Mancer Saga
Ch.10
Synthetic


“Dear Jace,
Since the day we were separated, I feel dramatically transformed. In the Guild, I have been staying with a young doctor whose kindness is only surpassed by his drive to understand the human body. Kaisen is has been happier than ever. He is recognized by the guild as a Grand Dragoon, the highest rank a Dragoon can ever achieve within its class. Not to mention he’s gotten tall. I have accepted the job of being a knight of the Guild. Twice I’ve been in mortal danger but that was before I’ve gotten formal training in Celestialmancy. As you know, Celestials bend space and time. For my clan, the Solate clan, we particularly bend space. I’ve master the celestial gate and a deadly new technique, the celestial prison. Truthfully, I wrote not to keep you updated but to express the longing I feel. I miss Oasis. My lifestyle, my house and most importantly my friendship with you, all I miss. Every night I drown myself in alcohol but I am still constantly tormented by your memory. I know you will most likely never read this note because I have placed it in the sea within a bottle. I wish you well…

Love,
Ivy Solate”


“It seems that you have mastered the celestial prison, my foxy pupil. Good work!” Iron patted Ivy on the butt as the two walked into the bar. In an angry blush, Ivy slapped him upon his wrinkled face turning it violent red. The Blunt Axe was the most infamous bar full of the toughest of men. As she entered the Blunt Axe, Ivy straightened her lavender, silk dress.
“It perplexes why you would bring me here dressed in this attire.” Ivy sneered.
“It’s your final test, sexy, one that will force you to use every bit of your ability to manipulate space.” Iron smiled as the two sat down at the bar stool.
“A bar seems hardly the place.” Ivy raised a skeptical eyebrow.
“Hey everybody, 500 gold pieces and the girl for the one who strips her of her dress!” Every eye turned to Ivy as Iron yelled. The deadly silence swept the air, forcing each man to inch closer to her.
“You perv!” Ivy shouted.
“The rules are that you must stay within the building. To be victorious you must have all your undergarments covered and each man must be unable to fight!”
“I fail to remember when I agreed to such a vulgar task!” Panic overwhelmed Ivy as the men charged their prey.
“Get me the usual, Ted.” Iron addressed the barkeep, Ted.
“HECK NO! I’m gonna get me some beautiful woman.”
“Shut up, Ted. You’ll never get any.” The old pervert scowled, while Ivy was throwing punches at the hoards of men. The man was smashed in jaw. Next one up got a kick in the groin. Third man received a fist n the stomach. A Mancer summoned a hawk which flew behind Ivy. Its razor sharp talons torn off her left sleeve as well as the fabric around the left shoulder. Her left shoulder was bare. The hawk swerved over to get the right shoulder but a celestial gate sucked it inside.
“You’ll be mine, woman!” a Pyromancer shot flames at Ivy, singeing the back her dress.
“I’ll burn that dress to pieces!” The Pyromancer fired another burst of flames from his mouth. As Ivy was about to be toasted, a man with bright blonde hair slicked back and a green tunic shielded Ivy. The fire ball hit his chest, igniting his tunic. Hastily the blonde ripped the burning tunic off his back revealing a scorched piece of armor. Unhooking his armor, the man’s bare chest was covered in tattoos of intricate lines and green gems imbedded in his skin at various points on the lines.
Ivy conjured a celestial gate and threw a bottle of hard liquor through the gate. The other side of the gate opened above the Pyromancer, breaking the bottle over his head.
“You little slut!” Soaked in booze, the Pyromancer vented his fury. With a puff of air, his attempt to shoot fire lit his booze soaked body. The man engulfed in flames ran from the bar.
Sleeping darts launched from a blowgun missed Ivy. The blonde man guided a lightning bolt from his hand, hitting the blowgun-man and thrusting him through the wall. When he created the lightning, his tattoos and gems glowed.
From behind Ivy, a man tore a large piece of her dress off, making it halfway above knee length. A three-hundred and sixty degree turn put Ivy face to face with the man. With a fierce glare from Ivy, the man was covered by a sphere of light.
“Ivy! Don’t use the Celestial Prison! You’ll kill him!” Fear of his little prank of a test killing someone over came Iron. Ivy ignored the old man.
“Ted, throw me the nearest drink!” Iron commanded the barkeeps that hid behind the counter. Ted reached for a large bottle of milk and slid it over the counter to Iron. A precise throw sent the bottle straight into the back of Ivy’s, releasing the man and splashing milk over Ivy’s head. She collapsed onto the floor. The man walked over to rip off Ivy’s dress until the blonde zapped him, sending him flying through the window. Coming to, Ivy lifted herself off the floor holding her head as if she had a headache.
“How disgraceful. A lady such as myself covered in milk and tattered clothing. Iron, how could you humiliate me so?” Ivy wiped droplets of milk off her face as she raised her other hand in a fist and walked towards Iron.
Ivy stopped completely with wide eyes and a red blush over her face. The blonde stood behind her, holding her completely torn off dress in his hands. Reduced to only a white undershirt and a pair of white underwear, Ivy stood paralyzed with milk running down her face.
“Sexy!!!” Ted stood next to Iron, both with wide-eyed stares at Ivy’s half naked body. A single hand gently touched her face. A hand extended by the blond who directed a benign amount of voltage through her body. Collapsing into his arms, Ivy fell unconscious.
“It’s my victory. I don’t want your money. I just want the girl. I guarantee I won’t touch her in any way those other losers would have.” The blonde proclaimed as he left the bar. Before he left, he cover Ivy in a cloak he stole from a passed out victim of her fury.
“Brent is gonna be pissed.” Ted looked at Iron who was looking back in dread. Iron slapped Ted in the back of the head.




“Dear Ivy,
I’m writing this letter to put in a bottle and throw it in the sea. Maybe one day this will get to you. I’ve made many mistakes. For a second before we separated I hated you. I was despicable and sad then but now I can’t even consider what I was back then as me. I am a Mancer. Mancy is not a catalyst of evil. Just like any tool, it is as good as its user. On my travels I encountered many friends and I’ve become involved with a group of Mancers called Arcane. Our goal is to kill the Necroking. The leader is as strong and wise as any one man could be. His name is Dune and he is the Necroking’s son. It took me this long to realize my purpose.
An Oracle named Vern revealed to me that I am a Harmonious, the embodiment of all Mancy available to humans. Not just that but I hold within my soul a piece of the legendary black tome, the Necronomicon. Another friend and Harmonious, Kasaud the Necrosmith, holds the second piece but the final piece lies in one I have never met named Brent. The three of us together can give the knowledge of the tome into its physical form.
I know it is my destiny to smite the Necroking with this very book and then send it back into the bowls of Hell where it can never be used for evil. This knowledge is too great for one man to wield.
Currently, the other members of Arcane and I were captured by the army of our homeland, Khaul. As far as I know, the Guild hired a large bounty on my head as well as on the other members of Arcane. I can imagine they want me because of my value to the Necroking who is seeking the Harmonious three who hold the knowledge he needs obtain endless youth. Lance was even sent by the guild to kill me back in Oasis but it turned out that his heart was too big to waste me.
Please don’t hold it against Lance or Dune for the destruction of our home. Dune had to make a drastic move to keep me alive and Lance gave up his life in the Guild to help me.
I’m on a prison ship headed to a trial at the guild for the others but for me it will probably be an execution. We will take this chance to plead for the guild’s assistance in our plight against the Necroking and the armies of Gale he commands. In case I do die I want you and Kaisen to know, I deeply care for you both. Ivy, I can say without a doubt that I… I love you!
Love,
Jace Eldre”


Shadowy prison with a teen chained to its wall his leg. It was Jace with pen and paper near him. A small woman with scarred up hands and her hair in a messy bun carried a tray with bead and fruit with a single glass of wine. She walked to the barred room where Jace was. She opened the barred door and entered.
“I brought you food, Mr. Eldre.” She sat the tray next to him.
“They’re treating me fairly well for a man on death row… Tell me your name…” Jace signaled the woman to sit down. She sat against the wall.
“I am your servant, Nina. As for the royal treatment it is a sympathy thing. You are an innocent man but you’re a victim of circumstance. They will grant you any thing in their power except for freedom. It’s their way of dismissing the guilt of your death.” Nina had sad eyes to compliment her unhealthy pale skin.
“It seems to me that they’re treating me, a prisoner, better than their own worker.” Jace questioned.
“I’m not a worker. I am a slave. I live in a room half the size of yours with five other people and eat scraps.”
“I’d be happy to share my meal with you. I’m not hungry.” Jace pushed the tray over to her. Without hesitation, she shoved bread into her mouth.


“Dear Brother,
It has been ten years since I’ve seen you, at least for me. I’ve aged ten years in three days. The night after I left home I discovered my true potential. I am a Mancer of Dragons and after training in the chrono chamber I’ve been given the title Grand Dragoon Kaisen. My title came with many perks. For example I and my dragon, Kreyan, live in a large coastal mansion with a view of the sea. Within walking distance is Brent’s manor where Ivy lives. I wish you could see her. She is strong and as beautiful as the day we left. I will cast this note in the ocean and hope that you will find it. Come home, Brother…
Love,
Grand Dragoon Kaisen Eldre”


“I got her! It was like zap and then BAM!” A familiar voice rang through Ivy’s ears.
“Tiamaur, you could have hurt her! Don’t you ever think about these things! What would Nina say?” a tenor voice scolded. Ivy began to open her eyes seeing nothing but a blur of light.
“She would be free! This is the last Mana extraction I have to do before they’ll free her. I have to do this, Kenneth!” As her vision cleared, Ivy saw one of the voices was the blonde from the bar. She gathered from the conversation that the blonde was named Tiamaur. The other guy was slightly shorter with pale skin and straight long hair. He was obviously Kenneth.
“You’re the one who hurt me and humiliated me!” Ivy lifted her arm to point the finger at Tiamaur.
“Please don’t move, Miss Solate. I apologize for Tiamaur. He took this too far.” Kenneth pleaded. Ivy was laying in a padded chair in what appeared to be a library inside a mansion. High ceiling and book shelves covering the walls defined the room. Tables were set up with books and loose papers. The center of the library held a giant globe. The southern wall had a large window overlooking the stormy sea. Ivy was cleaned and clothed in a loose tunic with loose pants and her hair was put in a neat bun.
“Our maid bathed and clothed you. I apologized for your clothing. All we had was men’s clothing. We were supposed to invite you here but this idiot kidnapped you.” Kenneth pulled a bottle of wine from the table and poured some into a glass which he gave Ivy.
“We must offer a proposal.” Tiamaur extended a hand to shake with Ivy. Ivy splashed the wine over his face.
“I refuse.” Ivy turned her head away.
“Try to understand our position. We were captured from our homeland, Gale, and forced to be lab rats of the Guild. They did terrible and painful operations on our bodies and even cut our lifespan in half just to create synthetic Mancy. If you will help us then they will free our sister from slavery and set us free. Not to mention you will be paid and receive a one of a kind gift.” Kenneth kneeled before her begging for some sympathy.
“I appreciate your respect and pity your situation but I can’t agree to do this until I know what is to be done.” Ivy kept a diplomatic tone to her dialogue.
“We need you to charge a mana gem. You must know that it will fatigue you and it is a painful process.” Tiamaur explained as he wiped the wine from his face with the sleeve of his tunic.
“Once before I had seen the face of death because of mana sickness. I will not trot that path again. I regret to inform you that I will never exert that much mana again.” Ivy stood up from the chair.
“I’m so sorry, Ivy, but we don’t have any other options. Nina needs us.” Kenneth ripped of his cloak revealing a bone-skinny upper body with similar tattoos to that of Tiamaur except with sharper lines and the same green gems imbedded in the skin. With dramatic motion of the arms, Kenneth’s tattoos and gems glowed as a tiger ran in the library from the door and leaped at Ivy. In a flash, Ivy moved behind the two.


“Dear Nina,
It has been nearly four years since the raid on our village. The Rochairian army set port on our shores and I tried to hide you but Tiamaur had to try and fight a hopeless battle against them. I can tell he regrets it with all his heart. He talks in his sleep about how he should have took you and ran. Sometimes he’ll work himself to exhaustion trying to earn your freedom. Currently, we are trying to get our final mana gem charged. Only celestials can generate enough mana to charge the gem, so we will offer a celestial born of the Solate constellation by the name of Ivy. Tiamaur will have to get her, which worries me because our brother has never been good at sweet talking. With this final gem, our master will be able to create a final, perfect synthetic Mancer. We will see you soon, dear sister.
Love,
Kenneth”


“I promise you, Nina, I will take you to your brothers!” Jace forced a intense glared as he held the chain that bound his leg to the wall.
“I’m inspired by your drive but this prison is built to suppress mana and there is no escape.” Nina put an arm around him.
“I’m a harmonious. I will break through! Get back, Nina!” The chain shattered into a million pieces after Nina stepped away. A swift leap to his feet and Jace made a pushing motion which shattered the bars of his prison.
“What was that?!”
“Mancy of pure mana!” Jace charged from the room with Nina in hand. The wall before them shattered into shards of metal creating a view of the stormy waters. A motion of the arms summoned a whale in which the two jumped onto its back.
“Hold on tight, Nina!” With a great push of the tail, the whale thrust forward through the waves of the restless ocean.


“Dear Kaisen,
I’m not here at the moment. If you stop by Brent told me to offer you some homemade jam he made. Feel free to take a jar but not the blackberry, that’s mine. See you later…
From,
Iron Solate
P.S.
Ivy kinda got captured. See ya!”


“How can you teleport without opening a Celestial Gate?” Tiamaur turned around to look Ivy in the face.
“It’s called Celestial Flash. It enables me to move my body anywhere within a short distance.” Ivy threw a punch at Tiamaur. His open palm caught the punch, sending volts through her body. Ear piercing screams burst from Ivy as intense shocks invaded her body.
“You’re gonna kill her!” Kenneth frantically pulled at Tiamaur’s shoulder trying to stop him. He let go and Ivy fell onto her knees.
“I will not be defeated.” Ivy raged.
“Yes you will. We’re on an island ten miles from the shores of the guild. Prince Charming isn’t gonna save you, Princess!”
“Too many times have I been saved like a helpless little girl! I am the most powerful celestial you’ve ever seen!” A celestial gate appeared over Tiamaur’s head and with a suddenly uppercut from Ivy sent him flying into the portal. He appeared outside the window, falling into the ocean.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Ivy! Nina is counting on me!” The gems and Tattoos glowed intensely on Kenneth’s body as ten more tigers walked through the door and began to charge at Ivy. As the pounced a few feet away from Ivy, their roars were thunderous. They backed Ivy into a corner until in an instant they backed away slowly. In shock she looked towards Kenneth who was calling the tigers back.
“I can’t do this. Nina wouldn’t want pointless bloodshed over her freedom.” Kenneth fell to his knees with tears in his eyes. A sudden burst shattered the large window sending a wave of sea water into the room. As the water flowed back outside through the broken window, Jace and Nina lay soaking wet on the floor. About six feet away was Tiamaur coughing out the water and shivering.
“Jace!” Ivy ran to her friend who was picking himself up off the floor.
“Nina!” Kenneth help her off the floor.
“Ivy! I’m so sorry about before!” Jace was weak.
“It’s okay, Jace! I’m just glad you here.” Ivy hugged Jace tight.
“What have you done? If you hadn’t brought her here we could have had her legally free by charging the gem. You made her a criminal!” Tiamaur try to shoot a bolt of lightning but he just ended up zapping his sopping wet body.
“Tiamaur! He befriended me and helped me! Just let it go!” Nina ran to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. He shrugged her off and charged at Jace. When a line of flames came in his path, Tiamaur immediately fell back away from the fire. A dragon flew inside the mansion. On its back rode a large stature man with neatly trimmed hair, dark skin and wearing a knight’s armor.
“Ivy, are you injured!” The knight asked.
“Kaisen, Jace is back!” Ivy smiled with deeper joy than has ever been seen on her face…