A Greater Crisis

Support my main contracted novel and winner of Writing Prompts #26 - The Legendary Mage!

Desolate Mage: A Legend Reborn!

https://www.webnovel.com/book/12013957905760805/Desolate-Mage%3A-A-Legend-Reborn!

* * * * *

Lucius paced back and forth in the 2nd hut he had in the woods to the west.

He was thinking.

Thinking about what to do with Sam's situation, and how to keep the townspeople from crying out to burn both of them at the stake for the crime of witchcraft. Despite the fields of curse magic, body alteration magic and life magic being established schools of practice, the general populace were still fearful and vindictive towards what they perceived as the perversion of nature and life.

Having nearly a hundred years of experience, being a devotee to the expansion of knowledge, and being the top borrower at all the libraries on the central and east continent [returning the books every few years or so], he had fancied himself as somewhat of a muse. But now he was stumped.

Spells or potions that sped up growth, or ones that expanded the body did exist. However, these functioned all at a permanent cost to the user's future potential and vitality. He cracked his head, but didn't know of any spell, condition or power that would grow a person's body like this; where the body's development and aging were not affected, and the individual's vitality was even more exuberant than before.

No matter how long he thought or from which angle he approached it from, all he drew were blanks. Even if Sam were not his own flesh and blood and a through and through human, there weren't even any races exhibiting these growth patterns.

Sighing, Lucius stopped his pacing and stepped outside for fresh air - and to watch Sam training.

The girl was moving according to the footwork he had just taught her, familiarizing herself with her "new" body. She was at one moment lunging forward in a low stance, and in the next moment soaring through the air in a twisting 1080° somersault, before performing a low spin with her arms and legs and whole body nearly perpendicular to the ground.

Lucius nodded in approval - the girl had always shown talent for physical aspects. It was just her mana affinity that left him helpless... He sighed again.

He could only help her to sharpen the weapons she already had, and ceaselessly search for a solution for her mana denying body.

Walking over to the clearing where the girl was still training, he called out to her, "Good movements! If I didn't know better, I'd think you've been training for years!" He smiled in approval; eliciting a happy smile from the girl, elated to receive his praises.

She came over to meet him halfway as he was walking, then asked, "That was fun! What's next, grandpa?"

Lucius couldn't help but to stop and admire the person who was the very image of her father - handsome, tall, dashing, gentle eyes, broad shoulders and a lean well-muscled body.

Problem was - Sam wasn't supposed to look like a teenage girl's heart-throb...

Sighing, he said, "Alright! Get cleaned up. I'll set out some new clothes for you now that you're bigger."

As the girl hopped and skipped away, Lucius sighed again - at least she hadn't developed her womanly characteristics yet - he could still make this work. For now.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Stella and Marie were best friends.

They had grown up as neighbours, and had played together for many years before entering the temple of Uro. Theirs was a life-long bond that had went through thick and thin - at least as far as challenges go for 14 year olds.

But today they were enemies.

"Do you really think Reeve would like someone so low-breed like a swine farmer's daughter? Pah! You must be dreaming! You swine farmers should stick together and give us your blessing!" Marie was fuming at Stella's bragging, as she stood by her workdesk where she was supposed to be doing the accounts for the temple.

"Hmmph!" Stella was irked despite holding the advantage in their competition for the boy. She shifted on the bench she was sitting on to face Marie. "You're just jealous that he asked *me* for help and not you! Why, he must have been waiting all this while for a chance to talk to me!" Stella put on a dreamy look, then shot a glance at Marie as if to say "so-there".

"Y-you? Waiting all this while to talk to you?" Marie sputtered in mock amazement, "Do you think any boy would like a rough and tough broad like you? Anyone who remembers just how manly your mother was would--"

"Marie!" Stella snapped, her eyes glistening. Marie knew she had touched on an area she shouldn't have.

"You... You..." tears were welling up in the girl's eyes as she scrunched up her face in hurt - the memories of her mother's death were still raw in the heart of the teenage girl.

Her mother, as one of the town guard captains, lost her life when Stella was only 11, during a beastman and barbarian raid. It was a young and courageous Reeve who protected her and her younger siblings when they thought they would be goners for sure.

Marie - as the antagonist in this spat - was filled with remorse - best friends shouldn't be arguing like this, should they...? Especially not until the shedding of tears and until their friendship was at risk of falling apart.

"Stella... I'm, I'm sorry... I was just jealous of how you're the only girl that training freak has spoken to in the past weeks. Apart from his little sister and that demon girl of course." Marie sat down beside Stella, drawing close to comfort her. "I know you've always liked him since their family moved here. And especially when he became your knight in shining armour."

Stella, wiping away her tears, turned to look at Marie. "Do you know how much I wish I were beautiful and graceful like you...?" She revealed her insecurities and deepest fears, "What you said... Isn't it true? How could someone so coarse and unrefined like me get Reeve? I'm just dreaming..."

By now Marie was sniffling too. "At least he talked to you... The last time he spoke to me was... Well, never." She smiled with a tinge of amusement and self-pity, "I'm sure we're not the only girls tearing their hair out wondering who Reeve will choose..."

Stella couldn't help but giggle when she thought of how the other girls must be agonising over the same thing. Then she smiled. "Thanks for being here, Marie."

Marie returned her smile. "Best friends?"

"Best friends."

Then they saw him.

If Reeve were the image of masculinity, intense as a raging fire and solid as the earth they stood on, "he" would be like the refreshing summer breeze that swept away one's fatigue, or the waters that calmed one's heart even of the deepest worries.

Simultaneously and in an instant, the girl's gazes locked onto him and they flashed a look at one another.

Then they began quarelling again, this time over who would get to serve the new prince charming.

* * * * * * * * * *

"Welcome to the temple of Uro! Our goddess is magnanimous and kind, always ready to bestow her grace upon the ailing people! I'm Stella, apprentice priestess--"

"And I'm Marie, *ahem* her senior... apprentice priestess. How may our lady bless your life today...?"

Lucius was surprised. Normally the temple was so busy they would have to wait an hour, and even then they would only have 1 priest or priestess to serve them. He looked around and was confused as he saw many unattended penitents. Then he saw the two girls preening and trying to draw the clueless girl's [Sam's] attention. His face froze over.

The boy/ girl had already caused a commotion all the way from the shrine to the temple on the other side of town, with many murmurs of "Is he a prince...?" or, "Who's that man...? Is he a model...?"

Sam was dressed in a simple but smart looking set of Lucius' old clothes - a dark grey shirt with matching pants, and black leather boots. As they were made of high grade mana-infused cloth and leather, it looked relatively new despite accompanying him for more than 20 years.

She looked like a kind hearted, noble and athletic pretty boy...

Lucius nearly face-palmed himself - what trouble was Sam going to be causing with his... *Ahem*, her gender bending good looks...?

"This is my granddaught- I mean, grandson, Sam, Samuel. She... He's been traveling since he's young, and his parents just left him with me yesterday. He's just turned 15, but he, he hasn't had an affinity, talent or capability test before. Yes, that, that's how it is." Lucius struggled to get the words out, his face was pale as he intermittently coughed while telling his prepared story.

The two girls were swooning too much to notice the various inconsistencies and irregularities in his explanation, so they scrambled closer to "Samuel" to grab his arm and lead him to the testing area. They shot each other daggers with their stares, then settled for one arm each.

"So, Samuel. To help our test, could you tell us what your innate talent is...?" it was Marie's turn to speak; giving him her best smile with sparkling eyes.

Samuel replied without thinking, "Getting lucky." He didn't notice the two girls turning beet red as they blushed, misunderstanding that he would be so open and direct about his promiscuity... Though neiether of them would mind if it were them and he brought them away from this little town after that.

"W-w-what do you mean by luc--" Marie overcame her embarrassment to ask, only to be cut off by a harsh cough by Stella, who flashed her venomous looks as if to tell her to keep to her turn.

"Ahem, since it's my turn to speak," Stella began. "W-w-whaf do you mean by being lu-lu-lu-lucky...?" She was blushing furiously as she wondered if he meant *that* kind of lucky.

The two's legs grew weak and they had to lean heavily on Sam's arm to prevent themselves from fainting in shock when they heard his answer: "Oh, well, a Mr Handsome fell from a tree, so I took him home to my bed... I was very lucky that day, he's very good to me and even gave me..." Sam pointed to his metallic hair ornament, "...this as a gift before he left. He said he'll come back to play with me again."

"P-p-p-play?!?"

*thump*

The sounds of three bodies slumping to the floor could be heard.

Sam helped the two girls up, even as they were pallid and seemed to suddenly turn extremely awkward towards her.

Then the trio looked back to see Lucius dusting himself off, as if he had just gotten up but didn't want anyone to know.

"Ahem. Nothing happened. Carry on."

The trio shrugged and continued on, the girls shaken. Sam continued on, her 10 year old mind oblivious to the bombshell she had unknowingly dropped. The two girls looked listless and stumbled every now and then as they numbly walked to the testing area. They were completely silent and no longer held Sam's arms; unable to accept what they had just heard.

If they had looked back again, they would have seen an old man with a pale face, reeling from a blow heavier than that of any god he had faced.

How was he going to salvage this situation...?

His mind raced as he could already hear tomorrows news: Lucius' grandson sleeping around with every handsome man who drops by.