A Kind of Magic (YJ Celestial Grimoire)
Part 51.
The Arena. Pholubalm.
One of the most important phrases any ruler needs to learn about is 'bread and circuses' or panem et circenses, which refers to some form of extravagant entertainment, offered up as a means of pacifying discontent or diverting attention from a source of grievance the public might have.
The Romans used arenas such as the one I was now within to hold great gladiatorial games meant to amuse the masses and thus serve as a distraction from social problems.
Rome's rulers often deliberately kept the populace in a complacent mood by providing them with free food along with violent shows, and the system worked so others used it throughout history.
In the modern world, celebrities are often used as a means of distracting people from more important issues, and to be fair to those taking advantage of this system, it wouldn't work so well if the public wasn't so easily distracted from the important stuff by meaningless gossip.
The expression also served as a reminder that it was important for all rulers to keep in mind that their subjects had needs. If you can keep your people fed and entertained then most will be content. You need to keep your people comfortable or they will cause you trouble and they will be right to do so.
While the two recent military conflicts the Legion had been involved in, those being the attack on the Slaver Citadel and the defence of Shamballah over in Skartaris, had been victories, they had not been without cost in terms of lives, so it was important for my followers to see that the victories had been good things.
Hence the games and this event would not just honour the legion's victories it was also part of the wedding celebrations. A great deal of time and effort was going into the wedding, much to Blackfire's delight, and I did not doubt that once it was all done I'd be glad for some time alone.
"Isn't this all rather barbaric?" questioned Elara Nyxshade
By the measure of my modern sensibilities, it certainly was, and the Elf Sage's too, but I shouldn't complain as I was the one who chose to have a version of the Imperial City from The Elder Scrolls game within my pocket dimension. Which meant this wouldn't be happening without the choices I'd made.
I imagined that a more average person from my time and country would find the bloodsports to be rather shocking or downright offensive. In contrast, the crowds here were eager to get things started. Hearing their cheers made me wonder if I was becoming more barbaric as well.
Not only was I allowing these games to happen I had also considered draining Supergirl of her powers for my gain when she was an innocent. It was one thing to keep her gained in her pod as she was safer here than in the Phantom Zone, but it was another to take away what made her special.
No, I should not drain the power of innocent people to feed my own. That sounded like just the sort of thing to come around and bite me in the ass even if I had no moral concerns about doing so.
"Feel free to excuse yourself" I offered.
The sage didn't take me up on the offer, instead, she headed over to the back of the VIP box that I and many other important people were occupying. A lot of political matters would be taken care of today.
Elara was soon in discussion with members of the Elder Council about something as while Nyxshade had no official place in my court she was also serving as an advisor to many on the Elder Council. This made sense since she was a very wise person and she was also a powerful mage.
Recently I'd spoken to the High Chancellor about setting up my version of the Blades. I wanted a spy organisation that would be made up of talented people who could enact my will in this realm and others.
I didn't think I needed to be concerned about my citizens betraying me, but other planes were already aware of this one and we might need knives in the shadows, to protect this realm, more so as the influence of my civilization spread into different planes.
"Archon I'm pleased to inform you that setting up a trading outpost in Shamballah has been approved by Queen Tara Morgan," I was informed by the High Chancellor "There will be plenty of volunteers to run the trading company you wish to set up".
Hearing this pleased me.
"This is wonderful news, Chancellor," I said.
If I could set up a similar outpost in some major settlement in the Minecraft plane then this city would indeed become a centre of trade as I'd planned so to spread my influence.
Aside from that perhaps it was time to find out if the DC Earth I used to call home had a version of the Hidden City, the home of the magically gifted Homo magi people, as they might be interested in some of the resources I could claim from other realms.
"It is only a matter of time before the other city-states of that realm open their doors to us, Sire" said the High Chancellor "Once we begin making a profit we will have the funding required for the new school you desire".
He would have spoken more on the matter if the games hadn't begun. The announcer declared that the gladiators, who were volunteers seeking gold and glory, would be facing off against some Gordanians slavers my troops had captured during the assault on the alien citadel.
By the rules of the games should they survive this day they would be set free, or rather they would be transported to the citadel that my people had stripped bare of anything of use.
Cruel, but these aliens would do far worse to my citizens if given the chance, and the crowd greatly enjoyed watching the warriors who had volunteered to fight to go up against the evil slavers.
The odds of the slavers winning were remote as the citizens of my realm wanted to see the aliens defeated and while I had no concern over the welfare of the Gordanians, I was glad that I wouldn't be called upon to decide their fate as the arena had rules about how bouts could be ended.
Despite the barbarity, I found myself watching the entertainment. Yet my enjoyment paled when compared to that of Blackfire who looked ready to tear off her fancy clothes so that she could fly down into the arena and join in. I figured that the crowd would have enjoyed the sight.
The Gordanians had been armed with simple weapons, clubs and spears, however, due to their physical toughness they were proving hard to take down. Swords had a tough time with their thick hides.
Yet this only brought them time because the gladiators were better at working together and had much better weapons than the Gordanians.
Once the Gordanians were finished there was a break and next up more volunteers would be fighting some of the lizardmen who had been captured during the defence of the city-state of Shamballah.
They weren't as tough as the Gordanians, but there were more of them and they fought together, so it took some effort for the warriors of my realm to defeat and there were losses on both sides.
Not that everyone who was taken out of the fight would die as we did have healers nearby.
During this time, I once again gained the attention of my Grimoire and while everyone was distracted I decided to check it out to see if I could win a roll this time.
500cp
+100cp
600cp
Bank or Roll?
I wrote to roll and I wondered if I would fail again. It was good to see that I didn't
-600cp
0cp
The Library of Raum - Dark Wolf Shiro
The biggest library of magical knowledge in all of Europe and most likely the world. This library is chock full of all types of spells, potions, runes, history, forbidden magic you name it. This library has it.
But that alone is not what makes this a 600 CP purchase what makes it that is in future jumps this fills with every slip of magical knowledge in that world even those that were never written down or even lost to time it's all there and don't worry you keep the knowledge of past worlds/jumps too.
To me, this library sounded far more interesting than watching people kill each other for the amusement of the masses, so I decided to excuse myself so I could go check out the library I'd just been given.
Along the way, I opened up a telepathic link to Raven.
"There's something you need to see in my chambers," I told her.
She didn't take long to reply.
"I've seen it before" replied Raven
Even telepathically I could detect her sardonic tone.
"Not that, just come and see" I insisted.
Right away I knew that this massive library had been added to my quarters and that it would only be accessible to those I allowed to enter it. Not that many people entered my living space.
I headed towards the library and soon discovered that it might be worth even more than all the points spent because this collection of books was bigger than the library at both Kamar-taj and the Arcane Universty.
As I walked through the vast expanse of knowledge, I felt a surge of excitement. Books lined the shelves, some stretching up to the high ceilings, each containing magical secrets and spells that were just waiting to be discovered.
I took a moment to marvel at the sheer volume of information before me. This was no ordinary library; it was a repository of magical knowledge from across the DC world and beyond. From ancient tomes of forgotten spells to modern texts on the latest magical advancements, the library held it all.
"Azarath," I heard Raven mutter when she joined me
I quickly explained to her about how the Grimore had given me nothing for a while and then this library. I didn't mind because if the rolls hadn't been failures I most likely would have ended up with some nearly worthless trinkets.
As for the powers I could gain they didn't matter much as I could now take magical abilities from others.
"This has to be the biggest collection I've never seen," remarked the demi-demon.
I amused myself by imagining that Raven might move into the library and one day soon I'd enter to find her camped out between the stacks. Maybe there would be a hammock strung up somewhere with the remains of snacks scattered about.
"We'll keep this collection private," I told my ward "I can only imagine what dangerous knowledge there is to be found here".
Elara could be trusted as she was my creature, and while I'd allowed John Constantine access to the library of the Mystic Master I felt that he would get into some trouble if he was allowed access to the books here.
I began to explore, pulling a few books off shelves and flipping through pages filled with intricate diagrams and cryptic incantations. This was a treasure trove of arcane wisdom, and I couldn't wait to delve deeper into its depths.
As such it was a good thing that I could leave the running of my realm to the Elder Council. I might even end up being late for my wedding.
A Kind of Magic.
Part 52.
Warehouse District. Gotham.
I was supposed to be in this city to meet with Jason Blood, a powerful spellcaster who wished to talk with me because he wanted to come to my realm, and rather than sneak about as others had, instead, he'd sent a letter asking for my permission.
Mr Blood wanted to explore my realm and to visit Arcane University. I did not doubt that his interest in my city went beyond academic curiosity, however, since I had nothing to hide I wasn't just going to refuse his request out of hand.
Normally I wouldn't care if someone wanted to visit the university to learn as that was what they were for and a single person openly visiting my realm, if they had the talent to reach it, wasn't going to be a threat, I'd had entire diplomatic teams visit me, but Jason Blood was someone to be careful around.
Mostly because he was the host to a powerful demon called Etrigan who had been bound to Jason Blood by Merlin an act that had greatly extended Jason Blood's life while giving him magical abilities. I couldn't recall why this had been done. Was it supposed to have been some sort of punishment?
What mattered to me was that while Etrigan wasn't a threat to this world, I didn't want any demon in my realm and neither would the Mystic Masters who were devoted to defending my realm from such creatures.
So he had requested a meeting with me I'd decided to indulge the man since there was no sense in turning him into an enemy and his visit to my realm could be monitored if needs be.
That meeting would have to be rebooked as I mere hours ago I'd had a vision of my former teammates in trouble. Now I was going to go save them rather than meet with Jason Blood. I did not doubt that they were in real danger as I didn't get visions without a good reason for them.
"This looks about right" I muttered to myself.
Since I'd not been able to see where the team was in my vision other than that they were in some sort of warehouse, I'd needed to use a bit of scrying to track them down and for some reason, they were in the warehouse district here in Gotham.
Batman did not like people out of his little Bat Family acting in Gotham, and wouldn't simply allow others to do their work here even if Robin was part of the group of young heroes, so The Team must be here for something important and with Batman's blessing.
When I found my former teammates they were getting their butts handed to them by a villain I knew to be called Clayface, who in this universe seemed to be something of a monster as it looked to be simply attacking people and destroying things.
The creature was changing forms and there was little the young heroes could do to affect the villain.
Not shocking since they were fighting a mass of wet clay.
Since Clayface was not a solid creature it could simply reform after a physical attack and it had no sensory organs to overwhelm, nor did it seem to feel pain, however, it should be possible for me to contain the strange lifeform.
I waited until I had an opening and then I froze Clayface until the creature was trapped in ice, unable to move and this was made easier by Kal'dur having already soaked the creature during the fight.
While I didn't think that freezing the strange lifeform would kill it or even hold it for long as the warehouse wasn't refrigerated, my action did end the fight and ensure that no one was badly hurt.
"That won't last forever," I told the group of young heroes "Do you want me to send this creature to another plane of existence?".
I figured that dumping into a large lake would solve the problem. Clayface was still made of physical matter that could burn, or I could dump the creature in some frozen wasteland keeping it trapped.
"No, there is already a containment team on the way," Robin told me "Now that it's been subdued they can handle it".
No doubt Clayface would escape one day soon and go on a rampage, but the affairs of this realm were of little concern to me, and I no longer let it bother me that the heroes of this world never properly dealt with any problems.
"That was good timing" said Me'gan as she floated down to the ground "I have to admit we weren't doing so well".
For some reason, the group's spellcaster hadn't thought to freeze the creature. Perhaps Zatanna didn't use elemental magic, at least not on the level I could.
"So did you guys come here on the bio-ship?" I asked "Or the tubes?".
Since it was the latter I could just open up a portal back to Mount Justice, and soon everyone was back in the main chamber. Once the portal was closed I reached into a pouch of holding and took out some fancy scrolls which I handed to each of them.
"Aside from helping you lot out I have another reason for seeking you out" I let the team know.
They each opened their fancy scroll and they were all surprised by what they read.
"You're getting married?" asked Kid Flash.
Me getting married would explain why they were each holding a fancy wedding invite that Blackfire had ordered even though she didn't have anyone to invite to her wedding.
It is hard to make friends when you are a princess, and even harder when you are a princess in exile who was sold into slavery by your father. We had discussed kidnapping her sister to make a maid of honour, but they didn't get along and Blackfire didn't want any attention diverted away from her by having another princess around.
"Yes, I am getting married," I confirmed "I thought I'd invite you so you lot can check out my realm without having to sneak around".
Zatanna and Robin exchanged guilty looks, and I got the sense that the rest of the team, Kal'dur, Megan, and Artemis hadn't been aware of that mission. I imagined that they'd have some explaining to do once I was gone.
"I was going to invite Conner, but I since I used to date his sister I thought that might be awkward for him. Assuming he'd even be allowed to come".
And I certainly wasn't going to let Jessica come along as having your ex at a wedding is just asking for trouble. As for the others, I could tell that the absence of the Wonder Twins was still a sore spot for them.
"How we will get there?" questioned Kal'dur "I took a special Atlantean vessel the last time I visited Pholubalm".
My realm was not somewhere you could travel to on a normal transport. It required the aid of a powerful magic user or something that could create portals.
"I'll meet you here about an hour or two before the wedding starts" I answered "Then I'll make a portal there and back for you when you are ready to go. You'll be out of contact for a while so make sure you don't have any pressing business in this universe".
Kal'dur wasn't the only one with a question.
"How formal is it?" Megan asked.
A good question.
"Very formal so feel free to dress up all fancy" I said.
She could shape shift so it wouldn't be much work for her as her clothes could be shifted as well.
"Hold on, what the heck is Pholubalm?" asked Kid Flash.
"It means Realm of the Phoenix" I explained "My city-state uses my phoenix familiar Phosphor as its symbol. Like how the eagle is used as the presidential seal only it's the symbol for the whole land".
That part was simple enough to understand and there was no need to go into how phoenix fire helped to protect the realm.
"And Pholubalm is a magical fantasy land, like with dragons and wizards?" Wally wanted to know.
Not exactly.
"We don't have any dragons, we do have wizards, as well as elves and orcs" I informed the hero "We have magic swords and old ruins, that sort of thing".
Although orcs were just a type of elf in my realm.
"You'll see for yourself soon enough" I promised.
Artemis seemed to perk up and I got the sense that some idea had just crossed her mind.
"Is Pholubalm the kind of place that has jousting?"
she asked, "Like in Game of Thrones?".
Megan didn't know what jousting was so it had to be quickly explained to her.
"Not normally" I answered "But we are having jousting and an archery contest letter in the week. There'll be a lot going on".
She didn't even need to ask.
"Yes you can take part, I'll pick you up for it if you can't stay the whole week" I offered.
If she was half as good as her teacher I might as well give her the prize money now.
"This Princess Blackfire is the same princess I met when I visited your realm?" asked or stated Kal'dur.
I confirmed that she was.
"When you are a king you can't just marry anyone," I said "I found myself a princess in distress, rescued her and then asked her to marry me so my realm could have a queen".
No one was quite sure what to make of that.
"I guess that is kind of romantic" commented Megan.
In my view, marriage had nothing to do with romance other than marriage being where romance went to die a slow death. Not that this mattered with Blackfire since ours was a match based on a station and my desire to have a powerful queen. If we ever did learn to love each other then that would just be a nice bonus.
"So they'll be a wedding, some feasting, entertainment and people hitting each other with sticks" summarised Zantanna "It sounds like fun".
And unlike in Game of Thrones, no one would be murdered at my wedding.
"I could do with a break after what happened in Qurac" stated the Boy Wonder.
It sounded as if they'd been on a rough mission recently and I had no idea what they had been doing there. All I knew about Qurac was that it was the western neighbour of Bialya. A country I did know a little about.
Officially, Bialya is a constitutional monarchy, ruled by Queen Bee. In reality, it's a militaristic dictatorship she ruled with an iron fist. Not that I should judge since I was an immortal king who commanded his own legion.
While Bialya was a member of the United Nations, it did not sign the UN's Justice League charter, and as such the League couldn't enter that country. But that was why they had this team formed, so they could do things off the books so to speak.
"What happened in Qurac?" I asked.
Nothing good I was sure.
"I guess you don't get the news in your magical realm" Robin commented "Bialya has taken over Qurac. The whole area is now called Greater Bialya".
So Queen Bee was expanding her empire. That could cause trouble later.
"We were sent in undercover to find out how Queen Bee took over the country without an invasion" Artemis informed me "We had a run-in with a powerful telepath who messed with our memories".
In a sense, a person is the sum of their experiences so to lose even some of your memories is to lose a part of yourself.
"Then all the more reason to enjoy a little holiday," I said "My realm is more primitive than you are used to but it has modern plumping, shops, taverns, parks, and there's plenty of countryside to hike in as long you can handle wildlife. We have wolves and bears, nothing you lot can't fight off".
I had more to say on this matter.
"There aren't any supervillains to worry about and no one in my realm has any contact with Earth other than me so you don't need to worry about your secret identities" I told them "I'm king so I afford to fund any shopping trips you want to go on. Feel free to pick up plenty of souvenirs".
Me'gan perked up quite a bit.
"Oh can we dress up like princesses?" she requested.
I saw no reason why not.
"There are plenty of clothes shops" I said "The royal tailors are busy these days, so if you want something custom made you'll need to come back in the future".
Zatanna also had something she was interested in.
"I would like to check out that magic school of yours" I was told.
The university was meant to be open to people with a desire to learn so no problems there. All the dangerous magic was guarded by the Mystic Masters or was kept in my personal library.
"You'll be my guest so the whole city will be open to you" I promised, "I'll pick you up on the day of the wedding".
Since I had other things to be getting on with I made my goodbyes and headed back to my realm. I wanted to make my wedding very memorable and that took preparation.
My grimoire called for my attention but I ignored it since I knew it would be best to build up some points before using it again.
As for Jason Blood? I am a king and I didn't schedule the appointment myself nor will I reschedule it. I have people who can do that kind of thing for me.
A Kind of Magic (YJ SI Celestial Grimoire)
Part 53
The White-Gold Tower. Pholubalm
"I'm just saying that everyone should have a vote," said Wally West as he ate his third helping of wild boar meat.
As someone who had gotten used to feasts, and therefore felt rather glad that my training at Kamar-Taj helped to keep me in shape, I was very impressed by Wally's ability to pack away food even if his choice of subject for our discussion didn't meet with my approval.
Mostly because it was a political discussion and I was tired of politics, the fact that his words could be seen as a challenge to my right to rule didn't concern me as my subjects were bound to me by the Celestial Grimoire.
As such, they were not going to rebel. I didn't think they could have done it no matter how badly I mistreated them, and I had no intention of abusing the people of this realm. Morality aside a prosperous kingdom gave me more income in the form of taxes and less had to be spent on things like law enforcement.
This feast was supposed to be my bachelor party, and it had ended up as a rather subdued affair, as Robin, Kid Flash, Superboy, Aqualad, and his boyfriend sat around in my dining hall eating as we talked. I'd never been the most sociable of people so this wasn't much of a party, and I couldn't help thinking that Blackfire was most likely having a much better time than me.
I was surprised to find out that Kaldur was now seeing some guy rather than some girl as I had been told he had a female romantic partner in Atlantis, and now he was here with a young man called Wyynde, or Wayne to use his surface world name, who was part of the Atlantis royal guard from what I understood.
"Democracy wouldn't work here," I explained. "The magical fire that protects this realm is tied to me and my bloodline. As long as I or one of my descendants is king, the fire will burn, but if I wasn't king, the fire would go out".
I'm fairly certain this is what would happen if I were to die, although that wasn't much of a concern given how powerful I had become, and I planned to let one of my offspring take over for me one day when I got sick of ruling Pholubalm. So it wasn't as if I'd rule forever.
Wally paused mid-chew, considering my words. He was showing more maturity than I was used to these days. Artemis seemed to have been a good influence on him.
"Marcus, that seems pretty archaic, don't you think?" said Wally.
He'd even remembered to use my Imperial name, which was Marcus Fenix, not to be confused with the Gears of War character.
"I mean, no offence, but tying the fate of an entire realm to one bloodline? It sounds like something out of a story set in a magical realm that revolves around some hidden heir to the throne," Wally commented.
I could think of a few stories that involved the heir to the throne, who had been living a humble life, finding out that the fate of the kingdom was now in his unprepared hands.
"Maybe it does, but that's the reality of Pholubalm," I said. "This is a magical kingdom right out of a story, and The Phoenix Fire doesn't care about modern ideals. It's a part of this world, just like the air we are currently breathing, and without it, the realm would be vulnerable to attack from other planes".
Trigon was just one of the demon lords out there, and even the lesser threats could overwhelm my realm.
"We don't have a Justice League here to fight off alien invaders or creatures from other dimensions" I explained "Pholubalm needs the Phoenix Fire to survive, and the fire was created by my familiar when I took my throne".
Robin, ever the tactician, leaned forward as he spoke about what was on his mind.
"But what if something happens to you and you don't have any heirs? Wouldn't it make sense to have a contingency plan in place?" he questioned.
The idea wasn't entirely foreign to me, though I hadn't yet come up with any way of creating a backup to replace me or the Phoenix Fire.
"I've thought about it. But so far, there's no known way to transfer my bond to Phosphor to anyone else unless Phosphor can simply choose someone, and since he doesn't talk, I can't exactly ask him about it," I pointed out. "I can't even be sure he'd bond with one of my children if anything happened to me. I'm basing that on how certain magical families can become connected to certain magical creatures and even certain magical objects".
The Targaryens had their dragons, for example, and the dynasty mine was based upon had Emperors who would upon taking the throne light some magical fire that kept their realm safe from the Daedra, at least most of the time.
"And I am planning to have children," I was now saying. "That's the point of me getting a queen".
Superboy, who had been mostly quiet this evening, finally spoke up, I'd been meaning to ask him about why he'd been put into isolation, and perhaps I would get a chance to do that before his group's holiday was over.
"What if someone tries to overthrow you?" he asked. "Have you considered that? Not everyone might be as content as you think".
A justifiable concern for most leaders, and a sign that Connor's college education was going well since he was learning to ask such important questions.
"Trust me, Conner," I replied, "Rebellion isn't an issue for me. The people are bound to the realm. Nothing is stopping them from leaving to go elsewhere but there are certain magics in place to help keep the peace. Besides, the people here are happy. You saw that yourselves during your tour".
My former teammates had been led on an official tour of the city so that they didn't have to skulk around and spy on me. This was something I enjoyed teasing Robin and Zatanna about, the latter of whom was part of Blackfire's hen night.
Zatanna along with the girls I used to work with were having a lot of fun in this realm playing dress up and spending lots of my money, not that I minded since it was going back into the economy that generated it. I was glad that they'd decided to come to my realm for a vacation rather than just the wedding as I had originally planned.
Kaldur's boyfriend, Wyynde, chimed in.
"Still, there is a point in what Wally says. Even in Atlantis, where tradition runs deep, and our king rules with the might of Poseidon, there are elected officials" said the Atlanten "Perhaps you could find a way to balance the ancient magic of this realm with a more modern approach? Atlantis has remained stable as a constitutional monarchy for centuries".
I could see the wisdom in that.
"What's a constitutional monarchy?" asked Wally.
I was able to give him an answer.
"A constitutional monarchy is a system of government where people are ruled by a king or queen, but the monarch's power is limited," I told him, trying to keep things simple "In such a system, political power is shared between the monarch and a constitutional government, such as parliament. England has been a constitutional monarchy since the introduction of the Magna Carta back in 1215".
This was turning out to be an odd conversation to be having at what should be a stag party.
"I do have the Eldar Council and some of the positions are filled by people who were elected by the people who make up the different guilds. The Arch-Mage is chosen by his peers, for example," I was now saying. "It could be possible to introduce more elected positions to the council".
It wasn't as if I had no desire to be a tyrant and I was happy to let the Eldar Council run the realm. It meant I had time to go on adventures and study magic.
"Something to think about for the future," said Kaldur. "A sudden change could destabilize the realm, so it would be best not to rush any changes".
It was time to try to change the subject.
"For tonight, let's set aside politics and enjoy the feast. After all, it's not every day I get to just hang out with the guys and have fun" I said.
Wally grinned, raising his glass.
"I'll drink to that. To friendship, feasts, and figuring out the future later!" he cheered.
The others joined in, and for a moment, the weight of my responsibilities lifted as we toasted to simpler joys. The conversations shifted to simpler topics, and laughter filled the hall, reminding me why I had invited them all here in the first place.
Robin didn't drink anything with alcohol in it and as for the others I doubted it would affect Connor, and the Atlantians would have a different biology than humans. As for Wally, his body burned through anything he put in it so I didn't think he could get drunk.
As the night wore on, the conversation shifted to lighter topics, punctuated by laughter and stories from our past adventures. It was a rare moment of camaraderie that made me appreciate the fact that the bonds I'd formed with them were still there despite me having left the team.
"Remember that time we had to infiltrate a smuggling ring disguised as circus performers?" asked Connor.
Wally nearly choked on his drink due to him laughing.
"Oh man, Connor, I'll never forget the look on your face when that tiger jumped through the flaming hoop!" he said You looked like you were ready to fight it bare-handed"
Aqualad chuckled as he recalled his part in the tale. I noticed that Robin seemed sober about all this, but given his backstory I could imagine that he would never enjoy the circus.
"And Conner here broke character completely when he thought the trapeze artist was in danger. It turned out to be part of the act" Wally told me.
Superboy shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Hey, better safe than sorry," he said.
I came to understand The Team went undercover with the Haly International Traveling Circus to locate a thief who stealing weapons technology across Europe and then smuggling the tech to different countries causing international tensions to rise.
"I'm sorry I missed that one," I admitted. "I'd have made a fantastic stage magician".
While I'd never found hero work to be satisfying, it had been amusing at times and I could see going undercover at a circus to be one of those times.
"So Marcus, where are the dragons?" asked Wally as we were served some dessert. "I know you promised us there would be magic here, but I'm not seeing any dragons".
That's because there weren't any in this realm. I had mentioned this to him, but he seemed fixated on the idea of seeing some.
"I don't have dragons, but I do have dungeons," I said to Kid Flash.
That had been meant as a bit of a joke, but when I saw the lad's eyes light up, I knew that he was taking me seriously.
"You have dungeons, like monsters, traps, and treasure?" he wished to know.
I nodded.
"On the lower levels some of them do," I confirmed. "I've poked around a couple of them".
Wally stood up all of a sudden his sweet roll forgotten.
"Guys, why are we sitting around here talking about politics and past missions when we could be out there playing Dungeons and Dragons for real?" he asked.
He had a point. That would be more fun.
"I can't promise dragons, but we do have some undead in the ruins of the old eleven cities," I mentioned. "I could open a portal to one and we could take a look around".
The idea soon got some traction behind it.
"We can dress the part and check out a real dungeon like the ones in the video games," said Wally. "We can fight some monsters and split the treasure".
Now that sounded more like the kind of thing I'd want to do during a stag party.
"I would like to see more of this realm," admitted Kaldur. "My first visit was regrettably short".
Quickly I gave the matter some thought.
"I've been meaning to check out one of the ruins called Culotte," I said to the group. "There are statues in some of the ruins that are part of a set called the Ten Ancestors. I have one of them on display and using divination I was able to scout out Culotte and confirm it does have one of the statues in it, but I've just not gotten around to exploring the place".
There was no reason why we couldn't do that now.
"What do these Ancestor statues do?" asked Robin.
He sounded cautious. Hardly odd for him.
"Nothing as far as I know," I said. "But they are each worth about five hundred septims and so there's quite a bit of gold, the way to the statue is barred by traps and undead".
Of course, I could just open a portal and take the statue directly, but where would be the fun in that?
A Kind of Magic (YJ SI Celestial Grimoire)
Interlude - Artemis
Artemis, Megan, Zatanna, and Blackfire were having what could best be called a hen night here within the magical realm of Pholubalm. Artemis hadn't been sure what to make of the wedding invitation at first, but she'd quickly started to grasp the possibilities.
The vibrant city at the heart of this realm was already known in some parts of the local multiverse for its diverse culture, many shops, and fantastical elements, and while Artemis didn't know of its growing reputation had she known she would have agreed with it.
While exploring the city she'd discovered a place filled with people of different races and there had been an air of excitement about the place as the locals had already started celebrating the upcoming royal wedding. The taverns and bars had been packed.
As fun as that had been it was just the warm-up to the celebrations ahead from what Artemis understood. She was greatly looking forward to the feasting and the jousting, as well as the archery contest that she had every intention of winning as it was a matter of professional pride.
Sure, the city lacked nightclubs and other more modern entertainments such as movie theatres, but it did have things Artemis would never have found in Gotham, such as serene gardens that contained magical and mundane plants.
It even had a couple of magic schools that it had been hard to pull Zatanna away from. Thankfully the city even had stores that sold magical items so Zatanna hadn't been too grumpy about being taken away from the magical school within the city.
The lack of gunfire, muggers, and high-speed car chases was also a welcome change. Gotham was so noisy even at night, with alarms going off, people arguing, and folks driving around at all hours of the night. When she had visited the city at the heart of the realm it had been strange to see a city so peaceful.
As one of the more practical members of the superhero team she had become part of, it was odd to see her relaxing in a bar, enjoying the view and a well-deserved drink. She was very glad that The Team had decided to take a vacation in this magical realm and she was taking the chance to relax.
It had been a long and amusing day; a great deal of it had been spent shopping, and everything had been charged to the throne. This meant poor Marcus was going to end up with one hell of a bill. Not that this had stopped her from buying a lovely green silk dress for the wedding.
The archer sure hoped that the royal treasury was nice and full as Blackfire seemed intent on putting a dent in whatever treasure her soon-to-be husband had stashed away. Kings were meant to have vast treasuries, and Marcus was a resourceful man who'd find a way to pay his bills.
Artemis Crock wasn't the most girly of girls. She'd never been one for fancy dresses, expensive jewellery, and shopping trips even if she'd had the money for such things. So this time away from her life was a big change.
Her parents were assassins, or in her mother's case had been. Her mother, Paula, had not been what some would call a heavily involved parent and allowed her husband to train their daughters to follow in their footsteps. That had not led to an ideal childhood.
So while other girls had spent their time focusing on things like fashion magazines, she'd been trained how to kill people. While that training came in very handy these days, it was nice to take a break and do something more normal, or at least somewhat normal considering where they had spent the day shopping.
Not that it had all been about dresses, shoes, and accessories; she had picked up some arrows made from metals you didn't get on Earth. Given that magic was a thing, there could come a day when she needed an arrow with some magical qualities to take down a bad guy. It was always good to be prepared.
As she sipped her drink, Artemis watched her friends mingling with the locals. Megan was entertaining a group of curious onlookers with her shape-shifting abilities, transforming into various people to the delight of everyone around her. Her powers were a curiosity here rather than a crime-fighting tool or something that made people afraid.
Meanwhile, Zatanna was engaged in a friendly debate with a local magician, exchanging tips and tricks about spell casting. Artemis had tried to follow the conversation and she had failed miserably. The two mages had quickly gotten into some technical stuff that she doubted anyone other than another mage would even begin to understand.
Blackfire seemed to be eating again. She had multiple stomachs, or so she had told them, and either she'd forgotten to eat for a while or she was more stressed about the wedding than she had let on and was using food to try to comfort herself.
Artemis figured that it was a good thing that the wedding would take place soon or Blackfire would put on weight and not fit into her dress. A nightmare no doubt shared by many a bride.
The tavern they were drinking was a sailing vessel and had gone out into the lake, this meant that anyone on deck got to see a lot more of this realm than you could from inside the city. Unless you went up high and checked out the view from the White-Gold tower.
Since the city was built on an island that was surrounded by a great lake the ship wasn't able to travel far from the city, but it was a good way to see the city from the outside and check out the surrounding area. Which included a lot of fields, a great forest and even some ruins.
As Artemis went on the deck to enjoy the view as the sun began to set, she couldn't remember the last time she had felt this relaxed or had this much time to simply stand somewhere and admire the view.
The constant stress of fighting crime and saving the world, or at least parts of it, had taken its toll on her, and she hadn't realized how much she needed this break. The memories of spending time with friends in this magical place were something she would cherish.
When she went back inside, Artemis found herself talking next to Blackfire, who was still marvelling at her future subjects with the ability to eat, and she was still dragging around some of her shopping bags with her despite having servants to carry things for her.
"You know, for someone who's supposed to be a warrior princess, you sure do shopping," Artemis teased.
Most of the warrior types Artemis had met preferred a more Spartan existence as material possessions were a weakness. She'd certainly been denied quite a few things while she was growing up.
"Just because I can fight doesn't mean I can't enjoy the finer things in life," said the soon-of-be queen of this realm as she took a painting she had purchased out of a bag "Besides this will look amazing in my royal chambers".
Artemis smirked upon hearing that.
"Fair enough. I just wonder if Marcus will faint when he sees the bill" she joked.
Blackfire chuckled.
"Oh, he'll handle the shock" said the alien princess, who knew that the royal treasury was hardly lacking for coin "And if not, well, I can always use my feminine charms to make sure he doesn't stay mad at me".
Artemis might have commented on that, but as it turned Megan had decided to try to introduce karaoke to the people of this magical realm. It should prove to be entertaining.
A Kind of Magic (YJ SI Celestial Grimoire)
Part 54
Temple District. Pholubalm.
The Temple of the One, gleaming under the afternoon sun, was a marvel of architectural splendour and a place of spiritual significance. The elegant arches and tall roof spoke of the grandeur of this place as well as its importance to the realm. The massive doors, adorned with phoenix motifs, opened into a vast hall where the air was filled with a palpable sense of reverence and power.
This version of the massive structure, which was far larger in reality than the one seen in the game, stood as a testament to the realm's unique and very magical nature. The grand structure, unlike its fictional counterpart in the Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, served no god, instead it had become a symbol of the realm's strength and the unity of its many peoples.
Within the game's lore, the Dragonfires act as a divine barrier protecting Nirn from the Planes of Oblivion, igniting only with the ascension of an Emperor who has dragon blood. In Pholubalm, this protective function is performed by the golden Phoenix Fire, lit by my phoenix familiar who had dived into the centre of the temple before immolating himself to ignite the magical fire.
Since Phosphor was a phoenix, the deed didn't cost the creature his life, but the act still had a lot of power to it, and the fire acts as a safeguard against the multiverse's dark forces, as well as embodying the realm's power and my authority as its ruler. Phosphor, my familiar, had ignited the fire and created a covenant of sorts between me and the people of this realm.
The Elder Scrolls narrative tells of the Dragonfires extinguishing after Emperor Uriel Septim VII's assassination, which allowed those Daedra who were servants of the god of destruction, Mehrunes Dagon, to invade Tamriel. They came rather close to destroying an empire and would have done so if not for the sacrifice of Martin Septim and the intervention of a higher power.
In the game, the Temple of the One was the site of a climactic battle between Mehrunes Dagon and the Avatar of Akatosh, resulting in a shattered roof for the temple and the banishment of Dagon. My realm, fortunately, had been spared such divine conflicts. Although I couldn't help thinking how awesome it would be to have a massive statue of a dragon in the middle of my city.
Sometimes I worried that should the Phoenix Fire ever go out, my realm could face catastrophic threats from beyond, and it was part of the reason why I wanted to have children with a woman who was powerful in her own right. Any successor of mine would need to be strong enough to withstand the burden of leadership if I ever died or stepped down and be able to bond with my familiar.
Despite the absence of gods to worship, the Temple of the One holds profound spiritual significance for my subjects. The Phoenix Fire symbolizes protection and power, affirming my right to rule. Its presence reassures the citizens of their safety from the multiverse's horrors, fostering loyalty and acceptance of my leadership beyond that assured by the Celestial Grimoire.
The temple's priesthood plays a crucial role beyond providing spiritual comfort to my subjects. These trained healers, supported by the realm's charity, dedicate themselves to the well-being of the populace. While most citizens can learn basic spells, mastering even one of the schools of magic requires significant time and resources.
Thanks to the resources given to it, the priesthood can dedicate itself to learning all kinds of healing spells. Which they use to repay the support given to them by the people of this realm. Although I did intend to build a proper hospital to see to the needs of my subjects.
As the only spiritual centre in the realm, the Temple of the One hosted weddings, funerals, and other significant ceremonies. The bustling population of the city ensures that the temple is often busy with celebrations and remembrances. While the realm hadn't been around long enough for anyone pregnant to give birth, that would change soon, and I had no doubt some sort of Christening ceremony would be created.
Today, the temple was abuzz with anticipation for my wedding to Princess Komand'r of Tamaran. Soon she would be Queen Komand'r of Pholubalm, she who will rule by my side and be the mother of my heirs. That second role was something we'd already begun to work at because sex outside of marriage was not an issue in my realm as long as everyone was a consenting adult.
Our wedding, while not exactly like any other, will have familiar elements akin to Earth's traditions. Blackfire would soon enter the temple in a stunning dress, drawing admiration from all. Then we will stand before the priest and make our vows while close enough to the Phoenix Fire to feel its warmth. Even from my current distance, I could feel the power of the fire, it was comforting.
"Nervous?" teased Wally West.
While a wedding in my realm was somewhat similar to one held in a church on Earth, there was no best man role, but I had asked the male members of my former team to stand with me. I didn't exactly have friends in the traditional sense, so it was good of Kal'dur, Robin, Superboy, and Kid Flash to dress up and offer me some support.
Even John Constantine had made it to the wedding without me having to bring him here, as he didn't need my help to travel to different realms, and I had no doubt he'd find some trouble to get into once the wedding celebrations started. I got the feeling by tomorrow morning I'd be officially pardoning him for some crime and dragging him out of a cell. Thankfully, that was an issue for future me to deal with.
"No, not really," I told Wally.
A bit of a lie, but once you've fought in a war and faced down supervillains, it takes a bit more than your wedding day to properly unsettle you, even if I was a bit nervous. This wedding might be a political arrangement, but it was an important one; my realm needed me to have a queen and some heirs as it created a sense of stability and the promise of continuation even if something happened to me.
Guests began to fill the temple, their faces a mixture of excitement and sobriety depending on the person's temperament. Nobles in their finest attire, citizens who had served the realm with distinction, officers of the Legion and even representatives from allied lands had all come to witness this significant event.
Despite my treaty with the Amazons of Paradise Island, they had decided not to send anyone to witness the wedding. I didn't take any offence at this, as while the Amazons did have a voice in the United Nations, they were mostly isolationists. My non-aggression treaty with them could best be summed up as 'leave us alone and we'll do the same'.
As for Atlantis, Kal'dur and his boyfriend were already here, so the underwater kingdom did not need to send any diplomats. I felt sure that they had better things to be doing in Atlantis than sending people to attend my wedding. The political situation between Atlantis and the surface nations was often a tense one from what I understood.
Jennifer Morgan, the Sorceress Supreme of Skartaris, a woman who wanted me to father her children because she thought it would make them powerful enough to succeed her as Sorcerer Supreme of Skartari, had decided not to attend the wedding, but Tara Morgan, the wife of the Warlord of Skartari and queen of Shamballah, a city-state I did a lot of trade with, had come to witness this union.
I assumed that Jennifer hadn't come here in person because while Blackfire didn't care if I was fucking other women, having another woman here who wanted to have my babies would be a bit of an insult to Blackfire.
Blackfire didn't mind Raven being here, and I noticed that my successor the role of Sorcerer Supreme of this realm was in hushed conversation with Elara Nyxshade, the eleven sage who had been gifted to me by the Celestial Grimoire. No doubt some matter of magic had their attention.
The temple, usually a place of quiet reflection and healing, buzzed with the hum of conversations and the rustle of fabrics. There was a growing sense of anticipation in the air as Princess Komand'r would soon arrive along with Megan, Artemis, and Zatanna, who were playing the role of maids of honour, or something along those lines.
Blackfire's journey to the temple would be a spectacle in itself, one crafted to appeal to her vanity, a procession through the city streets lined with cheering citizens. Given that we could hear the cheering it was clear that the princess was on her way.
The cheering was just happening because it was expected, the people of this city admired her strength and beauty. She was not just a princess; she was known to be a warrior in her own right, and her upcoming union with me was seen as a promise of continued prosperity and stability for the realm.
As soon-to-be wife, finally made her way through the temple's doors, a hush fell over the crowd. Her dress, a masterpiece of design, was white. While I knew she was far from a virgin because if nothing else I'd already fucked her quite a few times, no one cared why she'd chosen that dress, only that she looked very good in it.
When the ceremony began, the priests invoked the power of the Phoenix Fire and by extension the whole realm to bless our union. We stood before the golden flames, their warmth and power enveloping us as we traded enchanted rings made from ebony that each had a ruby embedded into them. I'd had these made special for us, and they were enchanted to improve health.
The vows we exchanged were not just things we promised to each other but to the realm we ruled. They were declarations of our commitment to protect and guide our people, to uphold the principles of justice and peace. The vows were not our own as they had been prepared to appeal to the audience rather than to each other. As rulers of this realm, our marriage was more for the realm's sake than anything else.
As we made our vows, the Phoenix Fire flared brighter as if acknowledging our pledge. The priest's voice echoed through the hall, calling upon the blessings of the people of the realm and the strength of the Phoenix Fire to fortify our bond. This moment, witnessed by all, was a powerful affirmation of our rule and the future we would build together.
After the ceremony, the temple's grand hall was exchanged for part of the White-Gold Tower, which had been transformed into a venue for a massive celebration. Music filled the air, and the guests mingled, sharing in the joy of the occasion. The festivities were not limited to the tower I knew that entire streets had been closed to traffic just to give people a chance to celebrate with their neighbours.
As the evening progressed, the merriment grew more vibrant. Musicians played enchanting melodies, and dancers moved gracefully across the floor. The food, a feast of the realm's finest dishes, was enjoyed by all. The atmosphere was one of joy and camaraderie, a perfect reflection of the unity we sought to embody.
Princess Komand'r, now Queen Komand'r, stood by my side, radiating confidence and beauty. Her presence was a reminder of the strength of our alliance and the promise of a prosperous future. As we greeted our guests and shared in the celebrations, I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment for having chosen someone who already seemed to be very suited for the role of queen.
The party continued with speeches and toasts, each one affirming the significance of our union. The guests, a mix of allies, nobles, and citizens, all shared in the joy of the occasion.
I knew that this day would be remembered as a pivotal moment in the history of our realm. The marriage of a king and a warrior queen, blessed by the eternal Phoenix Fire, would be a testament to the enduring power and unity of Pholubalm, or at least that was what I hoped.
The Celestial Grimore even made an appearance, and while I had been building up my points I figured it was my wedding day so I might as well get something nice.
700 points
Bank or Roll?
700 points
-400 points
300 points
Fiendfyre Master - Harry Potter
You know the incantation for fiendfyre and you're the only
a person who truly controls it. For you, the giant flaming
creatures seem to have real intelligence and are unusually
obedient and (strangest of all) the fire dies down at your
command.
I smiled upon reading that entry even as knew magical knowledge entered my mind. The next time a certain Witch-Boy and I met in battle he'd been in for a rude awakening, but for tonight that was nothing to worry about. The next week of my life would be full of jousting, archery contests and other forms of entertainment.