Day: November 24, 2021

WHY ANYONE WOULD want to live on an asteroid, Kaian had no idea. The Grova Asteroid was large enough to be the size of a moon, and it was inhabitable. The thing had split from the Ova Asteroid belt that caught the outer edge of the Irasalla Solar System years ago. A group of people had crash-landed on it long ago—of course, that was way before Kaian’s time. Now, their descendants had chosen not to leave, despite that the Republic and Magi both had offered to save them. The final ruling from the Republic Court had been that as the asteroid traveled through space, the responsibility to protect it fell upon the Magi Guild who protected whatever Solar System it passed through. Over the last four years, it had been slowly making its way through the Ovaei Solar System, which made it Ancient Ascension’s responsibility to protect.
In this case, Kaian and the other Magi in his Guild were protecting the Grovian locals from a band of, well… altered Grovians.
“And you’re sure they used to be Grovians?” Kaian slashed his katana across the chest of one Alter-Grovian before he shot a look at his fellow Magi and current leader, a man by the name of Syrad. He was an Expert Fire Mage Magi, who specifically wielded black fire, but because their Guild Master, an archaeologist and historian named Dubar, was often away on excavations and living in the past, Syrad often took care of Guild matters.
Now, Syrad shot a wave of fire across three Alter-Grovians and the wave of black fire looked identical to his shoulder-length black hair.
Kaian’s, on the other hand, was sleeker, but it was longer, reaching his hips. Though he kept it tied back, the heat from Ovaei’s white dwarf sun billions of miles away made the Grova Asteroid steaming hot, so his hair clung to his skin, just like the sweat beneath his blue griffin pelt armor. It was much hotter than other armors, but it was lighter and made it easier for him to maneuver while still protecting him from most blows.
In response to his earlier question about the Alter-Grovians, Syrad formed a circle of black fire around them. “Yes. I spoke with the Grovian Governor, Irathchus. He said that an explosion of gas went off deep inside the asteroid on the western sector of the city, and then, hundreds of Grovians changed into… these things.”
“Right.” Kaian flapped his wings and flew up and over Syrad’s ring of fire. Four years ago, when he had become an Expert Metal Mage Magi, in their Guild, since he was the first Metal Mage to reach that level, it meant he was given the promotion and honor of becoming a Faction leader. Their Guild was the only Magi Guild to divide into Factions based upon elements. Any Magi who became the first to reach Expert level in their particular element—and who proved themselves—would be promoted to become that Element’s Faction leader. Syrad was the Lord of the Fire Faction. The man’s two best friends, Cothran and Roymond, were Lords of the Air and Water Factions. Back at the Grovian Governor’s mansion, the Mountain Elf named Ghi, Lady of the Healing Faction, healed injured from all the Alter-Grovian attacks.
Kaian whirled his katanas around and spun them in a circle. With each complete pass of the circle, metal spikes shot out from the blades of his katanas, striking a different Alter-Grovian on the ground below him.
Roymond flew up beside him, using his magic to form to air funnels beneath his feet. It was an odd sight to behold—a bulky human man with an eyepatch balancing on nothing but air. Kaian just waited for him to tumble to the ground, and with his bulky size, there was no way Kaian was going to try to catch him. “Oi! Syrad filled me in. Think we oughtta check the gas out? If we don’t get rid of it, the stuff could spread.”
Kaian closed his eyes, calling metal to his hands. It was a more powerful spell, so he concentrated and sent Mathanos from his reserves out through his hands. His katanas vanished, and in their place, metal beams formed and shot down to the ground. Blue Mathanos washed over the beams, extending and expanding them until it formed a cage over as many Alter-Grovians as he could reach. Sweat poured on his brow and his wings fluttered. Kaian fell a few feet, but his sister, Kaiye, caught him around the waist.
“It’s a good thing you’re skinny as a stick, Kaian,” Kaiye muttered.
His head spun and his vision wavered. “I’m fine, Kaiye.”
Roymond shot him a glare. “Oi, get ‘im back to collect Mathanos, ya crazy boggart! Ya just trapped hundreds of Grovian’s there! Are ya tryin’ to get yourself killed?”