city." The Matriarch silenced them all, and with a smile that reached her ears, she added, "That is why there can be no gift more fitting for the one who saved my city."