Chapter 18: Ritual

Charon’s fingers brushed against the page, tracing a lazy circle around the ritual symbols. Something inside it called out to him, urging him to reach out. ’If I sent some mana into it, I know I could enter the River Acheron.’ A chill went down his spine. ’I can’t do it. It’d be too dangerous, especially now. I need to figure out how to get the Warden to be useful, and I need a weapon. Only the gods know what kind of enemies I could find in that place.’ The logic was there, but the draw went deeper than that. Charon wanted to do it. He wanted to enter the River Acheron, find the Fortress of Souls, and advance his element. He subconsciously pressed his hand against the page, inhaling deeply as he prepared to send mana into it. ’I’ll do it. I’ll go into the River Acheron and learn everything I need. I’ll grow powerful beyond belief, I’ll become a hero.’ It sounded good, really good. Just before he sent that pulse of mana, the exterior door opened, Emerius returning with a shout. "Hey, Charon. I’m home!" He shut the book with a thud, quickly lifting his bed sheets and hiding it beneath them. Part of it hurt to part with the tome, but he knew Emerius finding it couldn’t end well. ’He will want to read it, and if he sees how unique it is he will want to keep it!’ Charon couldn’t let that happen. Exiting his bedroom, he closed the door behind himself and gave Emerius a pleasant smile. "Hey, Emerius, welcome back. How were classes?" His roommate gave him a flat stare and shrugged. "They were fine. I wanted to apologize for earlier, though. I acted without decorum, leaving you like that. It won’t happen again, I promise." The apology caught Charon off guard. ’I had expected to be apologizing to him, not the other way around.’ It was unexpected and made Charon a little regretful. "It’s okay, no harm done. I just assumed you had some personal things going on. I didn’t mean to upset you, really." Emerius offered a weak smile. "I should have figured as much. Don’t pay it any more mind." There was a tone of finality to his words, allowing no more discussion on the topic. The conversation, however, didn’t end there as Emerius continued. "My third class was fine. Many of us who have been raised with magic do not need the normal courses, and so they put us through various administrative studies. It’s a lot of work with little payout, but it’s important to the running of the church." It was easy for Charon to imagine Emerius doing such tasks. It suited him well, especially as a high-born. "Is that what you want to do then? Work for the church?" Emerius shook his head. "Yes and no. Once we graduate, we will be priests, and so will always be connected to the church to some degree. However, I plan to work my way up through the military ranks, like my father and grandfather." The mention of his father for the umpteenth time allowed Charon to ask a question he had been wondering. "Who is your father, anyway? I feel like we haven’t had a conversation without you bringing him up." The question made Emerius’s eyes go wide. "You don’t know who Daylus Everescence is?" Charon just looked confused, the name ringing no bells. Emerius looked even more surprised at that, his eyebrows rising up to his forehead. "He is one of the most important men in the Empire. He has been advising the emperor for years now, and is one of the five generals leading the war effort." The mention of the emperor and the war effort caught Charon’s attention. "So he is helping fight the Elves?" Emerius laughed at that. "Helping? He is one of the men leading the charge! When the Elves invaded us, it was my father who rallied the scattered human armies and rebuilt a battle line. His naval acumen is unmatched, and he now commands the second largest star fleet in the Empire." Charon had known Emerius had to have come from a lofty family, but to be the direct descendant of someone in charge of the war was a little too much. He took a step back in shock, unable to believe it. "How is that possible? Why would he send his son here and risk his life?" His roommate’s excitement chilled for a moment before returning, but it was more subdued now. "That’s the burden of lineage. Just because my dad does great things does not mean I will too. He graduated from this academy when he was a child, so he decided it would be best if I did the same. That way I could also be a mage, and serve as an officer under him when I am older." It made so much sense when Emerius explained it. ’So that’s why he is so talented with swords and knowledgeable! He was literally raised for this! There probably isn’t a more gifted student in this entire school!’ It also made it clear why he had placed a larger burden on Charon; it’s all he knew. Since he was young, he had certain expectations, and now that he was away from home, he wouldn’t just forget them. Waving the comments away, Emerius walked to the kitchen and began making himself dinner, shooting Charon a question at the same time. "So, how was your final class? Magic, I assume?" Charon nodded and moved to make his own food. "Yes, how did you know?" Emerius chuckled, taking out a pan and a thick slab of meat. "They give everyone who lacks a proper inner ring education that class. It’s very foundational, but that does not mean it is bad. I trust you will find it very illuminating." ’I don’t doubt that.’ "The professor is a bit weird. Professor De Vale, have you heard of him?" Emerius gave him a strange look. "Yes, but not much. I did hear one interesting story about him, though..." Their conversation continued for over an hour as they ate what Charon learned was a beef steak with gravy. It was a meal unlike anything he had ever eaten, making him feel more content than he ever had before. He almost cried when he finished it, disappointed there wasn’t more. Emerius laughed at that, promising to cook more in the future, adding that they could also try other recipes. That night, Charon crawled into bed with a full belly, feeling more relaxed than he had since the invasion. ’If only the others could experience this with me.’ It was a bittersweet thought, reminding him of his friends and the Mistress. Memories of them played on his mind as he drifted into sleep. Until he awoke only a few minutes later, two words echoing in his head and unwilling to let him sleep. ’The book.’ He tried to ignore it, tossing and turning until he couldn’t take it anymore. Throwing off his bedsheets, he grabbed the tome and placed it on his pillow, opening it and reading it through once again. The words flowed so easily, their offerings of power tantalizing. More than that, there was a promise hidden between the lines, drifting off the pages and lodging itself into Charon’s skull. ’If I master the power of soul, I’ll have earned a legacy worthy of a king.’ Unable to stop himself, he turned the page, looking at the ritual once again. The complexity of the runes, the strange shapes within them, and the face staring all out all gave him one command: enter the River Acheron. Taking a shaky breath, he pressed his hand against the page and called upon his mana. Unlike before, he jolted into action instantly, flowing through his arm and into the paper beneath. The symbols began to glow an ethereal blue, rays of light shooting out of them and banishing the darkness in his room. Small balls of energy lifted from the tome, hovering in the air all around him. A noise began to play, a buzzing like a wasp’s nest. It grew in intensity and volume, threatening to shatter his eardrums. Despite the light and the noise, Charon couldn’t stop, the temptation too strong. As the seconds dragged on, he felt himself lose substance just like during the Elvish invasion. His body began to lose sensation, his limbs disappearing slowly, and his mind struggling to remain conscious. Charon vaguely heard his bedroom door opening with a chime, followed by a voice screaming at him. He couldn’t have deciphered it if he tried, too consumed with the ritual playing out in front of him. Then, in an instant, it all vanished. Charon’s bed was replaced with sand, spreading out in all directions. The lapping of waves sounded behind him, causing him to turn around and look. An infinite blue river extended to the sun-kissed horizon.