He didn’t bother using Aura Mastery Identify on his cursed item.
He wanted to hear Ruvaria talk about her gift for him, which he prompted with a nod.
For Zarian, Ruvaria said, “The Barbed Crown of Ravthar the Absolute King, Mythical Quality.”
Zarian stiffened. This thorny and hungry thing in his hands had once belonged to Ruvaria’s father.
The smile on Ruvaria’s face brightened beautifully. They both knew fully well the importance of this gift and why she was passing it down to Zarian.
She continued: “It is an aura-hungering monstrosity and possibly the worst of the grand cursed items from my family’s treasury. My father left it behind before ascending into the First Star Ascension Trial and dying. It was how he beca a powerful wizard of such imnse might, the dwarves couldn’t survive him.
“It was how I grew my Aura Mastery when nobody else was capable of Aura Mastery like and my father. I have outgrown the crown thousands of years ago, so it pleases to find soone else who can use it and grow from it.”
“Ruvaria, this is a lot,” Zarian said. “I haven’t nearly given you enough for all that you’ve given and my friends.”
“Your allegiance to and the purity of your joy for learning magic is paynt enough,” Ruvaria said. “You are a source of great trouble, Zarian Darkrun. But deep down, you have a rare innocence at heart, and the truth of you is that you love to adventure and you love to learn and explore magic.”
“Yeah, but still…” Zarian trailed off, not sure what to say.
Ruvaria giggled, making a pleasant and heavenly sound. The others relaxed from hearing the musical nature of Ruvaria’s true elvish voice. Her next words were less musical, but it was still stirring and lovely.
“You even love challenges when they are quite risky. You’ve shown ti and ti again how you would go beyond and not rest on your laurels. I see a reflection of you in your friends as well. So do not fret over how much I give to you. I give with joy. I give with trust. I give with love. And to give like this is plenty of paynt already.”
She lowered down and gave him a few head pats. “This is what it ans to be your dear teacher.”
Zarian froze under her adoration. He even felt his neck and cheeks heat up. It was weird being on the receiving end of this, but he accepted with a slight bow.
Then sothing inside of him snapped.
Before he could stop himself, he collapsed to his knees in front of Ruvaria. She gracefully lowered down and continued to pat his head with a small and adoring smile on her face.
He’d grown a lot since leaving the old world behind.
But so things hadn’t left him just yet.
With this so-called loop his family had put him in, he had to grow up like a mortal wretch. Maybe that was necessary to humble him and make him what he was now. But it was still hurtful to have lived that way, as a wretch, a bottom feeder of society.
Thus, Ruvaria’s open love as his dear teacher was almost too much for him.
Zarian took so ti off to recover.
Hannah, Bianca, and Gilbert fooled around with their cursed items. When they couldn’t bear it anymore, Ruvaria summoned mythical boxes they could store the items in before storing those away in their Spatial Satchels.
Naomi had waited until the others finished before she went thousands of feet away in the red and tall sea of grass that was widespread across the Blood Prairies. She activated the Echoing Mirror of Self Destruction.
She looked dead into the eyes of her steely doppelganger who was many tis aner than her. The two traded their first explosive and thunderous punches.
Naomi took two steps back.
The doppelganger only took one step back.
By the ti an hour was up, Naomi looked like she was the oldest chew toy of a feisty bulldog. The Knighted Healer, Runic Engineer, and Light Princess tried not to look smug as Gilbert healed the Rumble Psion.
Finally, Zarian placed the Barbed Crown of Ravthar the Absolute King on his head.
The thorns sunk into his scalp and drew thick streams of blood. Para instantly hated it as the hungering aura of the crown tried to out-hunger the parasite.
The crown broke through her defenses and feasted on Zarian’s aura, suppressing him drastically. They did all they could to fight it, but the crown was mythical and powerful, dominating them thoroughly.
They did all they could for an hour before having to rip the crown off their head, scalping Zarian terribly. As Para and Gilbert repaired the damage, Zarian tossed the crown in its mythical container and placed the box inside Para’s pocket dinsion.
Better now, the Madness Wizard told everyone to take tonight off and rest up. The next week was going to be intense before arriving at the Blood Prairie Savages’ stronghold.
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As the others rested, Zarian flew through the night sky with Ruvaria. The two were mostly silent, his cloak wavering behind them like a flag.
Then Zarian opened up about his sister, the depths of her evilness, and what had befallen The Dragon to give rise to The Dragoness. He lowered his head, feeling ashad that he couldn’t do anything about his evil little sister, the Ultimate Queen of the Infinita Star System.
As a mortal and adventurous wizard, he didn’t have enough power.
As the son of ultra gods, he had way too much power that he couldn’t control.
He was stuck while his little sister promised to feast and destroy and ruined the lives of countless many.
Ruvaria humd. “Hm. The Dragon is dead. The greatest and most fearso villain I knew for all my life and in all my histories is dead. Killed and eaten by a child of all things, who now deems herself the great sovereigness of the Star System and the ultimate decider of our lives. And she, too, contains an even greater apocalyptic power that threatens the cosmos beyond our universe. This is what you’re telling ?”
“Yeah, I know. It’s pretty screwed up, isn’t it?” Zarian cringed.
“Then so be it.”.
Zarian flinched in shock. “You’re not mad?”
Ruvaria shook her head. “The Dragon. The Dragoness. No matter who it is, they bring about suffering, and suffering is a well-known factor. Do you know how many tis I’ve heard news of great doom and horror in this world and in the many worlds across Infinita?
“I’m part of a network of Lesser World Leaders who can speak and travel from world to world. I’ve known many friends and rivals who rose to prominence before they befallen to terrible fates. I’ve known of worlds who suffered such grave catastrophes there was nothing that can be done and nothing that remains.
“The Infinita Star System continues to exist, even if it is a temperantal existence, even if it ans we’re fodder in the grand sche of existence. If our universe is to play its part as a cradle to ultra gods such as you, your little sister, and your wife. Perhaps that is our ultimate purpose.”
Zarian huffed. “You are not fodder, Ruvaria.”
She gave him a small smile. “One day I will die. Perhaps I will even be forgotten. It is not a sad thing. It is ant to be. Just like how many little lives will perish to your sister and be forgotten in the shadow of her existence. Regardless of good or evil, it is her right via power to exercise her dominion of domination if none, not even the Star System, can truly challenge her.”
Zarian balled his hands into tight fists. “One of these days we need to talk about that door attitude of yours that cos up sotis. But today, I just want to say sowhere out there, in so world I don’t know, there’s a guy who was like . Down on his luck. Looking for a break. But reality beats down on him and won’t let him up. Maybe I can’t save that guy. Maybe I can’t save many people. I’m idealistic, but I’m not crazy enough to think I can save everyone.”
Zarian took a deep and calming breath. He opened his fists into open hands. “But I want to do what I can to teach my sister to respect the little people. So, yes, trillions will die, but if I can prevent a few trillion more sohow, soway. And I can have her change her ways and make up for all of that … then we’re really cooking with fire.”
“What if she doesn’t change?” Ruvaria stopped and looked deep into Zarian’s eyes. “What if there is no redemption for her?”
“If push cos to shove, I’ll try to beseech my family to stick Ariana in a jar for a while. But I think they aren’t willing and want to solve this problem as her big brother,” Zarian said. “If so, then I’d have to take Gilbert’s advice. Leave the rest up to Christian God and good ol’ Zombie Jesus and do all I can.”
Ruvaria studied him under the starry night sky and above the red glow of the Blood Prairies. Her eyes shone a powerful and arresting green on her pale and youthful face.
Zarian slowly reached over and hugged Ruvaria into him. He whispered into her long ear.
“Thanks for coming here. And thanks for trying to atone. I bet it’s hard. But you’re doing the best you can, and even if you screw up, you can try again.”
“My family will be very upset,” Ruvaria whispered back into his ear. “If it cos down to it, I will have to make a choice I can’t take back. Are you sure you can trust to truly make ands and find redemption? What if I’m like your little sister? What if I’m irredeemable?”
Zarian thought long and hard. Then he slowly pulled back while keeping his hands on Ruvaria’s small and slender hands.
“I believe in you all the way. When you can’t believe in yourself, believe in and my belief in you,” he said resolutely. “My belief is enough for the both of us.”
Ruvaria’s eyes trembled slightly. She chuckled a little. “My dear student. You are so foolish. And truly good. Gooder than , regardless of alignnts.”
Ruvaria pulled away slightly. She wiped at the corner of her eyes. “Fine then. I think I can be braver because of you and your beliefs. I should be long dead, really. But I’m not, and you are here now.”
Zarian raised an eyebrow and tapped her on the nose. “Long dead? You’re still a growing elf, Ruvaria. You still have plenty more to learn. Plenty more to see and do. Now fulfill your duty to . And don’t forget, I appreciate every effort, every strive, and every attempt to do better.”
She looked frankly surprised by that.
Zarian took advantage and moved in close again. He gave her a head pat. Combed through her hair. Then he traced his fingers behind her long ears.
That last gesture sent Ruvaria listing off to the side drunkenly. Then she finally disappeared from view and returned to Ride-or-Die Village.
Zarian stayed hovering in the air for so ti before he mumbled, “Naomi’s going to kill , isn’t she? How did this happen? I didn’t intend for this. But it’s happening anyway.”
Zarian returned to the others.
There was a creepy smile on Naomi’s face as she looked at him with intense, wide-open eyes. Her fangs and claws glinted under the light of the three moons and starry sky.
“Hey, Zarian, want to help with sothing?” she growled.
“What exactly?”
“Can’t seem to sleep. Wanna wrestle to burn off energy? Three. Two. Go.” Naomi pounced.
She took Zarian right off the rune cart.
For the next half hour, Naomi wrestled-smashed Zarian into the dirt.
The Madness Wizard didn’t mind, despite the body slams and crushing mounts. Naomi wasn’t acting as angry as he’d first dreaded. She was being softer with him than she normally would’ve.
She still battered him around a little as everyone watched like it was their favorite nightti show. Then they chilled out while sitting on the edge of the rune cart, legs kicking idly as they traded stories about funny stuff that happened in Miami.
Further into Late Spring, the Floridians reached the stronghold of the Blood Prairie Savages. Ezda and her fellow elder gnolls were waiting for them.
In Ezda’s hands, Reiki’s core glead. The core was in the process of sothing … extraordinary.
Whatever was going on with Reiki’s core quickly beca a nonissue, however. Because the initial reception of the Floridians was a shocking one for the gnolls.
The power, deadliness, and intensified confidence wafting off the Floridians were more palpable than ever before. There was no doubt that Zarian and his friends had grown greater … and scarier.
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