Black Magus

“Thank you all for your support.” I bowed to the now-calmed crowd. “Before I go, however, I’d like to give a reminder to the graduates, and a message to each citizen in attendance.

“Even in peace, remain vigilant,” I stated. “Cultivate knowledge and wisdom, skill and strength, wealth and honor. Always strive to better yourself. But rarely should you focus on the things you are unable to do. There is more to life than magic and might. It matters not whether you are young or old; deemed a genius or dubbed incompetent; if you live in prime health or if you are knocking on death's door. Everyone has a niche to fill. Our purpose in life is to not only find that niche, but we must also make the conscious decision to fall into it. And therein brings about the niche I've found and subsequently decided to fill.

“In a few years’ time, I will return to the mainland to recruit members for a guild of my own making. Once they are properly trained, I will then lead my legions across Maru. And together, we will breach the barrier and rid our world of the hostile invaders inhabiting Ulai, once and for all. That is the niche I have chosen. Consider this an open invitation to follow me on my journey, come the appropriate time.

“For you esteemed guests present tonight, I wish you a joyous ceremony and a safe passage home,” I said in closing. “And to you graduates. Congratulations. I wish you the best in your future endeavors. And I look forward to the day we meet again." With a final bow, I backpedaled to my seat and sat through the hours and hours needed for each student to be called to the stage to receive their diploma.

After hours and hours of torture and a final speech from Grandpa Lich, the ceremony was finally over. He turned from the podium not even a second after the crowd started moving from their seats, passing by me to curtly say: "See you your awakening," before he phased backstage.

I, on the other hand, promptly reached into my Shadow Pocket and turned to the newest additions, handing them the rucks I’d been holding on to for all these years and some words they were undoubtedly waiting to hear. “Pack your things in these. Take the night off. Celebrate with your friends and family. Be in my wing by morning, well-rested and ready to depart.” They seemed all too eager to agree to my orders and went off into the crowd at once to find their presumed families. Leaving the rest of us to return to the guest floor on our own.

We all parted off to our wings at once to begin packing. As for me, I went straight to the kitchen for a quick meal before I began transferring a few things from my Shadow Pocket into my new carriage. Once a sizable portion of provisions and tools were stored in the umbral pockets within the carriage, I unleashed the seldom-used function of my Eternal Eye and watched in nostalgic satisfaction as a digitized version of the Empire scaled down to size around my body. As the many different areas and biomes I visited during my campaigns came to mind, the map followed suit and panned the 3D web to the associated location. Terrain features, flora, fauna; even temperature levels and weather conditions were represented via the same type of augmented reality I had in my past life. As a result, I assessed the various locales for potential resources and made a route back to the Ridge in just under a half hour, then spent the rest of the night 'tactically acquiring' various items around the tower. Tools, equipment, and in some cases, resources for alchemy, masonry, metallurgy, and other crafts.

---

I took a second to look at each of the six faces sitting around the table before beginning. Some of them were groggy and lethargic. Others were literally bouncing with enthusiasm in their seats. Though, they all seemed to have a certain glint of passion in their eyes that reflected brighter than the sun peeking through the windows. “Good morning, everyone,” I finally said, gesturing to the map unfurled on the table. “I figure we give ourselves some time for proper introductions before we begin. Letta Sinclare, master of clockwork mechanics and jeweler.” I pointed to her, then shifted my pointer finger over. “Giorno Nojo, master tailor. And Edward Pascal, master chief engineer.” I pointed to the neurotic one before shifting my gesture toward my veteran vassals. “Toril is my knight. Jaimess is my political and financial adviser. Jonet is my spy.”

Giorno rose his brow as his finger simultaneously made its way to his chin. “A spy?” He softly gasped in apparent admiration.

“All of you work directly for me, but also for each other.” I continued, ignoring his comment. “Now, we’ll go through the formalities later. For the time being, I’ll tell you that your primary focus is to create things of both our and your own designs. As of now, I have no bills for you. I will, however, be giving you books within the next couple of days. You are to study them in your free time and share them with no one outside of this circle." I sternly warned. “Additionally, you are to continue your training every day and always strive toward perfecting your crafts. Watches, clothes, tools, equipment- whatever you think will aid the rest of us, you have the freedom to make. See to Jaimess if you need any materials or equipment.” I gestured to him. “Otherwise, you can more or less do as you please. So long as you do not disgrace me or my family's name.”

“Understood, My Lord.” Giorno quickly said, bowing with the rest of them.

“With that out of the way.” I subtly groaned. “Tell me, do any of you have any affinity cores?”

“Yes, Your Grace.” They all bowed in unison.

‘Here we go again.” I internally groaned once more. ‘Hopefully, it won't take them nearly as long as the others to drop the titles.’

“Like my father, I was born with Smoke Magic, Your Grace.” Ed bowed.

“And I have Chain Magic.” Letta cheekily added. “That's what my grimoire says, although, I can conjure other things too. Gears. Locks. Shackles. So... I dunno. I was never sure it was right."

“Interesting.” I nodded, then pointed to Giorno. “And you?”

“Hewing Magic, My Lord.” He curtly bowed in his seat.

“Fascinating.” I smiled, biting back the impulse to ask for a demonstration. Instead, I gestured to the map of the Empire, bringing everyone’s attention to the zig-zag line trailing from the Tower to the Twin Cities' outskirts. “This is the route we’re taking to Deap Ridge. We’ll be flying during the day and riding through the night while we rest. Along the way, we’ll be making two pit stops so you three can amass a sizable stockpile of provisions and materials.” A few more words were exchanged over some breakfast. Then, it was out to the exterior balconies to watch my vassals take got on the move in their own unique ways.

Instead of just charging himself and disappearing from sight, Toril lifted himself through the air on pillars of fire extending from his hands and feet with Giorno trailing just behind him. Jonet on the other hand, simply jogged towards the balcony and dove over the edge akin to a high diver. There was no flipping or spinning, however. Only a few waves of the arms to conjure a colossal ramp of ice slide down and elegantly skate off into the distance. Letta trailed after her, diving in a similar pose before a steel-gray mana shrouded her frame. Her back bulged in the next second, signaling a thick chain ejecting from her back to assumedly strike home against the balcony she'd just leaped from. However, the shard-like tip sort of... melted into the balcony. That, and the chain eased itself taught, yet still rang the morning air with the racket of a rattling chain as she swung off in the same direction as Jonet; repeating the action like a certain, friendly neighborhood arachnid-like individual. Jaimess simply conjured a large origami bird that he amiably stepped onto before turning to me and Ed with a wide smirk. And with a single gust of his paper hawk's wing, he was far off into the distance, leaving Edward and I standing on the balcony, flooding mana in our bodies to assume dissimilar semi-solid forms and play catchup with everyone else.

Several hours of flight and a few restroom breaks later, the sprawling footprint of warehouses and city blocks signaled our arrival at the border town of Emi. Yet we continued south for a few ways to descend towards a small clearing near the outermost outskirts.

As I somewhat expected, most of the newer additions collapsed onto the snow the moment they came to a landing. Letta and Giorno heaved and panted tirelessly as if they’d just run a marathon while their counterpart stood idly next to them. Yet, their discomfort came from different sources. From Giorno, it was the physical strain of prolonged manipulation; a feeling akin to post-workout fatigue. Ed and Letta, on the other hand, faced different levels of mana fatigue. Letta's well was nearly topped off, yet with her constant casting, she was a lot worse off than Ed, who simply had to sustain a single spell. When coupled with their wells, it was an interesting observation. I could clearly see Slush Wells of varying sizes in their ethereal bodies, with Ed at the lowest and Letta; surprisingly, at the highest. With this, and seeing their spells in action over the come and days, I was afforded a pristine opportunity to gauge their increase in power once I realized the forced expansion theory.

Though, that would have to come much later. For now, I drew everyone's attention to the middle of our haphazard circle, where Toril was sparking up a campfire.

“For those of you who’ve never been here, we are on the outskirts of Emi; the industrial capital of Odissi. That, in the distance, is the entrance to the mines and quarry.” I pointed to the silhouettes of cranes and warehouses dotting the western horizon; then, I jabbed my thumb over my shoulder to the east. “Beyond that woodline, is a tree nursery, logging site, and growing houses for medicinal and industrial crops. The clothes you were given mark you as my vassals, so you don’t have to worry about getting permission to use either site. We-” I gestured to first myself, then the veteran vassals. “-will stay here and prepare a meal while you three gather resources until we eat. Whatever you need, we'll make sure to pick up before we ride through the night to our next destination.”

With mixed levels of enthusiasm, they all bowed their affirmations before darting, skipping, or walking off toward the woodline. Toril offered to take over cooking duties shortly after their disappearance while Jaimess and Jonet began working to spruce up the place. So, with nothing else to do, I decided to do a little scrying to observe the new additions’ magic from afar. Particularly, Giorno’s peculiar hewing magic. With it, he produced mana blades that were remarkably different from the forging technique my mother showed me years ago. They appeared as crescent blades of solid air; or, as transparent disks or lines or even fields made of off-white energy flung from every swipe of the hand. Much to my astonishment, they cut only what, I assumed, Giorno wanted to cut. He took little time aiming in that way, even going as far as to send his magic through the other two to fell trees standing behind them. True to her word, Letta's magic enabled her to spawn pulleys and gears in addition to her chains, greatly facilitating Ed, comically stuffing the large pieces of wood and stone into their unchanging bags.

The rest of us shared a companionable silence in their absence. Toril toiled away with some pasta while Jonet had gone off somewhere to play in the snow shortly after the campsite was up to standard. Creating a peaceful camp ambiance in which to read and write and wait for the sun to continue its slow descent in the southern skies.

Once Tiatus appeared to be nothing more than a radiant toenail cresting above the horizon, the tinkerers began to stream in, in much the same way as they’d left. Ed practically sprinted to camp, leaving Letta to skip along in the snowfall of his wake while Giorno casually waltzed behind them. Being the last to take a bowl and a seat in one of the field chairs he created. With an hour or so of awkwardly companionable silence passing, I flicked a Shadow Bullet onto the ground to withdraw my carriage from the pocket of darkness. Prompting Ed to leap from his seat with unbridled excitement.

“Would you all like a tour?” He beamed at us after orbiting around the thing.

“Please,” Giorno said, stepping towards the sloped cockpit.

“I’ve spent years and a bit of my own money making this for you, My Lord,” Edward explained as he opened a butterfly door on the front, bringing into view a pair of plush, reclined seats. Reaching inside, he grasped a pair of reigns that’d been pinned in place to a jointed yoke and looked back to us while saying. “The carriage can be steered from either seat in the cockpit, protecting the drivers from the wind and snow. On top of that.” He paused to gesture to a jewel placed at the center of the roof before pointing to a half-wall behind the seats. “The cockpit and windows are heated by enchantments and it can be sealed off from the interior." Closing the door, Ed then walked along the side of the carriage to point out the many doors, boxes, and chutes lining the fenders and side skirts. “These storage units are all enchanted and contain tools, spare parts, and other equipment meant to keep the carriage running in the worst of conditions. On top of that.” He stopped at the rear to ceremoniously open the trunk, revealing a horizontally split compartment. “There’s a camp kitchen!

“Complete with an icebox.” Ed continued, pointing to the large door on the upper portion before gesturing down to the recessed compartment below. Moving his finger along as he spoke. “As well as heating elements, an oven, a sink, and.” He ceremoniously paused again. This time, to hurriedly pull out two pegs from either side of the wagon and set them aside before rushing back to the trunk to pull a plank of wood from under the counter and rotate it out like a door.

“A butcher's table.” Toril nodded in understanding before Ed could get the supports set in. Causing the latter to shoot a dismayed and defeated look towards him before he deflatedly closed up the kitchen and rounded everyone around the entrance.

Without a word, he unfolded a set of steps and entered the carriage. Prompting us all to follow into the surprisingly spacious interior.

Set into the half-wall at the front was a rather unexpected fireplace. Obviously enchanted, and thus nothing more than an elaborate heating unit constructed with carved blackwood and slim marble tiles. Bordering the fireplace was a small access to the cockpit on the right side, mirrored by a small end table to service the adjacent bench seat. A similar, albeit smaller arrangement sat just to the left of the door, extending all the way to the rear of the carriage, where a plush, padded loft was situated. A loft I naturally seated myself in while the others crowded themselves on the benches.

“In an effort to save space and reduce weight, I installed modular furniture all over the place,” Edward explained in a minutely less enthusiastic tone. Without much more words, he methodically reached towards the floor and unfolded four, L-shaped pegs from the base of the bench and sprung them upright to create a built-in table for each passenger. Seemingly ignoring everyone's astonishment, he unfolded the flat portions of their tables, leaving only pegs to remain while he reach for the base of my loft. From a flush pocket, he withdrew a long slab of relatively thin wood and fastened it to the supports. Thus creating a single, much larger dining table. Only then, did he look around at everyone’s expressions and offer himself a smile. Then, he looked at me and asked. “Is your loft comfortable, My Lord?”

“It is.” I nodded, pressing the pads around me. “It’s spacious enough for me to sleep in if I wanted to.”

“Excellent.” Ed’s grin returned to its full vibrancy in an instant. Nearly leaping forward, he collapsed the table and pegs back to their hidden positions before approaching my loft to pull up on the base. Akin to an inverted garage door, a half-wall erected from his gentle pull, locking in place just above my knees. “The full height of this wall extends to here, My Lord.” Ed pointed to the end of a groove at the mid-point of the wall. Then, trailed his finger along a rail curving around the ceiling. “With these foldout curtains, you can attend to your business in private. However, with the wall in this position. This. Can. Unfold.” He groaned as he leaned this way and that to unfurl bits of trim and wooden slats from each side of my loft, then came to a full pause to detach sheets of what appeared to be woven bark from each side of my loft and jigsaw them into the unfurled bits, creating a thin table top.

"With this.” Ed ceremoniously spread his arms. “You have your own eating or working table. Naturally, it can be used while the wall is at its full height as well. And.” He flicked his finger over my shoulder. “You have access to the icebox and a drinking fountain from your loft. As well as a private entry from the porthole above.”

“Wow!” I gasped, following his pointer to the sparse starfield staring down at me through a round porthole. "You've exceeded my expectations, Ed. You have truly earned your position. As have the rest of you.” I added, looking past him.

“I am honored. Thank you, Your Grace.” Ed bowed. Then sprung up again to collapse the table and reach below my loft to pull down a sort of garage door. Eliciting shocked gasps from the others that all but forced me to crawl forward and investigate.

“The kitchen is reversible.” I gasped in astonishment.

“Yes, My Lord.” Ed proudly nodded. “For maximum comfort and accessibility, the kitchen and icebox can both be accessed from the in and outside and even used whilst on the move. Albeit with caution. Additionally, the carriage contains a ten-liter water tank. Small, but there is a water enchantment installed to refill it automatically. It has ice enchantments in the sleighs, as well as shadow enchantments in the undercarriage and in the interchangeable wheels, for the open waters, maximum riding comfort, and the option for stealth.”

“Don’t get me wrong, this is incredible.” Toril gasped after a few long moments. “But, this must’ve cost a fortune.”

Either embarrassed or flustered, Ed sort of… squawked in awkward laughter and began itching the back of his head feverishly. “Well.” He squawked again. “Most of the materials were provided by Our Lord. The tool and equipment by the school. Though, I did burn through most of my savings to get the enchantments.”

“What are you, a noble?” Letta spat in either sarcasm or contempt.

“No.” Ed squawked again. Rubbed his head a bit more feverishly. “Though, my parents are quite successful merchants. In fact.” He turned to face some ambiguous direction; probably the direction he thought the town was in. “I was born in Emi. But I don’t remember much of the place. I went to the Tower when I was five, after all.”

“Regardless, your work is outstanding. I expect nothing less than this going forward,” I said to him, then waited for his acknowledging nod before I opened the hatch. “Now, pack up camp and pick someone to drive for the first four hours. I’ll be right back.” With that, I leaped from the roof of the wagon and dropped right into the plane of darkness.

As always, the decrepit plane of gloom contained little sound or light for uncountable leagues in every direction. Only rotten forests, crumbled boulders, and perpetually cloudy skies were found for as far as the eye could see. Though, I’ve since come to learn that many creatures still called this foul place home. Beasts and monsters who loved my father feared my great-grandfather and outright avoided me. Beasts that could remain unseen, even by me. Seen only by me, however, were the 'shadows of light' representing darkness in the material plane. Gates back to reality, all of them. It was through this method that I formed a bond with one of those creatures; if only by order of the Necro King. In doing so, however, I was taught a most-peculiar technique with which to beckon my mount. A type of casting that gave me quite a bit of insight into the skill I’d long since had my eyes set on.

Though, the moment when I could test that skill was still far from at hand.

Regardless, I did as I was taught years ago and pulled shadow mana from my well, guided it through my body, up to my torso, and into my throat before gently saying, “Karu.” And like a stone thrown into a pond, the energy within my word sent a visible ripple through the pervasive darkness of the realm.

Mere moments later, a pair of small, moon-yellow disks panned from behind a tree to stare at me for a long, uncomfortable second before its owner lunged forth with a bloodcurdling caw. Within a few strides, it was before me, its long, quilled neck arced up to tower menacingly above me before it snapped down with the quickness of a viper. Enveloping me in a tight embrace that dug dozens of jagged quills into my semi-amorphous body.

“I missed you too, buddy.” I hugged him in turn. Digging the quills deeper into my shadow flesh until I pulled away. “Come on.” I tugged on his umbral reigns, guiding him toward the closest 'shadow of light.' "Let’s go for a ride.”

He cawed eagerly and excitedly the entire way to the physical plane. Causing a few of the others, particularly Giorno, to jump backward or even scream in shock or horror at the sight.

“My gods!” He quite comically screamed. “What IS that!?”

“This is Karu. A Nox Ave. My mount.” I phlegmatically explained as I led Karu to the wagon. “He lives in the Abyssal Plane- the shadow realm. As such, he has absolutely no tolerance for light of any kind. He’ll return at the first sight of dawn. Other than that, he’s like any other Ave.”

“What’s an Ave?” Letta asked, reaching her hand towards Karu.

“A type of flightless bird. They’re usually around three meters tall.” I snorted, gesturing to the creature in question. “Any ave can outrun and outpace any horse in existence. Nox Aves, however, can outpace all other aves, as they can augment their bodies, step through shadows, and use the darkness to walk on walls, ceilings, or even water. And his quills are venomous. So... don't.”

She seemed almost heartbroken as she pulled her arm away and turned, arms hanging, to step inside the carriage. Seeing it, I couldn’t help but shake my head and laugh. Then forced myself to hide my amusement before descending through my porthole to settle into my loft.

“I assume you two know the route,” I called up to the front.

To which, Edward held up a map while Jaimess turned over his shoulder and gave an exaggerated nod. “Of course.”

“Very well.” I grinned, raising my half-wall. “Everyone else, get as much rest as you can. We’ll be at our destination come dawn.”