Soon, a voice rang out across the island. “Alright, everyone, get ready, they’re about to appear.” At the sound of the voice, everyone across the island picked up paper lanterns and got ready to light them. In a tall tower in the centre of the city, a group of mages started gathering mana to cast a spell.
Just as everyone got in position, the first cries started ringing out from across the island. “I see them! Over there!” A massive fleet approached the island. It didn’t take long for the fleet to get close enough that the whole island could see their approach.
The space beneath their hulls rippled and warped, as if it were water, not the void of space. Light shimmered off the rippling space the ships left in their wake; behind the fleet, these shimmering ripples combined to form a brilliant trail of light. It looked like the fleet was towing a massive cape of starlight. The sight was so dazzling that it had long been made a public holiday in the star sector. The annual event drew tourists from all over to view and partake in the festival.
Aboard the fleet of ferries, there was no one who wasn’t blown away by the breathtaking sight. This festival was conceived as a way to show the children who were heading off on their Journey just how wonderful the world they were stepping into could be, and it never failed to amaze. Even the ferrymen who made this trip annually couldn’t stay indifferent.
Well, with the exception of one particularly bedraggled-looking one, currently in charge of steering the ship Felix found himself on. No, he would have long crawled back into his hammock if it weren’t for a certain unamused parrot perched on his shoulder. Every time his eyes wandered to his cosy resting place, a peck to his head would force his focus back to steering the ship.
As the island came into view, children started pointing it out, realising it was their destination. Felix and Lara, positioned near the bow of the ship, were in a prime position to see the island. So they were one of the first to spot a little light appear on the island. One light became many, and many became a flood as people all over the island lit their paper lanterns.
All the paper lanterns started floating upward. Felix fondly remembered that, in previous years, they’d light paper lanterns the night after the ferries departed. Even then, it was beautiful, but seeing it in space made it even more breathtaking.
“Felix, why did the lanterns stop?”
“Huh?” After Lara pointed it out, he saw it too. The lanterns weren’t drifting out of sight; instead, they stopped and hung in the air. When all the lanterns were in position, they exploded. Instead of fading, the colourful balls of fire hung in the air. It created the illusion that the island became a massive field of flowers.
“Did you see that! Felix, did you see? Look, it's amazing!”
“Hahaha, it is! Do you think that’s magic? Will we be able to do that after we become Travellers?!”
Embers from the fires started drifting towards the ferries, making it look like scattered petals in the wind. As the embers got closer to the ships, some of them coalesced into colourful, fiery creatures.
Felix watched as a horde of creatures marched through the fleet; the smaller ones moved between the children onboard, while the ones too large to fit dashed between the boats and over their heads. The parade had creatures from all over Alliance space, from the Feywilds, elves, fairies, and elementals. The Stonehold was represented by trolls, dwarves, spiders, and tunnel worms. The Continent had creatures like hydras, kun pengs, slimes, and even mountain giants and wyverns.
Even the Scattered Stars had its champions, as massive flaming warships unfurled their sails and allowed legions of knights to deploy. The knights darted around the warships, engaging in mock battles with other colourful flames.
Even with Felix’s love for reading, he couldn’t even recognise half of the bizarre and fantastical creatures represented in the parade, let alone where they all came from. Of course, with the sheer size of alliance space, even this vast menagerie probably only showed a fraction of its denizens.
Not that it made the current display any less impressive.
Felix heard Lara giggling beside him. When he looked over, he saw two pixies, one made of purple fire and one of green, braiding her hair. He stood there with his mouth agape, staring at the fairies; he didn't realise the fiery creatures could actually interact with them. Lara noticed him staring and teased him a little.
“How is it? Are you entranced by my beauty?” She said while fluttering her eyelashes at him playfully, propping up her head on her fists.
Felix was still too enraptured by what he was seeing; before he realised what he was doing, he found himself nodding with the same dumbfounded look on his face. He only realised that he’d accidentally answered honestly when the pixies started covering their little mouths and giggling.
Seeing Lara’s slightly blushing face as she too tried to stifle a laugh, he wanted to explain. In his fluster, he took a step forward only to crash face-first into the deck. He looked back and saw two little hook-nosed creatures; the grey fires they were made from were so solid that it made their skin look like smooth stone.
They high-fived each other, producing a sound like two pebbles clacking together, before collapsing into two little river stones and rolling away.
He wanted to be mad about being tripped by them, but instead, he just felt amazed at how much detail there was in the little fire creatures.
He looked up at the sound of Lara laughing while offering him a hand. The two little pixies had stopped trying to be coy and were now laughing uproariously, barely managing to keep themselves in the air.
He took Lara’s hand to get up; just as he was back on his feet, the entire ship lit up with a purple glow. Looking up, they saw an enormous flaming giant several times the size of their ship walking in the air above them. Even the giggling fairies and little stone pebbles stopped to gawk at the colossus.
Stolen story; please report.
After the gigantic apparition walked over the fleet, it burst into a shower of purple embers that drifted away and quickly died out. The same happened with the other creatures as they finished their procession through the crowd of astonished passengers.
All too soon, the last of the creatures left, and the show came to an end, just in time for the first ships to reach the island. They all formed a semicircle in front of an open space, creating an impromptu auditorium in the sky above the island.
Looking around him, Felix was amazed at the number of ferries. He had no idea that there were that many people on their homeworld.
His hushed but frantic conversation with Lara about the parade was halted when a man appeared in the centre of the amphitheatre that the ferries had created. Somehow, the man drew their attention without any overt action.
He simply appeared, dressed neatly in formal wear with a tailcoat. By all accounts, he looked rather unextraordinary; the only eye-catching thing about him was a rather ornate cane he carried with him. Well, that, and the fact that he was currently standing in the vacuum of space.
His appearance might well have gone unnoticed if it weren’t for an inexplicable aura he exuded. His very presence demanded attention. When he started speaking, his voice was clearly audible to every child on every ferry. He did not raise his voice. It was simply as if the distance between him and the children was of no consequence.
“Greetings, aspirants, I am Alexander Deighton, overseer of your Homeworld. It brings me great joy to see another set of graduates leave our little planet and set out to join the alliance. I trust you enjoyed the little display we prepared for you. I understand that you all must have an endless number of questions. I won’t be answering them.
“For now, we have one more demonstration to give you before bringing the festival to a close.
“As you know from the academy, you will awaken your affinities on your first Journey. Once you do, you will be considered fully fledged citizens of the alliance, and you’ll be granted an opportunity to set off on your own paths. Those of you who seize the opportunity will be renowned as Travellers.
“This is no easy feat, as you will learn on your Journey. Some of you may choose to end your Travels while others will continue. There is no shame in stopping; those who end their path will become part of the backbone of the Alliance.
“You will fill any number of vital roles, like teachers, farmers, carpenters, and more. It is your support that allows Travellers to continue their journeys. While Travellers busy themselves guiding the Alliance to unseen heights, you will keep the Alliance’s very heart beating. Without you, there would be nothing to guide.
Felix carefully watched the reaction of his peers during the speech. He was surprised to realise that many of the children seemed chuffed at the idea that their careers would be called the ‘backbone’ of the alliance. He always found it strange that so many of his classmates weren't interested in becoming knights, or at the very least wizards.
Though he guessed he could understand that being one was really hard and didn’t always pay well, and sometimes meant you risked your life. Even if you survived, unless your family were all Travellers, you’d have to watch everyone you know and love die of old age in front of your eyes.
Come to think of it, maybe they have a point. Felix briefly considered life as a bookkeeper. He saw the beaming smile of his worried mother, a comely wife who worked as a teacher, and two and a half children running around. The thought of such a boring life sent shivers down his spine. That was even before he actually got around to picturing the arithmetic and paperwork.
Fortunately, the Overseer continued his speech, dragging him back from the horrid vision.
“To the few of you who find the call of the journey irresistible, those of you willing to stake your life for the privilege of wandering the paths. You may choose to take the trial at the end of your path. Should you survive, the Alliance will recognise you as a Traveller and offer you its support on your journey.”
“To inspire you to continue walking down this long and difficult road, we’ve prepared a little demonstration. After all, why would you choose such a treacherous path if you never see what Travellers are capable of?”
At that moment, two more people appeared next to Alexander. The first was a lanky guy with bronze skin. He wore simple, lightweight armour that didn’t look like it would last very long in a real battle. On his back, he carried a simple metal kite shield with a basic broadsword strapped to his waist.
The second was a black-haired girl with phoenix eyes wearing a strange cloth outfit, a robe of sorts, though it was wrapped to allow for easier movement. It reminded him of the clothing worn by monks who specialise in martial arts. The colours of the two outfits matched, being a mix of dark blues and blacks.
“This is Adofo Samir and Huá Fèng. Last year, the two of them stood where you are now. Both of them conquered their trial and officially gained recognition as Travellers. ” Alexander clapped his hands, and two huge boulders appeared in the void of space, both larger than a carriage.
Felix stared in disbelief, not because the two of them appeared out of nowhere. No, he was far more surprised by their age. If he had to guess, he’d have said Adofo was in his twenties, while Huafeng looked sixteen. Considering what Alexander said, they couldn’t be older than fourteen.
It wasn’t just their physical appearance; the way they carried themselves didn't match their age, either. More than anything else, this drove home what everyone said about the Ways.
After giving everyone a few moments to collect themselves and take in the whirlwind of information he just dumped on them, Alexander continued.
“At the highest level, the path you pursue will focus on either the mind, the body, or some combination of the two. Those who focus on the mind are often referred to as magi, while those who focus on the body are called martial artists.
“You are already familiar with some of the common branches of these paths. The people you know as knights are walking down a specific trail on the martial path. While wizards follow a trail as magi.
“Do not let these descriptions limit your view. There are countless names for countless paths that focus on the mind, body, or a combination of the two. Apart from the well-known paths, there are countless more paths named only after those who walk them.
“Miss Fèng, you may start your preparations.” Alexander briefly turned to speak with her before addressing the crowd again.
“Magi tend to function better if given time to prepare. They become more terrifying the more time they are given. So Miss Fèng will have until Mr Adofo finishes his demonstration to prepare.”
By the time Alexander finished his sentence, Miss Fèng was already seated with a book in her lap. She closed her eyes and became so still that one might have mistaken her for a statue.
After Adofo got the permission to proceed from Alexander, he stepped forward, drawing his sword.
Adofo took a deep breath. As he did, his body began humming with power. When he exhaled, an enormous gale swept over the assembled ferries.
He became harder to see, his body blurring and blending with the gale as if he’d become the breath he exhaled. Then, in an instant, he moved. He was so fast that Felix hadn’t even registered that he’d started before he appeared in front of the first boulder.
His blade languidly floated through the air like a leaf in the wind; when it reached the stone, it did not stop. It kept moving as if it were going through empty air. With a final flourish, the sword was sheathed with casual ease, as if it had simply drifted in the wind and ended up there by happenstance.
Adofo returned to Alexander's side in complete silence. On the ferry, no one wanted to make a sound lest the moment end. Alas, time could not stand still forever, and with a loud crack, Felix looked back at the boulder. Just in time, he saw it split cleanly into four equal parts.
Felix and Lara shared a look; they were both practically hopping in place. Playing knight was one of their favourite games. They’d read every story about knights and had both picked out everything from the weapons they’d use to the names of their moves.
Seeing their fantasies become reality in front of their very eyes was almost too much to take.
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Progression & LITRPGDark FantasyMultiple POVsThe First Vampire
Worlds merge. The System devours the old rules. Living Monuments rise—crowns for those brutal enough to claim them.
Raised in the slums of Carrick Cahir, Pale buys food with his fists until the killing fields begin. Captured by zealots who feed blood to a mountain altar, he fights to live long enough to steal their -- and carve shelter for the few faces he still remembers.
What to expect
- Progression with a cost
- Brutal, tactical combat
- Crunchy Monument politics
- Culture-blend worldbuilding
Starring
- Pale — fist-born survivor chasing a Monument
- Ronan — blood-scribe who makes fate flinch
- Orla & Socks — conscience and shield
Irish ? Aztec ? Nordish ? Roman echoesDaily-ish updatesCharacters will die
Blood, vows, and Monuments. If power has a price, Pale will pay it.