Change My Destiny: Souls and Swords Part 2

Thanks to those who faved, followed, and reviewed!

TheLastSterling: you probably did read this before. This is an old story I uploaded but never finished. I intend to do continue it and improve what I have already done. I hope you enjoy it!

To blacksoul123: thank you for your review! I hope the rest of the story meets your expectations.

-Change My Destiny-

Albion; the Royal Estate

A man stood at the edge of the master bedroom's balcony, dark red eyes locked onto the book in his hands. His features were roguish and his skin tanned from sunlight, but his pale, white hair was slicked back neatly. The sunlight had begun to just peek over the horizon, a soft wind blowing against the man's layered, white robes, his blue twin tailed trench coat protecting him from the morning chill.

He flipped through the book, finding a particular passage, and began to read.

"Before the earth, before humans and elves, before even time itself, there was mana. It existed as a raw cosmic force of pure energy called the life stream, swirling across the vast emptiness of nothing. The energy grew, and grew, concentrating itself, until eventually, the great spirit Ethera was born."

But she was alone."

In order to alleviate her loneliness, she created her four children, Ifrit, Gnome, Undine, and Sylph, from her very essence, and taught them how to control the mana within them. The four mastered their powers in different ways; Ifrit manifested himself as a being of fire, Gnome of stone, Undine of water, and Sylph of wind, and together they created what would become the sun, the stars, the earth, the oceans, and the skies. Proud of her children, Ethera created humanity, and all the creatures that ever were to walk the land made by her children."

"I have news, Raziel," A young, female voice drifted from the shadows behind him.

Turning his head slightly the man named Raziel did not take his eyes off his book as he asked, "Matilda has brought good news, I hope?"

"Yes, the Gandalf has come, just like you foretold. Shall we continue with our operations against the nobility?"

"Leave them to squabble in their matters for now. The pathetic nobles of Albion have shriveled without their king, and it is only a matter of time before the prince himself will fall by my hand."

"Very well, then. I will continue training the commoners. Will you require anything else?"

"Tell Matilda to keep observing the Gandalf, and make sure she steals the staff only during the familiar's festival. The defenses will be weak with Henrietta's coming, no doubt she will be eager to see Louise again, along with her familiar. They were friends in their youth, after all."

"Consider it done. Also, it seems that an elf was summoned along with the Gandalf; his mother. Her name is Sasha."

That made Raziel still.

"Is something wrong?" The female voice asked. However, he did not respond right away, closing his book instead.

"...No. Just lost in thought." Raziel turned towards the woman behind him. She wore a long sleeved white shirt under a short sleeved sky blue tunic, with long white leggings. On her feet were a set of dark brown riding boots. On her hands were fingerless leather gauntlets her arms wrapped in bandages up to her elbows. On top of her outfit was a long, black mantle. Long brown hair draped past her shoulders, her eyes blindfolded. Ancient runes imprinted onto her forehead shone with a small light.

"Have Matilda observe Sasha instead. The Gandalf will be easy enough to manipulate, but with her, we're going to have to be a little more creative." Though he could not see her eyes, Raziel knew she was surprised.

"Don't be shocked, Myoznitnirn. I've lived for over 2000 years, it's to be expected that I would have learned to how outsmart an elf by now."

"You don't know her," she snarled.

Raziel raised his brow, amused. "And you do?"

The Myoznitnirn did not reply, though Raziel had his answer.

A knock on his bed chamber door resounded, followed by the click of the doorknob. A beautiful, white haired woman entered, her red eyes locked on Raziel's. She wore a stylized, dark blue dress that reached down to her ankles, the collars and edges of the dress a dark gold. Wrapped around her slender arms were gloves of the same dark blue, reaching up past her elbows. Her boots and rapier clicked as she walked elegantly along the stone floor.

"Tiffania and Shajar are safe, beloved."

"Good. Is the prisoner ready, Charlotte?" asked Raziel.

She nodded. "Yes, beloved."

"Will the Duke be joining us?"

"No. He wishes to stay with Shajar and Tiffania. I imagine the near death experience of his family sobered him up."

"Then so it shall be."

With a flourish of his coat, Raziel made for the exit of his bedchamber. Fixing his robes and giving Charlotte a gentle kiss, the three made his way down the staircase. As he reached the bottom, he walked through a small Alcove, approaching a set of double doors that led to the main courtyard of his castle. The sound of bustling voices could be heard in the other side, silenced as Raziel pushed open the doors. He was then greeted with cheers, the eyes of all the commoners in Albion showering him with admiration. A small stage had been set up, an older noble chained to a pole, sentries at his side, armed with spears. His clothes were dirtied and his face was beaten and bruised, but the hate was clear and strong in his eyes as he approached. Raziel stopped a few feet away.

"King James Alexander Tudor! For your crimes against your younger brother the Duke Montaru Albion and his wife and child, against great spirit Ethera's creations, and for the sins of the oppressive nobles, I hereby declare you guilty!"

James let out a strangled laugh.

"Me? Guilty!? That traitorous brother of mine is the one who is guilty! Taking an elf as a wife after what their people did to our brother, the king of Tristain! I will not stand for it!" The shock silenced the crowd into hushed whispers.

"Perhaps, and I am not without mercy." Raising his hand, the sentries beside James unchained him, letting him fall to the ground, though the men held their spears at his neck. Whispers of surprise spread throughout the crowd, but Raziel continued, turning his voice to the crowd that eagerly peered over one another to the stage.

"Now, I'm sure all of you have been wondering for some time, what is Reconquista? For what purpose have I gathered all of you here today? Well, allow me to answer your questions." Raziel dramatically raised his hands into the air, his voice booming.

"Ethera has heard your silent prayers! She has seen the oppression and the anguish that her creations have experienced, and has declared that the nobility are no longer worthy of her love and protection! Thus, with the aid of the elves, she has sent me forth to lead you to a new age of prosperity!"

"Hah! Don't make laugh, you worthless commoner! Sent by Ethera? Allying with the elves?! You're nothing but a liar!" James struggled against the men who held him down, and looks of doubt spread. However, Raziel didn't lose his stride.

"Of course, it is but right that you doubt me. What proof do I have, that I have been sent? Allow me to show you. Men! Free him, and bring him his wand!" Shouts of surprise followed, but Raziel's men complied, allowing the former king to stand on his feet. A young girl brought forth his wand.

"I will allow you a chance to kill me, and reclaim your castle, King James. But not only will I prove my divine calling, I shall do it without killing you!"

"You arrogant..! Fine then! Prepare to die, commoner! Wind Lance!" Pointing his wand forward, a stream of wind raced forward towards Raziel, the cries of the commoners filling the air. But in the blink of an eye, Raziel expertly dodged the wind spell, approaching the noble with masterful speed. He immediately twisted the noble's wrist, twisting him around and onto his knees. He landed with a hard thud as the commoners cheered, not expecting the sudden turn of events. The sentries moved in and kept their spears at James's throat as Raziel let him go, savagely grinning.

Raziel then stood in front of the kneeling man and placed his left hand on James's forehead.

"W-what are you doing?!"

Raziel looked down at him coldly.

"Proving that I am a messenger of Ethera."

James' body buckled as Raziel gripped his head firmly, and his body began to shine green from the inside. A shrill scream escaped from his lips, making the onlookers flinch and gasp, his eyes, ears, and mouth aglow, but not Raziel nor his sentries. As the green light and his voice died down, Raziel stepped back and the sentries let the man go, allowing him time to breathe several ragged breaths. Picking back up his wand which had fallen, James looked up at Raziel with hate.

"You'll pay for not killing then, commoner! Wind Lance!"

It took a moment for the entirety of the crowd, and James himself, to realize nothing had happened.

"Wind Lance! Wind Lance! Thundercloud! Lightning strike!" Again and again, James continued to chant his spells, but nothing happened. A look of horror slowly crept upon his features. "W-What did you do to me?!"

Raziel ignored him, but instead turned to the crowd.

"Who here has had their family killed by one of this man's men? One of you, step forth!" At first no one did, not expecting the question, but to everyone's surprise, a boy, no older than twelve, stepped up, an eager look in his eye. His mother called after him, but Raziel smiled, nodding at the woman. She reluctantly stepped back.

"I like that look you have. Tell me, what has this man done?"

"He had my father executed for theft! But he didn't do it! I saw it happen! He was framed!" Several others in the crowd nodded their heads, the mother lowering her head. Raziel fell down on one knee, looking the boy at eye level.

"That is a terrible fate to befall one as young as you. Was your father a noble? What of your mother?" Confused, the boy shook his head, and Raziel stroked his head.

"Well, allow me to change that."

He placed his hands on the boy's temples.

A golden glow enveloped the boy, dazzling everyone. The boy looked down at himself, feeling somehow much stronger, along with a feeling of a cool wind blowing against his skin, as if he were standing on the beaches of the sea. The glow died out, and silently, Raziel stood, raising the boy's hand.

"Say it. The spell that man used before to kill me." Nodding slowly, the boy braced his feet, targeting the noble before them.

"Wind Lance!"

A current of wind raced forth, piercing the man in the shoulder. James and the crowd let out a startled cry, not believing what just happened. Raziel turned to the masses.

"Ethera as sent me forth to answer your prayers, my friends! Behold the proof! She has given me the ability to take the magic that the nobles hold dear, and bestow it on others!" Renewed vigor and eagerness shined in the eyes of the commoners, and Raziel raised his hands.

"A new age has come for man; an age where all shall be able to use Ethera's gift of magic!"

The cheers of the crowd resonated throughout the land of Albion.

-Change My Destiny-

Avalon's eyes gently opened, and he inhaled lightly, attempting to stretch. He was unable to, though, because of the arms that pinned him down. Looking over to his side, his mother was there, sleeping soundly.

Prying himself free, Avalon moved to the side of the bed, doing some light exercises to help him shake the drowsiness. Soon his mother woke up, and after greeting him, silently joined him.

"It's morning. We have work to do," she said after their meditation. Avalon looked in her direction.

"Work? Are we going to see the headmaster?"

"Well, there's that, but don't think that just because we're in a new land, we're not going to continue with your training!" She gave him a sugary smile as Avalon's entire mood shot to hell.

"Ugh, but mom!"

"No buts! Now, meet me outside in ten minutes, where we were summoned. Do you remember how to get there?" Avalon scratched his head, grumbling as his mother walked towards the door.

"Yeah, I went exploring last night… Damn it, this is gonna be a disaster… Then again, what else is new?"

"No complaining," she said, exiting the door. Avalon waited silently as his mother's footsteps faded, waiting for complete silence. He then stood up, did a little more stretching, and then proceeded out the door. He thought he would encounter students, but surprisingly not, he didn't and he found out why when he reached outside. It was still very early in the day, perhaps five in the morning? There was sunlight peeking over the horizon, leaving the sky a light hue. He took some time to admire it as he made his way.

"There you are. Shall we get started?" Sasha said as her son approached. She noticed his dejected look, but the wariness in his eye told her he was prepared.

Avalon held up his hand and called his spear forward. Sasha lifted up her hand.

An elongated rod of mana formed, and Sasha gripped it, allowing her Katana to burst forth. The handle of the blade was exquisitely wrapped in a thick, blue cloth, making a criss-cross pattern. The hand guard was a star, instead of the typical oval guard. Checking the six foot blade for any imperfections, Sasha nodded her head, satisfied.

"Good morning, master," a female voice rung from the blade.

"Good morning Yukikaze. Are you ready for today's training?" Sasha asked, but Avalon groaned.

"Ice again…"

"Keep calm, Avalon. Your spear's lightning may not be effective against ice, we have the advantage."

"What are you….? Oh. The mana in the air."

"That's right. We can use it."

Sasha took her stance. Avalon, knowing convincing her to change elements was futile, did the same.

Sasha took note that her son did not notice the faint glow coming from his left hand.

A moment of silence passed, and she rushed forward.

Avalon wasn't sure what it was, but something happened. His heart began beating furiously, the sound resonating in his ears. He began hearing everything around him with a horrible clarity; the whistling of the wind against the grass, the sound of his mother's footsteps, the singing of Yukikaze as she cut through the air, the rustling of his mother's grip against the cotton handle, and the realization that his mother was about to slice off his head.

Avalon instantly solidified the mana in the air around his head, creating a barrier. Sasha's eyes widened as the arc of her slash passed over. Avalon then stabbed his spear into the ground, a torrent of electricity racing forward, scorching the grass, making him flinch. Backpedaling, Sasha waved her blade, the air in its path frosted and the lightning uselessly fizzed against it. Avalon flinched again, breaking his concentration and dispelling his barrier. He stumbled backwards, gripping his head. Everything was so loud.

"Avalon! Get ahold of yourself!"

"I-I'm trying! But… what's happening to me?!"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it. Those blasted runes doesn't know when to give up!"

Sasha took advantage of Avalon's hesitation and boldly swung her weapon, but Avalon retreated, holding the very end of the staff for maximum range as he thrust. Sasha easily moved away from the attack, and attempted to move closer, but Avalon stopped her, pulling his weapon back and thrusting forward the other end of his spear. Simultaneously, he created mana arrows and sent them flying towards Sasha.

Sasha lifted up her sword and batted the mana arrows away. Without missing a beat her weapon met his and the screeching of the metal seemed to stretch on, though it was not as deafening as Avalon thought it would be. He was getting used to it, and hopefully before his mother kicked his ass. The two exchanged several more blows, Avalon taking advantage of his heightened senses, his brain kicking into overdrive as he processed everything he could.

That grip... She's going to throw an ice blade!

Just as he suspected, Sasha attacked with her weapon in reverse grip, sending forward a rotating, crescent shaped wave of ice. Avalon congratulated himself as he calmly calculated the distance between himself and the attack, its circumference, its trajectory, and came up with several possible situations that his mother could do to take the offensive advantage. Avalon decided to trust his instinct, and in a daring attempt slid under the blade of ice as it rotated parallel to the ground. As he did so, his mother did just as he had guessed, and jumped into the air. Avalon immediately jumped at the opportunity to attack.

Thrusting his spear forward, an arc of lightning raced towards his mother, and though she blocked it successfully with a wall of ice. It allowed him to change their positioning, now he in the open field and his mother with her back to the wall. Sasha smiled.

"Very impressive my son, I'm glad my teachings have not been wasted on you. And impressive use of your surroundings; I didn't think you would pick up on using the mana in the air so quickly."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. We both know that you enjoy kicking my ass. How cruel Ethera is, to give me a mother who only knows how to love battle." Avalon gave a small grin of his own, feeling giddy on the inside. That was the first time he had successfully avoided that, and using the mana in the air as opposed to his own stores allowed him to concentrate more on his spear technique. He idly wondered how he was able to think of his solutions so quickly. He almost felt mentally exhausted.

However, his happiness was short lived.

Avalon looked down as he felt a chill, and swore very loudly as he realized his mother had anticipated his plan. His feet were frozen to the ground. He looked up, the last thing he saw being a dagger of ice headed straight for his face.

-Change My Destiny-

Sasha disabled her ice spell as Avalon fell to the floor. The spear she had gifted him, Gungnir, had vanished with a flash of mana, signaling Avalon's unconscious state. She sighed, walking over to him.

"Well done, Master. That was a splendid trap."

"That may be, but my son cannot be discredited. The timing for his slide under my attack was strict. I didn't even think it was possible."

"Indeed. The runes seem to have affected his physical state of being. His body was moving much faster than normal."

"...but that's just it. He wasn't."

"Pardon?"

"The rune's enhancements… They didn't affect Avalon as much as I thought they would. It must be Kavaid's doing. I assume he helped hold back the impulses of the contract, if he hasn't broken them already. Maybe I should be thanking him."

Sasha remained silent, her weapon not pushing for more answers. Instead, she allowed herself to be dismissed, shattering into fragments of mana. After a long silence, she mournfully looked up at the sky.

"Why can't you just leave me be Brimir? The thought of losing another family to this curse… I can't…"

She silently wept.

When her ears caught the sound of a surprised gasp, she hastily began wiping away her tears. She turned, and saw a maid hiding around the corner, frozen in place as their eyes met. Sasha tilted her head.

"Excuse me, young maid? Could you do me a favour, and bring me a bucket of cold water?" she asked aloud, a small grin spreading across her lips. The Asian looking maid, unsure, didn't move.

"If possible, now. Do you need help?" That jump started the maid.

"N-No! I'll bring it right away!"

She was gone for a few minutes, coming back with a full bucket. Sasha smiled coyly, looking down at her son.

"H-Here," said the maid, holding up the bucket. Sasha gently took it, her fingers brushing against the maid's. The maid quickly pulled her hands away, clutching her hands close to her chest. Sasha sighed.

"Please, do not be afraid. I will not harm you. The stories you have heard of our kind are only that; stories. I hope that I will be able to change your view on us." She gave her a gentle smile, elated as she saw the maid's shoulders loosen. "What's your name?"

The maid straightened, surprised at the question. "S-Siesta, of Tarbes." The maid gave a robotic curtsey. Sasha placed the bucket down, returning the gesture, much to the maid's surprise.

"My name is Sasha. The boy here is Avalon, my son." That surprised the maid, and Sasha gave her a smile. "Indeed, we are related by blood; his father is human." She then looked down at Avalon, whose head was right next to the bucket, smiling.

Seeing him spit and sputter as she kicked the bucket's contents onto his head was priceless.

"GAH! C-C-C-COLD!" he shouted, swinging his arms wildly as he sat up. Looking at his surroundings, Avalon glared at his mother as he stood up.

"That wasn't cool." Touching his clothes, Avalon heated them through his skin, evaporating the water. He ran his hands through his hair, repeating the process, eyeing the maid as she stared in awe. "Whose this?"

"Avalon, this is Siesta." Avalon gave her a quick one over, slightly surprised at the fact that her breasts fit comfortably in that outfit. Wasn't that uncomfortable?

"Y-Your hair! Your clothes! Was that magic?" Siesta Exclaimed.

Sasha and Avalon raised their eyebrows, although for different reasons. Sasha wondered why she was confused; had she not walked in on her and Avalon training together? Avalon on the other hand, was confused about the comment on his magic, before he remembered the way magic worked in this land. He shook his head.

"Yeah. I get it from my mom. She's my mom," said Avalon, pointing over to Sasha, who gave him a smile. Siesta looked between the two, not sure what to say.

After a moment of silence, Avalon awkwardly looked up at the sky, seeing the sun had finally risen over the horizon.

"Ah, I have to go wake up Louise. Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Siesta. See you around!"

Straightening his clothes and making a mental note to buy new ones, Avalon jogged away, heading straight towards Louise's room. Siesta watched him go, still at a loss as to what to say, before turning back to Sasha.

"Um... Is there anything else you would like?" Sasha looked over to Siesta, giving her another smile.

"Yes actually. Would it be possible for you to show me the kitchens?"

-Change My Destiny-

As Avalon made his way, he thought back on what he had experienced during his fight.

"That was so weird," Avalon whispered. "Did you notice anything different?"

"As a matter of fact, I did. The runes on your left hand began reacting when you took hold of Gungnir. I found some complications in the magic within, so I held them back."

"What kind of complications?" Looking down at his left hand, Avalon stopped for a moment, before calling his spear into his right hand. The runes began giving a soft, faint glow, and Avalon felt all of his senses enhance.

"There appears to be impulse related magics in the runes. I'm assuming that they were meant to help the familiar be subservient to the master, but I've taken care of them. It has affected the runes, though. I felt their enhancements weaken as a result."

"Huh. Well, I'm glad that you're here for that, because I completely missed it. Thanks, Kavaid. I'll have to play around with these new powers later. Having physical enhancements without using my own mana? That's handy."

Continuing on, Avalon noticed he received odd looks from the students passing by. They whispered behind his back, gossiping about yesterday's events, so he paid no mind to them. As he reached Louise's room, he knocked on her door.

"Hey, Louise, it's me. I'm coming in."

Waiting for a moment, he went inside. Avalon looked at the bed and noticed Louise was still fast asleep, her soft white skin shining under the sunlight. Looking closely, she was really cute when she wasn't awake and angry. He almost doesn't want to wake her but...

"Hey, wake up!" said Avalon, pulling the sheets away. She stirred, and sat up from her bed.

"Huh? Oh, right… Didn't I summon you just yesterday?" Louise mumbled, sitting up.

"Yeah, you did. Anyway, hurry up and get dressed so we can go to your class. I need to see your magic system here so I can help you."

Suddenly awakened, Louise scrambled out of her bed, opening her closet and removing her robes. Avalon rolled his eyes, walking out.

After Louise finished dressing they headed out of her dormitory and to the main building in the center of the pentagram shaped school. Students slowly filed out of the five corners of the structure, eyeing him behind his back. Ignoring the stares, Avalon took the time to examine the main building. It was structurally sound, with a very old medieval feel. Inside there were grand staircases, paintings all over the walls, and marble hallways.

"Well, its no Hogwarts, but I suppose movies have the advantage of imagination over practicality, right Kavaid?"

"Indeed. These buildings were constructed with magic, not so much had the magic placed in them. Although, I can feel the faint presence of magical objects somewhere in this building."

"Oh, cool. Maybe we'll sneak a look later."

"Avalon…"

"What? I'm not gonna steal them! I just want to see how they compare!"

Louise and Avalon walked out of the main foyer towards what looked like a large mess hall. Long tables and benches stretched all the way across in a four by three arrangement, the tables filled with all sorts of meals. At the very back of the hall, There were smaller tables facing the larger; Avalon assumed the teachers sat there. Louise chose an empty seat, and Avalon pulled out her chair for her, let her sit and slid her chair back into the table, standing dutifully behind her. The other students that came gave him odd and questioning stares as Avalon observed them, his expression neutral. He looked for Tabitha, finding her sitting at the far end of the hall across from Louise. A dark skinned, well-endowed red head was with her, eyeing him curiously. Avalon gave Tabitha an affirmative, subtle nod, one that she responded to, much to the red-head's surprise. An animated conversation followed, although it was mostly the red-head talking.

The entire hall prayed, offering their thanks to Ethera, the elemental spirits, and their savior, Brimir.

"What the…. That's… odd. Why does this world have the same deities as us?"

Strangely, Kavaid said nothing, despite Avalon's prodding. He sullenly gave up.

Afterwards, Louise silently offered him a loaf of bread, which he took with a hushed thank you. Avalon remained silent as he ate his food, the mess hall bustling with activity around them. Although he couldn't help but note how the seats around Louise were empty…

After Louise and Avalon finished eating, they moved to the front courtyard, near where the summoning was held.

"What's going on? Aren't we going to class?" Avalon couldn't help but ask. The courtyard was filled his others who had left after eating, tables and chairs left out as other students talked and trained their familiars.

"Kind of. I forgot to mention it yesterday, but there's no lesson today for second years; this is to start communication with the familiars they just summoned."

"Makes sense,"Avalon rationalized. He was a bit peeved she had forgotten, but it was crying over spilled milk at this point.

"Ah, Louise! There you are."

Turning, Louise and Avalon faced the balding professor that Avalon met when he was first summoned.

"Oh, hello professor. How can I help you?" Louise asked, her mood brightening. The man gave her a smile.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. Oh! Forgive my rudeness, Mr. Avalon. I am professor Colbert, one of Louise's teachers here at the academy. Pleased to make your acquaintance." The Professor gave a nod of his head that Avalon returned, smiling as well.

"Nice to meet you, professor."

"How are you holding up, Louise? Is everything okay?"

"Yes professor, I'm fine. I was just about to ask Avalon to train me. He knows what my element is professor!" The professor smiled widely before pulling her into a light hug.

"Truly?! That's incredible! I'm so happy for you, Louise!" Letting her go, he turned to Avalon. "Ah, Mr. Avalon, would you mind terribly if I observed? Humanity has never had a chance to observe… what did Miss Sasha call it? Spirits?" the academic zeal in Colbert's eyes was clear. "This is an opportunity I never thought that I would come across! The idea of learning an entirely new culture of magic makes my heart race! What will be different? What will be similar? How could this move our world forward?!"

Avalon smiled back politely. "Sure! I don't mind. But are we going to do it here, or somewhere else?"

"Don't worry about that, Louise and I have a place that we frequently visit. Ah, Louise, if you would guide the way?"