May Short Story [Zaxis's Second Magic]

Hey peeps!

Here is the second short story for this month. The audio for the first should be done by Brian later today, so be on the lookout for that!

I hope you enjoy! And thank you so much for the support! <3

Zaxis’s Second Magic

Volke always galivants off whenever he pleases.

Deadman’s Bluff wasn’t too far, but still. Regal Heights just went through an attack, and the sky titan arcanist was in our midst. Not only that, but he took Guildmaster Eventide and Master Zelfree—both powerful arcanists—with him on his adventure. Sure, the city had Brom and Vinder, master arcanists who ran things around Regal Heights, but they couldn’t stand up to the sky titan if it came to a fight.

And then there was Calisto…

I still couldn’t believe the typhon beast bonded with that blackheart.

The wind picked up, and I sighed. The afternoon sun blazed down across Hydra’s Gorge, brightening the multicolored canyon. Fog lingered near the bottom. No matter how much sunshine we got, that mist never dissipated.

I stood on the edge of Hydra’s Gorge, just outside town. When I shifted my feet, bits of rocks tumbled down into the massive crag. A fall from this height would surely mean death, even for a god-arcanist like myself. But I enjoyed standing at the edge, admiring the natural beauty this area had to offer.

Shadows shifted across the ground, and I tensed. Someone emerged from the darkness. At first, I thought it was Volke, but then I remembered he and Luthair were no longer bonded.

Instead, Evianna stepped out of the shadows, her lithe frame wrapped in form-fitting leather armor. She held herself tall and proud, her white hair tied back in a loose braid. With bluish-purple eyes, she glared at me. Her knightmare, Layshl, also stepped out of darkness, her wing-like cape light and swirling as she emerged.

“Zaxis,” Evianna snapped.

She was always yelling at me, for some reason. Constantly, without end. I was surprised Evianna and Volke got along so well. Their relationship had started so rocky.

“What?” I barked back.

“You were supposed to stay in town! Volke is counting on you to maintain peace.”

I motioned to the gorge, and then over to the city in the distance. “I can see everything from here, woman. What do you want from me?”

She placed her hands on her hips. “Calisto just took his typhon beast and left. Did you see that?” She pointed to Regal Heights. “No one knew what to do because you’re in charge, and you were nowhere to be found!”

“He left?” I balked.

Part of me filled with excitement. Was that pirate trying to run? What a hilarious turn of events. He would be sorry—this was the chance I had been waiting for. Longing for. I’d get to test out my magic without Volke’s help.

I could fight my own damn god-arcanist battles.

And Illia would like that, I was certain. I could regal her with tales of how I defeated Calisto, the yellow-bellied pirate who tried to run while Volke was away.

The thought got me smirking.

I placed two fingers in my mouth and whistled loud. My eldrin was never far from me, even if sometimes I didn’t know his exact location.

This time, Vjorn leapt from the shade of a nearby grove. His black fur shimmered as he ran over to me, his frosty chains clinking as he went. When he approached, a subtle chill washed over me. The wolf was so large, I couldn’t reach his shoulder, even when I lifted my hand all the way up.

“Come,” Vjorn said as he knelt.

I grabbed a tuft of his fur and pulled myself onto his back. “Go! We need to catch Calisto before he gets too far.”

I knew allowing Calisto to bond with a god-creature was a terrible idea. He was probably heading back to his boat so that he could resume his life as a plundering pirate. He would wreck ships and kill thousands of people with his newfound god-arcanist powers. There would be no one who could stop him.

I had to make sure that didn’t happen. Whatever it took, I’d stop him. Even if it meant killing him and his typhon beast. I had my new artifact pistol—the deed would be over quick.

Evianna leapt into the darkness and followed us. She dove in and out, shifting through the shadows at a surprisingly fast rate. I almost couldn’t keep track of her. She zipped from one location to another with the grace of a hummingbird.

Although Vjorn wasn’t a creature built for speed, he was large and physically capable. He practically flew across the flatlands around Regal Heights, his deep breaths filled with icy frost. When we reached the city, he was too large for the main road, so he leapt for the roofs. Most buildings wouldn’t have been able to handle the fenris wolf’s weight, but the buildings around Regal Heights were constructed out of sturdy stone and iron.

Vjorn traveled to the top of a tall building and stopped. He lifted his head as high as it would go, the winds playing with his black fur and ears. I held on tight and glanced around with my new vantage point.

The citizens of Regal Heights pointed and whispered. They stood in groups along the street, some of them shielding their eyes from the sun as they just stared up at me.

I slicked back my red hair and tried to look imposing. I represented my entire home island. And my guild. And god-arcanists now. I had to make sure no one doubted my capabilities or position. This was my destiny. With my head held high, I focused my attention on the far horizon.

There it was.

The typhon beast.

That mammoth of a creature couldn’t hide from me. Hells, it couldn’t hide from a blind and deaf man. Its hundred heads, ninety-nine which were snake-like, stared in the location it was heading, its six feet stomping across the shrublands as it marched away from Regal Heights.

I had never been a fan of reptiles. Birds were amazing. Furry creatures were even better. Something about reptiles put me off.

Maybe it was because Odion had a dragon…

Now I just hate dragons.

I shook my head. The final head of the typhon beast was dragon-ish.

“Hunter?” Vjorn asked.

“I’m fine,” I snapped.

The shadows around his massive, clawed feet flickered and shifted. Evianna emerged on the roof with us, her white hair fluttering in the wind. She glanced up and then frowned.

“See?” Evianna asked. “Calisto is getting away.”

“Yeah, well, my new title is the Hunter, so I better live up to that name, right?” I thrust my hand forward in a point. “C’mon, Vjorn! Let’s drag that dog back here.”

My wolf eldrin twitched his ear a bit. I already knew his tells for irritation.

“Fine,” I quickly said. “Let’s bring that sea thief back here!”

“Excellent,” Vjorn replied, his voice a deep rumble that came from the depths of his massive chest.

Vjorn tilted his head back and howled, the icy timber of his majestic song somehow haunting and invigorating at the same time. I shivered as I held onto his cold fur, trying not to ruin the moment by falling.

Then Vjorn bounded forward, leaping over two buildings at once and landing heavily on the roof of a fortress. My teeth smashed together on the landing, but I recovered quickly as the fenris wolf leapt again, this time outside the city proper. Vjorn dashed across the land, heading straight for Xor, the mighty typhon beast.

It didn’t take us long to reach the god-hydra. Vjorn dashed around it and then stopped in the middle of Xor’s path. After a deep inhale, Vjorn breathed a winter’s worth of ice across the ground. The frost coated everything in an instant, and even hardened and crusted into icicles around the beast’s feet.

The typhon beast roared, his ninety-heads hissing at the same time, their chittering a special form of madness.

Calisto stood on the main dragon head, crouching low so he can hold onto the typhon’s scaly ridges. He shot me a glare and then snorted.

“What’re you doin’, lad?” he called out, something murderous in his tone. “Or are we not on the same team anymore?”

I kept my position on Vjorn’s back, but I straightened my posture and sneered. “I’m stopping you from leaving, fiend. You and your typhon aren’t going anywhere. Not on my watch.”

Calisto’s expression shifted to one of sardonic amusement. He smirked, tapped his eldrin on the side of its giant head, and then waited as the typhon lowered him to the ground. With a bit of swagger, Calisto jumped and landed on his feet.

Vjorn lowered his head, and I also jumped off. The I strode over to Calisto, never showing any fear, never flinching or grimacing. I had been a god-arcanist longer than he had. Calisto wasn’t about to intimidate or threaten me.

But when I drew close to the man, I remembered just how imposing he was. Calisto was muscular—his manticore magic had helped the man become built—and while I was, frankly, very impressive, the man was taller than me. I hated that. Calisto somehow managed to be just a little bit more intimidating.

I kept my back as straight as I could make it as I crossed my arms. “Explain yourself,” I demanded.

The shadows once again twisted with life. Evianna walked out of the darkness and stood near Vjorn. This time, she was merged with her knightmare—the black scale leather, cowl, and cape suited her well.

Calisto glanced between me and Evianna. Then he forced a smile and said, “I didn’t know the city would send inquisitors after me for leaving my designated circle. You gonna watch while I take a piss, too?”

“Don’t give me that,” I barked. “I’m not Volke. I’m not going to listen to your sob tale about how no one is being nice to you. Explain what you’re doing out here, or else I’ll drag you back to town myself.”

That last comment sparked something in Calisto. The man stared down at me with a predator’s grin. The copper red of hair, shining like metal in the light, gave him a particularly sinister appearance.

Then Xor lowered several of his snake heads to surround Calisto, like they would all strike out and bite me if I even attempted to harm his arcanist.

But that beast didn’t frighten me.

Calisto gently scratched the head of the nearest snake. After a single snort, he said, “I came out here to test out my magic, lad. Is that really a crime? Because if I tested my destructive abilities in the city, I’m sure I’d be labeled a criminal all over again.”

For some reason, he brought his other hand up to the old manticore mark on his forehead. He brushed the dull lines etched into his skin before returning his amused gaze to me.

“You just bonded with this beast,” I said matter-of-factly. “You’re not going to do much with your new magic at this stage.”

“I beg to differ.”

Now it was my turn to laugh. With a sweeping motion of my arm, I gestured to our surroundings. “Okay. Go ahead. Show me something.”

This I had to see. Watching Calisto, the feared dread pirate, flail around with his new magic would amuse me to no end. And, frankly, he deserved to be humbled a bit. Well, he hadjust lost his eldrin, and he had just been dragged around like a criminal on parade… But he still needed to be humbled a bit more.

Illia would agree.

Calisto held up a hand, his fingers flared. For a short moment, nothing happened, but then he tensed, and a torrent of white-hot flames rushed from his palm. The blaze washed over the nearby shrubs and rocks, burning all vegetation within thirty feet of the man. Embers floated onto the air, and were then caught by the wind.

Before a wildfire broke out, I waved my hand and coated the charred area in ice.

“Tsk,” I said with a click of my tongue. “That’s barely anything.”

Calisto turned to me, his eyes narrowed. “Heh. From what I can remember, you were struggling to get your ice out in the woods on the way here. Jealousy doesn’t suit you, lad.”

I clenched my jaw to prevent myself from shouting. With my hands balled into fists, I tried to think of a calm and witty comeback to his statement, but I couldn’t think of anything fast enough. Evianna swam through the shadows and appeared next to me.

I hadn’t been expecting her gentle touch.

Evianna placed a hand on my shoulder. I snapped my attention to her, half-startled. The cowl of her knightmare covered most of her face. With a frown, she whispered, “Don’t let him provoke you.”

Although I hated to admit she was right, I knew her words to be true. I shouldn’t let my anger get to me.

With a sigh, I glared at Calisto. “God-arcanists are more powerful than others. We have two types to all our magics. Creation and—”

“—destruction,” Calisto said, cutting me off with the rest of my own sentence. “I know, lad. Apparently, you forgot I traveled with you to this forsaken city, but you discussed your magic the entire way. I’m well informed on the matter.”

“W-Well, the other type of magic is difficult to manifest. You’ll need some time.”

Calisto smirked. Then he held up his hand again—this time pointed in my direction.

Evianna pulled her sword, and I reached for my phoenix pistol. The shadows whipped up into a frenzy, the darkness launching up with multiple tendrils.

“Calm down,” Calisto stated. “It’s not gonna hurt.”

I held my breath. Evianna didn’t move. Her tendrils remained in place, poised to strike at a moment’s notice. We just waited. Even Vjorn—who had stepped closer, his footsteps basically silent—just kept his fangs showing as he waited for the demonstration.

“I create hallucinations,” Calisto said, slow and confident.

Then a wave of magic rippled through the area. My ears filled with an odd chittering noise before my perceptions were skewed. All the colors and shapes of the nearby area shifted. I stumbled back a foot, and then grabbed at my head. Images of far-off places appeared in my sight. Like I wasn’t even in Regal Heights anymore.

“Stop,” I commanded.

A second later, the chittering in my ears ceased. The visions disappeared. Everything returned to normal.

With my hands balled back into fists, I glowered at Calisto. “You already know how to evoke your othermagic?” I couldn’t stop myself from yelling this time. “You haven’t even been bonded as long as I have! I don’t have my creation evocation yet.”

Now Calisto, the damn dread pirate, was a better arcanist than me? How was that even possible?

Calisto lowered his hand. “You’re too angry, lad. You’re not focusing on what you need to become great.”

“Don’t talk like you know me,” I snapped.

Again, Evianna placed a hand on my shoulder. With a gruff whisper, she said, “What did I just say to you? Don’t let him get under your skin!”

“I don’t need to know you,” Calisto growled. “I’ve seen enough arcanists—and mystical creatures—to know a problem when I see one.”

His statements bothered me on a deeper level. Who was he to talk? Did he even know anything about magic? I wanted to say that, but then I thought over his many accomplishments. He was one of the few people to ever have a true form eldrin. And now he was in an elite group of people who were god-arcanists. There weren’t many others who could claim higher magical achievements.

I ran a hand through my hair and huffed, forcing some of my anger out.

“What problem?” I asked, hating the fact I even had to ask.

“You’re too angry, lad. I just said so.”

“You’re angry.”

Calisto sauntered over to me and Evianna. Again, we tensed, our weapons close at hand, but Calisto didn’t seem to care. His shadow drifted over us as he drew near. Then he casually stepped around me and walked over to my eldrin. The fenris wolf snorted out icy mist and growled.

“You ever speak with your eldrin?” Calisto asked. He held up a hand as he approached my eldrin. “I mean friendly kinds of conversations. You two obviously don’t get along well.” When Vjorn didn’t move, Calisto gently placed his hand on the wolf’s snout. “It never helps with your magic, lad.”

Vjorn didn’t protest Calisto’s touch. The mighty wolf just stood there.

“Come here,” Calisto commanded.

I flinched, surprised by his shift of tone. Evianna glanced over to me. I gave her a half-shrug and decided to play along with Calisto’s musings. I walked to his side.

Calisto grabbed my wrist and jerked my hand over to Vjorn’s snout. He placed my palm right on the edge of the wolf’s nose. Then Calisto kept his hand on my arm.

“You’re tense,” he said, gruff. “You need to relax. Your eldrin is part of you now, whether you like it or not. Your soul feeds into it.”

“I-I know that.”

“If you hate the wolf, you hate yourself, ya got that, right?”

I hated his advice. He spoke to me like I was a child. If I had my fire, still, I would’ve punched him with my blazing knuckles.

Vjorn lifted his head, breaking contact with me. When he exhaled, a gush of white mist escaped between his large fangs. “Do not disrespect my arcanist, Monster.”

The typhon beast’s many snake heads hissed, all discordant and out of sync. Then the typhon beast stepped a bit closer, his massive weight causing the ground to shake with each clawed foot.

Calisto ignored the threat of my eldrin. He glanced over to me, his expression hard and set in a glower. “Do you want to learn your other evocation or not?”

“I do,” I said, confident.

“Then come here, ya wagon wheel.” Calisto grabbed my shoulder, turned me around, and lifted my hand. Despite having lost his manticore magic, he was still rather strong—I was surprised how easily he managed to yank me around. “Breathe out. Let go of your anger. Think of your eldrin in pleasant terms.”

“I—”

“Don’t talk. Just do it.”

His pushy and aggressive mannerisms didn’t sit well with me. Evianna watched from a few feet away, her arms crossed. She didn’t seem annoyed—more intrigued. When she caught me staring, she circled her wrist, as though encouraging me to try.

With a sigh, I muttered, “Fine.”

I exhaled.

I tried not to think of everything that irritated me.

And then I thought about Vjorn. His fur. His power. His intensity. They were all things to admire. The ice… I never much cared for the cold. I shook the thought away. Calisto had said to think of only pleasant things. After a few seconds of cursing at myself mentally, I tried again.

Power.

Winter.

Hunter.

The fenris wolf was unlike the others. The first world serpent was known for being a brilliant strategist, but the first fenris wolf arcanist was like… Well, he was like an inquisitor. He faced off against the other god-arcanists who wouldn’t conform to the right aura. And supposedly, Balastar was my long-lost ancestor.

The fenris wolf reminded me of these things.

“Now evoke somethin’,” Calisto muttered.

After another exhale, I forced my magic through my body. At first, I thought the ice would appear again, but that wasn’t the case.

Illusions.

Figments of shapes and colors bloomed into the air. At first, they had no real form, but then they morphed and swirled together, dozens of small spheres turning into birds. Songbirds. I created a whole flock of them, my illusions fragile and small.

Evianna glanced around, her mouth open in awe. The dozens of birds flew through the sky, the beating sounds of their wings also illusions.

“There,” Calisto said with a grunt. “That wasn’t so hard, was it, lad?” He stepped away from me and headed back to his typhon beast.

My illusions shattered, ending in an instant. I shivered and then rubbed at my arms, wondering why it had taken me so long to try something like that.

“W-Wait,” I said, holding up a hand.

Calisto stopped halfway back to his god-creature.

“Let’s train together,” I sheepishly said. Then I hardened my tone and added, “I’ve been a god-arcanist longer than you have, and I tell you all about how to act in certain situations. Like with royalty. And in town.”

“Heh.” Calisto glanced over his shoulder. “No, thanks. But if you want to test your mettle, I’m more than willing. Just know I don’t play nice. No one ever learned anything with a fake lesson.”

“Fine.” I stepped closer to Vjorn. “Let’s do that.”

Evianna sighed. She moved through the shadows and lifted up next to me. “Well, if you’re going to watch him, I’m going to head back to town to make sure that the sky titan arcanist doesn’t leave.”

“That’s a great idea,” I said. Then I patted her shoulder. “Thanks for having my back.”

Her face grew pink, and she replied with a single nod. “Don’t mention it.”

Then Evianna vanished into the darkness, her ability to move without making much noise a real skill. I sometimes wondered how Vjorn did it.

Then I turned my attention to Calisto. I definitely wanted to learn more from him. Not because I respected the man—far from it—but because I needed to grow stronger. And I’d do just about anything to accomplish that.