Valterion: The Space/Arch? Mage

Chapter 86: Grandpa John

Location: Magicon Empire; Magicon System; Benson Moon; Emperor’s Estate

The meeting ends with the Emperor telling everyone to leave, including my parents. Mom protests, but he gives her a stern look. “Jasmine, take your husband and go sightseeing or something, I don’t care, but I want to talk to Sara alone.”

“Fine, fine, but you’ll join us for dinner together with Grandma! Where is she anyway?”

The Emperor chuckles. “Alright, we’ll all eat together tonight. Amelia is busy collecting your parents, so expect them as well for dinner.”

Mom looks surprised. “They are close?”

“Yeah, they were sighted in the Starseeker Kingdom just two days ago, so Amelia is there looking for them, and from what she told me earlier, she found them and is on her way back. It’s been a while since I saw them last, and it’s time for my son to take my place sooner or later… That Sara is here now as well is an even better surprise for everyone.”

Mom suddenly laughs out loud. “Oh, I don’t think that will work out as you plan… You might just skip Dad and make Jonathan your successor instead.”

The Emperor grimaces and makes a shooing motion. “Yeah, yeah, now off you go, or I’ll choose you instead.”

Mom and Dad vanish without another word, and I just stand there, very confused. “What the hell just happened?” Crap, I said that out loud!

The Emperor looks at me with an amused expression. “Come, let’s go somewhere more comfortable, I’ll tell you on the way.”

“Uhh, yes, your Highness?”

He visibly recoils at my words. “No, none of that! Call me Grandpa John or just John, but none of that highness stuff.”

Grandpa John, huh? “Alright, Grandpa it is.”

“Good girl,” he chuckles, “now on to your confusion. You see my son and his wife, your actual grandparents, are something more akin to free spirits. They travel the galaxy all the time and don’t care for much else. Your mother and uncle were basically raised by me and my other children while they were gone.” He sighs. “Now that my retirement is nearing, I’d like for my son to finally take responsibility, but it looks like it won’t work out. He’s the firstborn, so at least I have to check if he wants before I start asking my other children…”

He stops speaking for a bit, and we walk in silence. Then we enter a room that looks like one of those old smoking rooms out of a movie. Wooden shelves with ornaments, red velvet on the wall, and comfortable armchairs around a table. The shelves are filled with lots of bottles and Grandpa immediately grabs two glasses while beckoning me to sit. The armchair is very comfortable, and I notice that it’s an actual chair, without a grav engine. Is it that old or just made to look like this?

Anyway, Grandpa John hands me a glass filled with brown liquid and sits down on another chair. “Come on, try it. I think you’ll like it, it’s my favorite bourbon.” I take a sip, and it’s surprisingly good.

“Yeah, I can see why you like it.”

“Glad you like it,” he continues under his breath, “it has to be good for that price…”

“Soo, Grandpa John, why are we here? I feel like this is your man cave or something.”

He laughs and almost chokes at his bourbon. “True enough, this is exactly what it is! As for why you’re here?” He pauses and looks me directly in the eyes. His are the same as Mom’s. A piercing green, full of wisdom and also age. Emotion enters his voice when he continues.

“You’re my great-granddaughter, Sara. I held you in my arms when you were born. Then you were just gone. No one knew where you were taken, and your father had to decide to continue hiding your existence and your kidnapping because it would have shown weakness to the lower Noble houses. Your mother didn’t cope well with it, because it also meant that your parents couldn’t use all the resources of The Empire to search for you. From what I know now, it wouldn’t have changed much, but your parents didn’t know that. Their marriage almost broke apart because of this, and your mother almost destroyed a planet in her rage during a war she fought shortly after. It broke my heart, to see her like this, and it took her years to return to a sense of normality.

“Now you’re back, twenty years later, and I haven’t seen your parents this happy in like ever. I want to be part of your life as long as I still can. You’re my family, and therefore I’d like to hear your story. What happened to you in those twenty years? You told us a bit earlier, but I know there is more. I just know it. Not everything was as happy as you told us. I want to know everything! Please.”

His gaze is so intense, that the words just come out of me. I tell him everything from the beginnings on Acordus 3 including not knowing who I was, over the discovery of my weak magic, and my time at the academy.

Grandpa’s glass splinters into a thousand pieces when he hears about the collars, and he laughs happy tears when I describe pirate Captain Orin’s face. Then I almost choke at the sudden magical pressure that leaks out of him when I tell him about what they planned with Maja, but he quickly sighs in relief, when I tell him that we made sure, that nothing remains of that project.

He asks for every detail of my time on Earth and even notices that I left something out. He looks a bit sad because of this but doesn’t comment. I struggle with it, but my parents told me to keep it secret until we can confirm it on our own. In the end, I tell Grandpa, that I’ll tell him as soon as I’m able. That brings the smile back to his face and he nods in understanding.

I finish my tale with the recruiting of my crew and our escape from the Estriduros Republic. I even tell him about my feelings and struggles after my first kills, a fact that I didn’t tell my parents, and he gives me a comforting hug.

“I won’t say it’ll get easier, but you’ll learn how to cope with it. I wasn’t that different… I was a complete wreck after the first time, but this is our life! I’m proud of you, Sara. It was a hard decision you had to make, but a necessary one!”

That stops my sobbing, and I manage to continue my tale. I finish with the best part: my magic. Sure, we want to keep my nature as a pseudo-Archmage more or less secret, but my parents also told me that I can tell the Emperor, as he’ll find out anyway. He’s currently the strongest known Mage in existence.

“So, one more thing, Grandpa John,” I smile at him, and release all holds I have on my magic. The full power floods out of me and fills the room until I stop and reign it back in.

Grandpa John’s eyes go wide, and his mouth drops open. “Archmage?” He asks in disbelief, and I shake my head.

“Something like that. My cores merged, but I’m still missing A&D. We’re calling it pseudo-Archmage and our best guess is that it happened due to my Space core overpowering the inhibitor Artifact.”

He nods sagely. “Quite possible… Sara, listen. Your parents probably already told you, but you have to be careful. You have the potential of becoming one of the, if not the strongest Mage ever. Especially now when you’re still missing A&D and are still new to everything. The galaxy is big, and there are groups out there that would kill whole worlds if they learned of your potential!”

I gulp and he goes on. “I can protect you while you’re here at college, but I won’t be here forever. You have to get you’re A&D core as soon as possible.”

“I know… That’s why we won’t announce my actual power to everyone. I’ll be joining FBC as a Master Space Mage and Junior in Utility. As for A&D, it’ll take a while… I need an Artifact core.”

He winces. “Well, shit… That’s going to be a problem… The last one was found 500 years ago, but I’ll keep an eye out. We’ll find one for you.”

“Thanks, Grandpa.”

“You’re welcome. Now enough talking. Wanna see the rest of the moon? Oh, and when you’re at college, don’t forget to check in and see me. I’m just one jump away from the planet with your power. Don’t worry about a permit, I’ll take care of that.”

“Thanks again, I’m sure going to visit! And yes, show me everything.”

He chuckles and offers his arm. Then we jump somewhere else.

The moon is nothing special, but it still has its highlights. Grandpa John shows me everything and even with teleporting from one place to the next, it still takes a few hours. No one seems to recognize us or better him though. When I ask, he chuckles and tells me he casted a Disguise spell on both of us earlier. I’m quite shocked, as I didn’t notice a thing, and I am proud of my magical senses, especially after unlocking my true power. Most powerful Mage indeed!

So, we go on with visiting some beautiful places here on the moon and grab some sandwiches for lunch along the way. The highlight for me is when we just sit down on top of a mountain, right at the moment when the moon dives into the shadow of the planet below. It’s beautiful, to see how the light slowly fades. This also ends our trip, as it’s now time for family dinner. I guess I get to see three more members of my family now. And from what Grandpa John told me, two of them sound like complete hippies.

Turns out I get to meet more than three new people. When Grandpa John and I arrive back at the Valterion Estate on the moon, we’re led to the dining room by our AIs. Entering that room, I immediately spot my parents. There is also a man standing close to them who looks similar to Adrian. Is that my other brother Christopher? Must be, as he smiles broadly upon seeing me and rushes over to grab me in a hug. “Hey little Sara, you’ve grown.”

Really, that’s the first thing he says to me? Also, I’m not little anymore! “Hi Christopher, nice to meet you too,” I say with maybe a little too much force.

A wince goes through his body. “Sorry, I got too excited… And call me Chris please.” He releases me from the hug and takes a step back. Then he notices Grandpa John and his expression freezes and he bows awkwardly. “My Emperor.”

Is this guy for real? Sure, Mom said he’s completely into the Noble business, but that’s over the top, right?

Grandpa John thinks the same and frowns at Chris. “Enough of that. You know that I don’t require those formalities… How often must I tell you to call me Grandpa John?”

Chris winces. “Sorry, it’s a habit…”

Suddenly a bored voice rings out. “And that’s why you stopped our vacation, Mom? Really? To listen to family drama?” I look around and notice a man with long blonde hair and a matching beard. The hair is unkempt, and he looks completely out of place here. I also notice the facial structure that matches Grandpa John, and the woman next to him who looks just as unkempt as the man, just with black hair and without a beard.

Are those the people who I think they are? Mom’s parents? My actual grandparents? Oh my, the others didn’t exaggerate. A much more regal-looking woman in her sixties with grey-streaked black hair smacks the back of the man’s head.

“Manners, Karl. It’s time for you to grow up!” Then she looks at me and smiles. “Oh Sara, come here. It’s been too long. I’m so glad that you are back. You can call me Grandma Amelia.”

I return her smile and walk over to hug her. “Hi, nice to meet you, again, I guess?” She chuckles and grabs me in a tight hug.

The hippie woman next to Karl stage-whispers at him. “Who is this woman?”

Karl just shrugs. “I don’t know, looks like a Valterion though…”

Grandpa John explodes and teleports right in front of his son and daughter-in-law. “This is Sara, your granddaughter! If you weren’t completely lost in your hippie lifestyle, you’d also know that she was kidnapped shortly after her birth and just recently fought her way back to us through pirates, corrupt governments, and more! Can you finally start taking responsibility? I’m about to retire. You have to man up!”

Karl doesn’t show much reaction and just shrugs and looks at me. “Nice to meet you, I guess?” He gives a lazy wave.

Yeah, that won’t work out. If this guy becomes Emperor… Grandpa John’s head turns even more red, and I can imagine steam running out of his ears. I put a hand on his shoulder. “Grandpa, I don’t think this will work… I think you should look into other options.”

He lets out a long breath and nods. “You’re right…”

Karl and his wife look at me curiously, then Grandpa John focuses back on them. “Karl Benson. You are hereby disowned! From now on, you won’t have access to any family assets and are no longer welcome on my moon. Now leave, I don’t want to see you again as long as you don’t start taking responsibility.”

They both look completely shocked and Grandpa John waves a hand. They disappear. “I should have done that years ago…” He mutters.

We all look at him with different degrees of shock. Amelia is the one to speak up. “You think this will work out? And where have you sent them?”

Grandpa John shrugs. “I don’t know… Maybe? They are on a freighter to the Song Duchy, and from there on they are on their own. Maybe they finally learn it this way.”

Dad clears his throat awkwardly. “Well, this is not how I expected the family dinner to go, but if you’d all sit down, the food is ready.”

Grandpa John chuckles darkly and we all sit down and wait for the food. It just appears a second later on the table and we start eating. I’m still reeling from what just happened. Grandpa John just disowned them! Just like that. And I thought I knew about family dramas from TV shows. It’s something else, seeing something like that in real life.

Holy smokes, I still don’t know the name of my hippie grandma!