"Gods know how many people journeyed through those locations. If there ever was any clue, it would be already known. Worst case scenario, the first one to found their legacies took them for himself." ¨C She thought.
So, Milea decided to bet everything on rumors and legends, hoping to find the proverbial kernel of truth. What she found, instead, were tourist traps and hoaxes that costed her most of her savings, and in more than one occasion, almost her life.
After months of useless traveling, she had lost over ten kilograms (22 pounds), the care for personal hygiene and most of her trust toward mankind.
She wasn't a beauty, but a fresh and na?ve sixteen years old girl had a strong allure to certain men, and since she travelled alone, Milea was often considered an easy prey. At least until she revealed to be a mage, and left her assailants crunchy and well roasted.
One day, she heard of a cursed mountain, from which no one ever returned. Some rumors talked about an evil spirit dwelling into a cave, others stated that on the mountain slopes there was a gateway to the netherworld.
When she expressed her interest to visit such place, no one offered to accompany her and the locals tried to discourage Milea. In her experience, that was a plus. It meant there was really something.
Reaching the destination with a flight spell proved to be child's play. There was no trace of monsters, the birds chirped loudly while fawns and squirrels would fearlessly come close, letting her cuddle them until they lost interest in the new visitor.
The surrounding vegetation was so lush, that Milea thought it had to be the most elaborate prank she had ever suffered. More than cursed, the place seemed out of a fairy tale.
The cave was in plain sight, the trail leading to it was clear from weeds, as it was often used. Once she got closer, a shiver went down her spine. The cave was perfectly arched, while the walls and the pavement were too smooth to be natural.
Curiosity got the better of her, so after activating a spell to light the way, Milea went in. The corridor wasn't high, around 2 metres (6' 7") high, and so narrow that only one person at a time could pass. She took note of those details to calm herself down.
Whoever lived there couldn't be too big, and in case she was forced to escape, being outnumbered or surrounded wasn't a problem in such enclosed space. The tunnel stretched downwards for several hundred meters, and when she finally reached the end, she couldn't believe her eyes.
Milea was in a library bigger than her hometown. It was a single circular room, with bookshelves extending on multiple floors, connected by stairs and enchanted elevators. The library's dome had a glass ceiling, from which Milea could see the sun, as the first floor had glass doors leading outside into a wood.
The whole thing made no sense, she was supposed to be underground. Milea cast her doubts away, using her flight spell to explore the library. Tomes and scrolls were orderly arranged by topic.
Among them she found ancient books written in unknown languages, legendary grimoires that were supposed to be lost in history, and even recent ones like her academy's textbooks.
Then, her eyes met a book spine with the inscription "Magus Lochra Silverwing's Grimoire" carved in golden letters. She took it out, opening a random page and discovering that it wasn't written in code.
She spent the next hours sitting on one of the many couches, trying to learn from her most beloved Magus, the foremother of modern magic. Yet the only thing she understood, was that despite all her studies and the centuries of magical progresses after Silverwing's death, the Magus' wisdom was still beyond Milea's reach.
Milea was really tempted to take the a few books as souvenirs.
"Even if I prove to be uncapable to step up my magical abilities, I can always sell them and settle for life. Just one of these books is probably worth more than the entire Red Basilisk academy." ¨C
In the end, though, she decided to put the grimoire back and leave empty handed.
"Even if I managed to sell them, instead of getting killed, those poor books would just become the trophy of some pompous idiot. Here, instead, they can help someone like me, but with more talent, to achieve her dreams." ¨C
"Well thought, human!"
Before she could turn around to discover the owner of that voice, the space around Milea blurred, Blinking her in front of the master of the house. The new room was as big as the previous one, but instead of bookshelves it was filled to the brim with gold, platinum and gemstones the smallest of which was as big as her fist.
Ingots, coins and jewels were piled up randomly, forming small hills, surrounding a literal mountain of treasures, atop which there was the biggest creature she had ever seen.
Leegaain's form was so huge it was impossible for Milea to see its entire body. The dragon's black scales were bigger and thicker than a tower shield. Milea's whole body was barely the size of one of its claws.
She couldn't avert her gaze from the creature's yellow eyes, the pupils a vertical slit, resembling those of a cat. Its heartbeat was deafening, while the simple act of breathing produced gales strong enough to force her to seek shelter behind a gold pile.
"I'm sorry." It said after noticing her distress. "I almost forgot how fragile humans are."
The noise stopped, and so did the wind.
"You have come into my home and acted as a guest, and that deserves a reward. You didn't arrive here in a righteous frenzy to slay the beast, nor acted as a marauder, giving knowledge the respect it deserves."
Now that the fear was leaving her body, Milea could notice the bony protuberances on its head, resembling a crown, and the gentle curve of the enormous membranous wings resting on its back.
"Choose one thing, in my home. Be it riches, knowledge or a weapon, its yours to take."
"I want knowledge!" She blurted out before the dragon changed its mind.
Leegaain chuckled in satisfaction, it was an interesting fellow indeed.
"Name a book, and it will be yours."
"I don't want a book. The knowledge I want it's yours. Please, teach me how to become a Magus!"
Leegaain was flabbergasted, that was something it hadn't predicted.
"So be it." It nodded.
***
In the following months, Leegaain taught Milea the secret of the Awakened ones.
"Very few Magi in history weren't Awakened ones. The principle behind it is simple, but achieving it is incredibly rare. No matter how strong a mana core is, it cannot generate a flow strong enough to be detected.
The only way to Awaken, is being able to perceive the world energy that surround us, and let it flow inside you."
Milea was sitting cross legged, with her eyes closed, while Leegaain was curled up around her, gathering a huge amount of world energy through Invigoration (AN: his version of Invigoration. I'll use terms you already know for simplicity's sake), to make it easier for her to perceive it.
"There are only two ways of becoming an Awakened one." He kept explaining, his tone giving Milea a rhythm to follow during her breathing.
"The first is to feel the world energy by yourself. The event is very unlikely, unless you reach a state of enlightment, find a place much more abundant than normal of world energy, or you are a newborn.
Newborns are empty things. The mother gives them life, the world gives them mana. If only they could be taught, creating an Awakened one would be easy.
The second way, is to be Awakened by a Guardian like me. That's how my old friends Tyris and Salaark create their new toys, giving them power but not knowledge. I'm different from them. I don't care about any country anymore.
They betrayed me, so I abandoned them in return."
Milea really wanted to know what was Leegaain talking about, but she was afraid to lose her focus.
"The Gorgon Empire can go die in a fire for what I care. I will not set it ablaze but I will not extinguish it either. But I digress.
An Awakened only enemies are other Awakened ones, be they humans, evolved from magical beasts, or eve
n worse Abominations. Just like us, Abominations came in all kinds and forms, just like Guardians are born, so they grow into Eldritchs.
The most dangerous Abominations are those that manage to possess a suitable body, be it bestial or human. Here is what you have to be wary of¡"
Chapter 165 Leegaain¡¯s Wrath
"Abominations are creatures mostly born out of greed, when someone pushes his body beyond its limits, destroying it. Unlike what most creatures think, Abominations aren't only Awakened ones gone wrong.
I have fought and destroyed Abominations that spoke only gibberish, others that had no idea what had happened to them, having no concept of the mana core or world energy. They were simply born like that.
What I do know for certain, is that once an Abomination is born, there are three possible outcomes. The most common, is that the Abomination dies, either because of a prolonged lack of nourishment or because it gets killed.
They cause too much damage to go unnoticed, so humans or beasts usually hunt them down before they can learn to control their abilities. The second possibility is for the Abomination to seize enough world energy to stabilise its form and regain part of its senses.
They are called Empowered Abominations, and are much more dangerous than their younglings. They can use magic properly, control their hunger to a degree and live forever, or at least until they get destroyed.
Their greatest weakness is the lack of a physical body, which makes them impossible to blend in. They have to hide to survive, yet they manage to do great harm to the world, draining its mana to keep living.
The last and rarest outcome, is for an Abomination to find a proper host, becoming able of permanently stabilising its form and getting full control over the hunger. They are called Puppeteer Abominations, and are the most dangerous ones.
They usually prey someone of their same species, so a beast will target beasts, a plant another plant. The ideal body is freshly dead, in mint condition, and stronger than the one the Abomination previously had.
A dead body has no mana core, making it easier for the Abomination's to settle in. It's possible to possess a living body, but in such case, until the host is alive, the two cores will fight for control, making it impossible to use magic. (*)
The body's conditions and strength are related to the need for it to be able to contain the Puppeteer. Without these requisites, it would be ripped apart by the chaotic energies, just like the old one.
As long a Puppeteer is able to control its urges, it goes unnoticed. The only way to identify them is to use Invigoration and check for the presence of corrupt energies. They are hybrid in nature, allowing them to develop unique and unpredictable abilities.
Both Empowered and Puppeteers can further evolve into Eldritch Abominations. Their powers are on the same level of the superior Monsters, like Scorpicores, Wyverns or Treants."
Milea had become used hearing Leegaain's voice every moment of the day, even now that she was showering. The dragon demanded from her to keep the breathing rhythm during her meals, reading time and bathroom pauses.
Milea was avid for knowledge, the voice in her head had stopped bothering her after the first days spent together.
"Wait. I thought Eldritchs were the Guardians corrupt counterpart. You know, good versus evil? Are you saying they are weaker than you?"
Leegaain guffawed at such preposterous idea.
"Good? Evil? That's a human concept that the world never cared about and never will. And to be honest, neither you humans actually do. You just like to fill your mouths with righteous words, before feeding on those of your kin that are too weak to retaliate."
Melia felt insulted by such cruel remark, but then she remembered all the fake offers for help she had received, all the misery and pain that her kind inflicted on itself in the name of profit or pleasure. So she changed topic.
"Well, good to know. A Guardian Abomination is too scary even to think about. How does one become a Guardian?" She asked.
"That's a complicate question. Do you know what the real difference between the magic you learned at the academy and the one I'm teaching you is?"
Melia shook her head while applying the shampoo.
"Human magic is egotistical. You try to do everything on your own, using only the mana that your body holds. That's why you couldn't use powerful spells before, because your mana core was too weak.
Human magic forces its connection with the world energy, making a spell easier to cast, but doing so requires a great inner strength.
Now, instead, I taught you how to strengthen the core and how to borrow the world's mana. It's like the difference between lifting something using only the arms and doing it while coordinating your arms, legs and back.
That's a trait that permeates mankind's whole life, just like Abominations' lust for power. That's why you can become true mages, even evolve into Magi, but never before one of you became a Guardian.
To become one, you must accept the world, and the world must accept you back. Only by giving back what the planet has given you, it's possible to pass the world's tribulations and reach the Guardian state."
Milea sneered at her Mentor's contempt.
"Really? And what did you give to the world? A huge scaly a*s?"
They both laughed heartily. They were getting fonder of each other with each passing day.
"It's easier to show than to tell. Have you finished showering, or must I drain another waterfall?"
"Ready when you are, smartass." A sudden gust of warm wind dried her up, covering her with a white silk roman toga with a deep neckline and side slits that left most of her legs exposed.
"What the heck is this thing? It looks so ancient." Milea had materialized in what seemed a grass field for the livestock. Leegaain's lair had countless rooms, some so big that it seemed to be in a world of its own.
The dragon's mastery of dimensional magic allowed him to stretch the mountain cave into a continent.
"Back in the day, when people believed me a god, and I let them worship me, this was the standard dress of my priestesses. It feels nostalgic seeing it worn by a beautiful young girl again."
Thanks to the constant refinement of her mana core, the cleansing of the impurities and Leegaain home cooking, Milea's looks had improved by leap and bounds. She doubted her own mother would find easy to recognize her anymore.
"Wow, I would have never taken you for such a perv!"
"Hey, I'm ancient, not dead. Back to your question, kid. Do you know why the Gorgon Empire is named so?"
"Of course." She nodded. "Gorgons were a violent race of monsters, that plagued our lands, turning the living into stone. Then, before the Empire was unified, our forefathers discovered that their skin and bones were made of adamant, one of the strongest metals.
After slaying the beasts, they forged what later become known as the Empire's Arsenal. Without those weapons and armours, the Gorgon Empire would have never been born. The Gorgon Empire's foundations are the Gorgon's flesh and bones."
Leegaain clicked its tongue in disgust.
"Propaganda. That's how you make a lie so close to the truth."
They Warped again, getting close to what in the distance seemed a herd of cows. Milea discovered they weren't cows at all. They had red eyes without pupils, and their skin was made by something that resembled opaque emeralds.
They didn't react to the dragon, nor to the girl, lazily grazing the grass.
"Do they seem violent to you?"
Melia didn't hesitate caressing their odd skin. It felt like stone, but was warm and elastic to the touch. They were living beings, not stone constructs.
"Are these¡"
"Gorgons? Yes." Leegaain completed the question for her. "Take a closer look at the grass, please."
Melia knelt down, discovering that the grass became hard and shiny under the monsters' breath, and that was such metal the Gorgons were actually eating.
"The real story is a bit different. Gorgons are a rare sub species of
magical beasts, that happens to spawn only in some regions of the Empire. If the bull or cow is too meek, instead of evolving into a Tyr (AN: bull type magical beast), they become a Gorgon.
Gorgons only eat adamant, and that's why they are capable of turning grass into adamant.
Back in the day, before Davross was discovered, it was the hardest and rarest metal known to man. When your forefathers discovered the Gorgons, they made them breed, and once they had enough metal, they made sure Gorgons become almost extinct.
So yes, the Gorgon Empire's foundations literally are the Gorgons' flesh and bones."
Melia was flabbergasted.
"But why?" Centuries of history were crumbling before her eyes.
"Because they were afraid others could steal their monopoly. And because if any more weapons were produced, they would have lost their market value."
"How do you know?" Melia still refused to believe such story.
"Because I was there. Back when I still gave a sh*t about the Empire, I told them about the Gorgons. I taught them how to forge adamant. And then I had to spectate the slaughter."
"Why didn't you stop them?"
"Unlike other Guardians, I believe in free will. When your forefathers asked for my help, after the Griffon Kingdom was born, I offered them my wisdom, not my power, and they accepted. And then they betrayed my teachings."
Leegaain voice roared like thunder, his rage raised the temperature of several degrees.
"Don't you understand, already? My library, the animals, everything in this lair is what I am for the world. I am the keeper of everything and everyone that has been discarded before its time.
I will right all these wrongs, but only when the time is ripe and so are the people."
"That's why you abandoned the Empire? For the Gorgons?" As much it was an act of unwarranted cruelty, Melia couldn't believe that her country was the only one without an active Guardian for such reason.
"No. A species going extinct is hardly a novelty. I left because back when Lochra Silverwing left her legacy and magic was born anew, the Emperor went back on his word, preferring the use of the slave collars instead of pursuing equality.
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