AO 7 Story Thus Far + Ch 1

Story Thus Far + Chapter 1

After Ard fantastically rose to prominence, defeating countless enemies, he found himself thrust behind enemy lines with few people he could trust.

The King of Avente wanted him dead as did the King of Garrish.

After stirring some rebellion in Garrish and discovering that King Martin was in the business of making monsters, Ard hid in the badlands where a massive magical crab made life a little uncomfortable at times.

But he wasn’t alone with his anchors, Eva and a few godly companions fighting alongside him. Together, they went about severing King Martin’s strength, one chancellor at a time.

However, King Martin was rapidly cannibalizing his own country in a bid for personal power. He had become a vampyr and was fostering more, all through the support of the Goddess Cow Tits, otherwise known as Freya.

Missy didn’t let Freya’s power grab go unchecked and even brought Ard to watch her deific fights with the abnormally endowed goddess. Though the first time was somewhat successful, later attempts got dicey and Ard risked himself, ultimately getting creative with his magic and discovering new potential.

Ard created a new metal aptly named Ardenium that responded to his will and helped save both his new band of goddesses. In the process, he defeated King Martin and bound Missy to him.

Now with the war gone, two kingdoms were kingless, and an enraged goddess was hunting him. What will Ard do next?

Chapter 1

I sat, happily munching on my apple, while Melida stared at me, unblinking, caught in a stupor as she slowly absorbed my words.

Another loud crunch from my apple was the only noise in the room. Brusset, the bear-man, was silent as he stood behind his woman. Even Emlyn wasn't uttering a peep. She was quietly cleaning underneath her nails as if this was just any other day, guarding the most incredible mage ever.

Melida blinked after a moment. "So you're saying it's over?" 

"I mean, if you want it to be," I shrugged. "That's kind of what the whole leadership thing decides. All I was supposed to do was go into enemy territory and make a little bit of a ruckus. By the way, these apples are incredible." I took another bite. Juicy and delicious like a certain… I shouldn’t get distracted.

"Please take the whole basket," Melida said. "I'll even find some more to send with you." She looked around as if someone would help her. "You do realize that the king of Aventi is dead as well?"

"Uh-huh. In case you missed that in your report, that one's my fault too," I said, realizing the apple was suddenly gone and tossing the core in the air and with a smidge of fire, turning it to ash.

"Can you please not burn things in here?" Melida came to her senses. "Open a window, you." She glanced over at Maribelle

Who stood stock still, staring back at Melida. She refused to move on her orders.

"Maribelle, would you be a dear and open the window?" I asked.

"Of course, sir." She bowed low showing me a heavenly view and went to the window, only for the dark-skinned Trevis commander to scowl at me as if that was my fault. 

"What? It's not my fault she's so loyal that she only listens to me.” I shrugged.

“You get away with far too much," Melida stifled a yawn before glancing over at Maribelle like she had the itch to try and order her around again.

Which would be a poor more, Maribelle wasn’t entirely right in the head. She was devoted to me to an… impressive degree.

Melida’s other husband and anchor, Finley, spoke up. “Tea?" He asked with an arched eyebrow and she gave him a quick nod. 

"So the King of Avente is dead, and that’s your doing.” Melida repeated. “And the King of Garish. So what does that make this war that’s still ongoing?”

“Pointless nonsense?" I offered. "And I mean, both of them were twats. I think we'll be better off without them and who ever replaces them gets to sort this all out. Can I get a cup of tea too please?" 

When I asked that question, Maribelle bodily checked Finley out of the way to get to making the tea, earning me another scowl from my commanding officer. 

"Well, I don't suppose you're going to listen to what I have to say?" Melida asked as Maribelle made a cup of tea that was half honey, half warm liquid, just the way I liked it. 

"Well, you're always able to give me a command, though I can't promise what my reaction will be." I answered honestly.

She put her head in her hands. "Yes, the young four-star mage who's off killing a king, suddenly blessed by a war god, and another king that's been magically warped into some sort of mythical creature. Yes, I suppose I can give you whatever command I want and see what happens." She slapped a rolled piece of parchment down in front of her, running it out and using the cap for the inkwell to hold the top down while she began scribbling. "Then I will just have to write my report and send it with you as a messenger. I mean, what better use is there for a four-sphere mage than a messenger boy, right?" She scoffed.

I shrugged and smiled at her. "That's for you to decide as my commanding officer.”

Melida let out a huff. “Emlyn, if he ever annoys you to the point that you feel the need to strangle him, please, please send word to me and I'll come running to watch the whole thing." 

Emlyn chuckled behind my back. "You don't understand how often that urge strikes me."

"Oh no, I can definitely imagine," Melida said. "What I can't imagine is why you haven't let the urge overtake you yet. Ard, if I send you the missive to the capital, will you take it? It is a rather important one."

"Sure. Who am I delivering it to?" I asked.

"My grandfather and who ever leads the Royals now. I suppose two scrolls will be in order." She gestured to Brusset, who was already pulling out another set of parchment and then using what appeared to be more proper weights to lay it out next to the first. "I suppose the remnants of the royal family should be informed, but with Carmilla dead, the king dead, and the second prince sequestered to Hidavente, and the third long dead by you. Fuck, who do I even address this two?" She paused and looked up at me. "Were you born with a grudge against the royal family?"

"No, I think I was born with them having a grudge against me." I yawned, only for Maribelle to slip the tea into my hands. I took a sip of the warm, sugared liquid, only for the drink to perk me right up. "They really have been bastards to me this entire time."

"I can't say they didn't deserve any of this," Melida said, while continuing to scribble whatever nonsense I was to deliver onto the parchment. "But still, I hope you understand just how badly the kingdom is going to be disrupted."

"Again, that sounds like a problem well above my pay grade. I'm just an adept mage. And a low-ranking one in the military at that." I sipped my tea again.

Melida paused and glared up at me. "You're going to run away from all responsibility, aren't you?"

"Me? What?" I said, putting a hand on my chest as if I had been so utterly offended. My move naturally made the tea saucer almost drop, but like clockwork Maribelle swooped in to snatch it up so that I could complete the movement, placing it back into my hand when I was done.

I loved this woman.

"Fuck," Melida spat, and then continued to scribble. "If, for whatever reason, you decide to run away from your responsibilities, do not come here. I can almost guarantee you that this will be one of the first places my grandfather looks for you."

"Duly noted. But sometimes, being the place they most expect is the best place to hide." I smiled.

Melida shook her head. "I will give you up in a heartbeat rather than lie to my grandfather."

"Oh, come on. We're closer than that, Melida.” I loved pushing on the military woman.

“If you keep arguing, I'm going to assume that you're already planning to escape off on your own." She eyed me.

"Well," I said, looking to the side and refusing to admit she had reason to have those thoughts. "I'm sorry." I said, looking to the side and refusing to meet her eyes. "I'm a little young to suddenly get pinned down. Based on my last meeting with my mother, I feel like she's already prepared to stick me in the breeding pens until I continue the family line."

Melida paused in her writing to look up at me. There was zero sympathy on her face. "Poor you. That sounds like a true travesty.”

“I want to go explore, adventure, swashbuckle with swords, right?" I smiled at Melida. She threw a dusting of pounce on the first letter and switched to the second.

"Great. If you go swashbuckling, do it far away from me." She shuddered. "I cannot and will not be responsible for more chaos that washes out of your wake."

"Oh, come on, Melida. Let's be honest. You like it at least a little bit." I nudged.

The Trevis who had taught me my first tottering steps into magic looked up at me. "Being fun, exciting, and exhausting can be all true at once. I feel like going and starting my own family would be a little less tiring. Actually, you should get a few rugrats of your own and perhaps you would understand just how tiring you've made me."

"Harsh," I said, leaning back with a grunt and slurping my tea loudly.

"Ard, you're a pain and a half," Emlyn said, breaking the silence. "And you know it."

"I do." I sighed and shook my head. "But what fun is it to admit when I can just tease everyone around me?"

"Yes, what fun would that be," Emlyn deadpanned. "It's probably far more fun for the person doing the annoying.”

“Well, it hasn't been enough to chase you away," I pointed out with a wink.

Emlyn hummed. "Most days, I have an internal debate whether or not my love for you is a curse or a blessing." She said, gazing out the window for a moment. "But then you do something that reminds me why I love you and I forget about those feelings, at least until the next day." Emlyn turned back to me though there was a small smile tugging at the edge of her lips.

Melida groaned. "I forgot how insufferably in love some of your anchors are with you." Her eyes shifted over to Maribelle, who stood over my left shoulder, hovering as if she would do anything the moment I expressed an interest. 

"Yes, but sadly mine can't wrestle a bear without spilling their wine," I paused, thinking about Aurelia. "Or maybe they could. Emlyn, do you think we could play a game?"

"Eh." Emlyn held up a hand. "We’re not wrestling bears while carrying wine." 

I raised an eyebrow while she gave me another eye roll for the collection. 

"Besides, don't you have other business you've discussed?" She said pointedly. I flashed her a grin. 

"Don't talk about it here," Melida waved. "The less I know, the better."

"It's nothing bad, I promise," I started, only for her to hold her hand up again.

“Really Ard. You might have the power to be free and glib to do whatever you want, but not all of us are so blessed. If my grandfather comes asking questions, I will have to answer them." She dusted pounce on the second letter, handing them over to Finley in exchange for her own cup of tea. "If I send you off with these letters, I expect you to go to the capital and deliver them as your last responsibility under me. After that point, you aren't my problem, nor my responsibility." 

She took another sip of her tea, letting out a heavy sigh of relief. "It's going to feel good.”

“Emlyn, if I didn't know better, I would think I caused her nothing but problems. Should I not have solved the war when the opportunity was presented?" I gave off as much disbelief as I could muster in my tone.

Melida purposefully ignored me, continuing to enjoy the first few sips of her tea.

"I think it's more about how you solved it," Emlyn offered with a tight smile. "It was likely entirely unexpected that you would kill both kings and essentially create a power vacuum and therefore chaos enough that might even be more than everyone has been experiencing through an all-out war."

"Hmm, you might have a point. Then what should I do, Emlyn?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, the normal thing to do would probably be to seize power yourself in some sort of grand fashion, especially since you have the personal might to take it all.” Emlyn answered. 

Melody stopped ignoring us and put down her teacup with a sharp clank, her eye twitching. "You expect Ard to be in charge of everyone?" 

Everyone in the room suddenly had a thoughtful expression, and I smiled, wondering what kind of grandeur dreams they thought would come of my excellent leadership.

"Horrifying," Brusset spoke up for the first time.

"Absolutely disastrous," Finley agreed. 

"I think it's best we don't test that route," Maribelle said as politely as possible.

I turned to Emlyn, my smile stiff and hoping that someone thought it was a good idea. Not that I wanted that responsibility, but it was nice to be asked.

Emlyn quietly shook her head. "Don't do it, Ard. Don't do it. For everyone's sake." 

I slumped down into the chair as Melida threw her head back laughing.

"Oh," she said, wiping at tears that her laughter had squeezed from her eyes. "I do so enjoy watching the four-sphere mage that has torn kingdoms apart be bested by his anchors. In some ways, it gives me hope."

"Thanks," I said, rolling my eyes. "Letters, please." I held out my hands. "You know, so I can be on my way and get out of your hair."

"You won't even stay the night?" Melida said, while at the same time she handed me the letters and turned to Finley. "Do you have their packs ready?”

“They should be waiting outside by the time we're done.” Finley answered

And I scowled at her. "You already had them make our packs?" 

Melida shrugged. "It's not that I was going to kick you out. I just know you often are in such a hurry." She flashed an unreadable smile, one that seemed to almost beg for me to get out of her hair. 

"It's not like I'm going to destroy your fortress again, and I didn't really do it the first time…” I started as Melida held up a hand to stop me.

“Ard, please enjoy the bags that I've packed. Don't worry, we pulled from the officer reserves to make sure you have nice cheese and jerky for your ride home.” Melida told me.

“Maribelle, can you believe this? Melida is trying to buy me using cheese and jerky to get me out of here." I looked at my most loyal anchor. 

"Unfortunately, this is right up in line with my expectations, sir. After all, as a four sphere mage, your time is too precious for you to loiter around this smelly fortress.” Maribelle's eyes glinted with murder as she glared at Melida.

The other mage in the room managed to keep herself under control, but Brusset and Finley tensed at Maribelle's murderous intent.

"Calm down," Melida waved to both of them. "She won't do anything until her precious sir commands her. You haven't figured this out already?" Melida turned back to me. "After all, he's the man with all the power in the room. Enough that I don't want to be anywhere near the political lightning rod he's about to become."

I smiled. My own worries were in that direction as well. My mother had just tried to swing a political marriage amidst an active war. Now that the war was over, there was going to be a reshuffling amongst the nobility and likely even the royalty. As one of the most powerful individuals on the continent, I was going to be a key piece in this particular game of keeps and mages.

While, in my own opinion, all I wanted was to flip the board, throw my chair at my opponent, and run away as fast as possible. Political machinations were too subtle for me. 

And at the same time, while I had been thrust into all of this by awakening as the first four-sphere mage in a thousand years, at heart I was still the young man washing the counters at a country inn. In the scale of my entire life, being a noble and a mage, was still but a brief flicker.

I think I’d always yearn for the freedom that I'd had when I was far less important. Becoming more important was only going to chain me down with more responsibilities and take more time away from doing whatever it is that I want. Which… I honestly am not sure I know.

My life changed so much and I haven’t had the time to breathe and figure out what exactly I wanted from all of this.

"All right, I guess it's time to say goodbye, Melida." I stood up and held a hand out for her.

She rose from her desk and stepped around it to shake my hand. "Feel free to send me letters." She smiled. "And if we're ever in the same city, do give me a warning. Particularly if you're going to attend the ball." She tried to hold back the smile before giving it up and flashing me one that was genuine. 

I shook her hand. "Don't worry, Melida. I like you enough to at least give you warning before I show up at a ball. Maybe I'll let you know what the newest fashion statement will be so you can at least be ahead of the curve." 

She snorted. "You're only ahead of the curve if no one else is yet imitating you. I'll let you enjoy being ostentatious. And I hope to see one of these balls where you steal the spotlight personally for myself." 

It felt in some ways like I was saying goodbye to an old friend, but I pumped her hand one last time and let go. I turned to Emlyn and Maribel, my two anchors in the room. "Let's go collect the others and be on our way." 

Emlyn was already moving to the door and opening it to find a row of five sacks in the hallway. With the gesture of my hand, my shadow stretched out and swallowed the five bags. Using a touch of soul magic, my dark magic could store items in a space that would follow me. 

Melida blinked before shaking her head as I walked away. "He always has new surprises," she muttered to herself as I moved down the hallway. 

"Are you really not going to do anything? You know the capital is about to be an absolute political minefield," Emlyn asked. 

"Yeah, one that my mother and father are welcome to tiptoe through. I'm happy to let them use my name if they so wish. But oh god, Emlyn, can you imagine how much of my day would be paperwork if I became a king?" I shuddered at the horror. Already doing trade deals for the Aldis House had been bad enough. "Imagine making laws, writing tax code," I shuddered again. "No, I think we'll pop in, make ourselves known, and then escape before anyone can force too much responsibility on me." 

I flashed her a smile and glanced over at Maribelle for her opinion.

However, Maribelle was stoically silent, only turning to look at me with love-struck eyes.

I realized I was not about to get any opinion out of Maribelle. She would simply do whatever it was that I asked of her. Her only desire was to stay right by my side.

The well-endowed blonde had modified her body even before she knew me, to attract and tempt someone into taking full control of her.

I had managed to step into that role, partially by necessity of trying to survive Carmilla's machinations. As a result, I had created a woman whose loyalty was unquestionably devoted to me. Not that I would ever betray her belief in me. In fact, I would do all I could to continue to encourage it. But the woman was bound to me, even down to the level of her soul. She wasn't going anywhere.

In fact, all of my anchors were now bound to my soul, and even Missy's godly power had been stripped from her by me and given back on loan. I would never call in that debt, but there were some connections that had been forged almost too strongly. I would never escape them now or in a thousand lifetimes, which was a concern because technically I was now immortal, with my own powers blossoming past the realm of mortality. The only way to kill me was to simply wear down my magic until I became a mortal husk, the way it had been explained to me.

Walking through the castle, we found the rest of our group. Eva, Lord Valken, Aurelia, and Zuri were waiting for us outside the suite I had been granted. None of them had even bothered to unpack.

“Back on the road?” Zuri asked.

"You guessed it. Two missives to be delivered to the capital." I handed them to Zuri. She was by far the most responsible person amongst our group.

Sure enough, the letters were already gone, tucked into a leather satchel that she had gotten for her accountant persona when we had been hiding in Garrish. She had kept the accessory ever since, filling it with a number of odds and ends that would be useful to our group.

"Wonderful," she said, "Are we gonna go back the fast way or the slow way?"

"Slow," I said, not needing to consider it long. "We might have killed both kings, but as you said before, Zuri, that doesn't necessarily end the war. It just creates a lot of chickens with their heads cut off running around and bumping into each other."

Eva grimaced at my apt description. "You really should treat the armies with a little more respect in how you describe them."

"What?" I shrugged. "There's going to be an complete breakdown of communication from the top. They're going to be a little lost without purpose. Chicken with a head cut off is an apt description, especially the way chickens bleed everywhere while they run around."

Eva dragged a hand on her face before letting out a sigh. "Fine. We'll get a formal carriage from the keep and ride it back. You can stay out of trouble for that long, right Ard?" Eva asked.

"Oh no, he won't stay out of trouble," Emlyn said before I could even get a chance to answer. "You've been traveling with him for this long, haven't you, Eva? There's no way you don't understand how utterly chaotic Ard's presence can be."

"It's not that bad, Emlyn. Besides, maybe if we're in a normal carriage doing a normal messenger route, everything will be fine." I offered.

The whole group froze. "He jinxed it," Aurelia shook her head. "You just had to jinx it, Ard. All right, who's taking the first watch and how should we fortify the carriage?" Aurelia asked, turning to the group of anchors to begin discussing amongst themselves how to prepare for whatever would come at us next.