The First Archmage

(Gavin)

Things happened faster than I expected, and I was able to get to the Fairy Kingdom faster than I thought. I really thought taking out that demon would take me longer than a minute and a half, and that I'd have to spend several days destroying the seal and then it.

I tried to locate Warren and Michael, but they weren't visible to me, and I couldn't sense them or their trail anywhere. They're still alive, though, so I know they'll show up here eventually.

It might take them a month, though.

Touching down under the shade of Yggsdrasil, I walk through the clearing, ignoring the stares of the Fairies around me. A lot of them look at me with hate, but many of them look at me with awe and respect.

There is fear, too, but I can sense confidence that their leader will protect them from me.

"Gavin," Beck approaches me from the palace, a building constructed against the base of the World Tree, built of white marble. "Welcome to our Kingdom. You were gone a fair bit longer than we expected."

"I was undergoing a different sort of training," I explain. "I am here to collect on the agreement between your father and I."

"He was hoping you wouldn't show up," he snorts. "Especially after all this time. He actually did say that he was hoping you'd gotten yourself killed, as he didn't want to train you."

"I'm not surprised," I tell him. "Warren and Michael were on their way here, but I had something else to take care of. I'm not sure-"

"They've arrived," he interrupts. "Michael knew about a Dungeon that opens nearby, and used it to come here."

"Oh, right," I remember Michael mentioning that he accidentally popped in here once. "I forgot about that. That would explain why I couldn't find them."

He snorts, then gestures for me to follow him.

The Fairy Prince leads me into the palace, and through the halls to a dining hall, where Warren, Michael, and a few other Fairies are chatting, seated to eat the fruits and vegetables on the tables. Warren sits beside his father, Michael beside him, at a rounded table.

Oberon huffs when he sees me.

Oh, hush, Yggdrasil's voice rings out. Gavin isn't the kind of person who subscribes to death. Besides, he has an offer which you might find quite appealing.

How does Yggdrasil know about that?

You've been thinking about it, Gavin, and as long as you are within my domain, I know all of your thoughts.

Oh. Sorry for anything in appropriate I may have thought about you.

I'm used to it, from your kind.

My kind?

The chosen of Nies. All of you are quite troublesome, and there hasn't been a single one who's not had thoughts like those about me.

Oh, okay.

Thanks for the image you just had.

You're welcome!

I approach Oberon, who is looking confused. Could he hear Yggdrasil speaking?

No, Nies responds. Yggdrasil restricted that to you.

Welcome back, Nies.

I'm still not talking to you.

Sure you aren't.

He doesn't respond to me, and I just mentally shrug and reach the head table with Oberon.

"Hello, Oberon," I give him a small bow. "Sorry for taking so long, I was dealing with personal issues of my own."

"What's this offer Lord Yggdrasil mentioned?" He asks.

"Something I'd prefer to share in private," I answer. "The less who know of it, the less chance there is of it going wrong. I do, however, believe it is something you will find appealing, just as Yggdrasil said."

Oberon stares at me, then tells his guards to come with us before standing and leaving. I follow him, and he leads me to a room where he tells his guards to wait outside. I wave for Michael and Warren to do the same.

I shouldn't be surprised that they followed, too, but I am. I suppose they don't want to let me out of their sight for awhile.

Hopefully, we take long enough they return to the dining hall, as I suggested they do.

Oberon sits down in the next room, gesturing for me to do the same. He sat on a pillow, and the only other spot to sit that isn't the floor is another pillow. I sit on the pillow, folding my legs underneath me, out of habit from the temple. His are crossed.

"What is this offer Lord Yggdrasil said you have?" He demands.

"I can get Christopher under the canopy of Yggdrasil," I tell him, and he scoffs. "Whenever it is he returns to this world, it will be to come after me. However, odds are that his stats will be at or above mine, so I won't be able to fight him. I've made sacrifices in order to not have time limits on my major Quests, and one of them is Experience. I cannot gain Experience until after I complete all of them, which means becoming stronger will be nigh impossible.

"That said," I say. "Christopher will want to capture me, so he can do whatever it is he's doing to steal stats and grow stronger, as I'll be a tasty reward. Either he'll overpower me instantly, or he'll barely manage to keep up with me as I fly directly here, when he comes for me.

"He'll be too focused on gaining my powerful stats," I continue. "To pay attention to where we are. By the time he does, we'll likely be at or near the trunk of Yggdrasil – perfect for you to fight him at full power, a power he won't be able to handle.

"And," I add. "If he does capture me, you know he'll come for you – he'll be overconfident in his ability and power, and think it's enough to take you on while you're under the shade of Yggdrasil. I don't want to risk my own life, and know that you will be powerful enough to kill him while you're under the canopy. In addition, I know that you want to exact revenge against my father, yourself."

Oberon sits and thinks about it for several minutes.

"I know how your father is stealing stats," he says. "However, I am not sure if I should reveal the source of his secret."

"I swear on the blood within my veins," I say. "I will not reveal your secrets, without first acquiring permission directly from you. Nor will I use the secret of stealing stats from others, unless you tell me that I may."

A surge of divine power flows through me, confirming my Blood Oath, and Oberon shakes his head with an expression of disbelief.

"I should have expected that," he says, then looks at me and smiles. "Seeing as you're the Blessed of Nies. Blood Oaths are like drinking water to you… either you're doing it, or you're making someone else do it.

"Very well," he takes a deep breath, then releases it. "It is a trick of Arcane magic your father is using, manifesting the desire to become stronger and weaken others in a single spell. It acquires only a single percent per Level of the Skill, per absorbed point. It does round, however. However, it only takes from the highest stat. Your father is, instead of stopping somewhere along the line, draining them of a full stat, which is an instant-death to the victim.

"He learned it," Oberon says. "From me. Before he revealed his true nature, I had accidentally allowed slip the knowledge of that Skill – or at least, that it existed. Your father likely sought it out on his own. He attempted to use it on me when he came to steal the Grimoire Tristan left in my possession, but as you can see, he failed."

"This Skill," I say. "It's how you're as powerful as you are, isn't it?"

"Indeed," he nods. "Though I have only ever used in on criminals, and they survived the encounter. It reduces all stats by the same amount, but only grants you the percent of the highest one. When I attacked you before, I activated my zierna with the full intention of reaching you and gaining the time needed to use it on you."

"Speaking of our encounter before," I say. "I can still see that you do not trust me and still have some hostility towards me. I swear on the blood in my veins that I do not currently, nor ever have, possessed any ill intent towards you or Fairies as a whole."

A surge of divine power confirms my Blood Oath, and Oberon stares at me with wide eyes – this time in shock.

"Had you been even slightly off," he says. "Ever had even the slightest amount, that would have smote you instantly."

"Which tells you," I say. "How confident I was in that statement, Oberon. Would you be willing to swear the same oath of secrecy, for my secrets?"

Oberon thinks on it for several moments, though I can sense a faint Divine Presence, which means he's likely communicating with Yggs.

He nods, then swears the Blood Oath, a crimson glow surrounding him, then fading. I nod, then stand, realizing something.

"Formshift: Marty."

My body shifts into the martial artist's body, and Oberon stares at me with wide eyes.

"That's not a Skill humans can acquire!" He says. "It-"

"Was given to me," I say. "By a Divine Being, a goddess named Ultarna. Formshift: True."

My body reverts back to my real form.

"I have discovered," I say. "That those seeking me out will be drawn towards me in other forms, even if they can't tell that it's me. In addition, alternate forms don't count as me – which is why they can't detect me – which means that I can gain Experience still while in them. I can't have a Bloodline's bonus, though, which is unfortunate. Actually, I couldn't at Level 1. I unlocked an additional Form and Form Removal at Level 2, so it's possible I might be able to trigger Bloodline bonuses at a higher Level, even if it's just mine."

Which, to be honest, wouldn't be bad at all.

"Using that," I say. "I can probably trick Christopher entirely. He'd be drawn to me, and as the Champion of Nies, I could say I know where Gavin, the Hero of Nies, is. Depending on how I work it, I could make him not even notice Yggdrasil."

"And if he realizes?"

"A Void and a Blood Smite will probably let me escape."

He snorts.

"It was something I realized after you swore the Blood Oath," I shrug. "Thought I'd show you it. I can't remember what I was going to tell you, though. The thing that I wanted you to swear the Blood Oath for, that is."

I'll probably remember… after I leave here and am quite a distance away.

"That is fine," he says. "What can you Formshift into?"

"Beastborn, wolf," I answer. "And beastborn, cat. That's in addition to human, of course. It seems that in addition to my actual species, I can Formshift into any species I've befriended a powerful leader of, much like for taking on Subspecies."

"And you have one additional form?" He asks.

"Yeah," I nod. "I took on another human form, though I can sustain a form without making it permanent – needing a Form Removal – for seventy-two hours."

"To let you try it out, yes," he nods. "So it's at Level 2, then. And you have only one Removal left? Did you use one up?'

"Yeah," I nod. "I worked as an overweight female barkeeper at a tavern for a few months, to get used to not being me and how it works. My patron's furious at me over taking other forms, though. I, uh, didn't tell him, even after he came to me and asked me to find myself."

Oberon looks completely and utterly confused by that.

"Long story," I grin at him. "Nies will forgive me eventually, won't you, Nies?"

Naturally, he doesn't respond, though it does sound like someone sighed in my head.

"Ekre?"

I can't get rid of him this time.

"Sorry."

He's trying to stay mad at you, and is afraid that if he talks to you, he's going to no longer be able to force himself to be mad.

"That's fine," I say. "It was kind of mean of me to do that, but I needed no one to know it was me, for it to work properly."

I know.

"Which kinds of beastborn you can be?" Oberon asks me once Ekre stops talking.

"Wolf and cat."

"No," he says. "Of those. Which particular species can you be?"

"It just lists wolf and cat," I answer, pulling it up when he looks confused. "I'll share it with-"

Formshift Available Forms:

Human

Beastborn (wolf)

Beastborn (cat)

Fairy

Uh…

I guess Oberon now realizes how mistaken he was, if I can become a Fairy as well. But for that to be available, wouldn't we have to be friends? I know I hope we can be, but in order for it to count, he has to as well.

"Yes?" He asks.

"Fairy's on it now as well."

"Strange," he says. "I've accepted that I made errors with you, and that you are not my enemy, but it should not have registered that as friends. May I see?"

I nod, showing him, and he reads it.

"The lack of specific species of them," he says. "Would require you to befriend not just a powerful leader, but the most powerful of them. Normally, it'd show whatever particular type that is. I think his name is… Matthew Burrclaw? The current wolf beastborn who is the most powerful leader?"

"Michael's father," I nod. "I intimidated him, and he decided we were friends."

"He probably liked you from other things," he nods. "It's been decades since I last met that old wolf. For cat beastborn… I'm not sure of who it would be, for them, you'd have needed to befriend more than half of their leaders across the world."

"Does the goddess of one of the clans of them count?"

"Well, yeah," he says. "But-" he stops talking, staring at me with his eyes widening. "You befriended a goddess?"

Has he forgotten everything he knows about me?

"I do have gods talking to me pretty often," I remind him. "Ultarna, the goddess of the Kemmel cast beastborn, sent me a Quest to free her people – that's why I didn't come back with Beck and them, at first. But then I decided to undergo some training, to focus myself and help cope with my anger issues. I trained with monks as Marty, the permanent Formshift Form I have right now."

Oberon thinks for several minutes, standing up and looking me up and down.

"Very well, then," he says. "Create a Fairy Form."

"Pardon?"

"A Fairy Form," he repeats. "I'd like to see what you look like by default. I agreed to train you, as per Lord Yggdrasil, but was only going to give you the basics. In order for you to have access to the Fairy Species Forms without having befriended me, only come to a mutual agreement not to kill each other but to work together, then either the System or Lord Yggdrasil interfered and put it in for you."

More than likely, it was Yggdrasil, not the System. It must have known I would say something to Oberon, who would then want to see me as a Fairy."

"And that will affect how you train me?"

"Yes," he answers. "As a Fairy, you would have access to a range of senses not available to humans. If one of them has granted you access to it prematurely, then it is to tell me to teach you the full powers of the Fairies. You will need to awaken Arcane and Aether – much like Spirit, all Fairies are born with it unlocked. Mana is iffy. Most are, some aren't."

Closing my eyes, I reach within myself, sensing the locked Affinities, and releasing the binds the Rift Wolf placed on Arcane and Aether. The moment I do, Oberon jumps, taking several steps back.

"How did you do that?"

"They were sealed by a Rift Wolf," I shrug. "All I did was unseal them. Rift incoming."

The Rift Wolf appears in the room, scrutinizing me with its golden eyes.

"How did you do that?"

"You mean undo your seals?"

"Yes."

"I've been able to since around the middle of Archmage," I answer. "I can sense the seals you placed on me, and while the seals are powerful, it takes a small flex of my own power to break them."

"So you were just harassing Beck and I, then?"

"Do you really think I wouldn't pass up the opportunity?" I ask. "You know how much I like screwing with people."

The Rift Wolf gives me an "I wish I could kill you" look, then leaves, his Rift sealing back up. Oberon just shakes his head.

"I would say that I've seen it all," he says. "But knowing you, I'll see more. Can you take on your default Fairy Form? I'd like to see it."

"Why?" I ask. "I like customizing them around. I haven't even looked at my defaults for the other two."

"Seriously?" He looks surprised. "The kind of guy you were last time we met, and from what little we've interacted, that seems out of character."

"I didn't think about it."

He snorts, then cracks up laughing. I stare at him, wondering what's so funny. He's so strange… he was hostile to me until I made those vows, particularly, the one about my hostile intent.

"Alright," I say. "I'll do it."

"Oh," he says. "You might want to take off your shirt, first."

"Why?"

"Fairies have wings."

"I've only seen a few Fairies with wings."

"We can 'banish' our wings," he says. "It's a trait of our Species, not a Skill. However, if you take on a Fairy Form, the wings will be out."

"Ah," I say. "And the tunic would damage them."

"Indeed," he nods.

"Okay," I pull off my tunic and let it vanish into my ring.

I then string the ring onto a thin metal chain I form with my magic. I pull that around my neck, so that the ring rests against my chest, and then I take a deep breath.

Ekre, please inform Nies that I'm about to vanish from his sight, and let him know where I'm at. I'm taking on a Fairy Form.

There is no response to that, but that's fine. I know he'll let Nies know, as my friendly god will go nuts the moment I vanish from his perception, unless he's warned in advance that I will.