Chronicles Of the Rising
Book One - Omega
Chapter Two - Sojourn
~*Aurum*~
I awoke to a deep dull ache that permeated my entire body. At first I was confused by why I hurt all over until the event of the previous day came back to me as a slow flood of recollection.
I sat up with a small groan. Hopefully no one wanted a rematch today
I felt the grime on my skin and could smell the musk of dirt coming off of me. A shower was definitely in order as I cleansed myself from yesterday's escapades.
As I reached for the door I felt the familiar vibrations of Blessings coming from the door. As I expanded my senses I felt the thin veil that surrounded my room along the walls. I was more tired than I realized to not have immediately caught this when I woke up. I shook my head knowing it was Galen just being a mindful friend and partner. As soon as I would walk out the door he’d be alerted that the thread-thin mesh of Blessings had been disturbed.
With a deep breath I opened the door and felt the Blessings disperse around me as I walked through. Now, just to wait for Galen to come running to investigate. Serves him right for being a jackass yesterday.
I turned around after closing the door and jumped slightly in surprise to see Strom sitting on the floor just outside the door hugging a large sack against his body. I arched an eyebrow waiting for him to give me an explanation why he was sitting here apparently stalking me.
“You said we leave at dawn. . .That was a few hours ago. When you weren’t down at the stables, I came looking for you. I didn’t knock because I’m more than a little afraid of you now.” He picked at the strings on his sack as he muttered not making eye contact with me.
Wise decision.
“So I did.” I considered him as he sulked there on the floor. A large bulk of a man. Well muscled as most Alphas who trained for war were. At a height with Galen but not quite as broad shouldered. His long Ocean blue Hair was tied back with his own hair. He had braided the sides of his head then used them to tie back the rest in an even larger more intricate braid. Similarly his long beard was also done in the same large intricate braid.
He stopped picking at the strings on his sack and looked up at me with a hesitant stare from those seafoam green eyes of his.
I opened my mouth to speak but was interrupted by the sound of pounding footsteps from a large man running down the corridor at full speed.
Galen came careening out of the darkness at a run only possible by someone with Blessings of both Wind and Earth as his movements were both unnaturally fast and his strides propelling farther through a strength granted him from the hard ground underfoot. He came skidding to a halt in front of us just looking around wildly. He wasn’t winded in the slightest as a man possessing the stamina of one who was Blessed with Fire only could achieve.
“Ah, just in time, we’re going to go on a slight detour before we leave. You’re welcome to join if you’d like, though, I would suggest you put on more clothes than just your underwear. The female Alphass may take it as a sign of aggression.” I turned on my heel and began to walk away. “Come along, Strom, we have things to do before we can start our journey.”
I cast out my own net of Soul Blessing along the door and walls of my room. Resecuring my room against intrusion.
I didn’t wait for a response from either of them as I continued down the hall. I heard Strom jump up and follow as Galen let out a huff of air. I hid my smile, he was cute when he was being worried and protective.
We came to the mouth of the tunnel that exited to the training arena. I saw my staff laying discarded right there in the entryway. I couldn’t get upset about it as it was my own hubris that caused me to drop it. Besides that, no one could touch it let alone move it from that spot without my say so.
Strom rushed by me and swooped down to retrieve the staff and my eyes widened in horror.
“No. Do-”
There was a slight flash of light and small snap that echoed down the tunnel followed by a thud. I opened my eyes to see Strom slumped over and the smell of ozone in the air.
I sighed, shaking my head.
“Tried to grab the staff?” Galen asked, coming up behind me, fully clothed now.
I nodded. “Tried to grab the staff.”
He let out a slight chuckle as he leaned down and scooped up the large man and slung him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He grabbed the sack in his free hand and just looked over at me waiting.
I was glad he had a Blessing of Earth because if I had to carry a man nearly twice my size, things would have been extremely awkward. I held my hand out and the staff flew up into my grasp. “Shall we?”
“Lets!” He smiled and indicated I should lead the way as I was the one who mentioned a small side quest today.
We strode out across the arena and came upon the poor soul who decided to sucker punch me yesterday with a small bolt of lightning. Lagertha’s punishment would make a point that the people she led would dare not suffer again. I walked on noting he had been gagged and was attempting to get our attention with all the muffled screams directed at us. The wind howled across the open space making me shiver as the sudden chill cut through my light clothing. I glanced up and saw that the night exposed to the icy winds had irritated his skin to a ruddy deep red. I kept walking on as this was not my business, Lagertha would end his punishment when she felt the example was satisfactory.
I stopped short when I heard a quick smack and turned to glare at Galen.
“What? They were just begging to be slapped.”
I just rolled my eyes and continued on towards my intended destination with the idiot in tow.
After a few twists and turns we came upon the large ornate doors to the Vault of the Forgotten. Which was just a fancy way of saying ‘library of books no one can read anymore’.
I placed my hand on the handle about to open the door when a voice floated down the hall.
“Ah, Lord Aurum, I had thought you had left already.” I turned to see Lagertha hobbling toward us.
“I would never leave without saying goodbye, Lagertha. Despite what you may think, I’d never be so rude to one so esteemed as you.”
She let out a wheezed cackle. “Oh, ever the bullshitter. I have missed your sass.” Her gaze slid over Galen and the lump slung over his shoulder. She looked over to me and arched an eyebrow.
“Grabbed the staff.”
She nodded her head in understanding, making a silent ‘ah’ with her mouth. “What brings you to our humble library?”
“I was hoping you had a few tomes about Wind usage and flight that would help Strom in his training.”
“We should have quite a few. As always, what is mine, is your’s. Please help yourself to anything that would aid you.” I nodded my thanks
Her gaze went back to Galen and his right wrist. “Hmmm. So, young Guardian, just when are you going to finally settle on a mate?” She saddled up next to him and gave him a nudge with her cane. “No one down at ‘the farm’ catch your eye?”
Galen was taken aback by the sudden shift of topic. “I, uh, have my eye on one or two. . .”
Oh? I wasn’t sure if he was being serious or just saying that to try and divert the inevitable course of discussion about his relationship status.
“I know a few Alpha females here that would be more than interested in a strapping young man such as yourself. Or, if you prefer, one or two Omegas. . .” She gave me the side eye at the mention of Omegas.
I pushed open the door with a slight groan,I was not about to be dragged into a match making conversation where the withered old woman attempted to get Galen and I together.
I should have used extra strength, these doors are heavy, and thick! The panicked sputtering of Galen slowly became muted as the doors slid shut as I escaped deeper into the library. It had been quite some time since I had last been in here, and from the looks of things, neither had anyone else.
I headed left towards the non-fiction section and looked for the yellow outlined shelves. All the tomes involving Wind would be on these shelves. They color coded them according to the Blessing they pertained to.
Fire - Red
Earth - Green
Water - Blue
Wind - Yellow
Soul - Pale Blue-Green
I passed by the towering shelves made from Obsidian and rows of Marble, I refused to allow the floods of memories that threatened to overwhelm me come to the forefront of my mind. I stayed focused on my goal and rounded the corner of a wall of citrine and gazed up at the shelves of amber. Just row upon row of shelving in different yellow stone and crystal.
I floated up to the middle rows of shelving and scanned the titles along the spines. There on a thick row of topaz was the volume I was in search of. I snatched it up and flew over to the exit where Galen and finally managed to extract himself from Lagertha’s probing questions and suggestive hints to walk into the library. He saw me glide over and leaned against the doors, he still had strom perched over his shoulder.
“So, how was your chat with the Shield woman of the north?” I gave him a wide leer.
If the glare he directed at me could kill, I’d be a bloody stain on the wall. He let Strom slide off his shoulder and land with a thud on the floor. Strom let out a groan and sat up looking around with confusion.
“About time. Does your matron interrogate all the unmated Alphas about their relationship status?” Galen knelt down and looked Strom in the eyes trying to assess if he had suffered any ill after effects.
“Get a mate and you won’t have to worry about it.” he muttered. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“I noticed you don’t have a mate either, so when is your blind date set?” Galen sulked.
“Since I’m being sent to Hallow Bastion she’s leaving my chances to finding a mate there.”
As much as I was enjoying the two large scary strong Alphas sitting there having a shared traumatic experience over their singlehood, I had far better things to do with my time. I walked up and bonked Strom on the head with the heavy book in my hand.
“Oh, what was that for?” he rubbed his head glaring up at me. He took the book and looked it over quizzically.
“Trust me, that was for everyone’s benefit. Take this, read it, learn it and do not fail.” I wedged my staff in between them and nudged them apart so I could try and pull the doors open.
Strom jumped up and flipped through the book and gave me a bashful look. “I, uh, can’t read this.”
I stopped short. “You can’t read as in you don't know how to or the language is too old for you to understand?”
“The language of the forebearers is a dead language to everyone.”
I suppressed my anger and unclenched my jaw. I turned and held my hand out to him. I pulled a small flat crystal out from one of the small pouches on my belt. Placing the small crystal on the front cover it hummed slightly. I handed the book back to Strom.
“You can now.” I whirled around and whacked Galen with my staff to get him out of the way. “Let’s go, we have far to travel today before the sun sets.”
I heard Strom remark in amazement. “How’d he do that?”
“You’ll find that he’s full of a lot of surprises. He’s had a lot of time to accumulate quite a few. Come on, we better get moving or he’ll leave us behind.”
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