[I'm placing all my current fanfics on hold so I can do an idea for this. I DON'T OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS BESIDE THE MC, AND I DON'T OWN THE FRITH CHRONICLES]
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I listened as Volke outlined a fresh grave in the cemetery, as bells rang from the island's tower, signifying the start of the celebrations. The soil reeked of the dead, but the crisp island breeze washed the scent away as soon as it appeared. I listened as Volke removed his shirt, probably so the wind could cool him while he worked.
Every ten years, the people on the Isle of Ruma gathered to watch the fledgling phoenixes bond with a few chosen mortals. Lamplighters did their duty despite the glorious sunshine, each lamp's fire representing the flames of phoenixes. Merchants cleared their horses and carts from the main road in anticipation of the crowds.
This was my 3rd and Volke's 2nd Day of Phoenixes. A decade ago, on Volke's fifth birthday, he missed the bonding ceremony to attend his father's trial. He was convicted of murder, but because he hadn't been born on the island, he was taken to the mainland for final judgment. That was the last time me Volke or saw him. Well, since Volke saw him, I was born blind, so I was unable to see what was happening. But I was born with innate magic, the ability the sense my surroundings completely in a 360-degree view around me for a next infinite amount, though I can only withstand it a few hundred meters away from me currently, but I will one day be able to withstand it all.
Although the last Day of Phoenixes had been inauspicious, I knew he intended to change that. Once he had finished digging a shallow grave, he would make his way into town.
I listened to him slam the shovel's head into the dirt and scooped deep. The cemetery sat near the edge of the island, far from those gathering to observe the hopeful students trying to win the favor of the phoenixes.
Tradition stated that anyone who handled sewage, waste, and dead bodies wasn't allowed to attend the bonding ceremony, which was just my luck. After his father was sent away, he could've been given to any profession for an apprenticeship. He could've gone to the carpenter and learned the craft of woodworking, or he could've gone to the silversmith and learned the art of fine metal work, but misfortune hounded him like a shadow. He was given to the gravekeeper, slated to dig corpse-holes until the end of time, forever exiled from the festivities.
He still intended to go. Even if it meant ignoring the traditions of the isle—something unheard of on our tiny spit of land—no one could stop him from proving myself to a phoenix. No one. Not even me, and I tried.
He scooped another mound of dirt and tossed it to the side.
"You look deep in thought, Volke," our fellow corpse-hole apprentice, Illia, said. "What're you planning?"
"I'm waiting for the trials to begin."
"And then what?"
"You'll see."
Illia sat in the shade of a cypress tree, her legs crossed and her chin in both hands. Most people hated the thought of sitting on graves, since it was supposed to bring bad luck, but Illia wasn't like most people. She leaned back on a headstone and exhaled as the ocean wind rushed by, catching her wavy brown hair and revealing the scars on the side of her face.
She held a hand over the marks, like she always did. The moment the wind died down, she pulled some of her hair around to cover her scars, hiding the old knife wounds that had taken her right eye.
Volke finished one half of the grave and huffed.
Both Lilia and I look in Volke's direction, and I say," Well, have fun. I'm going to train my magic."
Yep, that's right. I was an arcanist. A celestial dragon arcanist, to be precise.
[In the world of the Frith Chronicles, mystical creatures can only age by bonding with a human, and humans can only gain access to magic by bonding with a mystical creature. Once bonded, the human becomes an "arcanist," and their partner mystical creature, is known as their "eldrin."
To bond with one of the many mystical creatures found in the Frith Chronicles, a human must pass a Trial of Worth—a test to determine if they're worthy of becoming an arcanist. Each Trial of Worth is unique to the mystical creature species, and as a general rule, the more powerful the creature, the harder the test.
Why not bond with several creatures? A mystical creature grows by consuming tiny fragments of its bonded human's soul. This is the same as someone getting a paper cut and bleeding—the tiny cut won't kill you. However, if a human bonds with more than one creature, it's the equivalent of being stabbed through the chest. You would quickly bleed out. For that reason, a human may only bond with one mystical creature—a second bond would kill them.
At least if it was a normal human.]
I leave Volke and Lilia to continue whatever they plan to do.
I head over to the endless mire.
[The Endless Mire is a location in the Frith Chronicles book series, specifically featured in the first book, Knightmare Arcanist. It is a swampy area where mystical creatures were rumored to be stranded after a shipwreck.
In the book, the main characters, Volke and his adopted sister Illia, travel to the Endless Mire in search of these stranded mystical creatures to bond with them and become arcanists. It is there that Volke encounters and bonds with his knightmare, Luthair. A White hart, a normally legendary and evasive creature, was also found in the Mire.]
Once in the Endless Mire, I say, "Status."
[system activated]
[1 stat point is equal to a grown man's max]
[status]
[name: Kageyama King]
[STR:12]
[SPD:5]
[INT:20]
[Luck:14]
[Charisma:12]
[Constitution:16]
[remaining points: 23]
[innate magic: Omnidirectional Mana Perception (12% complete)]
[Eldrin: Starfall (celestial dragon, normal form)]
[Eldrin slots left: 2]
[end status]
I took a moment to consider my next move, eyes roving over the glowing status screen that hovered in my mind's eye. Twenty-three points. It felt like an impossible bounty, the kind of power most people would never even dream of.
"Distribute points," I whispered, and the system chimed softly in acknowledgment.
First, I poured 7 points into Constitution. I could feel my body instantly toughen, the weight of exhaustion and fear lessened, as if the very air became easier to breathe.
Next, I added 5 points to Speed. My limbs tingled—my balance shifted, feet lighter, senses sharper.
I boosted Strength by 4, feeling the surge in every muscle. My hands clenched and unclenched reflexively.
Luck was next. I invested 4 points there, hoping it would nudge fate in my favor just enough to survive whatever waited ahead.
Finally, I placed the last 3 points into Intelligence. My thoughts cleared; My inner Magic seemed more prominent and powerful.
[status]
[name: Kageyama King]
[STR:16]
[SPD:10]
[INT:23]
[Luck:18]
[Charisma:12]
[Constitution:23]
[remaining points: 0]
[innate magic: Omnidirectional Mana Perception (12% complete)]
[Eldrin: Starfall (celestial dragon, normal form)]
[Eldrin slots left: 2]
[end status]
I flexed my fingers and grinned. Now I can take my first dungeon. Ever since I got this system after bonding with Starfall, I've spent the whole time working out and training on developing my innate magic. Each month of training rewarded me with 1 stat point and .2% competence on my innate magic.
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[next time: The Dungeon]
[HOPE YOU ENJOYED!!!!]